Farmer hacks wife to death, torches house, attempts suicide

By Bhisham Mohamed Tragedy struck at Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara early Wednesday morning when 45-year-old Chitnandan Latchman hacked his wife, Suscilla, 38, to death, burnt his home and drank poison. Suscilla was chopped several times about the body, before being doused with gasoline and set on fire. Latchman and the motionless, severely burnt body of his wife were pulled from the burning building at 48 First Street, Garden of Eden by members of the community. The badly burnt man is at the Georgetown Public Hospital in critical condition.…

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Govt may no longer import maths, science teachers

Government may no longer recruit overseas teachers, as was intended, but will place more emphasis on training local teachers in the areas of mathematics and the sciences. Already, the Education Ministry is looking at preparing a plan whereby scholarships can be awarded to teachers to attend the University of Guyana (UG) to pursue studies in these needed areas. This is according to a senior education official who requested anonymity. The official pointed out that it would be too costly to import teachers, and the best solution is to train locals.…

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UNASUR mulls financing options for secretariat

The Council of Delegates of the Union of South America States (UNASUR) is eyeing the United Nations model for financing the permanent secretariat, which is set to be opened in Quito, Ecuador next month. This is one of several methods of financing being examined as delegates meet at the Guyana International Conference Centre, Liliendaal. “That is a decision the ministers of foreign affairs will take once the council delegates will present to them different alternatives,” said UNASUR Secretary General Maria Emma Mejia Velez, while briefing the media on Tuesday. The…

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Repsol drilling pushed back to August- company awaiting rig from Suriname

Repsol Guyana Incorporated, which was expected to start drilling for oil and gas on the off-shore Guyana Basin in May, has delayed its operations until August. This is according to Petroleum Manager of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Newell Dennison, who said that the drill rig which is to be used for the operation is in Suriname. Dennison explained that the company has not completed its obligations in that country. The GGMC official told Guyana Times International that Repsol had plans of beginning operations this month, but because…

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Rice industry achieves record production

Despite the persistent La Nina conditions experienced this year, the rice industry has recorded some 202,077 metric tonnes of rice for the first crop. The Agriculture Ministry said in a release that, according to harvesting statistics collected by the Guyana Rice Development Board, rice production for the first crop (spring crop) is 202,077 metric tonnes, the equivalent of 4,894,270 bags of paddy. This has surpassed the highest first crop experienced in 1999, where 189,565 metric tonnes of rice or 4,689,138 bags of paddy were recorded. The ministry stated that the…

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Local Govt Ministry distributes Gy$22M in equipment to regions

The Local Government Ministry on Tuesday handed over to the different regions approximately Gy$22 million worth of tools and equipment that were requested. The handing-over was done by the permanent secretary in that ministry, Nigel Dharamlall. The equipment included complete solar panel units costing Gy$7.3 million, to power refrigerators for health huts in several hinterland areas; solar panel units costing Gy$2.7 million, for lighting; land tillers to Regions One, Seven and Nine, costing Gy$971,000; mist blowers to Regions One, Four, Six and Nine, costing Gy$454,000; gasoline generators to Regions One,…

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Guyanese contractors to benefit from CDB assistance

The Barbados-based Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) says it is providing assistance in enhancing the competitiveness of small contractors and artisans in the region. It said two of its specialised agencies – the Basic Needs Trust Fund (BNTF) and the Caribbean Technological Consultancy Services network (CTCS) – are teaming up to host a workshop series entitled, “Computerised Job Estimation Tool (CJET) for Artisans and Small Contractors”. These workshops, which run until July, are being held in Belize, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia and St Vincent and the…

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Man hangs self after fight with wife

Police in New Amsterdam, Berbice are investigating what appears to be the suicide of an Angoy’s Avenue man who reportedly assaulted his wife and then hanged himself on Monday morning, May 23. According to reports, the deceased, Osman Ali Bacchus, 60, of Timmers Dam, reportedly cut his wife, Shemeeza, 30, with a knife following a domestic dispute. He had accused the woman of cheating on him, a charge she denied, and he attacked her with the knife. At around 07:45h on Monday, the woman reported the assault at the Central…

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Missing Friendship man’s skeleton discovered

The skeletal remains of Rajesh Winter, 28, of Lot 34 River’s View, Friendship, East Bank Demerara, were discovered in a clump of bush some distance from his house on Monday, May 23. The man had reportedly left home about two weeks ago. Speaking with Guyana Times International via telephone, Christine Persaud, the dead man’s widow, related that they were celebrating her birthday on May 9 when an argument ensued, resulting in her husband leaving the house with a bottle of poison. She noted that the father of two did not…

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Inter-religious TV to be launched shortly

By Janelle Persaud The much-touted Inter- Religious Television Station (IRTV) is expected to be realised shortly, as organisers finalise and implement the prerequisites. Guyana Times International understands that the naming of the directors as nominated by the various religious organisations should be completed by the end of May. This will put in motion the months of planning, said Co-chair of the Inter- Religious Organisation (IRO), Bishop Juan Edghill, in an interview with Guyana Times International. According to him, once this process in completed, the president and other members will be appointed…

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