Daily Archive: Monday, February 10, 2020

BEIJING/GENEVA,  (Reuters) – The World Health Organization (WHO) said today the spread of coronavirus cases among people who have not been to China could be “the spark that becomes a bigger fire” and the human race must not let the epidemic get out of control.

Aminata Touré, former prime minister of Senegal, and Jason J. Carter, chairperson of The Carter Center Board of Trustees, will co-lead the Carter Center’s international election observation team in Guyana.

LOS ANGELES,  (Reuters) – “Parasite,” a dark social satire from South Korea, won the Oscar for best picture yesterday, making history as the first film in a language other than English to claim the movie industry’s highest honour.

LONDON,  (Reuters) – Britain today said the number of confirmed coronavirus cases had doubled to eight as the government declared the virus a serious and imminent threat, giving it additional powers to isolate those suspected of being infected.

(Jamaica Observer) The legendary American actor Kirk Douglas, who died on February 5 at age 103, was popular with Jamaican movie-goers for over 50 years.

(Jamaica Gleaner) The estranged husband who killed his wife last Friday afternoon before committing suicide by drinking a poisonous substance was possessed with anger and bewilderment after his partner called time on the relationship, a family member has said.

(Trinidad Guardian) Po­lice be­lieve the at­tempt­ed as­sas­si­na­tion of a Rachael Sukhdeo, the wid­ow of slain Ch­agua­nas busi­ness­man Sheron Sukhdeo, led to the mur­ders of a US cit­i­zen and woman in Princes Town yes­ter­day.

OpenOil, the Germany-based consultancy which generated the analysis that suggested that the 2016 deal with ExxonMobil could deprive Guyana of US$55b, yesterday defended its work.

Dillon Mahadeo has done it again On the  asphalt of the National Park tarmac, the CrossFit 592 standout out ran, out lifted, out jumped and outlasted his worthy challengers to be once again crowned with the prestigious title of the fittest man in the 592.

In less than half-an-hour, Guyana Jaguars lost their final wicket falling seven runs short on the final day of their fourth round clash of the West Indies regional Championships against the Jamaica Scorpions at the Providence National Stadium yesterday.

Wicket-keeper/batsman Dexter Solomon grafted well for a century in a drawn encounter between the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) and the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) while the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) secured triumphs yesterday in the latest round of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Noble House Seafoods, second-division, two-day tournament. 

Swag Entertainment won the Guinness ‘Greatest of the Streets’ Linden Zone, squeaking past Quiet Storm on sudden death penalty kicks on Saturday at the Christianburg Hardcourt.

Bent Street, Rio All-Stars, Kingston and Leopold Street are the semi-finalists in the Magnum Tonic Wine Mashramani Cup Futsal Championship after quarter-final victories Saturday at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.

Government yesterday defended its decision on the 2016 renegotiation of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with ExxonMobil subsidiary Esso Exploration and Production Guyana Limited (EEPGL) and partners, saying it was in Guyana’s best interest.

Following his detention on Saturday by the police over the traffic death of cyclist Jude Bentley, former army Chief of Staff Gary Best was yesterday hospitalised but remains in custody, Commander of Region 4 ‘A’ Division Edgar Thomas told Stabroek News.

Romello Crawford stormed to victory yesterday in the 28th R&R International, 40-mile road race which was held in honour of former national cyclist, Jude Bentley who died on Saturday.

As Guyana prepares for the oil and gas sector and the spin-offs associated with it, local chartered accountant Chateram Ramdihal has teamed up with a Trinidadian partner to bring forensic auditing services here.

ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – Andre Fletcher just missed out on a hundred in his first domestic four-day game in nearly three years as the rain-hit fourth round encounter between Windward Islands Volcanoes and Trinidad and Tobago Red Force finished in a predictable draw here yesterday.

The third night of action in the Let’s Bet Sports Mocha ‘Village Cup’ Streetball Championships will resume today at the Mocha Primary School Tarmac with several group stage matches.

Despite bumper production countrywide last year, rice farmers in Wakenaam say that the industry is not profitable anymore due to the rising production cost but are hopeful that it would be revived when Guyana starts to benefit from oil revenues. 

SYDNEY, (Reuters) – The Springboks’ emotional World Cup triumph last year will inspire the South Africa women’s cricket team to try to emulate them at the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia, skipper Dane van Niekerk said yesterday.

To Region 10 where especially youth unemployment continues to be of concern, President David Granger last evening promised to not only bring a swift solution should he be re-elected at the March 2nd General and Regional Elections, but also empower youths across the country with entrepreneurial and technical skillsets among others.

Dear Editor, On February 6th The Center for Public Integrity published a report discussing the dismal conditions in California (one of the most environmentally regulated states in the USA) where thousands of oil wells were abandoned due to the boom in the natural gas industry in the USA.

JOHANNESBURG, (Reuters) – Leg-spinner Adil Rashid took the key scalps of Quinton de Kock and Temba Bavuma as England beat South Africa by two wickets in the third and final one-day international yesterday.

People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate Irfaan Ali yesterday said that Region Three will undergo massive infrastructural transformation if he is elected to office.

Dear Editor, I didn’t know Jude Bentley personally.  I remember when his dad started their cycle shop about a decade or more ago, competing with another cycle shop on the same block which had been in business for more than three decades. 

The new-look Minnesota Timberwolves were a puzzle too difficult to solve Saturday, getting 24 points from Jordan McLaughlin and 23 from Malik Beasley to earn a resounding 142-115 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers and end a 13-game losing streak.

(Trinidad Guardian) An Aranguez fam­i­ly was in full praise of the T&T Po­lice Ser­vice yes­ter­day af­ter of­fi­cers foiled a rob­bery at their home in the wee hours of Sun­day morn­ing, shoot­ing dead four ban­dits and ar­rest­ing two oth­ers.

Specialised health care, attractive salary packages for nurses and doctors, an e-registry of patient data and holding physicians accountable for malpractice are among the plans being mulled by Change Guyana should they be able to win or get into Parliament at the March 2nd elections, says Prime Ministerial (PM) Candidate, Mishka Puran.

Dear Editor, It is ridiculous to believe that “Trotman’s hurried negotiation would place him solely at fault for failure to capitalise on Guyana’s strong bargaining position” as Kaieteur News asserted in their article dated February 9, 2020 and captioned “Announcement of Liza-2 find, one day after contract signing, shows ExxonMobil’s dishonesty – Chris Ram”.

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has  selected a 20-member squad for the  CONCACAF men’s U20 Qualifiers in  Nicaragua from February 15th-23rd.

(Trinidad Guardian) Police are searching for two suspects in connection with what they have described as the “brutal” rape and murder of a 61-year-old woman who was found at her Turure Road, Sangre Grande home yesterday.

Youth Challenge Guyana (YCG) yesterday said that it will observe the  March 2nd, 2020 General and Regional Elections with a 50-member team.

Dear Editor, Over the years polarized politics of the two main political parties has crept into Indigenous peoples’ traditional communities in Guyana with the philosophy to divide and rule us. 

MELBOURNE, Australia,  CMC – West Indies legend Brian Lara rolled back the years with a sparkling knock to headline the star-studded Australian bushfire relief charity match, as organisers raised AUS$7.7 million (US$5 million) from the event here yesterday.

(Trinidad Express) Police say that Rachael Sukhdeo, the widowed wife of murdered used car and real estate dealer Sheron Sukhdeo, was the intended target of an attack that ended in the shooting deaths of two people at a nature resort in Princes Town yesterday afternoon.

BEIJING,  (Reuters) – Workers began trickling back to offices and factories around China today as the government eased some restrictions on working in the wake of the coronavirus epidemic that has now killed more than 900 people, mostly on the mainland.

Is this jubilee month pre-election day campaign an oily, slippery affair?

Dear Editor, My attention was drawn to a release made by the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) in parts of the press on February 1st, 2020.

SEVILLE, (Reuters) – Lionel Messi produced a hat-trick of assists as Barcelona pulled off a gutsy 3-2 win at Real Betis after trailing twice in an enthralling match in La Liga yesterday, finally giving the Catalans something to celebrate after a week of upheaval.

WASHINGTON, (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump will propose today a 21% cut in foreign aid and slashes to social safety-net programs in his $4.8 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2021, according to senior administration officials.

Soca fever filled the Linden/Georgetown Municipal Bus Park on Saturday evening as nineteen contestants battled for a place in the 592 Soca Monarch finals and fifteen moved on.

(Trinidad Express) A man dressed in all black and wearing black gloves, was shot and killed in St James on Saturday night.

ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – Pakistan fast bowler Naseem Shah became the youngest player to claim a test hat-trick when he dismissed three Bangladesh batsman with successive deliveries in Rawalpindi yesterday.

Dear Editor, The statement by the caretaker APNU+AFC coalition regime in response to Global Witness about giving away Guyana’s natural resources as well as billions of dollars to foreign multinational corporations opens up a can of worms rather than convincing all and sundry that the country’s interest was paramount.

Our financial laws, rules and regulations are based strictly on the cash-basis of accounting.

By Hubert Devonish Hubert Devonish lives in Jamaica Today’s diaspora column on Caribbean nation languages, is dedicated to the memory and life’s loving work of Kamau Brathwaite, who died last week in Barbados, aged 89, and who is described by Jamaican Professor of Literary and Cultural Studies, Carolyn Cooper, as a “silk cotton tree”, “historian, poet, literary critic, publisher, Caribbean man of myth and magic “. 

NASHUA/PLYMOUTH, N.H.,  (Reuters) – Democratic presidential contenders Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders traded jabs over money and message yesterday, two days before New Hampshire voters pick their choice to take on Republican President Donald Trump in November.

(Trinidad Guardian) Luxurious cruise ship Caribbean Princess which was scheduled to dock in Port-of-Spain yesterday has been debarred from doing so due to dozens of sick passengers and crew on board the vessel.

Three weeks from today, March 2nd, voters  will head to polling stations countrywide to cast ballots in what will easily be the most hotly contested General and Regional Elections in decades.