Guyana Times -Thursday, August 31, 2023.pdf

"Norton can call anytime and I will speak to him"

Pres Ali on relations with Opposition

CIOG makes donation to Success fire victims PM, British maritime surveillance firm discuss enhancing regional defence systems

BoG on lookout for federal rate changes that could impact NRF investments

Govt building more tech-driven, agile armed forces – Pres Ali

Armed bandits rob Lusignan supermarket

APNU’s Carol Smith-Joseph challenging extension of Hicken’s tenure

Parika teen dies in mining pit accident

…promotes enhanced defence collaboration as cadets urged to remain disciplined

Boy, 13, drowns at Coomacka Mines Beach

Mining, other issues to be addressed in revision of Amerindian Act – AG

Mother & child murder Woman was crying 1 day before gruesome discovery –boyfriend …family urges Police to intensify probe

Regions 9 & 10 benefit from Home Economics training

–

Boy, 13, drowns at Coomacka Mines Beach

An outing at the Coomacka Mines Beach in Linden, Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), turned deadly on Tuesday when a 13-year-old boy drowned.

He has been identified as Hassini Mack of Wisroc New Housing Scheme, Linden, and he had been a student of the Mackenzie High School.

The child, along with his two younger siblings and some family friends, including a Canadian national, an American national and two other children, had gone to the beach at around 14:00hrs on the day in question. Police Headquarters explained that, while swimming, this 13-year-old and one of the other children, a 14-yearold, proceeded to the edge of the water to “wash off”.

Police explained that as these two children began to walk towards the centre of the river, the

water started to flow at a fast rate, causing Mack to go under. As they began to shout for help, the 29-year-old Canadian national rushed to their assistance and managed to rescue the 14-year-old.

The man attempted to rescue the 13-year-old Mack, but by that time he had already disappeared. Up to press time, his body had not been found.

Hassini Mack’s mother, Cerenze Sobers, explained that her family had formed a bond with the Canadian and American couple over the past five years, after they had met at an Islamic camp. Speaking with this publication on Wednesday, she explained that the couple often took her sons on trips. The outing at the Coomacka Mines Beach was one such outing.

“They were there last week, and they went back because they went there late [last week] and they

didn’t get to enjoy themselves, so they went back to swim and climb the mountains so that they could enjoy themselves,” Mack’s mother explained.

“My children went to an Islamic camp and they also met some children from Coomacka Mines, and they went up [with the couple] to visit them [the children] and they saw the beach and so. But they didn’t get the opportunity to swim and spend more time, so the man [the Canadian national] made another arrangement that they would go back to spend more time at the beach; so that’s how they went.”

Sobers said she trusted the couple with her kids.

“The man [Canadian national] is not no stranger; he would come for them, they go to the mall, he would take them to camp, he would come and take them to get ice cream. The man comes here, teaches them Islam… he even comes and plays with them…,” Sobers explained.

According to Sobers, after her son and the other child had finished swimming, they informed the adults that they were going to the edge of the river to wash off the sand on their feet. However, the two children proceeded into the river to swim some

more.

“They were already in the car and preparing to leave… but I don’t know how they end up where they end up. But I know Hassini, we go to the creek and sometimes he would say, ‘I going and wash my foot’, and when you turn your back, he gone and catch a little swim,” Sobers explained.

Recounting what she was told, Sobers explained that the adults were alerted when the children “started hollering”.

“…and when they ran, the two of them were holding on to each other. Hassini was holding on to the other boy's hand, but after some time it got slippery, and his hand slid off and he went underwater,” Sobers detailed.

Sobers has said she is still struggling to come to grips with the death of her son, more so since he was her first child.

“He slept with me in the same bed since he was small. We celebrated our birthday together because our birthday is the same month. Everything is me and my son. This is hard… I don’t know how I getting strength, but I thank God that he is giving me strength to stand up…,” she declared.

Parika teen dies in mining pit accident

A17-year-old miner identified as Anthony Richard of Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) lost his life on Tuesday at around 15:30hrs while working in a mining pit at Cowpen Backdam, Puruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), Police revealed in a press release.

It has been reported that the teen had owned a four-inch land dredge, which he operated at the said location with the assistance of three workers. On the day in question, Richard and the workers were in his mining pit ‘jetting’ with a hose when the

land above him suddenly became loose and crumbled, covering him in the process.

The other workers raised an alarm, and public-spirited persons responded. Together, they were able to dig away the soil under which he was buried, but by the time they retrieved his body, it was lifeless. The body was taken to the Puruni Health Post, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

An examination of the body revealed several abrasions on his left leg. A postmortem will be conducted.

Hassini Mack

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, August 31 –04:15h-05:45h and Friday, September 1 – 04:00h-05:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, August 31 –16:40h-18:10h and Friday, September 1 – 05:00h-06:30h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There should be sunshine and thundery showers during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 3.57 metres.

High Tide: 17:02h reaching a maximum height of 2.79 metres.

Low Tide: 10:36h and 22:54h reaching minimum heights of 0.38 metre and 0.39 metre.

can call anytime and I will speak to him" – Pres Ali on relations with Opposition

President Dr Irfaan Ali has once again reiterated his willingness to engage the Opposition, but argued that this responsibility needed to be shared by the Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton, who has so far refused to be cordial with the Head of State.

The Guyanese Leader’s remarks come on the heels of outgoing United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, during an interview with a local newspaper, urging the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic Government and the People’s National Congress (PNC)-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Opposition to talk.

On the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, President Ali was asked about whether he intended to reach out to the Opposition. In response, the Head of State pointed out that he has engaged Norton on matters that he was required to, and it was the Opposition Leader who has not reciprocated the willingness to engage.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

“We must be able to ‘call a spade a spade’. This is a man who tried to stop consultations by going to court; who refuses to shake the President’s hand. This is a man who cannot find it convenient to apologise to this country for trying to rig an election. This is a man who is part of a process that tried to derail democracy and put our country in a very, very negative light globally.”

“And here is a President, who is working to regain international trust and position our country to be one of the leaders in the world. So, we cannot be inconvenient. If the Leader of the Opposition comes here in front of me now, again, I will stretch my hand to shake his hand… The Leader of the Opposition can pick up the phone tomorrow and call me, and I will speak to him,” the Guyanese Leader posited.

The handshake incident President Ali was referencing occurred in August 2022, when Norton refused to shake his hand at an Emancipation Day event in New Amsterdam, Berbice.

Norton had later told his support base that he did not shake hands with his oppressors.

There was another incident at the British High Commissioner’s residence where Ali and Norton shook hands, but the Opposition Leader later told the public that he

was bullied in shaking the President’s hands.

According to Ali, the burden is being placed on solely him to reach out to Norton. He disclosed that during Joseph Harmon’s tenure as Opposition Leader, they would constantly have engagements on important development issues and even exchanged ideas.

Moreover, the Head of State noted that many members of the Opposition would call him on a daily basis and they would engage in meaningful discussions.

“This is a Leader of the Opposition who doesn’t have the basic decency to shake the hands of the President… I tried twice to shake the man’s hands and he refused, and now you telling me I must try again. Why he can’t try? Because it’s inconvenient for the narrative for him to try, but the convenient narrative is that the President is not meeting him… It is inconvenient for the truth which is the Leader of the Opposition has no interest in meeting with the President,” Ali stated.

He went on to outline that engagements between political leaders should not

only be in the public domain, rather, it should be a means to build and nurture relationships as well as building trust.

“Engagement is not only a public spectacle. Engagement is how you build that relationship, how you build that trust, how you nurture that trust and that is what is critical. If you can’t shake hands, how can you build that trust. Here is a President who is trying to go beyond you trying to keep him out of office by undemocratic means… to try to shake your hands and you refuse… My hand is ready for friendship,” the President stated.

Nevertheless, the Guyanese Leader further stressed that his engagement with the Opposition was not dependent on any individual, but was with

the people at the grassroot level. He added too that he would continue to fulfil his mandate as outlined in the Constitution and by the rule of law.

“Whatever is required of me in the execution of my duty to fulfill my responsibility in keeping with the Constitution, my life blood would ensure that occurs… My engagement with [the Opposition] as individuals, as a collective, as people of Guyana is not dependent on an individual. I will execute whatever is required of me in the Constitution in consultation with everyone the Constitution requires me to. But the Leader of the Opposition’s attitude and his demeanour towards me would not in any way, shape, or form influence my attitude to the people of Guyana,” the Head of State noted.

"Norton

President Dr Irfaan Ali shaking the hand of Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton

Views

Editor: Tusika Martin

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More male teachers

As we prepare to head back to school, we reiterate our thoughts on a perennial issue in the school system: The current situation regarding males in education is significant enough to warrant a strategic, long-term intervention. For over a decade, there has been clear evidence that the boys in our schools are not having an equal experience to that of girls. More importantly – as studies have unearthed – the issue goes well beyond a mere question of competence, interest in, or value for, education.

There are at play deep socio-cultural and other factors that indicate the need for a multifaceted approach towards addressing the issue. The potential consequences of ignoring the problem are dire, and the red flags are numerous, demanding that something be done at the soonest. The issue is affecting the entire Caribbean, and as such, there are some lessons from sister territories that could inform the approaches adopted.

One dimension — and arguably one of the most significant contributors to the problem — is the absence of male teachers in the system. The exodus of males from the teaching profession would have been chronicled over the last three decades. The process unfolded gradually, and, over time, it appears that the system simply adjusted to the changes. There has not been any intervention to target the absence of male teachers in the system.

Initially, economics was considered the major push factor at play. The question of whether this remains the primary consideration has merit, and studies are now examining why males are not opting for teaching as a career.

Regardless of the causes, there has to be a well-thought-out solution, since the issue has now hit crisis proportions. The most recent data shows that there are over 8000 female teachers in the system, as compared to just about 2000 males.

Research has indicated that this acute imbalance impacts the quality of the educational experiences boys are having. It is important to mention here that female teachers view the behaviour of boys much differently from male teachers. The research indicates that female teachers consider boys at the primary level to be highly disruptive and uninterested in education; whereas girls, on the other hand, are viewed as settled, model pupils. An extension of this is that boys are more often penalised for their behaviours, which in turn impacts their academic experiences.

As early as Grade Four, there are decisions made regarding the academic potential of boys that have little basis in competence indices, but more to do with their behaviours.

In studies across the world, boys have reported that their male teachers encourage them more, and have a greater impact on their confidence levels as pupils.

This issue has implications well beyond the academic experiences boys are having, however, and speaks to the very nature of their socialisation. Schools are critical socialising institutions, and the absence of male role models in schools must impact the extent to which boys receive critical social cues regarding their gender identity and their expected roles.

The fact is that the absence of male teachers further compounds the problem of the education of the ‘emotions of boys’. This forces boys to seek guidance from alternative external sources that oftentimes are not as wholesome. Research has also shown that boys feel more comfortable speaking to male teachers about issues they are having both at home and at school.

It must be noted here that boys are not the only ones to benefit greatly from the presence of male teachers. Girls also need solid male role models to provide balance in their socialisation. In addition, to the extent that schools are a microcosm of society, they should fully reflect the diversity and prevailing cultural dynamics found in the wider society. There is an overabundance of accounts of the ‘feminisation’ of schooling, brought about in large part by the absence of male teachers in the profession. Both female and male inputs are vital to the effective delivery of education.

The work environment is greatly enhanced by the presence of male teachers providing balance in perspectives and approaches. As we had previously said in editorials, traditionally, males have championed the use of technology and the importance of sports and other extracurricular activities in schools. Their absence has left key voids that need to be addressed.

On Wednesday night around the world, many were delighted to observe a blue moon, a rare "super blue moon" to be precise, which won't be seen again for more than a decade. Supermoons occur when the moon passes through its perigee — the point in its elliptical orbit that takes it closest to Earth. This makes it look about 14 per cent bigger, compared with when it is at its furthest point, and a touch brighter. The term "blue moon" simply refers to when we see a full moon twice in a month. In this photo, the moon rises behind the Temple of Poseidon, in Cape Sounion, near Athens, Greece (Reuters/Stelios Misinas)

Nuclear weapons should be relics of the past

International Day against

disarmament

In the quiet and peaceful steppe of Kazakhstan, a dark and ominous legacy lingers beneath the surface. Over four decades between 1949 and 1989, 456 nuclear bombs were detonated by the Soviet Union at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northern Kazakhstan.

While the echoes of nuclear explosions have long faded, the scars of nuclear testing run deep. More than 1.5 million people in Kazakhstan were exposed to the toxic fallout from those tests. Countless lives were irreversibly altered, and the environment was forever scarred. I am a living testament to the horrors of nuclear testing, as I was born without arms due to the effects of nuclear radiation.

Decades have passed since the Semipalatinsk Test Site was used as a canvas for nuclear experimentation, yet the threat to the world from nuclear weapons remains all too real. The global confrontation between major powers has raised the possibility that nuclear weapons could be used, even if accidentally. The spectre of mutually assured destruction looms large, reminding us that the line between peace and catastrophic conflict is paper-thin. It is a line we can no longer afford to tread.

The recent diplomatic efforts and agreements aimed at halting nucle-

ar testing and proliferation have shown promise, but they are merely steps on a longer journey. The Comprehensive NuclearTest-Ban Treaty (CTBT), which seeks to ban all nuclear explosions, is a crucial instrument in this endeavour. Yet, despite its adoption by a vast majority of nations, it awaits ratification by some key states, preventing its full implementation.

Governments and leaders must recognise that the pursuit of security through the possession of nuclear weapons is a fallacy. Kazakhstan once had the fourth-largest nuclear arsenal in the world. But my country voluntarily relinquished these weapons after gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Despite being a young sovereign nation, the lack of nuclear weapons did not threaten our security and stable development. Quite the contrary. Through its multi-vector foreign policy, Kazakhstan has developed good relations with all its neighbours and beyond.

Kazakhstan’s case is proof that true security can be achieved through the complete elimination of nuclear weapons.

Our path forward is clear. We must advocate for the universal ratification of the CTBT, leaving no room for ambiguity regarding the end of nuclear testing. This will require not only political will but also a collective commitment to

securing a safer world for generations to come. The pursuit of disarmament must be a shared endeavour that transcends borders, ideologies and differences. All nuclear-armed States must demonstrate their commitment to disarmament through substantial reductions in their arsenals.

Nuclear disarmament is not a distant dream; it is a tangible goal within our reach. The success of initiatives like the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), which led to the adoption of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), demonstrates the power of global unity. The number of nuclear weapons has declined from around 65,000 in the mid-1980s to around 12,500 today, thanks to the landmark Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

However, we cannot stop here. As the world marked the International Day against Nuclear Tests on August 29, which the UN declared in 2009 to mark the closure of the Semipalatinsk Test Site in 1991, we must embrace global disarmament. It is a moral imperative, a duty to future generations, and a responsibility we cannot shirk. The resources currently spent on maintaining and modernising nuclear arsenals could be channelled into eradicating poverty, address -

ing climate change, and advancing education and health care.

Education is a powerful tool in the fight for disarmament. By raising awareness about the devastating consequences of nuclear weapons and testing, we can inspire collective action and public demand for change. That is why I have dedicated my life to urging the world to rid itself of the destructive menace of nuclear weapons.

Kazakhstan is hoping to achieve a nuclear-weapon-free world by 2045, the centennial of the founding of the United Nations. We have just over two decades to make this a reality, but the efforts must pick up pace now.

The path towards nuclear disarmament is not an easy one, but it is a journey worth embarking upon. We owe it to ourselves, our children, and the generations yet unborn. Let us not be remembered as the generation that failed to heed the call of reason and compassion. Instead, we should be remembered as the generation that had the courage to stand up and say, “No more.” Let us be the ones to make nuclear weapons a relic of the past, forever banished from our world.

( Al Jazeera)

(Karipbek Kuyukov is the Honorary Ambassador of The ATOM Project, which is committed to eliminating the world's nuclear arsenals)

…August 29 was the

Nuclear Tests; we should all join the fight for global

Ali presidency continues PPP/C’s traditional ‘people empowerment’ administrative blueprint

Dear Editor, The state of the country under every PNC-led Government was devastation, destruction, and a decimation of the socio-economic dynamics and infrastructural landscape.

Conversely, under every PPP/PPPC administration, social development, economic growth, and infrastructural advancements were near-miraculous phenomena.

Over the decades of advanced development in the country under PPP/C governments, many of the older generation and contemporary society had either forgotten what existence under a PNC Government was like; or responded to the usual racist ‘kith and kin’ narratives of PNC political elements. As a consequence, many Guyanese

citizens – even PPP/C supporters - are convinced that the PNC-led coalition accession to Government in 2015 was an eye-opener and a blessing in disguise for the country; as citizens were enabled a comparison of administrative capabilities between both major political constructs.

This writer happened upon Dr. Ashni Singh’s 2013 Budget speech, and marvelled at how swiftly the Coalition Government had decimated and reversed all the socio-economic gains of the PPP/C administration within five short years, beginning from days after they had attained power.

PPPC'S budgets were always reflective of Dr. Cheddi Jagan's mantradevelopment with a human face - and headlines

after Dr. Singh delivered his Budget speech in 2013 read “Nation’s Education receives largest allocation: …as Guyana’s economy maintains positive growth for seventh consecutive year.”

The report continued “Guyana’s economy has, for the seventh consecutive year, achieved growth and is poised in the coming year, based on initial projections, to continue on its trajectory with the Gold and Rice sectors leading the way. This information was reported to a packed National Assembly, yesterday, as Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, in presenting the nation’s expenditure for the coming year, reported on the performance of the various sectors in the completed financial year.

“This year’s budget has been presented under the theme ‘Overcoming challenges together, accelerating gains for Guyana’ and saw Guyana achieving growth of 4.8 percent, even as the growth in the Caribbean and Latin American region borders on three percent. Dr. Singh said it is important to note that if the performance of the sugar industry isn’t reflected in the overall growth experienced, it would in fact be recorded at six percent… The non-traditional agriculture sectors grew by 5.3 percent, which the minister credited with improved weather and better access to market.”

Dr Singh, in a marathon session to Parliament, acknowledged that Government’s position on

the sugar industry is clear and unequivocal: “The industry is still of sufficient systemic importance to the national economy and to the livelihoods of so many rural communities, and has such deep forward and backward linkages with suppliers and distributors nationwide that no effort must be spared to ensure its long-term viability, competitiveness, and profitability.

“He noted that over the years, Government has injected a total of $39.5 billion to recapitalise the industry and to support its operations. As recent as last year, Government provided a transfer of $4 billion to ensure that GUYSUCO was able to meet its financing requirements.

that, together, more than 120,000 persons will benefit directly or indirectly.

Dear Editor,

We, the Cooperative Republicans of Guyana (CRG), offer our heartfelt condolences to all of those impacted by the loss of the precious lives recently taken from us.

Road safety has been an ongoing concern since the beginning of the transition from the TATA buses to the minibus system. This may not be the reason for the fatalities in this instance, but one doesn’t have to look far to see the signs encouraging overconsumption of alcohol: not one, but two bottles pouring rum into a glass.

We must shift towards a safer form of enjoying our newfound wealth. As a community, we should be willing to work together to get this problem resolved, and to do so would require that we each make sacrifices for the safety of us all.

With this in mind, Government should implement a temporary curfew, effective immediately, at bars and on the roadways. Additional traffic lights must be put in place to reduce opportunities for speeding, and Police traffic stops to conduct breathalyzer testing for alcohol must also be implemented in high-accident areas. A campaign against drunk driving must also be started posthaste.

To ensure that drivers are within the limits of the law, additional outreaches and breathalyzer checks should be carried out at

the end of, or upon exiting, major events or popular drinking establishments and clubs. Bar owners can help by limiting the number of drinks a patron may have within an hour.

A ‘designated driver’ programme which restricts the designated driver from drinking has been a proven success. In the absence of a designated driver, the rule of one drink per hour should be used. Taxi availability for those who have overconsumed should also be a part of this road fatality reduction strategy.

It is extremely painful for the family, the neighbourhood and the country when our loved ones are taken away before their time. Please support the nation and any additional efforts made to reduce road fatalities by taking your time to stay safe on the roadways, and by avoiding driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

We extend our deepest condolences to the affected families. May the GPF and the Government quickly find and eliminate the root causes of road deaths.

It is better to get home late than to never arrive; so, if you feel like you are losing control behind the wheel, STOP AND TAKE A FIVE, OR CALL SOMEONE TO PICK YOU UP. Stay safe and be well.

Sincerely,

Jamil Changlee, Chairman of CRG

Dear Editor

“I would not shake hands with those who oppress my people!” This was a predictable response to a question posed by Dr Dhanpaul Narine to Opposition Leader Mr. Aubrey Norton on Thursday August 24, 2023 at a Town Hall meeting in Little Guyana (pseudonym for Greater Richmond Hill, Queens, New York City).

Except for about 25 residents who carried protest placards outside the building, Guyanese residents went about their business as usual. The thought that

the Guyana Parliamentary Opposition Leader would visit Little Guyana at 6:30pm to provide an update on Guyana’s political situation was never an attraction. Nevertheless, some residents’ feelings were captured in the display of placards outside the Starlite Pavilion Hall where the meeting was held. A sample of placards reads: “Guyana need builders, not dividers”; “Still waiting for the 2020 SoPs” and “Election fraudsters.”

Tara Singh

“Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to announce that, this year, in support of the company’s plans to modernise the industry, Budget 2013 provides an amount of $1 billion to be transferred by Government to GUYSUCO to help the company meet the financing requirements of its transformation plans,” Dr. Singh announced.

He argued that this support by the Government to the sugar industry will redound to the benefit of the industry’s 18,000 workers, their families, and suppliers of goods and services to the company, and asserted

He posited that Budget 2013 reflected Government’s commitment that had been outlined in the previous budget, and warned that the nation must be cognisant of the external factors, such as the global financial realities, coupled with Climate Change, among other factors that pose significant challenges to the local gains made. Dr. Singh, in that presentation, reeled out the plethora of gains and achievements of the PPP/C Government of every sector, which continued the momentum of a skyrocketing trajectory; until 2015, when tsunami PNC took the lead in governance, when Guyana’s developmental paradigm rapidly plummeted in a downward spiral.

The current PPP/C Government, under the Presidency of HE Dr. Irfaan Ali, has continued the PPP/C’s traditional administrative blueprint, which positions people empowerment at the forefront of national development; and the citizens nationwide are responding to the positivity and eschewing the racist rants and divisive narratives of the Opposition collective.

Yours truly, Brian Azore

Take your time on the roads to stay safe

“I would not shake hands with those who oppress my people!”

Box-and-Whisker Plots

Exercises: Solve

BY ARTHUR SZE

In the night, a black bear climbs a pear tree, snaps branches, feasts on pears in the grass; one night you turned onto a dead-end street and—click click click click— in your headlights, two guys, stripping wheels off a car jacked up on blocks, turned and fled.

In this fun and easy weather science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate the greenhouse effect.

Materials:

Glass jar with a lid

One teaspoon of water

Sunny location outside

Instructions:

Put the teaspoon of water in the jar.

Tighten the lid securely so that

no air can escape. Leave the jar in a sunny location for at least one hour.

Small drops of water will form and cling to the side of the jar.

How it works:

The greenhouse effect is a process that occurs when gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap the Sun’s heat. This process makes Earth much warmer than it would be without an atmosphere, because without an atmosphere all the Earth’s heat would

dissipate into outer space. The lid on the jar acts as the atmosphere and simulates the greenhouse effect trapping heat in the jar and making it warmer than it would be without the lid.

Make this a science project: Try this experiment with a black piece of construction paper taped to the back side of the jar. Try adding ice to the jar. Try adding salt or food colouring to the water. Try removing the lid. (sciencefun.org)

You glimpsed their faces; at the post office, the clerk has a face like sunlight that dims then brightens as he ticks a countdown to retirement; when he reaches zero, will white spikes precipitate out of solution? Will he detonate? You precipitate a migraine when you walk office corridors all day; a lawyer says he will write a great American novel when he takes leave from work next year; next year is a beach vacation in Samoa; in kindergarten, a child draws a gorilla on roller skates— in a lifetime, when do a child’s dreams ignite?

Source: Poetry (April 2023)

WORD SEARCH

BoG on lookout for federal rate changes that could impact NRF investments

…“There has been good governance” of oil funds – Governor

While Guyana’s oil revenue in the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) currently earns interest in the Federal Reserve, buoyed by favourable interest rates, the Bank of Guyana is assuring that should the rate drop, a longer-term instrument will be used.

In an interview with the media on Wednesday, Bank of Guyana Governor Dr. Gobind Ganga was asked about the investment mandate for the NRF. He explained that while the fund is currently benefitting from favourable overnight deposit rates in the Federal Reserve, this could change if the rate comes down.

“It has to be in liquid investment, meaning overnight deposits, or deposit generally, or T-Bills. So, what we are doing currently is leaving it as overnight deposit in the Federal Reserve, because we’re getting 5 per cent, 5.5 per cent interest. You can’t get that anywhere else,” he explained.

“And that will be changing over time as we see things moving in any other direction. For example, if the overnight

rate or the fed rate is coming down, then we will seize the opportunity in putting it in a longer-term instrument,” the Governor said.

Meanwhile, Wednesday August 30 marked the oneyear anniversary of the swearing-in of the NRF Board of Directors, chaired by retired Major General Joe Singh. Other members of the Board include Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN), Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett and Private Sector Executive

Ramesh Dookhoo.

Additionally, former People’s National Congress (PNC) Parliamentarian Dunstan Barrow, and former Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Compton Bourne, were sworn-in.

One year later, Ganga has described the dynamic between the Central Bank and the Board as a fruitful one.

“It has been fabulous in terms of how it has been operationalised, what the Bank has been doing, what the Directors in the various com-

mittees have been doing. It is all very acceptable, satisfactory. So, there’s no problem. Everything has been transparent, there has been good governance. Everything above board,” Ganga explained.

While the NRF Board consists of five members, the Public Accountability and Oversight Committee (PAOC) is comprised of nine members, and the Investment Committee comprises seven members.

The PAOC comprises Chairman Clement Sealey and members Wendell Jeffrey, Ryan Alexander, Abu Zaman, Dawn Gardener, Aslim Singh, Savitri Balbahadur, Teni Housty and Desmond Sears.

Meanwhile, the Investment Committee members include Chairperson Shaleeza Shaw, Loris Hukumchand, Richard Rambarran and Michael Munroe.

Guyana is, in 2023, expected to earn a total of US$1.6 billion in profit oil and royalties combined, buoyed by the startup of ExxonMobil’s third development in the Stabroek block – the Payara develop-

ment – before the end of the year.

In January of this year, the Bank of Guyana signed an agreement to officially hand over control of the NRF to the Board of Directors appointed by the President. According to Section 5 (6) (d) of the NRF Act, the Board is required to enter into an operational agreement with the Bank, so that management of the Fund can change hands. This agreement was signed two days after the reading of the 2023 budget.

Whenever monies are to be used from the fund, those sums must first be budgeted for, and a financial paper approved in the National Assembly. After the amounts are examined by the NRF board, the monies are transferred to the Consolidated Fund for use in the budget.

In May, the Government made its second withdrawal from the NRF for 2023, intended to fund programmes under this year’s $781.9 billion budget. Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, had announced the withdrawal of US$200 million ($41.6 billion) from the

fund. He had assured that, in accordance with the law, this sum would be transferred to the Consolidated Fund.

The first withdrawal for this year was made in February. In December 2022, the Government had made its third overall withdrawal for that year— US$207.6 million (G$43 billion) in oil funds — from the fund, which went towards financing Guyana’s national development plans. This had brought the accumulated withdrawals from the NRF for the year 2022 to US$607.6 million, equivalent to G$126 billion, in line with approved amount in the 2022 budget.

While safeguards exist, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has already signalled the Government’s intention to further strengthen the management capabilities of NRF, even with the improvements that have already been made to the fund’s management by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C). This is particularly important as the monies received from oil and gas continue to grow each year.

Guyana “well-prepared” for AML/CFT evaluation – AG says as agencies sign MOU

With Guyana’s AntiMoney Laundering/ Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) evaluation just around the corner, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC is assuring that Guyana is well prepared, both legislatively and administratively, to face evaluators.

On Tuesday, agencies involved in enforcing AML/ CFT laws were brought together to sign a cooperation and information-sharing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), while a second MoU was signed by competent authorities, law enforcement agencies, and supervisory authorities.

These MOUs, aimed at facilitating greater inter-agency cooperation, comes ahead of Guyana’s fourth round of mutual evaluation, starting next week. According to Nandlall, whose chambers hosted the signing and a subsequent workshop, a lot of work has gone into preparing Guyana for the evaluation being done by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF).

“We have been working over the past two years in preparing our country for this important assessment. And that’s why I want to thank you for the work you have done, but the last lap is also very important. We have been meeting with individual groups, to ensure that we dot all the Is and cross all the Ts as we prepare for the on-site examination which will begin on Monday.

“You will have received

various documents in writing, assisting you in your preparation. I just want to emphasise that when we begin our engagement with the assessors, let us remember that we are all one team and we are Team Guyana. There may be a tendency to protect one’s agency, and in so doing throw another agency under the bus, let us avoid that,” Nandlall told the agency heads.

Nandlall further emphasised that previous CFATF findings on Guyana have been considered and legislative changes made. Assistance has also been provided to Guyana in this regard by international agencies, including the World Bank and the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB).

“We have strengthened the laws in particular in all the areas that they have flagged in the past. A major area they had flagged in the

past has been our inability to do forfeiture and seizure of assets that may have been acquired from the proceeds of crime. We have corrected that in our legislation in a major way, using perhaps the most modern provisions in the Caribbean. We were assisted in this regard by the World Bank, by the IDB, by the Regional Security Service,” the Attorney General said.

The agencies signing the MOU included the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), the Guyana Gaming Authority, and the Bank of Guyana.

During his recent Issues in the News broadcast, Nandlall had explained what methodology CFATF would use for the mutual evaluation.

“It is going to be an on-

site evaluation, and a number of important agencies in our financial and fiscal structure will be engaged,

will be interviewed, and will be examined by these assessors. These assessors will be drawn from several territo-

ries in the Caribbean, and they’re acting under the umbrella of the CFATF.

TURN TO PAGE 9

Governor of the Bank of Guyana, Dr Gobind Ganga

Representatives of various law enforcement agencies stand in the background. Seated at the head table, from left, are: Bank of Guyana head Dr. Gobind Ganga, DPP Shalimar Ali-Hack, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, AG Anil Nandlall, Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken and GRA Commissioner General Godfrey Statia

Smallie’s escape Trial of 4 Prison Officers, 2 others to start on Sept 13

Advice…

…from a player

The trial of four Prison Officers, a businessman and a Venezuelan national, who are all accused of aiding the now deceased Royden “Smallie” Williams with his daring escape from the high-security Mazaruni Prison, will commence on September 13 and continue the next day. The trial will be conducted at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court.

Charged are the following Prison Officers: Alexander Hopkinson, 58, of Bartica Housing Scheme, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni); Oldfield Romulus, 50, a resident of Victoria Street, Cumberland Village, East Canje Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne); Conroy Hosannah, 35, a resident of East Canje, Berbice; and Omar Witherspoon, 26, of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam Berbice, Region Six.

Along with Rajmohan Autor, called “Chico”, a 48-year-old businessman of Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE); and Venezuelan national Frangeliz Jugandry Flores Perez, 28, of Kitty, Georgetown, they are charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, contrary to Section 34 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.

This charge details that on May 19, in Essequibo, they conspired with other persons unknown to assist Williams, who was under a sentence of death, in escaping from lawful custody.

Each of the defendants is out on $750,000 bail, on condition that they each lodge their passport with the Clerk of Court pending the hearing and determination of their trial.

It has been reported that, on the day in question, Perez visited Williams before his well-planned escape.

Williams made a daring escape from the prison with the assistance of heavily armed accomplices. The escape occurred in broad daylight and involved the use of a speedboat. During the escape, the escort party accompanying Williams was attacked with AK-47 rifles by the individuals on the boat in the Mazaruni River. However, no Prison Officer was injured during the ordeal.

Following Williams’s escape, a reward of $10 million was announced by the Guyana Police Force (GPF) for any information leading to his arrest, but the convicted mass killer was shot and killed during a Joint Services’ operation on June 1 at 47 Miles in Region Seven.

Days prior, two of his accomplices were also shot dead by law enforcement.

In 2017, Williams was found guilty of killing 12 persons, three of whom

were Policemen, during the Bartica Massacre in 2008, and was sentenced to death. Another death sentence was imposed on him in September 2022 for the murder of Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Corporal Ivor Williams, who was shot dead on January 23, 2008.

At the time of his death, the mass murderer had two appeals against his murder convictions and death sentences pending at the Court of Appeal of Guyana.

Williams had previously escaped from the Camp Street Prison on July 9, 2017, but was eventually recaptured on October 10, 2017 on the Weldaad Public Road, West Coast Berbice (WCB). His body was cremated by the State on June 9.

Sarah-Ann Lynch has become a household name across Guyana – without the “Lynch”!! Even though the US has loomed large in our postWWII history, no other US ambassador had achieved her level of recognition - all the way to the grassroots. And it all goes back to those fateful days in March 2020 when the PNC decided to return to their rigging ways that had destroyed our country and society. PNC leader David Granger had been a young army officer back in 1968 when Burnham launched the first Big Rig of 1968. While that year saw a series of uprisings in the West calling for greater democratization, in Guyana, the then US Ambassador, Delmar Carlson, looked aside from Burnham’s anti-democratic fiddling!!

Granger probably thought history would repeat itself - as he “tried a thing” with Mingo and his other Fifth Columnists in GECOM. But Sarah-Ann rose to the occasion and showed him that “this time na laang time”!! She boldly went where few ambassadors have done before as she demonstrated her country’s commitment to a democratic order. Now, your Eyewitness isn’t so naïve as to believe the US doesn’t do what it has to do to protect what it considers to be its interests! Think 1964!! That’s the way the (international relations) cookie crumbles!!

But this time there was an alignment in the stars, and the US interests in democracy coincided with oursand Sarah-Ann delivered. Of course, the EU, CARICOM, Commonwealth, etc. also did their bit…but basically, let’s face it - they simply fell into line!! If, say, Sarah-Ann hadn’t staged that now iconic “walk out” from Ashmin’s – would the others have been so bold?? Your Eyewitness doubts it! Anyway, all good things must come to an end, and Sarah-Ann is about to depart our shores – having long exceeded the usual 3-year stint of US ambassadors.

In parting, she gave a message to the politicians in Guyana – which it would be in their interest to heed. “A hint to Beneba mek Quashi tek notice” and all that!! And what did she say?? “My words of encouragement are: talk, communicate, debate, and listen. You know it’s through conversations that we all grow and we all learn from each other, and political parties and Government officials are no different than citizens. It’s important to communicate, to talk, in order to be successful and grow…The people of both the Government and the Opposition want the same; I think they both want the same for the people of Guyana.”

But Sarah-Ann should know that while both the PNC and PPP want the same thing – gaining office – the PNC is willing to use undemocratic means to achieve their goal. This will not do!!

…on necromancy

“Necromancy”, the dictionary tells us, “is the practice of magic or black magic involving communication with the dead – either by summoning their spirits as apparitions, visions or raising them.” Anyone desirous of witnessing this ancient rite, which has been forbidden in many countries, should amble over to Rose Hall Estate, where the AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan is attempting to raise the dead. Taking advantage of the rehired sugar workers trying a thing, he rushed down to provide “support”!!

Thing is, if anything needs support, it’s the AFC, that keeps staggering from one disaster to the next. Do they really think sugar workers have forgotten how the AFC threw them beneath the (PNC) bus when they shuttered four estates??

Anyhow, your Eyewitness advises that if you want to see the first raising of the dead in 2000 years, you walk with some Limacol. Even though there are normally “spirits” served at these functions as “libations” to get participants into the other world…after five years, dead meat does become “renk”!!

…to traffic Police

Your Eyewitness thinks that the licences of all those drivers caught DUI ought to be immediately suspended. And their licences be investigated as to whether they were bought or earned after going through the regular drill.

Convicted mass killer Royden Williams called “Smallie” Conroy Hosannah Alexander Hopkinson Oldfield Romulus

Omar Witherspoon

Govt building more tech-driven, agile armed forces – Pres Ali

…promotes enhanced defence collaboration as cadets urged to remain disciplined

New cadets from the Standard Officers Course #58 were on Wednesday reminded, at their Commissioning Parade, of the importance of maintaining discipline in and out of uniform by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, who told them that they are entering the army at a time when it is undergoing rapid change.

In his feature address at the event, President Ali spoke about the National Defence Strategy being pursued by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, and how he envisions a more technology-driven, agile Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

“In essence, our National Defence Strategy is primarily driven by our aspirations for peaceful co-existence with neighbouring nations. Its foundation lies in maintaining civilian control over the military. This strategy entails developing a more technologically-advanced and agile armed force, seeking international solidarity and support to discourage aggression, enhancing defence collaboration, bettering the welfare of our military personnel and their families, and fostering stronger connections between the Force and local communities. I urge all of you to become familiar with the pillars

of the National Defence Policy,” the President told the cadets.

And in his message focused primarily on the new batch of cadets, President Ali urged them to maintain discipline in both their professional and personal lives, noting the ramifications of them bringing dishonour on themselves and their peers.

“And you’d also discredit the uniform and this noble institution you serve. Guyana’s new National Defence Policy, among other objectives, aims to cultivate a high level of respect for the Force largely through increased visi-

bility. This will allow for greater public confidence,” he said.

The Government has been making concerted efforts to upgrade the GDF while increasing its ability to attract talent around the region. Mention has been made previously of plans to build a GDF-run military and civil aviation school which will cater for both local and regional students, and bring on board trained military instructors who served in both the GDF and other armies.

There are also the various purchases that have been made to bolster the

Guyana “well-prepared” for AML...

FROM PAGE 7

“The agencies that would be under examination in Guyana would include Guyana Police Force, SOCU, GRA, Customs AntiNarcotics Unit, the Banking Sector beginning with the Central Bank, the Geology and Mines Commission, the Gold Board, the Gaming Authority, The National Securities Council, and many other important organisations within the state structure and private sector.”

Nandlall noted that while a lot of preparatory work has been done by the agencies, work is still ongoing. However, the Attorney General was optimistic that Guyana would do well during the approximately two-week-long mutual evaluation.

Guyana is scheduled to undergo an onsite evaluation and examination of its financial sector in September. In preparation therefor, the Government has worked to ensure that the country’s AML/CFT framework is updated. This included implementing a number of administrative

decisions and measures, as well as strengthening many aspects of its legislative architecture.

One critical element to Guyana’s fourth round of mutual evaluation was the enactment of a Real Estate Bill. The draft Real Estate Agents & Brokers Bill was prepared in consultation with the various stakeholders in the local real estate industry, and was published for public feedback prior to its passage in the

armed forces, including

a 115-foot offshore patrol vessel (OPV) being procured for the GDF from United States (US)-based company Metal Shark, that is expected to arrive in October 2023.

The 115-foot defiant patrol vessel earmarked for Guyana, dubbed the “GDFS Berbice”, has already been launched. Metal Shark Chief Executive Officer Chris Allard had said that the vessel would play a key role in helping to protect Guyana’s oil and gas industry. In addition to this, President Ali had previously said the OPV would also help Guyana in patrolling the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) against illegal fishing.

In addition, a Bell 412 helicopter was recently procured for the

GDF. GDF Chief-of-Staff Brigadier Omar Khan had said at the commissioning ceremony in July that this helicopter would help expand the Air Corps’ capacity and its ability to protect Guyana’s territorial integrity. He had also noted that it aligns with President Ali’s announced defence policy initiative. There is also the Dornier aircraft for Guyana that will be procured. Back in February, it had been announced that Guyana was in talks with the Government of India to procure patrolling vessels and a Dornier aircraft to better protect Guyana’s maritime boundaries. This contract, President Ali had revealed in July, should be signed by this year-end.

National Assembly earlier in August.

Another initiative aimed at addressing the gaps in Guyana’s financial sector in accordance with the AML/CFT stipulations was the establishment of a Compliance Commission that will supervise the operations of agencies and/or sectors in the country that do not have a direct regulatory body. The Compliance Commission Bill 2023 was also passed.

Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC during his address to the agency heads

President Dr Irfaan Ali at the Guyana Defence Force’s Commissioning Parade for Standard Officers Course #58

Armed bandits rob Lusignan supermarket

Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding an armed robbery that occurred at the Hong Yuang Supermarket at Lusignan, East Coast Demerara at around 19:34hrs on Tuesday.

According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), four armed men approached the business establishment via XR motorcycles, one red and another black.

CCTV footage seen by this publication showed that the perpetrators brazenly parked their bikes in front of the supermarket before storming inside, brandishing firearms and

threatening two cashiers, 50-year-old Xie Zie Ying and 46-year-old Xie Zi Xia.

The criminals then confiscated a stack of phone cards and an undisclosed sum of cash before returning to their motorcycles, which they mounted and rode off the scene.

As investigations continue, Police have since released still images of the suspects, which were extracted from CCTV footage that captured the entire ordeal.

Investigators are urging anyone with information regarding the suspects to contact them on telephone 696-4862, or at the nearest Police station. All information provided

Duo shot during nightclub brawl over ‘spilled drinks’

Exactly one week after an argument over spilled drinks had caused the death of

a man in Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), a brawl at a nightclub over spilled drinks has resulted

in two persons being hospitalized in the Bartica Public Hospital. During the wee hours

of Wednesday, a man and a teenage girl were shot outside of the Paradise Nightclub at Third Avenue,

Bartica. They have been identified as 38-year-old Conroy Cox, a labourer of Third Avenue, Bartica, who is said to be in a critical

Housing Scheme, Bartica was hammered to death during an argument with a businessman over spilled drink. That incident oc-

condition; and 18-year-old Lovella Douglas of Second Avenue Bartica, whose condition is listed as stable.

Police have said the suspect, a 46-year-old miner who is a licensed firearm holder and resident of Fifth Avenue Bartica, is in custody.

At time of the shooting, Police said, the victims and the suspect were at the club when a friend of the suspect, whilst passing the table where the victims were sitting, hit the table, causing bottles containing alcohol to fall and liquid to spill on the victims.

Cox and the suspect got into a heated argument, during which Cox allegedly threw liquid in the suspect’s face and assaulted him. In anger, Cox left the bar, but reportedly returned shortly afterward in a vehicle, and continued to verbally abuse the suspect.

Cox reportedly then exited the vehicle, and at this point, the suspect pulled out his licensed firearm and discharged several rounds in Cox’s direction. Cox was hit three times in the abdomen, and the 18-year-old Douglas sustained a wound to her right hand.

Both victims were rushed to the Bartica Hospital, where they were admitted as patients. The crime scene was processed, and two 9MM spent shells were recovered.

On August 23, one week ago, 40-year-old Mark Braithwaite of Four Miles

curred at the Blast Gaming Centre at Second Avenue, Bartica.

It has been reported that the gaming shop is operated by a 63-year-old businessman, but on the night in question, his 34-year-old son was in charge of the operations.

Police have revealed that at around 19:45hrs, the young businessman and Braithwaite, who had been a regular customer, had had an argument over the spilling of alcohol on a countertop. Police said Braithwaite reportedly armed himself with several glass bottles, and began hurling them at the businessman, who was in the bar behind a counter.

In turn, the businessman armed himself with a hammer and reportedly chased after Braithwaite. He reportedly dealt blows to Braithwaite’s head and face, and Braithwaite fell to the ground and remained motionless, but was later taken to the Bartica Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The body was examined, and blunt wounds were observed to the right jaw area, above the right eye, and to the forehead.

The suspect was arrested, but was later released on station bail in the amount of $1 million. According to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), his release is in keeping with the advice received from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Shalimar Ali-Hack.

will be treated with utmost confidentiality, the Police have said.

The bandits who robbed the supermarket

Mining, other issues to be addressed in revision of Amerindian Act – AG

– assures Indigenous community will be integrally involved

With the aim of bringing clarity on ambiguous provisions, Government will be reviewing the Amerindian Act, and according to Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C., this process will involve widespread consultations with the Indigenous community across the country.

He made these remarks on this week’s edition of his televised programme Issues in the News, during which he spoke about the ongoing National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference. Being held from August 28 to September 1, 2023 at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, the theme for this year’s NTC Conference is “Advancing Sustainable Village Development in a Low Carbon Economy”.

During the week-long activity, Toshaos and village leaders will have meetings with the country’s leaders, and get opportunities to discuss and make critical decisions regarding their livelihoods and development.

According to AG Nandlall, among the important matters to be discussed is the reformation

of the Amerindian Act. “We promised in our manifesto that we will review the Amerindian Act. It’s nearly 30 years old…and the Amerindian community has voiced the view that the Act needs to be reviewed, and that is on our agenda,” he assured.

Nandlall pointed out that there are several important matters that loom large in the current legislation. He said they need to be clearly stated, so as to avoid any misinterpretations that can lead to conflicts. These include issues relating to mining activities and disputes.

“We have to frontally address that, so that we don’t have the Chinese Landingtype fiasco ever erupting again. The reasons why there have been situations of conflict between the mining and the Amerindian community is because there are certain provisions of the Act that require clarity, and hopefully, during this informed process, those issues will be clarified and there will be clear lines of authority and functional responsibility demarcated, separating Amerindian interests from those of mining interests, because we have to find

a manner of peaceful co-existence,” he explained.

“It’s common ground that the natural resources of the state remain the resources of the state, and the state will not relinquish those resources. So, we have to have a modus vivendi between the Amerindians and those who are conferred with authority to mine our natural resources,” the Attorney General posited.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) issued Resolution 41/2023 in July of this year, through which it granted precautionary measures in favour of members of the Indigenous Carib Community of Chinese Landing, whom it said are currently at “serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to their human rights”.

In wake of this decision, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has since sent a team to that Region One (Barima-Waini) community to meet with residents there; and has, further, committed to working with residents to find solutions. Government has also halted all mining activities in the area.

The Chinese Landing issue stemmed from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) granting a mining permit, sometime in the 1990s, to a miner/ company to operate within the boundaries of the village’s titled land. However, that Indigenous community has been up in arms over that approval, which it said did not have the consent of the Village Council.

But when the GGMC had taken steps to issue a Cease Work Order (CWO) to the miner/ company, the case was taken to the High Court, which had ruled in favour of the miner/company. The High Court decision was subsequently overturned by the Court of Appeal. However, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) reversed this in 2017, resulting in the Amerindian community approaching the IACHR on the matter.

During a presentation on Monday at the NTC Conference, Chinese Landing Toshao Orin Fernandes pleaded with the Council to protect the rights of Indigenous people in the community.

“We call on the NTC to advocate on our behalf for

the Government to allow Chinese Landing residents to continue their subsistence mining activities, since there are no other means of earning a living in our community,” the Toshao stated. Nevertheless, to avoid a repeat of this issue, Government plans to iron out any ambiguity in the Amerindian Act during the review process.

AG Nandlall, during his programme, revealed that the Legal Affairs Ministry will be leading this revision of the Amerindian Act, along with the Amerindian Affairs Ministry. He assured that this exercise would be a consultative one, especially with the Indigenous community.

“Of course it’s going to be a consultative one, and it will be driven by those consultative processes. There is not going to be an imposition on the Amerindian community, but the Amerindian community will be engaged, and the Act will be reviewed based upon the interactions and consultations held with the Amerindian community,” the Legal Affairs Minister asserted.

Govt committed to integrated community development, bridging divides – PM

Prime Minister

Brigadier (Ret’d)

Mark Phillips has highlighted the Government’s commitment to integrated community development, bridging the technological and energy divides, and improving access to critical government services throughout Guyana.

He made these remarks on Tuesday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, on the second day of the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference.

“Everything that we’re talking about, that falls under the Office of the Prime Minister, is geared towards integrating your community, that is located mainly in the hinterland, with all that is happening on the coastline,” he said.

He highlighted the critical roles that both the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) and the National Data Management Authority (NDMA) play in reaching the country’s goals, specifically ensuring that every Amerindian village has electricity and access to the internet. According to the Prime Minister, there have already been notable successes, including 120 locations that NDMA has equipped to provide free WiFi.

He noted, too, that the Government will address challenges wherev-

er they exist. “We are committed to working through all the challenges to ensure that 10 per cent connectivity is achieved, to ensure that wherever you’re located, you have some form of renewable energy project to change the way people live,” he said.

In addressing the pressing need for sufficient bandwidth in some areas, the Prime Minister reassured that appropriate solutions are being sought, adding that the Government is “working with some providers to increase the bandwidth for you.”

So far, 120 ICT connectivity hubs have been completed, with 80 more scheduled for completion by the end of the first quarter of 2024. According to the Prime Minister, who holds responsibility for the sector, the 120 ICT hubs have not yet been outfitted to provide internet access, but he assured that the Government is working towards having

the requisite funds allocated to have it done.

To further bridge the energy divide, the Government has invested US$7.2M, or about G$1.5B, to purchase 30,000 household solar systems, he said. “Our focus right now is on completing [the distribution] in

Regions One and Nine,” he explained.

Touching on the role of women in the management of the hubs and the solar systems, Prime Minister Phillips explained that training will be done with communities, and he extended an invitation for

more women to participate.

“We want to encourage more of our womenfolk to come forward and receive the training, so you can be part and parcel of the development that is taking place in your community,” he said.

Several heads of agencies that fall under the

preview of the Office of the Prime Minister, including the National Data Management Authority, ICT Access and eServices project for Hinterland, Poor and Remote Communities, and the Guyana Energy Agency, were in attendance.

Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall, S.C.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips

PM, British maritime surveillance firm discuss enhancing regional defence systems

Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d)

Mark Phillips on Wednesday took note of ongoing efforts to strengthen the Caribbean’s maritime security, with Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana HE Judy Kpogho and officials of HENSOLDT UK.

HENSOLDT UK, formerly known as Kevin Hughes Limited, is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of maritime navigation and surveillance radar systems.

During the meeting, at the Prime Minister’s Camp Street offices, he was briefed on the operations of the com-

pany by a team including Development, Business and Trade Country Manager Sherwyn Naughton, and Business Development and Operations Director Security Solutions, Richard Perdergast.

The core product technology of HENSOLDT UK, according to its website, is its SharpEye™ radars, used by commercial customer and defence agencies to deliver tactical and situational awareness, and supported by innovative radar display software through a system that is compliant with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) performance standards.

This system is reportedly able to detect very small radar cross section (RCS) targets even in severe weather or high clutter conditions.

During the meeting, Phillips was also informed about the company’s ongoing collaboration with the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS) to develop a regional strategy for maritime domain awareness across the Caribbean region.

Established by the 27th Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government in

2006, CARICOM IMPACS aims to serve as the implementation arm of the Regional Architecture to manage CARICOM’s action agenda on crime and security.

Some of its core functions include coordinating with national and international crime prevention and control agencies to determine trends and strategies for crime prevention in the Region, and disseminating this information to contracting parties.

Among a number of maritime security issues, CARICOM IMPACS seeks to address trafficking and smuggling of firearms, il -

licit drugs, people, counterfeit goods and other items, theft of other natural resources, illegal migration, illegal dumping and pollution of the environment, terrorism, and Illegal, Unreported or Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

Andrade Gutierrez

The Prime Minister on Wednesday also met with representatives of Brazil’s largest construction company, Andrade Gutierrez, and relayed available investment opportunities in Guyana’s public infrastructure sector, which is rapidly developing.

Present at this meet-

ing were the company’s Commercial Director for Mexico-Guyana, Eduardo Villas Boas, and Chief Executive Officer of Excel Guyana Inc., Kris Sammy.

Founded in 1948 by the Andrade and Gutierrez families, the Brazilian private multinational conglomerate has three separate divisions. These are AG Engenharia (Construtora Andrade Gutierrez), which engages in engineering and construction; AG Concessões, which handles public projects, concessions and utilities; and AG Telecom, which provides telecommunication services.

Natural Resources Ministry rectifying issues at Petroleum Data Centre

The Natural Resources Ministry on Wednesday assured the public that it was working to solve a recently-identified issue with the timeline line graph feature that forms part of the Data Centre found on the Ministry’s Petroleum Management Programme website.

The Ministry’s thorough checks had revealed that users were encountering difficulties changing the graph’s display based on the selected period.

“In response to this, the Ministry is actively investigating the root cause of the problem to ensure a seamless user experience. We have replaced the timeline line graphs with static line graphs as a temporary solution,” the Ministry’s statement read.

“This approach will allow users to access critical information without disruption while we work diligently to resolve the underlying technical glitch affecting the interactive charts,” the statement continued.

The Ministry noted its commitment to deliver-

ing accurate and accessible data to the public, adding that these measures reflect its dedication to maintaining the highest standards of transparency.

As such, it requested the public’s understanding and patience while the issue is being addressed.

Available since 2021, the Data Centre allows users to access information dating back to January 2020 within the categories of Oil Production, Gas, Injected, Used and Flared, Gas Production, Oil Prices, Water Injection and Water Production.

For Oil Production, for example, a line graph separately depicts the production of both Liza crude from the Liza Destiny floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) and Unity Gold crude from the Liza Unity FPSO.

This production data, however, has a one-month lag given the Ministry’s need to verify the daily reports against the final monthly reports.

Meanwhile, the oil price data, sourced from United Kingdom (UK)-based S and P Platts Crude Oil Market Wire, is updated daily.

Prime Minister Mark Phillips meeting with Deputy British High Commissioner to Guyana, HE Judy Kpogho, and Hensoldt UK officials Sherwyn Naughton and Richard Perdergast

Prime Minister Mark Phillips meeting with Andrade Gutierrez representative Eduardo Villas Boas and Kris Sammy of Excel Guyana Inc

Guyana’s oil production data as found on the Natural Resources Ministry’s Petroleum Data Centre

Harshest of penalties for drunken drivers, bar owners – Nandlall

us as it relates to having persons who are found under the influence of alcohol and rendered incapable of driving. They would call them a taxi to take them home, [or] they’ll call the Police to assist in that aspect,” the Traffic Chief related.

Meanwhile, the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic (Amendment) Bill 2022 also saw tougher penalties for those caught driving under the influence of alcohol (DUI). The penalty for driving while over the alcohol limit was changed from a $7500 fine to now $200,000, and the sentence from 12 months to 24 months.

In light of last weekend’s tragic road carnage, Attorney General and Legal Affairs Minister Anil Nandlall has warned that harsh penalties will be imposed on persons caught driving drunk, as well as on bar owners who continue to sell alcohol to drivers in breach of the law.

Between Saturday night and Sunday morning last, eight young persons, including 6 teenagers, were killed in separate accidents on Guyana’s roadways – something which Nandlall described as a national tragedy. According to the Minister, this is an extraordinary problem that requires extraordinary measures to be taken to address this national scourge.

He pointed out that many accidents on the country’s roadways are attributed to drunk driving; as such, harsh penalties will be enforced to curb this practice.

“We are going to move very, very harshly on the bar owners. We have already put the law in place.

You cannot sell alcohol to people who are driving, you cannot sell alcohol to people who are drunk, you cannot sell alcohol to minors. We have put it in the law, and persons who are found guilty of drunken driving, the penalties are very, very harsh… And we will ask the courts to impose the harshest of penalties,” the Attorney General stated during his weekly programme, Issues in the News.

The recently introduced Intoxicating Liquor Licensing (Amendment) Act 2022 calls for liquor licence holders to play a more active role against drinking and driving; for one, by avoiding the sale of alcohol to inebriated persons who are likely to leave the premises by driving.

During a recent interview with <<Guyana Times,>> Traffic Chief, Superintendent Dennis Stephen, said bar owners are cooperating with the Police in enforcing this law.

“They are working with

Additionally, the penalty for driving under the influence and losing control of your vehicle has been increased from the $30,000 to $60,000 fine and 12 months imprisonment to now $200,000 fine for firsttime offenders and $300,000 for second-time offenders. It also provides for a 12-month suspension of licence for persons convicted of DUI offences.

Only earlier this week, the Guyana Police Force reported that some 33 drunk drivers were arrested and charged within the past two weeks for driving under the influence. This was following a Police Traffic Operation conducted throughout Regional Division Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) between August 11 and 26, 2023.

Nevertheless, Minister Nandlall outlined during his programme that Government will have to embark on a national public awareness campaign to deter persons from engaging in practices such as drunk

Several arrested as CANU makes ganja busts at Sisters Village, La Penitence

Several persons are currently in custody for ganja possession following two busts made by ranks of the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit (CANU) at Sisters Village on the West Bank of Demerara (WBD) and at Independence Boulevard in La Penitence, Georgetown.

The first operation was conducted on Monday in the vicinity of a Superbet shop along Independence Boulevard. According to a statement from CANU, its officers executed a search of the area which resulted in the discovery of a plastic bag containing 64 small Ziploc packs and nine 9 small jars, all suspected to hold cannabis. The narcotics were subsequently tested at the CANU Headquarters and yielded a positive result, with an approximate weight of 159 grams.

CANU noted that sev-

eral persons were arrested in connection with the discovery, and are assisting with investigations.

Continuing their operations on Tuesday, CANU officers went to an abandoned building located at Block XVII, Sisters Village, WBD. This operation resulted in the apprehension of multiple individuals suspected to be involved in drug-related activities.

driving, which can result in road fatalities, as seen last weekend. He noted that Guyana cannot continue to endure such horrific national losses.

“We cannot continue with this type of carnage, with this type of senseless killings of our young people in particular. And that is why we are passing these Road Traffic Laws… because this is a matter of national proportion where we are losing our young people in this manner. We have a small population, so we can’t allow, we can’t afford this kind of haemorrhage of our most important assets –our young people, and that

is what is happening here.

In my view, all of these accidents can be avoided. I don’t believe in untimely death. These are avoidable, horrific accidents,” the Attorney General contended.

Four teenagers –Daveanand Singh, called Vickram, the 17-yearold driver of Lot 1566 Providence, East Bank Demerara; 19-year-old Amiesha Jaikaran of La Grange Old Road, WBD; 18-year-old Divyanie Varshanie Narine of Kitty, Georgetown; and Daniel Tirbeni, called Yogi, a 19-year-old from La Grange, WBD – were killed in an early Sunday morning acci-

dent on the Canal #2 Polder, West Bank Demerara Public Road.

Another teenager, 19-year-old Rahul Thakoor of Lot 19 Angoy’s Avenue, New Amsterdam, Berbice, also died in the wee hours of Sunday on the #11 Public Road, East Berbice. The fourth teenager, 19-year-old Shawn Persaud of Huntley, Mahaicony, East Coast Demerara, was killed along with two others –Elijah Pellew, 21, of Lot 38 Unity, Mahaica, ECD; and 21-year-old Raymond Rose of Lot 57 Supply, Mahaica – was killed in an accident on the Unity Public Road, Mahaica on Saturday night.

A thorough search of the building led to the discovery of three plastic bags, each containing numerous small Ziploc packs believed to contain cannabis. Subsequent testing confirmed the substance as the illegal narcotics, with an estimated weight of around 117.5 grams.

Investigations into both discoveries are ongoing.

The ganja that was discovered by CANU during its operations

Mother & child murder…

Woman was crying 1 day before gruesome discovery – boyfriend

…family urge Police to intensify probe

One week after a mother and her child were found brutally murdered in their Rose Hall Town, Corentyne home, Police are yet to make a major breakthrough in the case, prompting family members to urge the authorities to intensify their investigations. In fact, family members are accusing the Police of looking in the wrong direction.

It was on August 23 that the bodies of 31-yearold Melisa Arokium and her eight-year-old son Anthony Arokium were discovered at their Mangrove Street, Rose Hall Town home in Berbice, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).

Within two hours of the discovery, Police had told the media that four persons of interest were taken into custody and had been assisting with the investigation.

In a subsequent statement, Police said those arrested were Serrana Arokium, called ‘Foody’, a 33-year-old cane harvester and brother of the victim Melisa; Nicholas Arokium, called ‘Nico’, a 26-year-old vendor

and brother of the Melisa, who discovered the body of the victims; the Shailendra Umrao, a 37-year-old resident of Belvedere, Corentyne Berbice, and boyfriend of the victim Melisa; and Deo Naris, a 38-year-old deejay and neighbour of the victims.

However, family members say the Police never arrested Nicholas Arokium. The grandmother and great-grandmother of the victims, Ruth Hintzen, said the man had spent the past two days plying his trade as a vendor at the Rose Hall Town Market.

“No, he was not in Police custody. The Police carried him at the same time with the other brother. It was the two of them, and he came out back; he was never detained,” the woman said during an interview on Tuesday.

This publication understands that investigators had also arrested a cousin of the now-dead woman, and that information was withheld from the media. That cousin had reportedly publicly made threats on her life. The cousin was subsequently placed in the National Psychiatric

Hospital. This publication also understands that that cousin has a close relative who is part of the investigating team.

Those who were taken into custody have since been released. However, there are reports that as the investigation continued, a fifth person was taken into custody.

Meanwhile, relatives of the victims are of the view that investigators might be focusing their attention in the wrong direction. The 72-yearold grandmother says there needs to be deeper digging.

“I hear how the boyfriend does get mad with she because of the lil boy. The lil boy does tell his uncle that the boy does get vex when he go near she, and she does tell the boy if he want to talk to her, he have to talk to Anthony first.”

The now-dead woman’s boyfriend Shailendra Umrao said he last visited the woman’s home the day before the gruesome discovery, where he saw her crying. He told this publication that when he asked her why she was crying, she did not give much de-

brothers recently had a misunderstanding over an unpaid electricity bill.

The woman had shared the building with a brother, but they had lived in separate apartments.

Meanwhile, Police had also arrested a neighbour. There are reports that the said individual once tried to break into Melisa’s house. Hintzen says family members are not satisfied with the pace of the investigation.

“We are not satisfied. We are crazy about it, because the first thing that got me crazy was when I see my granddaughter on the ground and those chops on her body, and then show the boy on the bed too with even his eyeball bulging out.”

Meanwhile, a candlelight vigil is planned for today. The mother and son are expected to be laid to rest on Saturday.

CIOG makes donation to Success fire victims

The Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) on Wednesday made a donation to Shafiez Mohamed and his family, who were left homeless after a fire destroyed their home at Lot 412 Success, East Coast Demerara, some two weeks ago.

The CIOG donated a quantity of clothing, a stove, kitchen utensils, bed, chest of drawers and money to aid the family in the rebuilding of their home.

“We trust that these items will be of support to the emergency care and need that is at hand currently. CIOG wish to express their gratitude to the donors that contributed: Mays Shopping Center; The Muslim Community Center of New York; B & B Restaurant; Dinar Trading; Ms. Halima Begg and Imran Shafiullah; and all those who have sup-

ported this noble cause; and pray that they will be richly rewarded,” the organisation said in a press statement.

On August 17, 2023, a fire destroyed the dwelling of Mohamed and his family. It was reported that he and his family resided in the lower flat of the two-storey wooden-and-concrete structure.

According to Mohamed, he was cooking in the kitchen area of his home, and had left his gas stove unattended for about two minutes to fetch a bucket of water from outside. Upon his return, he was met with a kitchen area engulfed in flames.

He suspected a gas leak from his cooking gas bottle and attempted to douse the fire by placing a damp cloth over it. Unfortunately, this proved ineffective. He then alerted his family members residing on the upper floor, and they promptly evacuated the building.

Subsequently, the Police and the Guyana Fire Service were summoned to the scene. Fortunately, there were no casualties. Mohamed and his family were at home at the time of the blaze, but they were unable to salvage any household items or personal belongings.

After the fire, the CIOG made appeals to persons to make donations towards helping the family rebuild their lives.

CIOG, in its 44 years of existence, says it remains committed in providing leadership for the development of the Islamic Community in Guyana in accordance with the teachings of the Holy Quran and the Sunnah (way of life/conduct) of Prophet Muhammad (upon whom be peace) and to meet the spiritual, social, economic, and general welfare needs of both the Islamic and Non-Islamic communities.

tails. Meanwhile, fami-

ly members say the nowdead woman and one of her

Melisa Arokium and her son Anthony (deceased)

The Management of the Central Islamic Organization of Guyana (CIOG) making the donation to Shafiez Mohamed and his family

APNU’s Carol Smith-Joseph challenging extension of Hicken’s tenure

APNU member Carol Smith-Joseph is challenging President Dr Irfaan Ali’s decision to extend Clifton Hicken’s tenure as acting Commissioner of Police indefinitely, claiming that this unlawful extra time in office prohibits the upward movement of ranks for no plausible reason.

In a Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed on her behalf by Dexter Todd and Associates law firm, Joseph, a resident of Hopetown, Berbice, inter alia, contended that there is no legal basis upon which the Head of State can extend the tenure of an acting Police Commissioner.

Hicken turned 55—the age of retirement—last month.

In the legal filings, Joseph, the Chief Scrutineer for the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Opposition argued that Hicken is currently occupying the office of the Commissioner of Police in a temporary, acting capacity in accordance with Article 211 (2) of the Constitution of Guyana and not as a substantive Commissioner of Police.

The FDA noted that Hicken’s appointment as Police Commissioner was allegedly based on necessity, in the absence of a duly constituted Police Service Commission (PSC) and a Leader of the Opposition; however, those circumstances no longer exist.

In August of last year, Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC affirmed President Ali’s appointment of Hicken as acting Police Commissioner, calling a challenge to his appointment filed by the Opposition Chief Whip Christopher Jones, “vexatious and an abuse of the court process”.

Justice George had ruled that the President, who is also the Commander-inChief of the Armed Forces, had consistently exercised his judgement in an appropriate manner and acted “out of necessity” and that it was legitimate for him to take action in his “own deliberate judgement” to choose someone to serve as acting Top Cop in the absence of an Opposition Leader and the PSC.

According to Joseph’s FDA, the Constitution provides only for an acting Commissioner of Police to serve in a temporary capacity until there is a substantive Commissioner of Police or until a substantive Commissioner of Police returns to office and resumes his/her functions.

Additionally, the application said that the Public

Service Rules provide for an extension of tenure of someone who has attained the age of 55 years on the request of the Government, providing that that person is appointed to a “permanent pensionable position”.

Smith-Joseph, however, contended that the position of an acting Commissioner of Police is not a permanent pensionable position and that the substantive position Hicken held at the time of attaining the prescribed age of retirement was Deputy Commissioner of Police.

The FDA further contended that the Constitution (Prescribed Matters) Act provides for the extension of tenure of a substantive Commissioner of Police by the President and not an acting Commissioner of Police and that that extension must be given in advance of retirement.

Further Smith-Joseph argued that President Ali did not consult with the Leader of the Opposition before issuing the letter to extend the term of the acting Commissioner of Police after he attained the age of retirement, that the doctrine of necessity no longer applies to the tenure of the office of the acting Commissioner of Police, and that there is no legal basis for the President to extend the tenure of the current acting Commissioner of Police.

She further contended that the President has no au-

thority to extend the tenure of the acting Commissioner of Police and that the powers of the President are subject to and constrained by the Constitution and that any order, direction, or action made by the said executive President in violation of or ultra vires the Constitution is of no force or effect. Additionally, the application noted that there is no matter of necessity as there are currently multiple Assistant and Deputy Commissioners of Police in the Guyana Police Force (GPF), an official Leader of the Opposition, a PSC with a duly appointed chairman and there is no state of national emergency in Guyana.

She, therefore, seeks a number of declarations and orders from the court, including a declaration that the purported extension given by the President is unlawful, ultra virus, and therefore of no force or effect; that the President has no legal authority to grant an extension to the acting Commissioner of Police to continue acting in the capacity of Commissioner of Police after he has obtained the age of retirement and an order directing Hicken to immediately vacate the office of acting Commissioner of Police to pave the way for a new person below the age of retirement.

President complied with Constitution

Last week, Attorney General and Legal Affairs

Minister Anil Nandlall, SC dismissed questions raised about the extension of Hicken’s tenure in office, saying that there are no provisions in the Constitution to prevent such a move.

A recommendation from the Chairman of the PSC following consultations with its members and meaningful consultations with the Leader of the Opposition are requirements for both the substantive and acting positions, the Legal Affairs Minister noted.

Article 211 (1) of the Constitution mandates that “the Commissioner of Police and every Deputy Commissioner of Police shall be appointed by the President acting after meaningful consultation with the Leader of the Opposition and the Chairperson of the Police Service Commission after the Chairperson has consulted with the other members of the Commission”.

Meanwhile, provisions for a person to act in the office of the Police Commissioner are outlined under Article 211 (2) of the Constitution, and the provisions contained in Article 211 (1), shall apply to such

an appointment as they apply to the appointment of a person to hold that office.

It states that “…a person may be appointed to act in that office and the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall apply to such an appointment as they apply to the appointment of a person to hold the office.”

On this note, Nandlall argued that, “…if the holder of that office, whether substantively or by virtue of an acting appointment, can be extended then I see no reason and no principle which confines that extension only to a substantive appointee and not an acting appoin-

tee. There is nothing in the Constitution that makes that distinction.”

“I wish to confirm in my humble and respectful view that His Excellency, the President, complied with the Constitution and complied with the laws in relation to Mr Hicken’s acting tenure beyond his age of retirement,” Nandlall had noted while highlighting that it is the Constitution (Prescribed Matters) Act Chapter 27:12, Act No 21 of 1967 that caters for an extension of tenure for the person holding the office of the Commissioner of Police and not the Constitution itself.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

Carol Smith-Joseph

Commissioner of Police (ag) Clifton Hicken

150 ECD residents improving their health through GGI-funded wellness project

Founded on the themes of eating well, moving well, and feeling well, the "Enhancing Community Wellness Pilot Project" aims to improve the health and wellbeing of 150 persons from East Coast Demerara (ECD).

Facilitated by Roraima Learning Trust Inc. and funded by the Greater Guyana Initiative (GGI), the programme began aiding participants in June, and will continue to do so until November.

The 150 persons between Plaisance and Enmore were divided into village groups, and are learning to improve their diet, exercise habits, and mental health by receiving relevant information on WhatsApp and Facebook groups.

During the project launch on Wednesday, Project Manager Stephen

Patterson explained that the initiative sought to involve participants who reflect Guyana’s diverse demographics.

“The grouping itself as a whole should mirror Guyana’s population distribution in terms of the ethnicity, age, gender, and level of income —the socioeconomic aspect of it as well,” Patterson explained.

The project uses waistline measurement and weight as signifiers of the participants’ progress.

“In addition to the social media grouping, we’ve begun to meet with them on a faceto-face basis, where they get to interact with each other at the group level, and also we take measurements there just to monitor the progress over the pilot project period,” Patterson said.

The programme also involves collaboration with a

number of pharmacies and supermarkets that are offering participants groceries and medical supplies at slightly reduced costs.

Patterson noted that by

all indications, the project is moving in the right direction, and is seeing positive results.

Turundai Cathrupaul of Lusignan received a prize for being the "Monthly Wellness Challenge" winner after losing 1 inch from her waist and the most weight among the cohort.

“I cut down on my eating, and I’m always on the go. When I went on the scale, I was surprised [to see] I lost six pounds,” Cathrupaul said.

“It’s a wonderful programme, and coming out of the meetings, I feel comfortable. I think more people should come on board,” Cathrupaul said, adding that it has been slightly challenging since she works and just had a baby seven

months ago.

Meanwhile, Health Ministry representative Dr. Michael Perreira noted that this programme is particularly important in decreasing the prevalence of chronic diseases in Guyana, given its high rate in the Americas for cardiovascular diseases and diabetes.

“With this initiative, we’re going to be targeting some of the risk factors that would promote these diseases,” Dr. Perreira said, noting that the eating well and nutrition component of the project will contribute to this.

Meanwhile, Patterson expressed hope to see this project expand countrywide, clarifying that this will require additional funding to make possible.

“Once we submit reports to GGI, who’s our primary funding agency, we’ll take it from there. The expectation is that once we get the results we are looking forward to, then we take the initiative to the national level,” Patterson said.

“The expectation is that people will make good use of the information we’re sharing with them, apply it, and in some ways see improvement in their overall well-being, waistline and weight,” Patterson added. While the project expanding beyond these 150 persons is dependent on the success of this pilot, Patterson explained that for persons who are interested in participating in the future, they can express so to the Roraima Learning Trust Inc.

Regions 9 & 10 benefit from Home Economics training

The Carnegie School of Home Economics (CSHE) has successfully organised and completed two decentralised August Vocational Training programmes in Regions Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) and 10 (Upper Demerara-Upper Berbice).

In Region Nine, 15 participants completed 20 hours of Elementary Cookery training at the Bina Hill Institute from August 2426, 2023.

Meanwhile, another fifteen participants in Region 10 graduated in Cooking with Kids from August 1525, 2023 which was sponsored by EDO Offshore and hosted at the Mackenzie High School.

This is the first time the institution has hosted decentralized programmes during the July-August vacation.

Principal of the Carnegie School of Home Economics, Sharmaine Marshall, noted that both programmes were fruitful. She reiterated the institution’s commitment to providing graduates with the necessary tools to thrive as influential members of

diverse local, national, and global communities.

As the CSHE moves towards decentralisation, the skills development systems are challenged to improve future workers’ skills. The competency-based training approach to technical and vocational education and training (TVET) has been recognised as a highly effective way of ensuring

that the institution’s training programmes remain relevant to the labour market.

It is of crucial importance that the competencies resulting from this continuous training are signalled, acknowledged, and then matched to specific responsibilities while being adequately valued.

The programmes are expected to continue next year.

Some participants of the Enhancing Community Wellness Pilot Project

The participants in the Cooking with Kids training conducted in Region 10

Over 92% of hinterland communities accessing Guyana Learning Channel

More than 92 per cent of hinterland communities now have access to the diverse content available on the Guyana Learning Channel (GLC).

The achievement stems from substantial Government investments aimed at bridging the divide between the coastal and hinterland regions.

This was disclosed by Education Minister Priya Manickchand at the National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference 2023, at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Wednesday.

“This is where we gave televisions – solar and satellite – so that you could access the Guyana Learning

Channel and all the information that is on the channel. We have also established a radio station where we are teaching through the radio, both at the level of the CPCE [Cyril Potter College of Education] and teacher-student classroom engagement…Because of that, we have begun to see different results in your communities,” the Education Minister underscored.

As part of the Government’s efforts to expand and enhance the coverage of the GLC, 91 solar systems have been installed and 1353 lessons were developed and broadcast.

Meanwhile, in pursuit of achieving universal access to

secondary education by 2025, several schools and teachers’ living quarters are being constructed. Efforts are

also being made to improve the distribution of the education cash grant, the national school feeding programme,

and the distribution of textbooks, among other projects.

Areas to benefit from educational facilities include Jawalla, Kopinang, Karasabai, Kwebanna, Hosororo, and Tuschen. The schools will house dormitories, laboratories, IT labs, teachers’ quarters, music rooms, and other amenities.

The primary school at Santa Cruz, Region One, is expected to be completed by September 9.

All school dormitories will be outfitted to ensure students are safe. These measures will include adequate and functioning washroom facilities, fire-prevention and fire-fighting equipment, beds,

and security along with an improved house-parents-tochild ratio.

Minister Manickchand said a full assessment was conducted at the dormitory at Paramakatoi, and it would be repaired at a cost of over $300 million.

The Government is ensuring that every Guyanese has equitable access to educational opportunities and the skills they need to become productive and innovative.

Since assuming office in August 2020, the Administration has embarked on an aggressive path to attain universal access to secondary education by the year 2025.

Govt advancing use of tissue culture farming technique – Mustapha

The Government’s proactive stance in advancing agricultural practices has already shown remarkable success through the implementation of various innovative techniques.

Building upon this momentum, the administration continues to push for the adoption of the tissue culture method within the agriculture sector, which will bring about a multitude of benefits to Guyana, specifically farmers.

Speaking at an out-

reach in Region Five on Saturday last, Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha, reminded a large group of agriculturists that Government has already signed an agreement with an Indian firm to advance the farming technique locally.

“So, when we plant these crops, we can produce them on a larger scale. Instead of producing hundreds of plants, we can produce millions of plants,” the Agriculture Minister explained.

Research has indicated that the biological research methodology involves the delicate process of transferring tissue fragments from animals or plants into a controlled artificial environment. With the safe farming technology being implemented here, farmers will be able to produce more disease-free plants, making it healthy for consumers and the larger Guyanese population.

Minister Mustapha stated that the Government is hoping to end its consultation with its foreign coun-

170 tractors, trailers distributed to Amerindian villages to date – Sukhai

Some 170 tractors and trailers have been distributed by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs to hinterland villages and Amerindian settlements across Guyana, as the administration advances agriculture development in these areas to achieve food security locally and regionally.

The vehicles currently offer support in the labour-intensive aspects of agriculture, while also serving as a means of transportation for residents in remote villages.

This update was provided by the Minister of Amerindian Affairs, Pauline Sukhai, during an interview on the sidelines of a recent visit to Rewa, North Rupununi, Region Nine.

being utilised

“We are awaiting a balance of 20 [tractors] to come into the country that were purchased this year. All the matters of manufacturing and shipping usually take a while, so we expect that shipment to come in before

the end of the year,” the minister said.

She stated that the total distribution cost signifies a $700 million investment towards providing the tractors and trailers, including implements to these villages.

terparts by next year, and will be able to provide the local stakeholders with the necessary responses and information.

With Guyana becoming the centre of food production for the Caribbean and wider afield, the Government has been engaging several international partners who are experienced in the food industry.

The steady development of new techniques locally is already modernising

the agriculture sector. Some of the methods include the use of shade houses and hydroponics.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Crops being grown using the hydroponic method

Tractor and trailer that were provided to the Masakenari Village

US Embassy in Haiti urges citizens to leave country ‘as soon as possible’

The US Embassy in Haiti on Wednesday urged citizens in the Caribbean country to leave “as soon as possible” citing security and infrastructure challenges, as escalating violence has left thousands displaced and sent homicides soaring.

“US citizens in Haiti should depart Haiti as soon as possible via commercial or private transport,” the Embassy said in a statement, urging extreme caution.

An escalating gang turf war in Haiti has caused a devastating humanitarian crisis that has displaced around 200,000 nationwide and left some 5.2 million people – nearly half of Haiti’s population – in need of humanitarian aid, according to the United Nations.

Earlier this month, the US Embassy in the capital Port-au-Prince temporarily closed, due to gunfire in the vicinity.

Meanwhile, international observers and human rights defenders are awaiting an anticipated propos-

al for a United Nationsbacked, Kenya-led Police mission to Haiti.

Last week, a 10-person Kenyan delegation visited the crisis-racked Caribbean nation to assess the situation.

And the United States and Ecuador announced in late July that they planned to introduce a UN Security Council resolution authorising a multinational force in the country although they have not said when that measure will be put forward.

As the prospect of a Haiti mission takes shape, calls are growing to ensure safe-

Jamaica: 400 teachers resign in 11 days

With the beginning of the new academic year set for Monday, September 4, Minister of Education and Youth Fayval Williams on Wednesday indicated that since her last update on August 18, 400 more teachers have resigned.

“The last time I did [speak about the number of resignations] was on August 18. At that time, I presented that for the period of January to September 2022, there were 1538 resignations and for the peri-

od January to September 2023, there were 427…If we compare for the same period January to September as of yesterday, the total would be 854, a decline of 44 per cent in what we saw in the January to September 2022,” Minister Williams said.

She added that 25,000 teachers still remain in the system.

She was addressing a post-Cabinet press briefing at Jamaica House on Wednesday.

Last month, Williams

moved to allay fears of a shortage of teachers in the classrooms come September

According to Williams, though the number of teachers who have resigned so far this year is much lower than last year, hundreds of teachers have completed their training and are now ready to join the workforce.

Williams was responding to reports that several schools have been placing advertisements for teachers in recent weeks. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

guards are in place to protect Haitians from the woes of past foreign interventions, most recently a UN peacekeeping mission marred by sexual abuse claims and links to a deadly cholera outbreak.

Rights observers say such protections are even more urgent given Kenya’s own legacy of Police abuse, which has come under renewed scrutiny in the wake of the East African country’s offer to help Haiti “restore normalcy” after months of surging gang violence.

(Excerpt from Reuters and Al Jazeera)

Chile launches push to find people disappeared in

As Chile approaches the 50th anniversary of its 1973 coup, the country’s Government has launched an initiative to search for people who disappeared during the authoritarian rule of General Augusto Pinochet.

Progressive President

Gabriel Boric announced the National Search Plan on Wednesday, saying that the country deserves answers about the fate of the people who remain missing. The push coincides with the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances.

Pinochet came to pow-

Pinochet era

er in the military coup, which saw the overthrow and death of the democratically-elected socialist President Salvador Allende.

During Pinochet’s 17year dictatorship, 1469 people went missing as a result of forced disappearances. Of that number, 1092 disappeared after being imprisoned, and 377 were executed, but their remains never returned.

“We had the illusion that they were alive, but over the years, we realised they weren’t,” Juana Andreani, a former detainee and friend of a person

New Port of Spain mayor, 38: Youth can lead Trinidad and Tobago

Chinua Alleyne is the new mayor of Port of Spain. He has assured the public he will make them proud and added that young people can successfully lead TT.

The 38-year-old, who previously served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of East Port of Spain, was sworn in on Wednesday afternoon at City Hall.

In addition, northern Port of Spain Councillor Abena Hartley, 36, was sworn in as Deputy Mayor.

who disappeared, told the Reuters news agency.

“At least they should tell us what happened to them, what was done to them. That is the worst part of these 50 years.”

Pinochet’s rule came amid a wave of military United States-backed coups in Latin America during the Cold War period.

Reporting from Chile’s capital Santiago, Al Jazeera’s Lucia Newman said successive Chilean governments have failed to seriously search for the disappeared people since Pinochet left power in 1990.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Caribbean Internet Governance Forum examines governance of Artificial Intelligence

The 19th Caribbean Internet Governance Forum (CIGF) and second Caribbean Youth Internet Governance Forum (CYIGF) convened their annual meetings from August 22-24 to address critical issues surrounding the governance of the global digital landscape, under the theme, “Evolving Caribbean Internet Governance Priorities for Sustainable Development”.

The hybrid event witnessed the participation of distinguished leaders, experts and stakeholders from around the world to discuss strategies for ensuring an open, free, secure and inclusive Internet.

Established in 2005, the CIGF has continually proven its significance in navigating the complex challenges of internet governance through its multi-stakeholder approach.

United Nations Secretary General’s Envoy on Technology, Amandeep Singh Gill participated in the 19th CIGF and highlighted in his keynote address the importance of the CIGF and its role in advocating for a more level playing field for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He remarked, “Keeping the Internet open, free, secure and inclusive is a crucial global priority. For the Small Island Developing States, it

is literally a matter of life and death.”

With the tremendous opportunities but the daunting challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) on the horizon, Gill echoed the call about the need for comprehensive AI governance. He asserted, “The Internet’s long-established multi-stakeholder institutions require more support than ever. Such an approach aligns with the ongoing negotiation process for the Global Digital Compact, a crucial initiative that aims to address digital divides and ensure comprehensive data and AI governance.” (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)

Alleyne is the son of well-known paediatrician Dr Petronella ManningAlleyne, and the nephew of former Prime Minister and PNM political leader Patrick Manning.

He said his council will continue the work that began two decades ago “to impact the lives of the people in Port of Spain.

“That work will be led by what is quite likely the youngest mayor and deputy mayor combination to ever

lead the capital city.”

He said this should serve as a message to young people in TT that “(they) have a home in the PNM.”

The decisions of the Council, he said, will be guided by communication, innovation and action.

He said he was aware there would be many challenges but that the Council would continue to find new ways to tackle them along the way.

Some of the council’s pri-

orities will include local government reform, addressing homelessness, littering, and fixing roads.

He said the city would be transformed into one “flowing with milk and honey”.

“Whether you are an elder or a youngster, a shop owner or a Frederick Street window shopper, the treasurer or a street sweeper, your voice is important to this council and we will hear your voice.” (Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday7)

Bahamas moves to decriminalise cannabis

need it,” said a statement issued by the Office of the Prime Minister.

It said the Cannabis Bill would also establish a framework to capitalise on the economic potential of cannabis production, establishing a licensing system for cultivation, manufacture, transport, research, retail distribution, and analytical testing along with regulatory frameworks for quality assurance.

The Bahamas Government has launched public consultation on a compendium of legislation to decriminalise cannabis for medical, research, and religious use it hopes to bring to Parliament.

It said that the central component of the 11 bills is the Cannabis Bill 2023, which would establish a framework for local canna-

bis production to address medical needs.

“The compendium of legislation primarily aims to decriminalize cannabis for medical and therapeutic use to bring relief to Bahamian patients facing various chronic and painful diseases and conditions. By allowing therapeutic cannabis options, the Government seeks to improve the quality of life for those who most

“Within the draft bill, specific attention is given to promoting local ownership and economic empowerment. Foreign investors are eligible to have up to 70 per cent ownership in businesses related to analytical testing, manufacturing, and research. All other licensed areas would be reserved for 100 per cent Bahamianowned businesses.” (Excerpt from Reuters)

Men run during a protest demanding an end to gang violence, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, August 14, 2023 (Reuters/Ralph Tedy Erol photo)

Municipal officers place the mayoral chain on the new POS Mayor Chinua Alleyne at the swearing-in ceremony of Aldermen, Mayor and Deputy Mayor, Murchison Brown Auditorium, City Hall, Port of Spain on August 30 (Jeff K Mayers photo)

The legislation aims to decriminalise cannabis for medical and therapeutic use to bring relief to Bahamian patients. (GP)

OIL NEWS

Oil prices rise after US data shows tighter crude supply

Oil prices gained on Wednesday as US Government data showed tighter-than-expected crude supplies, while concerns about the Chinese economy limited gains.

Brent crude futures for October rose 37 cents to settle at US$85.86 a barrel. The October contract expires today and the more active November contract was up 33 cents at US$85.21.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 47 cents to US$81.63.

On Tuesday, both benchmarks rallied by more than a dollar as the US dollar weakened after soft jobs data reduced the likelihood of further interest rate hikes.

US crude inventories fell by 10.6 million barrels in the last week to 422.9 million barrels, Energy Information Administration (EIA) data showed on Wednesday. Analysts in a Reuters poll expected a 3.3 million-barrel drop.

Product supplied of finished motor gasoline – a proxy for demand – was at about 9.1 million barrels per day.

"I would expect (gasoline demand) to fall precipitously from here," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital, as gasoline demand typically peaks in the summer driving season.

Investors kept an eye on Hurricane Idalia, which came ashore as a Category Three storm on Wednesday morning in a Florida region where the northern panhandle curves into the peninsula. By midday, the hurricane approached south-eastern Georgia as a Category One storm.

Elsewhere, analysts expect Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, to extend its voluntary output cut into October, keeping oil supply tight.

Based on that expectation, refining sources surveyed by Reuters forecast that Saudi Arabia's official selling prices for all crude grades sold to Asia in October will be raised to their highest this year.

Meanwhile, the military seized power in Gabon on Wednesday, which could hit the country's crude supplies and tighten the market further. Gabon exported a monthly average of 160,000 barrels per day to Asia from May to July, Kpler shiptracking data showed.

Oil's gains were capped, however, by concern over the mixed economic situation in China, the world's biggest oil importer.

Chinese refiners are poised to boost diesel exports in September to more than one million metric tonnes, drawn by lucrative margins from selling overseas and as they expect to receive more export quotas from Beijing, traders and analysts said.

"The market's interpretation is if they are exporting this much product then things are not going so well with the Chinese economy," said Andrew Lipow, President at Lipow Oil Associates in Houston.

Despite production cuts from Saudi Arabia, Russia and others, other exporters like Venezuela and Iran are filling some of the gap, said Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank.

"Ongoing demand concerns may prevent prices from having a sustained move above US$90," he said. (Reuters)

Around The World

Recent gains by Ukrainian troops on the southern front could open the way for pushing the Russians back to the annexed Crimean peninsula, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba has said.

He said this became possible after Kyiv liberated the "strategically important" village of Robotyne in the Zaporizhzhia region.

Russia's military says its forces are still holding on to the village.

Ukraine seeks to cut the land corridor to Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014.

By doing so, Kyiv would split in two the land Russia occupies in southern Ukraine, making Moscow's supply lines more complicated.

Speaking at a recent meeting of French Ambassadors in Paris, Kuleba said: "Having entrenched on its [Robotyne's]

flanks, we are opening the way to Tokmak and, eventually, Melitopol and the administrative border with Crimea."

The Russian-occupied cities of Tokmak and Melitopol are key military and logistical hubs for Russia.

Kuleba stressed that Ukraine's counter-offensive – launched in early June –was continuing, but admitted it was an "extremely difficult" task.

"The number of minefields and fortifications is unprecedented. Russian drones, helicopters, and planes dominate the air. But we are gradually succeeding."

He described how one group of 31 Ukrainian fighters had "literally crawled on their stomachs through kilometres of minefields", eventually making it possible for a brigade to retake Robotyne.

Gabon officers declare military coup, President Ali Bongo detained

Military officers in oil-producing Gabon said they had seized power on Wednesday, placing President Ali Bongo under house arrest and naming a new leader after the Central African State's election body announced Bongo had won a third term.

Saying they represented the armed forces, the officers declared on television that the election results were cancelled, borders closed and State institutions dissolved, after a tense vote that was set to extend the Bongo family's more-than-half century in power.

Within hours, Generals met to discuss who would lead the transition and agreed by unanimous vote to appoint General Brice Oligui Nguema, former head of the presidential guard, according to another televised address.

Meanwhile, from detention in his residence, Bongo appealed in a video statement to foreign allies, imploring them to speak out on his and his family's be-

US warns N Korea against selling weapons to Russia for Ukraine war

The White House has warned North Korea against selling munitions to Russia for its war in Ukraine as tensions between Pyongyang and Washington continue to mount.

White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Wednesday that the United States was concerned about potential arms deals between Russia and North Korea.

“We urge the DPRK to cease its arms negotiations with Russia and abide by

the public commitments that Pyongyang has made to not provide or sell arms to Russia,” Kirby said, referring to North Korea by its official name, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

Kirby added that the US believes Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu tried to convince Pyongyang to sell artillery ammunitions to Moscow when he visited North Korea and met with its leader Kim Jong Un in July.

The White House spokes-

man declined to detail how US officials had gathered the intelligence.

The US has been warning its competitors and adversaries – including China – against helping Russia in its military offensive in Ukraine.

Kirby’s comments on Wednesday came just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kim exchanged letters vowing to bolster ties between their two countries. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

half. He said he did not know what was happening.

Bongo's plight was a dramatic reversal from the early hours of Wednesday when the electoral commission declared him the winner of Saturday's disputed vote.

Hundreds of people celebrated the military's intervention in the streets of the Gabonese capital Libreville, while the United Nations, African Union and France, Gabon's former colonial ruler which has troops stationed there, condemned the coup.

The military takeover in Gabon is the eighth in West and Central Africa since 2020, and the second – after Niger – in as many months. Military officers have also seized power in Mali, Guinea, Burkina Faso and Chad, erasing democratic gains since the 1990s and raising fear among foreign powers that have strategic interests in the region.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

In its Wednesday's report on the battlefield situation, Ukraine's military also said its forces "had success" in the direction to the south and south-east of Robotyne.

But Russia's military

said it troops had "repelled nine attacks" by Ukrainian forces in the Robotyne area, as well as around the Verbove village to the southeast. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Hurricane Idalia

ploughed into Florida's Gulf Coast on Wednesday with fierce winds, torrential rain, and pounding surf before weakening but turning its fury on southeastern Georgia, where floodwaters trapped some residents in their homes.

Hours after Idalia slammed ashore as a powerful Category 3 hurricane at Keaton Beach in Florida's Big Bend region packing winds of about 201 kilometres per hour (125 mph), authorities were still trying to assess the full extent of damage in the hardest-hit areas.

Video footage and photographs from the region around Idalia's landfall showed ocean waters washing over highways and neighbourhoods swamped by extensive flooding at midday.

At a late afternoon news conference, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said there were no immediate reports of hurricane fa-

talities and that it seemed most residents in vulnerable, low-lying areas had heeded evacuation orders and warnings to move to higher ground.

DeSantis was speaking in Perry, a town that lies about 35 km (22 miles) north of where Idalia came ashore and bore some of the storm's worst damage. Electricity was out across the community, businesses were all shuttered, and many homes were empty.

Here and there, residents were seen clearing fallen trees and limbs that littered yards and streets, making it difficult to drive through the town. Some homes and other buildings were left in shambles.

At least 75 people were rescued from floodwaters in St. Petersburg, city officials said on social media, with video posted showing two emergency workers in a small boat travelling through a flooded neighbourhood in heavy rains.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Anew study has found that nuclear weapons tests during the Cold War are a major cause of high levels of radioactivity in central Europe's wild boar population.

The radioactivity found in wild boars has previously been blamed on the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

But the new research concludes that earlier nuclear weapons testing in the 1960s is a significant cause.

Other wild animals' radioactivity levels have dropped over the years.

So many wondered why the wild pigs' contamination

levels remained so high.

After testing meat from 48 boars in Germany's state of Bavaria, scientists from Vienna's University of Technology and Leibniz University of Hannover found that their radioactivity is to a significant degree caused by older, Cold War nuclear bomb blasts which are still affecting the soil in the area.

Writing in the Environmental Science and Technology journal, the scientists say that radioactive caesium from the tests have sunk into the earth, contaminating deer truffles – the food

favoured by wild boars, who dig into the soil to find them.

But the truffles – and the subsequent contamination of wild boars – is unlikely to abate any time soon, the study says.

This is because more radioactive caesium from Chernobyl will seep further into the soil, further contaminating the truffles.

The boars' continued contamination threatens the Bavarian forests themselves, the study says: as the animals are not shot for their meat, their populations are growing unsustainably.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Nuclear weapons testing cause of radioactivity in wild boars, study says

Hurricane Idalia grinds into Georgia after slamming Florida

Ukraine gains on southern front could open way to Crimea, says Kyiv

Ukraine claims to have liberated the village of Robotyne in the past few days

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Pay more attention to your health and appearance. Spend time with a loved one. Mix business with pleasure, and seek out like-minded people. Romance is in the stars.

(March 21-April 19)

PICKLES

(April 20-May 20)

Use your imagination to devise a plan that puts you in the spotlight. Speak up and enjoy talking to people who want to participate in your plans. Their input will stimulate your mind.

Put your head down, and don’t look up until you feel you have accomplished enough. Don’t get into a debate or let someone interfere with your goal. Go about your business and don’t look back.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS

SUDOKU

(June 21-July 22)

Make your time and effort count. You can make a difference by directing your energy wisely. Call on experts if necessary. Express your desires, and don’t be afraid to make a big move.

Revise how you handle your money, health and joint ventures. Communication will be the key to getting things done right the first time. Jump at an opportunity to diversify your skills.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Be open to new beginnings, pursue knowledge and connect with people who have something to offer. Use your imagination and expand your mind, interests and friendships.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Reach out to someone in need and do your part to make a difference. A chance to earn more money using your skills and experience will manifest. Adapt your skills to take advantage of an opportunity.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Ask questions, find out what’s trending and make adjustments to ensure you get the most out of what’s happening around you. Taking advantage of an opportunity will require strategic timing.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Take note of how others act and what they say. Focus on what you can accomplish and refuse to let anyone use emotional manipulation to throw you off your game.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Organize your space, pass along what you no longer use and simplify your life. An investment opportunity is apparent. Put together a plan that helps you reduce debt. Avoid overindulgence.

Sit tight, even if someone prompts you to make a move. Busy yourself taking care of important details. Keep your plans simple and affordable. Don’t try to please others.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Show some bravado. Think outside the box, and you’ll attract attention and interest from someone who understands your goal. Trust in yourself, and you’ll feel good about your chosen path.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

15 records smashed at GAPLF’s Raw Nationals 2023

–Petterson-Griffith, Abrigo are overall male and female champs

The 2023 edition of the Guyana Amateur Powerlifting Federation’s (GAPLF’s) Raw Nationals was held last Sunday at the National Gymnasium, where a total of 18 athletes, including 5 females, entertained the small but appreciative gathering. A total of 16 records were reset on that day.

At the end of the two flights of competition, Guyana’s marquee lifter

Carlos Petterson-Griffith, competing for the first time in the 105kg Men's Open category, won the three-way battle against Tremel King and Paul Meusa for the gold medal, and added the Overall Best Lifter Accolade along with a Fitness Express hamper.

In crafting victory, Petterson-Griffith also set new squat, deadlift, and total records. His best squat was 310.0kg (683.433lb), bench press was 165.0kg, deadlift was 350.0kg (771.618lb), total of 825.0kg (1818.814lb).

The Female Best Overall Lifter trophy and Fitness Express hamper went to Keisha Abrigo, who won gold in the 76kg Women's Open Raw competition. Abrigo, too, was in record-breaking mode, setting new standards in the squat, deadlift, and total. She recorded 162.5kg (358.251lb) in the squat, bench press 75.0kg, deadlift 200.0kg (440.925lb), and a total of 437.5kg (964.523lb).

The GAPLF is expressing gratitude to the following sponsors for making the event a success: Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; National Sports Commission;

Fitness Express, Space Gym, E-Master Corporation, Sunny & Sweetie Roti Shop, Unity Cabs & Unity Gym, Dr. Billy Mack/Eye Wear Optical, Chung’s Global Inc., Prudential, Dr. Harry Hanoman and AssociatesGiftland Mall.

Full list of winners in class: Female Winners

1st 69kg Women's Open Raw - Junica Pluck, Squat 142.5kg, Bench press 78.0kg, Deadlift 155.0kg, Total

2nd 69kg Women's Open Raw - Kezia Joseph, Squat 127.5kg, Bench press 55.0kg, Deadlift 165.0kg, Total 347.5kg

3rd 69kg Women's Open Raw - Xusha Stoll, Squat 117.5kg, Bench press 62.5kg, Deadlift 145.0kg, Total

SCOREBOARD

325.0kg

1st 76kg Women's Open Raw - Keisha Abrigo, Squat 162.5kg, Bench press 75.0kg, Deadlift 200.0kg, Total 437.5kg

1st 84+kg Women's Open Raw - Kean Andrews, Squat 137.5kg, Bench press 85.0kg, Deadlift 172.5kg, Total

395.0kg

Male Winners

1st 74kg Men's Junior Raw - Meshach Alexander, Squat 147.5kg, Bench press 85.0kg, Deadlift 170.0kg, Total 402.5kg

1st 93kg Men's Junior Raw - Wazeer Hussein, Squat 227.5kg, Bench press 173.0kg, Deadlift 265.0kg, Total 665.5kg

1st 120+kg Men's Junior Raw - Yogaishawar Seecharan, Squat 230.5kg,

Bench press 115.0kg, Deadlift 230.0kg, Total 575.5kg

1st 59kg Men's Open

Raw - Dwayne Welch, Squat 147.5kg, Bench press 92.5kg, Deadlift 175.0kg, Total 415.0kg

1st 66kg Men's Open Raw - Navindra Tamasar, Squat 160.0kg, Bench press 95.0kg, Deadlift 200.0kg, Total 455.0kg

1st 74kg Men's Open

Raw - Demetri Chan, Squat 195.0kg, Bench press 147.5kg, Deadlift 255.0kg, Total 597.5kg

2nd 74kg Men's Open Raw - Meshach Alexander, Squat 147.5kg, Bench press 85.0kg, Deadlift 170.0kg, Total 402.5kg

1st 83kg Men's Open

Raw - Steffan Hilken, Squat 157.5kg, Bench press 115.0kg, Deadlift 182.5kg, Total 455.0kg

1st 93kg Men's Open

Raw - Wazeer Hussein, Squat 227.5kg, Bench press 173.0kg, Deadlift 265.0kg,

Total 665.5kg

2nd 93kg Men's Open Raw - Ramesh Seecharan, Squat 132.5kg, Bench press 70.0kg, Deadlift 165.0kg, Total 367.5kg

3rd 93kg Men's Open Raw - Frank Tucker, Squat 115.0kg, Bench press 90.0kg, Deadlift 140.0kg, Total 345.0kg

1st 105kg Men's Open Raw - Carlos Petterson-Griffith,

Squat 310.0kg, Bench press 165.0kg, Deadlift 350.0kg, Total 825.0kg

2nd 105kg Men's Open Raw - Tremel King, Squat 245.0kg, Bench press 172.5kg, Deadlift 302.5kg, Total 720.0kg

3rd 105kg Men's Open Raw - Paul Meusa, Squat 205.0kg, Bench press 125.0kg, Deadlift 265.0kg, Total 595.0kg

1st 120+kg Men's Open Raw - Yogaishawar Seecharan, Squat 230.5kg, Bench press 115.0kg, Deadlift 230.0kg, Total 575.5kg

1st 105kg Men's Master 1 Raw - Paul Meusa, Squat 205.0kg, Bench press 125.0kg, Deadlift 265.0kg, Total 595.0kg

1st 93kg Men's Master

2 Raw - Ramesh Seecharan, Squat 132.5kg, Bench press 70.0kg, Deadlift 165.0kg, Total 367.5kg

1st 93kg Men's Master 4 Raw - Frank Tucker, Squat 115.0kg, Bench press 90.0kg, Deadlift 140.0kg, Total 345.0kg

Johnson slams 105 as WI U19s

clobber Sri Lanka by 195 runs …series now level at 1-1

Aquickfire century from Jordan Johnson and 50s from Joshua Dorne and Tarrique Edward spurred West Indies U19s to an emphatic 195-run victory over Sri Lanka in the second ODI, played at Rangiri Dambulla on Wednesday.

West Indies bowlers, too, played a crucial role in the massive win, as Isai Thorne and Deshawn James each took three wickets in the match, that saw West Indies level the series 1-1.

Batting first, West Indies scored 320 all out from their 50 overs, thanks to the efforts of Johnson, who laid the platform for the match-winning score. He made 105 from just 79 balls, and hit 12 fours and three sixes while featuring in a third-wicket partnership of 160 from just 131 balls with Dorne, who scored a relative-

ly patient 56 from 73 balls, hitting the boundary six times along the way.

Edward chipped in with a crucial 53 that helped push the West Indies towards

300 runs through a 60-run partnership with Nathan Edward, who scored 13.

Opener Adrian Weir scored 32, and was the principal scorer in a second-wicket

stand of 41 with Dorne.

Sineth Jayawardena was the best of the Sri Lankan bowlers with 4-36.

Needing to score at 6.4 runs an over, Sri Lanka’s batters wilted under the pressure, and collapsed to 40-6 in the 14th over. Only a 46-run partnership between Malsha Tharupathi and Supun Waduge held up the West Indies attack and got the home side closer to the 100run mark.

Sri Lanka were eventually bowled out for 125 in the 31st over, to hand the West Indies victory.

Thorne finished with the impressive figures of 3-18, while James took 3-30. Nathan Edward chipped in with 2-17. The teams will clash in a decider on Friday, September 1. (Sportsmax)

The Overall Best Male and Female lifters showcasing their silverware in the presence of sponsors

The five females who competed at the GAPLF Raw Nationals are, from right: Xusha Stoll, Kezia Joseph, Keisha Abrigo, Junica Pluck, and Kean Andrews

Jordan Johnson celebrating his century

Brathwaite goes to Royals, St Kitts add 2 English players

Berbice are overall champions of RBL/LGC Golf Programme

continue to empower youths and propel the sport of golf in Guyana.

“We are very keen on investing in communities through our Power to Make a Difference programme," Dummett posited.

Carlos Brathwaite, Benny Howell and Will Smeed will join the ‘Biggest Party in Sport’ this week, a missive from the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League has indicated.

Brathwaite will join the Barbados Royals as a temporary replacement for Donovan Ferreira, who has been called up by South Africa for international duties. All-rounder Brathwaite is no stranger to the Barbadian franchise, hav-

ing represented the Barbados Tridents in the earlier years of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Brathwaite has also featured for the Jamaica Tallawahs and the St. Kitts and Nevis Patriots in previous editions of the regional tournament.

Meanwhile, English players Howell and Smeed will be joining the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. They will be replacing Blessing Muzarabani and

Ambati Rayudu, who have left the tournament to deal with personal matters.

The Barbados Royals, who are now enjoying their home leg of the 2023 tournament, were scheduled to come up against the Trinbago Knight Riders on Wednesday night. On the other hand, the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots will continue their campaign on Saturday, September 2, against the Guyana Amazon Warriors from 10:00hrs local time.

CONCACAF Nations League 2023/2024…

“Necessary for the next level”

– Golden Jaguars players rate addition of strength & conditioning coach

Curtains came down on the Republic Bank (Guy) Ltd/LGC Junior Golf Programme at the Lusignan Golf Club on Saturday August 26, with Berbice prevailing with a total of eleven medals, while Linden came in second and Region 4 bagged third.

Saturday's national drive, chip and putt competition saw a total of 144 participants competing following 3 weeks of training. They came from the country’s administrative regions as follows: Region 4 - 55, Linden37, Berbice – 52.

During the three weeks leading up to the grand finale, the young golfers were introduced to the game, taught the rules, and familiarised themselves with the various clubs and their uses.

Results of the competition were as follows:

Boys 5-9

1st Curtis Millington

2nd Randy Semple

3rd Aiden Olivere

Boys 10-12

1st Kevin Woolford

2nd Elijah Hero

3rd Mark Simeon

Boys 13-14

1st Rasheed Bob-Semple

2nd Jerimiah Briggs

3rd Chris Lillah

Boys 15-16

1st Timothy Dobson

2nd Devon Hinds

3rd Jaheim Samuel

Girls 5-9

1st Angel London

2nd Okeisha McAlmon

3rd Urika Sam

Girls 10-12

1st Olivia Kendal

2nd Simone James

3rd Shanice Hollingsworth

Girls 13-14

1st Akola Carmichael

2nd Anastacia Henry

3rd Shadiya Kendal

Girls 15-16

1st Atasha Williams

2nd Andelike Hollings

3rd Favor Duke

Speaking on behalf of Republic Bank (Guy) Ltd, Manager of Marketing and Communications, Jonelle Dummett, said Republic Bank (Guy) Ltd is proud to see the results and support from the various participants across Guyana.

“As we bring the curtains down on a successful few weeks of golf, I want to say kudos to all our young golfers. We are proud of you, you have shown great determination over the last few weeks as you showcased excellent sportsmanship in a competitive environment. Republic Bank (Guy) Ltd is proud of its partnership with the Lusignan Golf Club, and looks forward to continued collaboration as we

Dummett further divulged that she is happy with the excellent work the club has accomplished during the camp. She also relayed that, through the camp, many lives were impacted, and the experience gained is invaluable, as they look to the future.

LGC President Patanjilee Persaud said, "I want to thank everyone for showing up, and for the enthusiasm they have shown. I want to thank the coaches and Republic Bank (Guy) Ltd, as without you guys, this camp would not have been a resounding success.

“For everyone that received their certificates, I want you to keep that as a badge of honour. We hope that at our next event, with the help of Republic Bank (Guy) Ltd, we can span this camp to all ten administrative regions.

“I want to thank all the parents for supporting this event. Be good fellow human beings, and help each other when you are down."

Over 100 benefit from intense cricket coaching in Dr Tulsi Dyal/BCB cricket clinics 2023

Guyana’s Senior Men’s National Football Team have had lots of tedious work to do in preparation for the CONCACAF Nations League of 2023/2024.

And with introduction of Strength and Conditioning

Coach Riedoh Berdien, intensity in the Guyana camp has been amplified. From the players’ perspective, midfielder Curtez Kellman says the move is necessary to take the Golden Jaguars to the next level.

“It has been good thus far, you know. Today, as you guys can see, it was very intense, and this is the work and the preparation that is needed to execute at the next level. And obviously Riedoh, the fitness trainer that came in from South Africa, he’s a tremendous trainer. We’re working with him putting in the work, (and) we’re seeing results thus far,” Kellman shared exclusively with this publication.

Kellman, along with forward Kelsey Benjamin, went on to share how adjustment to the new routines has been for the team. The Midfielder explained, “We are transitioning to the next level, and we know that if we are to reach at the highest

September

level, we need to get somebody who has the qualification to get us at the next level, and Riedoh is that guy. We’ve seen from the previous set of camps that the work we put in with him has paid off. We had tremendous results, and being here with us to work with our team full time, it will help us in the long run.”

On the other hand, Benjamin stated, “To be honest, it’s a new level that we’re at right now, and the guys them aren’t accustomed to this work, but Riedoh giving we a lot of working, and it helping the team a lot in terms of fitness and going forward.

“At the end of the day, in football you need fitness cause you got to run, and Riedoh is doing a good job at the moment,” the forward added.

Benjamin has expressed confidence that Berdien’s addition will pay dividends in the upcoming international fixtures.

“I feel we will do well in terms of the fitness, cause it’s a lot of running; but if you want to win the game, you have to run, so it will come in handy,” Benjamin opined.

The National Team are billed to play their first

The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), as part of its intense coaching programme, continues to invest heavily in youths across the county. The proactive board hosted two cricket clinics for youths in two sub-zones. The first clinic was held at the Cotton Tree Ground for youths in the West Berbice area, while close to fifty thousand attended the other clinics at the #72 Cut and Load Ground for youths in the Upper/Central Corentyne sub-zone.

The West Berbice Clinic was organized by President of the West Berbice Cricket Association, David Black, and attracted youths from clubs such as Cotton Tree, Bath, Bush Lot United, Achievers and D’Edward. Head Coach Winston Smith has said he was highly impressed by the passion and commitment shown by the West Berbice youths. He explained that emphasis was placed on the six principles of batting, including stance, grip, and back swing; while the five principles of bowling: grip, run-up, gather, release, and follow through, were also emphasized. Work was also done on improving the players’ fielding

and catching standards, and their overall understanding of the game, including its history, laws and tradition. Level Three Cricket Coach Winston Smith was assisted by Cricket coaches Tremayne Smartt, Travis Hardcourt and Shamal Angel, among others.

At the #72 Cut and Load Ground, the sessions were conducted by Berbice Cricket Coach Leslie Soloman, who hailed the sessions as a resounding success. He was supported by Coaches Bhim Ramkissoon, Junior Blair and Floyd Benjamin.

Special emphasis was placed on batting, bowling, field-

ing and physical fitness here as well. The youths were also engaged in some intense batting sessions in the batting cage, using the bowling machine.

Upper Corentyne Cricket Association Treasurer Deodat Tharkudin expressed satisfaction with the work of the coaches and their impact on the players. He hailed the support of the BCB, especially its President Hilbert Foster, towards the development of the game in the Upper Corentyne area.

Foster, who visited the clinic at the Cotton Tree Ground, spoke to the players involved and assured them that his administration was fully commit-

ted to the development of every one of them.

He recalled that the area has benefitted greatly from the receipt of cricket balls, cricket gear, uniform, scorebooks, coaching manuals, bicycles, educational grants, cricket practice nets, catching cribs, coaching equipment batting cage, bowling machine, among other things, as the BCB strives to assist as much as possible.

Region 5 also has four cricket coaches attached to clubs with the cooperation of the Minister of Local Government. Foster announcement that dozens of youths at the under-13 level would shortly receive over one million dollars’ worth of cricket gear under the Zamal Hussain Trust Fund, while clubs across the county would also benefit for the fifth successive year from the Shimron/Nirvani Hetmyer Trust Fund.

The two coaching sessions were sponsored by overseas donor Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh, who is the largest BCB sponsor. A resident of Texas, USA, this sponsor was responsible for coaching programmes, cricket tournaments, trial matches, cricket academy and bowling machines for the county in 2023.

The familiar face of Carlos Brathwaite returns to the Royals, while Benny Howell and Will Smeed boost the Patriots

The Golden Jaguars are ramping up preparation ahead of their first Nations League 2023/2024 game on

9

144 children participated in the camp

RBL (Guy) Ltd Manager Marketing and Communications Jonelle Dummett

two CONCACAF Nations League 2023/2024 fixtures on September 9 and 12, against Antigua and Barbuda and the Bahamas in away and home games respectively. (Jemima Holmes)

Participants of the West Berbice Clinic posing with coaches and BCB officials

CPL 2023: Royal thrashing for Barbados after Guptill’s 100

By Brandon Corlette

Trinbago Knight Riders

thrashed the Barbados

Royals in their own backward in match 13 of the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Playing at the mecca of cricket in the Caribbean, TKR posted 194-5 in 20 overs while Royals were rattled out for 61 all out in 12 overs.

TKR crushed the hometown Royals by 133 runs to send a sound signal to other teams.

Royals had the worst start, as Andre Russell removed Rahkeem Cornwall the first ball of the chase.

Kyle Mayers was also removed for a first-ball duck, trapped by Russell upon review. Royals were 1-2, and Russell was steaming in.

Test player Alick Athanaze was rushed by a Russell short ball and he was caught at mid-on at 5-3 in 2.2 overs. Jason Holder had a homecoming as he struck two boundaries in his first

three balls, counterattacking Russell’s short-ball ploy.

The spinners then came on, and Royals were reeling at 30-4 in the powerplay. Wickets fell at regular intervals, as the Barbadian Royals displayed poor shot selection while TKR maintained disciplined bowling.

TKR spinners wreaked havoc, with Afghanistan spinner Waqar Salamkheil leading the way, while Akeal Hosein and Sunil Narine

were at their impressive best. Royals were 45-8 in 9.2 overs, in danger of creating history with the lowest total at the CPL, which was 52. Four byes saved the Royals from that record, but they were rattled out for 61 in 12.1 overs.

Russell ended with 3-12 while Narine (1-11) , Hosein (2-16 ) and Salamkheil ( 4-14) completed the demolition job.

Earlier, Barbados Royals won the toss and opted to bowl first. TKR had a sol-

Compliments of

id start with openers Mark Deyal and Martin Guptill. After the powerplay, TKR posted 47-1, with Deyal being the first dismissed for 27. He was bowled by hometown hero Holder, who had the fairly large crowd on their feet. Nicholas Pooran then stepped to the crease, but his stay was brief as he made only six. He was caught and bowled by leg-spinner Qais Ahmad at 69-2 after 8.2 overs.

At the half-way stage, Guptill looked in control while Pollard was getting into his work with TKR rolling on at 81-2. Guptill played arguably the shot of the night when he slammed Ahmad down the ground, into the 3Ws Oval.

There was a passing shower at 19:51h, but only the batters left the field, while the Royals stood firm until play resumed. After a slow start for Guptill, he reached his half-century from 40 balls. TKR had breached 100 runs in 13.3 overs with the aim to breach 200.

The clinical Guptill and Pollard then took Ahmad to the cleaners, slamming him for 22 runs in the 15th over. Runs continued to flow, as Guptill and Pollard displayed power. Pollard then found long-off as he was removed for 46 by left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe. The big wicket of Pollard ended the 108-run stand.

Russell partnered Guptill at 177-3 in 18.1 overs, and he

struck his first ball for four. The final over began with TKR on 183-3, and Guptill was standing tall on 89. He eventually reached his milestone and it took him 58 balls.

The man from New Zealand scored his first fifty in 40 balls, and it took him 18 balls to reach his other 50 runs, as he remained unbeaten on 100 from 58 balls. He struck nine sixes and one four to propel TKR to a solid total of 194-5 in 20 overs. Holder had 2-39 in four overs, on a difficult day at the office for bowlers.

The 2023 CPL will continue today with Guyana Amazon Warriors Women taking on Barbados Royals Women in the first match of the Women’s CPL from 15:00h. The men’s CPL will continue with Barbados Royals men playing Jamaica Tallawahs from 19:00h. Both matches will be played at Kensington Oval. Guyana Amazon Warriors men will play on Saturday, September 2, at 10:00h against St Kitts and Nevis Patriots.

SCOREBOARD

Trinbago Knight Riders

(20 ovs maximum)

Martin Guptill not out 100

Mark Deyal

b Holder 27

Nicholas Pooran c &

b Qais Ahmad 6

Kieron Pollard (c) c Holder

b van der Merwe 46

Andre Russell c Athanaze

b Holder 5

Dwayne Bravo run out

(†Wickham/Holder) 0

Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 6) 10

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 9.70) 194/5

Fall of wickets: 1-41 (Mark Deyal, 5.2 ov), 2-69 (Nicholas Pooran, 8.2 ov), 3-177 (Kieron Pollard, 18.1 ov), 4-194 (Andre Russell, 19.5 ov), 5-194 (Dwayne Bravo, 19.6 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Kyle Mayers 2-0-12-0

Jason Holder 4-0-39-2

Rahkeem Cornwall 2-0-21-0

Obed McCoy 4-0-47-0

Qais Ahmad 4-0-39-1

Roelof van der Merwe 4-0-32-1

Barbados Royals (T: 195 runs from 20 ovs)

Rahkeem Cornwall c Bravo

b Russell 0

Kyle Mayers lbw

b Russell 0

Laurie Evans lbw

b Narine 5

Alick Athanaze c Pooran

b Russell 2

Jason Holder c Bravo

b Hosein 14

Rovman Powell (c)c Deyal

b Waqar Salamkheil 10

Kevin Wickham †

b Waqar Salamkheil 9

Nyeem Young st †Tucker

b Waqar Salamkheil 3

Roelof van der Merwe lbw

b Hosein 3

Qais Ahmad not out 10

Obed McCoy c Pooran

b Waqar Salamkheil 1

Extras (b 4) 4

TOTAL 12.1 Ov (RR: 5.01) 61

Fall of wickets: 1-0

Martin Guptill

Nicholas Pooran was removed for six

Akeal Hosein appeals

Sunil Narine celebrates Laurie Evan’s wicket

Fans from near and far came out to support the teams in the middle of the week

Keiron Pollard showed his power during his 46