Monday 8
Bandits rob Presidential Guard at gunpoint – just outside his home
JASPER Carter, a presidential guard of Lot 103 Middle Road, La Penitence, is grateful to be alive after he was robbed at gunpoint just in front his home. Twenty-eight-year-old Carter, originally from Leguan, in the Essequibo River, was exiting his yard around 07:00 hours when two men on bicycles rode up to him and began using a series of expletives, and demanding whatever he had. Carter told the Chronicle that one of the men pulled out a .38 revolver and pointed it at him; and that while one stripped him of his gold chain and ring, the other was saying, “Shoot him! Shoot him!” This is the third time that Carter has been robbed in the same area.

ELECTIONS EARLY NEXT YEAR
THE wait has ended and the much anticipated announcement on the way forward to bring an end to the current political impasse came yesterday when President Donald Ramotar announced that Guyana will go to general and regional elections early next year. “I have considered and I have consulted and this is my resolve. We will go to elections. I have also since written to the international community alerting them to the possibility of early elections and the desire for them to field observer missions,” he said.
Mr. Ramotar reasoned that this way Guyanese people’s Christmas holidays, less than three weeks away, will not be disrupted.

Guyana still in top 20 as… Miss World 2014 intensifies
IT certainly seems like Guyana will make a name for itself at this year’s Miss World Pageant, as our delegate, the delightful Rafieya Aasieya Husain, secures a spot in the Top 20 as the preliminary competitions continue. In less than 10 days, a new Miss World will be crowned when the pageant finale is held in London, England. The 120 delegates hoping to wear the crown arrived in London for two weeks of activities leading up to the grand finale set for December 14, 2014.

Tuesday 9
Businessman murdered by bandits in daring interior robbery
POLICE in the interior were hunting for three men whom they said had murdered 50-year-old businessman Linden Mc Almont of 72 Robindra Street, Annandale, East Coast Demerara and stripped his wife Maureen Mc Almont of her jewellery during a robbery at Mango Landing. The dead man’s step-daughter Abiola Fraser said her mother and step-father would have celebrated their third wedding anniversary last Wednesday.

One dead, another injured as masked men invade Sterling Products
A LATE afternoon robbery attempt on Sterling Products on the East Bank of Demerara has left a security guard dead and another man nursing a gunshot wound to the leg. Dead is father of two, Wilfred Steven Stewart of Graham’s Hall East Coast Demerara, who was attached to the Edward B. Beharry Security Company for more than 15 years. Approximately five heavily armed men who were masked showed up at the facility and marched straight through the gate and into the guard hut. They opened fire on Stewart, while another worker who was sitting outside the guard hut was chased by one of the gunman but managed to escape. The gunmen, who were carrying riffles, were reportedly transported to the location in a white car which was heavily tinted.

Training mounted at Kaieteur National Park for tour guides and park wardens
FRANKFURT Zoological Society in collaboration with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) began a training programme at the Kaieteur National Park for tour guides and park wardens. Facilitator for the programme, Thadaigh Baggallay disclosed that “the objective of the programme is to train local villagers from around Kaieteur National Park and to pass on the skills needed to be either a tour guide or a park warden.” Baggallay noted that the training which is scheduled from December 3-11 is for current staff and also potential new recruits.

GUYOIL launches US$3.5M fuel handling facility at CJIA
CONSIDERING the increase in inflow of flights through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), the Guyana Oil Company Limited (GUYOIL) commissioned an Aviation Services Fuel Handling facility at the airport at Timehri. President Donald Ramotar, who officially commissioned the facility, said that it will see a drastic increase in terms of the flow of traffic at CJIA, contributing significantly to the growing tourism sector. This US$3.5 million project is phase one of an overall venture which comprises the construction of the terminal at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

Wednesday 10
Sterling Products shooting…
Police take three into custody
POLICE were questioning three men whom they picked up after five gunmen stormed Sterling Products Limited at Providence, East Bank Demerara. The arrests were made after the police conducted searches at the home of the three men; a Toyota 212 motorcar was also impounded by the police as part of the investigation.

DNA results confirm body to be missing St Stanislaus teacher
DNA tests conducted by the Forensic Science Centre of Trinidad on the samples taken from the body that was recovered aback of Pattensen, East Coast Demerara, on July 24, 2014, are back and Crime Chief, Leslie James confirmed the body to be missing St Stanislaus school teacher, Nyozi Goodman. Goodman, 34, of William Street, Kitty, Georgetown, was reported as missing on July 06, 2014 following a basketball game.

Angoy’s Avenue homes to be electrified very soon
AS it transforms itself from a farming area to the largest  soon-to-be- regularised squatting community locally, Mount Sinai, commonly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue, is now electrified. However, power is yet to be accessed in homes. The power supply, via lines on utility poles was switched on even as 102 residents seek the intervention of the Regional Chairman, David Armogan to furnish them with letters to be taken to the local office of the Guyana Power and Light, where the utility company will commence processing their applications for power in their homes.

Thursday 11
Demerara Bank launches VISA Credit Card
DEMERARA Bank Limited recently observed its 20th anniversary and in observance of the occasion, launched its VISA Credit Card at Pegasus, Georgetown. The card was endorsed by President Donald Ramotar and Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh. Demerara Bank Limited is a Guyanese bank that credits customers as its greatest asset, says Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dr. Yesu Persaud.

Guyana Launches MDG Maternal Health Framework
IN an effort to fulfill its international obligations to Millennium Development Goal 5- Improve Maternal Health, Guyana, with help from UN agencies, launched its MDG Acceleration Framework (MAF) at the Herdmanston Lodge, Queenstown.“The framework is a synthesising of a policy approach to an extremely important issue. The MAF represents the latest manifestation of our Government’s strong and unswerving commitment to the achievement of the MDGs,” Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh said as he spoke on the need for key investments to be made for achieving MDGs.

New coconut association formed in Pomeroon
PPP/C Regional Democratic Councillor (RDC), Mrs. Vilma Da Silva has said a new coconut association has been formed in the Region Two area of the Pomeroon to take advantage of the high demand for water and dried coconuts on the international market. Mrs. Da Silva said she had recently attended a seminar in Trinidad and Tobago on the “Development of the Coconut Industry in the Caribbean” and she has learnt about the great demand for water and dried coconuts on the international market. Mrs. Da Silva, who has responsibility for the Pomeroon area of Region 2, has a great passion to see the development of the coconut industry in the Pomeroon move upwards.

Four men fined for driving under the influence
THE Guyana Police Force said the following persons have been charged and found guilty by the courts for driving under the influence of alcohol: Hafeez Persaud, 28, of Sheet Anchor, East Canje, Berbice; Ruel Jagroo, 25, of Rose Hall Town, Corentyne; Kennard Basdeo, 20, of Anna Catherina, WCD; and Jaipersaud Lallbeharry, 34, of Adelphi, East Canje, Berbice.

Friday 12
GLGOU threatens M&CC with shutdown of Municipal buildings
THE Guyana Local Government Officers Union (GLGOU) has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) over its failure to approve wages and salary increases for Local Government officers for 2013. In a statement, GLGOU informed City Mayor Hamilton Green that the action will be taken subject to his previous indication that he will “revisit the issue and have the matter of approval for wages and salaries for members of GLGO.”

BIT puts over 300 more skilled youngsters on ever-growing job market
THE Board of Industrial Training (BIT) saw over 300 persons in Region Four graduate following training in several areas. The graduation ceremony, which was held at the Regency Hotel on Hadfield Street, here in Georgetown saw 16 officers of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) graduating as Heavy-Duty Equipment Operators, along with three other batches in this skill area, while 31 persons graduated in block making, catering and cosmetology through collaboration with the GPF. Through continuous operation of the Eccles Skills Training Centre, 71 persons gained qualification in the areas of catering and Information Technology, and 42 in Welding and Fabrication through the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC), along with 77 women in the areas of Information Technology, Sewing, Catering and Cosmetology through collaboration with the Guyana Women’s Leadership Institute.

Corentyne man ran over by police motorcycle
A 54-year-old security guard of Hampshire, Corentyne Coast, is warded at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH), suffering multiple injuries after being struck down by a police patrol motor cycle on the Hampshire public road. Rajendranauth Gopaul said he was crossing the road a short distance away from his home when the police rank driving his motorcycle failed to stop at a major road and ploughed into him. He suffered a fractured left leg; injuries to his neck; a blow to his head and jaw; cuts to his forehead and nose, among other things. Gopaul is unable to see out of his left eye. Saturday, December 13

Decomposed male corpse found at Windsor Forest
THE decomposed remains of a male of African descent were discovered at the Windsor Forest Foreshore, WCD. Sources report that the body, clad in short black jeans and bearing several tattoos imprinted on the chest and arms, was in an advanced state of decomposition when it was spotted trapped between some rocks by persons traversing the area. The body bore no marks of violence, according to police sources, who said they were still trying to ascertain its identity.

T&T investors poised for agricultural ventures here
FURTHER to the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in 2013 between Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) concerning cooperation in the area of food security, the respective Ministers of Agriculture met to discuss the approach to this venture. Dr Leslie Ramsammy noted that following the meeting, a team of 15 potential Trinidadian investors engaged with local colleagues and technical staffers of the Ministry of Agriculture have been visiting some of the potential sites for farming, particularly the Intermediate Savannahs and the Canje Basin (Berbice).

Demerara Bank launches Signature Credit Card
WHILE launching the Demerara Bank Limited Visa Credit Card for their 20th anniversary celebration on Wednesday night at the Pegasus, Jerrett Morgan, Investment Supervisor, said the Signature Credit Card is the first of its kind to be launched here and it is a high-end card with a concierge service and an exclusive website which caters for all the travelling and other needs of customers.