Guyana News

-magistrate appalled at  police ‘unpreparedness’ Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday ordered that three boys be kept in police custody when they appeared before her at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court for allegedly beating a woman in her head with a toy gun and robbing her at the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC).

Following his recent Middle East trip, President Bharrat Jagdeo yesterday reported likely investments in the housing, health and mining sectors, while saying the country would continue to pursue an independent foreign policy.

A ministerial team including agriculture minister Robert Persaud told Region Three farmers that over $385M will be spent from Vergenoegen to Bonasika to improve irrigation and other structures and to rehabilitate 30 bridges.

-primary education dropout rate ‘staggering’ Unemployment among young people in the Caribbean Community is higher than in a large number of developed and developing countries, according to stark statistics in a new study that links investment in youth with economic growth.

Alliance For Change Leader Raphael Trotman has deemed recent attempts suggesting that his party is considering merging with the PNCR, as deliberate bids to create mischief.

A South Korean trade mission is in Guyana seeking to source goods from local suppliers and also investment opportunities.

Minister of Education Shaik Baksh says more focus will be given to Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) this year in keeping with the ministry’s five-year strategic plan.

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Kellawan Lall and Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr Roger Luncheon recently met with Chesney, Guava Bush and Belvedere residents and announced that the Albion Road will be repaired.

Twenty-five students from several schools across Linden are a part of a special anger management programme.

Magistrate Hazel Octive-Hamilton yesterday sentenced a 40-year-old man to four years imprisonment after ruling that she had found him guilty of buggering a seven-year-old child in 2008.

The multi-million dollar NBS fraud case was on Monday adjourned to February 11 just before Magistrate Fazil Azeez recalled arrest warrants for two witnesses in the case.

Justice James Bovell-Drakes granted bail to one of two men accused of murdering Odingo Dingham Bryan in January 2004 after the state prosecution team failed to commence their trial yesterday as was previously ordered.

Davendra Bholanauth, the Sheriff Street businessman who was shot by robbers on Monday night, remains in a serious condition at the Georgetown Public Hospital.

SEOUL, (Reuters) – North and South Korea last night exchanged what appeared to be artillery fire near a  disputed sea border with the South off the west coast of the  peninsula, Yonhap news agency reported government officials as  saying.

The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Agriculture Corps says it has already harvested from its cultivation of cauliflower and broccoli, a project it initiated as these vegetables are gaining popularity locally.

GUATEMALA CITY,  (Reuters) – Guatemalan police  arrested former Presi-dent Alfonso Portillo yesterday after the  United States requested his extradition to face money-  laundering charges.

The Guyana Nurses Association (GNA) on Saturday hosted an award ceremony to honour 25 nurses who graduated from the University of Guyana (UG) with a degree in nursing.

ROME, (Reuters) – The late Pope John Paul flagellated  himself regularly to imitate Christ’s suffering and signed a  secret document saying he would resign instead of ruling for  life if he became incurably ill, a new book shows.

The Guyana Water Incor-porated (GWI) recently hosted a tour for 20 students from Wisburg Secondary School.

BAGHDAD, (Reuters) – A suicide blast killed at least  17 people at a police forensics office in Baghdad yesterday,  officials said, the latest attack to raise doubts about Iraq’s  ability to keep people safe weeks before a national election.