Daily Archive: Tuesday, September 12, 2017

The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) today said that a man taken off a flight bound for Canada has since discharged 86 pellets of suspected cocaine.

  AMSTERDAM,  (Reuters) – Nearly a third of all buildings on the Dutch half of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin were destroyed and more than 90 percent damaged by Hurricane Irma, the Dutch Red Cross said on Tuesday.

  PORT-AU-PRINCE,  (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron pledged to cut through red tape to quickly rebuild the islands of the French Caribbean during a visit today meant to dispel anger at his government` s response to Hurricane Irma, which killed at least 43 people in the region.

(Trinidad Guardian) A businessman yesterday shot and killed a bandit who held him up as he was on his way to the bank.

British advisor for the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) David Robinson, who will be spearheading an anti-corruption project here, yesterday paid a courtesy call on the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Basil Williams SC.

The Government of Guyana yesterday pledged an initial sum of US$50,000 ($10.4m) to aid relief efforts via the Caribbean Community’s (CARICOM) regional mechanism after Hurricane Irma smashed through several islands including St Martin and Tortola which have large numbers of Guyanese.

A father of one is now dead and his friend in a critical condition at the Woodlands Hospital after they were involved in a motorcycle accident yesterday afternoon.

Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday called on the government to evacuate Guyanese from islands hard-hit by Hurricane Irma last week.

A man has been held by police in connection with the armed robbery carried out on the Readymix Concrete Limited’s main office at Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara.

A construction worker was remanded to prison yesterday after he was charged with two armed robberies.

A taxi driver was yesterday charged with shooting at the Buxton miner who was wounded last week after he chased after the two men who robbed him of an almost $1 million chain.

A jury yesterday afternoon unanimously found Kelvin Lanferman not guilty of raping a woman.

Attorney Sanjeev Datadin, the local attorney for US-based Guyanese murder accused Marcus Bisram, is set to move to have the charge in Guyana quashed based on the alleged recanting of a statement by a main prosecution witness.

Guyana Police Force (GPF) and Georgetown Football Club (GFC) will contest the Corona Beer Invitational football final following semi-final wins over Western Tigers and Northern Rangers respectively on Sunday at the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) ground, Bourda.

A Lodge woman was yesterday granted her release on a total of $300,000 bail by a city court after she denied two fraud charges.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, (Reuters) – Food shortages and looting on Caribbean islands hammered by Hurricane Irma sparked growing criticism of the government response, prompting British billionaire Richard Branson to call for a “Marshall plan” to help the region recover.

A 64-year-old Tain Settlement, Corentyne, Berbice man was left dead on the Tain Public Road, after he was struck by a car on Sunday evening.

LONDON,  CMC – Yorkshire captain Gary Ballance expects West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite to excel during his brief stint with the club in the English County Championship.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council will over the next two weeks develop the Terms of Reference (ToR) for its newest Metered Parking Rene-gotiation Committee.

Dear Editor, I think that enough has been said by women in direct response to Minister Keith Scott’s proposal that women security guards who are single mothers be facilitated to stop working at night if they so choose.

Off – spinner Richie Looknaught and seamer Romario Shepherd combined to capture six wickets and hand East Coast an innings and 182 runs mauling on the final morning of their clash against West Demerara in Guyana Cricket Board (GCB)/ Jaguars franchise league at the Tushchen Sports Club ground, yesterday.

Dear Editor, The reason advanced by the government for its non-disclosure of the contract with the petroleum giant, ExxonMobil, is that there is a legal prohibition against such disclosure.

Jamaica and former West Indies U19 captain, Ramaal Lewis, says he is keen on using his stint here in Guyana to further develop his game while also aiming to use the Guyana Cricket Board/Jaguar’s three – day league to impress enough with the aim of adding to his lone first – class match which he played nearly two years ago.

One week has passed and Bartica massacre convict Mark Royden Williams is still eluding the police even after he was spotted in Linden with murder accused Uree Varswyk, who was shot dead during a Joint Services operation.

The rampant Leopold Street led by tourney top shot Okeene Fraser opposes emerging force Future Stars while heavyweight Back Circle battles giant-killer Ol Skool Ballers in the Guinness ‘Cage’ semifinal round today at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.

Four persons, including two who allegedly helped the men who were seen fleeing from the aircraft that was found abandoned near Santa Fe, in Region Nine, are now in custody.

Dear Editor, Your reporting in yesterday’s page 15 of SN (‘New party not solution to country’s problems –Ramkarran’) quoted a passage from my Sunday column (‘A bleak prognosis?’)

East Ruimveldt resident Dellon McLean was yesterday remanded to prison on an armed robbery charge, which his lawyer claimed was trumped up by the police.

Now in its seventh year, the Courts 10k Run has picked up steam to become one of the premier road races on the calendar of the Athletic Association of Guyana (AAG).

Dear Editor, This letter follows a public angry outburst by a contractor and the revelation that contractors with more than 25 million in capital projects, have not been directed to their project sites to commence work as at September 2, 2017, more than one month after the contracts have been signed.

The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) yesterday announced support for its Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) affected by Hurricane Irma, and for the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) which is overseeing the regional response to the affected states.

Dear Editor, Since discontinuing the garbage collection services of its two main disposal agents in Georgetown, the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) has obtained the services of a number of small contractors.

Everest Cricket Club reached 53 for two batting a second time on Saturday’s first day of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) second division two-day competition in their encounter against the Gandhi Youth Organisation (GYO) to gaining a massive 305 runs lead at GYO heading into day two.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Cricket West Indies has belatedly confirmed the sacking of the West Indies Women’s management team which oversaw the Caribbean side’s wretched campaign at the recent Women’s World Cup in England.

The multimillion contract for the monthly rental of the controversial Sussex Street drug bond isn’t expected to be renewed beyond December 31, 2017, as Public Health Minister Volda Lawrence maintains that the government is still aiming to cease the use of all private bonds by that time.

Dear Editor, I write to draw the attention of your readers to an active nuisance that has been created by the KFC fast food franchise outlet at Vlissengcn Road and Eping Avenue, Bel Air Park.

(Reuters) – The Australian one-day side are better equipped to handle spin in the forthcoming five-match series in India, captain Steve Smith has said.

FLORIDA CITY/MARCO ISLAND, Fla., (Reuters) – Storm-shocked Floridians returned to shattered homes yesterday as the remnants of Hurricane Irma pushed inland, leaving more than half of all state residents without power and city streets underwater from Orlando and Jacksonville into coastal Georgia and South Carolina.

The European Union (EU) yesterday unveiled Euro 2M in further aid for islands devastated by Hurricane Irma last week.

Dear Editor, Three years ago, at a public forum at the new Hope Secondary School, I expressed the view that GuySuCo would not survive another four years.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain’s parliament backed a second reading of legislation to sever ties with the European Union yesterday, a reprieve for Prime Minister Theresa May who now faces demands by lawmakers for concessions before it becomes law.

CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Faf du Plessis was appointed South Africa’s One Day International captain yesterday in place of AB de Villiers, giving him the top job in all three formats of the game.

Dear Editor,  Owing to non-management workers employed with Bosai Minerals Group (Guyana) Inc (BMGGI) losing confidence in the representation provided by the National Association of Agricultural Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE), which is the present bargaining agent for the said workers, they requested to be represented by the People United and General Workers Union (PU&GWU).

The Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) has thus far produced 408, 000 ducklings for 2017, surpassing the 2016 figure of 400,000, according to a release from the Ministry of Agriculture yesterday.

GUATEMALA CITY,  (Reuters) – Guatemala’s Congress yesterday voted overwhelmingly to preserve President Jimmy Morales’ immunity from prosecution after the attorney general submitted a request to investigate him over suspected financing irregularities during his 2015 election campaign.

Dear Editor, There seems to be a misconception by the magistracy and prosecutors to the effect that once a magistrate finds a defendant guilty and sentences him, the magistrate is functus officio and cannot grant bail pending an appeal that was filed by the convicted person.

The Ministry of Social Protection is currently conducting an investigation into the worksite accident where two men fell from a three-storey building at Vreed-en-Hoop, West Coast Demerara.

(Reuters) – Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan will miss the two-match test series against South Africa after he asked the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) for time off to recover from exhaustion, BCB CEO Nizam Uddin Chowdhury said.

LIMA,  (Reuters) – Peru said yesterday that it was expelling North Korea’s ambassador over the country’s refusal to heed the world’s “constant calls” to end its nuclear program.

Jermaine Easton, who police say was found with small amounts of cocaine and cannabis, was yesterday granted his release on bail on two drug charges.

Dear Editor, I read in the Stabroek News dated Thursday, September 7, 2017 an article bearing the caption, ‘Koker breaks away at Met-en-Meerzorg’.

LONDON, (Reuters) – French great Bernard Hinault believes Chris Froome could target a sweep of all three Grand Tours next year — a feat previously assumed to be mission impossible in cycling.

OSLO, (Reuters) – Norway’s tax-cutting Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg declared victory yesterday after a parliamentary election, narrowly defeating a Labour-led opposition with her promises of steady management of the oil-dependent economy.

Thirty youths and teachers are participating in an Electronic Music Production Course at the National School of Music.

Dear Editor, On my second vacation trip to Trinidad, a Trinidadian asked me what I thought of Trinidad.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – A rather disappointing men’s U.S. Open tournament highlighted the absence of several top players on the tour, including past champions Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray and Stan Wawrinka.

BARCELONA,  (Reuters) – Around one million Catalans rallied in Barcelona on Monday, waving red and yellow striped flags and banging drums, in a show of support for independence after Madrid moved to block a referendum on the region’s split from Spain.

During a “School, Community and Stakeholders’ Engagement” held to commemorate World Literacy Day and National Education Day locally, education ministry officials advised parents that their children’s level of achievement is largely dependent on family involvement.

LONDON, (Reuters) –  West Ham United claimed their first points of the season by beating promoted Huddersfield Town 2-0 yesterday, giving some breathing space to under-fire coach Slaven Bilic who could finally celebrate his birthday.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Muslim Sheikh Abdullah el-Faisal who is wanted in the United States on terrorism-related charges, was denied bail when he appeared before the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court yesterday afternoon.

Dear Editor, I am not rich but I am not poor.

(Jamaica Observer) KINGSTON, Jamaica — The governments of Jamaica and the People’s Republic of China yesterday morning pledged to continue building on the strategic partnership between both countries.

Guyana is by no means the only country that espouses political democracy but where, nonetheless, general elections are usually marred by controversy over the electoral process, charges of ballot rigging and attendant protestations that have sometimes been violent and which are driven by political and ethnic differences.

Dear Editor, I can’t speak for other fans, but I would enjoy victory over England in the upcomng shorter games as much as I enjoyed the Old Trafford victory.

LIMA,  (Reuters) – Los Angeles will benefit from having longer to get ready for the 2028 summer Olympics after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to award the hosting rights to two Games at its session vote this week, mayor Eric Garcetti said.

As a Miami Beach resident who is writing this surrounded by sand bags in preparation for Hurricane Irma, only a week after Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas, I have an urgent question for President Donald Trump and his fellow climate change deniers: how many natural disasters will it take for you to listen to the world’s most prestigious scientists?