TIMES INT'L

New Civil Aviation Bill proposes stricter penalties for drunken crew members

July 6, 2018July 6, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), retired Lieutenant Colonel Egbert Field disclosed that measures are being put in place to impose penalties on intoxicated crew members on air services. He noted that the perpetrators would be fined and penalised if they are found operating under the influence of alcohol or intoxicating substances. These provisions fall under the revised Civil Aviation Bill which is before a parliamentary committee that should finalise changes by the end of this month. Field also related that people found trespassing on runways while…

Man who admitted to raping, killing boy, 9, jailed for 23 years

July 6, 2018July 6, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Twenty-five-year-old Ryan Bobb-Semple was on Tuesday sentenced to 23 years’ imprisonment after he admitted to the gruesome killing of nine-year-old Shaquan Gittens whom he sodomised, strangled, dismembered and threw into a canal. He pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter before Justice Sandil Kissoon at the High Court in Georgetown on Tuesday morning. According to the facts of the case, the lad went missing on April 1, 2015 after venturing out into the streets to fly a kite in North Ruimveldt, Georgetown, but his body was discovered several days…

Pensioner to face murder charge for allegedly beating wife to death

July 6, 2018July 6, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…for not cooking “proper” meals A 40-year-old woman was beaten to death by her 62-year-old reputed husband at their Rosignol, West Bank Berbice (WBB) home after he accused her of not cooking proper meals for him. He is expected to be charged soon for the woman’s murder. The dead woman was identified as Shabana Babita Ishack of Lot 69 Rosignol, WBB. Based on reports received, the couple was seen imbibing at their home on Tuesday evening in their yard. At about 17:30h, the man reportedly started to assault the woman…

‘I worked really hard’

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 TIMES INT'L

– Guyana’s top Grade Six student Eleven-year-old Nalia Rahaman from the Westfield Prep made history in Guyana, having scored 529 out of the possible 530 marks at the 2018 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA). She was awarded a place at Queen’s College in Georgetown. When Nalia wrote the NGSA back in March, she expected to do well but never imagined that she would have scored 529 out of 530. Speaking with reporters on Thursday at the NCERD office, where the results were announced, Rahaman was ecstatic when she heard the…

‘I will continue to lead struggle for a better life for all Guyanese’ – Jagdeo

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…says party’s democratic system of electing presidential candidate will not change General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has clarified that the system by which a Presidential candidate is usually selected by his party will not change. Addressing media operatives at his Church Street, Georgetown office on Thursday, Jagdeo said that for almost 25 years, the Central Executive Committee of the PPP has selected the candidate but the Congress decides on the list of people who would compete for the candidacy. “I doubt that will change…

Former Guyanese MP and convicted terrorist dies in US prison

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Former People’s National Congress (PNC) Member of Parliament, Mayor of Linden and convicted international terrorist, Abdul Kadir died at prison in the United States on Thursday morning. He was in his 60’s and serving a life imprisonment sentence in the North American country. Kadir served in the Guyana National Assembly from 2001 to 2006 as a Councillor for Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice.) Kadir, a chemical engineer by training, was convicted for the 2007 John F Kennedy International Airport attack which was said to be an extremist terrorist plot to blow…

‘The hunger is there to win the title’, says Warriors’ Rayad Emrit

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 TIMES INT'L

The Guyana Amazon Warriors have come close to winning the Hero Caribbean Premier League, but they have never got over the line, having been losing finalists in 2013, 2014, and 2016. In 2017, they finished in third place despite a poor start to the tournament. Rayad Emrit, the man that stepped into the captaincy when Martin Guptill returned home for family reasons, felt that they did well to make the play-offs. “I thought having to win the last five games to qualify to the knockout stages; I think we came…

Small businesses in Guyana facing tough times due to influx of Chinese

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 TIMES INT'L

The steady influx of Chinese businesses and the change of consumers’ preference are some of the major challenges that micro businesses are facing, according to Small Business Development Finance Trust Inc (SBDF) Director Mohamed Ali. Speaking at the Trust’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday, Ali outlined that SBDF granted a total of G$279.3 million in loans last year, compared to G$307.3 million in 2016. He noted that the micro-loan sector, which caters for vendors and small shops, was mostly impacted by this decline. “The very small micro-businesses continue to…

“Determination and commitment are essential for a successful business” – SBDF

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 TIMES INT'L

We quite often dream of the day we can be truly independent and be our own boss, but in order for us to become successful business owners there are some key traits one must possess. Among those traits are determination, commitment and hard word. Apart from possessing the three fundamental traits, there must be a complete understanding of the field of business one decides to enter and that is where the Small Business Development Finance Trust Inc (SBDF) comes in. The SBDF was formed with the main objective of providing…

Readjusting our dress codes

June 29, 2018June 29, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Everywhere we turn, we are greeted by dress codes. Dress codes are simply rules which people are expected to follow, and may vary based on the place, occasion and reason for attendance. Some events are incredibly formal, for example, that of the Royal Ascot, which has issued a 36-page dress code; with males in the Royal enclosure being mandated to wear top hats. However, most dress codes are not that specific, and can lead to much subjectivity in their enforcement. Specifically, in Guyana, the main issue with dress codes are…