Daily Archive: Wednesday, December 23, 2015

In spite of the challenges which delayed the commencement to the expansion works for the West Coast Demerara highway from Vreed-en-Hoop to Hydronie, the project is now approximately 20 percent completed, GINA said.

The Ministry of Public Security today announced a relaxation of the 2 am curfew on bars and nightclubs but only for the holidays.

Winston Brassington, the Chairman of controversial government holding company, NICIL has been sent on leave with immediate effect to facilitate investigations by the Guyana Police Force and the Special Organised Crime Unit stemming from the audit report recently done on the entity.

Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI) yesterday slammed government for its “cavalier” treatment of allegations against interim Guyana Power and Light (GPL) chief Colin Welch saying that he should be sent on leave to facilitate an investigation.

The Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) yesterday accused government of being uncaring as a cabinet decision by the former PPP/C administration to have sweeper/cleaner workers benefit from a pay increase since 2013 is yet to be implemented.

The Ministry of Social Protection has from the period May to December 10, 2015 been able to recover $59M of wages owed to workers.

A guard attached to Massy Security died yesterday and several other persons were injured after a Route 44 minibus that was travelling to Georgetown reportedly toppled before slamming into a private car on the Goedverwagting Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Dr. Clement Rajpaul Sukdeo, 69, lost his life when his vehicle ran into a ditch at Leonora, West Coast Demerara around 11:25 pm on Monday.

After being on the run for a little over five years, murder accused Seon Anthony Edwards was on Monday arrested by the police and confessed to killing Haslington miner, Rawle Peters in 2010.

Head of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington said on Monday that the Marriott Hotel is covering all of its operating costs with no financial assistance.

President David Granger yesterday described late former President Desmond Hoyte as an example of selfless service to the people of Guyana and a man imbued with an acute awareness of the need to change the course of direction of the country.

Executive Director of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd (NICIL) Winston Brassington says the entity’s role in the Pradoville 2 housing development was limited and it was only following Cabinet’s direction.

A Vryheid’s Lust resident was yesterday arraigned and refused bail on charges of unlicensed firearm possession before a city court.

Forensic auditor Anand Goolsarran yesterday defended his report on government’s holding company NICIL saying that the findings are backed by legal support and despite a hostile response from NICIL which placed a severe restriction on the audit, he tried his best to incorporate as many explanations as possible provided by the entity.

Former acting Chief Justice Ian Chang will continue working on rulings in the elections petition filed by the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic, and their challenge to the APNU+AFC government’s technocratic ministers Winston Felix and Keith Scott sitting in the national assembly.

The APNU+AFC government is presently seeking legal advice about whether logging company Baishan-lin Forestry Limited is able to engage in activities outside of the “wood processing” they originally came to Guyana to do.

Prakash Maniram, the carpenter who was admitted to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) in critical condition after he was struck by a speeding minibus earlier this month, has succumbed to his injuries.

MELBOURNE, Australia, CMC -Middle order batsman Darren Bravo says the series of defeats suffered by West Indies in recent times are as a result of a lack of confidence by batsmen.

In light of a fire which continues to burn at the Haags Bosch landfill site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara the Mayor and City Councillors (M&CC) of Georgetown is advising residents in Georgetown that the routine cycle of waste collection has been disrupted.

No law was broken in government’s holding company NICIL’s funding of the ill-fated High Street project with the funding for the project being approved at the parliamentary level, the entity’s Executive Director Winston Brassington has said.

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC- Embattled West Indies spinner Sunil Narine has been banned from participating in the NAGICO Super50 series to be played in Trinidad and Tobago and St.Kitts

Dear Editor,   The story in your edition yesterday captioned ‘I broke no laws’ on Mr Winston Brassington’s defence of his NICIL tenure refers.

Dear Editor, I am writing on behalf of the Number 56 Mini-Bus Owners’ Association.

BASSETERRE, St. Kitts, CMC- Caribbean Premier League (CPL) matches played at Warner Park this year created an economic impact of over US20 million dollars for St.

As Christmas Day draws near, the hustle and bustle of the seasonal shopping continues as everyone is trying to get in on their last minute purchases.

WELLINGTON, (Reuters) – The romance of finishing his career by leading New Zealand into one last battle against Australia on home soil persuaded Brendon McCullum to bow out of international cricket before next year’s World Twenty20.

A group of Indigenous soap and beauty care producers from Region Nine are in the city benefiting from training at the laboratories of the Institute of Applied Science and Technology (IAST) A release from the Ministry of the Presidency yesterday said that the training is a result of a partnership between the Ministry of Social Cohesion and IAST.

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuela’s opposition yesterday accused the ruling Socialist Party of seeking to block 22 lawmakers from taking office in January in what it described as an effort to undermine the opposition’s commanding victory in this month’s legislative election.

Dear Editor, In seven months, President David Granger has pardoned approximately fifty-one convicted criminals.

LAS VEGAS,  (Reuters) – An Oregon woman accused of plowing her car into a crowd on the Las Vegas Strip, killing one person and injuring dozens, was charged with murder yesterday as investigators sought clues to what motivated the rampage.

ZURICH, (Reuters) – Largely anonymous, lacking police powers and with its independence sometimes questioned, FIFA’s ethics committee has often struggled to be taken seriously in the fight against corruption in soccer’s world body.

Dear Editor With another joyous Christmas season upon us, why is it that everywhere you go and whatever you do at this wonderful time of year, it seems that it’s harder and harder to get someone to simply say “Merry Christmas”?

President David Granger on Monday said that Bartica is going to become a “rich, green town”.

Giftland brought smiles to the faces of Tiger Bay children on Monday as it conducted its annual Christmas gift-giving activity.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – CONCACAF, the governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean, has sued a California travel company for $50 million, saying it paid kickbacks to two of CONCACAF’s former executives, including its former president, Jeffrey Webb.

Dear Editor, Over the last two years a trend has clearly emerged in articles and editorials concerning government business.

KAMPALA, (Reuters) – The World Bank has cancelled a $265 million infrastructure project in Uganda after a review found evidence of misconduct by a government contractor, including sexual harassment of female workers and road workers having sexual relations with underage girls.

A Berbice barber was yesterday brought before Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan and read a charge of assault.

NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – India passed legislation lowering the age at which someone can be tried for rape and other crimes to 16, spurred into action by an uproar over the release of a minor convicted in a 2012 fatal gang rape of a 23-year-old woman on a Delhi bus.

(The Sports Xchange) – Kevin Durant scored the game-winning basket with 5.8 seconds left and blocked guard Chris Paul’s shot near the buzzer, lifting the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 100-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday at Staples Center.

Residents of Hadfield Street in Georgetown spent last night in darkness after four utility in the area were uprooted.

Dear Editor, “NICIL doesn’t have to explain where money comes from” -Brassington (KN, December 22).

            Christmas jam: Regent Street was packed with vehicles yesterday afternoon.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – A key member of Brazil’s Congressional budget committee has recommended the approval of the 2014 accounts of President Dilma Rousseff’s government, which could undermine her opponents’ case for impeaching her.

The 5th Annual Georgetown Football Association (GFA)/Banks Beer Knockout championships will continue today at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground in Bourda with an exciting doubleheader.

ACCRA, (Reuters) – Ghana’s President John Mahama has banned public officials from first class air travel in a renewed effort to cut wasteful spending as the West African nation implements an IMF aid deal to revive state finances, the government said yesterday.

Dear Editor,   The APNU+AFC government came to office at a point in the country’s history of unprecedented social, economic and political crisis, which have negatively impacted every aspect of national life.

(Reuters) – U.S. authorities have traced over $1 billion to a conspiracy involving a Venezuelan magnate who allegedly paid bribes to obtain contracts from Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA, according to U.S.

A Lethem teenager pleaded guilty to charges of drug possession and breaking and entering yesterday at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court.

Dear Editor, Last Friday, December 18, someone broke into my vehicle and stole our possessions.

Imtiaz Bacchus is the new president of the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club following the clubs’ Annual General Meeting Monday at the Main Hall of the Albion Community Centre.

PANAMA CITY,  (Reuters) – Panama’s top court on Monday ordered the detention of former President Ricardo Martinelli who is alleged to have used public money to spy on more than 150 people illegally, one of several accusations he faces.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – A Bahamian man has been arrested for hacking celebrities’ email accounts to steal movie and TV scripts, personal information and sexually explicit videos that he peddled to an undercover agent, federal prosecutors in New York said on Tuesday.

Hardly anyone would welcome the turn of global events at year’s end as having shown substantial improvement over the last twelve months.

SHENZHEN, China, (Reuters) – A man was pulled out alive yesterday more than 60 hours after being buried when a waste heap collapsed on an industrial estate in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and there could be at least one other survivor, state media said.

After the First World War, armed with a ‘progressive’ fourteen-point plan that called for, among other things, the formation of a ‘general association of nations’, United States President Woodrow Wilson landed in Europe and was able to convince the relevant world that such a body (the forerunner of the United Nations) would be a useful international tool.

PIETERMARITZBURG, South Africa, (Reuters) – Moeen Ali took six wickets as England cruised to a comfortable innings and 91 run win over South Africa A yesterday to successfully conclude their preparations for the Boxing Day test.

            Teleperformance Guyana continued its Christmas activities by treating the residents of South Georgetown to the sounds of familiar Christmas carols sung by staff of the call centre.

BOGOTA, (Reuters) – Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos yesterday signed a decree that legalizes medical marijuana, a move he says does not weaken the government’s fight against illicit crops and drug trafficking.

Dear Editor, A few days ago, while visiting Montreal and while sitting at the food court in the mall, I saw something strange happen.