Guyana News

(Reuters) – Leading West Indies cricketers such as Chris Gayle and Sunil Narine could soon return to the national one-day international side as a long-running pay saga appears to be finally showing signs of reaching a conclusion.

After what appeared to be an elaborate plot to break out of the Camp Street prison on Sunday,  at least four of the men now on the run escaped through the front gate of the facility after overpowering guards.

US Ambassador to Guyana, Perry Holloway says the consulate section of the embassy here processed 72,000 non-immigrant visas last year and 7,000 immigrant visas.

Resistance by inmates to help offered by warders and firefighters during the Camp Street prison riot and fire on Sunday has been seen as a major factor in the destruction of the state’s main penitentiary.

The Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) yesterday amended the charge against former Attorney-General Anil Nandlall, who is charged with fraudulently converting law reports, valued at over $2 million, which were allegedly the property of the Ministry of Legal Affairs.

Prison authorities have confirmed that the number of escapees from Sunday’s Camp Street Prison breakout is six, according to Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, who yesterday also clarified that a total of 91 inmates—not 300 as earlier reported—have been released Ramjattan made the disclosures while also announcing plans to today relocate over 500 inmates who continue to be held in a pasture outside of the Lusignan Prison to another walled open area nearby.

Minister of Public Security Khemraj Ramjattan yesterday said that plans are on stream to expand the Mazaruni Prison, in keeping with one of the recommendations coming out of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into last year’s Camp Street prison fire, which left 17 inmates dead.

A Diamond Housing Scheme pensioner has lost vision in one of his eyes following a home invasion last week, when he and his wife were beaten by bandits, who robbed them of cash, jewellery and other valuables.

Brazilian pastor Haleno Luiz, who was before the court for causing the death of a motorcyclist in March, had the charge against him withdrawn yesterday after a compensation deal with the family of the deceased.

The body of a Bushlot pensioner, who wandered away from her daughter’s home in the wee hours of the morning, was yesterday found in a canal at Montrose, East Coast Demerara.

Three women, who were former employees of the Medicare Pharmacy, were yesterday accused of defrauding the business of over $2 million.

Four bids were opened yesterday at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the rehabilitation of the Bagotville Bridge, West Bank Demerara, under the Ministry of Public Infrastructure.

At the Leonora Court yesterday, Magistrate Rushelle Liverpool adjourned the matter involving four men charged with trafficking in 84.9 kilos of cocaine at Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo, to September 13 and 14.

Although an East Ruimveldt apartment was destroyed in a fire yesterday afternoon, the Guyana Fire Service came in for praise for its speedy response, which was credited for saving the neighbouring houses.

Residents of Charity, Essequibo Coast, yesterday met with officials of the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) on the power outages continuing to plague the community and they were told that efforts underway to rectify the situation would yield results by this weekend.

The role of citizens in ensuring transparency and accountability in the extractive industry was highlighted on Wednesday when members of the Multi-Stakeholder Group for the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI) met with residents of Bartica.

A North West District farmer was yesterday granted his release on bail after denying a charge that he had an unlicensed shotgun.

LONDON, (Reuters) – Magdalena Rybarikova, who was crushed by Garbine Muguruza in the Wimbledon semi-finals on Thursday, said she was tired and nervous going into the match and had no idea how to respond to her opponent’s superb shot-making.

The trial of Basil Morgan, for the 2009 murder of Woodette Roberts, commenced on Tuesday before Justice James Bovell-Drakes and a 12-member jury at the High Court, in Georgetown.

WASHINGTON,  (Reuters) – The U.S. State Department will require all nations to provide extensive data to help it vet visa applicants and determine whether a traveler poses a terrorist threat, according to a cable obtained by Reuters.