Editorial

Last week, finally, the government initiated steps that will soon, one hopes, lead to the decriminalisation of attempted suicide, a crucial measure in grappling with the stigma attached to fatal and non-fatal self harm.

Fifty years ago this month, the attention of the world’s media was sharply focused on the city of Reykjavik.

Last Wednesday’s fire that destroyed the St. George’s High School and more particularly, up until now, the absence of an official pronouncement on the likely cause, would have done little to alter public concerns about the spate of fires which, in recent years, have destroyed quite a few important public buildings.

After the COVID-19-induced hiatus of two years, the Building Expo opened on Friday at the National Stadium at Providence with hundreds of exhibitors, thousands of visitors and a flurry of announcements by the government.

At its simplest level democracy is a form of government which seeks to accommodate citizens who hold a variety of viewpoints so they do not descend into strife.

In its editorial of July 10th   Stabroek News called on President Ali to establish a Commission of Inquiry into the damaging claims made in two VICE News broadcasts particularly the one on July 7th where it appeared that Chinese businessmen operating here were openly discussing acts of bribery and money laundering committed in this jurisdiction.

Changing political leaderships can sometimes be a problematic process, as Guyanese know. 

Earlier this month, reports surfaced about a bogus doctor who had been seeing patients at local regional hospitals reportedly for years, but was unmasked as a fake when, apparently, having previously escaped detection, he attempted to take up a volunteer position at the Guyana Cancer Foundation.

“Dickety!! Dickety!!! (The sweet melody of a trumpet calling horses to the starting gate plays)   “Elaine cussing she husband Tim With de money he wasting In English racing Buying books from quite in London Checking de horse information   “He know Who is colt and who is filly Who win de Oaks and win de Derby This English racing have him like a fool Throwing all he bread in de pool   “But Monday morning is horse In de evening he loss Evening races, is horse Double losses, is horse Man ah want a divorce Better ah did married to a horse Yes ah want a divorce Monday to Sunday you playing horse   “Dickety!!

It took President Irfaan Ali no time at all to respond, directly, to the reported protestations of some Amerindian leaders and groups over what they appeared to feel was an improper government intervention in the conduct of the closing session of this year’s National Toshaos Conference (NTC).

On May 27, 2010, more than 12 years ago, then High Court judge and now acting Chief Justice, Roxane George lamented that a “broken” criminal justice system was denying prisoners their rights.

After several postponements owing to the pandemic, the National Toshaos Conference finally was held last week under the theme ‘Good Governance and Fast-Tracking Amerindian Development’. 

As stated in the July 14th editorial of this newspaper, the announcement on July 8th  by the government that an agreement had been signed that would see a team of medical specialists from Mount Sinai Health System in New York deployed here for training exercises at the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) is welcome news. 

No one could ever accuse the PPP of being endowed with any aesthetic sense, particularly where Georgetown is concerned, but then the City Council is equally lacking in that regard. 

The announcement last Friday that an agreement had been signed that would see a team of medical specialists from Mount Sinai Health System in New York, USA, arrive in Guyana this week to conduct training exercises at the George-town Public Hospital (GPH) was welcome news.

Over the last 70-odd years the sword of Damocles has dangled perilously like a razor sharp guillotine over the game of Test cricket.

25 X 2025 is the most recent ‘formula’ devised in the Caribbean to set a time frame for helping to clear one of the region’s key hurdles, the realization  of food security.

As much as Guyana needs investment to transform its economy so that it doesn’t fall victim to the worst attributes of the oil wealth-driven Dutch Disease, Georgetown still has to show deftness and tact in dealing with state-led delegations prospecting for opportunities here.

The most disquieting report we have carried in a very long time appeared in our edition of July 8.

At its July 3-5 summit in Suriname, CARICOM  Heads of Government received an update on the progress made by its Ministerial Task Force (MTF) on Food Production and Food Security in advancing the CARICOM Agri-Food Systems Agenda to tackle ongoing food security challenges and the rising food prices.