Year: 2017

The Werther Effect

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“Hope is a necessity for normal life and the major weapon against the suicide impulse.” – Karl A. Menninger The past couple days, after the passing of Chester Bennington, lead singer of Linkin Park, my newsfeed has been inundated with articles about the him in the period leading up to this death and reactions from his family, his band-mates and fans in the most excruciating detail. This forced me to reflect not just about the individual Bennington and his own ruminations about suicide, but also brought into focus for me,…

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Gaskin calls for strengthening of Consolidated Fund legislation

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…before oil money arrives Even as Guyana builds its systemic capacity to handle the revenues that would come from the oil and gas sector, Economist Ramon Gaskin, a former presidential advisor and current political commentator, is warning that failure to amend and strengthen legislation governing the Consolidated Fund may have dire consequences. Noting that the Consolidated Fund has a history of being abused, Gaskin has called for legislative changes to be made to ensure that sums of money put therein are indeed used for the purposes set out by the…

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Hang ‘em high!!

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Satiricus was very happy. There was always a silver lining behind every dark cloud, he thought with satisfaction. After the blaze, the Government was going to rebuild the Camp Street jail, enlarge the Mazaruni Penal Colony and reinforce the Lusignan Prison. There were now going to be more than enough space to put away the bad guys and he and his pals at the Back Street Bar didn’t have to worry about being overrun by bandits. “Budday! Rememba how dem bandit bin shoot up dem big man a Nakoo Bar?”…

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President’s comments complement, not contradict, CJ’s ruling – MoTP

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The Ministry of the Presidency (MoTP) has said that President David Granger’s comments on the recent ruling handed down by the acting Chief Justice in regard to the requirements for appointing a Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) did not contradict, but in fact complemented, the Court’s decision. In a statement released on Saturday evening, the MoTP refuted any assertion that President Granger has rejected the ruling of acting Chief Justice Roxane George-Wiltshire on the case brought against Attorney General Basil Williams by private citizen Marcel Gaskin. The MoTP…

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Cinemas of old: Gone but not forgotton

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By Rishi Singh Many of us who grew up in the heyday of the cinema will still remember the exhilaration of simply walking to it, the sense of expectation as we queued up to buy tickets, sitting in the ‘pit’ and enjoying management’s choice of music, then the sudden hush when the lights went out and the curtains opened. Many of us who grew up in the heyday of the cinema will still remember the exhilaration of simply walking to it, the sense of expectation as we queued up to buy…

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Sophia teen chopped to death after rescuing girlfriend

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An 18-year-old sawmill operator is now dead following an altercation with another man over the weekend at 38 Miles, Mabura Trail, Upper Demerara, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice). Dead is Devon Murray of Lot 1331 B Field, Sophia, Greater Georgetown. The incidents leading up to the young man’s demise reportedly took place between 20:30h on Friday and 05:30h on Saturday. Based on information received, the now dead man was involved in a dispute with the suspect after he reportedly made sexual advances towards Murray’s girlfriend. This newspaper understands that the two…

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Public Security Minister was warned of possibility of another jailbreak – Boyer

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Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Eddie Boyer said the entity had warned Public Security Minister Khemraj Ramjattan about the possibility of another jailbreak, noting that the business community would now have to take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of their operations. Speaking with a section of the media on Monday, Boyer said the situation was a “sad” one, as it has now thrown more fear into the business community. He said it was obvious businesses would be affected, since there would not be much shopping taking place. “Businesses…

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Guyana getting much needed help to handle oil and gas development – Trotman

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Natural Resources Minister Raphael Trotman has said that Guyana is getting the help it needs to welcome the oil and gas sector when it expectedly takes full steam in 2020, but Government has recently been criticised for its unpreparedness in dealing with this sector. Trotman told this publication that while he does not have the specific details of the arguments made by Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyana has partnered with several upright international agencies to assist with building capacity in the new sector, and these exercises will continue. The minister…

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PM Nagamootoo commends Hare Krishna Movement for contributions to society

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Prime Minister Moses Nagamoottoo commended the Hare Krishna Movement for promoting “spirituality without divisions”, according to the Department of Public Information (DPI). PM Nagamootoo gave the feature address at the one-year celebration of the Movement’s Temple located at University of Guyana Road, East Coast Demerara. Prime Minister Nagamoottoo congratulated the officials and the movement overall noting that the religion has “no ethnicity, in fact it invites people of varying beliefs”. Hare Krishna Movement is a 51 year old movement that advocates knowing “your purpose in life”. The G$126.5M Temple officially…

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34 graduate from Bina Hill Institute

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The Bina Hill Institute in Annai, Region Nine has churned out another batch of graduates. The institute’s eight (8th) graduation ceremony saw 34 youths graduating after being certified in 11 technical skills. Minister of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs, Sydney Allicock told the graduates that their real journey starts now. “I know that some of you, during the two years have been thinking that this is the end…But this was the time you were being prepared to begin your journey, the real journey into adulthood, to make your contribution to the development…

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