News

(Reuters) – Beijing was anxious to make a good impression at the recent World Internet Conference in Wuzhen, China.

BELGRADE (Reuters) – Serbian police arrested 79 people including a former minister on corruption charges including abuse of office, money laundering and financial crime, the interior minister said.

MELBOURNE (Reuters) – More than 100 homes burned down in a leading Australian tourist area in bushfires on Christmas Day and the situation remained dangerous yesterday, as officials predicted more blazes to come later in the hot southern summer.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Bagged or boxed, brown or powdered, Americans are buying markedly less sugar this year, a trend nowhere more noticeable than during the holidays when home-baking picks up.

(Jamaica Gleaner) – A police constable is now in custody after a Christmas Day domestic dispute with his female companion turned deadly.

Investigations are being conducted into the murder of a so far unidentified man of African descent which occurred in a minibus on the Demerara Harbour Bridge about 1830h.

Welcoming President David Granger’s commitment to improve conditions at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) today called for improvements at all state-run health institutions.

About 0440h. today, Dawson Bess, 22 years, of Crane Housing Scheme, WCD, was driving a motor car along the Ruimzigt Public Road, WCD, when he attempted to overtake another vehicle and collided with an oncoming motor vehicle.

Despite his denial, the MOU for Fedders Lloyd to continue work on the Specialty Hospital without the project going back to tender and outside of the Procurement Act, raises the question of whether Vice President Khemraj Ramjattan’s influence was brought to bear in the decision to award the contract, the Transparency Institute of Guyana Inc (TIGI) has said.

With his mind set on becoming the Commissioner of Police of Guyana one day, Detective Sergeant Rodwell Sarrabo is working his way up by solving numerous crimes including high-profile murders.

Though reluctant to share information on the number of calls received by the inter-agency suicide prevention helpline since its launch in August, steering committee member Caitlin Vieira says it has been a success and continues to be manned 24 hours a day by trained personnel.

Government has granted Canadian firm First Bauxite Corporation a two-year extension to begin construction of its proposed bauxite mine at Bonasika.

Has there been an increase in naturalizations in recent years? Anecdotal evidence suggests that there has been.

The election of Mauricio Macri as President of Argentina will likely herald an interesting phase in relations with Guyana.

President David Granger today announced an increase in the Government subvention for the Dharm Shala indigent home, and a donation of $1 million before year end, for the continued work at the institution.

About 1500h. today, the police say that a man so far identified as ‘Fluffie’ was involved in an argument with another man in Albouystown, Georgetown, during which he was stabbed to his chest and neck.

ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stopover in Pakistan today to meet his counterpart, Nawaz Sharif, the first time an Indian premier has visited the rival nation in over a decade.

President David Granger and First Lady, Sandra Granger visited the maternity and children’s wards at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) this morning, a release from the Ministry of the Presidency said.

Rice production boomed again in 2015 following impressive harvests the last few years, however, the value of rice exports decreased by over US$37.6 million, a drop of 15 per cent from 2014, mostly owing to the loss of the Venezuela market and its preferential price.

Armed with draft legislation, the State Assets Recovery Unit (SARU) will be meeting with the World Bank’s Stolen Assets Recovery Initiative (StAR) in mid-January to plot the way forward in transforming the unit into an agency with the authority to freeze assets and proceed with civil litigation alongside criminal investigations.