Staff Editor

BEIJING, (Reuters) – The global coronavirus pandemic could be over by June if countries mobilise to fight it, a senior Chinese medical adviser said on Thursday, as China declared the peak had passed there and new cases in Hubei fell to single digits for the first time.

The ruling by Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George yesterday nullifying the unacceptable declaration of results on March 5th for Region Four provides a crucial opening to rectify what has threatened to derail the March 2nd elections and democracy.

President David Granger tonight announced Guyana’s first case and death from the new coronavirus pandemic – a 52-year-old woman who had travelled here from New York and died at the Georgetown Public Hospital today.

A fifty-two-year-old woman, who recent travelled from Queens, New York, died this morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) and the authorities  say that samples are being tested to determine whether this could have been a case of the coronavirus.

Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley, who is also Chairperson of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is leading the delegation of regional Prime Ministers on a special two-day mission to Guyana.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Former movie producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced to 23 years in prison today for his sexual assault and rape convictions last month after delivering a rambling statement to the court expressing sympathy for men accused in the #MeToo movement while saying he is trying to be “a better person.”

Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI) which was one of the local observers at the March 2 general elections  today said that GECOM has a duty and owes it to the people of Guyana to verify the results of the elections before announcing a winner.

LONDON/ROME,  (Reuters) – Italy earmarked $28.3 billion to soften the economic impact of the world’s second-biggest coronavirus outbreak today as the Bank of England slashed interest rates just hours before announcing a budget designed to stave off recession.

The United Kingdom today expressed deep concern about the events following the elections here on 2 March 2020.

As post-election tensions here continue, CARICOM Chairperson and Barbadian Prime Minister Mia Mottley will tomorrow lead a delegation of regional heads here PPP/C General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo today confirmed.

Chair of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Justice (ret’d) Claudette Singh today said that she anticipated a greater level of compromise by the six GECOM commissioners in agreeing on the next steps when Chief Justice Roxane George rules in a case currently before her seeking the full verification of the results of Region Four.

BEIJING,  (Reuters) – Chinese President Xi Jinping today made his first visit to Wuhan since a coronavirus outbreak forced a lockdown of the city of 11 million people, in a sign that authorities’ efforts to control the virus are working.

Adverting to elections related unrest in recent days, President David Granger today said he won’t allow “political malefactors to hijack our democracy”.

OTTAWA,  (Reuters) – Canadians should avoid all cruise ship travel amid a coronavirus outbreak, the country’s chief medical officer said on Monday, as the number of people in Canada who have contracted the disease surpassed 70.

NEW YORK,  (Reuters) – Oil prices suffered their biggest daily rout since the 1991 Gulf War today as top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia began a price war that threatens to overwhelm global oil markets with supply.

LUCKNOW, India, (Reuters) – The top court in India’s most populous state ordered authorities today to remove large displays of the names, pictures and addresses of dozens of anti-government protesters, amid fears that they encourage attacks by vigilante mobs.

(Trinidad Guardian) The same man, Ken­neth “Span­ish” Ro­driguez, who was re­ferred to as a “known gang leader” in the In­ter­im Re­port from the Joint Se­lect Com­mit­tee (JSC) on Na­tion­al Se­cu­ri­ty is still re­ceiv­ing lu­cra­tive Gov­ern­ment con­tracts from the cur­rent ad­min­is­tra­tion.

Chief Justice Roxane George this afternoon ruled that the court has jurisdiction in a case brought by  a supporter of the PPP seeking full verification of the vote for Region Four at Monday’s General and Regional elections.

The Guyana Elections Commission today said that as the Constitutional agency responsible for the conduct of General and Regional Elections in Guyana it is cognizant of the series of events which unfolded since the close of the Polls on Elections Day, 2nd March, 2020.

The European Union (EU) observer mission to Guyana’s elections today said that the electoral process has taken a “serious turn” following the declaration of results for Region Four last night by Chief Election Officer Keith Lowenfield.