Guyana News

As evening fell on Friday, thousands of spectators packed around Paramaribo’s Independence Square witnessed a grand display of arts and culture to open Carifesta XI.

Jamaican dancehall singer Mavado last night refused to take the stage at the Slingerz Summer Jam held at the National Stadium, Providence because of myriad problems including being transported to Guyana on a tiny plane that saw him getting wet by rain.

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Donald Ramotar has approved the promotion of Chief of Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Commodore Gary Best to the rank of Rear Admiral, a release from GINA said yesterday.

At approximately US$30 million, the South African firm Bosch Engineering is finalising work on six tasks at the problem-plagued Skeldon Factory and taxpayers will have to foot the bill after the Chinese firm originally contracted signed off with myriad issues still unresolved.

Story and photos by Shabna Ullah No 3 Village or Mon Choisi, West Coast Berbice is quite small with a population of just over 200, but it is buzzing with economic activity and is quite popular for its large-scale honey production.

Executive Director of the National Industrial and Commercial Investments Limited (NICIL) Winston Brassington says the company created to manage the construction and operation of the Amaila Falls Hydro project is winding up and its officials are departing.

Five years have passed since city businessman Farouk Kalamadeen was found beheaded and while the police investigation appears to have hit a dead end, his family remains hopeful that one day they will get answers and justice.

A team from the forest consulting company Indufor will be in Guyana this week to engage with stakeholders as part of the independent verification for Guyana’s fourth year’s performance under the forests partnership with Norway.

Head of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Derrick John says that consultations with Amerindian communities on REDD+ initiatives is at a standstill because of lack of funding.

It has been almost four months since the Linden Commission of Inquiry (COI) recommended a complete management audit of the Guyana Police Force but it is unclear if any steps have been taken to have this done.

A year after the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) sought partners to operate and manage two Knelson concentrator processing plants, the first is expected to be in operation by this week.

Castellani House will be showing the film Amistad on Tuesday at 6pm to which the public is invited.

The Coalition for the 1823 Parade Ground Monument is hosting a Remembrance Walk/Freedom Walk in honour of the 1823 martyrs today.

Although the money pumped into battling HIV/AIDS is set to decrease by as much as 55% over the next five years as donor funding dries up, Guyana has embarked on an ambitious five-year strategic plan which is designed to place the country on a “trajectory to eliminate HIV.”

Former PPP executive Ralph Ramkarran says the hostility exuded by the PPP to the opposition at the recent party congress in Port Mourant can only mean that fresh general elections are being planned.

President Donald Ramotar last night made another appeal to Leader of the Opposition David Granger on salvaging the collapsing Amaila hydropower project and wants a meeting between the two sides to thrash out the outstanding matters.

A husband and wife, who recruited four teenage girls from Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam and transported them to Oko Backdam, in Region Seven, for sexual exploitation, on Thursday each received a five year prison sentence.

Travellers may not get relief from spiraling airfares for flights in and out of Guyana anytime soon as legal action in the US has effectively grounded Fly Jamaica’s planned launch of direct flights between Georgetown and New York, while the other prospective carrier Fly Guyana is yet to formally apply to begin operations.

Main opposition A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is calling on government to set up an “Inter-Personal Violence Unit” to combat the “raging” violence, particularly against women.

A suspect in the murder of fisherman Quincy Sooklall was among the 28 persons that were arrested after police early yesterday morning carried out raids in Albouystown, Alberttown, Sophia, Meadowbank, Charlestown and West Ruimveldt Front Road area.