Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#USA, September 26, 2023 – A New York woman was arrested for murder following the death of a 1-year-old boy at her daycare centre which authorities say was also being used to store illicit drugs.  Grei Mendez was charged with one of her tenants, a male, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, over the shocking incident.

One-year-old Nicholas Dominici died of a suspected fentanyl overdose after being exposed to the drug in the daycare.  In an update from the NYPD via Facebook live, we learned a kilo of fentanyl had been sitting in the same place where the children napped; three other babies reportedly had to be revived with a fentanyl antidote Narcan.

They were all two years old or younger.

Eric Adams, New York City Mayor, was enraged by the incident.  He described it as ‘total madness.’

“Less than the size of a fingernail can kill an adult, so imagine what it would do to a child, you are irresponsible as an adult if you have this inside your home,” he said, “this is probably one of the worst days I’ve had walking into the Bronx– sitting down with those parents– what do you even say?”

Joe Kenny, Chief Detective on the case, revealed that around 2:41 on September 15, they responded to calls of three unconscious children at the licensed daycare centre.  Emergency Medical personnel quickly recognized the symptoms and administered the antidote, saving two lives.  Only two hours earlier, a mother had picked up the fourth child, who began to exhibit symptoms at home.  He was administered Narcan as well.

All the children had fentanyl in their systems.

The accused are facing charges of murder, attempted murder and depraved indifference.

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer 

#USA, September 26, 2023 – United States President Joe Biden, called on the United Nations, during the recent 78th UN General Assembly meeting, to approve the “security support mission” Kenya has pledged to lead to help rebuild democracy in embattled Haiti.

The POTUS expressed, at the meeting on Tuesday September 19th, that Haiti has run out of patience and is in need of a solution to the economic and social deterioration of the nation which has ravaged stability in the country home to around 11 million people.

“The people of Haiti cannot wait much longer,” said Biden.

This comes as the world anxiously waits for an update from the Security Council on the mission Kenya agreed on in July this year, and after they went to Haiti on August 20th, to assess the needs of the country.

In fact, Al Jazeera reports that the Security Council commenced negotiations on the issue earlier this month.

Additionally, this follows previous efforts to help the nation, the most recent being the visit of CARICOM’s Eminent Persons Groups, which went to the island to help bring about general elections, but unfortunately failed due to the regression of stakeholders’ positions in support of their efforts and strident calls for the resignation of the current Prime Minister Ariel Henry.

Biden was speaking on the importance of more global action to help fight climate change as well as support for Ukraine, stressing the role of the United States, and in all of this, he briefly called attention to Haiti, highlighting the urgent need for the security mission approval.

Rashaed Esson

Staff Writer 

#USA, September 24, 2023 – Chan Santokhi, President of Suriname, highlighted some major challenges Suriname is faced with due to climate change, as one of the only [three] carbon negative countries in the world and non-contributing nation to climate change effects.

Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, 78th Session on September 20th, he informed that the country is, as we speak, getting “extraordinary high temperatures” which brings a range of effects such as challenges with the availability of drinking water.

He continued to explain that the rising sea level poses a threat to coastal areas. Also, he said inland areas are frequently flooded at an increasing rate due to heavy rainfall.

Even more unfortunate, he added that consequently people living in remote parts of the country’s [vast interior] are deprived of various necessities such as education, work and  basic utilities, further informing that food security is also threatened.

Amid all this, he maintained that Suriname remains dedicated and continues to play its part in protecting the planet via national actions and also with “engaging in strategic international public and private partnerships that will contribute to keeping the country carbon negative “now and also for the future.”

In continuation, Santokhi pointed out the need for easier climate financing to put in place mitigation and adaptation policies.

In light of this, he also spoke of the lack of progress for essential elements for global climate change solutions, and peace and prosperity.

He said, “this is my fourth statement to this global body and since then, I’m afraid to conclude, that not much has changed for the better.”

Further emphasizing the need for progress, he alluded to an upcoming gathering in Dubai is “less than two months,” saying they can’t go there and hear the “same analysis, the same stories, the same policies, the same speeches with [noble goals], the same promises,” with nothing gained after.

He added, calling for faster solutions, that decisions to make fundamental impacts and improve lives take too long to be made.