Guyana News

The Christian community is urging the government not to legalise casino gambling for Cricket World Cup (CWC) 2007 or at any time; to defer discussions on the draft legislation until after CWC and to learn from experiences based on research.

With local government reform listed as one of its priorities for 2007, the main opposition is hoping that the anticipated polls can be used as a starting point for shared governance.

The government is to withdraw a controversial Order that would have withheld pay increases from Members of Parliament unless they gave written agreement to them.

A cargo vessel sunk early yesterday morning in the Berbice River with early reports indicating that the incident may have been the result of heavy winds and rain.

Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr. Roger Luncheon spent several hours in hospital yesterday after he fell in his office and aggravated a chronic back ailment.

The Forest Products Association of Guyana (FPA) says that it is able to meet the demands of the local businesses which expressed concern that they are unable to obtain supplies of lumber for their businesses.

In the January 8 edition of Stabroek News under the headline `New money laundering bill being circulated for comment’ it was reported that the Director of the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Paul Geer “has indicated that he does not want to speak to the media on the work that the FIU is engaged in”.

Health care professionals representing a broad spectrum of the medical field have rejected the new controversial Health Facilities Licensing Bill that is scheduled for a second reading in Parliament today.

The state-of-the-art Ophthalmology centre at Port Mourant, Corentyne, Berbice is expected to be completed by June while renovations to the Port Mourant Hospital are ongoing.

Allegations of impropriety swirled around the Best/ Klien/ Pouderoyen Neigh-bourhood Democratic Council (NDC) as residents voiced their concerns in a meeting yesterday to determine whether the council should be dissolved.

The Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Inc is asking homeowners expecting visits from family and friends for the Cricket World Cup to inform the corporation of their intended installation of power-consuming additions to the home so as to accommodate the increase in demand.

Permanent Secretary within the Office of the President (OP), Dr. Nanda Kishore Gopaul has stated that Pandit Prakash Gossai has been appointed as Special Assistant to President Bharrat Jagdeo and not as an adviser to the President as the “Peeping Tom” article misleadingly stated in Tuesday’s edition of the Kaieteur News.

Almost two months after students at the Annandale Secondary School were rushed to the Georgetown hospital after consuming items purchased at the school’s canteen the school’s vendors continue to ply their trade in unsanitary conditions.

The Guyana Forestry Commission (GFC) says that Newland Lumberyard located at Blankenburg, Den Amstel, West Coast Demerara has failed to meet several requirements and a decision has been taken not to license the facility for 2007 unless these requirements are met.

A man is in custody following the discovery of an unlicensed shotgun at Arakaka Village, North West District last Saturday.

The Ministry of Agriculture through its Department of Fisheries has signed an agreement with the University of Arizona to enhance the knowledge of production of fish through aquaculture.

Government will move to enact casino legislation in time for Cricket World Cup 2007 regardless of the opposition of the religious community and the fact that there has been little consultation with the major tourism industry players and other private sector interests.

Magistrate Krishendat Persaud on Tuesday sentenced a man to three years imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to a charge of break and enter and larceny.

A man accused of indecently assaulting a tourist was released on bail when he appeared at the Leonora Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Magistrate Kim Kyte-John remanded to prison a man who was recently freed of a murder charge when he appeared before her at the Blairmont Magistrate’s Court to answer to the same charge.