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Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd has summoned Venezuela’s Ambassador to Guyana, Carlos Amador Perez Silva, after learning that well-known local businessmen Nazar Mohamed and his son Azruddin, have been making frequent visits to the Venezuelan Embassy in Georgetown.

Minister Todd made the disclosure during an interview on Tuesday while providing an update on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) border case between Guyana and Venezuela. He described the matter as “a serious concern” given Caracas’ ongoing threats to Guyana’s sovereignty and recent statements by members of the United States Congress linking the Mohameds to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and alleged smuggling activities.

Todd said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs views the situation as particularly troubling in the context of the upcoming general elections.

“We cannot rule out any attempt by Venezuela to interfere in our elections,” he warned.

Azruddin, sanctioned by the U.S Dept. of Treasury, has formed his political party – We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) – and will be contesting the September 1st elections.

“If the Mohameds are close to Maduro and his regime, it is a threat to our sovereignty and could affect our relations with the US and other partners.”

Hugh Hilton Todd, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, on December 19, 2024, met with His Excellency Mr. Carlos Amador Perez Silva, Ambassador of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to Guyana.

According to Todd, Ambassador Perez Silva confirmed during their meeting that the Mohameds had visited the embassy to apply for visas to travel to Caracas. However, Todd said the frequency of these visits fits a “pattern” that aligns with concerns raised internationally.

The Foreign Minister pointed to a series of what he termed “unfriendly acts” by Venezuela in recent years—some amounting to acts of aggression—as part of an evolving strategy to undermine Guyana’s territorial integrity.

The ICJ is currently considering the substantive merits of Guyana’s case to confirm the 1899 Arbitral Award as a full, final, and perfect settlement of the border dispute. Venezuela recently rejoined the proceedings after boycotting earlier stages, a move Guyana has publicly welcomed.

Todd emphasised that while Guyana remains committed to good neighbourly relations, the Government is closely monitoring any activity that could compromise its sovereignty or democratic processes.

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Knowing when it’s time to go is a valuable trait, and if Pakistan were in any doubt their time in the Caribbean was up, West Indies quashed them and sent the visitors out of town with a comprehensive trouncing.

Jayden Seales’ six-wicket haul – the joint second-best figures by a West Indian in men’s ODI cricket – and an unbeaten hundred from Shai Hope put Pakistan to the sword in each innings.

It was more than enough to secure the West Indies’ first ODI series win over Pakistan in 34 years with their biggest ever win over Pakistan, scything through them for 92 having set them 295 to win.

It was a 15.2-over passage of play straddling both innings which lay at the heart of the West Indians’ dominance, a stunning inversion of a script Pakistan thought they had been writing all along.

West Indies struggled to get going on what looked a tricky pitch to negotiate against the slower bowlers, with Mohammad Rizwan greedily getting through as many of their part-time fifth bowling options as possible.

West Indies appeared to have sacrificed an ambitious innings total in exchange for conservatism that at least preserved their wickets, but as a result, they hadn’t yet crossed 200 by the start of the 44th over. It took one ball to change that, a smeared six from Hope off the first ball from Mohammad Nawaz bringing up that milestone.

A second six off the next delivery emphasised his intent, and Pakistan watched frozen as West Indies shuffled themselves off the canvas and began landing body blows Pakistan did not feel they were capable of. (ESPNcricinfo) 

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Sixteen children living with life-threatening heart conditions are now on the road to recovery following a week of life-saving surgeries and procedures at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC).

From August 4 to 8, GPHC, in collaboration with the US-based non-profit Gift of Life International (GOLI), carried out its second paediatric cardiac mission for the year—bringing renewed hope to families and advancing local cardiac care.

The initiative brought together local specialists and a 25-member international team led by renowned paediatric cardiac surgeon Dr Rodrigo Soto. Working side by side, they performed 10 cardiac catheterisations and six open-heart surgeries, directly treating young patients born with congenital heart disease.

In addition to surgical interventions, the visiting and local teams conducted comprehensive paediatric cardiology screenings for 80 children. These screenings identified urgent cases for immediate care, flagged others for future treatment, and provided reassurance to families whose children required no further procedures.

The success rate was immediate—13 of the 16 children have already been discharged from hospital, with the remaining three expected to go home in the coming days.

Beyond saving lives, the collaboration placed strong emphasis on building Guyana’s capacity for paediatric cardiac care. Through mentorship, hands-on training, and skills transfer, local doctors, nurses, and support staff strengthened their expertise, paving the way for more children to receive advanced treatment without having to travel overseas.

“The GOLI–GPHC partnership continues to transform lives while building local expertise,” said Dr Sara Singh, Head of GPHC’s Paediatric Department. “Our shared commitment is to ensure that every child in Guyana with a heart condition has access to the care they need, right here at home.”

This latest mission is part of an ongoing programme launched between GPHC and GOLI to address the urgent need for paediatric cardiac services in Guyana. The third and final mission for 2025 is scheduled for December 6–16, when the team will once again return to deliver life-changing treatment and expand opportunities for children to live healthy, fulfilling lives.

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For years, children from Huridiah, Acquero, Koko, Cabrora, and Sheba have had to travel long distances, often by boat, to attend Santa Rosa Primary School in Region One.

The situation has changed for 250 students because the government started building a new primary school in Huridiah.

The new school is designed to provide a safe and stimulating environment, ensuring that the pupils receive consistent and high-quality education. It will feature multiple classrooms and various amenities.

At the sod-turning ceremony last Saturday, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand announced that construction will begin on October 10.

The minister highlighted that the new school will significantly alleviate overcrowding at Santa Rosa Primary.

She said this is one of six new primary schools being funded by the government after delays in getting a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

Minister Manickchand emphasised that, “The communities will come together to decide on a name for the school that will [serve their children].”

The minister also expressed gratitude to resident Camille Campbell, who donated the land for the school’s construction.

“We were very kindly gifted this land by Auntie Camille. She has gifted not only Guyana but the communities with an invaluable gift…This is a truly patriotic gift from your family. Thank you very much”, the minister said.

She reaffirmed the government’s commitment to ensuring that quality education is accessible to every school-aged child in the country.

To date, the government has constructed 24 new primary schools nationwide, rebuilt 21 facilities, and made major extensions to 36 schools.

Meanwhile, Toshao of Santa Rosa, Raul Hendricks, said that the new primary school is a big achievement for all the communities that will benefit.

He expressed relief and excitement, noting that residents have been eagerly awaiting the project.

Headmaster Anthony Harris of Santa Rosa Secondary stated that the new primary school will help reduce space issues at the current primary school.

He remarked, “I am happy to be a part of this historic moment. I am pleased about this because up to last week, when I met with the senior staff, we were talking about space. We are packed up there [at the school].”

He commended the government for bringing quality education closer to children and ensuring they have the necessary tools to succeed.

Chief Education Officer (Amerindian and Hinterland Education Development) Marti De Souza and Senior Councillor of Cabrora Wilton Conyers also spoke briefly at the simple yet significant ceremony. (Republished from DPI)

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Police on Tuesday arrested 53-year-old Martin True, a resident of Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara, in connection with the alleged murder of his ex-wife Bibi Shazida Hanif, 45.

Martin was arrested along the No. 66 Public Road in Corentyne, Berbice at about 08:30 hrs on Tuesday, hours after Bibi was found murdered. He was in a car driven by Abdul Jameer True, 29, a resident of Parika, East Bank Essequibo.

Martin was taken to the Springlands Police Station and will be transferred to Regional Division No. 3.

He is accused of murdering his ex-wife Bibi, a cleaner attached to Rapid Oil Field at Halliburton, Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara.

Police reported that the incident occurred between 04:44hrs and 05:25 hrs Tuesday at Bibi’s Samaroo Dam, West Bank Demerara home.

The woman lived with her 18-year-old son, who is spending time in Berbice with his father.

According to reports, Bibi and Martin separated sometime in March this year, after which she began dating Hayden Xavier, a 44-year-old Trinidadian and an Inspector attached to Rapid Oil Field.

Xavier told investigators that Bibi lived with him at Red Road, Providence, East Bank Demerara, and about two weeks ago, she left his home and returned to her home at Samaroo Dam. He said she would visit his home from time to time.

Xavier explained that the company bus would normally collect the woman from Samaroo Dam every morning at 05:00 hrs and take her to Providence Public Road, then he would pick her up and take her to work.

On Tuesday, however, she called him [Xavier] and asked him to pick her up instead. While he was 20 minutes away on the Demerara Harbour Bridge, Xavier said he called Bibi, but Martin answered and allegedly said, “I now fix she deh.”

As a result, Xavier went to Vreed-en-Hoop Police Station and reported the matter before going to the home.

Police arrived on the scene and saw the victim lying motionless, in a pool of blood, on the floor next to her bed. The body was examined by the police, and two stab wounds were seen on her back. The body was then escorted to the West Demerara Regional Hospital and officially pronounced dead.

Further investigations are ongoing.

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A motorcyclist tragically lost his life early Monday afternoon after reportedly colliding with a pig while riding along the Alness Village, Region Six (East Berbice- Corentyne), public road.

The man who died has been identified as 27-year-old Daniel Gaindalall, a laborer from Block 4 Tain, Corentyne, Berbice.

Daniel’s wife, 49-year-old Janet Naidoo, shared with the News Room that around 17:00 hrs, her husband was returning home from Black Bush Polder when a pig unexpectedly dashed across the road into his path. This caused him to be thrown off his motorcycle, landing on the grassy shoulder.

He was quickly transported to the Port Mourant Public Hospital for medical care, but unfortunately, Janet said he was pronounced dead just ten minutes later.

According to her, Daniel suffered from head injuries.

Janet expressed her worries about animals being allowed to roam freely on the roads.

“I think everybody should be very careful with their animals that they are minding. He [Daniel] does go out all the time with his bike and this never happen. If that pig wasn’t going across the road Daniel wouldn’t have get accident. You minding animals you have to keep them in the yard or you got to get them secure. So nobody nah own the pig because you know what gonna happen,” she disclosed.

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Over the past three and a half years, more than 9,000 teachers across the country were trained, marking significant progress in education development efforts.

Notably, training rates in the hinterland regions have jumped from 43% to 86%. The coastland has seen an increase from 63% to an impressive 98%.

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, made this revelation on Tuesday while speaking at the commissioning of the Mashabo Nursery school.

Manickchand reiterated the government’s commitment to expanding access to teacher training for all.

“Once you have the qualifications and you want to become a teacher, we will train you,” she said.

She also pledged support for persons wanting to join the profession.

“Every teacher who wants to be trained, every young person who wants to be trained, we will train you. We will pay you as you are training, and we will make sure that you don’t incur any training costs as you go through that process,” Manickchand said.

This initiative aims to boost the quality of education by ensuring that all teachers are well-prepared and supported throughout their training.

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Some 112 persons were on Monday inducted as the third batch of trainees under the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) Heavy duty equipment operator programme 2025.

If these persons successfully complete the programme, they will join some 16,000 persons trained by the Board over the last five years. Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton underscored the importance of being disciplined in their pursuit of success.

The programme comprises of 16 weeks of training and will culminate with each graduate receiving a certificate and license to operate four heavy-duty machines.

“For you to succeed, young men and women, the most important attribute is discipline, if you are indiscipline you done fail already…you can’t learn if you present yourself as someone who is difficult to teach,” Hamilton said.

The Labour Minister said this is a massive investment by the Government of Guyana to have individuals from all ten administrative regions trained, comprehensively to improve their livelihood. Some $6.8 million was invested for this programme and since 2020, a total of $22.4 million was spent.

Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton at the ceremony on Monday. (Photo: DPI)

“In some areas, people are exposed to actually five pieces of equipment, you will be exposed to four, first it used to be excavator and smith stare in the last two years, we have added, forklift because in oil and gas, if they don’t have any forklift operators, there will be no oil and gas. That’s an important skill in not just oil and gas, in many sectors, and we want to expose you to a front end loader,” Hamilton said.

He noted that of the 112 persons, 20 of them are women and said the increase of women in the mostly male-dominated fields is incredible.

Further, he said efforts to restructure curriculums in the school system to ensure that persons are exposed to skills training early on are underway.

The Labour Ministry has partnered with institutions, namely, the Guyana Industrial Training Centre and the Georgetown Technical Institute, to deliver training in Region Four.

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The final slab of concrete to connect the new US$262 million Demerara River Bridge from East to West is slated to be installed on August 25.

This was confirmed by Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, who was examining the highly anticipated infrastructure last Thursday. Within that time, the last eight girders will also be installed.

He disclosed that this can be expected to be completed between August 15 and 17.

Also, efforts are ongoing to run the final testing of the cables on the bridge.

“We have committed that this bridge will be completed by the end of August. Despite the weather, despite the challenges, the contractor and the project team are working on delivering this commitment,” the public works minister said reassuringly.

A section of the New Demerara Bridge Crossing, undergoing road works.

He rejected claims that the new bridge is unable to bear heavy loads. The minister said that people should not be worried.

The minister explained that “the weight of one of the girders that travels along this bridge to be placed is 160 tonnes… the weight of one of the cranes that are operating there is about 470 tonnes.”

In comparison, the average weight of a truck fully loaded is approximately 40 tonnes.

Appealing to critics to stop undermining public confidence, Minister Edghill said that every section of the bridge is tested to ensure compliance with international standards.

“So, people who have problems about whether the bridge is going to collapse and if the bridge can carry the weight, please don’t scare people. As a country, we can do things well. We have been doing things well,” Minister Edghill emphasised.

A section of the bridge.

The new bridge will have a lifespan of 100 years and offer toll-free access. It will operate around the clock and accommodate vehicles of all sizes and weights, with a maximum speed limit of 80 kilometres per hour.

Its design will also feature the Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH), the country’s second-highest national award.

More than 50,000 daily commuters are expected to benefit from the new bridge, resulting in an estimated $3.5 billion in annual savings.

“Every Guyanese should be proud that we have been able to achieve this in such a short space of time,” he stated.

The bridge is a landmark development in Guyana’s ongoing journey toward modernisation, providing safe, efficient, and sustainable connectivity for generations to come.

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A brilliant all-round performance from Tilleya Madramootoo powered the Combined Forces of Guyana to a six-wicket victory over visiting Trinidadian side Hibiscus at the Malteenoes ground, securing a 1-0 lead in their five-match T20 series.

In a match shortened due to a late start, player-of-the-match Madramootoo was the undisputed star. She spearheaded the bowling attack with figures of 2-4 and then returned to anchor the chase with a composed, unbeaten 10 to see her team home.

Aside from Sherika Campbell’s brief cameo of 16 runs, which included a six and a four, no other batter reached double digits.

Madramootoo was well supported by Yonette Welcome (2-7) and Varuni Pitamber (2-3) as they bowled out Hibiscus for 62 in 14.5 overs.

In their chase of a modest target, Combined Forces of Guyana got off to a good start thanks to an opening partnership between Crystal Durant (15) and Naomi Barkoy (18).

Madramootoo then took control, seeing her side to the target of 63 with a solid 10 not out in 13 overs.

Hibiscus’ Zaheera Mohit picked up two wickets for ten runs in a spirited bowling display.

The series, organised by Precision Sports, will continue during the week and conclude on August 16 at MSC.

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