Guyana Times -Saturday, August 12, 2023

West Ruimveldt shooting

Father of 5 shot while protecting soldier from mob – sister –

Police issue wanted bulletin for alleged suspect who is presently in US

had visited the property earlier this year, claiming “that is he family place”.

At this point, he said he urged the man to produce ownership documents and then they could resolve the matter in a “civil manner”. He recalled telling the man, “Come with Police and the documents and we will sort it out. My mother has documents for the place. Once you come with your documents, I gon come with mine and we gon do what we have to do.”

Dexter Horsham, 43, who was fatally shot and chopped on Thursday evening, was trying to protect a soldier from a mob of men who came to evict him from the house he has been occupying with his young son and pregnant wife, according to his sister.

The incident has also left the now dead man’s cousin, Corwyne Abrams, a 38-year-old taxi driver from Charlestown, Georgetown, injured. The Police have since issued a wanted bulletin for 33-year-old Majesty Anthony Fernandes of 1690

National Avenue, South Ruimveldt, Georgetown.

Following the bulletin, Fernandes reached out to local journalist Gordon Moseley, stating that he has been in New York since June and as such, could not have been involved in the violent incident.

Documents were issued to substantiate the man’s claims. The documents showed that he left Guyana and arrived in the United States on June 27 last.

However, Horsham, a construction worker, of Lot 430 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was killed at

around 16:50h in his neighbourhood.

It was reported that Ezekiel Subhan, a 25-yearold Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Lance Corporal, who resides at Lot 426 West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, was at home with his 23-year-old reputed wife when he heard someone knocking at his door and calling for "inside".

As a result, Subhan went out to the front door, looked outside and saw a

man at the door who told him to remove from the house.

“The man claimed that he bought the house from his (Subhan's) great-uncle. However, Subhan told the man that he was not going anywhere and that he should get the Police involved since he did not come with a document of ownership for the property,” said a Police report.

As a result, they argued, and six other identifiable men exited a black pick-up vehicle with registration number GLL 7950 and aggressively entered the yard and rushed to the GDF rank.

By then, a crowd had gathered, which included the victim, Dexter Horsham.

A fight then broke out, and one of the men who came out of the pick-up vehicle and who was armed with a handgun, discharged three rounds.

Horsham and his nephew were struck by the bullets. They were taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where Horsham was pronounced dead. After committing the act, the group of men went back into the vehicle and drove off the scene.

Police stated that the vehicle, GLL 7950, a Chevy Silverado pick-up, was later found parked abandoned in a yard at Lot 2669 Aubrey Barker Road and National Avenue, South Ruimveldt.

The occupant of the said address, Delon Bart, a 32-year-old businessman, was contacted.

“Trying to defend”

At the dead man’s home on Friday, several grieving family members converged, trying to come to grips with the senseless loss of their loved one.

And according to the now dead man’s sister, Collette Horsham, 54, her brother was “trying to represent” the soldier when he

met a tragic end.

During an interview with Guyana Times , she related that she last saw her younger brother alive on Thursday afternoon when he returned home from work.

“I was made to understand he was trying to defend somebody, represent somebody and it escalated…” She fondly recalled that her late brother was a very jovial person. “He is a jovial person. He and you in

Living in fear

Subhan noted that he reported this incident to the Police and is living in fear.

“They could come back again. Me family, me child’s mother went in there with my son. And my child mother is pregnant again. So, I don’t know what could happen. Seh dem knock down the roof and the roof cave in and fall and injure my child… maybe worse. By the grace of God, Allah everything okay,” the soldier added.

He expressed that he is grateful for his neighbours who came to his defence. If it was not for them, he said, he probably would have lost his life.

the house wouldn’t row and them thing duh. He ain’t that type of person that would pick a trouble.”

“Fuh me own family thing”

Meanwhile, the GDF rank told this publication that he has been occupying the property legally for less than a week with his young son and reputed wife, who is currently pregnant. He added that he had been working over the past few months to build the house.

Recalling the incident, Subhan said the men came to his home and destroyed several windows and the roof. “They lash up my windows all kind of stuff.”

“Man fuh me own thing?” he asked, adding that the property belongs to his family. The father of one recounted that a man

“The neighbours them tried to assist me because was seven of them come. They ended up shooting two of my neighbours them. I am grateful for them because without them me ain’t know what would have happened. Probably, I would have geh shoot and all.”

According to him, a man with a firearm emerged from the vehicle, walked up to Dexter and Corwyne and discharged several rounds after realising that the incident was escalating.

The GDF rank described Dexter as “a good man” and wished his cousin a speedy recovery.

Thursday’s episode has prompted the soldier to erect a “no trespassing” sign on the fence. (Feona Morrison)

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, Aug 12 – 01:30h

– 03:00h and Sunday, Aug

13 – 02:30h – 04:00h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Saturday, Aug 12 – 14:20h

– 15:50h and Sunday, Aug

13 – 15:10h – 16:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

There will be sunshine and thundery showers during the day. Expect clear skies at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 32 degrees Celsius.

Winds: Easterly to North-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 4.02 metres.

High Tide: 13:55h reaching a maximum height of 2.09 metres.

Low Tide: 07:21h and 19:41h reaching minimum heights of 1.02 metre and 1.13 metre.

Pres Ali urges youths to take advantage of “tremendous opportunities”

work on drainage issues affecting the community.

“As you can see, we have already started the programme to redo all the streets in here, so all the streets are being redone. And we are working on the drainage issues.”

LOTTERY NUMBERS

With several parts of Guyana buzzing with economic activities, the Guyana Government is contending that there are sufficient opportunities available for young people but they need to be proactive and go after these prospects.

This was according to President Dr Irfaan Ali during a visit to Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) on Thursday. The Head of State told residents of De Kinderen, West Coast Demerara (WCD), who complained about unemployment among young people, that Government is prepared to provide the necessary training to pave the way for employment opportunities.

“The opportunities are there. We have tremendous opportunities there but we have to make use of the opportunities,” the Guyanese leader noted.

According to the President, several contractors carrying out major projects in the region have complained about labour shortages. It was disclosed that over 100 workers are needed in the construction sector alone.

To this end, Ali told the residents to gather a group of young people who want to work and the Government will have them enrolled into a skills-development programme, if necessary, in order to get them employment ready.

“We want to help but people have to help themselves too… This is not a laidback approach. This is an approach where everybody gotta get involved. So, if you have 25 young people in the area who are looking for the construction work, bring their names… We will get them trained and provide the training for them,” he stated.

In addition, the Head of State also urged qualified persons to sign up to be a part of the nursing and nursing aid training programmes being offered by the Government.

“We are going to train them in the nursing programme. We’re going to pay for the training and then we’re gonna employ them when they’re finished,” the

Community issues

Meanwhile, during the outreach in the community, residents also spoke of the need for recreational facilities. In his response, the Head of State said the

Meanwhile, GPL has been tasked with replacing faulty electric poles within the community by September. The residents also informed the Guyanese leader of issues they were having with acquiring land titles and instructions were given for the relevant authorities to return to the community to address this and other matters.

President Ali was accompanied by Housing and Water Minister Collin

bour due to the construction boom across the country, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo last week said the Government is trying to promote labour mobility within the country to address this shortage.

“We’ve spoken to a lot of the contractors here and we’re saying ‘can’t you build facilities to keep them’ – like if someone comes from Berbice or Linden or Essequibo or Region One – so that they have decent accommodation here and then maybe on the weekend, they go back [home]. So, we’re trying to work through that problem to try to see if we can promote greater labour mobility,” he said.

Labour importation

The Vice President’s remarks come on the heels of a push by some sectors to import labour. But Jagdeo noted that while the Government is allowing foreign workers to come in for certain projects, this is not being done at a scale that will disenfranchise Guyanese.

“There are a large number of people who are trying to bring in labourers. We’ve been very cautious in giving large-scale permits. They have to demonstrate a need and they have to now show that the project would be adversely affected before we give the permission,” he stressed.

Government will work with the Council to enhance the community ground for sports and recreational activities.

He told residents that the Government would also

Croal and Minister within the Public Works Ministry Deodat Indar during Thursday’s community outreaches in Region Three.

In order to address the growing need for la-

Some of the large-scale projects have been given permission to import labour so as to not affect their delivery deadlines.

– encourages citizens to register for nursing, other training programmes

News Hotline: 231-8063Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761

Marketing: 231-8064Accounts: 225-6707

Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown

Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

Social media platforms

Social media is a world within a world, and for those who were born in the 21st Century, technology is only but a natural phenomenon. Cell phones, iPods and video games are practically inevitable for teens and young adults. Along with these technologies come social media networking, which is part of the daily routine for many. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, Instagram and TikTok have millions of visitors daily.

Facebook alone has over 1 billion users, which makes it the most popular social network website on Earth. Research conducted by Facebook shows that 50 per cent of its users are active users, who log on daily and spend over two billion minutes per month on the site. There is no doubt that social media and social networking are here to stay; however, added to these ‘natural’ luxuries are risks and dangers.

While these sites’ open dialogue allows individuals to express themselves, there must be some amount of user censorship, not necessarily by the domain host, but rather by the individuals themselves. Creating a profile, and giving details about yourself, hobbies and educational background are all acceptable; however, for many, every aspect of their day, work and lives is posted. Like driving, the users of social media should be cognisant of the five Cs – caution, care, common sense, courtesy and consideration – as many of the things posted can arise in the future to haunt thrones.

Only recently, it was observed locally that a number of young people misuse the platform by posting about relationships, and jobs, and even in some cases they use it to bully others. Common sense – one of the 5 Cs – would inform that such information is personal and should not be posted on a social network, as such behaviours can stymie their personal growth.

In addition, recently, young adults and activists use the platforms to attack Government officials and the general public. While the information posted can cause harm to those who are being targeted, the account holders should, at some point in time, be held accountable.

These, however, come with consequences. Interestingly, many young persons do not take into account or acknowledge the dangers of such postings on social networking sites, since to them all the social sites seem innocent.

Only recently, the court dismissed a cybercrime charge against a man accused of cyber-bullying the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mae Toussaint Jr. Thomas, on his WhatsApp status.

It was reported that Thomas had alleged that the man publicly humiliated and embarrassed her. But at the end of the trial, the court ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to convict the accused of any wrongdoing.

The questions now are: what are people to do when they are bullied on social media? Do they go to the Police, which would later see the charges being dismissed for want of evidence, despite it staring you in the eye?

Recent research has shown one of the greatest impacts of social networking is on the social skills of people. According to a BBC report, while, on the one hand, social networking sites seem to bring people together and connected; on the other hand, it creates social isolation. Research has shown that older generations of networkers learnt how to communicate and interact long before networking was even a thought, but many of the younger generations do not interact socially.

According to the report, social networking has created a serious breach in the ability of young people to communicate and interact with each other.

It is clear there is evidence suggesting that social networking can be risky to a dangerous extent, but it is an area that cannot be ignored, as it is the driving force of the world today. Like the many pleasures of life, social networking can be beneficial in moderation; however, unfortunately, moderation and the social media world do not coincide in society.

As such, all one can hope for is that young people have a deeper understanding and be conscious of what they are posting on social media, taking into consideration its impact today, tomorrow and years ahead.

Wednesday’s assassination of a presidential candidate is the second high-profile political killing in less than a month in Ecuador.

Fernando Villavicencio was killed as he left a political rally – and popular city Mayor Agustín Intriago was shot dead while attending a public event only two weeks ago. During Guillermo Lasso’s presidency, eight public officials or candidates for office have been killed and several have survived murder attempts.

How can we understand the spiral of political violence in Ecuador? How did Ecuador go from being one of the safest countries in Latin America to being one the most violent countries in the Region?

Prison gangs have taken democracy hostage in Ecuador, and the Government has played a prominent role in this horrifying situation. President Lasso has effectively stood by while crime organisations with links to foreign drug mafias have seized control of the prison system; at the same time, the President has criminalised political protests and democratic dissent.

Lasso, who partowns one of Ecuador’s largest banks, is an old-fashioned neoliberal surrounded by far-right libertarians and media moguls. In May, amid impeachment proceedings and corruption accusations, the President disbanded the national

assembly and called for early elections, triggering the bloodiest political campaign in Ecuador’s history.

Political violence and prison violence are connected in Ecuador. In 2021 the national Police assumed control of Ecuadorian penitentiaries, and since then, about 400 inmates have been killed during violent riots. Under Police oversight, prison gangs gained power by supplying crime intelligence in exchange for extravagant privileges, such as the administration of an entire prison wing – or turning a prison yard into a tilapia fish pool. Prison violence spread to the streets and the political arena, where citizens became victims of shootings and extortion, and politicians received death threats and were victims of brazen attacks. According to official reports, most people killed on the streets have no links to organised crime –and several Government officials are currently under Police protection.

Some claim that organised crime has penetrated political parties and security forces. I believe the problem is more complicated. Criminal organisations are political actors with real statecraft. Moreover, in Ecuador, criminal power and political power are mutually constituted and increasingly indistinguishable. Crime bosses behind bars regularly broadcast social media videos that bizarrely resemble official Government content: short video pronouncements that mim-

ic a President flanked by Cabinet members.

But there are alternatives. We know enough about organised crime and neoliberal governance to wake up from this narco nightmare. Prison gangs are powerful because their leaders control the narrative and the streets. The Government must deactivate the crime intelligence mechanism that has given criminal bosses leverage to negotiate prison privileges –and to treat entire cities as though they were fiefdoms.

Unfortunately, Ecuador is heading in the opposite direction. The prison administration has been militarised and authorities insist on solutions centred on producing more prison intelligence and building more prison infrastructures. More prisons will only give more negotiating power to gang bosses, and we should also consider that most inmates are victims of daily prison gang violence, too. We need to listen carefully and attentively to the civil rights activist Angela Davis: imprisonment entails the divestment of rights. We don’t build democracies with prisons.

Political violence destroys the democratic fabric and terrorises the people. The assassination of politicians is part of a broader process by organised crime groups to undermine democracy.

Authoritarian voices grow louder and a dangerous nostalgia for military establishments is gaining traction. Ecuador has reached a tipping point

in its political history. Its people go to the polls in less than 10 days – and it is imperative that democratic processes, including a peaceful transfer of power, take place so that the country can be rebuilt.

As security budgets balloon in Ecuador and US security agencies are called in to support, social spending dwindles; feeble public services approach extinction; formal employment is the privilege of a few; and migration out of Ecuador soars. The challenges for the next President are multiple. In addition to re-establishing basic state capacities, the country needs urgent prison and Police reforms.

But the main problem right now is that the Government has little political power over Police and security policy. In fact, it is increasingly dependent on the Police and the prison system to manage social problems such as unemployment, poverty and inequality.

The institutions of policing and imprisonment must be defunded rather than empowered. The Government needs to recognise the role of the state in the production of prison and street violence – and reorient its strategy. The “war on drugs” is not the answer. It has failed; and the militarisation of cities and territories will only worsen the situation. (The Guardian)

(Jorge Núñez is an anthropologist and currently visiting scholar at SUM, University of Oslo)

In Ecuador, a presidential candidate was assassinated. The tragedy is that no one was surprised

Home ownership now is grasp of Guyanese

Dear Editor,

I read with interest an unsigned article in the media that argues home ownership in Guyana is a pipe dream. The missive took on a retaliatory tone against Minister Susan Rodrigues (Housing and Water), who provided an update on the Young Professional Homes being built at LBI. The complainant also stated that many projects that were announced have not been completed.

While the letter in question does express some legitimate concerns, it could have been more cautious with its general claims. Consider the points below. For the sake of clarity, let us begin with a specific point made by the complainant.

They argue that a house in Kingston sells for about $95,000,000 (GY ninety-five million), and given the wage level in Guyana, no worker could afford to buy a

house in that lovely part of Georgetown. To add a populist slant to the claim, the letter writer wants to know “how on earth can a teacher afford that?”

Well, it is absurd for a teacher to want to buy a house for GY$95 million.

If fact, I bet no teacher in their right mind would be thinking that they may want to buy a house for that price, the same way a teacher in Washington DC cannot think she may want to buy a house in McLean, Virginia; or Potomac, Maryland. Unlike the letter writer, most consumers are quite rational when it comes to buying a house. People must afford what they want to buy.

Allow me to provide a lesson to the letter writer regarding populism and housing. This will take us back to President Bill Clinton who, for good reasons, wanted to boost home ownership. But there was

also a good dose of politics involved. Clinton pushed aggressively to lower downpayments, and to ease the market conditions for mortgages. The toxic, sub-prime mortgage market emerged, and with the removal of Glass-Steagall in 1999, a free-for-all broke out. Subprime mortgages were securitized, bundled, and sold off to investors, many of whom did not know the extent of the risks. President George W. Bush continued with the same policies.

Sub-prime mortgages were targeted at those who could not otherwise obtain a mortgage, and amounted to hot-money speculation facilitated by politicians who wanted to administer home ownership through economic populism. It eventually caused the US economy to crash, and many of the poor who were sold debt (mortgages) they could not have otherwise obtained were forced into bankruptcy.

No bank should provide a mortgage to a teacher to buy a house for GY$95 million, unless the teacher has another source of income to comfortably meet the monthly payments. Buy what you can afford.

President Ali’s administration has committed to housing to the tune of 50,000 through a combination of house lots, Young Professional Homes, and other targeted categories. The investments are huge, and will yield real value for people all across this country. It costs GY$3 million to develop a house lot. The Government aggressively subsidizes these house lots, and further, it also has strong levelling mechanisms in the housing policy. High-income lots are sold for as high a GY$2.3 million; low income lots are subsidized by up to 90% of the real cost. Let us look at affordability. Two teachers making

2023 edition of RBLCPL

Dear Editor,

The 2023 edition of the Republic Bank Limited Caribbean Premier League will certainly be full of aggression and passion. Even this inaugural Women’s attraction will be full of excitement. The six competing teams are pretty strong on paper.

The eleventh edition of the League will see keen contestation between the six teams. The round-robin playoffs will be hot and exciting. All the teams in the tournament have some of the top T20 players from around the world. The home team, Guyana Amazon Warriors, is a team to watch in this year’s tournament. There are four explosive batsmen in the Amazon Warriors’ batting line-up.

Shimron Hetmyer, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Shai Hope and Chanderpaul Hemraj are good enough to destroy any bowling

line-up; and the all-rounders Odean Smith, Romario Shepherd and Keemo Paul are effective quick bowlers who are capable of scoring quick runs. While Kevin Sinclair is a capable spinner, he could be a hard-hitting batsman, and the genuine spinner Gudakesh Motie is also capable of scoring runs. Azam Khan can also be a match-winner, and the other overseas player, Dwaine Pretorius, is a genuine utility player who can strengthen the batting and bowling efforts.

Defending champions Jamaica Tallawahs will be looking to successfully defend their title. However, their batting will be depending heavily on the likes of Brandon King, Jermaine Blackwood, Shamarh Brooks and young Kirk McKenzie.

All eyes will be on the Barbados Royals. Rovman Powell is a useful all-rounder who can hit the ball very

hard. Kyle Mayers, Rassie Van Der Dussen and the young Alick Athanaze are all highly talented batsmen. The Barbados Royals’ bowling will be taken care of by Jason Holder, Obed McCoy, some youths, and the experienced Rahkeem Cornwall.

The Trinbago Night Riders team looks very challenging on paper. However, all eyes will be on the selection of the team. Kieron Pollard, Andre Russel, Sunil Narine, Dwane Bravo, Martin Guptill and Chadwick Walton are all “elder” players, and it will be interesting to see how they will mix with the young “turks”. Nicholas Pooran, Rilee Rossouw and the all-rounders can also win matches with their power-hitting.

St Kitts & Nevis Patriots will depend heavily on the likes of Evin Lewis, Andre Fletcher and the explosive Sherfane Rutherford, along with their all-round-

ers, to put runs on the board. Their bowling will be spearheaded by the genuine pace of Dominick Drakes, Sheldon Cottrell and Oshane Thomas, while the young Ashmead Nedd could get among the wickets.

St Lucia Kings team is certainly a team to watch in the tournament. Faf du Plessis, Johnson Charles, and Sikandar Raza, along with Bhanuka Rajapaksa, are all batting match winners. Alzarri Joseph will be their main strike bowler.

The 2023 RBLCPL will be highly competitive, and the winner will be the team with the better captain and best fielding. Runs on the board will also be decisive. As for the Warriors, the crowd will expect Shimron Hetmyer to play his best cricket this year.

All eyes will be on this year’s CPL.

Sincerely,

Pres Ali urges youths to take advantage...

These include the Indiafunded Ogle, East Coast Demerara, to Eccles (East Bank Demerara) Bypass Road project and the new Demerara River Bridge project that is being undertaken by a Chinese contractor – China Railway and Construction Corporation (CRCC) Limited.

However, the Vice President explained that while there are labour shortages for certain skill types in Region Four

(Demerara-Mahaica), this may not be the case in the other regions hence the government’s cautiousness in allowing the importation of workers.

According to Jagdeo, finding skilled labourers in areas such as plumbing, carpentry, masonry and drivers especially heavy-duty operators in Region Four is a difficult task for many contractors.

“The situation is not the same in other regions of

the country. So, we don’t want to allow a large number to come here when our own people in other parts of the country still may be looking for a job. But because they don’t have the same level of economic activities in those regions, then they can’t find one as yet,” he stated.

On this note, the VP posited that Government is trying to expand the local supply of labour through aggressive training pro-

GY$80,000 each can afford a house for GY$9,000,000.

From their combined income of GY$180,000 they will pay GY$$41,000 in monthly mortgage, or about 25% of their salary. This assumes a rate of 3.75%. A single person can get a Government house (where available) for GY$5.5 million, and will pay GY$25,000 monthly mortgage. That is a much higher portion of the monthly income, but single-buyer home purchasers are always at a disadvantage.

A higher-income couple making GY$250,000 each can build a home for GY$20 million, and pay GY$116,000 monthly mortgage, amortized over 30 years. This assumes an interest rate of 5.75%.

The complainant should look around the world, and especially at places where Guyanese have migrated. It is worthwhile making the comparison. The median house price in Toronto is CAD$1,171,300, while the average salary in Toronto is CAD$62,000. The average house price, therefore, is 18 times the average salary. Mind you, the average entry-level salary in Toronto is CAD $33,000.

The average price for a house in Florida is US$377,000, while the average income in Florida for the 25th percentile is US$2994 per month. A house purchased at the two averages will result in a monthly mortgage payment of US$2090 (includ-

ing property tax and home insurance). The monthly payment then will be close to 70% of the monthly salary! Do you get the picture? Guyana looks very good by comparison.

Within the Caribbean, you should know that house prices went up 38% in Trinidad and Tobago since 2022.

The letter writer does have a solid point about rent escalation. Most of the spectacular rents we see, however, are geared towards foreign workers, usually connected to oil and gas.

Minister Croal and Minister Rodrigues have both made it clear that the accelerated housing push on board now will bring greater balance to the housing market. It must also be said that tens of thousands of Guyanese who had little savings and no long-term wealth can now hold their heads high because of rapid asset appreciation. Many ordinary people have become quite wealthy, at least on account of property values. The challenge is for the banking system to facilitate that wealth into agile liquidity.

The concerns of the anonymous would have been more effective had he or she been more guided by the dynamics of the housing market rather than by attempts to score cheap political points.

Sincerely, Dr

09:00

FROM PAGE 3

grammes through the GOAL scholarships and BIT training as well as with the massive training school that is being established at Port Mourant in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne). He added that these efforts are further bolstered with the part-time jobs’ initiative, which is not only a means for persons to earn an income but also an opportunity for them to get job training. (G-8)

18:30 Hepzibah

19:00 The Evening News

20:00

20:30

22:00 Movie - Transformers: Rise of the Beasts (2023)

Geometry

Page Foundation

Plane Geometry

Plane Geometry

Triangles

Triangles

A triangle has three sides and three angles

A triangle has three sides and three angles

The three angles always add up to 180°

The three angles always add up to 180°

Equilateral, Isosceles and Scalene

Equilateral, Isosceles and Scalene

There are three special names given to triangles that tell how many sides (or angles) are equal.

are three special names given to triangles that tell how many sides (or are equal.

There can be 3 2 or no equal sides/angles:

can be 3, 2 or

In this fun and easy cool science experiment for kids, we’re going to show you how to make do-ityourself Styrofoam slime.

Materials:

Styrofoam cups or Poly-Fil Micro

Beads

Hot water

Warm water

Food coloring

Borax powder

White Elmer’s Glue

Measuring cups

Measuring spoons

Mixing bowls

Gallon-size Ziplock freezer bag

Instructions: Break up four or five Styrofoam cups and put them in your blender. Add about a tablespoon of water and use the pulse button on your blender to break up the pieces into small bits.

Put ½ cup of hot water in a mixing bowl and then mix in 2 tablespoons of Borax powder. Keep mixing until the Borax dissolves.

In a separate mixing bowl, mix together a ¼ cup of warm water with a ¼ cup of white Elmer’s glue. Go ahead and feel free to add some food coloring if you prefer at this point and mix it in

thoroughly. Now pour the glue mixture and the borax mixture into the ziplock bag.

Then, add about 1 ½ cups of the ground up Styrofoam cups into the ziplock bag. You can add more or less Styrofoam later to get the consistency you desire. Zip the bag closed and squish the contents around to mix the ingredients together. Keep squishing until the contents begin to solidify. Remove your batch of Styrofoam Floam from the ziplock bag and enjoy.

How it works: Slime is created when a chemical reaction occurs between the borax and glue. This chemical reaction combines the two ingredients permanently. Adding Styrofoam is fun and also allows you to investigate the properties of slime as the Styrofoam never permanently combines with the slime.

Make this a science project: Try different activators like saline solution or liquid starch. Try adding pompoms. Try adding beads. Try adding cotton balls. (sciencefun.org)

Cruising at thirty thousand feet above the endless green the islands seem like dice tossed on a casino’s baize, some come up lucky, others not. Puerto Rico takes the pot, the Dallas of the West Indies, silver linings on the clouds as we descend are hall-marked, San Juan glitters like a maverick’s gold ring.

All across the Caribbean

we’d collected terminals – airports are like calling cards, cultural fingermarks; the hand-written signs at Portau-Prince, Piarco’s sleazy tourist art, the lethargic contempt of the baggage boys at ‘Vere Bird’ in St. Johns... And now for plush San Juan.

But the pilot’s bland, you’re safe in my hands drawl crackles as we land, “US regulations demand all passengers not disembarking at San Juan stay on the plane, I repeat, stay on the plane.”

Subtle Uncle Sam, afraid too many desperate blacks might re-enslave this Island of the free, might jump the barbed electric fence around ‘America’s back yard’ and claim that vaunted sanctuary... ‘Give me your poor...’

Through toughened, tinted glass the contrasts tantalise; US patrol cars glide across the shimmering tarmac, containered baggage trucks unload with fierce efficiency. So soon we’re climbing, low above the pulsing city streets; galvanised shanties overseen by condominiums polished Cadillacs shimmying past Rastas with pushcarts and as we climb, San Juan’s fool’s glitter calls to mind the shattered innards of a TV set that’s fallen off the back of a lorry, all painted valves and circuits the roads like twisted wires, the bright cars, micro-chips It’s sharp and jagged and dangerous, and belonged to someone else.

WORD SEARCH

Chinese Landing controversy

CCJ remains Guyana’s highest court – GGDMA

…calls for probe by FIU, SOCU, GRA into years of illegalities; tax evasion

The Guyana Gold and Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) is calling for investigations to be launched into years of unauthorised mining and other illegalities including tax evasion at Chinese Landing, Region One (Barima-Waini).

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

But when the GGMC had taken steps to issue a Cease Work Order (CWO) to the miner/company, the case had been taken to the High Court, which has ruled in favour of the miner/company. The High Court decision was subsequently overturned by the Court of Appeal. However, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) reversed this in 2017. Chinese Landing, through lobbying bodies, subsequently moved internationally to seek human rights intervention.

Consequently, the InterAmerican Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) recently issued Resolution

41/2023, through which it granted precautionary measures in favour of members of the Indigenous Carib Community of Chinese Landing, who it said are currently at “serious, urgent risk of suffering irreparable harm to their human rights”.

But in a statement, the GGDMA reminded that the CCJ is Guyana’s highest court.

“The Caribbean Court of Justice is in fact the highest court in Guyana and final arbitrator in legal matters, yet its decisions are being skirted and loopholed… The Association calls for the decision of Guyana’s highest court, the Caribbean Court of Justice, to be respected. Anything else would-be lawlessness,” the Association said.

According to the GGDMA, the mining permit

holder has been unlawfully deprived of his right to earn a livelihood while illegality ran amuck on the lands for more than 12 years. It noted that the GGMC has failed to do its job resulting in environmental damage.

“…unregulated mining resulting in the current condition of Chinese landing is a direct result of this negligence/incompetence. The GGDMA calls for an immediate stop to the harassment of legal miners and for a full commitment from the regulatory agencies administering the mining sector to adhere to Guyana’s highest court. The legal property holder must be allowed to pursue his constitutional right to earn a living and not be vilified, he has legally fought long and hard for this right,” the Association stated.

Following the issuance

Jealous miner slapped with murder charge

It is alleged that the woman and Allicock were consuming alcohol and became intoxicated. The situation escalated when they stopped at another shop, where Nelson was also imbibing.

The now dead man was conversing with the young woman but this angered the suspect. An argument broke out during which the suspect reportedly assaulted the female. Upon seeing this, Nelson stepped in, which led to a scuffle between the two men.

Amidst the struggle, Allicock allegedly pulled out a knife and inflicted two stab wounds on Nelson.

Eliuge Allicock, a 26-year-old miner of Annai Village, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) was on Friday charged for the murder of Calvin Nelson, which occurred on August 5, 2023.

Allicock appeared before Magistrate Crystal Lambert at the Bartica Magistrate's Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charge. As such, he was remanded to prison until

August 29, 2023.

It was reported that following the death of Nelson, a 22-year-old female cook of Tasserene Village in the Middle Mazaruni River was contacted by law enforcement officers.

During questioning, she admitted to being in an intimate relationship with the suspect, Allicock, and revealed her prior involvement with the deceased, Calvin Nelson.

of the IACHR Resolution, the Guyana Government promised to work with the Chinese Landing residents and indicated that a team would soon be sent into the community to meet with them.

While it welcomed the Government’s fact-finding mission and looks forward to the illumination of the truth, the GGDMA is of the view, however, that Government’s action on this matter is a watershed moment in the mining history of Guyana. The Association contended that if the rights of those who shout the loudest triumph over the truth, then the entire industry will develop disrespect for the law and just practice shouting.

“The GGDMA is aware of the impact the actions in this matter may have on other areas bordering Amerindian lands…

As expected, the [Chinese Landing] Village Council has stated that it does not approve of the Government’s fact-finding mission, they are in fact quite unhappy with any fact-finding mission, they have one position, deprive the legal mine holder of his rights and give it to

them to use without regulation or oversight. Why? Any fact-finding mission will find out the truth, not just Nancy stories.”

“The facts of the matter are that these are not the barefoot teary-eyed actors who appear before the Government commission, international lobbying bodies and the numerous political parasites. These are in fact the millionaires who evade taxes, royalties, legal and environmental oversight. These are illegal operators who live in multi-million-dollar houses built from illegitimate proceeds. These are not the poor starving villagers the lobbying groups make them out to be, they are well-armed, well-funded and fully equipped to strip bare the land without oversight. What they are asking for is not for protection, but rather a carte blanche to rob Guyana,” the mining representation body argued.

According to the Association, the false narrative of presenting certain Amerindian communities, such as the group residing at Chinese Landing, as the guardians of the land is myopic. It added that a fact-finding mission will ex-

pose exactly who has been illegally mining these lands for the last 12-plus years.

“To this end, the GGDMA is calling on the Government to involve the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) in this fact-finding mission and to investigate the last 12 years of illegalities perpetrated at Chinese Landing. Can the agitators and leaders in this community crying wolf and living in massive homes justify the source of their wealth via a proper paper trail? Let us find out the truth behind the fake stories.”

“Miners invest millions of dollars, comply with hundreds of regulations, are penalised at every turn, pay more than their share of royalties and taxes, employ thousands and carry Guyana’s economy forward. The GGDMA demands fair treatment for miners. All Guyanese are equal, we stand with our mining brothers, we stand for the rule of law and not for false narratives propaganda endorsed by both international and local actors,” the Association contended.

Following the altercation, Nelson sought refuge at another nearby shop where he was later picked up and taken to the Issano Health Post but unfortunately, he was pronounced dead upon arrival.

Days after the murder, Police issued a wanted bulletin for Allicock. He was subsequently arrested and admitted to stabbing Nelson to death.

Man busted with ganja gets 43 months, fined $5.1M

Over a year after being charged in connection with a drug seizure at the New Diamond Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD), Rayanthony Persaud was sentenced on Friday to 43 months in prison and fined $5.1 million.

This verdict was delivered following Persaud's trial before Magistrate Judy Latchman at the

Diamond Magistrate’s Court. He was found guilty of possessing narcotics with intent to traffic.

Rayanthony Persaud, also known as “Tony”, of Victoria Avenue, Eccles, was one of three individuals apprehended by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU) following the discovery of nearly 13 pounds of marijuana on March 22, 2022.

It was reported that on the day in question, CANU

ranks conducted an intelligence-led operation at New Diamond Housing Scheme, EBD, during which they observed Persaud sitting inside a car that was parked outside of a house.

Lessons… …from emancipation

Your Eyewitness notes that the Opposition and its myrmidons are continuing to milk this year’s Emancipation commemoration for the longest time ever!! But there’s nothing wrong with doing that –if they’re constructive. After all, we know that Victoria’s Government just signing a piece of paper saying that slaves were “manumitted” didn’t necessarily mean anything if the conditions that defined slavery weren’t gotten rid of.

Think about it, folks. Aren’t we still producing sugar mainly by human labour - much as the slaves did back in the day? Planting, manuring, clearing weeds, catching rats, cutting cane, fetching it on our heads etc, etc? Can ordinary sugar workers live on $2200 per day?? So, should we be excited that Rose Hall is gonna be reopened and eleven hundred people from Canje are gonna be re-employed?? If we’re really emancipated, shouldn’t we have emulated our forebears and removed ourselves from the scene of our degradation? If it weren’t for the fortuitous oil strike, we’d still be hovering precariously above Haiti in the development ratings. And imagine Haiti was emancipated in 1804! But they became enmeshed with neocolonialism nonetheless, didn’t they?

Persaud then exited the vehicle and went over to another parked vehicle where he collected a box from one Andrew Carew otherwise known as “Daddo”, 42, of Little Diamond, EBD, and went into a house.

At that point, CANU ranks intercepted the men and took possession of the box, which contained a quantity of marijuana carrying a street value of $1.7 million.

Carew also took the CANU ranks to his home, where they retrieved a parcel of marijuana.

Following the arrests, Persaud and Carew appeared in court where CANU Prosecutor Attorney-at-Law Thalia Thompson objected to the duo being released on bail, due to the nature, gravity, and penalty attached to the offences.

Persaud was represented by Attorney-at-Law Bernard Da Silva, while Carew was represented by Attorney-at-Law Konyo Sandiford.

Relying on the defence of multiple occupancy, the lawyers petitioned the court for their clients to be released on reasonable bail.

Da Silva contended that his client was given a “box of tools” to store, and had no knowledge that narcotics were hidden at the bottom of the container.

Magistrate Scarce, after listening to submissions from both sides, remanded the men to prison, noting that no special reasons were raised by their respective counsels for the men to be placed on bail.

Carew admitted to the crime in September 2022 and subsequently received a 50-month prison sentence, coupled with a $5.1 million fine.

So, the lesson your Eyewitness gets from our history is that we gotta deal with this hydra-headed monster called “neocolonialism” if we really want to live out the meaning of “emancipation”. So, what are its bases? We can do worse than go back to our own experience. When we got “independence” in 1966, Burnham and Jagan talked a lot about “emancipation”, neocolonialism, and freedom. Their way to get us freedom was to nationalize all the big industries, like sugar and bauxite, that were owned by the colonials and their cohorts. We, the Guyanese people, now owned our resources, and the White Man wouldn’t suck our life blood out any longer! That was the promise, at least!

But we know how that ended, don’t we? Even worse off than during colonialism - and some would say even slavery. Your Eyewitness doesn’t agree. At least, when we ran away to every country that we could enter - by hook or by crook! - Burnham didn’t send mercenaries to drag us back! Immigration agents of the receiving countries sometimes did that. We had new categories of citizensback-trackers and deportees!

But your Eyewitness is excited about where we are right now - with billions of barrels of oil still to pump. He’s perfectly aware that Trotman and the PNC sold us down the river - as used to be said about the betrayal of slaves trying to escape!! But hey, the “crumbs” we’re getting aren’t anything to sneeze at. We can still fulfill our Emancipation dreams, can’t we?

But only if we quit fighting each other.

…with new institutions?

One of the lessons from slavery and the postemancipation era (into the present) is that rather than each generation or each group trying to become free “from scratch”, we form institutions that would continue down the generations and evolve to deal with contingencies. The first was the early savings being pooled to purchase villages - land, which still remains one of the most solid investments, literally and figuratively.

But land just left lying doesn’t increase in value…it must be used to generate income - from farming or construction or otherwise. The co-op was the mechanism that Burnham proposed we use to mobilise to add value to land. Some still hanker for these. Have they actually worked? Do we need new institutions?

Then there was the “box hand”. Shouldn’t we have evolved this to owning banks after 183 years? Anyone can open a bank…the requirements are there on the Bank of Guyana website. All we gotta do is satisfy the requirements - which are doable.

And emancipate ourselves!

…to temper the excesses

Left to themselves, politicians will always abuse power. So how come the Opposition ain’t using the four Parliamentary Sectoral Committees to scrutinize the Government’s operations in real-time??

They can control excesses by grilling politicians – slowly over fire!!

Guyana experiencing above-normal cases of dengue – Health Advisor

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

“From March to now, there has been an increasing number of cases per week. We had a little drop-off in June but basically, we are at an above-normal rate since March. In the Region of the Americas, dengue has been going up steadily year to year and since last year, there’s been an upward trend and so, Guyana has now joined that upward trend,” Ramsammy said, in an interview with this publication.

Thus far, in Guyana, the Health Ministry has conducted some 8000 tests for dengue across the country, with about 1800 of those returned positive.

“The number of cases hospitalised over the last two weeks has fallen off. Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) had two cases last week. There were no hospitalised

cases in Region Six, [specifically]. At Georgetown Public Health Corporation (GPHC), we've had over the last few months, on a daily basis, one or two cases, hospitalised. But it's not a phenomenal number,” Ramsammy said.

While the number of hospitalisations is reportedly slightly higher than that of last year, Dr Ramsammy expressed his hope to maintain this over the last two weeks.

“We have a problem, not yet a crisis. But it's something that people should be aware of,” Ramsammy said.

Dengue is a viral infection that spreads from mosquitoes to people. While most people who get dengue will not exhibit symptoms according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), for those who do, the most common symptoms are high fever, headaches, body aches, nausea and rashes.

Dr Ramsammy noted that since many persons who have dengue do not have symptoms, the number of cases in Guyana may be even higher than recorded.

“Over 90 per cent of the

people with dengue are not going to show any kind of symptoms or not enough for them to go to the hospital. But whether you have symptoms or not, you are a reservoir for the parasite,” Dr Ramsammy said.

“So, I would say, because we have dengue circulating more than normal at this time, that anybody with fever, anybody with headaches and body aches, should check it up at the health centre, or the hospital,” Dr Ramsammy said.

In response to this growing issue, the Health Ministry has been conducting regular fogging exercises across communities and has had Environmental Health Officers visiting businesses and homes to treat water.

Dispelling some public concern, Dr Ramsammy assured of fogging not being a harmful exercise.

“It's not meant to harm anyone and that's why we advise people that fogging is not done throughout the day. It's done at a particular hour when the mosqui-

to population is at its height and fogging will only affect the mosquitoes that are out,” Ramsammy said.

“The idea is to reduce the population of mosquitoes for that moment. And so, the population will remain a little lower over a few days, but then it'll go back if we don't follow that up with various other actions,” he added.

For one, he urged Guyanese to store water in closed containers as open containers of water are common breeding sites for mosquitoes.

COVID-19

Meanwhile, Dr Ramsammy reminded Guyanese that COVID-19 is still circulating simultaneously with dengue, and as

such, the Ministry has been working to test for both viruses.

“COVID-19 has not disappeared. What we are finding a lot of times is that the people show up thinking it's one, [and] it [ends up being] both,” Ramsammy said.

“We have had cases

where people come to us for COVID-19 and then we test them, they also have dengue and that could be a dangerous combination. So, for that reason, I'm saying don't assume, just check it out,” Dr Ramsammy added. (Pooja Rambarran)

– says no need to panic just yet

24 Peace Corps Volunteers to serve across regions in Guyana

Twenty-four Peace Corps Volunteers have concluded an intensive ten-week pre-service training, and will serve in seven regions across Guyana to address various issues, including early childhood literacy, adolescent health, and environmental stewardship.

Widespread placement of volunteers is possible for the first time since onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Chargé d’Affaires of the US Embassy, Adrienne Galanek, administered the oath of service and Peace Corps Pledge to the group on behalf of the Peace Corps.

“I have always admired the extraordinary commitment and compassion that Peace Corps Volunteers bring to strengthening nations one community at a time. I think that the best part — the essence of why

volunteers are here — is the friendships and strong bonds that develop with host families, local coun-

terparts, supervisors, and community leaders,” she said.

Peace Corps Guyana’s

Acting Country Director, Jennifer Goette, highlighted the important work of Peace Corps Volunteers

and their local community partners in building a sustainable future for Guyana. She commended host fami-

lies, partner schools, and the Government of Guyana for their support of the Peace Corps’ work.

Advisor to the Minister of Health, Dr Leslie Ramsammy, who delivered brief remarks, highlighted the instrumental role that Peace Corps teachers play in the decision to pursue medicine as a career.

Deputy Chief Education OfficerDevelopment, Volika Jaikishun, gave brief congratulatory remarks on behalf of Education Minister Priya Manickchand.

Peace Corps first served the people and Government of Guyana from 1966 to 1971, and returned in 1995 with more than 1400 volunteers supporting Guyana’s communities through service, relationships, and partnerships for a sustainable future.

Local maritime school inks MoU with DR-based university to provide oil & gas, maritime training

Guyana’s premier maritime training school – the Atlantic Alliance Maritime and Offshore Training Institute (AAMOTI) – on Wednesday inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a Dominican Republicbased university for enhanced collaboration and upskilling of this country’s workforce.

The MoU was signed between AAMOTI and the UNIVERSIDAD DEL CARIBE (UNICARIBE) in Santo Domingo during a State Visit to the Dominican Republic by a high-level Guyanese Government and Private Sector delegation.

UNICARIBE was represented by its Chancellor, José Alejandro Aybar, while AAMOTI was represented by Managing Partner, Miranda ThakurDeen.

According to the agreement, the two institutes have agreed to form an alliance to “enhance the exchange of administrative, technical and human resources to promote mutual benefits” through investment, development, and

marketing in both countries for education and training programmes.

The training programmes offered by the institutes span a number of sectors, including oil and gas, energy, tourism and hospitality, and maritime.

AAMOTI currently offers a number of certificate courses, such as Basic Safety Training (BST) courses, Advanced Firefighting, Advanced Medical Care, and Ship Security Awareness training.

AAMOTI also offers a three-year marine cadetship programme, which is accredited by both the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), allowing graduates to hold interna-

tionally-recognized certificates and licences.

“This agreement represents the start of what will be a long and fruitful relationship between AAMOTI and UNICARIBE.

It is also a demonstration of the university’s confidence

in our ability to deliver specialized high-quality training to our locals, to prepare them for the emerging opportunities in our economy,” Thakur-Deen said shortly after the signing. The institute’s Managing Partner highlighted the fact that since it opened its doors last year, AAMOTI has established strong partnerships with major players in the maritime sector. These include: the Maritime Authority of Jamaica (MAJ), the Women in Maritime Association Caribbean (WiMAC), the American Caribbean Maritime Foundation (ACMF), and now UNICARIBE.

“So, while we are focused on upskilling our locals, AAMOTI is also pursuing partnerships with reputable bodies, to ensure Guyanese can benefit from other opportunities, including employment,” ThakurDeen stated.

AAMOTI is also partnering with the Office of the First Lady to provide technical training to 100 women from Indigenous communities across Guyana.

$23.1M health post commissioned at Siriki

Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony on Friday officially commissioned a stateof-the-art health centre and landing at Siriki, Pomeroon, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), constructed to the tune of $23 million.

Constructed by Triple F Variety Store, the facility has the capacity to

serve about 500 residents in Siriki and New Siriki Sands.

During the commissioning ceremony, Dr. Anthony emphasized that the centre aims to provide primary healthcare services to the Pomeroon area, while adding that the Ministry is committed to expanding and ultimately improving healthcare ser-

vices nationwide.

“Before, it used to be predominantly MCH services, but we want to extend the service that will offer a wide range of things at these centres…Over the next year or two, we are working to enhance the healthcare services that we can offer countrywide,” he explained.

The minister, fur-

ther, expressed that the Government aims to provide at least 216 medical interventions at each Health Post throughout Guyana. Additionally, staff will undergo training to offer a wide variety of services in these health posts, ensuring comprehensive care for the community.

The newly-commissioned health centre will

play a crucial role in combating chronic and non-communicable diseases. It will provide treatment for patients, and make necessary referrals for tertiary care if and when needed. This will greatly contribute to the overall fight against health challenges in the Pomeroon area.

Regional Health Officer Ranjeev Singh ex-

pressed gratitude to the Ministry, while underscoring the impact the initiative will have on the residents in the Siriki district. Also attending the simple handing-over ceremony were Regional Vice Chairman Humace Oodit; Prime Minister’s Representative Arnold Adams; and Regional Executive Officer Susanah Saywack, among others.

Acres of rice being destroyed by cattle along Corentyne Coast – Farmers call for immediate intervention

Hundreds of acres of rice have been destroyed by cattle along the Corentyne Coast in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), forcing rice farmers to spend sleepless nights keeping guard over their crops.

The most affected area is the Seaforth cultivation area, where some 5000 acres are under rice cultivation.

With new bridges being erected across the Seaforth and Fowler Canals at Number 58 Village as part of a network to link the Corentyne Highway with the Canje River, the animals are now getting easy access to the rice fields.

To facilitate construction of these bridges, contractors have removed about 1000 feet of the barbed wire fence which was erected to keep the cattle confined. With the barbed wire fencing being removed, the animals are now making their way to the cultivated area. The farmers are claiming that the animals damage about four times more rice plants than what they eat.

Harvesting is expected to commence in three weeks, but the farmers are worried that their losses might be in the millions. One rice farmer, Baidwattie Badree of Number 61 Village, who cultivates over 400 acres of rice, has said the animals have eaten and damaged about 80 acres.

“Every crop, we are getting the same problem over and over. Minister come and he keep meeting about the cows. There is no solution! It is the same problem: crop after crop, the cows keep damaging us,” she said.

She said she has erect-

ed fences around her crops, and placed gates that allow her workers access to the fields when needed, but the animals would break the gates and fence to get to greener pastures.

Anthony

who

said he has 20 acres under cultivation. He says he depends solely on his small cultivation, but cattle have been feasting on his crops.

“Every day we have to be out here making a fence, chasing cows. We need the

Ranger Squad that would operate in areas where rice is grown in close proximity to where animals are being reared. It was agreed that cattle farmers would have two persons on the squad of six, while rice farmers would also have two persons. The other two persons were to come from the Local Government Ministry.

That Ranger Squad is yet to be established.

The pasture has about 3000 head of cattle, with little or no attention given to them by their respective owners.

In fact, the rice farmers have claimed that many of these animal owners are resident overseas. When asked if many rice farmers are not themselves cattle owners, former Chairman of the 52/74 Water Users Association, Amad Rajab, explained that those rice farmers who own large

numbers of cattle have leased their rice lands, and now reside overseas and earn an income from the rental of the rice land.

Rajab, who cultivates 180 acres of rice, has estimated his losses to cattle damage at four acres already. He said the fence which was erected by the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA) of the Agriculture Ministry has not been maintained.

“Nobody is taking care of the fence. So, the rice farmers, once in a while, come and they fix the areas where the cows cross from. Most of the cows that are destroying the crop belong to people living outside. We have pictures of the cows in the rice with the brands, and we can’t get hold of these people, and nobody is looking after these cows.”

This publication has

seen pictures of animals branded with the mark KJ29 feeding in rice fields. Following the 2020 floods, the Agriculture Ministry had put systems in place to save animals that were dying in flood waters in the savannahs. The savannahs were flooded with water from the Canje River, which was overflowing its banks as a result of continuous rainfall inland. After hundreds of those animals were brought to dry land, crop farmers started to complain, and scores of cattle and small animals were being taken to the pounds daily. This forced the Government to close all pounds as the animal farmers appealed for intervention. The Home Affairs Ministry simultaneously revoked all stray catchers’ licences. (Andrew Carmichael)

has 40 acres under cultivation, has said that between five and six acres have already been damaged.

“This is bearing rice that damage -- what mash down and what they eat. They come all the time; I don’t know what to do. Up to last night, I sleep at the backdam to watchman the cattle from going into my rice. Me weary sleep in the backdam to watchman rice,” he said.

Gobindranauth Hemeshwarnauth, another farmer, who lives at Number 57 Village, has

Government to intervene urgently. They need to have some rangers to monitor the fence,” he said.

Early in 2022, Government provided $14 million to assist with construction of a fence to keep the animals in the pasture, but the animals still find themselves in the rice fields. In October last year, Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, while addressing the farmers, said the Agriculture and Local Government Ministries would be collaborating to establish a

“Luxury & serenity” promised as eco-lodges in Great Diamond to be completed in time for CPL

bedroom, it will have a complete kitchen, complete living, and complete veranda. Everything will be complete like you’re going to a luxury hotel.”

The CEO explained that the homes will be fully furnished while revealing that the lodges will feature unique wooden chairs specially made by a group from the Rupununi.

The construction of 30 eco-lodges at Great Diamond on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), which is expected to provide additional accommodation for persons travelling to Guyana for the Caribbean Premiere League (CPL) is progressing smoothly. This is according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of DuraVilla Homes, Rafeek Khan, who provided an update on the project during a tour of the construction site on Friday.

Khan explained that the production of the homes began on June 1, 2023, but was conceptualised around mid-May and is expected to be completed by the end

August.

“We’re expected to have this project completed before CPL. Our goal is that when you come back here at the end of this month, you will see at least 30 structures completed here [and] you will see 30 homes. Our objective is to hopefully have everything completed by the first week of September, all things considered.”

Khan said the thirty 500 square feet structures, which are being constructed on two acres of land, will give a feel of luxury and serenity to all guests.

“This home here is the first of its kind. We have never done this before. This eco-lodge is going to be one

“Because this is going to be a resort type of project, we want to make sure the design is creative so when your guests come in here, you’re selling the idea of beauty. So, what we have done, we have reached out to a team from the Rupununi and we have given them a concept and they have finetuned it. You’re going to see a very specialised chair that was built by persons from the Rupununi, eight persons came together and built this chair using waste wood.”

He added, “Inside of this home we’re going to have furniture presented, ideas presented from the locals. We’re going to have a featured wall with local painting, we’re going to have chairs made here locally. This is actually an opportunity to showcase talent in every aspect when it comes to housing, construction, and furniture.”

The lodge will also feature a unique table using the outer bark of the tree, called live edge. Khan explained that typically, only 40 per cent of this wood is recovered, but through this initiative an expected 80 per cent is expected to be recovered.

“This is wood that we don’t recover much of, but in building this table we’ll probably recover 80 per cent of the log and typically we recover 40 per cent. And we’re going to be building a bed inspired by locals and perfected by DuraVilla homes. Once this project is done, you’re going to see a bed, sofa, a featured chair, and a dining table that could not duplicate itself around the country by locals in every region,” Khan shared.

However, Khan further explained that DuraVilla Homes is solely responsi-

ble for the design-build concept of the project, adding that it will be managed by 100 women through an initiative started by President Dr Irfaan Ali sometime last year.

“We’re just the company that was asked to present the design-build concept. This is considered a prototype project, but to my knowledge, it is going to be used for rental, owned by 100 women, a private-public partnership of the sort, and the idea here is that women will be managing these eco-lodges and have the rental income to be able to cover the cost of this project. It is a prototype, we’re yet to see at the final stage what all the cost works out to.”

“Once this project is completed, we will be able to know the entire cost, our scope is the only foundation

to roof and design-build, but they’re many other aspects that go in here, landscaping, infrastructure works, spa, gym, and other things that are going to have to come in here, lighting to give you the whole ambiance as a hotel,” he added.

Speaking on the scope of works, Khan shared that to complete this project within the specified timeline, they are working with sub-contractors as well as vendors who are supplying them with building materials.

“We have 12 sub-contractors on this site. We have at least 22 vendors who are supplying us on this site, we have 120 employees that we would have employed between durable wood products and DuraVilla homes for manufacturing panels in our job site. We have other consultants on this project. The majority are all locals so in total we will be at least 170-200 persons contributing to the value chain from the production of homes in the factory and foundation all the way to the roof.”

The project is expected to be sustained by rental income. DuraVilla is also working with consultants from Dubai who provide valuable insights into modern building techniques.

22 trained as Pharmacy Assistants in Reg 2

serve the people of the region at the various healthcare facilities.

In a significant development, the Minister noted that the 22 graduates have secured positions within the Ministry, with a starting salary of $100,000 monthly.

Dr Anthony further emphasised the importance of education and highlighted the career progression opportunities available to them.

Atotal of 22 persons along the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) are now trained as pharmacy assistants following a programme offered by the Health Sciences Division within the Health Ministry.

The pharmacy assistants received their certificates during a ceremony at Jaigobin Hotel, in Henrietta, Essequibo Coast.

Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who was the featured speaker, urged the graduates to demonstrate compassion and kindness as they embark on their journey to

Additionally, Minister Anthony stressed the need for a growth mindset and encouraged the graduates to embrace a continuous learning attitude. He fur-

Officials and graduates

ther noted his desire to see an increased number of individuals graduating and excelling in the field of pharmacy in Guyana.

However, Regional Health Officer, Ranjeev Singh emphasised that the region has made significant strides in the healthcare sector with the addition of 22 newly certified pharmacy assistants.

Singh encouraged others to join the programme.

In addition, the Deputy Officer of Health Science Education, Chandrowtie Narine, one of the facilita-

tors, expressed joy in being part of the successful programme in the region while encouraging the graduates to take the various opportunities that are available to further develop their skills.

Meanwhile, Meesasha Ramdas was named the best student followed by Mark Fernandez, Keneeza Trim and Zoya Alphans.

The Pharmacy Assistant Training programme was launched in Region Two on October 31, 2022. It is a comprehensive pre-service clinical programme de-

signed to equip pharmacy assistants with the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to provide valuable technical support to licensed pharmacists.

Through this programme, the graduates gain a deep understanding of pharmaceutical practices, medication management, and patient care. By acquiring these essential skills, they are now able to contribute effectively to the healthcare system and ensure the safe and efficient delivery of pharmaceutical services.

Haslington fatal stabbing

Suspect allegedly attacked victim earlier, but weapon was taken away – eyewitnesses –

Police yet to make arrest

Forty-two-year-old Eric Fraser, also called '50 Cent', a construction worker of Lot 162 Haslington, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was stabbed to death by his friend on Thursday evening, was attacked by the suspect earlier in the day with a knife, according to eyewitnesses.

Police, in their report, stated that the incident occurred at around 19:35h, while the now-dead man was hanging out at a popular hangout spot not far from his home.

It was reported that Fraser left his home at about 16:00h and went to a local barbershop, which

also served as a gathering spot for friends. Eyewitnesses said an argument ensued between the now-deceased man and the suspect, who took out a weapon and dealt the deceased a stab to his left-side groin. Fraser allegedly ran about 200 feet before he collapsed. He was picked up by EMT from Melanie Fire Station and taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. However, when Guyana Times visited the scene, eyewitnesses disclosed that the suspect and the now-dead man were friends, and were heard arguing earlier in the day. They said they do not know what led to that argument.

However, the suspect, known as ‘Pokeye’, attempted to stab the nowdead man during the argument, but Frazer managed to take away the weapon.

“They were arguing earlier in the afternoon, and Pokeye go to stab he, but he take away the knife from him and give him back, because they are friends. He didn’t think anything. He does go by Eric and Eric does give he food and anything he

ask for. They live next to each other”, the eyewitness said.

The eyewitness further explained that the argument had stopped, and the men, along with their friends, were at the barber shop when Fraser left, but later returned.

“Eric went home, bathe and come back, and they were making rough jokes, and Pokeye was preparing to go to work, and he stab him and run away…all I see, Eric start running… he run from where he get stabbed and run straight in the yard, and he fall down…a girl see he get stab and call out to every-

body and she run behind him”, the eyewitness said.

“There was no blood, so that means that he was bleeding internally. When I go in the yard, he started telling we he want water, and we told him, ‘No’, we have to take him to the hospital. We call the ambulance, and the ambulance take long to come. We put him in a taxi, and while going, they see the ambulance and tried stopping it, but it did not stop. They had to wait till it come back, and then they take him to Nabaclis Health Center, where he die”.

Up until press time on Friday, the suspect

had not been arrested. However, one of his relatives (the suspect) related that he did make contact with them, but did not disclose his whereabouts.

“He just keep saying he will commit suicide, but he did not say where he was”, they said.

Meanwhile, the victim’s mother, Julie Frazer, explained that her son was living in Suriname, and came back to Guyana only about two months ago. She said she told him not to go back, and to stay at the house in Haslington.

The grieving woman said it was only on Monday that she went to

spend some time with her son, and overnighted with him. On Thursday evening, while at home in Beterverwagting, ECD, she received a call from her friend informing her that something terrible had happened to her son.

“The person call and ask if I hear what happened to Eric, that he get stabbed; and 10 minutes later, they call me back and tell me that he died. I left home and I come, and when I come, they already move his body. The Police took me to the hospital, and when I go in, he was lying on the stretcher holding the part where he was stabbed. I just started crying for my baby…there was no blood”, the tearful woman said.

She added that while details on how her son met his demise are still sketchy, she was told that ‘rough jokes’ are what had led to the stabbing.

“There was no fight, no scuffle, nothing. He just stabbed him… Eric was so nice, and always smiling… I need justice for my son, I need justice”, she said.

Guyana enhances vector control with CARPHA’s support to digitalise surveillance

ing stakeholders on how to utilise Geographic Information System (GIS) to avoid human errors associated with manual records, and increase efficiency.

“We go out in the field and record our data on paper but GIS now incorporates the use of gadgets. Now, our data can be more streamlined, and more accurate because we can have human error using paper. We can then do mapping and all of these things so we are grateful to CARPHA and colleagues for coming on board and helping us,” Crawford explained.

The time for recording vector control information on a piece of paper to be processed will be a thing of the past, as the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) offers support to Guyana on digitalising surveillance and offering data instantaneously on the risks of transmission.

Just recently, Guyana recorded spikes in dengue cases which are being com-

batted with efforts to prevent infections.

This week’s edition of the Health Matters Programme zeroed in on vector-borne diseases, where Head of the Medical Entomology Unit, Crystal Crawford shared that integrated vector management is being used to conduct inspections and educate the public on ways to eliminate breeding sites for mosquitoes.

CARPHA is train-

The most common arboviral disease in Guyana is dengue but cases of zika and chikungunya also exist. While there is no cure for dengue, patients are treated based on symptoms.

She noted that persons can make their environment safe by ensuring that there are no breeding sites for mosquitoes. This can be a bucket of water, coconut shells or any medium for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

Head of VectorBorne Diseases from the Caribbean Public Health Agency, Rajesh Ragoo un-

derlined that both the epidemiological and entomological sides are critical in vector surveillance. One of the expected outcomes of the GIS introduction to Guyana is to strengthen surveillance techniques.

“We’re now at the point where we’ve started introducing some very exciting technology called Geographic Information Systems. That is in response to moving away from the traditional way of doing things, increasing efficiency in the field, and increasing vector control efforts against arboviral disease transmissions and mosquito-borne transmissions,” said the CARPHA official.

This support is being rolled out to all member states. While persons might be familiar with inspections conducting site visits manually, it takes a while for the information to then be entered into the respective software to be analysed.

However, Ragoo explained, “What we’re doing is eliminating this lag time from collecting the data in the field to actually collecting the information to respond to a particular area. What the GIS does is quickly captures and calculate on the fly so we get information very quickly. We’re able to determine the risk of transmission in a particular area and map where mosquitoes are breeding,

the types of containers where they’re found, infestation for different communities across a range of vectors.”

A few days ago, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) Chairman David Armogan reported a semi-outbreak of dengue in the region. The health department in the region had recorded over 100 cases.

Dengue fever is an infection caused by one of four dengue viruses. They are related to each other, but they are not exactly the same. Getting sick from one dengue virus does not protect an individual from getting the others. A person can get dengue fever more than once. Dengue fever is spread by mosquitoes that carry dengue viruses.

The symptoms would usually last between five to seven days. Dengue symptoms include fever, headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pains, tiredness – sometimes for days to weeks, rash, stomach problems, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, small purple spots on the skin along with red-eye or swollen glands.

Suspected bandit shot dead after alleged robbery in GT

Asuspected bandit was shot dead on Friday while his alleged accomplice was injured following a robbery between Robb and King Streets, Georgetown.

The dead man has been identified as 25-year-old Abednego Trotman, of Tiger Bay, Georgetown.

While information remains sketchy about the shooting incident, there are conflicting reports as to who shot the alleged bandit. Reports are that the known criminal was shot and killed by undercover

Police ranks while other information suggests that he was shot by a businessman.

At this moment, it is unclear who they are accused of robbing.

After allegedly committing the robbery, Trotman and his accused 20-year-old accomplice of Albouystown, Georgetown, crashed the motorcycle they were riding into a car that was travelling along King Street as they attempted to flee. Trotman was shot in the chest and collapsed onto the roadway.

His alleged accomplice reportedly attempted to flee at that point but was caught by Police. Police have since described the now dead man as a “known character”. At the scene on Friday, persons were reluctant to provide any information.

Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, who was at the scene, could not provide any substantive information on the incident. Police have seized the motorcycle, PLL 2499, as investigations are ongoing.

Single Window System to come online soon – as

Govt engages officials for smooth

implementation

Following the recent approval of the Single Window System Bill in the National Assembly, the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) is proceeding with the implementation of this system as the online platform will soon be launched.

The Mayor and City Council of Georgetown, Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) Chairpersons, and Vice Chairpersons from Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Four (Demerara-Mahaica) were involved in discussions regarding the new Planning and Development Single Window System on Friday.

Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal led the engagements at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre.

This innovative platform is set to revolutionise the process of planning and obtaining permits with a single entry point for CH&PA and other relevant partner agencies. It aims to eliminate bureaucratic hurdles, reduce processing times, and is built upon the principles of transparency, predictability, efficiency, electronic accessibility, scalability, and interoperability.

This will enhance the ease of doing business in Guyana, enabling both local and international investors to seamlessly access the system and submit applications online from any location in the world. Additionally, applicants will have the capability to track the progress of their

applications.

The system also incorporates pre-consults, enabling applicants to assess the strengths and weaknesses of their submissions before making a 'full application'.

The single-window process is a strategy implemented by the Government to integrate agencies’ approach to services, efficiency, and to significantly reduce the processing time for planning and building permission.

The legislative framework now paves the way for, among other things, standardised application forms and checklists, as well as minimising the time for completing a transaction. Further, the electrical portal will enable investors to submit planning and building permits and check the status from anywhere around the globe, as this new mechanism forms part of the Government’s attempt to increase the ease of doing business and foster a business-friendly environ-

ment.

In December 2022, a $202 million contract was signed with Global Services – a Guyanese-led consortium with global experience – to make the issuance of planning and building permits hassle-free. The company was tasked with providing a server and network infrastructure; security solutions; and hardware and software maintenance and repairs.

The single-window system will feature five key elements including one-window access to allow the CH&PA to be the point of entry for planning and building applications; as well as a dashboard to show the status of individual applications and generate progress reports, which can also be accessed by applicants. Another feature of the system is a time-bound element by which the relevant agencies will have to respond to applications otherwise they would automatically be considered approved.

Organised vending for new Independence Blvd

Vendors are now able to ply their trade in a neat manner along the newly rehabilitated Independence Boulevard, allowing free traffic flow and continued activities.

Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar led an inspection of the internal road network at Albouystown and the Boulevard on Friday, where he expressed satisfaction with this development.

When the stretch of roadway was being upgraded, the vendors agreed to the move and Government constructed a concrete platform for them to establish organised stalls with proper security.

“We made a concrete platform so that they can put their shops. There are a number of shops and they aren’t built shabby-looking. They built proper structures with good closures and so on so that they can ply their trade because it is a new boulevard now. Traffic is moving smoothly,” Indar outlined.

He added, “I believe the entire looks of the area now has improved. Traffic flow is a

main artery now to move people from Cemetery Road to La Penitence.” The Boulevard upgrades racked up a bill of $1.4 billion under the Urban Enhancement Project. The 1.8 km project, stretching from Saffon Street to Cemetery Road, has a double-lane carriageway on the northern side and a single-lane carriageway on the southern side.

Last year when the project was launched, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had stated that the Boulevard formed part of wider plans to modernise and transform the capital city of Georgetown.

Between these two carriageways lies a promenade outfitted with lights, benches, concrete drains and strategically placed garbage bins to ensure the maintenance of a clean and environmentally-friendly space. In addition to increasing property value and easing traffic congestion, the project also aimed to create job opportunities as contractors were encouraged to hire residents within the area.

In order for the project to be executed, several informal residents residing along Punt

Trench, Cemetery Road and Saffon Street were given alternative housing options as part of the Central Housing and Planning Authority’s (CH&PA) relocation and resettlement programme.

Meanwhile, Indar called on persons within the community to care the new infrastructure in light of instances where there were damages.

“We saw some of them being kicked down and be damaged. When we build things, they are meant for good. They should not turn out to be bad. I’m asking the community and those who are using the facilities to care it.”

The Minister also debunked comments made, reportedly that the community roads were not upgraded. He shed light on the fact that several key roads in Albouystown were restored and paved. Nine out of the 18 roads have been built and the others will also be redone.

He asserted, “This area has seen general development and we will continue to work with the residents in the community, especially those that are willing.

Driver in Craig accident that left wife, 3 family members dead gets $450,000 bail

The driver of the motor car involved in an accident that claimed the lives of four persons, including his wife, was granted bail in the sum of $450,000 following his arraignment on Thursday.

Fifty-seven-yearold Stanley La Cruise of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared at the Diamond/Grove Magistrates’ Courts where he was slapped with four counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

He was granted bail in the sum of $400,000 –$100,000 bail on each of the charges.

It is alleged that on August 7, 2023, at Craig Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), he drove

The motor lorry that was involved in the accident

motor car PPP 3034 in a dangerous manner to the

public, thus causing the death of his wife, Yvette Domingo, of Mon Repos,

ECD, and three others: 60-year-old Eric Christopher Thomas; 56-year-old

Annette Williams; and Lynette Chappelle—all of

Charity Squatting Area, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

Chappelle was pregnant, and her seven-year-old son was with her and her parents when the accident happened.

The lad is still hospitalised. A 13-year-old who was in the car also sustained injuries. Additionally, La Cruise was charged with operating an uninsured motor vehicle.

He was released on $50,000 bail after denying this charge. The collision involved a motor lorry, GYY 9560, driven by Tyrese Bess, 21, and a motor car, PPP 3034, operated by La Cruise. According to the Police report, the accident occurred around 20:00h when the mo-

tor car driven by La Cruise which contained passengers, was travelling south along the eastern side of the Craig Public Road.

The Police’s initial findings indicated that the driver of the motor car attempted a dangerous ‘U-turn’ at Craig but ended up in the path of a motor lorry, thus resulting in a collision.

The impact resulted in severe injuries to all occupants of the motor car, who were swiftly transported to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre for medical attention. Guyana Times was told that Thomas, Williams and Chappelle had travelled to Georgetown to attend a cricket match at the Guyana National Stadium in Providence, EBD.

Berbice Expo & Trade Fair 2023 launched

The Berbice Expo and Trade Fair, which is in its 17th year, was officially launched on Friday at the headquarters of the Central Corentyne Chamber of Commerce (CCCC), Rose Hall Town, Berbice.

This year the expo will be held from October 13-17 at the Welfare Community Ground at Rose Hall, East Canje, under the theme, “Fostering Sustainable Economic Growth and Food Security”.

Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister

Oneidge Walrond in launching the expo related that the theme is applicable to the Government’s strategic approach, as it addresses three pillars of the Government’s policies.

She said as a people, we must ensure that practices are sustainable for food se-

curity.

“The pandemic has taught us that we need to be able to feed ourselves and be able to reduce our im-

port bill.” She added that Guyanese must not only practice sustainability in food but also in the tourism sector.

She referred to Guyana’s eco-tourism as being golden since there will come a time when exploits from the oil and gas sector will no longer be available and as such, the country will have its rainforest through which the tourism sector can strive and bring an income to the country.

She said activities such as Berbice Expo and Trade Fair brings together vendors, small and large businesses and the community with the main aim of energising the economy.

Minister Walrond further added that the Palmyra development plan is aimed at bringing sustainable economic growth to the region.

“The stadium is to bring visitors here… the new hotels and roads will bring sustainable economic activity here. When visitors

come to the region to go to the stadium, they come and they spend their money and that is what will help to sustain the local economy. The bridge between Suriname and Guyana is to open up more economic opportunities and so economic growth is strategically important.”

However, President of Corentyne Chambers of Commerce, Leekha Rambrich pointed out that Berbice Expo and Trade Fair is a good example of Public Private Partnership (PPP).

He pointed out that the Government has played a big role in the past, which is evidence that the Government and the private sector can partner to develop a community and to an extent the country.

According to Rambrich, the Chamber is confident that this year’s event will

be a success, noting that the Chamber has hosted 16 expos before.

Meanwhile, the coordinator of the event, Tajpaul Adjodhea, explained that due to the lack of space, this year’s exposition will be smaller than previous years, while noting that the past events were held at the Albion Community Centre, where there is a lot more space.

Nevertheless, corporate Guyana has already shown its interest in the event. “Exhibitors are asking for five 20 x 20 and four 20 x 20 booths. I don’t think that we can accommodate five 20 x 20 for one exhibitor. We will see what best we can do,” he explained.

In addition to the local exhibitors, some international ones are also on board.

Brazil's Lula unveils US$350 bln 'growth acceleration' plan

The "growth acceleration" plan launched by Brazil on Friday foresees 1.7 trillion reais (US$347.5 billion) in investments that will rely increasingly on public-private partnerships, while driving a new ecological transition plan, the Government said.

The programme, known as PAC, revisits an initiative that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva first introduced in 2007 during his earlier term in office to raise investments in energy, logistics, and urban and social infrastructure.

It was later expanded under his successor, former President Dilma Rousseff. Critics say it incurred excessive spending, exacerbating Brazil's fiscal crisis, while failing to bring fundamental advances in infrastructure.

This time Lula's Government says the plan will follow a path marked by stronger partnerships between the public and private sectors, with more than 1.3 trillion reais estimated to be disbursed by 2026.

"This PAC is different from the other ones. The

state will stimulate PPPs,"

Lula's Chief of Staff Rui Costa said at the launch of the programme in Rio de Janeiro. He added there would be "fiscal and environmental responsibility" while looking after social needs.

"It's time we buried the idea that social responsibility is fiscal irresponsibility," he said.

According to the Government, 371 billion reais - or 22% of the totalare set to be invested by the Federal Government, while State-owned firms such as

oil giant Petrobras would inject 343 billion.

The private sector is seen investing a total 612 billion reais. The Government did not immediately detail the fiscal impact of the initiative, or give a specific time frame for the plan.

Even though the plan includes several projects in the oil and gas sector led by Petrobras, and investment in the pre-salt offshore oilfields, Lula's team emphasized its environmental goals and announced an "ecological transition plan."

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Argentina cracks down on football fans who tear up money to taunt locals

Argentina has announced it will punish foreign football fans who burn or tear up bank notes while attending matches in the country.

The practice has become a common way for fans of clubs from elsewhere in South America to taunt home teams about the value of the Argentinian peso.

The country has been in economic difficulty for years with soaring inflation.

Fans caught tearing up a peso bill will face up to 30 days in prison.

Tearing up money as a provocation has been used in particular by fans of clubs from Brazil and Chile.

Argentina's Agency for the Prevention of Violence in Sport said the practice violates existing laws that prohibit "incitement to quarrel" at a sporting event and "provocations that will disturb public order", local media reports.

Offending fans will be detained by local law enforcement and their clubs may also be punished if the problem persists, the body said.

Argentina's annual inflation rate has risen steeply in recent years and early this year passed 100% for the first time since the end of the hyperinflation of the early 1990s.

In June, it reached 115.6%, according to the country's statistics agency.

The country has also seen a dramatic fall in its exchange rate. In February, the central bank introduced a new 2000-peso note after the value of the ,000-peso note, previously the largest bill, fell to just US$2.70 (£2.13) on the alternative markets.

When Argentina's current currency was introduced in 1992, its value was pegged at one US dollar, but that fixed rate was abandoned after a financial crisis that hit the country in 2001 and 2002. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Supporters, family mourn assassinated Ecuador candidate Villavicencio

Supporters of assassinated Ecuadorean presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio gathered at a public memorial event in Quito on Friday, while his family held a mass at the cemetery where he will be buried.

Villavicencio, a former lawmaker and crusading anti-corruption journalist, was gunned down as he left a campaign event on Wednesday evening, less than two weeks before the election.

Amid a tide of rising violence and crime in the South American country, the murder has led some Ecuadoreans to weigh wheth-

er they will vote on Aug 20 and has made an unsettled election even harder to forecast.

Villavicencio's party Construye held a large event at Quito's convention centre, where his vice-presidential candidate Andrea Gonzalez spoke while wearing a bullet-proof vest.

Meanwhile, Villavicencio's family held a 100-person mass at a chapel at the Monte Olivo cemetery in the north of city, accompanied by heavily-armed Police.

"My son left a legacy of struggle, of transparency, of sacrifice," Villavicencio's mother, Gloria Valencia, told attendees. "All this struggle

and all that he did - I hope it will not be merchandise used by others."

The coffin was loaded into a hearse to chants of "Fernando lives forever!"

Six suspects - all Colombians who Police have said belong to criminal groups - were charged with murder and were remanded in custody for 30 days by a Judge late on Thursday, the Attorney General's office said on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

According to charging documents uploaded to the justice system's website, all six were also charged with illicit trafficking of substances.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

IMF

reaches US$830

mln staff-level deal to support Honduras economy

The International Monetary Fund said on Friday it has reached a staff-level agreement with Honduras for a 36-month credit facility for about US$830 million to support the country's economic reform policies.

In a statement, the IMF said the economic programme focuses on helping address urgent social spending and investment needs, while anchoring macroeconomic stability. A credit facility is an agreement between a borrower and a lender that is more flexible than a traditional loan.

The agreement follows an IMF team visit to Honduras between June 5 and 16 and

virtual discussions in recent weeks, it added.

"The Honduran economy has remained remarkably resilient to several shocks, both domestic and external, including the pandemic, weather events (tropical storms and droughts), the impact of the war in Ukraine, and the global economic slowdown," the statement showed.

However, Honduras continues to face long-standing social and structural challenges, it said, and addressing these challenges will require "steadfast implementation (and) structural reforms that promote economic diversification and social inclusion."

Honduras Foreign

Minister Enrique Reina welcomed the agreement on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying in a post the news demonstrated "the financial, monetary and economic soundness of the country."

The deal will fall under the IMF's Extended Fund Facility (EFF) and Extended Credit Facility (ECF), and has yet to be approved by the executive board.

The Central American country's economy expanded by 4% last year, according to official data, and the Government has forecast gross domestic product growth of between 3.5% and 4.0% this year. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Mass arrest at LGBTQ club in Venezuela prompts outcry over discrimination

It was an otherwise ordinary night at the Avalon Club, a bar and sauna popular with the LGBTQ community in Valencia, Venezuela’s third-largest city.

Music was playing, drinks were flowing and guests were enjoying the accommodations, which included a restaurant, smoking room and massage parlour.

But that evening, on July 23, Police would burst into the club, propelling the venue and its patrons into the national spotlight — and sparking questions about LGBTQ discrimination in Venezuela.

Patrons would later recount how the Police arrived shouting, “Hands up!”

But the officers proceeded to round up the 33 men in the establishment and hold them in the sauna’s locker rooms.

Luis – who asked to be identified by his first name only, to protect his privacy –told Al Jazeera that the Police said they were conducting a “routine inspection”.

“At that moment I was calm,” he said. “I simply thought that it was a normal Police procedure.”

But then the officers took Luis and the other men to Police headquarters in Los Guayos, a municipality adjacent to Valencia. The men were not told what crime they were being charged with, Luis said. On the contrary,

they were told they were “witnesses”.

Only after he was forced to give up his mobile phone and have his picture taken did Luis realise he was under arrest.

Being gay is not a crime in Venezuela. But the men were eventually charged with “lewd conduct” and “sound pollution” among other counts. The police offered images of condoms and lubricant as evidence for the supposed crimes.

In addition, the men’s photos were leaked to local media, where they were accused of participating in an “orgy with HIV” and recording pornography. Some of the men, like Luis, had not previously gone public with their

sexuality.

But the backlash to the mass arrest was swift. Protests broke out in Caracas and Valencia, with demonstrators calling for the men’s release. The hashtag #LiberanALos33, or “Free the 33”, also went viral on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

Thirty of the men were ultimately released on “conditional parole” after 72 hours in custody. The other three — the owner of the Avalon Club and two massage specialists — were let go 10 days after their arrest.

The Public Ministry of Venezuela and the Valencia Police did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Mexico again holds

The Bank of Mexico maintained its benchmark interest rate at 11.25% on Thursday, in line with analysts' forecasts, underscoring that the inflationary outlook remains "very complex" and suggesting the rate could hold steady for a while.

The unanimous decision by the central bank's five-member board is the third consecutive rate hold since Banxico, as the Bank of Mexico is known, halted a two-year hiking cycle in May amid easing inflation.

While falling inflation

interest

as Region begins cuts

has elicited rate cuts elsewhere in Latin America, Banxico has taken a more cautious approach as inflation in Latin America's second largest economy remains above the bank's official target of 3%, plus or minus a percentage point.

"In order to achieve an orderly and sustained convergence of headline inflation to the 3% target, (the board) considers that it will be necessary to maintain the reference rate at its current level for an extended period," the bank said in a statement.

Rate cuts in Mexico are

unlikely until late 2023, analysts say, even as central banks begin easing their monetary policy.

"When they do arrive, they will be more gradual than most currently anticipate," said Jason Tuvey, deputy chief emerging markets economist at Capital Economics.

Annual inflation in Mexico slowed for the sixth consecutive month in July, official data showed on Wednesday, landing at 4.79%, but still above the central bank's target. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Bank of

rate firm, even

Around The World OIL NEWS

Ukraine fires military conscription officials for taking bribes

Oil prices could rise further this year, but 2024 demand to slow sharply – IEA

OPEC+ supply cuts could erode oil inventories in the rest of this year, potentially driving prices even higher, before economic headwinds limit global demand growth in 2024, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday.

Tighter supply driven by oil output cuts from OPEC and its allies, together known as OPEC+, and rising global demand have underpinned a rally in oil prices, with Brent crude hitting highs of over US$88 a barrel on Thursday, the highest since January.

The IEA said if OPEC+ current targets are maintained, oil inventories could draw by 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the third quarter and 1.2 million bpd in the fourth, "with a risk of driving prices still higher".

"Deepening OPEC+ supply cuts have collided with improved macroeconomic sentiment and all-time high world oil demand," the Paris-based energy watchdog said in its monthly oil market report.

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies began limiting supplies in late 2022 to bolster the market and in June extended supply curbs into 2024.

The IEA said that in July, global oil supply plunged by 910,000 bpd in part due to a sharp reduction in Saudi output. But Russian oil exports held steady at around 7.3 million bpd in July, the IEA said.

Next year, demand growth is forecast to slow sharply to 1 million bpd, the IEA said, citing lacklustre macroeconomic conditions, a post-pandemic recovery running out of steam and the burgeoning use of electric vehicles.

"With the post-pandemic rebound largely completed and as multiple headwinds challenge the OECD's outlook, oil consumption gains slow markedly," the IEA said, referring to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development nations.

The IEA's demand growth forecast is down by 150,000 bpd from last month and contrasts with that of OPEC, which on Thursday maintained its forecast that oil demand will rise by a much stronger 2.25 million bpd in 2024.

"The global economic outlook remains challenging in the face of soaring interest rates and tighter bank credit, squeezing businesses that are already having to cope with sluggish manufacturing and trade," the IEA said.

For 2023, the IEA and OPEC are less far apart.

The IEA expects demand to expand by 2.2 million bpd in 2023, buoyed by summer air travel, increased oil use in power generation and surging Chinese petrochemical activity. OPEC sees a rise of 2.44 million bpd.

Demand is forecast to average 102.2 million bpd this year, the IEA said, with China accounting for more than 70% of growth, despite concerns about the economic health of the world's top oil importer. (Reuters)

Ukrainian conscription officials accused of taking bribes and smuggling people out of the country have been sacked in an anti-corruption purge.

Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed more than 30 people face criminal charges, with all regional officials in charge of military conscription removed.

He said bribery at a time of war is "high treason".

It comes amid efforts to bolster the armed forces, as Ukraine's counter-offensive operation continues.

A statement from the President's office said corruption allegations "pose a threat to Ukraine's national security and undermine

confidence in state institutions".

Replacement officials will be chosen from candidates who have battlefield experience and have been vetted by the intelligence service, it continued.

Officials taking cash and cryptocurrency bribes or helping people eligible to be called up to fight to leave Ukraine are among the charges, said Zelensky, in a video posted on social media.

Ukraine's general mobilisation rules mean all men over the age of 18 capable of fighting are eligible to be conscripted, and most adult men under the age of 60 are prohibited from leaving the country.

Floods kill 29 in northern China as new storm bears down

Zelensky

"We are dismissing all regional military commissars," he said.

"This system should be run by people who know exactly what war is and why cynicism and bribery at a time of war is high treason."

He said the conscription

system "is not working decently", adding: "The way they treat warriors, the way they treat their duties, it's just immoral."

The corruption came to light after an inspection of local army offices. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Severe floods in China’s northern province of Hebei brought by remnants of a typhoon killed at least 29 people and caused billions of dollars in economic losses.

State media reported on Friday that rescue crews are still searching for 16 people missing in the storm that has brought on the most severe rainfall since records began 140 years ago.

Official news agency Xinhua reported the province’s reconstruction is ex-

At least 23 Rohingya dead, 30 missing after boat sinks

The bodies of 23 Rohingyas who were fleeing Myanmar's Rakhine state have been recovered after their boat sank.

Thirty others are still missing, while eight people are reported to have survived the accident.

The survivors said they were trying to reach Malaysia when their boat carrying more than 50 passengers foundered and was abandoned by its crew on Sunday.

Every year thousands of Rohingyas attempt the perilous sea journey to Malaysia or Indonesia.

They are escaping persecution in Myanmar and overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh. Those who died this week include 13 women and 10 men, all Rohingya Muslims, a rescue team told BBC Burmese.

The Muslim Rohingyas are an ethnic minority in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. Many of them fled to Bangladesh in 2017 to escape a campaign of what the UN has described as a possible genocide launched by the Burmese military. Those remaining in Myanmar too have been trying to flee since the military coup in 2021.

Survivors of the boat

sinking this week recall being struck by a large wave near Rakhine's capital, Sittwe.

They say the smugglers, who had been paid around US$4000 (£3153) per person for the journey to Malaysia, then abandoned the boat. The bodies of the victims have been picked up by other boats, or washed up on the beach.

The long journey across the Andaman Sea in overcrowded fishing boats is always dangerous, but especially at this time of the year, at the peak of the monsoon storm season. (Excerpt from BBC News)

pected to take two years to complete. Initial estimates showed its direct economic losses amounted to US$13.2bn (95.8 billion yuan), state media China News Service said.

Preliminary estimates announced showed 3.9 million residents, or about 5 percent of the province’s population, were affected by the floods and more than 40,000 houses collapsed, it said.

A further 155,500 houses and facilities that provided electricity and communications were seriously damaged. Hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops were ruined in the province.

More than 1.75 million residents have been relocated.

Repairs to damaged power cables and other facilities were under way. According to Xinhua, the Government pledged to ensure affected residents can move back to their homes or have new ones before winter.

China’s state media hailed the Government’s efforts to mitigate damage from the inundations, with coverage focused on tales of mutual aid and selfless officials working tirelessly on rescue efforts.

But a week after the waters first swelled, some villagers in Hebei said they did not receive adequate warnings from authorities about when the floods would come.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Russia has warned that military intervention in Niger would lead to a "protracted confrontation" after regional bloc Ecowas said it would assemble a standby force.

Such an intervention would destabilise the Sahel region as a whole, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.

Russia does not formally back the coup.

But the US, which backs efforts to restore deposed leader Mohamed Bazoum, says its Wagner mercenary group is taking advantage of the instability.

On Friday coup supporters, some waving Russian flags, protested at a French military base near the capital NIamey, some chanting "down with France, down with Ecowas".

Both France and the US operate military bases in Niger and they have been used to launch operations against jihadist groups in the wider region.

Military officials from Ecowas countries are re-

portedly set to meet today to draft plans for a military intervention.

The bloc has said it remains open to finding a diplomatic solution to the crisis, but Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu said on Thursday that "No option is taken off the table, including the use of force as a last resort".

The US has not explicitly backed military action but has called on the junta to step aside and allow the restoration of the country's democratic constitution.

The Niger junta has not responded to the latest statements from Ecowas leaders.

Meanwhile fears are growing for the health and safety of Bazoum, who has been held captive since the military seized power on July 26.

He and his family had been "deprived of food, electricity and medical care for several days", EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said. (Excerpt from BBC News)

Niger coup: Russia warns ECOWAS not to take military action -new storm bears down

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Spend your downtime relaxing with people who bring out the best in you. Keep life simple and instill a healthy routine that eases stress. Change what's necessary and avoid temptation.

(March 21-April 19)

Open discussions will resolve unfinished business and give you hope for a brighter future. Express the solutions and contributions you are willing to make to improve your life and situation.

(April 20-May 20)

Consider how you can stabilize your finances. Don't let anyone fool you into a questionable scheme or joint venture. Pay attention to your surroundings, and you'll find a way to lower your overhead.

(May 21-June 20)

Gather information that will help you decide what's best for you. Pursuing education and using experience to point you in a better direction will pay off. Prioritize emotional stability.

(June 21-July 22)

Don't make unnecessary changes because someone is pressuring you. Prepare a detailed response to control the outcome. Spend time updating your image and pursuing happiness.

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Your input will change your life and help others. Stop thinking about what you can do and start making your presence felt. Speak for those who can't, and build new opportunities for yourself.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

SUDOKU

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Contact like-minded people and work together to build a healthy lifestyle rich with love, trust and empathy for others. Your time and effort are worth more than cash and will offer higher rewards.

Be true to yourself and others and aware of your faults and temptations. Evaluate your options, and be original in how you handle sensitive issues. Learn from experience and be direct.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Don't rely on others to do things for you. You'll encounter aggressive people who deliver nothing but sorrow. Analyze situations and make your best offer. A reunion will be eye-opening.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Don't let anyone interfere with your plans. Use your knowledge and skills to create opportunities. Alter your surroundings to address your happiness. Strive for stability and security.

Don't go over and above to prove yourself to someone undeserving. Set a course that honors your promises and protects your peace of mind. Romance will enhance your life.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

A last-minute change will put you at risk. Be ready to make a snap decision and head in a direction that offers security over instability. Let your intuition be your guide.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Liverpool agree £111M fee with Brighton for Ecuador midfielder

for Caicedo comes as a surprise, as, in April, the club said they would not make a move for England midfielder Jude Bellingham because of the money involved. The 20-year-old later joined Real Madrid in a deal that could reach 133.9M euros (£115M).

Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, 19, has also been on Klopp's list of potential transfers, but the Reds have seen three bids rejected by the Saints, who reportedly value the Belgian at £50M.

ise I was wrong? Yes. I'm not blaming anyone, but it's just the market. In the end, we as a club have to make sure that, with our resources, we get the best possible players.

"We aren't in a dreamland, and can't just point at a player and get them to come in. Sometimes one door closes and another opens up. I said that day what I thought, and now I realise I was wrong. Easy to admit that."

£105M on England midfielder Declan Rice and Klopp in desperate need of reinforcements, Liverpool have joined the clubs willing to go above the £100M mark in order to secure a top player.

Brighton rejected an £80M bid for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Premier League rivals Chelsea in July.

Liverpool have agreed a British record transfer fee of £111M with Brighton for midfielder Moises Caicedo.

However, Chelsea are now trying to secure a deal for the Ecuador international despite Brighton rejecting a succession of bids from the club earlier in the summer.

It is thought the 21-yearold's preference would be to move to Stamford Bridge. It remains to be seen whether the Blues will now match Liverpool's bid.

Brighton had set a fee in excess of £100M for Caicedo, and had said they felt no-one would reach it. Chelsea are believed to have bid £80M previously.

Seagulls boss Roberto de Zerbi gave his thoughts on the transfer saga before Brighton take on Luton Town in their opening Premier League game today (Saturday) at 15:00 BST.

"I have already forgotten about Moises," De Zerbi told a news conference. "I'm really proud of the players we have in the squad. We want to keep improving. The credit goes to the club. Bigger clubs can buy our players, but they can't buy our soul or spirit.

"We are Brighton, we achieved a big target last year - the same as Liverpool, better than Chelsea. I would like players who are proud to play in Brighton."

Reds still searching for midfield replacements

Liverpool lost midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho to the Saudi Pro League last month, but signed Caicedo's Brighton team-mate Alexis Mac Allister in June for £35M.

Former Reds captain Henderson, 33, joined Al-

Ettifaq in a deal worth £12M plus add-ons, while 29-yearold Brazilian Fabinho switched to Al-Ittihad for £40M.

Speaking on Friday, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "I got told I can confirm a deal with [Brighton] is agreed. What did change is that we are a club with not endless resources, so things we didn't expect, a couple of things happening in the summer [Henderson and Fabinho], stuff like this.

"We didn't think about that before the summer, and when it happened, we gave it a go, and obviously the club was really stretched there."

Klopp said he "didn't know" whether Caicedo was due on Merseyside for a medical on Friday, and added he was not sure whether this would be the Reds' final business in the transfer window.

The fee agreed for Caicedo exceeds the £107M Chelsea paid for Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez earlier this year. The Seagulls would also profit if Caicedo is sold by Liverpool, because of a sell-on clause in his contract.

Caicedo joined Brighton from Ecuadorian side Independiente del Valle for £4M in February 2021, although he did not make his Premier League debut until April 2022. He asked to leave Brighton in the January transfer window earlier this year. Arsenal then had multiple offers turned down for Caicedo before the player signed a new contract with the Seagulls until 2027 in March.

Klopp has been looking at various options to rebuild his squad after they finished fifth in the Premier League last season, and failed to qualify for the Champions League. However, the price they are prepared to pay

While all the noise was around Chelsea's efforts to sign Caicedo, it is understood that Reds chief executive Billy Hogan worked quietly behind the scenes to get this deal in place.

Brighton had a figure they wanted for Caicedosomeone they believe could go on to become one of the world's best - and Hogan's approach allowed Liverpool to get there. It may deliver to Klopp one of the most exciting talents in the Premier League - albeit at a fee that reflects that.

According to Deloitte figures, if Liverpool signed Caicedo for £111M, it would take this summer's Premier League spending to more than £1.6B.

That is still below last year's record summer spend of £1.9B - but is already the second highest, ahead of the £1.4B spent in summer 2017. Last season's total transfer spend in summer 2022 and January 2023 was £2.4B, according to Deloitte. The Premier League transfer window closes on Friday September 1 at 23:00 BST.

Klopp has spoken previously about the huge sums of money involved in transfers, and the implications it might have for the future of football.

In 2016, the German questioned spending £100M on a player after Manchester United re-signed France midfielder Paul Pogba for a then world record £89M.

"The day that this is football, I'm not in a job any more, because the game is about playing together," Klopp said. "Other clubs can go out and spend more money and collect top players. I want to do it differently.

I would even do it differently if I could spend that money."

When asked about those comments during his news conference before Sunday's game against Chelsea, Klopp said: "Everything’s changed. Do I like it? No. Did I real-

In April, Klopp compared talk of big-money transfers with "a five-year-old asking for a Ferrari for Christmas". "We cannot have six players in a summer, everyone for £100M," he said. "What we need and what we want, we try absolutely everything to get it, but there are moments when you have to accept that this or that is not possible for us - you step aside and do different stuff."

With Arsenal spending

(BBC Sport)

Doug "Hollywood" Gore confirmed for ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions

The Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMR&SC) proudly announces its unwavering commitment to revitalizing the Caribbean Motor Racing Championship with the upcoming international race event, the ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions. This thrilling event is scheduled for November 5th at the South Dakota Circuit.

With a rich history of promoting motorsport excellence and fostering regional camaraderie, GMR&SC is poised to spearhead a new era of competitive racing in the Caribbean. The ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions is set to be a landmark event aimed at attracting the best drivers

and cars from across the region to participate in a captivating one-off championship.

Jamaican racing sensation Doug "Hollywood" Gore, a true testament to the event's allure, has enthusiastically confirmed his participation as the first regional driver. Doug Gore will triumphantly journey to Guyana, piloting his formidable new GP4 car, aptly named “The Beast.” Known for his remarkable skills and dynamic racing style, Gore's participation is anticipated to set the tone for an electrifying clash of champions.

The ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions promises a spectacle of speed,

skill, and excitement as drivers navigate the twists and turns of the South Dakota Circuit. Racing enthusiasts and thrill-seekers alike can look forward to an unforgettable experience, cheering on their favourite drivers and witnessing history in the making.

As anticipation builds and excitement grows, GMR&SC extends a warm invitation to motorsport enthusiasts, sponsors, and media representatives to participate in this extraordinary event. Together, let's reignite the flames of Caribbean motorsport, showcase the incredible talent within our region, and celebrate the unbreakable bond that unites us all.

Port Mourant, Cotton Tree CC receive $1M worth of equipment BCB Cricket Development Programme…

recently become involved in youth cricket, after primarily concentrating on second division cricket. Currently, the club is involved in youth cricket at the U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19 levels. The club has produced players like Arif Khan, Shoaib Gafoor and Arif Bachus.

“The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under my leadership is fully committed to making sure that every cricketing talent in the county is given equal opportunity to excel on the cricket field. We would work hard to provide all the necessary equipment for youth development, so that the next generation would follow in the footsteps of John Trim, Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher.”

Those were the words of President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster, as he officially handed over $1M worth of bowling machines and batting cages to the Cotton Tree and the historic Port Mourant cricket clubs.

Foster, who is personally spearheading the Berbice Youth Development Programme, admonished members of the two clubs to take proper care of the equip-

ment, and to primarily focus on the development of youth players from the under-11 to the under-19 levels. Youths, he stated are the ones that would carry on the legacy of Berbice cricket.

The PMCC received a batting cage, practice net, and bowling machine from the BCB, while Cotton Tree CC received a bowling machine and practice net. The Cotton Tree club has only

Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund…

RHTY&SC NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour and Bakewell teams honour 5 Fire officers

Despite not winning any Berbice junior level tournament, Cotton Tree has reached several semifinals over the last two years, and on Sunday last, won its first major BCB second division title when it defeated Achievers B to emerge champion of the Dave West Indian Imports 40-Over tournament.

The Port Mourant CC has a special place in the history of Berbice cricket, being the club that produced the most Test players. The historic club has produced seven Test players in John Trim, Rohan Kanhai, Ivan Madray, Basil Butcher, Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran and Mahendra Nagamootoo. Currently, that club has youth players like Rampertab Ramnauth, Rampersaud Ramnauth, Salim Khan, Navin Budhwa and Ravin Budhwa. These two clubs also have the services of coaches attached to the BCB Cricket Development Project. The

coaches are responsible for holding practice and coaching sessions. Over the year, cricket clubs have benefitted from donations of cricket gear, uniforms, water pitchers, pitch covers, catching cribs, educational materials, coaching equipment, school bags, cycles and educational grants, among other things.

The BCB, in 2023, donated six bowling machines to the following clubs: the RHTY&SC, Upper Corentyne, Rose Hall Canje, Port Mourant, Cotton Tree,

Development Programme are to produce another 12 players for the West Indies over the next six years. The BCB, under the presidency of Foster, has produced 12 players at all levels for the regional side since 2018. Among those players are Gudakesh Motie, Kevlon Anderson, Kevin Sinclair, Ramario Shepherd, Sheneeta Grimmond, Shabika Gajnabi, Isai Thorne, Ashmini Munisar, Ashley Ramnauth and Rampertab Ramnuth. The batting cage was

and Bush Lot United. Five batting cages were also donated to the abovementioned clubs, apart from Cotton Tree.

The objectives of the BCB

sponsored by contractor Peter Lewis, and the machine by Minister Vickram Bharrat, who is also the Patron of the active

Win at Guyana Cup secures place at President’s Cup

"All the best to the connections of all the horses in Guyana Cup and the supporting events, and thanks to everyone for making this day not only memorable and successful, but being one of the biggest social events on ONE GUYANA’s sporting calendar.”

The Rose Hall Town NAMILCO Thunderbolt

Flour Under-23 and first division teams, along with the Bakewell Under-17 and second division teams, last Tuesday honoured five outstanding firemen attached to the Rose Hall Town Fire Station.

The officers honoured under the Tribute to Heroes segment of the RHTY&SC/ Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund Programme were Delroy Benn, Ajay Gopilall, Jermon Williams, Trevor Crawford and Rayon Ramalho. They were selected by the leadership of the Rose Hall Town Fire Station based on their work ethic, discipline, and dedication to the job.

RHTY&SC Secretary/ CEO Hilbert Foster was accompanied by club executives Robby Kissoonlall, Tyrone Pottaya and cricket coach Winston Smith. Foster urged the awardees to continue to serve with distinction, and to always strive for excellence.

Long-serving secretary/ CEO, who is also the president of the Berbice Cricket Board,

disclosed that his admiration for fire officers increased when he saw a documentary on how they place their lives on the line when disaster occurs. The township of Rose Hall and the county of Berbice, Foster stated, was very grateful for the excellent service of the Fire officers.

The officers honoured were the first set of Fire officers to be honoured by the RHTY&SC. In the past, the club had honoured postal workers, teachers, Police officers, municipality workers, sportsmen, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and therapy workers under the Basil Butcher Trust Fund Tribute to Workers Programme.

The Rose Hall Town NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour and Bakewell second division teams are the two most senior teams of the RHTY&SC. Annually, they together undertake between 80 and 100 personal development programmes under a wide range of sub-headings, including sports, charity, youth development, educational, anti-drugs, anti-crime,

publication, religious and health.

The teams each year host programmes such as Tribute to Law Enforcement Officers, Cricket Academy, Summer Camp, Feeding of the Poor, Christmas Village, Tribute to Mothers, Tribute to Fathers, Annual Christmas Charity programme, Tribute to Medical Workers and Tribute to Postal Workers.

Each of the firemen received three special gifts along with a medal of excellence and a framed certificate.

The NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour first division team is led by national player Kevlon Anderson, and includes players such as Kevin Sinclair, Clinton Pestano, Junior Sinclair, Sylus Tyndall, Shawn Perriera, Jason Sinclair, Khemraj Mahadeo and Keith Simpson.

Surendra Kissoonlall leads the Bakewell second division team with support from Jonathan Rampersaud, Jeremy Sandia, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Mahendra Gopilall and Ryan Algu.

The winner of tomorrow's (August 13) eight-furlong feature event of the Banks DIH Guyana Cup horse-race meeting, which will be held at Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC), and the winner of next month's President's Cup meet, will get a secure entry for next year's Guyana Cup.

This announcement was made on Thursday by the Management team of the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee (JJTRC) headed by Nasrudeen Mohamed jnr.

Mohamed said, "This race is growing in popularity and interest. More horses are taking entry in this race, and we will definitely have to review the conditions for entry (into) this race, so that the best horses in the country and the Caribbean have

a secured entry."

Asked if the class of the horses would weigh in favour of horses being entered in the future, and if the winners of other graded races staged at other tracks would benefit from a secured slot, Mohamed responded, "The best horses will have no problem competing in the race. We are preparing to develop the race into the most talked about event in the Caribbean.

"We will be holding discussions with other track owners who stage major races in Guyana, to incorporate this idea of automatic berth in their races. At this time, we cannot confirm for those racing bodies," Mohamed added. “However, a statement on the decision of other promoters will be announced after our meeting with them.

GAW player Schultz aiming to grab opportunity at CPL 2023

Left-arm

Kaysia Schultz will turn out for the Guyana Amazon Warriors Women’s team for the 2023 Massy Women’s Caribbean Premier League, which bowls off on August 30 in Barbados.

The 26-year-old Guyanese said she is aiming to grab the CPL opportunity with both hands and add to her five matches she has already played for the West Indies Women at senior international level.

“Opportunity is something I absolutely crave. I have been working very hard behind the scenes, so it is about time I trust in that hard work. I am looking to achieve a lot of wickets this time around. I am a

big spinner of the ball, so it is just about getting it into the right areas and wickets will come,” Schultz said.

West Indies, India set to ignite Florida for T20I series finale

over the globe.

“We welcome everyone under the sun, and are delighted to host these remarkable athletes and their devoted fans in what promises to be a weekend filled with great sportsmanship and competition.”

She is also relishing the training camp which was organized by the Guyana Amazon Warriors. Schultz added: “Personally, it is a good initiative. I have been working on my allround game, especially in the bowling department. And having both of the experienced coaches in Coach Ryan and Coach Griffith working with us, they have been enhancing our knowledge in the game, and that is something I will be taking in this CPL.”

“It is going to be a good opportunity for me personally just to go out there and showcase my skills. Hopefully, I can in spire a lot of young girls to play the sport and stay in the sport,” she said.

“Playing for West Indies is an amazing feeling, so I am looking forward to this CPL as it relates to opportunity, so I can express myself and get wickets under my belt,” Schultz concluded.

Guyana Amazon Warriors Women’s squad: Stafanie Taylor, Karishma Ramharack, Natasha McLean, Shemaine Campbelle, Shakiba Gajnabi, Shakera Selman, Sheneta Grimmond, Kaysia Schultz, Suzie Bates, Shabnim Ismail, Shreyanka

Ambati Rayudu joins St Kitts & Nevis Patriots as marquee player for RBLCPL 2023

title in 2023."

in the men's CPL, but they qualified as USA players.

County Stadium, in Lauderhill, Florida for the 4th and 5th Kuhl Stylish Fans T20I Series

Powered by Black and White.

The West Indies and India teams arrived on Wednesday evening, and are training at the venue on Thursday and Friday before the finale of the T20I Series concludes India’s tour of the West Indies and Florida with a back-to-back weekend of T20 cricket. The 4th T20I starts at 10:30am today (Saturday August 12), with the 5th and final T20I match also starting at 10:30am on Sunday August 13.

Heading into this action-packed weekend, West Indies lead the Series 2-1 after winning the first two games in Trinidad, before India rebounded with a victory in Guyana on Tuesday to set up what promises to be a blockbuster two-day showpiece in the sunshine of Greater Fort Lauderdale. At least 15,000 spectators are expected to attend, travelling in from around the USA, the Caribbean and beyond. A combined audience of over 200 million viewers will tune into the matches live on television and on their mobile devices.

Cricket West Indies, as hosts of the Kuhl Stylish Fans T20I Series Powered by Black and White, are delighted by Visit Lauderdale and the Florida Sports Foundation’s support for the event as we seek to grow awareness of, and participation in, cricket in the USA, especially with a

significant Caribbean diaspora in North America and such large communities of Indian cricket fans.

Additionally, with the USA hosting ICC 2024 T20I World Cup matches, this is a great opportunity for Broward County Stadium as USA’s leading cricket venue to be showcasing two of the most exciting teams in world cricket ahead of next year’s World Cup.

Speaking on behalf of his team shortly after ar rival, West Indies Head Coach Daren Sammy said: “We’re excited to be back in Fort Lauderdale, and we thank the great hosts here for welcoming us and staging the matches. We’re really looking forward to this weekend. There is a lot to play for, and we really want to put on a good show for the fans. It’s al ways non-stop action when we play at Broward County Stadium… the atmosphere is amazing…we feel at home. The players are pumped up for what is to come in these two matches. We’d love to see local Floridians come out and enjoy.”

Stacy Ritter, President and CEO of Visit Lauderdale, said: “Greater Fort Lauderdale is enormously proud to sponsor this tournament and showcase Broward County Stadium, the leading cricket stadium in the United States, to cricket fans from all

The two teams will feature some of the most dynamic and entertaining players in cricket. West Indies are led by captain Rovman Powell, and have in their ranks talismanic allrounder Jason Holder and wicketkeeper/ batsman Nicholas Pooran who won the Player-of-the-Match awards in the first and second matches.

India is led by Hardik Pandya, a star performer with bat and ball, and their squad includes world stars such as Suryakumar Yadav in their powerful batting line-up and left-arm spinner Kuldeep Yadav leading the bowling attack.

Grandstand and VIP Hospitality tickets are still available for both matches, and fans can purchase online tickets and parking passes from the Windies Tickets Service, presented by Mastercard, at tickets.windiescricket.com .

The venue box office is now open from 9am on Friday, and from 8:30am on both Saturday and Sunday. Cricket lovers in the United States are in for a special treat when West Indies host India at Broward

Ambati Rayudu could become the second Indian to play in the men's Caribbean Premier League (CPL), after St Kitts & Nevis Patriots signed him as their marquee player for the upcoming season.

Rayudu, 37, retired from international - and Indian - cricket after helping Chennai Super Kings to their fifth IPL title in May this year.

Texas Super Kings then unveiled Rayudu as one of their signings for the inaugural Major League Cricket competition in the USA.

But five days before the start of the league, Rayudu pulled out amid the BCCI's proposal to introduce a oneyear cooling-off period for retired Indian players before they can participate in overseas franchise leagues.

If Rayudu is cleared, he will add to the Indian presence in the men's league.

Legspinner Pravin

Tambe was the first Indian to play in the men's CPL, when he was with Trinbago Knight Riders in 2020. There have been two other Indian cricketers - Sunny Sohal and Smit Patel - who have played

This season will also see Shreyanka Patil become the first Indian to take part in the Women's CPL, having been signed up by Guyana Amazon Warriors. Rayudu will replace South Africa allrounder Tristan Stubbs, who is no longer available for CPL 2023, at Patriots. He links up with former Tamil Nadu all- rounder Malolan Rangarajan, who has replaced Simon Helmot as Patriots' head coach. Malolan has also been part of Royal Challengers Bangalore men’s and women's support staff in the IPL. In the past, Robin Singh and Abhishek Nayar had coached CPL franchises.

"I'm really excited to be joining the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. I look forward to having a positive contribution for the team in the upcoming CPL 2023," Rayudu said.

Rayudu's presence could potentially help Patriots fill the void created by Dwayne Bravo's return to his home franchise TKR. Rayudu brings with him the experience of having played over 100 IPL games and having won six IPL titles - the most, along with Rohit Sharma.

Patriots owner Mahesh Ramani said in a statement, "I am sure Ambati's seasoned expertise of having won multiple championships with various teams in an illustrious career in India will undoubtedly enrich the experience of our young players as we chase our second CPL

TA Adhishwar, the director of cricket at Patriots, is also looking forward to working with Rayudu: "I am really excited to welcome Ambati to the St Kitts & Nevis Patriots. He is one of the most decorated players in the IPL, and we have seen how important experience is in big tournaments like this. I look forward to him sharing his wealth of experience with the team."

Though Rayudu hasn't played international cricket in the Caribbean, he had been part of the 50-overs Carib Beer Cup in 200203, when India A and West Indies B competed with teams from various islands. He had played six matches at the time, scoring 289 runs and picking up seven wickets.

Rayudu will join the South African trio of Dewald Brevis, Corbin Bosch and George Linde, and Afghanistan's Izharulhaq Naveed as Patriots' overseas players. Evin Lewis, who had led Patriots to the men's 6IXTY title last year, is set to captain the CPL side this season following Bravo's departure.

As things stand, Indian players can feature in overseas leagues only if they are retired from international cricket and BCCI-run tournaments such as the IPL. Unmukt Chand, Robin Uthappa, Yusuf Pathan and S Sreesanth are among the Indians who have participated in franchise tournaments recently, after having retired from international cricket.

The men's CPL 2023 will be played across five islands in the Caribbean from August 16 to September 24.

The CPL will overlap with The Hundred in England, which runs from August 1 to August 27 this year, and the knockouts of the Lanka Premier League.

Patriots will open their campaign against serial CPL winners TKR on August 19 in St Lucia. (ESPN Cricinfo)