Daily Archive: Friday, September 25, 2020

The Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has made around $73m available to Guyana in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Guyana has recorded its 74th COVID-19 death. The latest fatality is a 71-year-old female from Pomeroon – Supenaam (Region 2) who died while receiving care at the ministry medical facility.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – Some of Bollywood’s biggest actors are being questioned in a widening drug probe by federal agencies that has sent shockwaves through India’s beleaguered film industry and dominated prime time news headlines.

Controversy has erupted here and in other parts of the Caribbean over what has been described as the “shockingly low” and flawed grades awarded by CXC in this year’s  CSEC and CAPE examinations.

ExxonMobil has secured approval for its Payara project in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana and an agreement, which would also cater for stiff fines for flaring violations and a commitment that reservoir water be treated to international standards before dumping, should be signed soon, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat has said.

Yuri Garcia Dominguez and Ateeka Ishmael, the principals of Accelerated Capital Firm Inc (ACFI), who are currently facing close to eighty charges in what has been described as a huge Ponzi scheme were yesterday released from prison after posting bail of around $30M.

Staff of the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH) yesterday staged an early-morning protest over late salaries and the conditions they claim they are forced to work under at the hospital.

By Readawne Henery Relatives of Earl Graham, one of the inmates who was fatally shot last Saturday at the Lusignan Prison, are questioning the decision by guards to use lethal force and they say evidence shown to them suggests that he was not among those who were reported to have been rioting.

Forty-four additional cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and two more deaths were confirmed by the Ministry of Health yesterday.

The Guyana Bar Association (GBA) in response to an article published in yesterday’s edition of the Stabroek News under the headline `High Court criminal trials set to recommence October 6’ has express-ed the view that given the COVID-19 pandemic, trials should not recommence at this time.

Chait Balkarran, the driver involved in Tuesday’s accident that claimed the life of Mahaicony pensioner, Deonarine Lalchand was yesterday granted bail in the sum of $450,000 after he was charged with several traffic related-offences including causing death by dangerous driving.

Quenita Walrond-Lewis is the new Director of the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) and will begin in her new position on October 1.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and other top Republicans on Thursday repudiated President Donald Trump’s refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power, assuring American voters the lawmakers would accept the outcome of November’s election.

(Reuters) – Britain is planning to host clinical trials where volunteers are deliberately infected with the new coronavirus to test the effectiveness of vaccine candidates, the Financial Times reported yesterday, citing people involved in the project.

Looking beyond the formidable challenges posed by the advent of the still rampaging COVID-19, the Guyana Manufacturing & Services Association (GMSA) on Wednes-day joined forces with the office of the Inter-American Develop-ment Bank, the Ministry of Agriculture and various non-state and private sector individuals to stage a historic webinar designed to examine opportunities for ensuring that the country’s agriculture sector loses none of its robustness in the post-COVID environment.

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad,  CMC – The Bureau of the FIFA Council yesterday suspended the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) with immediate effect due to what it termed “grave violations” of the FIFA Statutes.

Former Chief Education Officer Olato Sam will be embracing a new role at the Ministry of Education.

BRUSSELS,  (Reuters) – President Alexander Lukashenko is not the legitimate president of Belarus, the European Union said yesterday, saying his abrupt swearing-in on Wednesday went directly against the will of the people.

Four relatives of Haresh Singh were arrested twice as part of the investigation into the brutal murders of Joel and Isaiah Henry, after they would have disclosed to persons and eventually to investigators that they saw the two boys on the dam heading into the backdam.

The National Budget for 2020, referred to as an ‘emergency’ budget, encompassed a variety of fiscal measures designed to quickly revamp the economy.

(Field Level Media) Anthony Davis scored a game-high 34 points, LeBron James added 26 and the Los Angeles Lakers never lost the lead over the final three quarters last night en route to a 114-108 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals near Orlando.

CARACAS,  (Reuters) – The European Union has sent a mission to Venezuela in the run-up to parliamentary election scheduled for December, the EU said yesterday, as the country prepares for a vote that will likely be boycotted by much of the population.

The deadline for the submission of proposals to market Guyana’s oil has been extended to next Tuesday after the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) was forced to suspend its operations due to staff members testing positive for COVID-19.

With reports of spending by some countries on materiel linked to their responses to the COVID-19 pandemic already tainted by irregularities, including major fraud, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) is seeking the implementation of measures by countries to offset what it describes as risks of diluted accountability and weakened fiscal control in the context of the pandemic.

Dear Editor, Since consideration of the budgetary estimates commenced on Monday 21st September, 2020, I noticed with dismay the attitude of members of the PPP/C Government. 

BRASILIA,  (Reuters) – Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro will issue decrees laying the legal groundwork for Brazil to join the global COVID-19 vaccine partnership known as COVAX and earmarking 2.5 billion reais ($453.8 million) for securing vaccines through the facility, his office said yesterday.

If it may still be a tough trek back to anything resembling normalcy for the Caribbean tourist industry, some of the earliest indications are that what the region has to offer in terms of tourist attractions remains highly favoured by the international market.

Dear Editor, I have a niece attending The Bishops’ High School for her 2 years of 6th form.

Leroy Graham, the inmate who escaped from the Lusignan Prison during the early hours of Wednesday morning, has been recaptured.

MUMBAI,  (Reuters) – Former Australia cricketer Dean Jones, one of the finest batsmen of his generation, died in India on Thursday from cardiac arrest aged 59, Star India said, prompting emotional tributes from the Australian prime minister and fellow players.

HELSINKI,  (Reuters) – Dogs trained to detect the novel coronavirus began sniffing passenger samples at Finland’s Helsinki-Vantaa airport this week, authorities said, in a pilot project running alongside more usual testing at the airport.

Gold Prices for the three day period ending Thursday September 24, 2020 Kitco is a Canadian company that buys and sells precious metals such as gold, copper and silver.

Plagued by prolonged delays, missed deadlines, shoddy work and pricey revisions, Guyana’s Chinese-funded and contracted international airport expansion project is proving another expensive embarrassment, long dogged by controversy from its shady start.

It has been almost three weeks since teenaged cousins Isiah and Joel Henry were brutally murdered and while no charge has yet been laid, Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum said the investigation is ongoing.

When it was recognized that COVID-19 was not going anywhere for now, one of the first things I thought about was how it would impact our unnecessarily overpopulated prison system.

– Some positives from the Pandemic This working-class, man-in-the street column has survived virtually twenty-seven (27) years.

Dear Editor, The GAWU saw President Irfaan Ali, in the September 23, Stabroek News, saying that the trail of destruction in the sugar industry left by the Coalition was like a hurricane.

Minister Kwame McCoy who holds responsibility for Public Affairs within the Office of the Prime Minister told Stabroek News in an interview that the government could see no immediate reason for disbanding any section of the state media. 

PARIS, (Reuters) – Rafael Nadal, who is seeking a record-extending 13th French Open title and a record-equalling 20th Grand Slam singles crown, was handed a relatively tough path to this year’s final at Roland Garros when the draw was made yesterday.

LONDON,  CMC – Indian Premier League franchise Sunrisers Hyderabad has signed West Indies Test captain, Jason Holder, as a replacement for the injured Mitchell Marsh for the rest of the season.

The international financial sector was reportedly alive with talk earlier this week over reports that a number of prominent banking institutions have been profiting handsomely from illicit dealings from what a media report seen by the Stabroek Business describes as “disreputable people and criminal networks.”

(IPL website) Skipper KL Rahul’s batting masterclass was on full display as Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) beat Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) by 97 runs in the sixth match of the Dream11 Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 in Dubai yesterday.

In more ways than one the international community has been ‘caught out’ by the advent of the coronavirus.

WELLINGTON,  (Reuters) – New Zealand’s government has given the go ahead for the Pakistan and West Indies teams to tour the country later this year and in early 2021, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said yesterday.

(Jamaica Star) A herb which is allegedly treating persons infected with COVID-19 is now in high demand in Portland and St Thomas.

(Trinidad Guardian) Relatives of a Sangre Grande businesswoman, who was kidnapped outside her family’s supermarket on Wednesday morning, are yet to receive a ransom request.