TIMES INT'L

Russia looks to deepen ties in “common interests”

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Guyana and the Russian Federation are looking forward to deepening cooperation, committing to build on the 48-year-old diplomatic relationship. This commitment was made on Friday evening during a reception hosted to celebrate Russia Day, which will be observed on June 12. The day commemorates the establishment of Russia as an independent country after the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, officially recognising the day that the Declaration of the Sovereignty of the Russian Federation was signed. In congratulating Russia and its people on this significant day, President David Granger…

Setting the facts straight on suicide and mental illness

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor, Recently, on social media, former Government minister Clement Rohee posited some misinformed views on suicide. Those views need to be addressed. Mr Rohee stated, “It is difficult to detect in advance someone who is prone to suicide. Somehow, prior to committing the act, they manage to elude by means known only to them, their closest relatives and friends who are incapable of spotting any unusual behavior on their part before they take their own life.” Suicide ideation/suicidal mindset is really not difficult for anyone to be ‘incapable of…

‘No problem is too big to solve’

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…mourners heard at funeral service of mother and daughter hammered to death in Berbice The two Berbice women who were hammered to death on Wednesday last by their husband and father respectively were on Sunday laid to rest at the Stanleytown Cemetery in New Amsterdam Berbice. The funeral service, conducted according to Hindu rights, was held a short distance from where they were brutally murdered at Glasgow. Several close family members of the perpetrator, Jainarine Seetaram, were at the funeral service for the two women. Hundreds turned up to bid…

5 remanded for Parika cocaine bust

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

The five men who were nabbed last week on the Parika Public Road, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) by Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) ranks with over 12 kilograms (28 pounds) of cocaine and some 35 kg (77.1 pounds) of cannabis were on Tuesday arraigned at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Rochelle Liverpool read the charges of trafficking in narcotics to Doodnauth Chattergoon, 36, and Khemraj Lall, 39, both of Lot 67213 “B” Zeelugt, EBE; Marlon Lawrence, 36, of Felicity, East Coast Demerara (ECD); and Rajendra Persaud, 47, of Liliendaal, ECD. They…

No political interference at UG, says VC

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Contrary to perceptions surrounding the University of Guyana (UG), Vice Chancellor Ivelaw Griffith is maintaining that he and his executives are accountable to various bodies and as such, he is not a ‘runaway Chancellor.’ Professor Griffith made these comments during a media engagement at Herdmanston Lodge on Tuesday where he updated the public on UG’s operations. Griffith also denied that there is any political interference at the university while at the same time noting that the institution has been principally run by Government funding. The Vice Chancellor noted that a…

CYEN: Youths on a mission to protect the Environment

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

With the current generation of youths, the main misconception is that they are more centered on their electronic devices but the Caribbean Youth Environment Network (CYEN) is dispelling that myth by getting the youths involved in the protection and preservation of the environment. The CYEN is a non-profit, civil society organization that f ocuses its resources on empowering young people and their communities to develop programmes and actions to address socio-economic and environmental issues. The CYEN focuses on promoting and facilitating youth engagement and participation through education and awareness, as…

Thoughts on “Youth Leaders”

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

A few days ago, I happened upon a Facebook post, in which, the author (who shall remain unnamed), berated “self-proclaimed youth leaders” for rising to fame at the expense of others who remained disenfranchised. The post further went on to explain that the author had no issue with people wanting the best for themselves, but rather, he took issue with those who had exploited marginalized youth by claiming that they had contributed to development, and used these claims to develop portfolios with which they gained access to ‘big’ positions overseas.…

THE PLIGHT OF THE MARINE TURTLES

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

Just imagine how you will feel if you eat something which enters into your digestive system and plugs up your intestines resulting in you being unable to consume anything else forcing you to starve. Just the thought of that gives makes you cringe, right? Well, t hat is exactly what the sea turtles and other marine animals have to go through when us humans indiscriminately use and dump plastics into our waterways. On an average, it is estimated that approximately eight metric tonnes of our plastic waste enters the oceans,…

Railroading…

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…PPP officials The DPP’s supposed to review all cases the Police – or in this case SOCU – wants to prosecute. In the case of long-trumpeted accusations by the PNC/APNU and AFC of the PPP government “siphoning off billions and billions”, it took them over two years after their “forensic” audits of dozens of agencies to bring charges against two PPP Administration officials – Brassington, CEO of NICIL and Singh, Minister of Finance. And what charges!! It was as if the mountain strained – and produced a mouse!! Criminal “Misconduct…

Constant blackouts plaguing Guyana

June 15, 2018June 15, 2018 TIMES INT'L

…Opposition Leader says power company must generate new power in the grid The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) would usually attribute extended power outages to line maintenance, something that rarely provides comfort for the populace. But according to Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo, the GPL must find a way to generate new power in the grid… and fast. GPL ended 2017 with total combined losses of 29.5 per cent, which is a marginal increase from last year; 12.9 per cent technical and 14.7 per cent non-technical. Jagdeo urged the company to…