Daily Archive: Friday, January 19, 2018

LONDON, , CMC – Under-fire West Indies Under-19s and their embattled captain, Emmanuel Stewart, have found backing from the historic Marylebone Cricket Club, in the controversial ‘obstructing the field’ dismissal of South African opener Jiveshan Pillay, during their ICC Youth World Cup match last Wednesday.

In what will be seen as a major development, President David Granger, along with members of  Cabinet, today, met with the President and members of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers’ Union (GAWU) and the National Association of Agricultural, Commercial and Industrial Employees (NAACIE) at the Ministry of the Presidency to discuss the future of the sugar industry.

Finance Minister Winston Jordan today moved in Parliament to amend the government’s request for supplementary provisions which will allow some of the sugar workers made redundant to get their full severance at the end of January.

The Working People’s Alliance (WPA) today announced its support for the government’s restructuring of the sugar industry.

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) today warned about the impersonation of licenced customs brokers.

(Reuters) – England’s top order fired in unison to give them a four-wicket win in the second one-day international against Australia on Friday as Aaron Finch’s second straight hundred for the hosts could not prevent them falling 2-0 behind in the series.

An excellent spell of left-arm seam bowling from Raymon Reifer and another aggressive knock from Chandrapaul Hemraj, placed the Guyana Jaguars in a strong position at the end of day one of their  Cricket West Indies (CWI) Regional four-day, final round encounter against the Trinidad and Tobago Red Force at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence yesterday.

The 6th edition of the Milo U18 Secondary Schools Football Championship, was officially launched yesterday at the Beepat Headquarters on Dennis Street.

Winston George (senior male), Compton Caesar (junior male) and Daniel Williams (youth male) are almost certain to take home athlete-of-the year awards in their respective categories.

Four weeks after passing a $267 billion budget for 2018, the National Assembly will debate a supplemental provision of $1.75 billion to meet a portion of the severance pay for around 4,000 sugar workers.

Autopsies performed on the bodies of Ambrose Baharally and Martin Godette, the Pomeroon farmers who were shot dead on Sunday, have found that both men died from gunshot injuries to the head.

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Barbados Pride captain Shamarh Brooks hit his fourth first-class hundred to lead his side’s batting against Jamaica Scorpions in the Regional 4-Day Championship yesterday here.

Guyana’s most exciting bantamweight fighter, the entertaining Elton ‘The Bully’ Dharry (21-5-1) will return to action tomorrow night on the undercard of the ‘Bad Blood’ card billed for the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.

The ground-breaking Whistleblower Protection Bill was passed in the National Assembly last evening without amendment, although there was opposition to the formulation of a commission to act as the governing body.

Gregory Bascom, the city policeman who allegedly fatally shot mentally ill vendor Marlon Fredericks after he reportedly attempted to flee custody on Sunday, was today charged with manslaughter and released on $800,000 bail.

The preservation of land assets is essential to the creation of a green state and a good life for future generations, President David Granger said yesterday at the launch of a US$15M Sustainable Land Development and Management Project.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates,  CMC – Unsurprisingly, there were no West Indies players selected to the International Cricket Council Test and one-day teams-of-the-year, announced by the world governing body yesterday.

Contending that the previous administration failed to find sustainable ways to restructure the security sector and identify the root causes of crime, President David Granger yesterday said that government’s determination to resuscitate the UK Security Sector Reform Action Plan (SSRP) is part of its efforts to take corrective action.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India captain Virat Kohli had something to cheer yesterday when he was named ICC World Cricketer of the Year, a day after suffering his first test series defeat as skipper in South Africa.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Six-times champion Novak Djokovic emerged from the Rod Laver Arena furnace and into the third round of the Australian Open after putting suffering Gael Monfils out of his misery with a scrappy victory yesterday.

A scheduled visit here by a Brazilian trade and investment delegation originally due to take place this month as a follow-up to one to Brazil by a team of Guyanese state officials last May has been postponed until mid-February, Stabroek Business has been informed.

Fearing that an oil spill from production by ExxonMobil could devastate the fishing and agricultural industries, fishermen and farmers from Upper Corentyne, Berbice yesterday called for insurance coverage to protect their livelihoods.

The Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) has weighed in on the controversy arising out of the refusal by the authorities in Trinidad and Tobago to allow a consignment of the Rooster brand of coconut water bottled in Guyana to be sold in the twin-island Republic on the grounds that it does not satisfy the safety and health standards of that country.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – Stan Wawrinka was knocked out of the Australian Open by unheralded American Tennys Sandgren yesterday as concerns over his knee injury re-surfaced in a 6-2 6-1 6-4 defeat.

A rape accused failed to appear in court yesterday afternoon when Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall was about to sum up the case and hand the matter to the jury for deliberation.

Chief Executive Officer of Roraima Airways Inc. Gerry Gouveia has described as “a major potential breakthrough for the tourism sector the announcement by the Guyana Tourism Authority that government is now moving definitively to effect an amendment to the country’s Marriage Act that would allow for a reduction of the residency requirement from fifteendays to two days for non-nationals wishing to marry in Guyana.

SYDNEY, Australia, CMC – Sydney Sixers were winless in six outings before the arrival of West Indies Twenty20 star, Carlos Brathwaite.

The Leopold and Breda streets shop owner who was shot twice in her back on Wednesday during a drive-by shooting is said to be in a stable condition according to Commander of ‘A’ Division, Marlon Chapman.

Motorists say the lack of working traffic lights has made it increasingly difficult to use the Vlissengen Road and Carifesta Avenue intersection in George-town.

By Fitzroy Fletcher The Caribbean Agri-Business Association (CABA) has been observing, with more than a little passing interest, the unfolding events of the Guyana sugar industry.

Dear Editor, Within the past week Messrs Rickford Burke and Vishnu Bisram in separate letters to the press have called for the youth population in Guyana to form a new political party to replace the two major, entrenched political parties in the country.

The Movement Against Parking Meters (MAPM) renewed their protest action in front of City Hall yesterday in light of the recent killing of a man by city police and the resurfacing of the parking meter deal.

(Reuters) – Ben Stokes’ return to international cricket was thrown into fresh doubt on Thursday when he was instructed to appear in court on the same day as his potential England comeback match in New Zealand.

Dear Editor, Wherever you go in the country and speak to business people, large and small, you will be told the same thing: business has slowed to a stop.

MELBOURNE,  (Reuters) – For Maria Sharapova, it was a case of revenge being served hot as she fended off her U.S.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Legislation to avoid a U.S. government shutdown at midnight today advanced in Congress as the House of Representatives last night approved an extension of federal funds through Feb.

Roraima Airways Chief Executive Officer Captain Gerry Gouveia says that the “legitimate concern” over the recent delay in returning home experienced by a number of Cubans on account of mechanical defects to the Air Aruba aircraft should not be allowed to overshadow the significance of the service to promoting “friendships and business ties” between Cuba and Guyana.   

Stakeholders in Potaro-Siparuni, Region Eight, are now better equipped to respond to emergencies within the Region as the Civil Defence Commission, last week, concluded the Orientation Session and Tabletop Exercise in partnership with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC).

Work towards the creation of a Secured Transaction Regime in Guyana is being accelerated through a collaborative arrangement between the Government of Guyana and the Inter-American Development Bank.

Two Venezuelan nationals were yesterday each fined $30,000 and ordered deported after they admitted to illegally entering Guyana.

Dear Editor, The GAWU recognized the January 16, 2018 Stabroek News reporting Minister of State Joseph Harmon as saying “…that the government was not sure of exactly how many workers would be sent home and so had made the nominal allocation”.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The U.S. Justice Department asked the Supreme Court yesterday to quickly overturn a lower court ruling that blocked President Donald Trump’s move to end a program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Garbine Muguruza will not forget her first career encounter with Hsieh Su-wei in a hurry.

Dear Editor, On Wednesday, January 17, close to 17:00 hours, I was in a hire car on my way home.

(Field Level Media) Isaiah Thomas scored 21 points and hit the go-ahead free throws with 11 seconds remaining as the Cleveland Cavaliers blew a 23-point lead and held off the Orlando Magic for a 104-103 win Thursday night at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland.

President David Granger says that Guyana is looking forward to sharing experiences and expertise with the Republic of Georgia.

LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Woody Allen’s adopted daughter gave a tearful television interview yesterday, giving details of an alleged molestation by the filmmaker more than 25 years ago.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – Testimony to the U.S. Congress by the head of a research firm indicates that the Trump Organization’s sales of properties to Russian nationals may have involved money-laundering, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee said yesterday.

A letter written to the Managing Director of the majority Russian-owned    Bauxite Company of Guyana Inc.

Dear Editor, On the one hand a government agency has seized a property over non-payment of rent allegedly for a period that exceeded two years.

(Reuters) – The U.S. securities regulator on Thursday raised alarm about the safety of bitcoin-themed investments, telling the fund industry they want answers to their concerns before endorsing more than a dozen proposed products based on cryptocurrencies.

(Jamaica Observer) KINGSTON, Jamaica — Prime Minister Andrew Holness has declared a state of public emergency for the parish of St James.

MUMBAI, (Reuters) – India’s Supreme Court yesterday cleared the way for the release of a controversial Bollywood movie based on an epic poem about a 14th-century queen, a day after its producers went to court to fight bans by several states.

MELBOURNE, (Reuters) – Top seed Simona Halep eased fears over her fitness with a brisk 6-2 6-2 demolition of Canada’s Eugenie Bouchard to reach the third round of the Australian Open yesterday.

Information released by the Small Business Bureau (SBB) last week indicates that during last year the agency facilitated a total of fifty loans to clients   valued at $269.7 million and up to November 30, 49 of those loans valued at $221.8 million were disbursed.

(Prepared by the Guyana Marketing Corporation and published by Stabroek Business as a public service) The New Guyana Marketing Corporation has agreed to provide us with the above information which we will publish on a weekly basis subject to receipt.

(Field Level Media) Joel Embiid had 26 points, 16 rebounds and six assists in an overall dominant effort and the Philadelphia 76ers held on to defeat the Boston Celtics 89-80 Thursday night at TD Garden.

LONDON, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – British-Indian sculptor Anish Kapoor donated $1 million to five charities working with refugees worldwide on Wednesday in a bid to alleviate a record-breaking global displacement crisis.

(Trinidad Express) A 17-year-old Tobago schoolboy is fighting for his life in hospital after he was beaten into unconsciousness at school on Wednesday.

Dear Editor, The present state of Guyana’s economy is a cause for concern for most Guyanese.

RIVERSIDE, Calif., (Reuters) – The California parents accused of imprisoning their 13 children in the family’s squalid home had beaten, starved and chained the victims to their beds for years, taunting them with apple pie, according to a prosecutor on Thursday who called it a case of “human depravity.”

Home furnishers, Courts Guyana on Wednesday handed out a million dollars each to three lucky customers who took part in their Christmas promotion.

Dear Editor, Everywhere I go in the city, people keep asking me in dismay, “You mean it coming back?

PARIS, (Reuters) – French activist and former actress Brigitte Bardot said many actresses sexually provoke film producers to win roles and then complain about harassment to get attention.

Gold Prices for the three day period ending Thursday January 18, 2018

(Trinidad Express) A man was killed in Port of Spain shortly before midday.

The March of Folly   The 2016 Agreement places greater emphasis on “gas”, or more correctly, “associated gas”, compared with the 1999 Agreement, including superficially minor, but no less significant, changes to Article 11 – Cost Recovery and Production Sharing and Article 12 – Associated and Non – Associated Gas.

Issues surrounding the management of the City of Georgetown continue to grab the attention of the populace and make headlines in the media.

SAO PAULO, (Reuters) – Police in Brazil have seized 444 containers in an investigation into illegal logging in the country’s vast Amazon, federal authorities said on Thursday, as the nation seeks to cut down on the widespread practice.

(Field Level Media) Taking fewer shots, scoring fewer points than ever, Carmelo Anthony is finding a new groove as a role player with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

GASCI (www.gasci.com/telephone Nº 223-6175/6) reports that session 756’s trading results showed consideration of $2,805,400 from 22,025 shares traded in 4 transactions as compared to session 755’s trading results which showed consideration of $16,188,733 from 222,583 shares traded in 15 transactions. 

In twelve days’ time – if I make it – I complete another year into my seventies.

The materialization of a report that allows some insights into the performance of the much vaunted Small Business Bureau in terms of its role in kick-starting a transformation in the small business sector finally allows us the opportunity to evaluate what it has accomplished so far, what some of its failings are and what sorts of adjustments/corrective measures it might take.