United States immigration authorities say a new law has gone into effect, granting lawful permanent resident status to certain orphaned children from Haiti. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the Help Haitian Adoptees Immediately To Integrate Act of 2010 (Help HAITI Act of 2010) gives authority to grant Green Cards to Haitian orphans who were evacuated to the United States under the Haitian Orphan Parole Programme after last year’s earthquake. President Barack Obama signed the bill into law last month. Nebraska Republican Congressman Jeff Fortenberry, the primary sponsor…
Read MoreMonth: January 2011
IDB approved US$12.9B in projects for Latin America, Caribbean this year
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) approved a record number of projects in 2010 – 170, totalling an estimated US$12.9 billion, as the bank continues to boost its efforts to help Latin America and the Caribbean combat poverty and inequality, and promote sustainable growth. This compares with 165 projects totalling US$15.9 billion in 2009, when the IDB expanded its lending in the face of the global financial crisis. The region’s countries have largely recovered during 2010, with the percentage of people below the poverty line falling to 31.9 per cent of…
Read MoreAgreement reached for protection of illegal Caribbean immigrants in New York
Outgoing New York Governor David Paterson says he has reached an agreement with United States federal officials to help protect illegal Caribbean and other nationals without criminal records. Paterson, the grandson of Jamaican and Grenadian immigrants, says the agreement seeks to appease critics of a new government programme to strengthen immigration enforcement. He said the agreement ensures that immigrants who pose the greatest threat to public safety are “a priority” for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “While I am very concerned with…
Read MorePhilanthropists spending US$60,000 on Guyanese youths
They stand about six feet tall, and would appear to the naked eye as two ordinary people. But for Guyanese twins, Patrick and Paul Haynes, “ordinary” is no match for the good things they have done and have pledged to continue doing for the country of their birth. They founded the Haynes Foundation, which is a New Jersey non-profit organization that is currently pumping some US$60,000 annually into Guyana in the areas of health, education, and sports. Through funding from Nickelodeon, Little Hands Family Service and WAWA in the United…
Read MoreVybz Kartel album for April 2011 release
– dancehall hero set to drop popfusion album with Mixpak Records Mixpak Records is set to push the boundaries of Jamaica’s singles-driven culture, with an expansive concept album that weds Jamaica’s reigning dancehall champion with one of New York’s most innovative producers. Over the past six months, dancehall superstar Vybz Kartel has been in the studio with prized Brooklyn producer Dre Skull, forging a futuristic new sound that Mixpak will unveil in spring 2011. Dre Skull, noted for producing super-smart beats for the likes of Lil Scrappy and Sizzla, first…
Read MoreWhat women want in 2011
Guyana Times Sunday Magazine interviewed women about what they want to see being done for women in 2011 Community Youth Facilitator Marissa Lowden “It breaks my heart to know that so many women today are suffering from domestic violence at the hands of their husbands and/or partners. Domestic violence is a startling but prevalent social problem in Guyana, which is often ignored, crossing racial and socioeconomic lines. Any victim of domestic violence experiences a violation of fundamental individual and collective rights. In 2011, I would like to see the enforcement…
Read MorePolitics, Parliament, Finance
From President Bharrat Jagdeo being conferred the Champion of the Earth award to PNCR finance guru Winston Murray breathing his last, the year 2010 was an eventful one on the political scene. As it closes, the most talked about issue is the selection of presidential candidates for the various parties as the country heads into an election year. While the minority Alliance For Change party has settled on its candidate, the two major political parties have a line-up of hopefuls all campaigning vigorously to get the nod. New Year Despite…
Read MoreBaksh wants parents to adapt to changes in education sector
Education Minister Shaik Baksh has urged parents and some education managers to adapt to change that will positively transform students and improve the delivery and performance of the education sector. Baksh, who was at the time speaking at a recent forum at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD) said, though the ministry has instituted the plans and polices to bolster performance of the sector, all have to play their part to ensure the achievement of desirable results. According to a release by the ministry, he pointed out that…
Read MoreChinese optimistic about settlement of citizenship, work permit issues
By Reuben Stoby Executive member of the Chinese Association of Guyana, Margery Kirkpatrick, said the association welcomed the recent announcement by President Bharrat Jagdeo regarding citizenship and work permits for Chinese nationals. However, the group is hoping that the policies would be enforced in a timely manner. The head of state had said that Chinese nationals living legally and continuously in Guyana for no less than seven years would automatically qualify for citizenship, while the duration of a work permit would automatically be three years. This announcement was made while…
Read MoreContract signed for Gy$5M dialysis centre
The Health Ministry last Friday signed a Gy$5 million contract for the construction of a brand new dialysis centre which is expected to be completed by February 2011. The facility will be housed in the compound of the Georgetown Public Hospital. Dialysis is a medical process that is used when a person’s kidneys are damaged and can no longer filter toxins from the blood. A dialysis machine filters the blood and returns it to the body. It’s a three-to-four-hour-long process that must be done two or three times a week. …
Read More