Law Reform Commission urged to focus on AI, Silica City laws
50 rape cases reported in Region 6 so far this year
Over 260 health practitioners trained to treat mpox as Guyana remains alert
After 15 years Govt restarts dental technician training to meet rising demand for oral care Woman shot after Police open fire on fleeing car
After
15 years
Govt restarts dental technician training to meet rising demand for oral care
After 15 years, the Health Ministry has reactivated the Dental Technician Training Programme to address the growing demand for proper dental care in the country. The programme was launched on Tuesday at the Ministry’s Brickdam office in Georgetown.
The Dental Technician Training Programme is designed to provide comprehen-
sive training to Dental Auxiliary Personnel (Dentex), so that they will be equipped with the skills needed to fabricate dental prosthesis – an essential component in restoring function and aesthetic for those who have lost their teeth.
Additionally, the dental technicians will learn to make dentures, crowns, bridges and dental braces that improve patients' appearance, speech and ability to chew.
Without the services offered by a dental technician, dentists would not be able to offer the full range of services to their patients.
During his keynote address at the launch-
ing ceremony, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony encouraged the first batch of 15, to take advantage of the opportunity and build a career for themselves in the field.
“You are part of a pioneering batch in a
sense and over your stay during this programme we are hoping that with new equipment and other things that we’ll be bringing in that more will benefit from this type of training,”.
“You are going to see a lot of transformation so whether it is new hospitals or new facilities, things that didn’t exist before, you now have an opportunity to be part of this change that is happening.
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony alongside the batch of 15 trainees in the Dental Technician Training Programme
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Wednesday, September 4 –03:45h-05:15h and Thursday, September 5 – 03:45h-05:15h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Wednesday, September 4 –04:50h-06:20h and Thursday, September 5 – 05:10h-06:40h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Sunshine interspersed with light rain showers are expected during the day. Clear skies are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North North-Westerly to North NorthEasterly between 0.44 metre and 3.12 metres
High Tide: 17:24h reaching a maximum height of 2.63 metres
Low Tide: 11:02h and 23:15h reaching minimum heights of 0.59 metre and 0.55 metre.
Law Reform Commission urged to focus on AI, Silica City laws …as
3 reappointed members sworn in
Three members of the Law Reform Commission were sworn in on Tuesday before President Dr Irfaan Ali, who urged them to examine and make recommendations for laws that deal with, among other things, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Silica City.
The swearing in of three members of the Law Reform Commission, whose terms had expired, was done at the Office of the President. Taking their oaths of office, were Attorneys-at-Law Teni Housty, Clarissa Riehl and Deenawatie Panday, who were initially appointed in August 2021. They will now serve another threeyear term.
According to President Ali, the reappointment of the members to this important commission is a nod at the good job they have been doing. However, it is also in an effort to ensure continuity and avoid disruptions to the work programme.
“Your commitment to modernising and perfecting our nation’s legal framework is commendable. Your re-appointment represents an affirmation of confidence in your ability to continue the work that you have commenced. The work of the law reform commission is critical, in the continued development and refinement of our legal system.”
“Stability and consistency within the commission, are vital for achieving these objectives. Frequent changes in the composition of the commission, could jeopardise the progress made,” Ali further said.
The President meanwhile had some recommendations of his own to make, on areas in which the commission should focus their work. One such area was in Silica City, is the government’s ambitious city project up the Soesdyke/ Linden highway which, according to President Ali, will need new laws to ensure its environmental sustainability. Another area is in the realm of Artificial
Intelligence (AI).
“I want to pause here and ask the law reform commission to also look at some of the challenges we will face in national life, that are immediate. AI is one such challenge. How are we going to ensure that the body of our laws are protected, our institutions are protected and we develop a cross-cutting basis through which we can address the challenges of AI and digitisation. The Attorney General has been working assiduously on this matter, him and his team,” President Ali said.
The Head of State also cited the climate, the environment and biodiversity as other areas that must be examined. He noted the importance of the Law Reform Commission examining the entire body of laws, in the context of these areas, to see where the gaps exist.
“As you’re aware, good lawyers find good arguments, and many times, the principal act still leaves loopholes in the entire legal framework. And part of our work is to close those loopholes, wherever they exist. Your term will also coexist with the constitutional reform, the consultations,” he said.
“So, it’s a dynamic process over the next three years. And we would like to see some synergy. I would expect also members of the Law Reform Commission, to be present at some of
the consultations. So that you too can have an understanding as to what the issues are from the people.”
The remaining members of the Law Reform Commission include Dr Marie Correia, Everton Singh-Lammy and Lenox Shuman. In January of this year, Emily Dodson was sworn in as the new Chair.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has been making steps to prepare the population for AI.
Meanwhile, countries around the world have already been moving to set up legislation to govern AI. Risks include deepfake technology- AI technology that can manipulate video to mimic real persons engaged in detrimental acts.
A master plan has already been drafted for Silica City, Guyana’s inaugural modern and sustainable project. The plan was handed over to the Government, and unveiled at the International Building Expo. Design of the master plan was done by the University of Miami following a request made by the PPP/C Administration.
At Silica City, 3,800 acres of land have been set aside for infrastructural work, which is already underway. This includes creating 100 residential/smart homes outfitted with the newest energy-saving technologies. In addition, space has been earmarked for
shopping centres, apartment complexes, condos, hotels, restaurants, green areas, and other facilities.
Silica City aims to address the impacts of climate change and sea level rise, as well as the issues associated with the growth of non-coastal urban settlements. The project, however, is still in the first phase, and the Guyana Government had previously disclosed plans to acquire and develop approximately 10,000 acres of land to further enhance the area.
The Law Reform Commission in Guyana is a crucial entity responsible for the regular updating and alignment of the country’s laws with global legislative trends. Its responsibilities encompass prioritising and establishing a programme for legal reforms, preventing legislative stagnation, and serving the executive and national interest.
The Law Reform Commission (Amendment) Act 2021 – No. 2 of 2021 received Presidential Assent on February 16, 2021, thereby allowing persons who hold a variety of qualifications to sit on the commission.
Further, in August 2022, the Constitution Reform Commission Bill, which seeks the establishment of a Constitution Reform Commission to review the country’s supreme laws,
passed. (G3)
was
Attorneys-at-Law Deenawatie Panday (second, from left), Clarissa Riehl and Teni Housty, following their swearing-in. Also in picture are President Dr Irfaan Ali; Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag), Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, Attorney General Anil Nandlall and LRC Chair Emily Dodson
Editor: Tusika Martin
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Child-Friendly Spaces in Police Stations
In all societies where the safety and well-being of children should be paramount, the need for sensitive and supportive environments for young victims of crime cannot be overstated. One such initiative that holds profound potential is the establishment of Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS) within Police Stations. These specialised areas are designed to provide a safe, welcoming, and non-threatening environment where children can feel comfortable disclosing sensitive information, including instances of sexual abuse or other crimes. We were pleased to see reports coming out of Berbice that another such space was opened at the Springlands Police Station.
Children, who have been victims of crime, especially sexual abuse, often face significant psychological barriers when it comes to reporting their experiences. The traditional atmosphere of a police station – often intimidating, sterile, and unwelcoming – can exacerbate their trauma and inhibit their willingness to speak out. Child-Friendly Spaces address this issue by creating environments that are specifically tailored to meet the emotional and psychological needs of young victims.
These spaces are designed to be inviting and comforting, featuring child-centric decor, soft furnishings, and age-appropriate toys and activities. The goal is to reduce the stress and anxiety that children might feel when interacting with law enforcement. By fostering a more relaxed and supportive atmosphere, Child-Friendly Spaces can significantly increase the likelihood that children will feel safe enough to share their experiences.
Beyond the physical environment, the presence of trained professionals is crucial to the effectiveness of Child-Friendly Spaces. Staff members, including Police Officers, social workers, and psychologists, should be specially trained in child psychology and trauma-informed care. These professionals understand the unique ways in which children communicate and can employ appropriate techniques to help them express themselves more freely.
Moreover, the approach taken by these professionals should be empathetic and non-judgmental. By building trust and demonstrating genuine care, they can help children feel more secure and supported. This rapport is essential for encouraging open communication and ensuring that children feel heard and validated.
Establishing Child-Friendly Spaces also aligns with best practices in legal and ethical standards for handling cases involving minors. The use of these spaces helps ensure that interviews and investigations are conducted in a manner that minimises additional trauma for the child. It also adheres to guidelines that emphasise the need for sensitive and respectful treatment of young victims throughout the investigative process.
The benefits of Child-Friendly Spaces extend beyond individual cases. The establishment of such spaces can enhance community trust in law enforcement. When communities see that their police forces are committed to providing appropriate support for young victims, it fosters a sense of reassurance and encourages more victims and their families to come forward.
Child-Friendly Spaces at Police Stations represent a critical step forward in creating a justice system that truly prioritises the needs of young victims. By offering a supportive and empathetic environment, these spaces can make a significant difference in helping children overcome their fear and trauma, allowing them to disclose abuse and other crimes with greater ease.
M&CC
must reconsider decision, restore 25% institutional rate to its original purpose
Dear Editor,
As a councillor and former mayor of Georgetown, I wish to address a matter of significant concern regarding the recent decision by the current council to approve a 25% institutional rate.
This rate, as you are aware, has been approved with the stated intent of benefiting various organizations, including political parties such as the PNC/R. It is essential to scrutinize this decision to ensure it aligns with principles of fairness and accountability.
During my tenure as mayor, the 25% institutional rate was indeed gazetted; however, it was established with a specific and distinct purpose. The rate was designed to provide support to non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and educational institutions that play vital roles in our community. These entities were to benefit from reduced rates to support their important work, not to provide a preferential financial escape for political parties or other groups. As I remember, the underlying rationale was to foster community development and educational advancement, not to enable certain political parties to evade their civic responsibilities.
The decision made by the current council to extend this rate to political parties, including the PNC/R, represents a serious deviation from the original intent and spirit of the policy. It is very worrying that this move could be perceived as an attempt to benefit one political faction disproportionately, thereby undermining the fair-
ness of the city’s tax system and eroding public trust in our governance.
The distinction between the policy I endorsed and the one currently enacted is crucial. Under my administration, the 25% rate was carefully crafted to serve community- centric organizations, with a clear focus on public benefit rather than political advantage.
The current council’s extension of this rate to political parties introduces a troubling precedent, wherein political considerations may override principles of equitable taxation and civic responsibility.
This policy shift has implications beyond the immediate financial benefits to political parties. It
risks setting a dangerous precedent wherein the integrity of our tax system is compromised for partisan gain.
The role of the council is to ensure that decisions are made in the best interest of all citizens, not to create mechanisms that may be perceived as serving particular political agendas.
Therefore, I urge the council to reconsider this decision and to restore the 25% institutional rate to its original purpose. We must ensure that our policies are consistent with values of fairness and transparency that the people of Georgetown expect and deserve.
Yours truly,
Patricia Chase-Green, COA
Little things matter
Dear Editor,
Two letters on schools have caught my attention; one has to do with Carmel Secondary School (September 3), while the other has to do with Leonora Secondary School (September 3).
In the first case, the writer drew attention to the new laboratory at Carmel Secondary School, which has some “defects” that could impact negatively on the students in particular. The writer alluded to safety features that are apparently absent in the laboratory, and drew reference to past infernos at the Christ Church Secondary School and the Dorm at
It was on numerous occasions following these disasters and others of a similar nature that schools built in the future would be outfitted and furnished with all safety features, equipment and accoutrements. So, what happened in this case?
The second letter lamented that the first day of the new school year had seen the Leonora Secondary School being without a working toilet for the students. What must it take to get little but important things right?
Sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed
Mahdia.
Dancers performing during a dinner hosted at State House by President Dr Irfaan Ali in honour of the delegates attending the 46th Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, which is being hosted in Guyana (Office of the President photo)
Ameena Gafoor: guiding light for arts in Guyana and studies on indentureship
Dear Editor, Mrs Ameena Gafoor was a truly extraordinary woman who believed in what she stood for.
She was a woman of immense strength and integrity, self-confidence and self-esteem; a woman of humility and kindness, whose wisdom and experience were guiding lights for culture and the arts, which she supported financially.
She blazed a trail for women in business and in articulating support for culture, and set a very high standard for other business persons (men and women) to follow in supporting the arts.
From early on, she had been a tireless advocate for the arts and humanities, and had contributed significant funds thereto. Guyanese are inspired by her commitment to the arts and to female empowerment. It is a tribute to her that so many (Indian) people feel such a deep sense of loss at her passing.
Her passing is also a serious loss of funding for Indian culture. It is to be hoped that her family would continue to fund the programmes and activities she had supported for most of her life.
The diaspora, in many reflections, mourns and
celebrates the extraordinary life of this remarkable woman, who had devoted her life to the arts. Guyanese at home and in the diaspora mourn a woman who had helped Guyana and its diaspora to remember our cultural heritage, as penned in the Art Journal that she founded.
Guyanese celebrate a woman who had epitomized business integrity and decency in living; someone whose life had reflected a heart of kindness and commitment to faith, family, friends and ethnicity.
Ameena, as she had fondly been called, is de-
serving of accolades (as penned in the media) for her immense contributions to education and literature, published works that inspired and influenced many Guyanese. From art to literature, she left an indelible mark.
Ameena had displayed strong interest in artistic culture, but had been more supportive of a modernistic approach to Indian culture. Not surprisingly, her passing garnered widespread media attention, reaching every corner of the diaspora (UK, North America, Caribbean) and touching the hearts of both young and old.
Ameena's interest in,
Decision to make major bridges tollfree reflects a
Dear Editor, True to form, the editorial delivered by Stabroek News (SN, Saturday, August 31, 2024) is replete with hyperbole and reproof, reflecting a profound misunderstanding of President Irfaan Ali's announcement to remove tolls on key bridges.
While clinging to, in this instance, empty rhetoric of consultation and strategic foresight, the editorial aligns with the Opposition narrative, while failing to appreciate the larger socio-economic imperatives at play.
The President's announcement is emblematic of a government striving to alleviate burdens on its citizens, while leveraging fiscal resources. This is prudent practice observed globally in nations that have benefitted from windfall revenues.
It is particularly ironic, and indeed contradictory, that one of the local newspapers - a publication whose editorial pages and letters have been replete with calls for the Government to do more to ease the cost of living - now appears to snub the very initiative that directly addresses these public concerns.
and funding of, Indian culture or the arts, and in documenting indentured history stood in stark contrast to other business people, who behave miserly in donating to worthy cultural causes. Her contributions to Indian Guyanese literature and arts are unparalleled in post-independence Guyana. She gave financial support from funds obtained from hard work in businesses that she and her husband had founded. It was old money, earned honestly, and not from corruption.
progressive
For months, the newspaper has sought to highlight the daily struggles of citizens, and amplified demands for the Government to intervene meaningfully in reducing economic pressures; yet, in a bewildering twist, the editorial seems to dismiss toll-free bridges, a measure that directly reduces daily expenses for commuters, as inconsequential.
This inconsistency exposes a dissonance between the paper's stance and the practical benefits of toll-free access for the average consumer, which facilitates mobility and reduces the financial strain on households.
The ability to finance public goods without direct user fees is not a sign of fiscal recklessness, but a demonstration of sovereign capability to utilize resources for the broader public good. This aligns with practices seen in nations like the United Arab Emirates, where toll-free access to certain infrastructure reflects a government's commitment to enhancing public welfare without immediate recourse to regressive charges.
The editorial fails to acknowledge that the
vision
maintenance and operational costs of these bridges, once prohibitive, can now be comfortably met through the strategic use of the Natural Resource Fund. This liberates citizens from the financial burden of tolls, while simultaneously advancing public infrastructure.
Guyanese understand that removal of tolls is not an isolated policy decision, but is part of a continuum of efforts aimed at reducing barriers to mobility, enhancing economic participation, and fostering greater connectivity, with the potential for similar reforms in other transport sectors as national resources allow.
While the editorial laments that toll-free travel would not alleviate the broader cost-of-living pressures faced by households, it misses the fundamental point that this policy is but one component of a broader socio-economic strategy aimed at enhancing disposable incomes, reducing indirect costs, and fostering a more accessible economic environment.
The argument that such savings would not trickle down to consumers is speculative, and fails to consider the potential mul-
tiplier effects of reduced transport costs on business operations, logistics, and market dynamics; which, over time, can indeed have a positive impact on household finances.
Governments are not beholden to static fiscal doctrines, but are instead charged with the ongoing responsibility of adapting to the needs of their citizens, particularly in times of economic transition.
The Government's decision to remove tolls on major bridges is a forward-looking initiative that embodies the Government's commitment to utilising national resources for the direct benefit of its citizens, reflecting a progressive vision that transcends the constraints of conventional policy-making.
Rather than be decried as a reckless political gambit, the toll-free move should be recognized as a judicious deployment of our nation's wealth that is designed to alleviate burdens, enhance connectivity, and ultimately drive us, as a people, towards a more equitable and prosperous future.
Sincerely,
Ryan Newton
She is known to have offered much financial support to promote culture and identity, as in the Arts Journal (now defunct) and The Ameena Gafoor Institute of Indentureship Studies (pioneered by the indomitable Dr David Dabydeen) and its new journal of same subject. Her actions and financial support touched many
lives and exemplified the qualities of a person who understood the importance of the arts in the journey of a group of people, and of recording their history.
She was deserving of an honorary doctorate by UG; thank you, VC Dr Paloma Mohamed-Martin, for recognizing the work of this outstanding woman. UWI should have followed suit, for Ameena had done more for education and culture than many who have been honoured by that institution.
May the legacy, hard work, kindness, lifestyle and teachings of Ameena Gafoor continue to inspire and guide Guyanese. And may her family, long into the future, continue support for the arts and Journal of Indentureship Studies founded by Dr Dabydeen.
Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram
Circle Graphs or Pie Charts
A circle graph compares parts of a whole to a whole. They are also called pie charts because each looks like a pie that has been sliced up. When you read a pie chart, it does not always matter how big the whole is, because you are comparing parts to each other and the whole. However, sometimes you can calculate a whole exactly.
Examples:
Which kind of bank note did Patricia save the most?
Step 1: Find the biggest segment of the pie chart.
Step 2:Read the label for that segment. Patricia saved more $20 bills than any other kind of bank note.
Patricia saved a total of 98 bank notes. How many of them were $20 bills?
Step 1: Look at the whole circle. You may not be able to tell exactly how big each part is. However, you can estimate. The $20 bills segment accounts for roughly one half of the circle.
Step 2:Multiply ½ x 98 = 49. There are 49 $20 bills. Calculate the value of the $20 bills segment: $20 x 49 = $980.
By Wilson Harris
Blue is the journey I long to go
White is the gate I open to show the sun my face.
Brown is the road that leads to space where the sky falls down like the highest hill.
Dark is the river where green trees sail, where nothing learns to stand quite still on the visionary road across the hill.
Lofty is the spirit that waves on high
Like a flag of wind that is flown awry It is visible now to my naked eye to my naked eye and my naked mind the flag blows out and wind blows in they are one and the same like flesh and skin.
My wood and my bone are burnt in the sun
I wave like smoke, crackle like gun March to meet the starry ground
Where the camps are lit and the spirits sound
Their bugles for burning bone and tongue.
Handyman impaled on metal fence after falling from mango tree
A53-year-old handyman lost his life on Tuesday afternoon after falling from a mango tree and being impaled on a metal fence.
Dead is Deryck Sattan, also known as “Chow” or “Chowmein,” of Lot 69 Fourth Street, Cumming Lodge, Greater Georgetown.
The incident occurred at about 12:05h Lot 69 Fourth Street, Cumming Lodge.
According to reports, Sattan and his friend, known only as “Leo,” entered a neighbour’s yard just before noon, asking for permission to pick mangoes.
Sattan, shortly afterwards began climbing the fence and grabbed onto a fragile limb for support. However, the limb broke, causing him to fall and his head to become impaled on the pointed metal fence.
His friend, who wit-
nessed the incident, immediately alerted residents, shouting that Sattan was “stick up in the fence.” Upon checking, persons in the yard found Sattan motionless and quickly called the police. Sattan was pronounced dead and his body was taken to Memorial Funeral Home, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted.
When reporters visited Sattan’s home later on Tuesday afternoon, some of his friends who lived with him at a house in Fourth Street, Cummings Lodge – not far from where the incident took place – were there. They told Guyana Times that the homeowner, a friend of theirs, had allowed them to stay in the house for nearly two years. The friends are not aware of any immediate family members of the now-deceased.
It is suspected that the
victim might have been intoxicated whilst he was climbing the tree. The dead man’s friends described him as having a complex personality and noted that just an hour before the fatal incident, Sattan had eaten lunch and had been drinking.
One of the man’s housemates has since expressed his shock at the news, telling Guyana Times, “he walked out of our yard full of life, and within an hour, he was gone…Look how Chow made the news now. This is sad.” (G9)
Govt restarts dental technician...
“Make sure you study well and I’m sure that from this course there will be other courses where you can improve and be the best in your field,” Dr Anthony added.
In about 18 months, the trainees will graduate from the Dental Technician Training Programme and successful candidates will be required to enter into an agreement to serve the Government of Guyana for a period of not less than three years.
Dr Anthony noted
that the batch will be stationed at facilities with dental equipment, such as X rays and modern laboratories.
“Before 2019, we had three x-rays that were working and they were probably all analog x-rays so you had to go watch these things in some dark room and then you look at the film and that was just 2019. Today, across the system we have 20 imaging units and most of them are digital and then we have recently bought five new pieces of equipment,
Woman shot after Police open fire on fleeing car
A28-year-old
Venezuelan woman was shot and injured on Monday afternoon after Police opened fire on a vehicle that refused to stop for a search.
The incident occurred around 14:00h on Lime Street, Werk-en-Rust, Georgetown.
According to a statement from Police Headquarters, two officers from the Brickdam Police Station’s Impact Base Anti-Crime Patrol were on duty when they attempted to stop a tinted vehicle to conduct a search.
When the driver of the vehicle refused to comply and sped away, the officers opened fire while pursuing it. During
the chase, the woman, who was a bystander, was struck by a bullet in the buttocks.
She was immediately taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where she is currently receiving medical treatment.
The Office of Professional Responsibility has launched an investiga-
tion into the incident, and the officers involved are currently under close arrest pending the outcome of the inquiry. Up until press time on Tuesday, the Police have not released any additional details regarding the status of the vehicle and its occupants. Investigations are ongoing.
which will be able to allow us to do CT scans and that’s the kind of investment we are making for dentistry,” he added.
Prior to the relaunch of the programme, Dental Technician Training was only facilitated at the Cheddi Jagan Dental School.
According to Dr Anthony, the programme’s reinstatement after 15 years, marks a significant milestone in the Government’s commitment to elevating healthcare standards in the country. (G1)
Dead: Deryck Sattan
The fence on which Deryck Sattan was impaled
1 year later
Berbice man charged for Rose Hall double murder
More than one year after the gruesome murder of a mother and her son at their Rose Hall Town, Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) home in August 2023, a man has been charged and remanded for the crime.
Police had previously questioned the man following the murder of Melissa Arokium, 31, and her eight-year-old son, Anthony Arokium, for breaking and enter and larceny.
Qunicy Hooper called “Red Man”, a 33-year-old security guard of Lot 70 Fyrish Road Corentyne Berbice, was on Tuesday charged with the murders of the woman and her son.
The accused appeared at the Albion Magistrates Court where he was not required to plead to the charge and was remanded to prison until October 4. It was reported that the woman’s body was found lying in a pool of blood on the floor, while the child was on his bed and was also in a pool of blood. His body had what appeared to be at least one stab wound to the back of his neck, while his moth-
er’s body appeared to have chop wounds to the neck, shoulder and chest.
The victim had operated a small grocery shop at her home. She shared the building with her brother, who is a cane harvester, but they lived in separate apartments.
Post-mortem exam-
inations performed on the bodies by Government Pathologist Dr. Vivekanand Bridgemohan determined that the woman died as a result of shock and haemorrhage due to incised wounds to the neck, while the cause of death of her son was given as shock and haemorrhage due to multiple incised wounds.
Following the discovery of the body police arrested two of the woman’s siblings and a cousin but they were subsequently released. The cousin, Hooper was arrested again as evidence surfaced about threats, he had allegedly made to Arokium.
In October police again arrested Hooper who was said to be a mentally ill cousin of the deceased woman, and was charged with breaking and enter and larceny.
Back then, the court was told that Hooper broke into the Mangrove Street, Rose Hall Town home, and allegedly started living there.
Family members of the now-dead woman reported that at least one person was threatened after they tried to get Hooper out of the building.
Meanwhile, there are reports that Hooper was charged with both murders after he provided certain information to investigators. That information is expected to be used in the prosecution’s case. (G4)
Meeting…
…on democratic challenges
The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) is holding its 46th Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas, and the Atlantic Region in Guyana. It started on Monday with the theme “Democracy: Challenges Facing Modern Parliaments”. The participants obviously have some serious skin in the game, since they’re clearly not predisposed to discussing whether parliament itself might’ve outlived its usefulness due to the passage of time.
Parliament, of course, arose out of the feudal struggle of the nobles in Britain against their King, to get a piece of the action from governing the nation. Meaning, they also wanted to rape the land and the citizenry for their satisfaction. This segued into the developing business class - formed from screwing the natives of the new empire – to demand their share of the government in order to protect their wealth. They formed the House of Commons in the Parliament. We, of course, had been the natives getting screwed by the Monarch, the Royals, and finally the business class; and it ain’t strange that when we finally became independent, our parliamentarians assumed they’d take over from where the British left off in screwing our people royally!!
The British had an apt pupil in Forbes Burnham, who knew from his student days in Britain that behind all the fancy rhetoric about rights and justice, etc, it was all a matter about who had the POWER!! Which the holder could then use to screw the people and live high off the hog!! So, when these Parliamentarians talk about their “challenges”, they’re talking about the challenges to them getting their hands into the cookie jar – called the Consolidated Fund!!
Take local MP Ganesh Mahipal – who was subbing for Norton, who was collecting bribes… erm, “donations”…in Brooklyn!! He was quite candid in announcing that from where he sits (in the PNC!!) with scandal and corruption etc, there’s the perception that Parliamentarians are more interested in self-preservation than public service, and this has contributed to widespread cynicism!! Now, Mahipal knows of what he speaks, having been involved in a series of “he seh she seh” stories on corruption!! The fault, dear Parliamentarians, Mahipaul surprised, is that Parliamentarians should take a long, hard look in the mirror!! Pressie also took the opportunity to expand on the rottenness of democracy having to be laid at the feet of the players. “Democracy transcends every aspect of life. Sometimes I smile at organisations talking about democracy, and when you examine those organisations, for decades they never had elections in electing their leaders. One-person-run organisations, and then we take their word as the truth-bearer on democracy”!! So, will anything change after this big pow-wow?? Sadly, no. No MP wanna take the mote out of their own eye!!
…Mad Maduro’s challenge
Mad Maduro thinks he’s pretty clever to count on the US administration being distracted by their upcoming elections this November so’s not to keep their word to prevent the erosion of democracy in this hemisphere. They know that if “one bad apple spoils the barrel”, one rogue autocracy like Venezuelabacked by his cohorts Russia, Iran and China - would precipitate a domino effect against democracy in a snap!! So, the news that the US seized his private jet that he uses to impress pipsqueaks like Ralph Gonzalves gotta be a wake-up call signalling that his rigging coup, after last July’s elections, ain’t over till the fat lady sings!!
While Mad Maduro squeals that this was an “act of piracy” – ignoring his act of brigandage to steal millions of votes by the beleaguered people – it should wise-up folks like the Commonwealth MPs meeting here – that the greatest challenge to democracy is the rigging of elections.
And they should issue a statement denouncing Mad Maduro’s eyepass against them for devaluing their legitimacy!!
…the drug trans-shipment challenge
The massive drug bust through HUMINT in Matthews Ridge should alert our authorities that we gotta do better in terms of surveillance of our western border. Mad Maduro’s threatened invasion cannot be taken lightly. Drones??
Melissa Arokium and her eight-year-old son, Anthony Arokium
Charged: Qunicy Hooper called “Red Man”
Guyana records 8000 dengue cases, 5 deaths so far for 2024
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Tuesday told the media that for the year so far, 8000 cases of dengue have been recorded.
Of 8000 dengue cases, 5000 alone were recorded from June to August and these figures surpasses statistics recorded in 2023, which showed that some 2169 cases were detected from January to August.
For 2024 so far, there have been five dengue related deaths, and 800 persons were hospitalized in healthcare facilities across the country.
According to the Health Minister, this data was accumulated from the 32,000 test his ministry has administered this year.
“But as you know, there are four types or subtypes of dengue. If you get infected the first time, more than likely you are going to be with mild symptoms or even asymptomatic. But if you get infected with a different subtype, then for most people or for some people, it can give them a more severe form of dengue. And that's what we're seeing, and that's why some people have to go into the hospital. And we do that out of an abundance of caution, and again, the hospitals, we have been treating people, and I think most of them have resolved quite nicely,” Anthony said.
To address the surge in cases, the minister explained that govern-
ment has approached the National Assembly for supplementary funds to procure fogging machines for the various Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) to spread hotspot regularly.
“We are going to train the workers at the NDC how to mix the chemicals, how to do fogging. We are going to teach them all of that, and once that happens, we'll provide them
with a fogging machine, all the chemicals, and we'll supervise them in a sense. So hopefully the response time would be much quicker, and the cycles of fogging would increase in frequency. So, you will see that go into operation in the near future. So, this also should bring some relief, and rather than us trying to come out to do it, each NDC would now be equipped to be able to do
this on their own,” he added.
In addition, Anthony disclosed that all NDCs will have an adequate amount of dengue testing kits and bed nets as the ministry moves to beef up their diagnostic capacity.
Dengue vaccines
The Government recently disclosed that it is mulling plans to acquire dengue vaccines. In fact, the administration is looking at the possibility of procuring vaccines from Japan.
In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) cleared the dengue vaccine manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceuticals’ – a Japanese firm.
At the time, Minister Anthony revealed that
Government have already commenced talks with the international partners such as the Pan American Organization (PAHO) to gain access to the dengue vaccine, given that it is scarce and expensive.
“There is a vaccine that is manufactured in Japan but right now global supply is very scarce. For example, a lot of this vaccine has been brought by Brazil, and they have an immunization programme where they are giving to their five to 10 years of age, they have been giving to the children of Brazil.
But the vaccine is quite expensive and right now it is very scarce. So, the price probably has gone up too.
2025 elections
President Ali vows to safeguard Guyana’s democracy
Ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Monday recommitted to ensuring that democracy is upheld in future polls, where the will of the people is clearly reflected.
The Head of State, who was at the time addressing the 46th Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas, and the Atlantic (CAA) Region of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) underscored that the cornerstone of parliamentary democracy is the integrity of free and fair elections.
The Guyanese leader noted that Guyana and, by extension, the world must desist from subverting democracy for economic gains and instead ensure that it aligns with the voices of the people, rule of law and longstanding societal values.
“The foremost challenge in protecting parliamenta-
President
Dr Irfaan Ali addressing the 46th Conference of the Caribbean, the Americas and the Atlantic Region of the Commonwealth, Parliamentary Association
ry democracy therefore, is to ensure respect for free and fair election. The very basis of representative governments and parliaments.
Elections that are truly reflective of the people’s will is the cornerstone of any democratic society,” the Head of State said.
Recollecting the 2020 General and Regional Elections’ fiasco created by the A Partnership for
National Unity/Alliance for Change (APNU/AFC), and events which followed, the Head of State noted that these challenges have served as valuable lessons, leading to a more robust democratic system.
President Ali is hopeful that systems being put in place by government, ahead of the 2025 polls would ensure that democracy is upheld and there is a smooth
transition into office, similar to the events of the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU).
“It is common knowledge that Guyana’s political evolution has been marred by the perversion of democratic rule for almost three decades, followed by the restoration of democracy and then an aborted attempt to subvert democratic elections… I was most impressed with the just concluded UK elections, the smoothness of transition, the respect to the voters, the respect for the results and the genuine way in which that transition took place is a case study of best practice and is a case study of how transition can be managed,” he pointed out.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the major parties in the APNU: People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the AFC have all concluded
their congress to set the pace for the elections.
Following the 2020 General and Regional Elections, which deteriorated during the tabulation process, the Carter Center had recommended consolidation of all legislation related to elections to create greater legal clarity and common understanding among stakeholders, and to help ensure the legal framework for elections is more accessible to Guyana’s citizens.
It was further recommended that Guyana enact legislation to regulate political parties’ registration and operations, support freedom of association, and promote broad multi-ethnic parties that can represent citizens’ interests in Government.
The Carter Center had also urged Guyana’s political leaders to make critical issues of constitutional reform an urgent priority, and commit to completing key
reforms — including reform of the “winner-takes-all” election system.
Specifically, the Center had recommended that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) introduce a Political Party Code of Conduct earlier in the electoral process; increase transparency of GECOM’s operations and decision-making; update the voter registry and review voter registration procedures; better define operational procedures; enforce existing campaign finance regulations; and develop and publicise written procedures for tabulation.
Currently, several former employees of GECOM, including the Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield and Deputy Chief Elections Officer, Roxanne Myers are before the court on matters relating to electoral fraud. (G1)
Sir Shridath Ramphal
“His legacy will continue to inspire and guide us” – CCJ …says
Ramphal’s advocacy was critical for formation of regional court
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has joined in the tributes for late legal luminary and elder statesman, Sir Shridath ‘Sonny’ Ramphal, hailing the important legacy left by the Guyanese icon and the role he played in the very existence of the regional court.
According to the CCJ, in a statement on Tuesday, Ramphal played critical roles in the development of regional and international law. The CCJ pointed out that it was Ramphal who, as Chairman of the West Indian Commission, helped to usher in a new era of regional cooperation within the Caribbean.
Describing him as one of the region’s greatest minds in diplomacy, law, and international relations, the CCJ also revealed that it was Ramphal who advocated for the establishment of an appellate court that would exclusively service the Caribbean region. This was instrumental in the birth of the CCJ, in 2001.
“Sir Shridath’s vi-
“As a distinguished lawyer, diplomat, and statesman, Sir Shridath Ramphal's contributions to the development of Caribbean jurisprudence and international law were unparalleled. His tenure as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, and his pivotal role in ushering a new era of regional cooperation within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) as Chair of the West Indian Commission are testaments to his unwavering commitment to the ideals of regional integration,” CCJ said in its statement.
sion for an integrated Caribbean was not only rooted in political and economic unity but also in the strengthening of legal frameworks that protect the rights and freedoms of all Caribbean citizens.”
“His advocacy for the establishment of a Caribbean final appellate court and a court
found sense of loss felt across the Caribbean and the wider international community.”
“His legacy will continue to inspire and guide us as we strive to realise the full potential of Caribbean integration. In this time of mourning, we reflect on Sir Shridath’s remarkable life and the indomitable spirit with which he served the Caribbean and the world,” the court further said.
to adjudicate over issues arising out of the interpretation and application of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas were instrumental in the inception of the CCJ,” the court explained.
Meanwhile, the CCJ said that it would continue to be inspired by the legacy left by Ramphal and that his contributions, across a wide sphere of areas, will continue to be remembered and celebrated.
“On behalf of the President, the Judges, and staff of the CCJ, we extend our deepest condolences to Sir Shridath Ramphal's family, friends, and colleagues. We share in the pro-
Sir Shridath Ramphal passed away on August 30, 2024, surrounded by his children in Barbados where he lived for several decades. He was 96 at the time of his passing.
The statesman was born on October 3, 1928, in New Amsterdam, British Guiana (now Guyana) and educated at King’s College London and Gray’s Inn, London, Sir Shridath was predeceased by his beloved wife of 67 years, Lady Lois Ramphal, on September 20, 2019.
His distinguished career spanned numerous pivotal roles: Assistant Attorney-General of the West Indies Federation, Minister
of Justice and Foreign Affairs of Guyana, and Secretary-General of the Commonwealth. He also held concurrent positions as Chancellor of the University of Guyana (UG), the University of the West Indies (UWI), and Warwick University.
He was the only individual to have served on all the Global Commissions that produced landmark reports on the environment, development, and disarmament between 1980 and 1995. As Chairman of the West Indian Commission, his 1992 report, “Time for Action,” remains a seminal blueprint for Caribbean development.
Globally respected, Sir Shridath served in various capacities, including President of the World Conservation Union, Special Adviser to the UN Conference on Environment and Development, and Chief Negotiator for the Caribbean on External Economic Relations. He was also a mediator and facilitator in elections and constitutional crises.
Sir Shridath Ramphal
Venezuela border controversy
Guyana updates Commonwealth Ministerial Group on ICJ case
…UK, Canada, South Africa, Bangladesh among members
A24-year-old
Commonwealth Ministerial Group
established with the specific aim of focusing on the Guyana–Venezuela border controversy was on Tuesday provided with an update on the case by Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry explained in a statement that Todd held a virtual meeting with the group, which current-
ly comprises Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, South Africa and the United Kingdom (UK).
“The Honourable Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation earlier today (Tuesday) provided an update on the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy to the Commonwealth Ministerial Group on Guyana (CMGG),” a re-
lease issued by the ministry stated.
The Commonwealth Ministerial Group of Guyana was established at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Durban in 1999 to monitor developments in respect of the existing controversy between Guyana and Venezuela.
Additionally, Guyana has consistently received support from all of the ABC countries – US, the UK
and Canada. Support for the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to serve as the final decision-making forum on the controversy has also come from the European Union (EU), the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Commonwealth.
Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd during the meeting
Aishalton man stabbed to death while building tomb
Amurder investigation is underway in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) following the death of a man who was allegedly stabbed to death on Monday afternoon during a fight with an 18-year-old.
Dead is Julio Mandook. It was reported that the incident occurred at around 13:00h in Aishalton Village, South Rupununi, Region Nine.
According to preliminary investigations, Mandook and several others had gone to the Aishalton Cemetery to construct a tomb. While at the site, they were report-
edly consuming alcohol and digging sand from a nearby walkway, approximately 600 meters away from the tomb construction area.
It was during this time that the teen allegedly encountered the group. According to the teen, he was on his way home when he saw Mandook
digging sand from the walkway. Concerned that removing the sand could cause damage to the walkway, the teen allegedly warned Mandook to stop and a heated argument between the two men quickly escalated into a physical altercation.
During the scuffle, Mandook sustained a stab
wound to his chest, after which the teen fled the scene. One of the other men involved in fetching the sand later returned to the walkway and found Mandook bleeding heavily. He was immediately rushed to the Aishalton District Hospital, where he was treated and admitted.
While at the hospital, Mandook recounted the incident to his reputed wife during a visit and later succumbed to his injuries.
Following his death police arrested the teen. He remains in Police custody assisting with investigations. (G9)
Double-barrel shotgun found under bed in Region 1
A33-year-old mason was arrested on Monday after police discovered an illegal double-barrel shotgun at his residence in Wauna Scheme, Region One (Barima-Waini).
The incident unfolded when a team from the Mabaruma Police Station responded to a report of an alleged unlawful wounding earlier that evening. The report was made by a 24-year-old labourer residing at Wauna Public Road, who accused the mason of assaulting
him.
Upon arriving at suspect’s home, the police noticed his suspicious behaviour and requested to search the premises. The search was conducted in the presence of both suspect and his partner.
During the search, the police uncovered a double-barrel shotgun hidden under a bed. When questioned, the man admitted that he did not have a license for the gun. He was taken into custody pending charges.
(G9)
Ramsammy’s Ruminations
Georgetown’s
City Hall is a mess ruled by a shameless, disgraceful
bunch
There are no “ands, ifs and buts”, Georgetown is the dirtiest city in the Caribbean, and is one of the dirtiest cities in the world. Georgetown is a disgrace to all Guyanese. Our once “Garden City” of the Caribbean and the Commonwealth is today the “Garbage City” of the Caribbean and the Commonwealth. Citizens take absolutely no pleasure in admitting that Georgetown is a dump.
President Irfaan Ali, his cabinet, and countless volunteers have tried to clean up the city; but, almost instantly, the cleaned areas return to their previous garbage status.
President Ali’s tireless efforts are not the first time leaders have tried to clean up Georgetown. Soon after the PNC-led APNU/AFC Government took over the government in 2015, they undertook a clean-up campaign, which was short-lived, because it soon occurred to them that it is a waste of time. Georgetown has a government that is an albatross for Guyanese.
Long before independence, Georgetown’s government had been in the hands of the same political party – the PNC. While some Guyanese want to hold Central Government responsible, unless the Georgetown government – the Mayor and City Council – takes responsibility for the cleanliness of the capital city, it will continue to be the Caribbean and the Commonwealth’s “Garbage City”. The PNC Mayor and the PNC-led City Council have shown no interest in cleaning up Georgetown. Like pigs wallowing in the mud, the Mayor and the PNC-majority councillors find ecstasy in being swaddled by the mountains of rodent-infested, maggot-filled garbage that adorns the city everywhere.
Unless there is a Central Government takeover, no change is coming to Georgetown anytime soon. The alternative is for the people to vote the PNC-led City government out. That will happen not long from now. But Georgetown and Guyana cannot wait for that to happen.
Action must be taken now. The reluctance of Central Government to act against the City government is dictated by the reality that the Central Government will be accused of taking away the fundamental rights of citizens who voted for this mess of a City government.
The familiar excuse is that Central Government starves the Mayor and the City Council of revenues. Yet the same City Council, last week, introduced a despicable policy to grant political parties a 75% deduction on their taxes. The policy hugely benefits one political party – the same one which is in charge of the Georgetown government. The PNC owes hundreds of millions of dollars in back-taxes. Maybe there are other political parties, such as the AFC, that might owe taxes. In fact, the story is that the AFC formally requested a reduction in taxes.
The PPP, Guyana’s largest political party by far, the political party that runs Central Government, has paid its taxes and is up-to-date with its payment. We know that because General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo told us so, and produced the payment receipts. There is no hiding in fancy words. It reminds us of the 2020 elections when, within 48 hours, the PPP published its copies of the GECOM-certified SOPs.
But just like the SOPs from the March 2020 elections, the PNC is unable to publish its receipts. After some clumsy responses to Bharrat Jagdeo’s statement that the PNC owed $6.7B in back taxes, the PNC’s position now is that they do not owe any tax to the City Council. The story is that when they say they owe no taxes, it might be because they might have placed Congress Place and other PNC-owned properties in a private entity. They refuse to admit this.
Political parties must demonstrate to people they can be trusted. It is a simple matter: are taxes owed for Congress Place, regardless of under whose name Congress Place is registered with the City Council? As long as the PNC is playing games with the answer, just as they have been playing games with the March 2020 elections’ SOPs, decent people will not trust them. Just as they promised the students that UG will be free, and then they increased the fees; just as they promised no sugar estate will be closed, and then proceeded on a journey to close down sugar totally by closing four sugar estates; just as they promised workers 20% increases in wages and salaries, and then froze the sugar workers’ wages and gave marginal increases to public servants; just as they hid the US$18M Exxon bonus, the same untrustworthiness is the PNC’s albatross.
The same frankness as displayed by the PPP is required of all political parties. Not only must the PNC come clean, the AFC must tell the nation whether they have paid their taxes. With Elections 2025 staring at us, political parties must pass this test of transparency.
The Mayor and City Council cannot shamelessly argue that Central Government is starving the City of resources, but can afford to give 75% tax deduction on major properties owned by political parties. Can we make sense of all of this?
In 2021, the Mayor and City Council spoke about new streams of revenue. What did they mean by new streams? It was increases in market stall rentals, fees for pile-driving operations, wash-bay facilities, occupational certificates, and food handlers’ certificates. Yet this same bunch wants to reduce political parties’ taxes by 75%. In 2021, the then-Mayor revisited an old PNC strategy – re-examination of the Valuation for Rating Purposes Act. They wanted to increase property taxes. The bottom line is that the policy of 75% reduction for properties owned by political parties is designed for one political party, and that is the PNC, with the AFC as collateral beneficiary. When all is said and done, whom do we trust? The time to act as Guyana is being transformed is now. The City needs a new government.
Over 260 health practitioners trained to treat mpox as Guyana remains alert
Amid the global outbreak of monkeypox – an infectious disease that can make persons very sick and even lead to death – local authorities have ramped up efforts to ensure it does not reach Guyana’s shores.
To date, there are no known cases of mpox in Guyana.
Nevertheless, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony told reporters today that already, authorities have ensured the training of some 270 health practitioners to diagnose, treat and reduce the spread of monkeypox (mpox).
Considering the speed in which the virus is spreading, Dr. Anthony explained that more health workers will be exposed to the training in the event of an outbreak locally.
He added that those who have benefited from training are now responsible for enforcing Guyana’s mpox guidelines and by extension, ensuring their colleagues do the same.
“We have also published guidelines for our physicians in terms of how you diagnose mpox, what you should look for, the signs and symptoms, and so forth. So, we have very comprehensive guidelines, and that has been issued, and we have circulated it to all our physicians. Last weekend, we also did a training for doctors across Guyana. We had more than 270 doctors who were on the training, so I think it has helped to give them a refresher in terms of mpox and the differential diagnosis that they have to make with other similar skin lesions. So, I think we are quite prepared,” Dr. Anthony disclosed.
With monkeypox being declared a public health emergency, Guyana’s health authorities have activated screening at all ports of entry and implemented safety guidelines at healthcare facilities across the country.
Anthony explained that health officials at port offices have the capabilities to respond in the event that a person enters the country with mon-
keypox symptoms.
Further, he added that vaccines for mpox are also available for persons at risk.
“In addition to that, the team, the national team, they meet on a regular basis to assess what is going on internationally, what threat these cases pose, and to even make sure that we are in a state of readiness. We have also bought vaccines, and we have in stock vaccines against mpox. And we have issued a set of criteria that can be used for persons who would be more at risk, and for those persons, we will be able to administer the vaccine if they would like to have that,” he added.
On August 7th, the World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that due to the growing number of monkeypox cases in Africa, the virus is now a global health emergency, warning that it might ultimately spill across international borders.
The announcement by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus came after a meeting of the United Nations (UN) health agency’s emergency committee.
Guyana’s health authorities are imploring that citizens take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from contracting the virus, especially since a severe case has already been detected in neighbouring Venezuela.
Signs and symptoms
Monkeypox causes pus-filled blisters that crust over and fall off. After exposure to this disease, the period of time before symptoms develop could last from several days to a few weeks. Early signs of monkeypox include flu-like symptoms like fever, chills, headache, muscle aches, fatigue, and swollen lymph nodes. After a few days, a rash usually develops. That rash starts as flat, red bumps which can be painful.
Those bumps turn into blisters, which become filled with pus. Eventually, the blisters crust over
and fall off. The whole process can last from two to four weeks. An infected person can also get sores in their mouth, vagina, or anus.
Spread, treatment
Monkeypox is spread by a person coming into contact with an animal or person who is infected with the virus. Animal-to-person transmission occurs through broken skin, like from bites or scratches, or through direct contact with an infected animal’s blood, bodily fluids, or pox lesions (sores).
Monkeypox can be spread from person to person, but it’s less common. Person-to-person spread (transmission) occurs when persons come in contact with the sores, scabs, respiratory droplets, or oral fluids of an infected person; usually through close, intimate situations like cuddling, kissing, or sex.
Healthcare providers may first suspect other rash illnesses, such as measles or chickenpox. But swollen lymph nodes usually distinguish monkeypox from other poxes.
To diagnose monkeypox, a healthcare provider takes a tissue sample from an open sore (lesion). Then they send it to a lab for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing (genetic fingerprinting). A blood sample can be taken for the monkeypox virus or antibodies the immune system makes to combat it.
Monkeypox can be confirmed in Guyana with the identification of MPXV via RT-PCR analysis conducted at the National Public Health Reference Laboratory (NPHRL) in Georgetown.
The virus is usually a self-limiting disease, with symptoms lasting from two to four weeks.
The incubation period of monkeypox virus infection is usually from 5 to 13 days but can range from 4 to 21 days. During the outbreak that began in 2022, the incubation period has generally ranged from 7 to 10 days following exposure. (G1)
Guyana records 8000 dengue cases...
We were looking into it, and if we get an organisation like PAHO to access the vaccine, through their strategic fund, and make it available at a cheaper cost, then it would become more affordable to countries like in the Americas,” he said.
In addition to cost and availability, Minister Anthony explained that the efficacy of dengue vaccine is currently being examined to determine its effectiveness to all the strains of the mosquito-borne virus, which include DENV-1, -2, -3, and -4.
“In the Americas right now, we have all four variants that are circulating. And the challenge that you
have with dengue is that if you were infected with one subtype, you will have mild symptoms. Nothing will go wrong with you. But if you get infected a second time with a different subtype, you can have a more severe form of the infection. So that's a challenge that we're trying to work through. So, that's the challenge with the vaccine, one, the efficacy, two, the availability, and three, the cost,” Dr. Anthony added.
Dengue in Americas Dengue is an acute febrile disease that is caused by the dengue
virus which is transmitted by the Aedes mosquito. There are four serotypes of the dengue virus known as DENV 1-4, each of which can cause an infection. Re-infection with a different serotype from that of a previous infection can result in a more severe form of the disease. Persons with Dengue may experience fever, eye pain (back of the eye), muscle/joint pain, skin rash, and headache and generalized weakness. Persons affected by severe dengue (haemorrhagic dengue) may develop complications that are associated with bleeding and clotting disorders.
Dr Leslie Ramsammy
50 rape cases reported in Region 6 so far this year
...persons more willing to make reports – Police Commander
...as Child-Friendly Space opens at Springlands Police Station
There have been 50 cases of rape reported to authorities in Region Six thus far for the year. This is according to Region Six Police Commander Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus.
He made the disclosure on Tuesday during the opening of a Child-Friendly Space at Springlands Police Station. This compares with thirty for the corresponding period last year.
The commander however noted that more persons are not coming forward to report instances of gender-based violence in the Region.
He explained that persons are now more confident in reporting such incidents to the police feeling that the issue will be dealt with professionally.
Additionally, he noted that the department has
been working closely with its partners; the regional Health department and the Welfare department.
“One of the six pillars that we are focusing on is to develop personnel for best practices,” he revealed noting that many of the officers who handle gender-based violence matters have re-
ceived special training.
According to the Regional Commander, most of the instances of rape being reported in the Region are classified as statutory rape where the victim is under the age of 16 years old.
“What we find is that most of these acts are being committed during the school
vision set to make it better for the kids and women who would be inclined to visit that unit.”
He pointed out that women are at the receiving end of most cases of gender-based violence that have been reported.
period and on weekends, this is when the children are unprotected.”
In recent times, a day and night care centre has been established at Rose Hall Town through the intervention of St. Francis Community Developers (SFCD).
This allows for the children of police officers to be in a safe space while they are out working.
“We recognise there is a need for similar facilities to be established in all three sub-divisions. The NGO would have made it possible for this to be established at Springlands.”
They put everything in place to make the area conducive. The Station Management Committee would have donated a tele-
Meanwhile, during a recent visit to the region by former United Nations (UN) Resident Coordinator to Guyana Yesim Oruç, police ranks at Central Police Station in New Amsterdam raised some of their concerns as it related to the service they can provide for victims of domestic violence. A request was made for cameras, laptops, and other equipment necessary to ensure the officers would be able to function effectively. This would ensure they get the best results when they prepare cases for trial.
The UN through the UNDP fulfilled that commitment on Tuesday when the Resident Rep. Gerardo Noto delivered several laptops, cameras, electronic tablets, and two printers.
Noto was also taken on a brief tour to witness firsthand the effects of the collaborative system that has been developed in the Region to holistically address the issue of gender-based violence.
According to the Police Commander, there is now a requirement from
Region Six Police Commander, Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus
the Director of Public Prosecution that all statements be typed and not handwritten. Bacchus said the laptops will be given to officers who operate in the unit.
However, Divisional Crime Officer Superintendent Rawl Nedd explained that it is very difficult to get statements printed and signed when officers visit riverine communities. He noted the need for mobile printers.
The UNDP official took up the hint and committed to ensuring that mobile printers and digitals will be supplied to the division.
“We will make the unit in Region Six a model for the rest of the country so everyone will have their laptop and their cameras so they can take their pictures. They will also have those printers that they can carry along when they are going to outline areas,” he assured. (G4)
Guyana updates Commonwealth Ministerial...
The case is currently before the ICJ, with Guyana and Venezuela given until December 9, 2024 and August 11, 2025 respectively, to make a second round of written submissions. While both sides had agreed that a second round of written pleadings were necessary, the two sides differed on the time period to submit them.
Guyana had proposed a six-month period from April, while Venezuela had requested a 12-month period. Venezuela had claimed that the 12-month period was necessary given the case’s complexity. This, however, was in spite of the ICJ’s procedural rules which generally favor shorter time limits. Guyana’s side argued that this request was excessive.
The case has been before the ICJ since it was brought there in 2018 by Guyana, after the United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Gutterres forwarded the case to the world
court, as per the procedure adumbrated in the Geneva Agreement. The SecretaryGeneral chose the ICJ as the means to resolve the controversy legally, in keeping with the dispute mechanism outlined by Article 33 of the UN Charter.
Guyana submitted its memorial since March 2022, with Venezuela given until April 2024 to submit its own counter-memorial. It did so on the very last day. This came after two attempts by Venezuela to challenge the court’s jurisdiction to hear the matter, had been overturned.
The Government of Guyana has meanwhile had cause to inform all relevant international bodies, allies and other partners about Venezuela’s threatening actions at the border, where the Spanish speaking nation has been building up its military.
Earlier this year, Venezuela’s National Armed Forces built a bridge
FROM PAGE 13
connecting Venezuela and Ankoko Island in Cuyuni River as it allegedly advances towards Guyana’s Essequibo region. Ankoko Island is shared by the two countries with each owning half, but Venezuela illegally took over the entire island and also established a military base in 1966 after Guyana gained independence.
This occurred despite the Joint Declaration of Argyle for Dialogue and Peace signed between the two countries in December 2023 which stated, inter alia, that they would not threaten or use force against each another.
The Presidents of both countries also engaged each other at the time, under the mediation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, who hosted the dialogue, in the hopes of advancing bilateral relations outside of the substantive border controversy.
The Child-Friendly Space at Springlands Police Station
Int’l spiritual teacher to visit Guyana for “Awakening with Brahma Kumaris” series
World_renowned spiritual teacher known for the “Awakening with Brahma Kumaris” series which aims at mindfulness and self-transformation Sister Shivani will be in Guyana on September 18 at the National Cultural Centre, Georgetown.
Discussions at the event are set to be focused on the power of love and forgiveness, two key principles that keep families and communities united and resilient. From the personal to the global level, these concepts lay the basic foundation on which strong and healthy relationships are built. Sister Shivani’s engagement in Guyana aims to identify ways in which citizens can awaken and use the power of these gentle yet formidable qualities.
Who is Sister
Shivani?
Shivani Vishal Verma, popularly known as BK Sister Shivani, has been a practitioner and a teacher of Rajyoga Meditation that is at the heart of the teachings of Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual Organisation, since 1996. She holds an Electronics Engineering degree from Pune University, India. First telecasted in 2007, her widely popular television show Awakening with Brahma Kumaris enjoys the rare distinction of having completed 2,000 episodes. For over a decade, the show has empowered individuals from all walks of life in India, USA and Canada, UK, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and South-East Asia. Viewers have overcome mental stress, depression, addictions, low
World-renowned spiritual teacher Shivani Vishal Verma
self-esteem and unhappy relationships.
In March 2019, Shivani Vishal Verma was awarded the prestigious Nari Shakti Puraskaar (Woman Power Award), the highest civilian honor for women in India, for her role in transforming hu-
man behaviors. The award was conferred by the then President of India, Ram Nath Kovind. Since 2017 she has been appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador by the World Psychiatric Association. In 2023, she was presented the Sustainable Goals Award by UNESCO in Hong Kong. She was the recipient of the Happiness Ambassador Award at the British Parliament in London in 2019, in presence of the Queen’s representatives.
Having traveled to over 35 countries across the globe across USA, Canada, United Kingdom (UK), Europe, Australia and New Zealand, Africa, SouthEast Asia and Middle East, she has delivered over 4,500 talks overseas and in India. At Silicon Valley, USA,
she has addressed corporate giants such as Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Amazon and Intel. All events are conducted as a service to the community, offered to participants free of charge.
As part of her upcoming tour to Africa in June 2024, Shivani Vishal Verma will be delivering two lectures at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and entry to the event is free.
Her book ‘The Power of One Thought’ was released to the international market in July 2023 by Harper Collins. On Amazon India, it quickly rose to be among the top 5 best sellers in categories such as Relationships, Humanities, Philosophy, Spirituality and SelfHelp. Prior to this, ‘Being Love’ was released in 2020 and ‘Happiness Unlimited’, in 2016.
She regularly interacts with over 12 million followers on social media. Videos on her YouTube channel have registered more than 945 million views.
Her mobile app for emotional fitness, ThinkRight.Me launched in December 2018 has seen over 3.25 million downloads, making it India’s leading meditation and mindfulness app. The unique early morning affirmations and reflections each day are received well by users from 121 countries.
The event which will be hosted at the National Cultural Center will commence on Wednesday September 18 at 18:00h and will conclude at 22:00h. The event will be free of cost however persons are urged to resister online to secure their spots.
87-year-old woman receives new home through MoM initiative
After a devastating fire destroyed the home of 87-yearold Bibi Zainab Eshaha, known as “Aunty Daphnie" of Bushlot, West Coast Berbice (WCB), on May 26 last year, she has recently received the keys to a brand-new home through the Men on Mission (MoM) initiative.
The new house was formally handed over on Saturday by Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha.
Entangled in a bittersweet feeling, Eshaha expressed her deepest thanks to the Guyanese Leader, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, offering him blessings.
“I want to thank the President and Mohamed Ali, that’s Sister Rose, and her husband and Junior for the kind words and what they did for me. May Allah bless them and may Allah bless our President for
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and "Aunty Daphnie" during the donation ceremony for the house
what he has done for me. If it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have gotten the house,” she stated. Meanwhile, she recounted the intense scene of the fire that swept her house away just a year ago.
“Myself and my three grandchildren were sleeping when our neighbors saw fire and woke me up. When we came out, the house was
burning down. We came out with just our sleeping clothes and nothing else.”
It was also understood that the elderly lady received vast support after the destruction of her home.
During the donation of the home, Mustapha remarked that this donation would change the course of her life.
“I hope, Auntie,
this will make a difference in your life. You’ll have better, more comfortable accommodation. Your house was burned, unfortunately, but here again, because of the commitment of our President, the care and concern of our President, you are now receiving a new house from the President’s programme.”
He added, “So I want to thank you all very
much, and I hope that other sponsors can come on board so that we can make these facilities available to the vulnerable population.”
Launched in October 2022, the Men on a Mission Initiative aims to combat toxic masculinity while fostering a supportive environment for men. Through mentoring and humanitarian engagement, Men on
a Mission initiative promotes integrity, productivity, and accountability within communities. Since its inception, the Men on a Mission initiative has been dedicated to constructing homes for vulnerable persons, including the elderly and single mothers. The beneficiaries have to be landowners in order to qualify for a newly-built house.
Regional Brazil, US condemn arrest warrant for Venezuelan Opposition Leader Gonzalez
Brazil's top foreign policy adviser on Tuesday slammed Venezuela's arrest warrant for Opposition Leader Edmundo Gonzalez as "very concerning" and said there was a clear "authoritarian escalation" in the country.
Other countries around the Americas, including the United States, Argentina and Peru, also condemned the move.
The Venezuelan Attorney General's office said on Monday that a court had issued an arrest warrant for Gonzalez, the Opposition's erstwhile presidential candidate, accusing him of conspiracy and other crimes amid a dispute over whether he or President Nicolás Maduro won the July 28 election.
Brazilian foreign policy adviser Celso Amorim said in an interview with Reuters that if Venezuelan authorities do go through with Gonzalez's arrest, "It would be a political arrest, and we do not accept (there should be) political prisoners.
"There is no denying that there is an authoritarian escalation in Venezuela. We do not feel openness to
in any embassy," Gonzalez's lawyer Jose Vicente Haro told Journalists outside the Opposition Leader's residence in Caracas.
"He's not at his residence in order to preserve his freedom, his security, his life and to preserve the will of the Venezuelan people," Haro added.
Ruling party officials, including Maduro, have
accused the Opposition of stoking violence, commanding fascist groups and working at the behest of imperialist interests abroad.
Criminal probes have been launched into Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado and into the Opposition's vote tally website, while several major Opposition figures have been detained.
Venezuela's national electoral authority and its top court have said Maduro was the winner of the election with just over half of the votes, but tallies shared by the Opposition show a resounding victory for the opposition.
Brazil and other countries have demanded publication of full voting tallies.
(Reuters)
Barbados seeking more Ghana nurses
Bdialogue, there is a very strong reaction to any comment," Amorim said, while adding that Brazil still held out hope for a solution to the crisis.
Later, the Brazilian and Colombian Governments in a joint statement said they were profoundly concerned about the issue of the arrest warrant.
Washington also criticised the warrant, which followed weeks of comments from Venezuelan Government officials that Gonzalez and other members of the opposition should be jailed.
"This is just another ex-
ample of Mr Maduro's efforts to maintain power by force and to refuse to recognise that Mr Gonzalez won the most votes on the 28th of July," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
"We're considering a range of options to demonstrate to Mr Maduro and his representatives that their actions in Venezuela will have consequences," Kirby said.
A statement is expected from Gonzalez later on Tuesday.
"He has not requested asylum, he has not requested to be treated as a guest
Haiti power firm says main hydroelectric plant down after protest
Haitian stateowned power firm
Electricite d'Haiti (EDH) said on Tuesday that output at Peligre, the Caribbean nation's largest hydroelectric plant, was down to zero after protests over distribution of the country's flailing power supplies.
Output at Peligre has been down since Monday, EDH said, after people stormed the plant demanding other areas be supplied before the capital, Port-au-Prince, where some residents are relying on diesel-powered generators and solar batteries.
The capital's poorest residents cannot afford either alternative.
"Such actions, far from helping meet the popu-
lation's electricity needs, make EDH's challenges even more difficult as the equipment used to operate plants are expensive and hard to repair, maintain or replace," EDH said in a statement.
It called on authorities to urgently take necessary measures to secure the plant, a structure of "strategic importance to the Haitian state."
With a capacity of 54 megawatts (MW), Peligre provides nearly all of EDH's 60 MW of hydroelectric power, Haiti's largest source of electricity after fossil fuels.
Just 49 per cent of people in the Caribbean nation have access to the electricity grid, according to the latest World Bank data.
EDH said two transformers had been irreversibly broken, and it was unable to bring in technical assistance because the Ouest department, where Port-au-Prince is located, has been virtually cut off from the rest of the country.
Haiti is battling a humanitarian crisis that has seen violent and powerful armed gangs take over much of the capital and surrounding areas, cutting off safe transport as well of key supplies of goods such as medicine and food.
Nearly 580,000 persons have been internally displaced and close to 5 million are facing severe hunger. (Excerpt from Reuters)
arbados is again looking to increase its complement of nurses at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH), and once again, the source will be Ghana.
Speaking during a Barbados Labour Party meeting at St Christopher Primary School which nominated Senator Dr Shantal Munro-Knight as the new candidate in Christ Church South recently, Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley revealed that the decision to bring in more nurses from overseas was approved at last Thursday’s
Cabinet meeting.
“We know we are short on nurses. Cabinet agreed that a team of six will go to Ghana yet again, to be able to allow us to bring in 112 nurses from there. I have agreed also to create in the nursing department, 142 registered nurses, 71 this year and 71 next year, to fill vacancies and increase the number of posts to ensure we have a better nursing ratio.”
She added Government may again have to charter a flight to bring the nurses from Ghana or any other African nation to Barbados,
since it remained difficult for many of them to transition through the United Kingdom, United States or European countries. Mottley said they were also in the process of creating the post of nurse practitioner and nursing specialists. “You should not have to go into administration to learn more in the nursing profession. If you are a good nurse, we want you to continue to be a good nurse and deliver services to the patients and the nursing profession,” she said. (Excerpt from Nation News)
UN details Nicaraguan Government's intensifying violent crackdown on rights
Areport from the United Nations released on Tuesday detailed alleged crimes committed by the Government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, including an intensifying crackdown on dissent enforced with a new wave of arbitrary arrests and torture.
Based on 120 interviews with what the UN human rights office describes as victims and witnesses of human rights abuses, as well as civil society groups, the report, covers just the 12-month period that ended in May. The latest crackdown began over six years ago.
The UN report provided detailed descriptions of arbitrary detentions, at least two documented enforced disappearances, as
well as how freedom of expression and association have been routinely undermined during the period.
Citing civil society reports, the report asserts that 131 perceived Ortega opponents have been arbitrarily detained as of last May, marking a sharp increase compared to 54 a year earlier. It notes that another 10 arbitrary arrests were carried out in June and July.
The report also includes grisly details of a dozen cases of alleged torture and mistreatment of detainees allegedly committed by the government's security apparatus, including rapes and electric shocks. It notes that three men detained reported strangulation of their testicles.
Interviewed torture survivors "showed visible signs of post-traumatic stress disorder," according to the report.
"Detainees and their families were warned against speaking out about torture or conditions of detention and threatened with losing visiting rights," it added.
Vice President Rosario Murillo, the government's spokesperson and Ortega's wife, did not immediately respond to written questions about the report's findings.
Ortega's government in the past has ignored reports from the UN and the Organisation of American States (OAS), which it says are part of an international campaign against it. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Venezuelan Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez on the day he cast his vote in the country's presidential election, in Caracas, Venezuela, July 28, 2024
(Reuters/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria file photo)
Around the World
OIL NEWS
Oil slumps about 5% as end to Libyan dispute in sight
Oil prices settled nearly five per cent down on Tuesday at their lowest levels in nearly nine months on signs of a deal to resolve a dispute that has halted Libyan crude production and exports.
Brent crude futures closed down US$3.77, or 4.9 per cent, at US$73.75 a barrel, their lowest level since December 12. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures, which did not settle on Monday because of the US Labour Day holiday, fell US$3.21, or 4.4 per cent, to US$70.34 – also their lowest since December.
Brent closed down 0.3 per cent last week, while WTI settled 1.7 per cent lower.
Libya's legislative bodies have agreed to appoint a new central bank governor within 30 days after United Nationssponsored talks, a statement signed by representatives of those bodies said on Tuesday.
Libyan oil exports at major ports were halted on Monday and production curtailed across the country, six engineers told Reuters, continuing a standoff between rival political factions over control of the central bank and oil revenue.
The speculation about a deal was triggering momentum selling, said Ole Hansen, an analyst at Saxo Bank.
Libya's National Oil Corp (NOC) declared force majeure on its El Feel oilfield from September 2.
Total production had plunged to little more than 591,000 barrels per day (bpd) as of August 28 from nearly 959,000 bpd on August 26, NOC said. Production was at about 1.28 million bpd on July 20, the company said.
Ahead of the news of more Libyan supply possibly returning to the market, prices had fallen on the belief that demand was being undercut because of sluggish economic growth in China, the world's biggest crude importer.
"The weaker-than-expected Chinese manufacturing PMI over the weekend likely exacerbated concerns about the Chinese economy's performance," said Charalampos Pissouros, senior investment analyst at brokerage XM.
China reported on Monday that new export orders fell for the first time in eight months in July and that prices of new homes rose in August at their weakest pace this year.
Hopes that the US driving season would propel prices to new 2024 highs this summer have also failed to materialise, said Fawad Razaqzada, a market analyst at Forex.
US gasoline futures fell nearly six per cent to their lowest since December 2021, as the end of the summer driving season weighed on demand for the motor fuel.
"The fact that recent data shows no signs of any acceleration in import demand in China, Europe or North America points to a situation where the oil market is not going to be as tight as expected a few months ago," Razaqzada said.
Some supply is set to return to the market as eight members of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and affiliates, together known as OPEC+, are scheduled to boost output by 180,000 bpd in October. The plan is likely to go ahead regardless of demand worries, industry sources said.
Disruptions to supply flows from the Middle East after two oil tankers were attacked on Monday in the Red Sea off Yemen were not enough to buoy prices. The tankers did not sustain major damage.(Reuters)
Ukraine arms chief, 4 Ministers resign; Russia kills 50 in strike
The Ukrainian Minister in charge of weapons production resigned on Tuesday in anticipation of another defence role and four other Ministers stood down in a major government shake-up at a critical juncture in the war with Russia.
The resignations of Strategic Industries Minister Oleksandr Kamyshin, Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna and the Justice, Environment and Reintegration Ministers leaves over a third of the Cabinet vacant after sackings earlier this year.
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his political allies could move to fill the positions to create order before he travels this month to the United States, where he hopes to present a "victory plan" to US President Joe Biden, a key ally.
"Autumn will be extremely important for Ukraine. And our state institutions should be configured so that Ukraine achieves all the results that we need – for all of us,"
Zelenskiy said in his evening address.
"For this, we must strengthen some areas of the Government and changes in its make-up have been prepared. There will also be changes in the (president's) office."
Zelenskiy has also dismissed Rostyslav Shurma, one of his deputy chiefs of staff whose portfolio is the economy, according to a decree published on the presidential website.
David Arakhamia, a senior lawmaker for Zelenskiy's party, said there would be a "major government reset" that would see more than half of the Ministers change.
"Tomorrow a day of sackings awaits us, and a day of appointments the day after," he said.
Stefanishyna, whose portfolio has centred around Kyiv's bid to join the European Union and NATO military alliance, could be named as head of a bigger ministry that combines her old role and that of the justice ministry, the Suspilne public broadcaster cited a
Israeli attacks in Gaza kill 35 Palestinians, but pauses allow 3rd day of polio vaccinations
Israeli forces killed at least 35 Palestinians across Gaza on Tuesday as they battled Hamas-led militants, Palestinian officials said, but brief pauses in fighting allowed medics to conduct a third day of polio vaccinations for children.
Among those killed were four women in the southern city of Rafah and eight persons near a hospital in Gaza City in the north, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said.
Later on Tuesday, an Israeli airstrike killed nine Palestinians inside a house near Omar Al-Mokhtar Street in the middle of Gaza City, medics said.
Another strike hit near a college in Sheikh Radwan, a northern suburb of the city. The Israeli military said
11, 2024 (Reuters/Annegret Hilse file photo) source in Zelenskiy's party as saying.
Meanwhile, Kamyshin has spearheaded Ukraine's effort to ramp up defence production of everything from attack drones to long-range missiles to battle Russia, a much better-armed and larger foe.
On the battlefield, Ukraine is pressing a risky cross-border incursion into Russia's Kursk region as Moscow's troops inch forward with increasing speed in the east of Ukraine.
At least 50 people were killed and 271 wounded when Russia hit a military institute in Ukraine's central town of Poltava with two ballistic missiles on
Tuesday, the war's deadliest single attack this year. Photographs posted on social media showed several bodies of young men on the ground covered in dust and debris, with the badly damaged side of a large building behind them. Reuters could not immediately verify the images.
"The Russian scum will definitely be held accountable for this strike," President Zelenskiy said on the Telegram messaging app.
He ordered a prompt investigation, saying the strike damaged a building of the Military Institute of Communications. (Excerpt from Reuters)
the strike targeted Hamas militants operating from a command centre embedded inside the former Nama College.
Others were killed in separate air strikes across the territory, medics said.
The Israeli military said it killed eight Palestinian gunmen, including a senior Hamas commander who took part in the October 7 attacks in Israel, at a command centre near the AlAhli Arab Hospital in Gaza City.
Meanwhile, the US has charged Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and several other prominent figures in the Palestinian group in connection with its deadly attack in Israel on October 7 last year. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Trump to plead not guilty to charges in revised US indictment
Former US President
Donald Trump said in a court filing on Tuesday that he would plead not guilty to criminal charges in a revised indictment accusing him of attempting to overturn his 2020 election defeat.
Trump, the Republican candidate in the November 5 presidential election, waived his right to appear in court and instead authorised his lawyers to enter the plea.
The revised indictment, obtained last week by Special Counsel Jack Smith, includes the same four charges prosecutors brought against Trump last year. He was accused of attempting to defraud the United
States, obstruct congressional certification of the election and deprive voters of their right to a fair vote.
The new indictment dropped and reframed certain allegations after the US Supreme Court determined that Trump has broad immunity from criminal prosecution over official actions he took as President. Trump appeared in federal court in Washington in August 2023 to plead not guilty to the charges in the initial indictment.
Prosecutors and Trump's lawyers are scheduled to appear in court on Thursday to determine next steps after the Supreme Court's immunity ruling. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Oleksandr Kamyshin, Minister for Strategic Industries of Ukraine, attends the Recovery Forum of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2024 in Berlin, Germany, June
DAILY HOROSCOPES
Smile, be happy and do something fun to help you engage with like-minded people. Expand your awareness and interests. Trust your instincts and walk away from negativity and those standing in your way.
Build a strong base, good friendships and a healthy lifestyle. Don't leave details up to someone who doesn't share your vision. Put your energy into stabilizing your position and prospects.
Broaden your outlook and engage in something that motivates you. What you discover about yourself will give you more confidence to strive for a better, more efficient lifestyle.
Take better care of yourself, your surroundings and your relationships. Learn from experience, and you'll find a unique way to handle sensitive situations. Refuse to let emotions cost you. Choose peace over argument. Give a shout-out to those you agree with. There is power in numbers, and participating in something you believe in will positively impact you. Don't sit back; be part of the solution.
Think about the best way forward, unleash your energy and plan strategically. Refuse to let outside interference come between you and your target. Trust in yourself.
Choose a creative outlet and immerse yourself in it. Don't let outside influences cause you grief. Pay attention to what brings you joy and distance yourself from drama and chaos.
Help those who need it. Participate in events that encourage progress and a better life for everyone. Be the one to start a movement or educate those who have lost their way.
A work ethic will separate you from your associates. Someone unexpected may disappoint you. Keep your guard up, keep your secrets to yourself and keep your progress topnotch.
Consider your next move and plan your actions carefully. Making a wrong move would be costly. Explore your options, reset your agenda and refuse to let emotional interference throw you off your game.
You're in the groove and must trust your instincts. Do what feels right, and don't waste time. Expect to go it alone. Consistency and preservation are your path to victory. Self-improvement is favored.
Aim to simplify your life, not make it more complicated. Downsize and do whatever it takes to reduce stress. Indulge in heart-to-heart talks, gather information and stop waffling about what to do next.
PEANUTS
CALVIN AND HOBBES
Bangladesh brush aside Pakistan for historic 2-0 sweep of Test series
On what would go down as a red-letter day in Bangladesh's cricket history, their batters stood tall and made important contributions right through as they inflicted a 2-0 clean sweep over Pakistan with a six-wicket win on the fifth afternoon of the second Test in Rawalpindi.
Chasing 185 for victory, Zakir Hasan scored 40, Najmul Hossain Shanto and Mominul Haque made steady 30s, and the experienced pair of Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan wrapped things up, sparking celebrations in the Bangladesh changing room.
There was a sense
of calmness with which Bangladesh went about achieving their third-highest successful chase in Test cricket. An overseas
Test victory, let alone a series win, is a rare event in Bangladesh cricket. This was only their fourth win in 20 overseas Tests in the last seven years, and just their third Test series victory overseas.
However, this loss has added to Pakistan’s misery, having extended their winless run at home to ten Tests. Since a win against South Africa in early February 2021, they have had four draws and six defeats, which include series defeats to Australia, England, and now Bangladesh.
SCOREBOARD
Pakistan 2nd Innings
Abdullah Shafique c †Litton Das
b Hasan Mahmud 3
Saim Ayub c Najmul Hossain Shanto
b Taskin Ahmed 20
Khurram Shahzad
b Hasan Mahmud 0
Shan Masood (c) c †Litton Das
b Nahid Rana 28
Babar Azam c Shadman Islam
b Nahid Rana 11
Saud Shakeel c †Litton Das
b Nahid Rana 2
Mohammad Rizwan † c †Litton Das
b Hasan Mahmud 43
Salman Agha not out 47
Mohammad Ali c Najmul Hossain
Shanto b Hasan Mahmud 0 Abrar Ahmed c Najmul Hossain
Shanto b Nahid Rana 2
Mir Hamza c Mehidy Hasan Miraz
b Hasan Mahmud 4
Extras (b 5, lb 2, w 5) 12
TOTAL 46.4 Ov (RR: 3.68, 250 Mins) 172
Fall of wickets: 1-7 (Abdullah Shafique, 1.5 ov), 2-9 (Khurram Shahzad, 3.4 ov), 3-47 (Saim Ayub, 12.4 ov), 4-62 (Shan Masood, 16.3 ov), 5-65 (Babar Azam, 18.1 ov), 6-81 (Saud Shakeel, 20.6 ov), 7-136 (Mohammad Rizwan, 36.5 ov), 8-136 (Mohammad Ali, 36.6 ov), 9-145 (Abrar Ahmed, 41.4 ov), 10-172 (Mir Hamza, 46.4 ov) • DRS
BOWLING O-M-R-W
Taskin Ahmed 10-1-40-1
Hasan Mahmud 10.4-1-43-5
Mehidy Hasan Miraz 8-0-24-0
Nahid Rana 11-1-44-4
Shakib Al Hasan 7-2-14-0
Bangladesh 2nd Innings (T: 185 runs)
Zakir Hasan
b Mir Hamza 40
Shadman Islam c Shan Masood
b Khurram Shahzad 24
Najmul Hossain Shanto (c) c Abdullah Shafique b Agha Salman 38
Mominul Haque c Saim Ayub
b Abrar Ahmed 34
Mushfiqur Rahim not out 22
Shakib Al Hasan not out 21
Extras (b 1, lb 4, nb 1) 6
TOTAL 56 Ov (RR: 3.30, 278 Mins) 185/4
Did not bat: Litton Das †, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Nahid Rana
Fall of wickets: 1-58 (Zakir Hasan, 12.2 ov), 2-70 (Shadman Islam, 17.4 ov), 3-127 (Najmul Hossain Shanto, 37.3 ov), 4-153 (Mominul Haque, 43.6 ov) •
DRS
BOWLING O-M-R-W
Mir Hamza 14-4-46-1
Khurram Shahzad 7-0-40-1
Abrar Ahmed 14-3-40-1
Mohammad Ali 17-3-37-0
Salman Agha 4-1-17-1
Shafique at short leg. Mostly sedate in the first session, Mominul got busy after Shanto fell. He cut Agha through point, before getting another four off Mir Hamza, albeit off an edge. By then Pakistan were desperate for wickets, and burnt two reviews in two calls for lbw appeals against Mushfiqur; there was an inside edge onto the pad both times. However,
Mominul's aggression got the better of him, and he mistimed Abrar Ahmed straight to mid-off.
Mushfiqur and Shakib, though, made sure there were no more errors. They took their time, rarely played a shot in anger, and inched towards the target. Shakib hit Abrar for a straight six to bring the target under 20, before hitting the winning four off the same bowler through covers.
With the win, Bangladesh jumped past England to be fourth on the World Test Championship table.
tom edge, but none of the fielders appealed.
Zakir didn't last long, though. Hamza, who had found the right spot on a good length outside off, got a ball to angle in from overthe-wicket line. It beat
been a regulation catch for third slip, but that position was left vacant.
Shadman failed to make much of the reprieve, falling eight balls later to a loose drive. Khurram Shahzad bowled
Heading into the second session, Bangladesh, with eight wickets in hand, required 63 runs for victory. Shanto tried a few reverse sweeps, and even got a four through back-
In the morning, Bangladesh had resumed on 42 without loss, and Shadman Islam began with a crisp square cut to get things going. However, the Pakistan bowlers dictated the terms for the first 45 minutes.
Mohammad Ali
Zakir's outside edge and took the top of off stump.
Hamza and Ali bowled a string of dot balls, ensuring runs did not come easy. When Shanto finally got off the mark off his tenth ball, those were the first runs in 25 deliveries. Hamza then induced a thick out-
ward point; but failed to carry on for long, and was out by the softest of dismissals when he bunted a straight delivery from Salman Agha to Abdullah
should have had Zakir's wicket when the batter went after a good-length ball outside off and seemingly missed it. Replays showed there was a bot-
side edge off Shadman's bat, but it flew to the left of Agha at second slip. He made a valiant effort, diving one-handed, but failed to latch on. It would have
one full outside off, and the opener drove on the up and straight to a pumpedup Shan Masood.
Shanto and Mominul, however, quashed Pakistan's hopes of a comeback. The hosts did have their chances in drawing the odd edge, but the ball evaded the fielders. Shanto and Mominul knew time wasn't the issue, and they got the target down slowly.
Shanto still took the aggressive route a few times, like uppishly flicking Ali through midwicket, and then smashing Shahzad down the ground; but Mominul was content with singles. The only time Mominul showed some aggression was when he slogswept Abrar through midwicket for four.
Masood rung in the changes and brought back Hamza, but Shanto and Mominul managed to survive till lunch. Pakistan did dislodge the duo eventually, but there weren't enough runs to defend, and they went down in front of a sparse home crowd. (ESPNCricInfo)
Mushfiqur Rahim roared after sealing Bangladesh's 2-0 series sweep
Zakir Hasan was the more aggressive of the two Bangladeshi openers
Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan stitched together a stand of 32 off 12 overs to get Bangladesh over the line
Mehidy Hasan Miraz and Litton Das helped Bangladesh recover from 26 for 6
Guyana U17 finish third in CWI Regional tournaments
The Guyana U17 cricket team finished 3rd in both the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Men’s Under-17 2-day tournament and in the 50-overs Championships which were wrapped up in Trinidad and Tobago on Monday.
The Guyana team secured a win, a draw, and a no-result for an accumulated 39 points in the 2-day tournament, which was won by Barbados with 69.2 points. Windward Islands placed second with 62.8 points.
In the 50-over Championships, Guyana endured three no- results, one win, and a loss in
their five games to finish with 14.4 points. Trinidad emerged at the top of the points table with 20.2 points from 3 wins and 2 no-results, while Barbados bagged two wins for 17.6 points.
In their final Round 5 game on Monday, Guyana endured their third no-result of the tournament following heavy rain at the National Cricket Centre in Couva, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.
The Leeward Islands U17s won the toss and opted to field first, and Guyana posted 171 all out in 40.5 overs. Opening batsman Vikash Wilkinson led the
charge for the Guyanese with 34 from 51 deliveries, while Rampersaud Ramnauth and Romario Ramdeholl contributed 31 and 23 runs respectively to the total.
Israel Morton claimed 3-44 from 10 overs for the Leeward Islands, with Jaheem Kevaughn Clarke and Micah McKenzie each taking two wickets. The Leeward Islands got to 35-1 before the heavens opened, and the ensuing showers forced a premature end to the game with Guyana’s Emmanuel Lewis claiming the only Leeward Islands wicket to fall in figures of 1-4 from 2 overs.
Brendon McCullum to combine Test and white-ball coaching roles in new England deal
Brendon McCullum has been announced as England's new men's white-ball head coach, and will combine that role with his existing Test duties.
McCullum has agreed a remarkable new threeyear deal as part of what the ECB has termed a "strategic restructure" within the men's set-up.
The contract extension, announced on Tuesday, means that McCullum is set to oversee England's whiteball fortunes up to, and including, the next 50-Over World Cup in South Africa in October-November 2027, while also guiding the Test squad all the way through to England's next home Ashes campaign, earlier that same year.
Marcus Trescothick, England's interim head coach for the upcoming series against Australia, will continue in that role for the white-ball tour of the Caribbean in November, with McCullum officially beginning his twin tenure in January 2025, in time for England’s white-ball tour of India, and the ICC Champions Trophy which is set to take place in Pakistan in February and March.
The deal comes in the wake of Matthew Mott's sacking as white-ball head coach in July, following England's disappointing defences of both their 50- and 20-Over World Cup titles.
It is a significant coup for the ECB and their Director of Men's Cricket,
Rob Key, given the apparent reluctance of a host of major names to put themselves forward for the role.
Ricky Ponting and Eoin Morgan, England's 2019 World Cup-winning captain, were among the prime candidates to officially rule themselves out of contention, while Andy Flower's status as one of the mostsought-after franchise coaches in the world game meant there was little prospect of him returning to the ECB a decade after his last stint as England head coach had ended in 2014.
McCullum himself had shown little interest in the white-ball role when he had taken over as England's Test coach in May 2022. However, amid the subsequent success of his Test tenure, in particular the so-called 'Bazball' mentality that helped to liberate the team's attitude to success and failure, he has now agreed to carry that ethos across to a white-ball set-up
captained by Jos Buttler, the team being set to undergo a generational shift over the course of the coming international cycle.
"I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the Test team, and I'm excited to extend my role to include the white-ball sides," McCullum has said. "This new challenge is something I'm ready to embrace, and I'm eager to work closely with Jos and the team to build on the strong foundations that are already in place."
In so doing, McCullum will become the first England men's coach since his Test predecessor, Chris Silverwood, to oversee both the red- and whiteball squads. And while the sheer volume of matches in England's recent schedule has meant that a united role has been nigh on impossible - their T20I series against Australia, for instance, begins one day after the end of the forthcom-
ing third Test against Sri Lanka - Rob Key has pointed to a relative "easing" in the fixture list from 2025 onwards that has made McCullum's appointment more feasible.
"I'm delighted that Brendon has chosen to do both roles now with England," Key has said. "I believe we are incredibly fortunate that a coach of his quality is prepared to commit wholeheartedly to English cricket. Being able to align all teams now is particularly exciting, and we look forward to taking on all challenges that come our way.
"For the last two years, constant clashes between formats have made it challenging for the white-ball environment; fortunately, these are easing. Starting from January, the timing of the schedule will allow him to dedicate the necessary focus to both roles, and we're confident this restructure will bring out the best in our players and coaching staff."
McCullum added: "Rob Key's vision for the future of English cricket is something that really resonated with me. The idea of a unified coaching structure, especially with the schedule easing next year, made perfect sense. I'm energised by the prospect of guiding both teams, and am grateful for the support from the ECB and my family as I take on these added responsibilities."
The prospect of a unified vision for England's
squads may be particularly beneficial to Test incumbents such as Harry Brook and Gus Atkinson, young players who have significant futures across both set-ups, but whose opportunities to transfer their talents across formats will be restricted this winter by the cramped nature of the schedule, with England's white-ball tour of the Caribbean falling directly between their three-Test tours of Pakistan and New Zealand.
Similarly, younger players such as Jacob Bethell, Dan Mousley and Josh Hull -- who are likely to make their international debuts in the coming white-ball series against Australia, and will be prime candidates for the West Indies tour -- ought to be better placed to make their cases for Test honours with McCullum now overseeing their full international development.
"The talent within English cricket is immense, and I'm looking forward to helping these players reach their full potential," McCullum added. "My goal is to create an environment where everyone can thrive and where we can continue to compete at the highest level across all formats."
McCullum is due to leave England immediately after the conclusion of the Sri Lanka series at The Kia Oval this week, and will return to New Zealand for a short break before rejoining the Test squad ahead of the
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Guyana’s U17 national cricket team
Pakistan tour in October. (ESPNCricinfo)
Brendon McCullum has been appointed England's whiteball head coach alongside his Test duties
Spirited Golden Jags ready for League ‘A’ pressure
Following an unblemished campaign in League ‘B’ of the 2023/2024 CONCACAF Nations League, Guyana’s senior men’s national team, the Golden Jaguars, would play their first match of League ‘A’ on Thursday, having been rewarded with promotion to that league for their hard work.
The Golden Jaguars, having begun intensive training as a team this week, would be facing off against neighbouring Suriname in two days’ time. Quizzed about the atmosphere in the Golden Jaguars camp, Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz has said it “can’t be better”.
“This team has been together -- the majority of the players in the squad -for the better part of two years, so there’s good camaraderie. Of course, there’s
guys competing for spots, but, generally, I think the group feeling is strong. We all know what it will take to stay in League ‘A’, or to even qualify out of League ‘A’ to go to the Quarterfinal stage, and it brings a tremendous responsibility. So, in terms of the group feel-
ing and the camaraderie, I think it can’t be better,” Shabazz told a press conference on Tuesday afternoon.
Making their League ‘A’ debut at home would be a tall task for the Golden Jaguars, and according to Assistant Coach Wayne Dover, handling that pres-
Spankhurst set for return at President’s Cup meet
It has been confirmed that Guyana’s champion horse for 2023, Spankhurst, will be participating in the President’s Cup race meet on September 22 at the Rising Sun Turf Club in Region Five.
The crowd’s favourite horse did not participate in the Guyana Cup race meet because of injury, but according to new owner Jermaine Sripal, Spankhurst is fit and would be ready for September 22.
With Spankhurst being added to the star-studded roster, the President’s Cup meeting would certainly be highly competitive. Spankhurst has had four starts in 2024, and has secured two victories, with the last one coming at the Port Mourant Easter Cup meeting. This horse is now owned by J’s Racing Stables, a new stable, which has also imported Nova Sol, the horse that came in second place at this year’s Guyana Cup meeting.
Competition at the Guyana Cup meeting would proverbially be out of this world, as the champion horse Olympic Kremlin, President’s Cup defending champion John Bull, Easy Time, and Stolen Money are among top-of-the-line horses that would be seeking glory at that meet.
Approximately G$15
September 22 at Rising Sun
sure well would be important.
Dover shared, “The pressure of playing at home has always been an immense situation for us as a staff, and given the fact that we have not played at home for quite a while now, returning at a different level than we’ve been playing at, it will generate some amount of pressure, not only to deliver the results, (but) to actually put the best possible team out there to get the results.
“We’re [staff] gonna do our diligence in terms of how we arrive with the best team to give a good re-
sult (in order) to take that pressure away and at least give the fans something that they haven’t received for a while in Guyana,” Assistant Coach Dover added.
The Golden Jaguars roster has one new addition in Middlesbrough FC’s Isaiah Jones, whom Shabazz believes would bring a lot to the team.
Shabazz has said about the new face in the team, “Early days. He had one session with us, (but) you can see he definitely will bring a lot in terms of his talent, his experience playing on the champion-
ship division in the UK, and we expect a lot from him. However, he’s coming in to a unit that’s already been organized, and, you know, it’s a matter of both him and us making adjustments so that we can gel properly. But certainly, we feel that he can add something to the group, and we’re really happy to have him.”
The first whistle in the Guyana-Suriname clash would be sounded at 16:00hrs at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) at Edinburgh, West Coast Demerara on Thursday.
million would be disbursed as prize money for the nine races carded on the President’s Cup schedule. The feature race of the meet would have a total purse of close to G$6M, and would be contested over a distance of approximately eight furlongs. That race is open to all horses three years old and over.
Entry will be open on September 11, and entry forms for the President’s Cup would be at the Port Mourant Turf Club, the Rising Sun Turf Club, the Bush Lot United Turf Club, and at Lot 106 Smyth
Street in Werk-En-Rust, Georgetown.
Other races on the provisional card include the three-year-old Guyana and West Indian-bred, Sprint ‘E’ Class for horses three years old and over, twoyear-old maiden, H1 And Lower Open to ‘G’ Class Non- Earners on Guyana Cup. Also open to ‘G’ class Non winners in Guyana, H3 and Lower, ‘J’ Class Open to H3 Non earner in last two starts, K Class/J3 Non-Earner Last Start and the L Class/J Class and K Class and Non- Earner Last Start.
Constant programmes, practice, Government support needed for development, says
Coach Gomes
…As GTTA concludes intensive training camp
The Guyana Table Tennis Association (GTTA), in efforts to develop that sport, had, from August 22, hosted an intensive training camp conducted by enlisted high-performance coach Alexandre Gomes.
This training camp was intended for elite-level players with advanced technical skills, while primarily targeting Guyanese players to enhance their technical, tactical, and strategic abilities and ultimately boost their performance in competitions.
Another focus of this initiative was on mentoring and preparing athletes for upcoming tournaments.
Speaking exclusively to Guyana Times Sport coach Alexandre Gomes expounded on the talent that Guyana possesses, and the key elements needed for them to play at a higher level.
Gomes said, “They have practised very well over the last two weeks, and we can see there’s a lot of potential. They (have) improved a little bit, but, anyway, we need more time. But I can say that Guyana has a lot of talent, but they need to practise more this way. Yes, of course, for that they need to change some things here, like have more (of) a programme for like what they are going to do, like a plan and a little more discipline; and, of course, they have the possibility to play
at a high level one day.
“I think it's okay, but if you really want to go one day to a high level, they have to practise more; but they have qualities for that, and they need the Government support to (hold) more camps, more international tournaments, this kind of things.”
This publication also managed to speak with national table tennis player Shemar Britton, who touched on the importance of the camp in his development and said the camp serves as preparation for the Pan American Championship.
“Oh, well, this is actually my fourth time working with Coach Alex, and Coack Alex is a person of phenomenal knowledge. So, whenever he is around, I find my game improving a lot because of his wealth of knowledge and the techniques he imparts in me,
(and) also my teammates,” Britton has said. “I am preparing for Pan American Games in October, so this camp was much-needed tune-up for those championships,” Britton said.
Gomes is said to be a well-respected member of the international table tennis fraternity. Throughout his coaching career, he has worked with elite players, including Nigerian player Quadri Aruna who is ranked in the top ten in the world.
Apart from leading Peru's national team for a number of years, he has coached national teams from the USA, China, Europe and Asia. Currently, he is one of the lead coaches at the 888 Table Tennis Club in Burlingame and San Diego, a prominent high-performance training center in the United States. (Omar McKenzie)
Spankhurst is expected to return to competition for the President’s Cup race meet on
Golden Jaguars Head Coach, Jamaal Shabazz
Action in the camp
