By Fazeer Mohammed His name alone was enough to attract attention. Coming from a country considered for long to be on the very distant frontier of West Indies cricket, Anderson Montgomery Everton Roberts had to be exceptional to break new ground for the people of his home island of Antigua. But it was not his raw pace, or those clever variations in the speed of his bouncers, or the growing list of batsmen he sent to hospital that first drew my attention to him. Nope; it was Andy Roberts the…
Read MoreMonth: July 2011
Port security needs ‘clean hands’ – Rohee
By Ariana Gordon Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee has acknowledged there is an increase in trafficking in drugs through the Cheddi Jagan International Airport and other ports in the country; and he has stressed that persons who work at the airport are expected to be exemplars and have “clean hands.” “They are expected also to be trustworthy and loyal to their profession and employers, and above all, loyal to the country. Any person who is disloyal to their country is paying a disservice to their home,” Minister Rohee told a…
Read MoreAll rules were broken at NA, hence prison break – Rohee
Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee revealed that there was “a breach of all the rules at the New Amsterdam Prisons, resulting in the recent escape of four criminals, including a notorious sea bandit. The disclosure came after the minister was questioned about the efforts being made to recapture notorious pirate Kevin “Long Hair” Narine, who is now linked to the spate of pirate attacks in the Corentyne River. Rohee did not say much else, except that his ministry is still going through the report that was submitted on June 30…
Read MoreGuyana’s eyes are focused on sustainable development – Persaud
By Ariana Gordon The National Assembly on July 7 passed the Protected Areas Bill No 11 of 2011 with few amendments proposed by the opposition. Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, who had tabled the bill, told the House that the bill is aimed at proving to the world that Guyana’s eyes are focused on sustainable development. He noted that the piece of legislation is being tabled at a time when “globally, there is renewed focus on the theme of sustainable development”. He said that, given the impact of climate change on…
Read MoreCourt-recognised drug rehab centre needed – former chief magistrate
Former Chief magistrate and assistant Governor of the Rotary Club of Demerara, KA Juman- Yassin, is calling for the establishment of a drug rehabilitation programme in Guyana that is recognised by the court system. Yassin said that there is no rehabilitation service in Guyana that is recognized enough to allow the court to consider a suspended sentence. The former magistrate said he had been brainstorming about what societal ill has been affecting communities in Guyana the most. “Is it domestic violence or is it the scourge of drugs? To my…
Read More130 house lots allocated at Onderneeming Housing Scheme
In keeping with the administration’s promise of affording Guyanese home ownership, the Housing and Water Ministry’s One Stop Shop programme was taken to the Essequibo Coast, Region Two, on July 8, where 130 house lots were distributed to persons for Phase Two of the Onderneeming Housing Scheme. Persons requiring house lots for the first time had the opportunity to make their applications at a One Stop Shop exercise, the sixth for this year. “The commitment of the government in particular, and the work of the Ministry of Housing and Water,…
Read MoreOutback Guyana – Exploring the Maparri wilderness
A paradise for nature lovers, adventure seekers, and the eco- tourist alike, the Maparri wilderness of Rupununi boasts an irresistible combination of fascinating and breathtaking natural beauty, pristine Amazonian rainforests, and a kaleidoscope of plant life and fauna. The Maparri River, also referred to as the Maparri Creek, is a tributary of the Rupununi River, and its source is high in the East Kanuku Mountains. These mountains have been recognised by Conservation International as being one of the few remaining pristine Amazonian areas. The Maparri River leads to the Maparri…
Read MoreGuyanese Andrew Watson
Research finds first black international footballer in the world Andrew Watson was the world’s first black international football player; and he is known to have captained Scotland three times between 1881 and 1882. He was also considered as one of the top ten football players in the world in the nineteenth century. So says research unearthed from recently digitalised 19th century documents. Watson was born in May 1857 in British Guiana, and was the son of a wealthy Scottish sugar planter named Peter Miller and comely local lass named…
Read MoreMining town fire leaves seven homeless
A late afternoon fire of unknown origin that consumed a home at Block 22, Wismar, Linden on July 9 has left a family of five homeless and destroyed all their belongings. The owner of the destroyed wooden structure, Pauline Thom-Francis, told Guyana Times International that she and her family were at church when the fire struck. She added that she doesn’t know how the fire started, but she is sure the flame in the kerosene stove the family used was put out before she left for church, as she checked…
Read More156,000 uniform vouchers distributed to coastland students
Some 156,000 school uniform vouchers have so far been distributed to coastland students in phase one of its programmes, the Education Ministry said in a statement. Under the coastland programme, some 165,000 vouchers are being distributed to students. Phase one of the programme ended on July 8. The remaining vouchers will be distributed in phase two of the programme, which commences on July 11 and concludes on July 22. Education Minister Shaik Baksh is urging parents who have not yet uplifted vouchers for their children to do so in the…
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