Daily Archive: Friday, July 12, 2019

President David Granger and First Lady,  Sandra Granger, this evening, attended a reception in celebration of the 243rd Declaration of Independence anniversary of the United States of America.

In an address to the nation following the consequential orders today  by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), President David Granger said that a new Chairman of GECOM could be appointed by Monday if the opposition act in a consensual manner and in good faith.

LONDON, (Reuters) – A vintage display by Roger Federer took him past Rafael Nadal into the Wimbledon final in an eagerly-anticipated first grasscourt duel between the great rivals for 11 years today.

(Caribbean Court of Justice) Port of Spain, Trinidad. The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) today issued consequential declarations and orders in two sets of cases from Guyana.

(Trinidad Guardian) It was the re­union that many hoped for. Zookeep­er Wal­ter Bun­yan and Al­bi­no Burmese Python on Fri­day re­unit­ed af­ter a bite that shocked many on Thurs­day.

(Trinidad Express) A woman charged in 2015 with stabbing her ten-year-old sister during an alleged argument over a television remote control has been committed to stand trial before the San Fernando High Court.

The Caribbean Court of Justice today said it would fix no timelines for general elections following the December 21, 2018 motion of no confidence but said that the clear provisions governing article 106 of the constitution must be given full effect and a caretaker-type administration is now in place.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) this afternoon ruled that President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo settle on a new Chairman of GECOM with the utmost urgency.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta resigned today amid fresh scrutiny of his handling of the sex abuse case against financier Jeffrey Epstein, becoming President Donald Trump’s latest adviser to leave the administration in controversy.

Dear Editor, The intervention by President David Granger, purportedly acting under Article 188 (1)(b) of the Constitution of Guyana, granting to the Minister of Finance, “Respite until all appeals and remedies available to the Minister of Finance and the State have been exhausted”, while the Minister is still before the Judiciary in pending legal proceedings, strikes at the heart of constitutional governance, the doctrine of separation of powers and the rule of law. 

Dear Editor, Guyana’s political establishment is faced with a version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma.

Dear Editor, The ‘A Partnership for National Unity’ (APNU) and ‘Alliance for Change’ coalition is comprised of multiple political parties which are made up of people from various ethnicities and professions.

Dear Editor, I believe that one of the greatest tests for Guyana and Guyanese, over the past two decades perhaps, was the passing of the No Confidence Motion (NCM) in Parliament on the 21 December, 2018.

Dear Editor, On this fateful night two years ago, I stood outside of the Camp Street Prison at around 9 pm.

ISLAMABAD,  (Reuters) – A senior Pakistani judge was sacked today following a scandal over blackmail claims relating to the jailing of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on corruption charges, the law ministry said.

CAPE TOWN,  (Reuters) – AB de Villiers said he did not expect to be included in South Africa’s squad for the Cricket World Cup after telling captain Faf du Plessis that he was available, as he clarified his role in a selection drama that blew up in England.

CHICAGO, (Reuters) – Singer R. Kelly, already charged with sexual assault in Illinois, was indicted in federal courts in New York and Chicago today with transporting women and girls across state lines for sex, forcibly keeping them under his control and buying their silence.

PARIS, (Reuters) – France’s widely lampooned environment minister denied having a taste for the high life and said today he would not resign over accusations he squandered taxpayer money, in a scandal that risks upsetting the government’s reform drive.

(Jamaica Gleaner) Jamaicans living illegally in the United States are being advised by New York-based immigration attorney Millicent Clarke to have a lawyer’s number on speed dial as they could quickly find themselves on a plane back home if a US government-planned operation gets under way this weekend.

(Trinidad Guardian) One week af­ter she be­came vo­cal on the many se­ri­ous is­sues and con­cerns in­clud­ing crim­i­nal ac­tiv­i­ties in the Orop­une Gar­dens, Pi­ar­co area, the life of a for­mer news an­chor Colleen Hold­er has been threat­ened.

Two weeks ago the government announced that the Cabinet had decided to approve a proposal to remove custodial sentences for persons found with 30 grammes or less of marijuana.

The police file on convicted drug kingpin Roger Khan was never closed and in time it will be known whether charges could be laid against him, Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan disclosed yesterday.

President David Granger and Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo will have to meet again; this time to consider 13 potential candidates for the post of Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) after their representatives failed to come to a consensus on six names yesterday.

The judiciary yesterday expressed “grave concern” over attacks on it in a Guyana Chronicle report.

Delon Blake, who on Tuesday pleaded guilty to raping a 77-year-old woman, was yesterday morning sentenced to 20 years behind bars by Justice Simone Morris-Ramlall at the Sexual Offences Court.

From this month, new public service employees will be paid after their first month of employment after years of having to wait three months to “make it on to the payroll.”

The Bar Council of The Bar Association of Guyana last night said it “unequivocally and strongly condemns the statements attributed to the Honourable Attorney General of Guyana, Mr.

Minister with responsibility for the public service, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley yesterday told her first press conference that all government scholarships issued during her tenure will be made public.

Colin Thomas, who on Tuesday pleaded guilty to two counts of raping a young girl, will spend the next 23 years in jail for the crime.

A 17-year-old was yesterday charged with the unlawful killing of Grove youth Mervin Squires, who died as a result of an argument over $500.

Shamar Hercules, the Mahaicony man who was the driver of a car which collided with an electrical pole and resulted in the death of the occupant on Sunday, was yesterday charged with causing death and driving while under the influence of alcohol.

In wake of a statement made by the PNCR’s Volda Lawrence that the coalition partners are yet to meet to discuss who the prime ministerial candidate will be for the next elections, the AFC’s General Secretary David Patterson yesterday insisted that his party is solely responsible for the choice.

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) yesterday upheld a Court of Appeal decision granting an extension to the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) to appeal a Full Court decision awarding $99 million to rice miller Arnold Sankar for breach of contract.

The Medical Council of Guyana (MCG) made an official visit to Cuba between June 29th-July 6th 2019 to inspect the training programmes for doctors and said it made several recommendations.

The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) yesterday maintained that it has the power to garnish owed taxes from the US$2 million due to be paid to Dipcon by government.

BIRMINGHAM, England, (Reuters) – England snuffed out Australia’s title defence and stormed into the Cricket World Cup final with a comprehensive eight-wicket victory over the five-times champions in the second semi-final yesterday.

The most eagerly anticipated zone in the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Championship will commence today, as the Georgetown Zone kicks-off at the National Cultural Center Tarmac with eight elimination matches.

Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan, has declared that public servants can expect an increase in wages and salaries this year and an even bigger one next year, after government “would have won the General Elections”, but cautioned that this increase must be matched by an improvement in performance and in the delivery of public services.

The Guyana Police Force is making “good progress” on the case of the murders of Better Hope moneychanger Aaron Latchman and his daughter, Arian, acting Crime Chief Michael Kingston said.

Guyana’s fittest man, Dillon Mahadeo, will be feeling fresh and confident when he competes at the ‘Olympics’ of Crossfit later this month compliments of DeSinco under the Degree brand.

Saying that the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) cannot direct the executive branch of government but can only make appeals through consequential orders, Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday insisted that stating a date for Guyana’s next general elections is outside of the court’s ambit.

Following its rescheduling due to an inundated playing area on July 7th, the Hamilton Green Inter-Ward 9-a-side Championship is slated to conclude at the Den Amstel Community Centre ground on Sunday.

A date was yesterday set for the commencement of the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the attempted murder charge against two men, including the operator of Rockies Hotel in Georgetown, accused of plotting to kill a Lethem businessman.

SANTO DOMINGO,  (Reuters) – U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo highlighted the importance of democratic institutions in the Dominican Republic with President Danilo Medina, according to a statement released yesterday, ahead of the Caribbean nation’s 2020 election.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially selected their 20-member squad for the impending CONCACAF Women’s Under-20 Championship qualifiers on local shores, with 15 overseas based players forming the core of the team.

A city magistrate yesterday imposed a two-year suspended sentence on a 31-year-old Venezuelan, who was also fined and ordered deported after admitting to illegally having two 9 mm spent shells in his possession.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has officially withdrawn from the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifiers, citing financial reasons, and the entity will now focus its resources on the impending Nations League in September.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Three Iranian vessels tried to block a British-owned tanker passing through the strait that controls the flow of Middle East oil to the world, but backed off when confronted by a Royal Navy warship, Britain said yesterday.

One of the main witnesses in the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the murder charge against James and Timothy McKenzie, who are accused of killing Cornhill Street fruit vendor Richard Noel, was almost jailed yesterday after she told a court she didn’t give a statement to the police.

LONDON (Reuters) – Mixed doubles with Andy Murray was fun but Serena Williams got back to the serious business as she powered into her 11th Wimbledon final by overwhelming unseeded Czech Barbora Strycova in a brutal 6-1 6-2 victory on Centre Court yesterday.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Foreign minister Jeremy Hunt urged British diplomats to keep speaking “without fear or favour” following the resignation of the ambassador to the United States over leaked memos that criticised the U.S.

LONDON (Reuters) – It has been a long wait but the most captivating modern rivalry in men’s tennis returns to the scene of its most dramatic episode today when Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal meet for a place in the Wimbledon final.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – Talks between Venezuela’s government and the opposition will continue, the Norwegian and Venezuelan governments said yesterday, after a Socialist Party leader announced the end of a round of Oslo-backed talks to end a political crisis.

Just two months after a special lance corporal was alleged to have been fatally beaten by a colleague, the file in relation to the matter has been forwarded to the Police Complaints Authority (PCA).

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – Interim West Indies head coach Floyd Reifer believes the gap between first class and international cricket needs to be narrowed, if players are to be properly prepared for the demands of senior team cricket.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump retreated yesterday from adding a contentious question on citizenship to the 2020 census, but insisted he was not giving up his fight to count how many non-citizens are in the country and ordered government agencies to mine their databases.

The economy of neighbouring Suriname is to benefit from a US$23 million loan from the World Bank Group.

(Barbados Nation) Some of the National Housing Corporation (NHC) units are being used as houses of ill repute.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – A familiar batting meltdown thwarted West Indies A’s pursuit of a modest total and sent them crashing to a disappointing 65-run loss to India A, in the opening 50-over clash here yesterday.

MOSCOW,  (Reuters) – One summer night last year, sisters Krestina, Angelina and Maria Khachaturyan went into the room where their 57-year-old father Mikhail was sleeping and attacked him with pepper spray, a knife and a hammer.

(Trinidad Guardian) Cab­i­net will ini­ti­ate a com­mis­sion of en­quiry to ex­am­ine the cir­cum­stances in which over $500 mil­lion was paid to home­own­ers to ac­quire land for the ex­ten­sion of the high­way from San Fer­nan­do to Point Fortin.

(Barbados Nation) Barbadians are facing the reality they will no longer be able to claim child allowance when filing their personal income tax returns.

BRASILIA, (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said yesterday he had invited his son Eduardo to become ambassador to the United States, underscoring his family’s influential role in the country’s diplomacy and domestic politics.

-I’ve been telling you! Staying B.A.M.N The seven decades-long political behemoths to stalk this once-pristine Guyana land – as political parties – have begun, in earnest, their election strategies to retain or reclaim governmental dominion over us.

BIRMINGHAM, England (Reuters) – Australia have made significant progress in the last year but ended up producing one of their worst performances of the World Cup in yesterday’s semi-final against England, captain Aaron Finch said.

Guyana Police Force ranks on Wednesday destroyed over 25,000 marijuana plants and over 3,000 seedlings after the discovery of three fields in the Upper Berbice River.

Introduction The Public and Government Affairs Advisor of ExxonMobil Ms. Janelle Persaud has disclosed to the press that its subsidiary, Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL), has applied for its Petroleum Prospecting Licence for the Canje Block to be renewed.

Across the world, June is observed as the month to honour the lives and contributions of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons who actively stood up against discrimination and institutional violence in defence of their identity.

From this month, new public service employees will be paid after their first month of employment after years of having to wait three months to “make it on to the payroll.”