The Customs Anti Narcotics Unit (CANU) on Christmas Day intercepted a 64-year-old Canadian-based Guyanese with three kilograms of cocaine stashed in custard and curry powder during a routine search at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA). The elderly woman was about to board a BW 606 Caribbean Airlines flight to Canada when she was intercepted by CANU ranks. A CANU official told Guyana Times International that the woman was checked by a process referred to as “profiling” and while being interrogated, the ranks realised that something was wrong, hence, they…
Read MoreYear: 2012
New police outpost a welcome relief for Agricola residents
Days after the Guyana Police Force commissioned a police outpost in Agricola, residents are in high praise of the initiative, saying it will help beat back gun and other crimes. Prior to the establishment of the outpost, residents of Agricola and surrounding communities had to report any complaint at the Ruimveldt Police Station. As a result, criminals seized the opportunity to carry out their illegal activities aback of the village while having persons on the lookout for patrolling police officers. Guyana Times International visited the community and its environs on…
Read MoreHeavy winds destroy Mahaicony homes
– gov’t pledges support for victims Two Mahaicony families, whose homes were damaged by heavy winds on Christmas Eve day, have been assured of government’s commitment to help them get back on their feet. Subsequent to this, on Christmas morning, Local Government and Regional Development Minister Ganga Persaud and a team from his ministry met with the affected families. Persaud promised the affected families that the administration will aid them in whatever way it can until their lives return to normalcy. The minister pledged assistance in the form of paddy…
Read MoreA solution to this scourge in our society
Dear Editor, Your indulgence is hereby sought in publishing this response. A few weeks ago, a letter was penned in your pages captioned, “Violence against women, the Islamic perspective,” attempted to furnish a solution to this scourge that continues to plague our society. Someone who I hold in high esteem, Swami Aksharanda, penned a response, albeit a critique of the first letter. This missive seeks to provide some amount of analytical exactitude to the issue in question. The respected Swami should acquaint himself with the unedited version of the letter…
Read MoreDress and rape
Dear Editor, One never ceases to be amazed by the fact that once a person invokes religion, a book, prophet or saviour, he is granted automatic immunity regardless how insensitive, archaic, racist or sexist his pronouncements may be. An example of this phenomenon is the recent letter by Mr Moeenul Hack captioned, “Modest dress would protect a woman from rape” (Stabroek News, December 4). What is rather depressing is that while a few of my acquaintances have unburdened their horror at the ideas contained in the letter, each has expressed…
Read MoreThe End of the World?
By Anu Dev What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly -Richard Bach On Friday the world was supposed to end, at least according to the people who chose to interpret the Mayan Calendar that way. And practically everyone was talking about the supposed ‘End of the World’. People who believed the world would actually end were agonising about it. And people who felt the need to let the rest of the world know that they didn’t believe the world would end were scoffing…
Read MoreCapacity building, infrastructure enhancement key aspects for health sector in 2012
The year 2012 was not without its challenges, but these did not deter Guyana’s Ministry of Health and its partners from carrying out their respective work programmes with zest and enthusiasm. To support the tasks set out, Gy$16.9 B was allocated for the continued modernisation of the health sector. The Health sector receives the second highest budgetary allocation behind education. Together these two sectors are regarded as two of the most critical pillars in the social sector. Some of the significant achievements for the health sector in 2012 revolved around…
Read MoreMaintaining the malaria fight
By Jainarine Deonauth The World Malaria Report 2012 just released, summarises information received from 99 countries with on-going transmission and other sources, and updates the analyses presented in the 2011 report. Malaria is an entirely preventable and treatable vector-borne disease. In 2010, an estimated 219 million cases occurred globally, while the disease killed about 660,000 people, mostly children under five years of age. In Guyana, the government and other partners have been working tirelessly to reduce malaria rates. For example, the multi-therapy drug, Coartem – which is recognised as the…
Read MoreA success!
Guyana to receive additional US$45M from Norway for climate services
Guyana has been approved to receive an additional US$45 million from the government of Norway for its climate services in maintaining extremely low levels of deforestation while advancing the nation’s landmark Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). This now brings all three contributions from the Norway-Guyana climate and forest partnership to a total of US$115 million since the programme was announced in 2009. Just as importantly, there are now clear signs that the monies are beginning to flow to important climate change and poverty alleviation investments that will improve the overall…
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