Top Stories – Page 98 – Guyana Times International

Opposition remains unmoved despite Ramotar’s plea

May 24, 2013May 24, 2013 TIMES INT'L

By Michael Younge – President Donald Ramotar has made a special appeal to the 10th Parliament, particularly the opposition to “do all that is possible” to ensure that the proposed amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill are passed into law before May 27 as the country will face serious international sanctions and blacklisting if the opposite occurs. Ramotar’s unprecedented appeal came on Wednesday when lawmakers met to discuss several issues related to the business of the country, even though surprisingly, the amendments did not…

Guyanese immigrants make significant contributions to the development of the U.S. – Ambassador Hardt

May 24, 2013 TIMES INT'L

Guyana has been receiving tremendous benefits from the U.S., but the latter benefits more from the former, U.S. Ambassador to Guyana D Brent Hardt said. In an exclusive interview with Guyana Times International, Ambassador Hardt noted that the U.S. is a land of immigrants. “We have always benefitted from the people coming to us, bringing their skills and talents to our shores.” The U.S., he said, has a population of more than 300 million persons. “Guyanese are a big portion of American citizens, huge communities in New York, Atlanta, Florida…

Noel’s ‘First Resort’ fashion line to hit USA in June

May 24, 2013 TIMES INT'L

The captivating new collection from Sonia Noel titled ‘First Resort’ has been creating quite a stir in St Lucia, and it is sure to make a similar impact when it hits the United States of America, next month. Recently, Noel, who was in St Lucia for the launching and promotion of her quarterly publication, ‘Makin’ style’, decided to showcase the new collection. Two shows were held at the enchanting Bay Gardens Resort. During the two-week annual celebration, both Mariska’s Designs and First Resort had significant presence at all of the…

Relatives blame each other for young couple’s murder/ suicide

May 17, 2013 TIMES INT'L

Twenty-four-year-old Vijay Arjune called “Kevin” of Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara, who allegedly shot his pregnant teenage fiancée then took his own life last Thursday evening, might have premeditated the act. Dhanwantie Raghoo, eldest sister of the now dead Parbattie Raghoo called “Priya”, told this newspaper that she accompanied the couple to Suriname where they were supposed to spend two days, but instead they spent eight. During the trip, she added that he treated both of them with a lot of love but more importantly, he confided in her…

AFC stands alone in opposition to anti-money laundering bill – govt deems move ‘vulgar abuse’, APNU signals support

May 17, 2013 TIMES INT'L

The Alliance For Change (AFC) said it will not support the recently tabled Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill, citing President Donald Ramotar’s veto of two opposition bills as its reason, a move which government has deemed an example of “vulgar abuse” on the part of the minority party. But, from all appearances, the AFC will be standing alone, as its main parliamentary ally, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), said it has already given its commitment in the House that once the bill is fine…

New U.S. immigration bill could benefit Caribbean nationals

May 17, 2013 TIMES INT'L

Washington, US (CMC) – The United States Congress has started formal consideration of a sweeping immigration reform bill that creates a “path to citizenship” for an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants, including Caribbean nationals. The Senate Judiciary Committee is expected to finish work on the bill, this week, adopting Republican amendments aimed at stronger border security. The immigration bill requires the US federal government to gain almost total control of the border, authorising money for drones, Customs and Border Protection officers and prosecution of illegal entries. Under the bill, new…

New York to host free Indian Arrival concert this weekend

May 17, 2013May 17, 2013 TIMES INT'L

By Vishnu Bisram – The 28th Annual Indian Arrival celebrations to mark the 175th anniversary of East Indians in the Caribbean will be held on Sunday, May 19, at the Smokey Park at 127th Street and 95th Avenue in the heart of Richmond Hill. The organisers have invited representatives of the governments of Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname and India to grace the event. The Indian arrival programme will commence at 2:00 PM and conclude around 8:00 PM. It includes a cultural variety concert featuring a live band and singing and dancing…

Tourist arrivals in Guyana set to reach new high this year

May 10, 2013May 10, 2013 TIMES INT'L

By Sabatini Daniels – The number of tourists visiting Guyana this year is expected to reach a new high as the country is set to top the 34-member Caribbean Tourism Organisation (CTO) in tourist arrivals for 2013. This is according to Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) Director Indranauth Haralsingh, who said Guyana is expecting to see a 20 per cent increase in tourist arrivals in the country this year. This is attributed to the fact that starting this year, the GTA will commence collecting data on arrivals from the various points…

East Indians created a unique space in the world – Professor Samaroo

May 10, 2013 TIMES INT'L

East Indians created a unique space in the world and enriched it with their rich culture; they laboured hard and made tremendous sacrifices in order to educate their children at home and abroad, while the women kept up the cultural practices. These were some of the declarations of Professor Dr Brinsley Samaroo, one of Trinidad and Tobago’s icon historians, who delivered the first in a series of lectures in observance of the 175th anniversary of Indian arrival in Guyana. At present, Dr Samaroo is a Senior Research Fellow at the…

Bollywood stars thrill thousands at National Stadium

May 10, 2013 TIMES INT'L

The melodious voices of renowned Bollywood singers, Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan boomed through the speakers of the Fusion Sound Systems on Sunday evening at the Guyana National Stadium, captivating the hearts of thousands who were present. The spectacular performances by the duo undoubtedly left the young hearts ticking and made the older folks feel as they were in love all over again. It was indeed a magical night with five hours of non-stop entertainment from the melody queen and the king of filmi music. The show started on time…