Daily Archive: Friday, May 27, 2016

President David Granger, today, received a sword that once belonged to the late Rupert Berchmans Craig, one of the country’s earliest engineers in whose honour the ‘Rupert Craig Highway’ was named, a statement from the Ministry of the Presidency said.

(Reuters) – The actor known for playing the character “Screech” in the 1990s U.S.

The Ministry of Public Security today lauded what it said was the “generally incident free” jubilee celebrations.

PARIS, (Reuters) – Nine-times champion Rafael Nadal sent shockwaves around Roland Garros today when he unexpectedly pulled out of the French Open because of an injury to his left wrist.

Minister within the Ministry of Education Nicolette Henry today apologised for any inconvenience or distress  caused by the incident where the opposition PPP/C walked out of the jubilee flag-raising event on Wednesday night because seats could not be found.

(Trinidad Guardian) A man, who sparked panic among Trincity Mall patrons and employees after making a hoax call warning of an imminent terrorist attack, was arrested by police hours after the incident thanks to the help of the Strategic Security Agency (SSA).

The United States has again pledged support for government’s plans to lay the groundwork for the oil sector as well as the transparent management of potential revenues and to ensure that the people benefit.

President David Granger,  Chancellor of the Orders of Guyana, yesterday conferred Prime Minister of Barbados, Freundel Stuart with the insignia of the Order of Roraima, Guyana’s second highest National Award.

A Farm, East Bank Essequibo woman was killed around 2:15 am yesterday when the Route 32 minibus she was travelling in collided with another minibus close to the Demerara Harbour Bridge (DBH).

A motorcyclist died last night after he was involved in an accident on the Good Hope, East Coast Demerara public road at around 8:15 pm.

A Guyanese woman and her 10-year-old daughter were found dead in neighbouring Suriname on Tuesday.

In scorching heat, thousands of spectators gathered yesterday to witness the jubilee independence costume and float parade.

Mayor Patricia Chase-Green on Monday declared that the City Council would no longer seek to find places for displaced vendors who have not been registered with the city.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – Grenada’s Prime Minister Dr Keith Mitchell has lambasted the leadership and governance structure of the beleaguered West Indies Cricket Board as “antiquated” and has once against urged the organisation to reform itself.

Following his suspension by the GFF for his conduct in the abandoned fixture between Pele and Alpha United, veteran forward Gregory Richardson declared yesterday he will be taking the matter to court and that his international career is over.

A policewoman was yesterday morning rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital suffering from a seizure after being assaulted by a patron at the J’ouvert festivity held at the Georgetown Cricket Club.

The Georgetown municipality last Friday went ahead and signed a contract with a private company, National Parking Systems, to install parking meters across the city, although a deal was already in place with a previous firm.

PARIS, (Reuters) – A dominant Rafa Nada reached one career milestone yesterday but the nature of the Spaniard’s passage through the early rounds of the French Open suggests his eyes are fixed firmly on another more significant landmark.

Scores of residents and regional officials were joined by Minister within the Ministry of Public Health, Dr.

Dear Editor, How do we stop the talent drain? First, by reducing corruption in governance, top to bottom.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados,  CMC – Test batsman Shai Hope and former West Indies opener Omar Phillips stroked half-centuries as a Barbados Select XI dealt West Indies a 50-run defeat in the first of two warm-up matches here Wednesday night.

While thousands enjoyed the spectacle of Guyana’s 50th Independence Anniversary celebrations at D’Urban Park on Wednesday night, there were logistical challenges and many persons were left standing throughout the lengthy programme.

(The Sports Xchange) – LeBron James had 23 points, eight assists and six rebounds, and Kevin Love returned to form with 25 points as the Cavaliers dismantled the Toronto Raptors in a 116-78 win on Wednesday that gives Cleveland a 3-2 series lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

Dear Editor, So the Commissioner of Police and former Crime Chief has finally raised his head, scampering off to Kaieteur News for cover.

Screams and shouts of joy could be heard as the clock struck midnight at Lethem yesterday and the flag was hoisted.

(Reuters) – CONCACAF named former NBA executive Philippe Moggio as its new general secretary yesterday as it continued to try to clean up its act after years of turmoil.

Dear Editor, It is not insignificant that three of the top cricket countries, Australia, South Africa and India, have decided to grace the shores of the Caribbean during the months of June, July and August, a period during which international cricket is usually not played in the region, to play fifty overs and Test cricket.

The 50th Independence Anniversary Flag Raising Ceremony at Linden is being described as, “the most well attended” for the town, GINA said.

Dear Editor, It seems that my advocacy in the ‘Voice of the Liberal Democrats’ column in KN on May 11, on behalf of the 800 plus nurses across Guyana finally woke up a voice, supposedly inside the GPSU, from its decade long slumber (‘Without the GPSU conditions of service for nurses would have been worse’ SN, May 24).

WELLINGTON,  (Reuters) – Mike Hesson has been rewarded for his successful reign as New Zealand coach with a contract extension that takes him through until after the 2019 World Cup in England.

BRISBANE, Australia, CMC – Stand-in Australia coach Justin Langer says he will be scouting for West Indian talent to recruit for the Big Bash League, during the upcoming Tri-Nations Series next month.

Dear Editor, Several eye-opening notes surfaced from the week long Jubilee celebration. 

Moments before Guyana welcomed its 50th year of being an independent nation, the people of Mahdia were urged to unite as they go into the next 50 years as an independent nation, GINA said.

Dear Editor, Fifty years on and those who seek to divide the people through political means continue to win victories.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Fast bowler Mitchell Starc expects to need a couple of games to get up to express pace but is looking forward to coming back from injury on Australia’s Caribbean tour next month.

Dear Editor, Yesterday Guyana observed 50 years of independence. During that period, two parties dominated our politics – the PPP and the PNC.

(Reuters) – U.S. health officials yesterday reported the first case in the country of a patient with an infection resistant to all known antibiotics, and expressed grave concern that the superbug could pose serious danger for routine infections if it spreads.

(Reuters) – England paceman Stuart Broad believes his new ball partnership with James Anderson has improved a lot in the last two years with their perfect understanding of each other’s role.

In terms of “Independence Regrets”, I’m repeating sentiments I’ve had published elsewhere in this newspaper.

No serious observer of the Venezuelan crisis could believe that President Nicolás Maduro’s recent, hastily planned trip to Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago had anything to do with simply reaffirming his government’s commitment to the PetroCaribe arrangement and improving trade relations and cooperation in the areas of energy and security, as per the official communiqués.

Former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran is launching his third book `Governance, Transparency and Accountability’ tomorrow under the auspices of Transparency Institute Guyana Inc.

Dear Editor, Guiana or Guyana ‒ a femme fatale, she seemed ‒ changed hands from the Dutch to the British, then to the French, and back to the Dutch, then British again, then Dutch once more, and then the British one final time during her 350-year colonial subordination.

PANAMA CITY, (Reuters) – Panama’s Supreme Court yesterday called on the Central American country’s government to request the extradition of former President Ricardo Martinelli from the United States.

President of the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) Patrick Yarde has told the Stabroek Business said that the union is ready to engage government in talks over wages and salaries in the Public Service.

Reports from the United States indicate that the four-day visit to Guyana by a contingent of Florida-based businesspersons seeking to establish trade ties with Guyana has left the delegation upbeat about the prospects for inking firm deals with their Guyanese counterparts that will open up new opportunities for local goods on the North American market.

Reports continue to reach the Stabroek Business of problems relating to bottlenecks of one sort or another arising out of engagements between Customs authorities and importers and which, reportedly, are impeding the efficiency of import transactions and by extension the smoothness of business arrangements.

Entrepreneur, Managing Director, GeoTechVision Finance has been identified in many business surveys as the most important factor determining the survival and growth of small businesses.

With increasing numbers of customers beginning to embrace the suite of IT-driven business support services being unveiled by the commercial banking sector, local Scotia Bank Products and Marketing Manager Jennifer Cipriani has told Stabroek Business that changes in the banking culture will “sooner rather than later” transform the edifices that have long been the symbols of banking across the world.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – South Africa’s parliament yesterday approved a bill allowing state expropriations of land to redress racial disparities in land ownership, an emotive issue two decades after the end of apartheid.

President of the Language Institute Cecily Bernard concedes to having become increasingly aware that in a global economic climate where Guyana’s business community continues to come under growing pressure to explore opportunities for new, non-conventional markets, possession of foreign language services that are readily available to the business sector have become a necessity rather than just an advantage.

SAN SALVADOR, (Reuters) – El Salvador’s Congress yesterday approved a bond issuance of $152 million to finance a series of measures aimed at tackling endemic gang violence in the poor Central American country.

Among the many attention-seekers from the local fashion industry who will be in evidence as the country’s Independence anniversary celebrations continue is fashion designer Carol Fraser.

MONROVIA, (Reuters) – A grand jury in Liberia has indicted government officials, including the speaker of parliament and the head of the ruling party, along with London AIM-listed Sable Mining on charges including bribery.

KIEV, (Reuters) – Ukraine has banned former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev from entry for the next five years over his support for Russia’s seizure of Crimea, a spokeswoman for Ukraine’s State Security Service (SBU) said yesterday.

(Jamaica Observer) – Digicel Group and Huawei Technologies have successfully tested a new technology on its fibre to the home network which could quadruple the internet speed customers now experience.

UNITED NATIONS, (Reuters) – The Committee to Protect Journalists, a press freedom watchdog group, was denied consultative status at the United Nations yesterday, with South Africa, Russia and China among the countries that opposed it.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – US business spending intentions weakened in April for a third straight month amid soft demand for machinery, but a surge in contracts to purchase previously owned homes to a 10-year high supported views economic growth was gaining speed.

HARARE, (Reuters) – Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe has granted amnesty to all female prisoners except those on death row or serving life sentences, as prisons struggle to feed inmates due to lack of funding from the government.

Gold Prices for the three-day period ending Thursday May 26, 2016Kitco is a Canadian company that buys and sells precious metals such as gold, copper and silver.

Once the programme of official events for the Jubilee Independence celebrations is over one expects that there will be some movement on the commencement of discussions between the government and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on wages and salaries and related issues.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 669’s trading results showed consideration of $435,480 from 901 shares traded in 5 transactions as compared to session 668’s trading results, which showed consideration of $26,424,867 from 742,364 shares traded in 14 transactions.

DAKAR, (Reuters) – Forests in Senegal’s lush Casamance region risk disappearing within two years because of illegal timber smuggling, one of the West African country’s foremost environmentalists said yesterday.