Daily Archive: Saturday, March 5, 2022

Senior U.S. officials on Saturday went to Venezuela, a key Russian ally, to meet with the government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, people familiar with the matter told The New York Times. 

Policy Forum Guyana today stood its ground over criticisms by President Irfaan Ali and his ministers over a statement that the NGO had issued calling for more accountability by the government.

On Thursday, the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) and the workers’ representative body reached an agreement that will see over 700 employees getting a six percent increase.

An 18-year-old labourer at Forrester Lumber and Building Complex is battling for his life at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) after a co-worker turned on a Cement Mixer unaware that he was inside the machine cleaning it.

The Ministry of Health says  that its COVID-19 Vaccination Surveillance Unit is currently working on verifying and reconciling its COVID-19 vaccination data.

LVIV/KYIV, Ukraine, (Reuters) – Russian President Vladimir Putin said Western sanctions were akin to war today as his forces pressed on with their assault on Ukraine, where planned civilian evacuations from two besieged cities were called off.

SINGAPORE, (Reuters) – Singapore announced sanctions against Russia on Saturday that include four banks and an export ban on electronics, computers and military items, in a rare move by the Asian financial hub in response to what it said was Moscow’s “dangerous precedent” in Ukraine.

LVIV, Ukraine,  (Reuters) – Thousands of women and children, many weeping and numb with exhaustion, arrived in Lviv in western Ukraine today as the state railway put on more trains to rescue people from fierce Russian attacks on eastern cities.

(Trinidad Guardian) A 35-year-old mother of three was killed and her body burnt beyond recognition at her home in Manzanilla on Thursday evening, by a man she reportedly knew.

ROME, (Reuters) – Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth at least 140 million euros ($153 million) from four high-profile Russians who were placed on an EU sanctions list following Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, sources said today.

Accusing them of selective advocacy and trying to derail progress, President Irfaan Ali and members of his Cabinet have blasted civil society groups which have called for greater government accountability and transparency.

A Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Registration Officer has filed a $175 million lawsuit against the Guyana Police Force, which she is accusing of breaching her rights and treating her inhumanely during her arrest as part of the investigation of alleged electoral fraud in the aftermath of the March 2020 polls.

There was a 28% reduction in road deaths last year when compared to 2020 but vulnerable road users still account for more than half of the number of accident victims across Guyana, according to Minister of Public Works (MoPW) Juan Edghill, who says citizens continue to die at an “alarming” rate.

The parliamentary committee undertaking the review of the government bill to eliminate custodial sentences for possession of less than 30 grammes of cannabis has invited public submissions on the proposed legislation.

A group of Guyanese yesterday held a peaceful protest in front of the Russian Embassy in Georgetown to protest its invasion of Ukraine and the death and destruction it has inflicted on its people.

The Ministry of Health, through its Chronic Disease Programme, is aiming to expand screening for kidney disease, according to Nephrologist Dr Hemchand Barran.

Police investigators have arrested a shop owner over the suspected murder of a man, whose body was discovered at a shop on Thursday at Barama Line, Baramita, North West District, Region One.

With the aim of ensuring that all staff are equipped with the necessary skills to effectively respond to an off- shore oil spill, ExxonMobil Guyana recently conducted an exercise to field test its spill-response equipment, processes, and team readiness.

MOUNT MAUNGANUI, New Zealand,  CMC – Hayley Matthews stroked a high quality, career-best century and veteran all-rounder Deandra Dottin snatched two wickets and pulled off a run-out in a dramatic last over, as West Indies shocked hosts New Zealand by three runs in a sensational opener of the ICC Women’s World Cup.

The attorneys for former Minister of Finance Winston Jordan are seeking to have the misconduct in public office charge pending against him tried in the High Court.

Guyana’s male and female table tennis teams missed out on finals berths of the 2022 Caribbean championships in Cuba, losing at the semi-final stage yesterday afternoon.

Collin Denny, who was on trial for allegedly trafficking five pounds of cannabis in 2018, was freed of the charge on Thursday.

A woman was yesterday released on $200,000 bail after she denied six charges that she embezzled over $3.1 million from her place of employment.

Two men, who the Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) said were arrested wrapping pellets of cocaine amounting to $1.2 million in value, have been charged and remanded.

Dear Editor, My post-75 retirement, along with an all-consuming interest in world affairs, ensured that I remained transfixed at the Russian expansionist invasion of Ukraine.

The Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) on Wednesday intercepted a vehicle ferrying over 100 pounds of cannabis.

Dear Editor, In light of the recent and blindsiding revelation that the Government and people of Guyana have been slapped with a United States $100 million, or over 20 billion Guyana dollars lawsuit by parking meter concessionaire Smart City Solutions (SCS), as a consequence of a most controversial deal that was championed by then Town Clerk of Georgetown, Royston King, I believe that the current Mayor and Councillors of the City of Georgetown are now rubbing salt into the wounds of the citizens by making a decision to allow King to receive his pension, gratuity and other benefits purportedly owed to him.

A man was taken into custody on Thursday after a Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit (CANU) operation resulted in the seizure of two parcels of cocaine.

Dear Editor, Like the majority of Guyanese, I am not surprised by the sudden resurgence of some of the usual paper civil society organisations, which were missing in action between 2015 and 2020, and the emergence of several others, which are either surrogates of these very ‘paper organisations’ or set up by individuals with political axes to grind with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government.

A youth was on Wednesday charged with causing a child under the age of 16 to watch a sexual act.

LVIV, Ukraine/KYIV,  (Reuters) – Russia blocked Facebook and some other websites yesterday and passed a law that gave Moscow much stronger powers to crack down on independent journalism, prompting the BBC, Bloomberg and other foreign media to suspend reporting in the country.

Dear Editor, Allan Fenty’s memory of Martin Carter (Frankly Speaking, March 4, 2022) triggered my own memory of seeing Carter wending his way home on Lamaha Street, drunk to the world and being teased and taunted by school children.

The Ministry of Health on Friday reported 22 new COVID-19 cases.

BUENOS AIRES, (Reuters) – A Catholic bishop accused of sexually abusing young men studying to be priests was found guilty by a court in northern Argentina yesterday, capping over a week of often graphic testimony in the latest criminal abuse case to hit the global Church.

DUBAI,  (Reuters) – Global financial crime watchdog the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) yesterday said Middle East business hub the United Arab Emirates had been included on a list of jurisdictions subject to increased monitoring, known as its ‘grey’ list.

WASHINGTON/HELSINKI,  (Reuters) – U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to deepen security ties with his Finnish counterpart Sauli Niinisto yesterday, but stopped short of making any formal guarantees to the country nervously watching Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Dear Editor. The State of Guyana is acting justly in righting the wrong done to seven thousand Guyanese sugar workers some five years ago.

Indrawattie Natram and Pandit Deodat Persaud, two young professional alumnus of the Know India Programme (KIP), were selected by India’s High Commission to represent Guyana virtually on the KIP dialogue forum scheduled for today.

Barbadian PM Mia Mottley’s speech at the recent Energy Expo was well received even by those outside of the event and those sceptical of the oil industry’s effects upon this small land.

(Trinidad Guardian) Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley has announced major changes to the Public Health Regulations, including allowing families to travel in their private vehicles without wearing masks and a hold-off on the Public Sector Vaccine Policy.

ROME, (Reuters) – Italian police have seized a yacht owned by Alexey Mordashov, the richest man in Russia before being blacklisted this week by the European Union following Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, a source with direct knowledge of the matter said on Friday.

Dear Editor,        The complaint by some ‘organizations’ that the country is moving at a “bewildering pace” would be laughable if it were not true.

Bam Adebayo totaled 30 points and 11 rebounds as the Miami Heat overcame a 16-point deficit to beat Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets 113-107 on Thursday night in New York.

ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Keacy Carty impressed again but missed out on his second half-century of the game as Cricket West Indies’ President’s XI staved off defeat to draw with England in their four-day tour match here yesterday.

BANGKOK, (Reuters) – Australian cricketer Shane Warne, one of the finest spin bowlers of all time whose talent and personality transcended the sport, died aged 52 yesterday.

(Reuters) – India’s Rishabh Pant stole the limelight in team mate Virat Kohli’s 100th test with a blistering knock against Sri Lanka yesterday to keep the hosts on course for a big first innings total in the first test at Mohali.

ISLAMABAD, (Reuters) – Abdullah Shafique’s late dismissal was the only blot in an otherwise sparkling session for Pakistan who reached 105 for one at lunch on the opening day of the first test against Australia in Rawalpindi yesterday.

An unemployed youth on Monday told a City Magistrate that he was being wrongfully accused of attempting to break into a man’s home.

Many believe that the COVID-19 pandemic is nearing its end; that the virus is entering an endemic phase.

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) yesterday said that the body of an unidentified man was on Wednesday found along the Met-en-Meerzorg Public Road, West Coast Demerara.