Daily Archive: Thursday, July 30, 2015

The Ministry of Public Infrastructure (MPI) on July 28, 2015 distributed tools to residents of the North and South Ruimveldt communities in an effort to assist them in their clean-up exercises.

The management of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Operations Company (OPCO) Guyana Inc.,

History was made at CARICOM headquarters, Georgetown, Guyana, today when Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community Ambassador Irwin LaRocque (right) accepted the credentials of the first ever Ambassador of the Vatican to the Community.

Courts Inc donated a suite to the Guyana Police Force today as a contribution to the celebration of the 176th anniversary of the force.

Minister of Finance Winston Jordan today announced in the National Assembly that the budget estimates would be presented on August 10th.

Minister of Communities Ronald Bulkan this afternoon told the National Assembly that he has been advised that the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) will be ready to hold the long awaited local government elections by early December.

Former Minister of Health Dr Bheri Ramsaran today appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court and pleaded not guilty to the use of insulting language against rights activist Sherlina Nageer.

Former Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford is now the subject of another police investigation, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum has confirmed.

A security guard of a mining camp located in Oku Backdam, Puruni was on Tuesday found face down in an abandoned mining pit with a wound to his throat, three days after he went missing.

Former Public Service Minister Dr Jennifer Westford and that ministry’s chief personnel officer Margaret Cummings were yesterday granted bail in a combined total of $2 million after being slapped with several counts of forgery and attempted larceny at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts.

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman said that should controversial Chinese company Baishanlin and equally contentious Indian company Vaitarna not produce value-added products by the end of the year their contracts could be terminated.

An alleged bandit was mortally wounded yesterday by law enforcement officers, who responded to a robbery under arms report in the vicinity of Number 61 Village beach.

The Executive Committee of the Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) says the government should be ashamed of what it has termed “an affront to women” by the disproportionate number represented in the membership of 20 out of the 32 named State Boards.

Magistrate Judy Latchman on Tuesday granted an adjournment in the Bishnarine ‘Sanjay’ Persaud causing death case after his defence attorney filed a constitutional motion claiming that his client was receiving an unfair trial.

When the APNU+AFC coalition government presents its first budget in September, one of the features will be a reduction in the Berbice Bridge toll.

General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Clement Rohee said that while the new Members of Parliament attended an orientation yesterday he would not confirm that the party would make its first entry into the 11Th Parliament today.

Samuel Hinds Jr has moved to the High Court through his attorneys Peter Hugh and Latchmie Rahamat in a bid to stay Magistrate’s Court proceedings against him.

  Pooran Saroop called ‘Beco’, 56, a former farmer and security guard of Lot 7 Brothers Village, East Bank Berbice was discovered dead yesterday morning with chops to his head.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has allowed an appeal by two Essequibo farmers over a rice land dispute and set aside a Guyana Court of Appeal decision.

Come next year’s budget, the government’s takings from the 24% of the proceeds of the Guyana Lotteries Fund will be included in the Consoli-dated Fund, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman said yesterday.

A minibus driver was yesterday remanded to prison for allegedly driving a minibus recklessly and causing the death of a man.

Defending three-time champs Christianburg/Wismar sealed their fifth consecutive finals appearance, crushing Waramadong Secondary 4-0 in their semi-final affair when the fifth annual Digicel Secondary Schools championship continued yesterday.

Self-confessed `death squad’ member Shawn Hinds is still not cooperating with police, according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who yesterday said that a copy of the interview he did with HPGTV Nightly News has been handed over to the police.

Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman yesterday ridiculed the PPP’s claim that the government has purchased 52 luxury vehicles to be used by ministers and advisors describing the recent claim as a “sideshow” by the opposition.

The trial of Colin Bess, who had been charged with raping a 12-year-old child, ended in a hung-jury on Tuesday.

Chase Academy became only the second Georgetown team to qualify for the finale of the Digicel Secondary School Championships, downing Annai Secondary in their semi-final encounter 3-1 yesterday at the Leonora Sports Facility.

The APNU+AFC government would ideally like to have the long-awaited local government elections held by the end of this year, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman said, and the administration is working assiduously to have a date named shortly.

Goalkeeper Ruth George is the lone local player among the 19 selected to compete in next month’s Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Olympic Qualifiers in the Dominican Republic.

A man was yesterday fined after he tried to illegally take an animal out of the country on July 29.

KINGSTON, Jamaica, CMC – Chris Gayle and Dwayne Bravo topped the aggregates in the just concluded Hero Caribbean Premier League, though their respective franchises experienced contrasting fates.

Dear Editor, In the Electoral Assistance Bureau’s Final Report on the 1997 General Elections, I observed that the ethnic composition of the National Registration Centre was very lopsided, and expressed the hope that some time in the near future, we might select people for office based purely on qualifications and not on ethnicity.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has approached the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to play a series of limited overs matches before the September 30 Champions Trophy cut off date, so that they stand a chance of making the cut.

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – Argentine football great Diego Maradona said yesterday he wants to fight the “mafia” responsible for the corruption scandal that has rocked FIFA, but he stopped short of saying he wants to be the next president of global soccer’s governing body.

Cabinet on Tuesday approved funds to be distributed among active African groups across the country to host Emanci-pation Day activities which are held on or around August 1.

Dear Editor, It has just been pointed out to me that of 35 persons just announced as chairs of state-appointed boards, only seven have Indian-sounding names.

Cabinet has considered a draft code of conduct for ministers of government, members of the National Assembly and public office holders and it is now under active discussion which would continue at a Cabinet retreat next month, Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman said yesterday.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden, CMC – Jamaican star Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce has made an about turn and now says she could defend both her sprint titles at the World Championships in Beijing next month.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, Jul 29, CMC – Captain Joelisa Cooper says Trinidad and Tobago still need to address the mental side of their game, as they prepare for a challenging campaign in the Netball World Cup next month.

BOGOTA, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – United Nations human rights experts have urged the Dominican Republic to prevent arbitrary deportations of Haitian migrants and Domini-cans of Haitian descent, and to address allegations of racial profiling during deportations.

Dear Editor, The stranglehold rice millers have over paddy farmers is a perpetual problem that has been around for decades.

Following concerns by tourists and overseas-based Guyanese about animal welfare in the country, a team of regional and international veterinarians volunteered their services and is performing surgeries for the Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (GSPCA).

Dear Editor, My experience at the passport office today was a good one.

On Monday, Joshua Moonsammy died in the Paediatric Ward of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after spending the last five years of his life as a resident there.

LONDON, (Reuters) – The long list of 13 titles for the 2015 Man Booker Prize for fiction written in English, published yesterday, features the first Jamaican author in contention for the 50,000-pound ($78,000) prize.

BRISTOL, England, CMC – Leeward Islands left-hander Chesney Hughes failed for the third time in four days in the Royal London Cup as Derbyshire suffered an unlucky six-wicket defeat to Gloucestershire here yesterday.

The Town Clerk of Georgetown, Royston King in addressing the Council at its Statutory meeting on Monday said he has approached Central Government on several issues affecting the municipality including valuation of properties in the city, a release from City Hall said yesterday.

BOGOTA, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Peruvian special forces rescued 26 children and 13 women, some of whom had been raped and held captive for three decades, when they raided a southeastern jungle camp of the left-wing Shining Path rebel group.

BERNE, (Reuters) – UEFA president Michel Platini ended weeks of uncertainty yesterday when he announced that he would stand for the presidency of FIFA in place of outgoing Sepp Blatter.

Dear Editor, I was very instrumental in the APNU+AFC campaign running up to the general and regional elections, like so many others here in Region Two.

The indigenous community of Moruca located in Barima-Waini, Region One hosted its 11th annual Expo last weekend under the theme “One culture: many Livelihoods” but two visiting ministers voiced concern over what they said was a decline in its quality.

PARIS/SYDNEY, (Reuters) – French authorities are studying a piece of plane debris found on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean to determine whether it came from Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which vanished last year in one of the biggest mysteries in aviation history.

(Reuters) – The English FA have thrown their weight behind Michel Platini’s bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.

Dear Editor: The nation has been informed that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has examined the file pertaining to the alleged transfer of government vehicles to former minister of public service, Dr Jennifer Westford, and has recommended that a charge be brought.

Dear Editor, In recent times, two prominent PPP leaders have made troubling statements on the Venezuela-Guyana border controversy.

KABUL, (Reuters) – Afghanistan said yesterday that Mullah Omar, the elusive leader of the Taliban movement fighting to topple the government, died more than two years ago.

Anand Goolsarran, former auditor general last week donated 25 copies of his most recent book Public Accountability at the Crossroads: the Guyana Experience to the Parliamentary Office Library.

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – The Russian Basketball Federation (RFB) has been suspended by governing body FIBA, putting their participation in the 2016 Olympics in doubt.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – The woman battling Bill Cosby to make public a 2006 settlement of her sexual-assault complaint against him said in court documents on Tuesday that she is a lesbian, despite his sworn assertions that their encounter was consensual and he has a knack for reading women’s cues.

Dear Editor, The musings of WICB President Cameron: “I must say to you that we`re probably 90% sure that we`re not going to make it to the Champion`s Trophy at this point in time.

BIRMINGHAM, (Reuters) – Paceman James Anderson took six wickets to skittle Australia for a paltry 136 and put England in control on the first day of the third test at Edgbaston yesterday.

The Guyana Elections Commis-sion (GECOM) conducted a two-day training session for its field staff from seven of the country’s districts on the proper and correct conduct of Claims and Objections to the voters list.

Drafted, re-drafted, re-read, tweaked, tweaked again, tabled, with repeated training. And yet, we are still awaiting the Civil Procedure Rules’ illustrious commencement and implementation in the hallowed halls of our Courts.

CINCINNATI, (Reuters) – A University of Cincinnati police officer was indicted yesterday on murder charges in the fatal shooting last week of an unarmed black motorist who was stopped because of a missing front license plate.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Fears about Rory McIlory’s participation in the U.S.

The government has no intention of extending the life of the Dr Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI), which comes to an end on November 30, since according to Minister of Governance Raphael Trotman, three days or three years would not deliver anything that is “earth shattering.”

Dear Editor, If reports and letters in the print and online media, and posts on social sites are to be believed, many supporters of the APNU+AFC coalition are taking great pleasure in revelations of evidence of malfeasance, corruption, poor governance and possibly illegal conduct, perpetrated by the previous regime.

Dear Editor, Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, former President of India, passed away on Monday Jul 27 at a conference in Shillong, North India, where he was making a presentation on how to create a better world.

LONDON, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – India is set to overtake China and become the world’s most populous country in less than a decade – six years sooner than previously forecast, the United Nations said yesterday.

A Sophia man was yesterday remanded to prison by a city magistrate for allegedly breaking and entering an East Ruimveldt home.

BIRMINGHAM, (Reuters) – Bowling 33 overs without success in England’s second test defeat by Australia at Lord’s knocked the confidence of paceman James Anderson who returned to form with a bang yesterday.

World leaders will gather again in New York in two months’ time to attend the United Nations General Assembly and this year’s event has already been forecast as one that will be off the charts for several reasons.