Daily Archive: Friday, June 29, 2018

The Guyana Court of Appeal will on July 25th  hear the  challenge to the decision by acting Chief Justice Roxane George to uphold the appointment by President David Granger of retired Justice James Patterson as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).

Today, June 29, 2018, marks the first time the Boarding Corridor and one of the air bridges were used by passengers, according to the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation (CJIAC).

(Trinidad Guardian) Riot police were called to the Immigration Detention Centre (IDC) in Aripo yesterday after a “normal” demonstration by frustrated Nigerian detainees turned into a hostage-like situation.

KALININGRAD, Russia, (Reuters) – It had been viewed as the game no-one wanted to win but Adnan Januzaj’s fine finish early in the second half gave Belgium a 1-0 victory over England to secure the Group G top spot in a contest between two sets of reserves.

 In a bid to return championship honours to Guyana, two of Guyana’s most senior members of the Junior National Squash Team are currently in Canada ramping up their preparations for this year’s Junior CASA Tournament in Jamaica. 

Courtney Benn Contracting Services Limited (CBCSL) received hundreds of millions of dollars in advance payments dating back to 2008 from the Demerara Harbour Bridge Corporation (DHBC) and up to last year had not provided the requisite services, the 2014 audited Financial Statements of the DHBC stated.

2018 Commonwealth Games triple-jump gold medallist Troy Doris is excited about competing for the first time in the 592 when the third edition of the Aliann Pompey Invitational (API) comes off tomorrow at the National Track and Field Centre, Leonora.

With a perfect score of 529 marks, Naila Rahaman, of the Westfield Preparatory School in Kingston, Georgetown, is this year’s top performer at the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

Last evening, the second of the 2018 Guyana Squash Association (GSA) Banks DIH – Rainforest Waters Senior National Championships at the Georgetown Club, saw the ladies springing into action, with the recent participants at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Mary Fung-A-Fat and Taylor Fernandes leading the way.

Although passes in English at this year’s National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) saw a rise to 60%, it is the only subject in which a pass rate was recorded above 50% as only 46% of the 14,145 students who sat the exams in March earned passes in Science and Social Studies, while a mere 38% passed Mathematics.

A husband and wife and a businesswoman were yesterday all charged with trafficking Venezuelan nationals for sexual exploitation.

SAMARA, Russia,  (Reuters) – Colombia’s Yerry Mina thumped home a second-half header to secure a dramatic 1-0 victory over Senegal on Thursday that catapulted the South Americans into the World Cup last 16 and dumped their African opponents out of tournament.

Ramon Gaskin's challenge to the licensing of Exxon’s partners was yesterday sent back to the High Court.

Local brand owners themselves concede that standards on the local market lag behind both international standards as well as consumer expectations.

Guyana’s female hockey team began the Barbados Hockey Federation (BHF) 2018 International Women’s Hockey series on a positive note after walking away with a win and a draw on the opening day in Barbados. 

West Indies youth captain, Sachin Singh will lead Guyana team in the Cricket West Indies Regional Under-17 Tournament from July 8-18, in Trinidad and Tobago.

As Guyana inches towards a 2020 commencement of the exploitation of what has been determined to be a potentially fortune-changing oil find, some of the major players in the industry were discussing what is widely believed to be significant global movement towards a historic shift in the demand for oil and oil products driven by growth in the world’s major markets.

A woman, who said she took up selling marijuana to provide for herself, was yesterday sentenced to eight months in jail after she admitted to possession of cannabis for trafficking.

Dear Editor, While I consider myself ethically constrained, though not obligated, to refrain from detailed public commentary on issues involving professional positions I hold or held, it would be irresponsible if I, as a former director on the Board of Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL) were not to correct on record claims made by Sherod Duncan in your article, ‘Duncan denies being given preference as Guyana Chronicle GM’ (SN – June 28, 2018) For the purposes of brevity, I will dismiss areas where he was merely economical with the truth. 

St. Joseph High, Marian Academy and North Georgetown secured wins, when the National School Basketball Festival (NSBF) continued on Thursday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.

The recently released 2018-2019 issue of INVEST, the official publication of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), focuses repeatedly and hardly unexpectedly on the prospects that inhere in the country’s significant oil and gas finds though the publication is mindful to underscore the government’s declared commitment to a Green State Development Strategy (GSDS) as “a catalyst for increased investment and sustainable development.”

Dear Editor, On July 1st, 2018, Mexicans will elect a new President who will serve from December 1st, 2018 to November 30th, 2024.

Following a majority decision, the three-member Public Service Appellate Tribunal (PSAT) yesterday ruled that its Chairman, Justice (retired) Nandram Kissoon will continue to hear a matter involving his niece, former Deputy Solicitor General Prithima Kissoon.

Sales Department and Power Generation secured hard fought wins when the Banks DIH Limited ‘Michael Pereira’ Inter-Department Domino Championship continued on Wednesday.

QUITO,  (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Mike Pence urged Latin American countries yesterday to help isolate crisis-stricken Venezuela, an ideological adversary of Washington that is struggling under a severe and prolonged economic crisis.

Against the backdrop of a sustained clamour by minibus operators for fare increases and the recent disclosure that the Ministry of Business could be meeting with the United Minibus Union (UMU) to discuss the fares issue, a Ministry official has told this newspaper that any official engagement pertaining to the sector should go beyond the fares issue and extend into the realm of consumer-related concerns.

Dear Editor, On the 18-Jun-2018 the Kaieteur News indicated that Dr Jan Mangal (petroleum adviser to the President from Mar-2017 to Mar-2018) recommended the investigation of the award of petroleum blocks which occurred under the previous government. 

The Governments of Guyana and Norway met yesterday in Oslo, Norway and agreed to move their climate, forests, and sustainable development forward with determination.

VOLGOGRAD, Russia,  (Reuters) – Japan lost 1-0 in a dull game with Poland on Thursday but still became the only Asian side to qualify for the World Cup’s last 16 — and the first team ever to progress thanks to FIFA’s new disciplinary tie-breaker rule introduced at this World Cup for the first time.

Against the backdrop of frequent flare- ups between government and the private sector arising mostly out of differences over policy decisions and their opinions on their impact on the business community, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) has said in its recently released 2017 Annual Report that last year marked a period of “increased and more fruitful interaction” between the country’s leading business support body and the coalition administration of President David Granger. 

Dear Editor, Another tragic and senseless fatal accident involving yet again, the dreaded mini buses.

BRUSSELS, (Reuters) – European Union leaders agreed yesterday a hard-fought accord on migration after more than nine hours of talks.

ACCRA,  (Reuters) – Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo fired the head of the country’s Electoral Commission yesterday for “misbehaviour and incompetence”, Information Minister Mustapha Abdul-Hamid said.

Dear Editor, It’s the first time the Guyana National Newspapers Limited (GNNL), with the appointment of Mr.

KING CITY, Ontario, (Reuters) – Steve Smith made his comeback from cricket exile on Thursday in front of a sparse crowd in a sleepy, rural town north of Toronto where the former Australia captain helped kick off the inaugural Global T20 Canada league.

The Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) will be seeking to utilize the recently completed memorandum between itself and the Federation of Indian Export Organizations (FIEO) to make maximum use of such opportunities as may arise for cooperation and partnership for investment and trade. 

People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday said that the party’s Central Committee will meet “shortly” to decide the process to select a presidential candidate for the 2020 general elections.

Dear Editor, The ruling coalition administration has passed a bill on local government reform completely blanking the opposition.

As economic opportunities arising out of the advent of oil and gas as an economic resource become increasingly apparent, former Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Edward Boyer has said that he believes that local businesses “are achieving the high standards required for consideration” where local content opportunities are concerned.

(Trinidad Express) A man who police say was wanted for several robberies and other firearm related offences in the Central police division was shot and killed on Wednesday.

(Reuters) – Serena Williams was not at home when a drug tester made a surprise visit to her Florida home on June 14, a spokesperson for the tennis player said on Thursday as the U.S.

RIO DE JANEIRO,  (Reuters) – Brazilian miner Vale said yesterday it would pay 557.7 million reais ($144.42 million) in the second half of the year to restore the environment and communities damaged by a 2015 disaster at Samarco, a joint venture it has with BHP Billiton.

Dear Editor, Please allow me space in your letter column to comment on an article I saw in the Kaieteur News yesterday titled ‘Ramson signals desire to be PPPC presidential candidate’.

Nikhail Hudson, described as a “church boy” by his lawyer, was yesterday remanded to prison after he was charged with the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition, which police say he was found with during a sting operation.

NORTHAMPTON, England, CMC – The West Indies A were trounced by the England Lions on Thursday by nine wickets, effectively eliminating them from the Tri-Nation Series.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. House Republican allies of President Donald Trump shouted and attacked Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein yesterday, alleging he was improperly withholding documents related to the FBI’s investigation of Trump’s 2016 campaign.

GENEVA,  (Reuters) – Australia triumphed yesterday in a major trade dispute over its pioneering “plain” tobacco packaging law, with World Trade Organization judges rejecting a complaint brought by Cuba, Indonesia, Honduras and Dominican Republic.

Gun-toting bandits yesterday robbed a customs broker and an overseas-based Guyanese of $600,000 cash, a small quantity of jewellery and cellular phones after they had returned to their Non-Pariel, East Coast Demerara home.

(Barbados Nation) It was long in coming. This was the view of Queen’s Counsel Andrew Pilgrim after the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), with Sir Dennis Byron in his last sitting as president, struck down the mandatory death penalty for murder in Barbados on Wednesday.

The attorney for accused cocaine trafficker Andre Gomes, also known as ‘Zipper,’ yesterday urged a city magistrate to find him not guilty of the crime, while accusing the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) of manipulating the evidence.

(Trinidad Express) The man charged with the murder of 20-year-old Shannon Banfield in December 2016, was on Wednesday committed to stand trial at the next sitting of the Assizes.

Dear Editor, The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has finally ruled on the issue of presidential terms limits.

GUATEMALA CITY,  (Reuters) – U.S. Vice President Mike Pence told the leaders of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador on Thursday to end an “exodus” of illegal immigrants to the United States, urging them to dissuade people from even considering entering the country unlawfully.

Kitco Market Data Gold Prices for the three day period ending Thursday June 28, 2018

SARANSK, Russia, (Reuters) – Tunisia secured their first World Cup finals win in 40 years with a 2-1 victory over debutantes Panama on Thursday, but coach Nabil Maaloul said Arab nations still had a long way to go before they could seriously challenge the top sides.

(Trinidad Express) Businessman Imtiaz “Harry” Khan was stung over 50 times by Africanized bees last Saturday.

Introduction We continue and conclude today on what is known as Sovereign Wealth Funds, essentially special purpose state-owned investment funds to achieve financial objectives using investment strategies, tools and instruments.

Even if not the state’s Supreme Executive Authority as His Excellency is, some forms and levels of authority can empower you to come up with brand new names, titles and descriptions for national occasions, events, agencies.

Farmers in Berbice will soon have access to a $24 million soil and disease testing centre that could send  rice yields even higher.

Guyana has many buildings boasting historical significance and one such building is the Kitty Municipal Market.

(Prepared by the Guyana Marketing Corporation and published by Stabroek Business as a public service) *Prices only represent the average Wholesale Farmgate and Retail Prices at the above mentioned markets and are NOT prices set by the Guyana Marketing Corporation or Ministry of Agriculture.

(Reuters) – India will continue to experiment with their middle order in the Twenty20 games against Ireland and England, captain Virat Kohli said after the team made a winning start to a lengthy tour on Wednesday.

Stock market updates

RIGA,  (Reuters) – Latvia’s central bank governor will face prosecution over alleged bribery after a four-month-long investigation that turned up the spotlight on the financial system of the euro zone member state.

Dear Editor, With the CCJ judgment, the time is long overdue for all the PPP ‘grey beards’ to retreat to their seaside villas and become newspaper letter writers!

This newspaper’s various engagements with private sector business support organizations have afforded us a more enlightened perspective on their work and the purpose that they seek to serve.

A Sophia, Greater Georgetown man was shot in his abdomen yesterday afternoon after being involved in an argument with a known individual.