Zoisa Fraser

Guyana and Suriname are exploring the possibility of jointly patrolling the Corentyne River to crack down on cross-border piracy and smuggling and although army Chief of Staff Gary Best envisions this happening within the next six months, he says Guyana could be ready at any short notice.

An early morning fire yesterday destroyed a section of the L’ Aventure Secondary School, at Canal Number One, West Bank Demerara, likely displacing some of the school’s nearly 700 students just three days into the new school term.

Phone records can crack many crime cases but their uneven use by the police has left relatives like those of Delon Melville of Mocha, whose murder was reported to his family by an unknown caller, baffled as to why more isn’t being done with these leads.

The leaders of Guyana’s parliamentary opposition say they are willing to commit to working with government to find the best measures to deal with the country’s crime problems but only if current Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee is out of office.

Knowing firsthand the trials and tribulations US deportees face once they arrive back in Guyana, city businessman Paul Giddings is urging the business community to welcome them with open arms and offer them jobs so that their lives can move in a positive direction.

Deported back to Guyana on Tuesday for a crime he says he didn’t commit, Mohamid Nazim Mohamed’s future is uncertain.

From January to mid-July of this year there have been 20 incidents including accidents, murders and domestic violence, where alcohol consumption was a major contributing factor.

Working in the shadows, the Guyana Foundation is making a difference in the lives of those in poor communities like Breezy Point, a squatter settlement located on the outskirts of Buxton, East Coast Demerara, where half of the households are now being lit by mini solar lights.

The electricity supply to the First Federation building was disconnected by the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) over the weekend—a move that dozens of tenants, including city lawyers, say is part of an orchestrated attempt by the government to force them out.

A year since the fatal shooting of three men and the wounding of several others on the Wismar/Mackenzie Bridge set off nearly a month-long protest, Linden and its people bear both the physical and emotional scars that continue to fuel a call for justice, which they say they are prepared to fight for all over again if they have to.

An Air Services Limited (ASL) aircraft crashed into thick vegetation about a mile from the airstrip at Matthews Ridge, North West District, Region One yesterday morning and Minister of Transport Robeson Benn said bad weather appears to have been a factor.

Gunmen early yesterday morning shot a Brazilian miner dead during an apparent robbery in the Barama area, some 100 kilometres from Port Kaituma, in the North West District of Region One.

An expectant mother and her baby died at the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday morning, triggering an internal probe as well as a demand for answers by her devastated husband.

A Mahaicony miner died early yesterday morning at the Georgetown Public Hospital, two weeks after he was doused with gasoline and turned into a human torch during a confrontation at Chinee Landing, Cuyuni in Region Seven.

An Albouystown mother of four died at the Georgetown Public Hospital after reportedly suffering three heart attacks while waiting for more than 12 hours for critical medical attention and relatives, while calling for the emergency room staff on duty at the time to be disciplined, said that woman was badly treated.

Although the police had collected some 40 statements in their case against Shaka Chase, who they charged with killing police corporal Romein Cleto and wounding two other ranks, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) advised that the charge be withdrawn because the evidence was insufficient to identify the shooter or accomplices.

Opposition Leader David Granger yesterday renewed the call for unity in the trade union movement, saying it is the key to solving the country’s problems.

Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud was cremated yesterday after he was remembered as a humble man, who devoted his time and energy to the Hindu religion and politics for the betterment of all Guyanese.

The Demerara Habour Bridge will have to remain in operation for at least the next six years and the pre-feasibility study to choose the best location for a new bridge is scheduled to be completed in June, Transport Minister Robeson Benn told the National Assembly during his Budget debate presentation last evening.

Twenty seven persons, including children, lost their homes in a fire that destroyed at least eight shacks occupied in the Rosemary Lane, Georgetown settlement known as ‘Tiger Bay’ on Tuesday night, and President Donald Ramotar yesterday visited the area to offer support to the victims.