- President Ali says - Dr Jagdeo emphasises that PPP/C Gov’t will also debunk ‘lies’ peddled by opposition
Guyana discusses areas of cooperation with Italy, Finland
President Dr Irfaan Ali recently met with Giorgio Silli, Italy’s Undersecretary of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation. Silli was accompanied by Fabrizio Nicoletti, Italy’s non-resident Ambassador to Guyana. The discussions centred on increasing bilateral relations between the two countries. Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation Hugh Todd and Director of Presidential Affairs, Mrs Marcia Nadir-Sharma, also attended the meeting. The President had also received a courtesy visit from the Finnish Ambassador to Guyana and CARICOM, Pertti Ikonen, to discuss enhanced collaboration, especially in trade between Guyana, the European Union and Finland. During the meeting, President Ali emphasised the country’s development trajectory and the Government’s drive to expand the economy through innovative diversification (Office of the President photos)
$1.3B Nismes Secondary School to serve 800 students
- as part of ongoing efforts to enhance education delivery across the country, Minister Manickchand says ‘An outstanding citizen, invaluable asset to Guyana’
- President Ali says of Minister Teixeira on her receipt of prestigious CPA Lifetime Achievement Award
‘Always our intention to seek parliamentary approval for cash grant funds’
- Jagdeo says in rejection of misinformation about government’s plans
$1.3B Nismes Secondary School to serve 800 students
- as part of ongoing efforts to enhance education delivery across the country, Minister Manickchand says
The Ministry of Education marked another significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance education delivery on Monday when the sod was turned for the new $1.3 billion Nismes Secondary School
THE Ministry of Education marked another significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to enhance education delivery on Monday, when the sod was turned for the new $1.3 billion Nismes Secondary School which will serve 800 students.
According to the ministry, the school, with a total investment of G$1,336,166,784, is an essential part of the government's commitment to enhancing educational facilities, and expanding access to quality learning environments across Guyana.
Located in the La Grange–Nismes district, the school will be equipped to meet the needs of students, in support of Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara)'s dedication to educational excellence, and a further step towards achieving Universal Secondary Education.
The construction work has been divided into five lots, and awarded to trusted contractors with a range of completion timelines.
ECS Construction & General Supplies has been awarded Lot One, with a contract sum of G$237,050,110, as well as Lot Two, valued at G$237,427,608. Both are scheduled to be completed in eight months.
JK Enterprise Inc. is overseeing Lot Three, valued at G$392,372,526, also with an eight-month timeline.
Mason’s Innovative Construction will manage Lot Four, valued at G$154,448,800, with an
expedited three-month schedule. Finally, R&R General Construction & Supplies has been awarded Lot Five, valued at G$314,867,740, with an eight-month completion timeline.
The Minister of Education shared her thoughts on the importance of this new facility for the community, emphasising the government's dedication to education, regardless of location.
"We set about immediately looking to see how we can build secondary schools with the view that every single child in this country - whether you're from Georgetown or you're from here on the West Bank, or you're from the deep hinterland or you live on a mountaintop - must be able to access a secondary education," the minister said.
Further, she expressed appreciation to One Communications for donating a portion of land that was initially theirs for the construction of the facility.
"I have to say that after negotiations, they've been very kind to say they're going to give us that piece of land, and so I want to recognise One Communications for donating a piece of land to the secondary education of the children of the West Bank,” she acknowledged.
This new school is expected to play a crucial role in empowering students with the resources they need to succeed, and in fostering a supportive and conducive learning environment.
Guyana anticipates working closely, enhancing cooperation with Trump-led gov’t - President Ali says
PRESIDENT, Dr. Irfaan Ali has said that Guyana is looking forward to working closely with the incoming Donald Trump administration to further strengthen
the existing robust ties with the US. The President made this announcement as part of his congratulatory message to Trump, who was elected the
47th President of the United States of America. Trump secured victory in the 2024 US presidential election, defeating Vice President Kamala Harris.
It was reported that the president-elect is swiftly moving forward with plans for his new administration. The transition period, which lasts 75 days until
Inauguration day on January 20, will involve filling approximately 4,000 government positions. Guyana’s relationship with the United States has signifi-
cantly strengthened since 2020. The relationship has been characterised by growing economic, political, security, and cultural ties.
Gov’t to debunk opposition’s ‘lies’, advance relations with Trump administration - Dr. Jagdeo says
THE ‘lies’ perpetuated by opposition forces in previous discussions with the outgoing US administration will be debunked by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, as it advances work and relations with the incoming Donald Trump-led government, PPP General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said.
“We believe that the United States of America is a very close partner of Guyana, and therefore we have to work to build that partnership continuously. We would also work with his administration to debunk a lot of the lies being peddled by some forces, including the opposition,” he said.
“For the past several years, they have been meeting US government officials, and have been telling a bunch of lies to them. Almost every mission that comes to Guyana
is from the United States of America; they have a standard mantra,” he told media operatives during his weekly press conference at Freedom House on Thursday, when he also congratulated Trump on his election as the 47th President of the US.
The PPP/C government has had to address several instances of misinformation spread by the APNU+AFC on the international stage, in an effort to defend its record on implementing measures to benefit Guyanese citizens.
Referencing some of the opposition “lies” that will be addressed with the Trump administration, Dr. Jagdeo said: “They have a standard mantra: The PPP is racist, the PPP is corrupt, the PPP is incompetent, the PPP squanders oil and money, and the PPP doesn't like the United States of America; this is their standard narrative. For every
mission that comes to Guyana, I can predict what they will say to them.
“And, of course, the facts are very different; and we have also been meeting with those officials to set the record straight. So, I think those officials are pretty much aware of their transgressions,
because what I say here at the press conference, we also speak to them about this; their transgressions on procurement, and the systemic improvements that we have made to enhance the procurement in Guyana.”
Dr. Jagdeo highlighted transparency in the PPPC’s governance as evidence of their commitment to fairness, referencing, as one example, the publicly accessible data on the National Procurement and Tender Board Administration (NPTAB) website.
He contrasted this with the APNU+AFC’s five-year tenure, during which, he claims, contract details were withheld from public view in violation of Guyana’s Procurement Act.
“We're on the NPTAB website; if you look at the five years of procurement under APNU, you will see not a single bit of information as is required by law. The Pro-
curement Act of Guyana says that after a contract has been awarded within a specified time period, the administration has to put on the website the nature of the contract; the name of the contractor,” he said, adding:
“There's the quantum of money for the award; that is the contract price, and the procurement method, among other fields that they have to fill in on that date in the format that is on the website, so you can know exactly who got the contract, what was the price of the contract, and the procurement method used; whether it's all sourcing are open, competitive, tender or restrictive tender. That was absent for the entire period under APNU. Right now, from September of 2021 to now, every contract procured through NPTAB is on that site with the required information.”
USING REAL EVIDENCE TO SHOW PROOF
Noting that the foregoing explanation is just one example of some of the information the government uses when the opposition “lies through its teeth”, Dr. Jagdeo said:
“We have to use real evidence to show the major improvements in the system. And we are looking forward to continuing to debunk all the lies, particularly with the new administration that will take office in January of next year in the United States of America.”
Beyond its intention to address the misinformation campaign of the opposition, Dr. Jagdeo said the government is also looking forward to working with the Trump administration to advance and strengthen diplomatic and economic relations.
Trump is the second US
‘An outstanding citizen, invaluable asset to Guyana’
-
President Ali says of Minister Teixeira on her receipt of prestigious CPA Lifetime Achievement Award
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali on Thursday acknowledged the significant, lifelong contributions of Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira towards the advancement of Guyana through dedicated service to the people.
The President recognised Minister Teixeira’s contributions in a congratulatory message to her on her receipt of the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award.
“I extend heartiest congratulations to Gail Teixeira, on this most deserving and outstanding award. You have dedicated your entire adult life to serving Guyana and all Guyanese. Your execution of every task you undertook has been nothing short of exceptional. You are an outstanding citizen, and an invaluable asset to Guyana,” Dr. Ali said, adding:
“It is a privilege for me to witness, up close, your selfless service, remarkable commitment, humility, and sacrifices for our country. As you continue to serve, the inspiration and motivation you bring to our team are deeply
valued. Keep shining with beauty, intellect, success, and in your service to the people of our nation.”
Since her election to office in 1992, Teixeira, who is the first Guyanese to receive this award, has served continuously in Guyana’s Parliament, holding a range of ministerial positions, including Minister of Health; Culture, Youth and Sports; and Home Affairs. Her work in these roles often addressed deeply-root-
ed challenges, from democratising the government to reforming health and cultural policies in a once-fragile nation.
In her acceptance speech, Ms. Texeira highlighted the role she played in advancing a progressive abortion law in 1995, a landmark achievement that helped ensure the rights, safety, and dignity of women in Guyana.
She also credited the collaborative voices of female parliamentarians, religious
organisations, and civil society groups for the policy’s success.
Teixeira also emphasised her dedication to preserving and promoting Guyana’s rich cultural heritage, ensuring that it served as a unifying rather than divisive force. She noted that President Irfaan Ali’s One Guyana policy has reinforced national unity, a principle that she said remains integral to the country's ongoing social transformation.
Among her many achievements, Teixeira said she is particularly proud of her role as chairperson of the Human Rights Task Force, where she helped expand human rights protections within Guyana’s Constitution.
"These moments are dear to me, as they underscore the intersection between constitutional Rule of Law, governance, and humanity," she reflected.
The CPA Lifetime Achievement Award represents a resounding acknowledgment of Teixeira’s legacy as a tireless advocate for justice, and an inspiring example of principled leadership in public service.
The Commonwealth
Parliamentarian of the Year Awards celebrate active and inspiring Parliamentarians excelling in their fields. The nominee must have been a parliamentarian for over 20 years, and over that time must have: Demonstrated an impressive record of achievement as a parliamentarian in their contribution to their Parliament and to their country; promoted democracy and good governance within their jurisdiction; and achieved notable and sustainable positive change over the course of their career.
Teixeira was nominated for this prestigious award by the Parliament of Guyana in September 2024.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance
Gail Teixeira
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance Gail Teixeira is the first Guyanese to receive the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award
President-elect of the US Donald Trump
‘Those violating Local Content Act will face consequences’
- Dr. Jagdeo warns
THE Government of Guyana is actively pursuing violations of its local content legislation, and according to People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, those found in breach will risk losing their certifications and face hefty fines.
“They have a lot to worry about,” he said during his weekly news conference on Thursday at the party’s Freedom House headquarters on Robb Street, Georgetown.
“…We intend to crack down on it. This Act was designed to give benefits to our people; Guyanese people, and if there are a few people here who are using it to confer the benefits so
that the foreign companies can get these benefits that are set aside for our people, and they are collaborating with the foreigners, then they run the risk of not just losing the certification, but also facing the fines, in accordance with the Act,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Already, officials have begun investigating instances where persons or companies have violated the country’s local content legislation.
“We are examining the ways in which they are doing this; and, information is credible, and we’re going to act on this information soon,” he added.
Last week, Dr. Jagdeo had noted that amendments to the landmark legislation
will be enacted next year, ensuring all loopholes are regulated effectively.
He then disclosed that the Local Content Secretariat has identified a number of issues with companies’ compliance.
For instance, Guyana’s local content law mandates that 75 per cent of the management positions in companies be held by Guyanese, with only 25 per cent allowed for foreign workers.
However, companies are allegedly rotating foreign workers every six months, and subverting the requirement for Guyanese managers. As a result of this, Dr. Jagdeo disclosed
that he “spoke with the commissioner, and we are now drafting legislation that will cover that loophole”.
Additionally, the government is reviewing the eligibility percentages for a number of sectors outlined in the legislation, including rentals requiring 100 per cent local procurement.
According to Dr. Jadeo, the possibility of adding new sectors to the local content schedule is also being explored.
He emphasised that the situation is being monitored carefully, as the well-being of Guyanese is a priority. He went on to
note that the government has provided support to these ‘big’ companies, and they will not be allowed to ‘shaft’ Guyanese.
Guyana’s Local Content Act was passed in December 2021, and brought with it guidelines that were designed to maximise the participation of Guyanese companies in the sector, beginning with the provision of services such as office-space rentals, janitorial services, laundry and catering services, pest-control services, insurance services, and the supply of food among several others.
Officials have said that the update to the piece of
legislation will likely include new provisions that reflect the lessons learned since its enactment and include other opportunities and areas that have seen growth.
Earlier this year, Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall said that the review and amendments to the law depended on a report from the Local Content Secretariat on the sector’s performance.
At the time, he’d noted that upon receipt of this report, the government intends to engage the private sector regarding consultations for possible amendments.
Gov’t to debunk opposition’s ‘lies’, advance...
president in the entire history of the United States of America to have come back to serve a nonconsecutive term.
His return to the White House comes after he secured a landslide victory in the 2024 election, amassing both the popular vote, and more than
the 270 Electoral College votes needed for a win.
This election marks a historic return to office for Trump, who, at 78, will be the oldest president in US history. His opponent, Democrat Kamala Harris, has conceded, and urged her supporters to facilitate a peaceful transi-
tion.
Trump is set to be inaugurated on January 20, 2025, officially commencing his second term.
Guyana's bilateral relationship with the United States was formally established on May 26, 1966, when the United
States recognised Guyana as an independent nation. This coincided with the establishment of the American Embassy here in Georgetown. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the US-Guyana relationship has evolved significantly.
‘Always our intention to seek parliamentary approval for cash grant funds’
- Dr. Jagdeo says in rejection of misinformation about government’s plans
GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has debunked claims that the government does not plan to seek parliamentary approval for the distribution of the 100k cash grant to Guyanese.
He clarified, however, that while the government had intended to seek parliamentary approval from the inception, it does not plan to introduce new legislation to govern the distribution of the grant.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, he said: “I never said that we have no intentions to seek parliamentary approval; I said that we are not going to have to pass a special Act called the Cash Grant Act. If we had to do that, we would have had to pass one for the business grant, and everything.”
He assured citizens that the process will, however, be conducted in accordance with the Constitution, which outlines that parliamentary approval is a necessary step in allocating and spending public funds.
This clarification comes on the heels of remarks made by Chartered Accountant Christopher Ram on this front, and misinformation published in local news.
“Every ordinary person would know that to give effect
to constitutional provision, there is a piece of legislation; a special Act that was passed. The last version of the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act was passed in 2003, and that sets out exactly how public money should be spent and appropriated,” Dr. Jagdeo explained at his weekly press engagement at Freedom House.
Noting that, clearly, Ram is not familiar with the constitutional process that governs the allocation and spending of public funds, he said:
“Every time you pass a budget, you go to the parliament to appropriate the funds. But when the budget is passed, you cannot withdraw the funds until you have the legislative authority to do so. There is an Act that is assented to by the President that then gives you the right to do so.”
This Act, he explained, is called the Appropriation Act, which is a crucial piece of legislation that provides the legal framework for the government to access and utilise monies from the Consolidated Fund, which is the primary account where all government revenue is deposited.
THE APPROPRIATION ACT
The Appropriation Act authorises the government to withdraw funds from the Consolidat-
ed Fund to finance the approved expenditure. It specifies the amount that can be spent on each programme or project.
The Act is a yearly process, and a new one is passed for each fiscal year.
“It is gazetted, so they can’t claim ignorance, but there is a special Act that is the authority from which the Ministry of Finance then uses to withdraw funds from the Consolidated Fund. If there is a supplementary during the course of the year, then there is the Supplementary Appropriation Act, assented to by President Ali,” Dr. Jagdeo underscored.
Additionally, the Auditor-General is responsible for auditing government spending to ensure that funds are used appropriately, and in accordance with the Appropriation Act. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) also plays a critical role in overseeing public finances, and holding the government accountable for its spending.
“You have to appropriate it,” he said, adding: “That means parliamentary oversight; you have to go to the parliament to appropriate the money. So, that means debate in the parliament; it gets passed. But even when it gets passed, you cannot withdraw the funds as yet. You then have to gazette it, and it has to be assented to by the President.”
Biometrics must not be used to disenfranchise Guyanese
- Dr. Jagdeo emphasises
GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo says the government is not opposed to enhanced biometrics at polling stations, but it must not be used as a tool to disenfranchise voters at the polling place.
He made the forgoing remarks during a press conference at the party’s headquarters when questioned by members of the media on his stance on biometrics.
Knowing the untrustworthy nature of the PNCled APNU+AFC, Jagdeo said, the opposition can always come up with disruptive tactics on elections day, if this system is implemented.
“We’ve been at this for a long time; we’re not going to fall in any trouble. We want clean voting; we want as many observers in the country as possible,” Jagdeo informed media operatives.
He emphasised that the goal of biometrics is not to exclude voters, but to enhance transparency and credibility in the electoral process. This is in stark contrast to what the opposition parties want, he said,
as they are misusing the biometrics narrative to push for disruption or loopholes to secure victory.
However, if the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has to reach a consensus on improving the electoral process, the government will ensure the necessary financial resources are provided.
“Financially, there will be no constraint to free and fair elections or clean elections. Financially, there will be no constraints,” the general secretary underscored, pointing out that GECOM has to make this decision.
Expounding on the opposition’s dishonest nature, Jagdeo recalled the March 2020 general and regional elections, where the coalition attempted to sway the results in their favour.
In response, the government enacted amendments to the Representation of the People’s Act (ROPA) that ensures strict penalties for elections tampering, including jail terms to prevent similar actions. This will guarantee free and fair elections; one that reflects the will of the people. (DPI)
These are all covered under the Fiscal Management and Accountability Act, he explained.
He added, “It will go to the parliament, there will be a full debate there, and once it is passed, it will then have to be put into a supplementary Act, assented to by the president, published in the Official Gazette, and only then will the funds be made available.”
Turning his attention to the flagrant violation of the Constitution under the APNU+AFC government, Dr. Jagdeo pointed out that that administration spent some $153 billion without parliamentary approval.
“We had to fix this when we
came into office,” he recalled.
The announcement of a oneoff $100,000 cash grant to every citizen aged 18 and above was made last month.
This undertaking will cost the treasury over $60 billion, so as to inject much-needed disposable income into the pockets of adult Guyanese.
Additionally, Guyanese living abroad are not left out of this development. Once in possession of a valid identification card (ID), and aged 18 and above, these persons will be able to receive their cash grant. But to benefit, they must conduct registration in Guyana, since no payment will be facilitated overseas.
Dr. Jagdeo pointed out that
the Opposition was initially against this measure to deem overseas-based Guyanese eligible for the grant.
“They are backpedalling; they are not totally opposed to the idea now, but they were opposed to it then. Then they tried to lie by saying that I said only people in New York will get it, and that I am leaving out people from the Caribbean. That is not true; Guyanese living anywhere in the world, once they meet the eligibility criteria, they will also benefit from the cash grant,” he said.
The Ministry of Finance is currently developing a software application to facilitate the smooth payout of the cash grant. (DPI)
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
A SAFE, child-friendly environment not only helps to positively mold young minds, but it exposes children to life-altering events and good moral values.
The recent opening of the Children’s Play Park close to the Carifesta entrance of the National Park, has opened the door to a world of possibilities and will expose children of all ages to a kind of playtime that is more modern and enriching.
Research shows that there is a strong correlation between success and play-
ful activities particularly in public green spaces. Parents being well aware of this, are ensuring that their children utilise these play spaces as often as possible.
The play park is the brainchild of Guyana’s First Lady, Her Excellency Arya Ali and falls under her National Beautification Project through which she has been doing a lot of good by transforming spaces, making them more family-oriented and child-friendly.
Like the Kingston Seawall Esplanade, the play park is anticipated to become a zone of relaxation,
fun and laugher particularly on weekends and holidays.
Already, the response has been overwhelming as the brightly coloured play equipment, games boards and Guyana’s first splash pad attract a sizeable gathering every afternoon.
Clearly, people welcome and appreciate the idea of these type of play spaces.
There is well documented research that points to long-term benefits of outdoor play parks. Some of the positives include meeting other children of different races, ethnicities
and religious backgrounds, good health and well-being, boost in problem-solving and the development of a range of skills such as co-operation and creativity.
In this space, children are allowed to function and explore their surroundings without limitations and hindrances. They engage in unstructured spontaneous play and can freely express themselves.
Play experts and other qualified personnel attest to the inclusive nature of play and the need for play spaces to reflect this. It is a good environment to learn
empathy and to promote love and unity.
Mrs. Ali’s focus on creating these kinds of enriching environments across the country, is no accident.
It was a well-researched initiative that had some grounding in emphasising the importance of bringing together as many persons as possible, reflecting diversity, equity and inclusively.
Dr. Stuart Brown, the founder of the National Institute for Play, a California-based not-for-profit organisation, has said that making play a part of our lives and remembering
what it is, are probably the most important factors in being a fulfilled human being.
Outdoor play is important to sustaining social relationships, promoting good health and being a creative, innovative person. The Children’s Play Park, the Kingston Seawall Esplanade and all the other green spaces that have been transformed to bring Guyanese together, must be applauded and appreciated as it is allowing young ones to develop good moral values and are transforming many lives.
Mr. Alexander should show us his ‘incontrovertible evidence’
Dear Editor,
I WRITE in reference to Mr. Vincent Alexander’s letter in the November 3, 2024 edition of the Kaieteur News captioned, “Nandlall’s insistence that GECOM’s systems are perfect is baseless”.
According to him, “the Chief Immigration Officer verified that the names extracted from the list of names of persons who cast votes, which was sent for verification, consisted, to the extent of approximately 75 per cent of names of persons who were out of the country on elections day’ day”.
Mr. Alexander goes onto to state that “…The Chairperson of the Elections Commission on May 20, 2020 wrote to the Commissioner of Police requesting the verification of the presence or absence of named persons in the country on elections day.
“On May 27, 2020, the Commissioner responded verifying that of the 307 names submitted for verification 172 were out of the country and 35 were in the country. This is but one sample. The truth be told: the Chairperson of GECOM had not brought to the attention of the CARICOM Observer Mission the existence
of the aforementioned information, although they were in the country at the time of its receipt”.
If I am not mistaken, I believe Mr. Alexander is a trained attorney, therefore, he ought to know that he cannot present unsubstantiated claims as "incontrovertible evidence”. It is not! Yet, he has evidently prostituted the term "evidence”, vis-à-vis, his loose usage of the word. For him to make such claims and, if at all he is to be believed, it means that he would have been privy/ aware of the existence of same, he has seen and verified the evidence, thus he should be in
Summary of anomalies
possession of the evidence to present to the general public. But one wonders why after more than four years have elapsed, that he has failed to make those “evidence” that he claims exist, available to the public.
If one were to treat Mr. Alexander’s ludicrousness with an iota of seriousness, then anyone could say anything for that matter, publicly and call that evidence. Unfortunately, no sensible person would accept that.
On the contrary, when the PPP/C claimed that they won the 2020 national election, they presented the evidence to the
world at large by making their copies of the Statements of Polls (SOPs) public. Moreover, the national recount confirmed that the PPP/C had indeed won the 2020 election, which means the Statements of Recount (SOR) corresponded to the SOPs. This is evidence! With respect to Mr. Alexander’s claims of dead votes and migrants voting who were not in the country, this is what the report of the CARICOM Observer Team had to say: “The team viewed much of the exercise as a fishing expedition designed to gather data for a possible election petition and which resulted in considerable
time being wasted during the recount.
“Furthermore, the net was cast extremely wide in the hope of at least making a small catch and at times the anticipated harvest ended in slim pickings. In only one observed recount of a ballot box was the number of queried serials confirmed as having voted in fact significant relative to the queried number. The team did not view the objections raised by the APNU/AFC as materially relevant to the recount of the ballot…Moreover, we simply have no evidence as to who were the ultimate beneficiaries of the alleged “ghost voting”
and voter impersonation” (Pg. 8). This is evidence!
The CARICOM Observer Mission concluded that “the national recount process then, despite some of its administrative failings, despite some of the minor flaws, is not an indictment of the 2020 polls, and the team categorically rejects the concerted public efforts to discredit the 2020 poll up to the disastrous Region Four tabulation…nothing that we witnessed, warrants a challenge to the inescapable conclusion that the recount results are acceptable and should constitute the basis of the declaration of the results of the March 02, 2020, elections” (CARICOM Observer Mission Report, 2020; Pg 10). This is evidence!
Further, on the September 13, 2022, a Commission of Inquiry (COI) into the General and Regional Elections of Guyana on March 02, 2020, was initiated by the President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali. The COI completed its work in 2023, and a report was handed over to the President in April 2023.
In summary, the findings of
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Trump understands a changing world better than Harris
IN 1988, Gary Hart from the Democratic Party would have won the presidency over H. W. Bush but he exited the race because of publicity over an extra-marital affair. At the time, 36 years ago, it was possible that a presidential candidate could suffer over such an indiscretion.
That era is long gone because the peoples of the world in 2024 do not have the same psychology of the peoples of the world of 1988. We have a younger generation today with a completely different value system. And there is social media today.
What grates your nerves 36 years ago, is not frowned upon by the new generation. The values are different. Uncouth, culturally bizarre and psychologically questionable presidents and prime ministers that are elected in Western countries would not have made it 50 years ago.
You cannot tell a young European or American that a politician should not be elected as head of government because he is a womanizer.
They do not put the same weight on such things as the past generations did. 50 years ago, it was the corporate controlled media in the US that filtered the news to us and we buy into their agenda.
That epoch is long gone. The media in the US still try to play with our minds but it is not working any longer in an age of social media. The period where the American media shaped how the world saw things is over. The world has seen how nasty, ugly and unprofessional the media is, not only in the US but all over the Western world over their reporting in favour of Israel.
Harris concentrated her campaign on Trump rather than issues because she bought into how the corpo-
rate media painted Trump. But did the Americans frown on Trump because of how the media portrayed him. The answer is no and that is where Harris went wrong.
The American people do not believe in the things the media saturates American society with. I will cite two issues where there was this dichotomy, but before that, a comment by Trump that showed this divide. When the Ukraine President, Volodymyr Zelenskyy visited the US this year and met with Trump, at the press conference Trump told Zelenskyy that he (Trump) is a good friend of Vladimir Putin.
The way we see American society you would think that was a disastrous statement that could cost Trump but it didn’t. Why? Because Trump knows the changing US more than Harris does. The American people do not care about the war in Ukraine
and has no interest in who is Putin. It is corporate America and American corporate journalism that have made the war a priority for Americans and paints Putin as the worst thing in the world.
Trump says Vladimir Putin is his friend yet he did not lose votes over that statement when we who live outside of the US thought it was a disastrous thing to say. I return to the two issues cited above. The American media saturates American society over Israeli right to defend itself and the unjust Russian invasion of Ukraine.
But the American people see it differently. They know Israel is a vicious cruel government that is committing genocide in Gaza, and they gave no support to their government bankrolling Ukraine to hundreds of billions which they feel should go into the US economy.
Trump is no fool. He is
a very astute politician. It is Ms. Harris who is a mediocre thinker. Mr. Trump knows full well that money spent on wars by the US government should be diverted to the American economy, thus he is not supportive of American foreign interventions. He is unpredictable but unlike Mr. Clinton, Mr. Barack Obama, Mr. Biden and Ms. Harris, he knows war drains the US economy.
Mr. Trump’s understanding of international relations differs sharply from the corporate media, the security-industrial complex and the Democratic Party. He thinks Europe is using the US to provide security for Europe and that Europe relies on the US to preserve European interests in the world. And he asked himself – why should the US spend money on Europe’s agenda.
This is where Trump differs profoundly from the
Democratic Party. It was under Bill Clinton that the US reneged on the agreement with Russia not to include former communist countries into NATO. It was under Obama that the war continued in Afghanistan. It was Trump who initiated the policy to pull the US out of Afghanistan. No other politician in the political establishment that is more inclined to send the US to war than Hilary Clinton. The US is fighting a proxy war in Ukraine under Mr. Biden. Mr. Trump is unpredictable but for now he is not interested in American wars overseas. To be continued.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited
Mr. Alexander should show us his ‘incontrovertible...
FROM PAGE 6
the report of the COI revealed that “there were, in fact, shockingly brazen attempts by the [CEO], [DCEO] and Returning Officer, Clairmont Mingo to derail and corrupt the statutorily prescribed procedure for the counting, ascertaining and tabulation of the votes of the March 2, 2020, election as well as the declaration of the results of that election, and that they did so to put unvarnished language of the ordinary man for the purpose of stealing the election.” Again, this is incontrovertible verifiable evidence!
It might be interesting to note that in 2020, this author was an employee of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), the Manager and Economic Analyst for the PSC at that time. The PSC coordinated the largest local observer mission, covering nearly 100 per cent of the election and more so the national recount. This author was the coordinator for that mission and held the responsibility for analysing all of the observer reports, together with our own independent
tabulation of the result using the SOPs.
With that in mind, presented hereunder is the executive summary of a report prepared originally by this author, which was a “review of the report on the National Recount of the General and Regional Elections by GECOM’s Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield”.
The findings contained therein were derived from having conducted a thorough examination and analysis of the observation reports for all regions, which were in stark contrast to the number of anomalies reported by the Chief Elections Officer for all ten districts.
To this end, having reviewed the report prepared by Chief Elections Officer, it appears that he did not scrutinise to verify for himself, the observation reports – given that the reported anomalies mirror those allegations submitted by the APNU+AFC.
It is important to note that when the agents were calling out hundreds of random num-
bers, in many instances only two or three were confirmed to have been ticked and according to the instructions given by the Commission and the gazetted order, only those that were confirmed ticked ought to have been taken into consideration as alleged anomalies.
Clearly, the report submitted did not reflect this, which can be verified from examining the observer reports and conducting an exercise of random sampling. Interestingly, where the Chief Elections Officer reported exactly which party’s votes were affected by the anomalies, it is important to point out that it is almost impossible to ascertain who voted for which party since the ballots cast are secret ballots.
As such, there is absolutely no way in which one can ascertain which political party these alleged illegal voters―voted for. The Chief Elections Officer, in view of this aspect contained in his report, ought to explain the methodology through which those numbers were derived to determine which party votes
were affected and justification of same which is absent from the report.
Further, it is noteworthy to mention that the alleged ticks confirmed by the GECOM supervisor of the recount, was not done in a transparent manner, where both political party agents and local observers were denied, when asked to verify this claim.
Therefore, it can be concluded that such allegations lack merit and credibility. Further, it is not unusual for the OLEs in the possession of each party agents and that of the GECOM officials would have mismatch in ticks which would be tantamount to genuine human error as this is merely an administrative exercise.
For example, if one of the agents were preoccupied in other administrative tasks and thus forgot to indicate on his/her list a ‘tick’ to confirm. This will naturally result in a mismatch. Moreover, indicating a ‘tick’ on the list is not a strong controlled mechanism that is verifiable and can thus withstand the highest degree
of scrutiny, simply because in the administrative procedure, no one verifies the ticks, and no one reconciles the ticks on the list with the total votes / ballots cast.
Additionally, the indication by way of ‘ticks’ on the list does not appear to have been catered for in the electoral law and, therefore, the CEO cannot use this, which was the substantive basis employed by the APNU+AFC agents at the recount in their attempt to invalidate valid votes cast on elections day. It is now public knowledge that these allegations are unverified, and none have been so far proven to be authentic.
Lastly, the total number of alleged migrated voters was 2,603, which the APNU+AFC claimed that immigration data confirmed that these persons were not in the country on the day of the election.
However, by extrapolating from the arrivals and departures data, it was found that in 2019, the total number of arrivals were reportedly 357,362 and total departure of 322,294,
giving rise to a net arrival of 35,068.
And in the first quarter of 2020, the total number of arrivals were 62,121 and total departures were 60,443, giving rise to a net arrival of 1,678. Consequently, it is reasonable to presume that some these persons might have remained in Guyana for the 2020 election, and if the number of alleged votes by persons who migrated of 2,603 was correct, then based on the official immigration data for the year 2019 and first quarter of 2020, those persons might have indeed been in the country on the day of the election.
With all of the foregoing in mind, I end by reaffirming my position that if Mr. Vincent Alexander has any evidence to the contrary, then please do not keep the country in the dark. Publish the “incontrovertible evidence”! Save and except if his evidence is safely secured with the APNU+AFC’s SOPs.
Yours sincerely, Joel Bhagwandin
‘We
are passing the tipping point’
- Guyana to take strong stance at COP29, press for more financing for climate change adaptation, Jagdeo says
WITH the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29) convening next week in Baku, Azerbaijan, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has reaffirmed the country's commitment to advocating for the needs of developing nations, particularly those in the Caribbean, in the fight against climate change.
At a news conference on Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo, who’s also the country’s vice-president, highlighted Guyana’s strong positions
heading into the international climate negotiations. “Next week, the Conference of Parties will begin their an-
nual negotiations, and we will be represented there in Azerbaijan,” he said, adding:
“We intend to take
some very strong positions, which are not strange or unknown to the Guyanese public, because we have been speaking of these positions for quite a while now… They will be in support of developing countries, particularly vulnerable countries in the Caribbean.”
Guyana, he further noted, will press for increased financial aid for climate adaptation and mitigation efforts in vulnerable nations. “We will be pressing for more financial support for these countries, to help them adapt to the devastating impacts of climate change and to mitigate further environmental damage,” he said.
Further highlighting the urgency of addressing the global climate crisis, Jagdeo pointed out that current policy trends are putting the world on a dangerous trajectory.
“I think it's clear now to everyone what is at stake,” Dr. Jagdeo said, adding: “The world is on a trajectory, at current policy levels, to see a rise of about 3.1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”
He explained that even if all of the pledges made under the Paris Agreement were fully implemented, the world will still face a
temperature increase of approximately 2.6 degrees Celsius by the end of the century.
“What is required to avoid catastrophic change is a 1.5 degree rise above pre-industrial levels,” he posited, before noting, “Clearly, even with the pledges, we are way off target. Without additional commitments, at current policy levels, we are looking at more than a 3-degree rise above pre-industrial levels."
The VP further stressed that the world is already experiencing the early impacts of climate change, particularly in vulnerable regions.
“We are passing the tipping point,” Dr. Jagdeo said. “Already, we are seeing alarming signs in the polar regions; ice sheets are melting, ocean currents are changing, and these could have devastating, catastrophic consequences for the world, particularly for the developing world, which has limited capacity to adapt.”
According to Jagdeo, it’s “a very dangerous time" for the world, as the effects of climate change are increasingly apparent, and threaten to disproportionately affect countries with the least resources to cope with them.
While Guyana has a growing oil-and-gas industry, it has taken an active role in international climate negotiations by balancing its economic development with strong environmental advocacy.
The Vice-President underscored the country's long-standing position on climate justice and its resolve to continue pushing for stronger action to protect vulnerable populations globally.
Next week, global leaders will once again face the critical question of how to manage the world’s collective response to the climate crisis.
Topics for this year's conference are expected to focus on advancing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement, securing new climate financing, and building resilience in climate-vulnerable areas.
Last year, Guyana had taken a case to COP28 to secure a structured market for carbon credits.
Officials had hoped that the discussion would have led to policies that could see heavily forested countries like Guyana earning more money for its standing trees.
PPP General Secretary, VP Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
World leaders will next muster in Baku, Azerbaijan for the 29th Conference of the Parties (COP29)
Additional security features being explored for pension books
- strong action to be taken against persons creating duplicates
GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has said that the government is exploring the addition of better security features for pension books issued to senior citizens.
Dr. Jagdeo made this disclosure on Thursday at his weekly press conference, where he noted that discussions are underway to have this done, as issues concerning the theft of pension books have been engaging the attention of the relevant authorities.
He said that Senior Minister within the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh has been engaged in discussions pertaining to the different methods of printing the books in the future.
“So, they have to have additional security features that would be hard to replicate; so, right now, he’s looking at this.”
He said he hopes this would not delay the printing of the books, as the relevant agencies are already aware that the pension rate
will be increased from the current $36, 000 to $41,000 per month from next year.
He said that the new amount will be double what pensioners were receiving when the PPP/C entered office in August 2020.
“We know the sum of money. He [Minister Singh] has to now get these books printed in a manner that they can't be replicated, or are hard to replicate,” he noted.
In addition to the new security features, Dr. Jag-
Police arrest Rosignol resident over staged multimillion-dollar robbery
PARAMDEO Victor, a 37-year-old resident of Rosignol, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice), is currently in Police custody assisting with the investigation of a staged multimillion-dollar robbery on Wednesday.
According to information from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Victor visited the Mahaica Police Station around 12:30 hrs on Wednesday to report that he was robbed of $10,250,000 by three men with guns wearing ski masks and dark clothing at Unity, Mahaica Old Road, around 11:00 hrs.
“Victor told the Police he was driving and taking the cash to Rosignol after receiving it from a Cambio in King Street, Georgetown. He claimed the gunmen braced him off the road with another car before robbing him. He claimed the money belonged to a jeweller from Rosignol, and he was transporting the
The cash recovered by the Police
cash for that person,” the police said.
After being questioned by the ranks of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), it was suspected that Victor’s claims were fictitious, which led to further questioning.
The man later confessed that he had made a false report, and he’d actually staged the robbery to steal the money from the owner he was transporting it for.
Victor then took the ranks to a certain area of his car and removed the $2 million
deo said that the government will also be looking into taking stronger action against those who try to suborn the system by duplicating the books.
Dr. Jagdeo, while addressing members of the media, recalled that it had been discovered that some of the books had been duplicated by persons who might have been working in gangs.
He said this matter is serious, and the Guyana Police Force was asked to look into the matter, given that it would have resulted
in large sums of money going missing.
“My big fear at the time was if they draw down the money on someone’s book, then the pensioner who goes there would not get their money,” he said, adding that the matter is still being investigated by the Force, and that he expects that they would soon charge the perpetrators and have them brought before the courts.
that he had hidden there. He further revealed that the outstanding amount was with his accomplice at Ithaca Village, West Bank Berbice.
Around 19:00 hrs on Wednesday evening, however, police travelled with Victor to Ithaca, then back to his residence at Rosignol and located $6 million cash in a black plastic bag stashed in a washing machine.
Police are looking for the alleged accomplice, Cornell Taylor, also known as 'Rastaman', as well as the remaining cash.
37-year-old
Paramdeo Victor
Education Ministry intensifies efforts to improve Mathematics results
MINISTER of Education, Priya Manickchand has emphasised the crucial role
- with launch of Mathematics Intervention Awareness Campaign in Region Two
of parents in ensuring their children utilise the available resources, attend school regularly, and actively practice to boost Mathematics scores countrywide.
This was the over -
arching encouragement on Wednesday, as the ministry kicked off its Mathematics Interven -
tion Awareness Campaign with visits to schools in Pomeroon-Supenaam.
The campaign brought together ministry officials, parents, teachers, and students from several schools, including Charity Secondary, Cotton Field Secondary, Joanna Cecilia Secondary, Abram Zuil Secondary, and Aurora Secondary School.
Mathematics Intervention Programme, which was launched in September.
The programme targets some 50 schools nationwide and seeks to
that once they have the resources and they are supervised in their usage of them, we can make sure our children do better than they are doing now,” the minister said during a live recap.
The ministry provides resources such as past paper booklets, geometry sets, scientific calculators, graph books, and textbooks to every child nationwide.
The minister has expressed confidence that these measures will boost the national pass rate for Mathematics in 2025 to at least 40 per cent, compared to 34 per cent in 2023 and 31 per cent in 2024.
Coordinator for the Mathematics Intervention and Education Officer at the National Centre for Research and Development, Sir Leon Beaton also accompanied the minister on this visit.
He pointed to several interactive programmes under his gamut, such as ‘Beating Da Maths’, a series where students are challenged with fun and tricky math questions. This series makes math enjoyable, as well as deepens students’ understanding of the subject.
The campaign aims to promote the National
enhance the performance of teachers and students in Mathematics, through the introduction of Math monitors.
“The whole aim was to let them know that they can pass Mathematics once they use the resources we have. We believe
Additionally, to address any concerns or request additional assistance, a hotline number 736-MATH is available for teachers and others involved.
The rollout of this initiative follows an instruction from President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali to implement immediate remedial mea sures in schools.
(DPI)
Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand
Mathematics Intervention and Education Officer at the National Centre for Research and Development, Sir Leon Beaton
Persons listen keenly during the math intervention campaign
Infrastructure being installed to facilitate additional power
- from another ship that could supply up to 60 megawatts of power to the system
WITH initial works underway for the bringing in of another power ship, additional power to Guyanese is imminent.
This is according to General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) who stated that the deal is before the cabinet for approval.
Noting that this is from the same company that brought the first power ship to Guyana, he said that the company has to build five kilometres of transmission main.
Liat
“So that project has started and it should be completed in six weeks,” he said.
Dr Jagdeo added that the material is often not in the country and as such, they are using some spare material as it takes some time to procure the material for the transformers and the poles.
While the construction of the transmission main is expected to take around six weeks, he indicated that it may take another month to six weeks to get the power ship to Guyana.
“We are hoping still, before Christmas that the power ship could be here and turn on,” he expressed.
2020 to enhance regional connectivity
- with flights to Guyana set to commence later this month
By Cindy Parkinson-Chowbay
THE Government of Guyana has approved Liat 2020's proposal to operate flights to and from Guyana starting later this month.
In an exclusive interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, while extending a warm welcome to the Liat 2020 airline, said the ministry has taken note of the concerns raised by citizens prior to the approval being given.
Recognising that Liat 2020 is a new company against Liat 1974, Minister Edghill said that they have put in place all the measures to ensure that the passengers are protected.
“One of our main concerns with Liat and every other airline that has been flying to Guyana is the safety of the people. That simply means, passengers should be protected at all times, in the event of any challenges faced,” the
minister said.
Edghill further related that Liat 2020 will enhance the affordability of Caribbean travel for consumers, making it more competitive in terms of pricing while providing the opportunity for greater flexibility for travellers to move to different parts of the region.
The minister further said that the Government of Guyana, through the aviation authority, will continue to ensure that the full compliance of every airline that is operating in Guyana is met and the travelling public’s interest is always protected.
Regarding the tremendous interest of airlines wanting to fly to Guyana, Minister Edghill said that the government has been “out there” negotiating with several players to come to the developing nation.
“We are not surprised at the high interest that airlines are showing in Guyana. We have been out there, advocating and ensuring that Guyana become a preferred desti -
nation for tourists and a preferred destination to conduct business,” he related.
Meanwhile, Liat 2020, in a statement via their social media platforms said: “We’re thrilled to announce the inaugural flight of LIAT20 to Guyana! Now connecting the beautiful destinations of Antigua, Barbados, St. Vincent, and Grenada to Guyana.”
Guyana is also set to welcome AVIANCA, a leading Colombian airline, which is going to introduce direct flights in December.
So far this year, Guyana has added an additional 200,000 airline seats and 125,000 more passenger movements.
Avianca’s extensive network, spanning over 100 destinations across the Americas and Europe, will transform Guyana into a more accessible and attractive destination, offering travellers seamless connections to other global hotspots.
noted is also for two years just like the current power ship that is here in Berbice and will take the country beyond the period when the new energy plans come on stream.
today would have gone to cabinet to move the negotiations to complete the negotiations with the power ship,” he said.
According to Dr Jagdeo, this will bring an additional 60 megawatts of power to the system and possibly after building another piece of transmission main to 75 megawatts. This agreement he
When this happens, the General Secretary indicated that the government would be able to take off some of the old components of the country’s grid and have maintenance done to bring major relief.
“So, yes that is moving forward. The contract has been awarded to do the transmission mains already and also the contract hopefully
Earlier this year, the Guyana Power and Light announced that some 36 megawatts of electricity generation from a power ship following an agreement with Urbacon Concessions Investments W.L.L (UCI) This power ship was integrated to the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System at Everton, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
PPP General Secretary, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo (Delano Williams photo)
First 110 houses at Silica City 50 per cent complete
THE first 110 young professionals homes being constructed at Silica City, Kuru Kururu, along the Soesdyke-Linden highway, are 50 per cent complete.
Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues has since expressed satisfaction with the progress of the work, following an inspection on Wednesday.
She also disclosed that all the infrastructural works have been completed, including road and drainage networks, and the installation of utility services.
“We are looking to
wrap up [construction on] these houses within the next few months… The next stage is to ensure that we have potable water to ensure people can move in immediately by the time the houses are completed,” she said.
There are 75 flat housing units, and 35 elevated ones. The flat houses are priced between $25,200,603 and $25,290,178, while the elevated ones cost approximately $33,980,153 to $34,450,145.
“We incorporated a more modern design that is very beautiful. The recipients of these
houses at Silica City will be very pleased with the design, and the quality of work,” Minister Rodrigues said. Silica City is the brainchild of His Excellency Dr. Mohamed
Irfaan Ali. It will have highend developments, including smart homes with the newest energy-saving technologies for wastewater management, energy management, and water conservation.
The city will have recreational parks, community centres, an electricity grid, and a multi-specialty health facility. (DPI)
Region Six NDC vice-chairs now responsible for monitoring road, canal works
- will be included in monthly works committee meetings
REGIONAL
Vice-Chairman of Region Six, Zamal Hussain on Thursday informed the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) that vice-chairpersons of the various Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) will now be responsible for monitoring ongoing road and canal projects within their respective areas.
Given this new development, Hussain, who leads the council's Works Committee, stated that the vice-chairpersons will be included in the monthly Works Committee meetings.
He emphasised that as the region continues to experience significant development, the decision has been made to provide each NDC vice-chairman with a list of contractors involved in local projects. This will help ensure effective oversight and progress tracking.
“We decided that for each area, we will give a list of the contracts to the vice- chairpersons or whoever comes to represent the NDC,” he explained.
Hussain further emphasised that the inclusion of the vice-chairpersons of the NDCs in the region’s monthly Works Committee
meetings is intended to keep the committee well-informed and upto-date on the progress of ongoing road and canal projects, thereby ensuring better coordination and oversight across the region. According to Hussain, works for close to 500 lots of roads were signed late last month.
“The pace of the work, and the amount of work we are seeing right now is too much, so this will help us to better monitor… It is not just canals alone, so we welcome the initiative to involve the NDC,” Hussain stressed.
The first 110 young professionals homes, being constructed at Silica City, Kuru Kururu along the Soesdyke-Linden highway are 50 per cent complete
China import expo attractive to global exhibitors as country pledges further opening-up
CHINESE Premier Li Qiang
pledged to open the country's huge market further to share more growth opportunities with the rest of the world on Tuesday as the seventh edition of the China International Import Expo (CIIE) opened in Shanghai.
The business exhibition of the world's first national-level exposition dedicated to imports has attracted about 3,500 exhibitors from 129 countries and regions this year. Notably, a record high of 297 Fortune 500 companies and industry leaders are attending the six-day expo. And more than 400 new products, new technologies and new services are unveiled.
Experts believe the large scale of the expo highlighted the global companies' confidence in the Chinese market and their commitment to further development in China despite the sluggish global economic recovery
ENORMOUS MARKET
China is willing to open up its enormous market further and will continue to expand market access to sectors including telecommunications, the internet, education, culture and healthcare in an orderly fashion, Premier
Li said in a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 7th CIIE.
The sound fundamentals of the Chinese economy remain unchanged, according to Li, adding that the country's new growth drivers are fast-growing, with double-digit investment growth in high-tech industries and development booms in emerging industries including artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and the green economy.
During a meeting on Monday with select exhibitors and buyers attending the expo, Li said that China is able to sustain steady economic recovery, improve the quality and capacity of its market, and provide more extensive growth space for global businesses in terms of trade, investment and innovation. He added that the Chinese market is still one of the best choices for companies worldwide.
The keen interest from global participants has shown the growing influence of the CIIE and the charm of the Chinese market and also highlighted China's determination to push forward the building of an open world economy, said Zhao Fujun, a researcher with the De-
velopment Research Centre of the State Council.
In 2018, China inaugurated the CIIE to build an open platform for international trade co-operation and to support free trade and economic globalisation, making it a "golden gateway" to the world's second-largest consumer market.
More than 420 billion US dollars’ worth of tentative deals were signed at the CIIE's earlier six editions since 2018. Beyond the event, global companies can reach a larger customer base and make further investments in the country.
Toshinobu Umetsu, pres -
ident and CEO of Shiseido China, said he is very inspired and encouraged by Premier Li's emphasis on China's commitment to continuing high-level opening-up and to sharing development opportunities with the rest of the world.
The Japanese cosmetics giant will continue to strengthen its long-term investment in China. It has never wavered in its confidence and determination to invest in China, as the incredible vitality and resilience of the Chinese market make it a very important international market, Umetsu said.
German healthcare and agri-
business giant Bayer AG is among more than 180 companies and institutions that have attended all seven editions of the CIIE since 2018.
Bayer's participation at the expo demonstrates its unwavering commitment to this important market, said Bill Anderson, chairman of Bayer AG Management Board.
"International co-operation and economic globalisation are important factors in the world's development. That's why Bayer is glad to be part of the expo for the seventh consecutive year," said Anderson.
NEW OPPORTUNITIES
The CIIE unlocks new opportunities for the world, Bayer said, adding that it will actively leverage this vital platform to continuously unleash its innovative potential while looking forward to forging partnerships with global collaborators.
Penne Kehl, Asia Pacific Group president of Cargill Agriculture and Trading, expects a very busy schedule at the import expo, including meeting with customers and partners and signing a few important deals and partnerships. U.S. food giant Cargill has participated in CIIE for seven consecutive years.
As its influence grows, the expo is attracting new foreign enterprises over the years. Canadian sportswear giant Lululemon is among the first-time participants.
The Chinese mainland is Lululemon's largest market outside of North America and is also one of the most dynamic and exciting ones, which is key to driving the company's international business, said Calvin McDonald, CEO of Lululemon.
"It's an exciting opportunity to showcase the brand, drive awareness to our growth story and what we have planned for the future," said McDonald. He added that Lululemon will continue to open more stores in the country, adding to its current 137 stores in 41 cities.
China offers free booths and other support measures to 37 least-developed countries to help them showcase their products at the import expo. It also expanded the exhibition area for African agricultural products.
China has been opening up its market to Africa, enabling transformation on the African continent, said Peter Kagwanja, founder and president of the Africa Policy Institute.
African nations join ‘fast lane’ to Chinese market with CIIE
AMADOU Thera banged an African drum in tune with the exciting music playing at the ongoing seventh China International Import Expo (CIIE), while saying “hello” and “welcome” in fluent Mandarin Chinese, as more and more passers-by crowded around him.
The exhibitor from Mali was using the drum to promote shea butter produced by his manual workshop at the 2024 CIIE in Shanghai, running from November 5 to 10.
“Our company has participated in the CIIE on three occasions, and I always see numerous opportunities here,” said Thera, adding that he is confident of attracting more big clients over the next few days.
According to Thera, his wife, a Chinese national, was the first person who told him that shea butter, a specialty he was all too familiar with during his childhood, may prove a surprising skin care cream option for Chinese people, while the CIIE is the first platform that has shown him he can co-operate with merchants from various countries.
China is offering over 120 free booths and other support measures to 37 of the world’s least developed countries at the 2024 CIIE, thereby helping them showcase their products at the expo. China has also expanded the exhibition area for African agricultural
products.
In the area around Thera’s booth, other African exhibitors can be seen introducing farm produce including coffee beans, cashew nuts and tropical fruits, with constant streams of visitors stopping to have a look or taste.
China’s imports of African agricultural products have registered strong growth over the past years with the country rolling out supporting policies, including streamlining customs procedures and reducing or exempting tariffs, said Sun Hong, deputy director of the Institute of African Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations.
Sun defined the CIIE as one of the platforms enabling Chinese consumers to learn more about African agricultural products, and said that efforts should be made to support more Chinese enterprises in investing in relevant industries in African countries, such as processing, logistics and warehousing.
Holding a large piece of beeswax in one hand and a small box of honey in the other, Jackson Mponela, production manager for commerce and development at Tanzania Future Enterprises Company Ltd., said he is confident about the products and hopes to capture the Chinese market of over 1.4 billion people.
“I watched a video about the CIIE held last year and I was so impressed by the
hustle and bustle there, so I figured we should start our first CIIE journey this year,” said Mponela, adding that he expects to secure new partnerships at the expo and learn more about how other companies are being operated.
“We brought many varieties of newly designed handmade Afghan carpets to the expo to better cater to the needs of Chinese consumers,” said Ali Faiz from Biraro Trading Company, which has participated at the CIIE for five consecutive years. Ali added that it used to be difficult for small businesses in Afghanistan to find overseas markets for local products.
To attract more Chinese buyers, Ali decided to use short videos and livestreaming to share knowledge about Afghan carpets and hold cultural experience activities together with other exhibitors during this year’s CIIE.
Helping enterprises from the least developed countries tap the Chinese market and integrate into the global economy is a feature of the CIIE, said Tang Wenhong, assistant minister of commerce, adding that the expo has always been a public good for the whole world.
The CIIE is just one of China’s endeavours to support the least developed countries. In September, China announced that the least developed countries that have diplomatic relations with China would enjoy zero-tariff
treatment for all tariff lines starting from December 1 this year.
China will also strength-
en co-operation with those countries in terms of inspection and quarantine, and provide vocational training
for e-commerce enterprises to help the least developed countries improve their trade capacity, said Tang.
‘Governance must be rooted in fairness, equality, justice, unwavering service to the people’
AT the 67th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference (CPC) held in Sydney, Australia, yesterday (November 7, 2024), Guyana’s Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira, was awarded the prestigious Commonwealth Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award.
Recognised for her longstanding dedication to democracy, human rights, and social justice, Teixeira’s acceptance speech highlighted her storied career in public service, beginning in the 1960s as a young advocate and culminating in her impactful role in the Guyanese Parliament.
The accolade was presented during the confer-
ence’s award ceremony, where the Hon. Manzoor Nadir, M.P., Speaker of the National Assembly of Guyana, supported by the Hon. Savitri Parag, M.P., Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, accepted on behalf of her.
In her acceptance speech, delivered virtually, Teixeira expressed deep gratitude for the recognition, underscoring that the honour was a tribute not only to her efforts but also to the values and resilience of the Guyanese people and their Parliament.
"I am both grateful and inspired," Teixeira said, acknowledging her nation’s journey from colonial-era struggles through transformative democratic advancements.
Teixeira reflected on
her early activism, including her time in Toronto, championing anti-apartheid and global liberation causes, which ultimately led her back to Guyana in 1977. Her return to her homeland marked the beginning of a decades-long commitment to governance, equality, and social justice.
"Through it all, I have remained committed to my core belief that governance must be rooted in fairness, equality, justice, and unwavering service to the people," she stated.
Since her election in 1992, Teixeira has served continuously in Guyana’s Parliament, holding a range of ministerial positions including Minister of Health; Culture, Youth and Sports; and Home Affairs.
Her work in these
roles often addressed deeply rooted challenges, from democratising government to reforming health and cultural policies in a once-fragile nation. In her speech, she highlighted her role in advancing a progressive abortion law in 1995, a landmark achievement that helped ensure the rights, safety, and dignity of women in Guyana.
She credited the collaborative voices of female parliamentarians, religious organisations, and civil society groups for the policy’s success.
Teixeira also emphasised her dedication to preserving and promoting Guyana’s rich cultural heritage, ensuring that it served as a unifying rather than divisive force. She noted that President Irfaan Ali’s One Guyana policy has reinforced national unity, a principle that she said remains integral to the country's ongoing social transformation.
Among her many achievements, Teixeira expressed particular pride in her role as chairperson of the Human Rights Task Force, where she helped expand human rights protections within Guyana’s Constitution.
"These moments are dear to me, as they underscore the intersection between constitutional rule of law, governance, and humanity," she reflected.
Teixeira did not shy away from addressing global threats to democracy, cautioning against the rising tide of authoritarianism and erosion of democratic norms.
Reflecting on the recent challenges faced in Guyana’s 2020 elections, she underscored the importance of safeguarding democratic values and institutions.
“When democracy is grounded in the rule of law, inclusion, and equality, society flourishes. But when democracy is undermined, whole nations are in danger, and the most poor and vulnerable suffer the greatest losses," she warned.
Throughout her speech, Teixeira urged her fellow parliamen -
says
tarians to be vigilant in defending democracy, advocating for transparency, and upholding accountability both domestically and internationally.
Her message was clear: the work of building and preserving democratic societies is an ongoing task that requires courage and collaboration across political divides.
In her concluding remarks, Teixeira extended her gratitude to her colleagues, the People’s Progressive Party, and the people of Guyana for their trust and support.
She also offered special words of encouragement to the next generation of parliamentarians, reminding them that parliamentary service is a profound responsibility, not an entitlement.
“To the new and young parliamentarians, I remind you that to serve as a Parliamentarian is a privilege and a trust bestowed on you by the people, to serve to the best of your ability with integrity; it is neither an entitlement nor one for self-aggrandizement,” Teixeira said.
As she accepted the Commonwealth Parliamentarian Lifetime Achievement Award,
the minister reaffirmed her commitment to the shared values that connect Commonwealth nations: democracy, human rights, and good governance.
The CPA Lifetime Achievement Award represents a resounding acknowledgment of Teixeira’s legacy as a tireless advocate for justice and an inspiring example of principled leadership in public service.
The Commonwealth Parliamentarian of the Year Awards celebrate active and inspiring parliamentarians excelling in their fields.
The nominee must have been a parliamentarian for over 20 years, and over that time must have: demonstrated an impressive record of achievement as a parliamentarian in their contribution to their parliament and to their country; promoted democracy and good governance within their jurisdiction; and achieved notable and sustainable positive change over the course of their career.
Teixeira was nominated for this prestigious award by the Parliament of Guyana in September 2024.
Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira
Homeownership is more than just allocation for PPP/C government - Minister Croal
By Cindy Parkinson-Chowbay
IN a concerted effort to enhance housing accessibility and support home construction projects, the Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal, recently explained that they are resolute in ensuring that Guyanese from every region benefit from the government's Dream Realise Housing drive.
In an interview with the Guyana Chronicle, Minister Croal expressed his satisfaction with the housing programme’s advancement in the new housing scheme
at Five Miles, Bartica, Region Seven.
According to him, home-ownership is more than just allocation for this government; it provides housing solutions that reflect Guyana’s rich values and culture.
According to the minister, most of the Central Bartica residents have been living in rented properties for years. He is pleased that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) government is able to give them and other Guyanese the opportunity to own property.
Minister Croal stated
that while the Ministry of Housing and Water, in collaboration with the Central Housing and Planning Authority, completed the allocation procedure in the new area earlier this year, he was delighted to learn that they were also building houses at the location.
“This new area is a prime location, meaning that it isn’t far from the airstrip and other important places that people may need to access. All of our housing programmes are aimed at touching every region in one way or another.
“Recently we were in Madhia for the commenc-
ing process for the development of another new housing area, and so it is similar for Bartica. While it may seem at times that we are not touching your area as much as I should, I want you to know that we are working for everyone, and sometimes we have to have patience; everything cannot be done at once,” Minister Croal said.
The housing minister went on to say that although they have already assigned about 132 applicants to Bartica, there are approximately 500 applications still pending.
He also stated that while a number of people have requested house lots in Region Four, the government has been working on developing and opening lots in all regions so as to accommodate everyone who is eligible.
Additionally, Minister Croal stated that the initiative, which is supported by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, intends to assist the people of Guyana in fulfilling their dream of home-ownership,
whether on private or government-allocated land.
With the significant investment of the government, Minister Croal also added that the municipality of Bartica and the surrounding areas are undergoing significant development.
According to him, many aspects of the people's lives were being improved by the housing investments as
well as the infrastructural developments that connect Bartica to the interior and other areas.
Finally, Minister Croal added, “Region Seven is just as important as any other region in Guyana, and we are a government that has proven time and time again that we are working for all of our people in all regions of Guyana.”
Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal
Five in the running for Miss World Guyana 2024 title
FIVE
of the 10 candidates in this year’s Miss World Guyana pageant have advanced to the next stage of the competition and they will be showcasing their talents through multimedia challenges designed to reflect the expectations of the roles they aspire to fulfill.
In announcing the top five regional representatives, the organisers recently said that ultimately, one standout candidate will earn the opportunity to
represent Guyana on the international Miss World stage.
Those advancing to the multimedia stage of the pageant are: Naheeryah Naiomi Newland – Miss World Essequibo Islands-West Demerara, Lieve Blanckaert - Miss World Demerara-Mahaica, Rachael Mohabir - Miss World East Berbice-Corentyne, Diana Lopez –Miss World Potaro-Siparuni and Zalika Samuels – Miss World Upper Demerara-Berbice.
The organisers further said
Naheeryah Naiomi Newland, Miss World Essequibo Islands-West Demerara is a 21-year-old West Demerara Secondary School alumna and University of Guyana graduate.
At 17, she launched her own skincare business with no prior experience. Through dedication and passion, she became a self-taught product formulator, creating a range of products such as soaps, lotions, and cleansers.
Becoming Miss World would be an unparalleled opportunity for her to represent Guyana and advocate for youth empowerment on an international stage. She wants to showcase that true beauty lies in purpose and impactful action.
Naheeryah’s Beauty with a Purpose project is dedicated to empowering youth aged 15-25 by promoting entrepreneurship. “I understand that not all young people excel in traditional academic environments, but many possess unique talents and visions,” she says in her portfolio which can be viewed on the pageant’s website. The project aims to equip youth with the skills and mindset to become innovative leaders in their communities, breaking cycles of poverty and building brighter futures.
that the Miss World Guyana 2024 national competition proudly marks the 10th anniversary of Guyana’s Beauty with a Purpose (BWAP) legacy, a milestone celebrated in honour of Rafieya Husain, whose victory in 2014 underscored the importance of service and community impact—a principle deeply woven into the ethos of the Miss World competition.
This year, the Miss World Guyana organisation embraced a hybrid competition format
Lieve Blanckaert - Miss World Demerara-Mahaica is 26 years old and lives in Houston, Texas. She is a Guyanese-Belgian raised in Georgetown, Guyana, with a passion for holistic living, pageantry, and community empowerment.
Her pageant journey includes being the 1st Runner-Up at Miss Universe Guyana 2023 and Miss India Guyana 2015, as well as mentoring and fundraising for orphans. She is currently an Operations Manager in the mortgage industry and the founder of Habitual Lifestyle.
Her Beauty with a purpose Project is dedicated to promoting holistic health and wellness within Guyana by providing educational resources, workshops, and community outreach focused on mental, physical, and spiritual well-being. The goal is to empower individuals with accessible knowledge and practical tools for balanced, resilient living, ultimately building a stronger, healthier, and more unified community.
that blends a virtual selection process with limited in-person events, focusing on quality over quantity.
“This innovative approach ensures that each candidate meets stringent eligibility criteria while also undergoing comprehensive training in Miss World protocols, regulations, and standards,” the organisers said adding that with the conclusion of phase one, five abovementioned candidates were chosen to advance to the next stage.
MEET THE CANDIDATES
Rachael Mohabir - Miss World East Berbice-Corentyne is a 24-year-old who currently resides in Schenectady, New York, USA.
She enjoys singing, cooking, and find cleaning therapeutic. She loves Pilates and watching Turkish and K-dramas.
Rachael prefers to spend less time in front of screens and more time engaging in outdoor activities. One of my most significant life experiences was responding to a Code Blue and saving a patient’s life.
On completing her nursing degree, she plans to use her skills to support and uplift vulnerable communities. She would like to develop a non-profit organisation which aims to support children in poverty and provide educational resources.
Her BWAP project focuses on children who are orphans, semi-orphans, living in abusive homes, or on the street. Her goal is to create a safe, welcoming environment for these children—a place they can call home and find a sense of family. She aspires to build an orphanage that offers essential care, shelter, nutritious meals, and quality education.
Apart from participating in multimedia challenges, the five chosen candidates will launch their BWAP projects, receive further training across all aspects of the competition, and benefit from ongoing mentorship and public appearances.
The grand finale will be the Beauty with a Purpose Charity Gala which will be held on December 8, 2024, at the Ramada Princess Hotel, Providence, East Bank Demerara.
Organisers said that this
Lopez – Miss World Potaro-Siparuni is 26 years old and is from Mahdia. She enjoys poetry writing and reading during her leisure time. An occasional solo adventure or picnic acts as meditation for her. She also enjoys cooking and painting, seeing food as an art form.
Representing her region and country as Miss World would be a platform to advocate for inclusivity and holistic development, embodying resilience and pride while addressing critical issues in education.
Her Beauty with a Purpose project aims to bridge the gap between STEM education and life skills training for students with disabilities. By developing a comprehensive educational framework, this initiative will empower students, boost their self-esteem, and prepare them for real-world scenarios and careers. It focuses on inclusivity, accessibility, and fostering independence among students, ensuring that they have the tools they need to thrive.
prestigious event will showcase the candidates' service projects and celebrate their contributions to the community. The evening will also feature the official handover of the crown by Andrea King, the reigning Miss World Guyana, to a new queen.
The gala promises to be a night of celebration, highlighting charity, service, purpose, leadership, and empowerment and reinforcing Miss World Guyana's mission to inspire and uplift.
Zalika Samuels – Miss World Upper Demerara-Berbice is a 21-year-old from Linden, Region Ten.
As the reigning Miss Linden Town Week 2023 and Miss Emancipation 2024, she plans to use her platform to inspire and uplift others through meaningful community projects. Her commitment to service extends beyond titles. “I am passionate about giving back and supporting causes that positively impact those around me,” she says.
Becoming Miss World would mean having the opportunity to amplify her advocacy for youth development and literacy, showcasing that true beauty lies in one’s actions and dedication to bettering society.
Her “Empowering Children Through Literacy” project aims to enhance literacy skills among underprivileged children in Guyana. This initiative focuses on establishing reading programmes, providing access to age-appropriate books, and organising engaging literacy workshops. The goal is to foster a love for reading, build language skills, and improve educational outcomes, thereby boosting children’s confidence and future opportunities. The project will target children aged 5-12 from low-income households in Region 10, with longterm positive impacts extending to the entire community.
Visit www.missworldguyana.gy or the pageant’s Facebook page for more information on the candidates or for updates.
Diana
Vybz Kartel proposes to long-time girlfriend Sidem Öztürk
DANCEHALL
superstar, Vybz Kartel, has proposed to his long-time partner, Sidem Öztürk.
The artiste made the heartfelt announcement in a video shared on Instagram earlier this week.
“It’s official… I proposed in prison, but I proposed in real life,” Kartel wrote in the emotional caption.
“You were there when I needed you most, and I’ll never leave you, baby. I cherish every visit, every phone call, and all the moments we spent talking, laughing, and even crying together. You’ve been my rock, my best friend, and my companion. I pray we stay together for as long as I live. I love you, baby.”
The couple first met in 2015 while Kartel was serving time following a murder conviction. In previous interviews, the two have spoken about their journey and commitment over the years until Kartel’s release from prison in July, after his conviction was overturned.
They have since launched their own YouTube channel, Kiss Me Baby, where they share glimpses of their daily life and offer a closer look at their love story. (Jamaica Observer)
Angel Seraphim Hope wins Miss East Coast Beauty with a Mission 2024 crown
Angel Seraphim Hope, the newly-crowned Miss East Coast Beauty with a Mission queen
LAST Saturday, Miss Plaisance, Angel Seraphim Hope, was crowned this year’s Miss East Coast Beauty with a Mission.
The judges after reviewing the performance of the nine delegates, announced that Hope who was wearing a Randy Madray evening gown, was the winner.
She also won several other aspects of the competition: Miss Intelligence, Best Costume, Best Community Project and Miss Punctual. Her costume was designed by Roberto Teekah.
Her platform during the competition was ‘Eliminating bullying in schools along the East Coast.’
Miss Bachelor’s Adventure, Nubia Skeete, took the first runner-up spot while Miss Victoria Judell Price won the second runner-up position.
Shaggy, Rayvon’s Angel hits platinum in UK
WHEN international recording artiste, Shaggy, came up with the idea to record a cover of Angel just 24 years ago, he called on Barbadian singer Rayvon to add his creativity to the project.
Six years earlier, in 1994, Rayvon tasted success with No Guns, No Murder climbing to #94 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also charting on Billboard’s Hot Rap Singles and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.
Rayvon said he was excited to accept the invitation to be a part of the Angel recording, but suffered a challenge when the time came.
“How I got involved with the song, Shaggy had called me about a new song collaboration and, when I heard it, I instantly loved the idea. The only challenge I had while recording the song, I had the flu, but even that couldn’t stop me from going to the studio even though I was coughing and, regardless, I got it done,” Rayvon told the Jamaica Observer on the weekend.
Angel was last Friday
certified platinum in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for sales and streaming numbers exceeding 600,000 units.
The song was recorded at the very first Big Yard studio, which was located in Long Island, New York. It was produced by Shaun “Sting” Pizzonia.
It prominently samples the bass line from the 1973 song, The Joker, by American rock group, Steve Miller Band. The chorus interpo -
lates the melody of the 1967 song, Angel of the Morning, written and composed by American songwriter, Chip Taylor. It has since been recorded numerous times and has been a hit single for various artistes, including American singers, Merrilee Rush and Juice Newton. Angel, which is featured on Shaggy’s multi-platinum selling Hot Shot album, was the follow-up single to the global hit, It Wasn’t Me. It was released to American radio stations in early 2001.
The track also proved to be successful, reaching #1 in 12 countries, including Australia, Germany, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Reacting to the platinum certification by the BPI, Rayvon told the Jamaica Observer, “It’s a great achievement when you can receive appreciation for your music throughout the world and different generations; it’s truly a blessing.”
He also shared that he had no idea that the song would have become the hit that it eventually became.
“After the song was recorded, I had no idea that the song would reach the top of the charts worldwide. As an artiste I go into a studio session to do 100+ per cent, but where it goes after that with promotions is up to the fans, listeners and God.”
Rayvon continued: “The song definitely had an impact in my life wherein, to date, it’s the most successful song in my career and also hearing different stories from fans while touring the world of how much the song meant
to them over the years, from people spending time in prison to people caring for loved ones in the hospital, to couples getting married. I guess everyone can use an angel in their life.”
Angel was previously certified 3x platinum in Australia; 2x platinum in Sweden; platinum in the US, Switzerland, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, and Austria, while earning gold certifications in France and Germany.
Prior to the success of Angel, Rayvon had first teamed up with Shaggy in 1992 for the song, Big Up, which was a hit on ethnic charts in New York. His other collaborations with Shaggy include In the Summertime (a cover of the Mungo and Jerry hit, which peaked at #5 in the UK in 1995), 2 Way (featuring Shaggy, Rik Rok and Brian and Tony Gold), Nice and Lovely, Out of Control, When She Loves Me, and If You Like Pina Coladas (with DJ Cassidy). Rayvon is originally from St Michael in Barbados, and he moved to the US at the
age of nine. To date he has released three full-length studio albums, 1997’s Hear My Cry (Virgin Records), My Bad (Big Yard/MCA Records in 2002), and a self-titled album in 2010.
Today, Rayvon continues to record and tour the world.
“I’m still up to a lot, musically recording, songwriting, music production, and doing shows. I have a recording label called GTC Entertainment with distribution through Tuff Gong International. Some of my latest releases include Peace, Love and Understanding with Luciano and New York-based deejay, Sugar Bear; It’s Time (featured on the Fiesta rhythm), Ponie, California Sun. I’m also about to embark on a 19-show orchestra concert series called ‘Night on The Proms’ in different cities in Europe with Shaggy and some legendary pop artistes, including The Eurythmics, which will run until December,” Rayvon disclosed. (Jamaica Observer)
Shaggy
Rayvon
Vybz Kartel and fiancee Sidem (Photo: Instagram/ Vybz Kartel)
Victoria Beckham collects award from 13-year-old daughter
VICTORIA
Beckham
has been presented with a prize at Harper's Bazaar magazine's Women of the Year awards by her 13-year-old daughter, Harper.
Harper, the youngest child of the Spice Girlturned-fashion designer and her husband David, told the audience she was "so nervous" but also "excited to be here presenting the entrepreneur award, especially as tonight is a school night and hopefully this isn't going to get me into trouble".
She said her "amazing mummy" was someone she had always looked up to and showed her the "value of working hard, dreaming big and what it takes to succeed".
"But above all else she’s taught me to always be kind and even though she has a million things to do, she rarely misses school."
Accepting the award for her "innovation and dedication to the British and global fashion industry", the 50-year-old Beckham said she was "so proud" of her daughter for "getting
up on stage in front of a room full of people".
Beckham launched her fashion brand in 2008, and has since boosted its fortunes by expanding into beauty products and luxury accessories.
The company has seen double-digit revenue growth for the past three
years, and said it finally became profitable in 2022.
However, shareholders, including the Beckhams had to provide a £6.9m cash injection in 2023, when operating losses stood at £200,000.
In an interview with Harper's Bazaar, she said: "The company has been
through so much over the last 17 years - ups, downs, restructuring... it’s been quite the journey.
"So, finally, to be able to say we’re profitable is something I’m so proud of, because it’s not an easy industry, and it’s getting harder and harder."
The fashion magazine's
annual celebration of female achievement recognises women from across film, music and art.
Others recognised at the event held at Claridge's hotel on Tuesday included Killing Eve and Silo star, Dame Harriet Walter, who was given the icon award for her theatre, film and
TV work.
The 74-year-old said she hopes she can "represent all the other older women who are still good at their job".
Author Dame Jilly Cooper received the writer prize for "her extraordinary half-century contribution to literature".
Bridgerton and Derry Girls star, Nicola Coughlan, received the television actress prize, while former Game of Thrones actress, Sophie Turner, took home the performance award.
Women of the year gongs were given to singer Raye, whose album won six awards in one night at the Brit awards, alongside One Day actress, Ambika Mod, artist Rana Begum, designer Francesca Amfitheatrof, and Olympian Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
Actors Jodie Comer, Golda Rosheuvel and Paapa Essiedu, and Love Island host, Maya Jama, were among those presenting on the night.
(BBC)
Friend of Quincy Jones recalls electricity of all-night jam sessions
AFRIEND
of Quin -
cy Jones, the titan of music, whose death was announced last Monday, recalled how the all-night jam sessions they used to have during the Montreux Jazz Festival crackled with the electricity between the musicians present.
After the official gigs on the shores of Lake Geneva had ended, musicians would accompany Jones up the mountainside to the chalet of festival founder Charles Nobs and his partner Thierry Amsallem to keep playing.
"For him, it was happiness, because between musicians, they have a common language, they understand each other. They produced a lot of electricity together," Amsallem recalled from the
pens," said Amsallem. "He was from another planet."
"It's very sad, because after 35 years of friendship, a long friendship, it's always difficult," said Amsallem. "The last words he said to me were: 'Thierry, keep going, keep going'."
A bronze statue of Jones, his arms spread open to conduct an imaginary crowd of musicians, stands in Montreux to honour him and his influence on music.
Amsallem, who is the owner of Montreux Sounds and founder of the Claude Nobs Foundation, said Jones was determined to break out from what he described as a jazz "shoe box" designated for Black musicians. (Reuters)
chalet in the village of Caux, which is decorated with musical memorabilia from some of the fes-
tival's greats, including a trumpet from Jones.
"So with Quincy, something always hap -
Victoria Beckham said she was "so proud" of her daughter Harper
A statue of U.S. music producer, Quincy Jones, is pictured in front of the Montreux Palace hotel near the Montreux Jazz Festival venue in Montreux, Switzerland on November 4, 2024 (REUTERS/Denis Balibouse photo)
Joseph behaviour ‘unacceptable’ – Sammy
(ESPNCRICINFO) –
WEST INDIES head coach, Daren Sammy, has labelled Alzarri Joseph's behavior, during the third ODI against England, as "unacceptable" after the fast bowler left the pitch following a disagreement with captain Shai Hope.
During the fourth over of the innings in Bridgetown, Joseph was unhappy with a field placement and could be seen remonstrating with Hope. Off the fourth ball,
Joseph removed Jordan Cox caught behind, but did not celebrate with his team, instead immediately returned to his mark. At the end of the over, Joseph left the field unannounced and went into the dressing room, forcing West Indies to begin the fifth over with only ten fielders on the pitch.
"Behaviour like that is unacceptable on my cricket field," Sammy said to TalkSPORT after play. "We will be friends…but in the culture
I'm trying to build, that's unacceptable. We will definitely have a chat about that."
Joseph returned to the pitch for the beginning of the sixth over, but did not resume bowling until the 12th. He bowled two more overs, before leaving the field again after two misfields off his bowling saw England gain two runs through overthrows. He returned later to bowl two more in the middle overs and his remaining three in the death.
Joseph finished the match with figures of 2 for 45 from his 10 overs after dismissing Cox and Dan Mousley.
Sammy, who was appointed as West Indies head coach in May 2023, is widely credited for his man-management abilities, and has convinced several players, such as Andre Russell and Evin Lewis, to return to the international game.
"I pride myself on having the difficult conversations," Sammy said. "But in a way
Regional Super50…
that everybody understands what is needed to be done.
To see guys going out there and slowly progressing in the right direction makes me proud.
"There's still a lot of work to be done, but it's one that I'm quite passionate about."
West Indies won the ODI series 2-1 and the five-match T20 series begins on Saturday, with Sammy hinting that some of the star names who were absent from their recent series against Sri Lanka, such
as Nicholas Pooran and Akeal Hosein, are set to return.
"We've got a couple of senior players who were not in Sri Lanka that we expect to be back," Sammy said. "Our T20 team is our most successful team and our most settled team. So, yes, we incorporate some new guys to give them that exposure, but our T20 team normally picks itself."
Rain washes out another Guyana Harpy Eagles match
IN search of their second win of the ongoing Regional Super50, Guyana Harpy Eagles won the toss and opted to insert the Jamaica Scorpions at the Queen’s Park Oval.
However, only 41.3 overs were possible due to rain. Half-centuries from Jermaine Blackwood and John Campbell pushed the Scorpions to 162-6.
Blackwood was unbeaten on 63 (6x4s) from 93 balls, while skipper Campbell made 53 (4x4s;2x6s) from 65 balls. Ashmead Nedd continued his impressive tournament
AMERICAN RACING TIPS
AQUEDUCT
hrs. Aadehya 08:55 hrs. Inherit The Rain
09:30 hrs. Splicethemainbrace
10:05 hrs. Catch Your Breath 10:40 hrs. Cicadidae
ARAB EMIRATES RACING TIPS
with 2-23 from 10 overs while Keemo Paul (1-12), Kevlon Anderson (1-15), Tagenarine Chanderpaul (1-24) and Veerasammy Permaul (1-31) shared wickets.
MEYDAN
09:30 hrs. Majdy
10:05 hrs. Norato
10:40 hrs. Arabian Tale
11:15 hrs. Morning
12:00 hrs. Meshtri
12:35 hrs. Algernon
13:10 hrs. Al Maroom
ENGLISH RACING TIPS EXETER
08:40 hrs. Jack Black
09:15 hrs. Sorceleur
09:50 hrs. Captain Teague
The no result pushed the Harpy Eagles to 28 points and provisionally placed them in third place.
After five games this season, Harpy Eagles have one
10:25 hrs. Djelo
11:00 hrs. Brendas Asking
11:35 hrs. Coco Mademoiselle
12:10 hrs. Centara
NEWCASTLE
11:20 hrs. Molinari
12:03 hrs. Lima Sierra
12:40 hrs. Safanah
13:15 hrs. Kristal Klear
13:45 hrs. Tancredi
14:15 hrs. Calafrio
15:45 hrs. Too Much
16:15 hrs. Whatwouldyou -
victory, two defeats and two no-results.
They face Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in the next match on Saturday at 09:00h at the same venue.
know
IRISH RACING TIPS
DUNDALK
13:00 hrs. Beatrix Power
13:30 hrs. Glyde Ranger
14:00 hrs. Chocalho
14:30 hrs. Sakti
15:00 hrs. Fivefortwo
15:30 hrs. Blues Emperor
16:00 hrs. Higher Kingdom
16:30 hrs. Exceeding
CWI sign six-year partnership with ESPN
CRICKET
West Indies (CWI) has proudly announced a groundbreaking six-year media rights partnership with ESPN Caribbean, securing exclusive broadcast and digital rights for all West Indies Men’s and Women’s home international matches, as well as the Men’s and Women’s CG United Super50 Cup. This partnership, running
from 2024 through 2030, cements ESPN Caribbean as the primary broadcaster for West Indies cricket in the region.
CWI’s Acting CEO and Chief Operating Officer, Lynford Inverary, highlighted the significance of the deal.
“This new six-year agreement with ESPN Caribbean represents the largest media
rights deal CWI has ever secured in the Caribbean. It underscores the increasing commercial appeal of West Indies cricket and guarantees fans across the region continued access to extensive coverage of our international series and CG United Super50 Cups. ESPN is a valued partner, and this agreement will be instrumental in helping CWI achieve its financial
goals while broadening the reach and engagement of West Indies cricket.”
Scott McGlone, ESPN’s Senior Director of Programming and Acquisitions, shared his enthusiasm for the continued collaboration.
“We’re excited to extend our strong relationship with CWI through this new landmark deal. ESPN is committed to serving sports
fans whenever and wherever possible, and there’s no better way to fulfil that mission than with a long-term partnership with CWI, an organisation with a storied sporting legacy both locally and globally.”
In addition to exclusive match coverage, CWI retains the ability to license postmatch highlights for freeto-air and digital platforms
across the Caribbean, ensuring that fans have access to even more content.
This deal, facilitated by Pitch International, CWI’s Media Consultants, marks a significant step in CWI’s broader strategy to boost the global profile of West Indies cricket and enhance fan engagement across the Caribbean.
Cricket Victoria confirm squad for 2024 Global Super League
CRICKET
Victoria have confirmed the squad they will be bringing to the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) which runs from November 26 to December 7. The Cricket Victoria team will play four group matches at the Guyana National Sta-
dium, Providence, with the top two teams qualifying for the final on December 7.
The Cricket Victoria squad will feature experienced top order batter Jon Wells as well as USA international, Corey Anderson. They will also have English batter Joe Clarke and West Indies
international, Jahmar Hamilton, as part of their squad.
The Victorian team will also feature a number of other USA internationals with Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Karima Gore and Juanoy Drysdale, all set to take part in the GSL.
The full Cricket Victo -
ria squad is as follows: Joe Clarke, Jon Wells, Corey Anderson, Sanjay Krishnamurthi, Jahmar Hamilton, Karima Gore, Carmi Le Roux, Callum Stow, Juanoy Drysdale, Max Birthesal, David Moody, Scott Edwards, Blake McDonald, Farzan Chowna
The Global Super League is an annual T20 tournament that takes place in Guyana featuring T20 teams from around the world. The inaugural event will take place at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. Five teams will compete for a US$1million
prize fund across 11 matches that take place from November 26 to December 7, 2024. The five teams for the 2024 tournament will be Guyana Amazon Warriors, Hampshire Hawks, Lahore Qalandars, Rangpur Riders and Victoria.
Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate swapped to ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym
The Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) will now stage the annual Lennox Blackmore National Intermediate Championship tonight at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis gym in Albouystown at 18:00hrs.
President of the GBA Steve Ninvalle said, “While the National Gymnasium has served in recent years as the
venue for this auspicious event, the decision to stage the championship at the Andrew ‘Six Head’ Lewis facility can be viewed as an opportunity to promote the sport within the community. Decentralisation is not only a reality of moving from one region to another but also amongst communities within that jurisdiction.”
He further said, “We believe that this decision will bring a different ambience, environment, and flavour to the event, which has not only improved in quality with each iteration but also importance to the discipline. Like many sports in Guyana, boxing has always been community-based, and we believe that the best way to promote the discipline is
to return to its proverbial roots, and what better way to do that than to stage a major championship at a venue that is named after one of Guyana's most famous athletes who was not only a world champion but a son of that community.”
The event, which concludes tomorrow at the same venue, was initially slated for the
month of October. However, it was forced to be rescheduled due to the unfortunate passing of GBA Technical Director Terrence Poole, who was a vital cog in the administration of the event.
Participation has been confirmed from several notable gyms, including the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force,
the Forgotten Youth Foundation, Pace and Power, New Amsterdam Academy, Rose Hall, Vergenoegen, and Republicans.
The official medical examination and weigh-in process for the event occurred yesterday at the Mandela Avenue facility under the guidance of trained professionals.
Shi-Oil fuels Ryan Rahaman for ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions
In the world of Guyanese motor racing, the ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions stands as the season's pinnacle event, drawing top racers and their roaring machines from across the Caribbean.
Scheduled for November 10 at the South Dakota Circuit, the event promises highspeed action, fierce rivalries, and a showcase of the best driving talent in the region.
This year, all eyes are on Ryan Rahaman, a seasoned racer with a legacy to uphold and a new title to chase.
Backed by Shi-Oil, a proud, family-owned independent fuel distributor, Rahaman is poised to make a splash in the highly competitive Sports Tuner Championship.
Shi-Oil, Guyana’s independent fuel distributor, is no stranger to motorsport sponsorship. Known for supporting local sports, especially football through the popular Slingerz FC, Shi-Oil has committed once again to sponsoring Rahaman.
at the Caribbean Clash of Champions.
“We’re proud to support Ryan and continue our tradition of investing in Guyanese sports,” said Aswell Mohabir, a representative from Shi-Oil, at a recent sponsorship event at Rahaman’s Sandy Babb Street garage.
For Shi-Oil, the partnership is not just about brand visibility; it’s a testament to their pride as Guyana’s only independent fuel importer and distributor, serving the nation with gasoline, diesel, lubricants, and kerosene.
Mohabir underlined ShiOil’s commitment to fuelling the nation both literally and
figuratively, stating, “Being 100% Guyanese-owned and operated, we believe in supporting our athletes and helping them reach new heights.”
Rahaman, a former Caribbean champion, currently leads the standings in the Sports Tuner category with 119 points.
His nearest competitor, Nasrudeen Mohamed, trails with 90 points, while Azaad Hassan and Adrian Fernandes are close behind with 89 and 86 points, respectively.
The narrow gap in points sets the stage for an exhilarating showdown, as each driver vies for the championship in the season's final race.
“Shi-Oil’s support is invaluable,” said Rahaman, expressing gratitude for the company’s sponsorship, adding, “It’s this kind of support that pushes me to perform at my best.”
The South Dakota Circuit, renowned for its challenging turns and exhilarating straightaways, will be buzzing with excitement as fans gather to witness the final race of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) season.
As the ENet Caribbean Clash of Champions nears, anticipation builds.
For motor racing fans, November 10 marks the ultimate showdown at South Dakota Circuit, where speed, skill, and strategy will determine who takes home the coveted championship.
With Shi-Oil fuelling his pursuit, Rahaman said he is ready to make his mark, leaving fans with memories of high-speed thrills and the enduring spirit of Guyanese motor racing.
GSLT20 ticket sales begin tomorrow at the local box office
The much-anticipated ticket sales for the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League T20 matches in Guyana are set to begin on Saturday, November 9th, 2024 at the local box office from 09:00 hours. Cricket enthusiasts can secure their seats for the action-packed tournament, starting from 08.30 hours to 16:30 hours on week -
days and 09:00 hours to 13:00 hours on Saturdays at the box office located at 233-234 Camp Street, Georgetown.
Ticket prices range from $1,000 to $7,000 and are available for all stands.
The inaugural ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League runs from 26 November to 7 December and will see five teams from around
the world compete for a US$1million prize pool at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The five teams who will be taking part are Hampshire Hawks, Guyana Amazon Warriors, Lahore Qalandars, Rangpur Riders and Victoria. The ultimate global cricket showdown is coming to Guyana. Here is the lineup of
matches and ticket availability:
Tuesday, November 26thGuyana Amazon Warriors vs Lahore Qalandars (7pm)
Wednesday, November 27th- Hampshire Hawks vs Rangur Riders (7pm)
Friday, November 29thGuyana Amazon Warriors vs Victoria (7pm)
Saturday, November
30th- Hampshire Hawks vs Lahore Qalandars (10 am)
Sunday, December 1stRangpur Riders vs Victoria (10 am)
Sunday, December 1stGuyana Amazon Warriors vs Hampshire Hawks (7pm)
Tuesday, December 3rdVictoria vs Lahore Qalandars (7pm)
Wednesday, Decem -
ber 4th- Guyana Amazon Warriors vs Rangpur Riders (7pm)
Thursday, December 5thLahore Qalandars vs Rangpur Riders (7pm)
Friday, December 6thHampshire Hawks vs Victoria (7pm)
Saturday, December 7th- GSLT20 Final (7pm)
Big names ready for Group 4 showdown at ENET Caribbean Clash of Champions
The Group 4 race at the ENET Caribbean Clash of Champions on Sunday, November 10, promises to be a showdown of powerhouse drivers, with big names vying for victory on the South Dakota Circuit. Championship leader Vishok Persaud sits at 133
points, holding a narrow lead, with Mark Vieira trailing by just 11 points. However, Vieira’s participation hangs in the balance as he awaits medical clearance following a recent injury. If Vieira is unable to race, it won’t mean smooth sailing
for Persaud, as he faces intense competition from twotime Caribbean Champion Kristian Jeffrey, who is back on the track after a break and has made his intentions clear: he’s here to win and is eyeing the track record. Adding to the heated lineup is U.S. driver Quinlan Lall,
who brings international flair to the mix and is ready to take on the local stars.
Alongside these frontrunners, several household names, including the seasoned Andrew King and Kevin Jeffrey, are set to compete, both known for their consistency and competitiveness.
GMRSC President Mahendra Boodhoo will join the grid alongside experienced drivers Mohan Rangasammy, Danny Persaud, Stefan Jeffrey, Denzel Hopkinson, Gavin Gayadin, and others, creating a vibrant and thrilling field. With such a stacked lineup, the Group 4 race
is shaping to be one of the highlights of the ENET Caribbean Clash of Champions. Fans can expect fierce competition, record-breaking speed, and adrenaline-pumping action on Sunday, November 10, as these drivers give it their all in pursuit of victory.
With a car decked out in Shi-Oil’s signature branding, Rahaman will be one of over 80 racers tearing up the track
Shi-Oil’s Aswell Mohabir (right) makes his company’s presentation to Ryan Rahaman
Ryan Rahaman and his Shi-Oil-sponsored machine
Big names ready for Group 4 showdown at ENET
Alzarri Joseph was unhappy a few times during the third ODI • AFP/Getty Images
