PARAMARIBO – Pupils from the 8th grade will no longer receive a certificate. The principals of the nation’s primary schools told Times of Suriname, that these pupils will receive an official document that will state that they have successfully passed the first until the eighth grade, and that they have passed to the ninth grade. Parents, pupils, teachers and principals are puzzled by the decision to scrap the certificate.

A principal explained that the Ministry of Education, Science and Culture no longer discusses the latest developments with the principals of the nation’s schools, but simply announced the changes that must be implemented. The principals pointed out that they can’t answer all of the questions of the parents, because they do not receive information regarding the logic behind all of the decisions that are made. Several principals and teachers complained that the Ministry of Education fails to communicate adequately with parents, which is why parents are demanding answers.

A principal from a Mulo School pointed out that she was shocked to hear that the minister of Education, Henry Ori, has announced that the fourth grade of the Mulo would no longer exist, as it will be replaced by the 12th grade. She explained that if there is no clear plan for this drastic change, this change could add to the chaos caused by the free flow policy. The principal made it clear that she hopes that the ministry will consult all of the parties involved, instead of making one-sided decisions…[+]

WASHINGTON –  President Joe Biden’s administration has not made an offer of amnesty to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro to shield him from criminal prosecution in the United States in exchange for him giving up power since the South American country’s July 28 election, the White House said on Monday.

Venezuela’s electoral authority has proclaimed Maduro the winner of the election with 51% of the vote, although it has yet to produce the voting tallies. The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that the United States in secret talks offered Maduro amnesty to cede power.

White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre during a briefing on Monday said only that there have been no offers since the election. “Since the July 28 elections, we have not made any specific offers of amnesty to Maduro or others,” Jean-Pierre said. “What I can speak to is, since the election, we have just not made that type of offer.” (Reuters)…[+]

USA – More than half of U.S. states are reporting “very high” levels of COVID activity as the virus continues to spread and increase in many parts of the country, according to the latest wastewater data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

At least 27 states are reporting “very high” levels and 17 states are reporting “high” levels of wastewater viral activity. The western region continues to see the highest levels followed by the South, Midwest and Northeast, respectively.

Current levels are nearing but remain lower than what they were in the winter months, when there tends to be increased spread of respiratory illnesses. Wastewater data comes with limitations in how well it represents spread in a community, but it may be the best data available, experts say.

“While wastewater is not a perfect measure, it’s increasingly vital in filling the gaps left by the absence of comprehensive case reporting and hospitalization data,” said Dr. John Brownstein, an epidemiologist and chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor. Many national surveillance systems have diminished in scope since the national public health emergency ended, leaving authorities will limited resources to monitor how the virus is spreading.

“As traditional surveillance systems have dwindled, wastewater analysis has emerged as one of the most reliable tools we have to monitor COVID-19 activity in communities,” Brownstein added. Other limited COVID surveillance systems such as emergency department visits and test positivity are also on the rise, according to CDC data. Deaths from the virus remain relatively flat, especially compared to previous years. Updated COVID vaccines are set to be available this fall, according to federal health authorities. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recommended that vaccine manufacturers formulate shots based on the KP.2 strain, an offshoot of the omicron variant that is currently estimated to make up about 6% of cases. Genetically similar variants, known as KP.3.1.1 and KP.3, currently make up almost half of estimated cases, CDC data shows. (ABC news)…[+]