Daily Archive: Saturday, December 19, 2015

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, CMC-The Sri Lankan government says it has launched a probe into a bid to bribe members of the national cricket team to under-perform in a recent Test match against West Indies.

Minister of Public Infrastructure, David Patterson, has reached an agreement with the Berbice Bridge Company Incorporated (BBCI) over lowered tolls and will be signing a contract with the company in the coming week, a release from the Ministry of Public Infrastructure said today.

(Trinidad Guardian) There have been 29 lab-confirmed cases of the H1N1 influenza (swine flu) in this country so far for 2015, with three resulting in death.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo had the National Assembly in an uproar on Thursday, accusing the government of not only withholding pay hike discussions across the board but also rhetorically slapping workers in Guyana, citing increases paid to ministers and MPs.

More than a year after he was dismissed following a confrontation with Skeldon Estate Manager Dave Kumar, GuySuCo employee Stephen Daniels was yesterday re-employed and will be compensated, though a figure has not yet been arrived at.

A Linden mechanic yesterday pleaded guilty to four of five counts of robbery under arms and was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment following his admission of guilt.

The second retreat to discuss the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the sugar industry went ahead yesterday in the absence of President David Granger and several other ministers.

Two policemen who allegedly shot a man to death at Mahaica in July were on Wednesday arraigned on manslaughter charges and were released on $150, 000 each, `C’ Division Commander Marlon Chapman confirmed.

More than two weeks after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advised the police to lay charges against the officer who allegedly caused the death of Denilson Rose at Linden, he is expected to be slapped with five charges.

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) yesterday applauded the decision by the APNU+AFC Government to postpone passage of the Anti-Terrorism Bill in one Parliamentary sitting but also raised concerns over how the administration sees the process of consultation.

The Ministry of Public Health has been made aware of a possible case of H1N1 at a local hospital and testing is to be done to ascertain if this is so.

The Government of Guyana has spent in excess of $133M on the forensic audits they commissioned into state entities after they assumed office in May of this year.

The Ministry of Public Security yesterday issued a press release from its Computer Incident Response Team on a malicious software attack that has surged in recent weeks and one government agency here has been affected The Guyana National Computer Incident Response Team (GNCIRT) said it wished to alert the general public of the sudden surge in ransomware attacks being experienced worldwide.

Former chief probation officer Cecil Murray yesterday bemoaned the state of the public service, saying he is deeply saddened by what it has degenerated to today.

Treatment for the Human Immuno-deficiency Virus (HIV) is available at 22 sites in the country and concerted efforts over the years has seen a decline in the number of cases.

President David Granger yesterday thanked the members of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) for their service to the nation on behalf of all Guyanese.

The Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) has defended the repossession of core houses over the breaching of the principles under which they were assigned to low income earners.

The feat by the national men’s cricket team known as the Guyana Jaguars which has racked up five outright wins in as many matches of the regional four day cricket competition has not gone unnoticed by the West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) top brass.

Telecommunications giant, Digicel, Wednesday, gave the Kennard Memorial Turf Club (KMTC) Boxing Day event a major top up by once again agreeing to be a major sponsor of the annual fixture.

Trophy Stall became the latest sponsor to throw its support behind the third annual Upper Demerara Football Association (UDFA/GT Beer Knockout Football Cup, donating the championship and respective trophies at a simple presentation ceremony.

With the extended December 15 deadline gone, there is no official word on the status of the final report for the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry (CoI).

Results of the post-mortem examination conducted on Farm, East Bank Essequibo resident, Dennis Martin, 36, proved that he died as a result of a brain haemorrhage and fractured skull.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board yesterday urged top regional players to make themselves available for upcoming domestic tournaments, even as several of them prepared to turn out in Australia’s Big Bash League which runs alongside next month’s NAGICO Super50.

GEELONG, Australia, CMC – In the wake of heavy losses in their only two fixtures on tour, West Indies will look to defy soaring temperatures and make the most of their two-day match against the Victoria XI, as they continue their build-up to the second Test match against Australia starting Boxing Day.

Two men, aged 65 and 67, were yesterday charged with severely wounding a footwear vendor, Stanley Parook, 42, at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo around 10:30 am on Wednesday, December 16.

SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – Former Australia captain Michael Clarke believes West Indies players should place more emphasis on playing international cricket rather than campaigning in the various domestic Twenty20 leagues around the world.

With the vision of helping people to maintain healthy eyes, Optique Vision Care opened a new location in the Giftland Mall, Turkeyen on Wednesday evening.

BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Leg-spinner Samuel Badree believes the problems of West Indies cricket are now too big for authorities in the region to fix.

On December 17, 1970, Guyana and what was known then as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, established diplomatic relations making it the first such for a Commonwealth Caribbean country.

Fifty-two recruits of the Guyana Police Force yesterday completed their training at the Felix Austin Police College and Commissioner of Police Seelall Persaud rewarded the force training officers and the commandants of the three police colleges and their staff with $150,000.

Traditional rivals will faceoff today when Cougars Football Club lock horns with Rosignol United from 21:00hrs as the fifth edition of the Georgetown Football Association (GFA) Banks Beer Knockout Cup continues at the No.

Minister of Tourism Cathy Hughes says that the National Tourism Policy will be finalised by the close of January 2016.

Dear Editor, I recently returned from a week-long visit to Cuba during which I held discussions with a number of government agencies, the Chamber of Commerce and the United States Embassy.

A Baramita resident, who was accused of having a shotgun without being a holder of a firearm licence and using threatening language, made an appearance at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts yesterday to answer the charges.

Upper Corentyne will today oppose neighbors Lower Corentyne in what is billed as one of the biggest One Day matches to be played in recent times when the final of the Inaugural Cricket Guyana Inc.

A 40-year-old man was yesterday placed on bail when he appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan to answer to a charge of obtaining money under the pretence that he could provide a house lot.

Dear Editor, Natural resources are high on the agenda to develop the country and propel the economy.

Upper Corentyne played solid all round cricket Thursday to defeat Georgetown by seven wickets earning a place in today’s final of the CGI/Local Franchise League (LFL) 50-overs-a-side tournament.

Dear Editor, I hereby convey my sincere congratulations to Justice of Appeal, Madame Justice Yonnette Cummings-Edwards, who was recently appointed to act in the office of the Chief Justice of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

A five-member team of medical specialists from the Health and Family Planning Commission, Jiangsu Province in China, is currently on a week-long visit.

UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) – The United Nations Security Council yesterday unanimously approved a resolution endorsing an international road map for a Syria peace process, a rare show of unity among major powers on a conflict that has claimed more than a quarter million lives.

GFF Wayne Forde President said the contract to build Guyana’s first ever FIFA Goal Project will be won by an international foreign based company and that the Golden Jaguars could possibly be action in the month of January 2016.

President David Granger along with Vice-President and Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Sydney Allicock; Minister of Social Cohesion, Amna Ally, and Minister of Communities, Ronald Bulkan, yesterday met with 12 Toshaos and a number of village councillors from Cuyuni-Mazaruni, Region Seven to discuss problems affecting their livelihoods.

Dear Editor, Guyana can once more become the food basket of the Caribbean given our endowment of extensive and rich agricultural lands.

Retrieve Raiders maintained their unbeaten record in the Linden Amateur Basketball Association (LABA) sanctioned Malta Supreme Christmas Open championships, edging Victory Valley Royals 49-46 on Thursday at Mackenzie Sports Club Hard-court.

Narissa Shawh has been creating henna designs for brides and women attending special occasions for the past three years.

The Liliendaal Community Development Group was yesterday afternoon presented with a $1 million cheque by Prime Minister and First Vice President Moses Nagamootoo, to enhance the community’s development, GINA said.

ADDIS ABABA, (Reuters) – The African Union said yesterday it was preparing to send 5,000 peacekeepers to Burundi to protect civilians caught up in a growing crisis, for the first time using powers to deploy troops to a member country against its will.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff named leftist economist and close aide Nelson Barbosa to replace fiscally conservative Finance Minister Joaquim Levy yesterday, signaling a dramatic break with the deficit-cutting policies her administration has pursued for most of this year.

Hi Everyone, Make way for a princely cut of meat that will impress the heck out of everyone at your holiday table – a crown roast of pork.

Dear Editor, My letter to the editor wondering whether there was a 10 year plan to end WI cricket (SN, Dec 18), had not even appeared when Mark Nicholas published on cricinfo an article entitled, ‘Is it time for the West Indies nations to go it alone?’

LONDON, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Millions of widows around the world are left destitute after being robbed of their inheritance, while others are enslaved by their in-laws, accused of witchcraft or forced to undergo abusive sexual rituals, research shows.

The Guyana Water Inc (GWI) is to install distribution networks for customers residing in sections of Number 67 and 68 Villages, East Berbice who have been without water service for the past six years.

Two men pulled off a daring daylight robbery on a MediCare Pharmacy outlet on Thursday afternoon and escaped with several personal items belonging to an employee.

This year marks 22 years since the Rotary Club of Demerara officially received its charter from Rotary International on 9th December 1993, and members of the organisation gathered at the Cara Lodge on Tuesday to observe the anniversary.

(Jamaica Observer) After more than two years in Federal custody, flamboyant Jamaican deejay Flippa Mafia was yesterday found guilty of first-degree distribution of cocaine, second-degree money laundering, and second-degree conspiracy in Camden County Court, New Jersey.

Dear Editor, There is a drastic drop in the standard of cricket by the official West Indies team.

KALUNDBORG, Denmark, (Reuters) – What do the world’s largest manufacturer of diabetes drugs, the biggest industrial enzymes producer and a leading offshore power company have in common?

The Hebrew Family of Guyana Sisterhood recently celebrated its 18th Annual Evening of Elegance under the theme ‘Celebrating Cultural Diversity’ at the Georgetown Club.

SAN SALVADOR, (Reuters) – The Nicaraguan government yesterday proposed that the United States fly out thousands of Cuban migrants who have been stranded for several weeks on the Costa Rican border with Nicaragua.

Before the Apollo 8 mission captured Earth’s first self-portrait in December 1968, there was little sense of our collective fragility and interdependence.

Politikles

Hear my point! An impassioned PPP/C MP Gail Teixeira speaking in Parliament on Thursday.

Dear Editor, Macro-economic indicators provide good information on the health of a country’s economy.

Sweeping the flies away: Coconut brooms came in handy on Thursday to help sweep away `rain flies’ which had populated the Parliament Chambers.

For as long as I could remember, I was always uncomfortable with my frizzy, curly hair.

The allocation of funds for the smooth running of associations was high on the agenda when the principals of the new National Sports Commission (NSC) met with representatives of various sporting bodies at the National Resource Centre Saturday.

LUANDA, (Reuters) – Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos called yesterday for a crackdown on social media, heightening concerns about the tolerance of dissent or political opposition in Africa’s number two oil producer.