…asNetanyahupledgesto change‘theface’oftheMiddleEast
10% pay hike for 2024,
Remanded: Navin Stoll Man who stabbed
60% increase in sale of Guyana's oil to offset decreases in gold, timber, bauxite exports Venezuelan man nabbed after
car - ECLAC report wife 24 times remanded to prison
Guyana’s booming oil exports have offset significant declines in the export volumes of gold, timber, and bauxite, driving the nation’s trade growth in 2024.
According to the InternationalTradeOutlook for Latin America and the Caribbean 2024, published this month by the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), foreign sales of crude oil surged by over 60% during the first half of theyear
“In Guyana, foreign sales of crude oil, the country’s main export product, increased by more than 60%, offsetting decreases in the volume of gold, bauxite and timber exports,”itwasstated.
Oil is being produced from the Stabroek Block offshore Guyana by a consortium led by ExxonMobil. That block which covers an area of 6.6 millionacresisestimatedto hold 11.6 billion barrels of oil. To date, Exxon has obtained approval from the Government of Guyana for six development projects in the Stabroek Block – Liza PhaseOne,LizaPhaseTwo, Payara, Yellowtail, Uaru andWhiptail.
The first three projects are already producing oil at a daily estimated rate of 640,000 barrels per day (bpd) In relation to Guyana’sminingsector,this publication has repeatedly reported that for the past several years, the country’s gold declaration has seen a notabledecline.
Moreover, ECLAC also notes favourable terms-oftrade conditions for Guyana. “In hydrocarbonexporting countries, the terms of trade are expected todeterioratebyanaverage of 2%. The most affected countries in this group include Colombia, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Trinidad and Tobago, with exceptions being Ecuador and Guyana Guyana is also expected to receive a positive terms-of-trade shockasaresultofincreases in the unit value of its exports of oil (2%), gold (19%), and rice (6%), together with lower prices among various imported inputsandfoodproducts,”it wasstated.
The report highlights crude oil, which represents 84% of Guyana’s export portfolio, as becoming the backbone of the nation’s tradesector
“Thecountriesreporting the strongest growth of exportvalueinthefirsthalf oftheyearwereGuyana,the Bolivarian Republic of VenezuelaandSuriname.In allthreecases,largerexport volumes, especially of crudeoil,arethemaincause of the increases In the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, the growth of exports reflected the granting of licences by the Government of the United States to foreign firms to operate in that country and export oil to the United States,”thereportstates.
The ECLAC report highlights that Guyana’s overall export value is projected to grow by an impressive77%in2024,the highest among Latin AmericaandtheCaribbean. Thisgrowthstemsprimarily from the country’s increasing oil production, with rising volumes offsetting a 2% decline in globaloilprices.
“Thelargestincreasesin export values in 2024 are projected in Guyana 77%, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela 38%, Argentina 21%andSuriname18%.All theseareattributablemainly totheupsurgeinthevolume of commodities exports, in particular oil and agricultural products…” it wasstated.
Inanothersectionofthe report, it was noted that the largest increases in export value in 2024 are projected to occur in Guyana, Venezuela, Argentina and Suriname. It was explained thatwhileinArgentina,this is due to an increase in the volume of its crop exports following the drought that affectedthemin2023,inthe other three countries’cases, thechieffactorwouldbethe increaseinthevolumeofoil exports.
Additionally, it was stated that Guyana’s positive trade outlook has contributedtotheCaribbean sub-region’s projected exportvolumegrowth.
ECLACprojectsthatthe valueofgoodsexportsfrom Latin America and the Caribbean will increase by 4% in 2024 as a result of a 5%increaseinvolumeanda Continuedonpage3
The Government ofGuyana(GoG) and the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU) on Tuesday, signed a two-year agreement that will see public servants receiving a 10% across-theboard salary increase retroactively in 2024, with anadditional8%increaseto take effect from January 1, 2025.
The announcement was madebyPresidentIrfaanAli during his address at the Guyana Police Force’s annual Christmas breakfast. A joint statement issued
subsequently by the Government and Union revealed that the 10% increasein2024willresultin a 35% cumulative salary increase for public servants over the four-year period from 2021 to 2024. The additional 8% increase in 2025 will raise the cumulativesalaryincreaseto 46% over five years, from 2021to2025.
The agreement was signed by Soyinka Grogan, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Service, onbehalfofthegovernment, andDawnGardener,1stVice President of GPSU, on behalfoftheunion.
Meanwhile, President Ali emphasized that the cumulativeincreasecouldbe even higher, stating, “The Government of Guyana understands that prosperity mustcomeateveryleveland understandingthatthepublic service intervention must be made... we will make the necessary adjustment to alwayshavethatparityinthe system.”
In addition to the salary increases, the government has introduced several other measures aimed at improvingthecompensation and benefits for public servants. With effect from 1 July2024,publicservantson GeneralScale(GS)1-6with a minimum of four years of
service within their current scale will be moved to the midpoint of that scale, leading to increases of up to 13% for eligible employees.
Public servants with at least eightyearsofserviceintheir current scale will be moved tothemaximumofthescale, resultinginincreasesofupto 26%. Furthermore, public servants on GS:7-8 who have at least four years of service in their current scale will receive an additional monthly amount equivalent to the nominal difference between the minimum and midpoint of GS:6, resulting inanincreaseofupto11%.
StartingJanuary1,2025, public servants who have e a r n e d a d d i t i o n a l qualifications relevant to their duties will receive monthly qualification allowances: $15,000 for holders of anAssociation of Chartered Certified
Accountants (ACCA) qualification, $22,000 for holdersofaMaster’sdegree, and$32,000forholdersofa Doctoraldegree.
P r e s i d e n t A l i underscored that these initiatives are in keeping with the government’s commitment to incentivize
Frompage2 1%decreaseinprices.Growthinimportsisprojectedat4% by volume and -2% by price, for an overall 2% increase in value. This forecast would amount to a recovery from the regionaldeclinesufferedin2023.
Thereporthighlights,“TheCaribbeanandSouthAmerica are expected to experience the largest export increases in terms of value and volume. In the Caribbean, the volume of exports is projected to expand by 24% thanks to a marked increase in volume from Guyana by 74% and Suriname by 12%.InSouthAmerica,thevolumeofexportsisexpectedto increase for agricultural products like soybeans, maize and wheat, which grew at rates of 70%-100% in the first half of the year This expansion will more than offset falling prices forseveralSouthAmericancommoditiesexports.”
education and training, and the development of the humancapital.
I n a d d i t i o n t o qualification allowances, several other adjustments
were announced and will take effect from January 1, 2025.Theseincludea$5,000 annual increase in the uniformallowanceforhealth workers, a $35,000 monthly
housingallowanceforpublic servants on secondment to hinterland locations, and an $8,000 monthly station allowance for those serving in riverine and inland areas.
Public servants will also receive a 50% increase in riskallowances,alongwitha 104% increase in motor car andtravelallowances.
The government is also introducing 100 duty-free concessions per annum for nursing staff, with priority given to those with the longest years of service and those who have never previouslybenefited.
Additionally, 100 scholarshipswillbeawarded annually to GPSU members for undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Guyana or through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL).
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance andPublicServiceDr Ashni Singh, oversaw the discussions on behalf of the government.
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456
Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams
Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
TheCanadiansarewell-positionedtoenjoytheGuyana dream. Everywhere they turn, there is gold, so much gold thattheamountswrittenaboutinofficialestimatesareinthe millions of ounces. Canadian gold investors put in their moneyandtheysetthemselvesuptowalkawaywithamint. The question is, what is Guyana getting for giving up all thesemillionsofouncesofgold?
WearesurethatjobsforGuyanesewouldbeamongthe first words coming out of the PPP/C Government leaders, from President Ali to Vice President Jagdeo to Minister Singh. There is nothing that governing politicians love to speak about more than how many jobs have been created. Forafewhundredjobs,themineralwealthofthiscountryis givenup,whilethedetailsaboutGuyana’sshareofitsgold bonanza are undisclosed. There is no talk of percentages, money,returns. Itcouldbethatitistheusualpaltryroyalty andmaybesometaxes,iftherewassomehonestnegotiation betweentheGovernmentandtheCanadiancompanies. The problem is that nobody is saying much, no disclosures tricklingintothepublicdomain.
Guyanese were told a couple of years back that worldclass companies will be coming to explore our goldfields. After that, silence is all that Guyanese have gotten. Currently, G Mining Ventures (GMIN) and Omai Gold MinesCorp(OmaiGold)arehereandtheannouncementsto datefromthetwocompaniesindicatethatbothhavehitthe jackpot, are sitting on the equivalent of rich motherlodes. GMINistellingitsinvestors,inthehopeofenticingmoreof them,thattheirassessmentspointtofivemillionouncesof goldtocomeoutofGuyana’sgoldladenearthina16-year timespan. That is around 350,000 ounces of gold annually for 16 years. For its part, Omai Gold has been received government approval to explore two fields: the Wenot Deposit and the Gilt Creek Deposit. The preliminary drilling results have generated much excitement at Omai Gold. FromtheWenotDepositalone,theearlyestimatesare of142,000ouncesofgoldproducedforaperiodof13years. In one year, production is estimated to climb to 184,000 ounces,andforanoveralltotalof1.84millionouncesduring the13-yearlifecycleofthefield.
GMIN is anticipating 353,000 ounces in annual production(16years)andOmaiGold142,000ouncesyearly for13years. Inaggregatethatis495,000ounces,justunder half million ounces annually for the two Canadian gold companies. Guyanahasawardedthesehugeconcessionsof its precious mineral rich lands, plus lucrative duty-free provisions and, highly probably, many add-ons that are unknown to those who are the actual owners of this gold, Guyanese. Aside from visible, low-level jobs to do the heavyworkandmeniallabour,thequestioncontinuestostir interest: whatisGuyanagettinginreturn?
The price for gold is over US$2660 per ounce. With a combined average annual production of both Canadian companies projected to be 495,000 and gold price at US$2660 per ounce, that amounts to US$1,316,700,000 in estimated gold revenues per year How many millions are comingfromthatUS$1.3B+intotheGuyanatreasury? We appreciate that gold prices, like those of many other commodities,canbeveryvolatilewithheightsreachedand long declines experienced. In the 16-year and 13-year production spans of GMIN and Omai Gold respectively, while the two companies are raking in the profits, Guyana shouldbedoingthesame.
What is the return in American dollars or royalty percentagesortaxratesthatGuyanaispoisedtoget? Would those be at the same pittance levels of the past negotiated underdifferentgovernments? TheGovernmentofGuyana should be proud to share with its citizens the deals that it signedwiththesetwocompanies. Thenumberswouldtell theirownstory When,however,thesesignedgoldcontracts havetobekeptunderlockandkeyandawayfromthepublic, itisasignthattheusualselloutandgiveawayhaveoccurred. TwoCanadiangoldcompaniesareabouttostrikeitbigfrom Guyana’sgold. WhatarethebigbenefitsforGuyanafrom itsmineralriches?
DEAREDITOR,
On International Human Rights Day 2024, Guyana needs to remember that human rights are the international community’s response to the idea that every person counts, as captured in the reference in the Universal Declaration of HumanRightsto“equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family”.
The idea of everyone being equal before the law workedwellaslongasStates wereformedfromnationsof people who spoke the same language,professedthesame religion,hadthesamecolour and lived in nature-defined geographic areas. However, States formed from the colonial experiences were not normally expressions of such uniformity Culturally different groups were compelledtolivetogetherby imperialpowers.
The diversity of peoples hasprogressivelychallenged t h e c o n c e p t o f a homogeneous society in whicheveryindividualmust be treated in the same way Nowadays, migrations of millionsofpeopleareposing challenges to all societies andidentityissuesaretaking onnewdimensions.
Assessing Guyana as a
viable society would inevitably focus on the extent it has successfully navigated its ethnic challenges. On the positive side marrying, mixing, merging and mingling have created a capacity to live together not achieved by many larger and better resourced societies However, the negative side of the ledger would be dominated by another ‘m’, migration. Guyana tops the list globally for the percentage of its citizens who live elsewhere, frustrated in many cases by theextenttowhichethnicityinfluenced politics determined who gets jobs, land, licences, appointments and scholarships. Political ethnicity has determined the qualityoflifeinGuyanaover the years and condemned it to the bottom of most social andeconomicindicators,the adventofoilhasintroduceda newandabrasivefactor
Electoral victories achieved by molding ethnic groups into political formations is being superceded by the changing controloftheeconomytoan important degree. Our rich, vast and empty country is now experiencing much busier arrivals than departures from all corners
oftheglobe,butourproblem is not merely a feature of globalization.Thosearriving through the main airport represent enormous wealth, while a larger number of arrivals by river – often illegally – represent the oppositeendoftheeconomic spectrum. To this extent Guyana progressively resembles small Middle Eastern States, where large numbers of economic
refugees from India, Bangladesh and Pakistan performservilefunctionsfor the small, native-born citizens who live in luxury andcontrolthesociety.
The influence of ethnicity on Guyana’s inability to move forward as a nation has been considerable and we should not under-estimate the new challenges posed when economic differences are dividing rather than uniting thesociety
Experience to date in terms of developing policies to accommodate the new type of society Guyana is b e c o m i n g , i s n o t encouraging. An obsession withgettingrichquickisnot only working against the interests of the majority of working people, as far as cost-of-living issues are c o n c e r n e d , b u t economically-driven ethnicity is working against fairness We need to prioritize the ambition to create a Guyanese identify withwhichallethnicgroups can identify and which will enable all Guyanese to function successfully in an increasinglypluralworld.
Sincerely, ExecutiveCommittee Guyana Human Rights Association(GHRA)
Rather than a rigid categorizing of individual rights, Guyana perhaps n e e d s a n a t i o n a l conversation on the economic significance of ethnicity Priority in such a conversation must be given totheconceptof‘fairness’as a way of bridging conflicts arising from application of individual human rights in the same manner to all citizens and non-citizens with due regard to the diversity of the national society Fairness cannot be achieved by unregulated market forces. Fairness also requires that we also respect women,religionandcultural differences that make up identities in modern society As a criterion for mediating between rigid categories of ‘individual’ and ‘group’ rights,‘fairness’hasmuchto commendit.
EDITOR, Government has started giving out the $100K grant. There were/are hiccups and complaints as expected There are also mixed views onwhoshouldgetthegrant. ManyGuyaneseathomeare of the view the diaspora shouldnotbeentitledforthe grant since they left the homeland and have become citizens of other countries. The number of Guyanese in the diaspora who may travel home to receive the grant would be small given the cumbersome conditions Most Guyanese in the diasporaaredoingquitewell and won’t need the grant to uplifttheirlives. Onthesurface,itappears that distributing the $100K grant is simple and can be done quickly But there are several complications on eligibilityandverificationof the recipients. Government has to be wary of potential fraudashappenedduringthe $25K Covid relief and the flood grants. Thousands of
non-eligible people received both grants while deserving eligible individuals were deniedornotgiventhegrant. They are still waiting. They shouldfileaclassactionsuit for payment retroactively withinterests.
A n y G u y a n e s e , including those in the diaspora, at 18 or above is eligible for the $100K. One has to prove citizenship and age. All potential recipients or claimants should be in a data base to prevent fraud —receivingmultiplegrants.
Registration for the grant, not for election purposes,isonewaytomeet criteria It may not be possible, for varied reasons, for some people to go to an office to register Government must have staff visitinghomesorsomeother means to verify identity of recipients This largely reduces, if not altogether eliminates,fraud.
How can individuals be prevented from making claims for the dead or those
out of residence? The same questionwouldapplytononGuyanese. Staff would have to verify the identity and whether the person is alive.
Only those interested in the grant should receive it. The wealthy may not be interested in lining up to register and to collect the grant.Wouldthosewhodied or travel after the announcementofthegrantor afterregistrationbeeligible?
How would the diaspora get the grant? They have to be present physically in Guyana and register like everyone else In engagement with the diasporainrecenttravels,on thephone,andsocialmedia, manyplantogotoGuyanato receive the grant of about US$465. Itisnotalotofmoneybut it is good spending fund to have a fun time or use it to helpothersinneed.Manyof those settled in Trinidad, Grenada, and other Caribbean territories, in USA, Canada, and in Suriname, French Guiana, andBrazilplantomakeatrip to the homeland and collect the fund. For them, it is an opportunity to visit the homelandtheyhavenotseen foryears.
They plan to spend it through a variety of ways including giving some to families,friends,andtheless fortunate.Conversationsand other engagements with Guyanese in England in a current trip and on social media hardly found anyone whowillundertakethetripto collect the $465 Most Guyanese Britons are of the view that those in the diaspora over a lengthy period and have acquired foreign citizenship should not be eligible. Many in Guyana and in USA and Canada are also of the same view But the government’s position is once you can prove you are a Guyanese national,youareeligibleand entitledforthegrant.
Yourstruly, VishnuBisram
DEAREDITOR,
Asyoushopthisholiday season, you’ll find an abundance of enticing food options on every street corner, supermarket, and at local markets Some locations have more variety than others and of course, prices vary In this context, the recently published State of Agricultural Commodity Markets (SOCO 2024) report of the Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnitedNations,provides
a different and interesting perspective on food. This report examines the impact of food trade on diets and nutrition, offering valuable insights and guidance for makinginformedpurchasing decisions in today’s rapidly evolving global food systems. In 2023, trade in our global food systems moved more than 3 billion metric tonnes of food, at a value of USD 2.02 Trillion. Trade enables countries to export
foods they produce abundantlyandimportthose made more elsewhere, enhancing the diversity of food year-round and contributingtofoodsecurity worldwide International foodmarketsconnectpeople and countries, provide access to a wider variety of foods and ingredients, support incomes for farmers and workers in agriculture and food industries, and utilize the natural resources of countries Responsible
andfairtradeisessentialfor sustainable development, economic growth, social w e l l - b e i n g , a n d environmentalcare.
Guyana benefits from agricultural exportation, earning USD 283.1 million in 2022. Rice (USD 195.6 million), fish (USD 57.4 million) and sugar (USD) 15 9 million) were key earners, as well as nontraditional crops (USD 14.1 million). Accordingto2015 data, Guyana produced just
The time has come for Guyanese to demand open dialogue with those who are harvesting our natural
This two hundred thousand ($200,000) dollars per family shift to one h u n d r e d t h o u s a n d ($100,000) dollars to every Guyanese over 18 years within a few days exposes a serious weakness in the thinking, administration and delivery of benefits to the Guyanese everywhere, but beforeIaddmytwo-bitstoa fundamental flaw in Government which is a hostility to any form of consultation and it appears evenwithintherulingcabal.
Last Friday, with family members, we journeyed to Fruta Conquerors Football Club Ground, Tucville and there we encountered the essence of politeness and graciousness from a female officerwhoappearedtobein charge of the unit. This displayofkindconsideration by persons dealing with the public ought not to be ignored. It’s like a breath of fresh air in dismal and dark
Several editorials and comments have been made on this latest palliative pronouncedbythetop-brass of the PPP With the rising cost-of-living and the Government on a spending spree, no one particularly those in the low-income bracket would not welcome thiscashpayment.
However, those who knowGuyana,itshistoryand ourpotentialmustknowthat goodsenseandprudenceare notcharacteristicfeaturesof this government. The fact that this spending spree is ignoring a structured
unbelievable large sums available from oil and gas, gold and other natural resourcesisregrettable.
A Government that is truly a caring one and interested in the long-term benefits would first ensure that education is free from
kindergarten to university and by a massive and well thought out programme to ensure that those who teach and manage education are wellpaidandrecognisedand given a place of honour and importance.
Second, ensure a credible Public Health Programme, where in spite of our largesse, people who cannot afford to purchase certain drugs and pay for medical procedures end up in the cemetery Education provides an opportunity for every Guyanese child to d
lop his/he
ll potential.Butwhatisevident today with these large sums of money available is that occasional cash-handouts will not narrow the gap between the rich and the poor
Thetimehascomewhere Guyanese must demand open dialogue with those who are harvesting our natural resources so that we benefitmuchmorefromour
under 60% of locally consumed food, making it a net food exporter and recent reports highlight increased production in agriculture, including emerging crops.
Guyana is also leading efforts to expand intraregional food trade in the Caribbean, particularly in freshfruitsandvegetables.
TheSOCO2024reminds us that one important aspect of trade is that it can double the variety of food available onthelocalmarket. Greater variety promotes healthy, diverse diets that meet not only more nutritional requirements but also support varied preferences andtastes.
God-givenresources.Witha w e l l t h o u g h t o u t programme, as a result of meaningful consultation with our women groups, youthgroups,crediblesocial and religious organisations and the political parties, Guyana with no natural disasters,suchashurricanes, monsoon, earthquakes, tsunamis, etc. can be the richest country in the world, not on paper, but where everyone in this and future generations can be spared the trauma of want and poverty I’ve said before the stumbling block is the perceptionofcorruptionand the unwillingness to seek meaningfulconsultation.
Today,somemembersof mystaffandfolksinpartsof Georgetownhadtopurchase watertohaveabathandface the disgust of no electricity in the fastest growing economyintheworld.
Sincerely,
HamiltonGreen Elder
At the same time, however, we know that international food trade can alsotripletheaccessibilityof processed foods available to consumers Minimally processed foods that are close to their fresh state can be very convenient for meal preparation and support healthy nutrition Consumption of ultraprocessed foods, which are oftenhighinsugars,fats,and caloriesarelinkedtoobesity, overweight and noncommunicable diseases
( N C D ) s u c h a s cardiovascular disease and diabetes Reports demonstrate a strong link between the increasing
income levels in countries and the demand for ultraprocessed foods. A 10% increaseinincomeisrelated to an 11% rise in ultraprocessedfoodimportsanda 7% rise in less processed foods like meat, fish, dairy, eggs,fruits,andvegetables.
To avoid potential ill effects from the importation and consumption of ultraprocessed foods on national health outcomes, there must be a strong collaboration at thenationallevel,topromote coherence between health and food trade policies Clear nutrition guidelines and open forums involving government, civil society, andexpertscanhelpaddress nutrition issues in trade agreements, ensuring they support food security, economicgrowth,andpublic health.
Coherence in health and trade policies can also be enhancedatthelocallevelby building capacities of trade and health technicians and practitioners.
In some countries, food labelling is part of the packageofinitiativesthatare used to inform consumers about nutritional content Front-of-package labels, recommended by the WHO since 2004, use symbols, warnings, or scores to simplifynutrition
(Continued on page 6)
In photo centre left - Chairman of A New and United Guyana (ANUG) Mr. Mark France meets Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Mr. C.A. Nigel Hughes and executive members from both parties
Executive Members of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and A New and United Guyana (ANUG) exchanged cordialities at an introductory meeting which tookplaceonMondayatthe AFC’soffice.
The meeting was part of the AFC’s ongoing
“Listening and Groundings”
sessions with key stakeholders including political parties and civil
society and for ANUG, the first in a similar outreach programme they have embarked upon, the parties saidinajointstatement.
According to the statement, AFC’s Leader,
Atotal of 143 individuals have graduated from the New Amsterdam School of Nursing in Region Six, equipped with the skills needed to deliver high-quality healthcare services.
The cohort comprises 92 health assistants, 31 professional nurses, and 20 midwives.
During the graduation ceremony on Monday, Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony announced that the graduates will beemployedbytheMinistryandassignedto varioushospitalstodeliverservices.
“We want people to start thinking aboutacareerinmedicinemeansthatyou have to constantly learn because every day there is something new in medicine…” Minister Anthony said. He emphasised that the government will be launching several specialised nursing programmes for professional nurses. Upon the completion of the training, these nurses willbesenttothenewhospitalbeingbuiltat Number75Village.
“We have already started some of these programmes in Georgetown. I am hopingthatwecangetsomeofthefaculty to start similar programmes in New Amsterdam. I want you to think about howyoucantakethenextstepgoingtoa specialised programme,” the health ministerunderlined.
Minister Anthony also encouraged the nursingassistantstopursuetheprofessional nursingprogrammetoadvancetheircareers. Guyana continues to make significant investments to establish a world-class healthcare system through the construction
ofstate-of-the-arthospitals,rehabilitationof healthfacilities,andothercriticalinitiatives.
“Wearebuildingnewinstitutions.We areaddingnewequipment.Wearedoing new programmes so that we can have more people and help them in different ways.Butwhatisimportantisalsothatwe train more people. If we are going to expand the services, then, we need a lot more trained people…We want to make sure that we have people who would be there to work with our patients,” Dr Anthonyaffirmed.
In recent years, the government has establishedatleastfournewhealthcentresto strengthenhealthcaredeliveryintheregion.
Minister Anthony highlighted that the hospitals in Port Mourant, Mibicuri, Skeldon, and New Amsterdam have undergoneupgradestoenhancepatientcare.
Additionally, he revealed that the new hospitalatNumber75Villageisexpectedto be operational by the second quarter next year. This hospital will replace the Skeldon Hospital, providing an enhanced level of healthcareservicestonearly40,000persons wholiveinthatsectionoftheregion.
“There are lots of new things that are going to make the system more efficient andbetter Thatiswhythisbatchwillalso have to think about how to use the technology to better serve our patients. We will teach them. It is a very exciting timetobeinthehealth,”heemphasised.
He further commended the remarkable efforts of the New Amsterdam School of Nursingforpushingthebarriersofensuring that more persons are being trained to staff thehealthinstitutions.(DPI)
Nigel Hughes welcomed his ANUG’s counterpart, Dr Mark France who recently was elected Chairman of his party
The meeting of representatives of the AFC and ANUG provided an invaluable opportunity for both teams to acquaint themselves with each other and most importantly to discuss matters of mutual interest, the joint statement read.
In the discussions that ensued, the executive membe
collaborative efforts to address critical national issues and challenges facing Guyanatoday
I n a t t e n d a n c e
representing ANUG were: France, General Secretary Mr Jonathan Subrian, Finance Secretary Mr Stephen Patterson and executive members Kirk
A n d e r s o n , A k e e m
McDonald and Dexter George The AFC was represented by Hughes, Chairman Mr David
Patterson, Khemraj Ramjattan and executive member Catherine Hughes
MP
Ahead of the meeting on Monday, ANUG in a statement said they plan to meet with the other political parties/groupings in Guyana intheimmediatefuture.
Thepartyhadalsodenied that they were in coalition talks with the AFC and stated:“ANUGwillnotbein coalitiontalkswiththeAFC, PPP/CnorthePNC.”ANUG saiditiscommittedtonation building and will “leverage our resources for the benefit of all Guyanese whilst maintaining our political independence.”
Thefamilyofa26-year-oldPortKaituma,RegionOne man, who has been missing for more than one year, are pleadingwiththeauthoritiestoassistinlocatinghim.
The missing man, Donley Bumbury also known as ‘WhiteboiorWhites’lefthishomeforajobinMarch2023. HelefttoworknearthePuruniLanding,Mazaruni,Region Seven.
His sister Abigail Bumbury told Kaieteur News that during their last conversation he told her that he was at PuruniLandingwithsomefriends.
“He said he went with his friends [and] that was in March 2023. He left from home long,” the distraught woman said. “We hear that somebody like he dead or something like that…” However, that information proved false.
Abigail said that her mother and other relatives often talkaboutDonley
“It does be really stressful,” the mother of five said, adding“Thisisthefirsttimeheeverspentsolongandnever comehome.Heisanormal,niceperson,helikemakejoke.”
Donley Bumbury also known as ‘White boi or Whites’
Frompage5 informationandencouragehealthierchoices.
Additionally, public nutrition awareness and education is a vital and complementary component that encourages individuals to better understand the implications of what theyeatandtomakebetterdietarychoicesfor themselvesandtheirfamilies. Workingwith the school feeding programme provides an excellent opportunity to promote lifelong healthy eating habits among children and create an environment where healthy diets
supporthealthylives.
FAO’sobjectiveistosupportcountriesin achieving better nutrition and food security by ensuring that all individuals, at all times, have access to safe, healthy, and affordable diets that align with their aspirations and foster their development. Sustainable food tradeisacriticalcomponentofthiseffort.
Sincerely, GillianSmith (FAO Representation Guyana, Suriname,TrinidadandTobago)
Theassetsbeingpaidforby Guyana through the cost recovery mechanism outlined in the 2016 Petroleum Agreement with ExxonMobil cannotbesoldbythecompany tohandleexpensesrelatedtoan oilspillintheStabroekBlock
This was recently explainedbyformerExecutive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adams, during an Alliance For Change (AFC) pressconference
In opening remarks, Dr Adams, an Environmental and Petroleum Engineer argued that the assets are part owned byGuyana,sincethecountryisrepayingtheinvestments
His comments came on the heels of an explanation provided by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo that Exxon can sell the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessels (FPSOs)tohandlecostsrelatedtoanoilspill.
Tothisend,Dr Adamssaid,“Whatheusedtobesayingis thatwecanseizeassetstopayforanoilspill.Weexplainedto himyoucannotseizeyourownassetsbecausethosearebeing paid for through cost oil, so we thought that had gone away and apparently he had brought it up again sometime and the reporteraskhimitdoesn’tmakeanysensethatyouaregonna sellyourownassets ”
He noted that the AFC as well as the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) had advocated for an unlimited parent company guarantee to dissolve the “foolish, nonsense” that is being purported by the Vice President that the country wouldsellitsownassetstorespondtosuchanevent
Dr Adams argued, “He need to go read the (oil) contract
Theyhavegottoturnoverallofthoseassetstous,freeofcharge andnowhetalkingwellwewouldfreezetheassetsandsellit It’sthestupidestthingIhaveeverheard”
TheformerEPAbossfurthernotedthatExxonMobilhad agreed to an unlimited parent company guarantee however this provision was reversed by the present administration. Consequently, Dr Adams said the oil company is now reluctant to provide this coverage. “Exxon sees that this government is reckless and spineless and weak and they are takingadvantageofthem,”Dr Adamsstated.
AND THE 2016 PSA
Article 20 of the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) specify terms related to ‘Rights to Assets’ state that upon expiry or termination of theAgreement, the Contractor shall deliver to the Minister, free of charge, in good order and condition,(fairwearandtearexcept)allinstallations,works, pipelines, pumps, casings, tubings, engines and other equipment, machinery or assets of a fixed or permanent nature constructed, used or employed by the Contractor or theOperatorintheContractArea
It goes on to state that this also applies to any fixed assets relatingtoPetroleumOperationsoutsidetheContractAreaand movableassetsownedbytheContractororOperatorandusedor employedinconnectionwithPetroleumOperationsandlocated inGuyanaforwhichcostshavebeenfullyrecovered
Bethatasitmay,VicePresidentJagdeotoldreportersthat although Guyana is paying for the assets being used in the offshoreproductionofoilintheStabroekBlock,thisdoesnot make the country a part owner of the assets This therefore meansthatintheeventthatanoilspilloccursasaresultofthe activities in the resource rich offshore acreage, ExxonMobil willbefreetoselltheassetstorespondtosuchanevent.
The VP explained, “It’s a simple thing You’re not part owner of any company You don’t own these assets So, ExxonMobilputsintheinvestment Theycreateacompany;the company has these assets We are entitled to receive in the future, 50%, once everything is paid off…you are entitled to collect 50% of future profits and they get 50% and then 2% royaltyonthegross…that’syourentitlementtocollect.”
Ontheotherhand,Jagdeosaidthatifthecompanywasto dissolve and sell the assets, Guyana may then be entitled to 50% of the assets. “Now if you have a dissolution of the companyandtheysellofftheassets,Iguessweareentitledto 50%oftheassetstoointhesituationwhereyoudissolvethe companysoIhopethatclarifiesyourquestion,”henoted.
There’s nothing quite as uniquely absurd as when someone misinterprets their job description Imagine hiringachefforafine-dining restaurant, only for them to march into the dining room, wagging a spatula, demandingtoknowwhyyou dared to order your steak medium rare instead of mediumwell.
Now, transpose that image to the Investment Committee of Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund (NRF), and you’ve got yourselfproblems.Problems ofoverreach!
The NRF Investment Committee has an unambiguously defined mandate They are the guardians of the leftovers, tasked with the noble responsibility of ensuring that the portion of the Fund not withdrawn by the government is invested wisely and in line with internationalbestpractices. Their job? Maximize returns and minimize risk. NowhereintheirInvestment Mandate — or even in the fine print — does it say that they have the authority to q u e s t i o n h o w t h e government spends the revenues withdrawn. But, as with any good committee, there’salwaysthosethatmay not agree. But that does not mean that they are in the right.
Supposeamemberofthe Investment Committee, decides that it is the duty of the committee to demand an account of the government’s spending or at least to demandthattheBoardofthe Fundasksthegovernmentto justify its requests for withdrawals They might pound the table, perhaps invoking terms like “fiscal prudence” or “moral oversight,” but the reality remainsasplainasdaylight.
jurisdiction. The Act doesn’t provide the Investment Committee with a whistle, let alone the authority to blow it
Withdrawals from the NRF
are determined by a f o r m u l a y e s , a mathematical equation, not unlike the ones most of us forgot after high school algebra This formula ensures that the money withdrawnispredictableand perhaps,evensustainable.
Once the funds are withdrawn, the National Assembly becomes the proverbial referee, ensuring that the government doesn’t splurgeongoldentoiletseats or midnight partying flights to Dubai. If any oversight is required, the Assembly handlesitwithparliamentary gusto.
What makes this situation so delightfully absurdisthattheInvestment Committee has, arguably, one of the cushiest gigs in government. Their remit is straightforward: manage what’s left, keep it safe, and aim for a decent return.Yet, for some unexplained reason, some might believe their role extends into the realm of monitoring public expenditure.
The natural question arises: what should wellmeaning Committee members do if they harbour strong opinions about government spending? The answer is simple—choose another line of work
Perhaps they’d find fulfillment as a member of Parliament, where they can pontificate on budgets to their heart’s content Or, betteryet,theycouldlaunch a blog. And herein lies the brilliance of Guyana’s NRF framework. The roles are neatly delineated, like lines in a colouring book. The
Dem Boys Seh...
government handles the crayons and decides how to spend the withdrawals. The National Assembly scrutinizes and holds the government accountable
And the Investment Committee? Their job is to keeptheirfocusoncolouring within the lines of riskadjusted financial returns. Simple.Elegant.Foolproof! Ifthere’samemberofthe Investment Committee who still feels compelled to “pronounce upon the remit of the government,” they’d do well to remember that stepping beyond their mandate isn’t just unhelpful—it’s also a bit awkward.Imaginebeingthe person in a meeting who earnestlyraisestheirhandto askhowthewithdrawnfunds are being spent, only to be met with a room full of confused stares and the gentleshuffleofpapers.The silencethatfollowswouldbe deafening.
U l t i m a t e l y, t h e Investment Committee’s mandate is a financial one, notapoliticalone.Theirjob is to ensure that the Fund’s investments are sound, diversified, and lucrative enough to meet Guyana’s long-term development goals. It is not their place to hoveroverthegovernment’s shoulder like a nosy neighbour peering through the blinds, nor is it their job to act as a fiscal moral compass. That’s the domain oftheNationalAssembly—a body elected, not appointed, and therefore accountable to thepeople.
T h e I n v e s t m e n t Committee of the NRF should stick to their knitting—or, in this case, their investing. Their role is vital but circumscribed, like awell-writtensonnet.Toany would-be over-reacher, the advice is simple: read the
Dismanflyingdownderoad,doing90in a 80 zone. Outta nowhere, he see flashing lights in he rearview. Police hot on he tail. Dis man think quick, seh to heself, “Nah, I ain’tpullingoverjustyet.”
De man bin having some drinks before. So he realize he in bigger problems than simplyspeeding.Sohemashgas—95,100, 110, 140. He did trying fuh lose de police patrolcar Butdefasterhego,depatrolcar still deh behind like a shadow De man finallyseh,“Disain’tmekkinsense,”andhe pullover
De officer walk up slow-slow, looking cautious,likehedealingwidawildanimal. De man roll down he window and put both handsout,playingallinnocent.
“Youknowyouwasspeeding,right?”de
Act, reread your mandate, and, if all else fails, try Sudoku. It’s less stressful and, most importantly, doesn’t involve meddling in things that are none of your business.
So let the government spendasitseesfit,withinthe parameters set by law and under the watchful eyes of the National Assembly Let the Investment Committee
stick to its spreadsheets and asset allocation charts. And if any Committee member finds this unsatisfying, they mightconsiderenrollingina course on “Staying in Your Lane 101.” Whatever they choose, one thing is certain: the line between investing and policymaking exists for areason,andit’snotmeantto be crossed, no matter how goodtheintentions.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
officer seh. “But listen, it’s de end of me shift, and me boys meeting up fuh some beers and a game of dominoes. So you get one chance fuh explain why you tekking libertywiddespeedlimit.”
Demantekadeepbreath,putonhebest innocentface,andseh,“Officer,lehmetell you de truth. Bout a year ago, me wife run away wid a traffic policeman. I seh, ‘Good riddance!’
Besttingeverhappentome.ButwhenI seeyourlights,mehheartjump.Iswearyou wasbringingsheback.”
Deofficerstop,tekahardlookatdeman, and then he buss out laughing. He seh, “Alright, drive safe. And keep yuh speed downnexttime!”
Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
Guyanese are in the middle of a two-card con game, and they are yet to detect it. The street has a three-card version, where dumb suckers are led to believe that they have a chance with what is below thecoconutshells. Theodds are one in three for a favourable outcome and collectingthecashlaiddown bytheconfidencetricksters.
Itisaprovenstandardof life that ignorance is a wet blanket wrapped around the headofablindman. Guyana is a blindman country with some one-eyed, cock-eyed, and ‘baad eye’ people runningtheshowhere.
I hold aloft the PPP Government as a classic example of the obscene nudeness that hangs over Guyanese. Auguste Renoir, of the impressionist school of painting, would have drooled. The two-card con game operated by the PPP Government involves the $100,000 cash grant Considering what has come from the PPP Government, Guyanese have been treated totheequivalentofcardone: we win (the PPP) and card two: you lose (Guyanese). Anywhere Guyanese turn, they get their brains scrambled.
November! November, it will be for public servants andpensioners.
Itmadesensetodealwith andremoveapprox.100,000 Guyanese out of the cash grant arithmetic. A captive audience, those two segments in the population are,andpartofsystems,date sets,andwhatnots.
When they wonder how and why things have to be thisway,theirlivergivesout on them. Thegame is fixed andthefixersswarmaround it, having a jolly good time. First, it was immediately, then the by the end of November Bymonth’sendwassaid and heard repeatedly from different sources. I know thatthestepisslower,butthe hearing is just as sharp.
It is December, and 70,000 plus pensioners still have their hands stretched out, and their expectations stressed past the breaking point. They are set to get their 2025 pension books, butofthecashbook,theyare uncertain.
Thus,itwasfromtheend of November to the end of theyear Istillthinkthatthat means December 31, 2024 andnotanotheryear
To give jack his jacket, Vice President Jagdeo did makehispositionclearfrom
the inception: the process could take as long as five months.
It is good to locate an honest man in the PPP Government. Though that tookaneternity,oneofthese daystheotherswillbefound. They are there, just not too many
Still, I believe that the PPPGovernment’stwo-card game is now operating with Christmas lights blazing The limitation with the jacket that I give to Dr Jagdeo is that it is so small that a midget could be suffocatedwhiletryingtofit into it. Check out where cash grant matters stand today
November, December, with the next stop promised likely being Mashramani. The government did have a fleeting thought about how good it would be to honour
Dr Martin Luther King’s birthday in January, but that rainbow was quickly obscured by clouds. Give the people the cash money too early, and they would forget even more quickly What do Guyanese have later next year? Here is the first clue: it is not Easter alone.
There is the season of elections, which surpasses Christmas for excitement and the best expressions of Guyanese thanksgiving. In the two-card con game perfected by the PPP Government, November, December,Mashramani(too muchBurnham),andaround Easterareallpartofkeeping already on edge Guyanese hangingbyathread.
This wanton and callous government is like a dog owner that holds a piece of meatjustoutofthereachofa poor canine, even as that hound rises on its hind legs, and pants and reaches for a little relief from it hunger pangs.
Why does a cash grant for $100,000 mutate into an inquisition (registration)?
Why does a cash handout from the hands of the government to the hands of theGuyanesepeopleconvert intoaninspection(photo)?
And why does a cash pay-outprogrammefromthe PPP Government now transformintotheequivalent ofcollectionfromabaddebt partner,oradeadbeatfather? Citizensareforcedtolineup one day and then return anotherday
In the beginning, there wastalkofanapp. Whereis that blasted app that was supposed to be the solution to eliminate corruption, to minimize confusion, and to enhancecollection?
Whatstartedoutassome mysterious programme has now boiled down to paper Part of the government’s two-card con game is to tell Guyanese what has tiny truth, then tie them up in barbwire.
Hence November is December, and December is the twelfth of never For pensioners, it is. For the economically disabled, it is. For the cost-of-living battered,itis.
Another cunning calculation of the all-toocleverPPPGovernmentwas to announce the cash grant, when it was far from ready, even didn’t have the money Itwashownewsaboutcostof-living pressures faded from the morning and middaysun.
Makeapromiseandthen engage in a Ponzi scheme. Cost-of-living is off-air, but the cash grant is offseason. Any Guyanese-PPP, PNC, AFC-whodoesn’tseeatwocard con game in all this is likeaconartistalso.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionofthisnewspaper.)
If it secures the necessary regulatoryapprovalsforitsseventh project- Hammerhead- next year, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL)willbepursuingLongtail as its eighth development in the StabroekBlock.
ThisisaccordingtoPresidentof EMGL,AlistairRoutledge Duringa recent appearance on the Energy Perspectives podcast, hosted by Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Energy Conference, Kiana Wilburg, Routledge confirmed that thecompanyiseyeingLongtailasits nextinvestment
When asked to comment on what is next on the horizon for the company, he said, “This is the challengethatwefindourselvesin. We’re not only advancing three projects and execution, we talked about Yellowtail and behind that, Uaru and Whiptail which was approvedbythegovernmentearlier this year and sanctioned by the investors but here we are now talking about a seventh project which we have initiated, the Hammerheadproject.”
The very first step is initiating the au
environmental permit, which is currently underway for Hammerhead. According to him, “It’sanextendedprocessbutweare hopeful that next year we will be able to conclude that process. Behindthat,asyouasked,yesmore tolookforwardtoaswecontinueto appraise and look at concepts for theresourcethatwehavefoundand even earlier this week, I think the Minister of Natural Resources, Minister Bharrat mentioned the Longtailprojectandatthispointin time, that’s the one that we anticipate bringing forward after Hammerhead.”
Earlier in his remarks, Routledge reminded that the Liza One project commenced production activities in 2019, followedbyLizaTwoin2022.The Payaraprojectthencameonlinein November last 2023. A fourth project,Yellowtail is also likely to startupnextyear
Exxon says this will increase earnings for the country, not only through the contract but through the procurement of Guyanese products and services. He said, “Thisprojectis250,000barrelsper
day It’s our largest investment to dateofUS$10Binoneprojectand it will add to the 650,000 plus barrelsperdaythatwearecurrently producing so bringing us up to around 900,000 barrels per day so just continuing to accelerate the revenuegenerationforthecountry, so certainly adding lots to that side.”
Additionally, he explained that bringing another project online adds about 140 to 150 employees working on the FPSO alone. This doesnotincludeemployeesforthe supply vessels and other services required by the company Last month, Kaieteur News reported that Exxon was already eyeing an eight development although its seventhmaybeinlimbo.
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat during an engagement with the media, had indicated that Longtail is anticipatedtobetheoilgiant’snext local project Bharrat told reporters, “Already they are moving ahead with Hammerhead and we have heard talks that Longtailwillcomeafterthat.”
The Longtail project, according
toBharrat,willyieldmoregas,akey resource to this country’s energy security InJune2018,ExxonMobil announced the Longtail discovery, its eight successful find in the Stabroek Block The company revealed that Longtail- 1 well was drilled in a new reservoir, encountering approximately 256 feet(78meters)ofhigh-quality,oilbearing sandstone reservoir The wellwassafelydrilledto18,057feet (5,504 meters) depth in 6,365 feet (1,940meters)ofwater
Subsequently, Exxon announced the discovery of Longtail-3inJune2021.Drillingat Longtail-3 encountered 230 feet (70 meters) of net pay, including newly identified, high quality hydrocarbon bearing reservoirs below the original Longtail-1 discovery intervals. The well was drilled in more than 6,100 feet (1860meters)ofwater
It should be noted that while Exxon has made an application to the Government of Guyana for its seventh project, Hammerhead, the Chief Policymaker for the sector, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo had made it clear that there is no
guarantee approval would be granted During a press conference inAugust, Jagdeo when questioned on the seventh project said, “When and if if and or when and if we approvetheprojectthenyouwillbe toldaboutwhatthebenefitswillbe” At that time, the former Head of State said the company had not yet madeanapplicationfortheproject Follow
applicationbythecompany,Jagdeo wasagainaskedtocommentonthe project when he announced that government has discontinued an advertisement for a consultant to review the Hammerhead project. According to him, the information the company presented was incomplete.
Jet Global Airways (Guyana) Inc., in partnershipwithBulgarianairlineGullivAir, issettolaunchcharteredinternationalflights connecting Guyana to Europe, North America,andSouthAmericacomeJuly2025. This new initiativeaims to establish Guyana as a hub for global air travel, enhancing connectivityanddrivingeconomicgrowth.
According to a press release, the service will operate from the Cheddi Jagan InternationalAirport(CJIA)usingGullivAir’s AirbusA330-200aircraft Theseplanesfeature 269 seats across business, premium, and economy classes Passengers will be allowed two 23-kg check-in bags and one 8-kg carryon,withadditionalcargocapacityavailable
The planned routes include direct flights from Georgetown to London, Rio de Janeiro, Toronto (twice weekly), and New York Negotiations are ongoing to include transit optionsthroughBarbados,Tobago,Antigua,and St LuciafortheGeorgetown-Londonroute
GullivAir is nearing final approval from the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), which is expected in the coming
weeks.Onceoperational,theairlinepromises to offer passengers a high-quality travel experience, including tailored class options, in-flight entertainment, and seamless bookingthroughdigitalplatforms.
JetGlobalAirwaysisbackedbyadiverse team of directors, including Frederick Hamley Case, a former Guyana High CommissionertotheUnitedKingdom(UK); Eddie Boyer, Chairman of National Hardware Store; and Dr Andrew Debidin, Executive Chairman of Meditron Inc. They arejoinedbyGullivAirandLunaJetsofParis inbringingthisventuretolife.
The launch comes at a critical time as Guyana’s oil industry continues to expand, increasing the need for reliable and affordable international flights The partners aim to meet this demand while fostering economic opportunitiesandimprovingtravelaccessibility forGuyana’sresidentsandvisitors
Theservicepromisestoredefineairtravel inGuyana,makinginternationaldestinations moreaccessibleandenhancingthecountry’s positioninglobalaviation.
INJURED: Claurine
Prescod-Stoll
REMANDED: Navin Stoll
Navin Stoll, the 27-year-old man seen in a viral video brutally stabbing his wife, as his 3-year-old son looked on, was remanded on Tuesday to prison after being charged withattemptedmurder
He will spend the Christmas behind bars while his wife, Claurine Prescod-Stoll, 24, remains hospitalised and his son traumatisedbythehorror, which he witnessed on the night of December4,2024alongtheSoesdyke-LindenHighway
Stoll of Swan Village, Soesdyke-Linden Highway appeared at the Diamond/ Golden Grove Magistrate’s Court with his defence lawyer, Ganesh Hira before Magistrate Wanda Fortune He was not required to plead to the indictable charge of attempted murder The state Prosecutor told the court that he has a habit of abusing his wife The magistrate then made a decision to remand him His next courtdateisscheduledforJanuary10,2025
WhiletheyaredemandingjusticeforClaurine,hermother, BarbaraGomessaidsheis“leavingthematterinthehandsof God”. Gomes was at the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) with her daughter when Kaieteur News spokewithher “Shebattlingforherlife,”
Gomes said while recounting the events that almost took her daughter’s life.As she told the story, the woman recalled hertraumatizedgrandsonshoutingwhentheybroughthimto her,“Dadkilledmother;dadkilledmother.”
“I had to tell him, no baby, mammy is still alive.” Gomes described how Prescod-Stoll fled from her home days before thestabbingafteranaltercationwithStoll
“TherewasaproblemonSaturday,”Gomessaid “Hewould normallytakeherdrivingafterworkandcomehomearound1 o’clock in the morning. But Saturday, she refused to go with him,andhewasannoyed.Henearlyhitherwiththetruck,and whentheygothome,hewasstillangry,sosheranaway.”
Gomes said, Prescod-Stoll secured a rented place on Mondayanddidnotreturnhome.However,Stollcontactedher and urged her to pick up their son, saying he had a birthday andanniversarygiftforher Hopingtoretrieveherchild,she went to Stoll’s home on Wednesday evening However, things took a turn for the worse when he asked her if she is coming back She responded saying no Angry by this, he wentintohispantspockettowhatshethoughtwasagift,but itturnedouttobeapairofscissors
He threw her to the ground and stabbed her repeatedly across her chest, arms, legs, and back. Gomes stated, despite witnesses being present, no one intervened due to fear Prescod-Stoll was left lying on the roadside as her toddler screamed Moments later, she was picked up by a police friend who escorted her to the Diamond/Grove Hospital where she received emergency treatment and was later transferredtotheGPHCforfurthertreatment
“My daughter got 24 stabs, she have both lungs raptured and her hand injured. She underwent a second surgery on Tuesday for her left arm.” She added, “My daughter is so weak Shecalledmeduringthenightandsaid,‘Mom,Iamso scaredandsick Ican’tmakeit ”
Gomes said her daughter remains deeply traumatized and terrified by the ordeal. The mother disclosed that the abuse beganbeforethecouplewasmarried “Hehadbeatenhervery badly,” Gomes said Itold her not to marry him and she still goandmarryhim ”
Prescod-Stollhadpreviouslyreportedtheabusetothepolice but had pleaded for Stoll to be released with just a warning Gomes expressed gratitude that her daughter survived the attackstating,“IfGodwasnotinthissituation,shewouldnot have make it, things would not have been working out that well.IleavethismatterinGod’shand.”
The case has drawn widespread attention, with many calling for justice and heightened awareness about domestic violenceinthecountry.
The Working People’s Alliance has condemned the government’s $100,000 one off cash grant to citizens, saying it is outrageous and cannot cushion the cost-oflivingcrisis.Thegrantworks out to around $55 Guyana per day for the five years since Guyana has been pumpingoil.
Co-Leader of the WPA, Dr David Hinds told reporters on Monday that they were shocked when
they saw the breakdown of the cash grant. “I think it’s outrageous. We think that it isoutrageous.”Heexplained thatthepartyhadaproposal of$1Mperhousehold,andat 4personsperhousehold,this would mean around $240,000 per person, and this would have also included persons under the age of 18 years old. “The second thing is that $55 per day doesn’t help our people mitigate the high cost-of-
living...itgoesnowherenear helping them to alleviate poverty
So, if you go by the two things to help with the costof-living and to alleviate poverty,$55perdaydoesn’t come near to do it, either of the two,” he reasoned Therefore, the objective the government has come up with is lacking and appears to be more of a political venture, Hinds argued. He saidcashgrantsaremoreofa
social-economic objective “theymayhavepoliticalspin offs, but your objective has to always be socio economic,”Dr Hindssaid. He added, “giving cash grantstopeopletohelpthem to deal with the cost-ofliving in the first instance and the second instance, to helptoalleviatepoverty,and youcan’tdothatwithaoneoffcashgrantof$55perday Itjustdoesn’tcutit. SoWPA findsthatthegovernment,as we said, they’ve given cash grants and cash transfers a bad name that can hardly be described as a serious cash grant aimed at helping people to deal with poverty, and to deal with the high cost-of-living.”
The WPA is also challenging the government toconductasocio-economic audit in order to be able to show how exactly this grant has helped to “mitigate the cost-of-livingandhowithas helped to decrease poverty.”
Government, las week, rolled out the pay-out initiativeinRegionNineand has sought to make it the centrepiece of its policy in givingbacktocitizens.
Speaking in one of his social media commentaries this week, Businessman GlennLall,saiditisaninsult forGuyanesetobereceiving GY$54adayafterfiveyears ofoilproductionhere.
“After five years of ExxonMobil pumping our oil and walking away with tens of US billions, every Guyanese over 18 is set to receive just one American quarter – 0.25 US cents – a day Yes, that is what Guyanese worth after five years of pumping oil.That’s right: GY$54 a day Fiftyfourdollars!Thatcan’teven buy ah ¼ lb. plantain…”
Lall, a fierce critic of the lopsided oil contract which the Coalition Government signed with ExxonMobil back in 2016, said. Lall said $100,000,whichislessthan US$500, is being thrown at Guyanese after the pumping of oil for 1,825 days in this country
“This is what the government and opposition
have reduced all of us to, with that unprecedented oil discovery made in Guyana. And to add more insult to that injury, you have to join threelines,onthreedifferent dates, at three separate locations before you can get that $100,000. That is what thePPPisproudofwhilethe PNCandAFCaresilent…”
The businessman recalled joining Mr Ray Daggers,earlierthisyear,on aprotestwalkfromMoleson Creek in Berbice to Charity ontheEssequiboCoast.Lall said it was hoped that more Guyanesewouldhavejoined the walk “to overturn that contract,togetwhatwetruly deserve,butjustahandfulof personsjoinedinandwalked with us. Today, had you raised your voices and marchedwithusindrovesto bring about that change, all Guyaneseover18wouldnot havehadtojointhreelinesat three different times to collectthat$100,000.”
He added: “You didn’t have time then to join that walk, but now you finding timetoline-upinthathotsun orpouringraintoregisteras a citizen, then line up again tocollectthecheque,thengo tothebanktolineupagainto cashthatcheque.”
Telling citizens that they deserve better, Lall said, “This is not what your children deserve and certainlythisisnotwhatour ancestors fought for And until you are ready to stand up and raise that voice to demandareferendumbefore anyelections,sothatyouand I can decide what deal we want from that oil, $54 or 0.25 US cents a day will be thereality.”
The second powership aimedatboostingelectricity supply here arrived in Guyana on Tuesday morning.Theannouncement was made via a Facebook post on the Guyana Power andLight(GPL)page.
“ThesecondPowerShip is currently in Guyana’s waters,makingitswaytothe DemeraraRiverwhereitwill
b e d o c k e d a n d interconnected to GPL’s grid. Once connected, the ship will add 60 Megawatts of generation to bolster GPL’s generation capacity within the DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System(DBIS),”GPLsaid.
The agreement to rent a second powership was
officially signed on November 13, 2024. GPL’s head, Kesh Nandlall had signed the contract with the Managing Director of the
Mr Antonio Neto
According to a release from the Ministry of Finance, the powership will supply an additional 75 megawatts of power to the national grid.
The powership will be stationed in the Demerara River and will in its first phase,deliver60megawatts ofgeneratingcapacitytothe nationalgrid.
The remaining 15 megawatts will be delivered in a second phase. The first powership is being rented fromthesamecompanyfora period of two years. That contractwassignedbetween the GPL Inc. and UCI, a subsidiary of UCC Holdings, a company incorporated in the State of Qatar UCC Holdings reportedly has a strategic alliance with Karpowership International, a Turkish
That deal is for some 36 megawatts of power Karpowership arrived in May and was set up at Everton, Berbice, Region Six. For the first vessel, Guyana had to pay a mobilization fee of US$1M to get the ship here and the contract, according to GPL, includes the provision of operation and maintenance services as part of the agreement.
The utility company had said then, “the contract requires GPL to pay UCI a feeof6.62UScentsperkWh as a monthly charter fee for thepowershipandamonthly operation and maintenance fee of 0.98 US cents per kWh, based on electricity generated.”
DAMASCUS, Dec 10
(Reuters) - Syria’s new interimleaderannounced,on Tuesday, he was taking charge of the country as caretaker prime minister with the backing of the former rebels who toppled President Bashar al-Assad threedaysago.
Inabriefaddressonstate television, Mohammed alBashir, a figure little known across most of Syria who previously ran an administrationinapocketof the northwest controlled by rebels,saidhewouldleadthe interimauthorityuntilMarch 1.
“Todayweheldacabinet meetingthatincludedateam from the Salvation
ove
nment tha
was working in Idlib and its vicinity,andthegovernment of the ousted regime,” he said. “The meeting was under the headline of transferring the files and institutions to caretake the government.”
Behind him were two flags - the green, black and white flag flown by opponents of Assad throughoutthecivilwar,and awhiteflagwiththeIslamic oathoffaithinblackwriting, typically flown in Syria by SunniIslamistfighters.
In the Syrian capital, banks reopened for the first time since Assad’s overthrow Shops were also opening up again, traffic returned to the roads, and cleaners were out sweeping the streets and there were fewerarmedmenabout.
Two sources close to the rebels said their command had ordered fighters to withdrawfromcities,andfor police and internal security forces affiliated with the main rebel group Hayat Tahrir al-Shams (HTS) to deploythere.
U.S. Secretary of State
Antony Blinken said Washington fully supports Syria’s political transition process and wants it to lead to inclusive and nonsectariangovernance.
Theprocessmustprevent Syriabeingusedasabasefor terrorism and ensure any chemical or biological weapons stocks are safely destroyed,hesaid.
Israeliairstrikeshitbases of the Syrian army, whose forces had melted away in thefaceoftherebeladvance thatoustedAssad.TheIsraeli military later said it had struck most of the strategic weapons’ stockpiles in the past48hours.
Israel, which has sent forces across the border into a demilitarised zone inside Syria, acknowledged on Tuesdaythattroopshadalso
View of a burnt-out truck near Qamishli International Airport, after regional security sources and officers within the now-fallen Syrian army said that Israeli airstrikes continued against military installations and airbases overnight across Syria, December 10, 2024. REUTERS/Orhan Qereman
taken up some positions beyond the buffer zone, though it denied they were advancing towards Damascus.
In a sign foreigners are readytoworkwithHTS,the former al Qaeda affiliate that led the anti-Assad revolt and has lately emphasised its break with its jihadist roots, the U N envoytoSyriaplayeddown its designation as a terrorist organisation.
“Therealityissofarthat HTS and also the other armed groups have been sending good messages to theSyrianpeople ofunity, of inclusiveness,” Geir Pedersen told a briefing in Geneva.
The United States is still working out how it will engage with the rebel groups, U S Deputy National Security Adviser Jon Finer told Reuters, adding that as yet there had been no formal change of policy and that actions were whatcounted.
Syria’s new interim leader has little political profile beyond Idlib province, a mainly rural northwest region where rebels had maintained an administration during the long years that Syria’s civil warfrontlineswerefrozen.
A Facebook page of the rebel administration says he was trained as an electrical engineer, later received a degreeinshariaandlaw,and had held posts in areas includingeducation.
ISRAELIADVANCES
Israel’s incursion in the southwest and its airstrikes create an additional security problem for the new administration, although Israelsaysitsinterventionis temporary
After Assad’s flight on Sundayendedmorethanfive decades of his family’s rule, Israelitroopsmovedintothe buffer zone inside Syria, established following the
Three security sources said on Tuesday the Israelis had advanced beyond the demilitarised zone One Syrian source said they had reached the town of Qatana, severalkm(miles)totheeast ofthebufferzoneandashort
drive from Damascus airport.
Israel’sDefenceMinister Israel Katz said he had ordered a “sterile defensive zone” to be created in southern Syria to protect Israelfromterrorism.
Military spokesperson
Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshanisaidtroopswerein the buffer zone and “a few additional points” in the vicinity, the first apparent o f f i c i a l I s r a e l i acknowledgement that they had moved beyond it. He said,however,thattherehad beennosignificantpushinto Syria.
Katz also said Israel’s navy had destroyed Syria’s fleet.
Regional security sources and officers within thedefunctSyrianarmysaid Tuesday’s Israeli airstrikes had hit military installations and air bases across Syria and destroyed dozens of helicoptersandjets.
Turkey,Egypt,Qatarand SaudiArabiacondemnedthe Israeliincursion.
Rebuilding Syria will be a colossal task following 13 years of civil war that killed hundreds of thousands of people Cities have been
bombed to ruin, swathes of countrysidearedepopulated, theeconomyhasbeengutted by international sanctions andmillionsofrefugeesstill liveincampsafteroneofthe biggest displacements of moderntimes.
But the mood in
Damascus remained celebratory, with refugees beginning to return to a homeland they had not seen inyears.
Anas Idrees, 42, a refugee since early in the war, raced from Lebanon to SyriatocheerAssad’sfall.
He ventured into the Hamidiyeh Souk in old Damascus to the renowned Bakdash ice cream parlour, where he ordered a large scoop of their signature Arabicgelato,servedcoated inpistachios.
“I swear to God, it tastes different now,” he said after eating a spoonful. “It was goodbefore,butit’schanged because now we are happy inside.”
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The Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency (HOATTA)hosteditsinaugural stakeholders’ meeting on SaturdayattheGrandCoastal Hotel, marking a pivotal moment in the development of organ and tissue transplantation in Guyana. The event brought together healthcare professionals, policymakers, andotherkeystakeholdersto discussstrategiesforenhancing the country’s transplant capabilities.
Notable participants included Mr. Daniel Albrecht, PWR a.i., Pan American HealthOrganisation(PAHO); Dr. Shanti Singh-Anthony, Chair, HOATTA; Dr. Sondia Gordon, CEO and Secretary, HOATTA;membersDr.David Samaroo;Dr.PedroLewis;Dr Kamela Bemaul-Sukhu and other stakeholders.
Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, underscored the life-saving potential of organ and tissue transplantation, and its vital role in improvinghealthcareoutcomes. He lauded HOATTA for its dedication to ensuring safe, accessible, and high-quality transplantservicesinGuyana.
“We aim to establish Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) testing locally The
equipment has already been procured,andweareworking on recruiting technical personnel. While this process will take time, our vision extends beyond Guyana; we aspire to become a centre of excellencefortheCaribbean,” Dr Anthony stated.
He added, “As it is now, theprogrammesintheCaribbean have to send their samples to Miami and other parts for testing, … So, if we could offer this service here in Guyana, I think it’s going to be a very good thing. We
have a very strong partnership with McMaster University; we have already been talkingtothemabouttraining a couple of persons for us.”
The health minister said thattheMinistryofHealthwill support a robust training programmetoboostthelocal healthcare capability as it relates to human organ transplants.
“Agroupwillbegoingoff next year to get that training andoncetheycomeback,we will have that capacity in the country…we are looking at
otherpartnerslikeBrazilwho through bilateral arrangements will facilitate other training in transplant,” Dr Antonyaddedwhilereaffirmingthegovernment’scommitment to supporting HOATTA’sinitiatives.
He called for collective efforts to build a robust nationaltransplantprogramme, adhering to the highest ethical and medical standards.
Further,Dr Anthonysaid that Guyana’s effort to boost human organ and tissue transplant is supported by a number of notable regional andinternationalpartnersincluding PAHO and the EuropeanUnion(EU).
The meeting included a comprehensivereviewofthe current state of organ donation and transplantation in Guyana. Discussions covered key areas such as legislation,donorrecruitment,and raising public awareness.
HOATTA’s inaugural meeting represents a significant milestone in Guyana’s healthcare sector, laying the groundworkforasustainable and ethical transplant programme that will benefit citizens and position the countryasaleaderinregional transplant services.
ThePanAmericanHealth Organization (PAHO) on Tuesday reported on three transmissiblediseasesaffecting the Region of the Americas: dengue, Oropouche, and avian influenza (H5N1) and the agency’s Director Dr Jarbas Barbosa expressed concern over the increase in casesin2024butemphasised effective strategies to control the outbreaks and mitigate theirimpact.
According to a press release from PAHO, this year, the region has faced the largest dengue epidemic since recordsbeganin1980.Countries have reported more than 12.6millioncases,nearlythree times more than in 2023, including 21,000 severe cases and over 7700 deaths. Argentina,Brazil,Colombia, and Mexico account for 90% of cases and 88% of deaths,withBrazilhavingthe largestshare.“Dengueisposingahigher-than-normalrisk to children. In countries like Guatemala, 70% of denguerelateddeathshave occurred in children,” Dr. Barbosa said during a press conference held today, highlighting that children under 15 represent over a third of severe cases in countries like CostaRica,Mexico,andParaguay
The PAHO Director explained that the situation is linkedtoclimateeventsfavoringmosquitoproliferation,as well as to unplanned urbanization, accumulated water around the home, and poor waste management, which create breeding grounds for the vector.
Despitethechallenges,he insistedthat“wearenotpowerless against dengue,” and mentioned the implementation of PAHO’s Integrated Management Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Arboviral Diseases as a key effort to “keep severe and fatal cases relatively low through better patient management.”
Dengue vaccines have been introduced in countries like Brazil, Argentina, and Peru, and Honduras plans to do so in 2025. However, Dr Barbosa noted that “the current vaccine will not stop the spreadofthevirusintheshort or medium term and does not provideimmediatereliefduring an outbreak.”
Oropouche:Geographical expansionofthevirus
PAHO has also observed an increase in cases of Oropouche virus, which is transmitted by infected midges and some mosquito species. In 2024, more than
11,600 cases have been reportedin12countriesandterritories in the region, mostly in Brazil. “Although the Oropouche outbreak is on a muchsmallerscale than dengue, it requires our attention due to its increasing geographic spread” outside the Amazon Basin, including in areas with no prior history of the disease, Dr Barbosa said. The possibility of mother-to-child transmission, including fetal deaths and congenital anomalies, is being investigated. “Countries must strengthen their surveillance and continue sharinginformation.Wemust work across borders to monitor new cases and support health systems to respond,” emphasizedthePAHODirector.
Avianinfluenza (H5N1):Ongoing surveillanceintheRegion RegardingtheH5N1virus, alsoknownasavianinfluenza, Dr. Barbosa reported that while the number of human cases is moderate, the public healthimpactremainslimited. Hestated“In2024,58human cases have been reported in the United States and 1 in Canada. This contrasts with thethreecasesreportedinthe previous two years for the entireregion.”
H5N1isaviruscommonly found in birds, but it is now infecting other species as well,suchasdairycattleinthe United States. A total of 19 countries in the Americas have reported H5N1 cases in animals this year, and two of those countries have confirmedhumancases.
The PAHO Director emphasized that surveillance is key to tracking the virus and understanding its evolution. Dr. Barbosa called for continued strengthening of cooperation between human, animal, and environmental health sectors to enable early detectionandtimelyinterventionsinanimals. Regionalcollaborationkey tofacingoutbreaks
The PAHO Director concluded the press conference by emphasizing the importanceofcollaborationamong countries to address these challenges. “When countries shareinformation,coordinate, and support responses to diseases, lives are saved,” he underscored. Dr. Barbosa stated that the Organization continues to work with the region’s countries to strengthen their emergency response capacities and ensure coordinated action against current and future outbreaks.
The Civil Aviation Training School (CATS) helditsgraduationceremony attheUmanaYana,where36 personsgraduatedinvarious disciplines such as Flight Information and Alerting Services and Approach Control.
Twenty-three out of the 36 persons graduated as Aeronautical Information Management Officers and Air Traffic Control Assistants after completing six months of classroom training,apressreleasefrom the Department of Public Informationsaid.
Minister of Public Works,BishopJuanEdghill, M P during his feature address said that “the Civil AviationTrainingSchoolhas
recently completed an audit andacquireditsTRAINAIR PLUS accreditation from the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), which means that the training provided by CATS will be globally recognized by ICAO memberStates.”
Minister Edghill said, “wewillnolongerhavetogo to seek the training, because now we will be offering the training, and our people can benefit from it right here in Guyana.”
Minister Edghill noted that the country’s record on safety and its capacity to regulate the aviation industry and the excellent work done by Air Traffic controllers must be
applauded.
The Civil Aviation Training School has conducted 14 training courses for 2024, one of which was done for the Cayman Island Airport Authority,makingitthefirst international training deliveredbytheschool.
The training was done virtually through a recently acquired Moodle Learning ManagementSystem,which is used for the development and presentation of online training.
Minister Edghill challenged the graduands to notonlyhaveagoodattitude but also to have a good conduct as they discharge their responsibility in the profession.
With plans underway to construct a secondary school at Issano Landing located in the Middle Mazaruni, Region Seven, the government will also be spending approximately $392 million to construct a dormitorytheretoaccommodatestudents.
The government is making several notable strides to ensure that Guyana continues to prosper as one of the most bustlingtourismdestinationsworldwide.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond assured that Guyana’s quickly evolving tourism sector continues to grow alongside the nation’s booming oil sector economy The minister made the comments during a recent media briefing at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. She further noted that the non-oil sector’sgrowthwillwithstandthetestoftime and exist regardless of the economic state of theoilsector
“The focus right now is to build out tourism as an alternative to oil and gas. The services sector has seen double-digit growth outside of oil and gas,” Minister Walrond told members of the media. The Bank of Guyana’s half-year report revealed that Guyana’s non-oil Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth skyrocketed by 12.6%.
Acknowledging the impact the tourism sector had on this growth, Minister Walrond noted “there used to be a time in Guyana where there were low months. Low travel [rates] and people weren’t coming [to Guyana]. September and October used to be those months but now September and Octoberarebreakingrecords.”
These record-breaking achievements are credited to the government’s deliberate
decision to host attractive events in nearly everymonthoftheyear Travellersandlocals alike can enjoy the riveting experience of Cricket Carnival in September, followed by GuyExpo in November and completing the year by traversing the annual Christmas VillageinDecember
Further, events like the Lethem Rodeo, Building Expo, CARICOM conferences and Guyana’s vast number of multicultural celebrations like Diwali attract scores of visitors annually Minister Walrond spotlighted the success of this approach, stating, “we are already seeing the result and direct impact of that strategy to have every month where there is something happening.” This year, the visitor arrival rates from January 2024 to October 2024 surpassed the previous year’s records by 15%.
These rates are expected to increase drastically as the government intends to welcome 2 million visitors by 2030. The government believes this goal is achievable as scores of travellers from nearly every continentcontinuetovisitGuyanatoexplore the country’s bountiful tourism experiences and immerse themselves in the beauty of Guyana. Through investments in the airline sector, hospitality sector and tourism experiences, the government is solidifying Guyana’s place as a tourism hotspot and an up-and-coming worldwide tourism powerhouse.(DPI)
TheGovernmentsofGuyanaandCanada have partnered to improve access to safe living and learning conditions for migrant childrenandthoseinhinterlandcommunities.
ThisinitiativeispartofaCAN$3million Canadian-funded project titled ‘Promoting Safe and Healthy Learning and Living Environments for Migrant and Host Communities in Guyana’s Hinterland and SelectedCoastalAreas.’
The project plan was launched on TuesdayduringaProjectSteeringCommittee (PSC) meeting at the Grand Coastal Hotel, East Coast Demerara Targeting 50 communities across Regions One, Two, Seven,Eight,andNine,theprogrammeaims toreach40,000childrenunderfouryearsold and 20,000 parents or caregivers An additional 50 coastal communities will also benefit.
Childhood Development Programme, we have trained 200 ECD practitioners,” MinisterPersaudsaid.
The ministry plans to launch an early childhood policy and collaborate with UNICEF to develop an Early Childhood DevelopmentcurriculumundertheWomen’s Investment and Innovation Network (WIIN) programme. This curriculum will integrate with the Special Education Needs (SEN) initiative through the Child Care and ProtectionAgency In2025,theministrywillopentwomodel day and night care Early Childhood Developmentcentres.AccordingtoMinister Persaud, “These will be model centres. From these centres, we are equipping persons who are interested in childcare and would like to open their own centres. This will help them to familiarise themselves with all of the elements and dimensionsofECDandSEN.”
The National Procurement and Tender AdministrationBoard(NPTAB)revealedon its website that the $392,326,599 contract was awarded to Alvin Chowramootoo Construction Services to execute the MinistryofLocalGovernmentandRegional Development project Kaieteur News understands that the dormitory will cater for students from villages neighbouring Issano Landing,whowillbeattendingtheschool. Issano Landing is a mining community locatedintheMiddleMazaruni.TheMinistry ofEducationrecentlyissuedatender,seeking bidstobuildthefirstsecondaryschoolthere. Kaieteur News understands that when that school is completed, students from Isseneru and Kangaruma villages will be accommodated there. Currently, secondaryagedchildrenhavetotravellongdistancesto attendschoolinBartica.
The initiative further supports 8,500 adolescents, focusing primarily on those residing in dormitories. Successful implementation of this new phase requires collaborationamongkeyagencies,including the Ministries of Health, Education, Amerindian Affairs, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), and the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF).
Meanwhile, it was reported that over 16 secondary schools are being built in the hinterland. This newspaper understands that the identified communities do not have secondaryschools,butprimarytopschools. Thisyear,theMinistryofEducationwas allocated$74.4B,aportionofwhichisbeing used for the construction, rehabilitation, extension and maintenance of education educationalfacilities.
During the meeting, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr Vindhya Persaud highlighted her ministry’s focus on programmescateringtochildrenunderthree years. These initiatives address factors that may hinder development, ensuring children are prepared to transition into formal education. “We want to ensure that these childrenreceivetheinterventionsthatthey require and are geared to enter a formal education arena. So, through the Early
Also present at the event was the High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, H.E. Sebastian Sigouin, who emphasised the transformative impact of the project on Guyanesecommunities.
“Byfocusingoneducation,health,gender equality, and support for our Indigenous people, migrants, and those in remote communities, we are creating a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for current and future generations,” the High Commissioner said UNICEF’s Representative to Guyana and Suriname, Nicolas Pron, underscored UNICEF’s dedication to advancing child rights in collaboration with the Government of Guyana.Theprojectstartedin2021andwill continue until 2026 by the partnering agencies.(DPI)
(CNN) - The collapse of the Assad regime has prompted a punishing military response from Israel, which has launched airstrikes at military targets across Syria and deployed ground troops both into and beyond a demilitarized bufferzoneforthefirsttime in 50 years. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, during a rare press conference on Monday evening, that the collapse of Bashar alAssad’s regime was “a new anddramaticchapter.”
“The collapse of the Syrian regime is a direct result of the severe blows with which we have struck Hamas,HezbollahandIran,” hesaid.“Theaxishasnotyet disappeared but as I promised – we are changing thefaceoftheMiddleEast.”
Israeli officials have revelled in the downfall of Assad,astaunchallyofIran who allowed his country to be used as a resupply route for Hezbollah in Lebanon. Buttheyalsofearwhatcould come from radical Islamists governing Syria, which borders Israel in the occupiedGolanHeights.
ForeignMinisterGideon Sa’ar told journalists on Monday that Israel was bombing Syrian military facilities housing chemical weapons stocks and longrange missiles to prevent
them from falling “into the handsofextremists.”
“Withregardtowhatwill be in the future, I’m not a prophet,” he said “It is important right now to take all necessary steps in the context of the security of Israel.”
Smokebillowsfollowing Israeli airstrikes in DamascusonDecember10.
A CNN team in Damascus heard loud explosions throughout the early hours on Tuesday, a continuation of strikes that began over the weekend. VoiceoftheCapital,aSyrian
activist group, said the overnight bombing campaign was “the most violent in Damascus in 15 years ” Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Tuesday that the navy destroyed the Syrian naval fleet overnight, hailing it as “a great success.” An AFP photographer showed large scale destruction of military vessels at the Syrian naval portinLatakia.
Images taken by anAFP journalist at Mezzeh Air BasesouthwestofDamascus also showed destroyed Syrianmilitaryhelicopters.
Meanwhile,severalArab states have accused Israel of exploiting instability in Syriatoexecutealandgrab.
The Arab League, a grouping of Arab nations, said Israel was “taking a d v a n t a g e o f t h e developmentsintheinternal situation in Syria,” and Egypt said its moves “constituteanexploitationof the state of fluidity and vacuum… to occupy more Syrianterritories.”
‘Beyondthebufferzone’
Nadav Shoshani, a spokesperson for the Israeli military, denied that forces
were “advancing toward”
D a m a s c u s , b u t acknowledgedthattheywere operating in Syria beyond the buffer zone. The Israeli military has insisted that it “is not interfering with the internaleventsinSyria.”
Katz said in a statement on Monday that Israel was creatinga“securityzonefree of heavy strategic weapons and terrorist infrastructures” in southern Syria, “beyond thebufferzone.”
Voice of the Capital said onTuesdaythatIsraeliforces had advanced as far as Beqaasem, about 25
kilometres(15.5miles)from theSyriancapitalandseveral kilometres beyond the Syrian side of the buffer zone CNN could not independently confirm that claim, but the village lies in theSyrianfoothillsofMount Hermon,whichIsraeliforces captured on Sunday Mount Hermon is a strategic high point that sits on the border betweenSyria,Lebanon,and theGolanHeights.
Israeli ground forces enteredSyrianterritoryafter Netanyahu on Sunday ordered the military to seize that demilitarized “area of separation” between the Israeli-occupied Golan HeightsandtherestofSyria. Thatzonewasestablishedin 1974, after Israeli forces –respondingtoaSyrianattack –capturedtheGolanHeights in 1967. Israel annexed the territoryin1981,butitisstill considered to be occupied Syria under international law Israeli officials have refused to give details on how far Israeli forces will advance, or how long they will stay there Danny Dannon,Israel’sambassador to the United Nations, told the Security Council in a letter on Monday that his country had “deployed temporarily in few points.” He said they were “limited and temporary measures to counter any further threat to itscitizens.”
Doctors say left-wing leader will remain under observation for a few days after surgery for intracranial haemorrhage.
Aljazeera - Brazilian
President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in “stable” condition after undergoing emergency surgery for an intracranial haemorrhage, hisdoctorshavesaid.
Lula, 79, was rushed overnight on Tuesday to the Hospital Sirio-Libanes in SaoPauloafterexperiencing headaches that the president’s medical team found were related to a fall hesufferedinOctober
“He is in a stable condition, talking normally and eating. He will remain under observation for the next few days,” Dr Roberto Kalil said during a news conference.
P r e s i d e n t i a l spokespersonPauloPimenta
alsosaidinaradiointerview that Lula would likely remain in the intensive care unit for another 48 hours, with contact limited to his doctors.
“He is stable, conscious andcalm,”Pimentasaid.
Lula, who was sworn in as president in early 2023, has curtailed travel in recent months after he suffered trauma to the back of his headwhenhefellathomein lateOctober
The left-wing president hit his head after falling in a bathroom at the presidential residence in the capital Brasiliaandreceivedseveral stitches.
Lula described the incident as “serious” at the time, but said in a telephone
callwithanofficialfromhis Workers’ Party that was shared on social media that hewas“fine”.
“I had an accident, but it was my fault. It was serious but it did not affect any sensitive area,” Lula said in thecall.
After experiencing a headache on Monday, a medical examination in Brasilia found the intracranial haemorrhage Lulawasthentransportedto the hospital in Sao Paulo, about 1,000km (620 miles) southofthecapital.
Surgeons performed a trepanation, drilling into the skulltorelievepressure.
“The bleeding was between the brain and the dura mater membrane”, a
thick protective layer under theskull,andwaslocatedon the left side, above the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe, said Dr Marcos Stavale, a member of the medicalteam.
“The brain was decompressed and neurological functions were preserved,”hesaid.
There will be no aftereffects,thedoctorssaid,and Lula is expected to return to Brasilia at the beginning of nextweek.
In the meantime, Vice President Geraldo Alckmin will return to the capital Brasilia,hisaidesaid,where he will assume Lula’s agenda, including a visit from Slovak Prime Minister RobertFico.
A Venezuelan man was arrested promptly on Monday after crashing a blackHondaVezel,whichhereportedly stolefromawomanatPearl,EastBank Demerara(EBD).
Accordingtopolice,thewoman,around 19:00hrs,parkedher$47millionvehicleon thewesternendofthePublicRoadandleftit withtheenginerunningasshewentintoher housetocollectsomemoney
Minuteslater,shesawamanjumped intohercaranddroveoffwiththevehicle
However, about half hour after stealingthewoman’svehicle,thecarthief reportedly crashed the car around 19:30 hrs atSoesdyke,EBD
Fifteen minutes later, the woman received information that her car was involvedinanaccident Sheimmediately rushedtothelocationandfoundthethief stillsittinginthedriver’sseat
Reportsarethatthemanwasdrunk Police arrested him Investigations are ongoing
Frompage31
Ramnauth offering any resistance with a super innings of 76, which included five boundaries and six sixes. Only national player Salim Khan with 11, reached double figuresagainstthedefendingchampions.Off Spinner Jonathan Rampersaud 2 for 14, and former national Eon Hooper 2 for 17, were the best bowlers for Rose Hall Town while JermeySandiaandClintonPestanotookone wicketapiecefor12and8respectively RoseHallNamilcoThunderboltFlourin reply, raced to victory in just nine overs as Kevin Sinclair struck nine huge sixes and fourboundariesinhis81notoutfromjust27 balls.
Fellow national player Junior Sinclair
wastheonlybatsmantobedismissedfor21 with two sixes and two boundaries. Kelvon Anderson was seven not out when victory was achieved. Left arm spinner Joshua Harrichand was the only successful bowler for Port Mourant with 1 for 25 from two overs.
Rose Hall Town has already declared their team to play Upper Corentyne on Saturday in the semi-finals at the Area H Ground - Clinton Pestano, Junior Sinclair, Jason Sinclair, Kelvon Anderson, Jonathan Rampersaud,EonHooper,MatthewPottaya, SlyusTyndall,KeonSinclair,JermeySandia, Keith Simpson, Romesh Bharrat, Simon Gaffoor, Simeon Bharrat, Tameshwar Deochand,RaffelMckenzieandLeonReddi.
Frompage35 firstinningsleadof315runs, the RHT Farfan and Mendes A team enforced the follow on. The B team did a little better in their second innings beforebeenbowledoutfor85 from40overs.Thepromising Anthony Srikissoon top scored with 20, while Azad Ali supported with twelve. Mckenzie completed a fine all-roundperformancewith2 for10,whileGanpat2for12 and left arm pacer Dev Seepersaud 2 for 14 supportedwell.
The Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club and Tucber Park are the only two clubs in the county playing twoteamsinthiscountywide tournament.
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Peoplemaybeabrasivetoday, Aries, but you will find after careful assessment that they don't mean any harm. More than likely they aren't fully informed. They're acting on misinformation.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Don't criticize the situation until you've come up with a better solution, Taurus. Be creative. You can accomplish much if you approach the situationconfidently
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Your thoughts may have a dreamyqualitytoday Youwill find that things are less stable than they have been for the past few days. Don't get discouragedbypeople.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Your emotions are soaring, and you should feel free to indulge in your greatest fantasies. Take a break from reality for a while. Let your inner child play You should enjoyagreaterself-confidence thatyoucan use effectivelyto influenceotherpeople.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Reward yourself with two desserts today Take a bubble bath. Share your fantasies with others and express yourself fully Don't feel like you have to say yes to every favorthatisaskedofyou.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
The weightiness of the past few days seems to be lifting. You will find a slight breeze building that will help fuel your fire. By building a solid foundation, you've created a reliable launching pad from whichtotakeoff.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Nowthatyouhaveasolidgrip on your situation, unexpected things may come along that changetherulesagain,Libra.It mayfeellikethechairyoujust got comfortable in has suddenlybeenpulledoutfrom underyou.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov 21)
Use gadgets and electronic devices to make life easier today, Scorpio. Why take the time to chop food by hand when you can use the food processor?Realizethatthereis most likely an easier way to tackleanytask.
SAGITTARIUS(Nov22–Dec21)
Be careful of the information that comes your way today Peoplemaymakeunwarranted claims and false accusations. The day has a dreamy, innovative quality to it that asks you to venture out on a limb.
CAPRICORN(Dec22–Jan19)
Maintainanairofdetachment, Capricorn. Feel free to delve intoyourfantasyworldandlet your emotions carry you to anotherrealm.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
You may find that things are muchlighterthantheywerethe past couple days, Aquarius. This is a good time to let your physicalbodytakearestandlet your mind and fantasy world takeover
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Alargeweightshouldliftfrom your shoulders today, Pisces. Theairhasstartedtoclear,and the winds of communication have started blowing again. Listencloselytothebuzzinthe air
Whilst football has become dormant in Berbice once again, residents have taken up the mantle and organized a numberofsmallgoalsandminifootballcompetitionsoverthe ChristmasSeason.
One such is the Ultimate Championship Cup floodlight five-a-sidefootballcompetitionslatedfortheNo41Scheme BallFieldinNewAmsterdam.
Some12teamsareslatedtoparticipateinthecompetition th th which runs from December 13 to the 20 The preliminary th th matcheswillbeplayedfromthe13 to17 Thesemifinalswill th th beplayedonthe19 withthegrandfinalsetforFriday20
A number of lucrative prizes are up for grabs with the winnersettowalkawaywith$220,000amongothergoodies. TheRunnerupteamwillbag$100,000withthirdplacetaking home$60,000. (SamuelWhyte)
Berbician Fazim Abdool emerged as the best equipped lifter when the G u y a n a A m a
Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) held its senior championships on Sunday last at the Saint Stanislaus College, A
um, Brickdam, which attracted a totalof28liftersincluding9 females.
This competition pulled the lid on the Federation’s 2024 season. Competing in the 120kg Men's Open and Masterscategoryanddespite being the lone competitor, Fazim, on his way to the overall trophy also set new deadlift records in both the open and masters, categories.
He recorded a best squat of 305 0kg, benchpress 215.0kg, and new deadlift mark of 297.5kg, to total, 817.5kg brining his 2024 campaign to a successful end. For his efforts, Fazim wasrewardedwitha$30,000 giftvouchercomplimentsof
Fitness Express whilst also receiving a special prize, complimentsofUnityGym.
Master’s 3 competitor, Joseph Stoll showcased powerandgritinsettingfour new records in the 93kg division in the squat, benchpress, deadlift and total.
Leading the charge amongst the females on the day was Nangita Seenarine who set four (squat Benchpress, deadlift, total) records competing in the
recordsweresetinthesquat, deadlift and total. Also, a triple record achiever was Ashlie Abraham who competed in the 84ky women's open raw division; her new marks are in the benchpress, deadlift and total.
Other record setters on the day were Matthew Maycock in the 83kg men's master1raw(squat),Duarte Hetsberger 83kg men's master 1 raw (total), Marlon Wilson in the 105 men's master1raw(deadlift).
47kg open equipped class. Seenarinetoowaspresented with a Fitness Express gift vouchers and a special prize fromUnityGym.
Also enjoying a fruitful day was Mariah Bacchus who achieved three records contestingthe76kgwomen's junior raw category Her
Also receiving Fitness Express gift vouchers for outstanding performances ontheday,thesamevalueas FazimSeenarine,wereSuraj Shewdas, and Maria Bacchus. Ten other lifters werealsorewardedwithone month membership at Unity Gymfortheircommendable performancesontheday
Followingarethefullresults:
Females
1st76kgWomen'sJuniorRaw-MariahBacchus,Squat132.5kg,Benchpress52.5kg,Deadlift142.5kg,Total327.5kg
1st69kgWomen'sOpenRaw-KeziaJoseph,Squat145.0kg,Benchpress57.5kg,Deadlift182.5kg,total385.0kg
2nd69kgWomen'sOpenRaw-RonessaMc`adam,Squat120.0kg,Benchpress52.5kg,Deadlift157.5kg,Total330.0kg
1st76kgWomen'sOpenRaw-MariahBacchus,Squat132.5kg,Benchpress52.5kg,Deadlift142.5kg,Total327.5kg
2nd76kgWomen'sOpenRaw-ShellyAnnGomes,Squat120.0kg,Benchpress65.0kg,Deadlift132.5kg,Total317.5kg
3rd76kgWomen'sOpenRaw-GraceJarvis,Squat110.0kg,Benchpress52.5kg,Deadlift130.0kg,Total292.5kg
1st84kgWomen'sOpenRaw-AshlieAbraham,Squat142.5kg,Benchpress77.5kg,Deadlift180.0kg,Total400.0kg
2nd84kgWomen'sOpenRaw-LisaOudit,Squat132.5kg,Benchpress47.5kg,Deadlift132.5kg,Total312.5kg
1st84+kgWomen'sOpenRaw-TaliciaGarrett,Squat142.5kg,Benchpress77.5kg,Deadlift150.0kg,Total370.0kg
1st47kgWomen'sOpenEQ-NangitaSeenarine,Squat122.5kg,Benchpress55.0kg,Deadlift137.5kg,Total315.0kg 1st76kgWomen'sMaster1Raw-GraceJarvis,Squat110.0kg,Benchpress52.5kg,Deadlift130.0kg,Total292.5kg Males
1st83kgMen'sJuniorRaw-MeshachAlexander,Squat177.5kg,Benchpress102.5kg,Deadlift227.5kg,Total507.5kg
2nd83kgMen'sJuniorRaw-IrshaadAli,Squat177.5kg,Benchpress100.0kg,Deadlift187.5kg,Total465.0kg
1st93kgMen'sJuniorRaw-OslenBatson,Squat215.0kg,Benchpress130.0kg,Deadlift220.0kg,Total565.0kg
1st66kgMen'sOpenRaw-DwayneWelch,Squat155.0kg,Benchpress100.0kg,Deadlift190.0kg,Total445.0kg
1st74kgMen'sOpenRaw-TrevorCallender,Squat125.0kg,Benchpress87.5kg,Deadlift172.5kg,Total385.0kg
1st83kgMen'sOpenRaw-DuarteHetsberger,Squat187.5kg,Benchpress145.0kg,Deadlift230.0kg,Total562.5kg
2nd83kgMen'sOpenRaw-MatthewMaycock,Squat207.5kg,Benchpress102.5kg,Deadlift237.5kg,Total547.5kg
3rd83kgMen'sOpenRaw-MeshachAlexander,Squat177.5kg,Benchpress102.5kg,Deadlift227.5kg,Total507.5kg
4th83kgMen'sOpenRaw-IrshaadAli,Squat177.5kg,Benchpress100.0kg,Deadlift187.5kg,Total465.0kg
1st93kgMen'sOpenRaw-NigelDuguid,Squat222.5kg,Benchpress142.5kg,Deadlift227.5kg,Total592.5kg
2nd93kgMen'sOpenRaw-OslenBatson,Squat215.0kg,Benchpress130.0kg,Deadlift220.0kg,Total565.0kg
3rd93kgMen'sOpenRaw-JosephStoll,Squat150.0kg,Benchpress75.0kg,Deadlift170.0kg,Total395.0kg
1st105kgMen'sOpenRaw-MarlonWilson,Squat210.0kg,Benchpress147.5kg,Deadlift285.0kg,Total642.5kg
2nd105kgMen'sOpenRaw-PaulMeusa,Squat202.5kg,Benchpress135.0kg,Deadlift255.0kg,Total592.5kg
3rd105kgMen'sOpenRaw-SeresteKing,Squat207.5kg,Benchpress130.0kg,Deadlift252.5kg,Total590.0kg
1st120kgMen'sOpenRaw-DarrenRamotar,Squat220.0kg,Benchpress120.0kg,Deadlift265.0kg,Total605.0kg
1st74kgMen'sJuniorEQ-AsaadAbdool,Squat202.5kg,Benchpress125.0kg,Deadlift210.0kg,Total537.5kg
1st105kgMen'sJuniorEQ-SaifAbdool,Squat230.0kg,Benchpress142.5kg,Deadlift232.5kg,Total605.0kg
1st66kgMen'sOpenEQ-SurajShewdas,Squat222.5kg,Benchpress105.0kg,Deadlift225.0kg,Total552.5kg
2nd66kgMen'sOpenEQ-FranklynBrisport-Luke,Squat117.5kg,Benchpress67.5kg,Deadlift132.5kg,Total317.5kg
1st74kgMen'sOpenEQ-NavindraTamasar,Squat217.5kg,Benchpress120.0kg,Deadlift227.5kg,Total565.0kg
2nd74kgMen'sOpenEQ-AsaadAbdool,Squat202.5kg,Benchpress125.0kg,Deadlift210.0kg,Total537.5kg
1st105kgMen'sOpenEQ-SaifAbdool,Squat230.0kg,Benchpress142.5kg,Deadlift232.5kg,Total605.0kg
1st120kgMen'sOpenEQ-FazimAbdool,Squat305.0kg,Benchpress215.0kg,Deadlift297.5kg,Total817.5kg
1st83kgMen'sMaster1Raw-DuarteHetsberger,Squat187.5kg,Benchpress
2nd83kgMen'sMaster1Raw-MatthewMaycock,Squat207.5kg,Benchpress
Guyana’s basketball team departed today for San Juan, Puerto Rico, where they will compete in the Americas’ premier 3x3 basketball tournament, the FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup, scheduled from December 12–16.
Before their departure, the team made a courtesy visit to the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr., at his officeonMainStreet.
During the meeting, Minister Ramson extended best wishes on behalf of President Irfaan Ali and the p
government’s unwavering commitment to the developmentofbasketball.
The team’s participation is fully funded by the Government of Guyana through the Ministry of Culture,Youth and Sport, in collaboration with the G u y a n a O l y m p i c Association(GOA).
Minister Ramson expressed pride in the government’s role as the team’s primary sponsor, highlightingtheirdedication to basketball development through initiatives like the One Guyana Basketball PremierLeague.
Leading the squad is Nikkoloi Smith, one of Guyana’s most premier 3x3
players, who also competed at the 2022 AmeriCup in Miami. Smith’s leadership and scoring prowess will be pivotal as he aims to guide the team to a deep tournament run this time around.
Joining Smith is his Ravens Basketball Club
teammate, Dominic Vincente,whowillmakehis international 3x3 debut Vincente’s athleticism and defensive versatility are expected to provide a significantboosttotheteam.
The roster also includes TravisBelgravefromEagles Basketball Club and Harold Adams from the Victory Valley Royals in Linden. Both bring international experience, having competed with Smith at the Islamic Solidarity Games in Turkey Their physicality and presence on the court willbevitalassets.
Smith, Belgrave, and Vincente previously teamed upwithJudeCorlettetoform Team Renegade, which won the GBF National 3x3
Tournament in July, showcasing their chemistry andwinningmentality
Guyana Basketball Federation Vice President Rawle Toney will serve as the team’s coordinator, managing strategy and logistics to ensure the playersarewell-preparedfor
thechallengesahead.
Guyana will tip off their AmeriCup campaign in the qualifying ro
December 12, facing Haiti and the Cayman Islands in GroupA.
To advance to the main draw,theteammusttoptheir group, potentially setting up
clashes against regional powerhouses Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.
T h e F I B A 3 x 3 AmeriCup,nowinitsfourth edition,isthepinnacleof3x3 basketball in the Americas and serves as a pathway to elite tournaments like the
FIBA3x3WorldCupandthe OlympicGames.
Sincetheirdebutin2021, Guyana has steadily built a reputationasarisingforcein Caribbeanbasketball.
In 2022, the team dominated the qualifiers but narrowly lost in the main draw to Canada (17-19) and
Mexico (15-16), finishing 11thoutof17nationswitha 3-2record.
For Team Guyana, the 2024AmeriCupismorethan just another tournament. It’s anopportunitytoelevatethe country’s basketball profile, earn intern
nal recognition, and inspire a new generation of players backhome.
As 3x3 basketball continues to grow in popularity worldwide, Guyana’sparticipationinthe AmeriCup highlights the GBF’s commitment to developing the sport and positioning the nation as a contender on both regional andglobalstages.
With determination, talent, and government support behind them, Team Guyana is poised to make their mark in Puerto Rico, proving that they are more than ready to rise to the challenge on the Americas’ biggest3x3basketballstage.
A brilliant innings of 81 not out from West Indies allrounder Kevin Sinclair spearheaded a dominant performance by the strong Rose Hall Namilco Thunderbolt First Division team in the second round of the Berbice Cricket Board /Ivan Madray 20/20 tournament The Clinton Pestano led team easily defeated arch rivals Port Mourant by nine wickets at the Area H Ground to advance into the semifinals of the tournament, where theywouldclashwithUpper Corentyneatthesamevenue.
The match was reduced tofifteenoverspersideafter
Port Mourant reached
SportsMax - Brandon King and Jayden Seales played starring roles as the West Indies completed a seven-wicket win over Bangladesh to take an unassailable 2-0 ODI series lead yesterday at Warner ParkinSt.Kitts.
The hosts began yesterday’s game looking to secure consecutive ODI series wins for the first time since all the way back in 2007 when they defeated England2-1inEngland,won a Quadrangular series against Ireland, Netherlands and Scotland in Ireland then beat Zimbabwe 3-1 in Zimbabwe.
Captain Shai Hope won the toss and chose to field first, hoping to see an improved showing from his bowlers.
Three overs and one ball into the innings, Jayden Seales provided the breakthrough, removing Soumya Sarkar for two with thescoreon26.
The wickets of Litton Das (4), captain Mehidy Hasan Miraz (1) and Tanzid Hasan(46)followednotlong after, leaving the tourists struggling at 64-4 with one ball to go in the eleventh over Afif Hossain and Mahmudullah then tried to restore order, putting on 36
before Hossain went off the bowling of Gudakesh Motie for24inthe19thover Motie then removed JakerAliforthreeattheend of the 21st over before Marquino Mindley removed Rishad Hossain for a duck, his first wicket in ODIs, halfway through over number 26 to leave
Bangladeshreelingat115-7, staring down the barrel of a scorebelow200.
Mahmudullah and Tanzim Hasan Sakib had other ideas, however, frustrating the West Indian bowlers on the way to a 92runeighth-wicketstand. Their stand ended when Sakibfellcaughtandbowled
byRostonChasefor45inthe 44thover Mahmudullah was next tofallforatopscoreof62off 92 balls, his second fifty of theseries.
His wicket left
Bangladesh209-9inthe45th over Some enterprising lower-order hitting from Shoriful Islam and Nahid Rana helped Bangladesh reach 227 in the 46th over before being bowled out, Romario Shepherd removing Islam for 15 off eightballs
Jayden Seales finished with a career best 4-22 from his nine overs while Gudakesh Motie took 2-36 fromhisfull10.
The hosts then made simple work of the chase, needing only 36.5 overs to reach 230-3 and secure the serieswin.
Brandon King led the waywith82off76balls,his seventh ODI fifty, including eightfoursandthreesixes.
He shared in a 109-run opening stand with Evin Lewiswhohittwofoursand foursixesonhiswaytoa62ball49.
King also had a 69-run second wicket partnership withKeacyCartywhomade a well-compiled 45 off 47 ballsincludingsevenfours.
Captain Shai Hope and firstODIcenturionSherfane Rutherford were the not out batsmen at the crease in the end on 17 and 24, respectively, with Rutherfordfittinglybringing upvictorywithapairofsixes offShorifulIslam.
Theteamsnowturntheir attentiontothethirdODIon Thursdayatthesamevenue.
FullScores:
Bangladesh 227 from 45.5 overs (Mahmudullah 62,TanzidHasan46,Jayden Seales 4-22, Gudakesh Motie2-36)
West Indies 230-3 from 36.5 overs (Brandon King 82, Evin Lewis 49, Keacy Carty45).
In a dramatic conclusion to the Soesdyke Premier T10 League, Herstelling ‘A’ claimed the coveted title by overcomingDemolitionCricketClubinanail-bitingfinalat the Farm Cricket Club ground on Sunday The East Bank CricketAssociation’s marquee event featured action-packed semi-finals and a grand finale that captivated cricket enthusiasts.
DemolitionCricketClub,optingtobatfirst,showcasedan explosive start, racing to 50 without loss in just three overs. Leading the charge was the stylish Damion Vantall, whose classy knock of 49 runs (7x4, 2x6) anchored the innings. Vantall’s fluent stroke play, combined with a brisk 28 runs from Sanjay Algoo (2x4, 2x6), propelled Demolition to an imposingtotalof100-5intheirallotted10overs.Herstelling’s bowlers, however, fought back valiantly, with Rickey Sargeantclaiming2-12andAnandBharatproducingastellar 2-7torestrictfurtherdamage.
In reply, Herstelling ‘A’ showcased resilience under pressure,chasingdownthetargetin9.3overswiththreeballs tospare.MalcolmHubbardledthechargewithasolid36runs, while Sagar Hatrimani contributed a vital 21. Rickey Sargeant’s all-round brilliance shone through as he added a crucial 17 runs to guide his team across the finish line, securingathree-wicketvictory
The thrilling finale was followed by a memorable presentation ceremony Rickey Sargeant was named Best Bowler in the final for his dual impact with bat and ball. Demolition’s Damion Vantall swept a host of accolades, includingMostValuablePlayer(MVP),HighestRun-Getter, and Best Batter in the final. Tameshwarnauth Sankar of Uprising Cricket Club was recognized as the tournament’s highestwicket-taker
Thesemi-finalssetthestageforanelectrifyingfinalday Defending champions North Soesdyke were ousted by Demolition in a fierce battle, while Herstelling ‘A’stormed pastUprisingCricketClubwithacommanding21-runvictory tobooktheirplaceinthefinal.
The league was made possible through the generous support of numerous sponsors, including Nalia Investment Inc., Camille’s Academy, Royal Chicken, 4R Bearings, R.Gopie Investment, and others. The East Bank Cricket Association extended its gratitude to the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Natural Resources for their contributionstothesuccessoftheevent.
ByRawleToney
Cricket in the Caribbean has long been a symbol of unity and pride. The West Indies Cricket team has achieved legendary status, producing some of the sport’sgreatestandknighted players Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd, and Viv Richards.
However, as the world evolves and cricket’s dynamics shift, a question arises:IsittimefortheWest Indies Cricket team to play as independent nations, much like the rest of the cricketingworld?
To explore this, let’s delve into history, evaluate the current state of the sport intheregion,andcompareit to other nations’ paths to cricketingsuccess.
The West Indies Federation, established in
1958, was an ambitious politicalexperimentaimedat fostering unity among Caribbean territories
Thoughitdissolvedby1962, WestIndiesCricketpersisted as a unifying force, transcending political divisions.
During the colonial era, the team symbolized resistance and excellence, defeating their imperial rulers on the cricket field; a feat that resonated deeply acrosstheCaribbean. Their collective identity remains significant to CARICOM, symbolizing regional collaboration. West Indies Cricket continues to provide a shared sense of pride and a cultural touchstone for millions acrosstheCaribbean.
Nevertheless,timeshave changed The oncedominant West Indies team now struggles to find its footing.
The glory days of the 1970s, 1980s and even the 90’s, are a distant memory, and some might argue that cricket’s popularity in the regionisonthedecline.
C o u l d p l a y i n g independently help reverse thistrend?
Bermuda, though geographicallylocatedinthe Atlantic, shares cultural and sporting ties with the Caribbean.
Despite its small population, Bermuda fields anindependentcricketteam. Bermuda qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup in2007,markingamilestone for a nation with limited resources Their journey showcases how focused investment in grassroots cricket and talent development can yield impressiveresults. Similarly, other small
nations, such as Ireland and Afghanistan, have achieved remarkable progress in cricket.
Ireland’s rise from Associate to Test-playing
n a t i o n s t a t u s a n d Afghanistan’s competitive performances on the global stage demonstrate what can be accomplished with clear visionandautonomy
If Bermuda and these nations can carve their own path, why not Jamaica, Guyana,Trinidad&Tobago, or Barbados? By competing
independently, these countries could channel resources directly into their cricketing programmes, potentially revitalizing the sport.
In2028,T20cricketwill make its debut at the Olympics Unlike West Indies Cricket, which operatesas a regionalentity,
Rawle Toney
the Olympics require countries to compete independently This means that cricketing powerhouses like India, England, and Australia will participate, but the West Indies will not.
Instead, individual Caribbean nations will need to qualify on their own; a daunting but intriguing prospect.
The Olympic scenario highlightsastructuralgapin West Indies Cricket. It’s a reminder that cricket, as the world’s second-most popularsport(afterfootball), is evolving, and regional teams like the West Indies are increasingly outliers in a systembuiltaroundnational teams.
Once the heartbeat of Caribbean culture, cricket faces stiff competition from basketball, football, and athletics.Crowdsatregional tournaments have dwindled, and infrastructure issues persist.
An argument will be made for the CPL, but an exception could be given to TrinidadandGuyana.
Young talents are increasingly drawn to other sports or overseas cricket leagues, leavingWest Indies Cricket with a diminishing talentpool.
Moreover, the internal politics of Cricket West
Indies often hinders progress Resource allocation, player selection, and administrative challenges have created rifts that weaken the team Playing as independent nations might allow each territory to focus on its strengths and rebuild from thegroundup.
Despite its struggles, West Indies Cricket remains apowerfulunifyingforce.It embodies the shared history andcultureoftheCaribbean, providing a platform where small nations punch above
their weight on the world stage.
The team’s victories, no matter how rare, spark joy acrosstheregion.Breakingit upcoulderodethiscollective identity and leave CARICOM without one of its most visible symbols of unity
While the idea of the West Indies playing independentlyiscompelling, it is not a silver bullet. A transition would require careful planning, significant investment, and support from the International CricketCouncil(ICC).
Additionally, the decisionshouldbeguidedby what’s best for Caribbean cricketasawhole,notjuston the field, but in terms of culturalandsocialimpact.
Cricket’s decline in the Caribbeanisnotirreversible. By addressing governance issues, investing in grassroots programmes, and fostering a renewed passion forthesport,theWestIndies could rise again as a formidableforce.
However, if these changes prove unattainable within the current structure, exploring independence mightbeanecessarystep.
The question of whether theWestIndiesCricketteam shouldplayindependentlyis complex, laden with historical, cultural, and practicalimplications.
While the regional team signifies unity and pride, cricket’s decline and the changing global landscape callforboldthinking.
As cricket fans and stakeholders,weoweittothe sport to have this conversation. Whether the solution lies in reforming Cricket West Indies or embracing independence, onethingisclear,Caribbean cricketneedsarevival.
The legacy of our cricketinggreatsdemandsit, andthefutureofthesportin theregiondependsonit.
Manager of Maggie’s Snackette, Pearson Burch-Smith (left) hands over sponsorship cheque to Aubrey ‘Shanghai’Major
Anotherofthelong-timecorporatesponsorsofthe
KashifandShanghaiOrganisationM.S.,year-end football extravaganza has re-established their tangiblesupportlikemanyotherpartners.
The latest on board is Guyana’s leading eatery, Maggie’s Snackette,locatedat224NewMarketStreet,Georgetownand offersawideselectionofqualitypastries,sandwiches,cakes, fruitjuicesandadailylunchspecials.
Manager, Pearson Burch-Smith, in brief remarks, as he handed over the company’s cheque to Co-Director of the KashifandShanghaiOrganisation,Aubrey‘Shanghai’Major, expressed delight at being able to see the return of year-end football.
”Your organisation is renowned the world over for this kindofactivityattheendoftheyearwhichclubs,players,fans andthecorporatecommunitylookedforwardto.Wearemore thanhappytoseeitmakingawelcomereturneventhoughit’s anotherformatofthesport.Wearealsohappytoseethatmore players would be involved than ever before with 64 male teamsand6femaleteamsparticipating,this,speaksvolumes. Youcancountonourcontinuedsupport.”
Major conveyed the gratitude of his colleague, Kashif Muhammad and that of his organisation to Burch-Smith and Maggie’s Snackette for readily agreeing to continue a longstandingpartnership.
Meanwhile, the competition entered its fourth night last evening at the National Gymnasium where five more teams wereknockedoutastheactionheightens.Todate,atotalof21 teamshaveadvancedtothenextround.
Among them are Bent Street ‘B’, Festival City, Albouystown ‘A’, Stabroek Ballers, Sparta Boss, Unstoppable, Alexander Village, Team Family, North East, Back Circle ‘A’, Stabroek Ballers ‘B’, Show Stoppers, Spaniard,Buxton,Espanyol,BentStreet‘A’.
Actionwillcontinuetomorroweveningatthesamevenue with six matches. Albouystown Ballers face Game Changer from19:30hrs,DJ7opposeTouchesfrom20:15hrs,Sophia‘A’ engage Paradise Invaders from 21:00hrs, California Square matchskillswithBallersfromIthacaat21:45hrs,Pouderoyen BrothersbattleVictoriaEaglesat22:30hrswiththemainevent of the night featuring Team Cruel and Two Friends from 23:15hrs.
As the clock ticks closer tothecommencementofthe fifth installment of the KFC International Goodwill FootballSerieshostedbythe Petra Organisation, Royal International Hotel has become the latest sponsor to hop onboard to support this excitingregionalshowpiece.
Theannouncementcame yesterday during an investmentengagementheld at the hotel’s JW Mandela Avenuelocation.
At the event, Royal International’s management team pledged to assist Petra by covering accommodation costsforparticipatingteams.
Anexpensethathasbeen asignificantfinancialburden in previous years, and this contribution is expected to playacrucialroleinensuring thetournament’ssuccess.
The 2024 Series is set to kick off this Sunday at Queen’s College, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education. Eight teams will compete, including four
: St Benedict’s College and SpeysideHighfromTrinidad and Tobago, Jamaica’s Clarendon College, and
Management of the Royal International Hotel lends support to Petra Organisation for the hosting of its fifth Annual
Hassankhan Community School.
RepresentingGuyanaare four top schools: RBL U18 League champions Chase’s Academic Foundation, runner-up Dolphin Secondary, Region Nine champion Annai Secondary, and Region Seven’s D.C. CaesarFoxSecondary Troy Mendonca, CoDirector of Petra, expressed his gratitude to Royal International Hotel for their support. He highlighted the importanc
partnership, stating, “This collaboration is a major boost for us. It not only a
underscores the impact we are making at the grassroots level, providing young athletes with a competitive platformtohonetheirskills.”
During the engagement, the tournament’s official schedule was also unveiled. Matches are slated for Tuesday, December 17, and Wednesday, December 18, with th
scheduled for Friday, December20.
In addition to Royal International Hotel, the tournament has attracted support from Lucozade (ANSA McAL), MVP Sports, Tiger Rentals, and titlesponsorKFC.
The series is sanctioned bytheMinistryofEducation, with further backing from the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, as well as the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs.
Amasterclassinningsof180from national Under-13 player Tameshwar Deochand spearheaded the Rose Hall Town Farfan and Mendes Under-15A team to a comfortable inning and 230 runs victory over their B counterparts attheAreaHgroundonSundaylast.
The match was played in hot, humidconditionsinfrontofafairsize crowd.
Rose Hall Town Farfan and MendesLtdAwonthetossandelected to take first strike and amassed a total of 334 for 8 when their allotted fifty oversranout.
National player Raffel Mckenzie supported Deochand with 40, while JonathanHicks30andBerbiceUnder13 player Jayden Ganpat 29 not out alsobattedwell.
The RHT Farfan and Mendes B team were bowled out for 19 in their first innings as national youth players Mckenziewith5for5andLeonReddi 5for6bowledwithaggressivecontrol to dismiss their younger counterparts intwelveovers.Witha Continued on page 25
King hits 82, Seales takes 4-22 as West Indies dominate Bangladesh in second ODI to secure series victory
