Cheryl Springer

With Guyana still to tap major funding under its forest services deal with Norway, the AFC has questioned the legality of including just over $18 billion of the funds in the National Budget and has signalled that it intends to cut the entire allocation.

National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) head Lionel Wordsworth is denying that there is any financial impropriety involved in $200 million being unaccounted for, as investigations continue and the two officials embroiled in the mismanagement of the money remain off the job.

Government and the APNU have agreed that with regard to Linden, the elimination of the subsidy and the alignment with GPL tariffs are necessary.

Presenting a $192.8 billion budget in the National Assembly this afternoon, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh announced, among other things, that old age pension will be increased to $8,100 per month,up from $7,500 and public assistance would increase to $5,500, up from $5,100.

Acting Chief Justice Ian Chang this afternoon overturned the decision by the Director of Public Prosecutions to have Police Commissioner Henry Greene charged with rape.

Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh today announced that the national budget for 2012 will be presented next Friday, March 30.

 President of the Republic of Suriname Desire Delano Bouterse today received the credentials accrediting Keith Linden George as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Guyana to the Republic of Suriname.

BAGHDAD (Reuters) – The man holds up two pictures of his friend, which tell the story of what it now means to be gay in Iraq.

A 14-year-old boy was electrocuted this morning at Victoria, East Coast Demerara after he came into contact with a live electrical wire while trying to pull down his kite.

Two men are nursing serious injuries and receiving treatment at the Georgetown Hospital following a drive-by shooting at Market Road, Plaisance East Coast Demerara this afternoon.

Former first lady Varshnie Singh was this morning robbed of valuables by men armed with a knife and a cutlass as she was overseeing work at a construction site on D’Urban Street.

One person from the Moruca River boat sinking tragedy was found alive today and a search and rescue team has been deployed to Tiger Beach, an area off of the Pomeroon, because of reports of a sighting there.

Let’s hope that neither the Suriname Embassy in Georgetown nor any of President Bouterse’s news-monitoring aides in Paramaribo regularly monitor NCN’s hourly news casts; if they do then Takuba Lodge may be the recipient of a terse diplomatic note protesting NCN’s recent reference to President Desi Bouterese as President Donald Ramotar’s “Dutch counterpart.”

A 17-year-old boy was this evening stabbed to death at lessons during a row with another student allegedly over a girl.

Burcliffe ‘Baba’ Marcus of Imbambadai, North West Region One today made his first court appearance before Magistrate Allan Wilson at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer the charge of murder.

Minister Jennifer Webster is re-launching the national Domestic Violence Campaign in March – so says the state paper.

Open confession – so the saying goes – is good for the soul.

On the surface at least President Ramotar appears to have thrown a spanner into the political works by accusing APNU and the AFC of manipulating the general elections results at Linden, thus denying the PPP/C the few percentage points that they needed to take them into the parliamentary promised land.

(CNN) — Legendary singer Whitney Houston has died at age 48, according to her representative Kristen Foster.

President Donald Ramotar this afternoon warned that his administration will not be held to ransom by any “intractable posture” by members of the opposition as he seeks to govern the country.