Top Stories – Page 117 – Guyana Times International

U.S. Congressional contests heat up in N.Y. Guyanese districts

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By North American Correspondent Several Congressional districts in Queens where large numbers of Guyanese reside are seeing keenly contested primary races to choose the Democratic candidates to contest against Republicans in the upcoming November elections. Guyanese are not running for congressional seats this year but are joining the campaigns of candidates so as to influence the outcome of the elections. The 6th Congressional District is seeing a Primary contest between Chinese American Grace Meng, Jewish American Rory Lancman and Irish American Elizabeth Crowley. Guyanese are divided between the candidacies of…

Skerritt hails Guyana’s climate change fight

April 19, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Guyana was hailed for its leading role in fighting climate change as the 13th Annual Conference on Sustainable Tourism Development opens at the Guyana International Conference Centre. Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) Chairman and St Kitts and Nevis Tourism and International Transport Minister Richard Skerritt said the fact that Guyana is the first country to host the conference twice, shows that it remains committed to the protection and sustainable use of its natural resources. “Guyana has emerged as a leader on the world stage in the battle to reduce global carbon…

Opposition proposals “unrealistic and overly ambitious” – Irfaan Ali

April 13, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Housing Minister Irfaan Ali has criticised some of the opposition proposals for this year’s budget, dubbing them unrealistic and overly ambitious. Speaking on the opening day of the budget debate, Ali warned that Guyana’s continued progress and development can easily be reversed by the proposed policies, poor economic vision and political ambitions of some members of the opposition who are seeking to score cheap political points, instead of “putting Guyana and the interest of its people first”. Ali, who led the government benches during the debate, said that Guyana can…

Tremendous investment opportunities exist in Guyana – Nawbatt

April 13, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By Ron Cheong Recently appointed Guyana Consul General to Toronto Sattie Sawh has been accredited by the Canadian government, even as government has reduced its office space, and trimmed staff at its embassy in Ottawa. The news was delivered to Guyanese residing in Toronto by Guyana’s High Commissioner to Canada, Harrinarine Nawbatt during a trip to Canada last week. The wife of the late Satyadeow Sawh, a former agriculture minister, has extensive experience in the diplomatic arena, and was Guyana’s trade attaché in Toronto. The appointment has been well anticipated…

Glitches in teachers’ multi-year

April 13, 2012 TIMES INT'L

President Donald Ramotar on Tuesday evening assured teachers that his government is committed to fulfilling the teachers’ multi-year package and to fixing the glitches that have dogged the process. Speaking in the presence of the re-elected Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) President Colin Bynoe and other stakeholders at the union’s third biennial delegates conference in Berbice on Tuesday, Ramotar said some of the unresolved issues experienced in the pact will be ironed out. “I know there are some concerns regarding the housing revolving fund and I am prepared to have the…

Nandlall advised DPP not to

April 13, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Attorney General Anil Nandlall Attorney General Anil Nandlall on Monday advised Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar Ali-Hack that Chief Justice Ian Chang’s decision to block a rape charge from being instituted against Police Commissioner Henry Greene is not appealable. However, the attorney general advised that the DPP could seek a second opinion and different legal representation should she wish to do so. In a statement issued on Wednesday, Nandlall said that because of the public interest in this matter, he had sought and obtained the permission of the DPP to…

Opposition calls for doubling of pension, says budget approval not automatic

April 13, 2012 TIMES INT'L

The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) economic and finance spokesman, Carl Greenidge on Tuesday called for a 20 per cent pay hike for public servants and a doubling of the current Old Age Pension as he kicked off the budget debate in the National Assembly. Greenidge took three speaking extensions to fully convey the opposition’s aversion to the government’s proposed Gy$192.8 billion budget, and also warned that approval of it was not automatic. He noted that the budget is “growth without employment”, expanding that development was being measured inaccurately,…

Surinam Airways returns

April 5, 2012 TIMES INT'L

– Ramotar, Bouterse laud initiative By Samuel Sukhnandan Presidents Donald Ramotar and Desi Bouterse took the opportunity to underscore the importance of regional integration, as they witnessed the takeoff of Surinam Airways’ inaugural flight from Georgetown to Miami on Tuesday, at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) Timehri. Ramotar said the relaunch of Surinam Airways in Guyana is a step in the further improvement of bilateral relations between the two countries. He said that the relationship is growing, pointing to the recent launch of a Surinamese insurance company in Guyana.…

Greene under pressure to resign

April 5, 2012 TIMES INT'L

Police Commissioner Henry Greene, who has been embroiled in allegations of rape and professional misconduct, has been under severe pressure to resign, and government is expected to announce his resignation. Senior government officials Wednesday night would not say whether Greene has already tendered his resignation, but confirmed that Presidential Secretariat head, Dr Roger Luncheon is expected to make the announcement. Rumours were rife Wednesday that the commissioner had tendered his resignation. However, when contacted, Greene dismissed the rumours. He told this newspaper that he was surprised at a news…

Guyanese mother among seven killed in Oakland shooting

April 5, 2012 TIMES INT'L

By North American Correspondent A Guyanese mother of two was among seven persons fatally shot by a crazed former student in the killing spree in Oakland, California at a nursing school on Monday. Judith Seymour, 53, wanted to be a nurse following in the path of her parents’ footsteps after she lost her job as tax analyst. She enrolled in a nursing degree program and was just two months away from completing her studies when a bloodthirsty gunman, seeking revenge on college administrators, burst into her Oakland nursing school classroom…