Guyana News

(Barbados Nation) An internal investigation has been launched into the disappearance of a drug-related case file from the precincts of a magistrate’s court.

An elderly woman was found dead with her throat slit in her ransacked home on Tuesday evening, shocking neighbours in the Vryheid’s Lust North community, on the East Coast of Demerara.

On the back of significant increases in fuel, molasses, sugar and other input costs, Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) recorded an after-tax profit of $708 million for last year, 12.5 percent less than the $809 million recorded in 2009.

The AFC yesterday reiterated its concern at the use of state resources for electioneering purposes and reminded the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) of its constitutional obligations to ensure impartiality, fairness and compliance with the provisions of the constitution.

Claims by a Guyanese couple who were recently granted asylum in Canada that they were threatened after the husband refused a request by a government official to hack into the computers of leading members of the opposition and a newspaper columnist, should have been reported to the local police.

A  John Street, Lodge family yesterday counted themselves lucky after their neighbours put out a fire, suspected to electrical in origin, which partially destroyed their two-bedroom apartment.

The man accused of murdering Samantha Belle in March 2006 will be put on trial a second time during the next session of the Assizes after a hung jury returned to the courtroom, unable to reach a unanimous or near unanimous verdict.

The National Parks Commission will be charging a “nominal fee” for patrons who wish to take their vehicles – buses, cars, motorcycles – into the Botanic Gardens and the National Park on Easter Monday.

The Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) has given the green light to a Caribbean Pharmaceutical Policy (CPP) that is expected to ensure the Caribbean’s access to quality medicine at affordable prices, said a release from the CARICOM Secretariat at Turkeyen.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and the Rice Producers Association (RPA) are encouraging all rice farmers to “take full advantage” of the present favourable weather for harvesting, a GRDB release stated.

Guyanese authorities are working closely with their counterparts in Jamaica in a case of human trafficking involving a native of this country and will ensure that the victim receives all the help needed, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour, Human Services and Social Security Trevor Thomas said yesterday.

A 12-year-old boy, of Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, was rescued in the nick of time after he attempted to hang himself yesterday.

Toshao Doreen Jacobis of Tapakuma Village, on the Essequibo Coast, was yesterday elected Chairperson of the Indigenous Peoples Com-mission (IPC) during a special meeting at Parliament.

President Bharrat Jagdeo told Barticians that they will soon be given a chance to realise their dreams of home ownership when the Housing Ministry hosts takes its ‘one stop shop’ programme in the area.

A row has erupted over the postponement of an engagement between representatives of political parties at the University of Guyana with the AFC flaying PPP Presidential Candidate, Donald Ramotar for avoiding the “debate” while the PPP said Ramotar was never invited to any debate.

The Guyana People’s Partnership (GPP) said it has been intentionally left out of recent meetings planned for identified presidential candidates to detail their plans for the nation.

Jamal Barker, 19, who was allegedly found at a police roadblock with 480 grammes of cannabis, was remanded to prison on Monday by Magistrate Ruby Benn at the Blairmont Court.

Commentators Raymond Gaskin and Christopher Ram have announced the launch of a new television programme, “Keeping Them Honest with Gaskin and Ram.”

State-appointed Prosecutor Sanjeev Datadin made an application to have witness statements tendered as exhibits in the witness tampering matters for which CN Sharma, Tyrone Ali, Doodnaught Sharma and Raywattie Ramsawack have been arraigned.

The preliminary inquiry (PI) into the carnal knowledge charge against Chandra Narine Sharma was on Friday set for June 9 for continuation since the order which was previously granted to him by the High Court allowing him to seek overseas medical treatment has expired.