Kaieteur News

Sam Hinds says lack of ring-fencing benefitting Guyana

A…urges Guyanese to “pray for patience” as flow from oil money set to increase

s Guyanese and on an article that was costs. of continuing discovery and independent published by the newspaper G u y a n

day’s g l o b a l indicating that Guyana implement such a provision, foregone payments would in

organizations should have received leaving Exxon to use the time be received by us.True,

continue to call on US$10Btodatebuthasonly revenues from projects there is the issue of government to implement a receivedUS$4 4B producing oil to invest in “delayed” payments and the ring-fencing provision, to Hinds said he believes otherdevelopments. time value of money allow the country to enjoy that the additional money In this manner, the

the early proceeds from the Guyana should have proceeds available as profits considerations quickly petroleum sector, the former received was affected by aresignificantlyreduced.

P

and P

ime taxes and ring-fencing.After Hinds is adamant that complicated–wherelawyers Minister of Guyana, Samuel explaining that governments this current arrangement not and accountants make their Hinds has said that the lack usually accept royalty and only works in favour of the money; but after all of that, a of this key clause works in profit payments in the place oil companies, but the judgementhastobemadeon favourofthenation. of taxes, he shifted his government of Guyana as what would turn out better Guyana’s Ambassador attentiontoring-fencing. well. forus.” to the United States in a Ring-fencing in the The former President

He therefore called on letter to the editor Kaieteur petroleum sector would wrote, “One should also Guyanese to drop the N e w s o n S a t u r d a y simply require each project note that the lack of ring “emotional interpretation” continued the conversation to pay its own development fencing (if ring fencing was of his words and “pray for unilaterally enforceable) patience” as the flow from facilitates further rapid oil is “steadily growing e x p l o r a t i o n a n d muchlarger”. development of the field

company’s behalf.

Former President, Prime Minister and Guyana’s Ambassador to the United States, Samuel Hinds

Presently, Guyana could Yes, it may be argued that it havebeenreceivingagreater is like us financing further share of profit from the three and faster exploration and projects producing oil- Liza

world transitions to cleaner greater deposits into the One, Liza Two and Payara. Stabroek block That energy sources, Guyanese Natural Resource Fund This, as Exxon has since benefits Exxon and benefits have been relentless in (NRF)ortheoilaccount. recovered over US$19B ustoo ” urging government to ring- Ambassador Hinds from the Stabroek Block, With oil prices likely to fence the projects for however explained that, “As well above the cost for the drop in the future as the Guyana to see the flow of longasthereisacertainlevel threeprojects.

World Bank calls

for independent and

well managed oil fund

The World Bank’s Chief EconomistforLatinAmerica and the Caribbean (LAC), William Maloney, has underscored the need for Guyana to ensure that its Natural Resource Fund (NRF) is well-managed and independent.

Monies earned from oil sales and royalties from

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) operation in the Stabroek Block is deposited into Guyana’s NRF(oilfund).

Chief Economist of Latin America and Caribbean (LAC), William Maloney

D u r i n g a p r e s s cited the need for possible to ensure there is absolute

confe

held on amendments to the Act conformity with the legal Wednesday, Maloney Section16.2oftheActstates requirements He said, highlighted the country’s that “All withdrawals from “Given how it is being promising future due to its the Fund shall be deposited transferred and the unknown petroleum sector, but into the Consolidated Fund of how it is being utilized it cautioned that managing and shall be used only to therefore requires some these resources will present finance: (a) national additional amendments to significantchallenges. development priorities give greater clarity on the Maloney pointed out that including any initiative direction of how these funds the primary concern will be aimed at realizing an should be directed and to prevent overvaluation of inclusive green economy, used.” the local currency and and(b)essentialprojectsthat Figueira is adamant that inflation, issues that could are directly related to the public must know how arise if oil revenues are not ameliorating the effect of a much of the Fund was used properlyutilized. majornaturaldisaster.” for any specific project

“Guyana clearly have a To date, the government Accordingtohim,thiscanbe bright future in terms of has budgeted approximately done through the Budget revenues coming from US$2 6B in oil money documentsinordertocertify petroleum and I think the through 2022 to 2024 that the funds are being challenge is going to be to Revenuesearnedfromoilare utilized in accordance with use those revenues correctly t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e theact. in such a way that (they) Consolidated Fund, blurring He also shared the view don’t drive overvaluation of tracks of expenditure that the oil money should be the currency and drive Governmentisyettoidentify subjected to a separate audit. inflation in the country,” the “national development Figueira explained, “This is Maloneysaid. priorities” being funded by the most important sector He emphasised the oil revenue This is and therefore a lot of importance of ensuring that particularly concerning attentionshouldbedirected these funds are used in ways because the legislation (Continued on page 8) that promote long-term features no penalties for economic stability The misuseofthefunds. World Bank official added, Figueira however, “That’sgonnameanhavinga pointed to the need for v e r y w e l l - r u n a n d transparency when using independent sovereign resourcesfromthesector He wealth fund. I think that’s noted that the NRF Act is gonna be a big challenge clear on how the funds goingforward.” should be spent “ we Moreover, he also noted require more specifics that the World Bank is because theAct is very clear working with Guyana to with regards to how those ensure that the country’s oil funds should be spent and if i n v e s t m e n t s a r e you just lump sum it into the e n v i r o n m e n t a l l y consolidated fund, we need sustainable. to know definitely of those R e c e n t l y , t h e funds that were transferred Government of Guyana into the consolidated fund (GoG) withdrew $62 3 that are they being used for billion from the oil fund, the specific purposes with bringing its total withdrawal regards to what the Act to date for the year to speaksto.” $239.176billion.

Amendments

Kaieteur News had to the NRFAct reported that concerns have The Parliamentarian said been raised about the the NRF Act may require management of the NRF amendments to justify RecentlytheChairmanofthe transfers to the Consolidated National Assembly’s Public Fund for spending across the Accounts Committee (PAC), board, rather than for Jermaine Figueira called for specific purposes outlined in transparency when using the Act. These amendments Guyana’soilmoney Heeven according to him are crucial

“Demand for diamonds declining”

By Davina Bagot

The world is losing its interest in diamonds and is leaning more towards artificial jewellery. This is the summary of an explanation provided by the Minister of Natural Resources,VickramBharrat, who was asked if the government of Guyana was

- Natural Resources Minister says world turning towards artificial jewellery

declarations recorded over trend globally, the Minister thepastthreeyears. said there was no abundance

The government’s 2024 of diamond miners. He also Mid-Year Report indicated toldthisnewspaperthatthere that the sector declined by are no indications that some 23.9% during the first smuggling of diamonds is six months of 2023. In a ongoing. more detailed report, the

Minister of Natural Resources,

Vickram Bharrat

“We have no such report Bank of Guyana (BoG) of it but it cannot be ruled revealed that in the first half out. We are looking at the of 2022, some 49,016 metric situation but for a number of tonnes (mt) of diamond were years now it has been on the declared,followedby38,608 decline so I don’t think it’s a mt during the same period in major concern,” Bharrat 2023and29,387mtthisyear noted. He said a lot of focus

Minister Bharrat at the is on gold presently as this sidelines of Parliament on Bharrat added, “…and sector provides employment Friday was asked whether mainly too because of the for a large number of government launched a ‘labdiamonds’thatarebeing Guyanese. Additionally, he similar investigation into the created by many other pointed out that the demand lowdiamonddeclarations,as countries around the world. for that commodity remains itdidforthegoldsub-sector There are so many other highontheglobalmarket.

He however explained, forms- I don’t want to say Like diamonds, gold too “If you are following what is minerals, but elements that has suffered declines at the happening on the World arebeingusedasjewelleryto mid-year mark over the last market,it’snotonlyGuyana, replace diamonds that it has three years. According to the diamond trade has created a kind of unfair Central Bank’s 2024 Halfsuffered worldwide- like competition, because at the Year Report at June 2022 manganese- it has suffered endofthedayit’snotrealbut gold declarations were worldwide The world generally on the world 236,728ounces,followedby market price is very low and market there is a problem. 209,756ouncesin2023.This as an indication of that you It’snotonlyGuyana.” year, the declarations during will realize that not much of When asked if the the first six months of the our miners now are into decline was a major concern year fell further to 188,160 diamondmining.” to government given the ounces.

KaieteurNews

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EDITORIAL

Crime and poverty

Amid all the talk of progress and development in Guyanacrimeandpovertyremainatthetopicofthelistof the concerns of citizens. Crime has even at times trumped citizens’worriesaboutskyrocketingfoodprices.

Inpublicdiscussionsabouthowtodealwiththisviolence, thereareusuallytwoopposingviews Thefirstisthetraditional “toughguy”,lawenforcementapproach,whichsayscrimeis causedbycriminalsandtheonlywaytoeliminatecrimeisto deploy aggressive enforcement policies and to dissuade or debilitatecriminalsthroughimprisonment

Thenthereiswhatcanbelabelledthe“socialrehabilitation response”toviolentcrime Thisapproachtendstoviewcrime as caused by societal ills and looks to deal with crime by remedyingtheseillsthroughsocialprogrammes Proponentsof this approach maintain that you can never deal with violent crimebysuppression–youhavetoattackits“systemiccauses”

One would hope that all interested parties – meaning the entire Guyanese public – would reasonably conclude that a combinedapproachmightbethebestwaytogo Wehaveto agreethataforcefulresponsetotheescalatingandentrenched crimemenacehastobetakenevenwhilewetakestepstoensure thatmoreyouthsfromthepresentgenerationdonotdriftintoa lifeofcrime However,whenwelookatthoseneighbourhoods whereacriminalculturehastakenoveritisextremelydifficult forevenwell-meaningsocialprogrammestotakeroot,much less succeed The criminal culture makes youths scoff at the values of the rest of society and the cricket/football clubs, libraries,dramaclubsetc thatwereexpectedtoturnthetide, soonfallintodisrepairandruinthroughnon-participation

Efforts to deal with underlying social maladies will be strangledbycrimeandits cultureanditsadherents Astrong crime elimination programme must spearhead any effort to rehabilitateanycrime-riddenlocationifthereistobeanyhope ofsuccess Itwasonceanarticleoffaiththatpovertycauses crime, but today we have to concede that crime is causing poverty Lookatsomeofthevillagesandcitywardsthathave beenoverrunbycrimeandcriminals

Businesses are driven from crime-ridden neighbourhoods, taking jobs and opportunities with them. Some have even been murdered; potential investors and would-beemployersarescaredaway Existingownersare dissuaded from making improvements on their property, and as property values go down, owners disinvest in their property Aviciouscircleisformed:asthebusinessesleave, there are fewer jobs for the youths and a life of crime becomesattractiveeventothosewhomayhavewantedto treadthe“straightandnarrow”.Thenadirisreachedwhen thevillageorneighbourhoodacquiressuchareputationthat even businesses from other locations balk at employing residentsfromthatarea.

Butwhatdowedoonthelawenforcementsidetosuppress violentcrime?Howdoweactuallymakereductionsinviolent crime?Wehaveallbeenregaledbystatisticstoshowreduction in certain crimes and also statistics by governments to show how the spending on the forces has escalated over the last decade.Webelievethatthisisafruitlessdebate:whileallPolice Forces must be adequately funded, crime has never been reducedbythrowingmoneyatit.Wehavealsobeeninformedin the press that our Police Force has been augmented in its transportation and that efforts are underway to procure helicopters,strengthenforensics,intelligence,weaponryand specially trained personnel But with all of this, the crime fighting effort must have some strategy behind it The evidenceisincontrovertiblethatthevastmajorityofviolent crimes are committed by a very small group of chronic offenders This tiny fraction of incorrigible, habitual offendersisresponsibleforhundredsandhundredsofcrimes eachwhiletheyareoutonthestreet Ifwearetomakeadent in suppressing the crime wave washing over us for the last decadewemustmakeitourprimarygoaltoidentify,totarget, and to incarcerate this hard-core element of chronic offenders It will not be easy but it is the only way to go: intelligencewillbethekey

I remain wedded to Professor Clive Thomas’ proposal of US$5000 to each household

DEAREDITOR, I remain wedded to Professor Clive Thomas’ proposalofUS$5000toeach household,yearly,andagain ask the nation to have a serious conversation around it, even moreso that most Guyanese are being excluded as substantial beneficiaries of the oil resources The rising economic inequalities and discrimination are not sustainableandcouldleadto serious conflicts in society Below is an article by yours trulypublishedon12August 2018 in Kaieteur News raisingsomeconcerns.

12August2018

Not one pint of oil has flowed from this nation, but the battle lines are already drawn as to who must have control and who must benefit Nearly every country in the developing world has seen the benefits from oil wealth disbursed a m o n g t h e o i l companies/shareholders, politicians, their families, friendsandcohorts.

For instance, last year [2017], the President of Angola appointed his daughter, alleged to be the world’s richest African woman, to head the stateowned oil company In Iran, a billionaire tycoon was sentenced to death for corruptionin2016,basedon convictionthathisroleasthe middleman for the governmentinorganisingoil deals, saw him evading sanctions and accumulating personal wealth in the process.

These oil-rich countries, given the exploitation of the resource, are considered middle-income, but this wealth has not reached the masses who remain poor,

living in conditions of squalor, deprived of access to basic services such as potablewater,qualitypublic educationandhealthcare.It hasbeentheuglytaleoftwo cities. The scenario, though distant in experience, is not beyond happening in Guyana if mechanisms are not put in place to ensure transparency, corruption is dealtwithcondignly,andthe masses benefit from a resource that is equally theirs. It is important the benefit that flows from the oil wells be direct and indirect.

A s g o v e r n m e n t prevaricates and quietly makes decisions behind closeddoorsastohowtheoil wealth will be treated, it needs to be reminded this resource is not theirs, it is ours.

Workers/citizens would like to see the money from oil being wisely spent. We desire the building and equipping of hospitals and research facilities to realise modern and affordable health services. We want money put into schools, creating modern facilities to make education better and accessible to all. Workers want better pay and improved conditions of work.

Areassuchasagriculture and manufacturing must see modernisation supported by the appropriate research and development, and providing goods and services in a healthy environment. The physical infrastructure of roads, wharves, ports and waterways, supported by appropriate airports, in each administrative region, could make transportation accessible throughout our 83,000 square miles. We

need a vision and development plan, built from the widest of consultation, in determining how the wealth will be effectively managed and disbursed.

Looking at the structural and developmental path neededtotraveltorealisethe aforesaid, experience has taught us that politicians, when not held to account, will only make promises to get into office; their stewardship won’t be about honouring commitment to embrace development for all.

And as it is said, ‘easy lesson good for dunce,’ citizens will not be waiting for the politicians to only address structural development, which is considered an indirect benefit,theyalsowantdirect development, and a disbursement plan is not outsidesuchrealm/reach.

The proposal by ProfessorCliveThomasthat money from oil should go directly to households or citizens has merit, and must be examined. A Sovereign WealthFund(SWF)willnot realise this, for those who controlitaretheonlyonesto directlybenefitfromit.

L o o k i n g a t t h e ConsolidatedFund,whichis the people’s money, it is controlled by a specific group who decides on and p r e s i d e s o v e r benefit/disbursement,andin many instances, it matters notwhatthepeopledesireor need. Management of the SWF is likely to see similar treatment.

The Green Paper on Natural Resources placed in the National Assembly, last Wednesday [8 August 20218] that seeks to give

control to politicians, confirms Nigel Hughes’ reservation that should oil moneybegiventothepeople it can be used as a political tool. This Bill before the House is not about protecting oil and oil wealth andgettingittothepeople;it isaboutafewhavingcontrol and determining who must get what, when, where and how It is about a devious politics whose time has cometobegottenridof.

Our politicians are failing to take seriously the spirit and intent of the Constitution, they have sworntouphold,asitrelates to the governance of this country Thoughthepolitical system (Article 13) mandates inclusion in the management and decisionmaking processes of the State on matters impacting stakeholders’well-being,the coalition sees it fitting to presentaBillthatascribesto the Minister of Finance and Leader of the Opposition, responsibility to make appointments for the management of our national resources.

To seek to abuse privilegedpositionstomake l a w s w h e r e o t h e r stakeholders are excluded, ignores when such privilege isnolongerheld,youcanbe at the receiving end of the very abuse you inflicted on society

Debunking Clive’s proposalbysayingsuchwill create parasites is offensive, but moreso highlights how some politicians see the masses. You cannot be a parasite benefiting from what belongs to you. The counter argument that direct paymentwillcauseinflation ignoresthatevenwithits (Continuedonpage)

Sam Hinds’statements disturbing, unhelpful to image of administration

DEAREDITOR

, The recent statement in the press by the current ambassadorofGuyanatothe USA was very disturbing andnothelpfulinenhancing the image of the current administration.

Has the ambassador switched sides and joined the opposition? His statement does strengthen public opinion of the opposition’spositiononthis matter

All Guyanese are very aware that the taxes not being paid by ExxonMobil

aredepletiveofthepotential earningsfromthesector Itis clearlynotamatterofoneor the other as a source of income. Both the royalty payment and the taxes shouldbeaddedtotheNRF Suriname and other astutecountriesmadesureof this. If Civic is supporting the PPP then their party should put forward a comprehensive plan to secure an increase in the earningsfromthesector

Therecentcommentsby the leader of Civic has only added to the anger that

already exists in the population concerning the current structure of the a g r e e m e n t w i t h ExxonMobil. If our citizens and their businesses are requiredtopaytaxesthenall foreigninvestorsandforeign companies should be requiredtodothesame.

The new wells should have an amended clause in their respective PSA that requires the payment of taxes as part of the EPA’s approvalprocess.

The taxes obtained can be used to help supplement

the poor insurance coverage beingprovidedbytheparent companyinthecaseofanoil spill.

ExxonMobil should also view the opportunity to pay taxes as a means to mitigate the risks associated with drilling beyond the recommendedrate. Hopefully, the political partners of the government will eventually propose a solution that is in line with the sentiments of the Guyanesepeople.

Sincerely, Mr.JamilChanglee

‘An opposition without a credible vision’ Government’s agri drive is

DEAREDITOR

WhenIwasrequestedto critiquethepresentersofthe Burnham Foundation’s Elvin McDavid Symposium on ‘How can an Electoral SystemforGuyanaengineer a system of Governance that s responsive to the Plurality of the Guyanese Society?’it brought to mind that even when the People’s National Congress (PNC) was in its heyday, Elvin McDavid was among those whosoughttoplaceGuyana on the correct trajectory towards nationhood and thus, particularly at this periodwhentheneedforthis kind of intervention has again come to the fore, the BurnhamFoundationshould b

s contributions.

In January 1976, Forbes Burnhamannouncedthatthe People’s National Congress (PNC) was being guided by t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f Marxism/Leninism, and later that year, as the principal research officer of the party, I was summoned by General Secretary of the PNC and Minister of National Development Dr Ptolemy Reid and told that the PNC and PPP had decided to jointly hold a series of meetings around thecountryandthatIshould look around for someone to represent the PNC. I found the late Dr Perry Mars, but he later withdrew In the meantime,itbecameknown that Cheddi Jagan himself would be representing the PPP and Dr Reid insisted that I should represent the PNC.

As a child, my mother took us to public political m e e t i n g s i n Beterverwagting where Jagan, Burnham, Kwayana, etc. spoke and those images suddenly resurfaced. I did not think myself up to the task of publicly defending the PNC against Jagan and so I objected, but Reid insisted that he would not have asked me to do somethingIcouldnotdoand thatinanycase,Iwasapart of the clique -Elvin McDavid, Malcolm Parris, etc of his ministry’s DepartmentofPlanningand Research –that was encouraging this kind of thing.CheddiandIheldtwo meetings at Bishops High SchoolandBeterverwagting Government School and if I remember correctly these led to Burnham and Jagan,

for the first time since the 1950s split of the PPP, sharing a platform on Mayday of 1976. But apparently the coalition discourse later broke down over whether girls should have to go to the Guyana NationalService.

What follows in bullet points are largely my take from the Burnham Foundationsymposium.

The problems to be solved:

1 The separation of powers - the fundamental principle of democratic government that underpins government accountabilityisabsentinGuyana.

2 P o l i t i c a l accountability is further diminished because two large ethnic groups and parties constitute and have control ver 80% of the votingpopulation.

3. Decades of quarrels and clashes based on claims and counterclaims of ethnic discrimination have cost much loss of life and property

4. The resulting systems of governance have been autocraticandsuboptimal.

5 T h e national/international rights of racial/ethnic groups to their own independent associations are being blatantly violated in efforts to compel their political support.

6. Indigenous peopleabout12%ofthepopulation - are the poorest and are being surreptitiously deprived of their own independent organisations andrepresentation.

7. The electoral system and voters list are severely flawed and have resulted in

institutionalized elections manipulation. Suggestedsolutions:

1. In relation to accountability and the separation of powers: sever the links by which ethnic political parties control the governmentthatcontrolsthe pa

tremendous influence over thejudiciary

2.The rights of ethnic groups to the

associations must be

executive authority of the state must e curtailed by direct power-sharing, veto, supermajorities, devolution, enhanced civil society enhancements,etc.

3 The legislature, judiciary,electionsauthority and other independent public commissions and committees must be made independent of the government in spirit and deed.

4. To aid this process official appointments and the behaviour of the entire government, opposition and all public bodies must pass the test of an independent, preferably non-resident, ethicalombudsman.

5. Collective bargaining inthepublicsectorshouldbe properly entrenched to, for example, put an end to the p

nt au

atic government handouts that do not properly or collegiately address the long-term interest of public servants.

6. There should be an annual ethnic audit and review that considers disparities, opportunities, obstacles, etc and recommendthechanges

(Continuedonpage06)

really travelling

DEAREDITOR, The press stated that the Guyana Government is about to launch a huge agricultural project, that is a “Masterplan (is) being developed to enhance agricultural productivity in (the) Upper Corentyne (area) Well, this is absolutely fantastic; it is prudentandtimely Couched inthis‘Master’initiativeare plans to “ enhance agricultural productivity” by utilising and transforming approximately40,000acresof land in the Upper Corentyne, Region Six area The idea is about “ bringing all available lands into productive use, including privately held areas stretching to Moleson Creek.” This is indeed the waytogo.Andwhy?

For one, healthy, sustainableandinclusivefood systemsareallverycriticalto the achieving of the world’s development goals In fact, agricultural development is oneofthemostpowerfultools toendextremepoverty,boost shared prosperity, and feed a projected10billionpeopleby 2050 In this vein, Guyana is not merely parochial; the People’s Progressive Party/Civic is all about global impact,evenasittakescareof necessarybusinessesinGuyana

The flip-side of this is that agriculture-driven growth, poverty reduction, and food security are all at risk.Howcome?Theanswer resides in the multiple shocks emanating from COVID-19 related disruptions to extreme weather,pests,andconflicts, asallofthesehaveimpacted and are impacting food systems. The reality is that

the goal of ending global hunger by 2030 is currently off track. Conflicts, climate change,andhighfoodprices are driving food and nutrition insecurity, pushing millions into extreme poverty, and reversing hardwon development gains This therefore makes the ‘Masterplan’ that is being developed in the Upper Corentyne area so very important Afterall, agriculture can help reduce poverty, raise incomes and improve food security for 80% of the world’s poor, who live in rural areas and workmainlyinfarming.

The viability of this venturelooksquitepromising tooasmoney,tothetuneof$2 billion,isstillavailableinthe budget for infrastructural development, aimed at enhancing land productivity According to Vice-President Bharrat Jagdeo, the will is to “ fulfill the government’s commitments to the agricultural sector by utilisingsome25,000acresof the Guyana Sugar Corporation’s (GuySuCo)’s land at Skeldon for various agriculturalinitiatives” He detailed that “ proposalsincludesettingaside portions for aquaculture, specifically shrimp farming and hemp cultivation The plan also aims to empower laid-off workers by involving theminownershipstructures, allowingthemtobenefitfrom theagriculturalprojects”And on the issue of GuySuCo’s land,henotedthattheareasin Skeldon are earmarked for aquaculture, that is shrimp farming,andsomeforhempgrowing. What is good is that this will allow many who were laid off at

Skeldon, to be involved in ownership, and rediscover their level of comfort as regards security of livelihood.

Editor,Iwillnotbelabour readers with more details (as theplansarereallydiverse)but sufficetosayisthat“Thereare alsoplanstoinvestinalargescale nursery, where locals will be trained to produce seedlings and engage in grafting, making high-quality planting material readily available” The end is that there will be “output,” as the Vice President really emphasisedtheimportanceof developing essential infrastructure to make these 40,000 acres productive” If not, it will be a wasted exercise Andsinceownership and control will be in the people’s hand, then there is everyreasontobeoptimistic. I remind all that our planet will have to feed an additional1.5billionpeople in 2030, 90% of whom will be living in developing countries such as Guyana. Thus,theworldwillneedto raise its food production by 60-70% to feed more than nine billion people by 2050. Also, I must inform all that thefoodsystemcanhealthe planet,reduceemissionsand drive growth Indeed, feeding people adequately now is an opportunity to shape tomorrow’s growth trajectory, prioritizing health,andenablingthenext generation of on-and offfarm entrepreneurs. Such a food transition that Guyana is engaged in can also help eliminate a third of the world’s greenhouse emissionsby2050.

Yourstruly, HargeshBSingh

NYGuyanese Hindus Concludes Festival

D

EARE

DITOR

, New York based

Guyanese Hindus and those settled in other American states concluded their religious fasting and observance for Navratri on Saturday evening with the celebration of Dussehra Navratri festival that has been transplanted into USA fromGuyana.

It is the most auspicious period of fasting for Hindus and the period was marked with prayers at mandirs throughoutAmerica.

Navratriisninenightsof observance (prayers) of the feminineaspectsofthelord, the annual period of fasting that pays obeisance to the universal mother Some individualsfastfortheentire period while others fast on

particular days of their choosing. The fasting may continue days later for the moredevout.

Guyanese and other Caribbean Hindus have helped to institutionalize Navratri and other religious festivals in America where they have settled and established conclaves or communities.

Theyreceivesupportand recognition from American politicians in exchange for votes and or campaign funding.

Navratri worshipping involvesmakingofferingsin the morning and evening during the period. It is a festival that is mainly celebrated during the night withprayersandadiscourse thatalsoincludesinvocation

ofmantrasfromthespiritual texts and kirtan choral singing as well as loud traditionalmusic.

The Navratri festival beganonOctober3andwill concludeonOct11.

The observance will extend on Vijay Dashmi (10th day) and into the Dussehra celebration on October 12. The popular Ramleela celebrations are associated with this period and some temples are holding such celebrations. Such plays are common in Guyana, Trinidad, and Suriname and throughout India.Dussehra,tiedtoRam Leela, symbolizes the conquestofgoodoverevil.

Navratri is among the holiest periods in the Hindu calendar that was

I remain wedded to Professor...

Frompage04 absence inflation is present. This issue is not only about theeconomics,itisaboutthe history of oil, where, over the years, few have had control, and by their actions haverendasundernationand people. The only way for citizens to have direct benefit is through some disbursementplan.

Of course, it’s expected reasonable conditionality will be set. And yes, what Thomasisspeakingofisnot new

The concept finds

ng from USA billionaire George Soros, as a mechanism to ensure oil wealth is widely disbursed among the people, reducing income/wealth disparity,

corruptionandinternalstrife that have flown from it.

Residents of Alaska, USA, receive a yearly dividend from that state’s oil wealth.

Studying how this and similar projects work could aid in developing an indigenous model built on bestpractices.

O u r n e i g h b o u r, Venezuela, marks a century as an oil-producing country, accompanied by a plethora of laws to ensure its management, yet the wealth hasnotfilteredtothemasses.

Efforts by the Hugo Chavez government to remove control from the elite and privileged was met with visceral reaction, internal andexternal,tounderminea programmegearedtobenefit the small man. Guyana can

learn numerous lessons and put systems in place to safeguard our sovereignty, protect our citizens, and ensure our resources are sustainablyexploitedforthe benefitofall.

Don’t shoot down Thomas’ idea without examining the motive

behind his thinking, requestingclarityiftheneed arises, learning from others’ experiences, and seeking to avoidoil’scurseandpitfalls. This article first appeared h e r e :

https://wwwkaieteurnewso nline com/2018/08/12/prof-

clive-thomas-is-ontosomething-lets-not-shyaway-from-conversationon-its-feasibility/ Sincerely LincolnLewis

accompanied with people fasting, visiting mandirs, andperformingpujasaswell as inviting pandits to conduct special services at theirhome.

Peoplefastedduringthis period focusing on purificationofthemindsand bodies. It us a period when Hindusperformspecialpuja athomeofficiatedbyoneor more Pandits Many Guyanese conducted such pujasathome.

There are over one hundred West Indian templesthroughoutAmerica and they held discourses on theoccasion.

Navratri is associated with the propitiation of the feminine aspects of the Almighty

As Pandit Vishnu PandayofPeterHallMandir

‘An

pointed out, during this period, people tend to pray with great fervour and devotion.Oftheninenights, three each are focused on Goddesses Durga, Lakshmi, andSaraswatee.

Each Goddess is worshipped for three nights to offer protection (Durga), provide wealth (Lakshmi) and guide the devotee to knowledge (Saraswati) respectively At the mandirs, devotees were observed dressed in traditional colourful attire. Queens is inundated with dozensofmandirs.

TheBronxandBrooklyn andneighboringNewJersey alsohasseveralGuyaneseor Trinidadian mandirs. Pandit Rajin Balgobind of New Amsterdam held nightly service under a massive tent

at the Cheddi Jagan, Pandit Ramlall Ground on 133rd Street,offLibertyAve,inthe heartoftheIndianGuyanese and Indian Caribbean American community Hundredsgracedthenightly T h e r e a r e t w o celebrations of Navratri –each associated with the changing seasons in India, oneinSpringandoneinFall. In the spring Navratri, Hinduscelebratethebirthor appearance of Lord Rama, and in the fall, Hindus celebrate the destruction of the evil Ravana by Lord Rama, signifying the triumph of good over evil which is also called Dussehra, signaling the end ofthefastinguntilDiwaliat theendofthemonth. Yourstruly, VishnuBisram

opposition without...

Frompage05 necessary to improve the situationinatimelymanner Affirmative measures such as procurement ‘supplier diversity’ are only one element of this holistic approachtoethnicequity

7.Thereshouldbeabout 50instead of the present 25 directly elected members of parliament elected by their own names and responsible to their constituencies that haverecallauthority

If possible, the parliamentary top-up list shouldbeopen.

8. Those of indigenous ethnicityshouldmakeupnot less than 12% of the Members of Parliament. If 50% of them belonging to the governing and oppositionparties together, should vote that any executive action runs counter to their interest, the matter should be delayed for three months and returned to the relevant bodies for reconsideration

9 Local democracy should be based on the principle of subsidiaritynothing should be done at a higher level that can be done well or better at a lower level - and strict rules should be made to prevent the involvement of central government into local affairs. 10.Aspecific percentage (15% for example) of the national b u d g e t s h a l l b e constitutionallysetasidefor regional and local authorities and distributed based upon an agreed upon equitableformula.

11 The national

budgeting and national elections management

processes should be b a s e d u p o n b e s t international practices andnationalconsensus

12 A completely new voters list should be prepared before the next election and a new one should be mandatory every time it is requested by a party or parties representing 33% of the seats in the National Assembly

Timeisnotaproblem:in 2012 Ghana with a populationof25millionand 275 parliamentary constituencies, completed

an entire electorate

reregistration using biometric markers (ten fingerprints) in a six-week period.

N e w v o t e r identification cards were issued featuring head

s h o t s a n d t h e reregistration identified 8,000 double registrations of which 6,000 were judged intentional (http://cpd berkeley.edu/ w pcontent/uploads/2015/10/ g o l d e n - r e vsubmitted pdf)

13 Guyana’s PR system is extremely representative: the ‘joiner list’ that helps to make all votes of value should be properly institutionalized 14 Obstacles to the participation of small parties should be reconsidered and where practicableremoved Conclusion: One could come to inclusive shared governance, which was the

basis for our intervention in the 1970s, from a moral standpointi.e.viewingitasa good but not a necessary objective if Guyana is to haveanyhopeofbecominga democratic prosperous nation.

I suspect that this belief stillunderpinsthemotiveof many of those who profess inclusivitytoday

Thus,insteadofitsbeing constitutionallydirected,the PPPwillhaveusbelievethat democratic inclusive governance can be based upon ad hoc arbitrary interventionsofthepolitical class such as at present proliferate under its rulership.

Also, sad to say that while the entire political opposition promised to be on its best behaviour if it wins government, it is yet to sell a credible vision of why it should be believed in a context where governments are largely unaccountable

What is to stop it from behaving worse than the PPP:particularlysincethe latter claims that its behaviour is patterned upon what the opposition did during its most recent foray in Government? Inclusivity of the type Guyana requires is not simply a moral position that can be dispensed with; it is a necessity Note too that in most, if not all, of its dimensions, political success is best assured when the public takes hold of a worthy visionoftomorrow

Regards

DrHenryJeffrey

10 undersized pumps bought by

still not replaced at NDIA

The Auditor General Board to the sum of

- AG Report

recommen

ion and Report for the country’s US$3.602M equivalent to communication from the 2023 public accounts $753.397M on 05 June 2018 Attorney General in August bythetimeofthereport. revealed that 10 undersized to Apolla International 2022, confirming the

The installation for the pumps that were purchased Limited for the design, necessity to replace the fixed pumps were done at a for the National Drainage supply, installation and engines, none of the 10 n

and Irrigation Authority commissioning of nine fixed engines (three for mobile including Hampton Court, (NDIA) at a whopping and three mobile high- pumps and seven for fixed Devonshire Castle, Den $600M under the previous capacitydrainagepumpsand pumps) were exchanged as Amstel, Hope, Nootenzuil, administration have still not a s s o c i a t e d requested The NDIA Mora Point, and Rose Hall, beenreplaced. structures/equipment The mentionedthesupplyofonly alongside mobile pumps at The report states that Contract was signed on 03 one gear drive for the ChurchStreet,SussexStreet,

l i n g September 2018 by former

$600.886Mwerepaidforthe Chief Executive Officer of

PAHO warns dengue cases keep rising

- countries urged to strengthen response plans

Devonshire Castle Pump andRuimveldtSouth.

Station, further emphasizing In response to these design, supply, installation NDIA,FredrickFlatts. the unresolved issues with findings, the Ministry of and commissioning of nine The funding for the theproject.

fixed and three mobile high- pumps was acquired under

capacitydrainagepumpsand an India Line of Credit and O

Conclusively, the Audit a

d unexpended sum, citing a s s o c i a t e d total payments on the continued engagement issues with the supplied structures/equipment. contract as at 31 December between the Agriculture pumps as the reason for the It went on to say 2021 amounted to $600.886

however, ten of the twelve million.

Ministry and the Contractor

to ensure the replacement of assessment conducted by a engines supplied were Itwasnotedfor2022,the thetenengines,emphasizing technical team identified the determined to be undersized entire sum of $152 511 the importance of proactive

and incapable of running the million allotted for this project management to undersized engines and pumps on a long-term basis project was not expended.

WorldBankcalls...

In an epidemiological provide clear guidance to alert last week the Pan patientsandfamilies. A m e r i c a n H e a l t h K e y P A H O Organization (PAHO) urged recommendationsinclude: countries in the Americas to S t r e n g t h e n i n g strengthen their dengue surveillance and reporting of response plans as cases suspected and confirmed continue to rise across the cases. region. With 2024 marking a A n a l y z i n g t h e record number of dengue distribution of cases to cases and transmission identify hotspots and season beginning in South intensify vector control America, PAHO emphasises efforts.

detect and address issues utilize the remaining and the Government The pumps were received in p r o m p t l y, t h e r e b y contract balance to rectify requested that the contractor March 2020 and the preventing delays and defectsintheequipment. replace the ten engines installations were completed ensuringtheintendedbudget However, despite the However none of the ten in2021. utilization. engines was replaced as In 2022 the AG report requested. hadhighlightedthat10ofthe In December 2023 this twelve engines supplied publication reported that were deemed “undersized” there were concerns and incapable of sustaining regarding the contract long-term operation for the valued at $600.886M. The designated pumps. Despite contract was awarded by the government requests for the National Procurement and contractor to replace these Tender Administration engines, none was replaced

From page 3 specifically to these funds. We want to ensure that the countrydoesn’tsufferfromtheDutchdiseaseandtherefore, these funds should be dispersed in a manner that is very responsible and therefore special attention should be directedspecificallytothatsectortomanagethefund.”

Dangers

International Financial Analysts worry that the revenue maynotbeusedtodevelopGuyanaandimprovethelivesof itsimpoverishedcitizensbecausethereislittletransparency regarding the use of the country’s oil wealth. For instance, Director of Financial Analysis at the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), Tom Sanzillo hadpointedoutthatthegovernmenthasnotbeenprioritising saving the funds generated from the industry like Norway but has instead embarked on a massive infrastructural and energydevelopmentschemewhichmayverywellbenefitits partner, ExxonMobil more than the citizens in the country Meanwhile, the government previously said that money from the oil account is transferred directly to the Consolidated Fund which blends the various revenue streams. This means the government is unable to say what specificprojectswerefundedbythoseearnings.

t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f · Implementing effective surveillance,earlydiagnosis, vector control measures to and timely care to prevent reduce the density of Aedes severecasesandfatalities. aegypti mosquitoes to In a press release PAHO preventtransmission. underscored that the Region E d u c a t i n g t h e of theAmericas has reported population on transmission over 11.7 million dengue andpreventionmeasuresand cases as of September 9, engaging communities in 2024 – more than double the reducing the presence of number of cases reported in Aedesaegyptimosquitoes. 2023. All four serotypes of Training healthcare the dengue virus are now personnel on the clinical circulating in the region, management of dengue, increasing the risk of severe focusing on early diagnosis illness. The Southern Cone and recognition of warning subregion has experienced a signs. significant surge in cases, PAHO also recommends with increases of over 250% that health facilities prepare compared to the same period to manage a potentially in 2023. While the case larger number of dengue fatality rate has remained c a s e s d u r i n g p e a k relatively low in the transmission seasons, subregion, the possibility of ensuring adequate patient increased cases could lead to flow and clinical care. The more severe outcomes and Organization offers a free place a burden on health virtual course on dengue systems. management through its PAHO is urging Member Virtual Public Health States to prioritize Campus and provides surveillance,earlydiagnosis, guidelines for clinical and timely care for dengue diagnosis and treatment. By and other arboviruses. This taking these steps, countries includes taking timely can help mitigate the impact measures to strengthen of dengue and reduce the health systems, train number of severe cases and healthcare workers, and deaths.

This is wrong! Plain wrong!

T h e r e c e n t announcementofa$200,000 cashgrantperhouseholdhas generated waves of excitement But in the shadows of this populist spectacle, another measure quietly slipped past the public’sscrutiny

It is the government's plantointroduceauniversal healthcare voucher of $10,000perchild,settoroll outnextyear Onthesurface, this policy may appear as a benevolentgesture,apartof the government's effort to addressthehealthcareneeds ofsome500,000children.

Butinreality,itisathinly veiled maneuver that will cost taxpayers a staggering $5 billion and represents an audacious contradiction to the government’s selfproclaimed mission of building up public healthcare. This is no mere policy tweak; it is a calculated transfer from the public purse to profitseeking private healthcare providers a move that should outrage any citizen concerned with the integrity ofpublicservices.

In his address to parliament, the President announced that some $60 billion has been earmarked for cash grants, a direct transfer to households. Yet the healthcare voucher, though more subtle, representsadifferentkindof transfer a siphoning of public funds into the coffers of the private healthcare

sector The puzzling questionarises:whywoulda

government, committed to the expansion of public healthcare, offer these vouchers when public hospitalsandclinicsalready provide free healthcare

services, including diagnostic tests? Why introduceavoucherthatcan only be redeemed at private healthcarefacilities?

The answers to these questions lie buried beneath layers of rhetoric. If a child can walk into a public hospital and receive these sametestswithoutcost,then the issuance of a $10,000 voucher could only be for privatehealthcareuse.

Is this a backdoor subsidytoprivateclinicsand hospitals? This cannot be about empowering families toseekbettercare;itisabout redirecting taxpayer money to for-profit entities. It is a deliberateefforttoboostthe reven

healthcare providers at the expense of a robust and accessible public system Andwhatagenerousboostit is $5 billion worth of taxpayers'money,asumthat couldinsteadhavebeenused to enhance diagnostic capabilities at public hospitals, making such tests moreaccessibleandefficient forallcitizens.

But more troubling than the financial gymnastics is thecontradictioninherentin this policy Only months ago,thegovernmentparaded its grand vision of a

healthcaresystem.Theplans

regional health centers, and expanding the suite of diagnostic services offered at public facilities. These initiatives, we were told, weremeanttostrengthenthe p u b l

c a r e infrastructure, to ensure that all citizens—regardless of income could access quality care. The promise wasoneoftransformation:a network of public hospitals andclinicsthatwouldreduce relianc

on private providers, making essential medicalservicesuniversally accessible without a price tag.

Yet now, with the stroke of a pen, the universal healthcare voucher program undercuts that very vision. This is not a policy that empowers public hospitals, nordoesitreducetheburden on families seeking care. It does the opposite, channeling money into a parallel system where privatefacilitieswillreapthe rewards of public largesse. This is not merely an inconsistency;itisabetrayal of the government’s own statedpriorities.Theveryact of offering a voucher that can be used outside of the public system sends a clear message: the government’s investment in public healthcare may be grand in rhetoric, but it lacks the convictionoftruereform.

Itisworthexaminingthe necessity or rather, the lack thereof—of the tests that these vouchers will

DEM BOYS SEH

Dem boys seh de greatest thief ain’t de one who tief money from de treasury or tek bribes under de table. Nah, dem seh de biggest, baddestthiefisdeonewhoriganelection. When yuh rig election, yuh ain’t just tekking a little change. Nah man, yuh tekkingawholecountry.Islikeyuhputyuh hand in everybody pocket same time and snatchdemvote.Andworseyet,yuhwant fuh tell dem that they ain’t feel de hand in dempocket.

When yuh rig an election, yuh stealing morethanjustvotes.Yuhstealingpeople’s hopes, dreams, and faith in democracy Is like yuh mekking people think they got a chance fuh choose, but really, yuh done decidewhogonwinlongbeforetheyeven mark de ballot. Dat is disrespectful to de core, like a slap in de face to every man, woman, and child who believe that dem voice matter But dem boys seh de real trickerydoescomeafter Becauseafteryuh

fund. A battery of basic diagnostic tests for children isproposed,yetthemajority ofchildren,likelyover90%, will pass these tests without issue Only a small fraction—perhaps 10% at most will exhibit any concerning results This means that the majority of thetestswillservenourgent medicalpurpose;theyare,in effect, unnecessary They represent a pretext, a contrivance to justify the outlay of funds that will ultimately enrich private clinics.

A more efficient approachwouldhavebeento enhance screening capabilities within public hospitals, using existing resources more judiciously and reserving private sector engagement for truly specialized cases. Instead, the voucher scheme pushes all children into private facilities, ensuring that $5 billion is funneled into the hands of those already profiting from the weaknesses of the public system.

The irony of this approach is bitter If the governmenttrulybelievedin

the efficacy of the public system it is building, it would be touting those 12 new hospitals as the solution It would be bolstering the capacity of public clinics to handle a wider range of diagnostic tests. It would be expanding free services, not quietly subsidizing private ones Instead, this voucher program suggests that the government has more faith in private providers than in its own institutions. This should be a source of indignationforeverycitizen whohasbeentoldthatpublic healthcareisapriority

The idea that $5 billion of taxpayer money is being funneled into private h e a l t h c a r e i s a n abomination It raises critical questions about who benefitsfromsuchdecisions and whether the public interestistrulybeingserved. Are these vouchers a clever waytoprovidechildrenwith better care, or are they simplyawindfallforprivate clinics? It is a question of priorities of whether publicfundsarebestusedto support a healthcare system that serves all citizens

equitably, or whether they should be used to pad the profitsofprivateentitiesthat catertothosewhocanafford more.

This is why citizens should be alarmed, and why they should speak out against this policy It is not merely a benign policy choice; it is a reflection of a broader trend where public services are allowed to wither while private interests are allowed to flourish on the backs of public money It is a signal that even as the government professes a commitment to building new hospitals, it is quietly shifting resources awayfromthepublicsystem andintoprivatehands.Itisa f o r m o f c r e e p i n g privatization, and it should beresistedateveryturn.

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

donerigit,yuhdoestunroundandforcede peoplefuhlivewithit.Islikeyuhtiefdem house,mekdemsleepoutside,anddenyuh wantdemfuhseh“Thankyou,boss!”Dem sehit’slikegivin’amandewrongmedicine and then telling him he got to drink it and likeittoo.

Rigging an election ain’t just about winning.Isaboutforcingpeopletoaccepta governmentthattheyain’tpick.Demboys seh,whenyuhdodat,yuhmekkingpeople feellikedemvoiceisjustnoise,likeitdon’t matter what dem want, yuh gon do as yuh like.It’sdekindathingdatdoeskillpeople spiritandmekdemgiveuponbelievingin anykindachange.

So when yuh hear people talk about corruption, dem boys seh don’t forget de onedatdoesstartdewholemess—rigging election.Causedatisdekindoftiefingthat don’t just rob de country today It rob de futuretoo.

Talkhalf!Leffhalf!

Nobel Prize winners

Wh a t a n awe would be at the same unscrupulous, and all the matters The Israelis are using another product of the achievement! level, with the healthy fear odiousness that they have amongthebestatthiskindof human body The crimes

To win the still around, though at a proven that they can stuff Just ask Hamas, havebeentoomany,Mr AG,

defame conscientious and Nobel Prize palpably lower level. Too conceive,thendeliver They Hezbollah, Iran, and the and those involve only the law-abidingcitizens. must rank as the pinnacle of many bricks and blocks to are a pack of reptiles Lebanese. The concern is comparatively pedestrian

As the newly minted one’s lifework, maybe life slowdown. Guyana’s democracy is the what would Guyanese do to social media. They have Professor Hinton said, this itself. John Hopfield of Too many check to shelter that is like a nudist themselves then, when all been too long with his own product, AI, has gotten too Princeton University and slowdown any runaway colony: everybody sees the features, powers, and PPP Government agents far ahead of us. It can prove Geoffrey Hinton of the mayhem on the part of this everything. possibilities are in their less functioning as the prime to be irresistible and UniversityofTorontoarethe wondrous creation emerging Guyana with AI in its than clean hands? It is scoundrelsandlookatwhere uncontrollableforthosewith 2024 recipients of the Nobel from the mind of man, like h a n

expected that the Honorable matters have always led. powergivenatooltoexpand Prizeforphysics. that Greek goddess of yore, consideration. Look at what Attorney General, Mr. Anil Nowhere. their power further to the Their pioneering work in Minerva, springing from the the rather mundane and just Nandlall, a man who has his In contrast, study all the detrimentofcitizens. the field of artificial head of the king of the big as tame social media own standards of truth, places to which AI can take.

the nod in what had to be a There are, also, more course) has done to

Like that other great intelligence (AI) gave them ones,Zeus. (relatively speaking, of justice, principle, and what It can make the criminally Americ

n, J R

constitutes fairness, would cunning sound like the Oppenheimer and his close race with their global than enough people who Guyanese, where it has be among the first to give original, when nobody said masterpiece, the atom bomb, peers. have what it takes to raise a depositedthem. DoIneedto profound reassurances that anything.

Guyaneseneednotbeoverly Or what was said or Hinton gave the world their has that special sound, as trajectory,theuntoldcarnage

John Hopfield and Godfrey Artificial intelligence. It hand to arrest its dangerous saymore?

ThinkingofGuyanainits concerned, for they will be written artfully distorted to own extraordinary resource though it was some dazzling that AI could cause. Men present criminal state from protected. defeat them. To put in a inAI. new weapon honed by a andwomenwhostillholdon the political heights to the The ‘they’ almost different way, AI can take Oppenheimer created master craftsman in the to that precious part of life population lowlands, then certainly will not be voice, patterns, style and ‘the destroyer of worlds’ employ of a master of thatiscalledtheirownmind, coupling that with all thatAI extended to people who more of the unsuspecting, with the atom bomb that samurais. and then putting it to the best could be made to do, and the think like me and then have and attach the roguish and came via the Manhattan

A machine mimicking use for the benefit of their result is a nightmarish the courage to share such reprehensible to bring such Project Hopfield and man maybe even capable of t i m e s a n d t h e i r vision. thoughts with the world offensive citizens down Hinton just presented their mastering the best that his contemporaries. America It is possible that some Just so that the attorney This is what has been own Doomsday Project brain has to offer, given a has its protections, what is additional work could be general, the president, and attempted repeatedly here through AI It is still little more time It is believedcouldtaketheupper found for the secret the former president all get before, hasn’t it, Cde AG? gathering strength. Law- awesome. It is frightening. hand there. This is Guyana contingent of Israelis here, the message, I make myself What happened to the abiding Guyanese who Both have an impact on me. and I will be so reckless, so who provide sophisticated Alamogordo, New Mexico criminals in the PPP? What infuriate the powerful, Perhaps, if residence was thoughtless,astopointtothe guidance to the powers of (atom bomb explosion) law was enforced to exact a pleasebeforewarned. still in the good ole USAthe p o w e r f u l a n d t h e today on technological clear: whatever law is just penalty for the crimes of (The views expressed in concocted, and supposed to comrades,Mr ChiefSheriff? this article are those of the shield Guyanese from the If citizens and justice were a u t h o r a n d d o n o t excessesofAImisuse,Ihave failedwhensocialmediawas necessarily reflect the no confidence in it, for who abused, then there can be no opinions and beliefs of this such would protect, who it confidencethatAIwouldnot n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s would expose. Thus: I spit be employed by the PPP (or affiliates.) on it and then it is watered the PNC) to attack and

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Sam Hindswhiter than white

Guyana’s ambassador Sam Hinds went to Washington

He landed inAmerica and converted himself into America’s Uncle Sam

He forgot all his poor Guyanese brothers

Now Exxon is his friend

Checkout the new Sam Hinds

He is whiter than white, and proud of himself

Venezuelan woman reportedly murdered by jealous husband

A 25-year-old Venezuelan woman was fatal attack, she and Castro returned home reportedly murdered by her husband on from work and were sitting on the verandah SaturdayeveningattheirStationStreet,Kitty, when El Tio approached them and handed Georgetownresidence. Castro a $1,000 to settle a $200 debt he owed

The dead woman has been identified as her The woman told him she did not have Yuni Zamora Castro Her 60-year-old changeandwouldrepayhimlater Venezuelan national husband, known only as Shortly afterward, El Tio went to the “El Tio,” reportedly took his own life after lower floor of the house. Castro followed, killingthewoman. speaking on her phone when her husband

According to police, the couple lived suddenlyattackedherwithaknife,delivering together in a two-storey concrete house with multiple stab wounds. Diaz, fearing for her severalotherVenezuelannationals.Recently, life,fledthehouse. the pair had been experiencing marital issues When police arrived, they found Yuni andCastroreportedlytellingherhusbandthat Zamora Castro lying face-up on the ground, shenolongerwantedtobewithhimduetohis having sustained 14 stab wounds. El Tio was jealousy found unresponsive. Both were pronounced

A friend of the victim, 42-year-old dead at the scene by a doctor from the Anislaidy Diaz Leblanch, who worked with Georgetown Public Hospital. Their bodies Castro at a food shop in Stabroek Market, have been transported to Memorial Gardens recounted the events leading up to the tragic Funeral Home, awaiting post-mortem incident. She said that just hours before the examination.

GO-Invest expands export promotion

Guyana Office for

and other organisations well-receivedbyconsumers. producers from Region Two Investment is playing a vital Furthermore, the agency is This highlights the to obtain the “Made in role in promoting the export working with the University importance of regional Guyana” certification, a of locally manufactured of the West Indies (Cave economic cooperation. “We notable achievement that Guyaneseproducts. Hill) and the Caribbean are proud to be part of this enhances their global

The agency has recently Export team to enhance its p a

, w h

c h marketability A similar expanded its services, data management analytics, demonstrates the value of initiative is planned for the notably establishing a and research capabilities regional collaboration to Berbice Expo, where five “

The Caribbean Export

’s more producers will receive Department and Expanded Agency is also collaborating economies,” Dr Ramsaroop certification support The Promotion Division” to help with the Agency to support said, emphasising the Agency work aligns with local producers increase trade facilitation, investment strengthening of ties Guyana’s broader economic their product visibility and packaging, and exporter between Guyana and vision, supporting diverse access new export markets. developmentprogrammes. Barbados through export sectors

Akey part of this initiative is

Over the past four years, partnerships. such as energy and thesponsorshipofthe“Made the agency has successfully Theagencyhasalsobeen manufacturing, all bolstered in Guyana” certification to helped around 137 local working closely with by a favorable investment “Brand Guyana” imitative agency’s goal of becoming small businesses, aimed at companies enter export logistics providers such as c l i m a t e a n d s t r o n g received overwhelmingly data-driven and researchraising the quality and markets and connected 112 Suriname Airways and

positive feedback Dr orientedwhilethepromotion international appeal of businesses with overseas Tropical Shipping to secure Guyana’s economic growth Ramsaroop, Guyana’s Chief arm markets our local Guyaneseproducts. buyers. affordable freight rates, has been remarkable, with Investment Officer and productsinternationally In a press release the

A notable success was helping local products export earnings exceeding Agency Head of the Guyana According to GO-Invest agency said this proactive the recent export of remain competitive in US$10billioninthefirsthalf Office for Investment, stated this initiative collaborates strategy stems from insights SavannahMilk,producedby regional and international of 2024. This continues a t h a t t h e e x p a n d e d with the New Guyana gathered at local and Demerara Distillers Limited markets Companies like trend of rising export department will focus on Marketing Corporation, i n t e r n a t i o n a l t r a d e (DDL), to Barbados during a ComfortSleep,SSNatural revenues,whichsurgedfrom market intelligence and Bureau of Standards, expositions, where the milk shortage, which was Flavours, and Only US$4 billion in 2021 to research, aligning with the GMSA, Caribbean Export Coconuts have successfully US$13 billion in 2023. By entered Caribbean markets the end of the year, the throughtheseefforts. manufacturing sector,

In addition to export includingagro-processing,is facilitation, the agency has expected to grow by 14.5%, supported small and cementing Guyana’s medium-sized enterprises position as a regional (SMEs) with labeling, economic leader The packaging guidance, export resilience of the country’s readiness training, and trade non-oil exports, particularly facilitation. Many of these in agriculture which businesses have participated accountedfor21%ofnon-oil in overseas exhibitions led exports in the first half of bytheAgency,suchasAgro- 2024, up from 19% in Fest in Barbados, SIAL in 2023 further underscores C a n a d a , t h e C h i n a this International Import Expo, p r o g r e s s and LAC Flavours in Brazil Manufacturing, driven by and Panama, receiving g a i n s i n “ o t h e r positive reviews and even manufacturing” and rice sellingouttheirproducts. production, is estimated to Domestically, the havegrownby27.5%during Agency has been active in this period. Dr Ramsaroop regional investment noted that these figures conferencesandtradeexpos, highlight Guyana’s ability to including the Rupununi, maintain its traditional Essequibo, and Berbice sectors while modernising Expos. our diversified economy, At the Essequibo Expo, positioning the nation as a the agency sponsored five regionalpowerhouse.

Persons at the crime scene (Royston Drake Production photo)

-Ramsaroop

Dr. Ramsaroop, Guyana’s Chief Investment Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment

Guyana earned $128B in taxes from oil sector in 2023, but zero from ExxonMobil

The Auditor General’s the AG report, the Last year, ExxonMobil,

and partners

government, from its 14.5% 2023reporthasrevealedthat government collected Hess,andCNOOCearnedan

shareoftheoilrevenue,must Guyana earned from oil $128.07 billion from the estimated $1.3 trillion in settle the taxes owed by the companies not operating in sector in 2023, a 46% profits for 2023, all of which companies to the Guyana the Stabroek Block a little increase from 2022. These were tax-free in Guyana. RevenueAuthority(GRA). over$128billionintaxeslast are taxes collected manly This arrangement stems

This tax arrangement has year but this pales in contractors working for from the lopsided 2016 PSA been criticized both locally comparison to the tax Exxon This comprised which was signed by the and internationally Despite exemptions granted to $122.16billionfrominternal p r e v i o u s C o a l i t i o n the growing calls for ExxonMobil and its partners revenue and $5.91 billion government. renegotiation, the Irfaan Ali Hess,andCNOOC. from customs. It was stated The 2016 deal allows the administration has stood by

These companies, that the oil and gas sector oil companies to recover up the sanctity of the contract, operating under the 2016 contributed 35% of the to 75% of their investment stating it will not seek to

of

aring country’s overall revenue. costs from production and amend the terms In an Agreement (PSA), did not However, it should be noted pay no taxes on their profits. interviewlastyear,President have to pay about $306 that the government granted Instead, it stipulates that the Ali acknowledged the deal billion income taxes on their contractual tax exemptions government covers their tax was not in Guyana’s favour Guyanese operations, worth $196 million to the liabilities from its share of billion from oil in 2023, but income taxes on behalf of but insisted that honouring leaving the government to sector during the same the profit oil. As part of this the government had to pay a Exxon and its partners. The the contract is important to coverthecosts.Accordingto period. deal, Guyana earned $336 staggering $306 billion in PSA mandates that the hisgovernment’spolicy

Kuru Kururu man fatally

Family members of shot during robbery, make appeal for police to find his killers

Relatives of Aubrey Richardson, the Kuru Kururu resident who was shot and subsequently died as a result of the injuries he sustainedduringarobbery,is appealing to the ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) tofindhiskillers.

th On 24 August 2024, 61 years old Richardson known as Gooby was shot during an alleged robbery at ‘Sattie S h o p ’ l o c a t e d i n

Yarrowcabra Soesdyke

Aubrey Richardson called Gooby

Linden Highway He had left his Kuru Kururu Newswasinformedthatlater Soesdyke Linden Highway a post mortem revealed that residence at approximately hediedofsepticshockdueto 20:30hrs in the company of injuries caused by a single someone known to be his gunshot. friendtogototheshop. However, Richardson’s Now , more than a month family members told this after the crime was newspaper that his body was committed, the family is furtherinspectedwhileatthe concerned that police have parlour and there were not yet made a breakthrough injuries suggesting that he incapturingtheindividual(s) may have been shot more responsible for the fatal thanonce.

shooting The concerned According to relatives, relatives told this newspaper from all appearances, there that they were also informed are seems to be a deliberate that Richardson was shot attempt to cover up the while at the shop and he was crime. The relatives claim left laying on the ground that the crime was bleeding profusely for quite committed by four bandits sometimebeforehisfriends, who also relieved the shop who were present heeded his owner of an undisclosed pleaforthemtocallhisson. amount of money that was in They reportedly placed a box along with jewellery him in the bus he operates, before making good their pickeduphissonat“Jamoon escape. Tree” Kuru-Kururu and A relative of the dead rushed him to the hospital. man said that “The four His relatives recounted that perpetrators were described hespentalmosttwoweeksin by witnesses as ‘one light the ICU Before he skinned and three darks u c c u m b e d o n 5 t h skinnedmaleswithyouth September 2024. Kaieteur (Continued on page 16)

President of Guyana, Irfaan Ali

President

ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge

$127M worth of heavy-duty machinery handed over to MMA, Reg. 6 officials

- young females from BIT skills training programme hired as operators

The long boom excavator that was handed over

Farmers and residents offered by the Board of from areas within the Industrial Training (BIT) Mahaica Mahaicony Abary were hired by the MMA to Agriculture Development operatetheexcavators. Authority (MMA-ADA) “Here we have two Scheme,West Coast Berbice youngwomenwhobenefited as well as those residing in fromtheBITtrainingandare Black Bush Polder, Talorgie now operators. They were and other surrounding hired and will be the ones com

on the operatingthesemachines.As Corentyne Coast will now a government, we believe in benef

further empowering young people. improvements to their These young women took drainage systems following the opportunity and are now

approximately $127 million operators More young w

y people should take up these machinery opportunities. Get enrolled Through the Ministry of in these courses being Agriculture’s Agriculture offered by the Board of Sector Development Unit’s Industrial Training so that (ASDU) Flood Risk you too can be gainfully M

yed, ” M

nister (FRMP), seven excavators; Mustaphaadded. six mini excavators, and one Venita Chatergoon, 27, long boom excavator; were who resides at Number Five procured through funding Village, West Boast Berbice from the World Bank and said she was previously added to the MMA’s and employed as a security Region Six’s fleet of officer She said when she machinery, the ministry said heard about the BIT inapressrelease. programme,sheenrolledand Agriculture Minister, was able to benefit from the Zulfikar Mustapha while much-needed skills training. offering remarks at the Meanwhile, Divya Ragbir, handing over exercise at the 22 said she was elated to be MMA’s Onverwagt office gainfully employed after said the two additional recently becoming a excavators being added to certified excavator operator MMA’s fleet will be used to and thanked the government carry out the desilting of for creating avenues for internal drainage systems in young people to receive theMMAscheme. criticalskillstraining.

“Today, we’llbehanding As is the case with the over two brand new mini Agriculture Innovative excavators to the MMA to Entrepreneurial Programme furtherassistwithimproving (AIEP), the BITis a drainage in the scheme government initiative These machines will be used offering specialized courses to desilt internal and to empower young people interlocking drains within through skills training thus the housing areas,” the enabling them to be m i n i s t e r e x p l a i n e d gainfully employed while according to the press a l s o p r o m o t i n g release. entrepreneurship.

Furthermore, Minister Meanwhile, at Black Mustapha disclosed that two Bush Polder, while handing young females who overtwominiexcavatorsto benefitedfromskillstraining (Continued on page 19)

Two of the mini excavators

Guyanazootoberebuilttoint’lstandards-Pres.Ali

President, Dr

General Secretary of the byaproductthatmarketsour learning centre to provide

Mohamed Irfaan People’s Progressive Party, hinterland,” he explained hands-on experiences for Ali last Thursday Bharrat Jagdeo explained during a press conference at children to explore the zoo’s

announced that that the government is F r e e d o m H o u s e o n flora and fauna in a the national zoo will be contemplating a series of Thursday classroomsetting. rebuilttomatchinternational enhancements to create a He admitted that the Dr Jagdeo emphasised standards,aspartofeffortsto

and national zoo, however, has that the aim is to make the expand green spaces in the enjoyable experience for been languishing for some entire area family-friendly, capitalcity patrons. time. withaestheticamenitiessuch

The president made the

The government is still The GS outlined plans a

announcement during a open to facilitating the foranexpansionofthezooto recreational areas, all specialsittingoftheNational establishment of a safari- include more interactive without disturbing the Assembly at the Arthur type zoo model, which, Dr spaces. habitat. “It’s a concept that Chung Conference Centre, Jagdeo explained would be This expansion is likely we are looking at that will explaining that these a p r i v a t e s e c t o r to happen on the eastern end give our children more measures fall under the undertaking of the Botanical Gardens, in opportunities to be exposed comprehensive Low Carbon is also launching a project cultural heritage of our city, “We believe that in the vicinity of the Embassy to animals…that is what we Development Strategy 2030 t h a t w i l l s e e t h e Georgetown, building out a Guyana, we can be a big of the People’s Republic of are thinking about in a (LCDS2030). enhancement of the new green work path, market for the Caribbean China. “We can take part of nutshell,” Jagdeo continued, As part of this strategy, BotanicalGardens. cycling lane, areas of who can come to Guyana for it, without spoiling the “We will still do the the government is focusing These endeavours will heritage and culture, areas eco-tourism, because they gardens. We are thinking prospectus for a safari-type heavily on environmental be led by Vice President, of history These are all part may have the sun, sand, and about a zoo there, more zoo, but we want that done enhancement, natural Bharrat Jagdeo Aside from of building a beautiful sea kind of tourism, but they animals in it, maybe a small by the private sector mainly, beautification, and other this, the government is also Guyana, a new Guyana, in have never been down these tram car to move the kids because we think it would projects that aim to enhance forging a model for the which we must take pride, in huge rivers…so we believe around,” he said. This new improve the attractions that rural and urban life. “[This restoration of Georgetown w h i c h o w n e r s h i p , that they will be blown away area will also include a wehavehere.” (DPI) includes] the building out of to the distinction as the ownership right, must be an parks, creation of centres of ‘ G a r d e n C i t y ’ , i n important part of what wellness, safe and open partnership with the King’s makes us Guyanese,” the space for family, the elderly Foundation headofstatesaid [and] children,” President “We are now rebuilding Providing further details Alinoted. a model that will retrace, on the zoo enhancement He said the government recreate, and enhance the project, Vice President and

The Guyana Zoological Park has been a sorry state for years

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Job openings: Business development analysts, project assistant & Civil engineers. To apply send application via WhatsApp: 733-5983/ 733-4237.

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Bandits bagged $500K during attack on Chinese supermarket

Three unmasked gunmen on Satur day night robbed the Jia Run Fa # 2 Chinese Supermarket in Nandy Park, East Bank Demerara (EBD). They reportedly stormed into the building around 20:30 hrs while it was still open for business, police said.

Jinhua Li, 34, a Chinese National and the supermarket’s owner was at the cashier’s counter at the time. Police said they held him at gunpoint and demanded he hand them everything.

Fearful for his life, he allowed them to take whatever they wanted.

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They bagged off $500,000 in cash, Jinhua Li’s cell phone, a quantity of Digicel

valuables. In an effort to make

DVR before leaving.

Venezuelan man found wounded on Vergenoegen roadway

On Saturday night, a 29year-old Venezuelan man was found wounded on the roadway in Vergenoegen, West Coast Demerara (WCD).

Kaieteur News understands that the police from Leonora Police Station received a call around 10:30 p.m. from an unknown caller, re-

porting the discovery of the injured man. When officers arrived at the scene, they found the man, later identified as Dickson Sanchez of Tuschen, WCD, lying motionless with blood covering his body.

Sanchez was found with a swollen face, a chop wound,

and an injury to his left hand. He was rushed to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where he is currently receiving medical treatment.

CCTV footage is being reviewed as part of the investigation. Police have not yet disclosed what lead to Sanchez being injured.

Japanese tourist robbed on Cemetery Road

A Japanese tourist on vacation was on Friday night robbed by bandits on Cemetery Road, Georgetown. Police identified him as Yuki Nakata. Nakata is staying on Freeman Street, East La Penitence.

On Friday evening he was

heading to a restaurant, when bandits attacked him around 19:00hrs, police said.

While walking along Cemetery Road, two men armed with knives reportedly pounced on him. They held Nakata at knife point forcing him to hand over his bag be-

fore making good their escape. Nakata subsequently filed a police report.

He told investigators that his stolen bag contained cash, a cell phone, a camera and his passport. Investigations are ongoing.

Biker crushed by truck

A man yet to be identified was on Sunday afternoon crushed by a truck while riding an electric bike along the East Bank Demerara (EBD) Public Road.

Police said the accident took place around 14:03 hrs. at Bagotstown.

The truck and the electric biker were reportedly heading in the same direction towards Georgetown.

Just before crossing over in the vicin-

ity of Car Care Enterprise (auto dealership), the truck reportedly knocked the bike from behind. The biker fell off his bike and was crushed by the truck.

An ambulance was summoned but the medical crew onboard pronounced him dead at the scene. His body was subsequently taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.

Meanwhile, the truck driver has been taken into custody to assist with investigations.

Family members of Kuru Kururu man fatally...

From page 13 like features” Family members have also expressed concern about the lack of progress and delay in the investigations despite providing leads on who may have shot Richardson. Relatives noted that the police are currently searching for a specific person who was implicated in the shooting and who has a criminal record. This individual is currently wanted for another crime that occurred earlier this year.

The family is steadfast in their belief that, contrary to

reports of Richardson being killed in a robbery, there is more to the situation. They have also observed that Richardson may have sustained multiple gunshot wounds based on his body examination and information gathered from the community.

They assert that Richardson was acquainted with all the suspects named in the investigation. The family is therefore urging for a more open and comprehensive investigation out of concern that there may be efforts to conceal the situation or that

the case may grow cold with time.

Sources told this publication that relatives were informed that despite a main witness being able to positively identify one of the offenders; the police have declined to issue a wanted notice, even for the purpose of questioning the individual.

“We were also informed that they are remaining silent on the matter to shield a family member who was recently taken into custody, with no updates provided thereafter,” a relative stated.

PEN PAL

One of the Jin Run Fa Supermarkets located on the East Bank of Demerara (Eccles)

and One Communications phone cards among other

sure police never catch them the bandits took the security cameras’

PNM leadership up for grabs as Rowley hints retirement

( T R I N I D A D GUARDIAN)Ontheeveof his 75th birthday, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley gave his strongest statement on whether it would be his lastyearofelectoralpolitics inParliamentlastweek.

“I am now in my tenth yearasPrimeMinister Itoo may be a swan.As long as I could leave here, having done the best for the people of Trinidad and Tobago, it doesn’t matter when I leave,” Dr Rowley said, referring to a similar statement by UNC MP Rushton Paray while he madehiscontribution.

Turning to Bridgid Annisette-George in Parliament a short while lateronFriday,thePMsaid, “It was a pleasure working with you as parliamentary speaker I don’t know how muchlongerIwouldhavein this Parliament. But I have donemyduty,andIkeptthe course. I have run the race,

and I look forward not for a potofgoldbutformyfamily attheendofthisrainbow.”

It’s not the first time Dr. Rowleysignalledthathewas bowing out of the political arena—in January of this year,Dr Rowleyhadplanted the seed of possibly retiring frompolitics.

During his contribution to the budget debate last Thursday, he went further and told the House, “I don’t havealotmoretimeinhere.”

One day after Dr Rowley’s contribution in Parliament, PNM’s general secretary,FosterCummings, issuedapressreleasestating that the party’s 51st annual convention and internal elections, scheduled for November 17, had been cancelled.

Severalnameshavebeen thrown out as potential candidates in the leadership race Among the names being bandied about inside the party for leadership are

Stuart Young, SC, Penelope Beckles, Senator Dr.Amery Browne, and Cummings. In his budget contribution, Browne told the House that he would not rule out running for a seat in Parliamentagain.

ButevenasDr Rowley’s statements have spotlighted potential candidates in the partyforleadershipafterhis exit, according to government ministers, there isnovacancyforthepostof political leader or Prime Ministerrightnow

Dr Rowley has been hinting at exiting. At the PNM’s party conferences held in July and Augus he expressed confidence in the cropofyoungpeoplewhohe had brought into the electoralfoldfortheparty

Oneofthemajorshiftsin the past few months was in appointing Young to act as PM as opposed to Finance Minister Colm Imbert, who didsoforthepastnineyears

o f t h e R o w l e y administration.Inherbudget response, the Opposition Leader labelled Young as “thechosenone.”

Former PNM general secretary Ashton Ford told theSundayGuardian,“From what I gather and how I know the party operates, nothing will happen until something officially happens.”

So far, Ford said, there has been no official word of Rowleymakinghisexitfrom the party or politics

“Nothing of the sort is in place. Nothing. Everything will continue as normal,” said Ford, who once served asArimamayorandMP

And while Dr Rowley has been busy at work the past three weeks, as well as addressing and commenting on national issues, he has refused to comment or be drawnouttocommentonhis health after a recent checkupabroad.

Ford recalled that the founder and then PNM leader, Dr Eric Williams, at a February 1981 convention gave a “swan song the same way,anditdidnotmeanthat he was leaving the party then ” Unfortunately, Williams died the following month, and George Chambers became PM and politicalleader

“InDr Rowley’scase,as far as we know, he is very healthy,” Ford said. But the PM said when he makes his exit, he would do so “with his head held high” and be proud to say that he served withcertainpeople.

“And I hope that I don’t have to say if you want to find them, you have to look where the average citizen doesn’tlive.”InFord’sview,

Rowley’s statement in Parliament was done to document his contribution on record While the population has a keen interest in the PNM and its operation,Fordsaid,“Asfor now, we all support the PrimeMinister.”

Ford said Rowley was carded to address party supporters at the PNM’s upcoming convention, stating that “so we would havetowait”tohearwhathe says.

Seekinganswers

Communications MinisterSymonDeNobriga saidthePrimeMinisterhasa 24/7 job, and there can be and will be no distractions from the job at hand. He expressed confidence in Dr Rowley

Lucky escape for mom and son in Dibe ordeal; kidnapper still on the run

( T R I N I D A D GUARDIAN)

Anna Innis-Burke, recallsbeingstabbedbyher attackeronFridayasherson Princemerci Burke, who was kidnapped, looks on. For 14 agonising and terrifying hours, 12-yearold Princemerci Burke remainedatthehandsofhis kidnapperinaforestedarea in the hills of Dibe, Long Circular, St James, on Friday, praying for his safe release.

Scared, confused, and unable to see in the pitchdark, Princemerci made good his escape after his captorlethisguarddown.In his attempt to get away, Princemercifellintoaditch andhadtocrawlouttofind hiswayhome.

U p t o y e s t e r d a y, Princemerci’s kidnapper remained at large as a team of soldiers and police continued the search for him.

Police have identified Jassany Baptiste, a repeat criminal offender, as a person of interest The ordeal with Princemerci began with his mother, Anna Innis-Burke, on Fridayfollowingadomestic violencedisputeatherDibe Road, Long Circular, St Jameshome.

Innis-Burke, 41, was dragged out of her house around 3 am by a man she shared a six-month relationship with and was forced to walk along Belle Vue Road, where she was stabbed multiple times in herleftlegandback. As the attacker plunged the knife into Innis-Burke’s flesh, he vowed to kill Princemerci—herlastchild. AbleedingInnis-Burkewas dragged by her hair a few feetawaybutwassavedbya

With clasped hands yesterday, the boy, during an exclusive interview with the Sunday Guardian, thankedGodforsparinghis life.“Iamluckytobealive. I feel blessed,” he said, trying hard to contain his emotions as he remained traumatisedbytheincident.

mandrivingapanelvan.

The attacker’s intention was to get Innis-Burke to a nearby abandoned hotel to end her life. After fleeing the scene, the man went to Innis-Burke’s home around 5 am, where he awakened Princemerci from his sleep.

“He told me I’m going by grandpa who lives close by,” said Princemerci, a FormOnestudent.

Princemercisaidinstead

of heading to his grandparents’ home, the kidnapper tarted heading to the mountains, gripping his side, so he would not escape Realising that something was wrong, Princemerci said he asked forhismom.“Hetoldmehe shoot she in her shoulder andleg.”

The boy said his heart sank, but he put up a brave front and questioned the man to show him the gun. “He say he dropped it because he was scared. I knowhewaslyingbecauseI saw him playing with his knife.” As morning broke,

the captor headed further into the hills with

Princemerci. They remained hiding in the towering grass and trees withnothingtoeatordrink.

“He kept saying, ‘don’t move from here’, that if I moved, he would break my legs. I kept telling him my grandparents’housewasnot too far away,” Princemerci said. After spending a few hours in one location, the boy was taken to another area, where they crossed a river and climbed up a makeshift step At one point, the kidnapper took Princemerci to a village shop, where he purchased snacks and something for theboytodrink.

They trekked back up the mountain and stayed near the river As darkness fell around 7 pm, Princemerci said he made uphismindtogetaway

“I take a few steps and didn’tseehim.Ijuststarted torunandfallintoaditch.” Princemercisaidhetookoff hisslippersandclimbedout

of the hole, unable to see anythingaroundhim.

Crawlingoutofthehole, Princemerci sustained multiple scratches and cuts on his legs. “I was scared. I started to run again and heard some dogs barking andsomevoices.IrealisedI

was heading to my grandparents’ house ” A determined Princemerci said, “I know by the end of the day I would have been home.”

Innis-Burke tearfully reunitedwithherson,whom she thought had been murdered or severely harmed.

“When I heard he escaped, I felt a sense of relief to know that he was safe.Iwasinalotofpain heart pain, all the pain possible” Like her son, Innis-Burke said, she too feltluckytobealive.

“I just thankful we are safe.Hereallywantedtokill me.Hewantedtogetmeto thatoldhoteltokillme.But when he reached the road, ah tell myself, this man can’t kill you today. Not today.” Innis-Burke said if shedidnotuseherinitiative to escape her attacker, she might have been dead. “I wouldnothavebeentalking today Yesterday (Friday) wasaterrifyingday.”Asshe spoke,beadsofperspiration streameddownherneckand chest, her face wincing in pain. Innis-Burke warned womenwhoareinastrained relationship not to stick aroundandhopethingswill get better “Don’t wait; that iswhatIdid.Don’twaitand feel like you could fix a situation Once you see signs of violence or weirdness,getout!” Shesaidshetriedtohelp the man. “I thought I could ahfixhim...Iwatchedhim asatroubledsoulbecauseI am a praying woman too. I say I could still help him with prayers. But clearly, I couldn’t.” Innis-Burke said the man became overly obsessive and jealous “That is what sparked the whole thing because I told himIwasdone.”

Dr Keith Rowley, Prime of Trinidad and Tobago

4 killed, over 60 injured in drone attack on Israel

(BBC NEWS) - Four soldiershavebeenkilledand more than 60 other people injured in a drone strike targeting an army base in northern Israel, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) has said.

The IDF added seven soldiers had been severely injuredintheattackonabase “adjacent to Binyamina” - a town around 20 miles (33km)tothesouthofHaifa.

Hezbollah has claimed responsibility for the attack, which it said targeted a training camp of the Israeli Defence Forces’ (IDF) Golani Brigade in the area, which is based between Tel AvivandHaifa.

The armed group’s media office said the strike was in response to Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon and Beirut on Thursday

Thegroupsaidittargeted the camp in northern Israel using a “swarm of drones”.

The Israeli ambulance

service,MagenDavidAdom (MDA), said 61 people had been injured in the attackincluding three critically It added 37 of them had been taken to eight regional hospitals, either by ambulanceorhelicopter

Inastatementbeforethe IDF confirmed the deaths, MDA said that alongside the three critically injured, 18 of the victims were in a moderate condition, 31 sustained mild injuries and ninepeoplewere“suffering anxiety”

The reason for the discrepancy in the number of critical injuries between MDA and the IDF is not clear

Israeli censorship rules prevent media outlets saying exactly where or whatwastargeted,butsome media outlets say the location was hit by a lowlevel drone launched from Lebanon - a relatively unsophisticated weapon that appears not to have

activated early warning alarms.

Footage carried by Israelimediashowedthose woundedbeinghelpedinto emergency vehicles,

including helicopters

Manyofthewoundedhave been evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Medical Centre in nearby Hadera - with others being taken to

US deploys Thaad anti-missile system to Israel after Iranian attack

File image of a Thaad interceptor missile being launched during a test

(BBC NEWS) The US says it will deploy a highaltitude anti-missile system and a US military crew to Israel to help bolster its air defences after a missile attack from Iran earlier this month.

A Pentagon statement saidPresidentJoeBidenhad ordered the Terminal HighAltitude Area Defense (Thaad)batteryanditscrew be sent “to defend Israel”. Iran launched almost 200 ballistic missiles towards Israelon1October

TheIsraelimilitarysaid mostwereintercepted,buta number struck central and

southernIsrael.

Israel has not yet said how it will respond to the attack,butDefenceMinister YoavGallanthassaiditwill be “deadly, precise and aboveallsurprising”.

Iran has in turn said it will not let any attack by Israelgounanswered.

The Pentagon said the Thaad deployment “underscores the United States’ironcladcommitment to the defense of Israel, and to defend Americans in Israel, from any further ballistic missile attacks by Iran”. The US previously sent a Thaad battery to the

Middle East after Hamas attackedsouthernIsraelon7 October last year. It previously sent a Thaad battery to Israel in 2019 for training and an air defence exercise.

Iran said its missile barrage was a response to Israel’sassassinationsofthe Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah and a senior Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) officer in Beirut, and of the H

HaniyehinTehran.

Israel has dramatically escalated its campaign against Iran-backed

Hezbollah in recent weeks, carrying out deadly air strikes across southern and easternLebanonandinparts ofBeirut.

Before that, Israel and Hezbollah had been trading cross-border fire on a near daily basis since last October, when Hezbollah began firing into Israel which it said was a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza. It had said it would stop firing if there was a ceasefireinGaza.

However, international efforts to get Israel and Hamastoagreetoaceasefire inGazahavesofarfailed.

hospitals in Tel Hashomer, Haifa, Afula and Netanya

Details are still scarce but many of the injured appear to have been in a communal canteen at the time and were caught completely by surprise

Images circulating on social media appear to show an empty mess hall withaholeintheroof

Ukraine’s human rights envoy urges response to alleged killings of Ukrainian POWs in Kursk

KYIV,Ukraine(AP)— Ukraine’s human rights ombudsman urged international organizations Sundaytorespondtoaclaim that several Ukrainian prisoners of war were executed in Russia’s Kursk region, where Kyiv had launched an incursion in August.

DeepState, a Ukrainian battlefieldanalysissiteclose to Ukraine’s Defense Ministry, said that Russian troops shot and killed nine Ukrainian “drone operators and contractors” on Oct. 10 after they had surrendered.

Dmytro Lubinets said on Telegramthathesentletters to the United Nations and theInternationalCommittee of the Red Cross regarding the case, calling it “another crime committed by the Russians.”

Later on Sunday, Ukrainian ProsecutorGeneral Andriy Kostin said that his office had opened a criminal investigation into thematter

Earlier this month, Ukraine’s ProsecutorGeneral’sOfficeofUkraine saidthatRussiantroopshad killed16capturedUkrainian soldiers in the partially

occupied Donetsk region. There was no immediate response from Russian officials.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian air force said Sunday that its air defenses had shot down 31 of 68 drones launched at Ukraine by Russia overnight into Sunday in the regions of Kyiv, Poltava, Chernihiv, Sumy and Cherkasy A further 36 drones were “lost” over various areas, it said, likely having been electronicallyjammed.

The air force added that ballistic missiles struck Odesa and Poltava while Chernihiv and Sumy came underattackbyaguidedair missile. Local authorities didn’t report any casualties or damage Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that Russiahadlaunchedaround 900 guided aerial bombs, more than 40 missiles and 400 drones against Ukraine overthepastweek.

Zelenskyy appealed on X to Ukraine’s allies to “provide the necessary quantity and quality of air defensesystems”and“make decisions for our sufficient range.”

Scores were injured in a drone strike targeting the Binyamina region of northern Israel, medics have said

New batch of apprentices join the Republic Bank

Twenty-six high school Accordingtothebank,while (CANTA) through the T h e Yo u t h L i n k years. throughaprocessofpersonal graduates commenced their there, they will experience Council for Technical & Apprenticeship Programme The programme was and professional growth and seven-monthApprenticeship classroom and on-the-job Vocati

with Republic Bank training in banking (CTVET).

nal Training was introduced in Guyana in developed to bridge the gap will teach the youths

2008 after being part of the between the end of the v a l u a b l e s k i l l s f o r (Guyana)Limited. operations and have the With this qualification Republic Bank Limited, participants’ school life and professional and social The launch ceremony opportunity to learn and the Apprentices will be Trinidad and Tobago Power the start of their career The development thus making was held at Republic Bank’s understand the needs of the eligible for jobs within the to Make a Difference programme is geared to them more marketable in Conference Room, 155-156 less fortunate via the CaricomRegion. initiative for over twenty guide the Apprentices theircareerpursuits.

New Market Street, community initiative styled Georgetown on Monday, ‘Care-A-Van’ aspect of the October7,2024,towelcome Apprenticeship Programme. the fourteenth batch of A day of fun and relaxation Apprentices to the Bank’s will also be part of theYouth Youth Link Apprenticeship Linkexperience. Programme2024/2025. Upon completion of the The Twenty-six young Programme, successful men and women were Apprentices will receive the selected from schools across Caribbean Vocational the country and will be Qualification (CVQ) from placed across the Bank’s theCaribbeanAssociationof network of branches National Training Agencies

$127Mworthofheavy-duty...

From page 11 the Neighborhood Democratic Council (NDC), Minister Mustapha said that the new equipment will be permanently stationed in the polders to carry out drainage works in the residential areas. He also said that oftentimes machinery is sent to do work following commitments made by officials. Those works, he added, are sometimes incomplete, and the machines are sent to other areas to carry out other works. He alsotoldthoseinattendancethateachexcavatorwouldservice twopolders.

During a meeting at Talorgie, Minister Mustapha while handing over two mini excavators and a long boom excavator said that the two mini excavators will be used to carry out criticaldrainageworksintheresidentialareas.Incontrast,the longboomexcavatorwillbeusedtoclearcanalsandcarryout otherdrainageworksinthecultivationareas.Healsosaidthat a work programme will be developed to guide the works and thatcriticalworkswillbeprioritized.

Desilting and other drainage works are expected to commenceinthecomingweek.

Minister Mustapha also encouraged the regional officials to engage the Ministry of Labour so that more young female operators who benefited from skills training offered by BIT couldbehired.

New Batch of Apprentices with Senior Management of Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited

Cache of activities planned for New Amsterdam’s 133rd anniversary

The New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council (NAMTC) is this year celebrating its 133 years in existence and a hoard of activities including sports have been planned to observetheoccasion.

New Amsterdam, which got township status September 1, 1891, is the oldest town in Guyana. Its firstMayorwasBritainNeil RossMcKinnon,aBarrister ofLaw

October 17th to November 3rd. The theme this year is ‘Embrace History and Unity”.

The present Mayor is Wainwright McIntosh, an EducationOfficer Thisyear’sactivitywas launched on the 22nd of August The town week is expected to run from

To start things off a church service was held at the Bethel Prayer and PraiseMinistries

At the end of the service members of the church gifted the staff of

t h e N A M T C a n anniversarycake.

Several sporting activities are slated to highlight the Town’s 133rd Anniversary celebrations

Including street football, basketball, bird whistling competition, cricket, drama festival, Mayor’s Cycling road r a c e , s t e

, Spelling Bee, domino

Competit

Monday October 14, 2024

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

Overall,theforecastfortoday is fairly good. The aspects seemtofavorfiguringoutthe meaning of all that's transpired over the past several weeks It's an opportunity for you to take a leisurely

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Have you felt somewhat lost forthepastfewdays?Thefog maylifttodayandenableyou to situate yourself at last. You'reprobablyeagertosettle a question that has nagged at you and interfered with your judgment.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

You may have been feeling somewhat disillusioned. Perhapsyoulostsightofyour goals or misplaced your faith in yourself. You'll feel some reliefbeginningtoday

CANCER(June21–July22)

Youmightbetemptedtosettle certain matters by radical means. The visionary part of you means you're painfully aware of the world's wrongs. You see no reason not to take actiontocorrectthem.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Today will be fairly calm in terms of outside events, but yourinnerworldislikelytobe in a rush of activity Today you wish you could find the solutiontoyourheartachesas well as your career predicaments.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

You have a lot of thinking to do about your professional goals, Virgo. You'll go over the elements to see if there isn't some way to approach thingsdifferently

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Youjustcan'tdoeverythingat once, Libra. How do you expect to reduce your stress and recuperate while at the same time continue to be a superstar performer in every areaofyourlife.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

Thisisagoodmomenttoadapt your logic and reason to reality, Scorpio. If you don't, you're going to run into some intellectual problems Everyone knows that you find newideasplentiful.

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

It'sgoingtobealittledifficult

king to you today, Sagittarius. You, who can be easily influenced by others, will be listening to and criticizing everything that peoplesay

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Haveyoubeenreviewingyour fam

ory l

y, Capricorn? Of special interest is your cultural background. What educational, social, and religious environment were you born into? What are its values?Intheend.

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

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Today your intellectual and expressive abilities should receive a boost from the planets.It'sanexcellenttimeto organize your thoughts about presentingaproject.

and has an estimated populationofapproximately 50,000persons.

New Amsterdam was established as the seat of Government for Berbice Between1785to1790.

on, debate, impromptu speech, singing competition, mathematics Olympiad, dancing competition, walk race and concerts.

A variety of other activities are also on the agenda including River tours, business exhibition andjobfair,allbackandall blue affairs, market day, cooler fete and breakfast morning

The celebrations are expected to culminate with a fair and sound c l a s h o n F r i d a y,

November 1, at the BermineGround

The usual street fair and Lime is slated for Saturday, November 2, along Main Street while a family fun day is slated for Sunday, November 3, attheEsplanadePark

New Amsterdam, which is located about five miles on the Eastern Bank of the Berbice River, is situated at the confluence of the Berbice andCanjeRivers

It became a town exactly 100 years before itbecameaMunicipality

About 1733, the name New Amsterdam was given to a little village that sprang up around Fort Nassau about 56 miles up the Berbice River

In 1785 it was decided to abandon Fort Nassau a n d m o v e t o t h e neighbourhoodofFortSt Andries lower down the river at the confluence of the Berbice River and its tributary the Canje River, the site of present-day NewAmsterdam

It was built by the Dutch in 1740 before being taken over by the Britishin1803.

New Amsterdam covers about13.7squarekilometers

In 1812 a special Department of Works, the WinkelDepartment,wasset up to deal with all repair works required by the residents.

The workmen were originally slaves who were giventheirfreedomin1831. The Town Hall of Tudor’s architecturewasbuiltwitha tower, of approximately 75 feet.

T

dismantledin2012.

(BBC Sport) - Maia Bouchier made a classy unbeaten 62 as England moved a step closer to the semi-finals of the Women’s T20 World Cup with an emphatic 10-wicket win overScotland.

Scotland were playing forprideintheirfinalmatch of their first World Cup and saved their best batting performance for last as they compiled 109-6 - their highest score of the tournament.

A measured 33 from Kathryn Bryce provided the bulk of the total while younger sibling Sarah chipped in with 27 in Sharjah.

Sophie Ecclestone was the pick of England’s bowlersassheclaimed2-13 while Lauren Bell, in her first appearance of this WorldCup,took1-13.

England’s opening pair of Bouchier and Danni Wyatt-Hodge made light workofthetarget,knocking off the runs in just 10 overs withoutmuchtrouble.

Bouchier, in particular, ruthlessly punished

Scotland’s bowlers as she andWyatt-Hodgebothmade unbeatenhalf-centuries.

The result means unbeaten England moved to the top of Group B on six points and are guaranteed to qualify for the knockout phasewithvictoryoverWest Indies in their final pool matchonTuesday

England could still progress even if they taste defeat in that match given theirnetrun-rate(NRR)was givenahugeboostto+1.716 as they knocked off the runs with a mammoth 60 balls to spare.

England openers

Bouchier & Wyatt-Hodge pickapartScotland The curious scheduling of this World Cup meant England came into this

Yamal out of Spain squad due to muscle strain

(Reuters) - Spain forward Lamine Yamal will miss Tuesday’s Nations League Group A4 match against Serbia to avoid any risk of injury after suffering a muscle strain, the Spain national team said on Sunday

fixture having not played since a seven-wicket win overSouthAfricajustunder aweekago.

England captain Heather Knight acknowledged her players had filled the days outside of training on the golf course and in coffee shops.

So this was a useful encountertorediscovertheir match rhythm, even if it felt inevitable England’s

experience was always goingtotell.

Including this match,

England’s XI had a combined 849 appearances in T20Is compared to Scotland’s 406. Equally, the average age of Scotland’s p l a y e r s ( 2 3 ) w a s considerably lower than England’s(27).

Knightoptedtogetsome overs into her seamers as England bowled nine overs of pace – they only bowled eight in their first two matches of the World Cup combined.

Bell looked fairly sharp should circumstances require her in the remainder of the tournament, but the most encouraging part of a dominantEnglandwinwasa welcome return to form for Bouchier

Ithasbeenalow-keyfew games for the England opener and she looked particularly scratchy in her last innings against South Africa.

This knock was

decidedly more fluent, and shesetthetoneforEngland’s reply with three fours off Scotland opening bowler Rachel Slater’s first three balls.

Bouchier did offer a caught-and-bowled chance to Olivia Bell in the second over, which the Scotland spinner will lament as infinitelycatchable.

However, the languid Englandopenerdidnotletit affect her and brought up a first half-century at a World Cup–andherfirstfiftyin11 innings - off 30 balls by whipping Katherine Fraser behindsquareforfour

With Wyatt-Hodge’s batting already sizzling in the United Arab Emirates, Knight will hope this is the start of a hot streak for Bouchier

Match details: Scotland 109-6(20overs):KBryce33 (28);Ecclestone2-13lostto England 113-0 (10 overs): Bouchier 62* (34), WyattHodge 51* (26) by 10 wickets

BouchierleadsEnglandtothumpingwinoverScotland England respond to Greece loss with win in Finland

The 17-year-old was substituted in the 93rd minute during Spain’s 1-0 win over Denmark in a Nations League GroupA4 match on Saturday. Yamal endured several tackles from the Danish side and was spotted limping back to the team bus after the match.

After undergoing an MRI scan in Madrid on Sunday, the Barcelona player was withdrawn from the Spain training campandwillreturntohis club

“The tests did not reveal any structural injury, and the medical staff of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed it is a case of muscle strain,” the Spain national team said inastatementonSunday

“Prioritisingtheplayer’s health and to avoid any risk

of injury ahead of the upcoming match against Serbia,ithasbeendecidedto withdraw him from the squad.”

Spain coach Luis De la Fuente said in a news

conference after the Denmark game, “The referee has to protect these talentedplayers,butLamine hastogetusedtoit.

Iwouldloveittobeabed of roses, Flower Power, but thissportislikethat.

“Lamine displayed an exceptional attitude and generated a lot for us from the right flank. He has a specialtalent.

I had a teammate who used to say: ‘What do you want, kisses (from the

opponents)?’Teamswilluse theweaponstheycanwithin therules.”

Yamal was a key player in Spain’s 2024 European Championship win. He has scored five goals and registered five assists from 11 games for Barcelona across all competitions this season.

Atletico Madrid’s Rodrigo Riquelme has been called up to replace Yamal for Tuesday’s match against SerbiainCordoba.

Spain lead the group at thehalfwaymarkwithseven points from their three games, followed by the Denmark on six and Serbia on four, with Switzerland bottomwithnopoints.

(BBC Sport) - England

recovered from the embarrassing Uefa Nations League loss to Greece at Wembley but were still not totally convincing as they finally overcame Finland in Helsinki.

Interim manager Lee Carsley made six chances from the debacle against Greece, with goalkeeper Jordan Pickford replaced by Dean Henderson, but failed to sparkle until the sideranked64thinthegroup andwithoutapointranoutof steamlateon.

The recalled Jack Grealish settled early England nerves with a cool finish from Angel Gomes’ excellent pass in the 18th minute, while Finland missed chances to put Carsley and his side under further pressure before Trent AlexanderArnold’s brilliant late freekicksettledthegame.

a

Declan Rice scored

m c

o

range with six minutes left to give the scoreline

appearance for Carsley and England Finland striker Fredrik Jensen was their biggest culprit as they tried toinflictmore misery on England, missing good first-half opportunities before somehow turning an effortoverthetopfromonly sixyardsafterthebreak.

Alexander-Arnold, operating at left-back in another Carsley break from convention, provided araremomentofqualityina game desperately lacking

the commodity, curling a magnificent 25-yard freekick high past Finland keeperLukasHradeckyafter 74 minutes. Finland, by then, were out on their feet and Rice stole in for aneasyfinishthreeminutes fromtime.

The Finns at least delightedthepacked32,000 crowd and got the reward theirgallanteffortsdeserved when Arttu Hoskonen scored as England failed to dealwithacorner.

Lorna Jack-Brown fell for a duck in her farewell match (Getty Images)

Spain’s Lamine Yamal reacts after missing a chance to score (Reuters)

Jack Grealish

Australia beat India to reach T20 World Cup semis

(BBC Sport) - Australia secured their place in the Women’s T20 World Cup semi-finals with a nine-run win over India, who face a nervous wait to see if they will join them in the final four

T h e d e f e n d i n g champions are certain of topping Group A after winning all four games, but second-placed India need New Zealand to lose to Pakistan on Monday and stay ahead of both sides on net run-rate (NRR) to progress.

Needing 152 to win and backed by a large and raucous crowd in Sharjah, India batted aggressively andgamelykeptupwiththe rate.

They needed 14 to win offthefinaloverthankstoan excellent 54 from 47 balls from captain Harmanpreet

Kaur But Australia seamer AnnabelSutherlandheldher nerve, with her over costing just four runs for the loss of threewicketstosealthewin. Australia, who were

without injured captain Alyssa Healy, earlier recovered from the loss of two early wickets to post 151-8-theirhighestscoreof thetournament.

Kenyaʼs Chepngetich breaks marathon world record

(BBC Sport) - Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich broke the world record to win the Chicago Marathon on Sunday

The 30-year-old clocked a time of two hours, nine minutes and 57 seconds to surpass Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s previous record by nearlytwominutes.

Chepngetich is the first womantorunamarathonin under two hours and 10 minutes.

Assefa set the previous record with victory at the 2023BerlinMarathonintwo hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds.“Ifeelsogreat,I’m proud of myself. This is my dream that has come true,” said Chepngetich, the 2019 worldmarathonchampion.

“I’ve fought a lot thinking about the world record and I have fulfilled it.” Victory for Chepngetich is her third in Chicago, where she missed out on breaking compatriot Brigid Kosgei’s then-world record by14secondsin2022.

Four of the five fastest women’s marathon times have been run on the flat Chicagocourseoverthelast

imperious in the tournament so far, but their preparations forthisgamewerehampered by injuries to Healy and TaylaVlaeminck.

Fast bowler Vlaeminck isoutofthetournamentwith a dislocated shoulder but Healy - who arrived at the stadiumoncrutches-hasnot been ruled out and will continuetohaveafootinjury assessed.

But such is Australia’s strength in depth those injuriesfailedtodisrupttheir seemingly unstoppable march towards a seventh Women’s T20 World Cup title.

OpenerGraceHarristopscoredwith40from41balls, while Ellyse Perry and stand-in captain Tahlia McGratheachadded32. Australia have been

The Southern Stars were reduced to 17-2 when Renuka Singh Thakur removed Beth Mooney and Georgia Wareham in successive balls, only for Harris and McGrath put on 62forthethirdwicket.

Another wobble saw Australia slip from 79-2 to 101-5 but Perry and Phoebe Litchfield, whose 15 from nine balls included a boomingsixoversquareleg, helped them finish with a flourish.

Indiabeganaggressively and reached 41-2 at the end of the powerplay, ahead of where Australia were at the samestage.

Theyweresmotheredby Australia’s spinners in the middleoversbeforeafourthwicket partnership worth 63 between Harmanpreet and Deepti Sharma, who hit 29 from 25, raised hopes of a spectacularwin.

Despitefallingjustshort, India could still reach the semi-finals. But if they are eliminated it will be their performances earlier in the tournamentandnotherethat didthedamage.

Djokovic denied 100th title as Sinner wins in Shanghai

(BBC Sport) - Novak

Djokovic missed the opportunity to claim the 100th title of his stellar career as Jannik Sinner won a high-quality Shanghai Mastersfinal.

World number one Sinner, 23, continued his dominant form this season with a 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 victory overthe37-year-oldSerb.

Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya celebrates after finishing first in the women’s race, setting a new world record at 2:09:56 during the Chicago Marathon at Grant Park. (Reuters)

sixyears.

Men’swinnerKorirpays tributetoKiptum In the men’s race, Kenya’s John Korir ran a personal-best time to claim victorybeforepayingtribute to world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, last year’s winner.

Korir emerged from a groupofsevenleaderstorun clearandfinishintwohours, twominutesand44seconds.

Ethiopia’s Mohamed Esa finished second, while AmosKipruto,whofinished third, was one of four

Kenyansinthetopfive.

Kiptum set the current worldrecordoftwohours35 seconds in Chicago, four months before he died aged 24 in a car accident, and Korir said he used his compatriot’s record run as motivationonSunday.

“Itwasreallynicetorun myPBandwininChicago,” saidKorir

“Today I was thinking aboutKiptumandIsaid‘last year if he could run under 2:01,whynotme?’SoIhad to believe in myself and try todomybest.”

Djokovic was aiming to become only the third manafter Jimmy Connors (109) and the watching Roger Federer(103)-tochalkupa ton of titles. “I have got to keep striving to make it happen somewhere in the near future,” said 24-time major champion Djokovic, whoseonlytitlethisyearhas been the Olympic gold whichhadbeeneludinghim.

“It’s not a live-or-die type of goal for me, I think I’ve achieved all of my biggestgoalsincareer

“Right now it’s really about Slams and about seeing how far I can kind of pushthebarformyself.”

Sinner, who continues to haveadopingcaselingering in the background despite being initially cleared of wrongdoing, played impeccably to pick up his seventhtitleofaremarkable year The Italian, whose successes have included the Australian Open and US

Open, has won 65 of his 71 matchesin2024.

Djokovic still motivated bypushingtheyoungsters

Thecarrotofthecentury had been providing extra motivation for Djokovic in Shanghai. So too was the opportunity to show the younger generation that he still has the quality and durabilitytobeatthemtothe biggestprizes.

However, a couple of lapses from the four-time Shanghai champion at key moments proved costly in Sunday’s final and allowed Sinner to edge the most critical points. Despite the defeat, Djokovic has plenty of positives to take from a tournament where he

produced some of his best tennisoftheyear

“IstillthinkthatIplayed pretty good, so it gives me reason to believe that I can stillplaywiththeseguysthat arebestintheworld,”added Djokovic. Losing to Sinner for the third consecutive time, though, is a telling statistic as the veteran aims to keep pushing the next generationledbySinnerand Spain’sCarlosAlcaraz.

“It’stoughtotellyouthe secret [to beating Djokovic] becausehedoesn’thaveany weaknesses,”Sinnersaid.

“You have to use the small amount of chances he gives you. He is a legend of oursportandisverytoughto playagainst.”

Phoebe Litchfield’s direct hit ran Richa Ghosh out•Oct 13, 2024 (ICC/Getty Images)

Jannik Sinner and Novak Djokovic, Shanghai, October 13, 2024. (Reuters)

CONCACAFNationsLeague…

Golden Jags to face Suriname on Tuesday

Guyana’s Golden Jaguars will be looking to rebound from their 3-1 defeat against Guatemala in their latest CONCACAF Nations League A match as they prepare to face a familiar rival, Suriname, on their home soil, Tuesday, October15.

S t e p h e n D u k eMcKenna’s 31st minute success for the Jaguars was the lone goal in the showdown.

Competing at this level forthefirsttime,theJaguars continue to gain invaluable experience as they test themselves against some of the strongest teams in the region.

While the scoreline did notreflecttheteam’sefforts, the Jaguars created several promising opportunities throughoutthematch.DukeMcKenna’s goal was a testament to the team’s attacking potential, and despite some defensive errors, the squad showed resilience and determination throughout the game. The focusnowwillbeonrefining key aspects of their game, particularly defensive solidity and converting chancesintogoals.

Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz acknowledged the team’s progress but pointed out that failing to convert chances into goals made the

difference. “We outplayed

Guatemala for many momentsinthegamebutdid not score our numerous chances. They outscored us, plain and simple,” Shabazz stated. He further noted that although the result was disappointing, he was proud of the team’s execution of their build-up style of play

“Guyana now has a definitive style of play and identity,” he said, adding, “While I cannot put the ball in the back of the net, I take full responsibility for us not gettingtheresults.”

This marks the Golden Jaguars’ historic first-time qualification for League A, and competing at this level allows the team to grow and adapttothedemandsofelite football. Despite not securing a win yet, the Jaguars’presence in League A signals the progress of Guyanese football on the internationalstage.

Speaking on the performance of the team,

GFFPresidentWayneForde noted; “As a fan above all else,itwasdifficulttoaccept theoutcomeofthegamelast night. We clearly belong at this level, and the first 45 minutes demonstrated that fact.However,wemusttake responsibility; it was hugely disappointingtoseesomany c l e a r c h a n c e s g o unconverted, not to mention

The Golden Jags are currently competing in League A of the CONCACAF Nations League

thesequenceofmistakesthat ledtosoftgoalsbeingscored againstus.Asateam,weare much better than our performances so far in this campaign.”

Forde also emphasized the continued efforts to support the team stating; “This is the team that went unbeateninthe2023Nations League, earning promotion

Guyana will host a successful 2024 CAC - GBBFF President

President of the Guyana Body Building &FitnessFederation(GBBFF)KeavonBess speakingrecentlyexpressedconfidencethat Guyana will successfully host the Central American & Caribbean (CAC) Championships slated to be staged this weekend,attheNationalCulturalCentre.

Bessinaninterviewsaid,“allthepillars to make CAC a resounding success are in place and its now time to focus on ensuring that the pillars work efficiently and cohesively”.

He opined that once they can maintain their focus on the task at hand, then CAC 2024wouldbeanationalsuccess.

“The next few days will be used to fine tune,crosscheck,reviewandtestingandwe know that sleepless nights will become the norm,butit’sallforthesuccessofthesport andforthedisplayofGuyana’sabilitytohost different sports and events,” Bess pointed out.

Herevealedthatathletesanddelegations are scheduled to begin arriving from today and they will be present for weigh-in and

GBBFF President, Keavon Bess

measurementsonFriday

The GBBFF Head also took the time to welcome two additionalsponsors in Bounty Farms Ltd. and Andrews Supermarket and they join the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport, the National Sports Commission, Guyana Olympic Association, Twins Manufacturing, Fitness Express, Camille’s Academy and Republic Bank (Guyana) amongothers.

toLeagueA—somethingwe always knew would be challenging The GFF is making significant investments to ensure the best possible conditions are in place both on and off the pitch.”

Additionally, he expressed gratitude for the support provided by PresidentDr IrfaanAlitothe

GFF’sprogramme.“Iwould like to thank President Dr IrfaanAliforhisunwavering commitmentandsupportfor our programme, as well as the Leonora authorities for their tremendous efforts in improving the hosting conditions at the venue,” he noted.

As they continue their journey in League A, the

GoldenJagswillgohead-tohead once again with the Surinamese, from 20:00hrs at the Andre Kamperveen Stadium.

The Guyana Football Federation remains confident in the team’s potential and looks forward to seeing the Jaguars continue to grow in this highlycompetitivearena.

Sabalenka wins third consecutive Wuhan Open final

(BBC Sport) - Aryna Sabalenka became the first player to win the Wuhan Open three times with a hard-foughtwinoverZheng QinweninSunday’sfinal.

The 26-year-old Belarusian was taken to threesetsbyChina’sZheng inathrillingrematchofthis year’s Australian Open final, in which she also claimedvictory Sabalenka clinched her fourthwomen’ssinglestitle of the year 6-3 5-7 6-3 and remains undefeated in Wuhan “That sounds crazy,”shesaid.“Thisplace definitelyfeelslikehome.

“Iamprettysureweare

going to play many more finalsagainstoneanother.”

Top seed Sabalenka took the opening set in just 38 minutes, but Zheng mountedhercomebackina gripping second to force a decider

There, Zheng found herself3-0down,andwhile shepulledtwogamesback, lost her serve again as Sabalenka broke for a 5-2 lead.

The world number two failedtoserveoutthematch as Zheng broke back to love,butfinallywrappedup her 17th career title on her thirdchampionshippoint.

Reigning Olympic gold

medallist Zheng, who became the first Chinese playertoreachaWTA1000 final,hasnowlostallfourof her meetings against the three-time Grand Slam champion.

“Next time I will be better,”shesaid. Sabalenka is now unbeaten in 17 consecutive matches in Wuhan, breaking Petra Kvitova’s record for the most at the tournament.

The win adds to a successfulyearinwhichshe won both the Australian Open and US Open and appeared in seven singles finals.

West Indies go 1-0 up after Lewis, King outshine Kamindu, Asalanka

(ESPN Cricinfo)Brandon King and Evin Lewis crashed 107 off 55 balls at the top of the order, tosetWestIndiesbeautifully on course to their target of 180,inthefirstT20Iagainst Sri Lanka. Although the hosts’middle-overs bowlers

slowed West Indies’ progress,theywereneverin serioustrouble.

They had plenty of batting to see the chase through, and Sherfane Rutherford finished it off withafouroffthefirstballof thefinalover Shamar Joseph was the most economical of West Indies’ bowlers, conceding only 27 from his four overs

ThoughKingandLewislater outshonethem,SriLankahad

two half-centurions too, in Kamindu Mendis and CharithAsalanka,whose82run stand was the most substantial of Sri Lanka’s innings. King, Lewis blast the powerplay Lewis struck

Shamar Springer celebrates his maiden T20I wicket (AP Photo)

thefirstboundaries,launching ChaminduWickramaratnefor asixandfourattheendofthe firstover,butitwasKingwho made the greatest impression while the fielding restrictions were in play King’s standard

Cache of activities planned for New Amsterdam’s 133rd anniversary

The New Amsterdam Mayor and Town Council (NAMTC) is this year celebrating its 133 years in existence and a hoard of activities including sports have been planned to observetheoccasion.

NewAmsterdam,which got township status September 1, 1891, is the oldest town in Guyana. Its firstMayorwasBritainNeil Ross Mc Kinnon, a Barrister of Law The present Mayor is Wainwright McIntosh, an EducationOfficer

This year’s activity was launched on the 22nd of August. The town week is expected to run from October 17th to November 3rd. The theme this year is ‘Embrace History and Unity”.

To start things off a church service was held at theBethelPrayerandPraise Ministries.Attheendofthe service members of the churchgiftedthestaffofthe NAMTC an anniversary cake Several sporting activities are slated to highlight the Town’s 133rd Anniversarycelebrations.

Including street football, basketball, bird whistling competition,

cricket, drama festival, Mayor’s Cycling road race, steel band competition, bingo, Spelling Bee, domino Competition, debate, impromptu speech, singing competition, mathematics Olympiad, dancing competition, walk raceandconcerts.

A variety of other activities are also on the agenda including River tours, business exhibition andjobfair,allbackandall blue affairs, market day, cooler fete and breakfast morning.

The celebrations are expected to culminate with a fair and sound clash on Friday, November 1, at the BermineGround.Theusual streetfairandLimeisslated for Saturday, November 2, along Main Street while a family fun day is slated for Sunday,November3,atthe EsplanadePark.

NewAmsterdam,which is located about five miles on the Eastern Bank of the BerbiceRiver,issituatedat the confluence of the BerbiceandCanjeRivers.It became a town exactly 100 years before it became a Municipality

About 1733, the name NewAmsterdam was given

movewastorunatthebowlers and blast them down the ground.Sogoodwashishandeyecoordination,thathedidit twice against seamer Asitha Fernando in the second over, beforetakingaimatthespinof Maheesh Theekshana in the thirdover

By the end of the powerplay, King had eight fours (some of them edged, tobefair),and39runsoff20 balls Lewis, who had blasted boundaries off Wickramaratne almost exclusively, had 31 off 16 balls. And West Indies had 74offthefirstsix.

Theykeptswinging,and by the end, Lewis made 50 off 28, and King 63 off 33. The requirement was fairly simpleaftertheironslaught.

WIquicksstrikeearly

By contrast, Sri Lanka’s toporderhadfailedtoprosper onahelpfulsurface,thanksin part to sharp bowling from West Indies’quicks. Romario Shepherd caught the edge of Pathum Nissanka’s bat three times, conceded fours behind the wicket and then had him caught by the keeper on the third occasion, to make West Indies’ first breakthrough. KusalPererawasthenbowled byShamarJosephearlyinthe followingover

WhenKusalMendiswas also bowled by an excellent quicker delivery from GudakeshMotie,leavingSri Lankaat58for3,itfeltasif West Indies were about to carve open the game Kamindu may be good at

cricket But then perhaps it’s time to admit that Kamindu appears to know what he is doing on a cricket field. Having recently become the fastest batter since 1950 to 1000Testruns,heproduced50 off 41 here in the shortest format, outdone in his team onlybyAsalankawhoclubbed 59off35,Kaminduwouldalso bowl two overs for 14, switching arms when necessary Hetookthewicket oftheopposition’stopscorer, King, with his left-arm spin, andcollectedfiguresof1for 14 Match details: West Indies 180 for 5 (King 63, Lewis 50, Pathirana 2-27) beat Sri Lanka 179 for 7 (Asalanka 59, Kamindu 51, Shepherd 2-39) by five wickets

2024 GCB Senior Men’s Super50 Inter-County Tournament… Chanderpaul, Adams star in exciting opening round -Demerara,Essequibosecurewins

toalittlevillagethatsprang up around Fort Nassau about 56 miles up the BerbiceRiver

In1785itwasdecidedto abandon Fort Nassau and move to the neighbourhood of Fort St. Andries lower down the river at the confluence of the Berbice River and its tributary the Canje River, the site of p r e s e n t - d a y N e w Amsterdam. It was built by the Dutch in 1740 before being taken over by the British in 1803 New Amsterdam covers about 13.7 square kilometers and hasanestimatedpopulation of approximately 50,000 persons.

New Amsterdam was established as the seat of Government for Berbice Between1785to1790.

In 1812 a special Department of Works, the WinkelDepartment,wasset up to deal with all repair works required by the residents The workmen were originally slaves who weregiventheirfreedomin 1831. The Town Hall of Tudor’s architecture was built with a tower, of approximately75 feet.This tower was dismantled in 2012.

Theopeningroundofthe GCB Senior Men’s Super50 Inter-county tournament bowled off yesterday with comprehensive wins for Demerara and Essequibo, following some exquisite performances from the likes of Tagenarine Chanderpaul andRicardoAdams.

Demerara beat GCB XI by 105 runs Opener Chanderpaul and middleorder batsman Akshaya Persaud led Demerara to a comprehensivewinoverthe GCB XI yesterday at Bourda. The Windies Test opener stroked 103 with 6 fours as he got himself into form,withPersaudchipping in nicely with an aggressive 79off52withfivefoursand sixsixes,takingDemerarato 258-9. Fast-bowlers Carlos Larose(4-41)JohnathanVan Lange(2-51)ledtheGCBXI bowling, before their side slippedto153alloutduring thechase.

Brandon Jaikaran (25), Ushardeva Balgobin (27), Johnathan Rampersaud (26) andalateknockof51notout by Kwesi Mickle failed to carry the GCB XI over the ropes. Demerara’s trio of spinners in Devon Lord (321), Richie Looknauth (219) and Steven Sankar (241) kept Demerara in the

MVP Ricardo Adams tormented the opposition with the ball before returning with the bat

game, sharing six key wickets on their way to assisting a huge win EssequibodefeatBerbiceby 4 wickets Over at Pomona Ground in Essequibo, Berbice posted 203 all out despite a string of scores from; Rampertab Ramnauth (38), Kevin Sinclair (39), Veerasammy Permaul (30), Tomani Caesar (20) and JuniorSinclair(14). All-rounder Ricardo Adamshadabrilliantgame, snapping up 5-25 with fastbowler Ronsford Beaton grabbing 2-46. Defending 200wasnevereasyagainsta star-studded Essequibo

batting unit, set up by Kemol Savory (34) while half-centuriesfromAnthony Adams and a returning Ricardo,easedEssequiboto a win. Ricardo smacked 5 sixesandtwofoursinhis60 off 47, while his namesake Anthony also stroked 60 with8foursandamaximum, thus negating Berbice pacer Clinton Pestano, who returned3-29.

Action continues October 15 with another exciting second round, with BerbiceplayingDemeraraat Bourda, while Essequibo and GCB XI battle at LusignanGround.

CONCACAFNationsLeague…

Golden Jags to face Suriname

Guyana hosted Suriname in September but came out on the losing end of the encounter