News

CARACAS, (Reuters) – Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro yesterday said his government will summon France’s ambassador to protest a letter by that country’s prime minister congratulating the opposition for winning a congressional majority this month.

MOSCOW, (Reuters) – Russia’s Vladimir Putin subjected Turkey to a furious tirade yesterday, using barrack-room language to wonder aloud whether it had shot down a Russian warplane last month to curry favour with the United States.

NEW YORK, (Reuters) – Two nephews of Venezuela’s powerful first lady pleaded not guilty yesterday to U.S.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The United States and Cuba have agreed to restore scheduled commercial airline service for the first time in more than five decades in a deal allowing 110 round-trip flights a day between the former Cold War foes.

Guyana Revenue Authority Commissioner-General Khurshid Sattaur has been sent on leave, a statement from the board’s Chairman Rawle Lucas said today.

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK, (Reuters) – The United States and Cuba have agreed to restore scheduled commercial airline service between the two countries, the two countries said today, the first anniversary of the Cold War foes’ announcement they would normalize relations.

GENEVA, (Reuters) – Burundi is on the verge of civil war because of a campaign of political repression in which at least 400 people have been killed and almost 3,500 arrested, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights said today.

The Guyana Human Rights Association (GHRA) and the business community yesterday expressed concern at the move by the David Granger administration to suspend the Standing Orders to allow three bills to go through the entire parliamentary process at today’s sitting of the National Assembly.

A test drive ended tragically yesterday afternoon when the car was involved in a head-on collision with another motor vehicle on the Experiment, West Coast Berbice (WCB) public road.

A 36-year-old resident of Farm, East Bank Essequibo died at the Georgetown Public Hospital yesterday after he was struck to his head around 8:30 pm on Tuesday.

A pedal cyclist died on Tuesday morning after he was struck down on Monday evening in an alleged hit-and-run while riding on the Good Hope Public Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).

A gold miner was remanded to prison yesterday by Chief Magistrate Ann McLennan after he was charged with the murder of a Brazilian.

A coroner’s inquest into the deaths of Alberto Grant and Paul Bascom, who were fatally shot by police, is expected to commence in the New Year.

Guyana and Norway have committed to continuing their forests protection partnership which ended this year and further talks will be held next month even as both sides await a study on the contentious Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP), the flagship project of the first agreement.

The beleaguered US$110M-plus Skeldon factory has recorded its highest ever annual production since its commissioning in 2009, producing 39,153 tonnes of sugar so far.

Government is still awaiting documentation from Baishanlin and in the absence of this, has been unable to decide on whether to grant the two-year extension requested by the company to fulfill its obligations.

The education system is in a state of crisis, President David Granger says, arguing that fully trained career teachers were key to reversing the decline.

With another reported death in neighbouring Trinidad, Minister of Health Dr George Norton yesterday assured that Guyana stands ready to treat any cases of the highly contagious H1N1 virus, commonly referred to as swine flu, along with three other viruses which have been affecting countries worldwide including Brazil.

The Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) is working with a private developer to construct bus sheds across the city.

Addressing a full room, Minister of Health Dr George Norton yesterday hailed the efforts being implemented to end the prequalification process for medical drug supplies in favour of open bidding but he acknowledged that the present system will have to continue in the interim.