Kaieteur News

Capping stack does not dissolve need for unlimited parent company guarantee for oil spills - Opposition

The arrival of a capping additional equipment will be to the Environmental Protection stack in-country to useful, it is no substitute for an Agency (EPA) by June 10 or the

respond to a blown out unlimited parent company Liza Phase One Project Permit wellduringoilproductionactivities guarantee and appropriate oil spill wouldbesuspended. does not dissolve the need for an insurance.

The Guarantee and Indemnity unlimited parent company He said, “It (the capping stack) Agreement was lodged by the guarantee to ensure the country is is no substitute for a parent Stabroek Block partners on June 9, not left to foot the costs associated company guarantee and 2023, following an appeal of the withsuchadisaster appropriateinsurancesoweneedto ruling by the EPA and Exxon. The Highlighting this point during continue to push for that and we governmenthasalsoappliedtojoin the Leader of the Opposition’s need to bear in mind that these the matter to fight against full oil weekly press conference on Friday kinds of safety equipment while spillcoverageforthecountry was Economist and Oil and Gas useful do not in any way guarantee ExxonMobil, the operator of spokesperson for the People’s that the country is insulated all the Stabroek Block, holds a 45% National Congress Reform togetherfromanoilspill.” interest, while Hess Guyana (PNC/R),ElsonLow E x x o n o n M o n d a y ExplorationLtd.holds30%interest

In an invited comment, he told commissioned the country’s first and CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Kaieteur News that it is always capping stack, one of 13 available Limited holds 25% interest. Each importanttohavesafetyequipment globally and one of only two in Co-Venturer has contributed to the to be able to respond to a spill, LatinAmerica. US$2B guarantee, relative to its however, these tools cannot be Acappingstackisaheavypiece participating interest in the solely depended on to protect the of metal equipment that is placed Stabroek Block Jamestown country over a blown out well. It acts as a Insurance Company Limited is the Low explained, “It is always of plug, thereby preventing further GuarantorforHess;whileCNOOC course useful that we have flowofhydrocarbons. Limited, a company organized in additional safety equipment here in Presently,GuyanahasaUS$2B Hong Kong and Exxon Equity the event of an oil spill; however, oil spill guarantee that was lodged Holding Company is the Guarantor there have been instances in the by the operator of the Stabroek for CNOOC and Exxon, past where safety equipment has Block, ExxonMobil Guyana respectively not been able to function Limited (EMGL) and partners, Presently, more than 640,000 effectively.” HessandCNOOC. barrels per day is being produced

He continued, “Oil spills are Appeal Court Judge, Justice from three projects in the Stabroek notoriously difficult to contain Rishi Persaud had ordered Block. quickly, you would have seen with ExxonMobil Guyana to lodge a Notably, all three Floating the Deep Water Horizon spill that US$2B parent and/or affiliate Production Storage and Offloading there was a failure in fact of the company guarantee as a condition (FPSO) vessels are producing equipment that they brought to cap to a stay of execution granted on a above the original design capacity, that well and that failure of lower court’s order. That order, sparking safety concerns among equipment led to a prolonging of originally issued by High Court stakeholders, especially as the theoilspill.” Judge, Justice Sandil Kissoon countrydoesnothavetheunlimited

To this end, the Opposition called for an unlimited parent oil spill guarantee from the parent made it clear that while the company guarantee to be provided company

Human Rights breaches in regulatory process for Gas-to-Energy project will be submitted to US EXIM Bank - Civil society activist

On e m o n t h a f t e r information related to the project; (FPSO) vessels The country’s skyrocketedworldprices.”

r e q u e s t i n g t h e however, to date she has not application for the loan is still She pointed out that the human production forecast for receivedany pendingapproval. rights of citizens were being

the Liza One and Liza Consequently, she said, “These InFebruarythisyear,Hughesas breachedastherehasbeenalackof TwoprojectsintheStabroekBlock, are human rights violations in well as other activists in Guyana consultation, lack of the right to which will supply the Gas-to- addition to the non- adherence to to

can free, prior and informed consent, Energy (GTE) project with natural our legislation...these human rights Commission on Human Rights failure to provide adequate gas, the Government of Guyana violations will be highlighted in (IACHR) that the Government of information, lack of access to any remains tight lipped, a clear submissions to (US) EXIM Bank Guyana, ExxonMobil and the information and non-disclosure of violation of citizens’right to access duringthis30-dayperiodtorequest Environmental Protection Agency dealsfortheproject. to information. This was recently information, submit information, (EPA)hasbeenviolatingthehuman In her interview with Kaieteur highlightedbycivilsocietyactivist, expresscomplaintsandconcernsor rights of citizens in Guyana during News, the activist said government Elizabeth Hughes, who noted that other.” theexploitationofoilandgas. is still to clarify whether the two she received neither an

Civil society activist, Elizabeth Hughes

The government had applied to Hughes who focused her projects will wind down oil acknowledgement nor response the United States Export Import presentation on the GTE project production activitiesbefore the end from government regarding her (US EXIM) Bank in 2023 for a explainedtotheCommission,“The of the commercial life of the GTE latest request for key project US$646 million loan to support the GTE project in the making in its project. details. construction of the Natural Gas current format since 2020 lacks a To this end, Hughes noted that The activist was keen to note, Liquids(NGL)facilityandthe300- feasibility study for the Wales without the release of the “Withouttherequestedinformation megawatt power plant. US oil location with its 25km of onshore commercial agreements which we, the citizens of Guyana do not lifespanoftheGTEproject?” major, ExxonMobil is constructing pipeline, and there are no updated government continue to dodge, knowthelifeoftheoilfieldsandits Hughestold Kaieteur News that the pipeline to transport the gas to pre or feasibility studies since the citizens will be left in the dark on associated gas. Is there a time gap since 2022, she has written in the facility from the two Floating advent of COVID 19 and the this factor that can further drive up betweenthelifeofthefieldsandthe excess of 200 letters in pursuit of Production Storage and Offloading Uk

thecostoftheventure.

The capping stack that is now in the country

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur News

Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

PPP/C Government and anti-corruption

TheAmericanshaveaseriousproblemwithcorruption in Guyana. Specifically, the US Government is unhappy withthePPP/CGovernmentonaslewofmattersthatbegin and continue without end with corruption as the main ingredient. Often, it is the only ingredient, and on each occasion, the government and its leaders are left looking weak and impotent on the one hand and comprised and lacking in credibility on the other If it is public procurement involving hundreds of billions of dollars, corruptionisaleadingpresence. Ifitisgold,asGuyanese are now learning what goes on beneath the surface, corruptionisthecancerthatiseatingawayatthefabricof Guyaneseresourcesandinstitutions.

The US Department of the Treasury identified what it called a corruption network in action in the local environment. It is not just about what encircles private citizens, for the USTreasury had cause to point to corrupt governmentofficials,andmorethanonceinitsinitialpublic release. Bribery and corruption involving government officials could mean a network that is more pervasive than anything Guyanese have ever seen But there is the PPPC Governmentnowshufflingaroundandpretendingtobeserious aboutcorruptioninGuyana Whenweatthispapercalledout thegovernmentonmassivecorruption,thereflexiveresponse has been where is the evidence We have published several articles on the corruptions seemingly plaguing honest work frombeingdoneattheNationalProcurementandTenderBoard (NPTAB) Nothingevercameoutofthose,otherthantheusual insultsandmockeriesfromthePPP/CGovernment’spaidand pampered propagandists We have carried more than a few reportsonmajordrugbustsinforeignlocations,whichdidlittle to boost Guyana’s profile in the international community Local and foreign people with ethics on their side and clean governanceasapriorityhaveaskedwhatisgoingoninGuyana, whenthesebustsleaveGuyanalookinglikeamancaughtwith itspantsdownandnowheretorun Boththegovernment,its leaders,andthepeoplewhofetchwaterforthem,havepreferred tositontheirhandsandwaitforthediscreditingwindstoblow over Therealityisthatwhencorruptioningovernmentisso widespread,itislikealizardoracentipede:cutoffthetailof eitheranditkeepsgrowingback

Meanwhile, the PPP/C Government’s chief anticorruption officer, Bharrat Jagdeo, prefers to occupy himself with hopscotch and doing the hula hoop. When corruption in his government, and among his comrades, is the issue, he jumps about and dances around Recall the corruption in the government surrounding the US$214M in audit findings, and how it was mysteriously and arbitrarily knockeddownallthewaytoUS$3M RecallalsohowJagdeo pretended that he was clueless about that corruption developmentthathadnoowner,untilareadysoldierwasfound in Gopinath Gossai to take the fall Part of the corruption involvedinthatpublicmatterthatcouldn’tbehiddenanylonger wasthesilenceofthepowerfulgovernmentfigureswhofeigned ignorance Anotheraspectofthatcorruptioningovernment,as suchrelatestotheoilindustry,wasthespectacleofthosesame powerfulfiguresrushingtoputasmuchdistanceastheycould between themselves and that whole corrupt issue that would havecostGuyanasomuch WhenGuyana’shalfshareintheoil isconsidered,itwouldhavebeenoverUS$105MorGY$21B lostthroughofficialskullduggery

NowtheUSTreasuryDepartmenteliminatedalldoubts about the level of corruption in Guyana and government when it referred to laws broken, and dirty officials in the public service. Those violating the public trust would not be clerks and other mid to low-level government workers. There is high probability that senior public servants are in that network, with even more than a handful of ruling politicians also tarnished. After all the rejections of corruptionatrunawaylevelsunderthePPP/Cgovernment, the US Treasury Department released its report, and now local leaders are scrambling to get their houses in order Theyhadbettergothewholenineyardswithcorruption,or thebellcouldtollforthemnext.

Journalists should be invited to a full-scale practice session of placing the capping stack on a well

DEAREDITOR

Limited(EMGL)washappy toannouncethearrivalofthe 100,000 lb capping stack to close off an oil well in the event of an uncontrolled

environmental permit, 24 S

uncontrolled well event (Yellowtail environmental permit, 30 March 2022). EMGL forgot to mention that the obligatory capping stackarrived27monthsafter the permit was signed, just within the permitted 30 months.

EMGL still has 9 days for Payara andYellowtail to

get the capping stack into position to control a blownoutwell.

In the original Payara EPA permit, signed September 24th, 2020, it mentioned 3 days to get the capping stack into position, see section 8 10 of https://epaguyana org/wpcontent/uploads/2022/11/En vironmental-Permit-ofPayara-DevelopmentProject pdf However, on June 30th, 2023, the Payara EPA permit was updated to extendthetimeto9days,see s e c t i o n 9 1 3 https://epaguyana org/down load/payara-developmentproject-permit-pdf/ Thus, theGuyanaEPAupdatedthe Payara EPA permit to allow for an extra 6 days for oil to

gush into the Caribbean Sea inthecaseofanoilspill.Itis puzzling why this would be the case without any explanation.

In September 2020, we were pumping 100,000 barrelsofoilperdaybutnow we pump about 640,000 barrelsofoilperday Weare now pumping more than 6 times the amount of oil compared to when the original Payara EPA permit wassigned. Giventheincreasedrisk, in the amount of oil that couldspillperday,itboggles the mind why the Guyana EPA would modify the Payara EPA permit to increase the time to get the capping stock into position by3times.

OGGN hopes, Mr Editor, that your journalists havebeeninvitedbyEMGL and SBM to witness a fullscale practice in moving the capping stack 200 km to the offshore deep-water oil fields and placing the stack accuratelyonawell. It is not clear which of the various offshore support vesselslistedintheMARAD Notices to Mariners, see https://marad govgy/mariti me-safety-information/#tab482221, are competent and practised in this difficult operation.

But there is no point in having the capping stack rusting in a Georgetown ShoreBaseunlessthereisan on-callteamready,willing (Continuedonpage06)

External investigation into GGMC only credible response to gold scandals

DEAREDITOR

, Cominghardontheheels

of the US Treasury sanctioning of the third largest gold company in Guyana over accusations of large-scale gold smuggling, startling revelations were maderecentlyinastatement issued by the Guyana Gold & Diamond Miners Association (GGDMA) alleging the existence of a virtuallyparallelillegalgold industryinGuyana. This enterprise they stated involved millions of acres of land under illegal goldlicensingarrangements, illegal gold production which is then sold to illegal shopsonillegallandings.All ofthis,theGGDMAclaims, is known to the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) and to public servants who benefitfromthiscriminality.

Lessdramaticbutsimilar a l l e g a t i o n s a b o u t irregularity and illegality in the gold sector have been steadfastly ignored by GGMCforyears.

For example, neither the GGMC,northeGovernment have responded publicly to anyoftheactionsbytheUS or the allegations by the GGDMA Over the past decade, the US and other international Agencies have on numerous occasions sought Government action to address criminality in the gold sector, but without success.

These warnings have been well-publicized in the press, particularly Stabroek News, from which the following references are drawn. In 2022, the local Anti-MoneyLaunderingand CounteringtheFinancingof Terrorism National

Coordination Committee (NRA) issued a Risk Assessment Report that identified and summarized for the period 2016 to 2020 the four areas that pose the highest threat of money laundering in Guyana in the following order: gold smuggling(USD2.2bn.),tax evasion (USD19 5mn ), illicit trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances (USD13 4mn) andfraud(USD8.4mn).Asis clear, gold smuggling is far greater than the next three areas taken together Other forms of money laundering were determined to amount toUS$29million.

The Risk Assessment Report concluded that “No m o n e y - l a u n d e r i n g investigations, much less prosecutionstookplace.” It also stated that only two (2) convictions occurred over

theassessedperiodresulting in the confiscation of USD 37,554.

The NRA reported in 2016 that 15,000 ounces of goldperweekwassmuggled out of Guyana. In 2017, a majorgoldsmugglingracket was unearthed through the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) which provided Guyana’s authorities with a list of persons who had taken gold to the JFK Airport, New York.

In 2019, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) had recommended that a highlevel team be established to do a comprehensive review of trading of the precious metal.

In the second half of 2019 the FIU set about to determinewhethertherewas information to support the assumptionsthatUSDollars

traded through the illegal roadside cambios and even legitimate cambios were beingusedtosupportillegal gold trade between Guyana and Venezuela during the period January 2018 – July 2019.

“The smuggling was made possible because Customs and other Gold Board documents were recycled along with seals. Hundreds of millions of dollarsofprofitswerebeing made”theFIUreportnoted. Nothing came of these allegations.

In light of the above, recentUSdirectactioninthe formofsanctionsappearsto be prompted by the Government’s repeated silence and resistance to actingontheirwarnings.

TheGGMC,itshouldbe emphasized, controls all aspects of the mining industry It employs sophisticated electronic surveillanceofalldredgesin theinterior It records where every dredge is and when they move.

GGMC also maintains detailed records of all licensing, production and declaration arrangements None of this information is available to the public in opendataformatsandeasily accessible.Moreover,unlike other government agencies, GGMC is governed by its own Statute and salary scales.

An earlier GHRA press release argued that, “Until thatinstitutionisthoroughly (Continuedonpage06)

In particular, the silent GGMC stands like a remote fortress impervious to allegationsanddisdainfulof providingexplanations.

Kaieteur M@ilbox Kaieteur M@ilbox

Indo-Guyanese support for India Cricket Team

DEAREDITOR, There is one take away from the matches that India played not penned about by reportersandcommentators. Guyanese cheered their home team (West Indies).

The Indo-Guyanese, IndoCaribbean people, and their Diasporas cheered India in the Cricket World Cup competition. Theturnoutfor the semi-final at Providence wasnotasexpectedbecause it was a day match on a workingday;ticketentrance was also beyond the pocket ofmostGuyanese.

People preferred to watchthegameoncableTV that is now widely available around the globe as well as on social media (smart phone). The Indo-Guyanese whoshowedupatthematch could be the seen cheering India against England (MCC).The feeling was the same in the Diaspora. IndoGuyanese, and probably other ethnic Guyanese also, wanted India to win and it did not only that match but thefinalaswellandallofthe matchesitplayed.Indiawas the lone undefeated team in thetournament;SouthAfrica was also undefeated going

into the final IndoGuyanese historically supported India in all matches ever since India started playing test cricket overacenturyago.

India’s performance has inspired Indians around the Diaspora and in all of its matches in America as well in the Caribbean.There was a huge Indian turnout not only fromAsian Indians but Indo-Caribbeans as well in USA. There was a sell-out crowdinallofthematchesin USA.TheFloridamatchwas alsoasell-outbutabandoned due to rain. Disappointed Indo-Caribbean fans overcrowded Guyanese and Trinidad Restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale and Miami that weekend. All the matches were great for business of Guyanese and other West Indianfoodoutlets,bars,and clubs.

Indo-Guyanese and other Caribbean people followedcloselythematches played by West Indies and Indiafromaroundtheglobe. Asian Indians filled the stadiums where India played The passionate Indian fan base, including Indo-Caribbeans, cheered

India, an advantage not enjoyed by other teams Indo-Caribbeanshistorically supportedIndiaandPakistan in matches even against the WestIndies.SunilGavaskar spoke fondly of his tours to Trinidad and Guyana; IndoTrinis and Indo-Guyanese made him felt at home with theirsupportfromthestands and the ground. Vivian Richardsalsocommentedon Indo-Caribbean support for India in cricket matches. Indo-Caribbeans supported India in all of her matches gin back as long as one can remember from radio commentarieswhenTVwas notaround.

Indo-Caribbeans who did not make it as live spectators supported India onTVforeverymatch;they wantedIndiatowin.Evenif WestIndieswasinthesemifinalorfinal,inalllikelihood Indo-Caribbeans would have supported India. One I n d o - C a r i

e a n parliamentarian in Trinidad publicly expressed a comment of pride that India won the final. Other Indian legislatorsexpressedsimilar sentimentsprivately But there were divided

loyalties of support among Indians and other groups.

Almost every Indian American supported India. Some Indians supported USA and Canada. Indian Guyanese and Indian Trini supported India South African Indians supported South Africa as opposed to India.

Almost every British Indian supported England. IndianKiwissupportedNew Zealand. Indian Australians

supportedAustralia. Indians from Oman supported their team. Ditto Indians from U

Pakistan.

Sri Lankan Americans supported their country’s t

Bangladesh The small Bangladeshi community in Guyana sup

BangladeshandnottheWest Indies. Guyanese Canadians

India (of all ethnicities supported Canada, an underdoginthetournament. Indo-Surinamese supported Holland while Asian Dutch (from India) supported India Punjabis from Netherland supported Holland. Indians, including Punjabis from Ireland and Scotland, supported their national(adoptedhomeland) teams.

Yourstruly, VishnuBisram

External investigation into GGMC...

Frompage05 and urgently reformed from top to bottom, the scandalous squandering of Guyana’s natural mining assets and systematic undermining of community life of Guyana’s indigenous peopleswillcontinue.”

That release also rejected VP Jagdeo’s comment that “individuals at the junior level of Government must be responsible.” Despite being responsible for over 70% of Guyana’soil&goldexports,

the Agency’s audited

unavailable.

Thescaleofthenational andinternationalallegations of serious mismanagement and criminality rule out any attempt by the Government or the GGMC to mount an internal investigation of GGMC.

Any attempt of this nature will generate deep scepticism, incredulity and distrust.

The only credible

response available to the Government of Guyana at this stage is to arrange the hand-over of the entire matter to a team of forensic investigators, with an international component, furnished with a mandate and full authority to examine, investigate and make recommendations on all aspects of the gold industry within a specific timeframe.

ExecutiveCommittee

Guyana Human Rights Association

Journalists should be invited...

Frompage04 andtrainedtomakeitwork.

T h e s e v e r a l environmental (operating) permits issued to EEPGL/EMGL – original, modified, varied and modified,renewed–contain manysuchinstructionsfrom Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency for monitoring surveys and reports and precautionary drills. Inthefour-and-a-half years since First Oil from

Liza-1, not a single EPAspecified monitoring report has been put into the public domain; not counting the graphs displayed on https://petroleum.gov.gy/dat a-visualization.

A yellow-painted hunk ofmetal–thecappingstack – is not by itself any a s s u r a n c e o f t h e competence of EMGL or SBM in oil spill control response

JanetteBulkan

DarshKhusial

AlfredBhulai

JoePersaud

AndreBrandli

Can we be sure that EMGL and SBM Offshore areactuallycarryingoutthe practicedrillsanddoingthe monitoringtowhichEMGL country director Alistair Routledge has signed up? Where, for example, is the fishstockssurvey?

On behalf of OGGN (www.oggn.org/about)

BLUNT

WHY IS JAGDEO SO ANXIOUS?

Jagdeo is biting his fingernails - nervous he is!

Jagdeo is chewing his lipsa wreck he has become!

Jagdeo is fearful - a sleepless shadow he is now!

Jagdeo is on the ropes - and he is hanging by a thread.

Jagdeo now has a problem with Exxon - he is that suicidal.

Somebody had better keep an eye on him…

He could lose it and take matters in his own hands!

He is in misery and is looking for a way to end it!

BLUNT

PNC to compensate teachers retroactively

once elected to office - Elson Low

The People’s National negotiations.”

USD, it is perfectly reasonable for titled ‘Proposed Memorandum of Congress Reform (PNCR) has Furthermore,“Wedonotexpect citizenstoexpectbetterwages.” Agreement entered between the p

oactively that the government will provide Lowremindedthat,“Jagdeohas MinistryofEducationandtheGTU compensate teachers should the any substantial increases going said teachers’ salaries have concerning terms and conditions of party be successful at the 2025 forward, as they have clearly increased by 50% since 2015 but employment for teachers/ teacher GeneralandRegionalElections. demonstrated a confrontational, the budget has swelled by over educatorsfortheyears2024-2026’, Opposition Advisor and unyielding and cold stance when it 400%inthatsametimeperiod.The theUnionisalsodemandingamong Economist Elson Low told comes to salary increases for government is deliberately other things 100 University of reporters on Friday at the party’s teachers and public servants more underpaying teachers and when in Guyana scholarships per year, a weekly press conference that the broadly This means that when in office, we will increase teacher pay clothing allowance of $40,000 and party is deeply concerned about the office come 2025, or sooner, it will retroactively, taking account of the 300dutyfreeconcessionsformotor abrupt end to the teachers’ strike beourtasktomakeupforthePPP’s years that the PPP refuses to vehiclesupto2000cc. particularly since the teachers have total disregard for fair consider.”

Additionally, the GTU is returned to the classrooms without compensation. We will pay our The Guyana Teachers’ Union proposing “That Teachers/Teacher being compensated for the service teachers what they deserve and (GTU) has proposed a 39.5 percent Educators who serve in the Interior providedovertheyears. look forward to working closely salaryincreaseforteachersin2024, and Hinterland / Riverain Areas be In a statement, the Ministry of “This represents government with them to help ensure our the proposal submitted to the given two (2) years instead of (5)

meanness and mismanagement schools improve swiftly and Government of Guyana states years to serve their CPCE contracts conciliationprocessinitiatedbythe beyond measure, because teachers comprehensively.”

According to the document, the and in the case of University MinistryofEducationtoengagethe must surely be going back to Meanwhile,commentingonthe GTU is also asking for “30% for Graduates, they be given Three (3) Guyana Teachers’Union regarding classrooms in a discouraged and 39.5% increase teachers are asking each indicative year 2025 and 2026 points for promotional purposes the timeline for which a multi-year weary state. We know that, out of for in the 2024-2026 proposed respectively. Teachers from TS4 to having served four (4) consecutive agreement should be agreed upon concernfortheirstudents,theywill multi-year agreement, Lowe said TS19 (35%) for 2024, and 30% years.” hascometoanend.” work professionally as always,” that,“Wehavepreviouslycalledfor indicative year 2025 and 2026 Twoweeksago,theGTUcalled In the statement, the ministry Lowsaid. a 50% increase for public servants respectively.” off the strike after being on strike said that the bilateral talks can now

The Opposition Advisor said so teachers’ demands are in line Furthermore, the Union for 75 days. The Union and the begin on the proposed 2024 multithat the next PNCR government with the minimum that should be proposed that should there be a Ministry of Education on Friday year agreement. “The Ministry of will take into consideration the expected in order to make wages higher percentage given to Public agreed that the 2019-2023 multi- Education will continue to serve years that the “PPP has refused to internationally competitive. We Servants, then the teachers/ teacher year proposal put forward by the teachers in various ways and engage on for salary increases, and reiteratethatasGuyanaisawealthy educatorsmustgetthebenefitofthe Union will be shelved and focus continues to have the best interest p r o v i d e t h e m a d e q u a t e country, with a per capita GDP differences. will now be placed on the 2024 and of teachers at heart,” the ministry compensation after good faith adjusting for prices of $80,000 In the very detailed document, onwardsmulti-yearproposal. stated.

Man electrocuted while operating crane at Windsor Estates

A man in his sixties was electrocuted on Saturday morning while operating the crane on his truck at Windsor Estates, East Bank Demerara(EBD).

The man has been identified as Maniram Navindralall, a truck driver of Lot 59 Patentia,WestBankDemerara(WCD).

Navindralall was reportedly hired to pick up and deliver four crates of concrete blocks ataresidenceinWindsorEstates.

Reports, from the Ministry of Labour, are that while offloading the blocks with the crane mounted on the truck, it came into contact with a 13,800 volts “primary network”electrocutinghimonthespot.

Aninvestigationhasbeenlaunchedbythe Ministryintothefatality father,andhusband.

The blocks Maniram Navindralall was hired to drop off.

Meanwhile, relatives said that news of “I can’t believe my ears; I can’t believe a Navindralall’s sudden death has left them in word when I heard your passing, you will shock. surely be missed by all who you touch their

“The message come to me like a spear to heart. I can never forget because you are my my heart” one relative said before describing birthdaytwins;wesharethesamedatessleep the deceased as a very hardworking son, onmychamp”,therelativesaid.

Taxi driver sentenced to 3 years and 8 months for possession of $35M worth of ganja

A 32-year-old year taxi driver was sentenced on Friday to three years, eight months in jail for possession of 257lbs of marijuana for the purpose of trafficking and wasfined$104,977,620.

Naasik Alli, who appeared at the Albion Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Tuanna Hardy,pleadedguilty

Alli was nabbed by police ranks with the marijuana in his vehicle after they intercepted it along the Number 45 Public Road in Berbice. The narcotic is said to have a street valueof$35M.

Miner charged with murder of Venezuelan man

A 23-year-old miner of Quartz Stone 21-year-oldAdrianWilliams,alsoaminerof Backdam, Cuyuni River, was remanded to SanMartin,CuyuniRiver,andQuartzStone prison on Thursday for murder when he Landing. appeared at the Bartica Magistrates’ Court Amudarain was not required to plead to beforeMagistrateFaithMcGusty theindictablecharge.

The miner, Williams Andres Ugas The matter was adjourned to August 9, Amudarain, was charged with the murder of 2024.

Man, 61, found dead in drain at Enmore

The body of 61-year-old Rameshwaram Willie that was found in a drain at Enmore. ...fined $104M

Naasik Alli

Thebodyofa61-year-oldmanwasfound was an alcoholic who used to return to his in a drain at Enmore, East Coast Demerara homelateatnight. (ECD)onSaturdaymorning. Kaieteur News understandsthatonFriday ThemanwasidentifiedasRameshwaram at about 21:00h, he left the taxi base to go Willie, commonly known as ‘Mice’, a taxi drinkalcoholwithhisfriendsatabar driverof131LogwoodEnmore,ECD. One of Willie’s friends said that Willie Kaieteur News understands that the wasthelastpersontoleavethebar Thefriend man’s body was found around 8:00hrs by said he was advised to go home but he passersby who were heading to a refused. The man said that Willie left the bar supermarket Willie’s body was found face between 23:00h and midnight and assumed downinadrain thatiswhenhemethisdemise.

Relatives of the deceased disclosed that Willie’s body was taken to the mortuary they saw a video footage of Willie stumbling whereitawaitsapostmortemexamination. andfallingintothedrain.Theysaidtoothathe Investigationsareongoing.

Opposition Advisor and Economist Elson Low

A diplomatic passport does not automatically grant immunity

I am not dealing with

whether anyone was stopped, questioned or detained by agents of any foreign country That particular allegation has been denied and there is nothinginthepublicdomain tocorroboratetheallegation.

o

However, in the course

allegation there has been

immunities, privileges and courtesies One of these misrepresentations is that persons travelling on diplomatic passports always enjoy full diplomatic immunity and therefore cann

be searched, questioned,orcharged.

Thiscolumnwillexplain the difference between diplomatic immunities and diplomatic privileges, outline who is entitled to diplomatic immunities and to debunk the assertion that

me

ravelling on diplomatic passport grants immunities.

Diplomatic immunities refer to exemptions from certainlawsandtaxesofthe host country They ensure that diplomats can perform their duties without fear of coercion or harassment by thehostcountry Immunities cover a wide range of protections, including

granting personal

inviolability which means that diplomats cannot be detainedorarrested.

It also included

inviolability of the diplomatic premisesinthattheembassyor High Commission cannot be enteredintowithouttheconsent of the foreign country This is whytheBritishgovernment,for example, could not enter the Ecuadorian Embassy to arrest Julian Assange Diplomatic immunity also shields those benefitting from such immunityfromcivilorcriminal charges

Diplomatic privileges, on the other hand, are specific rights or benefits enjoyed by diplomats that facilitate their work. These include exemptions from taxesandcustomsdutiesand thefreedomtocommunicate withtheirhomegovernment and, barring national security considerations, freedom of movement withinthehostcountry

Not any and every one can enjoy diplomatic immunities Ambassadors and Heads of Missions usuallyenjoyfulldiplomatic immunity,whichmeansthey are protected from criminal prosecutionandcivilsuitsin thehostcountry

Members of the diplomatic staff, such as counselors, secretaries, and attachés also enjoy comprehensive immunity

from the criminal jurisdiction of the host

country and immunity from civil and administrative jurisdiction under certain conditions On the other hand, administrative and technical staff enjoy immunity only in relation to their offi

s However, outside of these official acts, their immunity is limited, particularly c

d administrativejurisdiction.

However, it should be cautioned that the host countryhasasignificantrole in determining the extent of immunities and privileges

g government ministers

While international norms and agreements provide a general framework, the host country’s policies and diplomaticrelationswiththe home country can influence the specific immunities courtesiesandprotections.

A person travelling on a diplomaticpassportdoesnot make them a diplomat. As such, they do not enjoy the samediplomaticimmunities asanaccreditedambassador orhighcommissioners.

A diplomatic passport is merely an official document issuedtodiplomatsandother government officials for international travel It signifies that the bearer is travelingonofficialbusiness

a

smoother border crossings and visa processes. Guyana has signed agreements with

DEM BOYS SEH

We gat some parties like sweet man!

Dem boys seh, Guyanese people gat a funny way of thinking. Dey seh dem nah likemenwhocheatandlie.Demquickfuh tellyuh,“Heascamp!Heatief! Idonewith he!” But same time, dem does turn ‘round and support political parties that do the sameting.Islikedemnahseethehypocrisy Guyanese gat short memory Dem rememberwhendempoliticiandidpromise milkandhoneybutfailtodeliver Demcuss and carry on. But come election time, dem votefuhdesamepartyagain.Demseh,“Is only a lil lie, man. He mean well.” Same ting wid de other party Dem seh dey nah tolerate corruption, but dem ministers alwaysinscandal. Demboysrememberwhendepartyget tryingfuhrigdeelections.Demkeepquiet andclaimthatdeoddersnogood.Anddem gobackandvotefuhdesamepartydatsome cheat.DemboyssehGuyaneselikeasweet talk. Politicians promise heaven and earth. Demseh,“Wegon’buildschools.Wegon’

some countries which exempt holders of diplomatic passports from requiringentryvisastothose countries.

Immunities are based on thestatusandfunctionofthe individual,notmerelyonthe possession of the passport. For example, an individual holding a diplomatic passport may not have immunities if they are traveling for non-official purposes or if they do not holdarecognizeddiplomatic position.

A permanent secretary was questioned and her phone invaded in the USA even though it was reported that she was travelling on a

. Government ministers often

passports when conducting official state business

nment ministers are usually issued diplomatic passports to signify their official status andtofacilitateinternational travel.

This passport allows for certain courtesies such as expedited visa processing and smoother passage through customs

immigration Ministers entitlement to diplomatic immunities and privileges depends on several factors, including their role, the nature of their visit, and internationalagreements.

Diplomatic courtesies are special treatments extended to diplomats and senior government officials to facilitate their travel and

ensure their security These courtesies may include expedited immigration procedures, access to VIP lounges, and special assistancewithluggage.

Airlinesgenerallydonot havetheauthoritytoarrange diplomatic immunities However, they do provide certain courtesies to recognizedpersons.

Airlines may notify the relevant authorities (such as airport security and immigration)ofthepresence of a diplomatic passport holderonboard.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

fix de hospitals. We gon’mek life better.” Anddepeoplebelieve.Demseh,“Thistime gon’bedifferent.”Butsameole,sameole.

Guyanese love fuh bash dem cheating man.Demquickfuhtelldemfren,“Girl,lef he! He nah worth it!” But when it come to politicians, dem seh, “Give dem another chance. Everybody mek mistakes.” Dem boys seh, if dem treat politicians like dem treat dem cheating man, maybe tings wouldachange.

Onetime,aladytelldemboys,“Islike we in an abusive relationship wid we politicians.Demkeeppromisingtochange, but dem never do.” She seh, “But we still hold on, hoping fuh better.” Dem boys seh shegotapoint.MaybeistimeGuyanesetek a stand. Maybe is time fuh stop forgiving andstartdemandingbetter

Tillthen,demboysgon’watchandwait. Because in Guyana, it look like de more tingschange,demoredemstaydesame. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

TRUTH, CANDOR, HONESTY, INTEGRITY NEED NOT FEAR NOR FLINCH

Truth has no exit strategy. PPP,PNC,orme,it doesn’tmatter. Whyshould it when there is nothing to challengeit,noonewhocan gainanyupperhandagainst it. There I stand. Honesty need not cower, has its own language, stands on its own strength. Candor is not something which should be bartered, not for money, not for political favours, not for spurious recognition and meaninglessaccoladesfrom bothhypocritesandshallow minded fiends. Say what must be said, and let integrity take it from there, echo with its own unchallengeable, infallible resonance. I try to live by these standards, be about

these attitudes and attributes. Sometimes I falter,slipastrideortwo,but regrouping and resurging follows from there. Onward andupward!

If I were to be any other way,besidestruthatmybest and candor regardless of who is involved, then I am notworthytooccupythisor any space. For then what would I be? More importantly,whowouldIbe andhowcanIfacemyselfin the mirror, represent something different before my peers (unethical ones), andlivewithmyself? When honesty is sparse and a matter of tricky political convenience, there is no difference between me and

s , contemporaries, who fill many public spaces. And when integrity is for prostitution before the highest bidder and the cheapest, dirtiest solicitor, thenthereisnoplacelower, nothingleftbutformetogo. Not just to pasture, but to somewhere beyond this pale.

Taking all the above undermywing,itiswhyan endorsement could have been made of PPP Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, and being among the earliest in line. This is despite the fact that the political opposition had itsownideasofwhatshould

be. Others may have cared enough to follow that line, but damned if that road would be traveled. PPP

Minister of Social Protection Dr. Vindya Persaud did some positives with her portfolio, and honestyandintegritywould not allow anything but a public bow to spirited efforts Of course, the opposite has come in for its shareofcausticcommentin thepublicdomain. Minister Persaud has been taken to task on more than one occasion with what I label old age pension book distribution weaknesses Whenthereisgood,wemust hail it, regardless of source; when the less than good is

the experience, then there is a different treatment for such developments. One moreshouldramthepointsI amputtingbeforemyfellow Guyanese. Whentheyoung and callow President Dr IrfaanAli waxed brightly at his inauguration about “transparency and accountability” I not only gavehimthespacetodeliver onhisattestation. Iheralded andhaloedhim. Tomyutter disgust, President Ali has since waned on delivering even the most limited r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o

accountability.” There has been applause and there has been acid, where PPP luminaries have been the men and women under the spotlight. Fair play and reasonableness demanded bothsidesofthatcoin.

Relative to the PNC and more recently the AFC, praise and punches have been similarly applied. It was that outstanding PPP figure, the Hon. Attorney GeneralAnil Nandlall, who noted something in the National Assembly of the Guyanese people. It was that ‘one GHK Lall had lashed his own PNC.’ A man bashing and thrashing his own because they deservedit. Itwasoneofthe occasions on which the erudite Mr Nandlall had it rightandsaiditright. Sodid PPP runners-up Joe Hamilton and Deodat Indar The record should be in the Hansard, once it has not been gamed. Aman cannot ask for better testimonials from those who have tried their best at other times to bring the same man (me) down with fake news and other slanders. To be fair and accurate, their Central Executive Committee membersdidthedirtywork.

The work goes on, and I thank them all from Bharrat Jagdeo to his closely held army of willing foot soldiers, and dirty tricks operators, for making me better Theymustremember this little standard: there are some who are happy to be found worthy in adversity Guess who numbers among those?

With all this as context, there is no hesitation, no difficulty, in informing Bharrat Jagdeo, or Aubrey Norton, or Nigel Hughes, when and where they are going wrong. The same goesfortheUSAmbassador and Exxon’s headman in Guyana. They have their priorities;Ihavewhatmeans the most to me: the welfare of Guyanese. From the Guyanese just named, (and the Yanks also) I expect, I hope, that they reciprocate the favour in my direction. If we can’t speak to truth whenourownareinvolved, then when can we? If I shrink from standing for principlewhenmybrothers, sisters, and leaders have erred, of what use am I do them? Or to myself, might be the more pertinent question. Even if there is notasingletakerinGuyana, thenIjusthavetotightenthe belt, lace shoes closer, and travel alone. Maybe, just maybe, a standard could be set, a humble example left, for those who come after to me. Who knows, Guyana couldbeabetterplace,with at least a different kind of fraternity in these public spaces.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)

WEEK-IN-REVIEW

Sunday

GuyanareceivedUS$1.4B ofUS$9.3Boilmoneyin first6monthsof2024

During the first six months of 2024, the Stabroek Block generated approximately US$9.3B in revenue of which US$1.4B wasdepositedtotheNatural Resource Fund (NRF), the country’soilaccount.

In a Notice published in the Official Gazette on Friday, as required by the NRF Act of 2021, the Ministry of Finance published the receipts of all petroleumrevenuespaidinto the Fund during second quarter of this year (March 29,2024toJune30,2024).

According to the Notice, atotalofUS$778Mwaspaid during the period Meanwhile, in the first quarter, Guyana received US$604M. This means the countryreceivedUS$1.4Bin thefirsthalfof2024fromthe total revenue of US$9.3B generated in the Stabroek Block.

Data on the Ministry of Natural Resources Petroleum Management Programmeindicatesthatoil production at the three projects averaged about 640,000 barrels per day (bpd). ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), the operator of the Stabroek Block has three Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels in operation- the Liza Destiny, Liza Unity and Prosperity

Atanaverageoilpriceof US$80 per barrel, the block generated US$51M per day, equivalent to US$9 3B duringthefirstsixmonthsof theyear

During the presentation ofthisyear’sBudget,Senior Minister in the Office of the P r e s i d e n t w i t h Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh revealed thattherewillbe202liftsof crude oil from the Stabroek Block, 25 of which are estimated for Government. With each lift being approximately one million barrels, Guyana’s entitlement this year is 25 millionbarrelsofcrude.

deducting costs to decommission a project if it h a s n o t y e t b e e n commissioned At the conclusion of his formal engagement with media representatives at Freedom House, Robb Street, Georgetown this newspaper showed theVice President a screenshot of CNOOC’s financials displaying the informationabove.

To this end, Jagdeo explained that the costs reflected were to cap the wells until production activities commence at the project.TheVPwasadamant that decommissioning wells was vastly different from decommissioning a project, since the latter involved the removal of the Floating Production, Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessels, amongothertechnicalsteps.

His interpretation of decommissioning was however dismissed by P e t r o l e u m a n d EnvironmentalEngineer,Dr VincentAdams.

activities are included in the development cost, rather thandecommissioning.

To this end, he argued, “This man gets up there and talks a lot of nonsense SometimesIhearallthetime he says stuff that he has no ideawhathe’stalkingabout. Hebluffshisway Hehasno idea.”

Furthermore, Dr Adams pointed out that the oil companies should not be deducting monies to decommission wells before the project commences productionactivities.

Notably,eachprojecthas anestimatedlifeofabout20 years.Three projects to date have been commissioned in the Stabroek Block, while the fourth development, Yellowtail is yet to come on stream; the project is expected to startup in 2025. In fact, the ‘One Guyana’ FPSO to operate the development has not even arrivedin-countryyet.

The Stabroek Block production sharing agreement(PSA)entitlesthe oilcompaniesto177million barrels or 177 lifts. These liftsincludecrudemostlyfor cost recovery, and some for profit oil. To this end, oil companies are projected to cart off with US$14B in oil revenue at an average oil priceofUS$80perbarrel.

The contract entitles Exxon to deduct 75% of the monthly revenues to offset its investments in the block. The remaining 25% is then shared with Guyana as profits meaning the country receives 12 5% and an additional2%asroyalty

ExxonMobiland partnersdeductedmonies todecommission4th project,yettostartup–2023Financials

In 2023, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) and the Stabroek Block partners billed Guyana U S $ 1 7 7 M f o r decommissioningorcleanup costs to restore the ocean floor, following its deepwater oil production activities.

Included in the decommissioning bill was money to decommission wells for the fourth project,

Consequently, earnings from the Government’s share of profit oil are estimatedatUS$2Bin2024, while royalty payments for the year are projected at US$319 9 million, taking total estimated oil revenue deposits to about US$2.3B for2024. This figure pales in comparison to the massive earningsofExxonMobiland its co-venturers in the StabroekBlock.

Yellowtail, which is yet to startproducingoil.Thiswas highlighted in CNOOC’s 2023 Annual Report obtainedbythisnewspaper

The document states, “During the period ended December 31, 2023, a d d i t i o n s t o decommissioning and restoration provisions include the cost for one new development well in Liza Phase 1, two new development wells in Liza Phase 2, sixteen new developmentwellsinPayara and ten new development wellsinYellowtailthatspud duringtheyear.”

The Chinese oil company was keen to note t h a t t h e t o t a l decommissioning and restoration provisions was estimated by ‘Management’

based on the Branch’s net ownership interest in all wells, estimated costs to “reclaim and abandon the wells and facilities” and the estimatedtimingofthecosts to be incurred in future periods.

When asked to address thisstateofaffairsduringhis weekly press conference on Thursday, the Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo refused to comment, since according to him, “I think it isnotaccurate.”

He however pointed out, “but if the project hasn’t

started as yet, my assumption is that you can’t deduct from it for decommissioningifithasn’t even been commissioned as yet.”

Jagdeo was clear that oil companies should not be

Adams, who previously headed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) told this newspaper that the VicePresident’sexplanation was misinformed and incorrect.

He explained that decommissioning is a process which takes place onlyuponcompletionofthe project “Capping and plugging is part of decommissioning which is what you do when you are doneproducingoilatawell. That’sasininetosayyouare decommissioning a well before you start producing from it,” the former EPA Headsaid.

While Jagdeo told this publication that the costs reflected in the financial statement was to cap the wells until production commences, the Petroleum Engineer noted that those

According to the companies’ financials seen by Kaieteur News ExxonMobil billed Guyana $10,857,314,009, while H e s

$

d CNOOC $11,393,140,000 for decommissioning in 2023.Intotal,thecompanies c

,

decommissioninglastyear

Monday

Guyanacouldface suspension,possible delistingfromEITI forfailingtoupdate oilreserves

Guyana,amemberofthe Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) since 2017, can face suspension and even delistingfromthebodyfor (Continuedonpage13)

Table showing deposits to the Natural Resource Fund during the second quarter of 2024

The ‘One Guyana’FPSO to operate theYellowtail project has not even arrived in-country yet.

Frompage12 failingtodisclosedataonthe country’s oil, gas or mineral reserves.

EITIisaglobalstandard that promotes the open and accountable management of oil, gas and mineral resources in member states.

Guyana became the 53rd EITI implementing country on25thOctober,2017.

The country is therefore expected to abide by the requirements and standards outlined to maintain its membership Notably, RequirementThreewhichis specific to exploration and production activities states that implementing countries and companies are expected to “disclose data on proven economicoil,gasormineral reserves,whereavailable.”

Meanwhile, further research conducted by this newspaper found that the countrycanbesuspendedfor failing to meet these requirements and principles oftheEITI.

Article 8 1 states, “Whereitismanifestlyclear that a significant aspect of theEITIPrinciplesandEITI Requirements are not a d h e r e d t o b y a n implementing country, the EITI Board will suspend or delistthecountry.”

WheretheEITIBoardis concerned that adherence to theEITIPrinciplesandEITI

R e q u i r e m e n t s i s compromised, it may task the EITI International Secretariat with gathering information about the situation and submitting a reporttotheEITIBoard.

Suspension of an implementing country is a temporary mechanism. The EITI Board shall set a time limit for the implementing country to address breaches oftheEITIStandard.

During the period of suspension, the country will havethestatus“suspended”. If the matter is resolved to the satisfaction of the EITI Board by the deadline, the country’s status and level of progress will be reinstated, however, if the matter has not been resolved to the satisfaction of the EITI Board by the deadline, the EITI Board will delist the country

Guyana was suspended temporarily by the EITI Board on 1 February 2023 forfailingtopublishits2020 EITI Report. Following the publication of the report on

June 30, 2023, the Secretariatinformedthatthe suspensionhadbeenlifted. Anew suspension could however be looming as the

government has kept citizensinthedarkregarding the oil reserves in the Stabroek Block, although the operator, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) has been cond

determine the value of its discoveries.

The last resource estimate in 2022 of the Stabroek Block determined that the country had approximately 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil reserves.

Since then, however, Exxon has announced an additionaleightdiscoveries.

President Irfaan Ali during a press conference last month at State House, Georgetown was asked by Kaieteur News to comment on the perceived lack of

petroleum sector by his government.

In response, the Head of State explained, “I can’t respond to perception, what factsareyoubringing?

Ifyouaresaying,thereis lackoftransparencywhereis the lack of transparency?” Notably, the President did not allow Kaieteur News to citespecificexamplesbuthe noted that he does not need toaddressmattersrelatingto the sector since the VP answersquestionsweeklyin thatregard.

After Ali pointed to the enactment of a new Petroleum Activities Act to govern the sector, the passageoftheLocalContent legislation, as well as the new Production Sharing Agreement(PSA)craftedby his government, Kaieteur News alerted the Head of State that the country is still in the dark on the interest rates being charged while therehasalsobeennoupdate to the Stabroek Block

reserves in two years. The President however maintained, “I don’t know that there’s a lack of transparency I can’t agree with you and I can say to you that all the revenue we have received is published accordingtolawandthereis remedy in the legislation if those revenues are not published.”

Meanwhile, the Head of State noted that work was ongoing to update the country’sreservesandwhen information in that regard becomesavailable,itwillbe sharedpublicly

He said, “Now in terms of the finds and the commercial viability, that is ongoing work and as the information becomes available, whatever information is there that becomes available will be sharedpublicly

You can rest assure we

withholding the updated oil reserves from the public as this would lead to more public pressure for a renegotiationofthe2016oil dealwithExxon.

DespiteGovt.’sreal-time monitoringofproduction datafromExxon,public stillfacedwithdelayed updates

The Government of Guyana(GoG)nowhasrealtime monitoring of production activities ongoing in the prolific StabroekBlock,byoilgiant, ExxonMobil. Despite this new development however, as announced on Thursday by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo,thepubliccontinues to face delays in accessing thisinformation.

Two years ago, in August, following intense pressure by transparency activists for the release of production data by the company, the Ministry of Natural Resources directed this newspaper to the Petroleum Management Programme’s Data Centre, where Exxon’s production datawasupdatedmonthly Notably, the website offers data regarding the number of barrels produced at the Liza One and Liza Two, Payara projects in the Stabroek Block, as well as the daily reported injected gas, flared gas and gas used for fuel. It also gives an overviewontheBrentCrude prices and the amount of waterproducedandinjected.

have no interest in not revealing the reserves that we have because we want more persons to be attracted ” While the President has committed to revealing the updated reserves,as thiswould bein the best interest of the country,thegovernmenthas refusedtoprovidethepublic with recent data in that regard although Exxon has publicly revealed that appraisal activities are ongoing to determine the viabilityoftheresourcesthat have been discovered to date The last resource estimate in 2022 of the Stabroek Block determined that the country had approximately 11 billion barrels of recoverable oil reserves Since then, however, Exxon has announced an additional eight discoveries Stakeholdersbelievethatthe government is deliberately

Environmental and transparency activists have been relentlessly stressing the need for such data to be shared with the public and more so, be updated in a timely fashion to avoid altering of information These key production data arecriticaltostakeholdersto keepthegovernmentandthe operator of the Stabroek Blockaccountable.

The data on the portal, presented on graphs- which nodoubtposesachallengeto the ordinary citizen to interpret- are often updated belatedly each month. This newspaper has been highlighting the delayed sharingofinformationbythe Ministry for several months now Notably, citizens expected that with daily reports now being accessed by the Ministry, the public would have access to more timely information on the sectoraswell.Thishowever has not been the case. On Sunday,KaieteurNews (Continuedonpage52)

Map showing a few of the discoveries made to date by ExxonMobil in Guyana’s Stabroek Block

Driver of car in Linden-Soesdyke accident was speeding - Police

TheGuyanaPoliceForce and Emergency Unit for the front of the lorry was Mommy need yuh home (GPF) on Saturday said that observation; her condition is damaged. daddy!!” Carlyle Hunte, the driver of regarded as stable,” police It is unclear whether the The distraught woman the motorcar that collided said. driver of the lorry was said, “Last thing you said to with a lorry on Friday Police said too that a injured. me was ‘I can’t help you run afternoon on the Soesdyke-

a the shop today ah gah go get Linden Highway killing him Prosecution’ was prepared Facebook post, Hunte’s the car number plate’ and his 9-year-old grandson, and served on the lorry daughter Coshana Hunte owwww father owww yuh Malique Roberts was driver, who remains in described her father as a did so much for everybody speeding. In a statement to custody lovingandcaringfather especially us! Always the media, police reported

“Everybody thought my laughing & joking with that the driver of the lorry, understands that Hunte, at childwasmylittlesisterhow everybody even when youre

d the time of the accident, was this man always get my baby not well. Daddy owwwww investigators that he saw driving a dark blue car and up under him. This man ma belly bottom heavy Hunte’scarproceedingsouth was reportedly heading to literally takes care of his heavy how ah scream so about 17:25h. Hunte was and were taken out of the at a fast rate. “Enquiries Linden from Georgetown. grandchildren & they love much cause yuh never accompanied by his three vehicle by public-spirited disclosed that the driver of Videos of the aftermath each other so much daddy walked out our lives or give grandchildren, Roberts and citizens. They were taken to the lorry was proceeding showed the car’s engine owwwwwwww Malia need up on us!! How I saw you twoothers,aged10and12. the Linden Hospital north along the western side along with other debris her morning walks with you yesterday was the first time I T h e d r i v e r t o l d Complex, where they were of the Soesdyke/Linden scattered along the highway daddy!!!!! Telya & Tyrell ever saw you take defeat & investigatorsthatheswerved examinedbydoctors. Highway, in the vicinity of and that the car was need you right now to lend didn’t fight your way out westwards to avoid a “Malique Roberts and Kairuni, when he noticed the

destroyed completely while your comforting words! Papaowwww.” collisionwiththecar,butdue CarlHuntewerepronounced car proceeding south along to the short distance, the car deadonarrival.The10-year- theeasternsideoftheroadat (BMS #4) collided with the old was treated and sent a fast rate. As the car rightsideofhislorry Thecar away, while the 12-year-old approached him, the driver toppled several times and was referred to Georgetown allegedly lost control and ended up on the eastern side Public Hospital, where she ended up on the western oftheroad. was further seen and drivinglaneandintothepath Asaresult,theoccupants examinedbydoctorsonduty oftheLorry.” and driver received injuries and admitted to theAccident

The accident occurred at

Private Sector Commission establishes Illicit Trade Desk

The Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Saturday said that it has established an Illicit Trade Desk (Desk) to address issues related to unfair tradingpractices,smuggling, uncustomed goods, and counterfeitproducts.

The Desk will be housed at the Commission’s headquarters on Waterloo Street,Georgetown.

“Itisopentoanymember ofthepublic,andcomplaints can be made in person, by telephone, or by sending an email to the Commission.

Once complaints are received, the Commission will forward them to the relevant law enforcement agenciesforaction,”thePSC said.

Illicittradeisacrimethat involves counterfeiting, tax evasion, and the smuggling of consumer products. Key items susceptible to illicit trade include highly taxable commodities such as t o b a c c o , a l c o h o l , pharmaceuticals, designer apparel and footwear, and wildlife. The scope of illicit The Commission said it their long-term profitability trade is extensive, and understands that “addressing Employment opportunities, products sold illegally or this issue requires a business stability, and unregulated pose serious collaborative effort between economic growth are also at h e a l t h c o n c e r n s t o public and private partners stake. In doing our part, we consumers Despite these and is committed to will continue to collaborate implications, the crime providing resources to w i t h t h e r e l e v a n t persists, affecting legitimate strengthen public and law stakeholders, and the business operators and enforcement agencies to Commission intends to impacting the safety and addressthescourge”. continue raising awareness well-beingofcitizens. Meanwhile, Chairman of on this matter via public

Additionally, the lack of the PSC, Mr Komal Singh, awarenessprogrammes.” r

Personswithinformation enforcement agents remains continues to erode the or complaints related to a critical hindrance in competitiveness of our local activities they suspect to be accelerating the fight against businesses, distributors, and illicit trade can contact the this crime, as they are faced traders Many of our Commission via email withsolvingmorehigh-level members are losing market office@psc org gy or crimes. share,whichdirectlyimpacts telephone225-5347.

Scenes from the accident.

9-year-old

Malique Roberts Dead: Carlyle Hunte

Guyana Centre for Civic Engagement hosts largest graduation from YOUthEngage592 Leadership Program

The Guyana Centre

(GyCCE) celebrated a milestonewiththegraduation of its largest cohort from the Y O U t h E

g e 5 9 2 LeadershipTrainingProgram.

The ceremony, held at the AbramZuilSecondarySchool auditorium, honoured 43 studentsand11teachersfrom six secondary schools in Region Two, including the Anna Regina, Abram Zuil, Charity, Johanna Cecilia, Cotton Field, and Aurora SecondarySchools.

The YOUthEngage592 LeadershipTrainingProgram, fundedbytheU.S.Embassyin Guyana, is designed to cultivate a new generation of civic-minded leaders. Over the past three months, participants engaged in intensive training focused on civic engagement, voting education,conflictresolution, and project planning The programculminatedwitheach ofthesevengroupsexecuting

a civic engagement project, showcasing their newly acq

kills and commitment to community service.

Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma MohamedMartin,deliveredaninspiring keynoteaddress,emphasizing the transformative power of leadership "Good leaders recognize other leaders and work together There must be r

R

m

er, someoneislookingatyouand aspiring to be you," she said, encouraging the graduates to view this achievement as the beginning of their leadership journey.

Adrienne Galanek, DeputyChiefofMissionatthe U.S. Embassy, congratulated the graduates and highlighted theopportunitiesavailablefor young people to expand their knowledge and contribute to their communities. Quoting John F Kennedy, she remindedthem,"Asknotwhat (Continuedonpage57)

Agroup photograph of graduates and senior officials including U.S.Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot (seated centre) and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Guyana, Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin (seated third right).

President Deodat Persaud hands over a certificate to a participant.

Young Entrepreneur, Dequawn Vancooten

An inside view of Heliconia Tavern

Guyanese author

poet,

Makeda K. Braithwaite

Elizabe t h 'Liz' Ally Elizabe t h 'Liz' Ally

MeettheabsolutelystunningElizabeth'Liz'Ally.Lizdescribesherselfasadrivenindividual,whoispassionate fitness,beautyandwellness.Liziscurrentlypursuingadegreeinnutritionalongsideasuccessfulcareerin banking.Beyondherprofessionalpursuits,thisweek'sbeautyfindsjoyinexploringnewplacesthrough travelandnature.Liz'sjourneyisguidedbyaprofoundfaithencapsulatedinthequote,"Icandoall thingsthroughChristJesuswhostrengthensme."Withabalancedfocusonacademic,professional, andpersonalgrowth,Lizexemplifiesresilienceanddeterminationinherpursuitofholisticsuccess.

LESSONS FROM HURRICANE BERYL

BySirRonaldSanders

Everyone’s heart should cry out for the people of Union Island, Carriacou, St. Vincent, Grenada, and parts ofJamaica,St.Lucia,andthe fisherfolkofBarbados,allof whomsufferedgreatlyunder Hurricane Beryl’s severe blow On Union Island and Carriacou, the destruction was particularly vicious, leaving residents lost and helpless, with their homes andlivelihoodsdestroyed.

It is crucial for every government worldwide to recognize that these suffering individuals are not the architects of their misfortune.Therootcauseis climate change, driven by governmentsthatcontinueto emit massive amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere These emissions have created and perpetuatetheconditionsfor climate change, including the extreme warming of the seas. In other words, the peoplesufferinginthesefive Caribbean countries are victimsofacrisiscreatedby others.

It is akin to having their cars parked safely in their garages, only for huge trucks, belonging to strangers, to intrude and crush them In such circumstances, the law should mandate adequate compensation However, international law, including international humanitarian law,hasyettobedesignedto providesuchcompensation.

Continuing with the analogy, individuals whose cars are damaged by the recklessbehaviourofathird party may be able to secure benefits if their property is insured However, two essential points must be considered First, no insurance company will insure any property that is repeatedly damaged under similar circumstances Second, with each claim, insurance premiums escalate, putting such insurance beyond the reach

of affected individuals.As a result, small and mediumsized businesses find it difficult,ifnotimpossible,to rebuild, leading to unemployment, expanded poverty, and intense hardship for vulnerable groupssuchassingleparents and their children

Furthermore, government revenues are reduced due to lower tax and fee payments at a time when expenditures increase to cope with displaced persons and the rebuilding of both physical andsocialinfrastructure.

An Associated Press report in the New York Times on July 11, 2024, indicates that insurers are significantly raising rates in responsetoHurricaneBeryl. This development follows a six-year trend of steadily increasing insurance premiumsascompaniesface enormousrisksfromclimate change. According to the New York Times article, effective homeowner insurance rates surged by double digits for most insurance companies in 2023. If the impacts of climate change continue to escalate, it will become increasingly difficult for homeowners and businesses to maintain insurance or rebuildafterdisasters.

HurricaneBerylhasalso created“climaterefugees”in the Caribbean again. Many affected individuals have been forced to evacuate to otherpartsoftheirrespective unitarystates,requiringtheir upkeep by governments whose resources are already stretched. Similar situations occurred in Antigua and Barbuda in 2017 with Hurricane Irma and in the Bahamas in 2019 with HurricaneDorian.

Antigua and Barbuda and the Bahamas, with limited help from internationalinstitutionsand no structured response from major polluting countries, had to manage burdensome situationsasbesttheycould, including by seeking

assistancefromafewwilling friendly nations. Similarly, the Caribbean countries impactedbyBerylwillneed tobecreativeincopingwith the considerable challenges they face. They will also desperatelytrytoavoidlastresort borrowing from the InternationalMonetaryFund (IMF), whose policymakers impose harsh lending conditions.

The governments of countries that are major contributors to climate change are keen to keep all discussions related to climate financing, including compensation for loss and damage, within the confines of the annual Conference of theParties(COP).However, developing countries, especially those in vulnerable areas such as the Caribbean and Central

America, have be

n disappointed with the outcomes of COP meetings, where delivery often falls short of the pledges made. T

d operationalization of the “loss and damage fund” finally agreed upon at COP 28.

C o n s e q u e n t l y , developing countries, includingsmallislandstates, have had to turn to international law to try to curb climate change and its impacts and to seek redress for the losses and damage they suffer Chile and Colombia,forexample,have sought an advisory opinion on“ClimateEmergencyand Human Rights” from the Inter-American Court of HumanRights.Additionally, the Commission of Small Island States has secured an advisory opinion from the InternationalTribunalforthe LawoftheSea,whichwarns that human-induced increases in the planet’s temperature, including its oceans, directly impact the occurrence of more extreme and recurrent natural disasters.

Further, at the initiative

of Vanuatu, the United Nations General Assembly

adopted a landmark resolution on March 29, 2023, requesting the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an advisory opinion on States’ obligations regarding climate change under international law This request aims to clarify the responsibilities of States to protect the climate system

from anthropogenic greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for both present and future generations. The ICJhasgrantedthishearing, and the process is currently underway

It is unfortunate that a matterofsuchgraveconcern

to small countries, persistently and severely impacting the lives and

livelihoods of their p e o p l e , h a s become divisive

After all, it is the major contributors to climate change, p a r t i c u l a r l y t h r o u g h greenhouse gas emissions, whose actions or lack thereof repeatedly impactareassuchasCentral AmericaandtheCaribbean.

g

There should be a more sympathetic and proactive approach to supporting countriesaffectedbyclimate change. While small islands aretheworstaffected,larger mainland countries are not immune,asHurricaneBeryl has clearly demonstrated The politics of addressing climate change must shift t o w a r d s g e n u i n e

nd cooperation If not, the conditionsofourplanetwill progressively worsen, leaving a trail of decimated countriesintheirwake–one aftertheother

(The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the US and the OAS. The views expressed are entirely his own Responses and previous commentaries: www.sirronaldsanders.com)

Sir Ronald Sanders

By Rennie P

Talking Dollars & Making Sense: Talking Dollars & Making Sense: Transforming Your Idea into a Viable Business

Welcomebackto Talking insufficientpresenceoflocal business approach as the competitors and their effectively addresses and convenient pickup and Dollars & Making Sense! In art in public spaces. By

this two-part series, we’ll

offerings by visiting their satisfiesmarketdemands.

e highlighting the importance stores and checking their

During the Guyana professionals and supported dive deep into transforming envisioned a technology of validating ideas through online presence. Examine Innovation Prize business by a strong personal your idea into a viable platform that connects local

bootcamp, FineArt.gy network. However, initial business within the context artists with potential buyers, interaction. weaknesses, customer identified their target market funding challenges and of Guyana. Whether you targeting corporate clients 2 Conducting Market reviews, pricing, and unique as corporate clients, such as skipping a feasibility study have a budding idea or are andretailconsumerslooking Research selling points. Understand new hotels and restaurants, were obstacles that kept the s

g f o r to integrate local art into Market research is their marketing strategies who are keen on showcasing business from growing at a inspiration, this series will theirartcollection. crucial to understand your and customer service local culture. Understanding rapid pace. If the necessary provide practical steps and Full-Service Laundromat target market, competition, approach to identify gaps thisneedallowedFineArt.gy investments are made in the local examples to guide you The idea for the Full- and the feasibility of your and opportunities where to tailor their offerings to business there is great on your entrepreneurial Service Laundromat came to idea. Here’s how you can your business can stand out meetthesespecificdemands, potential to expand and journey Tamara during a visit to the conduct effective market andoffersomethingbetter ensuring alignment with adopt new technologies, Part 1: Ideation and U.S. in 2017, where she researchinGuyana: FineArt.gy’s competitors marketrequirements. catering to the convenience MarketResearch experienced the convenient Identify Your Target are art collectives and SWOTAnalysis market Yet, increasing 1 Identifying and services of laundromats Market businesses that sell to their Conducting a SWOT

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preferences, and Every successful demand for time-saving customer by considering However, FineArt gy’s Weaknesses, Opportunities economic fluctuations are business starts with a solid services in Guyana, Tamara age, gender, income, blend of art and technology and Threats) is crucial for threatstothebusiness. idea. However, an idea alone introduced a similar concept lifestyle, and buying set them apart, emphasizing

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i m p o r t a n c e o f business. It helps identify researching and refining refined and aligned with Validation demographics to understand differentiation in a internal and external factors your business idea, you lay a market needs. Here’s how Discuss your idea with their needs and preferences. competitivemarket. affecting success, guiding strong foundation for your youcanstart: trusted friends, family, and Use tools like surveys to Understand Market Needs business planning and v

Brainstorming and mentors to gather diverse gather data. Create detailed Gather data usi

installment, we’ll explore Inspiration perspectives. Create surveys customer personas to surveys, interviews, and recognizing these elements, the steps to developing a L

visualize your target focus groups Tools like businesses can leverage c

u e Identify common problems interviews to get feedback audience. This helps tailor G o o g l e F

proposition and creating a or unmet needs in your frompotentialcustomers.Be your marketing strategies SurveyMonkey facilitate

e i z e robust business model. Feel community, such as a lack of open to suggestions and use and product offerings to this process. Analyze the opportunities, and mitigate free to reach out at convenient services or this input to refine your effectively meet their responses to identify risks, ultimately ensuring a talkingdollarsgy@gmail co specific product demands. concept. specific needs and attract the customer pain points, m

m with your thoughts, Think about your passions Additionally, test your rightcustomers. preferences, and unmet competitiveoperation. questions,andstories. and interests—what do you ideaon a smallscale,such as The Full-Service needs. Use these insights to Tamara’s Full-Service Stay tuned and keep love doing that could solve a pop-up event or pilot Laundromat,locatedonNew tailor your product or Laundromat excels in p u s h i n g t h o s e these issues? Engage with programme, to gauge M

customer service, with entrepreneurialboundaries! community members to interest and make necessary conceptualized to solve the gatherideasandfeedback. adjustments based on real- problem of time constraints Brainstorming with: worldresponses. faced by busy professionals. FineArt.gy Initially, Sade’s idea Upon conducting research For Sade, the idea for wasn’t thoroughly tested, usingGoogleForms,Tamara FineArt.gy was born from howevershewasfortunateto identified the need for mergingherskillsasanartist get selected for The Guyana convenient laundry services, and as a technologist. While Innovation Prize business particularly for those who working at Intellect Storm, a bootcamp where Sade prefer to spend their time on technology start-up, Sade validatedherideaandgained family or career rather than realized that there was a lack the skills to operate her chores. of market access for new business. Sade realized the Analyze the Competition artists and there was need for a more structured I

Algeria

Algeria, officially People’s Democratic Republic ofAlgeria, is a country, in North Africa with an area: 919,590 sq mi (2,381,741 sq km). The population (2024 est.) is 46,839,000 and the capital is called Algiers. Most of the population is ethnically and linguistically Arab, with a large Amazigh minority However, there are several languages spoken including, Arabic (official), Tamazight (national), French. Most Algerians the western portion of the Sahara, are Islam (official; predominantly which stretches across North Sunni) The currency is the Africa. Algerian dinar Algeria has the History largestlandareaonthecontinentof After achieving independence, Africa. thecountrynationalizedmuchofits Geography economy but since the 1980s has rule. Popular protest French rule country is ethnically Arab, though mountainous area east of Algiers, The coastline has numerous privatized parts of the economy resultedinthebloodyAlgerianWar most Algerians are descendants of form the largest group Other bays, and the country’s rivers are Algeria is a multiparty republic (1954–61); independence was ancient Amazigh groups who Amazigh groups are the Shawia small and seasonal with two legislative achievedfollowingareferendumin mixed with various invading (Chaouïa),wholiveprimarilyinthe Northern Algeri bodies;itsheadofstate 1962.Beginningintheearly1990s, peoplesfromtheArabMiddleEast, AurèsMountains;theM¾zabites,a mountainous and the president, and Islamic fundamentalist opposition southern Europe, and sub-Saharan sedentary group descended from crossed from east t s h e a d o f to secular rule led to an outbreak in Africa. Arab invasions in the 8th the9th-centuryIbâ to west by the government is civil violence between the army and 11th centuries brought only îfollowersof¿Abdal-Ra%mân AtlasMountains; t h e p r i m e and various Islamic extremist limited numbers of new people to ibn Rustam, who inhabit the its highest point, m i n i s t e r . groups. the region but resulted in the northern edge of the desert; and the elevation 7,638

Phoenician Plant and animal life extensive Arabization and Tuareg nomads of the Saharan ft (2,328 m), is traders settled Natural vegetation patterns Islamization of the indigenous Ahaggar region. Nearly all the Mount Chélia. In there early in generally follow the country’s Amazigh population. Some one- Europeansettlers—mainlyFrench, c e n t r a l a n d t h e f i r s t north-south climatic gradient, and fifth of theAlgerians now consider Italian, and Maltese nationals, who southernAlgeria is millennium BCE; elevation produces additional themselves Amazigh, of whom the formed a sizable minority in the muchofthenorthern veral centuries variations All vegetation in Kabyle Imazighen (plural of colonial period — have left the Sahara. Algeria has r the Romans Algeria, where all areas are subject Amazigh), occupying the country developing economy invaded, and by 40 to some seasonal aridity, is based primarily on the CE they had control characteristically droughtproduction and export of the Mediterranean resistant.Forestscoveronlyabout2 of petroleum and coast. percent of the entire land area and naturalgas.

The fall of Rome in the 5th are found primarily in the lessLand century led to an invasion by the accessiblemountainregions,where Algeria is bounded to the east Vandals and later to a reoccupation remnants of evergreen forests by Tunisia and Libya; to the south by the Byzantine (Eastern Roman) remain on the moister slopes by Niger, Mali, and Mauritania; to Empire.

Dominated by holm oak, cork oak, the west by Morocco and Western The Islamic invasion began in and conifers such as juniper, the Sahara (which has been virtually the 7th century; by 711 all of forests today contain only limited incorporated by the former); and to northern Africa was under the patches of economically valuable thenorthbytheMediterraneanSea. control of the caliphs of the cedar Much of the entire Tell It is a vast country—the largest in Umayyad dynasty Several Islamic region in the north was once Africa and the 10th largest in the Amazigh empires followed, most coveredwithwoodland,butmostof world—that may be divided into prominently the Almoravid (c this has been replaced by a poor two distinct geographic regions. 1054–1130), which extended its maquis scrubland consisting of The northernmost, generally domain to Spain, and the Almohad evergreen, often aromatic, hardknown as the Tell, is subject to the (c.1130–1269). leaved shrubs and low trees that moderating influences of the The Barbary Coast pirates include laurel, rosemary, and Mediterranean and consists largely menaced Mediterranean trade for thyme. On limestone and poorer of the Atlas Mountains, which centuries; their raids served as a soils, however, maquis degenerates separate the coastal plains from the pretext for France to enter Algeria into garigue (or garrigue), a lowsecond region in the south. This in 1830. By 1847 France had growingshrubassociationofgorse, southern region, almost entirely established military control over lavender,andsage. desert, forms the majority of the most of the region and by the late Ethnic groups country’sterritoryandissituatedin 19th century had instituted civil More than three-fourths of the

The Garden Hamma

Algerian Flag

Algerian Coat of Arms

Notre-Dame d’Afrique

Algerian foods

Avril Lavigne Appointed to the Order of Canada

The Canadian superstar has been given one of the country’s highest honours, in the same month as she’s released her first greatest hits compilation album of fan favourites,accompaniedbyatoursetforAugust.

Pop star was named to the Order of Canada, a civilian honour that recognizes outstanding achievements and contributions to the country Lavigne was announced by Governor General Mary Simon yesterday, amongst a list of 83 new appointees that includes scientists, economists, poetsandactivists.

Lavigne’sappointmentnoticehighlightsherimpressive commercialandartisticachievements,aswellashercharity work. “With over 50 million albums sold worldwide, she paved the way for female-driven punk-rock music and continues to do so today,” the notice reads, going on to mention her support of individuals living with disabilities andseriousillnessesthroughtheAvrilLavigneFoundation.

Lavigne is one of Canada’s best-selling artists, with ten Junoawardstohername.

The Order of Canada appointment comes as Lavigne is celebrating her successes with Greatest Hits, a new compilationreleasedJune21featuringplatinumsingleslike “Complicated” and “Sk8er Boi” as well as her Billboard Hot100No.1“Girlfriend.”

The Canadian icon is also taking her hits on the road withamajortour,whichkickedoffinVancouverinMayand begins its second leg in Toronto onAugust 12, with a soldoutScotiabankArenashow.

Beyond the charts, Lavigne helped pave the way for a punk-inspired vision of girlhood in the early 2000s, when most female pop stars were embracing a more traditionally feminineimage.Lavigne’sbrashattitudeandwhitetanktop and tie combo cemented her as an icon for a generation of Canadiankids.

ThatinfluencehasbeenrecognizedoflatewithLavigne receiving recognition from Hollywood’s Walk of Fame in 2022,Canada’sWalkofFamein2023andnowtheOrderof Canada.

Lavigne wasn’t the only musician recognized by the Order of Canada this week. Montreal singer-songwriter Daniel Lavoie was named an Officer of the Order, as were percussionist Beverley Johnston and conductor Kent Nagano.

Avril Lavigne

Makeda K. Braithwaite releases new poetry collection: ‘Go Fish: Go in De Pack’

By Darren Hinds

she credits them as her first Shop Round the Bend, in the to it for a number of years teachersandcritics. Hugo-award winning Fiyah after she graduated. This

The latest work of She went on to attend the Literary Magazine Summer perhaps explains the variety talented and well established UniversityofGuyana,where Issue of that year It was of topics covered in the Guyanese author and poet, she acquired a degree in fitting that the young, work,whichisthefactorthat Makeda K. Braithwaite, is a English Literature, and Guyanese poet would step makes the collection so collection of poems that proceeded to embark on a onto the scene with a short interesting,asthereissureto covers an impressive range number of professional storyaboutGuyaneseculture besomethingforeveryoneto ofsubjects. endeavours, the most recent andcuisine. identify with between those

Makeda K. Braithwaite is an accomplished and experienced writer, whose literary journey truly began during her time in secondary school.

With the absence of a of which is her role as From that point, pages. specific theme to restrict the Submissions Editor at the Braithwaite continued to There are seven sections emotionally impactful and peopleenjoyitandreviewit. content, the St Joseph’s award-winning American master her craft, becoming to the collection: the first relatable, and Braithwaite Oh,andbuyit!” High School alumna is free speculative magazine; more intentional with her deals with love; the second saysthatherfavoritepiecein M

tospeakhermindonanarray Uncanny It is during these writing and paying more w i t h c o n t e m p o r a r y the collection is one titled Makeda K. Braithwaite will ofsevendifferentbutequally professional experiences attention to detail in terms of globalization and the ‘Hymns’ from that very continue to build upon her interesting topics. As such, that Braithwaite says she thestructureofherworks. afterbirth of colonialism; the section “‘Hymns’ is my already solid portfolio, as the name of this collection, encountered her other two Now, with the release of fifth considers the favourite piece and the last she is set to release a science Go Fish: Go in De Pack mentors: the late Professor Go Fish: Go in De Pack on awkwardness of ageing in poemofthecollection.Itwas fiction short story, Water th seems to be a witty nod to its Funso Aiyejina, who was a June6 ofthisyear,thisstage your twenties; the fourth writtentheverynightIfound Weight, as part of an diversityandrange. prolific, award-winning ofthepoet’sevolutionseems explores the disappointment out a very, very close family anthology that features The 26-year-old poet is writer and Professor at to be complete, as this work of heartbreak; the fifth deals friend passed away It was prominent international an accomplished and University of the West is a compilation of poems with the idea of womanhood written in anger, in grief, in writers such as Wole Talabi experienced writer, whose Indies, St. Augustine; and that spans the formative and the cost of it; the sixth is pain and denial,” the author andEugenBacon. literary journey truly began Eugenia Triantafyllou, who yearsofheryoungadultlife. steeped in the world of the saidofthepoem. Go Fish: Go in De Pack during her time in secondary is an internationally Braithwaite says that she speculative;andthefinalone When asked what she is currently available in school, when she began to nominated author with a began working on this explores the realm of death intended to achieve with the digital format on Amazon write fan fiction literature, prolific list of publications. collection when she was in andtheheavinessofgrief. release of this project, and physical copies will be eventually venturing into She connected with them sixth form of secondary For many readers, that Braithwaite gave a true available in local bookstores original work and poetry throughdifferentmentorship school, and continued to add final section may be both artist’sresponse:“Ijusthope bytheendofAugust. writing. programmes.

She speaks fondly of her She says her writing English teacher, Ms greatly benefited from MichelleCummings,andthe Aiyejina, due to his support that she provided to meticulous critique, and her while she studied at St. from Triantafyllou, she says Joseph’s High School she acquired an incredible However, the seeds of her amount of knowledge about love for literature were sown thepublishingindustry much earlier, as she relates These experiences all that she recognizes four core culminated in the 2022 mentors in her life, with her release of the author’s first parents being two of them; published work, The Pastry

Makeda K. Braithwaite’s latest publication is a collection of poems that covers an impressive range of subjects.

Alec Baldwin’s Rust trial dismissed

Actor: Alec Baldwin

over hidden evidence

however, that they should whyaretheydangerous? The evidence came to including authorities who have been shared with Mr Getty Images The light on Thursday, when a ledthecaseandMrKenney Baldwin’s defence team Baldwins hug in courtGetty crime-scene technician told Towards the end of the regardless. Images the court that a man named

“The state’s wilful

The actor embraced his Troy Teske, a retired police prosecutors leading the case withholding of this tearfulwife,Hilaria,incourt officer, had turned over live - Kari Morrissey - took the information was intentional Mr Baldwin, best known ammunition that could be stand to testify about the and deliberate,” she said for his role on the NBC relatedtothecase. bulletsand why they weren’t from the bench. “There is no sitcom 30 Rock and for Mr Teske is friends with shared with the defence. It’s wayforthecourttorightthis portraying DonaldTrump on the step-father of Hannah remarkably rare for a wrong.” sketch show Saturday Night Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s prosecutortotestifyinacase Prosecutors will not be Live, wept as the judge read armourerwhowasconvicted they bring about their role in able to lodge the charge from a lengthy statement of involuntary manslaughter theinvestigation.

Alec Baldwin broke evidence-abatchofbullets- againstBaldwinagain,asthe detailing her reasons for the earlierthisyear Ms Morrissey testified down in tears as a New that could have been judge did not rule the case a dismissal. His wife, Hilaria, He was working with the ammunition had “no Mexico judge dismissed the connectedtotheshooting. mistrial, but instead outright covered her mouth. Other Seth Kenney, who helped evidentiary value” from her involuntary manslaughter A key aspect of the case dismisseditwithprejudice. members of his family cried with props and ammunition perspective. While on the case against him for a fatal h a s b e e n h o w l i v e “It was the nuclear andsmiled. onthefilmset. stand, she said that her coshooting on the set of the ammunition ended up on the option. The case is over,” The actor hugged his From the first day in prosecutor, Erlinda Ocampo filmRust. set and Mr Baldwin’s Los Angeles trial attorney lawyers then embraced his court: Baldwin ‘played Johnson, resigned on Friday

The trial collapsed three lawyers have questioned the JoshuaRittertoldtheBBC. wife, who was seated behind make-believe’withgun as the judge weighed to days into Baldwin’s trial in investigation and mistakes How events unfolded him. They walked out hand- Who was Halyna dismissthecase. SantaFe,atacourtjustmiles made by authorities who after fatal shooting on Alec in-hand through a tunnel of Hutchins? Sh

d Ms from where Halyna processedthescene. Baldwin’sRustfilmset press into a black vehicle After the judge sent the Johnson “didn’t agree with H u t c h i n s , a Their motion to dismiss What are the rules for without answering any jury home on Friday, the the decision to have a public cinematographer, was shot sparked a remarkable set of gunsonfilmsets? questions or making any court heard from a series of hearing” over the evidence with a revolver that Mr events, with one of the two What are prop guns and comments. witnesses about the bullets, claims. Baldwin was using in special prosecutors leading rehearsals. thecaseresigning,andJudge It is the second time the Mary Marlowe Sommer case against the actor has dismissing the jury to hear been dismissed since the frommultiplewitnesses. October 2021 shooting. He T h e b u l l e t s , M r willnotbetriedagain. Baldwin’slawyersaid,could “There are too many be related to Ms Hutchins’ people who have supported death, but were filed in a me to thank just now,” Mr differentcasewithadifferent Baldwin wrote on Instagram number on Saturday “To all of you, Prosecutors argued the you will never know how ammunition was not much I appreciate your connectedtothecaseanddid kindnesstowardmyfamily.” not match bullets found on His lawyers alleged theRustset. police and prosecutors hid The judge ruled,

Burna Boy ‘Disrespected’ Steel Pulse At Summer Jam Festival, Says The Reggae Band’s Guitarist

(Dancehall Mag) entourage, had demanded Music,” the guitarist noted that Burna and his team’s Nigerian Afrobeats additional dressing rooms on a World A Reggae Post style and behaviour were superstar Burna Boy has and attempted to displace aboutthefestival. unbecoming, did not align comeunderfirefromReggae Steel Pulse to accommodate “Summerjam why do with the ethos of Reggae,

f

ly histeam. you have a full security team andoughtnottobetolerated. disrespecting Grammy “Burna Boy and security that think they can come in “I hope that these Award-winning Reggae crew fully disrespected us and bully people? Who the Legendary reggae festivals band St

Pulse by @steelpulseofficial, trying hell does @burnaboy think realize that this can’t be a attempting to force them out to kick us out of our dressing he is? And because of us part of the reggae culture. of their dressing room at the room so he could have 4 refusing to leave, the That’sBabylonbusiness.We recently held Reggae dressing rooms for his security team proceeded to don’t treat people like that. Summer Jam Festival in massive entourage. Selwyn buildabarricadeofablacked Please recognize this Germany Brown, original member of out chain linked fence that becauseSteelPulsewasfully The uproar began after SteelPulse,waslividandour splitthehallwaybetweenour

Steel Pulse singer and team stood our ground and dressing room and his promotes Peace, Love, guitarist David “Electric” told them to beat it and you dressing room making it feel

Unity...stand up for your Hinds shared on Instagram can’t do that to people, like we were in prison or rights,wemustnevergiveup that Burna Boy, who arrived especially to a band that has something,”headded. the fight #reggaemusic,” he at the festival with a large paved the way for Reggae Electric also declared added.

Clash of the chutney singers

- Promoter and chutney artiste in war of words on social media

Social media was hot as Founder and reimbursementfromthemoneypaidtoher owner of Fire Fest Productions, Mahindra Savita Singh, meanwhile, on Sunday in Ramkellawan accused Chutney singer Savita the comment section of a Facebook post, Singhofbeinga“fraud”forfailingtoperform shared a TikTok video from the event where at the ‘Clash of the Titans’ event in Guyana heavy showers can be seen falling at 3:45 am National Stadium on June 22nd. In a social inthemorningalongwithemptychairs. media post, Ramkellawan said that Singh, On Monday, Singh posted an official through her manager, refused to perform due statement on her Facebook page. The singer to“thenaturaldisaster”.Theeventtookplace said that she has visited and performed in from 7:00 pm to 4:00 am. According to Guyana on countless occasions, without Ramkellawan, who is also a Chutney singer, issue. She is accusing Ramkellawan of due to the weather, the event was scaled spreading misinformation which can damage down; the time was shifted and artistes given her reputation. TheArimian is denying all of less time to perform. The promoter said that theallegationsmadebyRamkellawanagainst singers did not have an issue with this. He her and has sought legal advice to consider went on to say that sometime after 2:00 am, legal action against the promoter The singer Singh was called on to perform but she could says that Ramkellawan continues his not be found. It was then discovered that she campaign of malice against her, which has hadreturnedtothehotel.Hestatedthathehas engaged her lawyers. Singh has promised to to apprise sponsors as to why Singh did not saymoreontheissueinthecomingdays.The perform. The promoter also alleged that Chutneyartistehascalledonherfanstoreject Singh’ s manager offered him a 25% theclaimsbeingmadebyRamkellawan.

Burna Boy

Chutney singers, Savita Singh (left) and Mahindra Ramkellawan

CONSUMER CONCERNS

VENEZUELA’S AGGRESSION AND THREATS ON GUYANA NECESSITATE CONSTANT VIGILANCE

PATDIAL

The Venezuelan media and politicians have been keeping their aggressive claim to over two-thirds of Guyana’sterritoryalive.

From time to time, they deploy soldiers and armaments on the border with the threat of invasion. Less than two years ago, their maps showed the Essequibo region separate from Guyana as “a zone of reclamation”; now it is shown as a state of Venezuela and the Maduro government has actually appointedaGovernorforthe state!

This kind of demented gaucherie would have been regardedascomicinthe21st century but Guyana has to take it very seriously since Venezuelalivesintheworld of the 18th and 19 centuries when states could acquire territorybyaggression,once their armies were stronger than their neighbours Examples of this are Prussia’s seizure of Silesia from Poland or Germany’s s e i z u r e o f Schleswig/Holstein from Denmarkandthepartitionof Africa. The main reason for this anachronistic state of mind is Venezuela’s devotion to the Bolivarian cult when Simon Bolivar, a quintessential 18th century man, went over South America after the end of the Napoleonic wars in 1815 carving countries out of the decaying Spanish Empire and the other reason is that Guyana, a militarily weak oil-rich country, offers a quick seizure by the Venezuelan armed forces which is hundreds of times strongerthanGuyana’s.

Guyana, on the other hand, lives in the modern world, and this causes it to treattheVenezuelanthreatas being resolvable by legal means but Guyana has to be constantly aware of Venezuela’s anachronistic castofmind. Unfortunately, such a cast of mind takes a long time to change and Venezuela could only be

restrained from any adventurism by Diplomacy

T h e i n t e r n a t i o n a l community is committed to preserving the peace of the world and especially so in

S o u t h A m e r i c a Accordingly, OAS, The Commonwealth, the United

States,theUnitedKingdom, CARICOM and many European Community countries are supportive of Guyana. They are also supportive of Guyana because it is clear that Venezuela is the aggressor and Guyana is the victim. TheywillrestrainVenezuela until the International Court of Justice (ICJ) adjudicates onthecontroversy

We will briefly remind readersofthebackgroundof thiscontroversy:In1841,the BritishGovernmentengaged the well-known German cartographer, Robert Schombergk to demarcate British Guiana’s boundaries which he successfully completed.

Venezuelathenraisedan objection, claiming that Schombergk had taken part oftheirterritory TheBritish did not accept Venezuela’s claim and Venezuela then approached the United States for support, citing the MonroeDoctrine. President Grover Cleveland, an antiBritish personality, even threatenedwar,ifBritaindid not come to the table with Venezuela Venezuela, however,demandedaTreaty ofArbitrationwhichresulted in the Treaty of Washington in 1897 between Venezuela and Britain. Jose Andrade signedthetreatyonbehalfof Venezuela which was ratified by the Venezuelan Congress.

TheArbitratorsconsisted of five persons -two appointedbyVenezuela,two appointed by Britain with a neutral Chairman Venezuela appointed the Chief Justice of the United States and an equally prominent American judge and Britain appointed two equally prominent British judges with De Maatens, a very respected and prominent Russian judge as Chairman. The Arbitrators scoured the Archives of Spain, Holland and Britain, did thorough deliberations and made their award in 1899. All parties accepted the award and the Ve n e z u e l a n s w e r e particularly jubilant, even printing postage stamps in honour of the Award. The Ve n e z u e l a n s w e r e particularly pleased that the Britishlosttheirclaimtothe mouth of the Orinoco River The Venezuelans insisted

that the boundary be demarcated with immediacy and in 1900, a Joint Boundary Commission of British and Venezuelan surveyors went to work and made their final Report in 1905. Venezuela further affirmedtheboundarywhen, in1921,MountRoraimawas identified as the meeting point of the boundaries of Brazil, Guyana and Venezuela.

Inthe1960’s,Britainwas determined to withdraw from and give its Caribbean colonies including British Guiana their Independence. The successor Independent Guianese Government was expected to be under the leadership of Dr Cheddi Jagan, a Marxist. The USA

feltthatDr Jaganwouldlink up with Cuba, a Communist state and a close ally of the USSR with whom the USA wasinthethroesoftheCold War The USAaccordingly opposed the granting of Guiana’s Independence and Venezuela,thenanAmerican clientstate,in1962opposed Guiana’sIndependence.

The justification proffered by Venezuela for its opposition was a posthumousletterwrittenby Mallet-Prevost, one of the junior lawyers at the Arbitrationclaimingthatthe decision was rigged in favourofBritain.

The veracity of MalletPrevost’s letter could not be proved and not much cognizancewasgiventoitby

Venezuelan intellectual circlesfortwelveyearsafter its publication. Britain and Venezuela however were able to arrive at the Geneva Agreementof1966whereby it was agreed that the Controversy would be settledwithinfouryearsand withtheGenevaAgreement, Britain was free to grant Guyana its Independence whichitdidinMay1966.

Guyana and Venezuela decided to use the Good Offices Process under UnitedNationsauspicesand if this failed, the UN Secretary General was taskedwithchoosingamode of settlement to which both partieswilluse. Afternearly 30 years, the Controversy remained unsettled and both

parties decided to withdraw from the Good Offices Process.

The Controversy then revertedtotheUNSecretary General and he chose the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to make the finaldecisiononit. Guyana immediately accepted the ICJ as being the final arbitrator but Venezuela challenged this but the ICJ affirmed its capacity After Guyana and Venezuela would have made their final submissions, the Court will make its decision within a year Venezuela continues to make bellicose threats on Guyana and these compel Guyana to always be on the alert.

PRODUCING/ PROCURING READY-MIXED

CONCRETE THAT MEETS THE NATIONAL STANDARD

In Guyana, several local companies are producing readymixed concrete to meet the demands of the rapidly growingconstructionsector

Using ready-mixed concrete reduces the labourintensive process of on-site

mixing and provides confidence to purchasers that the product meets specification and quality standards.

The Guyana National

Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has developed the NationalStandard“GYS227 - Specification for ReadyMixed Concrete” to establish criteria for the production of ready-mixed concreteinGuyana.

This standard defines ready-mixed concrete as concretedeliveredtothesite or into the purchaser’s vehicleinaplasticcondition, ready for placement without furthertreatment.

The standard specifies theconditionsforproduction anddeliveryofready-mixed concrete, including methods fornominalmixes,specified strength mixes, and specializedmixes.

It also outlines how purchasers can specify the required properties of the concreteintheirorders.

Additionally, the documentprovidesguidance on the information that purchasers should provide when ordering ready-mixed concrete, the inspection facilities required from the supplier, and the necessary tests.Itdistinguishesroutine tests conducted by the supplier from those the purchaserisresponsiblefor

It’simportanttonotethat this standard does not cover the placement, compaction, curing, or protection of concrete after delivery, nor doesitapplytomaterialsfor leanconcreteorsimilarroad basematerials. Regarding materials used in ready-mix, the standardspecifiesthatwater should be clean and free from impurities that could affect the concrete mix adversely Cement should be measured by weight or in whole bags as delivered by the manufacturer, while aggrega

otherwise specified by the manufacturer

For truck mixers, a revolution counter must be provided,andmixingshould continue for at least 100 revolutions at a rate of not less than 7 revolutions per minute, as per manufacturer specification.

The standard also sets requirements for concrete delivery, focusing on discharge time and the information that must be included on the delivery ticket. It stipulates that the basis of supply should be in cubic meters, as agreed between the purchaser and

measuredbyweight. Two types of mixers are specified: stationary mixers and truck mixers (or truck agitators). If a stationary mixer is used, the mixing time should be at least two (2) minutes, u

thesupplier

Finally, the standard coversinspection,sampling, and testing of ready-mixed c

ure confidence in the quality of the product supplied. The GNBS encourages suppliers

of ready-mixed concrete to b e g u i d e d b y t h e requirementsofthisstandard to ensure the consistent deliveryofaqualityproduct to consumers. In addition to setting standards for ready-

mixed concrete, the GNBS offerstestingservicesforthe compressive strength of locally manufactured concrete cubes, slabs, and hollow blocks, as well as non-destructive testing of concretestructures. F o r f u r t h e r information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065/66, 219-0069 or WhatsApp: 692-4627orvisitgnbsgy.org

The Young Giant Glowing Campfire Craft for Kids

Once upon a time, in a peaceful village surrounded by rolling hills and thick forests,apoorfarmerandhis wife were blessed with a baby boy But this was no ordinary baby He grew and grew,andbythetimehewas justafewyearsold,hewasas tall as a fully grown man! TheycalledhimFinn,andhe became known as theYoung Giant.

Finn was kind-hearted and gentle, despite his enormous size and strength. He loved helping his parents with their farm work, carrying heavy loads of hay andpullingtheplowthrough thefieldswithease.Butashe grew older, Finn longed for adventure beyond the village.

One day, Finn decided to setoutintotheworldtoseek hisfortune.Hisparentswere sadtoseehimgobutknewhe had a great destiny ahead of him They packed him a small bag with food and wished him well on his journey

As Finn walked through the forest, he came across a woodcutter struggling to chop down a tree "Hello there!" called Finn. "Can I helpyouwiththat?"

The woodcutter looked up in surprise and saw the giantboy "Ifyoucould,that would be wonderful!" he said. With a single swing of his powerful arm, Finn chopped down the tree. The woodcutter was amazed and grateful. "Thank you, young giant.Ifyoueverneedaplace to stay, my home is always opentoyou."

Finn continued his journey and soon reached a bustling town There, he heardaboutaterribledragon that had been terrorizing the villagers.Withouthesitation, Finn offered to help The villagers, desperate for a hero, gladly accepted his offer

Thedragonlivedinadark cave on a nearby mountain. Finn climbed the mountain and called out to the dragon. "Comeout,dragon!Faceme if you dare!"The dragon, surprisedbyFinn'sboldness, emerged from its cave, breathing fire. But Finn was not afraid With his great strength,hepickedupahuge boulder and hurled it at the dragon.Thedragonroaredin angerandtriedtofightback, butFinnwastoostrong.After afiercebattle,thedragonwas defeated, and it flew away, nevertoreturn.

The villagers were overjoyed and celebrated Finn as their hero They offered him treasures and a place to stay, but Finn politely declined "Thank you," he said, "but I must

continue my journey and helpothersinneed."

Finn traveled far and wide, using his strength and kindness to help those he met He rescued lost travelers,rebuilthomesafter storms, and even helped farmers plow their fields

Everywhere he went, people weregratefulforhishelpand admiredhisgentlenature.

After many years of adventure, Finn decided it was time to return home When he arrived back at his village, his parents were overjoyed to see him. They listened in awe as Finn told themstoriesofhistravelsand t h e p e o p l e h e h a d helped.Finnsettledbackinto villagelife,usinghisstrength to help his neighbors and make the village a better place. He had found his true callingnotinseekingfortune but in helping others and spreadingkindness.

And so, the Young Giant lived happily ever after, surrounded by the love and gratitude of his family and friends.

Theend.

Our Summer Scattergories printable puzzle is an entertaining activitytokeepyourlittleonesbusy duringthesummerheat!

This puzzle engages your creativity and thinking skills. For eachletteroftheword"HEAT"give ititsownsetofcategories.

Materials for Glowing CampfireCraft

*Clearplasticcup

* Tissue paper in red, orange,andyellow

*Liquidglue

*LEDtealight

*Twigorthincraftstick

*Cottonballs

* Brown construction paper

*Scissors

Directions for Glowing CampfireCraft

u p

1. Cut your tissue paper

intolittlesquares(oryoucan buy precut tissue paper squares).

2. Scrunch up a piece of tissuepaperandglueittothe outside of a clear, plastic cup.

Continue until the entire cup is covered. (Some kids likedusingtheeraserendof a pencil to scrunch up their tissue paper, while others preferred scrunching the piecesintoballs.)

3.Asyourtissuepaperis d r y i n g , m a k e a marshmal low roasting stick by

gluing a cotton ball onto the end of a twig or thin craft stick.

4.Addsomelogstoyour campfirebycuttingstripsof brown construction paper

Use a brown marker or crayontoaddsomedetailsto yourlogs.

* Now it's time to set up your campfire! Start by setting up your logs. Place yourLEDtealightontopthe logsandthenputyourtissue papercupoverthelight.

* Go somewhere dark andwatchitglow YouDIYedacraftycampfire!

byUncleRoy

Make full use of your Holiday

IfindIhavealotoftime, Duringmyholiday, TodowhateverIwant, Toeitherworkorplay

SoIshallmaketheeffort Tousethistimefairly, JustasImakethetimeforgames, Ishouldspendsomeofitusefully

Helpingathomemakesmefeelsogood, Therearesomanythingstodo, Insideandoutsidethehouse, Itwouldmakemyfamilyhappytoo.

ThenImustcheckmyschool-work, Andnowandthenreadover, Sothatwhenit'sschoolagain, ThethingsIlearntIwillremember

June27,2018ByChelsey

Make use of the Time during your Holidays to work on Improving Yourself

As a person with ambition and the desire to make the best of yourself, you must realise that you need to continuously make the effort at improving yourself in the various aspectsofyourlife.

We will be advising duringthenextfewweekson what you can do yourself to develop a better personality and achieve success in your efforts to fulfil your ambitions.

1. Exercise daily – Take some time every day to do some physical exercises, such as stretching, walking, running and lifting weights, evenifthisisminimal. You

must know that you need to have a healthy body as a foundation for your other pursuits.

2. Expect the best and prepare for the worst –Always try to be optimistic, thatis,lookingforthebestto happen,andatthesametime preparing yourself for the times when things may not gotooright.

This can be easier when you develop faith in yourownabilities,aswellas intheAlmightytoassistyou inallyourefforts.

3. Plan a schedule for your week – When you put down on paper, and also in your mind, what you should

UncleRoyisagainappealingtoourreaderstomakea contributiontothiscolumnbyeithergivingafeedback onwhatispublished,askingforsomehelpwithsome personal problem, offering some advice to fellow teenagers,orsharingthenewsofwhatishappeningin his/her community Please send your contribution to roypaul2002@yahoo.com

YO!

be working on each week, then you will find that you willbeabletodomuchmore of what is beneficial to you thanjustmovingfromdayto daywithnosetplans. Thinkofthethingsthat you were not able to accomplish during you school days, and make definite plans to work on these. This can include helping the other members of your family in their endeavours.

4. Keep in mind the 5 highestprioritiesofyourlife – You should try to keep in your mind the things that matter most, and not allow other things to keep you from the proper direction you have chosen. These should include your family, your ambitions in life, your friends, and the things you needtodotokeepontrack. Trytokeepthislistin

your mind as you plan your activities.

5.Saynotodistractions–This is probably the biggest obstacle facing any young personwhoistryingtomake it in the modern world There are so many things that can keep your attention from the things that you reallyneedtodothatyoucan waste a lot of energy, time and resources in getting involved in these and waste your time and energy while moving in the wrong direction.

Keeptellingyourselfnot tolettheTV,cell-phone,idle friendsanduselessactivities get in the way of your ambitions, both short and longterm.

Work on these tips during the coming week, as we shall be discussing additional ones in the issues ahead.

We are all One

We are all One

byUncleRoy

Nomatterwhereweareborn, Weareallhumanbeings,samechemistry, Withlikefeelingsandemotions, Allcorrespondingandcompatible.

Youcannotgetaroundit, Nomatterwhereyougo, YouarenobetterthanI, AndIhavenothingmorethanyou.

TheonlydifferenceIcansee Isinwhatyouthinkisright, Theshadeoftheskindoesn'tmatter, Weallcryandsmileasbright.

Thefeelingsthatmakeushappyorsad, Thethoughtsmakingusfalseortrue, WouldyoubelievethatItoohave Allthesethesameasyou.

Soletusfollowourdestiny

Onthesameroadhandinhand, Tomakethemostofourselves, Andourbeautifulhomeland.

Solutions to last week’s

Making a determined effort to utilise the time during the holidays to improve yourself will repay you in becoming an all-round better person.

Each row and column contains four unique Y shapes (four different orientations)andtwoOs.

YsshouldnotformstraightlinesbytouchingotherYs.

Thereisauniquesolution.

ThispuzzleisbasedonideasfromPeterBruinandJaredMcComb.

Is Vaseline Good for Chapped Lips?

Vaselinemayhelpkeepmoisturefromescapingthelips. However,it'snotusefulonitsownifyourlipsarealreadychapped. ApplyVaselineonyourlipsaftermoisteningthemfirstwitha humectantlikealoe.

JustasKleenexandQ-tipsarecommonlyusedbrandnamesfor tissuesandcottonswabs,Vaselineisabrandnamefor100percent whiterefinedpetroleumjelly

Vaselineisanaffordable,easy-to-findoptioninmostgrocery storesandpharmacies,andit'ssaidtorelievedryskin,helpheal woundsTrustedSource,andevenhelpmoisturizechappedlips. Becausetherearenooilglandstoprotecttheexposedpink mucosalsurfaceofthelips,thelipsareverypronetodryingout, especiallyincold,dryclimateswithlittlemoistureintheair This articlewilldiscusswhetherornotVaselineisarecommended productfordry,chappedlips.

Vaselineisknownasanocclusive,whichmeansitcanholdin moistureTrustedSource.IfyouuseVaselineonyourlipsbefore they'redryandchapped,youmaybeabletostaveoffdryness. However,petroleumjellyisn'tallthateffectiveatrestoringmoisture onceit'sbeenlost.

Ontheotherhand,humectantscanactuallypullmoisturefrom theairintotheskinandlips.Examplesofhumectantsinclude: *honey*aloe*sheabutter*calendula

Vaselinecanbehelpfulfordry,chappedlipswhenusedalong withahumectant.Applythehumectanttoyourlipsfirst,thensealit withVaseline.

Sideeffects

SideeffectsofusingVaselineforchappedlipsmayincludethe following:

Vaselinecanfeelheavyandslipperyonthelips.

IfyousleepinVaseline,theoilmaystainyourpillowcases. Vaselineisaby-productofpetroleum,afossilfuel,soit'snot veryeco-friendly AllergicreactionstoVaselinearerare,though theycanoccur.Signsofanallergicreactionincludeswellingofthe lipsandaburningorstingingsensation.Ifyourlipsarechappedto thepointofbleeding,Vaselinethat'sbeencontaminatedwithbacteria fromyourfingerscouldcauseanallergicreaction.

Vaselinemayclogporesaroundthemouth.

Otheroptionsforchappedlips

Ifyou'renotallergic,Vaselineisn'tlikelytocauseharmormake yourlipsdrier—itjustmaynotbethebestoptionforhydratinglips andpreventingthedelicateskinfrombecomingchapped.

Otherthingstotryfordrylipsinclude:

Trylipbalmsthatcontain:*arganoil*coconutoil *cocoabutter*sheabutter

Don'tforgettoprotectyourlipsfromthesunbyusingaproduct withSPF15orhigher Therearecertainmoisturizinglipbalmsand oilsthatshieldlipsfromUVrays,thankstosun-protective ingredientszincoxideandtitaniumoxide.

Itmaysoundstrange,butcertainnipplebalmscanworkwonders onthelips.Youcancheckinwithyourdoctoraboutwhichnipple balmsaresafeforuseonthemouth.

Hempseedoillipproductscanbehelpfulfordrylips,butbecause manyoftheseproductsarenaturalformulations,besuretostore theminacool,dryareasotheydon'tmelt.

Ifyourlipsaredryandflaky,tryalipexfoliator Thiswillslough offsomeofthedeadskinsothatyourproductspenetratebetter You canaskyourdoctoraboutusingproductsthatcontainlanolinTrusted Source.Lanolinisverymoisturizing,butit'salsoacommonallergen. Howtopreventchappedlips

Thebestthingforchappedlipsistopreventthemfromgetting chappedinthefirstplace.Youcanpreventdry,chappedlipsbydoing thefollowing:

Avoidbreathingoutofyourmouthconstantly.Mouthbreathing releaseswarmaironthelipsthatcancausethemtodryout.Don'tlick yourlips.Whenthey'redry,it'stemptingtoaddmoisturefromyour tongue,butoncethesalivadries,itactuallyleavesyourlipsdrier Drinkwater.Itmayhelpifyou'reverydehydrated. Putahumidifierinyourbedroom.Thewatervaporreleasedinto theaircanhelpaddmoisturenotonlytotheair,buttoyourskinand lips. Avoidknownallergenslikefragranceanddyesincertain lipproductsthatcanbedrying.

Wearsunscreenonyourlips.Youmayalreadywearitonyour face,butyourlipsneedittoo.

Gentlyexfoliateyourlipsusingatextureproductorevena warm,damptowelonceaweek.

Avoidirritatingingredientsthatcancausedryness,like cinnamon,menthol,andsalicylicacid,whichcanactuallymakethe lipsdrier

Vaselineisabrandnameforpetroleumjelly,andit'san affordable,widelyavailableproductoftenusedtohelphealdryskin andlips.It'sknownasanocclusive,sowhileitcanhelptrapmoisture intothelips,itcan'taddmoisturethatisn'tthere.Vaselineworksbest whenusedwithahumectant,likesheabutteroraloe,whichcan actuallypullmoistureintothelips.Ifyourlipsareverydry,youcan tryexfoliating,usingaproductthatcontainsSPF,andavoiding lickingyourlips,whichcanbeamajorcauseofdryness.

https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/vaseline-onlips#:~:text=If%20you%20use%20Vaseline%20on,into%20the%20sk in%20and%20lips.

of celebration and culture

The recently concluded Miss, Mrs., and Teen India Guyana Pageant 2024 was a dazzling display of beauty, talent, and cultural pride, marking a significant milestone in the pageant's history This event not only celebrated the elegance and intelligence of its participants but also served as a testament to the rich cultural heritageanddiversityofGuyana.

The Miss, Mrs., and Teen India Guyana Pageant has evolved over the years into a prestigious event that showcases the best of Indian culture in Guyana. Initially part of a global network of pageants under the Miss, M

platform for women to express their individuality, talent, and dedication to social causes, all while celebrating their cultural roots.This year, the organizers took inspiration from the Miss, Mrs , Teen India Worldwide PageantbyholdingtheTalentand Evening Gown segments as separate events This format allowed participants to shine in theirareasofstrengthwithoutthe pressure of a single, condensed competition.TheTalentSegment was a spectacular affair, highlighting the diverse abilities of the contestants.In the Talent Segment, Timran Dookna stood outintheTeencategorywithher eloquent spoken word piece on

Worldwide organization, this local competition has grown in prominence, reflecting the vibrantIndiancommunitywithin thecountry

The pageant provides a

embracing one's true self despite s o c i e t y ' s expectations. Her performancewas (Continue on page 56)

Miss India Worldwide 2023Arun Sukhdeo Final Walk W

Global PioneerAward of Excellence presented to Founder and Chairman of Miss, Teen and T Mrs. India Worldwide - Mr. Dharmatma Saran

The winners of the 2023 pageant during a performance

Miss, Mrs & Teen India Guyana 2024 crowned in grand style at the Ramada Princess Hotel Roraima Ballroom. (left to right) The winners are Miss Teen India Guyana - Timran Dookna, Miss India Guyana - Diana Heralal and Mrs India Guyana- Devi Lim.

YoungBusinessmanopens atTowerHotel HeliconiaTavern Entertainment

By Shervin Belgrave

With a passion for relieving stressviacleanentertainment, a young businessman, Dequawn Vancooten has brought Heliconia Tavern to Guyana, a franchise commonly known for its luxurious restaurants, lounges andbar

Vancooten'sbrandisanelitestylednight club located at the Tower Hotel on Main Street,Georgetown.Thelocationpreviously housed Magic City, a popular night club in GeorgetownbutVancootenhasrevampedthe place.

The Waterfalls was granted a tour of the newestentertainmentspotinthecountryand itisnolie,theambienceisnextlevel.

It's more spacious, including the VIP sections and the new design, a blend of orangeandredmakesitveryattractive.

SpeakingwithTheWaterfalls,Vancooten saidhehaseveninstalledextraaircondition units for patrons' comfort. He said too that thatsecurityistopnotch.

“We don't want any violence. We are trying our best to minimize the use of glass bottle in the club” Vancooten said while addingthatnoweaponswillbeallowed.

Apart from tasty cocktails, great music, and frequent performances by some of the most trending artiste around the Caribbean, Vancooten is seeking to create an environmenttoattractnotlocalsbutvisitors from abroad and will be introduced to an exclusivemembershipsystem.

“If you are a regular at the club, we will giveyouamembershipcard.”

Vancootensaidtoocustomerserviceis

(Continuedonpage56)

An inside view of Heliconia Tavern

Phase Two of Housing Ministry’s HQ projected estimated

With a $570 million progress of the project, the contract already awarded for Housing Ministry in March the completion of phase one this year stated that the of the construction of the contract sum for the fiveMinistry of Housing and storey building complex Waters’ headquarters, the stands at $570 million, while secondphaseoftheprojectis an additional $171 million e s t i m a t e d t o c o s t contract is in place for a $998,743,198. central air conditioning

The project opened system, taking the total to recently at the National $741 million. Work on the Procurement and Tender project was paused for a few Administration Board weeks due to a delay in (NPTAB) office and there it construction materials, was revealed that two whichhassubsequentlybeen contractors applied for the resolved, the ministry contract. The contractors are reportedatthetime.

Mac’ Junior International “I am pleased to say that thatbid$994,921,725andR. the issue with materials has Bassoo & Son Construction been cleared up and the Company which bid contractor will move ahead $1,102,381,529. with construction and by the K a i e t e u r N e w s first half of this year, the facility is expected to understands that in 2022, the entire frame of the building provide a new level of NPTAB had awarded a will be completed and the comfort for staff as well as $570,068,709 contract to other components by the end members of the public Aika General Construction of the year,” Minister of Minister Croal also & Hardware Supplies Inc. to Housing and Water Collin highlighted other amenities, execute phase one of the Croal said during his visit in such as adequate parking for project. March. The Minister further staff and members of the Situated at Houston, explained that upon public and a recreational along the Mandela to Eccles completion, all the facilityforstaff. Highway, East Bank Ministry’s departments that Chief Executive Officer Demerara (EBD), the new have been operating in (CEO) of the CH&PA, complex will comprise two separate buildings will be Sherwyn Greaves at the buildings–onedesignatedto consolidated at the Houston same visit had mentioned host the ministry’s location. He stated that this that members of the public secretariat, and the Central centralized approach aims to will be able to enjoy some comfort is important to us as

An artist’s impression of what the new Ministry of Housing and Water head office will look like. (Photo courtesy, Ministry of Housing and Water)

The headquarters while under construction in March.

Housing and Planning streamline services, sparing amount of privacy and well. So coming to this new understands that the new

Authority (CH&PA), while i n d i v i d u a l s t h e comfort when transacting facility will give our facility will house in excess measures approximately150 the other will serve as the inconvenience of visiting theirbusiness.

customers the comfort they of three hundred and twenty ft in length x 105 ft in width headquarters for the Guyana multiple offices for their “On a daily basis, we need and it will be an overall (320) staff members and is and is designed with a WaterIncorporated(GWI). transactions. attend to approximately 300 better environment,” the being constructed on

Reporting on the Additionally, the new to 500 persons and their CEOadded.

Airport ramp attendant remanded for possession of narcotics

A 52-year-old Ogle Airport ramp attendant was remandedonFridaytoprison for possession of narcotics forthepurposeoftrafficking.

Mark Ferrell of South Ruimveldt, Georgetown appeared before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court where the charge was readtohim.

On July 10, 2024, Ferrell was caught with 59 5lbs of cannabis He pleaded guilty Notwithstanding his plea, the Magistrate entered a not guilty plea due to Ferrell’s explanation. He is scheduled toreturntocourtonAugust6.

Probe into shooting of Venezuelan woman stalled because of her return to Venezuela - Investigators

I

o n on Wednesday recounted Saturday said that the throwing herself into some Ve n e z u e

m a n bushes aback of Diamond, allegedlykidnapped,robbed, East Bank Demerara (EBD) shot and left for dead by a on a rainy night after a taxi taxi driver based at a popular driver based at a popular city city hotel, left the country hotel allegedly kidnapped, after she was discharged robbed, shot and left her for from the hospital thereby dead. stallinginvestigations.

Thegruesomeattempton

DianaDanello’sabsence, her life took place during the according to information evening hours of April 10. received, stalled the

Although three months has investigation. Police have passed, the bullet is still sincemadecontactwithher lodgedinthewoman’sbody

“She recently told

The warhead still lodged in the woman’s body

An x-ray seen by detectives that she would Kaieteur News shows that makeseriouseffortstoreturn daysago. information she provided the bullet is lodged in the to Guyana to follow up with “Now they are trying to them before she left the woman’s back in a region hercase”,investigatorssaid. pin the blame on me for not country close to her spine. Danello

Speaking with Kaieteur conducting an investigation She still believes that was reportedly robbed of News on Saturday, Danello (translated from Spanish),” police were not really $300,000cashandaniPhone has confirmed that police the woman said while interested in solving the case 15ProMaxbythetaxidriver have contacted her but after holding firm to the claims at the time when she made shetrusted. shedecidedtopubliclycome she made that the police had thereport. Shefurtherallegedthat forward with her story three ample time to work on the The Venezuelan woman (Continued on page 55)

52-year-old Mark Ferrell

Frompage13 reviewedtheproductiondata on the website to ascertain whether there would be greater efficiency in reporting by the Ministry to keep the public informed; however, it was discovered that the information has not been updated since May 31, 2024.

It was Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo who announced on Thursday, during his weekly press engagement at Freedom House Georgetown that the government now has realtime access to Exxon’s production data, which is updatedevery10minutes.

He said the operator of the Stabroek Block now has a dashboard which is monitored by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission(GGMC).

Inadditiontoproduction data, Jagdeo said government now also has access to Exxon’s drilling activities in the Stabroek Block.

Previously, VP Jagdeo had expressed discontent with the delayed production updates being provided by the Ministry of Natural Resourcestothepublic.

Last November, Jagdeo issued a directive to the Ministry of Natural Resources to address the issues with the website. His call for action came after multiple reports by this newspaper about the pressing need to ensure transparency and reliable information sharing on the oilsector

The failure by the Ministry of Natural Resources to update the website defeats the purpose of the portal to keep Guyanese informed on the exploitation of the oil and gas resources and further brings the government’s commitmenttotransparency intoquestion,atatimewhen citizens question the “incestuous relationship” between the oil companies andgovernment.

Tuesday

‘Youcannotspend taxpayers’dollarson majorprojectswithouta feasibilitystudy’–AFC LeaderHughes

Instrongcriticismofthe government’s initiation of major projects funded by taxpayers

especially those financed by oil proceeds, Alliance for Change (AFC) leader Nigel Hughes has stressed the crucial importance of conducting feasibility studies before undertaking suchventures.

At his first press conference since assuming leadership of the party, Hughes condemned the Government of Guyana’s decision to pursue major projects without adequate feasibilityassessments.

Respondingtoaquestion about the Government

embarking on a second major gas project while the US$2BillionGas-to-Energy (GTE) project is still to commence, Hughes articulated his concerns, stating, “In this country we havetolegislatebecausewe don’t seem to follow internationalnorms.Thereis no major project that this country should undertake withoutafeasibilitystudy It is absolutely irresponsible and reckless and therefore, first project second project or any project, you cannot come to the people of Guyana, spend their money without a feasibility project. We will not have a repeat of

that fiasco that is the skeletonfactory.”

To that end, Hughes reiterated the AFC’s opposition to using the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) proceeds for projects lacking feasibility studies, citing it as reckless. “We will oppose that locally and w e w i l l t a k e i t internationallybecauseitisa recklessuse,”hesaid.

The Government’s current flagship project, GTE initiative, is poised to become Guyana’s first naturalgasventure.Settobe locatedinWales,WestBank Demerara, the project aims to generate 300 megawatts of power and produce 3,400 barrels of by-products daily, including cooking gas and fuelderivatives.

Atoneofhisrecentpress conferences, Vice President BharratJagdeo,clarifiedthat despite the government vigorously pursuing the monetization of the country’s untapped gas resources through a second major gas project, they currently have no plan to providefinancialbackingfor theinitiative.

A U S -based firm, Fulcrum LNG proposal which includes partnerships with leading companies like McDermott and Baker Hughes, emerged as the preferred choice after a rigorous evaluation process. President Irfaan Ali had disclosedthatFulcrumLNG was selected to collaborate with ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) and the government in a tripartite agreement to monetize the gasresources.

“This is a risky project because it’s a multi-billiondollarproject,”Jagdeosaid.

Vice President Jagdeo underscored global market uncertainties and potential

shiftsinU.S.energypolicies as other reasons for the cautiousapproach.

Hesaid,“Wearenotsure about future demand for gas although many people believe that it will be replaced, it will still be needed long into the future sinceitwillbeatransitional fuel, and therefore the demandwillstillbehigh.”

Notwithstanding the uncertaintyJagdeosaid,“We wanttomonetizethis,sothat we [can] add to the revenue stream that comes from the production of oil, another streamofrevenuethatcomes from the utilization of our gasreserves.”

HousepassesFugitive AmendmentBill aimedatcombating transnationalcrime

In a move to boost Guyana’s ability to combat transnational crime, the National Assembly on M o n d a y p a s s e d amendments to the Fugitive OffendersAct(Cap.10:04).

The Bill amends Section 24 of the Principal Act,

expanding the types of documents admissible as evidence in extradition proceedings.

The Bill caters for the inclusion of a record of evidence, encompassing documents, statements, or other evidence identifying and locating the person sought,factsofthecase,and relevantlegalprovisions.

The amendments were approved after Attorney General (AG) and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC presented the billforitssecondreading.

Nandlall told the House that the amendments will augment and bring greater efficiency to Guyana’s extraditionproceedings.

“Thisisapositiveregime of amendments It will modernise our extradition law, and enable Guyana as well as other territories to concentrate and collaborate theireffortsmoreefficiently in tackling transnational crime and criminals,” Nandlallsaid.

The AG explained that “Extradition is a legal process where one country

formally requests another to surrender a person wanted for criminal prosecution or toserveasentence,basedon principles of comity and reciprocity…”

He added that “The processstartswithaninquiry to the Minister of Foreign Affairs to confirm extradition arrangements with the Requesting Territory Subsequently, the Minister of Home Affairs decides on issuing the necessary authority to proceed.”

Nandlall said that previously limitations existed on the types of documents judges could consider as evidence in an extradition The Attorney General emphasized that though extradition is a legal process,itisagovernmentto governmenttransaction.

Hesaid,“Itbeginsbyan initiativeofonegovernment and ends at the initiative of anothergovernment.”

TheAG stressed that the a m e n d m e n t s w i l l particularly facilitate easier extradition processes, particularly with the United StatesofAmerica.

He was also quick to deflate concerns about these amendmentsweakeningdue process as it relates to extradition, underscoring that they allow for a wider rangeofevidence.

“There is nothing in this amendment that could possibly compromise due process as it currently exists,” he told the National Assembly Meanwhile, Minister of Foreign Affairs a n d I n t e r n a t i o n a l Cooperation, Hugh Todd, alsolenthisvoiceinsupport ofthelegislationstatingthat Guyana must strengthen its efforts to collaborate with regionalandinternational

(Continuedonpage52)

Graph on the Ministry’s website showing the last date oil production data was updated.

AFC Leader, Nigel Hughes

Attorney General (AG) and Minister of LegalAffairs, Anil Nandlall, SC addresses the NationalAssembly.

Frompage52

partners in tackling organisedcrime.

“We cannot operate in isolation in fighting these threats, and in helping to ensurethatjusticeprevails,it is important to engage in international cooperation

efforts to counter transnational organised crimes such as human trafficking, trafficking in illicit drugs, and money laundering,”hesaid.

Minister of Home Affairs, Robeson Benn, also highlighted the ongoing threat of transnational crime

to national security, underscoring the need for modern approaches to curb suchactivities.

He said that the amendmentsformpartofthe government’s broader strategy to strengthen securityandstability

Wednesday

Wildgoosechase continuesforGas-toEnergyagreements

…MinisterTeixeira “unawaredocuments areready”andMinister Bharratsays“send question”

The wild goose chase, initiated by Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo for Guyana to access key agreements

inked between the government of Guyana and ExxonMobil for the US$2B Gas-to-Energy (GTE)

project continued on Monday, as two senior members of the government failed to say when these documents would be laid in theNationalAssembly

Since 2022, the government signed a Heads of Agreement (HOA) with the Stabroek Co-ventures, ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC, that outlines the principlesandconditionsfor the commercial and technical arrangements of the deal. The GTE project includes a pipeline, to be built and financed by the Stabroek Block operator,

ExxonMobil Guyana

Limited (EMGL), while the othertwocomponents,a300 megawatt power plant and a natural gas liquid (NGL) facility is being constructed by the government of Guyana.

Three months ago, the VP during his weekly press conferencewasaskedbythis newspaper when the agreements would be made publicwhenhesaid“maybe soon”.

In fact, the Chief Policymaker for the oil and gas sector noted that the details of the agreement are already public knowledge.

According to him, “Everything that you see in the agreement you know we told you the price- US$750 million; we told you the timeline for implementation; you know how many turbines and what’s the size of the turbines…you know what the liquidating damages are.”

Jagdeo therefore said, “Maybesoon,Idon’tknow I don’t know That’s for Gail Teixeira and the others” when asked when the agreements would be laid in Parliament.

DuringMonday’sSitting of the NationalAssembly at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown,KaieteurNews caught up with Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Gail Teixeira who explained, “I am not awarethatthedocumentsare ready.”

TheMinisterpointedout that there are “different channels” through which documents must pass before she presents them to the House,insisting“theyhavea time that they go before the House, it doesn’t happen automatically.”

Notably,withtheproject expected to be completed next year, Kaieteur News asked the Member of Parliament (MP) whether she believes there is a need for the public to access the

documents.

While Teixeira pointed out that the Access to Information Act was designed to allow access to public documents, with particular emphasis on commercial undertakings, she argued that the Law makes it clear when these documentscanbereleased.

According to her, “So, the law that we adopted under the Access to Information Act makes it clear that when things are being negotiated and commercial undertakings, until a certain point, they’re not made public; because o b v i o u s l y y o u ’ r e negotiating or you’re in positions where you’re adjusting cost price and thosetypesofthings.”

Consequently, the Minister explained, “You cannot expect information sometimes to be made available wh

re the nego

ions hav

n’t finished and you may be awaretoothatinanyproject sometimesthereisreviewor redesign or re-scoping, based on a variety of factors.”

Shesaidthatthisconcept maybeappliedtotheoiland gassectorasithasinthepast with a num

construc

projects undertaken by the government Meanwhile, Minister of Natural

Resources, Vickram Bharrat whenapproachedtoprovide a comment on the release of theagreementsattheACCC onMondaysaidhewasbusy and would take the question later After this newspaper insisted that he provided a comment, the Minister requested that the question be sent to him. Kaieteur News forwarded the question to the Minister, however it appears he blocked the reporter, as the message remained undelivered,aswellasthose previously sent to him since June13,2024.

Several attempts made by the Opposition in the NationalAssemblytoaccess

the agreements and key documents relative to the country’s single largest infrastructure project have beenunsuccessful.

MP Catherine Hughes hadcomplainedlastyearthat questions submitted by her werenotallowedbySpeaker oftheHouse,ManzoorNadir since these issues were addressed by Head of the GTE Taskforce, Winston Brassington when Guyana hosted its Energy Conference in 2023. This wasthefourthattemptbythe Opposition seeking details s u r r o u n d i n g t h e controversialGTEproject.

Noconflictofinterest betweenExxonMand NigelHughes–Routledge

Country Manager of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair RoutledgeonTuesdayadded his voice to the debate on whetherthereisaconflictof interest with Nigel Hughes, the company’s attorney

being the new leader of the AllianceforChange(AFC).

On the sideline of an eventonTuesdayRoutledge was asked, “Do you believe that given the fact that Mr Hughesisnowtheleaderofa political party that it in any way poses any sort of conflict and his law firm’s relationshipwithExxon?”

EMGL’s Country Managerresponded,“That’s

not the right question for today but what I will say is thatwecomplywithalllaws and regulations here and internationally so we don’t believewehaveanyconflict ofinterest[or]anyissues.”

Last Thursday, Hughes said that he welcomes any investigation into his relationship with oil giant ExxonMobil. His comments followedstatementsbyVice President Bharrat Jagdeo who suggested that an investigation will be launched into Hughes’ relationship with his client, Exxon. Days before Hughes waselectedtoleadtheAFC, hemadeitclearthatExxonis a client of his law firm, Hughes, Fields and Stoby and opted not to answer questions related to the company during an interview with a media entity

Over the past two weeks days, the issue of Hughes leading the AFC while maintaining EMGL as a client at his law firm –

Hughes, Fields & Stoby –possess a conflict of interest Notably, Hughes has already acknowledged the critics saying that while he is a Politically Exposed Person(PEP),thereisnolaw that prevents him from having the oil company as a client. However, he noted that should he become President he will cut ties withthecompany

However, the Vice President shares a different view, calling Hughes position “obscene” and “unethical.”

“ it’s even more obscene…Ican’tconveythe feeling of revulsion that I felt This is someone aspiringtothehighestoffice in the country, who has just been elected the leader of a party…”Jagdeostated.

Added to that, he said that when running for office it can sometime cost you financially, choosing between personal gain and thecountry

“Sometimes you have to forego the private benefits, money basically when national interest calls you andinthiscasehewasasked directlyandhesaysno,only if[he]becomepresident[he] willdothat,inthemeantime [he]willworkforExxon…,” Jagdeosaid.

Moreover, Jagdeo stated that given that Hughes has come under scrutiny for conflict of interest, the Government will be watchingwhatExxonandits first-tiercontractorsdo.

“This may necessitate a formal investigation into all thesematters.Iammakingit clear today There is a lot of politically exposed people, he [Hughes] is politically exposed as he pointed out, his wife is a Member of Parliament,butitwasnotan issuebecausewedidn’twant to discriminate but what change is that now he has gone to the AFC,” Jagdeo added.

The Vice President underscored, “Now that we are looking at this…let me makeitclear,thatExxonhas alottoanswerbecauseNigel Hughes, knowing him he will not want to resign, knowinghimhewouldwant tocollectthemoneyandstill be leader of the AFC and conflictofinterestwouldnot botherhimatall…”

Thursday

Guyanaisaninvestors’ paradise–PresidentAli tellsCaribbean InvestmentForum

The third installment of the Caribbean Investment Forum (CIF) on Wednesday opened at theArthur Chung Conference Centre, Georgetown with Guyana’s Head of State, President IrfaanAlichargingdelegates to take advantage of the plethoraofopportunitiesand incentivesofferedlocally In describingtheinvestors’ (Continuedonpage54)

Leader, Nigel Hughes

Frompage53 paradiseexistinginGuyana, thePresidenttoldapackedto capacityconferencehallthat his country is open to investment.

“Guyana is open to investment and has a very friendly investment environment. Guyana offers generous and favourable fiscalinvestmentincentives.

Guyana is an open foreign currency market, low inflation and a stable financial system,” the Head of State noted. Further to that,headded,“Investorsare permitted to unbridled repatriationoftheirprofits.”

Still focused on convincing investors, Ali pointed out that Guyana recently launched a Single Window Building platform toallowforswiftapprovalof construction permits He explained, “The system was bureaucratic,ithadleakages, it was too subjected to human biases and human interference and we decided thatwearegoingtoworkon a single window approval system. Two weeks ago we launched the single window approval system that is system based, that is rule based and that holds stakeholdersaccountable.”

The President was keen to note that if technicians failed to give responses within a specified timeline t h e p r o j e c t w i l l automatically be deemed approved.

Turning his attention to theinvestmentopportunities that await in Guyana, the President said, “In every single sector, we have outlined for you the investment opportunities

that exists here in Guyana energy, wind, hydro,solar,wastetoenergy operations, agriculture, forestry, manufacturing, mining, services, tourism, housing.”

The President admitted that there are challenges which must be confronted but strategies are being developed to overcome these.

Also delivering remarks during the opening of the three-day Caribbean Investment Forum were Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency,Dr DamieSinanan, Secretary General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr. Carla Barnett, the European Union’s Ambassador to Guyana, Rene van Nes and Head of Private Sector, Caribbean Development Bank,LisaHarding.

For his part, Dr Sinanan explained that the conference symbolizes a remarkable shift in the Region’s collective approach to securing the vital investments required for economic development and diversification of the respectivecountries.Hewas keentonote,“TheCaribbean is ripe for investment opportunities across the various sectors and the forum provides the platform to enable various public and private stakeholders to meet andadvancethiscause.”

Meanwhile, Dr Barnette in brief remarks pointed to the need for investment in areastoaddresstheRegion’s vulnerabilities, specifically with regard to climate change. “There is also room forinvestmentintechnology adoption mechanisms, business information and capacity building platforms, infrastructure development and innovations projects and whether it is agriculture and food and nutrition security, green economy transitionordigitalizationof business,thereisgreatscope for increasing the participation of women and youth in new investment projects,”sheurged.

This year’s three-day Caribbean Investment Forumisbeinghostedunder the theme ‘Transforming Futures, Empowering Growth’ The conference will wind down on Friday following intense sessions on investment opportunities intheRegion.

This year’s forum will focus on three investment sectors – sustainable agriculture, green economy transition and digitalisation ofbusinesses.

Saturday

Iwaskidnapped,robbed, shotandleftfordead’ bytaxidriverbasedat popularcityhotel–Venezuelanwoman

Kaieteur News – A Venezuelan woman on Wednesday recounted throwing herself into some bushes aback of Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on a rainy night after a taxi driverbasedatapopularcity hotel allegedly kidnapped, robbed, shot and left her for dead.

Thewoman,identifiedas 29-year-oldDianaDanello,a mother of one said that the gruesomeattemptonherlife took place during the evening hours of April 10. Although three months has

passed, the bullet is still lodgedinthewoman’sbody

An x-ray seen by Kaieteur News shows that the bullet is lodged in the woman’s back in a region close to her spine. Danello was reportedly robbed of $300,000cashandaniPhone 15ProMaxbythetaxidriver shetrusted.

The matter was reported at the Diamond Police Station but the suspect was never arrested and remains onthejobatthecityhotel.

“Igavethemhisnumber, a photo of his car and even thelocationofhisworkplace and the location where I last tracked my iPhone and told them that the hotel have cameras that could show them when he picked me up from the hotel but they did nothing (translated from Spanish),” the woman said before adding that every timesheaskedforanupdate, the investigators would tell her that they are still verifying to see if the information she gave them checkedout.

“They (the detectives) were more concerned about mypersonallife,aboutwhat I was doing and who I was with at the hotel and even tried to blackmail me. They asked me questions that had nothing to do with the case (translated from Spanish),” the Venezuelan woman alleged.

As a result, the woman said was forced to flee Guyana and return to Venezuela because she was fearfulforherlifeandrelives the trauma each day. The woman said it was best for hertoleaveGuyanasincethe suspect is free and could possiblylocateherandtryto killher

However, after reading the news, that EvelynAlves better known as Fabiana Betancourt, a Venezuelan womanwasfoundshotdead on Sunday at Diamond, she decided to publicise her story

According to Danello, although Alves’ murderer might not be same man who tried to kill her inApril, she believes staying silent could result in the loss of life for other women in vulnerable situations.

Recountingthe nightofApril10

Asked to recount the events of April 10, Danello said that night she had planned to party so she stacked on cash and left her home. Her first stop was at thepopularhotel fordinner

She then left the hotel in the taxidriver’sSUV

She told Kaieteur News that it was not the first time she travelled with the taxi driverbecauseshefrequents thehotel.

“He was always neatly dressed and acted in a professional manner (translated from Spanish),” the woman said while relating that, she trusted the taxibaseatthehotelbecause it was like an executive service.

On April 10, however, the taxi driver reportedly turned into a monster Instead of taking her to her destination, he locked the woman in and drove her at gunpoint to a lonely area aback of Diamond and turnedoffhiscarlights.

Upon their arrival there, he reportedly held her at gunpointanddemandedthat she hand over her purse and other valuables Danello claimedthatshehadtoldhim to take what he wants but spareherlife.

He took the purse which hadherhousekeys,thecash, her ID card and some other documents along with her phone but according to the woman, it seemed as if he had no intention of letting her leave alive because he tried shooting her to the head.

“El trata de dispararme, para matarme verdad, o sea, el me disparo verdad como dos tres cuatro veces con la pistola pero no salio nada la pistola hizo (imitates the sound the gun made) (He tried to shoot me to kill me right he tried shoot like two, three, four times but nothing came out, the gun made (imitates the sound thatthegunmade)”,shetold KaieteurNews.

It could be that the gun had jammed but the woman said that she believed at the time that it did not have any bullets.

Instead of letting her go, the suspect tried to strangle herwithabelt.

“El agarro y quito la correaymeintentoahorcary bueno dios me dio fuerza y pelee con el, le di unas patadasenlasbolas(Heheld andtookoffhisbeltandtried to strangle me but God gave mestrengthandIfoughtwith him,Igivehimsomekicksin theballs,”sherecounted.

While she fought for her life, she also received some blowstoherbody Themost painful she said was to her breasts because a surgery wasperformedonthem.

During the fight for survival, the taxi driver

reportedlylostachainwhich hewaswearingandforafew seconds,letgoofhertolook for it. She recalled that he asked her where the chain was and it was that moment that she was able to escape his grip and exited the car intothepouringrain.

She recounted running a short distance away when thetaxidrivertoldherthathe wasgoingtokillherbecause she knows his face and whereheworks.

It was at this point that manreportedlydrewhisgun again and shot at her. This timethegunwentoffandshe ranforherlife.

She claimed that at the time, she did not know she washitbutitoccurredtoher that she might be unable to escapehim.

“Yometirepaelmonte(I threw myself in some bushes),” the Venezuelan woman said as she recalled seeingthetaxidriverexiting the SUV with a torchlight and searching around the area.

She reportedly remained stillinthebushesuntilhereentered the vehicle and left. She then got up and walked in the pouring rain until she met a man selling at a small standalongtheroad.

There she asked for help but the man said he had no cell phone to give her a call but advised her to wait until the rain was over for him to takehertoahospital.

Fearfulthathetoomight harm her, she continued to walkintherain.Carspassed by, she said, but she was reluctant to accept any help from the drivers. One man, however, stopped and identified himself as a policeman.

“Y me llevo a la (Diamond) police station (and he carried me to the policestation)”.Shesaidthat when she arrived there, she realized that the attempt on

her life took place in close proximity to the police station.

After seeing her condition,shewasadvisedto go to a hospital The policeman who picked her up took her to the closest hospital and she was admitted.

There she learnt that a bullet entered one of her arms and was lodged in her back.Doctorswereunableto remove the warhead. She had also sustained a fractured rib from the blows she received. Detectives subsequently took a statementfromher.

When she was well enoughtobedischarged,she returned to the Diamond Police Station to give an official statement She recalledthatthepolicedidall t h e p r e l i m i n a r y investigations and had even taken her back to the scene but days passed and it s e e m e d a s i f t h e investigatorswerenolonger interestedinthecase.

Tired of the run-around and fearful for her life, Danello returned to Venezuela.

KaieteurNewscontacted the police for an update but calls and WhatsApp messages went unanswered. However, this publication confirmed that the suspect, asidentifiedbyDanello,was indeed still working at the cityhotelbutdidnotshowup for work for two days. His co-workers said they do not know where he is.TheSUV he reportedly used on the nighttoallegedlykidnapand rob the Venezuelan woman was seen parked in the hotel’sparkinglot.

Coincidently,thesuspect disappearedshortlyafterthe Venezuelan woman made a Facebook post about her story Calls to his mobile phonewereforwardedtohis voicemail.

Diana Cabello inApril recovering from injuries at a hospital

GWI to install water supply system in Hiawa, Reg.9

The Guyana Water Inc. (GWI) is set to install a water supply system in the

Amerindian Village of HiawainRegionNine,atan estimated cost of $27 million.

Below are the companies and their bids:

GuyanaWaterInc.

Re-EngineeringofSewerPumpStation,Region#4

InstallationofNewWaterSupply SystematHiawa,Region#9.

Theprojectwasrevealed atarecentreadingofbidsat the National Procurement and Tender Administration

Board (NPTAB) office There it was disclosed that three contractors have appliedforthecontract.

Designs&EstimatedCost,andSupervision ServicesfortheConstructionofBuilding, OreallaSecondarySchoolRegionNo.6.

MinistryofEducation

Designs&EstimatedCost,andSupervision ServicesfortheConstructionofBuilding, JawallaSecondarySchoolRegionNo.7.

Probe into shooting of Venezuelan...

Frompage51

she provided the police with all the details, which she had on the suspect but the detectives were more interested in her personalliferatherthan thecase.

As a result, the woman said she was forced to flee Guyana a n d r e t u r n t o Venezuela because shewasfearfulforher life and relives the trauma each day The woman said it was

best for her to leave Guyana since the suspect is free and could possibly locate herandtrytokillher.

However, after reading the news, that Evelyn Alves better known as Fabiana B e t a n c o u r t , a Venezuelanwomanwas found shot dead on Sunday at Diamond, shedecidedtopublicise herstory

According to Danello, although Alves’ murderer might

not be the same man who tried to kill her in April, she believes staying silent could result in the loss of life for other women in vulnerablesituations. Follow the link to read the full details of herstory.

https://www.kaieteu rnewsonline.com/2024/ 0 7 / 1 3 / i - w a skidnapped-robbedshot-and-left-for-deadby-taxi-driver-basedat-popular-city-hotelvenezuelan-woman/

Asreportedearlierinthe year, the Government of Guyanasetasidesome$22.5 billion to further improve

water quality and supply systems this year Last year, a total of $16.8 billion was spentonthewatersector

MinistryofAgriculture

SupplyandInstallationofOne200KVAThreePhase GeneratorSetwith600ampsautomaticTransfer SwitchfortheHydrometeorologicalService.

MinistryofHomeAffairs Procurementuniformmaterials.

MinistryofPublicWorks

ConsultancyServicesfortheImplementationofa ShoreZoneChangeMonitoringPilotPrograms.

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Miss, Mrs., and Teen India Guyana...

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From page 49 both inspiring and thoughtprovoking, resonating deeply with the audience. In the Mrs. Category, Devi Lim captivated the judges with a rich cultural dance that showcased her grace and skill, while Ruchira Guyadeen in the Miss category performed an equally mesmerizing traditional dance, embodying the spirit and vibrancy of Indian culture.

The grand finale of the Miss, Mrs., and Teen India Guyana Pageant 2024 was a night to remember. Diana Herelall was crowned Miss India Guyana 2024, a title that recognizes her poise, intelligence, and cultural dedication. Timran Dookna, not only won the Talent Segment but also went on to become Miss Teen India Guyana 2024, embodying the spirit and enthusiasm of the younger generation. Devi Lim took home the title of Mrs. India Guyana 2024, honouring her grace, talent, and commitment to her community.

This year’s pageant was particularly significant as it marked the first time the founder of Miss India Worldwide, Dharamatma Saran, visited Guyana to witness the event. His presence underscored the importance of the pageant and highlighted the growing recognition of Guyana’s role in the global Indian community. Mr. Saran’s visit was a moment of pride for the organizers and participants alike, signaling a new era of international collaboration and prestige for the pageant.

PREPARING FOR THE WORLD STAGE

Guyana is gearing up for another potential victory on the global stage, inspired by Aruna Sukhdeo’s remarkable

win at Miss India Worldwide 2023. Aruna’s achievement marked only the second time in 31 years that a representative from Guyana had won the international title, igniting hopes for a back-to-back win. This drive for excellence is bolstered by previous successes, such as Netu Lal, who placed first runner-up in the Miss Teen India Worldwide competition, and Reanna Arkhan, who secured a topfive spot in the Mrs. category. The local pageant’s organizers and participants are working tirelessly to ensure that their representatives are wellprepared to compete with the best from around the world.

Reflecting on earlier achievements, in 2022, Beauty Razack made history as the first Guyanese to win the Miss Teen India Worldwide competition. Additionally, Maya Persaud placed in the top five, while Melicia Seepaul delivered a commendable performance, showcasing the depth of talent which Guyana has to offer.

The pageant also featured the presentation of the Maharani Award, a special accolade given to individuals who have made significant contributions to their fields. This year, the award was presented to Poonam Singh, a beloved Guyanese music idol, in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the music industry. Poonam’s acceptance of the award was a highlight of the evening, as she continues to inspire countless young artists with her talent and dedication.

The event was met with overwhelming support from the public, reflecting the deep cultural pride and community spirit of Guyana. Attendees were thrilled by the high caliber of the performances and

the elegance displayed by all the contestants. The pageant was not just a competition but a celebration of heritage, unity, and the shared aspirations of the Indian community in Guyana.

Pageantry, at its core, is about more than just beauty. It is a platform for empowerment, self-expression, and cultural pride. The Miss, Mrs., and Teen India Guyana Pageant exemplifies this by encouraging contestants to engage in community service, advocate for social causes, and represent their heritage with pride. This year’s participants undertook various initiatives to give back to their communities, demonstrating that they are not just pageant queens but also leaders and change-makers.

As the curtains fall on the 2024 edition of the Miss, Mrs., and Teen India Guyana Pageant, the organizers and participants are already looking ahead to the next year. With each edition, the pageant evolves, incorporating new ideas and approaches to better showcase the talents and achievements of its contestants. The commitment to excellence and cultural celebration ensures that the pageant remains a highlight in Guyana’s cultural calendar.

The legacy of the Miss, Mrs., and Teen India Guyana Pageant is one of empowerment, cultural celebration, and community impact. Each year, it nurtures and showcases the talents of Guyanese women, providing them with a platform to express their individuality and make a difference. The 2024 edition was no exception, setting a high standard for future pageants and reinforcing the importance of cultural pride and community service.

Young Businessman opens Heliconia...

From page 50 priority and services offered will be professional at all times. He added persons are also welcomed to book Heliconia Tavern for their personal events at rates that will not break the bank.

“The packages will vary because I am a person that will also try to meet your pocket”’ he told The Waterfalls. Apart from exclusive bookings Heliconia Tavern’s hosts concept parties every Saturdays and Sundays and

German shepherd mix with Husky available. Call : 6480111.

Now hiring: Executive Secretary, Project Engineer & Accounts Clerk, To apply send application via Whatsapp: 638-5303/ 638-1111.

2 Howo cement mixer truck for sale, $20 M for both. Call: 652-0251/650-0402/2604018.

on Fridays, the clubs’ door is open to the public for free.

While Vancooten’s main objective to run a profitable business and create jobs for locals, the real motivation behind the business venture is to create an environment where patrons can relieve their stress after a long week.

Vancooten himself knows that feeling of having leisure after a tough week.

He works offshore and as a part-time taxi-driver when necessary and sometimes his routine can be strenuous but a get-away on the weekends revives for another week.

Although his newest venture, Helconia Tavern is opened for business, an official opening will be held in December; for more information, you can visit the club’s Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages.

He has been in the entertainment business for four years and has been juggling three jobs while managing his business.

Some Houstonians are sleeping in cars and selling valuables to survive power outages after Hurricane Beryl

(NBC) HOUSTON, Texas As days of sweltering heat persists, Houstonians have directed theirfrustrationoverthelack of electricity toward local utilitycompanyCenterPoint Energy, which is under increased scrutiny for a perceived slow response afterHurricaneBeryllanded on the Gulf Coast of Texas earlierthisweek.

More than 800,000 customersremainedwithout power and electricity as of Friday afternoon, more than fourdaysafterthehurricane floodedstreetsandleftmore than two million people without running air c o n d i t i o n i n g a s temperaturessoared into the nineties.

“It’s ridiculous, we’re sleeping in hot rooms,” said Houston resident Ruth Gonzalez, who’s been taking cold showers to sleep at night She blames the utility companyandthestormfor theupheavalthisweek

“What in the world are

Houstonians are sleeping in cars and selling valuables to survive power outages after Hurricane Beryl

yougoingtodoforus,and how are we going to be reimbursed for everything that we’re losing?” she asked of CenterPoint, referring to the $600 worth of food they’ve thrown away since the storm Gonzalez,alongwithher 56-year-old fiancé, Guy Vasquez, pawned their

diamond-cluster wedding bands this week just for gas moneyandfood.

“You gotta do what you gotta do to keep the kids fat and full,” said Vasquez, referring to the three grandchildren they are helpingtoraise.

‘Nolightsforfivedays’: Houston residents struggle inBeryl’saftermath

GuyanaCentreforCivicEngagementhosts...

Frompage16 your country can do for you – ask what you can do for yourcountry.”

Deodat Persaud, a

Community Solutions Programme alumnus, urged the graduates to love their country and contribute to nation-building.“Thisisthe

beginning of your

volunteering journey Guyanaisyourcountry,and you must be willing to volunteer,”hesaid,stressing the importance of active

citizenship GyCCE President emphasized the significance of youth empowerment,stating,“Our goal is to nurture a generation of leaders who are not only passionate about civic engagement but alsoequippedwiththeskills and commitment to drive positive change.” He added that the success of the YOUthEngage592 program

underscores GyCCE’s commitment to fostering youth development and promoting democratic valuesinGuyana.

During the ceremony, students presented their civic engagement projects. Among them: Anti-Vaping Initiative – Johanna Cecilia

Secondary School students tackled vaping concerns among Grade 8 students, raising awareness, promotinghealthierchoices, and providing resources for those struggling with addiction.

Competency-Based Education Room –This project involved creating a classroom equipped with technologyandlearningaids to deliver competencybasededucation,integrating technologyintolearningand enhancing the educational environment.

Waste Management Awareness – This initiative promoted proper waste managemen

n three villages through preparing and printing posters, painting plastic drums, attending village meetings, and distributing bins for sorted waste Alcohol

Consumption Reduction –Students created a mural depicting the negative consequences of alcohol abuse and complemented it with educational talks and brochures, aiming to encourage healthier choices amongtheirpeers.

Pastoral Care and Awar

Addressingstudentissuesin and out of school, this project involved creating a booklet for pastoral sessions, enhancing road safety at Charity Secondary School, and conducting awarenesssessions.

Certificates and special awardswerepresentedtothe students and mentors, r

achievements.Anna Regina Secondary School received the Best Leader Award, Charity Secondary was honoured with the Best Project Award, and Abram Zuil Secondary School was recognized with the Best MentorAward.

The YOUthEngage592 program aims to train over 100 students nationwide Following the Central Co

graduation,theprogramwill continue with the Bartica cohortnextmonth.

Notable guests at the ceremony included Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva, M

of Parliament Juliet Coonjah and Hemraj Rajkumar, representatives from the Mayor’s Office, head teachers, and other regional executives.

told NBC News this week thattheutilitycompanywas prepared for the storm and had brought in crews from outsideHoustontomobilize assoonasthestormpassed.

“We acknowledge what it must be like to live in TexasinJulyandtonothave electricity,” he said during the interview, adding that this is the fastest the company has ever restored power to about one million homes.

CenterPoint Energy said in a news release on Thursday that more than 80 percent of affected customers should have power and electricity by Sunday

The storm has been blamedforatleast11deaths in the U.S. and nine in the Caribbean.

At least three people were killed in metropolitan Houston, weather officials havesaid.

Despite the public outrage, Darin Carroll, senior vice president of operations at CenterPoint,

H o w e v e r, s o m e areas with significant structural damage could experience prolonged outageswhilecrewsworkto install thousands of new distribution poles and overhead conductors, which are required in order to transportelectricalenergy

Carroll said the storm “caught the

entire service territory with full force,” with downedtreesbringingdown powerlinesacrossthecity

“Inalotofcases,it’snot just branches, these are entire trees that have to be cleanedupbeforewecando therestoration,”hesaid.

The repairs can’t come soon enough for Rosa M Zelaya, 53, of Humble, Texas, a city just outside Houston, who has beenwithoutpowersincethe stormlandedMonday.

For the last few nights, she said she’s slept inhertruckalongside hertwochildren.

“ I t ’ s h o r r i b l e because we don’t have anything

We need food and water,” said Zelaya, who on Friday morning was sweating through her blue dress.

It was about 85 degrees outsideatthetimebutshe’d spent most of the morning indoors where the temperatures were hotter “Atleastthetruckhasair.”

Car crashes into Long Island nail salon killing four

Meizi Zhang, 50, Yan Xu, 41, Jiancai Chen, 37, andoff-dutyNYPDofficer EmiliaRennhack,30,were killed in the crash at the Hawaii Nail and Spa in DeerParkonJune28.Ten other people, including a 12-year-old girl and the driver of the SUV, were hospitalized.

The surveillance video,whichwaspostedto the salon’s Instagram account, shows the scene outside the spa, starting justafewmomentsbefore the crash. A man can be seenexitinganeighboring business On the video, you can see and hear the 2020 Chevy Traverse roaringtowardthesalonas it crosses Grand Avenue. The car gets airborne as it hits Grand Avenue and hurtles across the parking lot,andcrashesloudlyinto thenailsalon.

Nearlytwoweeksafter the devastating crash, Steven Chen said life for him and his family will never be the same Not onlydidhelosehisbrother Jincai, a co-owner of the salon, his talented sisterin-law, Wen Jun, remains incriticalcondition.

Chen said Wednesday he got a call from the hospitalat5a.m.

“They found the bleedinginternally,sothey askedmypermissionandI said, yes, go ahead. My older sister and me, we wake up and run to the hospital,”hesaid.

Steven Schwally, 64, was arrested in the crash. So far he has only been charged with DWI, although additional chargesareexpected.He’s due back in court on July 19. In the caption on their

Instagram post, the spa’s account asks “Drunk driving? Or was it intentionalmurder?” According to the criminal

nt, S c h w a l l y h a d “bloodshot and glassy eyes,” slurred speech and“asmellofalcoholic beverage emanated from his breath” when police interviewed him after the crash He allegedly told police he had 18 beers the night before and stopped drinkingat3a.m.

“He has to pay for whathedid I don’t think just drunk driving,” Chen said, adding he wants to s e e t h e c h a r g e s upgraded

Schwally has a prior DWI conviction from 10 yearsago.He’sbeingheld on$1millionbail.Hisnext courtdateisonFriday

Israeli strike kills 90 in operation targeting military chief

(BBC News) The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says at least 90 Palestinianshavebeenkilled in an Israeli air strike on a designated humanitarian area.

About 300 people have been injured, according to the health ministry’s statement,inanattackwhich Israel says targeted senior Hamas leader Mohammed Deif and his deputy Rafa Salama.

In a news conference on Saturday evening, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said there was “no certainty” that either of themhadbeenkilled.

The strike hit the alMawasi area near Khan Younis, which the Israeli military has designated as a humanitarianzone.

An eyewitness in alMawasi told the BBC that the site of the strike looked likean“earthquake”hadhit.

Videos from the area showsmoulderingwreckage and bloodied casualties being loaded on to stretchers.

Peoplecanbeseentrying desperately to pick through the rubble of a large crater withtheirhands.

BBCVerifyhasanalysed footage of the aftermath of the strike, confirming that it took place within an area shownontheIsraelDefense Forces (IDF) website as a humanitarianzone.

Mr Netanyahu said he gave the order for the

operation to go ahead after being briefed by his general securityforces.

He said he wanted to knowtherewerenohostages nearby, the extent of the collateral damage and what kinds of weapons would be used. During the news conference, he promised to eradicate all of the group’s seniormembers.

“Either way, we will get to the whole of the leadership of Hamas,” Mr Netanyahuadded.

Later Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, quoted by the AFP news agency, accused Mr Netanyahu of seeking to block a ceasefire in the Gaza war with “heinousmassacres”.

Hamas said the claim that their leaders were targetswas“false”.

“It is not the first time Israel claims to target Palestinian leaders, only to be proven false later,” the groupsaidinastatement.

An Israeli military official said the strike took place in an “open area” where there were “no civilians”.

He refused to say whether it was inside a designated safe zone, but said Hamas leaders had “cynically” set up in a civilianarea.

The official also said he wasunawareofanyhostages taken during the 7 October attack on Israel being in the area.

He added that “accurate

intelligence” was gathered beforethe“precisionstrike”.

Who are Mohammed DeifandtheothertopHamas leaders? One of the doctors atahospitaldealingwiththe aftermath of the attack has toldtheBBCitis“oneofthe blackdays”.

Speaking to Newshour on the BBC World Service, Dr Mohammed Abu Rayya said the majority of cases coming in were dead, with others suffering from multipleshrapnelwounds.

Hesaiditwaslikebeing in “hell”, adding that many of the casualties were civilians, notably women andchildren.

Footage from the nearby Kuwait field hospital showedscenesofchaoswith

patients being treated on the floor

The Nasser medical complex in Khan Younis is “overwhelmed” and no longer able to function, said British charity Medical Aid forPalestinians.

Who is Mohammed Deif?

Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas’s military wing the al-Qassam Brigades, is one of Israel’s mostwantedmen.

He has near-mythical statusinGazaafterescaping capture and surviving several assassination attempts, including one in 2002whenhelostaneye.

He was imprisoned by Israeli authorities in 1989, after which he formed the

Brigades with the aim of capturingIsraelisoldiers.

Israel accuses him of planning and supervising bus bombings which killed tens of Israelis in 1996, and of involvement in the capture and killing of three Israeli soldiers in the mid1990s. It is thought he was one of the masterminds behind the7OctoberHamasattack, when about 1,200 Israelis and foreigners - mostly civilians - were killed and 251 others were taken back toGazaashostages.

ItledtothemajorIsraeli military operation in Gaza which has killed more than 38,400 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run healthministry

A Hamas official, cited by Reuters, called Saturday’s attack a “grave escalation” that showed Israel was not interested in reaching a ceasefire agreement.

T h e c e a s e f i r e negotiations being held in Qatar and Egypt ended on Friday without success, the BBCunderstands.

Gaza’s Hamas-run civil defenceagencysaidthatina separate incident, 17 people had been killed in an Israeli strikewestofGaza.

Theattackissaidtohave targeted a prayer hall in the Shati refugee camp to the westofGazaCity

The Israeli military has not yet commented on the claim.

Trump marked safe, two dead after shooting at PA. rally

BUTLER, Pa. (AP) —

Donald Trump’s campaign said in a statement that the former president was “fine” afterashootingathisrallyin Butler, Pennsylvania A local prosecutor says the suspected gunman and at leastoneattendeearedead.

“PresidentTrumpthanks law enforcement and first responders for their quick action during this heinous act,” spokesman Steven Cheung said in a statement. “He is fine and is being checked out at a local medical facility More detailswillfollow.”

The Secret Service said in a statement that “the formerPresidentissafe.”

Butler County district attorney Richard Goldinger said in a phone interview that the suspected gunman was dead and at least one

Trump marked safe, two dead after shooting at Pa. rally

when bangs started ringing throughthecrowd.

Asthefirstpoprangout, Trump said, “Oh,” and grabbedhisearastwomore pops could be heard and he croucheddown.

Someone can be heard s a y i n g n e a r t h e microphone at Trump’s lectern, “Get down, get down,getdown,getdown!” as agents tackled the former president.

Trump could later be seen reaching with his righthandtowardhisface There appeared to be blood onhisface.

stage.

The crowd cheered as he got back up and pumpedhisfist

His motorcade has since left the venue His condition was not immediatelyknown.

Police began vacating the fairgrounds shortly after Trump left the stage in what local officers describedasacrimescene.

President Joe Biden

was briefed on the incident, the White House said

Donald Trump Jr., posted a photoonXofTrump,hisfist raisedandhisfacebloodyin front of an American flag, withthewords:“He’llnever stop fighting to Save America.”

Convention opens Monday

He quickly ducked behind the riser as agents from his protective detail rushedthestageandscreams were heard in the crowd of several thousand people The bangs continued as agents tended to him on

He received an updated briefing from Kimberly Cheatle, the director of the United States Secretary Service, Homeland Security

Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas,andWhiteHouse homeland security adviser LizSherwood-Randall.

Trump’s eldest son,

North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum, Florida Sen Marco Rubio and Ohio Sen JD Vance, the three men on Trump’s shortlist for vice president, all quickly sent out statements expressing concern for the former president, with Rubio sharing an image taken as Trump was escorted off stage with his fist in the air and a streak of blood on his face along with the words “God protected PresidentTrump.”

Pennsylvania Gov Josh Shapiro,aDemocrat,said.

attendeewaskilled. Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, was showingoffachartofborder

BLUNTNESS ON INDECENCIES!

Incaseyouhaven’theard,pleasebeinformedthataspartofourcontinued effort to channel positive changes in our country, our Publisher, Dr Glenn Lall, has dedicated our Page Seven to be “BLUNT” about ongoing indecenciesinourlandthatshouldmatter,notonlytousatthispublication, buttheentirenation.

SUNDAY–JULY 07,2024

Stopwindow dressingforExxon

To all local leaders: stop windowdressingforExxon

Stopdancingaround Stop conspiring with a predatorycompany

Stop covering up what hurtsGuyanese

To the PPPC, PNCR, AFC:

Stop the window dressingwiththisoil

Take up window washing,orhousepainting

Please stop misleading Guyanese

Setting them up, then lettingthemdown

MONDAY–JULY08,2024

Cardboardcutouts

Guyanese:whodoesthat descriptionfitbest? Are leaders nothing but cardboardcutouts?

Exxon has made them intodummiesandmummies

Stiff as a board and on Guyaneseabigload

Political leaders have becomearunningjoke

Messengers, protectors, subverters for Exxon, the companyspoke Guyanese continue to trust And Guyanese will go bust!

TUESDAY–JULY09,2024

Knowingallthere istoknowaboutoil

That would be Bharrat Jagdeo.

SayoilandJagdeoisthe master

Ask about more oil money, and he goes on a rollercoaster

Round and round on the mulberrybush. Jagdeo turns Guyanese hopesintomush. This is Guyana’s big oil man.

Exxon makes him into theirstrawman.

WEDNESDAY–JULY10,2024

Changeismandatory

Guyanesearewatching. Warning to leaders: Oil changeismandatory Change for the good, or enduplikedinosaurs.

Dinosaurs once roamed askings. Theydidn’tchange. They ended up in museums.

THURSDAY–JULY11,2024

CONFLICTOF INTEREST

It cannot be Bharrat Jagdeo having a problem

withconflictofinterest.

Jagdeo has never made thataconcernbefore.

Jagdeo has fought against Glenn Lall when he broughtataxcase.

A tax case that could have opened the door for muchgoodforGuyana.

Jagdeo battled against Guyanese bringing environmentalcases.

Hedidn’tseeanyconflict of interest in his role as nationalleader Jagdeo has something bigtolose.

That’s why he now speaks about conflict of interest.

FRIDAY–JULY12,2024

Jagdeothebrawler, nowJagdeothelegal philosopher

Jagdeo is now lecturing Guyaneseaboutconflict.

This is the man whose firstnameisconflict…

Has Jagdeo taken up comedy?

Or is this a sick man withoutaremedy?

Jagdeo was a night crawlerandabrawler!

Now he has recycled himself into a legal philosopher

Is Jagdeo now this far gone?

So far that he sees shadows, hear footsteps behindhim?

SATURDAY–JULY12,2024

Rejectsandrecycled

Isthereabiggerrejectin

Guyana than Jagdeo? His own people are abandoning him, getting ready to reject him again! Is there a man who has recycled himself more than Jagdeo? From minister to policymaker to oil leader Jagdeo has recycled himself more than old clothes! But this is the man talking about rejects andtherecycled!

Krejcikova holds off Paolini to win Wimbledon title

(BBC Sport) - Barbora Krejcikovaheldoffacharge from Jasmine Paolini in a grippingfinalatWimbledon to claim her second Grand Slamsinglestitle.

The31stseedfollowedin the footsteps of 2023

champion Marketa Vondrousovatomakeitbackto-backtriumphsfortheCzech Republic in the women’s singles Krejcikova, a French Openwinnerin2021,heldher armsaloftasshesealeda6-226 6-4 victory on her third

championshippoint She shared a warm embracewithPaoliniatthenet beforelookingupandblowing akisstowardstheskyWiththe victory, Krejcikova has emulated her late friend and coachJanaNovotna.

The 1998 Wimbledon champion died from ovarian cancerin2017attheageof49. In keeping with Wimbledon

tradition, Krejcikova clambered up to the players’ box to celebrate with her team and family, many of

whom were in tears. “It’s unreal what just happened,” Krejcikova said in her victory speech “It’sthebestdayofmy tenniscareerandthebestdayof my life”As the magnitude of her achievement sank in, Krejcikova, trophy in hand, burst into tears as she left CentreCourt.

The result is a second straightGrandSlamfinaldefeat for Paolini, who fell to Iga Swiatek in straight sets in last month’s French Open showpiece The 28-year-old

was bidding to become Italy’s first women’s singles champion at Wimbledon ‘It’s unbelievable I’m stood here’Withbothplayersbeing unexpected finalists, it was guaranteed there would be a first-time women’s champion fortheseventhWimbledonina row. And after nearly two hours on court, it was Krejcikova’s name that was etched on the Venus RosewaterDish Ithadbeena difficult season until now for Krejcikova, who has been hamperedbyabackinjuryand illness

Sunday July 14, 2024

ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)

Ithasbeenfairlyeasyforyou to detect the truth behind the situationsyou'veencountered lately However, beginning today,youranalyticalabilities won'tbesoreliable.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Howintensethepastfewdays have been! You could spend months just reflecting on these recent experiences. But the mood isn't conducive to introspectionrightnow

GEMINI(May21–June20)

The day ahead may help you break away from the surroundinggloomanddoom. A more playful influence is trying to make its way into your relationships, especially y o u r e m o t i o n a l commitments.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Sometimes you feel like you're navigating through a thick fog, but the obscurity will finally lift today The skies ahead are sunny and clear! You can expect an invitationtotakealittletripor anoffertobelongtoaspecial group.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Was someone close to you r u d e w i t h o u t a n y provocation? Were you the targetofunpleasantcriticism? Youtaketheseslightstoheart. Beginning today, and throughoutthedaystocome.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Havingapersonalopinionon any question isn't the most difficult thing in the world to do, Virgo. More difficult is confronting with some objectivity the opinions of others.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Enough of thinking about yourself, Libra! The hour has now arrived to draw some conclusions. You're at the end of the lengthy volume you werewritingonyourinnerlife.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Seduction through words is your real power, Scorpio.You haveagreattalentforanything involving words. So you're goingtobeabletoattracteven more admirers around you today

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

With today's celestial energy, you'regoingtofeellikeyou're on vacation, Sagittarius. This planetary configuration often gives people the feeling of having a fresh mind and calm disposition.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Do you say yes every time someone asks for a favor, Capricorn? Is it sometimes hard to find time for yourself becauseyou'resobusycoming to the rescue of a friend or family member? Today's celestial energy asks you to thinkaboutyou.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20–Feb 18) It's time to elevate your senseofself,Aquarius.You're justasgoodasanyoneelse,so why don't you believe it? The problem is that you're very sensitiveabouthavinganego. Even though you know everyonedoes.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)

Hasitbeendifficultthesepast fewdaystocommunicatewith those close to you?Are you a little skeptical about your charm? In fact, have you been feelingsomewhatunsure.

Between the end of January’sAustralianOpenand this month’s Championships, she had played nine singles matches, winning just three Now she has won through sevenmatchesinthespaceof two weeks “Two weeks ago [in the first round against VeronikaKudermetova]Ihad a very tough match, and I wasn’t in good shape before thatbecauseIwasinjuredand ill,”Krejcikovasaid

“I didn’t really have a good beginning to the season.It’sunbelievableI’m stoodherenowandI’vewon Wimbledon. I have no idea [howithappened].”

GHB-Value4U Summer Break...

Frompage65 campaign with a 2-1 win over YMCA OFHC Stars, followed by an impressive 2-0 victory over GCC Herricanes They continued their winning streak with a 3-1winagainstHHCJunior Jetsanda2-0winoverVHC Sticklers With four consecutive wins, SHC Sensationssecuredaspotin the Girls’ U16 final. GCC Her-ricanes,withthreewins andoneloss,putupastrong fight in the final, but SHC Sensations clinched a match-winning goal late in the contest to secure a 1-0 victoryandtheGirl’stitle.

G C C O u t l a w s dominated the Boys’ U16 division, entering the final undefeated with three wins and a draw The Outlaws secured wins against HHC Hatchets, YMCA OFHC Stunners,andSHCSigmas, alongside a goalless draw againstSHCLegends.Luke Sargeant, Grant Fernandes, and Chad DeAbreu were instrumentalintheOutlaws’ success,leadingthemtoa20 victory over SHC Sigmas in the final to claim the championshiptitle.

The tournament continued yesterday at the National Gymnasium with the Indoor Phase of the Summer Break Juniors tournament, with detailed coveragetobeprovidedina futureedition.

Exhilarating action promised in Kares One Guyana T10 Blast

The Kares One Guyana Tapeball Blast is set to ignite the cricketing world with a knockout-style tournament, as organisers

unveiled the highly anticipated fixtures on Saturday

With a straight knockout format, teams will have no margin for error, as it’s “do

or die from ball one,” according to the tournament organisers. The action kicks off on August 3rd with the intense round-of-32 matches, spread across the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC), Police Sports Club (PSC), and Queen’sCollege Matches are scheduled for 9:00AM,11:00AM,1:00PM, and3:00PM

The surviving teams will clash in the round-of-16 on August4,alsoatDCCandPSC

Thefinaleightteamswillthen battle it out at the Enmore Community Centre onAugust 11tosecuretheirspotsinthe semi-finals and the grand finale,whichwillbeheldon August 25 at the National Stadium Tournament organiser John Ramsingh

expressed his anticipation for the tournament, highlighting the fierce competition expected from the participating teams “With so many established community teams involved, we’re expecting some explosive cricket, ” Ramsingh said. “The fans areinforatreat.”

R a m s i n g h a l s o acknowledgedtheimpactofthe weather on preparations but expressedsatisfactionwiththe teams’ continued training and the ongoing support from corporateGuyana

The winner of the tournament will take home

G$1 5 million, with the runner-up securing

G$500,000 and the losing semifinalists each receiving

More big sixes are on the cards for 2024

G$250,000 Matches on August 3: MS-13 All-Stars v TeamCorruption–QCPitch1 at09:00h;UpsettersvGPLInc –QCPitch2at09:00h;Montra JaguarsvFalconsXI–PSCat 09:00h;StreetBallerzvVillage Rams – DCC at 09:00h; EC Express v Mahdia – DCC at 11:00h;SoesdykeXIvAirport XI – QC pitch 1 at 11:00h; Renegades Cricket Club v TarmacTitans–PSCat11:00h; Eccles All-Stars v Eastsyde –QCpitch2at11:00h;TitansAllStarsvStriplingWarriors–PSC at 13:00h; PREMIER InsurancevMin Housing–QC pitch1at13:00h;MorucaSuper GiantsvLilRams–QCpitch2 at 13:00h; The Guards v Mahaica Super Strikers –13:00h at DCC; Green ScorpionsvAvinashAll-Stars–

2024 Kares One Guyana T10 Blast…

AssuriaGeneralandLife Insurance Companies have committed to providing the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award at the second edition of the Kares One GuyanaT10TapeballBlast.

Assuria has promised to gift a new motorbike and $85,000 to the tournament MVP at the final on August 25attheNationalStadiumin Providence.

The other playing days areAugust3attheDemerara Cricket Club, Police Sports Club, Queen’s College Ground, and August 4 at DCCandPSC.

Thequarter-finalswillbe held on August 11 at the Enmore Community Centre Ground, while the highly anticipated Cricket for Charity match will also be heldonAugust25.

In a release to the media yesterday, the organisers explained that while the specific details on the motorbike’s style will be revealedinthecomingdays,

it was overwhelming and most grateful to have Assuria, without hesitation, sponsortheMVPaward.

“Lastyear,itwasbitofa late call on the motorbike andtheywerequicktoshow support, this year, they were eager again to be part of the tournament, and as part of our commitment to give moretoplayers,acashprize will accompany the motorbike. It means all of our individual awards, not only get a lucrative gift but also cash”, John Ramsingh ofFLSportexpressed.

The first MVP award went to Omesh Danram of VillageRams,asdespitenot reaching the semi-finals, he accumulated 19.932 points.

It was a result of being the tournament’s leading runscorer - three innings: 163 runs; HS: 62*; Strike Rate: 281 67 The organisers indicated they would announce the incentives for the other individual prizes most Runs, Most

Wickets, and Player of the Final—inthecomingdays.

“We are committed to ensuring more is given to players after last year, and wearemakinggradualsteps tokeepthispromiseasallthe cash prizes were increased. Whilewemayhaveadream, thebenevolenceofcorporate Guyana makes it a reality, andwearemostgratefulfor the support of companies likeAssuria and others keen to give back to community activities.”

Kares Engineering, Banks DIH, Star Rentals, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Montra Restaurant and Longue, Ministry of Housing and Water, Premier Insurance, Regal Stationary & Computer Centre, ENet, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Demerara Mutual Insurance, Massy Distribution,RS53Restobar &Lounge,JacobsJewellery & Pawn Shop, and First ChangeBuildersInc.arethe

QCpitch1at15:00h;Brooklyn Youth Strikers v Cotton Tree Die Hard – PSC at 15:00h; DiamondGunnersvTGTitans – DCC at 15:00h;The United CrewvBarticaBulls–QCpitch 2 at 15:00h K a r e s Engineering, Banks DIH, Star Rentals, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Montra Restaurant and Longue, Ministry of Housing andWater, Premier Insurance, Regal Stationary & Computer Centre, ENet, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Demerara Mutual Insurance, Massy Distribution,RS53Restobar &Lounge,JacobsJewellery & Pawn Shop, and First ChangeBuildersInc.arethe othersponsorsonboardthus far

Flashback! Omesh Danram of Village Rams was the Most Valuable Player in 2023 and got a new motorbike compliments of Assuria Insurance.

othersponsorsonboardthus far

The winner’s purse has been increased to G$1 5 million, with G$500,000 for the runner-up and G$250,000 for each losing semifinalist.

Participating teams: Airport XI, Avinash All-

Brooklyn Youth Strikers, Cotton Tree Die Hard, Diamond Gunners, Eastsyde, EC Express, EcclesAll-Stars,FlaconsXI, GPL Inc., Green Scorpions Cricket Club, Lil Rams, Mahaica Super Strikers, Mahdia (Movements Family), Ministry of Housing and Water – One

Guyana, Montra Jaguars, Moruca Super Giants, MS13 All-Stars, PREMIER Insurance, Renegades Cricket Club, Soesdyke XI, Street Ballerz, Stripling Warriors, Tarmac Titans, TeamCorruption,TGTitans, The United Crew, The Guards, Titans All-Stars, UpsettersandVillageRams.

2024CWIRegionalWomen’sU19T20BlazeFinals...

Hardat, Belgrave, Barkoye ease Guyana to maiden Blaze T20 title maiden

Itwasamonumentalday for Guyana Women’s cricket, as the Under-19 team rocketed their way to the 2024 Blaze T20 Championshipstitle,etching their name in the history booksofregionalcricket.

T h e R e a l e a n n a Grimmond-led team ran roughshod throughout the entire tournament as they went to the finals with just onelossundertheirbelts.

Guyana bowlers were relentless as they were throughout the tournament, with seamer Trisha Hardat bullyingtheoppositionwith 4-10from4overs.

The pair of Danellie Manns who grabbed 2-14 and the consistent Niya Latchman (1-5) lent

tremendous support to Hardat as they kept Leewardsto68allout.

For the second game, Captain Jahzara Claxton kept Leewards afloat with a gritty 25 off 27 balls, with Courtney Brown (7) being thenextbestscorer P

n interrupting, Guyana raced to 63-5 in 11.3 overs, after Shonette Belgrave and Naomi Barkoye spanked a numberofboundarieswhich put their side well ahead of therun-rate;bythetimerain arrived.

Belgrave hit three fours and a six while Barkoye hit four fours in her run-a-ball, as Sainvani Kambalapalli (2-27) and Amara Richards (2-12)triedtheirbest.

Semifinals decided in West/East Bank Guinness Greatest of the Streets

Defending champion

Ballerz Empire, three-time winner Showstoppers, Jetty Gunners, and Cayenne advanced to the semifinals intheGuinness‘Greatestof the Streets’West/East Bank Demerara leg after securing quarterfinal wins on Saturday night at the PouderoyenTarmac.

Ballerz Empire thrashed Epic Touch Family 2-0 Solomon Austin recorded a double in the second and 15thminutes.

Showstoppers overcame

UG aural champion Westside Ballers 2-0 via a Dexroy Adams Guinness Goal’(GG)[agoalscoredin the final three minutes counts as two] in the 39th minute.

Meanwhile, Jetty Gunners dismissed the Pouderoyen Brothers 2-0. Daniel Wilson recorded a double in the 11th and 16th minutes.

On the other hand, C a y e n n e M a s s i v e dismantled Family 5-0 O’Neil Sharp recorded a 14th goal and a GG in the 38thminute.Addinggoalsin the 18th and 36th minutes were siblings Jermaine and JamielHarry,respectively The semifinals will occur on July 19th at the same venue. Jetty Gunners willopposeShowstoppersin the first semifinal match, while Ballerz Empire will opposeCayenneMassive.

The 2024 CWI Regional Women’s U19 T20 Blaze champions.

Hinckson, Austin strike gold in Peru -

Springer grabs 400m Bronze

BYRAWLETONEY

Malachi Austin’s 400m gold and Athaleyah Hinckson’s win in the women’s 100m highlighted Guyana’s performance at this year’s South American U20 Championship in Athletics, heading into the final day of the event in Lima,Peru.

Austin, Hinckson, and Tianna Springer are representing Guyana at the 46th South American U20 Championship,whichbegan in1959.

On Friday, Hinckson gave Guyana a perfect start by winning the women’s 100m in 11 76 seconds, beating Colombia’s Maturana Camila (11.85s)

and Vanessa Dos Santos of Brazil (11 86s), who finishedthird.

Hinckson became the first female to win a 100m gold at the South American U20 Championship in Athletics. The 15-year-old nowturnsherattentiontothe 200mfinalslatertoday

Meanwhile, Austin w o n h i s s e c o n d international medal this year, after clinching the CARIFTA Games U20 400m title His time of 47 21 seconds earned him gold ahead of Colombia’s Ian Reasco (47 69s) and Brazil’s Vinicius Galeno (48.29s).

In the women’s 400m finals, Tianna Springer,

the championship record holder, had to settle for b r o n z e w i t h a performance of 55 12 seconds.

The race was won by Brazil’s Julia Ribeiro (54 32s), with Colombia’s Castro Nahomy (54 87s) finishingsecond

A t l a s t y e a r ’ s championships, Springer ran53 53secondstobreak Brazil’s Bárbara de

Oliveira’s 2009 record of 53 44ssetinSãoPaulo

Guyana’s medal tallies this year equals last year’s performance, where Springer won 400m gold and Ezekiel Newton won the 200m and finished thirdinthe100m.

Tianna Springer collects her Bronze medal for the women's 400m

Tianna Springer collects her Bronze medal for the women's 400m

Close to 60 horses

entered forPort Mourant horse race meet -

track in pristine condition

The Port Mourant Turf Club will come alive today,SundayJuly14witha grand one-day horse race meet. Some 55 horses have confirmedentrytotheevent which now has seven races onthecards.

After a change of weatherpattern,thetrackat Port Mourant is in immaculate condition with host stable, KP Jagdeo Racing Stables preparing the track for high-quality racing.

Thefeatureevent,which is the CARICOM Cup, will beopentoallhorsesrunning at 1350 meters. Seven top horses confirmed spots for thefeatureracewhichhasa top cash prize of G$ 1.5 million.

Guyana Cup winner for 2023 Easy Time, champion horse for 2023 Spankhurst, Bossalina, Jessica’s Pride, Wild Texas Tom, Glorious Business and Beckham James are the seven horses entered.

Race one in the cards

will be the J Class and Lowerandsevenhorseswill be battling it out. Regal Surprise, Sarkar, Get Them Bobby, Amazing Grace, Rescue,TrumpandPrincess Samiyah are the horses for theopeningrace.

Race two will be the two-year-old Guyana bred.

Perfect Star, Miss Simron, I’ll have another, Cotton Candy, Secret Traveller, Citation, Stepping Razor, Easy Bella, Jamrock and Miracle Star are the horse Beeteredforracetwo.

The H Class race has seven horses entered. Patta Patta, Nuclear Fire, She WBO on Time, Regal

Intention, Emotional Damage, Supremacy, and Blinding Lights are the horsesintheHClassrace.

Sevenhorsesareinrace five, which is the L Class race. Princess Sasha, Rags to Riches, Shake the Bank, Wartime, Royal Flight, PerfectDreamandTopGun arethehorsesforracefive.

The three-year-old race hasfivehorses.Royal ink, Country Rock, Super Quick, Sex Appeal and Storm Again are the horsesentered.

All races will be run under the guidance of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority rules, and races aresubjecttochange.Horse ownerswouldneedtoshow proofofhorses’vaccination attimeofentry

The Port Mourant Turf Clubhorseracemeet,which was originally listed on the 2024 calendar as the Caricommeet,issponsored byAJM,KPJagdeoGeneral Contractors, Old Broom Lounge, Jumbo Jet Auto Sales,andCrownVibes. Race starts at 12:00 hourslocaltime.

Race four is the J/K/L maiden and 14 horses confirmedentry Thehorses are; Security Rock, Get Them Reggie, Lion Heart, Swinging Jet, Money Jet, BrukGun,LittleAfrica,Bin Ladin, Scarlet Rose, Catch the Cat, Wonder Girl, Legacy,Rockstar,andPatsy Celine.

GHB-Value4USummer Break Hockey tournament underway

…Outlaws, Sensations and War Dogs dominate Outdoor Edition

The Guyana Hockey Board (GHB) commenced the Outdoor segment of the Value4U Inc Summer Break Junior’s Hockey tournament on FridayattheGeorgetownCricket Clubturf IntheBoysU16final, GCC Outlaws emerged victoriousoverSHCSigmaswith a2-0win,whileSHCSensations

secured a narrow 1-0 victory against GCC Her-ricanes in the Girls’ final Living up to their name, GCC War Dogs were dominant in the U13 Mixed division, showcasing a strong tournament record with their only loss occurring in the earlier phase against YMCA OFHC Showstoppers Ultimately, they triumphed with a 4-2 win over YMCA OFHC Showstoppers in the final.

GCC War Dogs had an impressiveruninGroupAof the Mixed U13 category, defeating YMCA OFHC Showstoppers4-2inthefinal to clinch first place in the tournament In the earlier rounds, War Dogs made a statementwithanemphatic91 victory over Hikers in the openingmatchoftheOutdoor phasebeforefallingtoYMCA

OFHC Showstoppers 3-1 in theirsecondgame

Despite this setback, they secured a semi-final matchup against the top performer in Group B, YMCA OFHC

Uprising Uprisingenteredthe semisunbeaten,boastinga4-0 win over GCC Thunderbolts anda3-2victoryagainstSHC

Scorchers In the other semifinal, YMCA OFHC Showstoppers defeated SHC Scorchers4-0toadvancetothe final TheresilientWarDogs

had a commanding performance against YMCA OFHCUprisingintheirsemifinal,achievingadecisive5-1 victory to face off against the formidable YMCA OFHC

Showstoppers The championship in the U13 Mixed division was determined as GCC War Dogs overpowered YMCA OFHC Showstoppers 4-2 to claimthetitle.

Makaylah Poole was outstanding for SHC Sensations in the U16 Girls’ division, leading them to championship victory in the Girls’U16Outdoordivision.

SHCSensationsbegantheir (Continuedonpage61)

Chad DeAbreu (left) committed to the dribble in the Boys U16 division

Grant Fernandes’races away from a pack of defenders during the second semi final matchups

Close to 60 horses entered for Port Mourant horse race meet

Close to 60 horses will be in action today at Port Mourant Turf Club

Makaylah Poole was the star for SHC Sensations, winners of the Girl’s Under-16 competition

MalachiAustin (centre) receives his medal for the men's 400m