“Nothing will stop us… Silica City to be realised by 2030”
Guyana working with HeDPAC to strengthen capacity of local pharmaceutical manufacturers
64-year-old Grove EBD man charged with setting house on fire
Taxi driver accused of raping teen to stand High Court trial
GPL gets 15 certified fibre optic technicians
12-year-old dies after alleged scuffle with cousin
PNC continues to ignore meetings called by new APNU executive – APNU
First Son Zayd Ali is being assisted by his father President Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister Mark Phillips to
in photo are Housing and Water Ministers Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues, First Lady Arya Ali and other officials
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, August 9 – 04:00hrs05:30hrs and Saturday, August 10 – 21:00hrs - 22:30hrs
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, August 9 – 6:45 hrs to 8:15 hrs and Saturday, August 10 – 7:15 hrs to 8:45 hrs
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Light to thundery showers are expected during the day, interrupted by sunshine in the late-afternoon hours. Clear to partly cloudy skies and thundery showers are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to South SouthEasterly between 0.89 metre and 2.68 metres.
High Tide: 06:43h and 19:00h reaching maximum heights of 2.59 metres and 2.53 metres.
Low Tide: 12:37h reaching a minimum height of 0.66 metre.
“Nothing
will stop us…Silica City to be realised by 2030” – Pres Ali
–
as
master plan unveiled at Int'l Building Expo 2024
he People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government’s highly-touted Silica City Project along the Linden/Soesdyke Highway is expected to be realized by 2030 and according to President Dr Irfaan Ali, nothing will stop his administration from achieving this transformative initiative.
He made these declarations on Thursday evening while delivering the feature address at the opening of the International Building Expo 2024 at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The Head of State, during his remarks, unveiled the masterplan for his brainchild project – Silica City – and noted that his government will continue to engage the best experts to ensure this initiative is fruitful.
“We would have this Silica City realized by 2030. Nothing will stop us. We are going to continue to engage with the best planners – young people, experienced people, and the global community is where our learning must come from,” President Ali posited.
According to the Guyanese leader, over the years, even while in opposition, they have been working on developing Silica City and those efforts were amplified when the PPP/C returned to office in 2020 to activate the process of making this project a reality.
In fact, the Guyana Government has been working with international partners, particularly the School of Architecture at the University of Miami, over the last year to sharpen the edges in the planning framework of Silica City.
“The University of Miami became our partners as we work on completing the comprehensive outlay of what Silica City will be. Today, I have the pleasure to inform you that we have now completed the entire planning model of Silica City, and you will see this during this expo. And what you see here will be what you
will get in Silica City – a city that is sustainable, resilient; a naturally beautiful city; a city that is modern, and innovative; a city that is in advance of its time; city that will be built 100 years ahead of what time will be; a city that will bring tremendous interest and position Guyana as one of the most sustainable stories in urban development.”
“This city is built on love. It is built on nature. It is built on our culture. It is built on our tradition, and it is built on innovation and sustainable development. And what you will see in this city is not only a place to live, but a place in which you will live healthy, a safe place, and a place in which the future generations of Guyana will be proud. That is a resilient city that we are building,” the president noted.
To achieve these goals, the Head of State pointed out that Guyana must learn from the mistakes that other similar cities made in their building phase.
He noted that the aim is to create a product that reflects the soul of Guyana with emphasis placed on nature. This, according to Ali is reflected in the design of Silica City – which portrays the outline of a tree with a main stem and branches and leaves that separate into different sectors that will make up the whole of Silica City.
“It is a city that is in harmony with nature, sustainable, encouraging the use of eco-friendly building materials suitable for a tropical climate. It will be energy efficient. It will use technology for wastewater management, energy management, and water conservation…”
“It will have digitalized transportation, electricity grid buildings, and multi-special health care – an environment that enhances wellbeing, productivity, and happiness… [It will also have] recreational parks and community centres, mobility and interconnectivity, a partnership among stakeholders to create new innovative products, institutions as well as entrepreneurship, smart governance, and citizen engagement,” he stated.
The Guyanese Leader outlined that the city will also serve as a fertile ground for cultivating opportunities for the clustering of companies and industries that produce innovative products, thereby paving the way for an inclusive urban economy and efficient urban living.
He added that Silica City’s development model goes beyond just environmental protection but harnesses the power of nature, to drive sustainable and green economic growth and development. The city will also be self-sufficient in food since every building will
have food producing facilities.
Another hallmark of Silica City will be its focus on building close-knit families and neighborhoods. The president noted that Silica City must give its residents years on their lives.
“We want to use this city as an example of how healthy living can lead to an increased life expectancy rate. That is one of the measurement tools we are using to evaluate Silica City and the impact that would have on the population.”
“My friends, our new city will be built not only with climate resilience, and infrastructure but smart infrastructure to allow our citizens to receive modern economic and social services in their homes. The new city will create an environment that promotes his sense of place and enhances the inhabitants’ well-being productivity and happiness. We want this to be a happy city, stressfree. Happiness is the core of what we want to achieve.”
Conceptualised in 2009, Silica City is Guyana’s first smart urban centre located along the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The first phase of the project will see an initial 400 young professional homes being constructed. It was previously reported that the Housing Ministry has already begun shortlisting persons for these homes.
In February last year, a $2.1 billion contract was inked to develop Silica City. It is envisioned that over the next two decades, this new city along the Linden-Soesdyke Highway will grow to hold more than 12,500 households.
The new secondary city is intended to be one of the PPP/C Government’s climate change mitigation strategies under its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS).
It will initially cater to just over 3000 households in the first five years but 3800 acres of land has been earmarked for the new city, and designs for the first phase of the project will begin this year. (G-8)
Prime Minister Mark Phillips along with Ministers Susan Rodrigues and Collin Croal
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AI use in economy
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a buzzword recently; however, the discussions have only taken an alarmist turn, without acknowledging that, inevitably, AI would spread into economic activities that build on the present use of computers and the internet. We present below excerpts from one quantitative study, “Firms’ Use of Artificial Intelligence: Cross-Country Evidence on Business Characteristics, Asset Complementariness, and Productivity”, published by VoxEU as a corrective for our policymakers in the emerging age of AI.
“Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming economies and societies. AI is already reshaping the demand for skills, and AI-driven products and services have become an integral part of people’s daily routines, although they may not be fully aware of it. AI is often considered a general-purpose technology (GPT) with the potential to bring significant improvements to adopters. It could play a critical role in addressing societal challenges such as health and climate change by fostering breakthrough innovations. Although AI presents significant opportunities for boosting productivity and well-being, it also poses risks – for example, for financial markets, inequalities, and democratic values.
Based on representative data from 11 countries, our recent analysis focuses on the characteristics of firms using AI, the role of complementary assets, and the links between AI use and productivity. The analysis focuses on 11 countries: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Portugal, and Switzerland. The analysis of the cross-country patterns of AI use by firms highlights five key findings.
AI use is more widespread among large firms. This may be relevantly related to their higher endowments or capabilities to use intangibles and other complementary assets required to leverage the potential of AI fully. Younger firms tend to have higher shares of AI use. Start-ups are more likely to introduce more radical innovations, especially with the advent of new technological paradigms.
ICT and Professional Services have the highest sectoral shares of AI users. This indicates that AI use is not yet equally distributed across all sectors of the economy. Considering that AI is at a relatively early stage of diffusion, this suggests that its full potential as a GPT is yet to be fully realised.
The use of AI is significantly linked to the presence of complementary assets, such as ICT skills and training, firmlevel digital capabilities (proxied by the use of other digital technologies), and digital infrastructure. More general skills and innovative activities appear also positively associated with AI use.
On average, AI users tend to be more productive than non-users, with productivity premia being more pronounced among larger firms. However, this does not seem to reflect the use of AI alone. In fact, the abovementioned complementary assets, especially those related to digital transformation, play a critical role in the productivity advantages of AI users.
The evidence outlined above suggests that some firms – those that are larger, that have higher digital capabilities, and that are likely to be more productive already – are those currently exploiting AI more intensively. Initial evidence for one country (France) also seems to highlight that some more direct effects of AI on productivity may start emerging for firms that develop their own AI algorithms, likely endowed with higher digital capabilities and complementary assets.
Polarised adoption of AI, mainly by larger and more productive firms, combined with the role of AI in strengthening their advantages, may imply that existing gaps between leaders and other firms could widen in the future, with relevant implications for social outcomes. In this context, policymakers can play a crucial role in fostering an inclusive digital transformation through a broad policy mix that affects incentives and capabilities, and that captures synergies across policy areas.
This would include not only raising awareness about new technologies and developing firms’ absorptive capacities, but also providing relevant credit tools, fostering competition, improving knowledge production and sharing, and strengthening the foundation of digital infrastructure and skills.
Focusing on these complementary policy areas may enable AI use and its returns to be more widely spread across firms and sectors, fostering an inclusive digital transformation in the age of AI.”
The next world’s tallest building could be a 3,000-foot-high
Humans have long built towering structures to showcase the power of empires, rulers, religions, and corporations. Today, more tall buildings are popping up than ever before. But skyscrapers could soon have a new purpose: storing renewable energy.
One of the biggest hurdles to a power grid dominated by clean energy is the intermittency of some renewable sources. Sometimes clouds roll in when solar energy is needed, or the wind stops blowing, and turbines can’t generate power. Other times, the sun and wind produce more electricity than is required.
Storage is crucial for balancing generation and consumption. A combination of technologies — from various forms of batteries to other energy storage methods — will likely be necessary to increase capacity.
Enter battery skyscrapers. At the end of May, Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the architecture and engineering firm behind some of the world’s tallest buildings, announced a partnership with the energy storage company Energy Vault to develop new gravity energy storage solutions.
That includes a design for a skyscraper that would use a motor powered by electricity from the grid to elevate giant blocks when energy demand is low. These blocks would store the electricity as “potential” energy. When there is demand, the blocks would be lowered, releasing the energy, which would be converted into electricity.
Tall buildings are SOM’s specialty. It designed New York’s One World Trade Center, Chicago’s Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, and the world’s tallest skyscraper, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, which is more than 828 meters (2,700 feet) tall.
“Here’s an opportunity to take this expertise … and use it for energy storage, enabling us to wean ourselves [off] fossil fuels,” Bill Baker, a consulting partner at SOM and structural engineer for the Burj Khalifa, told CNN.
Net zero requires grid-scale storage
If the world wants to reach net zero by 2050, grid-scale storage, or technologies connected to the power grid that can store energy and deploy it when needed, will need to be ramped up, according to the International Energy Association.
Lithium-ion batteries, which are popular for electric vehicles, can’t solve the problem alone. For one, they can’t store energy for long periods.
That may be fine for shifting energy from the sunniest part of the afternoon to the evening, when demand spikes, but energy may need to be stored for longer than that.
Pumped storage hydropower, which is already widely used to store renewable energy, can do that. It entails a turbine pumping water from a reservoir on lower ground to one on higher ground during off-peak hours. When demand spikes, the water is released to flow through an electricity-generating turbine. But it requires hilly terrain and a lot of space.
SOM and Energy Vault’s superstructure tower, which could range from 300 to 1,000 meters (985 to 3,300 feet) in height, would have hollowed-out structures resembling elevator shafts for moving the blocks, leaving room for residential and commercial tenants. (The firms are also looking at integrating pumped storage hydropower into skyscrapers, using water instead of blocks).
Ultimately, multi-gigawatts-hours of energy could be stored, which is enough to power several buildings, Robert Piconi, the CEO of Energy Vault, told CNN.
Two energy storage experts contacted by CNN questioned if the economics of a skyscraper battery could work, given the space that would need to be used for energy storage and the structural changes that would be needed to support the extra weight.
But Energy Vault and SOM are confident their solutions are commercially viable.
Energy Vault has already completed a project in China which it says is
battery
the world’s first commercial-scale, non-pumped hydrogravitational energy storage system. The 150-meter-tall (492 feet) building — which has a storage capacity of 100 megawatt hours — is purpose-built to store energy and doesn’t have space for tenants.
The taller the better?
Enabling the use of renewable energy would help offset the carbon footprint of supertall buildings. Today, the buildings and construction sector is responsible for almost 40% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
There is work underway to address that, from equipping buildings with better insulation to building with alternative materials that are less carbon-intensive, like timber.
Some buildings are literally getting greener. In Milan, Italian architect Stefano Boeri has created towers covered in trees and shrubs, and he has unveiled a similar design for towers in Dubai.
But buildings are getting taller and more plentiful too, at least partially to meet demand from rapid urbanization, which has driven people into cities, where limited space can mean the best way to build is up.
Between 1900 and 1999, 235 buildings taller than 200 meters (656 feet) were built globally, Daniel Safarik, of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, told CNN in an email. Last year, 179 buildings of that height or more were built.
When it comes to gravity-energy storage structures, the taller the better. A very tall gravity energy storage structure could offset its embodied carbon — from construction and materials — within two to four years.
“If you’re going high in a superstructure anyway, we’re just piggybacking on that,” said Piconi.”
SOM and Energy Vault are now looking for development partners to turn their designs into reality. SOM’s credibility in the tall buildings arena “will help address the challenge of getting the first one built,” said Piconi. (CNN)
One of the displays at the International Building Expo 2024, being held at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The Expo, which attracted over 150 companies, is being held between August 8 and 11, 2024
GHDS Hindu Youth Summit set for August 10 & 11
On the occasion of its 50th anniversary, the Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha (GHDS) will be hosting a massive Hindu Youth Summit bringing together hundreds of Hindu youths from across Guyana from mandirs, Hindu organisations, and the wider community. Teams of youths from Trinidad, Suriname, and the United States of America (USA) will also be participating.
The Hindu Youth Summit will capture the thoughts, perspectives, and views of the youth under the theme: “Empowering Hindu Leadership, leveraging Hindu wisdom and cultural expression for positive social change.”
Hindu Youth will be in for an electrifying journey into the heart of Hinduism at the Hindu Youth Summit 2024. This groundbreaking event will take place on August 10 and 11, 2024 at the Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud Dharmic Sanskritik Kendra, Prashad Nagar.
It will be an unmissable gathering that promises to ignite commitment, foster connection, and inspire a new generation of leaders in the Hindu community.
During the event, influential persons such as Indian High Commissioner Dr. Amit Telang; President of Guyana Hindu Dharmic Sabha, Dr.
GHDS President Dr Vindhya Persaud
Vindhya Vasini Persaud; Veterinarian Dr Nardeo Bassoodeo; Neurosurgeon Dr Amarnath Dukhi; Pt. Deodat Persaud; Editor-in-Chief of the Guyana Chronicle, Navendra
The AFC/ APA farce
Dear Editor,
A declaration was made by AFC Leader Nigel Hughes that the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) is a “politically neutral” organization, during his announcement that the deputy head of the APA, Laura George, has joined the AFC election campaign team.
There is no indication that Laura George has resigned from the APA, and Hughes’s thoughts on 'conflicts of interest' are well known.
This AFC/APA farce is being played for the foreigners, embassies, and international organizations that treat the words of these less-than-credible NGOs as gospel truths.
This is not an attack on the dozens of NGOs that are well-intentioned, and who do invaluable work to assist the vulnerable in our society; this is about the handful that have demonstrated clear political bias against the PPP, and who provide fodder for the rumour mills. These organizations may think they are harming only the PPP, but, in reality, they do immense damage to our nation's reputation and standing, and give negative values in the evaluation of our intellectual capacity and capabilities.
Let us take the APA letter to the ART Secretariat, asking them to block funds earned by Guyana's LCDS programmefunds destined to assist with development programmes in Indigenous villages. It is incomprehensible to me that an 'association' with the stated aim of representing the Indigenous community would act in such a counter-productive way. the only explanation is that they are a political group masquerading as 'politically neutral'.
Most Guyanese easily recognize these masked crusaders and their bogus organizations, as we live and breathe these issues, and know where the truth lies. On the 'cocktail circuit' however, a different standard applies. In the words of a former British High Commissioner to Guyana, "We never send spies to Guyana, we have people falling over us at cocktail parties to give us information"; to which he added, "Most of it is bunkum".
It should be noted that High Commissioners are not
all created equally, and an overreliance on this stream of misinformation is poisonous to our nation, as it permeates the water table. It enters international reports on important issues, such as corruption and human rights.
If one were to look at the composition of the last Human Rights workshop, held jointly by the British High Commission and GHRA, one would assume that Guyana is a land of two races, as participants were either black or white; the absence of Indian, Amerindian, and Chinesedescended Guyanese was marked, and had a profound effect on the viewpoints expressed and dissected during the 'workshop'.
The Indo-Guyanese is a unique cultural specimen, and is quite unlike other Indian Diaspora communities globally. It is to the High Commission's discredit that this is ignored and/or not explored fully; it may also be to the UK's economic disadvantage, as the Indo-Guyanese affinity to the USA is ever-growing in proportion to distrust of the UK's motives and intentions based on their bias shown at this workshop and other HC events.
It may be the self-esteem and confidence of the IndoGuyanese are not suited to the foreign perception of how Third World peoples should behave, and the ABCEU nations are more comfortable with the company of the less self-assured (the whingers and whiners) and their fellow 'whites'. Even worse would be that these 'workshops' etc. are all designed to divide (and conquer).
Guyana is a nation with very little actual racial discrimination and actual racists, but to listen to the cocktail crowd, one would think we are on the brink of civil war! It behooves those foreign actors that claim to want to help Guyana develop to first work on themselves, and to carefully discern the genuine from the 'politically neutral' when lending an ear to Guyanese concerns. As we locals say, "Nah tek yuh mattie eye fuh see".
Sincerely, Robin Singh
Seoraj; Pt. Jagmohan Persaud; Pt. Avishkar Nandlall; Dr. Vishnu Doerga of ActionInvest; Cricketer Akshaya Persaud; Pt. Nitin Jagbandan out of Suriname; Chief Executive Officer of ENET Vishok Mayan Persaud and Gina Arjoon among others.
These speakers are set to share transformative insights and real-world applications of ancient wisdom.
In addition, interactive Panels and workshops: Engage in lively discussions on topics that matter to you. Dive into engaging workshops that address pressing issues and explore how Hindu teachings can offer solutions. Topics range from modern applications of
traditional values to personal empowerment, mental wellness, and leadership.
Further, there will be a cultural extravaganza with performances that will showcase the beauty of Hindu traditions.
The Youth Summit offers ample opportunities to engage in meaningful discussions, collaborate on projects, and build lasting friendships with fellow young leaders.
The youths will also participate in interactive sessions, Hindu Jeopardy, Ramayan Quizzes, and creative challenges, designed to apply Hindu principles to social and contemporary issues. Be part of solutions that make a real difference!
Inspiration & Empowerment: Discover how ancient teachings can empower you to navigate today’s world with confidence and purpose. Leave the Summit with actionable insights and a renewed sense of direction. This Summit is perfect for teenagers, young adults, students, and anyone passionate about exploring the depth of Hindu philosophy and its relevance today.
Meanwhile, the summit will shape the future of the Hindu community and be part of developing a National threeyear action plan for the Hindu Youth Community which provides solutions to social challenges.
Stalling actions of the defence in the Election Fraud Case
Dear Editor, They said there would be no trial, it was publicly announced by The Opposition that there would be no trial of anyone for the blatant acts of rigging in The March 2020 Election. Further, they were bold to assert that even if there was a trial, there would be no punishment for those accused of rigging the election. Pretty strong words I would say by the seasoned criminals, these were the sentiments expressly enunciated by their supporters.
The PNC was full of it, in that, they had full confidence in their "ironclad institution" of rigging, it was their mistaken belief that it was so formidably established that no one would dare challenge it in a court of law, or anywhere else for that matter. Well, those haughty ideals were quickly dispelled when first, there was a commission of inquiry that explicitly found the accused parties, guilty, and now for the trial of the brazen offenders.
Now, that the trial is on its way, there is a shower of delays appearing on the horizon, just to mention some of these inexplicable acts facilitated by this magistrate; giving free rein to the defense team to object to the testimony of the witnesses, while at the same time a magistrate omitting verifiable evidence from her notes. Anyone, even one with half a brain, can judge for themselves what are the intended outcome of Magistrate Daly and the defense in this matter.
What is unfolding before our very eyes, is a clear calculated plan concocted by The Opposition PNC way in advance of the present circumstances, however, those plans were thwarted due to the prompt interception of the PPP/C and its legal team, barring this, The PNC would have had a free pass with their rigging strategies.
Follow me closely, you will recall after Election 2020, Mingo paid scant regard to The SOPs and in-
serted fraudulent figures of his own. Lowenfield later went on to make a declaration in favour of the PNCLed Coalition based on those very same figures. After that declaration, there was the call was made for a recount, and that call was met with a political response, it would take 274 days to recount the said votes. This was another delaying tactic which actually meant that there should be no recount. That nonsensical stance was easily shot down and the recount was held. The recount showed verified results that mirrored those found on The SOPs of that election. The PNC was defeated yet again! But The Opposition would not give up.
Now this is a delicate magistrate suddenly falling ill with an undisclosed illness, and one that caused a medical practitioner (Whoever he or she is) to issue a leave of absence for 30 days. This marks the absence of a trial hearing way beyond the time stipulated for this trial to end. So, let me ask a few questions; what is the nature of her illness, is it one of a terminal nature? If so, let this case be adjudicated by some other competent judicial senior, a serious matter such as this, time is of importance and we need this circus to end now!
This brings back the memory of a prominent political figure who, after having bouts of diarrhea, opted for treatment overseas, far away from the prying eyes of his political colleagues. It was sort of an embarrassing situation for that individual, with all expenses borne by the hapless taxpayer. Now, maybe, just maybe, this might be the experience of the present situation, which in the present scenario the aforementioned option can be explored again.
The point is, if you can't stand the heat then get out of the kitchen before a more serious ailment comes upon you. Let us face the facts,
this case must be tried, I repeat, this fraud case must be tried, and the correct, legal judgment must have arrived at its conclusion, nothing more nothing less. We have
waited these four long years and it is high time for a conclusion of this fraud case.
Respectfully, Neil Adams
Page Foundation
Unit Test
Exercises: Calculate
1) Which cost more: $1200 per gallon gas or $375 per litre kerosene?
2) Anil is weighing flour to bake a three-tier birthday cake. If the ratio of flour to other ingredients is 1:4, and the first-tier cake weighs 3 pounds, the second weighs 2 pounds and the third weighs 1 pound, how much flour must Anil weigh?
3) In the triangular solid above, side a = 12cm, side b = 10cm, side c = 20cm and height = 11cm. What is the volume of the triangular solid?
4) Annual sugar production in Guyana for the year 2023 was 60, 204 tonnes. How many pounds of sugar is that?
5) Angela wants to make a big batch of lime drink. The pitcher holds 2 gallons and she is using a 1-quart container to fill it. How many containers of water will she need to fill the pitcher?
6) Samantha wants to build a six-foot fence around her yard, and she needs to know how many six-inch concrete blocks to buy. Her yard has sides of 20 feet and 20 yards. How many six-inch blocks does she need?
7) A coconut bun recipe calls for 1 pound grated coconut, 4 cups of flour, and 1 pint of milk. Convert those quantities to metric units.
8) Which has the greater area: a 50-yard square or a rectangle with sides of 7.5 metres and 6.5 metres?
9) What is the area of a triangle with sides of 18cm, 6cm and 6 inches?
10) If the earth is 24,000 miles in circumference, how much time would it take an spacecraft travelling at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) to orbit it once?
11) 21o C = ______oF
Exploring the life cycle of insects
All living things grow and change. A life cycle is the series of changes that happens to a living thing. Insects have a three- or four-part life cycle. They look different at each stage.
They need different things at each stage to survive and get to the next stage.
Some insects go through complete metamorphosis in their life cycle. Metamorphosis is a big change in an animal’s body during its life cycle. The change is so dramatic that the adult looks very different from the baby, like a caterpillar and a butterfly.
The 4-stage life cycle
A life cycle with four stages includes
complete metamorphosis. In the first stage, an insect is an egg. If you look carefully, you can sometimes see insect eggs on leaves or stems of plants. In the second stage, the insect egg has hatched into a larva. An insect larva is an immature, or young, form of an insect that often looks like a worm. Its job is to eat and grow. Caterpillars and inchworms are examples of larva. In the third stage, the larva grows a protective covering like a cocoon or chrysalis. The larva changes to a pupa where it develops its adult body and loses features of a larva. When the big change, or metamorphosis, is complete, the insect is an adult and breaks out of the protective case.
That’s the fourth stage: adult. The insect
can now reproduce, or make more insects like it. Butterflies, moths, beetles, bees, wasps, ants, and flies have a four-stage life cycle. (Adapted from startwithabook.org)
By Sara TeaSdale
There will come soft rains and the smell of the ground, And swallows circling with their shimmering sound;
And frogs in the pools singing at night, And wild plum trees in tremulous white,
Robins will wear their feathery fire Whistling their whims on a low fence-wire;
And not one will know of the war, not one Will care at last when it is done.
Not one would mind, neither bird nor tree If mankind perished utterly;
And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn, Would scarcely know that we were gone.
PPP confident in GECOM's ability to deliver credible elections next year – GS Jagdeo
Referencing the number of interventions made to cleanse the elections machinery of all elements of skullduggery, General Secretary of the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP) Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has expressed his party's confidence in the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to deliver credible elections next year.
“We believe that the system is a robust one with the international observers, all the political parties observing the process, being in the polling places there and ensuring votes are counted transparently, ensuring that people who are not on the list, don’t vote… All of that could be done as it was done in the past,” the PPP General Secretary said in response to questions posed during the party’s weekly press conference on Thursday.
According to Jagdeo, the 2020 election fiasco that led to a five-month political deadlock was not caused by the election machinery but by individuals who tried to subvert aspects of the electoral process.
“In nine regions [the votes] were accurately tabulated and announced by the Ros (Returning Officers).
In Region Four, [embattled RO Clairmont] Mingo colluding with the [then Chief Elections Officer Keith] Lowenfield and the others decided to use a spreadsheet, not the Statement of Poll… They tried to steal the elections here, it’s a few individuals.”
“We stopped it, we went to the court. The international community worked, local organisations, everyone – the newspapers, we all exposed the plot. We had the recount done and the recount showed that the PPP won the elections. They even tried to distort the recount and at the end of the day, the system worked,” he posited.
The PPP General Secretary, who also serves as the country’s Vice
President, further noted that in addition to identifying and fixing the fraud during the 2020 elections, the perpetrators were also identified and are now before the courts, facing electoral fraud charges.
Those charged are former Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo; former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield; his former Deputy, Roxanne Myers and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller, and Denise Babb-Cummings. Also, before the court are current APNU Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence and PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph.
“So, the system is working,” Jagdeo stressed, while further pointing to the steps taken by the PPP/C Government to strengthen the electoral process to prevent a recurrence of the 2020 events.
“With the new law that was passed, it’s even worse [to attempt anything] because we’ve put in some serious penalties now and there is no room for capricious action on the part of the CEO. He could go to jail…,” he reminded.
Jagdeo’s comments during Thursday’s press conference come on the heels of recent concerns raised by the minority parliamentary opposition, the Alliance For Change (AFC), regarding election safe-
guards.
The PPP General Secretary, however, dismissed these concerns, stating that the “AFC and the others are raising red herrings because this is their only way of justifying what we know the outcome would be in the future. They’re gonna lose the [2025] elections and they know that too. Internally, they’ve been discussing this.”
Recently, the AFC, which was previously part of the PNC-led A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Coalition that had attempted to rig the 2020 election, has joined calls for biometrics such as fingerprints to be implemented by GECOM for next year’s polls.
But in a statement on Wednesday, GECOM explained that they cannot make such a significant change to electoral procedure unless there is legislation to back it up.
“Whereas this call from the AFC is nothing new, the Commission must remind all political stakeholders and by extension the general public that (GECOM Chairperson) Justice of Appeal (Ret’d) Claudette Singh has repeatedly emphasised that the Commission’s operations are guided by the laws of Guyana,” GECOM explained.
“It is of paramount importance to recall that, in so doing the GECOM Chairman has emphasised
that GECOM cannot and will not act outside of the extant statutory provisions pertaining to the conduct of National Registration, Local Government Elections, and General and Regional Elections. More specifically, it must be emphasised that the introduction of biometrics requires legislative changes and, until such is enabled, GECOM cannot proceed with implementing such a feature.”
Nevertheless, the electoral body did ensure that there are multiple safeguards, as enshrined in the law, already in place to protect the sanctity of the elections.
However, GECOM also indicated that it is already examining the question of biometrics.
It was revealed that a feasibility study was conducted on introducing fingerprint scanning, a form of biometrics. That study, according to GECOM, is currently being examined by the commissioners.
“Over an extended period of time, the chair-
man facilitated discussions on a Motion that was moved by one Member of the Commission proposing the introduction of digital fingerprint capture during registration, and the introduction of biometric fingerprint identification of voters at polling stations.”
“Discussions on the Motion, by the Commission, led to a decision being taken for a Feasibility Study to be conducted into the viability of introducing digital fingerprint capture and the use of biometrics in line with the Motion. The Feasibility Study has since been completed and copies have been circulated to all members of the Commission for perusal and subsequent deliberations,” the statement detailed.
Additionally, a proposal is being considered by GECOM, from Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, for cameras to be placed in polling stations. These cameras, GECOM noted, would be placed in positions where they could record what hap-
pened in the polling stations while maintaining the secrecy of the ballots.
Until these proposals can be implemented, however, GECOM reminded of the safeguards at their disposal, including political party agents at each polling station and the identification process for voters. There is also the use of indelible ink, the counting of ballots before reps from all the parties and local and international observers.
There were also concerns raised about the integrity of the Official List of Electors (OLE) but GECOM assured, however, that the voters' lists are sanitised and updated through Claims and Objections Exercises. Additionally, in accordance with the National Registration Act, the CEO has been writing to the Chief Medical Officer and the Commissioner of Police, for periodic updates on deceased persons. This allows GECOM to further sanitise and keep the register of voters updated, in a legal way. (G-8)
PPP General Secretary Bharrat Jagdeo
Essequibo man committed to stand trial for attempted murder
Twenty-nine-year-old Mark Chester, a labourer of Queenstown village on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), was on Wednesday committed to stand trial before a judge and jury for attempted murder.
The preliminary inquiry was held virtually before Magistrate Tamieka Clarke at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court, and Chester stood before the magistrate accused of attempting to murder Marlon Attempted murder accused Mark Chester
Chinese national gets $500K bail on wounding charge
Forty-five-year-old Liu Wei from Eccles Industrial Site, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was on Wednesday granted $500,000 bail for wounding another Chinese national. Wei was arrested on
Monday by ranks attached to the Providence Police Station after he reportedly wounded 47-year-old Bao Lin. The incident took place on Sunday, August 4, 2024 at Eccles, EBD.
However, the accused appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Diamond Magistrate Court where he pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
As such, he was placed on $500,000 cash bail with conditions that he lodges his passport at Providence Police Station. Wei will make his next court appearance on September 3, 2024.
Jones, 45, on April 12, 2024 at Queenstown.
Two witnesses testified during the hearing on Wednesday, after which Magistrate Clarke ruled that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to the court for a trial. As such, Chester’s trial
will commence at the next practicable session of the Suddie Supreme Criminal Court.
The accused has reserved his defence and witness for the High Court, and the magistrate has placed him on bail in the sum of $500,000.
Essequibo man arrested with counterfeit currency remanded to prison
The counterfeit currency note that was found
possession
Anand Alphonso, also called 'Dolo', a 43-year-old resident of Lima Housing Scheme on the Essequibo Coast in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), was on Wednesday arraigned before Anna Regina Magistrate Tamieka Clarke on a charge of having a counterfeit currency note in his possession.
Alphonso, who had been arrested on Tuesday at Lima Housing Scheme, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
However, the prose -
cutor objected to bail, and the defendant has been remanded to prison until August 27, 2024.
When…
…justice is delayed
It is said that “Justice delayed is justice denied. In a world where the innocent suffer and the guilty roam freely, justice becomes a mere illusion. The scales of justice may be blind, but they are also tauntingly unbalanced.” These truisms are playing out in living colour in the trial of those miscreants who betrayed the oaths they swore as professionals in a critical institution meant to uphold democracy in our not-so-fare country!!
Imagine GECOM was formed - after decades of Burnham playing hanky-panky with the electoral mechanisms to ensconce himself in power – to prevent the said hankypanky by separating the policy-making apparatus from the executing mechanism – the Secretariat. The former was staffed by political types -nominated by the political parties - and the latter by the abovementioned “professionals”. The theory was that the former would play politics, but balance out each other – while the latter would carry out their tasks “without fear or favour” – in the grand tradition of British civil servants!!
And the betrayal of the nine from the Secretariat –starting from CEO Lowenfield, Dep CEO Myers, and Reg 4 RO Mingo, who were charged - is thus a sickening betrayal of just not a job, but of a tradition of some citizens forming a “universal class” working for the good of the country, and not any sectional interest!! This betrayal –unless extirpated - destroys any chance of us progressing as a nation because, most insidiously, the rot from within would ensure that any institution created for the greater good would collapse and come crashing down!!
And it’s for this reason that the various and sundry delays in the trial from 2021 – including the present delay caused by the magistrate taking a month’s “sick leave” – cannot be left unaddressed. These delays aren’t coincidences, but are further enemy action from within the judiciary - which is also replete with partisans of the PNC’s representation of one section. Everybody knows that elections are due at the latest by the end of next year, and that the conviction of these miscreants would be a powerful reminder to all good citizens of all persuasions of how far the PNC would go to hold on to power!!
Back in 2023, after several magistrates had found all sorts of reasons to recuse themselves from the trial, the AG had complained, “Magistrates after magistrates have found reasons that can’t withstand scrutiny for not proceeding to try these cases and other related cases”!! We had also seen in the COI held earlier that several witnesses called – including police officers – refused to testify!! Earlier this year, one “detour and frolic” was thrown out by the Chief Justice – one of a rare exemplar of fairness!
The Chancellor must assign a new magistrate pronto!!
…a dictator seduces
Meanwhile, over in Mad Maduroland, it’s now clear that the madman has bought out several PMs in Caricom -the majority? – who’ve adopted his line that his stagemanaged elections were free and fair!! And, of course, he’s re-elected as President!! As PMs who’ve been around in politics, surely they know that it’s not just the mechanisms of the electoral machinery – like biometrics and such like –but who CONTROLS the mechanisms that’s critical!! Take, for instance, the Supreme Court that disqualified the most popular leader, Maria Machado – and will now “audit” the election results: it’s packed with Maduro’s loyalists!! Their decisions are Mad Maduro’s decision. Same with the Elections Council that announced the results - without providing the electronic voting machines’ printouts, as required by law!!
Most alarmingly, the head of the National Guard, that’s responsible for civil order – has pledged loyalty to Mad Maduro, who announced to his supporters, “Report the fascist criminals to me, so I can go find them!!”
This will not end well!!
…Culture is corrupted
Traditionally, mancipation Day is observed in a cultural way, that evokes the African way of life that was painstakingly preserved out of the Black Hole that was slavery. Sadly, this year, it was opportunistically politicised by the Opposition!!
Charged: Anand Alphonso
in Alphonso’s
Charged: Lui Wei
Lawyer, 35, found murdered in car outside Durban Backlands home
The lifeless body of an attorney-at-law was on Wednesday evening found in his Jaguar motorcar in front of his home with a gaping wound to his neck. Dead in 35-yearold Richard Layne of Lot 183 Century Palm Gardens, D’Urban Backlands, Georgetown.
Based on information received, the now-dead lawyer lived at the above address with his friend, Tony Sulker, a 29-year-old Police Sergeant.
Police stated that at
about 19:00h, Layne’s cousin Michael Harden reportedly visited him and they hung out for some time.
Whilst there, the nowdead man had the urge to drink a Starbucks Coffee, and they both left in Harden’s car and travelled to the MovieTowne Mall, Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown where they bought the coffee. They returned to Layne’s home at about 19:15h by which time, Sulker was asleep in his room in the upper flat of the building.
Harden and Layne reportedly hung out on the veranda until about 20:17h when the cousin left for his Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD) home.
However, the cousin told detectives that before he left, he made sure that Layne locked both gates to the house and yard. At the time, Layne’s car, a Jaguar bearing registration number plate PYY 2850 was parked in the garage.
Nevertheless, Sulker woke up at about 22:00h to use the washroom and then went to the kitchen where he observed Layne’s car parked on the bridge in front of the house with the now dead man sitting in the driver’s seat in a ‘slumped position’.
Upon seeing this, he reportedly ran to the car and attempted to open the car doors, but they were all locked. He then contacted Layne’s mother who resides in Campbellville, Georgetown, and upon her arrival, they both attempted to open the car doors but were unsuccessful.
At that time, the woman instructed Sulker to break the driver-side door glass which he did by using a hammer. As they opened the door, they observed Layne was bleeding from a wound to his neck and immediately summoned an ambulance and contacted the police.
Layne was, however, pronounced dead by a doctor on duty at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Upon inspection, two wounds were seen on Layne’s neck.
Detectives have retrieved CCTV footage and are reviewing same.
Meanwhile, when the Guyana Times visited the home of the dead man on Thursday, relatives were still in a state of shock and did not offer any comments regarding the murder. Persons in the neighbourhood could not recall seeing anything unusual on the night of the gruesome murder. Guyana Times understands that the Police Sergeant was detained for further questioning, and that only recently a brick was hurled through a window of Layne’s property with a threatening note. In
addition, there are reports that he was being followed several times.
Back in October 2022, Layne was admitted to the bar by Justice Roxane George. His petition was presented by his now-deceased grandfather Justice James Patterson and Senior Counsel Donald Trotman.
Layne, a former Queen’s College student graduated from the University of Guyana law programme with distinction, receiving the Ram & Mc Rae prize for being the second-best graduating law student.
He also made the Hugh Wooding Law School honours roll.
Fisherman busted with ganja at Supenaam waterfront
Afisherman was arrested on Tuesday evening by ranks attached to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) for having 134.5 grams of cannabis.
Police stated that on the day in question at about 23:45h, 33-year-old Matthew Beharry also called ‘Shortman’ was arrested at a boat house at the Supenaam waterfront after police received information that he was carrying a quantity of ganja.
Police added that at the time of his arrest, Beharry was found carrying a black plastic bag containing the cannabis. As such, he was told of the offence committed and cautioned during which he stated “Officer, it is not my own.” He was arrested and taken to the Aurora Police Station where the narcotic was weighed in his presence and amounted to 134.5 grams. Beharry remains in custody pending charges.
Detectives at the scene
Murdered attorney at law Richard Layne
The ganja that was found in Beharry’s possession
Guyana working with HeDPAC to strengthen capacity of local pharmaceutical manufacturers
With the Guyana Government looking to expand the production of pharmaceuticals, efforts are progressing to build local capacity through a collaboration with the Health Development Partnership for Africa and the Caribbean (HeDPAC)– a platform between Africa and the Caribbean.
The government is currently working with HeDPAC to strengthen the New Medicine Regulation Bill that will bolster the standards of the country’s Food and Drug Department among other benefits.
During his visit to Guyana, HeDPAC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Halie Getahun committed to examining the legislation in a bid to ensure it coincides with international best practices and regulations.
This intervention is part of efforts to put the necessary regulatory, legislative, and institutional frameworks in place to advance works on the production of medical drugs.
According to the Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony, HeDPAC’s expertise which is accumulated from their work with African and Caribbean nations will play a crucial role in helping Guyana to manufacture high-quality pharmaceuticals.
“So, we have also asked HeDPAC, the group that is here, to take a look at the legislation and make sure that it’s compliant with EU regulations, compliant with other jurisdictions that we want to export to. We are also working very closely with the European Union and earlier this year we had a team that went out to several European countries looking at the possibility of collaboration with universities in Germany, France, Belgium, and the Netherlands. So, we’ll be continuing this, and very soon you’ll see a lot of these partnerships coming to fruition,” Dr. Anthony.
These efforts were confirmed by HeDPAC’s CEO, Dr. Halie Getahun during an interview with the Guyana Times who stated that the expertise being provided to Guyana will play a crucial role in moving the country’s Food and Drug Department from a level three to four.
On this point, he explained that when completed, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will be able to produce medication for different types of populations.
“We identified potential areas where we can bring experience from other countries to Guyana to advance
64-Y-O Grove EBD man charged with setting house on fire
Sixty-four-yearold Roy Anthony Callendar, a labourer of Grove Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was on Wednesday was charged for setting fire to a dwelling house.
The elderly man is accused of committing the act on Sunday, August 4, 2024, at Lot 246 Grove Housing Scheme, EBD on a house belonging to Maria Singh.
However, while the details of the fire are unknown, the suspect appeared before Magistrate Dylon Bess at the Diamond/ Golden Grove Magistrates Court and pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him.
He was granted
Charged: Roy Callendar
$550,000 and will make his next court appearance on September 11, 2024.
those areas where there needs some improvement.
Like for example, Guyana is embarking on having a medicines bill where they will have established the Food and Drug Administration and it requires to go into what we call the WHO benchmarking. It’s a long process that gives authority to the country and for the ministry to regulate. And we have countries like Rwanda, for example, where they have very much advanced experience so we
exchanged all those views with Minister Anthony,” the HeDPAC’s CEO said.
As it relates to pandemic preparedness, Dr. Getahun explained that the efforts of the Guyana Government in collaboration with the Governments of Barbados and Rwanda are instrumental and will aid in the region having access to vaccines.
He highlighted that the great inequality right now is not only the manufacturing of vaccines and the pricing but also the distribution, something he believes such a collaboration has the potential to address.
“Whenever you try to develop pharmaceuticals, it has to be an end-to-end process, which probably requires research and development from the capacity of developing clinical trials, and also really looking into the market and also the development of drugs and also expansion. So, there are certain areas which we have been in discussion, like developing clinical trials could be one area that can eventually also help further development in this. And I think
creating also a very conducive economic environment for manufacturers could also be a good sign, which we have actually seen,” he added.
HeDPAC is a health development platform between the African and Caribbean Regions aimed at strengthening South-South partnerships to build institutional capacity within and between the regions to collectively address pressing health challenges.
Last year, the Health Minister had disclosed that both local and international Private Sector bodies have demonstrated significant interest in establishing a biomedical hub in the country to expand on the production of pharmaceuticals. This year, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had made it clear that the government is serious about the establishment of a vaccine manufacturing facility in the country.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony engaging HeDPAC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Halie Getahun
12-year-old dies after alleged scuffle with cousin
A12-year-old girl,
Chitwrattie Rohan, is now dead after she was reportedly “choked” by her cousin at their Martyr’s Ville home at Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Thursday.
Guyana Times understands that the two children were at home alone playing when a scuffle broke out between them, during which Rohan was choked.
Their grandfather Mohammed Jameer told sections of the media that he had gone out to run
Police intercept Berbice trio with meat of stolen cattle
Three men were taken into custody on Wednesday for allegedly stealing cattle worth $240,000 belonging to Ganisey Parsram from No. 64 Village, Corentyne, Berbice.
In custody are 26-yearold Noel Gray, Shermond Thompson,44, and Oudwin Binda,47, all residents of Corentyne, Berbice.
Based on reports received, Chavand Parsram, the son of the victim told investigators that his father has been the registered owner of Brand #OG98 for about 20 years and used it to brand all of his cattle, including the two stolen bulls.
The man further related that at about 16:00h on August 1, 2024, he secured
the two bulls mentioned in a 'mesh pen' at their No. 64 Village pasture and left for his residence. When he returned the following day at about 07:00h, he returned to the pen to check on his cattle and discovered the two bulls missing. However, at about 20:00h on Wednesday, Chavand reportedly received a telephone call that someone was stealing cattle and loading them in a motorcar. He immediately contacted the Springlands Police Station and reported the matter.
Police ranks responded to the call and went to the location where they intercepted a Toyota Raum bearing registration number PPP 2810 that was at the time being driven by Gray.
Thompson and Binda were the other occupants.
During a search of the vehicle, 'four quarters' of a cow was seen in the vehicle. The Carcasses bore that brand number mentioned above. The men did not have any transit, veterinary pass nor notice of intention to slaughter at the time they were stopped and searched.
The suspects related that two men - Jerry and Brooks - gave them the two bulls, and they were taking the meat to Cromarty Village. They were then told of the offense committed, arrested, and escorted to the Springlands Police Station.
Police are currently attempting to contact 'Jerry' and 'Brooks', as investigations continue.
some errands, and upon returning home, he saw his 12-year-old granddaughter lying on the ground panting for breath. Without hesitation, he said, he picked her up and drove her to the Beterverwagting Health Centre, where the child was later pronounced dead.
He said he later learnt that the two children had been playing when some misunderstanding occurred and they started to choke each other. He added the two children would normally play “rough”, and he could not say exactly what had taken place on Thursday. He neverthe-
less added that his granddaughter was alive when he left home for the health centre. This matter has been reported to the police and an investigation is underway. Up to press time, the police have not released any information about the incident.
Taxi driver accused of raping teen to stand High Court trial
Ataxi driver who was accused of rape was on Wednesday committed to stand trial at the Suddie Supreme Criminal Court at the next practical session.
Haimraj Narine, 22, from Aberdeen, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) was charged with 'Rape of a Child under (16) years'. Police stated that the incident occurred on May 13, 2023, on the Essequibo Coast.
The case was heard at the Anna Regina Magistrates Court before Magistrate Tamieka Clarke where a paper committal was held and all relevant statements and documents were tendered and marked as exhibits.
The Magistrate, however, ruled that based on the 'sufficient' evidence before the court, she is committing the accused to stand trial for the offence. Narine was granted $150,000 bail and will await his trial.
accused
Dead: Chitwrattie Rohan
The house where the incident took place
Rape
Haimraj Narine
Arrested: Noel Gray
Arrested: Oudwin Binda
Arrested: Shermond Thompson
Cemetery Road Project
Contractors failed to meet 2-week deadline
– now ordered to complete work by Saturday
Despite promises to have the $475 million Cemetery Road project complete in two weeks, the contractor, Avinash Construction, and other sub-contractors have failed yet again to meet the deadline and as such, a new date was set to complete the work.
The piece of infrastructure which stands at 95 per cent complete is one year behind, despite the Government’s efforts to help Avinash Construction fast-track its completion.
Just two weeks ago, several sub-contractors were hired by the Public Work
Ministry to work simultaneously to complete three sections of the project while Avinash Construction takes over paving and the building of the bridge at Princess Street.
Guyana Times understands that the sub-contractors adhered to the revised delivery date of August 8, however, the same couldn’t have been said for the main contractor who has been working on the road for the past two years.
In fact, during a telephone interview with this publication, Project Engineer Lokenauth Balkishun revealed that one of the sub-contractors was presented with an additional proposal to conduct works that Avinash Construction was mandated to finish by way of a ‘Programme of Execution’ agreed upon between them and the Public Works Ministry.
“Well, one has just completed his section and the other sub-contractor has a last period of exercise. We extended work for her because she already finished
the part that she had to complete it. So, the Ministry actually gave her some additional work just because of the lapse of Avinash to actually, you know, do his part,” Balkishun reported.
Works on the Cemetery Road project include the construction of two bridges, installation of culverts at Sussex Street, and widening of the road to four lanes.
During a site inspection last Saturday, Public Work Minister Juan Edghill had expressed that he is satisfied with the quality of work and effort of the sub-contractors but the same was not expressed for Avinash Construction and Metal Works.
The Project Engineer says the team is working day and night to maintain progress and all activities are being closely monitored.
“We will actually have the thing at the border to install two pedestrian bridges in the middle of, let’s say, right between Sussex and the next one is at Laing Avenue. Just to actually get the functionality of the work that we have and
that was decided and created probably two days ago… The only aspect that is left is the bridge at Princess Street which is the eastern section and just generally cleaning it. So, we’re pushing to complete everything by Saturday afternoon,” he added.
The contract for the Cemetery Road Project was awarded in 2022 and caters to a two-lane carriageway being extended into four lanes. However, the project suffered significant delays owing to heavy rainfall and procurement challenges.
Back in April, the government terminated the contract of Kalco Guyana Inc. after it failed to complete Lot 8B of the Conversation Tree to Dennis Street Road project. Around this time, Avinash Construction and Metal Works was also on the chopping block but was given a second chance.
The government has since pursued liquidated damages from the contractor for the delays suffered in the execution of the contract. (Trichell Sobers)
4 arrested for discharging loaded illegal firearms
Four persons were taken into custody following the discovery of three Glock pistols as investigations intensified into the shooting incident involving 41-yearold Samora Haddaway, a driver from Timehri, East Bank Demerara (EBD) at Garnett and Middleton Street, Georgetown on Tuesday.
Investigations reveal that the victim had stopped a motor lorry bearing registration number GAG 1844 along Middleton Street waiting to transport a container that was on Middleton and Garnett Street.
Haddaway’s porter, 53-year-old Ovid Thomas, went to the container to secure it. The victim was then approached by five men, two armed with handguns, who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol.
However, the men started to hit the lorry, and two of them pointed their firearms at Haddaway thus causing him to lie flat in the Lorry. The victim then heard several loud explosions, which appeared to be gunshots.
The suspects then left in a white motorcar, PAF 9078 which drove into a
‘hole’ on the roadway which caused the two right-side tyres to burst. The vehicle eventually came to a halt along Vlissengen Road, in the vicinity of the Survival Wholesale store. Police ranks surrounded the vehicle and carried out a search during which three Glock pistols containing 11, 17, and 16 matching rounds of ammunition, respectively
were found.
The four occupants of the car - Stephan Ramdass, Patrick Forbes, Raji Chanderpaul, and Mahesh Budho - were arrested. They were all questioned about having the relevant licences but they responded in the negative. They were taken to the Alberttown Police Station and placed in custody. Investigations are ongoing.
Project Engineer Lokenauth Balkishun
Govt now offering 9% increase for teachers for 2024 – 8% for 2025 & 2026
The Education Ministry after its initial proposal of a seven per cent across-the-board increase for teachers is now offering a nine per cent increase for 2024 following a meeting with members of the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) on Thursday.
The Government has also proposed an eight per cent increase for 2025 and 2026. This new proposal, however, did not sit well with the teacher’s union which had proposed a 39.5 per cent salary increase for 2024 and an additional 30 per cent for 2025 and 30 per cent for 2026.
Following the meeting, the President of the GTU, Dr. Mark Lyte told sections of the media that the union is not satisfied with the lat-
est offer proposed by the government.
“As it is, the Union feels that the government can do better with the offer that they have presented…social media has been speaking about percentages offered, I can tell you that, what was offered today was a little more than what was circulating in social media. And we have not accepted that,” Lyte told the media.
While he did not release specifics about the meeting, the GTU president related that both parties failed to reach an agreement on increases for teachers but they were able to agree on other non-financial issues.
Another meeting is set for next Wednesday where it is expected the Ministry of Education will update the
union on its decision on percentage increases.
Back in July, the GTU had rejected the government’s seven per cent proposed across-the-board in-
crease for 2024 and six per cent increase for 2025 and 2026.
Bilateral talks between the ministry and the union on the new 2024-2026 multiyear agreement commenced
on July 11 after months of prolonged industrial action.
Earlier in the month, the GTU conceded to government’s proposal that salary increases for teachers should be determined under a new agreement from the current year onward.
The GTU had been pushing for a backdated collective bargaining agreement.
But government, through the Education Ministry has maintained that it is fully prepared to work on a multi-year agreement from 2024 and not 2019 as being initially demanded by the union. The GTU subsequently recanted and agreed to negotiate from 2022 onwards – a proposal that was also rejected by government.
The Union has also pro-
posed a performance-based incentive of two per cent per annum to be paid to eligible teachers during the period of the multi-year agreement, with effect from January 1, 2024.
This is in addition to an annual health/risk allowance of $25,000, and monthly internet/mobile data allowance of $10,000 to be paid to all teachers.
Moreover, the body is seeking a termly school’s transportation grant of $150,000 in the case of those operating on the coastland and $300,000 for hinterland/ riverain schools or alternately a mode of transport (boat, ATV etc.) to offset the cost of teachers travelling to attend meetings, workshops, orientation sessions, or emergencies at school.
GPL gets 15 certified fibre optic technicians
In the rapidly expanding world of fiber optics, 15 employees of Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) have completed training in the Fiber Optic Installer and Technician Programme, facilitated by the Board of Industrial Training (BIT).
During the graduation ceremony at GPL's Sophia Training Centre, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of Support Services, Renford Homer, who played a pivotal role in this initiative, explained how Guyana has lagged in technology.
“We are now morphing into the very level of energy management that you've heard the Government of Guyana, through various ministers of Cabinet, speak very loudly to—that is to basically revolutionise our energy sector, first and foremost, by realising the Gas to
Energy Project (GtE), which is a significant project and is unprecedented in this country.”
He added that as fiber is one of the highest considerations, an assurance must be made that there is enough manpower to facilitate the demands of fiber optic installation.
“Whatever infrastructure we choose, and largely that will be fiber, we want to know that we do have the skills within the organisation that could not only respond to those instances where something needs to be done but also be part and parcel of the strategic thinking and forward thrust of the organisation as we surge forward into what we call the Guyana Energy Smart Future.”
This is essentially an objective that the company has set with the blessing of
the Government of Guyana. And the company is steadfastly moving towards that.
The expectation, of course, by the government is that, while it is fully embracing
are being developed and, more importantly, that they can be retained.
Meanwhile, Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton has urged the graduates to
and endorsing the Guyana Energy Smart Future, Guyana Power and Light, as a critical utility, is ensuring that the necessary skill sets
put what they have learned to practical use.
“A lot of people are caught up in their certification. You know, and for you young peo-
ple, I would say this to you: pay no attention to a person who is caught up with their masters and mistresses and they have no show on the road. Education, unless it is utilised to develop the society, is useless. Certificates, unless you're utilising the knowledge to give service to people and your nation, that's why you're educated and trained. It's not for style.”
On this note, the Minister expressed hope that, with more training initiatives, more persons in the country can become meaningfully employed.
“You're one of many thousands the Board of Industrial Training has trained in the last four years. In the last four years, we have trained nearly 12,000 persons, 12,000 persons through the length and breadth of this country. And
all different skill sets you could think about,” he told the graduates.
The programme started on March 19 and saw an overall investment of $3.9 million.
The training is designed to teach individuals the skills and knowledge required to install, maintain, and troubleshoot fiber optic communication systems and is one of many programmes facilitated by the Board of Industrial Training to support the upskilling of the local labor sector.
The fifteen participants comprised eight from the System Control and Operations Department, two from the Information Technology Division, one from the Human Resources Department, and four from the Transmission and Distribution Department, Zone 11.
Labour Minister among other collaborative partners and graduates
Labour Minister Joseph Hamilton
Renford Homer, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Strategic Services, awarding a graduate a certificate
Education Minister Priya Manickchand
President GTU Mark Lyte
PNC continues to ignore meetings called by new APNU executive – APNU
The main party in the Parliamentary Opposition Coalition – the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) –said its largest member, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), has failed to attend executive meetings and continues to ignore the political body.
Back in June, APNU had elected Vincent Henry of the Guyana Action Party (GAP) – one of the small parties that formed the partnership – as the new chairman and Tabitha Sarabo-Halley as General Secretary.
This was done in the absence of the Aubrey Nortonled People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) –the largest party in the coalition, which subsequently called the APNU elections “null and void” and maintained that the PNC still holds the chairmanship position.
But in a statement on Thursday, APNU explained that the coalition parties met on June 6 and deliberated on the major issue of no meetings being held since January 25, 2022. It was
noted that they were forced to go ahead with the election at that meeting after Norton failed to acknowledge two prior emails about the engagement and his non-attendance at the meeting.
According to APNU’s General Secretary, since then, two other executive meetings were held and all Executive Members including the PNCR were invited but once again, the PNC leader nor any party representative attended those engagements on July 15 and 29.
“It must be noted here that the People’s National Congress Reform is an integral part of the APNU and as we continue to prepare for the 2025 elections, we hope that the PNCR would find it necessary and important to attend meetings when those meetings are called,” the statement detailed.
Nevertheless, APNU said they took several key decisions including the fact that the Chair is to be elected for a one-year term and that there shall be no term limits as well as the fact that its Executives must
meet at least once per quarter or more frequently if deemed necessary, to deliberate on any matters about the partnership. Additionally, APNU indicated its members also decided that each Executive in the partnership is entitled to one vote on any matter that cannot be decided on by consensus while the chairman will have a casting.
But Norton has been arguing that the PNC deserves more than one vote on the Executive because it constitutes the majority of the APNU.
In fact, Norton had said the PNC is mulling contesting next year’s elections independently, noting that the political party is superior to the others in the APNU coalition.
Back in 2011, the PNCR had joined forces with
GAP, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), the Justice for All Party (JFAP), and the National Democratic Front to form APNU. Two other small parties, the Equal Rights and Justice Party and Sarabo-Halley’s Guyana Nation Builders Movement, later joined APNU in 2021.
During a radio interview last month, Norton related that while the PNC is open to coalition, the party is strong enough to contest next year’s polls alone.
The PNC-led APNU had merged with the Alliance For Change (AFC) in 2015 for the elections that year and won office. The two parties had also jointly contested in the 2020 elections but lost. The AFC then formally broke its coalition with APNU back in December 2022.
At the time, Former AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan had indicated that the two political organisations would do their political work separately but work in parliament jointly.
Last month, the newly-elected Chairman of the AFC, David Patterson, told the Guyana Times that all the possibilities are on the table as it relates to returning to the polls as a coalition in 2025. However, he noted the AFC needs to do some in-house work before officially meeting with its coalition partner to discuss their future.
Meanwhile, Norton was slated to meet the current APNU Chairman, Vincent Henry, who was optimistic that any squabbles between the two groups would be addressed. However, that July 18 meeting was never held.
Before the engagement, Henry told this newspaper that they were focusing on APNU moving forward as a coalition and readying itself to contest next year’s elections.
“We spoke one to one, more than one time. And actually, we intend to have a meeting… And work our way towards having, like I mentioned before, our objective being met,” Henry stated about his interactions with Norton.
He added, “…It’s the first time we will be meeting faceto-face. And I’m certain that we will be able to sort out whatever level of problems. I call them level because they’re not major problems that are there. And we’ll be able to move forward, again, because what else can you do? The best formula is a coalition formula.”
In Thursday’s missive, it was noted that in keeping with its second core principle, APNU will now consist of the Executive Committee, Associate Members, and Individual Members components.
“We in the APNU are convinced that a positive transformation of Guyana can only be achieved by an inclusive electoral coalition built around the political parties, organised labour, farmers’ organisations, community-based organisations, faith-based organisations, civil society bodies, and patriotic citizens committed to developing Guyana into a united, stable and prosperous nation where the wellbeing of each citizen is assured, irrespective of ethnicity, social status, gender, or religion,” the statement noted. (G-8)
USAID, PAHO join forces to help Guyana eliminate lymphatic filariasis
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) announce the next step in their long-standing partnership aimed at helping Guyana’s Ministry of Health eliminate Lymphatic Filariasis (LF) as a public health concern.
This collaboration is a significant milestone towards improving the health and well-being of Guyanese citizens and underscores the commitment of these organisations to combating tropical diseases in the region.
From 2017 to now, USAID has supported the elimination of LF in Guyana with more than $3.5 million to PAHO to assist the Ministry
of Health in Guyana in strengthening the national LF elimination programme. LF, commonly known as ‘elephantiasis', is a painful and
profoundly disfiguring disease that is transmitted by mosquitoes.
Despite significant progress in controlling LF glob-
ally, it remains a health risk for 500,000 citizens. The disease can be eliminated with a simultaneous mass drug administration to all peo-
ple living in endemic areas. The latest round took place in Regions Three and Four. Guyana has already successfully eliminated LF in all
other administrative regions. U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Nicole Theriot commented, “The U.S. Government, through USAID, is proud to partner with PAHO and the Government of Guyana in this crucial initiative that will truly save lives. Together, we will leverage our collective strengths to achieve a future free of LF for all Guyanese citizens.” This initiative aligns with the broader goals of USAID and PAHO to promote health equity and access to quality healthcare for all. By eliminating the burden of LF, the partnership aims to reduce health disparities and empower communities to lead healthier, more productive lives.
The new APNU Executive elected at the June 6, 2024 election
PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton
Lymphatic Filariasis medication being administered by MoH staff
Around the World
Venezuela security forces swoop on activists as repression worsens
The video begins with loud bangs on a door that leads to a dimly lit stairwell. “They are entering my home arbitrarily. They are destroying the door,” a woman can be heard crying.
It is the voice of María Oropeza, a campaign co-ordinator for opposition coalition Vente Venezuela, who is live streaming her detention on Instagram.
The bangs increase in intensity as she tells her followers that she has done nothing wrong: “I am not a criminal.”
Officials from Venezuela’s military counterintelligence agency then burst through her door and the video cuts to black.
Ms Oropeza is the latest opposition figure who has been detained following the announcement in the early hours of 29 July of Venezuela’s disputed presidential election result.
In the days since, members of the security forces have seized Freddy Superlano and Roland Carreño – both of whom worked for the opposition party Popular Will –and Ricardo Estévez, a technical adviser for the same opposition movement as Ms Oropeza.
Targeted arrests Amnesty International told the BBC they had “well-founded reasons to believe [the detained people's] lives and integrity are at risk”.
The pressure group says that they have been seeing a new pattern of more targeted arrests by the Venezuelan authorities since the election.
Many of those detained have reportedly not been told why they were being arrested.
In the live stream of Ms Oropeza’s detention, she can be heard asking those banging on her door if they have a
search warrant. She receives no answer.
Tension has been high since Venezuela’s National Electoral Council declared President Nicolás Maduro the winner of the election - a declaration that was immediately dismissed by the opposition,
1st debate showdown between Trump, Harris set for September
ABC News said it will host the first debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris on 10 September.
The network confirmed the showdown in a post on X, after Trump said at a news conference on Thursday that he would be open to debating Harris multiple times before the November election.
“We think we should do three debates,” Trump said, suggesting two additional showdowns that he said would be hosted by Fox News and NBC.
Ms Harris confirmed that she will attend the ABC debate while at an event in Michigan on Thursday, but she has not yet weighed in on any additional possible showdowns.
“I am looking forward to debating Donald Trump and we have a date of September 10. I hear he’s finally committed to it and I’m looking forward to it," Ms Harris said at the event in Detroit.
Trump debated President Joe Biden once in June. The two were slated to do so again on 10 September but Mr Biden withdrew from the race after a stinging poor performance against Trump in their first televised matchup.
Last week, Trump and Ms Harris appeared at odds over where and when their first head-to-head debate would be.
Trump had previously said that he wanted a debate hosted by the conservative network Fox News, saying it would take place in Pennsylvania,
"at a site in an area to be determined".
"The Moderators of the Debate will be Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum," he said in a post on his social media platform Truth Social last week, adding that the rules will be similar to the debate he had with Mr Biden but with a "full arena audience."
The first debate, which was hosted by CNN, did not include an audience.
Ms Harris' campaign previously said that they would still like to debate Trump on 10 September - when his second debate with Mr Biden was supposed to be held with ABC News as the host.
At his news conference on Thursday, Trump said he would like to debate Ms Harris two additional times - on 4 September in a showdown hosted by Fox News and on 25 September in an NBC debate.
Trump also said that CBS will host a debate between the two vice-presidential nominees, Republican JD Vance and Democratic candidate Tim Walz.
NBC News is reportedly in discussions with both campaigns about a potential debate in the fall, but the Harris campaign has not agreed to a Fox News debate, the New York Times reported.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Trump called Ms Harris “barely competent,” adding that she “can’t do an interview.”
He also criticised her for not holding a news conference
with reporters since she announced her campaign.
“She’s not smart enough to do a news conference,” he said of Ms Harris. “But I look forward to the debates,” Trump said.
His Thursday news conference is the first he has held in several months, as his campaign has previously focused on holding rallies across the country.
Trump also praised his running mate Mr Vance, who was recently under fire for comments he made in 2021 when he said those without children shouldn't be leading the country and that women who don't have kids are "miserable" and "childless cat ladies".
“I have to tell you, JD Vance has really stepped up,” Trump said on Thursday. “He's doing a fantastic job.”
He also took aim at Ms Harris' track record on immigration and the economy, repeating his belief that US presidents should have a say over interest rates and monetary policy - a departure from the longstanding practice of having the US Federal Reserve, an independent body, oversee these matters.
Trump told reporters that internal polls show him leading in key swing states, and emphasised his priorities of lowering inflation and lower crime rates and strengthening the US military.
Meanwhile, Ms Harris held a campaign event in Detroit, Michigan, with Walz, where she emphasised her support for labour unions and the middle class, as well as protecting Americans' "freedoms".
“We want to recognise the right all people have to freedom and liberty… and not have their government tell them what to do," Ms Harris told supporters.
National and battle ground state polls suggest that she has gained some ground against Trump since her campaign began, but the race remains a close contest. (BBC)
which said it had proof that it, not the government had won.
Mass anti-government protests quickly followed.
President Maduro accused the opposition of instigating a “coup” and announced plans to build two new maximum-security prisons to house protesters it accuses of being “criminal fascists”.
The government says more than 2,000 people have been detained, some of which it accuses of “terrorism”.
Clara del Campo, Amnesty International’s Americas senior campaigner, said the ar-
bitrary detentions had followed a “two-pronged trend”.
“On the one hand, they have been massive and indiscriminate when it comes to protesters who took to the streets to support the opposition’s claim to election victory and, on the other, targeted and selected towards human rights defenders and opposition members,” she explained.
According to Ms del Campo, the mass detention of protesters is aimed at punishing and dissuading people from publicly expressing dissent.
Yunus sworn-in
It is an observation echoed by Venezuelan human rights NGO Foro Penal, which told BBC Mundo that it had witnessed an unprecedented “escalation of repression”.
Foro Penal has received reports of people who had their phones checked arbitrarily while they were walking down the street, with the security officials stopping them citing social media posts or messages as the reason for their subsequent arrest.
The NGO told the BBC that people arrested in this manner have typically been held in detention centres without access to independent lawyers.
These detentions have led to a culture of fear, with some people now worried about sharing information on social media, attending protests, or even raising the alarm about people who have been seized for fear of punishment.
President Maduro himself has spoken of a strategy he called “Operation Tun Tun” (Operation Knock Knock).
Rights groups say it consists of the authorities going door-to-door to detain those with links to the protests or the opposition. (BBC)
as interim Bangladesh leader
Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus has been sworn-in as Bangladesh's interim leader, vowing to "uphold, support and protect the constitution".
The 84-year-old took an oath at the presidential palace in Dhaka along with more than a dozen members of his new cabinet, vowing to perform his duties "sincerely".
He flew into the capital, Dhaka, just days after Sheikh Hasina - the woman who ruled Bangladesh with an iron fist for 15 years - fled across the border to India.
Ms Hasina resigned as prime minister after weeks of student-led protests - which left hundreds dead - escalated and culminated in calls for her to stand down.
The decision to name Prof Yunus as chief adviser of the interim government followed a meeting between President Mohammed Shahabuddin, military leaders and student leaders.
The students had been clear they would not accept a military-led government, but wanted Prof Yunus to lead. Among his new cabinet are Nahid Islam and Asif Mahmud, students who led the anti-government protests.
The hope is Prof Yunus, the so-called banker for the poor, will bring democracy back to Bangladesh after years of autocratic rule.
"People are excited," the entrepreneur and economist told the BBC moments after arriving in Dhaka from France on Thursday.
He later told reporters that Bangladesh "has got a second independence" as he called for the restoration of law and order in the nation of 170 million
people.
Following Prof Yunus's swearing in, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his "best wishes", writing on X/Twitter that his government was "committed" to working with its neighbour for "peace, security and development".
Prof Yunus paid tribute to those who died, saying they had "protected the nation" and given it "new life" after Ms Hasina's rule.
She had begun that rule as a symbol of democracy but, by the time she fled, she was considered an autocrat who had sought to entrench her authority by silencing dissent.
Prisons were filled with people who sought to speak out against her. Prof Yunus - lauded for his pioneering use of micro-loans - was one of those who found themselves in legal trouble during her tenure.
Ms Hasina regarded him as a public enemy - he is currently on bail, appealing against a six-month jail term in what he has called a politically-motivated case.
Speaking on Thursday, he called on the country's young people to help him rebuild the South Asian country. "Bangladesh can be a beautiful country, but we destroyed the possibilities," he said.
"Now we have to build a seedbed again - the new seedbed will be built by them," he added, gesticulating towards the students who had arrived to greet him. His ascension as Bangladesh's interim leader follows weeks of turmoil.
More than 400 people are reported to have died after protests seeking to abolish a quota system for civil service jobs began in July.
A third of these jobs are reserved for relatives of veterans from Bangladesh’s war of independence from Pakistan, which took place in 1971. Campaigners argued the system was discriminatory and needed to be overhauled.
Though this demand was largely met after the Supreme Court backed the students' demands and vastly reduced the scale of the quota system, the protests then transformed into a wider anti-government movement fuelled by crackdowns.
Bangladeshi media and demonstrators blamed police for the spiralling death toll. Officials maintained that officers only ever opened fire out of self-defence or to protect state property.
Students and their supporters had planned to march on the prime minister's residence on Monday. But before the march could get properly moving, the news came that Sheikh Hasina had fled Bangladesh and resigned as prime minister. She is currently in Delhi.
Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris
Muhammad Yunus
Venezuela's disputed election result has sparked anti-government protests
SUDOKU
DAILY HOROSCOPES
(March 21-April 19)
Broadening your interests will lead you into unfamiliar territory and new beginnings. The activities you engage in and the people you meet will offer insight into exciting possibilities.
Be wary of someone’s friendly gestures. Question everything and everyone. Stick to what you know and change only what’s necessary. Use your insight and be secretive regarding your next move.
(May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
(June 21-July 22)
(July 23-Aug. 22)
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Establish what you want before you act. Knowledge will be a powerful tool when you are dealing with outside influences. Understand the effect your actions will have on your lifestyle.
You have more time than you think. Ask direct questions, and don’t commit to anything that causes uncertainty. Rely on your intuition and make changes that encourage profit and advancement.
A positive attitude will work wonders when convincing others to pitch in and help. Avoid losing sleep over what you cannot change. Direct your attention and energy to what’s doable.
Hesitation indicates you aren’t ready to change. Refuse to let outsiders influence your decisions or interfere with your plans. Stick to a time frame that works for you.
Live and learn. Experience is the best teacher. Getting involved in something you feel passionate about will change your life and connect you to fascinating people.
Make plans with people who bring out the best in you. Sharing thoughts, intentions and inside information will take you on a diverse adventure that encourages long-term stabilization and less stress.
Hold your thoughts close. Prematurely revealing your feelings or plans will work against you. Timing is everything, so be precise. Protect your reputation.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Refuse to let your emotional energy lead you astray. Focus on broadening your awareness or channeling your energy into stimulating activities. Work to lower stress.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Adjust your living space to suit your needs and budget. Lower your overhead or sell items you no longer use or want. Stop hesitating and start making a change. Take stock of your finances.
Set standards and boundaries and refuse to let anyone interfere with your plans. Temptation will cost you if you lack discipline. Be careful how you spend your money.
3x3 Tournament is preparation for international competition – Slater
Georgetown Amateur Basketball Association (GABA)
President Jermaine Slater has said the second Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF) Women’s National 3x3 Basketball Championship, which concluded on Saturday at the National Gymnasium, had a significant influence on women’s basketball.
The Kwakwani Untouchables clinched that title over a dominant Lady Trojans in a nail-biting final which had a scoreline reading 7-2.
Speaking to media representatives, Slater said ongoing competitions would help GABA with their goal of fielding a national team for the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) America Cup.
“Well, any athlete in any sport would normal-
ly benefit from repetition and some court hours, right? Just like running, just like football, same thing for basketball. So, this tournament is just one of four. This is the second one of four we’re doing for the year. We have two more planned, and we may do a fifth one. It’s all in preparation for the females. Hopefully, we get to enter them into the national tournament next year, the FIBA America Cup,” he disclosed. “So, this is a stepping stone for them right now, to be prepared. So, we’ll benefit from it.”
Slater added, “Speaking about some international tournaments, hosting tournaments is something that could get more closing and so on.”
He went on to expound on the GABA’s plans to give players international exposure shortly by explain-
Paris Olympics 2024…
ing, “We have something in the works for 3x3 format also, where you may get to see at least 8 to 10 Caribbean countries coming to Guyana a bit later this year or next year. Also, there’s a tri-nation series for regular basketball, 5v5, that may include Trinidad and Suriname. So, that is a big part of development for our players: getting to play against their international counterparts, getting to measure themselves against them, and then we’ll know what work we need to do in our local level.”
Slater also disclosed key elements that participants should take away from the tournament towards their individual development when he shared, “I would tell them that they need to learn from their mistakes in these tournaments. They need to see
Tebogo wins stunning 200M as Covid-hit Lyles is denied
otswana’s Letsile
BTebogo claimed a surprise Olympic 200m gold medal as Noah Lyles was denied a sprint double at Paris 2024.
Tebogo, 21, stormed clear of his rivals to clock an African record of 19.46 seconds and finish ahead of American Kenneth Bednarek, who crossed the line in 19.62.
Lyles, crowned the world’s fastest man by five-thousandths of a second in a historically quick 100m final on Sunday night, was unable to compete at the head of the race, and matched his Tokyo bronze effort in a time of 19.70.
It emerged after the race that Lyles had tested positive for Covid, and the 27-year-old had to be helped off the track in a wheelchair.
Having burst out on to the track to huge cheers before the race, Lyles was seeking
to become the first man since Usain Bolt in 2016 to complete a 100m and 200m double at an Olympic Games.
But Tebogo had other ideas.
A world bronze medalist over the distance last year, Tebogo had also taken 100m silver in Budapest as Lyles had completed a golden treble. That was a dazzling return for Tebogo at his first senior global championship, but it was nothing compared to his achievement at the Stade de France, as he marked his first Olympics with a gold.
Tebogo, sixth in the Paris 100m final, lined up with a 200m personal best of 19.50 – notably down on the favourite’s 19.31.
Showman Lyles made his entrance to huge excitement, seemingly ready to seize his moment with the eyes of the world fixed upon him, but
he remained third throughout the race, following a slow start.
Bednarek held out to equal his silver of three years ago in Tokyo - a medal he also won at the 2022 World Championships - but could not overhaul Tebogo, who sprinted clear to win Botswana’s first ever Olympic gold medal.
Tebogo stars as illness wrecks
Lyles’s hopes of history
Tebogo dedicated the Olympic gold to his mother Seratiwa, who died in May of this year after a brief illness, and held up his spikes displaying her date of birth to the camera following his victory.
“It’s basically me carrying her through every stride that I take inside the field,” Tebogo said. “To take her [with me], it gives me a lot of motivation. She’s watching up there, and she’s really, really happy.”
Having ended Lyles’s 26race winning streak over the distance in the semi-finals, Tebogo announced himself on the global stage as he repeated that victory over the man who has long been tipped as Bolt’s heir apparent.
Tebogo entered the home straight with an advantage, and as his rivals threatened to pull alongside, he surged away in the closing stages to clinch an emotional – and hugely significant – triumph.
(BBC Sport)
where they went wrong and what caused them the games, and to work on it on an individual level. Most of the great players in any sport,
when you’re sleeping or when you don’t know what’s going on behind closed doors, they’re working. They need to take stock of what they did here, understand their weak-
es, and work on it on a personal level.”
The GBF Women’s National Basketball Championship saw the participation of five teams – Lady Trojans, Queen B’s, Kwakwani Untouchables, Shooting Stars, and Georgetown - as they displayed their talents with the ball in hand.
LGC welcomes new season of golf tournaments
The Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) has announced the commencement of its new season of golf tournaments. According to newly elected President Anasha Ally, golfers can expect better putting greens and freshly cut fairways, a few improvements to the club’s facilities, and excellent weather conditions.
The club’s first official sponsor shall be Maurice Solomon and Company, whose founder is a golfing pro in his own right. In addition to the traditional trophies, a raffle drawing at the end of the prize-giving ceremony will be introduced, adding to the excitement on tournament day.
Since assuming the role of president, Anasha Ally, along with some members of the committee, has overseen repairs and clean-up efforts to address some issues at the Clubhouse, as well as
the effects of adverse weather conditions. LGC Grounds Superintendent Deno Bissessar and his dedicated team have worked tirelessly to restore the course, and their efforts have received positive reviews from members and visitors alike.
“We faced significant challenges due to the weather, but our ground staff’s dedication has been exemplary,” Ally has said. “The course is now in fair condition, and we are grateful for the positive feedback we are beginning to receive. There’s still a lot to be accomplished; however, and we hope the recent change in weather prevails to make our lives a little easier and less stressful,” she said.
The club has extended its deepest gratitude to past president Per Patanjali Persaud, for his invaluable assistance in providing a much-needed roller for
the tee boxes and greens, and for the various gifts of plants and trees received from well-wishing members and visitors. These gifts have greatly contributed to enhancing the club’s facilities.
Ally has commended the ground staff, though few in number, for their commitment to improving the condition of the course. The Lusignan Golf Club eagerly anticipates a season filled with excellent golf, renewed camaraderie, and continued progress. The Golf Club, located in the East Coast Demerara community of Lusignan, is a cornerstone in the local community, providing a venue for both competitive and recreational golf. The club’s commitment to maintaining a creditable course and a welcoming atmosphere ensures a remarkable experience for golfers at all levels.
Executive members of the Lusignan Golf Club
Letsile Tebogo won his first senior global title and Botswana’s first ever gold medal at the Olympics
A glimpse of the action last Saturday
Narine reclaims National Junior Chess Championship title
Nineteen-year-old Ricardo Narine has reclaimed his National Junior Chess Championship title after competing in the nine-round, Round Robin competition against the top ten junior qualifiers last week.
The MOO MILKsponsored tournament concluded on August 1st after intense competition from talented young chess players. Narine, who gained 8.5 points with eight victories and one draw, was followed closely by fourteen-year-old Kyle Couchman, who earned 8 points with seven wins and two draws. Sachin Pitamber occupied the third spot with 6 points, Matthew Singh came fourth with 5.5, and Alexander Zhang came in fifth with 5 points.
Narine, who won the
championship title in 2022, won his games against Alexander Zhang and Kishan
Puran in the first two rounds. It gave him the lead, which he maintained throughout
Close to 100 horses entered for Guyana Cup 2024
The 16th running of the Guyana Cup, which is organized by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee, is set to ignite Rising Sun Turf Club on Sunday August 11 with 10 highly anticipated races.
Approximately 100 horses secured entry to this prestigious event, where over G$40 million in cash and prizes would be up for the taking. Last year, the Guyana Cup had 77 horses entered, and, as expected, more horses were imported for this year’s Guyana Cup, which resulted in an increase in entries.
the tournament, only missing a perfect score in his game with Kyle Couchman, which ended in a draw.
Narine commented that he gained a solid start in the competition after winning his earlier games. However, the final two rounds presented the most difficult challenges, as he faced the top two seeds. As such, he was not entirely sure of securing the title until the final move in the final game.
Asked about his future in chess, he replied that as a chess teacher, he finds it rewarding to spread chess and see young players devel-
op their skills and learn the game. Narine says he intends to defend his title next year, and challenge and grow with the senior players.
Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) President Anand Raghunauth has ex pressed his enthusi asm for the exceptional talent displayed by the junior competitors. He attributed the play ers’ success to the GCF’s commit ment to provid ing consistent training and competition
opportunities. Raghunauth highlighted the remarkable achievement of two juniors ranking among the nation’s active top ten players, as well as the progress of three female qualifiers who secured top-ten positions in the Junior Nationals. This, he emphasized, underscores the GCF’s dedication to fostering a level playing field for both male and female chess players.
The tournament, played at the David Rose Special School, was supervised by FIDE Arbiter John Lee and assistant Jessica Callender. Round one had a scheduled start on July 26th, 2024. The games were live streamed on DGT livechess cloud and lichess.com, enabling viewers to watch the games from the comfort of
The GCF has extended gratitude to the tournament’s sponsor, De Sinco Ltd and its MOO MILK brand, for supporting the junior chess competitions. Awards and prizes will be presented to the winners at the annual prize-giving ceremony hosted by the GCF
The GCF also wishes to thank the David Rose Special School for providing the venue for the tour-
GFF offers support to Bartica youth pursuing college football dream
TThe opening race of the day will be the L-NonEarners, which is expected to start at 11:50am.
Race two will be the L Class event, which starts at 12:25h and is followed by the K Class at 13:00h.
Race 4 is the J Class race at 1:35h, and Race 5 is the H Class event at 14:15h. Race six will be the F Class race, which is expected to be run off at 14:50h.
The two-year-old race is set for 15:25h, followed by the Open Sprint at 16:00h.
The penultimate race of the day will be the Derby at 16:35 hours, while the feature event will be the final race of the day, which is expected to commence at 17:30h. With this year’s Guyana Cup purse being the most significant in the Caribbean, horses from various countries will be out to battle for supremacy. Jockeys from abroad are also in the country, preparing like their local counterparts for Sunday’s race. Horses entered and re spective gate positions for Guyana Cup fea ture event are: Stat, Bossalina, Loyal Company, Beckham James, John Bull, Olympic Kremlin, Nova Sol, Stolen
Money, Stormy Victory, Oy Vey, Ritorna Vincetori and Easy Time.
The final entries from Slingerz Racing Stables arrived on Wednesday from Brazil to confirm the high-profile line-up for the Guyana Cup feature. Rising Sun Turf Club will be transformed into an electrifying atmosphere for the entire family.
Kids will be treated to a fun park, and fans will be thrilled to have great vibes when the DJ competition takes centre stage after the race.
he Guyana Football Federation (GFF) has recently offered its support to 19-year-old Delon Jones, a promising young goalkeeper from Bartica, as he embarks on an exciting new chapter in his football journey.
Delon, a product of the Bartica Football Academy Training Centre and a standout player for Rising Stars FC, will be attending Bryant & Stratton College in Syracuse, New York, where he would continue his education while playing college football.
With this new opportunity, Delon Jones, who has represented his club Rising Stars FC, the Bartica Association Team, and also the Region Seven (7) Team in the One Guyana Football Cup, has the ability to make his mark on the international stage. His journey from Bartica to New York is a testament to his dedication, hard work, and the unwavering support of his parents Elwes and Felicia Jones, both of whom serve on the Bartica Football Association’s Executive Committee.
According to the Federation, they are committed to fostering a healthy balance between sports and education, and have contributed to Delon’s journey by covering the cost of his flight to the United States. This gesture aligns with the Federation’s mission to ensure that young footballers like Delon are well prepared for life beyond the pitch, enabling them to
transition smoothly into productive careers and make meaningful contributions to society.
While the FIFA Forward program offers limited support for international scholarship placements, the GFF has made it a priority to assist talented players in pursuing opportunities that enhance both their athletic and academic growth. Delon’s acceptance into Bryant & Stratton College’s two-year program is a significant achievement, and the GFF is confident that he would continue to excel both on and off the field.
The GFF remains dedicated to nurturing the potential of young athletes across Guyana, ensuring they have the tools and opportunities necessary to succeed.
The entire football community in Bartica and beyond is rallying behind Delon as he takes this monumental step in his career. The GFF has extended its best wish-
es to him as he pursues his dreams in the United States, and are confident he would make Guyana proud.
GFF President Wayne Forde made a presentation to Delon Jones in the presence of his parents
Having won the tournament back in 2022, Ricardo Narine has reclaimed the National Junior Chess title
Fourteen-year-old Kyle Couchman fell just a half point short of challenging Narine for the top spot
Easy Time will be out to defend his title at the 16th running of the Guyana Cup
Close to 100 horses have secured entry for this year’s Guyana Cup
Warrican’s late strikes keep WI in contest
Tony de Zorzi, South Africa’s opening batter who was dismissed for 78 before lunch, sat on the change-room balcony with a copy of Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World. Ironic, because what played out in front of him was nothing like the novel’s dystopian reality. Instead, it was as his coach Shukri Conrad predicted: same old Test cricket.
played on: docile, fairly dry, and lacking in life in the form of bounce or pace. It was the kind of surface that re quires patience, not flair, and rewards those who are willing to grind.
“Traditional” was the word South Africa’s red-ball coach used to describe what he expected would be attritional cricket in Trinidad, and that is what the teams produced.
All but one South African batter, Aiden Markram, got starts. Two, de Zorzi and captain Temba Bavuma, made half-centuries, and there were four 50-plus partnerships, but there were no hundreds. Only one frontline West Indies bowler, left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie,
That was evident from the first exchang es, when West Indies’ senior seamers Kemar Roach and Jason Holder relied on good lengths to keep South Africa qui et, and were punished as soon as they strayed. In the third over of the day, Holder dropped it a frac tion short, and de Zorzi scored the first bound ary when he dabbed it be hind point. In the next over, Roach was a touch
the bat before beating the outside edge. He kept Bavuma in the crease throughout that over, but the South African captain was happy to bide his time. Bavuma took ten balls to get his first runs, but when he did, he got them with confidence. He stepped down the pitch and hit Motie over his head for two runs to bring up 3000 runs in Test cricket.
While Bavuma’s approach remained watchful – understandable, given this was his first Test innings since March 2023 - any aggression came from de Zorzi. He was proactive in turning an intended drive off Jayden Seales into a slice over point, and reverse-swept Motie to get to 70. With a top score of 85 also scored against West Indies, de Zorzi would have been eyeing a first century, but he undid himself with a second reverse sweep off Jomel Warrican, and gloved it to Kavem Hodge at slip 12 minutes before
Jomel Warrican 20-2-66-3
Brathwaite 5-0-13-0 Alick Athanaze 1-0-5-0
broke. He missed the flick, was hit at shin height, and given out.
After the break, Bavuma again dropped anchor, and allowed his partner David Bedingham to take the fight to West Indies. Following on from his five centuries in eight matches in the County Championship, Bedingham
was almost caught by Hodge at square leg. Instead, it was Bedingham who fell to the pull. He couldn’t keep Seales down, and sent him to deep square leg, where Keacy Carty, on debut, took the catch diving forward to give Seales his first Test wicket at his home ground.
Ryan Rickelton started convincingly with a sublime cover drive, and then watched as Bavuma reached his 21st Test fifty off 123 balls. Rickelton lived dangerously, and hit a full toss from Warrican straight back to him, but the left-arm spinner could not hold on to the chance. Luckily for West Indies, the drop did not prove too costly. Rickelton added 11 runs to his score and then succumbed to the second new ball: lbw to Roach.
Bavuma was on 80 at that stage, and still had one recognised batter, Kyle Verreynne, to accompany him in pursuit of a century. Verreynne faced the first 20 balls of their partnership, including a beamer from Seales that hit him on the left glove but did not seem to do any damage. Bavuma then survived a West Indies review for lbw off Holder, which was too high on umpire’s call.
But two-and-a-half overs later, Seales bowled a full toss, and Bavuma’s concentration
Verreynne convinced him to review, but only in hope. He had to leave, without a first Test century away from home, a second against West Indies and a third in his career.
South Africa were 271 for 6, and West Indies had the opportunity to run through their lower order. West Indies conceded only 20 runs in 12 overs to frustrate naturally aggressive Verreynne and Wiaan Mulder, but the pair held firm, and as West Indies tired, they cashed in.
But just as they started to pull away from West Indies, Warrican struck twice in two balls. Verreynne offered him a simple redemptive return catch that he held on to, and then Keshav Maharaj chipped one back to him that required a dive to take with both hands, but Warrican did that too, and suddenly South Africa were in danger of a sub-350 score.
Mulder and Kagiso Rabada took them to the brink of that, and they will be eyeing slightly more than that on the third day.
(ESPNCricinfo)
Jomel Warrican dismissed Tony de Zorzi for 78
Tony de Zorzi steered South Africa with a 78-ball fifty
Wiaan Mulder troubled West Indies late in the day
Kemar Roach trapped Ryan Rickelton lbw
Temba Bavuma pushing one down the ground
Guyana’s U15s pull off back-to-back wins in CONCACAF Championships
After starting the competition with a draw on Tuesday, Guyana’s Junior Lady Jaguars have pulled off two back-to-back wins in the CONCACAF Girls Under-15 ChampionshipsLeague C, being held in Aruba. Guyana’s most recent win came against Guadeloupe on Thursday afternoon at the Compleho Deportivo Guillermo Stadium
in Oranjestad, in what was a nail-biting 1-0 encounter. After both sides had missed out on scoring opportunities, Sydney Glean put Guyana ahead in the 35th+3 minute, moments before the first half ended.
Capitalizing on a corner kick from Ellie Biffin, Glean headed the ball into the corner of the net for what was the only strike of the game.
On Wednesday afternoon, Guyana picked up their first full points of the tournament when they downed St. Vincent and the Grenadines 3-0. In that game, the first half saw a stalemate between the two sides, before Glean put Guyana ahead in the 39th minute. Glean went on to complete her brace in the 43rd minute, while Sabana Simon found the back of the
net in the dying minutes of the game (70th+1) to add the cherry on top.
The first game that Guyana played on Tuesday resulted in a nil-all draw against Anguilla. As such, the Junior Lady Jags now have 7 points from 3 games.
In their quest to make it to the League C final, Guyana will be looking to complete their hattrick of wins as they come up against hosts Aruba from 19:00hrs at the same venue today (Friday, August 9).
The 2024 CONCACAF Girls’ U15 Championship is the largest in history, featur ing 36 nations divided across three leagues. The Junior Lady Jaguars are competing in League C, which is being held in Aruba. The 18-member squad, a blend of local talent and standout players from the recently concluded GFF-Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls’ National Secondary School Championship, is well-prepared to advance the nation’s hopes.
The starting XI for Guyana’s National U15 team to face Guadeloupe
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) have extended their best wishes to the team as they continue their campaign in the championship. The Federation noted their confidence in the
National U15 Girls team’s ability to rise to the occasion in the matches ahead, as they remain committed to nurturing these young athletes as they strive for excellence both locally and internationally.
Guyana’s Junior Lady Jags celebrating their win over St Vincent and the Grenadines