Guyana Times -Thursday, September 7, 2023.pdf

Fires destroy Mainstay home, spare parts bond at Annandale

Stations to the scene.

The structure involved was a two-storey concrete building owned by 42-yearold Mohammed Alli and occupied as a bond. That fire completely destroyed the building and its contents.

The purported cause of the fire is unknown at this time, but the Fire Service is conducting investigations.

At Mainstay village on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two, a fire that started at about 9:50h on Tuesday has left seven persons homeless.

When contacted, owner of the house, 44-yearold Shervin De Jonge, told Guyana Times he had been living at the house with his wife and five children

for over a decade. He explained that he was at work on Tuesday morning when he received a call

the GPL power grid.

“I wasn’t able to save anything! I lost everything, and though I will

Two separate fires have wreaked havoc at Mainstay on the Essequibo Coast and at Annandale on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD).

In both instances, the cause of the fire remains unknown, and the affected persons are left counting significant losses.

The first fire start -

ed just after midnight at White Boy’s Auto Spares & Accessories, a business place located at Lots 446-447 Annandale, East Coast Demerara. The Fire Service in a release said it was alerted about the fire, and immediately dispatched water tenders from Melanie, Campbellville, and Alberttown Fire

that his house was on fire.

“My wife and three of our children out of the five were at home. From eyewitnesses, they said that the fire started from the GPL pole, and then it caught from the western side, which is the front of the house where the GPL power was connected”, the man explained.

De Jonge said that when he arrived on scene, his house was fully engulfed in flames, but his family had already safely exited the building. He explained that he had no issue with his electricity, and that his house was only recently connected to

have somewhere to stay, I need to try and figure out everything. This is just sad…,” he declared.

The Guyana Fire Service was summoned to the scene, but by the time

the fire was extinguished, the building was completely destroyed, as were all household appliances and belongings.

It has been revealed that the building was built by ‘Food for the Poor’ for the family approximately 13 years ago.

The house at Mainstay on fire

Fire officials at the scene of the fire

The aftermath of the fire that destroyed the business place at A nnandale, ECD

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, September 7 –22:00h-23:30h and Friday, September 8 – 12:00h-12:45h and 23:30h-01:00h

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, September 7 – 10:10h-11:40h and Friday, September 8 – 11:45h-13:15h

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

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

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

High Tide: 09:41h and 21:57h reaching maximum heights of 2.12 metres and 2.16 metres.

Low Tide: 15:26h reaching a minimum height of 1.15 metres.

Procurement process in Guyana improving – US envoy

…underscores importance of modernising, digitising systems

The procurement process in Guyana is improving – a good indicator when it comes to creating an enabling environment for companies looking to bid for Government projects. This is according to outgoing United States Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch.

During a recent press conference, her last in Guyana, the Ambassador spoke of the influx of US companies in Guyana looking for business opportunities. The Ambassador noted that transparency surrounding procurement processes in Guyana has been steadily improving.

“We’ve worked very closely with the Government of Guyana on issues of transparency and accountability. We have excellent partners throughout the Government. And so, we are seeing a procurement process that continues to improve here. And we think that’s very important. It’s very important to modernise systems.

“I think it’s a process that continues to improve. And we educate our companies on the processes. And they’re learning. And navigating the tender process. And continued improvement is always welcome,” the diplomat said.

One of the largest ongoing projects, the gasto-shore project, currently has a US company involved. The US-based LINDSAYCA, in partner-

er plant and NGL plant, all of which will be constructed within the Wales Development Zone (WDZ). When it comes to the construction of a combined cycle power plant, this will generate up to 300MW of power, with a net 250MW delivered into the Guyana Power and Light grid at a sub-station located on the East Bank of the Demerara River.

The Guyana Government has already invited interested parties to make investments in the WDZ, which will be heavily industrialised and for which approximately 150 acres of land have been allocated. Those lands were previously used by the Wales Sugar Estate.

Head of the Gas-toShore Task Force, Winston Brassington has previously stated that ExxonMobil Guyana, which is funding the pipeline aspect of the

include the construction of 225 kilometres of pipeline from the Liza field in the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana, where Exxon and its partners are currently producing oil.

It features approximately 220 kilometres of a subsea pipeline offshore that will run from Liza Destiny and Liza Unity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in the Stabroek Block to the shore. Upon landing on the West Coast Demerara shore, the pipeline would continue for approximately 25 kilometres to the NGL plant at Wales, West Bank Demerara.

The pipeline would be 12 inches wide and is expected to transport per day some 50 million standard cubic feet (mscfpd) of dry gas to the NGL plant, but it has the capacity to push as much as 120 mscfpd.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

“That’s very attractive to investors. Guyana has been able to attract many investors already, but at the rate at which companies are coming here to look at the opportunities, I think the more the country can do to modernise, to digitise, to have a process that is easy to navigate for companies, that will be in Guyana’s favour,” the Ambassador said.

The diplomat further noted that the Embassy played its own role in aiding US companies navigating bidding for contracts. And the results from the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) show the influx of US companies submitting bids for Government contracts.

ship with local firm CH4 Group, has a US$759 million contract to build the Integrated NGL Plant & 300-Megawatt (MW) Power Plant for the project.

The gas-to-shore project will include the pow-

project out of cost oil, has found that there would be substantial savings from combining these two facilities.

The scope of the approximately US$900 million gas-to-shore project also

The pipeline’s route onshore would follow the same path as the fibre-optic cables and will terminate at Hermitage, the part of the WDZ which will house the gas-to-shore project.

US diplomat Sarah-Ann Lynch

Liza Destiny FPSO

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Diabetes

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted unequal vulnerabilities of persons with noncommunicable diseases, as compared to persons without. This has forced health systems and governments around the world to increase the implementation of measures that target atrisk populations, to prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), and more so diabetes.

Diabetes occurs when two processes are impaired – both connected to the body, dealing with the transportation of glucose sugar to the cells of the body via the blood. All carbohydrates and sugars are digested as glucose – which is small-molecule sugar for easier transportation to the cells that use it to produce energy for our activities. Too high a concentration of glucose in the blood, however, adversely affects several organs in the body, in addition to forcing the cells to break down other molecules – even our proteins –to obtain energy. The affected organs are the eyes, heart, kidneys and the feet, and cumulatively debilitates the patient in the early stages, and can lead to death in the end. Diabetes, for instance, increases heart attack risk by up to three times for men and five times for women.

Here is Guyana, the issue of diabetes has been brought to the forefront on Wednesday during the Trainer of Trainer event. At that training programme, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony revealed that some 330 people in Guyana require dialysis treatment in order to live. For a small population, this figure is worrying. But to the minister’s credit, he did also reveal that as Guyana shifts gear to tackle diabetes, focus will now be directed not only on improvement to treatment, but early identification of persons at risk for diabetes and those who are considered pre-diabetic. To its credit, the Government in Budget 2023 allocated $863 million to support persons in need of dialysis.

Diabetes is one of the NCDs caused by the other three risk factors – unhealthy diet, physical inactivity and harmful use of alcohol. A programme to reduce these risks is within the capabilities of the Public Health Ministry, since it involves primarily education. There are verbal questionnaires that can indicate a predisposition in persons towards developing type 2 diabetes. If these are conducted early enough, a change of lifestyle to incorporate the abovementioned factors of regular exercise and controlled diet have been shown capable of averting the diabetic condition.

The body controls the level of glucose sugar in the blood at a safe, optimum level by secreting the hormone insulin from the pancreas whenever the level rises beyond that level. There are two types of diabetes: type 1, in which the body is unable to produce the hormone insulin; and type 2, in which the body is unable to use insulin effectively. Type 2 is the most common form, accounting for around 90 per cent of all diabetes cases worldwide. Type 1 is diagnosed very early on, and affects mostly children, while type 2 develops gradually and manifests its effects generally in adults approaching their 40s. In type 2 diabetes, the pancreas production of insulin could be impaired, as well as the mechanisms by which glucose sugar is transmitted from the blood through the cell walls.

The treatments for diabetes attempt to positively assist the impaired processes. There can be the direct intake of insulin at prescribed times, which is the only path for type 1 patients and type 2 patients at an advanced stage. There are also medications that stimulate the pancreas to produce more insulin, as well as some to assist in glucose transfer into the cells. It has been found that mild daily exercise also assists in the latter process, and coupled with a diet that is low on sugars, easily digestible carbohydrates, and high on leafy vegetables and lean protein, can significantly lower glucose levels in the blood.

According to the Health Ministry’s figures in 2022, diabetes is a major health problem as it affects 1 in 10 adults.

Over the past decade, the Government of Guyana has done a credible job of improving the facilities for dealing with diabetes-related medical complications. This must be continued, but conjoined with an even more robust programme to prevent the development of the condition.

By Mutinta nketani and tiMothy Wise

On September 5, the annual Africa Food Systems Forum, organised by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), was launched in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Government officials, experts, policymakers and business leaders will come together to discuss – in their words – “building back better food systems and food sovereignty”.

Sponsored by international philanthropic and bilateral donors and agrochemical and biotech companies such as Yara, Corteva and Bayer, the forum promotes hybrid and genetically modified seeds, chemical fertilisers and pesticides used in the type of industrial-scale agriculture that has failed to deliver “better food systems” or “food sovereignty”.

This approach to growing food, involving problematic practices that harm soils, pollute the environment, and favour large landowners and big agribusiness, has been pushed on Africa in the past few decades. But it has not helped the continent overcome food insecurity.

AGRA’s work is a case in point. It has failed to deliver on its own promises to increase productivity and incomes for 20 million farm households while halving food insecurity by 2020. Of the 13 countries it has primarily worked with, three have reduced the number of malnourished people over the past 15 years: Zambia by two per cent, Ethiopia by eight per cent and Ghana by 36 percent, still short of the 50 per cent target.

In countries like Kenya and Nigeria, both of which have embraced industri-

Africans

al agriculture policies, the number of undernourished people has grown by 44 per cent and 247 per cent, respectively. Taken together, the population of undernourished people in the 13 states AGRA has primarily worked with has actually risen by 50 per cent over the past 15 years.

A donor-commissioned evaluation released in 2022 also confirmed that AGRA “did not meet its headline goal of increased incomes and food security for nine million smallholders” in the previous five years.

That is because the industrial agriculture practices AGRA and others promote degrade soils over time and decrease productivity –as our research has shown.

Still, under pressure from foreign donors and big agribusiness, countries across Africa have been adopting policies that reflect this harmful approach to agriculture.

Zambia is one of them. Despite having one of the highest adoption rates for commercial seeds and fertilisers, the country has poor development outcomes. It has decreased malnourishment by 2 percent, but three-quarters of rural Zambians continue living in extreme poverty.

To address these failures, a new National Agricultural Investment Plan was being developed by the Zambian government in open consultation with farmers, experts and civil society. Among other practices, it was going to promote a wider diversity of crops and not just maize, which has been favoured by industrial agriculture proponents.

Surprisingly, the Government introduced instead a “Comprehensive Agriculture Transformation Support Programme”

(CATSP) as its new development strategy, which favours larger agricultural businesses and which is backed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

CATSP focuses on supporting farmers growing maize and soybeans, along with other export crops, at the expense of the more diverse food crops grown by Zambian farmers, such as millet and sorghum. Worse still, it will extend a farm blocks programme that allots vast tracts of land for farming.

Smallholder farmers figure almost nowhere in the CATSP scheme, except as occasional beneficiaries of the controversial Farmer Input Support Programme, which is rife with corruption and waste.

The programme’s input subsidies keep farmers locked in the production of maize and soybeans and dependent on chemical fertilisers, pesticides and hybrid seeds. All are expensive and have failed to turn a profit for most farmers. They have also been shown to weaken crop and diet diversity while damaging the environment.

Such schemes benefit multinational seed and fertiliser companies, which make windfall profits from countries like Zambia, which become hooked on their products. This type of agriculture development reflects the growing perception of farming and food production in Africa as a new money-making opportunity.

Back in 2014, Nigeria’s Agriculture Minister, Akinwumi Adesina, who is now the head of the African Development Bank, made that clear when he quipped: “Agriculture should be our next oil”.

But African farmers and

community leaders are not ready to see their lands and cultures destroyed in another wave of neocolonial plunder. There is growing pushback against the promotion of industrial farming in Africa.

Ahead of AGRA’s forum, the Alliance for Food Sovereignty in Africa (AFSA), which represents millions of small-scale African farmers, held a press conference denouncing the exclusion of their voices.

“Where are the farmers?” asked Tanzanian farmer leader Juma Shabani at the press event. “They are clearly excluded in the coming 2023 AGRF meeting in Tanzania, a country with more than 70 percent of its population engaged in agriculture.”

AFSA and other grassroots organisations on the continent call for agroecology – low-input farming that builds on traditional peasant practices but innovates with the help of scientists. This is a much more sustainable, efficient and healthy way to grow food.

Farmers working with agroecologists are getting far better results than industrial agriculture programmes, improving food productivity while restoring degraded soils with climate-resilient practices such as intercropping, manure applications, and organic fertilisers produced using local materials.

The simple and lowcost innovation of creating “green manure cover crops”, for example, has scientists working with smallscale maize farmers across Africa to plant local varieties of trees and nitrogen-fixing food crops in their maize fields, increasing maize harvests at no cost to the farmer.

United States-based Guyanese author Althea Brown recently gifted a copy of her cookbook titled “Caribbean Paleo”, which features recipes from the Region to President Dr Irfaan Ali. Brown is a content creator who highlights Guyanese cuisine and culture on social media. Her book was launched on Wednesday evening at the Herdmanston Lodge in Queenstown

Feeding big agribusiness, starving

…industrial agriculture has failed to eliminate food insecurity in Africa. It is time for a radically different approach

“Drastic reduction” in dengue cases recorded – Health Minister

After weeks of rising cases and some fatalities, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony has disclosed, there is a drastic reduction in the number of dengue cases being detected in the country.

Last month, over 2,100 confirmed cases of dengue were reported in Guyana, of which more than 230 patients were hospitalised. In addition, 11 dengue-related deaths have been recorded for the year – six of which were children.

However, interventions by the Government, including a nationwide fogging exercise, have resulted in a major decrease in cases.

“What we’ve actually seen is cases coming down. We did a lot of work on fogging, which means that we’re killing a lot of the adult mosquitoes that are the main infector for transmission. And we’ve done a lot of work in killing the larvae, because we’ve been distributing something called Abate to different households,” Dr. Anthony told reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday.

According to the Minister,

the Ministry had a team make checks, and it was found that there has been a substantial decline in the mosquito population. This he attributed to the extensive fogging exercise, which saw three cycles, and in some areas four cycles – of fogging being done.

“That has contributed to this drastic reduction of mosquitoes. So, we’re seeing corresponding data that the cases are falling,” Dr Anthony has stated.

In addition, the Health Ministry has increased the number of tests being done in every region. As a matter of fact, rapid testing kits have been distributed to all 10 administrative regions.

“So, they’re doing more

testing, but they are not seeing as much cases…[and] we don’t have a lot of people hospitalised,” Minister Anthony related.

Despite the rate of dengue cases in Guyana being above normal since March, Advisor to the Health Minister, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, had stated earlier in August that the situation does not yet need to be classified as a crisis.

Nevertheless, a technical working group has been activated to assess, recommend and implement actions to mitigate this public health threat, in order to ensure the adequate prevention, diagnosis, and management of dengue.

Further, to ensure preven-

tion and a curb in transmission, several environmental and entomological measures have been increased across Guyana, such as fogging (fumigation), residual spraying, home inspections, and distribution of larvicidal chemicals to communities through the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).

The Health Ministry had also increased the procurement and distribution of rapid diagnostic testing kits and other laboratory supplies and equipment to ensure adequate diagnostic capacity.

Only last month, the Ministry said, it was seriously considering the use of vaccines to curb the spike in dengue cases, but was awaiting official word from the World Health Organization (WHO), which was analysing data at the time. Neither the WHO, the US Centers for Disease Control, nor the European Union regulatory authorities have recommended these vaccines for universal administration.

Dengue is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. Most people who get dengue will not exhibit symp-

National Accreditation Council integral to nationwide development – Dr Hutson

In higher education, quality control is crucial to ensuring educational institutions deliver programmes that adhere to nationally and internationally acceptable standards.

This was emphasised by the Executive Director of the National Accreditation Council (NAC), Dr Marcel Hutson during a capacity-building workshop on Wednesday at the National Centre of Educational Resource Development (NCERD), Kingston, Georgetown.

The workshop sought to further highlight the importance of the council in Guyana’s trajectory of national development, as it continues to establish and uphold quali-

charge of examining, recognising, registering, and accrediting educational institutions.

contribution to the development of the nation,” he added.

Meanwhile, NAC Chairman Mohandatt Goolsarran applauded all participants on the journey to ensuring the system in place was credible and was not seriously challenging.

Health Minister

Dr Frank Anthony toms, according to WHO, but for those who do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headaches, body aches, nausea and rashes.

If left untreated, dengue can be fatal in a matter of hours. It is transmitted by the aedes aegypti mosquito –the same vector that transmits Zika and Chikungunya. Symptoms include fever, headache, muscle pain, rash, nausea, or vomiting. The Health Ministry has cautioned against self-medicating.

According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, as at 23 August, over 3.7 million cases and over 2,000 dengue-related deaths have been reported from 70 countries/territories globally. (G-8)

Feeding big agribusiness...

“Food security and nutrition can no longer be measured in yields or high productivity based on fertiliser, hybridised and GMO seed,” said Juliet Nangamba of the Zambian Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity at the August 30 press conference. “We need to transition to agroecology.”

It is time donors listen to such voices. It is time to drop stubborn adherence to a failing agricultural dogma. It is time to protect the lands and livelihoods of small-scale farmers and end the sort of corporate-driven, top-down development that has failed so miserably.

It is time to give African farmers a seat at the table, rather than excluding them from gatherings like the

Africa Food Systems Forum.

Food sovereignty means allowing people to choose how they grow their food, respecting local cultures, and supporting practices that restore soils, promote biodiversity and make farming more resilient to climate change. It is the right to choose what you eat and how you produce it – free of foreign control.

The estimated 784 million food-insecure Africans need to eat. And African farmers know how to feed them. (Al Jazeera)

(Mutinta Nketani is National Coordinator for the Zambian Alliance for Agroecology and Biodiversity. Timothy A Wise is a Senior Advisor at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy)

ty assurance in all post-secondary and tertiary education services through adherence to the necessary standards, both locally and globally.

To maintain the calibre and reputation of higher education in Guyana, NAC is in

Dr Hutson said the NAC continued to exist as an important component in Guyana’s national developmental trajectory while highlighting its responsibility for the revitalisation of higher education and to bring it on par with internationally, acceptable quality standards.

“If we are talking about real development and prog-

ress, then what we do at the council is most significant… we have to think holistically if we are going to be relevant…we want the message to be clear that while we have a responsibility to ensure that those who we allow into the labour force are of quality, we also have the responsibility of ensuring that we do the kind of groundwork that we will have persons who join the education sector with the various skillsets we need for national progress,” Dr Hutson explained.

The Executive Director noted that the council’s efforts must be recognised as a safeguard against dishonest businesspeople who would take advantage of and exploit vulnerable students, parents and guardians.

“The issue of quality is important…because at the end of the day, we want to ensure that we have the best students or workers out there making a

“The instrument that you use in doing your evaluations is not just an instrument saying standard met, standard partially met or standard not met. As you would have ticked those categories, you have to have notes to justify and back up to say why you would have arrived at that decision at the granting or not granting of recognition or accreditation of an institution,” Goolsarran stated.

Notably, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) academy is the first institution in Guyana to be accredited as a public institution.

NCERD Director Quenita Walrond-Lewis; Teaching Service Commission Chairperson Doodmattie Singh, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, External Evaluator, Dr Lidon Lashley, and other officials were also in attendance.

The workshop is themed: “Building Capacity to Effectively Meet the Needs of Higher Educational Institutions in Guyana: A Focus on Quality and Exclusivity in Pursuit of Regional and International Standards.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2023

National Accreditation Council Executive Director Dr Marcel Hutson

NAC Chairman Mohandatt Goolsarran

Participants at the programme

Complete the following test items

1) There are five hundred thousand, three hundred and fifty four people living in the city of Longe. How would you write that number in standard form?

2) Sara is collecting newspapers for a recycling contest at her school. She needs 384 newspapers to win the contest. So far she has collected 289. Rounding to the nearest ten, how many newspapers Sara still needs to collect?

3) Calculate

a) 25 x 15 =

b) 9 x 56 =

c) 83 x 92 =

4) Nafeeza bought five pizzas for her class, but her classmates only ate three-quarters of each pizza. How would Nafeeza express the amount of remaining pizza as an improper fraction?

5) Calculate

a) $13.50 + $10.00 + $23.25 =

b) $1090.00 – $735.25 =

c) $7.07 + $2.93 =

In this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate weather by determining if land or water heats up faster.

Materials:

Two plastic cups

One half cup of water

One half cup of soil

Thermometer

Instructions:

Pour the water into one cup. Pour the soil into the other cup. Place both cups in the refrigera-

6) Sebastian has been measuring the rainfall for the past seven days. He measured the following amounts: 9mm, 7mm, 2mm, 6mm, 10mm, 2.5mm, and 1.57mm. Rounding to the nearest tenth of a millimetre, what was the total amount of rainfall during the seven-day period?

7) Calculate

a) 79 ÷ 55 =

b) 35 ÷ 70 =

c) 630 ÷ 8 =

8) Johnny is mixing the paint he will use to paint his wooden scooter. He needs one part blue to two parts red. If he is using 1 pint of red paint, how many pints of blue will he need? What will be the resultant colour?

9) Calculate

Post Test Heat Race

a) 20% of (150 ÷ 5) =

b) What is 50% of ? Express the number in both decimal and fraction form.

10) Mana has a rope that is 17.25 metres long. If 30% of the rope has been painted black, what portion of the rope has not been painted? How many metres is that equivalent to?

tor for 10 minutes.

Next place both cups in the sun for 15 minutes.

Record the temperatures of the both the soil and water and determine which heated up more.

How it works:

Land has the ability to absorb more solar radiation than water because water will reflect most solar radiation back into the atmosphere. Since land absorbs more solar radiation it will warm more quickly than water. A large body of wa-

ter has a higher heat capacity than land, meaning it takes more energy to warm and cool the temperature of water. Because of this, cities situated close to water will often have a tighter range of temperatures throughout the year as compared to cities situated more inland.

Make this a science project: Try adding salt to the water. Try different types of land materials like rocks or sand. Try freezing the soil and water before sitting them in the sun. (sciencefun.org)

(CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY)

BY HARRIET MONROE

When dreaming kings, at odds with swift-paced time, Would strike that banner down, A nobler knight than ever writ or rhyme With fame’s bright wreath did crown Through armed hosts bore it till it floated high Beyond the clouds, a light that cannot die!

Ah, hero of our younger race!

Great builder of a temple new! Ruler, who sought no lordly place! Warrior, who sheathed the sword he drew! Lover of men, who saw afar A world unmarred by want or war, Who knew the path, and yet forbore To tread, till all men should implore; Who saw the light, and led the way Where the gray world might greet the day; Father and leader, prophet sure, Whose will in vast works shall endure, How shall we praise him on this day of days, Great son of fame who has no need of praise? How shall we praise him? Open wide the doors Of the fair temple whose broad base he laid. Through its white halls a shadowy cavalcade Of heroes moves o’er unresounding floors— Men whose brawned arms upraised these columns high, And reared the towers that vanish in the sky— The strong who, having wrought, can never die. And lo! leading a blessed host comes one Who held a warring nation in his heart; Who knew love’s agony, but had no part In love’s delight; whose mighty task was done Through blood and tears that we might walk in joy, And this day’s rapture own no sad alloy. Around him heirs of bliss, whose bright brows wear Palm-leaves amid their laurels ever fair. Gaily they come, as though the drum Beat out the call their glad hearts knew so well. Brothers once more, dear as of yore, Who in a noble conflict nobly fell. Their blood washed pure yon banner in the sky, And quenched the brands laid ’neath these arches high— The brave who, having fought, can never die.

TO BE CONTINUED

WORD SEARCH

Significant reduction in public debt recorded in Guyana, other countries – ECLAC

– Guyana also among countries with steepest reduction in inflation

The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) released a new report on Tuesday that reveals that only a handful of countries in the region, including Guyana, have managed to significantly reduce their public debt over the past year.

The report in question, the ‘Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2023’, states that the Caribbean had a gross central government debt that represented 77.9 per cent of the gross domestic product (GDP) as at December 2022.

There are even instances of countries - such as Barbados and Suriname - having debt that was more than 100 per cent of GDP. Guyana was one of the few exceptions - along with Belize, Barbados and Jamaica - that managed to significantly reduce its debt last year.

“As in Latin America, the upturn in economic growth generated a strong denominator effect, since public debt levels remained broadly stable in absolute terms during the year. In this regard, there were significant reduc-

tions in Belize, Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica.

“In Guyana, GDP is expected to grow by more than 60% in real terms following the start-up of offshore oil production. In Suriname, by contrast, the level of debt has risen, owing to the effect of the devaluation of the national currency on the balance of foreign-currency debt,” the report states.

Further perusal of the report shows that Guyana’s Central Government gross public debt was recorded as 24.7 per cent of GDP in 2022. It has been steadily falling over the past few years, going from 47.5 per cent in 2020 to 40.5 per cent in 2021.

The report further points out that despite the relative decline in the subregional debt average, debt levels in the Caribbean remain very high compared

to those of other regions with similar income levels.

“Although Central Government debt levels in the region have declined relative to GDP, they remain well above a healthy level that would ensure the sustainability of the region’s public debt, so they constitute a source of vulnerability in the currently prevailing macroeconomic conditions,” ECLAC said in the report.

When it comes to individual countries, the report notes, 25 had inflation rates that were lower in June 2023 (or the latest month for which information is available) than at the end of 2022. Guyana was among the countries to record the steepest reductions in inflation, along with Chile, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Trinidad and Tobago. These countries, according to ECLAC, had their inflation rates fall by more than 4 percentage points.

Back in July, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had cause to debunk claims that Guyana’s future generations will be burdened with debt, noting that the facts show Guyana has one of the lowest debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratios in the world.

He explained that from the 90s to now, Guyana’s capacity to carry debt has been vastly enhanced, and its capability for servicing such has also grown, to the point where, in 2028, a year’s revenue would be equivalent to almost the total outstanding debt.

“We’re careful in our management of debt,” Jagdeo had affirmed during a press conference, also explaining that in the 90s, Guyana’s debt was over 900 per cent of its GDP.

“…debt was nine times the size of our economy, and we were using over 100 per cent of revenue to service debt; so that meant every cent we collected in revenue was going to service debt, mainly external debt. effectively, our country was bankrupt,” he said.

He explained that it had got to a stage where Guyana was declared uncreditworthy, and as a last resort, the Government was involved in an International Monetary Fund (IMF) programme to

deal with the issue.

Fast forward to 2015, pre oil discovery, Guyana’s debt had come down to 45 per cent of its GDP. Jagdeo said this could be attributed to a combination of factors, including the fact that some debts were written off, some were paid off through an aggressive programme that he himself had led, and the country’s economy had expanded.

In July, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic

(PPP/C) Government had also increased the debt ceiling, in line with its commitment to maintaining transparency and prudent debt management by reducing the dependency on utilizing the Consolidated Fund overdraft as a means of financing. this was something that occurred under the former a Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) administration. (G-3)

Court orders fraudster to repay victim

Fraud was alleged against Jarrel Barker, 21, a labourer of Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), on Monday when he appeared before Magistrate Rhondell Weever at the Georgetown Magistrates' Courts.

It is alleged that on August 31, at Water Street in Georgetown, Barker deceitfully promised to sell Shahim Baksh a motor car for $600,000.

According to the prosecution’s short facts, Baksh viewed an advertisement on "What's For Sale Guyana" on Facebook on August 13. After getting in touch with Barker, Baksh met with him the following day and gave him the $600,000 for the vehicle. The transaction was done at the Muneshwer's Wharf.

Baksh was then informed

by Barker that he was going to collect the car. According to court documents, Barker entered the wharf complex and left through a different gate.

Through the same “What's For Sale Guyana” account, Baksh contacted Barker once more. Similar arrangements were made, but Barker was detained, and while being questioned by Police, he confessed to the crime.

When Magistrate Weever questioned Barker about his plans for returning the money to Baksh after his guilty plea, Barker replied, "I was gonna return the money today. I have to go to the bank and I have to make some calls."

Magistrate Weever has given Barker until September 8 at 9:00h to refund Baksh through the court. The case has been postponed until that day.

Still scared witless…

…of the (big, bad) PPP?

From where your Eyewitness sits (on a high perch, like those tennis umpires at the ongoing US Open!!), it’s obvious to him that the Opposition’s hysteria is because they’re deathly scared of the PPP using the oil revenues to win over enough members of their constituency to make them irrelevant!! And the PPP’s clearly bent on achieving that goal – pointing out that’s what democracy’s all about!! You get into Government on a programme and a manifesto that attract a majority of the voters, and by delivering the goods, (literally!) you expect to convince previous skeptics to come to the next elections!!

The PNC had their opportunity when they were voted in back in 2015, and if they’d been rational, they would’ve done exactly what the PPP are now doing. You may say they didn’t have oil revenues to spend and hand out goodies like Santa “PPP” Claus. True, but shouldn’t they at least have tried to retain the voters who’d put them in office? In our ethnically divided country, that meant holding on to the Indian Guyanese brought in by Nagamootoo and Ramjattan. But NO!! Granger just had to pi55 them off (and worse) by firing 7000 of their sugar worker cohorts!! Did he have a political death wish for the PNC??

Anyhow the PNC and their troglodytes can jump high or they can jump low, but they ain’t gonna change the PPP’s push to secure a majority to return them in the driver’s seat come 2025. So, what’re the PNC gonna do ‘bout it? Right now, seems they figure they gotta undermine the PPP’s programme to deliver the good life to one and all. And they’ve decided to do this by playing the race card. So, it doesn’t matter what the PPP do, African Guyanese are told they’ve been subjected to “racism” and discrimination, leading to an “apartheid state”!!!! Looks like they feel that if they throw enough mud in the PPP’s direction, some of it gotta stick!!

And it will - after years of being conditioned to hear those accusations hurled from both sides of the divide, most folks are pre-disposed to believe them: “Cognitive bias” and all that!! Like when the PPP Ministers visited the archetypical urban slum of Albouystown and promised to fix up Independence Boulevard?? “Why were the streets of Albouystown allowed to deteriorate?” the PNC screamed. Well, apart from the fact that the PPP just got back into power after 5 years of PNC rule - what did they do between 2015 and 2020? Weren’t streets across Guyana – including Indian Guyanese ones - also deteriorated? Everyone who had to return from CJIA would know of the back streets of Diamond!!??

What’ll be gained by further polarising Guyana when both parties need votes from the “other side”?? …of compassion??

The Opposition cave dwellers are shedding crocodile tears while kvetching (and worse) about the sugar workers who were to be brought back from Albion and Rose Hall. Because they didn’t get the “severance pay” and “$250,000 cash handout” their comrades had received when fired. So why did they scream “racism” when the said handout was granted by the PPP?? Are they willing to propose in Parliament that these workers now get the money?? Or - at a minimum - are they willing to pay the $1.2 million bail imposed on the striking sugar workers charged for “obstructing the free flow of traffic, damage to property, unlawful assembly, and an act of terrorism”??

Well, we know the PNC and AFC are “playing politics”. But has fetching all those tons of canes on their heads every day for years softened the brains of the sugar workers?? Have they forgotten that Ramjattan and Nagamoottoo not only somersaulted on their promise to keep sugar going – but actually facilitated Granger’s cruel act!!

…of shaking hands??

Your Eyewitness still can’t get over Opposition Leader Norton’s claim that Pres Ali “BULLIED” him into shaking hands two years ago!! Didn’t shaking hands come from indicating that one isn’t bearing any arms – like in weapons??

Jarrel Barker

Parika woman hammered to death, body set alight by mentally-ill carpenter

Awoman has been hammered and hacked to death, reportedly by a mentally unstable carpenter, who then set her battered body on fire after committing the heinous act.

Dead is 29-year-old Shannen ObermullahMohamed. Her burnt remains were discovered on Tuesday evening in the yard of a house under construction at Parika, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).

Police have said they received an anonymous tip about the burnt body at about 22:00h on Tuesday, and upon arrival on scene, they discovered a burnt skull and torso among the

used to commit the heinous crime.

Several persons in the area were questioned, and a neighbour told Police that, at around 10:00h, she

tions revealed that at around 09:00h on Tuesday, Obermullah-Mohamed had visited the location, and had gone down to the back of the yard, where her home is currently being constructed by 'Rodwell'.

During the day, family members had attempted to contact ObermullahMohamed, but all calls had gone unanswered, and her whereabouts had been unknown.

However, on Tuesday evening, a family member had decided to venture down to the back of the yard, and that person observed a fire. They also saw ‘Rodwell’ walking away, heading towards the end of the yard, and soon after disappearing in the darkness.

Family members then used buckets of water from a nearby pipe to extinguish the fire, after which they observed what appeared to be a human skull among the debris. As a result, the Police were summoned.

It was also brought to the attention of the ranks that 'Rodwell' is mentally unstable and is known to Shannen's family. Despite his mental condition, they say, he does quality construction for the family, and his fees are reasonable.

has since confirmed that the woman died from blunt trauma to the head, and that she was already dead when her body was set ablaze.

Police are now awaiting DNA testing to confirm her identity. It was reported that the suspect was later arrested, and remains in Police custody assisting with investigations.

debris near the unfinished concrete structure. They also found a sledgehammer and crowbar nearby, leading them to suspect that those were the weapons

had observed a man known to her as 'Rodwell' burning wood and other materials in the yard, but she had paid him no mind.

Further investiga -

The charred remains of the body were later escorted to Ezekiel Funeral Home. A postmortem examination conducted on the remains on Wednesday

Passenger dies on MV Ma Lisha …18-year-old suffers asthma attack

A53-year-old female passenger on board the MV Ma Lisha on Wednesday died while the ferry was in transit to Georgetown from Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini).

A statement from the Ministry of Public Works explained that the passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, was found motionless at around 06:15hrs.

After being observed sitting motionless in her seat, the crew members checked for a pulse, but could not find any. As such, the captain then proceeded to give CPR to revive the passenger, and she subsequently regained consciousness and was assisted by the crew to lie on a mattress.

According to the Ministry, the passenger was then continuously monitored, and after being observed impassively again, the captain informed the lighthouse and management of the Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD) of the situation on

board.

As a consequence, the T&HD management then contacted the Coast Guard for assistance.

The Coast Guard immediately dispatched one of its Metal Shark vessels to the MV Ma Lisha, which was one mile west of the sea buoy, off the Essequibo Coast. The Coast Guard vessel arrived at 08:40hrs, and the female was taken off the ferry.

Meanwhile, just hours before that incident, at around 22:40hrs on Tuesday, an 18-year-old suffered an asthma attack while on board the ferry.

The Ministry explained that the passenger, though asthmatic, did not have any medications in her possession. Nevertheless, it was explained that the crew rendered assistance by providing her with an inhaler and by giving her oxygen with a nebulizer.

The teen then regained consciousness at around 01:30hrs on Wednesday. She, too, was taken off the

MV Ma Lisha by the Coast Guard for further medical assistance.

Following these incidents, reports began to circulate on social media by an Opposition Parliamentarian, alleging that there were two deaths on board the ferry, and that a faulty air conditioning unit was the cause. However, the Ministry has since rejected those claims.

“The Ministry wishes to make clear that there were never two deaths on the MV Ma Lisha, as well as there was no malfunctioned air condition unit. The Ministry is also urging persons to desist from rumour-mongering and spreading inaccuracies,” the statement outlined. A one-way journey with this new ferry can take as much as 15 hours.

The MV Ma Lisha had set sail on its maiden journey last month. The $2.5 billion vessel was built by the Indian firm Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE).

Dead: Shannen Obermullah-Mohamed

The woman’s burnt remains

The suspect allegedly setting the woman’s body on fire

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2023 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

US-based Guyanese drowns while vacationing in The Bahamas

Avacation cruise to The Bahamas ended in tragedy for a family of four following the drowning of 26-year-old Guyanese national Akeem Charles at Ocean Cay, a private island in The Bahamas owned by the cruise line Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC).

Family members believe the beach on the artificial island is unsafe, and the lack of CPR training for the lifeguard on duty may have contributed to the death of their loved one.

Charles, his mother Simone Hazel, his sister Ayodele Charles, and her boyfriend Kimarley Grant of Queens, New York, left with a group of church members on a cruise to The Bahamas on August 27. Due to Hurricane Idalia, the ship was diverted to Nassau. The second scheduled stop was at Ocean Cay on Thursday, August 31, where the Charles family went ashore for a day at the beach.

Ayodele Charles said they left the ship at around 11:00h and went to the first beach at the Lighthouse. At some time around 14:00h, they decided to walk to the other side of the island, where the water was much calmer. She said the water was not deep, and had reached her thighs.

Akeem, who is six feet tall, was standing in the water, and at one point, his sister noticed him going “up and down” in the water.

“I came out of the wa -

ter, looked at Akeem, and asked if he was okay. But I see he was not talking to me, so I sent my boyfriend in the water to check on him,” the sister said.

“After a time, my brother fell head first, and started to float, so my boyfriend grabbed his hand and called for help,” she said.

A lifeguard on duty assisted in getting her brother to shore, where a bystander had attempted to administer CPR. As he lay helpless on the beach, the aggrieved sister said, the lifeguard would not allow anyone, not even a registered nurse who was at the beach, to assist her brother.

She claimed that the lifeguard did not know how to perform CPR correctly. A defibrillator was also used, but could not revive him. Akeem was

placed on a stretcher and taken on a golf cart to the ship.

Bimini Police are continuing investigations into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

According to Sherryann Charles, her brother had been excited about the trip, and had saved enough money to buy a ticket for their mother. He worked at Amazon, in the packaging department.

She said he had been a deacon in his church, and had been well-loved by ev -

eryone who had known him.

“The thing that is so sad is that my brother is only 26 years old, and he does not have any children. He worked hard to go on that trip, only to die.”

She believes that the beach is unsafe for visitors, who are not aware of previous incidents involving guests.

“I heard that more persons drowned in the area as well, and I don’t know why it is still a tourist attraction,” the sister added.

She said her two siblings would have stayed on board the ship, and would not have gone to the beach had they known about previous drowning incidents at Ocean Cay.

According to Police reports, shortly after 17:00h on Thursday, August 31, officers attached to the Alice Town Police Station received reports of a man who was found by a lifeguard floating and appeared to be unresponsive on Radio Beach, North Bimini. Police said the victim was retrieved from the water and examined by the local doctor, who confirmed no signs of life.

In March 2023, a 51-year-old Korean cruise passenger at Ocean Cay

was found unresponsive at Light House Beach. In her research, Ms Charles said, she learned that Ocean Cay was an old mining site.

Ocean Cay was built by dredging in the late 1960s, and was used to mine Aragonite sand for diverse industrial purposes. In 2015, MSC Cruise Line signed a 100-year lease agreement with the Bahamian Government to redevelop the island into a new $200m resort for the cruise line.

The family is claiming that following the incident, they received no apology or expression of sympathy from cruise representatives. They had to continue on the cruise while the body remained in Ocean Cay.

The aggrieved sister said the family is concerned about when Akeem’s body would be flown to Nassau. They were informed by Police officials that a charter flight on Friday was postponed due to maintenance issues.

“We are trying to cope. His body is still in Ocean Cay. We just want justice for our brother, and to have better procedures in place,” she said.

When contacted, Assistant Superintendent of Police Stephen Rolle told The Tribune that the body should have been in New Providence by Monday.

The mother Simone Hazel, who is back in the United States, is awaiting the release of her son’s body so that funeral arrangements can be made. She said there is a relative in Nassau who can identify the body.

The family has created a GoFundMe page https:// gofund.me/6e7db401 for help to defray funeral and memorial services costs.

Latia Duncombe, Deputy Director of Tourism, was contacted for comment; however, she did not return the call up to press time.

When contacted by The Tribune, MSC Cruises said: “All of us at MSC Cruises are saddened by the death of a passenger travelling aboard MSC Meraviglia during the ship’s call at Ocean Cay on August 31. The safety of our guests is our top priority, and we are working with Bahamian Police and Medical authorities as they complete their investigation.” (The Tribune)

Baby among 3 escaped with minor injuries after car slams into shop at Bartica

Three occupants of a motor car, among them a baby, escaped with minor injuries on Tuesday evening after the driver lost control of the vehicle and it slammed into a shop at Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).

Reports are that on Tuesday, at approximately 22:00h, Toyota Axio motor car PAB 6749 veered off the road and slammed

into the shop at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Fifth Street, Bartica. Luckily, the driver, along with a female and a baby, escaped with minor injuries.

The driver related that he swerved to avoid colliding with a motorcyclist and ended up in the shop, Hacks’ Variety Store, operated by Zulficar Hack. Hack is counting his losses, since the car did not only damage the shop, but

some of its contents.

“The road is higher than the ground level of the shop, so we does got to walk down a few steps to go into the shop,” an eyewitness related.

The eyewitness further stated that there are occasions when persons would

have to wait on the steps, when there are many customers at the shop.

“If it was at a time when the shop is usually open, it could have been fatal,” the eyewitness added. Police have since launched an investigation.

Dead: Akeem Charles

The accident scene on Tuesday evening

VP Jagdeo petitions CCJ to overturn default judgement

Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has moved to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the country’s highest court, to have a libel judgement overturned after his efforts at the local courts were rejected.

He is concerned that the decision awarded against him for defaming former APNU/AFC Government Minister Annette Ferguson will harm his political career.

More than two years ago, High Court Judge Sandra Kurtzious entered the default judgement against Jagdeo after he failed to file a defence within 28 days of the filing of Ferguson’s claim, which was done in January 2020. This is prescribed by Art 12:01 (2) (d) of the Civil Procedure Rules (CPR).

Justice Kurtzious had additionally awarded costs against Jagdeo in the sum of $75,000.

Jagdeo had mounted a challenge against the ruling at the Demerara Full Court. However, the Full Court’s ruling was split, with Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, ruling that the default judgement should not be vacated, while Justice Priya Sewnarine-Beharry ruled that it should be vacated. The decision by Justice Kurtzious remained in effect in light of the divided opinion. The two Judges had also ordered Jagdeo to pay $75,000 in costs.

Dissatisfied with the Full Court’s decision, the Vice President, through his lawyers Devindra Kissoon and Natasha Vieira, sought redress at the Court of Appeal (CoA), which, on September 4, issued its ruling wholly rejecting his two motions and imposing costs upon him in the sum of $100,000.

In so doing, the Court of Appeal made the following findings in relation to the first motion: (i) By operation of Section 79 of the High Court Act, there is no decision of the Full Court which can be appealed; and accordingly (ii) The Court

of Appeal had no jurisdiction to grant an appeal, as per the CCJ’s order in the matter of the Guyana Sugar Corporation Inc vs Seegobin, there being no egregious errors, special circumstances, or prospects of success.

With respect to the second motion, the Court of Appeal said there was no basis to interfere with the Full Court’s decision to deny his application for the Full Court’s order to be re-

lowed to remain on the record, will foreclose litigants from having a right to appeal the legal effect of a divided Full Court decision.”

In the High Court, Full Court, and Court of Appeal, he had submitted that the defences of justification, fair comment, qualified privilege, and the provisions of the Defamation Act were available to him.

According to the Vice President, there has been a substantial miscarriage of justice, since he was deprived of an opportunity to appeal the propriety of the default judgement issued against him, and is now left without a remedy and no further appellate recourse.

that, as a result of Jagdeo’s statements, Ferguson stood to be prejudiced by suffering financial loss and injury to her character.

Meanwhile, the Judge had found that Jagdeo’s excuse for the non-filing of the defence was unreasonable. In explaining the reason for the non-filing of the defence, Jagdeo’s lawyers had submitted that his client’s then lawyer, Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, had been preoccupied with the 2020 National Elections, and the constraints brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic had led to him inadvertently failing to file the defence, though it was drafted.

Before the Full Court, Ferguson’s lawyer had argued that inadvertence by counsel as a reason for non-compliance with the CPR cannot be countenanced as a reason for non-compliance. He had said that if that were to be allowed, all lawyers would advance such a reason as a ploy to get an extension.

According to the lawyer, the elections were concluded on August 2, 2020, and right up to the time Jagdeo was served with the judge-

ment order in April 2021 – more than half of a year later – there was no application filed by his lawyer for relief from sanctions, nor was there any request for an extension of time to file his defence.

Justice Kurtzious, in her ruling, had said that although the reasons proffered by the Vice President to justify his non-filing of a defence were numerous, “they left the court unconvinced as to their accuracy and reasonableness.”

She had noted that the time for filing a defence began to run from January 2020, and one year later, in January 2021, no steps had been taken to cure the

default; and, more so, no evidence was provided to prove same.

The Judge had initially awarded $20 million in damages to Ferguson, but she later recalled that sum. Ferguson was initially seeking more than $50 million in damages from Jagdeo for libellous statements he had made on December 18 and 19, 2019.

Ferguson had also filed a separate claim seeking more than $10 million in damages from Guyana Times newspaper, which she said had published the slanderous statements the Vice President had made against her. (Fiona Morrison)

called and the case remitted to three judges. In addition, the Court of Appeal remitted the case to Justice Kurtzious for her to assess damages.

At the CCJ, Jagdeo complaints that the Court of Appeal fell into error when it found that it had no jurisdiction to adjudicate on an appeal from a divided Full Court; that the Court of Appeal fell into error when it found that the Full Court’s decision was not appealable, since it was not a decision; and that the Court of Appeal fell into error when it refused to interfere with the Full Court’s refusal to recall its order and remit the matter for a fresh hearing before three Judges.

“Not only do I have a real prospect of success, given the Court of Appeal’s obvious errors of law, but this appeal concerns a point of law of general public importance, there being an egregious error of law i.e., the Court of Appeal’s erroneous determination that it has no jurisdiction to hear an appeal from a divided Full Court, which if al-

“I face the threat of imminently having a money judgment entered against me, and, but more importantly, having indelibly on the record a finding that I defamed the Intended Respondent (Ferguson), which is patently inaccurate, especially in light of my defences. Such a finding will affect my standing in the public’s eye, and have a damaging and long-lasting impact on my political career,” argued Jagdeo in his Affidavit in Defence filed with the regional court.

He has requested the CCJ to stay the Court of Appeal’s decision pending his appeal hearing.

In delivering her reasons for the default judgement, Justice Kurtzious had ruled that the Vice President did indeed defame the former Government Minister with his utterances.

In the claim filed by Attorney-at-Law Lyndon Amsterdam, Ferguson had complained that Jagdeo made untrue statements in which he questioned her acquisition of a house lot and the construction of her home at Eccles, on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD).

Having examined the statements made by the Vice President about Ferguson, Justice Kurtzious held that they were very serious allegations, as they suggested that she was corrupt and involved in misappropriation. To this end, the Judge held

Opposition Member of Parliament Annette Ferguson

Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo

Schools to be given more control over their management – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali

on Tuesday announced that plans were afoot to ensure that schools had a greater say over their management, as a means to reduce the bureaucracy that currently exists within the education system.

The President was at the time speaking at the commissioning of the $200 million Victoria Lily Primary School in Tuschen, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara).

“There is a system that is very centralised with too much bureaucracy and too many power brokers. For example, the schools must go through the regional system to get basic, essential things to manage the schools,” Ali said.

“In the education system, we are going to give more power to the schools and the administration and the Parent-Teachers’ Associations (PTAs). We are going to direct-

ly disburse to the schools, and then hold them accountable and let the PTA know what is disbursed to you,” Ali said.

This, he noted, will foster greater management capacity and leadership at a local level as well as more involvement of communities in the delivery of

services.

“It is not only about building facilities, it is about ensuring that we have the proper management, the efficient management of the facilities,” Ali pointed out.

Education Minister Priya Manickchand noted that

schools would be receiving the necessary supplies to ensure their upkeep while students will continue to benefit from the annual “Because We Care” cash grant and distribution of textbooks.

This is in addition to the implementation of the National Breakfast Programme at the Grade Six level and the Juice

and Biscuit Snack programme at Grades One and Two, Manickchand explained.

Meanwhile, teachers will continue to receive free training in addition to their salary, as the Ministry moves to ensure all teachers across the country have the necessary qualifications to best perform their duties.

The newly-commissioned Victoria Lily Primary aims to address the overcrowding issues that the region has been challenged with for some time now, with the facility expected to accommodate 330 students. Efforts are also being made to build similar facilities throughout the region.

Suspect in Leopold Street murder still not arrested, seen in area

Almost a month after 18-year-old Noel Fraser of Leopold Street was stabbed to death while trying to make peace during a fight, the suspect remains on the run, and was reportedly seen in the area only recently.

It was reported that Fraser was at home at about 7:45h on that fateful day when he heard a commotion nearby. Upon checking, he saw it was a fight involving two of his friends. As such, he left his house with the intention of bringing a measure of calm to the situation; unfortunately, however, he ended up being

stabbed in the process.

After receiving the injury, Fraser ran into an adjoining

Decomposing body of mechanic found in house at Bartica

The decomposing body of 43-year-old Shawn Marshall, a mechanic, was on Wednesday found by his brother in his home at Fifth Avenue, Bartica in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).

Police have said that the late Shawn Marshall had suffered from epilepsy and that he had been an alcoholic and drug addict. He had last been seen alive on September 3 by his father. At around 02:30h on Wednesday, September 6, his brother went to his home and encountered a foul scent emanating from the apartment where he resided. Upon checking, he discovered the body of his brother lying under his bed in a decomposed state.

The Police were informed, and upon arrival on scene, they found the body clad in black jeans lying face

down under a bed. The body was bloated and in a state of decomposition, but no marks of violence were evident thereon.

This discovery comes just a few weeks after skeletal remains believed to be those of a man were found in an abandoned two-storey wooden building at Uitvlugt Estate Road, West Coast Demerara.

This discovery was made by a 51-year-old labourer of Stewartville Squatting Area, West Coast Demerara, who had entered the building looking for a toilet to use.

A foul scent was emanating from the upper flat of the building, and the labourer reportedly went to the upper flat through an eastern staircase and observed the fully decomposed remains of a man hanging. The remains were eventually removed and taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home.

yard and collapsed. The Police were summoned, and ranks rushed the teen to the hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

The suspect, meanwhile, ran from the scene and has since not been located. He is said to be a 25-year-old gold miner from Leopold Street, Werk-en-Rust Georgetown, and also of Tucville, Georgetown.

In an interview with this newspaper on Tuesday, the teen’s aunt said the family is frustrated with the situation and wants justice for Fraser.

“We keep running to the Police station to follow up on what really is going on, and the Police are not doing anything. Up to Monday night, this boy was riding a bicycle and slowing down and looking in here. Why can’t the Police catch this boy…”, she questioned.

“Everything we tell the Police them… the other day, one of the neighbours told us that they came in and saw him at 3 o'clock in the morning going by his mother. The Police don’t come through here, or they don’t check on anything at all. They just left this thing so.”

This woman said she believes the Police are showing no interest because Fraser comes from a ‘poor’ family.

“The [suspect's] family passed by, and they never even apologized to the boy's parents. Nothing! We're leaving everything in God's hands… if my nephew was a thief, I would have understood, but this is a little child just coming out of his bed to make peace… It just died down like that. If it was somebody who had money, they would’ve found the killer…”, the woman said. She is calling on those in high authority to look into the matter urgently.

School supplies being provided to students of Victoria Lily Primary School Education Minister Priya Manickchand

Dead: Noel Fraser

SASOD launches ‘Guyana Together’, aims at law reform for LGBTQ community

– increased acceptance and tolerance recorded throughout Guyana – SASOD Head

The Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination

(SASOD) Guyana on Wednesday officially launched its ‘Guyana Together’ campaign at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.

The campaign is aimed at removing the stigma attached to the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) community.

Managing Director of SASOD, Joel Simpson, while addressing the gathering, stated that there has been a significant increase in acceptance and tolerance of the LGBTQI community in

The 1997 Act currently prohibits discrimination in a place of employment based on: race, sex, religion, ethnic-

status, or age.

Nevertheless, the campaign will include a series of videos of LGBTQ persons

launched with partners such as the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), the Black Entrepreneurs Association, and Help and Shelter, among others.

damentals of what it means to be human,” Bisnauth related.

Some of the campaign partners at the launch on Wednesday

Guyana. However, with that being a plus, he noted that the campaign will further aggressively petition for law reform for these members.

ity, indigenous population, nationality, social origin, economic status, political opinion, disability, family responsibilities, pregnancy, marital

sharing their stories, which will be broadcast across traditional and social media channels.

The initiative was

However, a representative of the Guyana Presbyterian Church, Pastor Patricia Bisnauth, related that the church continues to support these initiatives, and applauded the courageous work which is being done by SASOD, its allies, and other human rights organisations.

“To do otherwise would be to stand on the side of a fractured society afflicted with hate, intolerance, and lacking compassionate love, justice and grace, which are the fun-

On the other hand, Director of the Help and Shelter, Pamela Nauth, stated that “for too long” LGBTQI persons have been forced to live in the dark”, as a result of outdated laws which have made it difficult for them to live “openly” and as their authentic selves.

“Our voices need to be heard loud and clear. We must speak up and stand in support of our neighbours who are being faced with unfair treatment,” Nauth posited.

Meanwhile, Avinash Narine, a young designer, spoke of the challenges he faced when he first revealed his sexual orientation.

“Many people were forced to hide themselves, and many people still do. However, for me, I am proud of how far I have come, and the support and respect I have received,” Narine said. He hopes this new campaign would open doors for more young persons in the LGBTQ community, especially those who feel unwelcomed and afraid to come out.

The “Guyana Together” campaign has to date been endorsed by more than 60 local organizations, with its first phase set to run for two years. During this period, emphasis will be placed on educating Guyanese and engaging lawmakers to repeal laws criminalizing intimacy between adult men.

Agri Ministry hosts training for extension officers …Govt working towards digitising agriculture data – Min Mustapha

Extension officers from Regions Three, Four, and Five will, over the next three days, participate in an agricultural extension restructuring in-service training exercise at the Guyana School of Agriculture’s Mon Repos campus on the East Coast of Demerara.

The exercise was organised by the Agriculture Ministry as part of the Government’s overall vision for developing the sector.

During the opening session on Wednesday, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha said the programme was developed to ensure that the Ministry’s extension staff were capable of dealing with a wide range of agricultural-related issues irrespective of the agency they were attached to.

He noted too that Guyana was playing the leading role as it pertains to agriculture and food security in Caricom and as such, Guyana’s agriculture sector has to be robust.

“For continued expansion and growth in the agriculture sector, we need a robust and coordinated extension and advisory services system

that is accessible to all farmers and rural families. This requires extension officers to be proactive, extending their reach and services into every village, region, and eventually to every single known farmer in Guyana. It is necessary that every extension officer has at least a basic knowledge of every sub-sector to be able to provide quality extension service to our farmers. All of this is strengthening Guyana’s agrifood system and enabling us to significantly contribute to reducing the Region’s food import bill by 25% by 2025,” he explained.

Mustapha also related that the Government was

taking steps to ensure extension officers were given additional resources to better execute their duties.

“In addition to training, the Ministry of Agriculture is committed to ensuring that you are provided with the necessary resources to execute your duties as we work on building “One Extension System.”As part of our future plans, the Ministry of Agriculture will be implementing a Farmers Registration System. This is currently being developed as part of the integrated Agriculture Information System (AIS) and will allow also for a dedicated extension module. We will also be dis-

tributing tablets with better specifications for extension officers to ensure that they have the necessary tools to utilise the integrated AIS. Over time, we will eventually transition to a paperless system. Demonstration plots will also be developed in Regions Two, Three, Five, Six, and 10 to promote the use of good agricultural practices and technology transfer,” the Minister said.

Over the next three days, extension officers will be exposed to a series of training programmes designed to equip them with the necessary knowledge to efficiently execute their duties.

Emphasis will be placed

on strengthening capacity in areas such as crop cultivation; livestock husbandry; land preparation; fisheries/ aquaculture (understanding the techniques for harvesting, marketing, and processing fish and shrimp); fruits and vegetables (harvesting techniques, on-field handling, transportation, and post-harvest management methods); digitalisation of data (critical importance of data and data quality will be underscored by introducing the concepts of monitoring and evaluation); extension methods and tools, as well as the concept of Farmer Field Schools.

Earlier this year,

Minister Mustapha launched the countrywide exercise in Georgetown and said that several breakout sessions would be held as the Government moved forward with its developmental plans for the sector.

Wednesday’s exercise saw participation from officers attached to the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA); Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB); National Agriculture Research and Extension Institute (NAREI); New Guyana Marketing Corporation (New GMC); the Fisheries Department and other agencies under the Ministry’s umbrella.

Director of SADOD, Joel Simpson

A section of the gathering at the launch

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha along with some of the extension officers participating in the training sessions

Some of the extension officers at the training

Local law firm to conduct survey on wrongful convictions in Guyana, Caribbean

Local law firm Dexter Todd and Associates plans to conduct a survey in Guyana and the wider Caribbean to determine the number of persons who were wrongfully convicted primarily because of the lack of forensic science evidence.

This is in light of the fact that the effectiveness of the criminal justice system depends on the accuracy of its ability to convict the guilty and clear the innocent.

“We will, as a firm, commit to having that survey, so that we can have an appreciation of the number of persons who have suffered at the hands of investigations that were not done correctly,” said Dr. Todd, founder of the Georgetownbased law firm.

Todd, who holds a PhD in Law, specializing in Terrorism and CounterTerrorism, made this disclosure on Monday while delivering remarks at the opening ceremony of the practical component of a forensic science course for local lawyers and security services personnel.

Neither Guyana nor the Caribbean had any statistics on unjust convictions he revealed, but noted that his law firm has access to experts in this field, and will commit to carrying out such a survey. Critical to catching criminals, he noted, is an investigation to reconstruct the past.

He pointed out that such an investigation is essential to apprehending perpetrators, adding that an investigation is only on the right track when a detective can identify who com

mitted the crime, when and where it was committed, why they did it, and how it was done. Importantly, he highlighted that these questions can be answered forensically.

According to him, the world is becoming less reliant on eyewitness testimonies, particularly in light of the common law maxim that "a convincing witness can also be a lying witness."

“A convincing witness can also be a lying witness. A witness who appears to be very sure and very convincing in delivering their evidence can very well be telling an untruth. Therefore, when we create a system in which we only depend on people to give us information…only for the presentation of a criminal file, and therefore presentation at a court, we have seen, time and time again, that this has failed,” he said.

Todd stressed the importance of forensic science in producing unbiased results that can aid in the investigation and prosecution of criminals, or exonerate an innocent person from suspicion and the testimony of witnesses. He added, "If we put the two together, we can, of course, be able to help free an in -

nocent man and to catch the correct perpetrator."

According to him, lawyers and prosecutors must be able to assist the court in coming to the right decision, because “our judges, our magistrates…they are human beings and they are prone to mistakes just like us. In order to ensure that our criminal justice system remains strong, we must also see ourselves as being able to assist the court in coming to the right decision.”

Innocent people are occasionally found guilty of crimes they did not commit because of a lack of proof, according to Stacy Ann Nwodo, who has a doctorate in forensic accounting and audit. She said that Monday’s event signalled the start of a joint effort to combat criminality in society, and she vowed to share her team's knowledge in the development of forensic capability with the appropriate Guyana Government authorities, if given the chance.

Nwodo is the Lead Managing Consultant at JJTC Consulting, the Nigeria-based firm that is spearheading the forensic science training here.

Gov’t making provisions for possible National Psychiatric Hospital closure

The Government is making provision for the possible closure of the National Psychiatric Hospital in Region Six.

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony made this disclosure while engaging media operatives on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday morning at the Pegasus Hotel in Georgetown. He also pledged Government’s support in making provisions for patients there, and said that approximately 200 persons who have been living there for several years can go home, as they are deemed competent.

“The new model of treating psychiatric patients is really when they have an acute episode you treat them, and then they go back to their home environment, and so that’s what we are trying now to adapt,” Minister Anthony explained.

This move is one of the Government’s plans to provide modern services to persons of such nature.

According to Dr. Anthony, no stigma should be attached to these persons, as they can be treated like normal patients at any hospital nationwide.

“If there is no home for the current patients who are fairly well to go to, then we will have to find some -

place where they can go and where they can continue to live…we [will] give them some meals and other amenities that they need,” the Health Minister stated.

Dr Anthony has said the act of institutionalising persons in need of mental care does not occur anywhere else in the world, and it should not happen in Guyana either.

Attorney-at-Law Dr Dexter Todd Dr Stacy Ann Nwodo

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony

Govt standardising treatment plan for diabetes patients

Medical practitioners from various regions across Guyana are being trained on a series of new standards that will guide their treatment of diabetes patients – a programme that the Government is hoping to emulate in the treatment of other chronic NonCommunicable Diseases (NCDs).

The Health Ministry, in collaboration with experts from the US-based Mount Sinai Group, on Wednesday introduced Standard Diabetes Guidelines for Primary Healthcare. These are a series of treatment plans for the various stages of diabetes, which will be revised and upgraded every two years.

According to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, the aim is to have a unified and standard way of effectively treating patients so as to avoid complications. One of the complications from diabetes is kidney failure and right now, there are some 330 persons currently on dialysis in Guyana owing to kidney failure.

Dr Anthony outlined that this number could be reduced in the future with better treatment and management of chronic non-communicable diseases such as diabetes. This, he noted, can be achieved by standardising the treatment plan since many physicians across the country have different approaches to treating diabetes patients rather than using

medication on the national list.

“So, it’s not a problem getting the medication but it’s a problem when you are using things that are outside of that list. And very often we see people ignore medication that can offer the same type of help to the patient and prescribe something totally different… but are patients ready for that? And so, we thought long and hard about this and that is why you would see in these guidelines, what are the things that you should be used as first-time treatment, what are the things you should escalate to when you’re not getting good glucose control and so forth,” he explained.

The Health Minister implored those practitioners undergoing training to ensure they use these newly-introduced guidelines in their treatment plan. This way, he said, patients would not be

burdened to find the medication privately.

However, if it is found that there are more effective drugs on the market to treat patients, then Minister Anthony noted that they could be considered and go through the process to get on the national medication list.

The one-day training targeted medical personnel from various regions across the country so that these new guidelines would not be only introduced in certain parts of the country.

“We want whatever we’re doing to be at scale and it must be across the country… And that is why we brought people from every single region to be here. Now, because we couldn’t bring all the medical staff from the particular region is that when you go back, you have to do a similar workshop and work with the doctors, the nurses and other caregivers in your region so that you can disseminate these guidelines to them,” he stated.

Meanwhile, the Consultant from the Mount Sinai health team, Dr David Heller, said Guyanese health workers will learn the key methods of how to implement the guidelines in the simplest way.

“The goal really is to help you to feel like you know what you need to know, not just about the guidelines but about how to teach them,” the consultant told the healthcare workers at the training.

In fact, Dr Anthony pos-

ited that introducing the new treatment guidelines is not the only part of the programme as work will also have to be done to ensure these are implemented in every region.

Dr Anthony further pointed out that this new standardizing initiative is part of a larger effort to build stronger surveillance systems for chronic non-communicable diseases and will see similar guidelines being introduced for other chronic diseases.

“We need to have a surveillance system where we can monitor the different types of chronic diseases… Before, our emphasis was on infectious diseases and not so much on chronic non-communicable diseases… But under this programme, we want to look at all the chronic non-communicable dis-

eases, starting with diabetes… We’re also looking at cancers, we want to do cardiovascular diseases, kidney diseases and so on but we’re not there yet.”

“And as we roll this [Standard Diabetes Guidelines] out, by next year we want to piggyback on the system we built here to do maybe some of the other chronic diseases and then over time we’ll be able to do all of them and change how we’re managing [the diseases],” he stated.

While this programme is being executed, the Health Minister is working on enhancing service delivery at health centres across the country, equipping these facilities with the tools and capacity needed to manage chronic diseases at a primary healthcare level.

“What you’re going to be part of is not just managing one disease, but it’s a system of how we want to transform the programmes that we have in the ministry so that we can have a better outcome with patients… We’re looking to develop a programme where we can keep people well for a longer period… The new shift in thinking is not just about increasing a person’s life expectancy alone but also increasing their health span so that they can live healthier for a longer period,” Minister Anthony stated.

Meanwhile, during Wednesday’s training, each region received machines to help in the advancement of the Standard Diabetes Guidelines as well as to help manage hypertension treatment.

provided medical

By Pooja RamBaRan

Following its one-year stint in Guyana, the 18th Chinese Medical Brigade is set to return home later this month, after performing some 2,500 surgeries and treating over 10,000 patients throughout the country.

In addition, the team hosted several training sessions to improve healthcare services in Guyana.

This year is particularly meaningful for the team, as it marks the 30th year since China has been providing medical assistance to Guyana through its revolving door of medical brigades.

The team started with eight members back in 1993 and eventually increased to 16 in 2023. During that period, a total of 263 doctors have visited Guyana to offer their expertise.

General Surgeon Dr. Chu Xuehui is leading the current team, which is specialised in general surgery, burns and plastic surgery, orthopaedics, nephrology, acupuncture and moxi-

bustion therapy, radiology, ophthalmology, obstetrics and gynaecology, anesthesiology and pathology.

“I really enjoy working with my Guyanese colleagues. They are very diligent and responsible. We’ve carried out a lot of complex surgeries together, so I think we have good collaboration,” Xuehui told Guyana Times during an interview on Wednesday.

Within Dr Xuehui’s team, 11 persons work primarily out of the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), while the remaining five work at the Linden Hospital in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Since their arrival in Guyana, they've seen over 5000 in-patients and 5000 outpatients, who most commonly require gallbladder, breast, thyroid and hernia surgeries.

Dr Xuehui has said there were instances when the team encountered complex cases which required an added level of precision and expertise, including whipple surgery to treat tumours and other conditions

in the pancreas, small intestine and bile ducts, and hepatectomy to treat liver haemangiomas.

“Through the efforts of the previous teams, I think the medical system in Guyana has improved gradually. The Guyanese doctors can do lots of operations now by themselves – not just the four common operations, but they can do some complex surgeries like the resection of the stomach for colon diseases, and they can even do some laparoscopic surgeries. So, there’s been great progress,” Dr Xuehui has pointed out.

Training and outreaches

Chinese Medical team members continuously make efforts to upskill the Guyanese doctors they work with, not just at the GPHC and Linden Hospital, but also in regional hospitals across the country.

“[Our team] has carried out many training sessions because the ultimate goal is not to do the surgeries ourselves, but we want to teach the local doctors to do the surgeries too,” he said.

Most recently, the brigade’s Resident Training Programme saw its second set of graduates whereby these 13 doctors received a

six-month training aimed towards improving their clinical diagnosis and treatment skills.

Dr. Xuehui further noted that the team donated laparoscopic trainers as they move to train young surgeons, obstetricians and gynaecologists at the GPHC to enhance their surgical skills.

Complementing these efforts, about 50 doctors from GPHC, Linden Hospital, West Demerara Hospital in Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and New Amsterdam Hospital in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) attended a laparoscopic training workshop facilitated by the Chinese medical team.

Meanwhile, in a new initiative, five doctors from the Georgetown Hospital are expected to travel to China next year to receive further training and professional experience, as the medical brigade and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) have established a scholarship programme.

“Previously, the model was that China would send

doctors to Guyana to help, [but] after the establishment of the scholarship, we can send some Guyanese doctors to China. I think that’s very useful and meaningful,” Dr Xuehui has said.

Within this three-month programme, the selected doctors will travel to China where they will be seconded to the Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital.

Further, the Chinese Medical team has conducted over 10 outreaches countrywide for 2023 so far. Some of these areas include Anna Regina in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), Leonora in Region Three, Moraikobai in Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), New Amsterdam in Region Six, Lethem in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), Linden and Kwakwani in Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice).

Dr. Xuehui has described his one-year stint as unforgettable. The team returns to China on September 26. A new 16-member team is expected to arrive in Guyana on September 22.

– same to be done for other chronic NCDs

Over 250 Chinese doctors

assistance to Guyana over last 30 years

…18th Chinese Medical Team treated over 10,000 patients in 2023

Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony handing over machines to a regional representative as Chief Medical Officer Dr Narine Singh and Mount Sinai Consultant Dr David Heller look on

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony

Head of the 18th Chinese Medical Brigade, Dr Chu Xuehui

Leff de cow fuh graze; nah kill awe – farmer begs for life

...after gunshots erupt as rice-cattle feud continues along Corentyne

son entering the field… they does normally rear cattle next to we rice field…He son scramble me by my shirt and take away the cutlass,” he detailed.

His father Roshan Ali said a gun was pointed at him, and two shots were fired while he was made to go down on his knees.

told not to return to the rice field.

The matter has since been reported to the Police, and according to the senior Ali, his daughter, who is pregnant, was assaulted at the Police station by a relative of the man who had chopped his son.

Despite several interventions by those in authority, the issue between rice and cattle farmers along the Corentyne Coast in East Berbice continues unabated.

In one of the latest incidents, a rice farmer has allegedly been chopped about his body as gunshots were fired during a quarrel between rice and cattle farmers.

A rice farmer has claimed that ranked Police officers have cattle in the

herds and the Police are not adequately addressing the issue. He also stated that during an incident at Cookrite Savannah in Black Bush Polder (BBP) on August 28 last, a cattle farmer had held his father at gunpoint.

Wahid Ali says he has been cultivating rice with his father for the past eight years, and the destruction to their crops by cattle has been constant. He said he made repeated reports to the Police, but all have fallen

on deaf ears. Last Monday, the 21-year-old farmer said, scores of cattle were in their rice field. He recalled that he and his father had left their Johanna, BBP home and travelled to Cookrite Savannah to check on their crops, but when they arrived, they were greeted by the animals feasting on the rice crop.

“About two hundred and something head of cow me average, and they grazing in the rice field. Soon after, we see a father and

“The father pull out a small gun and point it on my father head, and he tell he son to take away all two cutlasses. After he take away the cutlass, he knock me on my knee first and then to my leg, and then he start hitting me pon me hand. Then he daddy tell he to chap me, and me nah expect that he gon fire a chap. Straight to me neck, so me tek me han and bar, so come I get chap pon me han”, he detailed.

However, giving an account of the incident, his father Roshan Ali noted that after the gun was pointed at his head, he was told that both he and his son would be killed. The senior Ali said their lives were spared, but

Bartica Stelling collapses; no injuries reported

parked on the stelling.

Up to late Wednesday evening, workers were busy removing the collapsed stelling to facilitate a smooth flow of water traffic.

In fact, arrangements have already been made to use private properties where the speed boats will be loaded and offloaded. Once the collapsed structure is removed, the ferry service will remain in operation at the said location.

Sections of the Bartica Stelling, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) collapsed on Wednesday during strong winds. Persons in the area stated that they suddenly heard a crashing sound, and upon checking, saw that several sections of the old and dilapidated stelling had collapsed.

A new stelling is currently being constructed. There were no reported injuries or major destruction, except for a car that was

“And just in the Mibicuri Station that happened, and the Police is not doing nothing now,” he added.

This publication understands that the statement that the Police at the

A commotion on the day of the incident

as they were making their way out of the area, they were attacked again.

“Dem run abe, and me had to run and jump in a yard. The Police dem nah do nothing about that unto now. Some of the Police get cow in the savannah with he cows. That’s why they not taking no step,” he claimed.

The younger Ali said they were threatened and

Mibicuri Police Station wrote differs from that of the story provided by the rice farmer. According to that statement, the rice farmers claimed that they only heard the explosion of a gunshot. The man suspected to have pulled the trigger was arrested and a test was conducted on his hands for gunshot residue. Investigations are continuing. (Andrew Carmichael)

Wahid Ali

Roshan Ali

Wahid’s injured hand

The car that was parked on the stelling

Workers removing the collapsed structure

Regional Amazon rainforest: Deforestation rate continues to fall

The rate of deforestation in Brazil's Amazon rainforest has dropped by 66.1 per cent this August compared to the same month last year, satellite data from space research agency Inpe suggests.

The news comes after a similar fall was reported in July.

The reduction is particularly notable as August is historically one of the months when deforestation is at its highest.

The rainforest is a crucial buffer in the fight against climate change.

Inpe data suggests 563 square kilometres (217 square miles) of it were cleared in August 2023, down from 1661 sq km in August last year.

The Brazilian Environment Minister said the new Government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva had been key in bringing about the fall.

"These results show the determination of the Lula Administration to break the

The area razed last month is 66 per cent smaller than that in August 2022

cycle of abandonment and regression seen under the previous Government," Marina Silva said.

Lula came into office in January this year.

Rainforest destruction had surged under his predecessor, Jair Bolsonaro, who promoted mining in Indigenous lands and cut the resources of the agency tasked with protecting the environment.

Lula's Government says it is committed to stopping deforestation completely by 2030.

Pregnant woman, husband and teenage son shot dead in Spanish Town

The niece of a 34-yearold pregnant woman who was found dead along with her 43-year-old husband and their 16-yearold son early Tuesday morning in Waterloo District in Spanish Town, St Catherine, Jamaica battled emotions to explain how badly her aunt was looking forward to meeting her new baby.

Police said that residents reported hearing explosions after 03:00h and when checks were made, the family members were found dead.

niece, adding that the family worshipped at a Church of God in the community and was considered a Christian family.

On Tuesday, the President announced the recognition of two new areas as protected Indigenous lands as part of his efforts to safeguard the Amazon.

They are located in the states of Acre and Amazonas, in Brazil's north-west.

Almost 60 per cent of the Amazon rainforest is located in Brazil. Last month, President Lula hosted leaders from the eight countries that share the Amazon basin at a summit in the city of Belém. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Hinds: Access to bail too easy for foreign drug suspects

National Security

Minister Fitzgerald

Hinds has expressed disappointment over the “easily accessible bail” that was granted to suspects involved in the trafficking of synthetic drugs, following the most recent discovery of a methamphetamine lab at The Residences, San Fernando, in early August.

Hinds made the comment on the opening day of the Human Impacts of Autonomous Weapons Systems conference at the Hyatt Regency, Portof-Spain, yesterday, as he addressed news that 24-year-old Chinese national Wong Fei Wu had been granted $100,000 bail by Senior Magistrate Armina Deonarinesingh in the matter.

Noting that crime fighting was the primary responsibility of the T&T Police Service, Hinds said officers who locate and charge suspects were discouraged when such attainable bail for crimes of such magnitude were granted by the courts, especially to foreign nationals engaged in narcotic trafficking who may then have the resources to flee the country immediately after posting their bail.

To support his claim, the Minister referenced a case in which three Chinese nationals were held with over $8 million worth of ketamine and a quantity of cash on January 26, 2022, in Trincity, and the arrest

National Security Minister Fitzgerald Hinds delivers an address during the Human Impacts of Autonomous Weapons conference at the Hyatt Regency, Port-of-Spain of another Chinese national in the more recent incident at The Residences.

Hinds suggested that all sectors of the country

needed to work together to combat the crime scourge that is plaguing the country. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)

Lula announces Cabinet reshuffle

Brazilian President Luiz InÁcio Lula da Silva announced a Ministry Cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday as he seeks to shore up support for his political agenda from a powerful bloc of lawmakers.

Lula named federal lawmaker Andre Fufuca as the sports minister, while lawmaker Silvio Costa Filho will be the ports and airports minister, the Government said in a statement.

Marcio Franca, who was the ports and airports minister, will now control the newly-created Micro and Small Business ministry,

The three deceased — Sharon FrancisWellington, her husband Omar Wellington and son Orlando Wellington — were found dead inside their house with hands bound and, according to the Police, were shot and their throats slashed.

"I can't understand how my aunty just gone so. She was pregnant and looking forward to her baby. You know how long she wanted da baby yah? She was three months into her pregnancy. It would have been her second child," the niece told the Jamaica Observer, with a look of depression on her face as she took phone calls from relatives and friends who had just heard about the triple murder.

"Nobody saw anything like this coming," said the

She lamented that her little cousin, Orlando, who was a student of Inswood High School in St Catherine, was very eager to go back to school this Thursday.

"He was going to go in fifth form. His birthday was in August," she said.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Stephanie Lindsay, who heads the Corporate Communications Unit, told the Observer that the house the Wellingtons lived in was ransacked by their killers.(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)

China to fund construction of 6 schools in Dominica

Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit on Wednesday expressed his country’s “profound gratitude to the People’s Republic of China” after Beijing agreed to fund the construction of six schools here totalling US$30 million.

Speaking at the “symbolic” ground breaking ceremony for the construction of the schools, Skerrit said China was once again demonstrating in “a most tangible way the depth and sincerity of its friendship with Dominica.

“There is no denying that Dominica has benefited from repeated expressions of true friendship from the People’s Republic of China. In sports, in road infrastructure, agriculture and health we have witnessed, over the past 19 years, incredible generosity from the Chinese people and Government,” Skerrit said,

noting also the Chinese funding for the Dominica China Friendship Hospital.

“Today, as countries the world over experience shortfalls in revenue and economic uncertainty caused largely by the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, China is keeping true to its word to fund these six new schools in Dominica.

“I want to stress that this is a gift of significant

proportion. The schools are valued at US$30 million or EC$81 million, a substantial investment in any currency; and certainly a major injection of funds into the development of Dominica’s education infrastructure.”

He said the investment underscored his administration’s ongoing commitment to advancing human development as part of a long-term strategy for productivity and growth.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Mexico's Supreme Court upholds abortion rights nationwide, paving way for federal access

the statement added.

The move follows a series of negotiations between the Government and Centrao, a bloc known more for its horse-trading prowess than ideological commitments, a key movement for Lula's legislative agenda.

In July, Lula replaced his Tourism Minister Daniela Carneiro with Celso Sabino.

The announcement also seals the entry of the party of Lower House Speaker Arthur Lira, who was a supporter of former President Jair Bolsonaro, into Lula's Cabinet.

(Reuters)

Mexico's Supreme Court on Wednesday struck down a federal law criminalising abortion, reaffirming an earlier ruling that criminal penalties for abortion were unconstitutional and allowing the federal healthcare system to provide services.

Mexico's highest court, which consists of 11 Justices, declared that criminal penalties for abortion were unconstitutional in 2021, but the ruling only applied to the northern state of Coahuila, where that case originated.

Wednesday's ruling will increase abortion access throughout Mexico, marking a major victory for abortion rights advocates in the predominantly Roman Catholic country.

It's also the latest in a wave of reproductive rights advancements across Latin America in recent years. In the United States, meanwhile, the Supreme Court struck down the national right to an abortion in 2022 and nearly half of the 50 states have restricted access dramatically.

"We wouldn't have this

ruling if we didn't have the Coahuila one two years ago, but I would say that the one today has more reach, definitely in terms of access to abortion," said Isabel Fulda, Deputy Director of the Information Group on Reproductive Choice (GIRE), the advocacy group that brought the case.

The court sided with GIRE in a challenge to the federal penal code and declared that the section of the national law that criminalised abortion could no longer take effect.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Dominican Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit

OIL NEWS

Oil settles up on expectations of US crude draws and tight supply

Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday, reversing early declines as traders anticipated further draws on US crude oil inventory following extended production cuts in Saudi Arabia and Russia.

Brent crude futures settled up 56 cents to US$90.60 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled up 85 cents to $87.54. Both benchmarks rose by US$1 and then pared gains.

"We have pretty low crude supplies in the US, with several weeks of big crude oil draws pushing prices up," said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

US crude oil inventories were projected to fall by 5.5 million barrels in the week ending September 1, according to market sources citing American Petroleum Institute figures released after settlement. Official inventory data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration is due on Thursday.

Both sets of data arrive a day later than usual due to Monday's Labour Day holiday.

On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia and Russia extended voluntary oil supply cuts to year end. The Saudi cuts were by one million barrels per day (bpd) while Russia has cut 300,000 bpd. These were on top of the April cut agreed by several Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) producers running to the end of 2024.

Both countries will review market conditions and make monthly decisions on deepening cuts or raising output.

Reflecting near-term supply concerns, front-month Brent futures traded near nine-month highs at US$4.13 a barrel above prices in six months. The equivalent spread for WTI futures was as much as US$4.88 a barrel, also near nine-month highs.

Oil prices were down early on rate-hike concerns and investor worries about the economy after data showed the ISM non-manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) came in at 54.5, compared with expectations of 52.5.

Against a basket of currencies, the dollar rose to a high of 105.00, above the six-month high of 104.90 touched overnight. A stronger dollar can weigh on oil demand by making crude more expensive for holders of other currencies.

Analysts warned that price rises could hit demand when US refineries enter their September-October maintenance period. Potentially higher supply from Iran, Venezuela and Libya could also weigh.

Research company IIR Energy said on Wednesday it expected US oil refiners to increase available refining capacity by 274,000 bpd for the week ending September 8. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Biden's son this month

Federal Prosecutors plan to seek an indictment of US President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, by the end of this month, according to court papers.

It is not clear what charges Justice Department special counsel David Weiss plans to file against Hunter Biden.

A planned plea bargain to resolve tax-and-gun counts faced by the 53-yearold fell apart in July.

That case marked the first time the Justice Department had charged the child of a sitting President.

On Wednesday, Weiss's office gave a deadline of September 29 for the planned new indictment.

The court filing is related to the felony gun charge

Around The World Blinken hails Kyiv's pushback against Russia in visit clouded by attack

Ukraine has made important progress in its counteroffensive against Russia's invasion, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday during a visit overshadowed by a Russian attack that killed at least 17 persons.

President Volodymyr Zelenskiy condemned the attack, which hit a crowded market in the eastern frontline town of Kostiantynivka, which is close to the devastated city of Bakhmut. He said a child was among the dead, and officials said at least 32 persons were hurt.

"This Russian evil must be defeated as soon as possible," Zelenskiy said, describing it as a deliberate attack on a "peaceful city". Aides posted video footage showing an explosion after what sounded like a missile ap-

proaching, and people scurrying for cover or falling to the ground.

Russia did not immediately comment on the attack, and has denied deliberately targeting civilians in its more than 18-month invasion, which has shattered towns and cities and killed thousands of civilians.

Blinken, the first top US official to visit Kyiv since the counteroffensive began in early June, announced a new package of U.S. wartime assistance worth more than US$1 billion, including support for Ukraine's air defences.

"In the ongoing counteroffensive, progress has accelerated in the past few weeks. This new assistance will help sustain it and build further momentum," Blinken told reporters at a news conference with

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.

Blinken earlier described the progress as important and "very, very encouraging".

US media reports have cited unidentified US offi-

cials as saying the Ukrainian counteroffensive has been too slow and hindered by poor tactics – criticism that angered Ukrainian officials and prompted Kuleba to tell critics to "shut up". (Excerpt from Reuters)

US to cancel Alaska oil, gas leases issued under Trump

The US Interior Department on Wednesday said it would cancel oil and gas leases in a federal wildlife refuge that were bought by an Alaska state development agency in the final days of former President Donald Trump's Administration.

Trump's Republican Administration issued the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) seven leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge a day before the inauguration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat who had pledged to protect the 19.6 million-acre (7.7 million hectares) habitat for polar bears and caribou.

Environmentalists and an Alaska indigenous group praised the move while a

Republican Senator from Alaska slammed it. AIDEA officials were not immediately available for comment.

Interior also said it would protect 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, a 23 million-acre area on the state's North Slope that is the largest undisturbed public land in the United States. The agency would prohibit new leasing on more than 10 million acres, or more than 40 per cent of the reserve.

"As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages," Biden said in a statement. "Cancelling all remaining oil and gas leases issued under the previous Administration in the Arctic Refuge and pro-

Scientists grow whole model of human embryo, without sperm or egg

alleging that Hunter Biden illegally possessed a gun while he was a drug user.

Hunter Biden's legal team responded in a court filing that their client was abiding by the terms of a socalled diversion agreement approved by a probation office under which he must stay out of trouble for two years.

In July, a Federal Judge said she could not approve an "unusual" plea deal overseen by Weiss that would have spared Hunter Biden prison time.

At that hearing, he ultimately pleaded not guilty to two counts of failure to pay federal taxes on income of more than US$1.5 million annually from 2017-18.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Scientists have grown an entity that closely resembles an early human embryo, without using sperm, eggs or a womb.

The Weizmann Institute team say their "embryo model", made using stem cells, looks like a textbook example of a real 14-dayold embryo.

It even released hormones that turned a pregnancy test positive in the lab.

The ambition for embryo models is to provide an ethical way of understanding the earliest moments of our lives.

The first weeks after a sperm fertilises an egg is a period of dramatic change – from a collection of indistinct cells to something that eventually becomes

recognisable on a baby scan.

This crucial time is a major source of miscarriage and birth defects, but poorly understood.

"It's a black box and that's not a cliche – our knowledge is very limited," said Professor Jacob Hanna, from the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Embryo research is legally, ethically and technically fraught. But there is now a rapidly-developing field mimicking natural embryo development.

This research, published in the journal Nature, is described by the Israeli team as the first "complete" embryo model for mimicking all the key structures that emerge in the early embryo.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

tecting more than 13 million acres in the Western Arctic will help preserve our Arctic lands and wildlife, while honouring the culture, his-

tory, and enduring wisdom of Alaska Natives who have lived on these lands since time immemorial." (Excerpt from Reuters)

Nigeria election tribunal upholds President Bola Tinubu’s victory

Nigeria’s presidential election tribunal ruled on Wednesday that Nigeria’s main Opposition parties failed to prove claims of electoral malpractice against the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) in February’s disputed elections.

“This petition is hereby declared unmeritorious,” one of the Judges said, as the tribunal rejected the opposition challenge to Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s win in the presidential election.

The challenges came after one of the country’s most tightly-fought elections, in which former Lagos governor Tinubu won 37 per cent of the vote, beating Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party to secure the presidency of Africa’s most populous nation.

Abubakar and Obi had asked the court to invalidate the election, alleging irregularities.

Judges rejected all claims made by Labour Party candidate Obi, including fraud, charges electoral authorities broke the law and allegations Tinubu was ineligible to run.

The court was also reading its judgement on a second Opposition party petition, which is also expected to be dismissed. Filed by PDP candidate Abubakar, it lays out similar complaints against the February 25 election results.

No legal challenge to the outcome of a presidential election has succeeded in Nigeria, which returned to democracy in 1999 after three decades of almost uninterrupted military rule and has a history of electoral fraud.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Police Officers and rescuers carry the body of a person killed by a Russian military strike in Kostiantynivka, Donetsk region, Ukraine, September 6, 2023 (Press service of the Interior Ministry of Ukraine/ Handout via Reuters)

Prosecutors seek indictment of President

Currently, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in India for the G20 summit, where he hopes to drum up foreign investment [Lewis Joly/AFP file photo]

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Pay attention to how you present yourself to the world. Make fitness and health your priorities. You will gain momentum and the type of attention that can help you get ahead.

(March 21-April 19)

PICKLES

(April 20-May 20)

Think big, but live within your means. Don’t let temptation get the best of you. Simplify your life instead of complicating matters. Find a way to use your skills to stand out.

Take the initiative to verify information before passing it along. Protect your reputation and position from anyone trying to dismantle what you have worked hard to achieve. Stick close to home.

(May 21-June 20)

PEANUTS

SUDOKU

(June 21-July 22)

Simplify your life. Sticking to what you know and feel comfortable with will help eliminate stress and leave you free to follow your heart. Find an innovative way to handle your responsibilities.

Work alone to get the most done. Refuse to get involved in other people’s affairs or put yourself in a compromising position. Focus on what’s important to you and avoid heated discussions.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Concentrate on learning and increasing your qualifications. Set high standards and carry yourself with confidence. Refuse to let someone’s jealousy stand between you and what you want to achieve.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Set the standard instead of living by someone else’s rules. Do what’s right for you and engage in activities that make you feel good about yourself. Trust your instincts and follow your heart.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Learn through observation and reach out to people you respect. Work to eliminate the problems standing in your way. Reevaluate your life and you’ll discover what makes you happy.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Let others know how you feel instead of agreeing to do things that don’t appeal to you. It’s time to do things your way. Put yourself first and get to work.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION

FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Home is where the heart is, so making it work for you is vital. Consider what makes you happy and the changes that need to occur. Include the people you love in your plans.

Start doing what’s best for you. Create your happy place -- your joy will spread. Put a smile on your face, a skip in your step and a robust mindset in place.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Don’t share personal information or secrets. Focus on the changes that will improve your life and your relationships with others. Emotional manipulation and deception are apparent.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Additional CPL playoffs/ final tickets on sale today

With just over one week before the action begins on the local shores, another batch of tickets for the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2023 playoffs and finals will go on sale.

The tickets will be available online ONLY at www. cplt20.com and will go on sale from 9am today, Thursday September 7th.

Importantly, this additional batch of tickets will NOT be on sale at the Camp Street, Georgetown box office.

The CPL playoffs and final are scheduled to ignite the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) from September 19th to 24th.

Republic Bank Nationwide U23 Inter-Club Super50 Tournament…

Nanan leads DCC to win over West Demerara

Inderjeet Nanan’s half-century led Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) to victory over West Demerara by 37 runs in a match played at the GCC in the final of the Demerara leg of the RBL Nationwide under-23 Inter-Club Super50 Tournament.

Batting first, DCC scored 207 all out in 50 overs, recovering from 130-7 at one stage. Inderjeet Nanan top scored with 55, while Nkosi Beaton made 43, but Ezekiel Wilson’s 30 not out was what orchestrated the recovery.

Bowling for West Demerara, Ushardena

innings of 75 off just 82 balls in a losing cause. The fall of his wicket started the West Demerara collapse. DCC will now play Albion in the national playoff on Thursday at GCC. The winner will face Essequibo champions North Essequibo in the final on Friday, also at GCC.

Pepsi/Mike Parris U16 tournament recommences this weekend

Even after their impressive triumph at the recently concluded Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean School Boys and Juniors tournament, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will continue to focus on its developmental youth programme.

As such, this weekend will see resumption of the monthly Pepsi Mike Parris School Boys and Girls Junior Championship at the Andrew "Six Head" Lewis Gym in Albouystown, Georgetown on Saturday from 1:00pm.

The recommencement of this monthly apparatus comes in the wake of the recent Caribbean Championship, which was hosted from August 18th – 20th at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue, and featured participation of Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The weigh-in and medical examinations of the respective pugilists for the competition, which will be supervised by GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole, will occur at 10:00am at the same facility. The event is open to all the gyms affiliated with the local governing body.

Several fighters who competed in the prestigious Caribbean Championship will enter the squared circle.

Technical Director Poole said, "This is the normal U16 tournament that is held monthly, and while we are not sure how many gyms will be competing, it is open to everyone, and participation will be confirmed at the registration. As of now, all the gyms have been invited to compete. This is very important for the youth as we continue to work on our nursery programme.

“That is our focus, because the more competitions that are staged will lead to more experience. This is what develops the fighters for the future, because we will need them to transition and take over from the seniors in the not-so-distant future, so we have to continue this process."

Meanwhile, Steve Ninvalle, President of the GBA, said, "This is simply the resumption of our regular programming, which is

the emphasis on the continued evolution of our nursery programme. This initiative is the proverbial bread and butter or staple of the association’s long-term development framework, and continues to provide empirical evidence of its success by creating and maintaining an assembly line of talents that have continued to dominate the English-speaking Caribbean region. This was on full display at the recently held Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys and Juniors Championship, where Guyana won the most medals and emerged once again as the overall champion.

“The GBA will continue to institute this programme, and will expand on its scope with the introduction of other participating gyms, which will add another dimension to the apparatus."

Golden Jaguars’ CNL home game confirmed

The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has confirmed that the home game of the senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars, will be played next week as part of the kick-off of the CONCACAF Nations League (CNL) 2023/2024.

Balgobin had fantastic figures of 5-39 off his 10 overs.

In reply, West Demerara fell for 170, despite being 120-4 after 30 overs. Daniel Mootoo was the DCC’s top bowler with figures of 3-29 off 7.5 overs. Kareem Whitney

and national under-17 captain Jonathan Van Lange took two wickets each. The bowlers kept the pressure on the West Demerara batsmen throughout the innings, but Sachin Balgobin played a composed

Scores from the match were as follows: DCC 207 all out. Indrajeet Nanan 55 (61) with 8 fours 2 sixes; Nkosi Beaton 43 runs (54) with 3 fours 2 sixes; Ezekiel Wilson 30 runs (26) with 2 fours and 1 six. Bowling for West Demerara, U. Balgobin took 5-39 from 10 overs. West Demerara 170 all out. Sachin Balgobin 75 (82) with 8 fours and 1 six. Bowling for DCC, Daniel Mootoo took 3-29, Kareem Whitney and Jonathan Van Lange each took two wickets.

The confirmation came via a missive on the Federation’s social media platforms on Tuesday.

The Golden Jaguars’ meeting with the Bahamas is set for next Tuesday, September 12th, at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC) at Leonora, West Coast Demerara (WCD), and comes 3 days after the national team’s opening CNL game against Antigua and Barbuda this Saturday (September 9th) in the opponents’ backyard.

The announcement

about Guyana’s home game is a welcome one, considering the Golden Jags’ inability to host such earlier this year.

Back in March, the Golden Jaguars had to play their CNL home game in Barbados, owing to what was described as a “thorough review of the facilities at the National Track

and Field Center” by CONCACAF. That game was instead played at the Wildey Turf Stadium in Wildey, Barbados, and ended with the Golden Jaguars playing to a stalemate against Montserrat.

Next Tuesday’s home game is currently set to kick off at 18:00hrs local time.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole

The Golden Jaguars will be in action at home next week

The DCC team celebrating their victory

Indarjeet Nanan was adjudged “Man of the Match” (Final)

Women’s CPL: TKR keep hopes alive for final after beating Royals

Trinbago Knight Riders recorded their first win of the 2023 Massy Women’s Premier League (WCPL) at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad to keep alive their hopes of participating in the final game.

The Knight Riders beat

the previously unbeaten Hayley Matthews’ Barbados Royals team by 13 runs, meaning the winner of the final group match between the Knight Riders and the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Saturday will play the Royals in Sunday’s final.

Erin Burns st †Kycia A Knight

b Kelly

Laura Harris c Cooper

b Jonas

Aaliyah Alleyne c Kyshona A Knight

b Zaida James

Chedean Nation not out 12

Amanda-Jade Wellington run out (Connell/Kelly) 6

Trishan Holder hit wicket b Mohammed

Extras (w 1)

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 7.10) 142/7

Fall of wickets: 1-68 (Hayley Matthews, 9.2 ov), 2-75 (Erin

Burns, 10.6 ov), 3-97 (Laura

Harris, 14.2 ov), 4-120 (Aaliyah

Alleyne, 17.1 ov), 5-121 (Gaby

Lewis, 17.3 ov), 6-128 (Amanda-

Jade Wellington, 18.1 ov), 7-142 (Trishan Holder, 19.6 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Fran Jonas 4-0-23-1

Shamilia Connell 2-0-19-0

Zaida James 4-0-34-2

Anisa Mohammed 4-0-32-1

Marie Kelly 4-0-21-1

Samara Ramnath 2-0-13-1

The Knight Riders kept the theme going by winning the toss and opting to bat first. Deandra Dottin’s side applied pressure early with a strong PowerPlay, setting out to record a big score while keeping wickets in hand, and eventually finishing on 155/3.

Gaby Lewis put up a good fight with a half-century in reply after a good start with Matthews, but tight bowling eventually made 156 look too far away late on.

Dottin and Mignon du Preez, keeping the steady innings ticking over to reach 155/3 despite just one six in the innings.

Amanda-Jade Wellington prevented a higher score with very economical figures of 0/11 in the middle overs, while Matthews picked up a pair of wickets, one at each end of the innings, to finish with 2/23.

b Zaida James 62

Knight Riders scored 33 runs inside two overs in the PowerPlay, courtesy of quickfire starts from Marie Kelly

and Kycia Knight. At 58/1 after six overs, the hosts continued to pile on partnerships with low risk through the experience of captain Deandra

The Royals had already chased a score higher than this total in this year’s competition, but it wasn’t to be on this occasion, despite their threatening to do so throughout. Matthews came

Jeewanram, Chattargum, Boodhoo shine at outdoor Archery C/ships

Atotal of 30 archers, 21 men and 9 women, competed in Archery Guyana’s National Outdoor Championships 2023, sponsored by Sterling Products Limited and Oasis Water, and hosted over the past weekend. Held over Saturday, August 19th and Sunday, August 20th, the action went down at the Queen’s College Playfield on Thomas Lands in Georgetown.

On Saturday, qualification rounds were literally hotly contested in both Recurve and Barebow categories in the blistering heat. The National Judges for the competition were DOS (Director of Shooting) Mr. Ryan McKinnon and Line/ Target Judge Mr. Robert Singh.

BAREBOW

In the Barebow Men’s event, Jeewanram Persaud narrowly topped off the list with 601 points, while Mehandra Chatargum came in a close 600 and Ryan Chichester at 509 for 3rd place. Following up on points were Muhammad Zamaluddin with 499, Vishal Manbode with 452, Faraad Gani with 394, Richard Dookie with 358, Courtlee Rodrigues with 322, Jaza Percival with 305 and Afzal Karim with 297.

In the U18 Barebow Men’s event, Saifullah Gani scored highest (548) to beat

Muhsin Wazidali’s 273 and Christian Craigen’s 119. Only three Under-18 men contested the category.

In the Barebow Women’s event, Roshini Boodhoo topped with 422, Melesa Ramnaraine scored 351, Julie-Ann Williams 259, followed by Fatima Ameera Gani with 211 and Karin Toppin with 191.

RECURVE

Seven men contested the Recurve ranking round, and again it was Persaud who prevailed. He scored 647 points, ahead of Chatargum’s 606. Saeed Karim came in 3rd with 571 points, followed by Vishal Manbode’s 489, Jaza Percival’s 488, Naresh Sukhu’s 444 and Faraad Gani’s 415.

In the Women’s catego-

ry, Roshini Boodhoo again beat all her opponents to score 439, over Julie-Ann Williams’s 388, Samira Duncan’s 382 and Karin Toppin’s 212.

FINALS

In the semifinals and finals held on Sunday 20th August, the archers fought to medal in their respective categories. The Barebow Men’s Final saw Mehandra Chatargum earning gold over Jeewanram Persaud’s silver and Faraad Gani’s bronze.

In the U18 Barebow Men’s Final, Saifullah Gani copped the gold as Muhsin Wazidali took silver and Christian Craigen took bronze.

The Men’s Recurve saw Persaud take gold, with Karim taking silver and

Chatargum taking bronze. And in the Women’s Recurve, Boodhoo took home the gold, as Duncan and Williams settled for silver and bronze respectively.

At the presentation ceremony, remarks were delivered by Marketing Manager Dellon Lynch of Sterling Products, who indicated that he was impressed at the high level of archery he witnessed, and presented each medalist with a tub of Igloo ice cream. He also indicated that Sterling Products would be delighted to see their sponsored event on the yearly calendar, and looks forward to next year.

President of Archery Guyana, Mrs Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, conveyed gratitude to the hard-working Committee and to the judges, and ex-

tended special thanks to SPL Chief Executive Officer Ramsay Ali, Marketing Manager Dellon Lynch, and Management of Sterling Products.

Persaud-McKinnon commended the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Queen’s College, Marcel Gaskin, for allowing the use of the facility, remarked on the ideal location of the playfield, and made honourable mention of Rhonda Ogle and Nardeo Persaud who ensured access to the ground was an ease.

The Board of Directors of Archery Guyana has said it wishes to thank our sponsors, our Competitions Committee and Judges Committee, Media and the Affiliate Clubs’ participation for another successful archery competition.

out firing, reaching her highest score of the WCPL this year with 45, before she was dismissed by 15-year-old Samara Ramnath on her T20 debut.

After a more supportive role initially, Irish international Lewis kicked on to 62, bringing up her 50 in 43 balls in another substantial knock for the Royals, after her 47 in match one.

With other overseas players Erin Burns and Laura Harris failing to get out of single figures, the wickets continued to fall for the Royals, and Lewis’s dismissal in the 18th over left them needing to up the run rate to 12 an over, but the innings fizzled out at the hands of 18 overs of spin from the Knight Riders. (CPL)

Mehandra Chatargum being congratulated by Archery Guyana President Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon for securing gold in the Men’s Barebow event

Women’s Recurve winner Roshini Boodhoo and Sterling Products Limited’s Dellon Lynch

TKR Women rolled to victory

Gabby Lewis top-scored

Hayley Matthews played well for Royals

Pooran’s perfection propels TKR to victory over Royals in RBL CPL 2023

By Brandon Corlette

Nicholas Pooran’s prolific unbeaten century propelled Trinbago Knight Riders to a 42-run win against Barbados Royals in the 2023 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League.

On yet another working day in Trinidad, fans turned out in great numbers to witness a Pooran special at Queen’s Park Oval. TKR racked up a massive 2086 in their 20 overs, while

Royals reached 166-7 in 20 overs.

Barbados Royals started their chase with the loss of the big wicket of Rahkeem Cornwall. After hitting a boundary with the first ball he faced, Cornwall was caught for four, having faced only two balls.

Kyle Mayers was partnered by Laurie Evans, and the duo took Royals to 46-1 at the powerplay. Mayers survived a close call to Ali Khan, while Evans manipulated the field to perfection early on. However, the mystery of Sunil Narine proved too much for Evans. Narine bowled a maiden, and Waqar Salamkheil then prised the wicket of Evans for 20 from 23 balls.

At 54-2, Rovman Powell joined Mayers, and the duo took Royals’ score to 68-2 in 10 overs. When Mayers reached his fifty from 38 balls with a boundary off Russell, the Royals were 90-2 in 12 overs, requiring 119 runs from 48 balls at

that stage.

The left-arm wrist spinner Salamkheil then removed Powell (09) with a googly to reset the score at 90-3. Salamkheil ended with 2-18 from four top overs. Akeal Hosein also chipped in with 2-21 from three overs.

Ali Khan returned to remove Mayers for 70 from 45 balls, and that was all she wrote for the Royals. Mayers had struck seven fours and four sixes in his innings.

Royals captain Rovman Powell had won the toss and opted to bowl first. TKR lost the out-of-form Mark Deyal (06) at 20-1 when he was brilliantly caught by Rolef van der Merwe. Martin Guptill and the class act Nicholas Pooran pushed on, and TKR reached 49-1 at

Compliments of

the powerplay.

Guptill looked busy at the crease while Pooran mixed brutality with class in his strokeplay. Guptill lost his balance and was stumped around his legs off the bowling of Rahkeem Cornwall with the score at 76-2 after 9.2 overs.

A poor bit of communication then resulted in the run-out dismissal of Kieron Pollard (02) with the score at 78-3. Both Pooran and Pollard were at the one side of the wicket, but Pooran had his foot grounded, while Pollard had his bat away from the line.

In the 10th over, Pooran had already left for the dugout on 27. He returned upon the review, and continued his elegant strokeplay.

Loran Tucker fell cheaply for eight, but Pooran stood firm. The left-handed Pooran reached his second fifty of the season in 36 balls with a boundary off

Nyeem Young, followed by a six.

Young, who holds the record for the most expensive over in CPL history, was taken for 26 off Pooran in the 16th over.

Andre Russell, who walked to the crease with the score at 106-4 in 12.3 overs, surpassed 50 runs with Pooran in just 23 balls.

Pooran continued his way, and despite losing Russell (39), and Akeal Hosein (01), he was brutal. Pooran reached his hundred from 51 balls in front of his home crowd. He was unbeaten on 102 from 53 balls in an innings laced with 10 sixes and five fours.

TKR posted 208-6 in their allotted 20 overs.

Jason Holder claimed 2-39 in his four overs.

The 2023 CPL continues today, Saturday September 9, with St Lucia Kings taking on St Kitts and Nevis Patriots and TKR playing Jamaica Tallawahs at 20:00h Eastern Caribbean Time.

SCOREBOARD

Trinbago Knight Riders (20 ovs maximum)

Martin Guptill st †Clarke

b Cornwall 38

Mark Deyal c van der Merwe

b Mayers 6

Nicholas Pooran not out 102

Kieron Pollard (c)run out

(Mayers/Cornwall) 2

Lorcan Tucker †c †Clarke

b Qais Ahmad 8

Andre Russell c †Clarke

b Holder 39

Akeal Hosein c Qais Ahmad

b Holder 1

Sunil Narine not out 0

Extras (b 2, lb 1, nb 1, w 8) 12

TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 10.40) 208/6

Fall of wickets: 1-20 (Mark Deyal, 2.1 ov), 2-76 (Martin Guptill, 9.2 ov), 3-78 (Kieron Pollard, 9.4 ov),

4-106 (Lorcan Tucker, 12.3 ov),

5-188 (Andre Russell, 18.2 ov),

6-191 (Akeal Hosein, 18.6 ov)

BOWLING O-M-R-W

Kyle Mayers 3-0-36-1

Jason Holder 4-0-39-2

Obed McCoy 4-0-42-0

Qais Ahmad 4-0-27-1

Rahkeem Cornwall 3-0-29-1

Nyeem Young 2-0-32-0

Barbados Royals (T: 209 runs from 20 ovs)

Kyle Mayers c Guptill

b Ali Khan 70

Rahkeem Cornwall c Narine

b Hosein 4

Laurie Evans c †Tucker

b Waqar Salamkheil 20

Rovman Powell (c)c Pooran

b Waqar Salamkheil 9

Alick Athanaze c Deyal

b Narine 7

Jason Holder st †Tucker

b Hosein 19

Nyeem Young c Pollard

b Russell 3

Roelof van der Merwe not out 20

Qais Ahmad not out 4

Extras (lb 3, nb 2, w 5) 10

TOTAL 20 Ov

TKR fans were out in support of the home team

Andre Russell was all power

Royals celebrating the wicket of Pollard

Nicholas Pooran celebrating his milestone

Pooran jumping for joy

Pooran, Hosein et al celebrating a wicket

Kyle Mayers played some attractive shots for Royals

Pooran pulling in supreme fashion