forces advance in southern Gaza, tanks active in Rafah
‘No guarantee Exxon will have 7th oil project’ ...VP Jagdeo says Govt. to decide whether project sum will be added to cost bank
Men in camouflage rob Essequibo
woman of $1 million
Gunmen invade Cummings St. store, rob owner, sales girl
$153M in contracts awarded to build four nursery schools Govt. talks up fight against corruption in public procurement
Jagdeo says old Omai has
Elaine Ellingham, President of Omai Gold Mines
company president says “we are back” not returned to Guyana, despite
Put our own meters on Exxon’s oil pumps!
‘No guarantee Exxon will have 7thoil project’
...VP Jagdeo says
Govt. to decide whether project sum will be added to cost bank
Th e r e i s n o guarantee that ExxonMobil will be allowed to go ahead with its seventh project Hammerhead. At least this much was gleaned from statementsmadebytheVice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his weekly press conference on Thursday at Freedom House on Robb Street.
Jagdeowasaskedbythis publication, “In relation to produced water from Hammerhead Exxon's 7th project that is supposed to start up in 2029, the opposition seems to be on two different ends of the spectrum with how the company should be dealing with produced water We havethePNC,theyareallfor reinjection,whiletheAFCis
alloftheseissues.”
He boasted that the administration has made the permitsforpreviousprojects public unlike the previous administration and they will bedealingwithanyissuesas they arise. Jagdeo added: “Exxon still has to demonstrate that they will submit all the documents needed for us to assess whethertherequirementsare met. On the seventh project, we are yet to determine whetherwewantthatonthe cost bank now ahead of any clarityofhowwearemoving with the monetization of the Gas Project. So those issues will be determined next week.”
ExxonMobil has commenced public consultationsfortheseventh projectHammerhead.Itwas
all for treatment The company is yet to decide how they will handle this. Can you say what is government's position on how Exxon should handle produced water from this project?”
The VP stated, “So first ofall,thereisanassumption that there will be a seventh project. So we will get the application soon and at that time, the government will determine through two permits, one the licence and then the environmental permit,howitwilldealwith
at the first meeting on Mondaythatitwasdisclosed by Global Projects Cost Engineering Manager for Exxon Guyana Rebecca Cvikota that the company is yet to decide what specific methods would be used to address the produced water from this project, but they were already presenting plans to the public on how they plan to go about production and what the capacity of the Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO) willbe.
Gunmen invade Cummings St store, rob owner and sales girl
Produced water is a liquid that is extracted during oil production activities It contains dissolved mineral salts, or may be mixed with organic compounds such as acids, waxes, and mineral oils. It may also be mixed with inorganic metals and byproducts or with trace amountsofheavymetalsand naturally-occurring radioactivematerials,theUS Department of Energy said inaresearchpaper.Itisalso usually very high in temperature, and can be deadlytomarineorganisms. Due to its toxicity, this substance is best re-injected into the wells, though this
may be a costly exercise. Exxon has sounded the warning before, in six EIAs foritspreviouslysanctioned projects, of the dangers associatedwiththedumping of produced water into the ocean Produced water discharges from each of the projects vary For instance, thesixthproject–Whiptail–which will produce 250,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) will also produce 200,000 barrels of produced water daily which will be dumped intotheocean.
The Exxon official was asked by this publication if the company had plans to reinject the produced water from the project and if not,
(REUTERS) French oil major
TotalEnergies reported a worse than expected 6% fall in second-quarter earnings on Thursday, hurt by lower refined product and gas sales and as Europeanrefiningmarginstumbled.
Adjusted net income for the three months to June 30 was $4.7 billion, down from $4.96 billion a year earlier and $5.1 billion in the first quarter Analysts had expected a flat outcome versusayearearlier
Still, Total confirmed it would buy back up to $2 billion of shares in the third quarter and reiterated net investmentguidanceof$17-$18billion for the year RBC Europe analyst Biraj Borkhataria said the results were "modestlydisappointing".
Unlike larger peers, it is continuing to invest in renewable energy assets as
can she say the effect it can have on rising sea levels if notreinjected.Shesaidthat, “Produced water has been a topic we have been heavily involved in working very closely with the EPA and MNR to do studies on and assess and look at. So, for Hammerhead, we are still in the early phases, I wouldn't committoanyspecificways in which we are going to handle the produced water What I will say now is the studies we are doing are informing those types of decisions and it is international practice to discharge produced water offshore.”
Cvikota explained that the water is treated and they will not be discharging any water unless it meets the requ
the environmental permit and is treated sufficiently “That is part of our practices that's oneofthethingsthatweare monitoring very closely to ensure that we have safe operations,”sheadded.
Exxon'sadmission
ExxonMobil has
acknowledged that discharges from the seventh projectcanpotentiallyaffect thequalityofwaterandharm marine species and wildlife.
T
part of a push to build an integrated power business, while also exploring newhotspotslikeNamibiaandGuyana.
Income from oil production in the quarter was 14% higher than last year, reflecting higher crude prices but earningsweredown36%atitsrefining and chemicals unit, and fell 13% at its integratedLNGbusiness.
The company blamed subdued diesel demand in Europe and lower prices as market volatility from the Russian supply disruption normalises. Its average refining margin of $44.90 per metric ton is down 37% from the firstquarter
CEOPatrickPouyannesaidrefining margins were "normalising", and expectedtobearound$40or$45perton inthelongterm,ratherthan$70or$80. BP and Exxon also warned this month
contained in the Project Summary submitted by Exxon to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the Project Summary seen by this newspaper, “The Project couldhavelocalisedimpacts tomarinewaterqualityinthe project development area from discharge of drill cuttings and from routine operational and hydrotesting discharges The Project could potentially impact marine water quality intheProjectareaofinterest (AOI) as a result of nonroutine, unplanned events (e.g.,spillorrelease).”
Drill cuttings and drill fluid discharges during the drilling of development wells; effluent discharges from cooling water and produced water; hydrotesting discharges and nonroutine, unplanned events such as a spill can result in the release of dangerous substances that can affect marinelife.
Exxon said, “Increased total suspended solids concentrations, chemical concentrations, or temperatureinwatercolumn has a potential to affect marine water quality and marine habitat quality and affectwildlife.”
thatlowerrefiningmarginsandweaker gas demand would dent profits this quarter
Pouyanne told analysts that Total would press ahead with several key projectsthisyear-includinganewU.S. upstream investment to follow April's purchaseofaTexasshalegasstake.
"I can tell you we are working on anotherdeal onupstreamtherewillbe moretocome,forsure,"hesaid.
On Namibia's Venus oil discovery, high volumes of gas in the reservoir make the development complex, Pouyanne said In Mozambique, where Total's $20 billion LNG project has been frozen under force majeure since 2021, Pouyanne said hehopedtochartapathtowardarestart byyear-end,afterOctober'spresidential election.
Thanks to the ongoing exposures of this newspaper about the deficits in the massive oil sector, the PPP/C Government has finally stirred and now plans to send representatives to see what’s going on at ExxonMobil’s public consultations. The Opposition PNCR is clear in its response to the company’s 10 public consultations for the seventh oil project, Hammerhead. It will not waste time and attend what is a sham by both ExxonMobil and the government.Meanwhile,ExxonMobilkeepsmovingalong unconcernedly as if in full control of this country, its oil wealth,andthePPP/CGovernment.
Theoilprojectshavecomeatasteadypace,withsixof them approved and in ExxonMobil’s hand. The company has held public consultations before, and they have been a study in clever dodging. Any talk about money from the projects is squashed immediately, shutdown as being outside thescopeofthemeetings Guyanesehaverepeatedlyexpressed theirfrustrationsatthefarcesthatExxonMobil’spublicconsultations havebecome WhatisdeclaredbyExxonMobil’sofficialsnotto be relevant to the consultations hosted by ExxonMobil is quickly suppressed by ExxonMobil’s Guyanese hired hands ThereisthespectacleofGuyanesepushingagainstGuyanese, putting some of the harder questions posed in a vise, while companyofficialssitback,sayasilentwordofthanksfortheir loyalGuyaneseservants Itwassugarandcottonandtobacco slaverybeforeinAmerica,wherethisusedtohappen Now,in 21st century Guyana, whiteAmericans pat themselves on the backforrecruitingnon-WhiteGuyanesetoperpetuatewhatis nothingbutGuyaneseoilslavery Thisisthecontinuingstoryof someofthoseatthebottomjoiningwiththeexploiterstoexploit theirown
NowGuyana’soilczar,VicePresidentBharratJagdeois moved to act. “We should have people there. We can’t allowthesepeople(ExxonMobil)torunamok. Idon’tknow what they are going to say, they telling people all kinds of stupidness...” ThisisamajordevelopmentfromJagdeo,in thelatebreakingnewscategory Thisisthenationalleader who is always prioritizing foreign investor interests above those of Guyanese. It is good to observe him finding his voice, as he fires away by instructing Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat to ensure that there are government people at those consultations. We are not impressed by what could be a public tantrum with no meaningfromGuyana’sleadingoilman. Ourhopeisthatthe presenceofgovernmentpeopleatExxonMobil’sfarcicalpublic consultationsisnotthelatestshaminawholeseriesofearlier shams On most occasions that Guyanese have taken what Jagdeo has said at face value, they usually end up regretting beingsogenerous Unfortunately,thisisnowthenormfromthe PPP/C Government and its chief oilman Jagdeo with every aspect of this country’s rich natural resources This great oil assetstandsasthebiggestandbrightestexhibit
The PNCR is not sending anyone to ExxonMobil’s public consultations. It will not be part of what is a joke, where decisions have already been made by the company workinghandinglovewiththePPP/CGovernmenttopull the wool over the heads of Guyanese. Though we at this paper also recognize that the company’s public consultationshavebeenafarce,asham,ajoke,westillsend reporters. Theirjobistoaskquestionsandrecordthe“kindsof stupidness”(asJagdeosaidmaybehappening)thatcomesout from ExxonMobil’s people, as they try to evade probing questions ThisisadutythatisowedtoGuyanese Alongthe samelines,wethinkthattheOppositionPNCRshouldstillhave someearsatthepublicconsultations,ifonlytoarmitselfastothe newestshenanigansthatthecompanymayhaveinmind The Opposition PNCR has a huge fraction of Guyana’s electorate thatislookingtoitforanswers,tobattleforthem Thegroupnot havingitsownbootsonthegroundduringExxonMobil’spublic consultationscanonlybedescribedasadisservicenotjusttoits ownsupporters,buttoallGuyanese It took a long time, but ExxonMobil’spublicconsultationsarenowatotaldisgrace, acompletedisaster
Our highest court graciously acknowledged Ramon’s public
DEAREDITOR
Ramon Gaskin was one ofthemostdelightfulpeople Ihaveevermet.Iremember with gratitude how much of our conversation consisted of genuine good oldfashioned Guyanese laughter,thesortoflaughter thatisdisappearingfromour society as people are made miserable and hurried by extractivist capitalism d r e s s e d u p a s ‘development’.
IfirstmetRamon,nearly 30yearsago,whenIcrashed intohimonmybicycleashe was walking past the Pegasus lobby He was already well-known as “Rambo.”Helikedbicycles. He turned mine upside down, fixed the chain and waved me on my way Ramon was a man of words (he told me he was trilingual: English, Russian and ‘waterfront’) which he used to devastating effect. He was a man of action. When Guyana’s politicians embracedthedelusionofoil wealth, Ramon looked the oilcurseinthefaceandspat at it He exposed the “absurditiesand illegalities” inthesell-outagreementthat
RaphaelTrotmansignedand the PPP/C now defend. He was totally opposed to the gastoshoreprojectwhichhe ( l i k e m e ) s a w a s economically disastrous, financially unjustified and backward.
Ramon was the first person to stand up to ExxonMobil. He challenged the petroleum production licence and was furious and frustrated by long delays –366 days for acting Chief Justice George-Wiltshire to deliver a decision in a judicial review case and another long wait in the Court of Appeal. A letter requesting a decision from the Chief Justice Ag said, “We apologise for being forcedtoputpentopaperfor thefourthtimebutourclient isapersonwhoisaucourant with the laws and he has reminded us of the Time Limit for Judicial Decisions ActCap3:13.Ourclienthas expressed the view that given his age – he being 77whetherhewouldlivetosee the fruits of his judgement.” Hedidnot.Ittook6yearsfor Ramon’s case to reach the CCJandhediedjust3weeks aftertheirdecisionwhichput
The CCJ ruled against Ramon but they graciously acknowledged that Ramon was“apublicspiritedcitizen zealous for compliance with the constitutional and statutory principles and provisions protecting the environment” and that he had given them the opportunity “to stress the importance of transparency as a vital tool for protecting theenvironment.”
The CCJ stressed the importanceofaccountability stating that “Corporations, government agencies (like the EP Agency), and other publicentitieshaveasolemn obligation to hold themselves accountable for the steps they take in the management, conservation, protectionandimprovement oftheenvironment”andthat “Good governance, fairness and the utmost transparency mustbeobserved.”TheCCJ alsosaidcourtsshouldavoid imposing a costs order on a citizen who in good faith files proceedings in a genuine effort to comply withtheirconstitutionalduty to participate in activities
designed to improve the environment and protect the healthofthenation.
Ramon had a wicked sense of humour He was merciless in mocking Guyana’s politicians and theirlittlepretences.WhenI complained that Guyana’s politicians did not seem to read much, Ramon exclaimed, “Read?Allthey know is comic book and pornography!” It was hard for a ferocious intellect like Ramon’stothriveinwhathe described as an ‘illiterate’ societybuthedidit.Hewasa force of nature. His courage was unshakeable, his spirit indefatigable.
Someone once asked me how it was possible for the twomostopinionatedpeople in Guyana to get along. I would put it down to Ramon’sgenerosityofspirit, his innate good nature and his total inability to resist a goodargument.Andperhaps alsoasharedcharactertrait–decades apart we were both sent home in disgrace as infants for biting bigger children and making them cry
Yourstruly,
MelindaJanki
Training initiative commendable
DEAREDITOR
Thetraininginitiative,in the plumbing and electrical fields, being offered to residentsofFestivalCityand surrounding communities mustbecommended.
O n e c o m m e n t questioned whether these
persons will be employed. These persons would acquirealifeskillandwould therefore always be employed.
However, of greater importance is whether these persons would be compliant and certified with national r e g u l a t i o n s a n d requirements in plying their trade or assisted in so becoming?
Training is good but the process doesn’t end there. Trainees must be impressed upon the importance of being compliant and
adherent to rules and regulations in the field Needless, this includes health and safety matters. No training is complete without this essential component.
Regards ShamshunMohamed
Pressure group’activated to remove Hicken from office
DEAREDITOR
Reference is made to a letterwhichappearedinyour newspaper on Thursday underthecaption:“itistime this nonsense stops” where thewriter,SherwinCrandon spoke about the attacks on the top law men in this country
Mr Editor evidence has begun to surface with the names of several persons working in the offices of senior government functionaries, the private sector, the Guyana Police ForceandthePoliceService Commissionwhoarepartof a group calling itself the ‘PressureGroup’. One man familiar with the workings of the group
told me that the men came together in an effort to reconstruct the command structure of the Guyana Police Force and in the process, ensure the removal of Assistant Commissioner
C a l v i n B r u t u s , Commissioner of Police acting Clifton Hicken and Crime Chief Wendell
Blanhum from their p o s i t i o n s
The group is made up of a syndicate of persons drawn from the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Guyana Police Force, the Police Service Commission and influential figures within the business community AssistantCommissioner
ofPoliceCalvinBrutusisoff t h e j o b p e n d i n g investigations into alleged financial irregularities
Over the weekend, Saturday to be exact, a text message was sent to members of the group with instructions to bringpressureonHeadofthe Special Organized Crime U n i t , A s s i s t a n t Commissioner of Police FizalKarimbaksh. The direction in which the group is now heading is becoming dangerous In the message it was stated that if the investigations into Brutus appears not be yielding the necessary evidence to incriminate h i m , t h e n p a s t transgressions on the part of Karimbaksh should be brought to the fore I was surprised when on the f o l l o w i n g d a y , publications appeared on social media suggesting that the Head of SOCU and Brutus were close friends I was able to c o n f i r m t h a t t h e documents which are making their way onto social media are being releasedfromtheregistry
T h e g r o u p h a s considered the removal of Brutusasasuccessbutstated thattheyhaveto‘buryhim’. It was also stated that all energiesarenowsupposedto turnonHicken.
Regards NameWithheld
Bold stance needed by CARICOM leaders
DEAREDITOR
Caricom Heads of Government are meeting at theendofJuly Thismeeting istakingplaceatatimewhen three countries in the region havejustbeenveryseriously damagedbyhurricaneBeryl and many people, mainly working people have lost theirlivelihoods.
A worrying thought is thatthehurricaneseasonhas only just begun. God forbid thatwegetanotherhitinthis season However, that eventuality cannot be ruled out. While we continue to describe events as natural disasters,wenowknowthat is not the whole truth Scientists have advised us that the frequency and intensityoftheseeventsarea direct result of human activities, particularly since theindustrialrevolution.We havepollutedtheworld,and we rapidly changed the climate.
Unfortunately, despite thisknowledge,wecontinue
toabusenature.Weappearto beincapableofdoingthings differentlyandaremarching to even worse catastrophic events What would be Caricom’s answer in this situation? No doubt the leaders will bemoan the fact that we are among the least of the polluters but are amongst the worst hit by its negative consequences They would most likely call on the rich, developed countrieswhichwereandare the greatest polluters, to honour their commitments madeatregularinternational fora and transfer money to poorer countries to work on someadaptationalmeasures. That call would fall on deaf ears, it would be promptly ignored as has happened so often in the past. While the demand for resources to implement some adaptational measures mustcontinue,however,itis important that the region’s leadersgototherootcauses oftheproblemandbeboldin
takingfirmstepstodealwith it One of the great c o n t r i b u t o r s t o environmental degradation today is the numerous wars and conflicts which are relatively widespread. The damage done to our planet’s atmosphere by military and military conflicts is mostly stillabigsecret.
However,whatisclearis that wars are particularly harsh on our environment. It’s contribution to climate change is extremely high. Just pause to look at the terrible destruction in the GAZA caused by the genocidal war that Israel is prosecuting. At the time of writing, it is estimated that 70,000 tons of bombs were dropped on that tiny strip averaging21mileslongand 4 miles wide. Millions of tonsofdustaredailypushed in the atmosphere contributingtoworseningof theclimatecatastrophe.Add tothis,thegreenhousegases (Continuedonpage17)
Hammie continues his contortions
DEAREDITOR,
After reading Hamilton Greene’s letter in July 19, 2024publicationofStabroek News, I felt compelled to transfer memories to words. ”Elder” as he now seems contended to call himself, should do some serious and HONEST reflections, if he wants Guyanese to pay attention to his thoughts, seemingly affected by distortedmemories.
On another occasion, he has fumbled the ball, mumbling in his now accustomed way about a warped, unsubstantiated accountwhileagaininaseries ofcommentsattemptingtostir the cauldron of racial and politicalanimosityinournow peaceful co-existence Hammiesoughttodragalong theLindencorridor,acontract awarded for the construction of a school which would benefitthechildrenofLinden, to a “known PPP supporter” Without seeking to confirm whether this is foundational, my question is: aren’t PPP supporters entitled to contracts.
was “properly awarded” I concede that if the contract is infactpastitscompletiondate, without proven justification, liquidated damages must be imposed Elderthendeviously “slipped in a reference to the ‘Linden martyrs’ ” Does he ‘conveniently’ fail to
OppositionAGREEDthatthe
o Lindeners should attract a phased cost, only for Granger to renege on that agreement in Parliament? Does he again have an elderlymomenttoremember that is what caused the pol
protests and that there is a view out there that mischief was afoot that caused the d
ee protesters? Only a wicked mindwouldconjureupsuch reflectionsatthistime.Asis widely known, documented
and uncontroversially accepted, Burnham was in the “pockets” of the CIA Salvaging Democracy, a doctoral thesis on the period 1961 to 1964 by Dr Jane Sillery can certainly serve to “jolt his memory” I’m not going to sink to his level by reminding him of the horrendous political and racially instigated events at Wismar Withoutanyevidence (forget credible), he manoeuvred into an area of PPP’s‘secrettrainingcamp’in the Berbice River Knowing BurnhamandofhimasIdid, all ‘hell’ would have ensued and other Sibley Halls would’ve been activated ustapartingquestionhere… cantheformerstrongmanof the PNC write HIS memories on the X13 PLAN???Infact,Idarehim todoso.
Regards
HNNawbatt
Isn’tittimethePNCbegpardonfromGuyanese?
DEAREDITOR
, It would seem as if the Lyrics of Lynn Anderson’s 1970 song, “Rose Garden” were scribed with the PNC Party in mind Their thoughts, words, deeds and actions characterize the choreography of the delinquent track record of the PNC from birth to its current sad state of affairs. From an embryo fused with greed and jealousy, LFSB wantedallornothing.
Guyanese were warned to beware of Forbes who challenged Dr Jagan for the leadershipofthePPPHefailed miserably and then cunningly, crafted the PNC Party out of racial tendencies with a vision fullofmischiefinordertomold hisowndestinybyearmarking hispersonalambition Linden’s goal was to seek vengeance without mercy It was not a People’s Party but a powerful partyforhiskindasadumbrated bycurrentPNCadvocates No wonder there is a call for the GDF guns to turn in the right direction
Indeed, the Party is well inordertoconfessthatthere ‘gotta’ be a little rain sometime, the only main difference is that, it’s not sometimebutincessantlyall the time. Burnham gave the people porous buckets to catch the rain water as they stooddrenchedwiththerain falling on their heads. He neverprovidedanyumbrella or rain coats. The people were left naked with roof topsleaking.Hewantedrice farmers to cut rice without availing grass cutters and cane cutters to cut and load
the cane without cutlasses andpunts.Whatdidthefake English impersonator know about separating the sweet from the soil? Riding on his horseandsmokingcigar,did that make him British or Cuban? Yet he wanted a NationalParty!
But for the PNC, when it rains, it continuously pores, resulting in severe floods and unsurmountable damages Agriculture was never a pet subject for Burnham nor the PNC He said to produce or perish Well, the people perished because they could not produce chicken when therewerenoeggs Nowonder the Agriculture Bank went broke after so many Coops failed to perform because the fundsweremisusedandthose reaping the fruits never knew how to plant a tree! The Guyana National Coop Bank was a charade to parade and perfect the convenience of confidently shipping and shifting money under protectivecovers Evencricket wasn’t safe as the ground becamewetfromleakycovers Burnham magic only worked once As a result, there will only be a blooming rose garden for the selected few who are well pampered and takengoodcareof.Burnham made his cronies executives in all the agencies so that he can control the mass. His dangerous fangs spread as poisonous tentacles He banned essential food items but craved for those very items. Conflict of interest wasn’t born as yet. How ironic that he should call for condensed milk as he
withered away in twilight! But he ensured that garlic was bountiful around Christmas time He succeeded in increasing the smuggling rate as, “smarter the government, wiser the population.”
The External Trade Bureau(ETB)wasestablished to fill certain pockets and empty certain pockets, thereby, making some millionaireswhileminimizing some millionaires His Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI) was anything but knowledgeable It helped to build long, laborious and lamentablefoodlinesinanonalign country Many suffered angrily and hungrily as they queued up waiting out of desperation One person died at Guyana Stores while standinginaline Hebecamea laughing stock among his CARICOM peers, as, they tantalizedhimasbeingunable to feed his people while hostingCARIFESTAtoshow off He was King on “No Man’sLand”
The local man with foreign tastes mesmerized thecrowdwithhisorationas hetoldthewomennottotake everythinglyingdown.How couldtheystandupandfight when the Guyana National Service was meant to be the factory for the new nation’s product?Femalejobseekers hadtoyieldwheninthefield atSophia,anewchapterwas written with party paramountcy The court,
becamethearmsofthePNC withtheGeneralasthehead.
Nowiswetime,‘massa’time done Congress lost its nationality as the people ran fortheirlivesoverseas.
Anything he touched turned to dust Midas and Satancriedbittertears. From sugar to rice to bauxite, all suffered the same fate after nationalization. While sugar saved Guyana as the sugar workers broke their backs to subsidize the other nonperforming industries, Burnham misused the sugar levy and failed to plough the revenuebackintothatindustry for its sustenance Guyana owesthatmuchtobringback the sugar industry alive Guyana is synonymous with sugar because its multi-racial society metamorphosed from slaves and indentured labourers who were bundled and brought for the sole purpose of producing sugar Burnhamboughthiswayand befriendedbackstabbersashe endangered the PNC with borrowed time Time up was called in 1992 by the US and Carter!
But, there was no sunshineforthemassandthe grass was no longer green. The Guyana State Corporation (Guystac) was stacked with Burnham’s buddies who knew how to snatch and stash only. Guyanese were told to tighten their belts. With the minimum of wages and wagefreeze,thepeoplegrew in poverty GAWU paid a heavy price to gain recognition and even the CCWU was taken to task as Gordon Todd was taken to sea to learn how to swim withthesharks.
Of course, they are full of sweet talk and when they don’ttalk,beware,stillwater runs deep, so, Guyanese have to look before they leap. The PNC took a lot from Guyana and Guyanese and they lived the good life. They really did, at the expense of letting go of the mass. The small man grew smaller and the real man grew manly and womanly Corruption pervaded from 1964 to 1992 and prevailed againfrom2015to2020.To date,PNCsupportersarestill cringing over the PNC legacy and want to know why the PNC party failed to enrichallofthemwhenthey wereinpower ThePNCdid not deliver the world on a silverplattertothenationnor to their members because, they don’t know that roses cannot grow on stalks of clover
The main opposition, PNCR, for most of this week, spent their time spreading misinformation about a property being used by the Guyana Police Force to store derelict vehicles on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway.
The political party produced drone shots of the property as they tried to link it to the Commissioner of Police (Acting).
We call it misplaced priority because with the myriad of problems in this country, for the main opposition to dedicate all that time spreading lies is unbelievable.
The PNCR has been most inept in holding the PPP/C government accountable and provide oversight of the oil and gas sector, which the government has been mismanaging.
Running behind some flimsy story about storage of derelict vehicles aptly describes how flimsy their leadership as the main opposition has been: more like a dereliction of duty.
Jagdeo says old Omai has not returned to Guyana, despite company president says “we are back”
VicePresidentBharratin an effort to defend his government's decision to grant approval for Omai Gold Mines to reenter Guyana said that the companyhereatthemoment is not the old one. However, Elaine Ellingham, President and Chief Executive Officer of Omai said that it is the sameoldentitythatishere.
On August 19, 1995, a man-made environmental disaster had occurred in the Omai River in Guyana; the walls of an earthen tailings pond,constructedtocontain cyanide utilised in the goldmining industry became breached. More than 400 million gallons of cyanidelaced material spilled into the Omai River and subsequently, into the Essequibo, the country's largestriver
The spill resulted in severe environmental, ecological,social,economic and political consequences f o r t h e G u y a n e s e community The local and international media, government, politicians and environmental groups were actively involved in the matter
Due to local outcry and international outrage, goldmining operations in the region were suspended for severalmonths.
Duringthecrisis,former President Cheddi Jagan had declared a stretch of 50 contaminated miles of the Essequibo River as an environmentaldisasterzone. While concentrations of cyanide of two parts per million (ppm) are fatal, the slag along the Omai River values reached 28 ppm during that disaster. A government-mandated Commission of Enquiry investigated the matter and
made recommendations Nevertheless, gold-mining operations resumed fully at thespillsitebyMarchofthe following year. The mining company eventually shut down its operations in 2005 anditsholdingspassedfrom Cambior Resources to IAMGOLD before they made it into the hands of Mahdia Gold Corporation (MGC) From 1993, the companycommencedactual extraction of gold, and duringtheir24-yearrun,the companyextractedsome3.7 million ounces of gold, but onlypaidfivepercentofthat in royalties to Guyana. Had thetermsoftheircontractfor the lucrative gold mine entailed more benefits for Guyana, the country would havereapedinbillionsofUS dollars. In addition to this, thecompanybenefittedfrom a slew of tax, fuel and v e h i c u l a r concessions totaling to millions of Guyanese dollars.This wasn't the only sweetheart deal that Omai GoldMinesreaped–intheir contract was a clause which protected it against any future laws. In other words, not even Parliament could reduce the benefits which wereduetoOmaiunderthat agreement However, because of the steep drop of
Men in camouflage rob Essequibo woman of $1M
Two men dressed in camouflage suits on Wednesday robbedabusinesswomanof$1Mincashandjewelleryather Lot6Onderneeming,EssequiboCoastbusiness.
The victim has been identified as 37-year-old Fownda Callenderwhorunsasmallshopatherhome.
Reports are that at around 23:00hrs while the shop was open, two men dressed in camouflage clothing and black footwearentered.Theyapproachedthewomanandheldher at gunpoint and demanded cash and jewellery before ransacking both her house and shop and making good their escapewiththemoneyandjewellery
However,beforeescaping,oneofthesuspectsdischarged tworounds.Noreportsofinjurieshavebeenmade. When the police arrived at the scene, 9mm spent shells werefound. Investigationsareongoing.
Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo President and CEO of Omai, Elaine Ellingham
gold prices in 2005, Omai decided that it was time for them to close up shop. The company had to stay on for threemoreyearstofulfillits obligations as these related to ensuring that the site was environmentally safe given the wide scale use of cyanide.
Jagdeo'sresponse
In lightof theforegoing, Jagdeowasaskedathisnews conferenceonThursdaywhy did his government accept thecompanythathadcaused suchmajordisasterhereand what steps were taken to reconcile the relationship between Omai and Guyana. In response, Jagdeo said, “Well, it's two different companies; now it's two different companies So, theyhavenotreturned;Omai has not returned It's a different company, different ownership very different ownership”.
Theyremember whenOmaiwashere However, Ellingham back in March during an interviewwithCruxInvestor
that was streamed on their
highlighted a meeting with P
government's enthusiastic
initiatives.Ellinghamstated, “He's(PresidentAli)gotalot on his plate and you can imagine the offshore oil business in Guyana is just attracting so much foreign
nte
est and foreign investment ” However, Omai's CEO stated that Guyana's head-of-state still findstimetostayupdatedon the company's progress “But you know, they really value mining, they remember when Omai was in production…so Omai in particular has kind of a special place in the hearts and souls,” Ellingham stated.
“They always wanna knowhowOmaiisdoingand how soon it can be in production so we need to forge forward,” she added. She added that the Ministry ofNaturalResourcesandthe
Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) are equally keen to see Omai back in production soon.
Ellingham underscored Guyana's unique position among global jurisdictions, noting the government's proactive role in fostering mining activities She remarked,“There'sveryfew jurisdictions in the world, where you know you have a government that's kinda routing for you and wanting toseeyouadvance.”
Omai'sreturntoGuyana
Additionally, despite Jagdeo's denial of the return of the company, in October 2020,theMinisterofNatural Resources, Vickram Bharrat revealed that Omai Gold MinesLimited(OGML)had signaled their intentions to return to Guyana. In adding tothis,MinisterBharrathad shared that OGML intends on recoiling to their old worksite in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Many government officialshadandhavehailed the return of OGML. Even
investments, Kaieteur News hadremindedthatGuyanese must not forget that for over two decades, Omai Gold Mines exploited Guyana, its resources and has caused severeenvironmentdamage. Nonetheless, Minister Bharrat, in 2020 maintained that OGML will go through all of the necessary regulations to ensure that Guyana does not suffer anotherloss.
This year, the Canadian company a
significant milestones with itsproject,locatedinRegion Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) Omai holds a 100% interest in the gold project, which encompasses two gold deposits: the shear-hosted Wenot Deposit and the adjacent intrusive-hosted GiltCreekDeposit.
OnFebruary8,2024,the Company announced an updated Mineral Resources Estimate (MRE) for the Omai Property The combinedestimatesfromthe Wenot and Gilt Creek depositsstandsat2.0million ounces of gold grading at 2.15g/tgoldintheindicated category and 2.3 million ounces of gold grading at 2 26 g/t in the inferred category
Thisrepresentsanotable increase compared to the previous resource estimate conducted in October 2022, withindicatedouncesseeing a 4% uptick and inferred ounces experiencing a substantial28%surge.
PAHO calls for expanded access to diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis
In the run-up to World Hepatitis Day(July28),thePanAmericanHealth Organization (PAHO) is urging countries to expand access to testing andtreatmentforviralhepatitis,which affects more than ten millionpeople in the Americas, only 23% of whom are diagnosed. From the five types of hepatitis, B and C are responsible for most illnesses and deaths. In the Americas, an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people die each year from these diseases. Most symptoms appear during the later stages of the disease, once severe liver disease or cancer has alreadydeveloped. "HepatitisBandC are silent chronic infections that can progresstocirrhosisorlivercancer The goodnewsisthattherearemedications that can cure hepatitis C, as well as effectivetreatmentstocontrolhepatitis B," Dr Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO said. "It is crucial to strengthen our efforts and investment to end this publichealthproblem,"headded.
According to the World Health Organization's 2024 Global Hepatitis
Report, only 36% of people infected withhepatitisCgloballyarediagnosed and20%receivecurativetreatment.As for chronic hepatitis B, only 13% of those infected are diagnosed and 2.6% receive life-saving medication Vaccination against hepatitis B, includedintheimmunizationschedules of all countries and territories in the region, is helping to eliminate motherto-child transmission during childbirth as a public health problem. This underscores the importance of continuing vaccination to prevent infectioninnewgenerations.
Under the slogan, "It's time for action!" on this World Day, PAHO emphasizestheurgencyofaccelerating measures to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. PAHO works in collaboration with countriesintheregiononthedesignand implementationofnationalpoliciesfor the elimination of hepatitis, with strategies focused on primary care. It also facilitates access to diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines at more
affordable prices through its Regional RevolvingFunds.
The global benchmark price for curativetreatmentofhepatitisCisUSD $60 per 12-week course, and for hepatitis B treatment, it is US$2.4 per month.WorldHepatitisDay,celebrated onJuly28,isanopportunitytointensify the global fight against these diseases, promote action and participation of individuals,partnersandthepublic,and underscore the need for a stronger global response The day is commemoratedonJuly28tocelebrate thebirthofDr.BaruchBlumberg,who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1976 forhisdiscoveryofthehepatitisBvirus in 1967 and his contribution to the invention of a diagnostic test and corresponding vaccine. Hepatitis B and C, along with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, are included in PAHO's Elimination Initiative,whichaimstoeliminatemore than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions in the Americas by 2030.
The AFC needs to do more soul-searching
The AFC continues to adversely comment on the decision of one of its then members, Charrandass Persaud, to support a noconfidence motion against his own government in December 2018. The legal arguments adopted by the Opposition parties in relation to Persaud’s vote have long been debunked anddiscredited.
Instead of continuing its criticisms of Persaud, the AFC’s leadership should concentrate its efforts more at introspection about its failure to comply with the established convention, and constitutionalrequirementin Guyana in relation to the passage of a no-confidence motion. That Constitution mandates that upon such
Now, they are resorting to describing the vote by Charrandass Persaud as an actofsabotage.Theyarefree todosobuthecertainlyhasa right to vote in accordance with his conscience. He is not compelled by law or convention to always vote along party lines. The AFC seems to have forgotten that there was man named Tello who once voted against his party in the said National Assembly and that was deemed legal and permissible.
In United Democratic Party v Speaker of the NationalAssembly of South Africa and Others, the Constitutional Court of South Africa addressed the issue of members of the National Assembly voting according to their conscience. In defending the right of a member of the N ational Assembly to fo llow the dictates of
passage against a government, the Cabinet s h a l l r e s i g n T h e APNU+AFC government refused to comply and used specious arguments in and outside of the courts, including about what constitutes the minimummajorityof65.
personal conscience, the Court observed that central to the freedom to follow the dictates of personal conscience is the oath of office. The Court stated, “Members are required to swear or affirm faithfulness
Constitution and laws Nowhere does the supreme law provide for them to swear allegiance to their political parties, important players though they are in our constitutional scheme. Meaning, in the event of conflict between upholding constitutional values and party
yalty, their irrevocableundertakingtoin effect serve the people and do only what is in their best interestsmustprevail”.
The Court added quite poignantly that, “When the risk that inheres in voting in defiance of the instructions ofone’spartyisevaluated,it must be counter-balanced with the apparent difficulty o f b e i n g
DEM BOYS SEH
De hustle is on!
Dem boys seh back in de day, if yuh car bruk down, somebody woulda stopandlendahandquick. But nowadays? Yuh better meksureyuhgotsomecash handy It used to be, if yuh had a flat tire, some good Samaritan would pull up, changedetire,andsendyuh on yuh merry way Now, demsamegoodSamaritans gotdeminvoiceready Remember de days when yuh coulda hitch a ride if yuh in a bind? A friendly neighbour woulda stop and give yuh a lift. Demtimesdeonlycostwas a thank you and a smile. Now? Yuh haffa hail a taxi or pay somebody gas money Freeride?Dasating of de past. Dem boys seh even yuh granny charging farenow
A n d t a l k b o u t babysitting! Once upon a time, yuh coulda lef de childrenwithAuntieSueor Cousin Joe. Dem woulda take care of dem lil rascals withloveandjoy Now,yuh haffatekoutyuhwalletfuh family too Babysitting? Das a business now, not a favour De most shocking ting?Push-starts.Demboys remember when a dead battery was no big deal. A couple fellas would come push yuh car, and dat was dat These days, people doesaskfuha“smallpiece” before dem even touch de bumper A push-start cost yuh more dan de gas yuh runoutof.
Dem boys seh is like e v e r y b o d y t u r n entrepreneur overnight. A lilhelphere,alilhandthere, now come with a price tag.
Onceuponatime,wewasa community, helping each otherout.Now,werunning a business, charging each other fees. Yuh neighbour does see yuh struggling with groceries and instead of helping, dem ask if yuh need a delivery service. De garbage collector asking yuhfuhleffsomething. Dem boys seh is a shame how tings change. Once, yuh coulda count on people’s kindness Now, yuh can only count yuh change.
Helping hand? Das a business De spirit of freeness? Das a memory Yuh betta get used to it, or bettayet, start charging fuh yuh own help too. Dem boys seh das de only way fuh survive in dis new hustleworld.
Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
the Assembly”.
The Court, in other words, was making a pitch forpersonstobefreetovote on a no-confidence motion in accordance with their conscience, but being aware that doing so can lead to beingrecalled.
The Caribbean Court of Justice adopted the same line It also added that nothingintheanti-defection regimeestablishedatArticle 156(3) of the Constitution rendered Mr Persaud incapableofcastinghisvote onthatmotioninthemanner in which he did. The CCJ held that while the Constitution contained provisions that prevented members from ‘crossing the floor’ and gave the representative of each, both the Government and the Opposition the power to recallandreplaceamember, those provisions could not, and were not, meant to prevent members from votingastheywished.
Assuch,theCCJrejected the submission that Charrandass Persaud was absolutely required to vote against the motion of noconfidence along with other m e m b e r s o f t h e
Government. It held that therewasnothingpreventing Persaud from voting in favourofthemotion.
TheAFCisfreehowever to hold the opinion that Persaud’s vote represented anactof‘sabotage’. Butthis does not deny that it was lawfulandthatitwaswithin therightofPersaudtovotein accordance with his conscience.
After that vote, Persaud acquired hero status among sections of the Guyanese electorate. But he may have blundered and removed some of the gloss from his heroic status when he opted to accept the post of G u y a n a ’ s H i g h CommissionertoIndia.Inso doing,hehasopenedhimself to the criticism and to the perception that his appointmentmayhavebeen, as the AFC is now representing, as a ‘reward’ forhisvote.
But he would not have been alone in accepting appointments after the new government was sworn-in. Almost of all of the prominent persons who spoke about against the attempt to rig the elections, have enjoyed some form of appointment.
If the AFC is serious about an objective assessment about its role in government and during the elections’ imbroglio, then it has to accept the fact that it acted undemocratically and unconstitutionally when it sought to frustrate what should have happened followingthe no-confidence vote of 2018 and what it did afterthe2020elections
The party should recall the words of its former Treasurer who in June 2020 issued a statement which said that supporters of the APNU+AFC were misled into believing that the Coalition had won the election and that there was then a deliberate attempt to discredittheentireelections. As part of its anticipated review of its past actions, willtheAFCalignitselfwith thesesentiments?
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
H@RD TRUTHS
Cost of living – Guyana groaning, gasping
From Mahdia came another set of wails: “high.” Atlantic Ville on the East Coast Demerara upped the volume: “very high ” Together, fellow citizenshurting men and womenfrom those two Guyanese communities bared their bosomsandsharedtheirpain. Iread“high”and“veryhigh” so many times, in SN's Cost of Living series, section 85, that a little head spinning occurred.
Iamrealseriousaboutthe real shame of many fellow citizens in a country that is really the richest to be found anywhere in the world, and perperson.Howcouldthisbe
happening with food? Why isthisallowedtogoon,other than for defensive speeches from political leaders with the resources in their hands? I have a word of counsel for the hard of hearing and the hardhearted in the PPP Government top brass: stop arguing, start addressing the painofthepeople. Itcanbe done,butonlyifthereisreal honesty, real quality leadership. Not distraction nor dissembling nor disingenuousness, and both President Dr Ali and Vice President Dr Jagdeo know very well what I mean. It should be noted that I keep using that word (real). It
applies to Guyanese in real trouble, encountering real difficulty coping. All the roads cannot ease all that wretchedness. Ease up on the rogueries of comrades, give some relief from that sameroadandbridgemoney tohungrypeople. They are real Guyanese, real people, of flesh and blood hurts, and not that bloodless statistical creature named 'the richest people in theworldpercapital.' Ihave long ago arrived at a conclusion: the heads of the poor in Guyana were not i n c l u d e d i n t h o s e computations, now nothing but an abstraction (and a
source of dissatisfaction) for those grappling with a grinding cost-of-living environment. Once again, this time not to toss what is deserving in the face of top political people, but to place such on their heads, I bring the shortchanged and shorthanded in Guyana today TheyarefromMahdia and Atlantic Ville. And all the others before. We are proud of lavishing extravagant sums to build monumentsthatreachforthe sky; there is distaste and scornful dismissal in dealing with Guyanese forced to the edgesoftheeconomicgutter, ifnottothebottomofit. Am
I being heard, Dr Jagdeo? Does the grimness of their circumstances mean anything, Dr Jagdeo, Dr Ali?
It is the national embarrassment of honest Guyanesecryingforreliefin a season of so much mathematical sweetness, but who are rewarded with the callousness of their leaders, theirclumsyrationalizations, theirpitifulprotestations. To be high-beam clear, when I say leaders, I am identifying Dr Ali and Dr Jagdeo for special mention in that gallery Iwouldpreferthatit notbetheonewell-knownby peoplewhodealwiththelaw To reveal the substances of our leaders in their reactions tothiscripplingcostofliving crisis,Igoanextrafurlongto cut a fine point. Dr Ali and Dr Jagdeo are now so close to, so enchanted by, their inspiringcultureofbrickand board, steel and stone, that these are what they have morphed into, in the steeliness of their responses. Ratherthantrytouplift,they drop Guyanese overboard withoutapaddle. Howdoes that help one hungry Guyanese? Insteadofgiving a long, hard, unending moment of scrutiny to Guyana's cost of living calamityspreadnearandfar, Drs.AliandJagdeoargue,as if this is some political debate, with points scored. Whenthetwoofthesecaring andcompassionatechiefsget angry, I ask the brothers to consider something: How does their being angry ease the gnawing pangs of one hungry Guyanese child or pensioner?
The hunger-ridden and anxiety-pounded in Mahdia and Atlantic Ville, do not want to hear about how well Dr. Ali and Dr. Jagdeo have done. They are saying publicly that this is their position and want to know whyallthatshouldhavebeen doneisnotdone. Onefemale
interviewee said a spoonful that was a full ocean of complete contempt: “all the governmentdoingistalking, talking.” Sincethepresident and vice president miss nothing, they should have absorbed the full brunt of whatcapturedtheessenceof the PPP Government's response to the harrowing cost of living conditions of distressed citizens. Now for the ungloved palm. Any president,anyvicepresident, whopresidesoveracalumny like Guyanese cost-of-living (at this time) should flog himself for his retreat into o b l i v i o n , h i s misidentification of the environment, and his mismanagement of all the money The richest country with all these impoverished people. The heat of GDP at furnace temps pushing and pushing prices upwards, while turning Guyanese into frozen blocks of ice that just refusetothaw Iamsurethat that is higher than the heads of the highest people in Guyana. Our people are beingburnedbyrisingprices (an oft repeated term in Mahdia and Atlantic Ville), and that scorching instills a chilling fear I hear people crying; I sense leaders smirking,havingawhaleofa timeintherichestcountryin theworldperhead. Thehead people at the head table who have lost their heads. They aredeadtotheharshcost-ofliving realities in Guyana, as livedbyrealGuyanese.(The views expressed in this articlearethoseoftheauthor anddonotnecessarilyreflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Israeli forces advance in southern Gaza, tanks active in Rafah
CAIRO, July 25 (Reuters)Israeliforcesadvanceddeeperinto some towns on the eastern side of Khan Younis in southern Gaza on Thursday and tanks advanced in central Rafah, with airstrikes and shelling killing 30 Palestinians over the past day, health officials said.
Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu, who told U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday he was actively engaged in bringing hostageshome,isexpectedtomeet U.S.PresidentJoeBidenandVicePresident Karmala Harris on Thursday
Fighting in recent days has centredaroundtheeasterntownsof Bani Suaila, Al-Zanna, and AlKarara, where the army said on Wednesdayithadfoundthebodies of five Israelis who were killed in Hamas' Oct. 7 attack on Israel and heldinGazasince.
Later on Thursday, Gaza's healthministrysaidIsraelimilitary strikes on areas in eastern Khan Younishadkilled14people,taking the death toll across Gaza over the past24hoursto30peoplewith146 injured.
Hamasmilitantstookmorethan 250 hostages in the early morning raid into southern Israel and killed
1,200 people, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel retaliated by vowing to eradicateHamasinGazainaninemonthwarthathaskilledmorethan 39,000 Palestinians, Gaza health officialssay
Several were wounded in the eastern towns during Israeli tank and aerial shelling, while an airstrikeeastofKhanYouniskilled four people, Palestinian health officialssaid.
Israeli bombardment
intensified in several areas in Rafah, near the border with Egypt, astanksoperatednorth,westandin the town centre, residents and medics said. Several Palestinians were also wounded in Israeli fire earlieronThursday
The Israeli military said forces operating in Khan Younis killed dozensofmilitantsanddismantled around 50 military infrastructures, while it continued activities in Rafah,killingtwomilitants.
In a speech to the U S Congress, Netanyahu said his government was actively involved inseekingthereleaseofremaining hostages and was confident they wouldsucceed.
DISAPPOINTINGSPEECH
Hamasdescribedthecomments
Smoke rises following an Israeli strike on a residential building, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, in Nuseirat in the central Gaza Strip, in this still picture taken from a video, July 24, 2024. Reuters TV via REUTERS
by Netanyahu as "pure lies" accusinghimofthwartingeffortsto endthewar
Netanyahu's comments also disappointed many displaced Palestinians who had hoped for a clearersignalofanimminentendto the fighting, which has laid the overcrowded enclave to waste and createdahumanitariancrisis.
"It was depressing, he didn't even mention ceasefire at all, not evenonce,"saidTamerAl-Burai,a resident of Gaza City, now displaced in Deir Al-Balah in the centralGazaStrip.
"Peopleawaitedsomesurprise, a ceasefire announcement by Netanyahu as a gift to (U S PresidentJoe)Biden,buttheyslept with much disappointment, as Netanyahusaidhewasdetermined to pursue war," Burai told Reuters viaachatapp.
Deir Al-Balah, where tanks haven't yet invaded, is currently overcrowded with hundreds of thousands of Palestinians, displaced from other areas of the enclave, home to 2.3 million people.
"Netanyahu spoke in a play, he
spoketoclowns,"saidBurai.
Diplomatic efforts by Arab mediators, backed by the United States,toconcludeaceasefiredeal, seemedtobeonhold,asIsraelwas expected to send a delegation for moretalksnextweek.
In northern Gaza, an Israeli air strike on a house in the Sheikh Radwan suburb killed four people, medics said, while seven Palestiniansarrivedatahospitalin central Gaza who had been detained by Israeli forces and released in an area close to the border
Antonio Guterres urges countries to shift away from fossil fuels to tackle the climate crisis driving extreme heat
Aljazeera - Speaking to reporters on Thursday, AntonioGuterressaidbillions ofpeoplearoundtheglobeare experiencing“anextremeheat epidemic” fuelled by climate change “Extreme heat is increasingly tearing through economies, widening inequalities, undermining the Sustainable Development Goals,andkillingpeople,”the UN secretary-general said “We know what is drivingit:fossilfuel-charged, human-induced climate change. And we know it's going to get worse; extreme heatisthenewabnormal.”
Guterres's warning comes a day after the European Union's climate monitor said the world had experienced its hottest day on record this week The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)saidonWednesdaythat the global average surface air temperatureonJuly22roseto 17.15 degrees Celsius (62.9 degrees Fahrenheit) – or 0.06 degrees Celsius higher than the record set just a day earlier.Every month since June 2023 has now ranked as the planet's warmest since records began in 1940, compared with the corresponding month in previous years, according to C3S. “This is exactly what climate science told us would happeniftheworldcontinued burning coal, oil and gas,”
Joyce Kimutai, a climate scientist from Imperial CollegeLondon,toldtheAFP newsagencyaboutthisweek's findings.
“And it will continue getting hotter until we stop burning fossil fuels and reach net zero emissions ”The record had last been set for fourconsecutivedaysinearly July 2023. Before that, the hottest day was in August 2016 Millions of people around the world have experienced record-high temperaturesinrecentweeks, including across the Middle East, Africa and Asia, where
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres says [File: Mike Segar/Reuters]
the crisis has exacerbated social inequalities.More than 70 percent of the global workforce – some 2.4 billion people – are now at high risk ofextremeheat,accordingtoa report from the International Labour Organization (ILO) publishedonThursday In Africa, nearly 93 percent of the workforce is exposedtoexcessiveheat,and 84 percent of theArab states' workforces, the report found Excessive heat has been blamed for causing almost 23 million workplace injuries worldwide, and some 1 9 , 0 0 0 d e a t h s annuallyExperts also have warned that as the effects of climate change intensify, weather patterns are becoming more extreme with droughts, super-charged hurricanes, floods and wildfires affecting much of the globe.During Thursday's news conference, Guterres said countries must reduce their reliance on fossil fuels, which worsens the climate crisis “Leaders across the board must wake up and step up – and that means governments, especially G20 countries,”theUNchiefsaid.
“The leadership of those with the greatest capabilities and capacities is essential. Countries must phase out fossilfuelsfastandfairly.”
UG's Prof. Kenneth Benjamin honoured by Hugh Wooding Law School
Legal Education and the Field of Law
Professor Kenneth Benjamin, theHeadoftheLawDepartmentat the University of Guyana, was honoured by the Hugh Wooding Law School for his distinguished careerinthelegalfield.
Recognised for his extensive contributionstolawandjustice,he was the only Guyanese among the seven (7) honourees at the institution's 50th-anniversary celebrations.
The event, which was held on July13,2024attheHiltonTrinidad and Conference Centre, St. Ann's, Port of Spain, was attended by several legal professionals from Guyana and across the region, including judges, magistrates and lawyers.
In an interview with the University of Guyana's (UG) Department of Events, Conferences and Communication (DECC), Professor Benjamin sharedthathisjourneyhasbeenan interesting one, admitting that he was destined to become what he is today Professor Benjamin shared that initially, he wanted to study Economics at the University of Guyana.
However,hisinterestshiftedto Lawwhilehewassigningupforthe Economics course, and he decided toenrolinboth.Helaterreceiveda scholarship to pursue his Law degree, which he explained was completed between Guyana and Barbados, followed by his professional training at the Hugh WoodingLawSchoolin1977.
AccordingtotheUG,Professor
Benjamin's professional journey began in private practice as a Solicitor at Clarke and Martin Legal Practitioners in Guyana in 1977. By 1980, he transitioned to working as an Attorney-at-Law in private chambers His judicial career started in 1981 when he served as an acting Stipendiary Magistrate,followedbyhisroleas Assistant Judge-Advocate of the Guyana Defence Force from 1986 to1988.
His career took him beyond Guyana, serving as a Magistrate and then Chief Magistrate in AntiguaandBarbudafrom1985to 1993.In1993,hewasappointedas a Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, initially assigned to Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat, and later to the British Virgin Islands and Grenada. By 2007, he served as the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division in SaintLuciaandactedasaJusticeof Appeal for the Eastern Caribbean SupremeCourt.
In September 2011, he was appointedChiefJusticeofBelize,a positionhehelduntilhisretirement in March 2020. Recognised as a Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute, Professor Benjamin continues to contribute to the legal field. Since 2021, he has been sharing his extensive knowledge and experienceasaProfessorandfrom 2023 as Head of the Law Department at the University of Guyana.
Throughout his career,
Professor Benjamin has always been keen on sharing his knowledge with lawyers and other professionals in the legal field. While he had considered teaching support staff, he had not initially thought about teaching formally at a university However, since joiningtheUniversityofGuyanaas a professor, he has found great fulfilment in this new role. He enjoys imparting his extensive experience and insights to the next generation of legal minds, contributing to their academic and professionaldevelopment,andthus continuinghislegacyofdedication tothelegalprofession.
Meanwhile, reflecting on his career, Professor Benjamin emphasised the importance of reading for those studying or interestedinlaw
“Reading and understanding casesarecrucialformasteringlegal principles. People are not reading as much as they should, and it is important, especially if you are pursuing a legal career,” Professor Benjaminsaid.
“Itismyfirmresolvetodevote my energy to legal education including the educating of legal practitionersandjudicialofficersat alllevels.Attheacademiclevel,the quality of law graduates is crucial for nation-building. Beyond the University,legaleducationimpacts the standards of the legal profession In the same vein, judicialeducationraisesthebaron judging in our courts with our citizens being the ultimate
beneficiaries,”ProfessorBenjamin said.
The UG said that the award serves as a testament to Professor Benjamin's impactful career, from hisearlydaysinprivatepracticeto his service as a judge and Chief Justice, and now as an educator shapingfuturelegalminds.
The Hugh Wooding Law School'sgaladinneralsohonoured six other distinguished graduates fortheirsignificantcontributionsto the field of law, these include RetiredCCJjudgeRolstonNelson, CCJ Judge Andrew Burgess of Barbados, President of the CCJ, Adrian Saunders and President of the Trinidad Criminal Bar
Professor Kenneth Benjamin, Head of UG's Department of Law, at the Hugh Wooding Law School's 50th Anniversary Celebrations
(DPI) Minister of Agriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha on Thursday commissioned the $565.3 million pumpstationatGreenwichParkon theEastBankofEssequibo,Region Three, providing residents and farmerswithareliableandeffective drainagesystem.
Constructed by Roopan Ramoutar Investments, the drainage facility will provide enhanced access to about 5,000 acres of farmlands, maximising cropyields.
Itisequippedwithtwopumping units with a capacity to facilitate
“The University of Guyana is immensely proud of Professor Benjamin's recognition by the Hugh Wooding Law School. His distinguishedcareerandsignificant contributions to the field of law bring great honour to our institution. We are delighted to have such a distinguished mind as part of our team, inspiring and educating the next generation of legalprofessionals,”theUniversity said.
station commissioned at Greenwich Park
100 cubic feet of water per second, which is mechanicallydriven.
Although the pump stationwascompletedin 2023, several delays were encountered with the site and changes weresubsequentlymade tothedesigntoensurea long-lifespan.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Mustapha outlined the government's plans to enhance the region's
drainage system to spur economic growth, farmers' livelihoods, and food production.
“This project will bring tremendous benefits to the r e s i d e n t s a n d farmers…Another year from now, Region Three will have approximately seven other pump stations so that we can have proper drainage in this
partofthecountry Werecognisethe value that this region brings to our country's development and GDP,” heunderlined.
Several other drainage infrastructures are currently under construction in the region atA-line in Versailles, Pouderoyen, Belle Vue,andCanalNumberOne. Similarly, B-line's drainage infrastructure will be upgraded to providebetterdrainageaccess.
Minister Mustapha said thegovernmentismakingthe necessary investments to build infrastructure amidst theclimatechangecrisis.
“This is the kind of investment that is being mad
by the PPP/C Government in every single corner of our country…With the vision that we have, we a
n infrastructure We are
r management system,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman, SheikAyube said the establishment of the pump station signals yet
deliveredbythegovernment, making farmers more selfsufficient in their production and eliminatingtheirdrainageissues. Director General of the Ministry, Madanlall Ramraj; ChairmanoftheNationalDrainage and Irrigation (NDIA), Lionel Wordsworth and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Paul Cheong also delivered remarks at theevent.
Association Israel Khan, SC
Former special prosecutor Dana Seetahal and former Trinidad and Tobago Attorney General Keith Sobion received posthumous honours.
PAHO calls for expanded access to diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis
In the run-up to World Hepatitis Day (July 28), the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is urging countries to expand accesstotestingandtreatment for viral hepatitis, which affects more than ten million people in the Americas, only 23%ofwhomarediagnosed.
From the five types of hepatitis, B and C are responsible for most illnesses and deaths. In the Americas, an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people die each year from these diseases. Most symptoms appear during the later stages of the disease, once severe liver disease or cancerhasalreadydeveloped. "Hepatitis B and C are silent chronic infections that can progress to cirrhosis or liver cancer.Thegood news is that therearemedicationsthatcan cure hepatitis C, as well as effectivetreatmentstocontrol hepatitis B," Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO said "It is crucial to strengthen our efforts and investment to end this public healthproblem,"headded.
According to the World Health Organization's 2024 Global Hepatitis Report, only 36% of people infected with hepatitis C globally are diagnosed and 20% receive curative treatment As for chronichepatitisB,only13%
of those infected are diagnosed and 2.6% receive life-saving medication Vaccination against hepatitis B, included in the immunizationschedulesofall countriesandterritoriesinthe region,ishelpingtoeliminate mother-to-child transmission during childbirth as a public health problem This underscorestheimportanceof
continuing vaccination to prevent infection in new generations.
Under the slogan, "It's timeforaction!"onthisWorld Day, PAHO emphasizes the urgency of accelerating measures to improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of the disease. PAHOworksincollaboration withcountriesintheregionon t h e d e s i g n a n d implementation of national policiesfortheeliminationof hepatitis, with strategies focused on primary care. It also facilitates access to diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines at more affordable prices through its RegionalRevolvingFunds.
The global benchmark priceforcurativetreatmentof hepatitisCisUSD$60per12weekcourse,andforhepatitis B treatment, it is US$2.4 per month. World Hepatitis Day, celebrated on July 28, is an opportunity to intensify the global fight against these diseases, promote action and participation of individuals, partners and the public, and underscore the need for a strongerglobalresponse.
Thedayiscommemorated on July 28 to celebrate the birthofDr BaruchBlumberg, who was awarded the Nobel Prizein1976forhisdiscovery ofthehepatitisBvirusin1967 and his contribution to the invention of a diagnostic test and corresponding vaccine. HepatitisBandC,alongwith mother-to-child transmission ofhepatitisB,areincludedin PAHO's Elimination Initiative, which aims to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions in the Americasby2030.
Govt. talks up fight against corruption in public procurement
Amid widespread allegations of corruption in the public procurement sector, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said his government is committed to upholding strict procurementlaws.
Speaking at his weekly news conference,atFreedomHouseJagdeo emphasised the importance of adherencetotheProcurementActand the necessity for fairness in awarding contracts. He highlighted that public officials must comply fully with procurement regulations to preserve the government's pledge to a transparent and fair bidding process. He called on officials to declare any conflicts of interest and refrain from participating in bids involving their close associates, warning that any attempts to exploit the system for personalgainwouldbemetwithstrict measures.
“Thiswillnotbetolerated,”Jagdeo stated, noting public concerns about
officials involved in procurement processes while companies managed by their relatives or friends were bidding.
Suchinstances,hesaid,haveledto allegations of unfair practices and dissatisfaction among the public. The PPP general secretary reaffirmed the government's dedication to ensuring equitable distribution of procurement opportunities, including fostering local contractor capacity. He also outlined consequences for contractors who miss deadlines or deliver substandard work, which could include financial penalties or blacklisting.
To reinforce these measures, Jagdeo announced the deployment of technicalteamstomonitorcompliance andprovidetrainingforpublicofficers engaged in procurement processes at regional and national levels. “There should be no excuse for ignorance of the procurement laws of the country”,
he asserted as he underscored the government'scommitmenttointegrity and transparency Comparing the current administration's approach to the former PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalitiongovernment,Jagdeostressed the significant difference in tackling procurement issues. He assured that the PPP/C government's interventions areresultinginincreasedopportunities for small contractors, thereby contributing to their development and capacity-building. Jagdeo's message on procurement integrity has been consistent, including during recent outreach events in Essequibo and Regions 5 and 6, where he and his colleagues, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance and Public Sector, Dr Ashni Singh and Minister of Public Works Bishop Juan Edghill, warned of severe repercussions for those found influencing contract awards for personal or familial gain. (DPI)
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Hunger numbers stubbornly high for three consecutive years as global crises deepen: UN report
1 in 11 people worldwide faced hunger in 2023, 1 in 5 in Africa.
July 24, 2024, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equivalent to one in eleven people globally and one in five in Africa, according to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report published today by five United Nations specialized agencies.
The annual report, launched this year in the context of the G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty Task Force Ministerial Meeting in Brazil, warns that the world is falling significantly short of achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 2, Zero Hunger, by 2030. The report shows that the world has been set back 15 years, with levels of undernourishment comparable to those in 20082009. Despite some progress in specific areas such as stunting and exclusive breastfeeding, an alarming number of people continue to face food insecurity and malnutrition as global hunger levels have plateaued for three consecutive years, with between 713 and 757 million people undernourished in 2023—approximately 152 million more than in 2019 when
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considering the mid-range (733 million). Regional trends vary significantly: the percentage of the population facing hunger continues to rise in Africa (20.4 percent), remains stable in Asia (8.1 percent)—though still representing a significant challenge as the region is home to more than half of those facing hunger worldwide —and shows progress in Latin America (6.2 percent).
From 2022 to 2023, hunger increased in Western Asia, the Caribbean, and most African subregions.
If current trends continue, about 582 million people will be chronically undernourished in 2030, half of them in Africa, warn the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the UN World Food Programme (WFP), and the World Health Organization (WHO). This projection closely resembles the levels seen in 2015 when the Sustainable Development Goals were adopted, marking a concerning stagnation in progress.
Key findings beyond hunger
The report highlights that access to adequate food remains elusive for billions. In 2023, around 2.33 billion people globally faced moderate or severe food insecurity, a number that has not changed significantly since the sharp upturn in 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those, over 864 million people experienced severe food insecurity, going without food for an entire day or more at times. This number has remained stubbornly high since 2020 and while Latin America shows improvement, broader challenges persist, especially in Africa where 58 percent of the population is moderately or severely food insecure.
tries, where 71.5 percent of the population cannot afford a healthy diet, compared to 6.3 percent in high-income countries. Notably, the number dropped below pre-pandemic levels in Asia and in Northern America and Europe, while it increased substantially in Africa.
While progress has been made in increasing exclusive breastfeeding rates among infants to 48%, achieving global nutrition targets will be a challenge. Low birthweight prevalence has stagnated around 15%, and stunting among children under five, while declining to 22.3%, still falls short of achieving targets. Additionally, the prevalence of wasting among children has not seen significant improvement while anaemia in women aged 15 to 49 years has increased.
Similarly, new estimates of adult obesity show a steady increase over the last decade, from 12.1 percent (2012) to 15.8 percent (2022). Projections indicate that by 2030, the world will have more than 1.2 billion obese adults. The double burden of malnutrition – the co-existence of undernutrition together with overweight and obesity – has also surged globally across all age groups. Thinness and underweight have declined in the last two decades, while obesity has risen sharply.
that achieving SDG 2 Zero Hunger requires a multi-faceted approach, including transforming and strengthening agrifood systems, addressing inequalities, and ensuring affordable and accessible healthy diets for all. It calls for increased and more cost-effective financing, with a clear and standardized definition of financing for food security and nutrition.
The heads of the five UN agencies, FAO Director-General QU Dongyu; IFAD President Alvaro Lario; UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell; WFP’s Executive Director Cindy McCain; and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus write in the report’s Foreword: “Estimating the gap in financing for food security and nutrition and mobilizing innovative ways of financing to bridge it must be among our top priorities.
Policies, legislation and interventions to end hunger and ensure all people have access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food (SDG Target 2.1), and to end all forms of malnutrition (SDG Target 2.2) need significant resource mobilization. They are not only an investment in the future, but our obligation. We strive to guarantee the right to adequate food and nutrition of current and future generations”.
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The lack of economic access to healthy diets also remains a critical issue, affecting over one-third of the global population. With new food price data and methodological improvements, the publication reveals that over 2.8 billion people were unable to afford a healthy diet in 2022. This disparity is most pronounced in low-income coun-
These trends underscore the complex challenges of malnutrition in all its forms and the urgent need for targeted interventions as the world is not on track to reach any of the seven global nutrition targets by 2030, the five agencies indicate. Food insecurity and malnutrition are worsening due to a combination of factors, including persisting food price inflation that continues to erode economic gains for many people in many countries. Major drivers like conflict, climate change, and economic downturns are becoming more frequent and severe. These issues, along with underlying factors such as unaffordable healthy diets, unhealthy food environments and persistent inequality, are now coinciding simultaneously, amplifying their individual effects.
Financing to end hunger
This year’s report’s theme “Financing to end hunger, food insecurity and all forms of malnutrition’’, emphasizes
As highlighted during a recent event in the HighLevel Political Forum at UN headquarters in New York, the report underscores that the looming financing gap necessitates innovative, equitable solutions, particularly for countries facing high levels of hunger and malnutrition exacerbated by climate impacts. Countries most in need of increased financing face significant challenges in access. Among the 119 low- and middle-income countries analyzed, approximately 63 percent have limited or moderate access to financing. Additionally, the majority of these countries (74 percent) are impacted by one or more major factors contributing to food insecurity and malnutrition. Coordinated efforts to harmonize data, increase risk tolerance, and enhance transparency are vital to bridge this gap and strengthen global food security and nutrition frameworks.
Reg. 1 RDC under APNU+AFC government awarded $60M
in contracts without public tendering – PAC hears
The Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) on Monday learned that under the formerAPartnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) government, the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) of Region One breached the procurement process by awarding $60 million in contracts without adhering to the public tendering requirements. The findings documented in the Auditor General’s 2019 Report were on Monday questioned by PAC member and Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill.
“Anexaminationofrecords and documentation for the awarding of contracts by the Regional Tender Board revealed the following: According to the regulations made under the Procurement Act 2003 - Amendment of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 to thePrincipalRegulations,Item 2, ‘The threshold foreseen in section27(1)oftheActforuse of the request for quotations methodofprocurementshallbe
$3,000,000’ It was discoveredthattheRegional Democratic Council (RDC) b r e a c h e d t h e
aforementioned regulations sincethethree-quotemethod of procurement was utilised for ten contracts totalling $60.567M. These purchases should have been publicly advertised and adjudicated by the Regional Tender Board due to the value exceeding the limit of $3M.
A similar situation occurred in 2018 where procurement was done above the prescribed threshold in four instances totalling $17 678M,” the Report stated Minister Edghill
asked the Regional Executive Officer (REO)
Mr Sewchand (only name) whether the minutes of the tender board for the awards were made available to him, and if not, whether he checkedfortheminutes.
Mr. Sewchand, who was appointed REO earlier this year, in his response said, “I checkedfortheminutesandI am not in receipt of those minutes ” Edghill questioned further, “Now if the three-quote method was being used, there’s a limit. Could you say why or have you been advised because you weren’t the REO then? I’msureyouknewthatIwas
Regional Executive Officer of Region One, Mr. Sewchand
coming here to answer you. Youwouldhaveaskedsome questionstoseeifyoucould getanswershere.Couldyou say why this occurred and what were these projects for?” Mr Sewchand explained that he tried to inquire about the procurement and why the breaches occurred but the documents were not available.Hemadeattempts tocontactthepreviousREO buthiseffortswerefutile.
Further, Edghill questioned which contracts amounted to $60M A representative of the Audit Officeinresponsesaid,“For the three-quote method that
we were querying in paragraph 1208 (were for the) supply of 237 KVA generator - $82 million, purchase of priority medical equipment - $7.9 million, purchase of health equipment - $7.8 million, purchase of priority medical equipment - $7.4 million, supplyofelectricalhardware items - $5.9 million, supply of one caterpillar generator set - $5.9 million, supply of electrical hardware items$5million,supplyoftwo70 by 60 smart board - $4.7 million, supply of one outboard engine, one 40HP outboard engine and one 18 HP outboard engine - $3.7
Bold stance needed by CARICOM leaders...
Frompage05 released by the tons of bombs that are killing innocent civilians is further contributing to the destruction of the world we livein.
In this regard, it is not just Israel that is to be blamed. The United States and many NATO countries that have been the main suppliers of weapons to that murderous fascist Israel regime, are definitely complicit with the killings and the other crimes against humanity
Caricomleadersmustbe bold to make this point explicitly Thisistimetocall aspadeaspade.Itisafterall inourowninteresttohaltthe barbarous and uncivilised behaviour of Israel and its backers. Caricomhasmuch greater power than it possiblyrealises.Itistimeto useourstrengthunitedly All the countries in the region should break diplomatic relations with Israel. Take a leafoutofthebookofSouth Africa and act boldly on behalfofhumanity
Such an act will help to bringthemassacretoanend
and will establish a benchmark where others wouldfollow Mostofall,it wouldbeinourbestinterest
since it would be making a great contribution in the fight against climate change andthedestructivepowerof hurricanes, which ravage us sooften.
ThewarinEuropeisalso causingveryseriousdamage to the world’s climate and must be stopped That conflict can degenerate into nuclear war and the end of intelligent life on earth. For that to be halted, NATO powers must give up their ambitions of world domination NATO must halt its expansion and abandon their tactic of threatening countries with d e s t r u c t i o n T h e surrounding of China and Russiawithmilitarybasesis creating tensions and conflicts If allowed to continue,wecanonlyexpect moredestructivewars. The principles of equal security for all countries are vitaltopreventconflictsand wars This important measure must be fully respected by all. Efforts by Western powers to emasculate the United Nationsmustendnow
Imagine that during this conflict one of the NATO countries, most people believe it was the United States, blew up the North
Stream2pipelinesreleasing
millions of tons of environmentally dangerous gases in the atmosphere. This was a conscious decision and deliberate act. The perpetrators knew that that would have worsened theclimatecrisis.Yetnoone, e v e n t h e “environmentalists” said anything.Theywerequietas achurchmouse.
Caricom leaders must not shy away from their responsibility in making a contribution to world peace and a cleaner world. This is time to tell our friends who are supporting the Zelinsky regime that they are wrong. After all, Russia and China are not attempting to surround the US or any NATOcountrywithmilitary bases. It is they who are the victims of NATO’s encroachment and aggression Our leaders mustdemandanendtothose measures which endanger the whole world. Recall the stance taken by the US in 1962 when it felt threatened bynuclearweapons.Wesay do onto others as you will havethemdoontoyou. Finally, we must work towards expanding our degree of freedom Our sovereignty is important,
million, purchase of priority medical equipment – Health Department - $3.4 million and that would have given usthe$60.5million.”
Following up, Edghill indicated that the contracts clearlyshowthatmostofthe purchases were part of the Region’s capital budget at thetime. “Sowhydidn’twe advertise and follow the process?”heasked.
Quoting from the Audit Report,theministersaidthat a similar situation occurred in 2018 where procurement was done above the prescribed threshold in four instances totalling $17.678
million “So this is a systemic problem, it’s not thatwehadanemergency,it happened in 2018 and it happenedin2019,”hesaid. The REO was asked to provide the absent tender documents relative to the contracts. He committed to getting them. Meanwhile, Mr Sewchand assured that since taking office, he has put systems in place to improve procurement practices “I had put mechanisminplaceinterms of using
provisions of goods and services,”hesaid.
UG launches new degree programme on respiratory care
The University of Guyanahaslaunchedanew degree programme in RespiratoryCare.
andwemustalwaysstriveto s t r e n g t h e n o u r independence.
To do so, our leaders shouldconsiderdiversifying ourinternationalrelations.A multi-polar world is advancing,andtheperiodof unipolar world has come to an end. This process is now manifest with the expansion oftheBRICSalliance.More and more countries are joining this bloc to protect themselves from unilateral and illegal actions by Western imperialist and formercolonialpowers.
Caricom leaders must examine these trends and broaden their international relations so that we can increase our degree of freedomandallowustotake a firm stance against the violations of human rights andtohavejusticeforall.
Thesemeasureshavethe possibility of impacting positively on our people’s socio-economic conditions and allow us to make a worthy contribution to international life and to contribute meaningfully to the struggle to halt Climate Change.
Sincerely
DonaldRamotar Former President of Guyana
This makes Guyana the first country in the Caribbean region to have conceptualised such an initiative in its healthcare education system. It was developed within a record time of 11 months. The programme,acollaboration between the Ministry of Health, UG, and the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC), will expand the country’s health academic offerings and reinforce the government’s commitment to preparing future professionals to make a difference, the Department ofPublicInformation(DPI) saidinapressrelease. Now thatitisformallylaunched, the next step is to find individuals who will be trained as Respiratory Therapists, to respond effectively to global health challenges The launch took placeatHerdmonstonLodge on Wednesday evening, whereMinisterofHealth,Dr Frank Anthony, emphasised theprogramme’simportance, especially considering Guyana’s lack of preparedness when the COVIDpandemicstruck Moreover, it is important to incorporate a programme like this into Guyana’s health system, particularlyinlightoflongterm health issues such as COVID.“Thisthenbecame anaturalthingtodo;wejust needed to get a course like this so [that] we can train professionals and have them in the system. And that’s one of the reasons why this was expedited,” the health minister emphasised.
He pointed out that the government envisions a modern healthcare system andispositioningGuyanato become a hub for medical training, hence the investmentsintoinstitutions anddevelopingprogrammes such as these “That’s something we’re working on The investments we’re making [in these] tertiary centres But what we need istheteachingstaffandthat istheareathatwewillhave to work on,” he further highlighted
Dr Anthony also expressed commendations to stakeholders who contributed their time to bringtheprogrammetolife Medical Doctor at Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation and the key driving force behind the efforts,DrWaleemaBacchusAlistatedthat“Guyanawillbe thefirstintheCaribbeanand one of just a few developing countriestoofferarespiratory [ d e g r e e ] programme [Guyana] is taking a huge step towards achieving the vision articulated by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali many times ” Ug’s ViceChancellor (VC), Dr Paloma Mohamed-Martin noted the significance of Guyana being the first country to launch the degree programme. Also deliveringremarks,Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Dr Emanuel Cummings, said the university is privileged to have been chosen as the premier institution mandated to deliver on the programme Other important medical professionalsalsodelivered remarks at the launching ceremony.(DPI)
Palestinian prisoners freed by Israel say they were tortured, threatened
- Two
Aljazeera - Eight
Palestinian prisoners released by the Israeli militaryhavesaidtheywere tortured and threatened in custody
Twowomenandsixmen were released from Ofer Prison in the occupied West Bank on Thursday Among the prisoners, some of the men appeared to show signs of physical abuse and were grimacinginpain.
Reporting from Deir elBalah in the central Gaza Strip, Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary said the freed prisoners were “completely exhausted”.
“One of the females was unable to walk and was carriedinsidetheemergency departmentonastretcher.”
The prisoners were not arrestedatthesametime,she said, adding that one of the
women and six men were released from Ofer Prison and were taken to Al-Aqsa Hospital in Gaza by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
men,anaidtruckdriver,was detained at the Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing.
Onewomanwasarrested after visiting the occupied WestBankwithherchild.
The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said it provided first aid to the prisonerswhowerereleased in front of the Kissufim military checkpoint and transferred them to the AlAqsa Hospital in central Gaza.
“Theyallsaidtheywere tortured, they all said they werethreatened. They all said they were deprived of medicine and clothes, ” Khoudary reported.
“They were asked about Hamas members and Israeli captivesintheGazaStrip.” Israel released dozens of
Palestinians it detained earlier in July, including the the director of al-Shifa Hospital, Muhammad Abu Salmiya, who said Palestinians were facing dailyabuseintheprison.
“Several inmates died in interrogation centres and were deprived of food and medicine,” Salmiya told a news conference after his release. “Cells are broken into and prisoners are beaten.”
Abu Salmiya was arrested amid claims by the Israeli military that Hamas was using al-Shifa Hospital asabase.Hewasfreedafter more than seven months in custody
The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation reported in July that prisons were “full” as an increasing numberofPalestinianswere
Netanyahu meets Biden at White House
BBC - Benjamin NetanyahuhasmetPresident Joe Biden at the White House,adayafterdelivering a fiery speech to Congress.
Israel’s prime minister also planstomeetVice-President
Kamala Harris, the presumptive Democratic nomineeforpresident.
Mr Netanyahu is expected to discuss Gaza, a ceasefire with Hamas and a possible hostage release Reports suggest Mr Biden
will be pushing Mr Netanyahu toward signing a dealduringtheirmeeting.
The Israeli leader faces pressure both at home and abroadtobringanendtothe Israel-Gaza war, now in its ninthmonth.Speakinginthe House chamber on Wednesday, he defended Israel’sbrutalwarcampaign inGaza,whileattemptingto rally support from US politicians.
“Our enemies are your enemies,”hesaid.
Healsousedthestageto condemn protesters against the war, whom he called “Iran’susefulidiots”.
President Joe Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023.
southern
Gang kills women and children in Papua New Guinea massacre - reports
BBC - Dozens of villagers have reportedly been killed after a gang of young men launched a seriesofattacksinaremote region of Papua New Guinea.
Survivors of the massacre have described hearing their neighbours’ cries of pain, and watching as others were speared as theytriedtofleethegangin canoes.
Sepik province where the attacktookplace.
National police have nowarrivedintheregionto helpwiththeinvestigationmore than a week after the violencetookplace.
But according to local media,policealreadyknow theidentityofthemorethan 30menwhocarriedoutthe attacks between 16 and 18
July
“surprise”attack:“Wewere helpless.”
Thevillagerswhocould e s c a p e d i n t o t h e surrounding bush, leaving behindthedead.
Twenty-three people w e r e a r r e s t e d o n Wednesday, including five people inside the Capitol building, according to police
Mr Netanyahu’s speech was occasionally met with rapturous applause, mostly ledbyRepublicans The Gaza war has deepened political divides in Washington, and led to
progressive wing has been critical of US support of
Thousands of proPalestinianprotesterstookto the streets of Washington to accuse Mr Netanyahu of beinga“warcriminal”.
Israel Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib was spotted sitting in the audience holding a sign that read “guiltyofgenocide”
Ms Harris did not attend Mr Netanyahu’s speech due to scheduling conflicts, the White House said
Instead, she spent part of the day speaking to a crowdfromthehistorically black sorority Zeta Phi Beta Ms Harris has e
However,suchastancehas been politically costly for theDemocrats.
At least 26 peopleincluding16children-were killed,localmediareported, withfearsthedeathtollmay yet rise to 50 as the search forsurvivorscontinues.
United Nations human rights chief Volker Türk said the “shocking” violence seemed to be “the resultofadisputeoverland andlakeownershipanduser rights” and appealed to officials to “ensure those responsible are held to account”.
Governor Allan Bird toldAustralia’sABC News there were just 20 police officers for the 100,000 people who live in the Angoram district of East
The gang - who Angoram police Inspector Peter Mandi said called themselves “I don’t care”, accordingtotheGuardianwere armed with guns, knives and axes, attacking intheearlyhours.
They allegedly raped and killed their victims, setting numerous homes
alight One woman described how she had floatedforhoursclingingto alog,tryingtoremainquiet while the attack went on around her “I could hear women wailing in pain, children crying out. I was lucky the men didn’t see me,” she told The National newspaper Another survivor said simply of the
Provincial police commander Senior Inspector James Baugen described to the Post Courier how bodies had been left “rotting” in the village, while others had been taken by crocodiles after floating down the river
He added that many of the dead were mothers and their children. Gov Bird saidlawandorderhadbeen on the decline in the region forthelastsixmonths.
It was thought land ownership was also the cause of a similarly shocking attack in Papua NewGuinea’sHighlandsin February, in which another 26peoplewerekilled.
A year ago, escalating tribalconflictoverlandand wealthledtoathree-month lockdowninEngaprovince, during which police imposedacurfewandtravel restrictions.
being arrested after the Hamas-led October 7 attack in
Israel. The Palestine Prisoners
Detainees
Palestinians have been detained in the occupied WestBanksinceIsrael’swar onGazastarted.
Palestinians released by the Israeli army arrive at Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir el-Balah, central Gaza [Ashraf Amra/Anadolu Agency]
GPO/ Anadolu via Getty Images
Primary School building
accommodated both primary and nursery learners.
$153M in contracts awarded to build four nursery schools
The Tapakuma Primary School building which accommodates primary and nursery learners.
Government will spend approximately $153,677,119 to construct nursery schools inTapakuma,Crane,Tuschen andItaballi.
The projects which were tendered by the Regional Administration of Regions Two, Three and Seven were awarded recently at the National Procurement and TenderAdministrationBoard (NPTAB) office following the competitive bidding process. Accordingtoinformation published by the Tender Board, the construction of a new school for Tapakuma LakeNurseryinRegionTwo will be undertaken by Triple P Construction & General Supply to the tune of $25,377,804. Kaieteur News understands that nursery classes in the village are being accommodated in a sectionoftheprimaryschool
building.
In Region Three, the constructionoftheschoolfor C r a n e w o u l d c o s t
$36,547,760 and would be built by Chara Construction & Bus Services, while the nurserybuildingforTuschen would be undertaken by PP Building Contracting to the tune of $50,305,080. It was previously reported in the media that because new housingareasareopeningup
intheregionandthegrowing population there was a need fornewschools.
Asitrelatestothenursery school for Itaballi which is located in the Lower Mazaruni area, Region Seven, the project will be executed by Troy Dainty Construction to the tune of $41,446,475.
In Itaballi also, currently the primary school building houses both primary and nurserylearners.
Minister of Education, PriyaManickchandatapress conference earlier this year said that having achieved universal primary education inthecountry,theintentionis to achieve universal nursery and secondary education
“What universal means, it means all over So all over Guyana, we want nursery aged children to be able to access nursery schools and
nurseryeducationinGuyana is not compulsory as yet but we have registered the highest enrollment in the CommonwealthCaribbeanat more than 85 percent of our nursery age cohort attending nursery school,” she said. The minister added that wherethereisagapitwould be where there are not enough schools and that is mostly in the hinterland regions.
Elderly man dies in Bartica house fire
The Hopkinsons' house engulfed during the fire
An elderly man died duringafireonWednesday afternoon at Third Avenue SixthStreet,BarticaRegion
Seven, which also destroyedhishome.
Dead is 94-year-old Albert Hopkinson better knownasUncleMajor Also injured is his daughter Dawn Hopkinson. The fire of unknown origin destroyed the two-storey wooden and concrete home of the Hopkinsons. Photos and videos showed that the entiretopflatofthebuilding wasengulfedinflames.
TheGuyanafireservice (GFS) confirmed that the topfloorofthebuildingwas destroyed; however, there was no damage to the ground floor. Kaieteur News understands that the fire started around 13:00hrs Neighbours reportedly rushed to help and some Barticians complained of the slow responsefromthemembers oftheGFS.
Dawn suffered first and second-degree burns about her face, hands and other parts of her body while Albert received second and third-degreeburnsabouthis
body including his hands, feet and entire torso However, he succumbed to his injuries shortly after whilereceivingtreatment. Meanwhile,theGFSina
statement said that it received a call alerting to a fire at 13:20hrs. Firefighters arrived on the scene at 13:25hrs and the first jet wentintoactionat13:26hrs. The response team included Water Tender #98 and a Water Bowser, carrying a total of 9274.259 liters of water to extinguish the fire. Additionally, two jets operatingfromtanksupplies, and subsequently, a water relay system from LP#A03 werealsoused. Investigations are ongoing.
The Itaballi
which
(Photo:ItaballiPrimarySchool/Facebook)
Albert Hopkinson
National U17 selectee benefits from Project “Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana”
Pugnacious opener and wicketkeeper Vikash Wilkinsonisthelatestyoung cricketertobenefitfromthis joint initiative between Kishan Das of the USAand AnilBeharryofGuyana.He wasrecentlyselectedforthe Guyana under17 cricket team to participate in the regional tournament which will commence in Trinidad andTobagofromAugust11. Vikash is representing Guyana for the second year
Demeraraattheunder19and 17 levels in the GCB Inter County tournaments The right hander was the recipient of one pair of battinggloves.Heexpressed gratitude for the token. This project is pleased to be part of his development and reminded him of the importance of the level of discipline required for success.
Theprojectwillcontinue tosupportyoungpeopleand are happy to be associated with the development of cricket especially through youths.
To date, seventy nine young players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefited directly from seven gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty two bats, three boxes,
six helmets, thirty pairs of cricket shoes, nineteen pairs of batting pads, twenty four thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty three pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads and threepairsofwicketkeeping gloves Many others benefitedindirectly
In addition, two clubs in thePomeroonareabenefited from two used bats Pomeroon, Leguan and Wa k e n a m C r i c k e t CommitteesandCottonTree
Friday July 26, 2024
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Overall,theforecastfortoday is fairly good. The aspects seemtofavorfiguringoutthe meaning of all that's transpired over the past several weeks It's an opportunity for you to take a leisurely
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Have you felt somewhat lost forthepastfewdays?Thefog maylifttodayandenableyou to situate yourself at last. You'reprobablyeagertosettle a question that has nagged at you and interfered with your judgment.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
You may have been feeling somewhat disillusioned. Perhapsyoulostsightofyour goals or misplaced your faith in yourself. You'll feel some reliefbeginningtoday
CANCER(June21–July22)
Youmightbetemptedtosettle certain matters by radical means. The visionary part of you means you're painfully aware of the world's wrongs. You see no reason not to take actiontocorrectthem.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Today will be fairly calm in terms of outside events, but yourinnerworldislikelytobe in a rush of activity Today you wish you could find the solutiontoyourheartachesas well as your career predicaments.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
You have a lot of thinking to do about your professional goals, Virgo. You'll go over the elements to see if there isn't some way to approach thingsdifferently
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Youjustcan'tdoeverythingat once, Libra. How do you expect to reduce your stress and recuperate while at the same time continue to be a superstar performer in every areaofyourlife.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Thisisagoodmomenttoadapt your logic and reason to reality, Scorpio. If you don't, you're going to run into some
Everyone knows that you find newideasplentiful.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
It'sgoingtobealittledifficult t
y, Sagittarius. You, who can be easily influenced by others, will be listening to and criticizing everything that peoplesay
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Haveyoubeenreviewingyour family history lately, Capricorn? Of special interest is your cultural background. What educational, social, and religious environment were you born into? What are its values?Intheend.
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)
Today your intellectual and expressive abilities should receive a boost from the planets.It'sanexcellenttimeto organize your thoughts about presentingaproject.
Golfers to receive 10,000 balls as part of GGA Boost Programme
The Guyana Golf
A s s o c
o n (GGA)/NexGen Academy issettoreceive10,000golf balls, thanks to the efforts of Danny Ramnarain, an overseas-based Guyanese golfer along with William and Aleena Knight of the NewYork Shafura Hussain Foundation.
As thousands of new playersinGuyanaaregiven access to the sport for the
Die Hard also received one boxofredcricketballseach, Cold Fusion Cricket Club thirteen color uniforms whileRHCCCCreceivedsix boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket keeping gloves, a setofstumpsandbails.
Other beneficiaries are The Essequibo Cricket Board,theTownofLethem, youth coach Travis Persaud (oneboxofredcricketballs), male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area, No.65YoungTitans with 30 T-Shirts, youths of Just Try Cricket Club, Wakenaam Cricket Academy (one box of white balls), Shemar Joseph, Nehemiah Hohenkirk, Shamar Apple, Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber Park Cricket Club and MalteenoesSports Club (ninecricketballseach).
Cricket related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the countryandclubleadersalso assist to identify same Progressive and well managedcricketclubswitha youth programme will also benefit.
Anyone interested to contribute can contact Anil Beharry on 623-6875 or Kishan Das on 1-718-6640896.
annualNationalJuniorGolf Championship held at the NexGen Golf Academy on WoolfordAvenue.
Th
n
developmentalprogramme, which provides equipment andballsatlittletonocost, removes a significant barrier for players from all economicbackgrounds.
The model developed b y t h e G G A , i n collaboration with major organizations,sponsorsand supporters, has enabled the sport to reach thousands of players across the country inlessthanthreeyears.
Recently, Leguan Secondary School repeated aschampionsinthesecond
attracted a huge highprofile list of corporate sponsors the likes of; The GuyanaTourismAuthority; Sterling Products Ltd; Pegasus Hotel & Suites; Guyana Beverages Inc Jaigobin’s Hotel; Toolsie Persaud Ltd; Jaigobin’s Supermarket; Sunshine Snacks; Dino Bissessar; K
Ramchand’sAuto; Darthan I
; Tristone Auto; Shangri-La Gardens; Westside Golf Course; and the Golf Academy
William and Aleena Knight have been involved in philanthropic activities for many years and are currently developing several sports and healthrelated projects in the Queens,NewYorkarea.
2024 Guyana T10 Blast...
The Kares One
Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast
continues to gain momentum, with Premier Insurance, Jacobs Jewellery, and First Change Builders Inc.signingonassponsors.
Premier Insurance returns as a major sponsor, contributing significantly They’ve sponsored the championshiptrophyandthe G$250,000 consolation p r i z e s f o r l o s i n g semifinalists.
They’ve also taken the unique step of fielding their ‘PREMIER Insurance’team in the tournament, one of onlytwomainsponsorstodo sothisyear
Anil Singh, CEO of Premier Insurance, expressedhisenthusiasmfor theevolvingtournamentand hiscommitmenttoproviding continuedsupport.
Anil Singh of Premier Insurance signifies the support with Romario Samaroo of FL Sport
StevenJacobs,afamiliar name in Guyanese sports sponsorship,returnsthrough his businesses Jacobs Jewellery and First Change BuildersInc. FirstChangeis agrowinglocalconstruction industry force co-owned by decorated national captain
LeonJohnson. Jacobs and Johnson are expected to appear during the tournament, potentially in the Cricket for Charity matchorthemaindraw.The action starts on August 3rd with opening matches at the Police Sports Club, Queen’s
Steven Jacobs (left) via businesses will be continuing his support of the tournament
C
LusignanSportsClub.
The knockout stages beginonAugust4thwiththe Roundof16atPoliceSports Club and Lusignan. The quarter finals will be played on August 11th at Enmore, culminatinginthefinalsand a Cricket for Charity match at the prestigious National StadiumonAugust25th.
Th
The Kares One Guyana T10Blastenjoysthesupport ofKaresEngineering,Banks DIH Limited, Star Rentals, Ministry of Culture, Youth a
M
a Restaurant and Lounge, SuperBet,DemeraraMutual, ETS, Metro Office and C
Sankar’sAutoWorks, ENet, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Trophy Sta
, ANSA McAL Distribution,RS53RestoBar and Lounge, General M a
i n e , S a m a r o o Investments, and Coel’s Boutique.
promises to be fierce, and a larger prize pool will entice the 32 participating teams. The champions will receive G$1.5 million, while the runners-up will receive G$500,000.
Appadu enjoys slim lead as Guyana’s leading jockey
… Ross closely trailing
Jockey Ronaldo Appadu is Guyana’s leading jockey on the points standings with 79 points
The rivalry between jockeys and horses will be boiling hot on Sunday August11,attheRisingSun Turf Club, in the 16th runningoftheGuyanaCup.
Jockeys are eagerly awaitingthebigpayday,but therivalryforthetopjockey for 2024 is on the line.
RonaldoAppaduisGuyana’s leadingjockeyfor2024,with 79 points while veteran Colin Ross is trailing on 70 points.
Ross was dominant in 2023 where he secured the jockey of the year, and he is fresh from a crushing win with Easy Time at the last race which was held at Port MourantTurfClub.
Appadu has 28 starts for
the year thus far, with nine first places, eight second spots and four third place finishes. Ross also has nine firstplaces,sixsecondplaces andthreethirdspotfinishes.
YovinKissoonchand with 24 starts for the year, has six first place wins, four seconds and one third. He sits on third on the jockey standingswith45points.
Kissoonchand had a bright race day at Port Mourant at the CARICOM race meet, where he secured 14points.Theyoungjockey, Kissoonchand had two wins andonesecondplaceatPort Mourant.
Meanwhile, Trinidadian jockey Kiran Razack is in fourth with 44 points while
are the top five jockeys on the standings for 2024. The 16th running of the Guyana Cup will be the biggesthorseracingeventin Guyana’s history, and it will be the perfect place for the jockeystoleavetheirlegacy Ten races will be on the Guyana Cup card, and registrationhasalreadybeen opened. It will close on August3,andnolateentries willbeacceptedatthisyear’s GuyanaCup.(ùLÁ
With this year’s Guyana Cup purse being the biggest in the Caribbean, horses and jockeys from various countries will be compelled totraveltoGuyanaandbattle forsupremacy.(ùLÁ
Nicholas Patrick (29 Kevin Paul (27)
Good showing for team Guyana at 34th Pan-American Youth Championship
The eight-member team of junior chess players will soon return home after representing Guyana at the recently concluded Pan-Am Youth Championship. The t e a m p e r f o r m e d exceptionally well, accumulating a total of 25.5 points.
The event, organized by theUSChessFederation,the Confederation of Chess for Americas, and Rosen ShingleCreek,tookplacein Orlando, Florida, from July 15th to July 20th, 2024. A total of 368 junior chess players from 28 chess federations participated in the nine-round tournament across the Open and Girls categories.TheGuyanateam competed in both divisions of the Under 16, Under 14, Under 12, and Under 10 categories over the six-day event The delegation included Kyle Couchman, Maliha Rajkumar, Sachin Pitamber, Aditi Joshi, JeremyCole,KataleyaSam, Vir Narine, and Saura Ruplal.
Guyana’s eight-member team
The points were accumulated as follows: Joshi with 4.5, Couchman and Sam with 4 each, Pitamber with 3 5, and Rajkumar, Cole, and Ruplal with2.5each.Nine-year-old Narineearned2points. In the first round, Couchman defeated his 2200-rated opponent,
rated players. The fourteenyear-old is on track to becoming the youngest Guyaneseplayertoreachan 1800ELOrating.Reflecting on the tournament, Couchman said it was a valuable experience, and he aims to perform even better infuturecompetitions.
and 6 bronze. Team Costa Rica won 1 gold, Team Ecuador secured 2 silver medals, and Team Canada earned 1 silver and 2 bronze medals.
AmericanNathanYan,inthe U16 category after Yan missed a critical move Couchman also triumphed over Jamaican Zuberi Edwards in round four and drew four of his games with
Fourteen-year-old Aditi Joshi, playing in the U14 Girls category, scored three winsandthreedraws.Oneof her draws was against Mexican Andrea Sanchez, thethird-rankedplayerinthe category Joshialsodefeated USA’s Tanya Prabhu and drewwithBrazilianMariana Yassuda.Joshinotedthatthe Pan American Youth Chess Championship provided an insightful experience, exposinghertoahigherlevel of competition and a wide range of learning opportunities.
Team USA took first place with 36 medals, including 11 gold, 8 silver,
The Guyana Chess Federation expressed pride in the team’s effort, highlighting the players’ a n
strategic prowess The dedicationandloveofchess wereevidentassomeyoung players engaged in three to four-hour-long games. The experience and knowledge gained will boost their confidence in future local a n d i n t e
o n a l competitions, with potential FIDEratingsupforgrabsfor those who won against FIDE-ratedplayers.
The GCF extended gratitude to the parents for makingthetrippossibleand to Mrs.Archana Joshi, head oftheGuyanadelegation,for herguidanceandleadership.
Unchanged England seek 3-0, as Test cricket desperately seeks a contest
(ESPN Cricinfo) - They wereputtingoutthebunting ever so briefly at Trent Bridge last week. Roll up, rollup,freeentryforthefifth and final day! Relive the glories of that first heady summer of Bazball in 2022 marvel at the chutzpah! Swoon at the strokeplay! Savour the glorious uncertainty of Test cricketatitsfinest!
At61for0chasing385,it was all systems go for a marketingcoupdetheatreto
rival that which Jonny Bairstow delivered so gloriously on this same groundtwoyearsago…until all of a sudden it wasn’t. Instead, ten West Indies wicketstumbledinthespace of23.1overs,fiveofthemto another precocious display of attacking offspin from Shoaib Bashir, and that, as theysay,wasthat.
Despite the obvious euphoriaamongtheEngland players and the fans in the ground who were lucky
enough to witness the dramaticdenouement,itwas hardtoescapeanunderlying sense of deflation at West Indies’ demise. For three days and two sessions, they punched eagerly above their weight, with Kavem Hodge’s wonderful maiden century the centrepiece of theirefforts.
But despite making 457 at Trent Bridge to secure a first-inningsleadof41,West Indies have now been bowledoutforasumtotalof
400 runs in their other three innings of the series - 121, 136 and 143. No one has made so much as a halfcentury in those efforts, while the only England bowler who is currently averaging more than 25 for t h e s e r i e s i s t h e phenomenallylucklessMark Wood, whose scorchingly quick spells helped prise more than a few openings at theotherend.
Theoverallimpressionis of a series dripping with goodwill, and underpinned by an almost patronising desireforanequalcontestto break out, but one in which the sport’s structural issues aresuretowinoutintheend.
Nasser Hussain on Sky Sports likened the Trent Bridge Test to an armwrestle,inwhichtheeffortit took simply to stay vertical eventually gave way to a splatofforearmontable-top. Can West Indies find the strength to go again? A fair fewdaythreeandfourticketholders will be anxiously urgingthemtodigdeep.
There is, of course, another factor nudging into the picture during this Test.
2024
The fourth season of the Hundred got underway
expressly commissioned to helpfuture-prooftheEnglish summer However, the very
Allaboardtheshinynew gravy-train? Or does the grand old game dig in and fight for its pre-eminence againstitsnewsalty-snacked overlords?
With the greatest respect to England’s efforts to inspire with their unfettered approach toTest cricket, the extent to which Test cricket fights its corner this week rests unfairly and unequally on the shoulders of the team thatisalready2-0down.
continues to gnaw at the fabric of English Test cricket. We’re not quite going to face the optics of an entire summerwithnoAugustTest match, as was the case during the Ashes last year, butthealternativeisn’tideal either What’s the message this scheduling sends from on high? Move along, nothingtoseehere?
CWI Rising Stars U-19 50-Overs
Tournament… Table-leaders Guyana hunting third straight win today versus Trinidad
After two resounding wins to kick start their50-Overtitlehunt,currenttable-leaders Guyana will be seeking their third consecutive win today, when they battle Trinidad&TobagoinRound3oftheRising StarsU-19championships.
Guyana stormed to back-to-back wins, beating Jamaica by 13-runs before doubling up on their overall performances by dismantling Leewards by 122-runs in the second round. Today’s match will revolve aroundGuyana’sabilitytopullalotfromthe bowlingunit.
Over the past two games, the efforts of MavendraDindyalhavespurredGuyanainto the top spot, with his 5-wicket haul against Jamaica being bested by his 7-24 on Wednesday Left-arm spinner Golcharran Chulaiwhoisinimmenseform,fast-bowler IsaiThorne,alongwithin-formall-rounder’s Jonathan Van Lange and Thaddeus Lovell being among the primary match-winners on various occasion with the ball for Guyana rollingoverfromthe2-Dayformat.
Dindyal, along with opener Rampertab Ramnauth who seems to be making a return backtopeakbattingform,VanLange,Lovell along with the likes of Shahid Viera, Riyad Latif and Andrew Lim will provide the necessaryimpetusneededdowntheorder Trinidad middle-order batsman Andrew
Ramnaran scored a half-century in a losing effortduringthelastgameagainstBarbados but apart from Joshua Davis, no other batsmenlookedsettledresultingintheirloss.
SpinnerAnealRooplalandseamerAiden Rachashared5wicketsagainstBarbados,but similar to the batting line-up, more will be needed by those in-form players as well as their teammates, should they overcome the Guyanesethreat.
Guyana currently sits at the top of the leader’stablewith10.6points,whiletoday’s opponentsTrinidadoccupythe4thspotwith 6.4 points. With such a decent margin between points and positions, Guyana could easilypickuptheirthirdsuccessivewinand maintaintheirspotonthetopofthecharts.
Jimmy Adams and Mikyle Louis chat during West Indies’practice session (PAPhotos/Getty Images)
Thaddeus Lovell
Archibald and Edghill are Guyana’s Flagbearers for Olympics opening ceremony
Sprinter Emanuel
Archibald and table tennis
aceChelseaEdghillaresetto be Guyana’s flagbearers for today’s opening of the Paris OlympicGames.
Edghill will begin her Olympic journey tomorrow in the women’s singles preliminary round at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, while Archibald will compete in the men’s 100monAugust3.
In swimming, Raekwon Noel will make his Olympic debuttomorrowinthemen’s 400m freestyle at the Paris La Défense Arena, and on July 30, Aleka Persaud will compete in the women’s 100mfreestyle.
Aliyah Abrams will makeherthirdappearanceat the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) flagship event when she lines up in the women’s 400m at the StadedeFranceonAugust4.
Regardingtoday’slavish opening ceremony for the 33rd Olympiad, which runs until August 11, the French flag will be raised, and the
French national anthem will beplayedtomarkthestartof whatpromisestobeanevent unlike any other since the gamesbeganin1896.
Athletes representing 206countrieswillmaketheir ceremonialentranceintothe Games, which historically involves marching into a stadiumonfoot.
However, this year, athleteswillproceedbyboat alongtheSeineRiver
This will be the first O l y m p i c O p e n i n g Ceremony held outside of a stadium. Opening ceremony artistic director Thomas Jolly told The Associated Press, “There’s no model; it’sabsolutecreation.”
Each national delegation will ride in a boat equipped with cameras to provide immersive access for viewers.
Theceremonywillbegin at the Austerlitz Bridge and travel just under four miles downtheriver,endingatthe Trocadéro near the Eiffel Tower Along the way, the athletes will pass the city’s
most prominent icons, includingtheLouvreandthe Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.
At the end of the route, theOlympictorchwillbelit,
and French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to give opening remarks. The ceremony will run from13:30hrsto17:15hrs.
Some members of Guyana’s contingent enjoying a light moment in Paris (Chelsea Edghill photo)
Archibald
and Edghill are Guyana’s Flagbearers for Olympics opening ceremony Sports
Unchanged England seek 3-0, as Test cricket desperately seeks a contest
Table Tennis player
Chelsea Edghill
The West Indies Test team suffered a huge batting collapse in the second innings of the second Test. (Getty Images)
