Georgetown – After a four-year hiatus, the Guyana Fashion Showcase (GFS) is making a spectacular comeback, promising to captivate fashion enthusiasts with its blend of local and international styles.

Scheduled for October 4, 2024, at the National Gallery of Art, Castellani House in Georgetown, this year’s showcase will be a highlight of the CPL Cricket Carnival.

The theme for this year’s event “Style with Beauty in the Rainforest,” captures the essence of Guyana’s lush and vibrant natural landscapes. The official announcement of the showcase was made during a press conference held on Friday at Colabs Guyana Inc, located at 43 Garnett Street, Campbellville, Georgetown. The conference was hosted by Philbert Giddings, CEO and Founder of GFS; Michelle Cole Wagner, international designer and head of the brand COLEFACTS; and Sharminah Leah, an international actress and model.

Sharminah Leah, who is visiting Guyana for the first time, shared her emotional connection to the country. “I love Guyana; my dad is from Guyana and I feel at home,” she said, highlighting her deep personal resonance with the event.

Miss Guyana Culture Queen 2024, Shequana Holder, slated to be one of the prominent faces of the GFS, but was unable to attend the press conference due to her travel commitments. Her presence at the showcase will further elevate the event’s profile.

The inaugural Guyana Fashion Showcase, held on May 24, 2019, at the Ramada Georgetown Princess Hotel in Providence, was a groundbreaking success. It featured a diverse array of international, regional, and local designers, setting a high standard for future events. This year’s showcase aims to build on that legacy by providing even more opportunities for local talent to shine on an international stage.

Michelle Cole Wagner emphasized the broader vision of the GFS: “The Guyana showcase is not just a fashion show; we not only bring fashion in all its facets but also teach students and all those who are interested. It’s about nurturing talent and fostering creativity across the board.”

The excitement leading up to the showcase included a modeling casting call, which took place in the evening and attracted over 50 models. These aspiring talents, both male and female, showcased their skills and struts in front of a panel of judges. The casting call was a pivotal moment for many, as it offered them a chance to be a part of one of the most anticipated fashion events in the Caribbean. (Kaieteur News)…[+]

HOLON  –  Two people have been killed in a stabbing attack in the Israeli city of Holon, near Tel Aviv, medical officials have said.

The two killed were a 66-year-old woman and an “approximately 80-year-old man,” medical officials said. Two others were injured. Police said the attacker was a West Bank resident and was “neutralized” at the scene. He was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital. One of the injured, a 26-year-old man, told CNN affiliate Channel 11 (Kan News) that he was walking his dog when a man ran at him and stabbed him in the shoulder.

Yaakov Levertov said that he was able to run away from the man to a bus terminal parking lot. It was only when talking to emergency services after this that he realized he was “not the only” victim.

Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, said at a cabinet meeting that “this morning there was a murderous terrorist attack in Holon. I send my condolences to the families of the murdered and best wishes for a speedy recovery to the injured.”

Netanyahu praised the police officers who “eliminated the terrorist,” adding “we will reckon with everyone who cooperated with him.” Israel’s Minister for State Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, visited the site of the attack and repeated a call for Israelis to arm themselves.

“I share in the grief of the families and wish a full recovery to the wounded. Our war is not only against Iran, but here in the streets. This is exactly why we armed the people of Israel. More than 150,000 licenses for weapons in the last eight months,” he said, urging people to “carry a weapon, it saves lives.”

Palestinian militant groups celebrated the attack in Holon, with the Popular Resistance Committees, an umbrella organization of armed groups, and the Al-Qassam Brigades posting messages of support on their social media channels. Hamas said in a statement that it “mourns” the perpetrator of the attacks, who it described as a “martyred hero.”

“Hamas views this act as a natural response to ongoing Israeli occupation crimes against the Palestinian people, including brutal acts in Gaza, escalating violations in the West Bank, and the assassination of movement leader Ismail Haniyeh,” it said. (CNN)…[+]

DHAKA – At least 55 people were killed and hundreds injured in clashes in Bangladesh on Sunday, as police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse tens of thousands of protesters calling for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign.

The government declared an indefinite nationwide curfew starting at 6 p.m. (8 a.m. ET) on Sunday, the first time it has taken such a step during the current protests that began last month. It also announced a three-day general holiday starting from Monday. The unrest, which has prompted the government to shut down internet services, is Hasina’s biggest test since January when deadly protests erupted after she won a fourth straight term in elections that were boycotted by the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party.

Critics of Hasina, along with human rights groups, have accused her government of using excessive force to stamp out the movement, a charge she and her ministers deny. Demonstrators blocked major highways on Sunday as student protesters launched a non-cooperation program to press for the government’s resignation, and violence spread nationwide.

“Those who are protesting on the streets right now are not students, but terrorists who are out to destabilize the nation,” Hasina said after a national security panel meeting, attended by the chiefs of the army, navy, air force, police and other agencies. “I appeal to our countrymen to suppress these terrorists with a strong hand.”

Police stations and ruling party offices were targeted as violence rocked the country of 170 million people. Twelve policemen were beaten to death in the north-western district of Sirajganj, police official Bijoy Bosak said. At least five people were killed and dozens injured amid fierce clashes in several places in the capital, Dhaka, police and witnesses said.

Police said they had not fired any bullets, however, when some improvised explosives were detonated and the area turned into a battleground. In the northeastern district of Pabna, at least three people were killed and 50 injured during a clash between protesters and activists of Hasina’s ruling Awami League, witnesses said. Two more were killed in violence in the northern district of Bogura, and five were killed in four other districts, hospital officials said. (CNN)…[+]