Guyana Times -Friday, July 14, 2023.pdf

Outstanding GPF ranks receive $133.1M for excellent performance

The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday distributed $133.1 million in awards to reward officers and auxiliary staffers within the apparatus for their stellar performance in ensuring law and order.

As part of the Force's 184th anniversary celebrations, the awards ceremony was organised on Thursday at the Police Officers' Mess Annexe, Eve Leary.

For 2023, the monetary distribution moved up from $81.5 million last year.

Deputy Commissioner (Administration) Calvin Brutus indicated that 4291 awards were given out, as opposed to 3421 last year. The number of special awards also moved up from 800 to 1051.

Ranks from the 12 regional divisions; Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Headquarters; Tactical Services Unit; Office of Professional Responsibility; Commissioner’s General Registry were among those rewarded.

Members of the CID received in excess of $4.2 million. These officers were awarded for their input in solving the murder of truck driver Kerry Sears at Eccles Dumpsite Road; the double murder of Johnson Bowen and Manuel Dos Santos at Linden during a home invasion; discovery of the remains of Police Constable Quincy Lewis; the murder of popular teacher and comedian Kirwyn Mars; the murder-robbery of businessman Shimron Adams; the

murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard Lieutenant Rondel Douglas and others.

Efforts in narcotics seizures, the aftermath of the Mahdia dorm fire and anti-Trafficking in Persons operations were also acknowledged.

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken stated during the occasion that the awards ceremony celebrates persons who have distinguished themselves and the Police

Force through exceptional acts of courage, professionalism, and commendable conduct.

“Your efforts have not gone unnoticed, as we have conjointly remained committed to the mandate of the Guyana Police Force. The Guyana Police Force is reforming, as we are rebranding and retooling our policing practices driven by our 2022–2026 Strategic Plan.

The plan is consistent with the manifesto promises under the broader national ob-

jectives of "less crime, safer communities," and it guides our strategic direction of being a modernised, diversified, professional, and accountable Police Service prepared to meet contemporary policing demands,” he voiced.

As the Force remains resolute in upholding law and order, the Top Cop posited that there was a zero-tolerance policy for any officer who breaches the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).

“Ethics, standards and professionalism are considered hallmarks and there will be non-acceptance, non-tolerance for members of the Force at any level who breach the SOPs. You are employed to serve and not

to be served…Our duty is not just detecting and preventing crime. It is about creating a world that is understanding and security for the rights of all people,” he voiced to the ranks.

Senior officers were charged to step out of their offices and serve the communities, in keeping with the mandate of building out a contemporary Force.

“Our days to be sitting in the offices is long gone. That is not contemporary policing. Your duty as Commanders and Heads of Department are to ensure that the ranks under your command interact with the public. The public is who we were established to serve. You will continue to build those bridges and develop

relationships with communities,” Hicken said.

The GPF is on the verge of establishing a Monitoring and Evaluation Unit to ensure transparency, a Police Reform Committee to drive change management, and a Risk Management Unit to deal with strengths and weaknesses. It will also be restructuring the Auditing Unit to hold officers in key positions accountable.

“Opportunities and threats, we don’t have control over that. The Risk Management Unit is necessary for us in that regard,” said the Top Cop.

Work is ongoing to create an air wing of the GPF; two ranks are already undergoing flight training in Miami. (G12)

Ranks of the Guyana Police Force during the ceremony

One of the awards being received by Region Five Policing Division

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, July 14 – 02:00h-03:30h and Saturday, July 15 – 03:00h-04:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Friday, July 14 – 14:40h-16:10h and Saturday, July 15 – 15:25h-16:55h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Thundery showers and sunshine are expected during the day. Expect light rain showers with instances of thunder at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 14:12h reaching a maximum height of 2.22 metres.

Low Tide: 07:42h and 19:57h reaching minimum heights of 0.87 metre and 1.01 metre.

“No political interference” – Pres Ali to new Public Service Commissioners

The six members of the Public Service Commission (PSC) were on Thursday sworn in by President Dr Irfaan Ali, who reiterated that their role was critical to the development of a reliable, efficient and transparent public sector needed amid Guyana’s ongoing transformation.

The newly-appointed PSC members are: Manniram Prashad, Maurice Gajadhar, Melcita Bovell, Chandrawati Ramson, Mohandatt Goolsarran, and Janice Bowen.

The Commission is a constitutional body responsible for overseeing the Public Service in Guyana, with its composition and functions outlined in Articles 200 to 205, as stated in Article 135(1) of the Constitution.

While congratulating the new members on their three-year appointment, President Ali additionally advised them on their duties and reassured them of the Government’s support.

“The newly-sworn-in members of the Commission are tasked with an important responsibility to ensure that the public service is populated by persons who possess the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to service the people and propel the country's development,” Ali said.

“The Commission can be assured that there will be no political interference in the discharge of its mandate. The Government remains, as always, committed to creating an environment where the Commission can discharge its function without fear or favour,” he added.

The President further took note of the Commission’s importance as the country undergoes rapid transformation, and the public sector too advances technologically.

“In the direction our country is going – in a massive transformation – transparency, accountability, efficiency, reliance and credibility of our public sector is very important,” Ali said.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

“This Public Service Commission is coming at a time of grand transformation of our country and at a time in which that transformation requires a shift in the cultural makeup of the

public service. The cultural shift is the way we approach our work [and our] thinking, because there must be structural and monumental changes for us to achieve the type of output that we want to achieve,” Ali said.

The President added that the Government was in turn moving aggressively to implement a menu of measures to ensure the public service had better standards of living and increased access to opportunities.

“The PSC is thus tasked with making appointments, effecting dismissals and exercising disciplinary control over public servants,” Ali said.

In ensuring high quality and efficiency of the public service, the President disclosed the Cabinet’s plans to establish basic standards across all public services as well as a central mechanism of monitoring these services.

“We are now going to set up a central mechanism of monitoring where in every centre or every facility that delivers public service, there will be some numbers there that persons can call in the national call centre and report on the way they were treated [and] how

they felt about the service,” Ali said.

“That will go against the providers of the service in performance evaluation. That is a system that we're discussing now at the Cabinet, so that at every level, people will be held accountable,” Ali said.

The long-awaited swearing-in of this new PSC now paves the way for the full complement of members of the Judicial Service Commission (JDC) and the Police Service Commission.

As mandated, the PSC consists of six members; three of whom are appointed by the President after consultation with the Leader of the Opposition, two of whom are nominated by the National Assembly, and the remaining member being nominated by the President, at his discretion.

As the Chairman of the PSC typically serves as a member of the JDC and the Police Service Commission, the absence of a functional PSC since August 2021 has had implications on these other constitutional bodies.

Chandrawati Leila Ramson

Manniram Prashad

Maurice Rudranauth Gajadhar Mohandatt Goolsarran

Janice Isabella Bowen

Melcita Agatha Bovell

Views

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Investing in our nurses

There has been a renewed discussion on nurses in Guyana over the past two days with our Head of State revealing the dire state of the of the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) being short of hundreds of nurses.

This is worrying as some healthcare workers are now having to double on shifts to offer proper patient care.

To quote Presidnet Dr Irfaan Ali: “One of the main issues facing the region now is the outward movement of our nurses and health workers…I met with a number of nurses at Georgetown Hospital and they were so happy for the work they’re doing that some of them are doubling up on shifts because of the shortage. When I spoke to the administration of Georgetown Public Hospital, they now have hundreds of nurses short of their full complement…”

At the onset of the coronavirus (COVID-19) countries around the world were battling the pandemic as health systems and health workers were challenged to their maximum. That pandemic highlighted that no country was ever prepared to deal with such a crisis of that proportion. In the middle of all that were the health care workers — more specifically nurses, medical assistants, lab technicians and others — who were making tremendous sacrifices every day, even risking their lives to win this battle.

The challenges health workers, especially nurses, face daily cannot be underestimated. For this reason, governments and other health partners must continue to make the necessary investments in them, to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge and are well equipped with the resources they need to do their work in a comfortable and safe environment.

Historically, as well as today, nurses are at the forefront of fighting epidemics and pandemics that threaten health across the globe. As we had seen around the world, they were demonstrating their compassion, bravery and courage as they responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.

A report, titled, The State of the World’s Nursing 2020, provides an in-depth look into the nursing profession. Compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO) in partnership with the International Council of Nurses (ICN) and Nursing Now, the report produced findings which identify important gaps in the nursing workforce and priority areas for investment in nursing education, jobs, and leadership, to strengthen nursing around the world.

That report points to the shortage of nurses worldwide and notes that, to address this shortage, countries would need to increase the total number of nurse graduates by on average eight percent per year, along with improved ability to be employed and retained in the health system.

The report reveals that today there are just under 28 million nurses worldwide. Between 2013 and 2018, nursing numbers had increased by 4.7 million. But this still leaves a global shortfall of 5.9 million – with the greatest gaps found in countries in Africa, South East Asia and the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, as well as in some parts of Latin America.

To equip the world with the nursing workforce it needs, WHO and its partners have made a number of recommendations. These include: increase funding to educate and employ more nurses; strengthen capacity to collect, analyze and act on data about the health workforce; and monitor nurse mobility and migration, and manage it responsibly and ethically.

It has also been recommended that countries educate and train nurses in the scientific, technological and sociological skills they need to drive progress in primary health care; establish leadership positions, and support leadership development among young nurses; and ensure that nurses in primary health care teams work to their full potential, for example in preventing and managing noncommunicable diseases; and improve working conditions, including through safe staffing levels and fair salaries etc.

The report’s message is clear: without nurses, midwives, and other health workers, countries cannot win the battle against outbreaks, or achieve universal health coverage and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Middle-income country trap

By Dr BhoenDraDatt tewarie

Congratulations

Caricom. Your genuine achievements are not to be underestimated. Now that all the big guns have come and gone it is still up to you, your governments, institutions, and our citizens to look after the business of our people. That is why Caricom exists, not so? To look after the business and welfare of Caribbean people?

You have done ok so far, but the world is changing faster than you are responding!

It is now time to accelerate the pace of progress of 1) economic integration–economic well-being depends on it. 2) in regional cooperation, collaboration, and cohesion–for unity with clarity in the global political, economic, and financial spheres 3) to play a meaningful role in western hemispheric governance where we live and 4) to contribute towards defining the rules of a global order that remains to be firmed up and accepted as fair and reasonable in the context of challenging problems in a technology-driven world, destined to marginalise large numbers of countries and people as it transforms.

Do not be dismayed by the size of our populations, the smallness of our countries or the absence of military might. Do not feel diminished by lack of geopolitical power or the limitations of economic leverage

or the limits of our financial muscle.

Commit, however, to policies and actions aligned to good governance, shared economic prosperity for our people, and climate change-responsive, sustainable development strategies, to protect the natural asset value of the region. Focus on food sustainability and innovation in tourism and cultural assets.

Be vigilant about what is happening to the planet because, in our region, we are living with the consequences of climate change more than most others.

How will global warming and climate change be contained or reversed and paid for? After all, islands are going to be hardest hit, and the Caribbean, if we continue to waffle and equivocate, and just talk, are going to receive a solid whiplash over time. What is the sense of begging for help every time a disaster hits? Let us build an agenda of anticipatory, preparatory, adaptation, and mitigation actions and advocate persistently with collaboration for sustained support.

Focus also on the huge technological, economic, and financial divides that are escalating, the impacts of these on the majority of the eight billion people who inhabit our planet, and the levels of poverty and economic and social distress that need to be bridged.

Against this global background, look at the condi-

tion of our citizens in each national homeland and across the region and identify what needs to be done and what measures need to be actioned. Let us then begin with coherent national and regional economic strategies for sustainability that can win financial and economic support to take these countries out of the middle-income country trap in which they are currently stuck. Take collaborative steps to embed these economies into the technologically driven, rapidly transforming value chain that is strengthening across the world economic system. These are at the heart of the problem.

Our countries have become uncompetitive and we are way too slow and backward in the absorption and deployment of available technologies.

Won’t we have to help ourselves, get things right, and achieve our identified human and socio-economic aspirations if we expect the world to take us seriously?

The inequalities across the countries of the Americas are severe, as indeed, it is, across the countries of Caricom. This, at least in part, fuels migration, violent crime as well as white-collar crime, drugs, guns, and human trafficking and creates fertile ground for corruption as well, which makes it even more difficult to address the grave challenges mentioned above.

We must bring export-focused investments and a large number of tourists to these islands and South American mainland countries in our region, and we must digitalise our public and private sectors. We must educate our people in alignment with local and regional skills demand in a more competitive regional economy and with global market demand for technologically sophisticated skills so that these small economies can access global markets and jobs, win tourists for leisure, business, and conferences, and develop the capacity to generate jobs and incomes in sustainable tourism, agribusiness and creative industries which can all be connected In a formidable value chain.

With a vigorous thrust in nearshoring in this hemisphere, there are opportunities that we can grasp. But we must fix gangs and crime.

The task at hand is to grow economies, create jobs and incomes, increase national and regional wealth, improve purchasing power for citizens, and to implement sustainable development strategies that work so that we can break out and free ourselves to enjoy a better life and attract productive energies to this paradise region of the planet that God and the forces of history have given to us, and which if we continue to misgovern, would be simply sacrilege. (T&T Guardian)

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips signing the book of condolences for the late Ashton Chase, OE, SC, at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown on Thursday (PPP/C photo)

“Police can’t lock us up because we is juveniles” – NA resident told by B&E teens

Mount Sinai, which is a suburb situated on the fringes of New Amsterdam and popularly referred to as Angoy’s Avenue, is been plagued by a series of home break-ins.

There are reports that the acts are being perpetrated by young teenagers.

Mount Sinai is said to have more than 5000 residents and while development is taking place in that community at a fast rate, worrying to those residents is the frequency of home breaking and entering.

Many say there is a teenage gang that is responsible for many of them. Gang members they say are all under the age of 15.

“They are all under age and they are going around telling people, ‘police can’t lock us up because we is juveniles,” one resident told this publication.

Denis Robertson, 81, who lives at Lot 1126 Broad Street, Mount Sinai said he is a victim of the juvenile bandit trio.

Apart from the fact that

the three persons were young teenagers, Robertson has expressed concern at the way the matter is being addressed – a concern expressed by several residents.

Robertson said it on June 18, at about 03:30h he was sitting watching television when he was distracted by a strange sound.

“And I turned to see what caused the noise, three youths came through the window one after the other, held me down in the chair, and started beating me all in my head and my face. They gave me a cut in my head and over my eyes and a few bruises about my body.”

He said he was also hit in his head with a piece of wood and during the struggle a bench fell which alerted his wife 74-year-old who came out to see what was happening.

“They turned and she recognized two out of the three of them. She did not recognize the third one because when she called out he started to jump through the window, so she only saw the back of him.

The other two were struggling to get through the window at the same time. One got through and the other one turned and looked at her and she called him by name... She tried to scramble his foot and I tried to help her but I couldn’t do anything because I was dazed,” he explained while noting that the third intruder was able to escape.

A report was subsequently made to Central Police Station.

According to the pensioner, the police never visited the scene.

“They just took my report and they said they are going to look for the boys.”

One of the three was picked up by the police and reportedly told investigators the names of his two accomplices.

“They are all underaged boys one is only about 13 or 14,” Robertson revealed.

“I want to know what juveniles are doing on the road at 3:30 in the morning.”

This he said shows a lack of parental control.

“So far its more than three weeks and I haven’t heard anything more from the po-

lice,” Robinson noted.

“I am bargaining to lose faith in the police in this town,” he added.

Meanwhile, another resident showed broken windows saying that the evidence is still there where the juveniles used to go into her son’s house.

Residents are advocating for a police outpost in Mount Sinai.

Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken while Commander of the then ‘B’ Division, shortly after taking up the appointment in September 2018, visited

Mount Sinai where he made several promises to residents including that of setting up a police outpost in the community.

“Police on motorbikes will visit the area on a regular basis and the patrol will make more checks in this area,” he told residents as the Commander back then.

Following that a container was taken to the community with plans of having it modified to facilitate a police outpost but nothing has happened in that regard since then. In fact, the container was destroyed over time. (G4)

NDCs & municipalities cannot be complacent

Dear Editor,

Our NDCs and municipalities must by now have developed a vision for the development of their neighbourhoods and towns. They must be proactive, and work assiduously to improve the way they do things, and the results derived therefrom, in order to facilitate improvements in terms of the range and quality of services provided to residents; and so develop viable communities that would sustain their own development programmes, and by extension themselves.

Let me posit a number of measures which you ought to take, or strengthen if they are already in place, in order

to bring about the desired livelihood improvements about which I speak:

Reduce dependency on Central Government for financial resources by, inter alia, enhancing and widening revenue base and reducing expenses. Optimise collection of what is due to the Council in the form of rates and taxes, market fees, building application fees etc. Utilise revenue collected efficiently, and account for same.

Remember that under the Fiscal Transfers Act 2015, the local authority can receive grants from donor agencies to finance projects or meet employment costs. It can also borrow money from the com-

Attendant being made scapegoat?

Dear Editor,

Something does not seem right in the outcome of the investigation into the questionable death of a sports personality at the East Bank hospital. The attendant is to be terminated, as he abandoned his post. Of course, that is most unacceptable, and must bear consequences. But according to the item, weight proved a challenge, even with a team, in getting the patient onto a bed, so he was attended to on the ground by the doctor.

So, the absence of the attendant prevented the patient from getting onto the

bed after he fell? It has to be wondered how this would have been possible, given it was impossible to do so before. Of course, after the fact, it is now recognized that training and refresher courses are necessary.

Was a very sick patient left in the care of an attendant? Is the attendant being made the sacrificial lamb for the perceived inefficiency in the care meted out to the patient by the hospital? My condolences to the bereaved family.

Sincerely,

Shamshun Mohamed

mercial banks and other financial institutions, provided it has the required collateral/ ability to repay.

More money available to Council necessarily means that more resources are available to pay better salaries, attract a better quality of staff, and to train and upgrade them. It means also that the Council and its staff can reach out with greater frequency and over a much wider population, listening to their concerns and working with them to address those concerns. More and better services can be provided to citizens. There is a role and contribution to development for private enterprise in Local Government Areas, small though their impact may be.

To the extent that these interventions make a small impact on unemployment figures and provide goods and/or services: eg clothing and textile, supermarkets, wash bay, restaurants etc., it is nevertheless a case of action speaking louder than words.

The local authorities must provide incentives to encourage private enterprise. The Government is not doing so; but certainly, our local au-

thorities can.

Expand and improve the quality of the infrastructure and other services provided by the Council: including servicing of kokers and pumps, cleaning of canals and drains, collection and disposal of garbage, daycare for elderly, street lighting, market/ tarmac facilities, cemeteries etc; thereby providing employment and extending the range and quality of services provided by the local authority working in conjunction with private enterprise, thus enhancing service delivery and widening citizens’ involvement.

Demand proper financial accounting and reporting. Council’s financial affairs must not be shrouded in secrecy. Increase public awareness and education. Hold community meetings with greater regularity, and have activities such as Flag Raising, Day of Sports, and religious events such as Diwali, Christmas Day, Eid ul Adha, which bring people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and classes together; and provide also income-earning opportunities on such occasions.

Auditing of financial records of Municipal and Neighbourhood Councils, as

per requirements of the Local Government and Municipal Legislation, must be done; and reports, including financial reports, must be presented to the statutory meetings of the Council for discussion. So that while efforts to intensify revenue- collection must be encouraged, so also must accountability to the Council

and the residents for these resources. We cannot be complacent if we are to build effective local governance with its benefits to the people.

Sincerely,

Norman Whittaker Former Local Government Minister

Dennis Robertson and his wife

A house in Mount Sinai, whose windows residents said were broken by the juvenile bandits to gain entry

Page Foundation

Negative numbers

Negative numbers are numbers that are less than zero. You identify them by adding a minus sign to the front of a number. So – 1 is 1 less than 0. – 35.5 is 35.5 less than 0.

Example:

Remember….

Zero (0) is neither positive nor negative.

Exercises: Solve

We often avoid going outside when the weather isn’t what we’d like it to be. Maybe it’s raining, snowing, hot, or windy. Except for extreme situations, like heat advisories, lightning storms, or severe wind chill, most weather conditions, while maybe wet or messy, are safe. Make an effort to get outside in all kinds of weather.

Experiencing the elements in person is a powerful experience, and can dispel misconceptions about the great outdoors.

The right clothing and gear make a big difference, so check to make sure you have shoes and coats appropriate for the conditions before going out. Gloves and hats are important to protect extremities or protect

from the sun. If possible, encourage them to bring a spare, dry set of clothes (especially socks!) and have towels available for wet days. Warm or cool drinks enjoyed after your outdoor adventure provide the perfect opportunity to share their observations.

Beyond going outside to check the weather, create other opportunities to get

outside. Take a walk in the rain and splash in some puddles. Chase leaves or fly a kite on a windy day. Go sledding or make snow angels. Go for a hike or a swim. Have a picnic. Go birdwatching. Look at the clouds. Rake leaves, grow a veggie or flower garden, or shovel snow. Nothing beats real-world experiences! (adapted from startwithabook.org)

Before the sixth day of the next new year, Strange wonders in this kingdom shall appear: Four kings shall be assembled in this isle, Where they shall keep great tumult for awhile. Many men then shall have an end of crosses, And many likewise shall sustain great losses; Many that now full joyful are and glad, Shall at that time be sorrowful and sad; Full many a Christian’s heart shall quake for fear, The dreadful sound of trump when he shall hear. Dead bones shall then be tumbled up and down, In every city and in every town. By day or night this tumult shall not cease, Until an herald shall proclaim a peace; An herald strong, the like was never born, Whose very beard is flesh and mouth is horn.

WORD SEARCH

Look at the number line. Notice that – 4 is four spaces to the left of 0 on the negative side. Also note that 4 is four spaces to the right of 0 on the positive side. The Property of Additive Inverses: When you add a negative number to its inverse (its exact opposite on the other side of the number line), the total is 0. For example, – 5 + 5 = 0.

85 murders, 68 road deaths recorded so far for 2023 – GPF

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken has reported that all categories of serious crime are at negative growth for 2023 thus far; expect for murder figures, which have been hiked by 37 per cent.

At the Guyana Police Force’s annual Anniversary Awards Ceremony on Thursday, the Top Cop disclosed that there has been a reduction in serious crimes by 12.6 percent.

“…with the exception of murder; that would have increased by 37 percent, with 85 as against 62 for the period comparatively. All other categories of serious crime are at a negative,” he disclosed.

68 firearms have been seized, representing a 13.3 percent increase in overall confiscation of such weapons.

54 deaths from accidents were recorded in 2022, and this number has increased to 68 in 2023. Consequent to the increasing trend, the Top Cop has said, the GPF plans to address this with a holistic traffic plan to be implemented within the com-

ing month.

“Within the next two to three weeks, you will see a traffic plan rolled out focusing on education, signage along the road, and enforcement…We understand that we have challenges in relation to traffic and road users, but we have a plan that (we) will roll out, which will incorporate other stakeholders; and so the Police will not be working in isolation in that regard,” Hicken has said.

As the GPF rebrands and retools its machinery in keeping with the Strategic

Plan 2022-2026, one of the main targets has been to achieve a modernized and contemporary organisation.

The Police Commissioner avouched that the GPF is now in a better position to tackle crime, and stations are equipped to respond to reports, not just for commercial areas, but at the community level.

Recently, 30 vehicles were added to the existing GPF fleet of 47, and Hicken

tion of crime by 12.6 percent, and the stations are now equipped with the tools to respond to reports and occurrences. We’re not just going to focus on the commercial areas or the corporate hub, but we’re focusing heavily on communities, and following up occurrences made by the average person on a daily basis at stations.”

He added, “I think that is a good move for us, be-

has

underscored, “We are in a position now, the evidence of which is the reduc-

cause once we can satisfy those demands, it will encourage more persons to come on board and make re-

ports, understanding that the report will be attended to in a professional way.”

In regard to Government’s rapid infrastructural push, Hicken has said the GPF recognises the importance of meeting the public’s demands by relocating and introducing new stations to cover new areas. Presently, the Housing Ministry’s aggressive housing drive has led to the creation of several new housing schemes, with others al-

ready being in the development phase.

“We have to ensure that we strategize and put structures in place to locate Police stations in strategic areas, so that (they) can complement the new communities that are being established. Now that the frontiers are connected, there are going to be more challenges in terms of streets to ply. So, we have to relocate, reposition, and establish new outposts and stations,” he declared. (G12)

…serious crimes down by 12.6%

Acting Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken

Sophia child rapist gets life sentence

becomes eligible for parole after serving 30 years.

The charge against him detailed that on January 27, 2021, in the county of Demerara, he engaged in sexual activity with a child under the age of 16. That activity involved vaginal penetration.

He had been on trial for the offence before Justice Singh and a mixed 12-member jury, and was convicted last month after the jury returned a 10-2 guilty verdict.

dress the court. He had, however, told a probation officer that he did not rape the child.

“Barefaced and bold”

Considering what he had told the probation officer, the Judge asked Samuels: “How can you apologise for something you say you are not responsible for?”

Meeting… …the

press

Aman found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl in 2021 has been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mark Samuels, 32, a father of two and a resident of Sophia, Greater Georgetown, has been sentenced to life by Justice Navindra Singh at the Sexual Offences Court in Demerara on Thursday. He

During a plea in mitigation, Samuels’s lawyer, Clevaun Humphrey, described his client as a “selfless individual”, but noted that he was raised without a father figure. The lawyer asked the court to temper justice with mercy, stating that Samuels is the father of two underage girls whose lives he would like to be a part of.

“I am sincerely sorry for what took place. And I’m asking that you be lenient to me, so I can be part of my two girlchild life. I never had a father growing up. My two children does cry for me every night. I am a very jovial person, and I don’t get myself involved in certain activities,” Samuels told Justice Singh, who had asked him if he desired to ad-

In considering the appropriate sentence for the felon, Justice Singh, among other things, found that there were no mitigating factors. According to him, the convict has not only denied committing the offence, but has dishonestly shown remorse with “self-serving” statements. Those self-serving statements, he noted, demonstrate that Samuels is ready and willing to say anything to secure his freedom.

“Barefaced and bold” were the words used by Justice Singh to describe the convict’s attack, which he said has ruined the girl’s life forever.

For her part, Senior State Counsel Tiffini Lyken said that Samuels apologised for “tactical reasons”, intending to get a light sentence.

“My life is forever changed”

Through a victim impact statement, the court heard from the girl how the sexual assault has affected her. She said, “After that unfaithful morning, it was a very sad time in my life. At the moment of this gruesome act, I was in a daze. My life is forever changed.”

Directing her remarks at Samuels, she declared, “Mark Samuels, you raped me and you took my innocence away. You have ruined my life. You took away my confidence, my independence, my own voice, my natural gentleness. You are dirt to me…”

The prosecution said Samuels had touched the girl inappropriately, and had raped her even though she had tried to fight him off. After the ordeal, the girl confided in her mother, who in turn filed a report with the Police. Samuels was subsequently arrested and charged with the crime.

Back in 2021, Samuels was charged with stealing 66 COVID-19 vaccination cards from the Health Ministry at Brickdam, Georgetown, between August 22 and August 23, 2021. However, the charge against him was dismissed the following year for want of prosecution.

The prosecution had contended that, during the period mentioned, a female nurse discovered that the lock on the cupboard in which the vaccination cards were stored was broken. Upon checking, the healthcare worker noticed that the items were missing, and alerted her supervisor, who lodged a report at the Brickdam Police Station.

Samuels, a former Policeman, had previously been convicted of forgery while he was in the employ of the Ministry of Education.

(G1)

Have you ever seen sharks in a feeding frenzy? Or, better yet, piranhas?? They swarm and attack their hapless victims with such ferocity and intensity that the latter are devoured in a flash. And all that’s left is a widening pool of blood disappearing in the water!! In Guyana, when it comes to PPP presidents, the Oppositionaligned section of the local press’s engagements resemble nothing less than a feeding frenzy of piranhas and sharks!! They literally sharpen their teeth…erm…pens before these meetings!!

Now, it’s always been like this in the modern era, because of any number of biases the members of our Fourth Estate hold against the PPP folks. They don’t see them as “fit and proper” for governing Guyana. More than any other institution, it was newspapers like the Chronicle, Graphic and Argosy that carried the fight against “godless communism” – as they phrased it - and the PPP! The PPP became understandably wary of the sharks and piranhas, since they knew it wasn’t only news they wanted to twistbut blood!!

After the PPP held off the PNC’s 2020 rig-attempt and Pre Ali took office, they rushed in for the kill. They questioned his academic credentials as if he were a Vice Chancellor rather than a President of a country that needed to execute the manifesto that his party had won the election on! That the youthful Ali had held the crucial Ministries of Housing, Tourism and Industry - SIMULTANEOUSLY for a decade!! –didn’t cut any ice!! Their goal was the self-fulfilling prophecy of him being ”unfit” through slips in pronunciations and such like!!

Against this background – to change the analogy to a land-based one – the press became a band of howling hyenas when Pres Ali refused to present himself as a lamb to their sacrifice for their ritualized feeding frenzy at regular press conferences. But, like Pres Biden - who’s also being criticised for not going along with the public lynchings at pressers – Pres Ali wasn’t no masochist!! But after the constant baying over the past three years, he finally held one for the entire press corps.

And guess what?? The criticisms have come even faster and more furious!! That he spoke too long in briefing them as to his administration’s plans; that he “limited” each reporter to one question and a follow up; that he took only an hour answering these questions; that the room was too small and crowded etc…etc… Ahhh – the kvetching!! Your Eyewitness was amused at the last gripe, since even when they’d caught the President in the open at various events, they’d literally knock each other over, screaming questions while pushing their mikes into the man’s face!!

And for the record, US Presidential pressers are usually one hour long!!

…the leadership test

But your Eyewitness figures these pressers might disappear soon. With everybody and their uncle (and aunty) having smart phones - having the ability to take videos and broadcast them into platforms that reach BILLIONS - these “citizen journalists” can now create their own realities!! So, this will become another challenge in the crucible that creates leaders.

“Crucible” signals something in which so much heat can be applied that metal melts – and gives an idea of the forging of leaders!

So, when we look at Pres Ali mixing so easily with world leaders, ranging from Biden to Modi and dozens in between – we should appreciate that his Ministerial stints have already provided the necessary crucible. Sadly, those seeking to unseat him have never experienced this kind of formative process, and the results are quite obvious. Cheese and chalk!!

Your Eyewitness says “sadly” because – as he’s been insisting all along – a vibrant Opposition is absolutely necessary for a viable democracy!!

Some fire should be applied to aspiring Opposition leaders??

…pandemonium

The DHB administration’s been making painstaking efforts to handle the disruptions come July 27 - when the bridge’s gonna be closed to replace a span.

The only way to prevent mass pandemonium is for W.C. employees to be allowed to work remotely.

Child rapist Mark Samuels

Justice Navindra Singh

Guyana to seek climate, energy, food security partnerships with China

In addition to strengthening existing areas of cooperation between Guyana and China during his upcoming state visit to the East Asian country this month, President Dr Irfaan Ali is hoping to foster new partnerships with the world’s second largest economy.

Speaking to reporters during a press conference on Wednesday, the Head of State explained that, as is done with all the country’s bilateral partners, Guyana will advance discussions on its national transformative agenda during engagements with Chinese officials.

“In addition to our national transformative plan that we’re discussing with all our bilateral partners, we also have climate, energy, and food security as key areas and key topics for discussion with China,” President Ali expressed.

“We’re (looking to) provide global leadership, and global leadership requires

us communicating with all our partners what we want to achieve, where we see things, and to share ideas.

We have also common bilateral and multilateral concerns that we will be discussing,” he explained.

Notwithstanding, he said Guyana will seek to develop new areas of cooperation.

“I would say our agenda has some specifics, but also it is broad enough to look new areas of cooperation, including technology and security,” he added.

Already, President Ali has disclosed plans to discuss with China financing for the completion of the Lethem to Mabura Hill Road project.

Last year, Guyana and China celebrated 50 years of bilateral relations. Over the years, agreements such as the joint commission of trade signing, the 2001 trade agreement, the 2003 investment agreement, and the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Belt and Road Initiative have strengthened the economic relations between the two countries.

Bilateral cooperation between the two countries has also resulted in Guyana benefitting from the services of Chinese medical doctors and technicians, donations of equipment to the health sec-

tor, the educational work of the Confucius Institute, the support given to the Bertram Collins College of the Public Service, the donation of scientific equipment to the tune of $50 million to the Cyril Potter College of Education, and the donation of vehicles and other equipment to the Guyana Police Force and the Guyana Defence Force.

When it comes to infrastructural support, China has provided funding through the EXIM (ExportImport) Bank of China for the expansion and renovation of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and the widening of the East Coast Demerara Public Road. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), China would be the largest driver of global economic growth in the next five years, and it would contribute 22.6 per cent of total world growth.(G11)

President Dr Irfaan Ali and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan

Life sentence without parole for deportee who raped teen

he fell back into the error of his own ways. For this reason, he continues to be a danger to society,” the State Counsel noted, as she asked the Judge to consider the impact the incident has had, and continues to have, on the young girl’s life.

During brief remarks, Bazil apologised to the victim-survivour’s family and to his family. “I want to apologise to the young lady’s family for putting them through this sorrow and pain. I also want to apologise to my family,” he said from the prisoner’s dock.

“My future was ruined”

When the victim’s impact statement was read to the court by the prosecutor, the teen shared that as a result of the incident, she went through a period of depression.

“The situation got to a point where I thought that everyone was better off without me. It made me drop out of school, and made me start practising self-harm and running away from home. All I had planned for my future was ruined,” she wrote.

Calculated predator

In his sentencing remarks, Justice Singh called Bazil a calculated predator, and said he had dragged his victim through a trial knowing fully well what he had done to her.

Given the convict’s perverted ways, the Judge asked, “Why would I release him?”

In the circumstances, Bazil was sentenced to imprisonment for life without parole.

After hours of deliberation last month, a 12-mem -

ber jury had unanimously found Bazil guilty on each of the two charges he faced. Following the jury’s verdicts, Bazil had attempted suicide by harming himself with a razor blade. He had reportedly inflicted several cuts to his throat.

Swift intervention by the court marshals had, however, prevented him from further injuring himself, but he nonetheless had lost consciousness and collapsed.

He had immediately been rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC).

On Thursday, he also apologised to Justice Singh for disrupting the court proceedings. For information and support, please contact the Suicide Prevention Hotline at 600-7896, 623-4444, 2230001, or 223-0009. (G1)

Ashopkeeper who had been deported to Guyana after serving time in a United States’ jail for a sex crime has been sentenced by a High Court Judge in Guyana to life imprisonment for a similar offence.

The convict, Wesley Bazil, called “Tappy”, had the custodial punishment imposed on him on Thursday for the offences of rape and sexual activity committed on a girl aged 15. Trial Judge Navindra Singh has said this sex offender is not eligible for parole.

In December 2020, Bazil touched the girl inappropriately after she went to his shop to make a purchase. The following

month, he dragged her to the back of his yard and raped her. Her parents found out that she had been sexually abused only after her mother had taken away her cell phone and seen that she had been discussing the incident with a friend via text messages. A report was filed with the Police, and Bazil was arrested and prosecuted.

During Thursday’s sentencing hearing, Bazil’s lawyer Euclin Gomes, while acknowledging the serious nature of the offences, asked the court to impose an appropriate sentence.

For her part, State Prosecutor Tiffini Lyken requested the Judge to consider the alarming prev-

alence of sexual offences against children in Guyana. She said it is a situation that has caught the attention of the country’s highest court, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). In the circumstances, Prosecutor Lyken submitted, there needs to be a robust approach to sentencing with respect to these types of offences.

According to her, Bazil had been convicted by a court in New Jersey, USA for a similar offence, and had been sentenced to imprisonment. Upon his release in 2017, he was deported to Guyana.

Fell back on his own ways

“It is clear that when he (Bazil) came to Guyana,

Robbery convict slapped with 2 years' jail time

An armed robbery accused was on Wednesday found guilty as charged and sentenced to two years in prison.

Rohit Lall, called “Pudduck”, a 27-year-old fisherman of Lot 1 Walton Hall, Essequibo Coast, appeared before Magistrate Esther Sam in that Ann Regina Magistrate’s Court in respect to an offence that occurred on May 18 at Devonshire Castle, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Lall is no stranger to law enforcement officials. On November 23 last, Police ranks found him hiding under a bed days after he had been sentenced in absentia

by a magistrate for assaulting a Police officer.

The fisherman, who had been out on bail, had been on trial for the offence, but he had stopped attending

the court proceedings. The presiding magistrate had continued with the trial, and had found him guilty as charged at the end thereof.

Lall was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment in his absence, and a sentencing warrant was issued for him.

Days after he was convicted, Police were conducting several exercises on the Essequibo Coast when they arrested Lall, after he was found hiding under a bed in a house.

In 2017, Lall had been sentenced to 40 months in prison after he admitted to inflicting grievous bodily harm on Jairaj Seeraj on September 29, 2017 during an argument. (G1)

Child rapist Wesley Bazil was rushed to the GPHC after attempting to commit suicide at the Demerara High Court

Rohit Lall, called “Pudduck”

Guyana grappling with major shortage of nurses

…seeks immediate help from Cuba

its human resource assets in the healthcare sector.

He said that, at the GPHC, there are 16 post graduate programmes, and this year another will be added to specialise more doctors in the field of neurology. Additionally, he said there are plans to increase the training for various categories of doctors, including surgeons, gynecologists and paediatricians.

Specifically for nurses, the Head of State spoke of the recently-launched hybrid nursing programme which is intended to increase the training of nurses from 150-200 per year to between 1000-1500 per year. President Ali also mentioned plans to offer

specialised training for nurses through a post-graduate programme.

He also spoke about the need to train more trauma nurses. “…that is why we’re moving massively on this training programme for nurses and bringing more nurses in the system, because there’s shortage in Canada, UK, Europe, US… so the whole world now is on an active drive of recruiting nurses all over,” President Ali expressed. The World Health Organization (WHO) has documented that there is a global shortage of health workers, in particular nurses and midwives, who represent more than 50 per cent of the current shortage of health workers.

For all countries to reach Sustainable Development Goal 3 on health and well-being, WHO estimates that the world would need an additional 9 million nurses and midwives by the year 2030.

“Nurses and midwives are central to primary healthcare, and are often the first and sometimes the only health professional that people see; and the quality of their initial assessment, care and treatment is vital,” the WHO outlined. Meanwhile, the International Council of Nurses (ICN) has said the worldwide shortage of nurses should be treated as a global health emergency. (G11)

With shortages of nurses in the hundreds at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) alone – forcing some of these healthcare workers to double up on shifts – Guyana has turned to Cuba for help in dealing with this crisis.

President Dr Irfaan Ali told reporters during a press conference on Wednesday that he has already spoken to the Cuban Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco Soberón Luis, on the possibility of that country sending nurses to Guyana to help fill the

gap. “One of the main issues facing the region now is the outward movement of our nurses and health workers,” President Ali lamented during the press conference. “I met with a number of nurses at Georgetown Hospital, and they were so happy for the work they’re doing that some of them are doubling up on shifts because of the shortage. When I spoke to the administration of Georgetown Public Hospital, they now have hundreds of nurses short of their full complement…,” he explained. While it has embarked

on a number of training programmes aimed at recruiting more nurses, the Head of State said, Government has reached out to Cuba for immediate relief.

“…to see if we can get Cuban nurses to come into the system now to help to fill that gap, because of the tremendous shortage that we have,” he explained.

President Ali has said that, currently, there are more than 1200 Guyanese registered in nursing programmes nationally. He also noted that Government has been ramping up its training programmes in order to expand and improve

Migration of nurses, technical workers plaguing health sector – Health Minister

As services within Guyana’s health sector continue to expand, the Health Ministry, in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organisation/World Health Organisation (PAHO/ WHO), on Wednesday hosted a one-day workshop to strengthen its human re-

sources capacity.

Hosted at the Marriott Hotel, Georgetown, this

“Strategic Directions for Human Resources for Health Expansion in Guyana” workshop focused on ways the Ministry and PAHO/WHO can look to develop the sector’s human resources’ needs and readi-

ly prepare for the transformation of the health system.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony noted that most developing countries have been faced with the migration of nurses and skilled or technical workers within the healthcare system following the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The health sector right now, like many countries in the Caribbean and may-

pull from developing countries," Dr Anthony stated.

Furthermore, he added that it was more difficult to retain people within Guyana since developed countries were offering better salaries and incentives.

PAHO Director of Health Systems and Services, Dr James Fitzgerald indicated that while rebuilding the health workforce and working on a transformation within the health sector, a few policies were identified for immediate focus.

Ministry was able to implement a comprehensive package of services to be delivered at the primary healthcare level, including 216 interventions that should be offered.

This package will have a mixture of preventative measures and management of infectious and non-communicable diseases.

be most developing countries, is experiencing a great challenge with the migration of nurses and technical persons in the health sector moving to more developed countries,” Dr Anthony said.

“This has been made more acute because of post-COVID which caused health workers in develop-

ing countries to feel burnt out. Many of them have left their jobs, and, therefore, have left a big vacuum in the health system of many of these developed countries. The easiest way for them to address some of these concerns is really to

These include governance, regulation of professional practice and education; capacity development and working conditions that will retain people in the workforce.

Meanwhile, Dr Anthony said that with the help of a PAHO consultant, the

Among those present at the workshop were Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Narine Singh; Hinterland Coordinator Michael Gouveia; PAHO Representative Dr Luis Codina; PAHO Advisor Health Systems and Services’ Daniel Albrecht, as well as the Regional Health Officers (RHOs) and directors of various programmes within the Ministry.

US citizen busted with ganja at CJIA jailed

reportedly detected in several packs of snacks that were found in his hand luggage during a routine inspection. As such, he was told of the offence committed, and was taken into custody. The ganja was weighed and amounted to 274 grams.

Malcolm Vinson, the 23-year-old US citizen who was intercepted by ranks of the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport with a quantity of ganja, has been jailed and

fined.

Vinson, an outgoing passenger destined for the JFK Airport, was arrested on Wednesday following the discovery of 274 grams of cannabis in his hand luggage.

In fact, the ganja was

Vinson appeared before Magistrate Sunil Scarce at that Diamond-Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court on Thursday, and pleaded guilty to the offence of trafficking in narcotics. As a result of his plea, he was sentenced to two years-and-six months’ imprisonment, and fined $246,600.

The snack boxes in which the ganja was hidden

Malcolm Vinson

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Attendees at “Strategic Directions for Human Resources for Health Expansion in Guyana” workshop

Ashton Chase, OE, SC, remembered for distinguished service to legal profession

The Bar Council of the Guyana Bar Association (GBA) and the Berbice Bar Association (BBA) have expressed condolences at the passing of legal luminary Ashton Chase, OE,SC, who died on July 10 at the age of 96.

In a statement on Thursday, the GBA said Chase was the father of labour and industrial relations law in Guyana, a politician, a Barrister-at-Law, an Attorney-at-Law, as well as a prolific author.

The GBA pointed out that, as the first Labour, Industry, and Commerce Minister, appointed in 1953 at the age of 28 after universal adult suffrage had been granted by the Colonial Government, Chase was responsible for piloting legislation permitting the recognition of trade unions on the basis of a majority vote among employees.

The GBA statement added, “The Bill was one of the reasons the colonial Government decided to suspend the Constitution in 1953. This groundbreaking legislation was put on hold until 1997, bringing the freedom to choose

their own representation to workers across Guyana.”

The GBA statement also said that during his long and distinguished career as an attorney-at-law, Chase wrote extensively on industrial relations, labour and employment law, publishing several books in the field, such as The Law of Workmen’s Compensation (1963); A History of Trade Unionism in Guyana (1966); Industrial Law (1974); Trade Union Law in the Caribbean (1976), and Industrial Relations (1981).

Further, the GBA highlighted that the late Senior

Counsel had appeared in dozens of cases that are now reported in the West Indian Reports, six of which have also been reported in the Law Reports of the Commonwealth, and many more which are reported in the Law Reports of British Guiana and the Guyana Law Reports.

Among the notable cases in which Chase appeared during his career were Peter Persaud vs Pln Versailles (1970), in which the law of unjust enrichment was accepted 21 years before its acceptance in England; Albert Shanks vs Continental

Biscuit Company (1977), the landmark case on wrongful dismissal coming out of Guyanese courts; Guyana Sugar Corporation vs Seeram Teemal (1983), on the inability of an employer to unilaterally vary the terms of a contract of employment; and Sheik Mazahudin vs Guyana Sugar Corporation Ltd (1984), another important case on the principles of wrongful dismissal.

He also appeared in Ali vs Teaching Services Commission (1993), on the ineffectiveness of restrictions on the right to seek redress for breaches of constitutional rights; Attorney General vs Mohamed Alli (1989), where legislation was invalidated for unconstitutionality because the legitimate expectation of trade unions to be consulted before it was passed

was not met; and Attorney General vs Caterpillar Americas (2000), on the application of the principle of eminent domain in Guyana.

Chase, who was born on July 18, 1926, read law at Gray’s Inn in England, and was called to the Bar in 1957. He served as President of the Senate between 1961 and 1964.

He further served several stints with distinction as President of the Bar Association of Guyana in its most vibrant years in the 1980s and 1990s. According to the GBA, the service of Chase extended beyond the shores of Guyana to the wider Caribbean, as Chairman of the Council of Legal Education (CLE), the governing body of the law schools in the Caribbean, from 1992 to 1998.

He has the distinct

honour of being the only Guyanese to so serve as Chairman of the CLE. For his distinguished service in the law, he was deservingly appointed Senior Counsel In 1985. Meanwhile, in another statement, the Berbice Bar Association said, “Beginning at a very youthful age, Chase has given valuable yeoman-like service to our country, and his contribution to politics, labour, and the law in Guyana is matched by efforts of only a few sons and daughters of the soil.”

Both the GBA and BBA have extended condolences to Chase’s wife, Deborah; and to his children: Dr. Ronald, Serita, and former President of the Bar Association, Pauline.

Senior Counsel Ashton Chase will be cremated today. (G1)

Ashton Chase, OE, SC

Trafalgar/Union CDC seeks Govt’s intervention to resolve land issues

Agroup of farmers who reside in the Trafalgar/ Union area of Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and are members of the Trafalgar/Union Community Development Council (CDC) are seeking the intervention of the Government to reclaim lands they allege were illegally taken from them.

This issue was highlighted on Wednesday during a meeting with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Public Service Minister Sonia Parag where they met with farmers of the area to discuss issues they are facing. Prior to this

meeting, the group had also met with Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo to discuss the matter.

According to CDC representative Lloyda Angus, the land, which falls under the control of the Mahaica/ Mahaicony/Abary Agriculture Development Authority (MMA-ADA), was initially leased to the Trafalgar/Union CDC. Under the previous APNU/AFC Government, the then Neighbourhood Development Council (NDC) had chosen not to recognize the established CDC, and another CDC, the Trafalgar/Tempe CDC, was formed. This new CDC permitted the NDC to

erect houses on the land, although the lease which was issued by the MMAADA listed the Trafalgar/ Union CDC as the lessee.

She also told the Minister that members of the current NDC are denying members of the Trafalgar/Union CDC access to those lands.

“I have two members here. After the Local Government Elections, when they went to the lands, the NDC saying it is their time now and are bullying the people,” Ms. Angus explained.

After listening to the issue, Mustapha described the matter as disturbing. He noted that since the is-

sue needed legal attention, the ministry would have to engage the Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, on the matter.

In addition to land issues, the minister also

committed to assisting farmers with pursuing their agricultural activities. He noted that a team from the Fisheries Department would be visiting the area to determine the feasibility of de-

veloping infrastructure for aquaculture.

Mustapha also said he would visit the area to further discuss how the Government could assist with developing agriculture there.

Powerlifter’s death

Probe unearths negligence at Diamond Hospital …staffer faces termination

An investigation launched into the death of local powerlifter Rawndel Clementson at the Diamond Hospital, East Bank Demerara (EBD) has unearthed negligence at the facility, and one hospital staffer is expected to face termination.

Guyana Times understands that an attendant in question was not on duty as was scheduled. As Clementson was awaiting medical attention after visiting the facility, he lost consciousness. Since the worker was not there at the time, doctors had no choice but to tend to the man on the floor.

Family members of Clementson, who was a national powerlifting champion and resident of Farm, EBD, had sounded calls for a thorough investigation into the operation of the Diamond Regional Hospital. They had contended that the institution was responsible for the death of their loved one.

Clementson, 44, passed away one hour after he was admitted to the hospital on

June 20. He had reportedly complained of feeling unwell, and his wife Oslyn Richards had taken him to the hospital.

Upon arriving at the facility, Clementson had informed the staff on duty about the difficulty he was having in breathing and the dizziness he was experiencing, and had requested an oxygen mask.

Despite the urgency of Clementson’s condition, he was instructed to wait. It was while he was awaiting medical attention that he reportedly fainted, thus causing him to lose balance and fall off the chair on which he was sitting. After the fall, he died almost immediately.

The aggrieved wife, in recounting the harrowing experience, stated that when her husband fell to the ground, she called for assistance. The hospital staff allegedly stated that he was too heavy to be lifted, and Richards had to seek help from a security guard and her son while the nurse “rudely” walked away.

Dead: Rawndel Clementson

“I took out my phone to record, and they asked me to leave. About 20 minutes later, they called me in and said they couldn’t detect a pulse. I begged them to do more, and started to pray,” Richards had initially told this publication.

The suddenness of Clementson’s death shocked his family, as he had been working the day before and seemed fine. A postmortem examination later revealed that his cause of death was complications arising from high blood pressure.

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha and Public Service Minister Sonia Parag during the meeting

Consultations begin for land acquisition for new Hosororo Secondary

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal has commenced engagements for the acquisition of land to construct the new state-of-the-art Hosororo Secondary School, Region One (Barima-Waini).

The Minister, who holds geographical responsibilities for Region One, was accompanied by the Regional Chairman, Brentnol Ashley and other regional officials.

According to the Housing Ministry, the construction of this institution will be done through the Education Ministry, empowering generations of students while contributing to the overall advancement of Mabaruma, Region One.

With careful consideration, the proposed school will feature cutting-edge laboratories, facilitating hands-on scientific exploration and fostering a passion for discovery among the students. These well-equipped laboratories will empower budding young scientists, enabling them to engage in practical experiments and cultivate a deeper understanding of scientific principles.

Contracts for the plumbing, superstructure and electrical works for the Hosororo Secondary School were

awarded to V Group Guyana Inc at an investment totalling $1,658,444,890.

Three contacts for the completion of site development work as well as substructure works for teachers’ quarters and school building were awarded to International Imports and Supplies totalling $692,444,331.

Additionally, a contract totalling $196,319,040 for the completion of substructure works for the dormitory was awarded to Supreme Contracting and Supplies.

The Hosororo Secondary School will have 29 classrooms to accommodate more than 500 students. Its science centre will also feature physics, chemistry, and biology labora-

tories. The TVET centre will have both industrial and home economics laboratories.

A student dormitory and visiting area will also be constructed to accommodate 200 students while the teachers’ duplex living quarters will accommodate 20 teachers.

During the contract signing ceremony, Education Minister Priya Manickchand had reiterated that the Government was working aggressively to build schools in all regions throughout Guyana to accommodate the growing population while providing quality education to all. The intention is to achieve universal secondary education within the next few years. (G12)

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal speaks with a resident during consultations

Fire guts El Dorado Trading

An investigation has been launched into a fire which gutted the El Dorado Trading, which operates as a gold dealership in DaSilva Street, Kitty, Georgetown.

Reports are that the fire started at the two-storey building at some time after 17:00h on Thursday, and no one was inside the building at the time of the fire.

Sentencing Management Board visits Lusignan Prison

The Prison Sentencing Management Board (PSMB), led by Captain Gerry Gouveia, visited the Lusignan Prison, where it was able to see whether its recommendations had been implemented.

The team was also updated on several projects that are being undertaken at the location, including the projects which are currently under construction in the compound of the prison.

Gouveia during the visit stated that the Board has been tasked with making recommendations to manage the sentencing of prisoners across the country in terms of their rehabilitation.

He said the PSMB looked at the date when

prisoners entered the corrective facility; the most suitable form of training for the prisoners to undergo, so that they could be successfully reintegrated and make a meaningful contribution to society; and the length of the prisoners’ sentences.

Meanwhile, prior to

the visit, the Board held its monthly meeting. The Board was briefed by Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot on the developmental plans of the Guyana Prison Service (GPS), its robust rehabilitation programmes, and the general operation of the various prisons countrywide.

Damaged exposed wires raise fire concerns at Richard Ishmael Secondary School

Following a series of fires that have plagued the country’s education system, destroying several secondary learning institutions and dormitories over the past year, the

Richard Ishmael Secondary School had a scary situation averted on Wednesday, after fire concerns were raised when exposed wires within the school building began to spark.

At around 15:35h on Wednesday, fire concerns were raised at that learning institution, located on Woolford Avenue in Georgetown, due to damaged exposed wires which run

through pipes in one of the classrooms within the school building.

Speaking with this publication, a female employee of the school explained that concerns has previously been raised with the school’s head teacher a few weeks ago regarding the exposed wires, but nothing was done. She also related that no one was injured or affected by this incident.

As a result of fire, the Education Ministry has expended billions on the reconstruction of these learning institutions. In August 2022, a contract totalling $566.9 million was awarded to KARES Construction for the rebuilding of the North Ruimveldt Multilateral School, which was destroyed by fire in June 2021.

On January 12, 2023, the Christ Church Secondary School, located at Camp and Middle Streets, Georgetown, was gutted by a fire which was determined to be arson. As a result of that blaze, 500 students were displaced and are currently continuing their education as normal at the Cyril Potter College of Education at Turkeyen on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

In June, months after the devastating fire that destroyed much of the building, the Education Ministry signed seven contracts amounting to over $668 mil-

lion to rebuild the school, which is expected to be completed by January 2024.

On May 21, the most devastating fire to have been recorded in Guyana ripped through the female dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School in Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), leaving 19 female students between the ages of 12 and 17 dead, as well as a five-year-old boy.

That fire, unlike others, was allegedly set by a 15-year-old female student.

In June 2022, scores of teachers and students escaped injury after a fire engulfed and gutted the St George’s High School on North Road in Georgetown.

Contracts to the tune of $253.8 million were signed last month for the its reconstruction.

In September 2021, the North West Secondary School was gutted by fire, which the GPF probe revealed was as a resulted of an act of arson.

The PSMB, led by Captain Gerry Gouveia, and prison officials during the visit

Members of the PSMB and the GPS in discussion

The wires which started to spark at the Richard Ishmael School

CRMA “Job Readiness” workshop equips job seekers with requisite skills

Over 20 job seekers on Wednesday acquired critical professional skills needed to enter the labour force during a one-day job readiness workshop offered by the Labour Ministry’s Central Recruitment and Manpower Agency (CRMA).

Held at the Eccles Training Centre, East Bank Demerara (EBD), this skills

training session included the participation of students who recently wrote this year’s Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) examinations.

Training focused on résumé building, personal interview skills, career coaching, and workplace practices from the employer's perspective, among other aspects of workplace etiquette and

know-how.

While the workshop was led by Senior Recruitment and Manpower Officer Audrey Kellman, presentations were also made by officials of the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), Occupational Safety and Health (OSH), Labour, and the Cooperative Societies (COOP) departments on the services that they provide.

The CRMA is mandated to match suitably qualified persons with existing vacancies; canvass for job vacancies for possible placement for job seekers; maintain an accurate record of notified vacancies; and provides advice, career guidance, and counselling to those seeking employment.

Persons from Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica),

Five (Mahaica-Berbice), and Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) will soon benefit from a similar “Job Readiness” workshop as well.

Intending to improve access to employment opportunities, the CRMA had also launched an online National Job Bank last March, enabling persons to apply for jobs immediately after registering to use the site, while

providing an option for résumé upload that can be accessed by potential employers.

In November, more than 300 persons had successfully secured employment through the job bank.

This platform is intended to aid in the delivery of President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s commitment to create 50,000 jobs by 2025.

belVita breakfast sandwich biscuit recalled

…GA-FDD cites possible peanut contamination

actions by consuming these products. Consumers with questions about the recall are encouraged to contact the GA-FDD at 222-8859 or 222-8934 for further information.

Earlier this year, the GA-FDD also recalled certain Fabuloso multi-purpose cleaners, owing to the risk of exposure to bacteria. It was said that people with weakened immune systems or underlying lung conditions who are exposed to the bacteria face a risk of serious infections, and may require medical treatment.

Lavender Scent, one gallon; Fabuloso Original Multi-Purpose Cleaner, Refreshing Lemon Scent, 22 ounces; Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner 2x Concentrated Formula, Refreshing Lemon Scent, 33.8/56/128/169 ounces; Fabuloso MultiPurpose Cleaner 2x Concentrated Formula, Passion of Fruits Scent,

33.8/56/128/169 ounces;

Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner Bleach Alternative 2x Concentrated Formula, Spring Fresh Scent, 56 ounces; and Fabuloso

Professional All Purpose Cleaner and Degreaser, Ocean Scent, one gallon.

The Government Analyst–Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) falls under the purview of the

Ministry of Health. This Department was initially established to aid in performing analyses of the sugar industry. Later, its role was expanded with the enactment of the Food and Drug Act of 1971, and the Food & Drug Regulation of 1977, to address safety and trade-related issues for food, drugs, cosmetics, and medical devices.

The Government Analyst – Food and Drug Department (GA-FDD) on Thursday announced the voluntary recall of the Dark Chocolate Creme & Cinnamon Brown Sugar with Vanilla Creme variety of the belVita breakfast sandwich.

The product, which is manufactured by Mondel?z Global LLC in the United States of America and is imported by Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc, was recalled based on the possibility that they may contain undeclared peanuts, resulting from cross contamination on one of the manufacturing lines.

However, only the products with best-before dates of June 1, 2023, and prior to and including February 25, 2024, are being recalled.

Additionally, products with the following barcodes

are also being recalled: 044000043285,044000057237, 044000058616, 044000063306, 044000046026, 044000063047, 044000040703, 044000063702.

Persons who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts may risk serious or life-threatening allergic re-

The recalled products were Fabuloso Original Multipurpose Cleaner, Lavender Scent, 22 ounces; Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner 2x Concentrated Formula, Lavender Scent, 56/128/169 ounces; Fabuloso Multi-Purpose Cleaner Lavender Scent, 210 ounces; Fabuloso

Professional All Purpose Cleaner & Degreaser,

The Labour Ministry’s CRMA hosted a job-readiness workshop

The belVita breakfast sandwiches that have been recalled

Regional Guatemala’s top court reverses ban on anti-graft presidential candidate

Guatemala's top court on Thursday suspended an order barring the party of anti-graft candidate Bernardo Arevalo from running for the presidency, after a flood of international criticism that the country's democracy was in jeopardy.

The Constitutional Court said it had granted a provisional injunction filed by the Semilla party against a Judge's order to suspend the party and seemingly kick Arevalo out of the race.

Arevalo enjoyed a surge in support in June's first round voting to surprisingly qualify for a run-off against former First Lady Sandra Torres on August 20. He has threatened to take on the political establishment which he accuses of being corrupt.

Many analysts believe he could win if allowed to run.

But the election was thrown into chaos on Wednesday evening when the lower court granted a prosecutor's request to exclude Semilla over allegations the party had more than 5000 illegally-affiliated members, including 12 deceased people.

The contest had already

sparked international criticism after other Opposition candidates were disqualified earlier in the process, and the move to shut out Semilla has aggravated fears for democracy and justice in Guatemala.

The US, the European Union, and other countries warned suspending Semilla was a threat to democracy.

A group of international donors to Guatemala known as the G13, which include the US, Canada and Britain, said it was deeply concerned

Caricom Eminent Persons Group arrive in Haiti

The Caricom Eminent Persons Group (EPG) arrived in Haiti on Wednesday on a follow-up mission to the Stakeholders Meeting held in Jamaica last June.

The EPG comprising Former Prime Ministers Kenny Anthony of Saint Lucia, Perry Christie of The Bahamas and Bruce Golding of Jamaica will continue their meetings with all relevant stakeholders to facilitate a Haitian-led solution to the multiple crises facing the country.

The Group was appointed by Caricom Heads of Government last May to initiate and oversee the

Community’s provision of Good Offices support in designated priority areas, including security, governance, the electoral process, and long-term de-

velopment planning and advocacy. They will also liaise with key international partners and agencies.

During their three-day mission, the EPG will meet with groups who attended the Haitian Stakeholders Meeting held in Kingston, Jamaica, last June as well as stakeholders who were not at that meeting.

In the interest of the people of Haiti, the EPG encourages all stakeholders to continue their efforts to engage in meaningful dialogue, in order that consensus may be achieved, in a constructive, timely and peaceful manner on the path forward. (Antigua Observer)

about actions threatening the authority of the electoral tribunal. Chile and Norway echoed concerns.

On Thursday morning, prosecutors raided the electoral tribunal's citizen registry office as part of the Semilla probe.

Neighboring Mexico backed the tribunal's ratification of the first round results, which had been delayed by allegations of irregularities brought by Semilla's adversaries.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Light earthquakes felt in several Eastern Caribbean islands

Two earthquakes were felt in several Caribbean countries, including Barbados, early Thursday.

According to the Seismic Research Centre at the University of the West Indies (UWI), at 01:56h (lo-

cal time), a tremor with a magnitude of 3.5, was felt in sections of St. Kitts Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda and Guadeloupe.

The earthquake had a depth of 10km. Meanwhile, another quake occurred a few minutes earlier.

UN Court rejects Nicaraguan claims in maritime spat with Colombia

The United Nations’ top court has dismissed Nicaragua’s claims against Colombia in a decades-long legal battle over an oil and fish-rich swathe of the Caribbean Sea.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) said on Thursday that it “rejects” Nicaragua’s arguments against an earlier 2012 ruling that gave it a large chunk of the Caribbean while awarding seven small islands to Colombia.

Nicaragua went back to the Hague-based court in 2013 to argue that its territory should extend be-

At 01:29h, an earthquake was recorded near Barbados with a magnitude of 3.7. That tremor occurred was felt in Barbados, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Saint Lucia. There were no reports of injuries or damages.(CMC)

European court denies effort by Venezuela ex-official to avoid US extradition

The European Court of Human Rights has denied an effort by a former director of Venezuelan military intelligence, wanted on drug trafficking charges by the United States, to avoid extradition from Spain.

The United States in 2020 accused Hugo Carvajal – who was late President Hugo Chávez's eyes and ears within Venezuela's military for more than a decade – of drug trafficking, along with more than a dozen other high-ranking officials, including current President Nicolás Maduro.

Carvajal was arrested in September 2021 at a Madrid apartment by Spanish Police and is being held in Estremera, outside of the capital. He has denied supporting cocaine trafficking to the United States.

"Mr Carvajal Barrios had failed to demonstrate that he would be at real risk of being sentenced to life imprisonment without parole

... therefore (we) found the application to be manifestly ill-founded," the court said in a statement, adding its decision was final.

"As he had not yet been tried, it was difficult to ascertain the outcome, but the court was satisfied that he would be tried in a legal system respectful of the rule of law and principles of a fair trial, in which he would have full opportunity to mount a defense with the help of legal representa-

tion," it added.

"We are very disappointed by this decision," Carvajal's lawyer, Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma, said in an email. "I don't think the European Court really understood the consequences of charging a man in his 60s with crimes carrying a mandatory minimum term of five decades in prison under federal law, which amounts to an irreducible life sentence."

(Excerpt from Reuters)

yond the 200 nautical miles (370km or 230 miles) from its coastline that is customary under international law.

It claimed its territory should instead follow the continental shelf that extends under the sea from its coastline. But Colombia disputed that, saying it overlaps with the area in which the archipelago of islands is located.

“Irrespective of any scientific and technical considerations, Nicaragua is not entitled to an extended continental shelf within 200 nautical miles from the baselines of Colombia’s main-

land coast,” ICJ President Judge Joan Donoghue said on Thursday morning, reading the decision.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro welcomed the court’s ruling as a “great victory” for his country.

“With this ruling we hope to close the border dispute and focus on bringing sustainable development to our archipelago,” he wrote on Twitter. Relations between Colombia and Nicaragua, countries that do not share a land border, have been strained for decades over disputed maritime limits.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

US bars former Panamanian President Varela from entering country

The United States has banned former Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez from entering the country “due to his involvement in significant corruption” while in office.

The announcement, made by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, accuses Varela of accepting bribes in exchange for granting Government contracts.

“This designation reaffirms the commitment of the United States to combat endemic corruption in Panama,” Blinken said in his statement.

“It is our hope that today’s action will prompt Panama’s elected representatives and authorities to tackle entrenched corruption and empower all those who stand up for the rule of law.”

Varela is one of two Panamanian Presidents charged with money laundering in the long-running Odebrecht scandal,

which embroiled politicians in nearly a dozen Latin American countries.

Named for the Brazilian construction firm at the heart of the case, the Odebrecht scandal involved officials allegedly collecting bribes as they doled out major public works contracts.

While in office, Varela was implicated in the scandal, with lawyer and former adviser Ramon Fonseca Mora accusing him of accepting bribes from

Odebrecht as “donations”.

“President Varela told me — may lightning strike me if I lie – that he had accepted donations from Odebrecht because he couldn’t fight everyone,” Fonseca told reporters in 2017.

At the time, Varela, a former businessman, was in the midst of his fiveyear term in office, which spanned from 2014 to 2019. He denied any wrongdoing.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Prosecutor Cinthia Monterroso arrives to the building of the Supreme Electoral Tribunal (TSE) as members of the Guatemala Attorney General's office raid it after a court ordered the suspension of anti-graft presidential candidate Bernardo Arevalo's Semilla political party

Former Prime Minister Bruce Golding is among the members of the group

Conservative politician Juan Carlos Varela served as President of Panama from 2014 to 2019 [Luisa Gonzalez/Reuters]

Former Venezuelan intelligence chief Hugo Carvajal stands during his extradition hearing to the US at the High Court in Madrid, Spain, September 12, 2019 (Emilio Naranjo/Pool via Reuters file photo)

OIL NEWS

Oil prices up, hit nearly 3-month high as US inflation eases

Oil prices rose over one per cent on Thursday to their highest in nearly three months after US inflation data suggested interest rates in the world's biggest economy were close to their peak.

Brent crude futures rose US$1.25, or 1.6 per cent, to settle at US$81.36 per barrel. The session peak was US$81.57, the highest since April 25.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose US$1.14, or 1.5 per cent, to US$76.89. The session high was US$77.13, the strongest since April 26.

Data on Wednesday showed US consumer prices rose modestly in June and registered their smallest annual increase in more than two years as inflation continued to subside.

The data caused the US dollar index to drop to the lowest since April 2022, which helped to boost oil prices, said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital LLC in New York.

A weaker dollar makes crude cheaper for holders of other currencies.

"We've had very low inflation numbers today," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. Fears that the Federal Reserve was going to raise interest rates had posed a headwind to oil, he said.

Markets expect just one more rate rise. Higher rates can slow economic growth and reduce oil demand.

Oil prices have rallied by over 11 per cent in two weeks, primarily in response to supply cuts from top producers Saudi Arabia and Russia, said Craig Erlam, senior market analyst at OANDA.

The futures contract structure of the global benchmark Brent indicates the market is tightening and that the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) could be succeeding in its mission to support the market.

The premium of a front-month Brent contract to a six-month February 2024 contract rose to US$2.64 a barrel on Wednesday. At the end of June, the front-month contract was at a discount to the six-month contract.

A report by the International Energy Agency (IEA) on Thursday predicted oil demand would hit a record high this year, though broader economic headwinds and interest rate hikes meant the increase would be slightly less than previously anticipated.

An OPEC report also published on Thursday maintained an upbeat world oil demand outlook despite economic weakness. It raised its growth forecast for 2023 and predicted only a slight slowdown in 2024, with China and India expected to keep driving the expansion in fuel use.

In China, however, momentum in the post-pandemic recovery slowed, with exports contracting last month at their fastest pace since the onset of the pandemic three years ago, the country's Customs Bureau showed. (Reuters)

ICC investigating Darfur violence amid continuing Sudan conflict

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has launched an investigation into a surge of hostilities in Sudan’s Darfur region since mid-April, including reported killings, rapes, arson, displacement and crimes affecting children.

The regular army and paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have been battling in the capital, Khartoum, and other areas of Sudan in a power struggle that exploded in on April 15.

More than three million people have been uprooted, including more than 700,000 who have fled into neighbouring countries. United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said last week that Sudan, Africa’s third largest country by land area, was on the brink of full-scale civil war that

Around The World

SAG strike: Hollywood actors announce major walkout

The Screen Actors Guild (SAG) has announced it will go on strike, marking the start of the largest shutdown Hollywood has seen in 40 years.

The union wants streaming giants to agree to a fairer split of profits and better working conditions.

The walkout means that 160,000 performers will stop work at midnight.

Stars Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt left the Oppenheimer premiere as the strike began, according to Director Christopher Nolan.

The SAG strike was schedule to begin at midnight Los Angeles time (08:00 BST). Picketing will begin on this morning outside the California head-

quarters of Netflix, before moving on to Paramount, Warner Bros and Disney.

The union is also asking for a guarantee that artificial intelligence (AI) and computer-generated faces and voices will not be used to replace actors.

Additionally, the SAG is seeking tighter regulations on self-taped auditions. It believes that home auditions unfairly pass on the cost to performers.

According to a strike order published online by SAG, the walkout applies to those employed acting, singing or dancing, as well as stunt performers and those involved in puppeteering or motion capture work. The stoppage also applies to a variety of background and promotional tasks.

SAG-AFTRA union President Fran Drescher and Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA National Executive Director and Chief Negotiator, stand at SAG-AFTRA offices after negotiations ended with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), the entity that represents major studios and streamers, including Amazon, Apple, Disney, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Paramount, Sony, and Warner Bros Discovery, triggering an actors’ strike, in Los Angeles, California, US, July 13, 2023 (Reuters/Mike Blake)

Russian General says top military brass betrayed soldiers fighting in Ukraine

ARussian general said he had been dismissed as a commander after telling the military leadership about the dire situation at the front in Ukraine, where he said Russian soldiers had been stabbed in the back by the failings of the top military brass.

After the June 24 mutiny by Wagner mercenaries, the biggest domestic challenge to the Russian state in decades, President Vladimir

Putin has so far kept Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu and Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov in their jobs.

Major General Ivan Popov, who commanded the 58th Combined Arms Army, said in a voice message published by Russian lawmaker Andrei Gurulyov that he had been dismissed after telling the truth to the top brass about the situation at the front.

WHO cancer arm deems aspartame “possible carcinogen”; consumption limits unchanged

could destabilise the wider region.

“The office can confirm that it has commenced investigations in relation to incidents occurring in the context of the present hostilities,” ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s office said in a report to the UN Security Council on Thursday.

ICC Prosecutors are “closely tracking reports of extrajudicial killings, burning of homes and markets, and looting, in Al Geneina, West Darfur, as well as the killing and displacement of civilians in North Darfur and other locations across Darfur”, the report said.

It is also examining “allegations of sexual and gender-based crimes, including mass rapes and alleged reports of violence against and affecting children”.(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

The sweetener aspartame is a "possible carcinogen" but it remains safe to consume at already-agreed levels, two groups linked to the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared today.

The rulings are the outcome of two separate WHO expert panels, one of which flags whether there is any evidence that a substance is a potential hazard, and the other which assesses how much of a real-life risk that substance actually poses.

Aspartame is one of the world's most popular sweeteners, used in products from Coca-Cola diet sodas to Mars' Extra chewing gum.

In a press conference ahead of the announcement, the WHO's head of nutrition, Francesco Branca, suggested consumers weighing beverage choices consider neither aspartame nor sweetener.

"If consumers are faced with the decision of whether to take cola with sweeteners or one with sugar, I think there should be a third option

considered – which is to drink water instead," Branca said.

In its first declaration on the addit, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), based in Lyon, France, said aspartame was a "possible carcinogen".

That classification means there is limited evidence a substance can cause cancer.

It does not take into account how much a person would need to consume to be at risk, which is considered by a separate panel, the WHO and Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Joint Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), based in Geneva.

After undertaking its own comprehensive review, JECFA said on Friday that it did not have convincing evidence of harm caused by aspartame, and continued to recommend that people keep their consumption levels of aspartame below 40mg/kg a day.

JECFA first set this level in 1981, and regulators worldwide have similar guidance for their populations.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Popov, who commanded the 58th Combined Arms Army, said in a voice message published by Russian lawmaker Andrei Gurulyov that he had been dismissed after telling the truth to the top brass about the situation at the front.

"The Ukrainian army could not break through our ranks at the front, but our senior chief hit us from the rear, viciously beheading the army at the most difficult and intense moment," Popov said.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

India set to launch historic Moon mission

India is set to launch its third Moon mission, aiming to be the first to land near its little-explored south pole.

The Chandrayaan-3 craft with an orbiter, lander and a

ter on the lunar surface and established the Moon has an atmosphere during daytime", said Mylswamy Annadurai, project director of Chandrayaan-1. Chandrayaan-2 – which

Chandrayaan-3 is due for lift-off this afternoon from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota, an island off India's southeastern coast

rover is due to lift off at 14:35 today (09:05 GMT) from Sriharikota space centre.

The lander is due to reach the Moon August 23-24, space officials said.

If successful, India will be only the fourth country to achieve a soft landing on the Moon, following the US, the former Soviet Union and China.

The third in India's programme of lunar exploration, Chandrayaan-3 is expected to build on the success of its earlier Moon missions.

It comes 13 years after the country's first Moon mission in 2008, which carried out "the first and most detailed search for wa-

also comprised an orbiter, a lander and a rover – was launched in July 2019 but it was only partially successful. Its orbiter continues to circle and study the Moon even today, but the lander-rover failed to make a soft landing and crashed during touchdown. It was because of "a last-minute glitch in the braking system", explained Annadurai.

Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro) chief Sreedhara Panicker Somanath has said they have carefully studied the data from the last crash and carried out simulation exercises to fix the glitches.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Social events will lead to an introduction you won’t want to miss. The connections you make will give you hope for a better future. Offer your services to someone you’d like to work alongside.

PICKLES

(March 21-April 19)

Be a good listener, and you’ll be privy to information that can help you bypass someone who gives you a hard time. Be willing to put your energy where it counts.

(April 20-May 20)

Give your all, but don’t trust others to do the same. Take responsibility and do things yourself, and you won’t be disappointed. Back away from anyone trying to manipulate how you do things.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Being methodical will help you gain leverage. Pay attention to detail, be diligent and present yourself with strength and courage. The influence you have on others must come from your integrity.

Simplify your life. Avoid controversial situations. Use your intelligence and experience to navigate your way forward. Progress depends on what you are willing to contribute.

Pressure will mount if you don’t have a plan. A positive attitude will help you manage the possibilities and encourage forward motion. Stick to your guns and don’t lose momentum.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Hone your skills to fit your chosen pursuit. Give others space, and you will buy yourself time to flesh out what’s important to you. Control your spending and avoid getting involved in joint ventures.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Question everything and figure out how to move forward using the information you receive. You can create opportunities if you are innovative and willing to put your reputation on the line.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Open your eyes when dealing with manipulative people. An emotional incident will leave you confused about what to do next. Respond to what others want, and protect yourself from hidden costs.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

The early bird catches the worm. You’ll be ready to take on the competition if you keep up with what’s trending. A moneymaking opportunity will help you lower debt. Don’t fear making a change.

Don’t believe everything you hear. A change someone makes will be a sign of their intentions. Stick close to home and nurture meaningful relationships. An affectionate gesture will pay off.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Back away from anyone causing emotional uncertainty. Look at every angle of a situation before agreeing to something. A creative outlet will ease stress and give you time to think.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Developments in international cricket…

ICC announces equal prize money for men's and women's World Cups

Mexico blank Reggae Boyz

3-0 to set up Gold Cup finale against Panama

Jamaica’s Reggae Boyz are left to pick up the pieces of another failed Concacaf Gold Cup campaign, as they again fell by the wayside at the semi-final stage, losing 0-3 to Mexico in an entertaining encounter at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

at the half-hour mark, when Chavez’s delightfully taken left-footed free kick from about 25 yards out rendered a five-man wall useless and beating Blake’s full stretch dive to his right.

Going forward, winning a World Cup in men's or women's cricket will come with the same prize money. In a massive leg-up for the women's game, the ICC today announced equal prize money for both men's and women's events, following its annual conference in Durban. The decision includes Under-19 World Cups too.

"This is a significant moment in the history of our sport, and I am delighted that men's and women's cricketers competing at ICC global events will now be rewarded equally," ICC Chair Greg Barclay has said. "Since 2017, we have increased prize money at women's events every year with a clear focus on reaching equal prize money; and from here on in, winning the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup will carry the same prize money as winning the ICC

Men's Cricket World Cup, and the same for T20 World Cups and U-19s too."

Teams across men's and women's cricket will also receive the same amount for winning each game at corresponding World Cups, and finishing runners-up, making the semi-finals, and so on.

Australia, winners of the Women's T20 World Cup earlier this year, had received US$1 million in prize money. England, who'd taken the equivalent men's title in November 2022, had won US$1.6 million in prize money.

slow over rates

The ICC also capped overrate fines at 50% of players' match fees in the World Test Championship. Players will be fined 5% of their fee for every over their team is short, up to 50%. The decision was taken by the ICC's Chief Executives'

Novak Djokovic resumes Grand Slam quest at Wimbledon

Novak Djokovic will continue his hunt for a fifth straight Wimbledon title, and eighth overall, to equal Roger Federer's record haul when the Serbian meets Jannik Sinner in the semi-finals on Friday, knowing the threat the young Italian poses.

The in-form 36-yearold, who is also chasing a men's record-extending 24th Grand Slam trophy and the number one ranking, was a set away from being knocked out by Sinner in the quarter-finals at the grasscourt major last year before a great escape.

Djokovic has been rock-solid in London, despite being extended to four sets by big-serving Pole Hubert Hurkacz and Andrey Rublev in the last two rounds, but the second seed will be

aware that a vastly-im proved Sinner can be a stumbling block.

"He's playing on a high level… He likes to play on quick sur faces because he likes to be aggressive and take control of the point," said Djokovic, the Australian Open and French Open champion, who is nine wins away from a calendar slam.

"From both forehand and backhand, he's smashing the ball really hard, trying to be the one that's going to dictate the point from early on. I know his game well. He's a complete player, now first time in the semis of Wimbledon. I'm looking forward to the challenge…I'm sure he's going to be motivated to win. On the other hand, I am, too,"

Committee (CEC). "If a team is bowled out before the new ball is due at 80 overs, there will be no over-rate penalty applied, even if there is a slow over rate. This replaces the current 60-over threshold," the ICC website said.

"The Men's Cricket Committee felt strongly that over-rate penalties in the form of WTC points deductions should remain, but recommended that players should not have 100% of their match fee at risk," Sourav Ganguly, who is chair of the Men's Cricket Committee and sits on the CEC, said. "We believe this provides a balance between maintaining over-rates and ensuring we are not deterring players from playing Test cricket." This rule will be retrospectively applied to this WTC cycle, which started with an Ashes Test on June 16

Henry Martin opened the scoring in the 2nd minute, before Luis Chavez (30th) inflicted more pain, leaving substitute Roberto Alvarado (90+3) to throw salt in the Jamaicans’ wounds and send eighttime champions Mexico into their third-consecutive Gold Cup final.

They will meet 2005 and 2013 finalists Panama in Sunday’s final, after the Central Americans defeated United States 5-4 on sudden-death penalty, after playing out a 1-1 stalemate in full and extra time at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California.

With a large turnout of Jamaican spectators inside the 61,000-capacity stadium, the Reggae Boyz, who were finalists in the 2015 and 2017 tournaments, and also 2019 semi-finalists, started with a burst of purpose, but it evaporated as briskly as it started.

This as Mexico won possession from the failed Jamaican attack in the middle of the park, and broke down the right channel. A long pass switching the point of attack was picked up by Jesus Gallardo, whose pass across the 18-yard box found an unmarked Martin, who applied an easy finish beyond Andre Blake.

While the action remained lively for the most parts, neither team was able to create any more

Jamaicans moreso, but while they came up empty in their hunt, Jaime Lozano’s side helped themselves to another. Poor defending by Damion Lowe allowed Gallardo a free run in the box, to play a pass across the face of goal for Alvarado to tap in from close range in time added. (Sportsmax)

Djokovic has said.

Eighth seed Sinner will need to beat Djokovic for the first time to take a step closer to a maiden Grand Slam trophy, and the 21-year-old acknowledged that facing the world number two was among the toughest challenges in tennis.

"He's won 23 Grand Slams. Won in Australia, won in Paris. He's in a huge confidence boost," said Sinner, who has enjoyed a favourable draw, and has not faced a top 50 opponent so far. (Reuters)

The Mexicans went close to doubling the lead eight minutes later, but Blake, diving full stretch to his left, denied Erick Sanchez’s left-footed effort from the top of the 18-yard box.

Though the Jamaicans orchestrated a few quick breaks, using their speed an athleticism down the channels, they were unable to make it count in the final third, where they lacked composure. In fact, it wasn’t until the 24th minute that they got a shot off at Guillermo Ochoa’s goal, when Demarai Gray found space for a right-footer from outside the 18-yard box, but that was easily collected by the Mexican shot stopper. And if that wasn’t bad enough, they soon found themselves two goals down

meaningful chances in the latter stages of the half, as they went to the break with the score unchanged.

Heimir Hallgrimsson made a tactical change at the top of the second half, bringing on striker Shamar Nicholson for holding midfielder Kevon Lambert, and the move worked to some extent, as the Reggae Boyz started seeing more possession of the ball in the attacking third.

They went close to pulling on back in the 54th minute, after Leon Bailey orchestrated a decent buildup in which he switched the attack to Michail Antonio, who whipped a onetime pass across the face of

TEAMS: JamaicaAndre Blake, Damion Lowe, Javain Brown (Dexter Lembikisa 51st), Kevon Lambert (Shamar Nicholson 46th), Bobby Reid, Amari'i Bell, Dishon Bernard, Joel Latibeaudiere (Daniel Johnson 85th), Leon Bailey, Demarai Gray, Michail Antonio (Dujuan Richards 85th)

Subs not used: Jahmali Waite, Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Adrian Mariappa, Kemar Lawrence, Jonathan Russell, Kaheem Parris, Corey Burke, Booked: Brown (29th), Lambert (39th), Bernard (55th)

MEXICO – Guillermo Ochoa, Jorge Sanchez, Cesar Montes, Johan Vasquez, Jesus Gallardo, Erick Sanchez (Carlos Rodriguez 62nd), Luis Romo, Luis Chavez (Edson Alvarez 72nd), Uriel Antuna (Roberto Alvarado 72nd), Henry Martin (Santiago Gimenez 63rd), Orbelin Pineda (Diego Lainez 87th)

Subs not used: Antonio Rodriguez, Angel Malagon, Julian Araujo, Gerardo Arteaga, Ozziel Herrera, Israel Reyes, Victor Guzman

Booked: Antuna (61st), Mario

Assistant referee: Luis Ventura (Guatemala); Panjoj

Bryan (Guatemala)

Australia received US$1 million in prize money at the Women's T20 World Cup earlier this year (Getty Images)

Novak Djokovic

Mexico's Luis Chavez executed a delightful freekick during their Concacaf Gold Cup semi-final contest against Jamaica at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Wednesday

Demerara beat Berbice to lift GCB Inter-County U17 title

wicket. Ramnauth was the eventual top-scorer with 66, for which this solid right-hander had faced 93 balls and stroked six fours and one six. Kisten made 38 from 27 balls.

Romesh Bharrat, another rock-solid righthander, made 37 from 90 balls, which included three boundaries. He featured in an 83-run stand with Ramnauth as Berbice were firm with 156-3 after 34.5 overs.

Demerara bowlers came back into the back end of the game and restricted Berbice. The last seven Berbice wickets fell for 58 runs, as Alex Datterdeen took 2-28 in 10 overs and Neeran Bani bowled an economical spell of 2-30 in 10 overs. Shane Prince had 2-31 in 4.4 overs to cap off the collective bowling effort.

were expensive and not effective, but

had 1-27 in nine overs. At the presentation ceremony, Jonathan Van Lange was awarded for accumulating most runs, with 186 runs; Matthew Pottoya had the most wickets – seven - while wicketkeeper batsman Vickash Wilkinson

Vikash Wilkinson, adjudged the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the tournament, has led the Demerara U17 team to a five-wicket win against arch-rivals Berbice in the final of the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB’s) Under-17 InterCounty tournament, played at Everest Cricket Club Ground in Georgetown.

Demerara clinched the championship after successfully chasing 215 runs. Batting first, Berbice posted 214 all out in 47.4 overs, while Demerara ended their chase on 217-5 in 45.5 overs.

Earlier in the day, Berbice openers Rampersaud Ramnauth and Kevin Kisten had posted 59 runs for the first

Demerara took the momentum in their chase, as Deonarine, Dindyal and Wilkinson added 41 runs in 7.5 overs. Dindyal departed for five, but Wilkinson continued to score, and bossed the game. His match-winning 84 came off 82 balls and included 11 fours and three sixes.

Wilkinson featured in a 75-run stand with Ryan Latif as Demerara were in cruise control at 116-2 after 24.2 overs. Then Nicholas Shieopersaud made 46 to ensure Demerara register a championship win against

Guyana suffer two defeats at Under-19 Rugby tournaments

Top Guyana coaches to feature at Blairmont Cricket Club clinic

Guyana started off their Rugby Americas North (RAN)

Under-19 tourna ment with low form. They failed to perform, and were hand ed two loss es -- against Bermuda and Jamaica

-- at The University of West Indies “Mona Bowl” in Kingston, Jamaica.

In their first match, the Guyana team had posed a threat to Bermuda, but Bermuda kept their composure and managed to ease their way through

Guyana’s defense, resulting in Bermuda scoring 48 points and Guyana being scoreless at the end of full time.

Jamaica showcased their scoring to hand Guyana their second defeat. Guyana start ed off the game in an excep tional form, but Jamaica held out, and pierced the defense of Guyana to score 48 points while Guyana remained scoreless.

The cricket clinic of the Blairmont Community Centre Cricket Club (BCCCC) commenced this weekend. It is catering for promising cricketers in the West Berbice area of Region 5, and will run from July 17-19.

Some of the best coaches in Guyana will be present to share their knowledge. Five-time championship-winning senior Guyana national coach Esuan Crandon is expected to grace the occasion with his pres -

ence, along with former successful national Under-19 coach Julian Moore. Current Guyana Harpy Eagles Assistant Coach Garvin Nedd is also on the roster to visit the clinic, along with former West Indies Test player Sewnarine Chattergoon.

Balram Samaroo will also be offering his coaching services, while Shabeer Baksh will be the daily administrator.

This cricket clinic at Blairmont will also offer opportunity for attendees to register to become a member of the club. The camp will be for cricketers between the ages of 10-21.

On July 14, 18 and 19, the cricket clinic will run from 10:00h to 17:00h; and on the other days, the clinic will run from 14:00h to 17:00h at the Blairmont Community Centre Ground.

For more information, interested persons are invited to WhatsApp 6442714.

223-6218, 656-5544 or 6237805.

Vacancy for a house cleaner at a private house in Herstelling EBD. One female between the ages of 35 – 45 years, from the hours of 9 am – 3 pm, 6 days per week. Days and hours are negotiable. Kindly contact 592-673-5300.

The Guyana Men’s U19 Rugby Team

Berbice. The Berbice bowlers

Justin Doobay

Jonathan Van Lange scored the most runs in the tournament

Matthew Pottoya picked up the most wickets in the tournament

Sewnarine Chattergoon will be among the coaches at the Blairmont CCC clinic

Julian Moore

WEST INDIES TOIL ALL DAY

West Indies vs India 2023: Test 1 of 2… -as Yashasvi Jaiswal finished day on 143 not out

Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma have put India in a commanding position on the second day of the first Test at Windsor Park in Dominica.

At stumps, India were 312 for 2, leading West Indies by 162, with Jaiswal unbeaten on 143 and Virat Kohli on 36.

Having started the day on 80 for no loss, Jaiswal and Rohit showed great patience throughout their 229-run partnership, and it was the first time in Test cricket that India took a first-innings lead without losing a wicket.

Run scoring wasn't easy, though. India managed only 232 in 90 overs on the second day, despite losing just two wickets. West Indies captain Kraigg Brathwaite used nine bowlers, with Rahkeem Cornwall being the most threatening. However, Cornwall had to leave the field in the first session with a chest infection, and he did not re turn.

Jaiswal was the first to bring up his hundred, be coming the third Indian opener, after Shikhar Dhawan and Prithvi Shaw, and the 17th Indian overall, to do so on Test debut. Rohit fol lowed shortly after wards with a four off Alick Athanaze. It was his tenth cen tury in Test cricket, but only his second outside India in 27 matches.

Off the very next ball, however, Rohit gloved the spinner onto his thigh, and Joshua Da Silva caught the rebound.

Before this Test, Shubman Gill had told India's coach Rahul Dravid

that he wanted to bat at # 3. The move didn't bring immediate success for Gill, though, as he edged Jomel Warrican to second slip for 6.

was just eight overs old when Brathwaite brought back Warrican. It was only then that Kohli, having faced 80 balls, scored his

both of Jaiswal's edges before the break. On the other side of it, he pinged him on the helmet with extra bounce

It was Rohit who showed the way by chipping Holder down the ground for a four. In Holder's next over, Jaiswal also threw his bat around to pick up two fours, the first of those coming off an outside edge.

West Indies moved to Plan B after that, with Alzarri Joseph bowling the short stuff. With the ball coming slower off the surface, Rohit twice miscued the pull, but was

lucky both times. From the other end, Warrican found Rohit's outside edge, but it fell short of the slip fielder. Jaiswal played the short ball much better, even pulling Joseph behind square leg for four. Having taken 16 balls to open his account on day one, he took just 31 deliveries to move from 70 to 100, displaying the versatility that was the hallmark of his innings.

(ESPN Cricinfo)

as the left-hander failed to connect a sweep. Warrican, much quicker through the air than Cornwall, also found big turn to beat Rohit's outside edge, but a wicket eluded West Indies.

At the start of the second session, Jaiswal tried to raise the tempo. He skipped down the pitch a couple of times against Warrican, but didn't have much success.

Regional U19 Girls tourney…

T&T Girls crush Guyana Girls

With the spinners getting turn and bounce, West Indies delayed taking the second new ball until the 101st over. In their desperation for another wicket, they also burnt two reviews against Kohli, but

India survived that period.

In the third over with the second new ball, Kemar Roach rapped Jaiswal on the pads, but Richard Kettleborough turned down the lbw appeal. West Indies had no reviews left, and replays showed the ball would have gone on to hit the leg stump.

The second new ball

first boundary with a cover drive. He celebrated with a fist pump and a big smile. By stumps, he and Jaiswal had added 72 for the third wicket.

In the morning, Jason Holder and Kemar Roach stuck to a good length outside off, conceding just 19 in the first nine overs of the day. The first boundary came in the tenth, when Jaiswal pulled Joseph to bring up his half-century. The shot also brought up India's first opening century stand in 23 innings, since KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal added 117 against South Africa in Centurion in December 2021.

After the first drinks interval, Rohit reached his half-century as well. He also had some advice for Jaiswal whenever the youngster looked impatient or played a loose shot. Cornwall was getting assistance from the surface, and had challenged

Guyana’s U19 Girls have suffered a big defeat in the Regional Under-19 Girls tournament being played at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St Augustine, Trinidad.

Guyana’s Girls suffered an eight-wicket loss to hosts Trinidad and Tobago after their batting faltered to 80 all out in 29.1 overs, while Trinidad and Tobago scored

81-2 in 21.3 overs in the match.

Realeanna Grimmond scored a cautious 26 from 60 balls, while skipper Ashmini Munisar made 12.

Djenaba Joseph was the pick of the T&T bowlers with 3-14 from 5.1 overs, while Kirah Manpaul had 3-21 in her allotted six overs.

In their chase, Trinidad and Tobago lost West Indies

Women’s selectee Shunelle Sawh for 16, but her opening partner Samara Ramnauth played a responsible innings of 32 not out to see her team across the line. And Djenaba Joseph returned with bat to score 18.

In the five matches played, Guyana have recorded three wins and two defeats in the 30-over tournament.

Guyana Girls lost to T&T Girls

Brathwaite had a lot to think about

Jaiswal scored a maiden Test hundred on debut

Holder had a hard day at the office

Roach appealing against Kohli (Photos: Getty Images)