Kaieteur News

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton Dead, Ronaldo Watson

nd

Asection of the crowd gathered for the PNCR's 22 Biennial Delegates' Congress held at Congress Place, Sophia, Georgetown.

Norton promises people centered development strategy

Am i d s t resounding support from members of his party, Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton promised that a People National Congress

Reform (PNCR) led Government will be more focused on the development of the people rather than the buildinginfrastructure.

Norton made this appeal at the opening ceremony of nd the PNCR's 22 Biennial Delegates' Congress being held at Congress Place, Sophia, headquarters where membersaresettoelectnew leadershipofthepartyahead of the country's next Regional and General Elections scheduled for 2025.

The incumbent leader is seeking re-election at the election set for Sunday His position is uncontested following the abrupt suspension of Amanza Walton-Desir and Roysdale

Forde, SC from the leadershipraceonThursday The two were among those notably absent at Friday's opening of the Delegates' Congress.

In recent days, Norton

campaign for election has been marred faced with allegations of sexual harassment brought against himbyamemberoftheparty followed by the resignation of General-Secretary Dawn Hastings-Williams who accused the leadership of corruption and lack of financialaccountability

In addition to the allegations, an attempt to stop the Congress and by extensiontheelectionofnew office bearers was made by an overseas-based member oftheparty,BrianCollision. Collision, through his attorney filed an application for an injunction to temporarily block the Congress However, on Friday, Chief Justice (AG) Roxane George-Wiltshire deniedtherequest.

Meanwhile, Norton said the Congress will be used to re-energize, regroup, and refocus the party and its membership to urgently achieveitsgoals.

“Weallhavetosingfrom the same page in explaining our party's philosophy and our people-centered development strategy,” Norton said as he promised

...saysseverechildpoverty shouldnotexistinoilrichGuyana

to optimize the use of the skills and capacities of PNCR members and supporterstomaketheircase inallcommunitiesacrossthe land.

The Opposition Leader noted that while the current government paints a picture ofprosperityforallcitizens, the reality on the ground showsthatthisisthefurthest thingfromthetruth.

“I know many of you must have come across this strange new phenomenon, this daytime nightmare, when traversing our roads and bridges. They are lined with children, sometimes in groups as large as twenty, begging! This takes many forms, from those merely asking for food to those breakingbricksintopotholes and begging for some small measure of compensation,” Nortonpointedout.

“I ask you now to consider that Guyana is one of 63 countries classed by UNICEF as facing 'severe child food poverty' and to reflect that not so long ago the World Food Program noted 58% of Guyanese are moderately or severely food insecure! I pose to you one

simple question: what is the point of being the world's fastestgrowingeconomyfor several years over, if our children are going to bed at night hungry?” he questioned.

However,theOpposition leadernotedthatlisteningto the President and second Vice President, you would think that even the least fortunate child has a full belly, quality education, and shoesonhisorherfeet.

“I want to point you to severalconcreteexamplesof extreme poverty among children,todemonstratethat rather than soaring higher, our country's economy has begun to resemble the “jumbie bird” that the PPP aptlysaidwasametaphorfor i t s g

incumbentleadersaid.

AccordingtoNorton,the government's priorities are fundamentallywrong.

“Thisgovernmenthasno idea whatsoever of how to deliver real development to Guyana. This government seems to believe that infrastructure development at the expense of human development is in itself

SecurityGuardlashedinthe head,stabbedwhileprotecting

wifefromintruder

A 21-year-old Security Guard is nursingheadinjuriesandmultiplestab woundsabouthisbodyafterputtinghis life on the line twice in three days to protecthiswife.

The man has been identified as Altair Borges of Lusignan, East Coast Demerara(ECD).

The first attack on Borges took placearound17:30hrsonSaturdaylast.

He was reportedly at home in his bed when he heard his wife screaming downstairs. He rushed out to see a 28year-old man (identity known) armed with a piece of wood and a hammer attemptingtohithiswife.

When the woman saw Borges, she ran behind him to hide from her attacker Borgesthenranbackintohis home to look for a weapon to defend himselfandwifebutdidnotfindany

He returned downstairs to speak with the attacker in a peaceful manner

but ended-up being lashed in the head withthepieceofwoodthesuspecthad inhishand.

Policesaidthattheblowreportedly knocked Borges unconscious briefly andcausinghimtofalltotheground.As he slowly regained consciousness and was getting up, the suspect dealt him two more lashes in his back with the wood before dropping it and running away

Borges was left bleeding from the head and had to be rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) where CT Scans were done. He was treated and discharged after doctors found that his woundswerenotlifethreatening.

Instead of returning to his home, Borges decided to spend time at relativesinGeorgetownsothathecould properlyrecover Hedecidedtoreturntohishomeon

Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton makes his feature address at opening of the nd PNCR's 22 Biennial Delegates' Congress

development.

There can be no useful developmentwithouthuman

Tuesday, June 25. He reportedly arrived around 13:45 hrs and went inside to rest but shortly after he heard his wife screaming again downstairs, policesaid.

Thistimewhenherushedoutsidehe saw the same suspect who had beaten him unconscious trying to abduct his wife. Police said that the suspect was allegedlypullingBorges'wifeintoacar while telling the driver of the car to reverse. Borges once again ran to the woman's rescue and held onto the suspect but the man whipped out a scissors and stabbed him several times about the body after letting go of the woman.

Borges fell to the ground and the suspect made good his escape in the waiting car The wounded man was once again rushed to GPHC for treatment. Police are in search of the suspectasinvestigationscontinue.

“Guyana is trending in this direction. In 2023, the capital budget was $388 billionGuyanadollarsandin 2024, it has climbed to a whopping $666 billion dollars.

Webelieveinfrastructure is important to our country's growth and development, butwesimplycannotaccept

To bolster his point, the incumbent PNCR Leader drew a comparison between Guyana and the Equatorial Guinea, an oil-rich country that has been plagued by corruption scandals, biting poverty, and severe childhood malnutrition, but simultaneously, the vast majority of government revenues are spent on infrastructure.

(Continuedonpage7)

KaieteurNews

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EDITORIAL

Gold Smuggling

Gold mining has been a blessing for Guyanese. Gold smuggling is a curse on this country The close friends of goldsmugglingaretaxevasionandmoneylaundering,some lesserones,arebriberyandcorruptionwithallcontributing to a criminal stew Recent US Treasury Department developments have brought Guyana the kind of attention thatitabhorsatanytime,especiallynowwithmanyforeign presence and favorable investment sentiment. Corruption onthescaleallegedbytheUSTreasuryDepartmentmakes investors question themselves about what Guyana is at the core,whatisrequiredtosucceedhere. Thoughunspecified, andperhapsunintended,thereputationofthiscountry,from top to bottom, has been tarnished. These are the circumstances that have prompted well-meaning resident Guyanese,andothersinthediaspora,toofferhelpfulideas and measures that they believe could make a difference. Thatis,amaterialreductioningoldsmuggling,andmoreof thebenefitsofthesectorflowingintothenationaltreasury Recommendationsincludecampvisits,markingthegoldand greater use of technology, among some constructive proposals Thelatterinvolvesblockchaintechnologyanddrones We,atthis paper, believe that these are sound recommendations; all have somelevelofmerit Itwouldbehelpfulifafew,andmorefromthe samemenu,couldbecomepartofthepoliciesandproceduresof therelevantstateagencies,andthenenforceddiligently,without fearorfavor Unfortunately,thisiswheregreatideasandsuggestions runintotherealityofunhelpfulcircumstancesontheground A Sicilian proverb captures what goes on at different levels in Guyana, and which forms part of the widespread perception, throughout Guyana The proverb has a definite and profound texture to it: to wit, a fish rots from the head This is the fundamentalGuyanaproblemthatseepsfromheadtotrunktotail, withonlyahandfulstandingintheway,fightingatoughfightina culturethatisdiminishedanddraggeddownbycorruption TheUSTreasuryDepartment’sallegationsspokerepeatedly ofcorruptionby“governmentofficials” Forsure,itisblandbut has lots of teeth that go deep in gold and many other public sectors GivenwhattheUShasalleged,governmentofficials,as a practical issue, could rope in public servants at the Guyana Revenue Authority, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission,theGuyanaGoldBoard,andvarioussupporting lawenforcementagencies. Itisawidenetthatensnaresmorethan a few. Also, there is reason to believe that the Treasury Department’s careful use of “government officials” stretches beyond compromised public servants. Politicians are also a major part of government, which begs the question about whether the Treasury Department’s use of “government officials”extendedtothem,andtowhatheights It is obvious that politics and business in Guyana enjoy a close relationship. It shouldn’t surprise that a top government politicianfounditnecessarytoissueastatementindicating thathisrelationshipwithtwoofthethreeGuyananamedby theUSTreasuryDepartmentdoesnothaveanytaint. Itissoothingtohearthatpoliticaldisclaimer Butthereare doubts about how many Guyanese take that defensive posture withoutconsiderablemisgiving Incontrast,governmentleaders did not instill much confidence in their handling of the senior Guyanesepublicservantnowburdenedbythesinisteridentifierof ‘Specially Designated National’The fact that this now former official,wasamongthehighest-rankingGuyanesepublicservants whenthismatterfirstsurfacedreflectspoorlyonthiscountry The factthatoverayearlater,sheemergedevenstronger(politically) andseeminglyhighlyfavoredputsapallontherulingpoliticiansin theGuyanaGovernment ItwasonlywhentheUSGovernment showeditshand(blacklisting)thatthePPPCGovernmentrushed totakeactiontoputagoodfaceonabadsituation

Thehandlingofthissensitivematter,thebelatedpublic postures, and the slipshod ethics of leading politicians, provide glimpses into the corruption culture that reigns in Guyana. Thiscultureputsthegoldsectorintheworstlight. Unless the PPPC Government is honest about cleaning houseandthenthemindsetsofitsinnercircle,thenthebest recommendationsallmeannothing.

ParliamentmustaddresstheimplementationoftheSexual OffencesActduringdeliberationsontheAmendments

DearEditor,

Thankyouforpublishing ourpreviousletterwhichput our feedback on the draft S e x u a l O f f e n c e s Amendment Bill 2024. In our consideration of the proposed amendments, we recognised that there are several parts of the current legislation which are not adequatelyenforced.

Wearedeeplyconcerned abouttheenforcementofthe offence – Obstruction of prosecution section 20. (1) SOA 2010 which says that any person who prevents a childfromgivingastatement to the police or prevent a childfromgivingadmissible evidence in any way for a paper committal or prevents a child from testifying in a court of law commits an offenceandcanbesentenced to5yearsimprisonmentand fined 1 million dollars. Too many sexual offences committed particularly against children go unreported and are never prosecuted even when offendersareknown.

Children must not be allowed to suffer the trauma of sexual abuse without access to psych-social assistance and justice due to their positions of vulnerabilityandrelianceon adults for basic needs including offending adults who can be caregivers, family members or other close and trusted family friends. There is a need for an ongoing awareness campaign on this sexual offenceandotheroffencesso ignorance against

prosecutionofsuchoffences is known The Sexual OffencesAct (SOA) Part IX Prevention, mandates the establishment of a National Task Force for the Prevention of Sexual Offences (NTFPSV) The duties include the d e v e l o p m e n t a n d implementationofanational plan of action for the prevention of sexual violence.Eventhoughanew NTFPSV was appointed w h e n t h e p r e s e n t Government came into office in 2020, no national plan for the prevention of sexual violence has been disseminated publicly, neitherhastherebeen,asfar as we know, policies established to enable the Government to work with NGOs, FBOs, CBOs and other elements of civil society to prevent sexual violence.

The NTFPSV has a total o f 1 5 d u t i e s a n d responsibilities and there is no public information or transparency about how the NTPSV carries out its responsibilitiesandmonitors itsplans.

Additionally, even though the SOA says that representatives from nongovernmental organizations aretobepartoftheNTFPSV, there is only one NGO –Help & Shelter that actively works on the prevention on sexual violence which is representedontheNTFPSV We call for the inclusion on the Task Force of other NGOS and community groups who are actively

workingonthepreventionof sexual and gender-based violence.

Of significance is Section IX Prevention 3 (j) the “need to focus special attention on the issues of sexual violence in remote areas, including access to police support and medical attention.” And (n) “in general, ensure acceptable and uniform treatment of all sexualoffencematters”.

It is well known that there are inadequate support services for survivors of sexual offences, especially in Indigenous interior locations where such facilities are less available and there are long delays in cases reaching the court. There are also problems of translation between Indigenous languages and English The delays sometimes result i

survivors opting to drop out of legal redress, refusing to testify, as well as accepting somekindofcompensations from sexual offence perpetratorsfortheirsilence.

On April 25, 2024, a delegation of indigenous leader

ed to Ge

own for the followingreasons“toexpose the growing prevalence gender-basedviolencewitha focus also on child sexual violence, rape and teenage pregnancy in their own communities and districts and, generally, in the hinterland regions Their concerns include incidents of impunity where officials and figures of authority are predatorsandperpetratorsof

such acts and who get away with them because of political, social and economic power, protection and corruption The Delegation reported on the lack of access to justice and the very few services, or noneatall,thatareavailable inIndigenouscommunities–hence the low level of counselling, court support, lawyers and related resources – resulting in equally low levels of successful prosecutions Alsoofdeepconcernwasthe lack of knowledge and understanding of the laws and protections and remedies provided for and guaranteed under Guyana’s ConstitutionandLaws.” SOA Section 89(2) on ‘Prevention’ states that “Datashallinclude,butshall not be limited to, number of reportstothepolice,number of arrests, prosecutions and successful convictions, genderandageofvictimsor complainants, geographical locationswhereoffencesare alleged to have happened, number of persons seeking medical care, types of injuries received by victims o r c o m p l a i n a n t s , relationship of victim or complainant to accused, number of matters withdrawn from Court and number of matters where complainants chose not to proceed further ” This requirement of the Sexual OffencesAct is not in effect as there is no open data available to citizens, especiallythosewhowantto (Continuedonpage16)

The PNC andAFC Congresses

DEAREDITOR,

Twopoliticalpartiesthat formed an alliance (coalition) for the 2015 and 2020 general elections hold

s e p a r a t

i o n a l conventions (Congress) and internal executive elections (including leader) this weekend The PNC (the dominant constituent of APNU) holds its Congress from Friday June 28 thru SundayJune30.

The AFC holds a onedayconvention.Bothparties will choose their executives and (leader) through a delegate system – delegates chosen by groups from all overthecountry

The ruling PPP held its Congress last May also using the delegate system selecting a 35 members CentralCommittee.

The Central Committee

then meets and elects the leader (General Secretary) and a smaller Executive Committee of 15 members to manage the affairs of the party

Comments were made questioning the democratic natureofthePNCCongress.

Oneofitsmembershasfiled a court petition on June 26 seekinganinjunctiontostop the Congress because of unanswered questions about the fairness of the system. Incumbent leader Aubrey Nortongoesintotheelection asthefrontrunner

However, the delegate process is stacked against them.

Based on random sampling of supporters of the PNC and delegates, it is noted that Norton has supportamongthedelegates buthasnocross-overappeal among floating voters and other voters who don’t traditionally support the PNC.

Inordertowinageneral election or increase the party’s support, cross over racialappealiscritical.

Over at the AFC, two candidates are vying for leader position – Sherrod Duncan (who has been servingasGeneralSecretary since 2022) and prominent

H e e n j o y s t h e advantages of incumbency Challengers contend they have been marginalized and that the process of selecting delegates is contaminated and tainted; his challengers Amanza Walton-Desir and RoysdaleForde,citingalack of transparency, have pulled out of the contest. Both are very popular among the party’smembers.

attorney Nigel Hughes who once held the Chairmanship position before giving it up.

Based on random sampling, Duncanhasnotdrawnmuch national support and has no appeal among floating voters and Indians whose support is necessary if the AFC is to re-attract the sizeable following it had between 2006 and 2020. Nigel Hughes, on the other hand, has significant national appeal and following among floating, unaligned voters and discontentedIndians.

Voters cheer his re-entry into politics and laud his candidacy for leadership of AFC. He has very high positive favorability and likeability ratings among votersofallethnicities.

Yourstruly, VishnuBisram

Residentsshouldreclaim“Kaka”StreettopreserveHariPrashad’slegacy

DEAREDITOR

,

In July 1958, Dattatreya Balkrushna Kalelkar (18851981), an Indian nationalist, visited British Guiana Kalelkar was described as “…a freedom fighter, social and political worker, journalist, publicist, and educationist, shuttlecocking between the Ashram and jails…” Originally from the Indian state of Maharashtra, where the famous paintings and rock-cut sculptures of AjantaandElloraarefound, Kalelkar was considered a notable political activist during India’s independence movement.Aloyal follower and protégé of Mahatma Gandhi, he was appointed a memberoftheRajyaSabha, the upper house of India’s bicameral parliament, from 1952 to 1964. He was also president of India’s Commission for Backward Classes Commission in 1953, the same year British Guianahelditsfirstelection under universal adult suffrage.

Kalelkar was credited with having written some eighty books, published in Marathi,Gujarati,Hindi,and English, which have been widely read in India. His

commentary on the

Bhagavad Gita and translations of Rabindranath Tagore’sclassicalworksinto Marathi and Gujarati were someofhismostimpressive

accomplishments He received India’s secondhighest civilian award, the PadmaVibhushan,in1964.

Hari hosted Kalelkar during his visit to Guyana. He must have been immenselyimpressedbyhis guest.Itispossible;too,that Kalelkar may have inspired Hari,whomhereferredtoas “Hariprashad ji,” culturally and politically In his travel log of the many places he visited in British Guiana, Kalelkardescribedhisinitial visit to Georgetown with thesewords:

“…Thehousewelivein is opposite Georgetown Railway Station. Due to the absence of crowds going from the station to the port, one could see the beauty of the wide-open road. All the houses here, being built on pillars and having wooden walls,createabeautifulmap in the city structure. All houses white! That is why instead of calling this city Georgetown, I must have called it Sudha Nagari or Dhavalpuri. The roads here are very straight and wide andduetobeingdividedinto twopartsbyacanalflowing inthemiddle…”

“Sudha,” a Sanskrit word, has several meanings, butitisusuallyanamegiven to a girl child, meaning “nectar,” while “Nagari” translatedtomean“beautiful city.” “Dhaval” is also a namegiventoachild,which is translated to mean “white.” “Puri” means city, so the word “Dhavalpuri” could certainly be translated to mean “white city ” Presumably, Kalelkar was impressed with the color of

the many “white houses” he discoveredinGeorgetown. Remarkably, when Hari designed Prashad Nagar (with the help of town planner Audrey Barker), he attached Indian names to all the streets, including names ofhisfamily,placesinIndia, andofIndiansinGuyana.He named one of the streets “Kaka Street” out of respect and admirationfor Kalelkar However, one will never be able to locate the name “Kaka Street,” although it wasanoriginalmonikerthat Hari assigned to one of the streets. This street, perhaps more than Hari’s choice of street names, preserved an enduringculturalhistoryand alegacythateternallylinked HariwithancestralIndia.He hadtakenhisfamilytolivein Indiain1952butreturnedin 1953 Hari’s deliberate namingof“Kaka”asastreet name was a natural outgrowth rooted in his cultural connection with the land of his Indian ancestors. More importantly, it is a namethatgivesusaglimpse into Hari’s philosophical thinking and the unshakably profound, enduring, and unbreakable cultural embrace he shared with India. The name, however, was not without its controversy, as readers familiar with Guyanese

colloquialism, would have surmisedbynow Hari was aware that Kalelkar was revered as “Kakasaheb”or“Kaka”asa sign of respect for his meaningful contributions to India’s independence struggle. Contrary to what someindividualsmaythink, Kaka(whichisanotherword for “cha-cha”) is also a very dignified term commonly used among Indians in Guyana and the wider Caribbean Its usage as “Chacha” or “Khakhaa” with reference to a father’s younger brother can be tracedtoitsoriginalusagein ancestral India Here in Guyana,itissometimesused inreferencetobothafather’s younger and older brother FormostIndians,allofone’s father’s brothers are called “Chacha.” It is important to note, too, that in Indian culture, such words are “relationship words” that connote familial respect among family members. As such,theirusagehasnothing todowithage.

The creolization of Guyanese culture, particularly in the use of the w o r d “ k a k a , ” h a s contributed to the elimination of a key historical reference for which Hari originally intended for his housing

scheme The fact that a bureaucraticadoption,using “Omai” instead as a replacementfor“Kaka,”was arbitrarilyselectedforHari’s originally intended designation for his urban villagecanbeconsideredan attackontheIndianarchive, and a desecration of Hari’s memory and his enduring legacy Regardless of the thinking process that was associated with this name change, which remains unexplainable and perplexing to Hari’s son-inlaw, the late Prem Persaud, no explanation was forthcoming from any government authorities on the reason behind the name change.

Prem Persaud surmised that there were two possible explanationsforthiserasure.

For one, the name “Kaka” may not have been recorded inthetransportsurvey Ifone were to submit an application for the purchase of a piece of land in the “short street behind Sachibazaar,” the name “Kaka”wouldnotappearon the survey. The use of the

n a m e w a s H a r i ’s prerogative Two, Prem Persaud surmised that it’s possible that, over time, some people who lived on that street may have substitutedthename“Omai” because several individuals who resided in the street were workers associated with the Canadian gold miningcompany,OmaiGold Mines Ltd. (OGML), which began operations in the Cuyuni-Mazaruni region in theearly1990s.

Unfortunately, what can most probably be attributed toacombinationofcreeping globalization, cultural neglect,andhistorical

(Continuedonpage06)

Traffic control by Guyana Water Inc’s contractors?

DEAREDITOR, Itiswonderfultoseethe effortsofGuyanaWaterInc. to collaborate with the Guyana Police Force to controlandpossiblymonitor theflowoftraffic.Allowme toexplain,afewmonthsago, residents of Eccles and several other communities lauded the awarding of contracts to clear drainage outlets(blockedagaindueto alackofmaintenance.

The bridges damaged during this effort are still to be repaired by the contractor) and resurfacing of roadways. The latter completed to fairly high

welcome. Lo and behold, imagine residents’ shock when within days, several streetswereduguptoinstall pipes to expedient drainage. It was assumed that upon completionofthelatter,that theroadswouldberecapped above said installed pipes. But no, weeks later, this is stilltobedone.

One can only conclude that the contractor was not contracted to repair the roads excavated or doesn’t care about the inconveniences caused as these sections are rapidlybecomingimpassable.

Severalresidentscanonly conclude that this is a subtle move to control the flow of

trafficinsaidareasbyensuring thatvehiclesnotonlyproceed slowlybutonlyaccesscertain streets Kudos to the police force’s “Eye in the Sky operation” Now motorists needtobewaryandkeeptheir eyesontheroads,literallyand figuratively

Who knew that the cooperative spirit between governmentagencieswasso aliveandwell?PSpleasefix theportionsofstreetsdugup to lay pipes. Commonsense would dictate that these infrastructural works are undertaken in a phased manner to avoid this conundrum!

PaulMcAdam

All focus is on the outcome of the

U.S.

Presidential elections

DEAREDITOR, I watched with interest the recent televised presidential debate between President Biden and former President Donald Trump hostedbytheCNN.

The debate provided useful perspectives on the policy-orientation of the United States on important issues such as the wars in Ukraine and Palestine, climate change, the US economy, immigration amongothers.

TheCNNmoderatorsdid agoodjobingettingthetwo

menfocusedontheissuesof relevanceevenasthedebate at times became personal andacrimonious.

The race for the White House is expected to be tight Voters are almost evenly split on the choice oftheirnextPresident

The debates will likely impact the undecided voters which could be decisive in terms of the outcomeofthepresidential race

Elections will soon be held in two other major western nations, namely

France and Britain the outcome of which could determine the course of the war in Ukraine and immigration policies in Europe.

TherecentEUelections have indicated a growing influence of the far-right especially in France and Italy

Thefocushoweverison

presidential elections which couldhaveadefiningimpact onglobalpolitics.

HydarAlly

Residentsshouldreclaim“Kaka”...

Frompage05 amnesiahasledtotheerasureofthishistoric streetnameinPrashadNagar Today, Kaka Street bears the name “Omai Street.”

At the launching of a book on Hari Prashad on June 23 on the Indo-Caribbean Cultural Centre show Evan Persaud noted that the combined Bell Air/Prashad Nagar PPPgroupisperhapsthemostinfluentialand

most organized PPP group in the country today

ThePPPgroupboastsmembershipoftwo sitting Ministers from the area (Ministers Vindhi Persaud and Colin Croal), among a slew of other prominent Guyanese. Perhaps Evan and his group can mount a lobbying efforttocorrectthishistoricalanomaly

Sincerely, BaytoramRamharack

Bids open to supervise nursing schools’ project

During a recent opening of bids at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office, it was revealed that three consultancy firms are bidding for the contract to supervisetheconstructionof the Health Science Training Complex in Regions Two andSix. The firms bidding for

Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids: AuditOfficeofGuyana Supplyanddeliveryoflaptops.

MinistryofLocalGovernmentand RegionalDevelopmentClosureand restorationofD’Edwarddumpsite,RegionFive.

MinistryofHealth Professionalengineeringconsultancyservices forsupervisionoftheconstruction:SuddieNursing School,TheNewAmsterdamNursingSchool.

the Ministry of Health p

Engineering Consultants Limited - $347,350,000, Beston Consulting Inc -

$193,050,000

Kaieteur News had reported that the training complex that is under construction at Suddie, Region Two is being built

GuyanaDefenceForce Repairstoseniorofficeraccommodation atBaseCampStephenson.

Repairstoallranksmesshalland kitchenatBaseCampStephenson.

GuyanaSugarCorporation SupplyanddeliveryofHighDensity PolyethyleneCorrugateDrainage tubes/pipersforIndustry

Supplyanddeliveryofmildsteel andsteampipesforIndustry

Investment to the tune of $881 million, while the training complex for New Amsterdam, Region Six is being constructed by SAH Construction & Supplies to thetuneof$918million. It was reported that the new structures are part of the ministry’s plan to e x p a n d t r a i n i n g opportunities for nurses an

workersacrossGuyana

Replacementof#3vacuumpanatAlbionEstate.

GuyanaWaterInc.

Constructionofelevatedstoragewithinthe CommunitiesofAwarewanunau,SheaandMaruranau.

Norton

Frompage3

promises people centered...

that any sane government would think that nearly doublingcapitalexpenditure while children beg in multiple locations of the capitalcityistherightthing to do. There must be a balance between direct poverty alleviation measuresandinvestmentfor thefuture,”Nortonsaid.

The Opposition leader noted nevertheless that the people of Guyana will no longer accept their continued poverty and pauperization amidst the existingoilwealth.

“People will no longer accept the normalization of high and rising costs of living. People now reject the glaring unfairness in the distributionofincome,wealth, and opportunity People no longer accept the PPP’s crony capitalism in which there is little or no competition, just government control and domination Thecountry’soil wealtheludesandbypassesthe average Guyanese People are rejecting the ineptitude of the PPP who are seeking to determine how we live and survive while their elite, friends,families,andfavorites plunderournewfoundwealth,” headded

Stressingtheneedforthe nation’s wealth to meet the people of Guyana, the party leader pointed to the theme of the Congress: “Forming the next government: building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society for all” “This theme mobilizes us on a clear, urgent, and comprehensive mission, the success of which will transform Guyana into one of the best countries to live in with its people enjoying one of the highest living standards and quality of life,” Nortonadded

Further, the PNCR leader pointed to the vision ofhispartynotingthatunder his leadership social justice and equality are core

elements. “In our vision, building a just society goes beyond economics. Our vision also includes expanding and upholding women’s rights and dignity, and the rights of and the respect for our Indigenous people.

In relation to the Indigenous communities, we will work assiduously to make them self-sufficient and self-sustainable and ensuretheyhavetherightto elect their own leaders without government interference In the new Guyana we envisage, no Guyanese must be disadvantaged because of ethnicity, gender, creed, social status, religion, or disability,” he said Additionally, the Opposition Leader said that a PNCR led –government will notonlyprotecttheserightsbut also promote and enhance them Touchingonhisparty’s foreign policy Norton noted that the PNCR is always standing on the frontline in defense of the country’s territorialintegrityandnational interests “Ourcountryfacesits highest level of threat to its territorial integrity, national security, and sovereignty The stakescouldnotbehigher Our borders are at stake; our nationalselfdeterminationisat stake; the control and commandofourdestinyareat stake; our collective peace of mindisatstake Itisessential thatweleverageourpositionas anoil-producingnationtobuild strongertieswithourneighbors and international allies,” he affirmed Hecontinued:“We should seek to create mutually beneficial agreements that not only enhance our economic prospects but also solidify our geopolitical standing. We must communicate clearlyandconsistentlywith theinternationalcommunity about the legitimacy of our territorial claims and the unjustnatureofVenezuela’s aggression.”

Govt. to audit companies for Local Content Law compliance

The Local Content Secretariat has issued a stern reminder to Contractors, Sub-contractors,

Licencees under the provisions of the Local ContentActNo.18of2021to prioritizequalifiedGuyanese nationals for employment opportunities, in accordance withapprovedLocalContent Master Plans and Annual Plans.

The warning was issued inastatementonFriday Under the Local Content

Act,companiesareobligated to ensure that Guyanese nationals with the requisite qualifications are given priority in hiring decisions. In cases where a Guyanese national lacks the necessary experience,theActmandates thattheseindividualsreceive thetrainingneededtobridge anyskillgaps.Thisinitiative aimstoenhancethecapacity and expertise of the local workforce, thereby promoting sustainable developmentwithinGuyana.

In fact, the Act ringfences40categoriesofwork for Guyanese participation via the supply of goods and the provision of services which include: food supply, rental of office space, accommodation, insurance, a

services.

To en

requirements, the Local C

announced it will conduct comprehensive audits of all relevant companies. These

auditswillverifycompliance with the Act's stipulations, including evidence that Guyanesenationalsarebeing given fair opportunities to apply for new and vacant positions.

Additionally, the audits will assess whether there is parity in benefits between Guyaneseandnon-Guyanese employees, and whether mechanisms are in place to

mentorship to Guyanese nationals to overcome

Director of the Local Content Secretariat Dr. Martin Pertab

experiencegaps.

A 41-year-old Security Guard was on Friday placed on $200,000 bail for possession of four rounds of ammunition without a licence.

ShervinAlexander of lot 1146 Cummings Park, E Field,Sophiawasarrestedon June 27 at Plum Park, Sophia,GreaterGeorgetown whilehewasonduty Alexander was charged with possession of two live roundsof40mmammunition and two live 9mm ammunition without being theholderofalicence.

He pleaded not guilty to both charges when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty. The Security Guard was represented by attorneyJevonCoxwhotold thecourtthathisclienthasno knowledge of the offences noting that the ammunition was found in a public place andnotonhisclient.Further, Cox told the court that there were other security officers presentatthesaidlocation.

The lawyer informed the court that his client has an unblemished record and has no pending matters in the courtashepleadedforbailto begranted.Notwithstanding, the prosecutor objected to bail,citingtheseriousnature of the offence The prosecutor revealed that on the day in question, a detective received information about an ongoinginvestigationrelated toAlexander

As a result, the detective met Alexander at the ChildrenandFamilyCentre, in Sophia and attempted to question him. During his attempt, Alexander attempted to escape north

The move underscores

commitmenttoensuringthat local content requirements arefullyimplementedacross

economic growth and maximizing benefits for Guyanesecitizens.

Notably, it was stated, “Failure to comply with this andotherrequirementsofthe Act would render the Contractor, Sub-Contractor, or Licensee non-compliant and therefore hinder the receipt of the Local Content Certificate of Compliance andotherrelatedapprovals.”

withinthecompoundbutwas apprehended.

The detective reportedly searched Alexander and discovered an unlicensed firearmwithfourliverounds in the front pocket of his pants.Whenaskedaboutthe weapon, Alexander reportedlytoldthedetective, “I buy it for my own protectionwhenIworking.”

The prosecutor then informed the court that Alexander was also charged with illegal possession of a firearm but that charge was notplacedbeforethecourt.

The magistrate after listening to the arguments grantedAlexander $100,000 bail for each charge with the condition that he reports to the Prashad Nagar Outpost on the last Friday of each monthbefore16:00h. Alexander is scheduled to return to court on July 12 forstatements.

Shervin Alexander

The elephant is in the room

AubreyNorton’saddress attheOpeningCeremonyof the 22nd Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) left many with unanswered questions. He focused heavily on the state of the country’s economy, critiquing the PPPC government as “corruptandincompetent.”

This is likely to be the PNCR’staglinegoingintoto next year’s General and Regional Elections The issue of corruption has always been the Achilles

Heel of the PPPC governmentbutitcanhardly be cited for being incompetent relative to the performance of the PNCR during its tenure in government.

TheLeaderofthePNCR outlinedhisparty’splansfor a just, inclusive, and prosperous future for Guyana It was a wellarticulated presentation. But therewasaglaringomission in his speech. Norton barely touched on the serious internal divisions within his own party. His failure to effectively address these issues was a significant shortcoming of his address totheCongress.

Factionalism within the PNCRisnotnew Ithasbeen apersistentproblemthathas plagued the party for years.

Norton’s attempt to downplay this issue by suggesting that the party should be careful about airing its business in public isnotenough.Ignoringthese divisions will not help the party achieve its ultimate goal: winning the next general and regional elections.

In fact, the opposite is true.Unlessthefactionalism is addressed, it can weaken the party In a previous column I had suggested that the factionalism can be transformed for the benefit of the party which is yet to clarify its ideological position.

The current Congress has been besieged by accusations regarding the transparency of the election process. Concerns over the delegates’ list have been particularly troubling. Two candidates for leadership withdrewatthelastmoment, citing transparency issues. Thepartyhaspromisedafair and transparent voting process, but it has not effectively addressed the concerns about how delegates were selected and identified. This has been a recurring issue at previous congresses and remains a sorepoint.

The controversy surrounding this congress

was further fueled by the resignation of the General Secretary on the eve of the event. She alleged that she was being alienated from certain processes leading up to the Congress. She also made other troubling allegations.

In such a contentious atmosphere, it was expected that Norton would spend more time in his address discussing what needs to be done to forge a strong and united party Unfortunately, thiswasnotthecase.

It was surprising that Norton did not address the issue of the PNCR’s role within A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), especially considering the recent events where APNU held elections without the involvement of the PNCR,

is significant exclusion raised questionsabouttheunityand collaboration between the coalitionpartners,anditwas expected that Norton would shedlightonthismatterand outline steps to ensure strongercohesionwithinthe alliance. Ignoring such a criticalissueonlyaddstothe perception of division and lackofcleardirectionwithin theparty

Addressing internal divisions is crucial for any

DEM BOYS SEH

At one time, de Vee Pee was talking to himself!

Dem boys seh that it rained yesterday but the placewashot.Itwascricket fever in Guyana De countrygetachancetohost desecondsemi-finaldayin de T20 World Cup.And de raindidnotspoildeshow

De high ticket prices keep a lot of local away Yuh had more VIPs in attendance than local

spectators Yuh had Ministerstekkinoutvideos at de match and posting it onFacebook.

Butwhocouldnotgoto de stadium, followed de match on television. Who dehatwukfindaroomfuh watch or follow de match on their cell phones or computers.

De whole country was tuned in to de match

Except one man who decided that he gan host a pressconferenceduringthe match. Can you imagine dat? When international

cricket playing in Guyana, de nation does come to a standstill. Except de man wah call de press conference.

Did he really expect people fuh watch his press conference when a dingdong battle going on at ProvidenceStadium? While he went on his usualrantaboutdeKaieteur News and de Stabroek

News and who nah reportingwhatisbeingsaid at press conferences, dem reporter tekkin a regular peak at dem phone fuh see descore.

When it comes to question time, during de press conference, de fuss manasksevenquestionsin a row Dis give dem other reporters time fuh update themselves on who hitting sixes and who taking wickets When de time come fuh some of dem reportersaskquestion,dem

political party The PNCR cannot afford to ignore this issue if it hopes to be successful in future elections. Norton’s speech shouldhavefocusedmoreon how to bring the party together The divisions within the party could potentially weaken it and undermine its chances of winning at the polls. But factionalism could also be used to transform the party into a more ideologicallypluralparty

The leadership had promised that the voting process will be transparent andfair.However,ithasnot done enough to address concerns about the delegates’ representation The same issue was a major problem at previous congresses The PNCR needs to learn from past mistakes and ensure that the process is transparent from starttofinish,andnotjustin terms of the voting. For a party which wants a new national voters’ list not to address concerns about its delegates’ list reeks of doublestandards.

If the elections to

positions of leadership are going to be mired in controversy,itwillaffectthe legitimacyandcredibilityof the new executive One solution could be to postpone the elections to a separatespecialcongress

There is no reason why the present Congress cannot today move a resolution to have elections postponed to aspecialcongress,pendinga forensic audit of the membership list and the process of identifying delegates to the Congress.

Thiswouldallowmoretime to address the concerns a b o u t d e l e g a t e s ’ representation.Itwouldalso provide an opportunity to ensure that the entire congress process is fair and transparent.

The Council of Elders was asked to investigate an allegationagainsttheparty’s leader It is surprising that it has not intervened to ensure that the concerns of the candidates are addressed.

This is not too late to do so.

Thecongresscanstillmakea decision to postpone the elections and take the necessary steps to ensure

transparency

The PNCR’s goal is to win the next general and regional elections The divisionswithinthepartyare a significant obstacle Downplaying this issue will not make it go away It will only fester and potentially weaken the party’s chances ofsuccess.

The PNCR, however, cannot win the next general and regional elections. The ‘jumbiebird’ofitsattemptto rig the 2020 general and regionalelectionswillhover over and haunt the party’s electoral path. But at least it can make a break with its past conduct of electoral shenanigans at both the nationallevelandatthelevel oftheparty.

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

gat one eye pon de phone andoneearondemanatde headtable.

After a while de man at deheadtablewastalkingto himself. Because was nine wickets down and everybody waiting in anticipation fuh see when delastwicketganfall.And was a fair wait because de last wicket put on 15 runs before Bumrah sealed England’sfate.

Even at one stage de host pick up his phone. He claim how he expecting an overseas call But who knows, he too could have well been checking de score.

He know now dat he should never again host a press conference during cricket. Is bad enough dat notmanywereinterestedin what he had to say Much less during de middle of de match! Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

Leadership = PPP Govt. style

The world of literature was blown away by CharlesDickens' Tale of Two Cities Guyana is the only country that tries to impress as A Nation with Two Presidents. When citizens get tired of the buffoonish, there is relief coming in the formofthecartoonish.

ItisSluggoandBoffoall over again. One character stopsjustshortofblowingup andblowingawaythosewho make his passage difficult, theothercomesupwithevery excuse imaginable to excuse his dereliction of duty, chronic leadership failures. ThinkoftheformerasDaffy Duck with a stick of

dynamite, and the latter as YosemiteSamridingahorse to nowhere. Man! Are the natives in for a sumptuous politicaltreat.

In the world of today all are excited about the possibilities of wi-fi Meanwhile, thanks to what the PPP calls its governance hierarchy, the Guyanese peopleareforcedtolivewith whatisstuckinthedarkages ofpoliticalhi-fi. It is the equivalent of having to endure two jukeboxes going at full blast in a small, enclosed space. Each has its own battlefield lyrics, and both

supercharged efforts to

drownGuyaneseinawallof thunderous sound. It is not Phil Spector, but is this not what Guyanese have been forcedtolivewith,toabsorb anyhowtheycan?

Put two crabs in a barrel and it is a rat race and a catfight. Put two scorpions in a bottle and the resulting toxins are more potent than formalin and malathion combined.

Yet, what the PPP has deliveredtolocalsisnothing short of the unorthodox and miraculous:twopresidentsin a packet, and there is no expirydate.

The crisis is that, notwithstanding the helpful label, Guyanese are getting

sicker and sicker from being around the two cartoon characters that rule the roost herewithandironhandanda backbone made from elastic andcausticsoda.

The twin-headed governing apparatus can thrash and bash dissenting Guyanese deemed to be deniersanddeviationists,and rabble rousers and agitators, with the iron hand very visibleandtangible.

However, when it must stand up and face up to the characters at Exxon, the PPP leadership elastic backbone stretches like the best of contortionists, while the detergent power of the caustic soda erodes any willpower or courage for the fightthattheymustwage.

In terms of who can put on the biggest show and make the loudest noise, one head of the two-headed leadershipbeastispleasedto beacircusringmaster

Theotherisgettingbetter ateachoutingintheroleofa carnivalbarker

Comeone,comeall! this isthebestplacetobe,thebig tent that is One Guyana. Cecil B. DeMille had his Greatest Show on Earth, but thatspectaculartakessecond p l a c e b e f o r e t h e extravaganza that the local emperorandhisgovernorput ondaily

One makes the rules and lays out the territory; the otheristheenforcer,andwith both bulk and brawn to match. I label it the X-rated

version of good

governance, Guyana style. I have long been asking myself how the hell that Guyana can be called a country, when it is nothing butcomedycentral.

For those who are offended, I extend a peace pipe with the substitute of a raging national lunatic asylum How Guyanese havesurvivedsolongismore than a mystery without a solution.

It is a mirage that not even the people who live in the Sahara have encountered before.

These are among the machinations that the prince of Guyana's politics has foistedonGuyanese. InPPP land, the conviction is of some legendary king taking advantage of the naivete and trust of the simple folks. Reality has forced me to believe that what Guyanese have succumbed to is not a nobleprinceoftherealm.

Ajinglefromhistoryjogs thememoryandIrecallnota benevolent prince, but a treacherous princess Dona “La Malinche” Marina who coddled up to the Spanish conquerorHernanCortesand condemned her people to slavery Before long, that betrayal led to the ruination and eventual fall of the mightyAztecEmpire.

The rapacious Spanish carted away all the yellow gold. History does repeat itself,doesn'tit?

For although Guyana

cannot lay claim to being an empire,itcertainlydoeshave an underwater oil Atlantis. Black gold is the chic expression that sophisticates favor

When the oil came, it was not long before Jim Crow also came running to Guyana. Substitute some local and foreign here and there, and the Guyana connections to what happened to the Aztecs can be made, is now more understoodbybeinglived.

G u y a n e s e n e e d leadership to be in the vanguard of the charge for a betterlife.

It is not going to happen by leaders making themselves into the poodles of the foreign invaders Then, rising full length, to play at being the big local badmen bent on taming the town of dissenters and detractors.

Frankly, the more this PPP leadership combo pretend at being courageous men, the more they come across as whimpering cartoon characters. I pity them and the spectacle they make of themselves, to Guyana'sloss.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the authoranddonotnecessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

Guyana signs landmark OACPS-EU Partnership Agreement

TheMinistryofForeignAffairsand International Cooperation on Friday announced that the Government of GuyanahassignedtheOrganisationof African, Caribbean, and Pacific States (OACPS) - European Union (EU) Partnership Agreement, known as the "SamoaAgreement".

In a statement posted on its Facebookpage,theMinistryofForeign Affairs and International Cooperation said, “This significant accord aims to strengthen ties, promote sustainable development,andenhancecooperation betweenOACPSmemberstatesandthe EuropeanUnion.”

Guyana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom His Excellency Dr. Rajendra Singh signed the agreement on behalf of Guyana at a ceremony held at the OACPS Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. The event was attended by high-level officials from the OACPS Secretariat andtheEuropeanCommission.

The landmark agreement succeeds

Guyana's High Commissioner to the United Kingdom His Excellency Dr. Rajendra Singh (left) signed the agreement on behalf of Guyana at a ceremony held at the OACPS Secretariat in Brussels, Belgium. (Ministry of Foreign Affairs photograph)

the Cotonou Partnership Agreement, signed in 2000, and will govern relations among the signatories for the nexttwentyyears.

Negotiations concluded in December 2020, and the agreement entered into force provisionally in January2024.The27EUmemberstates and the 79 African, Caribbean, and Pacificcountriescollectivelyrepresent

around 2 billion people and more than half of the seats at the United Nations. “This new Agreement equips the Parties to better address emerging needs and global challenges, including climate change, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and development, migration, health, and peace and security,” the Ministry of ForeignAffairssaid.

Leaking gas cylinder causes fire that destroys Barnwell house

A fire reportedly caused byaleakingpropanecylinder completely destroyed a twostorey building located at

Thursday.Reportsarethatthe Guyana Fire Service was alertedatabout19:22habout the fire at Lot 2 Barnwell.

Firefighters arrived on the scene at 19:50h and the first water jet was deployed at 19:51h The two-storey

building owned by 47-yearold Vickram Ramai of Lot 198 Block 'A' Tuschen, EBE and occupied by 29-year-old Aria Chen, was completely destroyed Kaieteur News understands that Chen was

Preliminary investigations indicate that the fire originated from a faulty propane cylinder that was leaking gas. The leaked gas came into contact with an open flame, causing the ign

y combustiblematerials,which led to the rapid spread of the fire throughout the building, theFireServicereported.

Firefighters successfully extinguished the fire using one water jet from water tender #84, two water jets from Light Pump #A06, and one water jet from water tender #81, which operated from an available water source.

Man on self-bail for stealing from money changer

Anunemployedmanwas onFridayplacedonself-bail when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' CourttoansweraLarcenyon thePersoncharge.

The man, 25-year-old Quincy Smith of Lot 353 Bachelor Adventure, East Coast Demerara (ECD) appeared before Principal MagistrateFaithMcGustyat the Georgetown Magistrates' Court where the charge was read to him. He pleaded guilty

On June 24, on Hadfield Street, Georgetown, Smith

stole $594, 180 (a combination of US,Trinidad and Guyanese currency) from Lenard Persaud, a money changer At about 10:20h, Persaud was seated on a bench in front of a variety store holding the money when Smith emerged fromthesamestore,snatched the money from Persaud's hand, and fled in a southern directiononfoot.

Smith was subsequently apprehended and confessed tothecrime.

proceedings, Persaud and

Quincy Smith

Smith agreed to settle the m a t t e r t h r o u g h compensation.

Persaud, explaining his decision,stated,“Asafather of six I just pity him and decided to go ahead [with compensation].”

Smith immediately paid $300,000incashtoPersaud, with an agreement to settle the remaining $194,000 withinamonth.

As a result, Smith was placed on self-bail and scheduled to return to court on July 26, 2024 for report andfurthercompensation.

Man found dead in Cummings Lodge Apartment

A man believed to be in his early 20s was on Friday founddeadinhisCummings Lodgeapartment.

Hehasbeenidentifiedas Ronaldo Watson. Police are yettoreleaseastatementbut Kaieteur News understands that at the moment no foul playissuspected.

ItisbelievedthatWatson was last seen alive on Tuesdayandhadcomplained to those close to him of feeling unwell. He was not heard from since and on Thursday someone was sent by family members to check onhim.

The individual found the apartment locked and after getting no response left

thinking that Watson probablywentout.

The person returned on Friday morning and called

Watson's phone. The phone was heard ringing from inside the apartment. The person became suspicious after Watson did not answer calls and knocks on his apartment door and sought help from another person to break the door to Watson's apartment.

Upon entry to the apartment, the duo found Watson lying motionless in hisbedroom.

An ambulance was summoned but when the Emergency Response team arrivedandcheckedWatson, he was pronounced dead.

The Emergency Response team said that Watson appeared to have died hours beforehisdiscovery

H i s b o d y w a s subsequently removed from theapartment.

Dead: Ronaldo Watson

CARICOM Assistant Secretary-General, Elizabeth Solomon (right), CARICOM Foreign Ministers and Her Excellency Diana Mondino, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic

CARICOM, Argentina Foreign Ministers meet during OAS General Assembly

The Caribbean Community's (CARICOM) Foreign Ministers met with Her Excellency Diana Mondino, Minister of Foreign Affairs, InternationalTradeandWorshipofthe Argentine Republic in the margins of the Organisation of American States (OAS)GeneralAssemblytakingplace in Asunción, Paraguay, from 26-28

June2024.

Discussions during the encounter addressed global, hemispheric, and bilateral issues of mutual interest, including climate change, climate financing,andsupportforSmallIsland DevelopingStates(SIDS),theongoing multifaceted situation in Haiti, trade, andsports.

Both sides agreed to convene the long overdue CARICOM-Argentina JointCommission.

CARICOM Foreign Ministers called on Argentina to continue advocacyonvariousmatters,including reform of the international financial architectureinmultilateralforasuchas theG-20.

A40-year-oldmanwason Fridayremandedtoprisonfor breaching a Protection Order, damage to property and throwing missiles when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates'Court.

The accused, Parnandand Persaud, appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty to answerthecharges.

Reports are that on June 2

Boulevard, Persaud breached a Protection Order that was issuedonFebruary28,2024in favour of his sister Neshal Persaud. The man is accused ofthreateninghissister

Further, it is alleged that Persaud unlawfully and maliciouslydamagedproperty belongingtohissister Reports are tha

and intentionally damaged three sets of windows valued $14,329 at the house Neshal livesin.

He is also accused of throwingmissiles,inthename of a cell phone at his sibling's house.

While in court, when asked to enter his plea, P

recollection of the incident since he was under the influenceofalcohol.

The court was told that Parnandand and Neshal both reside in the same yard but in separatehouses.

Parnandand Persaud at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court

Theprosecutorobjectedto bail being granted noting that Parnandand is in the habit of consuming alcohol, smoking and using cocaine The attorneytoldthecourtthatthe accused has a history of abusing his sister, and threatening to kill her and settingherhouseonfire.

The case was adjourned and Parnandand is scheduled to return to court on July 12, 2024, for further reports and statements.

Driver pleads guilty

to drunk driving, fined $190,000

A42-year-old driver was fined $190,000 on Thursday, after he pled guiltytoDrivingUnderthe Influence(DUI)ofalcohol.

Ravindra Deonarine a p p e a r e d a t t h e

Sparendaam Magistrates' Court, before Magistrate Abigail Gibbs, where the chargewasreadtohim.

Ravindra Deonarine

(third from left)

U.S. commits to standing with Guyana in face of ‘bullies and tyrants’

U n i t e d S t a t e s Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot on Thursday assuredthattheUnitedStates stands resolutely with Guyanainfaceofbulliesand tyrants.

“Inthefaceofbulliesand tyrants,theUnitedStateswill always stand with Guyana. Wewillcontinuetogrowand prosper together and enjoy

and the United States have solidified their partnership

through continuous c o l l a b o r a t i o n a n d investments, bolstering ties across key sectors and contributing to significant economic and

advancements.

Ambassador Theriot highlighted the robust ties in sectors including law

peace and security in this critically important region,” theU.S.Diplomatassured.

The Ambassador was at the time speaking at the t h country's 4 of July celebration held at the Pegasus Suite and Corporate C e n t r e , K i n g s t o n , Georgetown.

Over the years, Guyana

enforcement, business, healthcare, education, a g r i c u l t u r e , a n d infrastructure.

“Throughtrademissions, conferences, and exchange between our private sectors, our companies are unleashingeconomicgrowth

t h a t s u p p o r t s t h e employment of thousands,

providing a better future for Guyana,”Theriotstated.

Last year, the two countriestradedgoodsworth US$4.6 billion, a significant increase from the US$100 million. Several Guyanese firms and the government have also adopted US technology to enhance e f f i c i e n c y a n d competitiveness.

This has significantly bolstered the countries' deep commercial ties along with the increasing presence of UScompaniesinGuyana.

In support of the government's vision of transformingGuyanaintothe Caribbeanfoodsecurityhub, theUnitedStatesAgencyfor International Development (USAID) has been working

to bring products like turmeric, coconut, and West Indian cherries to market in Guyanaandabroad.

Dedicated to providing foreign assistance, USAID has also facilitated multiple programmes, promoting food security, smallbusiness incubation, women's economic security, and institutionalstrengthening in

Guyana. Further strengthening connections, approximately 38 volunteers from the US agency Peace Corps have been partnering with the government, communities, and schools to improve literacy rates and healthcare knowledgenationwide. USexchangealumni (Continuedonpage16)

US Ambassador Nicole Theriot and President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, at the 2024 Fourth of July celebration at Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre (DPI)

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LEGAL NOTICE

Parliament must address...

From page 04 contribute to the prevention efforts.

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2023-HC-DEM-CIV-FD1313 IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD-1313 BETWEEN: (ALLEN) ABIOLA -and- Applicant (LONDON) GILBERT GEORGE Respondent TO: GILBERT GEORGE LONDON formerly of Lust-en-Rust Housing Scheme West Bank Demerara

TAKE NOTICE that on the 24th day of August, 2023 an Application for Financial Relief/Division of Property with Evidence was filed against you by ABIOLA ALLEN, the Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara.

AND FURTHER TAKE

This section of the SOA on Prevention was added one must assume to make these articles and sections enforceable.

As such Guyana should not only be collecting but also publicly disseminating data on sexual violence, domestic violence and femicides as recommended inhttps://www.ohchr.org/ en/documents/generalcomments-and-recommendations/general-recommendation-no-35-2017gender-based - :~:text=The newly adopted General Recommendation,violence against women and girls.

CEDAW’s 2017 recommendation (#35).

Moreover, the Second Hemispheric Report on the Implementation of the Belem do Para Convention MESECVI-CEVI (2012) also recommended collecting and making public information disaggregated by sex, age, civil status and geographic location, prosecu-

tions and convictions on VAW and femicides, including evaluating the effectiveness of measures established to prevent, punish and eliminate these crimes.

We are also disappointed over the restricted consultations held prior to SOA amendments being disseminated which left out many NGOs and other women and child rights defenders who work actively in this area and have a wealth of knowledge of challenges to the enforcement of SOA 2010.

We expect the Parliament to address the implementation of the Sexual Offences Act during their deliberations on the Amendments and that there will be action taken to improve the implementation.

Yours sincerely Red Thread Guyana Indigenous Delegation against Domestic and Sexual Violence Danuta Radzik

Vanda Radzik

Vidyaratha Kissoon

U.S. commits to standing...

From page 15 from the Young Leaders of the Americas and International Visitors Leadership Programmes also contribute

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NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 23rd day of January, 2024 the Applicant was directed to effect service of her Application on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive issues of the Kaieteur News, a daily Newspaper printed, published and circulated in Guyana and on the world wide web (online)

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Application together with related documents.

AND FURTHER TAKE

NOTICE that if you desire to defend this Application, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Application, you must file a Reply to Application Relating to Child, an Answer and/or Notice of Intention to Defend and a Form 8- Evidence for Financial Relief/Division of Property (Respondent) (Forms are available at the Registry) in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the second and final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the Application is fixed for Directions Hearing on Thursday the 8th day of August, 2024 at 11:45 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Damone

LEGAL NOTICE

Younge via Zoom Meeting ID: 845 1426 6584 and Password: 786 445.IN DEFAULT of your filing a Form 8- Evidence for Financial Relief/Division of Property the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Division of Property.

The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00am and 3:30pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00am to 2:30pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed.

Dated the Land day of May, 2024.

to making a tangible difference in communities across Guyana.

The alumni use the valuable experience from their time in the US to foster entrepreneurial innovation among women, train teachers in inclusive education and inspire youth to become engaged community leaders.

Ambassador Theriot also referred to the countries’ military partnership as “the strongest it’s ever been” and pledged the US’s dedication to maintaining this.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), along with Guyana’s Customs Anti-Narcotic Unit, has seized thousands of kilogrammes of illegal drugs.

The US law enforcement has also collaborated with the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) on institutional strengthening, air domain awareness, cyber defence, and apprehending fugitives.

Under the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative, the US has allocated significant military financing to support the Guyana Coast Guard, which is responsible for ensuring maritime security through maritime surveillance and law enforcement.

By hosting Tradewinds, Guyana has brought together over 1,000 personnel from partner nations for an exercise aimed at increasing regional training capacity and promoting regional stability. The two countries continue to maintain strong investment relations, with more US hotels being built across Georgetown. (Modified from the Department of Public Information)

Aracari Hotel WBD (VreenEn-Hoop) crystal clear swimming pool. Adult/children sections. Music & food. Contact: 264-2946-9.

Haiti PM travels to US as Kenyan police patrol capital

PORT-AU-PRINCE,

June 28 (Reuters) - Haitian Prime Minister Garry Conille left Port-au-Prince on Friday to travel to Washington and New York, as freshly deployed Kenyan police officers began patrollingthecityaspartofa U N -backed mission to battlearmedgangsthathave takenoverthecapital.

Conille’s office said he would travel with Foreign

Minister Dominique Dupuy, Finance Minister Ketleen Florestal and chief of staff Nesmy Manigat, while Justice Minister Carlos Hercule would stay asactingprimeministeron hisbehalf.

“The delegation will have important work meetings with officials from international financial institutions, among others It will also inspect Haiti’s embassy in Washington,” the office said,withoutgivingfurther details

A spokesperson for the U S National Security

Council said Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer would meet with

Haitian National police SWAT unit and Kenyan Police walk through a steep hill to board an armoured vehicle after one of the vehicles broke down on a steep hill while patrolling through a neighborhood, after the arrival of the first contingent of Kenyan police as part of a peacekeeping mission, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti June 28, 2024. REUTERS/Ricardo Arduengo

ConilleonMonday The U.S. is the principal financialbackerofaKenyaled international security forcetheUnitedNationshas ratified be sent to Haiti to

help its police battle armed gangs that have plunged the country into a humanitarian crisis.

requested the force in 2022 and the first deployment of Kenyan police arrived this week, thoughitisunclearwhenthe restoftheforce-expectedto

numberover2,500-issetto arrive.

As armed khaki-clad Kenyan police in bulletproof jackets and helmets patrolled the city in black

armored vans, Port-auPrince residents said they hoped the force could stop the indiscriminate killings andallowbusinesstorestart.

“Weneedpeace

If the Kenyan police forces are here, it’s so we can return to the lives we used to have We hope they’ve come to work seriously,” said resident KloudDine.

“We need the Kenyans here a while because the gang members make us suffer too much,” added Louise Baret, a painter “Enoughisenough.”

In a video shared on

s o c i a l m e d i a o n Wednesday, gang leader

Jimmy “Barbecue” Cherizier rallied armed men, telling them to fire on Kenyan police and pledging tofighttothedeath:“Idon’t care if they are white or black.

Ifthey’renotHaitianand they’re on Haitian soil, they’reinvaders,”hesaid.

Over half a million people have fled their homes due to the violence and around half the populationisgoinghungry

Gov’t will be providing over 20,000 summer jobs this year, says Holness

KINGSTON, Jamaica

— Prime Minister Andrew Holness has announced that over 20,000 young people will participate in the Government’s summer employment programmes thisyear

Speaking at the launch of the Ministry of Local

Government Youth

Summer Employment Programme (YSEP) at the William Knibb Memorial High School in Trelawny on Friday, Holness said some 10,000 will be employed under that programme, another 4,000 byHEART/NSTA,1,200by the Tourism Enhancement Fund (TEF), in addition to other government agencies which will also be employing.

“The Government of Jamaica is doing over 20,000summerjobs

This will include what other ministries will be doing on their own and what other entities are doingontheirown

So when you put them all together; big ones with what local government is doing, what TEF is doing,

what HEARTis doing, but the various government ministries and entities are also employing on their own,”Holnesssaid.

“So we are doing a fantastic job in ensuring tha

l eventually form the basis on which you will become permanentmembersofthe Jamaica labour force,” he added

Local Gove

Minister Desmond McKenzie touted that the 10,000 summer jobs provided by his ministry is the largest across the Caribbean

“ L a d i e s a n d gentlemen, this is a programme that takes into consideration the needs of young people during the summer It is the first [time] Jamaica has experienced a y o u t h s u m m e r employment programme of this magnitude and I am going to say that it is the largest youth summer employment programme in the Caribbean, ” McKenziesaid.

Prime Minister Andrew Holness

He outlined that one f e a t u r e o f t h e programme, which will kick off in the second week in July, will be a great emphasis on the homeless population,

adding that the first two weeks will see the participants involved in “a sensitisationprogramme”.

“And right across the country participants who will be assigned to the

Poor Relief Department will undertake a survey

of the size of our homeless population,” McKenzie informed

Additionally,hestressed that “technology will be playing an important role in whatyoudothisyear”.

“We are going to be training you to use certain systems that we have in the Ministry of Local Government to identify the expanding road networks across the country

Every aspect of local

government will be covered this year under theprogramme,”hesaid

“I know the mayors, the councillors and the administrativestaffofthe respective municipal corporations are looking forward to four weeks of outstanding performance by the future of Jamaica,” headded

But he warned the participants to be on their bestbehaviour

“I want to urge the young people going out and interacting with the wider public If I stand

at this microphone and say we don’t have challenges with some of our YSEP workers then I wouldn’t be speaking the truth We have had challenges and we have put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that [there are no recurrences]. Some of them are returning and I am urging them not to fallbythewayside,”hesaid.

“This is a stepping stone in building confidence as you go out into the world to seek employment

This year we will be paying our YSEM programme $60,000 for themonth

“I want to urge you to treat this programme in the same way that you treat your future

You are building on a f

h

n b u i l t b y a government, led by Prime Minister Andrew Holness who has placed great emphasis on providing the kind of leadership for young people across the country,”headded

June 27, 2024. REUTERS/Amir Cohen/File Photo

Israeli forces push deeper into southern and northern Gaza

CAIRO7/GAZA, June

28 (Reuters) - Israeli forces pressed their incursion deeperintotwonorthernand southern areas of the Gaza Strip on Friday, and Palestinian health officials said tank shelling in Rafah killedatleast11people.

Residents and Hamas

m e d i a s a i d t a n k s advanced further west

into the Shakoush neighbourhood of Rafah, forcing thousands of displaced people there to leave their tent camps and headnorthwardtothenearby KhanYounis.

The Israeli military

did not immediately comment

Since May 7, tanks have advanced in several districts of Rafah, and forces remained in control of the entire border line with Egypt and the Rafah crossing,the only gateway for most of Gaza’s 2.3 million people withtheoutsideworld.

One resident, who spoke to Reuters via a

chat app, said some

bulldozers in the Shakoush area were piling up sand for Israeli tankstostationbehind “Some families live in the area of the raid and are now besieged by the occupation forces,” he told Reuters.

“The situation there is very dangerous and many families are leaving towards KhanYounis, even from the Mawasi area as things became unsafe for them,” said the man, who moved northwardovernight.

More than eight months into Israel’s air and ground war in Gaza triggered by the Hamasled cross-border attack on Oct 7, the armed wings of Hamas and Islamic Jihad continue to stage attacks on Israeli forces operating in areas over which the army said it had gained control months ago.

The Palestinian groups sometimes still fire rockets intoIsraeliterritory In a yard at the AlAqsa Hospital in Deir AlBalah, in the central Gaza Strip, mourners gathered with 10-year-old Belal Abu Hassanein, whose mother and brother were killed in an air strike that hittheirhouse

“I went to check out our rooftop,theystruckus,Iwas bombed - I flew off the rooftopandfell,”saidBelal, who was laid on a hospital

stretcher after being woundedintheattack.

“My grandfather started screaming He was telling us that there was a hit at our place.WhenIheardtheword hit,Iwenttochecktheroom

inwhichIwassleeping,”he said.“Ifoundthatmymother and brother had been martyred.”

CEASEFIREEFFORTS

STALLED

Arab mediators’ efforts, backedbytheUnitedStates, havesofarfailedtoconclude aceasefire.

Hamas says any deal must end the war and bring full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza,whileIsraelsaysitwill accept only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since 2007, is eradicated.

When Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel last

Octob

around 1,200 people and seized more than 250 hostages, according to Israelitallies

TheIsraelioffensivein retaliationhassofarkilled more than 37,000 people, according to the Gaza health ministry, and has left the tiny, heavily builtup coastal enclave in ruins In parallel, Israeli forcescontinuedtheirnew

raid into the Shejaia neighbourhood in the northern Gaza Strip, into which tanks advanced on

Hamas-ledmilitants

Medicssaidearlierthat several Palestinians have been killed and wounded in Israeli bombardment and that medical teams have been unable to reach all casualties because of the militaryoffensive.

The Israeli military s a i d f o r c e s w e r e conducting “targeted”

raids in Shejaia, adding that the air force struck dozens of Hamas military targetsinthearea. It said that one Hamas militant, who was o p e r a t i n g f r o m a humanitarian-designated area, was killed in a strike it launched in the DeirAlBalahareaincentralGaza. It said measures were taken to ensure no harm to civilians, accusing Hamas of systematically using Palestinian civilians as shields Hamas denies that

Israeli forces arrest 28 Palestinians in raids in occupied West Bank

Aljazeera - The Israeli military has arrested 28 Palestinians in a series of raids across the occupied West Bank, according to a Palestinianrightsgroup.

Theovernightraids,part of Israel’s increasingly violent assault on the occupied territories, targeted the governorates of Jenin, Hebron, Bethlehem, Ramallah and el-Bireh, Nablus and Jerusalem, said the Palestinian Prisoner’s SocietyonThursday

Israeli forces had doled out “severe beatings” and made threats against detainees’families, said the group, which keeps a daily

tallyofarrests. Violence in the West Bank, already on the rise before Israel’s current war onGazaeruptedinOctober, has since escalated with frequent army raids on Palestinian groups, rampages by Jewish settlers in Palestinian villages, and deadly Palestinian street attacks.

Reporting from Ramallah,AlJazeera’sNour Odeh said the Israeli military had “dramatically” increased its operations, conducting about 38 raids a day, with an uptick in d e t e n t i o n s H o m e demolitionshavegoneupby

25 percent since last year, displacing more than 1,000 Palestinians.

In Jenin, where nine Palestinians were arrested, armed confrontations broke outinthecityanditsrefugee camp in the early hours of Thursday Palestinian media said Israeli forces had raided a pharmacy near Jenin Government Hospital, on theoutskirtsofJeninrefugee camp,transferringdetainees toanunknowndestination.

A resident said Israeli bulldozers destroyed infrastructure inside the campandinthecityofJenin.

During the raid,

Prisoners’ rights group says troops doled out ‘severe beatings’; one Israeli soldier killed in Jenin explosion.

Palestinianfightersattacked Israeli armoured vehicles with explosive devices, killing one soldier and wounding16.

“There were two explosions.

The first one caused injuries. The second, that’s where the death happened,” saidOdeh.

“According to preliminary Israeli investigations, the devices were buried or located a metre and a half into the ground, so deeper than the Israeli military vehicles usuallydigtobeabletofind those improvised devices,” shesaid.

The Israeli military confirmed the death. The soldier “fell during operational activity in the area of Jenin”, it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the Wafa news agency reported that four Palestinians were arrested in an overnight swooponHebron.

Israeli forces had stormed the town of Yatta, south of the city of Hebron, arresting three people, including a female universitystudent.

Another man was arrestedinthetownofDura, southwestofHebron. The Israeli military also

arrestedamanaftershooting him in the foot in the Qalandiya refugee camp, while another man was taken into custody in Deir Ghassanavillage,northwest ofRamallah.

Since October 7, Israel has carried out a total of 9,430 arrests in the West Bankinneardailyraids.

The United Nations’ human rights chief Volker Turkwarnedthismonththat the situation in the West Bank was “dramatically deteriorating”, saying earlier that people there werebeing“subjectedtoday after day of unprecedented bloodshed”.

The sun sets over Gaza, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, as seen from Israel,

Guyana Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency to certify hospitals as transplant centers

- Director of Medical

The Guyana Human OrganandTissueTransplant

Agency (HOTTA) is currentlycertifyinghospitals across the country that have already completed transplants to be transplant centers.

The Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC) is the first to be certified after rigorous screening and inspection This was disclosed by the DirectorofMedicalServices and Member of HOTTADr Navindranauth Rambarran during an episode of Health MattersairedbytheNational Communications Network (NCN)onThursday

He was asked by the interviewer whether the GPHC is the only hospital that can now conduct transplants in the country citingitscertification.

“Well yes and no, on whether we are the only hospital that can do transplants. There are many including GPHC that have done transplants and will continue to do transplants

Services

but with the advent of the agencythathastheoversight on transplantation,” the directorsaid.

He explained that the agencyisnowgoingthrough aprocessofregularizingand certifying these institutions to be transplant centers. The GPHC is the first hospital to be certified by this process, after having undergone selfstudyandreporting.

Additionally, there was an inspectorate that did a "thorough inspection of the SOP's, the protocols, the infrastructure, the human and material resources that are available, we have been certified as being competent tooffertransplantservices."

Furthermore, “The big shift here is really the paradigm movement from not just doing live donor transplant, but moving towards deceased donor transplant or otherwise referred to a cadaveric transplants. Where we will use the organs for those persons who would have

Director of Medical Services, Navindranaugth Rambarran

wanted their organs to be used and their families consent,wherethesepersons who are deemed to be brain dead on a ventilator we go through the process of identifying if they can be potentialdonorsandthenwe followtheprocesswherewe seeiftheyaresuitabledonors andweapproachthefamily.”

This is usually done by the transplant coordinator and once the family is in agreement then the donation processhappensandthereis aneventualtransplanttogive hope and life to someone whoneedsit.

BlueWaterShippingUnder-15Girls’NationalSecondarySchoolChampionship

Exciting Finale: champion school to be crowned tomorrow teams ready for quarter and semi finals action today

TWater Shipping Under-15

Girls’ National Secondary School Championship concludesthisweekendwith the eight top teams fiercely battling in the quarter-finals and semi-finals for spots in

tomorrow,Sunday

schedule today, June 29, kicks off with St Ignatius

S

g President’s College, and Bartica Secondary squaring off against Queen’s College in the initial quarter-finals, startingat10:00a.m.

continues with a clash betweenthelosersofthefirst twogamesat12:00p.m.

Waramuri Primary will then challenge Tucville Secondary,whileSantaRose battleBushLotat2:00p.m., followed by the final fixture of the day at 3:30 p.m. featuringthelosersfromthe lattergames.

GFF President Wayne Forde said “this is a historic moment for the Federation. We will crown our first champions of the national

tournamentonSunday,andI can assure you these young committed players will give theirallonthefield.”

“Our top eight teams have tremendous talent and haveallearnedtheirspotsin thequarterandsemi-finals.I eagerly anticipate the matchesahead.”

The Ministry of

Saturday June 29, 2024

ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)

A challenging day is in store foryou,Aries.Ifyou'repartof a group or team or simply among friends, you may feel somewhatillatease.Couldit be that you instill jealousy in others? There's only one way tofindout.

TAURUS(Apr 20–May20)

Sometimes dreams seem like just that - dreams. Travel, a project, or a new home could be a few of the things you've beentryingto accomplishfor sometimenow

GEMINI(May21–June20)

You'll go one of two ways today, Gemini. Either you'll turn inward and meditate in a corner or you'll find a good friend and confide your dissatisfaction.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Today is going to be an excellent day for meeting interesting people, Cancer And there will be nothing superficial about these encounters. On the contrary, the people you are going to meet will touch you profoundly

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

You can expect today to be kind of intense, Leo. Even if you've made a conscious decision not to let anything get you down, you may still harbor some negative emotions from the last few days.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

The little fighter that you are makesitverydifficultforyou to join us in the great communal river that we're all tryingtonavigate,Virgo.You prefertotravelsolo.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Be disciplined about all areas ofyourbody,Libra.Takeextra care to eat healthful, balanced meals. Make sure you get enough sleep And even thoughyougripeabouthaving no time, get out there and exercise.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

If you've been feeling deep anger,todayisn'tthedaytolet it out but rather the day to consider its source. Any large gatheringsoffamilyorfriends shouldbeavoidedatallcosts.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

If by chance you still harbor some resentment toward someone, Sagittarius, it will probably come out today.You might be uncompromising or evenvengeful.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

You don't suffer fools gladly, and superficial fools even less so. You have a mind to teach those around you a lesson. You'reuncompromisingtoday, and you can't understand why others don't have your same highstandards.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Hereisadayofchallenges, Aquarius You're a pro at questioning yourself, as you'll prove today when you take a

u r accomplishments What have youcreatedofapersonalnature inthelasttenyears.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Ifyougivetheimpressionthat you're in a reserved and introspective mood (even if you aren't), you'll succeed in avoiding confrontation Today there is no such thing as a simpleexchangewithsomeone

Education-supported competition commenced nationwide on May 4, involving over a thousand student athletes and marking the start of the competitive phase of the FIFA Football For School Programme (F4S), designed topromotelifeskillsthrough football.

This is the largest girls’ tournamentinGuyana.

Throughout the past few weeks, student athletes from nine administrative regions t o o k p a r t i n t h e competition Although Region Eight did not participate this year, p r e p a r a t i o n s a r e underway to include them in the next edition of the tournament.

Forde encourages football enthusiasts to attend and support Guyana’s emerging national talents on Saturday and Sunday at th

Providence, East Bank Demerara

Tomorrow’s action is set to start at 2:00 p

crowning of the inaugural champion of the GFFBlue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National S

Championship.

The top three schools will receive trophies and m

equipment valued at over $600,000

The second-placed t e a m w i l l s e c u r e equipment worth slightly more than $450,000, while the third-placed team will receive football gear valued at just over $379,000.

The prize package includes essential football equipment such as balls, goals, jerseys, shin guards, goalkeeper gloves, training arches, agilityladdersandmore

Mishka Beharry, Frank Waddell and Xavio Alexander feature as National Singles Badminton tourney concludes

TJunior National

Badminton Tournament concluded Thursday with FrankWaddellemergingthe winner of the U-19 Boy’s

SinglesandMishkaBeharry the U-19 Girl’s Singles champion, XavioAlexander featuredintheU-17section.

Vice-President of the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA), Mrs Ayanna Watson, in her closingremarks,thankedthe parents, the sponsors, the tournament co-ordinators and the athletes who came out and participated in exciting and competitive matches.

Mrs. Emelia Ramdhani, President of the GBA, announced that Mishka Beharry and Xavio Axlexanderwillbeattending the XXXII Yonex Panam Junior Championships in Aguascalientes,MexicoJuly 13-15,2024.

The tournament will be followed immediately by a B a d m i n t o n C a m p o rg a n i z e d b y t h e Badminton Pan American Confederation (BPAC), the camp will also be in Mexico

T h e y w i l l b e accompanied by Nkosi Beaton who will be there forthecoach’sexperience.

Upcoming for the GBA will be the CAREBACO JuniorTournamentinAruba, August 22-25, 2024 Training will commence soon.

TherewillalsobeaNSC Doubles Tournament which will start in the schools and will culminate with a tournament at the National Gymnasium

This is slated for October 2024

This tournament also forms part of the Badminton Academy and the three phases in the Hon Minister’s vision and plan The Guyana Badminton

Association wishes to thank theDirectorofSportsandthe NationalSportsCommission for sponsoring this tournament and for making thefacilityavailable.

Day 3 – June 27th 2024matchresults:

BS U13 Finals: Ethan Bulkan bt Joel Rambirche21-11,21-8

B S U 1 7 S e m iFinals: Ruel Rambiriche bt Nikolas Pollard 21-9, 21-18

GS U11 Finals: Anjaneysa Godette bt RiyoAlexander 21-11, 21-

7

GS U17 Finals: Mishka Beharry bt Malia Haley21-4,21-13

BS U15 Finals: Ruel

Rambirche bt Egan Bulkan21-8,21-6

GS U15 Finals:

Gabrielle Felix bt Harshini Muralidharan 17-21,21-11,21-9

BS U11 Finals: Joel

Rambirche bt Liam Brumell21-14,21-10

BS U17 Finals: Xavio Alexander bt Ruel Rambirche 21-15, 18-21, 21-11

GS U19 Finals:

Mishka Beharry bt Leshaunte Berkley 21-6, 21-7

BS U19 Finals: Frank Wadell bt Xavio Alexander21-18,21-15 WINNERS UNDER 11 – GIRLS

SINGLES

3rdArianna Bassier

3rd Emma Ramsaran

2ndRiyoAlexander

1stAnjaneysa Godette UNDER 11 – BOYS SINGLES

3RDChristopher

Harrison

2ndLiam Brumell

1stJoel Rambiriche UNDER 13 – BOY’S SINGLES

3rd Liam Brumell

3RDEthan Ramsaran

2ndJoel Rambiriche

1stEthan Bulkan UNDER 15 – GIRLS SINGLES

3rd Anjaneysa Godette

3 R D A n y a Manickchand

2 n d H a r s h i n i Muralidharan

1stGabrielle Felix UNDER 15 – BOYS SINGLES

3rd Mohamed Farouk

3RDPhillip Stephanas

2ndEgan Bulkan

1stRuel Rambiriche UNDER 17 – GIRLS SINGLES

3rd Nevaeh Eastman

3 R D M e n i k s h i Jaikissoon

2ndMalia Haley

1stMishka Beharry UNDER 17 – BOYS SINGLES

3rd Nikolas Pollard

3 R D A v i n a s h Ramnarine

2ndRuel Rambiriche

1stXavioAlexander UNDER 19 – GIRLS SINGLES

3rd Nevaeh Eastman

3RDMalia Haley

2 n d L e s h a u n t e Berkley

1stMishka Beharry UNDER 19 – BOYS SINGLES

3rd Joanathan Debidin

3 R D J o n a t h a n Robinson

2ndXavioAlexander 1stFrankWadell

IndiaandSouthAfricareadytoendwaitforgloryinT20WorldCupfinal

AFP - Unbeaten throughout almost a month of cricket across the USA andtheCaribbean,Indiaand SouthAfrica will face off at the Kensington Oval today in the T20 World Cup final both looking to end long waitsforglory

Atournament which has beenamixedbagintermsof quality, entertainment and attendances, has certainly succeeded in setting up a final between the two best teamsintheshortestformat.

India crushed defending champions England by 68 runsinGuyanaonThursday, the day after South Africa thrashed Afghanistan by nine wickets in Trinidad to end a long and agonising waitforatitlegame.

This will be South Africa’s first senior men’s final since the inaugural

years Skipper Aiden

Markram was part of the team which were beaten by Australia in the ODI World Cup last year but says the players haven’t reflected much on the years of near-misses and disappointments

“We haven’t spoken about it to be honest I think it’s a personal and individual motivation that you get to a final; to earn the opportunity to hopefully lift the trophy,” he said after the win over theAfghans

“So you reflect back to five months ago we couldn’t get over the line in that semi-final and you look at (here) a few things went our way We managed to win the game and we found ourselves in thefinal ”

England and co-hosts WestIndiesandtheUSA - Belief -

“This team’s been together for a long time now as a white ball group, both formats We feel and we believe that we can compete with the best in the world and we can win trophies And it’s nice for us to now have that opportunity,” Markram said

“You do get belief though from winning c l o s e g a m e s a n d potentiallywinninggames that you thought you weren’t going to win It

does a lot for your changing room and the vibeinthechangingroom So,we’lltakealittlebitof confidence from that and see if we can put it to any useinthefinal,”headded

Champions Trophy in Bangladesh in 1998 when the Proteas beat the West Indiesinthetitlematch.

Overtheyearstheyhave been labelled ‘chokers’ by their critics and had many question how a nation that has produced so many talentedplayers,hasn’tbeen able to make a final for 26

Certainly there has been no hint that South Africa have lacked belief in this tournament they topped group D with a 100% record including wins over Sri Lanka and Bangladesh

Then in the Super Eights, they won all three games with victories over

competition came 17 years ago.India’slasttrophyofany kind was the Champions Trophyin2013.

But the team have taken care of their business with little drama, beating archrivals Pakistan in NewYork and going on to win their groupbeforeakeywinover Australia in the Super Eights.

“We’ve been very calm,” said captain Rohit Sharma

“We understand the occasion of the final It’s important we stay composed, because that helps you make good decisions We have been very steady, calm, and thathasbeenthekeyforus,” headded.

It was India’s spinners who were the heroes against England with left-

armers Kuldeep Yadav and Axar Patel taking threewicketseach

But they also possess one of the most effective quick bowlers in the formatinJaspritBumrah

Rohit, 37, and fellow opener Virat Kohli, 35, came into this tournament looking for glory in what could well be their final tournament

While Rohit has made more runs, 248, than any player in the final, Kohli has disappointed with just 75 runs in seven innings but has the perfect stage on which to makethatformirrelevant.

The historic home of West Indi

c

icket, should produce the right atmosphere with a large contingent of Indian supporters, as always,

expectedatthegame

Playwillgetunderwayat 10h30 local time on Saturday29June.

AswellastheT20World Cup, won by England in 2022, the record prize pool this year is £8.9 million of which the winners will take home£1.95million.

Therunners-upwillearn about £1 million while beaten semi-finalists, England and Afghanistan havewon£625,000apiece.

Final – Match Official appointmentsJune29:South AfricavIndia(Barbados)

Referee: Sir Richie Richardson

On-field Umpires: Christopher Gaffaney and RichardIllingworth

TV Umpire: Richard Kettleborough

Fourth Umpire: Rodney Tucker

India have the chance to banish the memory of their loss toAustralia in the final ofthe50-overWorldCupon homesoillastyear

Despite India being the epicentre of the T20 game, throu

hugely successful Indian Premier League competition, their only triumph in this

Key knocks from Taylor, Matthews, and Campbelle as West Indies clinch T20 series win over Sri Lanka

SportsMax - The West Indies Women clinched a six-wicket victory in the third T20 International against Sri Lanka Women, securing a come-frombehind 2-1 series win in Hambantota yesterday. The top three of Stafanie Taylor, Hayley Matthews, and Shemaine Campbelle were

a challengingtour

Chasing a target of 142, theWest Indies reached 142 for 4 with just one ball to spare, but the margin of victory belies the control they exuded throughout the chase. Campbelle remained unbeaten at the end, scoring

acrucial30-ball41,guiding thevisitorshome.

The innings began with TaylorandMatthewsputting ona60-runopeningstandin just 48 deliveries. Their partnership set the foundation for the chase, with Matthews then pairing upwithCampbellefora44ball 51-run stand. Matthews

fell for a well-played 49, t

apped leg before attempting to swipe one from Kawya Kavindi across theline,leavingWestIndies at111for2.

With the requirement at roughly a run-a-ball, Campbelle expertly navigated the remainder of the chase. Despite the late wickets of Chedean Nation and Aaliyah Alleyne in the 18th and 19th overs, which added some drama, smart running in the final over ensured there were no further blips, sealing the victoryfortheWestIndies.

Earlier, the West Indies bowlers had put in a commendable performance afteroptingtofieldfirst They got off to an ideal start by dismissing Vishmi Gunaratne off just the second ball of the innings, as the aggressive 18year-old top-edged an attempted pull off Chinelle Henry

Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and Harshitha Samarawickrama responded welltotheearlysetbackwitha partnership of 55 off 54 balls However, Samarawickrama’s dismissal,chippingonebackto Afy Fletcher, and Athapaththu’s departure, caught excellently in the deep by Shamilia Connell, who made up for an earlier drop, came at crucial moments. Athapaththu’s 38 and

Dilhari’s 26 off 22 provided some resistance, but their wickets stunted Sri Lanka’s momentum.

SomelateblowsfromAma KanchanaandNilakshideSilva pushed Sri Lanka’s total to a competitive 141 for 7 However, Player of the Series Matthews and her teammates ensured that the chase was

completed with precision, making light work of what couldhavebeenatrickytarget Scores: West Indies women142for4(Matthews 49, Campbelle 41*, Taylor 33, Kavindi 2-27) beat Sri L a n k a 1 4 1 f o r 7 (Athapaththu38,Fletcher225, Alleyne 2-25) by six wickets.

Shemaine Campbelle stayed unbeaten on 41. (PCB)

Hayley Matthews top scored with 49.

Royals up against Jets for title, $400,000 and bragging rights in Nigel Hinds/ LABA Senior Basketball final

The final of the Nigel Hinds/ Linden Amateur Basketball Association’s (LABA)SeniorLeaguefinal takes place tonight with Victory Valley Royals, arguably Guyana’s top club, facing the challenge of host team Amelia’s Ward Jets at the Amelia’s Ward Hard Courtfrom8.30pm.

At stake for that title match is a whopping $400,000 and a trophy, with the losing finalist getting $200,000 and a trophy, with the third place playoff game whichbouncesoffat6.30pm featuring Retrieve Raiders andBlock22Flames,where

that winner collects $200,000 and the loser $50,000.

Royals, who have been thetoprankedclubinLinden in recent years took their game to another level when they won the Joseph ‘Reds’ P e r r e i r a B i g 4 Championship which was staged by the Guyana Basketball Federation last year,whereRoyalsralliedto toppleColtsinthefinal,7770, at the Burnham Court in Georgetown.

They will be heavily

favoured to cart off this championship trophy and the winners’ prize of $400,000 as their best players have been senior nationals Harold Adams, Yannick Tappin and Orlan Glasgow who have been consistentintheirplay.

The Jets are now building a team which has shownpromisebutwillfind thistaskanuphillonegoing against this polished Royals unit.Theirbestpayerssofar have been Quincy Easton, Dennis Niles (Jr.) and Leon Benjamin.

Thehometeamcertainly will not want to disappoint their fans and as such they are hoping to overturn their earlier round, 84-59, defeat toRoyals.

Nigel Hinds, the former President of the GBF is the main sponsor for this tournament along with James Brusche and Gary Stephens, who are based in the United States, Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major and the 20/20Bar

Half time entertainment will be at the break between the two matches and admissionis$1,000.

T20WorldCup:Toprun-scorers andtopwicket-takers

Nicholas Pooran (West Indies) and Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan). (Getty Images)

BBC Sport -The Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States is nearing its conclusion, with India and South Africa reachingthefinal.

BBC Sport looks at who is leading the race for top run-scorerandwicket-taker

Who are the top runscorers at the 2024 T20 WorldCup?

1. Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghanistan)-281runs

2 Tr a v i s H e a d (Australia)-255

3.RohitSharma(India)248

4 Ibrahim Zadran (Afghanistan)-231

5.NicholasPooran(West Indies)-228

Who are the highest wicket-takers at the 2024 T20WorldCup?

1 Fazalhaq Farooqi (Afghanistan)-17wickets

2 Arshdeep Singh (India)-15

3 Rashid Khan (Afghanistan), Rishad Hossain(Bangladesh)-14

5 AlzarriJoseph(West Indies), Jasprit Bumrah (India), Adam Zampa (Australia), Naveen-ulHaq (Afghanistan), Anrich Nortje (South Africa) – 13 Rohit Sharma (batting),Arshdeep Singh, Anrich Nortje and Jasprit Bumrah (bowling) can up their tally during today’s game

Victory Valley Royals celebrate their GBF Big 4 Championship in 2023.

Sports

India and South Africa ready to end wait for glory in T20 World Cup final

Kensington Oval: venue for the 9th ICC Men’s T20 World Cup final on Saturday 29 June 2024.

Mishka Beharry, Frank Waddell and Xavio Alexander feature as National Singles Badminton tourney concludes

TheAwardees take time out for a photo after the presentation.

Key knocks from Taylor, Matthews, and Campbelle as West Indies clinch T20 series win over Sri Lanka