Calvin Brutus requests leave to facilitate probe into allegations of financial irregularity
GNBS seizes, destroys over 11,600 pieces of substandard electrical fittings & equipment
Security guard accused of killing bar patron remanded Caricom to invest in projects for sustainable agri products – SG
The local increase in commodity prices have sparked criticisms of the government, however Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday detailed that the administration is mitigating the impact of higher costs for major imports due to external/global factors and increasing demands.
Responding to an editorial published in a local newspaper on July 8 under the caption “The costof-living question,” he outlined investments in the construction sector, public utilities, importation of oil, pension, public sector wages and salaries, increased employment, agriculture & food production and reduction in taxes.
He noted that Guyana’s inflation rate remains low in comparison to the region.
“It is navigating a complex period when you have
growth this big that you tend to have higher inflation and [there is] overheating of the economy. Look at how we have managed. And I am really proud of this,
not because we did it but because as a country, we have been able –with double digit growth in our economy –our inflation rate is lower than the average inflation
rate of most countries in the world and in this hemisphere,” Jagdeo said.
“Every time we get this cost-of-living thing, they don’t look at the inflation
cost of this commodity. The removal of the taxes, he noted, ensured the cost of public and private transportation remains low.
“Every Guyanese have benefitted from this,” he said.
Relating to the supply of potable water, the Vice President said the cost to supply water inclusive of treatments have increased but this has not been filtered to citizens.
rate,” he added.
The vice president highlighted that investments into the Guyana Power and Light Company (GPL) has helped to maintain stable electricity costs. This investment, he mentioned, includes the funding for the Gas-to-Energy project, subsidising the cost of fuel and investments in updating the power distribution system.
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic coupled with the war in Ukraine, the ongoing issue at the Gaza strip and the Houthis’ attack on ships linked to Israel, the United States or Britain as part of rebel support for the militant group Hamas, have all led to an increase in freight.
Not filtered to citizens
Noting that GPL budgeted fuel cost to be US$70 per barrel in 2024, this has increased to an average of US$104 per barrel but this increase is not filtered to citizens.
“That means, we’re putting in a subsidy of $66M to $70M US dollars into GPL this year to pay for fuel or they’ll have to increase the electricity prices to people to cover that increase in fuel costs that they incur.”
Relating to other fuel imports, he pointed out that another six million barrels of gasoline diesel is imported annually noting that the excise tax was removed subtracting approximately US$384M from the
Instead, he pointed to an increase in public sector wages and salaries of approximately $90B since assuming office, the increased employment of persons through the Government 10-day worker programme and other initiatives, increases in pension, write-off of loans for the University of Guyana, improvement of public health facilities to reduce the cost for healthcare, as well as the opening of new sand pits and licensing of suppliers for aggregate to reduce the cost of construction.
Jageo said while the Government understands that there has been an increase in the price for certain commodities, the efforts being made to subsidise the various sectors must also be recognised.
“You have to almost every week deal with this kind of thing ‘oh pepper price gone up.’ We understand that…I know that is something [but] that is why we set aside resources to help people like the farmers with fertilisers to offset the cost,” he told reporters.
“We are now targeting different groups and we will help people, we have to do that, but you have to see the big picture on how we manage this,” he added.
In the 2024 National Budget, under a section dedicated to ‘Easing the cost of living’, the Government dedicated $7B for measures to be determined after consultations with stakeholders, aimed at maintaining production while containing the impact of price increases. Notably, the 2024 budget also allocates $6B to combat shipping costs increase for the year and $10B for the continuation and expansion of the parttime job programme.
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, July 11 – No retraction and Friday, July 12 –22:00h-23:30h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Thursday, July 11 – 07:1008:40h and Friday, July 12 –07:50h-09:20h.
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
Winds: Easterly to South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.02 metres.
High Tide: 07:52h and 20:17h reaching maximum heights of 2.43 metres and 2.34 metres.
Low Tide: 13:51h reaching a minimum height of 0.81 metre.
Conflict of interest “Exxon can’t judge themselves” – Jagdeo …slams AFC leader's beneficiary role on company’s payroll
ays after ExxonMobil defended being a client of the law firm that is co-owned by newly elected Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC), the Guyana Government maintained that this relationship constitutes a serious conflict of interest.
Earlier this week, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge, told reporters on the sidelines of an event that the company does not believe there is any conflict of interest with them being a client of Hughes, Field and Stoby – the law firm that Nigel Hughes is a partner of.
However, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo told reporters at a press conference on Thursday that while Routledge is entitled to his opinion, this position will not fly with government.
“He’s entitled to his views but if he thinks that his expression, that there is no conflict between the two parties or conflict of interest involved here is a view that will prevail with us, he better think again… Exxon is a conflicted party itself… What else do you expect them to say? So, it’s like they want to judge their own conflict, whether there is a conflict here, and they can’t do that,” Jagdeo contended.
After Hughes was elected as Leader of the AFC there has been mounting criticisms over the conflict of interest between his professional and political careers.
This was further exacerbated after the attorney said that he will remain with the law firm, which has represented ExxonMobil in negotiations with the Government of Guyana including on the lopsided 2016 oil contract, until he is elected to office and would even put his client’s interest above the country’s.
Hughes later told reporters at an AFC press conference that he would keep the party’s oil and gas matters at arm’s length.
Obscenity
However, the Vice President pointed to the obscenity of Hughes’s statements and argued that this can easily be turned into paying for policy influence.
“How could you, as a leader of a party, not pay atten-
tion or talk about oil and gas now in this contemporary context when that’s one of the most topical issues… Exxon is a conflict party too because they have on their payroll, in the country of Guyana, the leader of a political party that is represented in the National Assembly [and] has a number of seats in the National Assembly, and therefore, in a position to have a say on policies…”
“Exxon pays Nigel Hughes ‘ostensibly’ for legal services but we don’t have in the public record, how much they pay him. That figure could easily be inflated for work not done and may have all the bearings of a legal payment but it is a political contribution to him and his party to ensure that the interest of ExxonMobil is protected in any future government or even in the National Assembly now. How is this not a conflict of interest?” Jagdeo questioned.
Against this backdrop, the Vice President assured that the Guyana Government will be reaching out to the United States oil major on this matter soon.
“ExxonMobil will hear
more on this matter from us at the appropriate time and place. Today is not the time and place. But they will hear from us. We believe it’s a serious case of conflict of interest. It is paying for influence in policies,” he asserted.
VP Jagdeo had previously hinted that there could be an investigation into Hughes’ involvement in the negotiations of the 2016 oil contract. He had cited what he described as some “telling” details that are contained in several reports done back then that contradicts his claim that he had already resigned from the AFC when his law firm was representing the oil company.
A report done by United Kingdom-based global law firm, Clyde & Co., revealed that Hughes resigned as AFC Chairman on April 11, 2016 – just three days before the concluding stages of the contract negotiations.
According to the report that was commissioned by the coalition government to defend the oil contract it signed with Exxon – a deal that many industry experts said has left Guyana short-
changed with sweeping benefits going to the US oil major and its partners, those negotiations began almost a year earlier in May 2015 while Hughes was still serving at the helm of the AFC.
Rubbished
During a press conference last week – his first since being elected to the helm of the AFC last weekend, Hughes had denied that there were any conflicts since he never directly participated in the negotiation process. He added too that the Exxon account is handled by another partner at the law firm.
However, Jagdeo on Thursday rubbished this explanation, pointing out that as partner Hughes still benefits from the fundings of the oil company. In fact, while Hughes is claiming that he has no direct dealing with Exxon, the Vice President showed that just days prior, the attorney had appeared virtually on a court case as one of the lawyers representing the oil company.
“We will keep pointing out what he wants to hide… We take this conflict-of-interest issue very serious,” Jagdeo stressed.
Editor: Tusika Martin
News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761
Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707
Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown
Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com
Guyana's nomination as the world's leading sustainable destination in 2024 by the World Sustainable Travel & Hospitality Awards (WSTHA) has shown that the efforts to promote this destination have not gone unnoticed.
This recognition underscores the nation's commitment to preserving its natural wonders while promoting responsible tourism practices. For Guyana, this accolade represents far more than just a prestigious title, it heralds new opportunities for the nation.
International media coverage, eco-tourism awards, and partnerships with global conservation organizations have helped raise awareness about Guyana's unique offerings. As travelers increasingly seek sustainable travel experiences, Guyana's tourism sector stands poised to capitalize on its natural and cultural assets.
In recent years, Guyana has emerged in the global tourism arena, captivating travelers with its untouched wilderness, vibrant culture, and commitment to sustainable ecotourism.
For many years we have often been overshadowed by our neighbors but has nonetheless been steadily carving out a niche, attracting adventurers and nature enthusiasts alike.
Since the devastating impact of Covid-19, on not only Guyana’s tourism industry, but many other countries around the world, the local tourism sector has bounced back attracting vast interest to the rainforest and diverse ecosystems.
Guyana boasts over 80% of its land covered by unspoiled rainforest, which provides a haven for rare and endangered species. Travelers seeking authentic wildlife encounters, from jaguars to giant river otters, find themselves drawn to Guyana's wilderness, where conservation efforts and responsible tourism practices ensure minimal impact on the environment.
Beyond its natural wonders, Guyana is a melting pot of cultures and visitors can immerse themselves in indigenous villages, participate in traditional ceremonies, and savor the flavors of a cuisine shaped by centuries of diverse influences. This cultural tapestry adds depth to the tourism experience, offering insights into Guyana's history and the warmth of its people.
Guyana has embraced ecotourism as a cornerstone of its tourism strategy, focusing on sustainability and community involvement. Initiatives such as community-led lodges, birdwatching tours guided by local experts, and conservation projects demonstrate a commitment to preserving Guyana's natural and cultural treasures for future generations. These efforts not only showcase Guyana's natural beauty but also benefits local communities economically and environmentally.
For adventure seekers, Guyana presents an array of thrilling activities, from trekking through dense rainforest and climbing the towering peaks of the Pakaraima Mountains to navigating its rivers in search of rapids and waterfalls. The country's diverse landscapes provide a playground for outdoor enthusiasts eager to explore off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Therefore, Guyana's nomination as leading sustainable destination is not merely symbolic; it carries substantial economic and social implications for Guyana.
Senior Manager of Marketing at the GTA, Annarie Seecharan, at the announcement of the nomination had said: “Guyana continues to be recognized as one of the world’s leading places to visit due to its holistic approach to sustainability. Adding the World’s Leading Sustainable Destination to our list of accolades will further differentiate Guyana, increase our competitiveness in the global marketplace, and directly benefit host communities, our economy, and our protected areas.”
Guyana's nomination as the world's leading sustainable destination in 2024 signifies that the investment made by government and private sector are now reaping the fruits of validation and showing a catalyst for future growth.
Do not give Lyte and McDonald a free pass (Part 2)
Dear Editor, In a previous correspondence, I made mention of the GTU strike as being a political venture, the root cause of which had manifested itself in the machinations of the union itself. Note well that the strike was initiated by the general secretary, who is a parliamentarian and activist of the Opposition, and she did this under the mistaken belief that the Government was about to call a snap election; therefore, use the opportunity to pressure them with some inordinate demands.
You would recall Miss McDonald saying emphatically that teachers will not be returning to the classroom, nor would they (Union) return to the bargaining table, except and until the Government grants them a 50 per cent increase. Pretty strong words coming from an employee to an employer, and that amount kept changing when they realized that Government was not going to bow to pressure.
Instead of returning to the bargaining table, to thrash out their differences and come to an amicable solution, she went on to make statements to the effect that if she contested an election, she would certainty get six seats in
Parliament. If that is not political, then what is?
When that statement was made, Dr Lyte and his teachers should have, in an instant, censored her for bringing them into a political standoff with the Government. Her actions violated the tenets of industrial relations, and, as such, ordinary teachers should have come out in strong condemnation of the GTU leadership.
But they did not. Instead, they kept holding up a cheerleading banner of encouragement for her.
When this did not work, the weak Lyte took over. He took the matter to court to get "legal cover" for their actions. Now, in its truest sense, this judgement did not mean what the GTU interpreted it to be; that is, going on in a never-ending strike while being paid at the same time. What a fantastic idea!
Now, where in the world is this possible? Or where in the world can workers be paid to be on a continuous vacation? Whose duty would it be to pay those striking teachers? These were the factors that brought Lyte to the sobering conclusion that the strike had to come to an end, and he and crew must get back to the bargaining table.
Meantime Government,
which has always been open to discussions, was patiently calling the union back to the bargaining table; and with good reason, because if the term ended on a strike, it meant the summer vacation would also be included as strike action; it meant you had not officially ended the term in a classroom. That's the law! So, in effect, The Government was making a way out for the union.
I am on record giving advice to the GTU. I intimated that the union should have ended the strike at the juncture of the court ruling and head straight back into bargaining. They could have mounted an excuse that they were misled by their lawyers and were now conciliatory in their approach, willing and able to negotiate in good faith.
The 10-day legal strike, and maybe the one month thereafter, could have been easily entered into. I had said it then, and am saying it again: there is no PPP/C Government who would have backed away from such a deal.
But when you have a general secretary that is so vested in politics, and a doting president who went along with her plan, that placed the union into deeper uncertainty. It was no way but her way.
Now that they have fi-
nally returned to the bargaining table, the options are limited, which means that we are left with the following:
1. The aspect of payment for the days on strike. Whose responsibility is it to pay those workers? I think that, for a union who has had twenty-odd years of free money; that is, union dues collected, it should be in a financial position to pay its workers. The union was the one who was adamant that the teachers stay off the job because they were in for a windfall judgement. So, for time spent off the job, it is the union's responsibility to make full use of those backlog dues.
2. The situation wherein students and teachers tried to get to school but were prevented from doing so because the doors were locked by some principals is unacceptable, and must be addressed swiftly and condignly so that there be no repeat of such behaviour. If someone wanted to break the strike, he or she was free to do so.
3. We recall the longest strike held in this country. When the government of the day responded and broke it, they sent hundreds of public servants into the cane fields to work.
Dear Editor,
I read with interest the report in the local press on July 9, 2024: of Mr Nigel Hughes’s first press conference as Leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC).
I was disappointed.
My disappointment stemmed from Mr Hughes having adopted the same methodology of the former and present PNC and AFC leaders. From the very beginning, he has chosen to misrepresent and distort events in our country. Same old PNC politics.
It was reported that he urged the Government not to undertake big projects without feasibility studies, and used as his example the Skeldon Expansion Project in the sugar industry.
That is very far from the truth. That project had a very good plan. It was conceived at a time when the European Union was saying that they would bring an end to the Sugar Protocol which had guar-
anteed prices for sugar-producing countries in the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) regions.
The PPP/C Government joined with their ACP colleagues to resist the EU plan. At the same time, they began to plan for the eventuality of the EU succeeding to abandon the decades-old agreement. The EU eventually did, after it had lost a case brought by Australia and Brazil to the World Trade Union (WTO).
The administration was faced with two options: one was to close the industry down, and the other was to take steps to keep it going and save jobs in the industry. Government chose to take steps to save the industry and jobs. It charged the GuySuCo Board to come up with a feasible plan for the industry. The Board tapped into the talents it had in the sector and used international experts to craft the plan.
Booker/Tate (BT) was
At the end of the 80-day standoff, it was the union's responsibility to pay its members; the situation is no different now. So, calling a strike of such magnitude Lyte should have considered the issue of remuneration and payments to workers.
4. Let us now turn our attention to the agreement for teachers, in my book all of the remaining matters where benefits are concerned, all of these should redound to the benefit of the teachers. Issues involving benefits for union executives such as the im-
portation of luxury items and duty-free concessions should be cancelled forthwith! Government cannot be supportive of a union with dirty hands, neither can they be indulgent of a union to live in luxury, while the teachers live in want. This has to stop.
I must hasten to a close as I make the emphatic statement, never again should Guyana be held back by a bunch of political party persons masquerading as union leaders.
Respectfully, Neil Adams
chosen as the international expert and engineer of the projects.
The plan was to transform the sugar industry from being just a producer of raw sugar into a complex with other revenue streams, and at the same time to reduce the average cost of producing raw sugar. It envisaged producing electricity (co-generation); a new distillery, and a refinery to process our raw sugar into industrial sugar (white sugar), among other value-added products. The plan was sound, the problem was with its implementation, which Booker Tate, the international expert, was contracted to do.
Without going into details, it was the board’s view that Booker Tate was responsible for the many problems that developed with that project.
Because of that conviction, the board withheld payments to Booker Tate, and BT took the issue to
court. GuySuCo crossedcharged Booker Tate, and I thought we had a good chance of winning the case and make BT pay for its poor project management.
Unfortunately, when the Government was changed in 2015, the PNC/ AFC regime decided to release the withheld money to Booker Tate and to withdrew the board's case against BT from the court. That allowed Booker Tate to walk away with millions.
The PNC/AFC regime then proceeded to close estates and dismiss thousands of workers. That was a blatant racial and political attack on sugar workers, whom the PNC/AFC considered to be PPP supporters. From the PNC/ AFC warped point of view, this was aimed at damaging the PPP. I say this because, at the time the PNC/ AFC decided to close the estates, the industry was overcoming the problems at Skeldon. This can be con-
firmed by the production figures of 2014 and 2015, when Skeldon took the lead in sugar production.
Moreover, the technical team that the PNC/AFC put together to examine the operation of the industry did not recommend closing estates.
Mr Hughes must have known all this, since the issue was ventilated publicly for many years. As lately as April of this year, Mr Vickram Ouditt and I had an exchange on the issue. The debate was not the lack of planning, but whether the plan was changed.
In addition to all of the above, Mr Hughes has had to be aware, since he was Booker Tate’s lawyer in the case against GuySuCo while being chairman of the AFC. Therefore, for him to have made the statement he is reported to have made is a deliberate attempt to mislead the public for narrow political ends. He is obviously practising the poli-
tics of deception. In closing, let me say that almost all the big projects that were undertaken by successive PPP/Civic Governments were carefully planned, and all had feasibility studies done. The only one I am aware of where the PPP/C Government did not go along with the advice of the experts relates to the Bauxite operations in Linden. The experts advised that the company be closed, but both Presidents Jagan and Jagdeo refused to do so. They both worked to save the industry and workers’ jobs. Their decision did not only save the industry, but allowed Linden to remain a viable community.
Mr Hughes should aim at putting some integrity to the Opposition's propaganda, instead of going along the old dishonest and racist path.
Sincerely, Donald
Ramotar
06:00 (Sign on) Inspiration Time 06:30 Cartoons 07:00 Evening News (RB) 08:00 Stop Suffering 09:00 Guy's Grocery Games
Grand Designs
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Movie - Windcatcher (2024)
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The Loud House S3 E21 14:30 Spongebob Squarepants 15:00 Indian Soaps 16:00 Young Sheldon S1 E18 16:30 Kickin' It S4 E1 17:00 The Young & The Restless 18:00 Aljazeera 19:00 The Evening News
Stop Suffering
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Yellowstone S2 E9
Sign off
Numbers behave in specific ways. Each kind of number behaviour is called a property
The Commutative Property of Addition: Addends may be added in any order without changing the sum. An addend is any number in an addition problem. It does not matter the order in which you add those numbers. The sum will always be the same.
The Commutative Property of Multiplication: Numbers may be multiplied in any order without changing the product. The Associative Property of Addition: Addends may be grouped in any order without changing the sum. The Associative Property of Multiplication: Numbers may be grouped in any order without changing the product.
Example
Find the answers to the following problems and tell which property they represent.
17 + 43 + 22 = ? 22 + 43 + 17 = ?
(Answers are 82 and 82 , examples of the commutative property)
25 x 2 x 3 = ?
2 x 25 x 3 = ?
(Answers are 150 and 150 , examples of the commutative property)
(15 + 14) + 8 = ? 14 + (15 + 8) = ?
(Answers are 37 and 37 , examples of the associative property)
(2 x 4) x 6 = ? 4 x (2 x 6) = ?
(Answers are 48 and 48, examples of the associative property)
In this fun and easy space science experiment, we’re going to demonstrate how craters are formed on the moon.
Important: this experiment is not edible – do not consume
Materials:
Flour
Baby oil
Small rocks or pebbles
Round cake pan
Mixing bowl
Measuring cups
Exercises: Identify the property
x
6) 6 x 6 x 8 x 6 = 8 x 6 x 6 x 6 7) (1 + 9) + 7 = 1 + (9 + 7)
8) 2 x 3 x 3 x 2 = 3 x 3 x 2 x 2
Instructions:
Mix ½ cup of baby oil with 4 cups of flour. Put the flour mixture into the round cake pan.
Level out the mixture. This will represent the surface of the moon for this demonstration. Place the cake pan on the ground. While standing over the cake pan, drop a rock onto the flour mixture and observe what happens.
How it works:
The mixture is used to represent the surface of the moon. The rock represents an object impacting the surface of the moon and will leave a crater for you to investigate and explore.
Make this a science project:
Try different sized rocks and observe the changes in the crater size, shape, and depth. (sciencefun.org)
BY TINA BOYER BROWN
Imagine the lunchroom, crowded and wary –seating charts a welcome apprehension.
Loose-leaf papers spiraled from ballpoint-scratched notebook covers until the last hour, when a teacher sighed and sighed.
Today, we close our backpacks, but minutes come quick and quit the ease of dawn.
Source: Poetry (March 2021)
Atransgender sex worker was in the wee hours of Thursday gunned down in the vicinity of South Road and King Street, Georgetown.
Dead is 28-year-old Shawn Simon also called “Coil Bottle” formerly of New Amsterdam Berbice, who resided at Grove, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Based on reports received, Simon was in the company of several colleagues at about 02:00h when a silver-colored heavily tinted Premio motorcar drove by and several loud explosions were heard coming from the vehicle.
The victim reportedly ran a short distance and collapsed as the vehicle
Shawn Simon, called Coil Bottle Orin Fraser speaking to reporters on Thursday morning
sped from the scene. He was found lying face down in a pool of blood with a gunshot wound under his right arm.
Speaking with Guyana
Times on Thursday, Orin Fraser who was an eyewitness to the shooting and a close friend of the deceased, recalled the incident say-
The security guard, who has been accused of killing a Rose Hall Town vendor on Sunday night, has been remanded to prison.
Harold Simmons called ‘Guardy’ 45 of Mibicuri South, Black Bush Polder appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Faith McGusty where the charge of murder was read to him.
It is alleged that on July 7, at Portuguese Quarters, Corentyne, he murdered Kaioum Baksh.
Police Prosecutor Corporal Shinel Mathieson told the court that Baksh is an alcoholic, and would normally behave disorderly when-ever he consumed
“Exxon
In addition to this conflict-of-interest issue, Hughes had also sparked a contentious debate after the no-confidence motion was passed in the National Assembly against the David Grangerled Coalition Administration back in December 2018.
Central to this debate was Hughes’ argument that, mathematically, one half of the House when divided stands at 32.5 members. His argument, which was subsequently disproved by the High Court and Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), was that 34 and not 33 was the
alcohol and Simmons, was a security guard at Shaveh Restaurant and Bar.
The prosecutor told the court that at about 21:30h on Sunday Baksh was at Shaveh Restaurant and Bar consuming alcohol when he started to behave in a disorderly manner and he was confronted by the Simmons, who whipped out a black and silver metal object from his pants waist and dealt the victim several lashes about his head and other parts of his body causing him to fall to the ground and become motionless. Baksh was taken to the Port Mourant Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
The prosecutor also said
that after Simmons was arrested a search of him was conducted and Police found a silver and black mental object that was allegedly used to inflict injuries on the victim.
Meanwhile, an autopsy conducted on the body by Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan give the cause of death as shock and hemorrhage as a result of blunt trauma to head.
Magistrate McGusty remanded Simmons to prison and the case will continue on August 15.
It had been reported that Baksh previously had physical and verbal encounters with Venezuelan nationals who frequent the bar. (G4)
majority of the 65-Member Parliament, and so 33 yes votes were not enough to pass the No-Confidence-Motion.
Hughes’ legal argument had resulted in a worsening of the already existing legal and procedural challenges, since the then A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government had used it as a central argument in their legal challenges to the No Confidence Motion, significantly delaying the country’s electoral process.
Hughes has also previously faced conflict of interest
ing, “Early this morning [Thursday], I went with a man and I was on my way back to King and South Road and I see my friend Shawn was talking to someone in a silver fielder wagon car and before I meet King Street and South Road a car pulled up, at the big tree and a man come out and she and the man went inside the yard doing a business,” Fraser recalled.
Fraser stated that about 30 minutes later, Simon returned and it was then, that he observed the tinted car.
“When the business had finished, me, she and our next sister Pretty was talking and making laugh and the same car had come around back and pull over, I was the first one to go to this car. I make three attempts to go to this car. Then Coil Bottle said y'all don't go, that man came to me. And the man drove up with a speed.”
Despite them warning Simon not to approach the
vehicle, Simon did not pay heed.
“This was my last words, I said girl don’t go, I told Coil Bottle don’t go and she went in front of the car. By time this woman put up her foot to go in the car, Coil Bottle was in front of me and if you hear gunshots start to shoot out,” Fraser weepingly stated.
Fraser disclosed that because of the darkness inside the car, they could not identify the shooter.
“Everything in the car was dark, the only thing I see is something like sparks coming up from the front right by the driving side no other window had went down from the car and I held my ears and start run over the road,” Fraser who broke down in tears in front of reporters stated.
The police subsequently stated that they were reviewing the CCTV footage from cameras in the area. Meanwhile, several nine 9mm spend shells
were found at the scene. Investigations are ongoing. On October 8 of 2023, the now deceased, Shawn Simon had visited a friend, who works at a hotel in New Amsterdam, and while there, three men and two women – all of whom he knows – had threatened him. He had later accused the men of assaulting and threatening him.
At the time he had claimed that he had went to the Central Police Station in New Amsterdam, and an officer took a statement from him and asked that he return the following day. He had said that even though his face was partly swollen and he was bleeding, the officer did not give him a form to obtain a Police medical report from a doctor.
Simon had claimed that he was fearful for his life.
The motive of Thursday morning’s deadly shooting is unknown as Police continue their investigation. (G1)
PAGE 3
controversies, such as back in 2013 when he announced his resignation from the AFC Chairmanship. At the time there were reports of his role as the company secretary of Sithe Global, the company that was then a major investor in the US$858 Million Amaila Falls Hydro Project. At the time, the AFC along with the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) had had a combined one seat majority in the National Assembly and had been using this to block the then People’s Progressive Party. (G8)
…released on $500,000
Atrainee fire officer was on Thursday granted $500,000 bail when he appeared at the Whim Magistrate’s Court on a causing death by dangerous driving charge.
Twenty-six-year-old Maceon Hooper of Number 51 Village Corentyne Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) appeared before Magistrate Faith McGusty.
It is alleged that in May 4 at about 23:00h he drove motorcar, HD 5339, in a dangerous manner causing the death of Mahindra Narine.
Reports at the time were that motorcar, HD 5339 being driven by Hooper was proceeding south along the eastern drive lane of Springlands Public Road, Corentyne, Berbice at a fast rate of speed when the driver suddenly made a right turn west towards V-Power Service Station. Police said that that at the same time motorcycle, CL 5024, which was proceeding in the said direction behind the car at a fast rate attempted to overtake the car, which was in the process of turning and as a result the motorcyclist collided with the right-wing mirror of the motor car and due to the impact, the motorcyclist was flung from his motorcycle and struck his head on a concrete structure resulting in injury.
Narine was picked up in an unconscious state by the driver of the motorcar and taken to the Skeldon Public Hospital and was shortly after referred to the New Amsterdam Pubic Hospital where he received further medical treatment. He was later transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was admitted in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in critical condition but subsequently died on May 6.
Police Prosecutor Corporal Shinel
Mathieson did not object to bail but asked for substantial bail. After bail was set at $500,000 the prosecutor asked the court that Hooper be made to lodge his passport and report to the Number 51 Police Station fortnightly as a condition for his pre-trial liberty. These conditions were accepted by the magistrate and put into an order.
The case has been transferred to the Springlands Magistrate’s Court and will continue on August 5.
Whoever said money can’t buy friends was clearly someone with no money!! We may quibble about what kinda friends were bought…but that’s another question altogether, innit? But it’s an important question that must be answered!! With our dear ole Mudland grabbing headlines across the world about our massive oil find and our “highest growth rate in the world”, we’ve been inundated with new friends!
Can you believe that Trinis – who used the word “Guyanese” as a swear word equivalent to our “s*unt! –are now flocking our shores and digging up long forgotten ancestors to claim they’re Guyanese?? And the less we speak about the Bajans, who created a special bench for us at their airport – as if we had cocubeh – the better!!
But then we’ve been flocking to foreign shores for decades for money – ANY foreign shore!! Since Burnham had crashed us to hover precariously just above Haiti on the poverty charts, only THAT benighted country didn’t see an influx of Guyanese!! Yes, Dear Reader, there are Guyanese in Timbuktu!! We did all the dirty jobs the locals scorned. But in all fairness, with our new-found oil wealth gushing in all of a sudden, we do need some outsiders who may have skills that we lack for some of the new industries that are expected to be springing up. Like building Bridges across rivers!! But do we need all the supermarkets run by furriners opening up all over the place?? Isn’t this a new form of colonization?
After Emancipation in 1838, some newly-freed, formerly enslaved Africans rushed to fill the gap in supplying food that wouldn’t be provided by the planters, no mo. They started selling “provisions” to their fellow emancipated brothers and sisters – but they were soon undercut by Portuguese who’d arrived as indentured labourers. They brought with them knowledge of importing goods, and were given credit by the white rulers. Isn’t this what’s happening with Trinis and Chinese opening up supermarkets every block across the land?? Sure, they’re selling some stuff cheaper and they have a wide selection of goods – but shouldn’t the authorities be looking at the long-term effect?? Soon it’ll be beaten into the heads of ALL Guyanese that “we can’t run supermarkets. We don’t have the head!”
But your Eyewitness wonders why we weren’t prepared for carpetbaggers and grifters to arrive like locusts!! After all, the hustlers in the world of business – and in business, “hustler” is quite redundant!! – have been informed we’re a prime candidate to be ravished. Just like when Raleigh saw us 600 years “like a virgin that hasn’t lost her maidenhead!!” Your Eyewitness believes that the authorities must designate some sectors as “off limits” to these carpetbaggers!! Say no to economic rape!!
…mugging
Some say everything moves in circles…and there’s REALLY nothing new under the sun!! Is this why we’re suddenly experiencing a wave of motorcycle bandits in our not-so-fair capital?? The phenomenon without bikes had exploded back in the 1960s – and was called “choke-androb” - when the PNC was in the throes of ousting the elected PPP Government. Perceived PPP supporters – read IndianGuyanese, especially rural – who ventured into the city were targeted for condign treatment. And what began as a random series of attacks exploded into a directed tsunami. So, in this new season of Opposition discontent - when they’re again trying to oust an elected PPP Government by any means necessary, after their foiled rigging attemptare we to expect the new wave of choke-and-rob to again explode into a mugging tsunami?? Now, your Eyewitness doesn’t want to be an alarmist – but this upsurge is troubling. In NY, for instance, an upsurge in street muggings precipitated new policing tactics. Why not in GT??
…Parliamentary intrigue
In parliamentary governance, the Opposition gotta accept that the Government, with a majority of MPs, gonna always have their way - via the floor vote.
Burnham introduced persuading some MPs to switch, while Granger introduced seizing the Mace!?!
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday announced that the next General and Regional Elections will be within the period of October to November 2025, noting that rumours of an early elections are “a bunch of nonsense.”
“We’re hoping to have a transparent election,” he told reporters at his weekly press conference.
He was at the time responding to claims made by Alliance For Change Leader, Nigel Hughes that the People’s Progressive Party is in elections mode.
In a post made two days ago on social media, Hughes said among other things, “The tea leaves are suggesting that there is likely to be an early election. Government Ministers are holding public meetings. There can be no election without the census results being published first and a clean electoral list. The bloated list of electors will not cut it. Why subject the country to another problematic election.”
To ensure a fair and transparent process, the vice president said a manual will be prepared and circulated ahead of the elections to the media, political parties and other interest-
ed stakeholders, outlining the “duties, obligations, responsibilities, rights of every member who will be part of the conduct of elections.” This includes members of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and by extension, polling agents.
Guyana’s previous election process lasted from March 2 to August 2, 2020 - a period of five months – due to efforts by the now Opposition parties, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition to remain in Government.
Litigations, missing Statements of Poll (SOPs) and missing documents from some ballot boxes were among strategies used to derail the declaration of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) as the new Government.
In this regard, the manual will also outline documents to be included in the ballot boxes for submission to the offices of the District Returning Offices.
“In this manual you will see long before the elections, you will see which document have to go into the box and which doesn’t so if the Presiding Officer does not want to put a document into the box, he is [committing]
an offence, so you don’t have room for people calling up last minute and create confusion,” Jagdeo explained.
Currently, several former employees of GECOM including the former chief elections officer are before the courts on matters relating to electoral fraud.
Since the last elections, some key electoral reform legislations have been addressed to avoid a recurrence.
In 2022, the National Assembly passed the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act for the adoption of clear written procedures for the transmission and tabulation of election results, and for the mandatory publication of detailed polling station results and digital copies of all Statements
of Poll (SOPs) which will be posted on GECOM’s website.
This, the Vice President said, will ensure transparency. “On the night of the election or the next morning, long before GECOM finishes the tabulation, every citizen should have a copy of every Statement of Poll and they can do their own additions and know who won the elections because it is by law now,” he highlighted on Thursday.
“We went through all of the things where there can be room for ambiguity or capricious action on the part of the CEO or other staff at GECOM and we clarified them so that they are clear to everyone and put in offences for not doing what they should do,” he added. Recently, the
Government, Opposition parties and other stakeholders met with the Carter Center’s pre-assessment team along with other Elections Observer mission who have been invited to be a part of the next elections process.
In December 2018, when the no-confidence motion was passed in the National Assembly against the David Granger-led Coalition Administration, Hughes had sparked a contentious debate that was exacerbated by legal and procedural challenges that had significantly delayed the country’s electoral process. Central to this debate was Hughes’ argument that, mathematically, one half of the House when divided stands at 32.5 members.
“There is no such thing as a half member, so half of the House is 33 members… this is because you have to round up to identify half of the House,” he had said, mere days after the no-confidence motion was passed. Therefore, he posited that 34 is the majority of the 65-member House rather than 33.
The aftermath of the motion as a result of this argument had been marked by legal challenges, appeals, and judicial decisions that extended beyond the constitutionally-mandated threemonth deadline. In June 2019, the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) handed down its decision that 33, not 34, was the majority of the 65-member House.
In a move to uphold safety standards and protect consumers, the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) has seized and destroyed a substantial cache of substandard electrical fittings and equipment. The seizure, amounting to 11,660 pieces, was the result of s surveillance operations conducted across several regions
during May and June.
The seized items, including wires, cables, lamp holders, circuit breakers, and extension cords among others, failed to meet critical labeling requirements stipulated by national standards. Issues identified included the absence of certification marks, country of origin details, and manufacturer names. Some items
were inaccurately labeled while others lacked any labeling altogether. The items were seized in Regions Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam); Three (Essequibo Islands -West Demerara); Four (Demerara-Mahaica), Five (Mahaica-Berbice) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
Acting Head of the GNBS Product Compliance
Department, Lorenzo Gill, highlighted that despite a 21-day grace period given to importers and dealers to provide necessary documentation such as Test Certificates and Declarations of Conformity, compliance was not achieved. Consequently, the GNBS proceeded with the destruction of these items earlier today at their Head
Office located in the National Exhibition Complex, Sophia, Georgetown.
Gill further underscored the presence of unregistered dealers found selling non-compliant products, urging them to promptly register with the GNBS to avoid legal repercussions and ensure the safety of products being distributed in the market.
The GNBS has intensified monitoring efforts across 31 mandatory national standards governing various electrical fittings and equipment categories. This proactive approach includes rigorous inspections of imported goods and spot checks at retail outlets to enforce compliance.
Importers and dealers have been urged to familiarise themselves with the applicable national stan-
dards, obtain necessary certifications, and rectify any non-conformities promptly. This, GNBS emphasises, is crucial in mitigating potential hazards such as electrical fires caused by substandard products. In addition to electrical fittings and equipment, GNBS continues to monitor a wide range of consumer products including domestic appliances, textiles, footwear, and electronics, ensuring that all goods meet stringent quality and safety benchmarks before reaching consumers.
Importers and dealers seeking further information on compliance requirements are encouraged to visit the GNBS website (gnbsgy.org) to access relevant standards and guidelines, thereby contributing to a safer marketplace for all consumers.
Zeelugt woman charged for attempting to murder 9-year-old daughter
Bibi Fareena Joseph also called Christine who attempted to murder her nine-year-old daughter was on Thursday charged and remanded to prison.
The 33-year-old housewife of Zeelugt, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) appeared virtually before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Leonora Magistrate Court and was not required to plead to the indictable charge of Attempt to Commit Murder.
As such, she was remanded to prison until August 2, 2024. It was reported that on the day in question, Joesph and her boyfriend had a heated argument, during which he allegedly insulted the mother and daughter, calling them “wastes” and saying he no longer wanted them. He then left the house.
Following the argument, the woman allegedly attacked her daughter with a chopper inflicting a wound on the girl’s left arm. The child managed to escape and sought help from a neighbour, who rushed her to the Leonora Cottage Hospital.
The child was seen and examined by a doctor, who listed her condition as stable. She was later transferred to the West Demerara Regional Hospital for further medical attention.
Meanwhile, upon arriving at the scene, investigators discovered the child’s mother with a chop wound on her left arm, which she alleged she had self-inflicted. She was arrested and transported to the Leonora Cottage Hospital, where medical professionals confirmed her condition as stable. Following her discharge, she was placed into police custody at the Leonora Police Station.
Adevastating fire at Enmore West, East Coast Demerara (ECD) on Thursday morning has left an infant dead and a house completely gutted.
The dead child has been identified as threemonth-old Leroy Archer. According to reports, the child’s mother was in the bathroom while the infant was left sleeping in one of the bedrooms in the upper flat of the house.
Following the heart-wrenching incident on Thursday, the child’s mother Chandroutie Manickchand said that she
es were on the upper flat of the house but in the same breath related that an elec -
was not well and before going to take a bath, she put her young son to sleep and then took him up to the room.
She noted that her other son, was left in the hammock and not upstairs as he would frequently make noise to wake up the young one.
“We went in the hammock and then after I bathe both of them and put the lil baby to sleep… then I went and hustle wash mehself… I just go in the bathroom, tek off my clothes and spray lil water on meh head when meh big son come and say fire, fire… I run upstairs naked but I couldn’t go in the room because fire de done tek over the room with meh baby… them boys (neighbours) run over but the heat de too much, we couldn’t get he out,” the devastated mother cried.
She could not say what might have started the fire since no electrical applianc -
tric fan was in the room in which the baby was sleeping.
The kitchen was reportedly in the lower flat of the two-storey wooden and concrete building.
Also speaking with the media was the child’s grandmother who related that she was at home in Enterprise, ECD when she received the devastating news.
“Meh talk to meh grandson this morning (Thursday) and meh tell he that meh go cook and sent am because, she (her daughter) had fever… ah done talk me done talk with them and me get the phone call… meh tek taxi and come… them people tell me that meh grandson bun up.”
She added that her daughter doesn’t leave the children and go anywhere while adding that they are always in the hammock together.
that it received reports of the fire at 10:25h, and as such, a water carrier from Melanie and a tender from Mahaica were dispatched to the location. The team, the GFS managed to contain the blaze.
The house was owned by 73-year-old Pulkumar Miller and at the time was occupied by Manickchand, her husband, Leon Archer, and sons Lorenzo Archer, 2, and the now-dead Leroy Archer.
The building and its contents were destroyed.
However, the Guyana Fire Service reported
The GFS added that another two-storey building owned and occupied by Brian Dos Ramos sus -
tained severe damage to its southern guttering and ceiling due to radiated heat from the burning building. Fire officials are continuing their investigations to determine the cause of the deadly blaze.
This comes days after 4-year-old Junior Anderson perished in a fire at ‘C’ Field, Sophia. In that fire, it was reported that the blaze was caused by children playing with matches, which ignited a mattress and quickly spread to other combustible materials in the home.
Ataxi driver has been taken into custody following the police discovering more than $34 million worth of ganja in his vehicle during an operation conducted at #45 Village, Corentyne, Berbice. (Region Six: East Berbice-Corentyne).
Reports received indicate that when police intercepted Toyota Spacio HD 732 along the #45 Public Road on Wednesday, the driver, a 33-year-old resident of Line Path, Corriverton, Berbice, was
the only occupant of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle unearthed seven salt bags containing 53 parcels wrapped in transparent plastic and suspected to contain cannabis sativa (ganga).
The driver was told of the offence committed, and was taken into custody. The parcels were subsequently weighed and amounted to 116,641 grams (257lbs) of the narcotic, which has an estimated street value of $34,992,383 ($34M+).
Investigations are ongoing.
In light of allegations of financial impropriety levelled against Deputy Commissioner (ag) Calvin Brutus, the senior rank in the leadership team has requested permission to proceed on annualized vacation leave with immediate effect to facilitate an investigation.
This permission was granted by the Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken through the prescribed procedure. Last week, Brutus was among three senior ranks who were rotated to foster efficiency within the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
In addition, this shakeup, according to the GPF is necessary as part of the modernisation plan for the force. However, it was reported in certain sections of the media and social media, that the decision to shake up the top brass of the GPF was to facilitate an investigation launched by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) into financial irregularities by the Administrative Office which was previously headed by Brutus.
It was further reported that SOCU officers confiscated several documents to facilitate the investigation. Following the allegations, the Police Commissioner
stated “Relative to several social media posts and online news reports about a 'shake-up' in the top brass of the Guyana Police Force, please note that the rotation of officers is a management tool that is used to create and foster efficiency in an organisation.”
The release added, “Relative to a social media post by an overseas-based Guyanese that the Police Commissioner and another senior officer were sent home as part of an ongoing investigation by SOCU, please note that this is NOT TRUE. This report is misleading and fake.”
Last week, it was announced that Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ Calvin Brutus will now Head
the Special Branch while Deputy Commissioner ‘Operations’ Ravindradat Budhram will be in charge of ‘Administration’.
In addition, the Head of the Special Branch, Assistant Commissioner Errol Watts will now take over operational duties from Brutus.
The GPF’s Strategic Plan 2022-2026 is geared at transforming the law enforcement organisation into a contemporary one through the development of its human resources and other capabilities at levels. Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn had stated that in order to implement the strategic plan, officers must have the right attitude and mindset.
“There’s a lot of things going for contemporary policing interventions in relation to information technology and in particular training, but it will all go to naught if you have the physical assets and the vehicles and the best legally trained and other trained managers…nothing matters if, at the middle level, the purpose, the willingness, the activity, and the direction do not integrate [with] what has to happen at the bottom in terms of actions to guarantee security.”
Building on the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday announced that Guyana will soon lead a new global alliance, which will see many countries securing payments for protecting plants, animals and forests.
According to the Head of State, work on establishing this alliance recently commenced with support from at least 17 leaders of Caribbean countries, academics and other stakeholders.
He further explained that a financing mechanism is being developed to determine a globally-accepted price or payment scheme to
support countries protecting their biodiversity and forests.
“Guyana intends to take the leadership role on mobilising friends and coun-
tries with rich biodiversity into a global alliance on biodiversity and commence the work on creating a scalable model that will address forests and biodiversity togeth-
er,” the President said.
According to Ali, “Guyana’s conservation and experience in protecting the country’s pristine forest qualifies us as a global leader for climate services.”
On this point, he reiterated that Guyana is poised to lead the Net Zero by 2050 Agenda, through its robust plans for energy security and renewable generation, while continuously recording increased economic prosperity.
Notably, he added that Government is still exploring all avenues to cut emissions despite being a net carbon sink.
“We have to go after innovation that will position us as a region of excellence
and strong partnerships.
These are the things that matter” he added.
Guyana through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is actively working to develop an Economic model for biodi-
and a region of excellence requires innovative thinking. It requires investing in a knowledge economy, investing in our tools and resources, building the right,
versity, ecological and climate services in keeping with Guyana’s global commitment to tackle the challenges of climate change, energy sustainability, and
food security.
Just a few days ago, President Ali announced that the model for these three key services will become a principal programme in the country’s economy aimed at generating revenue from natural assets.
In fact, engagements with the relevant stakeholders are ongoing while experts are assessing global best practices and conducting theoretical work for the project.
The President highlighted at the time that the EPA has a major role to play in this level of development, especially since the agency is currently on the route of becoming a world-class regulator.
In this regard, funds are being deployed to leverage technology as well as upskill its talent pool.
The Government has invested $100 million in the 2022-2023 Budget towards this initiative while over $50 million has been invested to ensure the EPA is equipped with skilled workers to effectively carry out its duties.
An East Canje man, who is wanted in connection with a murder, has been slapped with four robbery charges.
Police had previously issued a wanted bulletin for 35-year-old Jason Isaacs of Bristol Street, East Canje, Berbice in relation with the 2021 murder of US-based Guyanese Hemraj Pardesi.
On July 2, he was arrested at a roadblock operation at the Weldaad Police Station, West Coast Berbice.
When he was arrested Isaacs was allegedly found with certain items which led to probes into several robberies committed within Berbice.
On Tuesday the self-employed Isaacs appeared at the New Amsterdam Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Michelle Mathais, where four counts of robbery under arm charges were read to him.
It is alleged that on May 28 at New Street, Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice while armed with a gun he robbed 26-yearold Rohanie Haimchandrji called ‘Tricia’, a hairdresser
at her home.
The prosecution is also contending that on April 27, at New Street, Cumberland, East Canje Berbice, he committed a robbery on 46year- Dhanrajie Tulsi, a government ten-day part-time worker. On that same day, he allegedly robbed 75-yearold Kamal Deen within the said area.
Isaacs is also accused of robbing 66-year-old Nandlall Autar of Lot 82 Bun Bush
Dam, East Canje also on April 27.
The four charges were laid under Section 222(c) of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act Chapter 8:01, of the Laws of Guyana.
Isaacs was not required to plea. The cases have been adjourned to August 7, and will continue at the Reliance Magistrate’s Court. Isaacs was remanded to prison. He was wanted for the 2021 murder of US-based Guyanese Hemraj Pardesi. Police issued a wanted bulletin for Isaacs in May this year.
According to a statement from Police Headquarters, Isaacs is also suspected of fatally shooting a man in Suriname on October 12, 2023.
Police said he was arrested in Suriname on October 13, 2023, but escaped from the Paramaribo University Hospital and has since been on the run, until his arrest by ranks from the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
Pardesi was murdered on August 3, 2021 at Reliance Settlement, East Canje Berbice. (G4)
As the region recovers from the destruction caused by Hurricane Beryl, the Caribbean Community (Caricom) is preparing to invest heavily in sustainable agricultural product projects aimed at modernising farming to improve market access for existing and new agriculture products.
This was echoed by the Secretary General of Caricom, Dr. Carla Barnett who disclosed that plans are being formulated for this initiative while adding that the process includes evaluating existing as well as new policies to develop agriculture sectors across the Caribbean.
Notably, Caricom has made significant strides in advancing policy development and implementation in attracting investment, which resulted in several member states producing new crops and fostering functional partnerships with the private sector, farmers, and civil society.
On this point, Dr. Barnett explained that the new path being taken by the Caribbean will rely on all the expertise garnered prior to Hurricane Beryl and significant private sector investment.
“Caricom is again at an inflection point where scarce capital has to be diverted from economic development to support recovery and rebuilding from the effects of extreme weather events fueled by global warming, that is at the core of climate change… Private sector investment in sustainable agriculture is now crucial to bolster advantages and address challenges especially since Beryl has now caused significant setbacks” Dr. Barnett said.
“Importantly, we are prioritising investments that are climate resilient. Those investments which inte-
grate improved funding techniques to address the region’s vulnerability to hurricanes, floods, droughts and rising sea levels that cause stagnation and loss of arable lands” she added.
The Caricom SecretaryGeneral said financing through public-private partnerships is actively being pursued for crucial aspects of the initiative. She explained that the financing gap identified amounts to US$1.2 billion.
“Work is underway to find dedicated capital funds for investment opportunities in transportation and logistics, digitisation and research into best practices to develop the sector based on the available science. With the support of the Caricom private sector organisation, we have pinpointed possible investment opportunities amounting to US $1.2 billion covering six potential agri- food value chain opportunities. These are to produce cereals and staples, beverages, fresh cereals, salted fish, vegetables, fruits and nuts, poultry and other meats and milk and cream,” the Secretary-General said.
It was noted that after partnerships with private sector investment in these other areas are secured - new industries and support food and nutrition security for current and future generations will emerge. Guyana is currently chairing the Caribbean Community (Caricom) Ministerial Task Force on Food Production and Food Security, which has been driving the ‘25 by 2025’ initiative seeking to boost food production within the region to reduce food imports.
Less than a week ago, President Dr. Irfaan Ali disclosed plans to utilise climate-smart agriculture to increase yield in crop cultivation, as the primary method to safeguard against the destruction that can be caused by climate change, especially devasting events such as Hurricane Beryl, which has wreaked havoc in St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Barbados, St. Lucia, Grenada, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago.
Hurricane Beryl first made landfall on July 1 in Carriacou, an island in Grenada. Beryl reached a Category 5 hurricane status in the Atlantic on Monday, with peak winds of 165 mph (270 kph). In addition to Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Beryl wreaked havoc in Barbados, St. Lucia, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago – countries with large Guyanese diasporas.
Over 38000 Guyanese residing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG), Barbados and Trinidad were reportedly affected by the devasting Hurricane Beryl, which continues to plough through the Caribbean with record-breaking wind speeds, causing massive destruction including loss of lives.
Beryl has killed at least ten people and disrupted economies on the various small islands, from tourism to agriculture… in particular the 25 by 2025 goals that were first championed by Guyana and President Ali, before and during his Chairmanship of Caricom in the first part of the year.
(G1)
In an effort to combat corruption in the public procurement processes, the Guyana Government is putting systems in place to combat collusion between family members to hog contracts.
This is according to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday. He noted that the Regional Administrators across Guyana would be asked to investigate and be knowledgeable of the companies’ owners before contracts are awarded.
In defending his reason behind this position, the VP explained “There are some contractors, who through their families, own multiple companies – wife, children, everybody – and they come and bid. You don’t know who they are because they are companies and then you end up with a single family putting in three or four different bids and often, they win contracts and the community knows who they are and we don’t.”
On this note, the regional administrations across the country have been instructed to pay keen attention to this issue and to cleanse the list of pre-qualified contractors to remove those who have multiple family-owned companies.
Moreover, Jagdeo added
that government will also be asking contractors to declare their interests.
No prohibition
In fact, the vice president hinted that the same will have to be done by some public servants, who also participate in, and could possibly influence the bidding process.
“There is no prohibition, if you work for government, to bid in a contract but you should not do so in an entity that is connected to you. So, we’re enforcing that so that you can’t prejudice the bid process,” he noted.
Jagdeo said these issues were addressed during a recent outreach to Region Two (Pomeroon – Supenaam), at a meeting with contractors and employees of the regional administration.
Looking at the regional administration’s perspective, he said there needs to be full compliance with the Procurement Act and the related regulations. “Too often we have found departures from the standard bidding document that is a part of our legislation and because there is so many procuring entities around the country…at different levels…sometimes they can alter the bidding document
which should be standard,” he pointed out.
As such, more training was recommended for procurement staff within the various regions to ensure they clearly understand the tendering process in order to enhance the system.
The Government is also working to blacklist contractors who are failing to complete projects that are in keeping with quality or in a timely manner.
“We had a tough talk with the contractors too that we intend to rigidly enforce the law,” the VP stated about his recent visit to the PomeroonSupenaam region.
The meetings hosted in Region Two will be replicated across the country to deal with procurement issues.
Training
“The Ministry of Finance will go across the country, ensuring that all the procuring authorities… are aware of this and that departures from established procedures would have consequences,” Jagdeo noted.
Following concerns raised over the award of contracts to selected contractors and the inability to meet project deadlines or build according to specifications, the Government embarked on a
plan to pursue greater accountability within the procurement processes across all sectors. Among the initiatives announced was the establishment of a Contract Compliance Unit within the Ministry of Legal Affairs and other units within the various ministries to assess the performance of contractors.
Moreover, President Irfaan Ali at a press conference in June disclosed that approximately $3 billion in charges for liquidated damages have been instituted over delays in public projects across the country.
Liquidated damages refer to a provision allowing for the payment of a specified sum in the case of a
An autopsy performed on the remains found in an East Canje, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) cane field on July 5 is inconclusive.
Government Pathologist Dr. Vivekanand Bridgemohan performed the autopsy on the body of Deochan Rai called “Suraj” but could not determine the cause of death.
The pathologist concluded that the cause of death was unascertainable.
However, Dr. Bridgemohan found that there no marks of violence were seen on the body.
Fifty-six-year-old Deochan Rai, who had been missing for more than two weeks, was found dead in the backdam at East Canje on July 5.
Rai, who lived alone at Betsy Ground, East Canje, was reportedly last seen on June 18. The cane harvester had left home to pick wild Carilla some eight miles into the backdam.
A search party consisting of more than two dozen persons went into the backdam to look for the missing man but came up empty-handed. However, on July 4 his bicycle was found.
The following day rodent
bait workers working with Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) Rose Hall Estate discovered the body in a cane field drain that connects the main trench to supply the cane field with water.
Meanwhile, an autopsy conducted on the body of Simeon Munroe also on Wednesday by the same pathologist gave the cause of death as shock with hemorrhage and fractures to the skull, consisting of motor vehicle accidents.
Munroe was involved in a crash in the wee hours of Sunday morning along the Corentyne Highway at
Nurney Village.
Police had reported that Monroe was riding motorcycle, CL 8946, heading west when the driver alleged that he saw a cow walking from the northern to the southern side of the road, as a result he applied brakes and pulled to the southern side of the road.
At the same time, Monroe was allegedly proceeding in the opposite direction, without a safety helmet, when the motorcycle collided with the said cow and he lost control of the bike, then further col-
lided with the right-side front fender rearview view mirror of
breach of contract. Based on the value of the contracts, the percentage of the liquidated damage is calculated. This can range from 0.1 per cent up to 10 per cent of the contract sum.
According to President Ali, instructions have been given to charge the maximum value of liquidated damages from those delinquent contractors.
Guyana Times was told that while most state agencies have embarked on recovering liquidated damages, the Ministries of Public Works, Housing and Water, and Agriculture are the main entities with defaulting contractors.
In fact, the Public Works Ministry has issued letters to contractors on a whopping 365 projects that have been experiencing unjustified delays, seeking liquidated damages to the tune of $934.65 million.
This newspaper understands that Avinash Construction and Metal Works, which is executing the controversial $475 million Cemetery Road Expansion project is one of the defaulting companies that will have to pay this fee.
The multi-million project,
which will see the two-lane carriageway being extended into four lanes, was initially expected to be completed since July 2023. However, those works are still ongoing.
Meanwhile, only recently, government moved to terminate the contract with Trinidadian company, Kalco Guyana Incorporated, which had abandoned its works on sections of the Conversation Tree Road Expansion Project.
Last month, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill disclosed that Kalco has since settled the outstanding mobilisation costs while government has paid the Trinidadian company for works done so far on the incomplete road.
Government has since retained S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc., which has already completed another section of the Conversation Tree Road, to finish the abandoned works.
However, as Government goes after these delinquent contractors, banks and insurance companies that issue performance bonds to contractors could find themselves facing the consequences for delays in public projects.
During a June 6 press conference, VP Jagdeo explained that as part of their contracts, contractors are required to put up a performance bond that the State can draw down on should they fail to complete their works on time or at all.
These performance bonds are often issued by commercial banks and insurance companies. As such, in addition to contractors, the Vice President is also putting these financial institutions on notice that they will not be “risk-free” since government intends to levy on these performance bonds.
The leaders of small Caribbean island nations on Thursday said that financial damages wrought by Hurricane Beryl would run beyond their capacities and urged lenders to ease financing costs to address the worsening impacts of climate change.
The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June to November, but Beryl, this season's first hurricane, was the earliest on record to surge to a Category 5, as human-caused climate change causes storms to intensify faster and stronger.
An estimated 20,000 people lost homes across Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines during Beryl and are vulnerable to more storms in what has been forecast to be a highly active season due to record ocean temperatures.
The two countries' leaders each estimated hundreds of millions of dollars in damages, and said that racking up more debt to international financiers was
neither just nor sustainable.
"We are seeing what can happen in just a few hours - entire small islands decimated," St Vincent and the Grenadines' Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves told a press conference, adding that major polluting nations were either not listening or lacked the political will to tackle climate change.
The region has long called for wealthy nations to honor their pledges to reduce emissions, fund climate relief efforts and consider debt relief. A recent Reuters investigation found billions in climate funds being funneled back to rich nations. International lenders, Gonsalves added, "are not fit for purpose for disasters of this kind. There's very little money available for relief."
The Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF), a regional risk pool, said this week it would pay $44 million to Grenada, its largest-ever
single payout, surpassing the $40 million it paid Haiti after its 2021 earthquake.
CCRIF said Beryl was "very reminiscent" of 2004's Hurricane Ivan, which caused the United States some $20 billion in damages and $6 billion in the Caribbean, costing both Grenada and the Cayman Islands losses totaling 200% of their annual GDP.
Grenadian Prime Minister Dickon Mitchell said the two nations "simply cannot afford another hurricane."
He said the payouts were just a "drop" of what was needed, as mainland Grenada would need to feed the worst-hit islands for the next six months at least, and it could take their devastated economies, agriculture and wildlife decades to recover.
Jamaican has resigned from WURD Radio in Philadelphia after she admitted to using questions supplied by United States (US) President Joe Biden’s aides to interview the president last week.
Andrea Lawful-Sanders announced on Sunday via her Instagram that WURD Radio had accepted her resignation after she tendered it.
According to a Guardian article, Lawful-Sanders’s resignation came after she went on a CNN program a day earlier and revealed that she asked Biden four questions provided to her in advance by his team.
that I approved.”
Twenty-four hours later, Lawful-Sanders made a post on Instagram stating, “On July 2, 2024, I received a call from the White House communications team inviting me to speak with President Biden. As an independent contractor for WURD, it has been a standard practice to book my interviews and develop questions for my guests without knowledge, consultation, or collaboration from station management.”
my knowledge, not the station.”
The interview with Biden aired on July 4.
The Guardian report noted that in its own statement later Sunday, WURD Radio claimed Lawful-Sanders had arranged the interview “without knowledge, consultation or collaboration with … management” and violated the station’s editorial independence by accepting questions supplied by Biden’s team.
The State has agreed to pay a little over $120,000 in compensation to a chutney and classical singer after a small birthday party at his family’s home in Gasparillo was raided by police officers during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
After the raid, Shiva Lakhan filed a constitutional motion alleging that the officers breached his constitutional rights to enjoyment of property and respect for his private and family life.
On Tuesday, a consent order was entered when the case came up for hearing before High Court Judge Margaret Mohammed.
Under the order, the State agreed that Lakhan’s constitutional rights were breached and that he should receive $75,000 in compensatory damages and $45,000 in vindicatory damages.
The State also agreed to pay his legal costs for pursuing the lawsuit.
According to the evidence, before the pandemic was declared in March 2020, Lakhan, who lives in the United States, returned to Trinidad to visit relatives.
He claimed that on May 29, 2020, he was at his parents’ home when a handful of relatives came over to celebrate his sister’s birthday.
Around 8.45 pm, Lakhan and his eight relatives who were present, noticed a group of heavily armed police officers outside their house.
Lakhan claimed that one of the officers told him that they were in contravention of a public health regulation issued for the pandemic, which at the time precluded citizens from gathering in public in groups of more than five people.
He claimed that while relatives were finishing eating and packing food to leave, the officers demanded that they “hurry up” and barged into the house to ensure they were complying.
He also alleged that one of the officers held on to his hand and accused him of being in T&T illegally.
He claimed that he offered to produce his US identification documents but the officer ignored him.
He admitted that he was released and the officers left after his relatives vacated
"The needs of our citizens are immediate," Mitchell said. "The cost of living on the front lines of the climate crisis is too high for us to bear alone." (Reuters) his parents’ home.
Lakhan claimed that the incident was humiliating and frustrating for him and his family.
“My parents are very old. This incident was traumatising for them since this was the first time police ever entered our house, more so without a search warrant,” Lakhan said.
“I was assaulted by the police in this incident in circumstances which were unfair and oppressive,” he added.
In the lawsuit, Lakhan’s lawyers, led by Anand Ramlogan, SC, of Freedom Law Chambers, claimed that the regulation, which dealt with gatherings in public places, was unlawfully applied to Lakhan’s private residence. Lakhan was also represented by Renuka Rambhajan, Douglas Bayley, Che Dindial, Ganesh Saroop, and Jared Jagroo (T&T Guardian)
“The questions were sent to me for approval — I approved of them,” said Lawful-Sanders said. “I got several questions — eight of them. And the four that were chosen were the ones
She continued, “Upon accepting the invitation, I began working with the team regarding suggested topics to be discussed. Throughout my communications with the White House communications team, there was never any guarantee that the interview would be aired on WURD as they contacted me directly and, to
It said the statement further outlined that Biden aides’ decision to supply questions prolonged a historical practice of marginalising and “de-legitimising Black voices” in US media.
“WURD Radio is not a mouthpiece for the Biden or any other administration,” the statement obtained by The Guardian said. (Jamaica Observer)
Brazil’s intelligence agency was illegally weaponised during Jair Bolsonaro’s far-right administration to monitor and harass some of the country’s most important politicians, journalists, judges and environmental officials, federal police have alleged.
Five people were arrested on Thursday as part of a long-running investigation into suspicions that during Bolsonaro’s 2019-22 government the Agência Brasileira de Inteligência (Abin) was used to spy on the president’s political foes.
According to a 187-page police document, the targets included some of Brazil’s best-known public figures and politicians from across the political spectrum.
Those targeted allegedly include: the head of Brazil’s lower house, Arthur Lira, and his predecessor, Rodrigo Maia; prominent allies of the current leftwing president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, including the senator, Randolfe Rodrigues; con-
servative figures including the former governor of São Paulo state, João Doria; four supreme court judges; two prominent political journalists, Vera Magalhães and Mônica Bergamo; and two senior officials from the environmental protection agency, Ibama, Hugo Loss and Roberto Cabral.
Federal police claimed that under the watch of Bolsonaro’s spy chief, Alexandre Ramagem, a “criminal organisation of high offensive capability” was set up within Abin.
That “parallel” intelligence agency allegedly used
a series of clandestine techniques to gather information about people or groups considered adversaries or irritants. The fruits of that illegal work were allegedly transformed into online disinformation designed to hurt the reputations of the organisation’s targets and Brazil’s democratic institutions. Members of the covert unit are also accused of targeting Internal Revenue Service officials who were investigating suspicions of corruption involving president Bolsonaro’s senator son, Flávio Bolsonaro. (Excerpted from The Guardian)
Two men were gunned down in separate incidents in Morvant and Belmont.
On July 10, Antonio Lorenzo Taylor, 28, of Stevenville, Las Alturas, Morvant, was shot dead.
Police said around 9 pm on July 10 they responded to gunshots heard at Chinapoo Road, off Laventille Road,
Chinapoo Village, Morvant. When they arrived they saw Taylor lying on his back in a drain on the eastern side of the road with gunshot wounds to his upper torso. The District Medical Officer pronounced him dead at the scene. The Special Evidence Recovery Unit (SERU) found one deformed and 14 5.56 mm spent shell casings.
Investigators believe Taylor's killing was gang-related. In another incident on July 11 Shaquille Parreira, 26, of LP 37 Upper Belmont Valley Road, Belmont, was shot dead.
Police said around 6.30 am on July 11 Parreira was waiting for transport along that same road.
A white vehicle pulled up
and a lone gunman got out and shot at Parreira, hitting him multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police believe his killing was gang-related. They recovered several 5.56 mm shells.
Investigations in both murders are ongoing. (T&T Newsday)
Democratic opposition to U.S. President Joe Biden’s reelection bid widened on Thursday, as another four members of Congress called on him to end his campaign ahead of a news conference where the 81-year-old incumbent will try to quell doubts about his mental abilities.
ness for another four years in the White House.
Biden’s campaign has been on the ropes for two weeks, since his poor debate performance against Donald Trump, his 78-yearold Republican rival.
Oil prices rose for the second consecutive session on Thursday with the Brent benchmark settling above $85 a barrel as hopes rose for U.S. interest rate cuts after data showed an unexpected slowdown in inflation.
Brent crude futures rose 32 cents, or 0.4%, to settle at $85.40 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 52 cents, or 0.6%, to $82.62 a barrel.
Data showed U.S. consumer prices fell in June, stoking hopes the Federal Reserve will cut rates soon. After the data, traders priced an 89% probability of a rate cut in September, up from 73% on Wednesday.
Slowing inflation and interest rate cuts will likely spur more economic activity, Growmark Energy analysts said.
Fed Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged the recent improving trend in price pressures, but told lawmakers more data was needed to strengthen the case for rate cuts.
The data pulled the U.S. dollar index lower and that should support oil prices, said Gary Cunningham, director of market research at Tradition Energy. A softer greenback can lift demand for dollar-denominated oil from buyers using other currencies.
Prices also rose on Wednesday, snapping a three-day losing streak after U.S. data showed a draw in crude stocks in the world’s top oil market along with declining inventories and strong demand for gasoline and jet fuel.
Front-month U.S. crude futures recorded their steepest premium to the next-month contract since April. Market participants’ willingness to pay premiums for earlier delivery dates, a structure known as backwardation, is typically a sign of supply tightness. Some still believe the oil demand outlook is tenuous. In its monthly oil market report, the International Energy Agency (IEA) saw global demand growth slowing to under a million barrels a day this year and next, mainly reflecting a contraction in China’s consumption.
Still, producer group OPEC in its monthly report on Wednesday kept forecasts for world demand growth unchanged, at 2.25 million for this year and 1.85 million bpd next year. “OPEC and the IEA demand forecast are wider apart than usual, partly due to the differences of opinion over the pace of the world’s transition to clear fuels,” StoneX analyst Alex Hodes said. (Reuters)
So far, 13 of the 213 Democrats in the House and one of the Senate’s 51 Democrats have appealed publicly to the president to withdraw from the race, and more could follow if Biden stumbles or loses his train of thought during his solo news conference on Thursday evening, where he will have to respond to questions on a wide range of topics -- including his fit-
In a memo, Biden’s campaign argued that the debate has not dramatically shifted the race and aimed to win undecided voters by shifting the focus to Trump, a convicted felon who faces two more criminal prosecutions for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss. “No one is denying that the debate was a setback. But Joe Biden and this campaign have made it through setbacks before,” the memo said.
Four more Democrats in
Aman who killed four indigenous women in the Canadian province of Manitoba is guilty of first-degree murder, a judge has ruled.
Lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki, 37, had tried to argue that he was not criminally responsible because he was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the killings.
Prosecutors argued his crimes were racially motivated and said that he had never been diagnosed with any form of the mental illness.
As the judge read his verdict, many in the gallery clapped and some were in tears. Wearing a grey T-shirt and pants, Skibicki did not react as Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal read the summary of his judge-
Kenyan President William Ruto on Thursday fired his entire cabinet apart from the foreign minister, bowing to pressure from nationwide protests that have created the biggest crisis of his two-year presidency.
The youth-led protests against planned tax hikes started off peacefully but turned violent, killing at least 39 people in clashes with the police last month. Some demonstrators briefly stormed parliament, before Ruto abandoned the new taxes.
“I will immediately en-
gage in extensive consultations across different sectors and political formations and other Kenyans, both in public and private, with the aim of setting up a broad-based government,” Ruto said in a televised address to the nation, adding that he would announce additional measures later.
He also dismissed the attorney general but said the office of the deputy president was not affected.
The sweeping cabinet changes were what Kenyans have been asking for, veteran anti-corruption activist John Githongo
told Reuters.
“Let us see what happens now if the new ministers deal with big issues around corruption and just the arrogance and excess of his administration and the fact that a lot of Kenyans died during the demonstrations,” he said. “Hopefully this should temporarily calm things.” Ruto has been caught between the demands of lenders such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to cut deficits and a hardpressed population reeling from rising cost of living.
(Reuters)
the House of Representatives on Thursday called on him to end his campaign: Brad Schneider of Illinois, Greg Stanton of Arizona, Ed Case of Hawaii, and Hillary Scholten of Michigan.
Congress have called
though
ment on Thursday morning.
Skibicki’s victims are Morgan Harris, 39, Marcedes Myran, 26 and Rebecca Contois, 24. The fourth woman who was killed has yet to be identified, and has been given the name Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, meaning Buffalo Woman, by indigenous elders.
Judge Joyal said the accused failed to demonstrate he was not criminally responsible for the murders, dismissing the testimony of a British psychiatrist, Dr Sohom Das, who said Skibicki was motivated by delusions when he committed the murders.
The judge added that the “mercilessly graphic” facts of the case “are largely uncontested”, given that the accused had admitted to the murders in police interviews.
The verdict comes as a relief to the victims’ families, who have said the case highlights violence against indigenous women in Canada.
The 100-person courtroom was packed full for the verdict.
Judge Joyal said the case has had an “undeniable and profound impact on the entire Manitoba community, indigenous and non-indigenous”.
With Skibicki facing life behind bars, the focus is now shifting to finding the remains of two of his victims, which are believed to be in a Winnipeg landfill.
A formal search is set to be conducted this autumn.
According to court documents, Skibicki killed the women between March and May of 2022, with Ms Contois believed to be the final victim. (Excerpted from BBC)
“I am forever grateful for his leadership and service to our nation. The time has come, however, for President Biden to heroically pass the torch to a new generation of leadership,” Schneider said in a prepared statement. None of the party’s leaders in
say
Top campaign aides met with Senate Democrats at lunch to shore up support. As they left a lunch meeting with Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon and other top aides, several other Senate Democrats said Biden should remain their standard bearer. (Excerpted from Reuters)
US reportedly foiled Russian plot to kill boss of German arms firm supplying Ukraine
US intelligence services have foiled a Russian plot to assassinate the chief executive of Germany’s leading arms manufacturer, which was an apparent attempt at retaliation over the company’s role in providing a large amount of armaments for Ukraine, according to reports on Thursday.
The plot to murder Armin Papperger, the CEO of Rheinmetall, was one of several Russian government plans to kill defence industry executives in several countries in Europe who have been supporting Ukraine’s war effort, unidentified US and western officials told CNN.
The plans to kill Papperger were in the most advanced stages of any of the plots, the investigators reportedly said.
US authorities had immediately informed their German counterparts, according to the report, and security around Papperger and Rheinmetall had been stepped up accordingly.
Rheinmetall has declined to comment but said in a statement to media that “necessary measures are always taken” in regular consultation with security authorities.
Rheinmetall is one of the world’s biggest armaments’ producers, making artillery and tank shells as well as armoured vehicles. It considerably ramped up its production after Russia’s fullblown invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In February, Rheinmetall announced plans to open an ammunition factory in Ukraine to produce and repair armoured vehicles.
Observers noted that a patrol car and several police officers carrying submachine guns had been parked in front of the Rheinmetall headquarters in the western German city of Düsseldorf every day for months, while Papperger has had visible personal protection for a similar time period.
In public settings such as football matches, cultural events and association meetings, he has been accompanied by security provided by the police from the state of North RhineWestphalia – one of only a handful of people to be afforded such protection. He has not commented on the reported threats himself. (Excerpted from The Guardian)
German authorities have yet to respond to requests for comment but a government official confirmed that the US had warned Berlin about the plot.
Mix and mingle, explore your community and make peace your mantra. How you get along with others will determine how much impact you will have. A change will bring financial gain.
Observe rather than interfere. Being stubborn won't help you win a debate. Pay attention to your spending habits and create a budget to help you avoid debt and stressful situations.
(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22) (March 21-April 19)
Take it upon yourself to update your look or improve your surroundings. Treating children, parents and close friends with love and support will encourage them to confide in you.
Take a deep breath and prepare to move forward. Success requires discipline, fair play and an understanding of what to do and how to gain support. Verify information and make sure of your motives.
Share stories. Look for opportunities to network and mix business with pleasure. You can apply pressure if you do so in an amicable manner. Shoot for the stars and make romance a priority.
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) (May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Lower anxiety; don't overload your plate or indulge in something unnecessary or costly. Focus on making adjustments that will ease stress and make your life simpler and more affordable.
Express your desires and speak from the heart. A positive personal or physical change will promote additional opportunities. Go to where the action is. Love is favored.
Take care of business, live up to your promises and let your actions speak for you. Take the road less traveled and put some muscle behind your intentions. A change of plans will turn out well.
Don't share personal information. Someone will twist your words or use them against you. Focus on money, health and contracts. Read the fine print and stick to your plans and budget.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Experience what life has to offer in your community. Distance yourself from anyone using hype and pressure tactics to take advantage of you. Invest in yourself, not in someone else.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Concentrate on home, family and efficiency. Declutter and make room for something you want to pursue. Speak up and ask questions, and you'll receive input that helps you implement a plan.
Change can be advantageous if you stick to a budget. Discipline and originality will play roles in your success. Look at the big picture and change only what's necessary.
Fourteen-year-old Kyle Couchman, with six points, emerged victorious in the MOO MILK National Junior Chess Championship Qualifiers, ahead of almost 70 participants.
The seven-round competition, held at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, EBD, ended on Tuesday July 9th with a short presentation ceremony for the top 10 players and fellow participants.
Second to seventh positions were earned as follows: Sachin Pitamber, Ricardo Narine, Aditi Joshi, Matthew Singh, Kishan Puran, and Italy Ton-Chung respectively; these all ended the tournament with 5.5 points each.
maining spots for the top ten with 5 points each.
as follows: Northeast La Penitence take on Alexander Village; followed by the clash between Showstoppers and Kitty Hustlers; then California Square tackle Team Cruel from Beterverwagting. Gold is Money then square off against Bent Street, before Leopold Street play host to Linden’s YMCA. The clash between Back Circle and Order and Discipline brings the curtains down on the first night of action.
Heavyweights Back Circle, Gold is Money, Bent Street and Leopold Street are among the teams scheduled to appear on opening night of the 10th edition of the ‘Keep Your Five Alive’ futsal competition, set to be played at the National Gymnasium.
The competition kicks off tonight with six exciting matches that would see teams battle for over $2million in prize money and trophies, while the female segment would also provide financial rewards for winning teams.
Winning team in the men’s competition will cart off $1million, while runner-up, third and fourth place finishers would take home $500,000, $250,000 and $125,000 respectively.
Organiser Kevin Adonis has said most of the top teams from Georgetown, Linden and West Demerara
would be vying for top honours, and this is in keeping with his vision to make the tenth edition the biggest one in the event’s history.
“Bringing together the best exponents in this version of the game was always the game plan, and when you factor in the significance of the occasion, it was unthinkable not to invite the best teams to give our loyal fans a real treat for this special celebration,” he said.
Adonis has praised fans for their support over the years, and has promised exciting and pulsating action every night of the tournament.
“Every night will be end-to-end action, and as the teams and fans know, you can only advance when you win. So, in order to be part of the money, teams need to win to progress,” Adonis has said.
Tonight’s fixtures are
There will be a female competition featuring teams such as the Guyana Defence Force, the Guyana Police Force, Fruta Conquerors and West Side Ballers, among others.
Winning team would receive $300,000, while second, third and fourth-place finishers cart off $150,000, $75,000 and $32,500 respectively.
It has also been mentioned that the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport, one of the main sponsors on board, would be offering every winning team on each playing night $20,000 as part of their agreement with the organiser. Additionally, one lucky fan would ride off with a motorcycle, compliments of Rock Auto Transportation.
The other playing dates are July 19 and 26, and August 2, 9 and 16. The final is set for Aug 26, all at the same venue. Starting time each night is 19:00hrs.
Notable performances came from Omar Shariff, Ciel Clement, Micaiah Enoe, Yan Wen Chen, Tremusa Marshall, Darrel Abrams, Rafael Park and Saura Ruplall, who all gained 4.5 points.
The prize for the best female participant went to Aditi Joshi. The best Under10 Open prize went to Yan Wen Chen, and the best U12 Open prize went to Alek Ubaldo-Singh. Saura Ruplall took away both the U10 and U12 prizes for girls. The best newcomer prize went to Tivon Grant, and the youngest player prize went to seven-yearold Joshua Patterson.
The qualifying tournament paved the way for junior chess players from the New Amsterdam Special Needs School, St. Joseph’s High, St. Winifried’s, Dolphin Secondary, Queen’s College, Marian Academy, Saint Stanislaus College, New Guyana School, Mae’s School, Wisburg Secondary School, Georgetown Seventh Day Adventist, Valmiki Vidyalaya, Garden City Academy, President’s College, St. Roses High, Bishop’s High, Westminster Secondary, and School of the Nations to compete for the top ten positions.
Hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation, the event proved to be an excellent oppor tunity for some of the younger players in the field to gain in valuable experience playing against oppo nents at various levels. Tournament organizers were pleased with the turnout of juniors, and with the level of disci pline displayed by the students throughout the four days of the tournament.
Notable per formances were
tion at the junior level. The level of competition required supervision from not only FIDE Arbiter John Lee, but also WCM Jessica Callender and National Arbiter Odit Rodrigues.
Qualifiers were brutal, but now these players enter the tactically elite arena of The National Championships. As old empires fall, new kings and queens shall rise. The GCF wishes the best of luck to all.
returned by Abigail Jairam and Samuel Foo, both from the New Amsterdam Special School, who each won 3 games.
This year’s qualifiers have shattered both records and expectations. Emerging from the Qualifiers for the first time are three promising female players - Aditi Joshi, Treskole Archibald and Italy Ton-Chung. They are heading into the championship to make their mark alongside seven male players.
The competition saw the most rated juniors ever, with nine of them making it to Nationals, and four players are poised to become rated from their victories in the qualifiers. The scene is set for an epic showdown.
Despite former feats, Couchman remains humble, only saying, “I am preparing and focusing, since this year’s competition is tough. I have never won the Junior Champion title, and I hope this year can be my first.”
Considering that players who held him from the first seat last year are now retired, perhaps his dreams will come true. With heavyweights like Sandiford, Lee, and Oyeyipo retiring from the junior circuit, the new contenders are stepping up. Treskole Archibald is a rising star who is new to the Guyana scene. Alek UbaldoSingh is a young lad chasing his place in history, and Italy Ton-Chung, after honing her skills and representing the nation abroad, has finally cleared this milestone, as they have all snatched places in the
This tournament saw the rise of some four players into the ranks of our ‘FIDE rated’ lineup, as some of our seasoned players were subjected to unexpected losses. It is testament that the bar has been raised in competi-
Representatives of the DeSinco Moo Milk brand were present to hand over certificates, medals and trophies to the winners and participants at the closing ceremony. The National Championships will be run from July 26th to July 31st 2024, where the ten players will battle for the 2024 Title at the David Rose Special School, Thomas Lands.
The GCF also wishes to thank the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for providing the venue for the competition, and the MOO MILK representatives DeSinco for their support.
In a significant move aimed at enhancing sporting infrastructure, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has announced the allocation of $100 million for the development of sports grounds across Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam). This announcement was made during an engaging session with youths at Cotton Field Secondary School on Wednesday. The funds will be used to upgrade a total of 61 sports grounds, with 32 on the coast and 29 in the Pomeroon area. Each community in the region would benefit from this allocation, with inspections starting next week to set
up the necessary groups and clubs to manage the new facilities.
Guyana’s Under-19 Women suffered their first loss of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Women’s T20 Championship on Thursday, when they were administered a 2-wicket defeat at the hands of their Windward Islands counterparts. Similar to their last few matches, Guyana won the toss and opted to bat first at the Sir Frank Worrell Memorial Ground in St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, but another lacklustre display with the bat left the Guyanese defending 60 runs.
There was no double-dig
it score on the Guyanese scoresheet, and the top scores of 8 from 19 and 13 balls respectively came off the bat of Shonette Belgrave and Nyia Latchman respectively. The next-best score of 7 from 9 came off the bat of Denellie Lindee, while Trisha Hardat added 6 from 10 down the order as the Guyanese struggled in the conditions.
What was a tremendous help to their cause, however, was the 13 extras bowled by the Windwards ladies to get the Guyanese to 60 all-out in 18 overs.
Nesha Alexander was the star on show for the
Windwards, claiming 4-8 in 4 overs. Selena Ross was also superb in taking 3-8 from 3 overs.
For the Windwards ladies, the chase also got off to a rocky start, with Guyana’s Trisha Hardat and Latchman picking up 4 early wickets. Latchman had Cian Felix bowled for a duck in 6 balls, and followed up by removing West Indies Women’s international player Zaida James via the lbw route for 3 runs. Hardat then took the wickets of Natalia Philip and Amiah Gilbert to leave the Windwards reeling at 12-5 in 7 overs.
Addressing youths, Dr. Jagdeo emphasized the importance of sports in community development when he said, “Every community will benefit from this allocation. From next week, inspections will be conducted to establish the groups and clubs required to manage the new sports facilities and gear.”
Meanwhile, a youth from Wakapao highlighted the involvement of over 40 youths in various sporting disciplines, and expressed need for better sports infrastructure, in-
cluding pavilions on three existing grounds, which would benefit over 2,000 persons. The youth further noted the community’s active participation in sports, with over 500 people engaging in sports activities during evenings and at weekends.
In response, Dr. Jagdeo underscored Government’s vision for Guyana, revealing that young people are at the heart of this vision when he expressed, “Our poverty reduction and competitive strategies, along with our low carbon strategies, outline where we are heading. This is not only important for the business community, but also for our young people. We remain steadfast in our sustainable strategies.”
The Vice-President further urged youths to prioritise education as he emphasised Government’s commitment to making education accessible.
“Eighteen billion dollars of student fees will be written off, making the University of Guyana free from next year. We expect everyone to resume or continue their studies,” he said, as he highlighted
various initiatives taken to support youth education and training.
“We have programmes like GROW, which offers remedial education; and BIT and WINN, which have 50,000 people studying outside the traditional school system. We aim to engage young people and provide opportunities tailored to their needs,” he explained.
The Vice President has also encouraged youths to participate in the People’s Youth Organization (PYO) and other community initiatives. He added that the party believes in young people, and as such, expect youths interested in the political route to join the PYO.
“It’s important to be well-rounded, not only academically, but also in management and nation-building,” he said.
Also in attendance at the meeting with youths were Minister of Finance, Dr Ashni Singh; Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Sonia Parag; and Mayor of the Township of Anna Regina, Devin Mohan, among other Regional Executives.
(T Hardat, 17.6 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Selena Ross 3.0-0-8-3
Dellisha Francois 4.0-0-17-1
Zaida James 4.0-2-4-1
Amiah Gilbert 1.0-0-10-0 Destiny Edward 2.0-0-9-1
Natalia Philip lbw T Hardat 0
Amiah Gilbert c CF Durant b T Hardat 0 Nesha Alexander c DV Lindee b TK Marks 9
Denella Creese WK run out LL Williams 25
Selena Ross b DD Manns 4 Destiny Edward not out 3
Dellisha Francois not out 1 Did not bat: Shaniqua Nelson
Extras b: 1 lb: 2 wd: 11 nb: 0 14
Total 18.3 ov, RR: 3.29 61/8 target reached Fall of wickets: 1-0 (CC Felix, 0.6 ov), 2-7 (ZA James, 2.6 ov), 3-10 (NDJ Philip, 4.5 ov), 4-12 (AS Gilbert, 6.3 ov), 5-12 (JA Tyrell, 6.5 ov), 6-35 (NR Alexander, 12.2 ov), 7-46 (SG Ross, 13.5 ov), 8-60 (DNR Creese, 18.2 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Nyia Latchman
Trisha Hardat
Crystal Durant
Danellie Manns
4.0-2-6-2
Tramaine Marks 4.0-0-11-1
2.0-1-2-2
4.0-0-12-0
3.3-0-22-1
Nesha Alexander 4.0-1-8-4 Windward U19 Batting R Cian Felix b N Latchman 0 Zaida James C lbw N Latchman 3 Jaeda Tyrell run out N Latchman 2
Realeanna Grimmond 1.0-0-5-0
However, Denella Creese was the hero for the Windwards outfit. Standing up to the bowling with a 36ball 25, she almost led her team to victory. In dramatic fashion, Creese was run out in the second ball of the 19th over with her team needing just one more run for victory.
Things could have been different for the Guyanese, had not there been a dropped catch in the 17th over that could have resulted in the earlier demise of Creese.
Despite Creese being run out in the 19th over, the Windwards ladies got to their target of 61 in 18.3 overs and for the loss of 8 wickets.
Latchman was the pick of the Guyanese bowlers, claiming 2-6 in 4 overs inclusive of 2 maidens, while Trisha Hardat surprisingly bowled only 2 overs but leaked 2 runs and took as many wickets.
In spite of Thursday’s loss, Guyana’s U19 Women will meet the Leeward Islands U19 Women in the Rising Stars Championship final on Saturday, July 13, at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy.
Three horses that were booked to leave Trinidad’s Piarco Airport yesterday (Thursday July 11) to compete in Sunday’s eight-race card at Port Mourant, Berbice will not compete.
Trinidad and Tobago’s 2021 Derby Stakes winner, the chestnut-coloured Stroke of Luck, trained by John O’Brien and ridden by Brian Boodramsingh for Raroma Stables, will not be competing in the race meet at the Port Mourant Turf Club.
Neither would the threeyear-old chestnut filly Forza Baby, nor would Storm Dancer, a three-year-old dark/bay colt. They were unfortunately turned back from the Piarco Airport yesterday morning after a mechanical issue was detected on a Caribbean Airlines craft they were to travel on.
Two of these three hors-
es are owned by the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee. They are Forza Baby and Stroke of Luck. The other horse, Storm Dancer, is an unraced maiden owned by Fazal Habibulla.
The shipping agent for the horses revealed, “Luck ran out on Stroke of Luck. The horses were scheduled to leave this morning around 7.30am from Piarco Airport, Piarco. The horses were already on their way to the airport when I was informed, about two hours prior to the cargo plane’s arrival, that it has been delayed in Miami, reason being a mechanical issue, and CAL could not say how soon the plane will depart from Miami. They had the information of the flight’s delay close to three hours before I was informed and never shared the information until the ‘last hour’, so to speak.”
The agent added, “This is very stressful for the owners,
and more so for the horses. They were tranquilised before (being) loaded into the trailer to transport them to the Airport. Then I had to send them back to their stables at Santa Rosa Park because Caribbean Airlines Limited’s (CAL) personnel from the Operations Department could not confirm when the flight will depart.
“It is unfortunate that these horses cannot compete on Sunday, as this race day was their preparation race ahead of the Guyana Cup, which will be staged on Sunday, August 11, 2024 at Rising Sun Turf Club, Rising Sun Village, West Berbice. It is a Derby winner coming to compete in Guyana.”
The agent also informed that four other horses would leave Trinidad in two weeks’ time to compete in the Guyana Cup activities at Rising Sun Turf Club, Rising Sun Village, West Coast Berbice.
England need four more wickets to secure an innings win over West Indies inside three days, after James Anderson, Gus Atkinson and Ben Stokes shared six wickets on the second evening. The hosts were dominant with the bat, scoring at more than four runs per over across their first innings, and then turned the screws with the ball to close in on a 1-0 lead.
Needing to score 250 - more
textbook Anderson set-up: he was worked over from around the wicket, with some balls shaping in and others leaving him before edging behind as he attempted to push through the covers.
Joshua da Silva and Jason Holder added 24 for the sixth wicket - damningly, West Indies' third-highest stand of the match - but England struck with the final ball of the day. Stokes laid a short-ball trap
than double their first-innings total - just to make England bat again, West Indies slumped to 37 for 4 inside 19 overs. Anderson's inswinger knocked back Kraigg Brathwaite's middle stump, Stokes removed Mikyle Louis and Kirk McKenzie during a ten-over spell, and Kavem Hodge chopped Atkinson onto his own stumps.
West Indies' batters were far too passive, looking to survive rather than score, but ultimately managing neither. Alick Athanaze was a rare exception from #4, but he fell for 22 to a
with two men out on the hook, and Holder could only fend Atkinson's bumper to Ollie Pope at short leg.
England were bowled out at the tea interval on the second afternoon, compiling a substantial first-innings lead with Harry Brook, Joe Root, and debutant Jamie Smith joining Zak Crawley and Pope in scoring half-centuries. Other than Jayden Seales, the pick of the attack, West Indies' bowlers were short on red-ball match practice - and it showed.
Root and Brook scored
heavily square of the wicket in the first hour, with Brook batting fluently in his first Test innings in almost a year. In his 13th Test, he reached fifty for the 12th time, but failed to add to it, as he top-edged an attempted hook off Alzarri Joseph straight to da Silva, reinforcing the belief that he can be susceptible against the short ball.
During his innings of 68, Root went past Allan Border's career aggregate to enter the top ten of all-time Test run-scorers, but fell shortly before lunch. He was the second England batter, after Stokes, to fall victim to an exceptional Gudakesh Motie delivery, raising the question as to why it took Brathwaite so long to bring his left-arm spinner into the attack.
Stokes's first international innings of the season lasted only 11 balls. Motie, who vindicated his selection ahead of
ter
Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) Co-
Director Chris Wayne Bowman has declared the 17th edition of the National Schools Basketball Festival a success. Activities in this regard were wrapped up this past Sunday at the National Gymnasium, following weeks of competition.
The Bishops' High School Under-18 Boys, Queen's College Under-14 Boys, and Kwakwani Secondary Under-18 Girls all won championship crowns by demonstrating their perseverance and tenacity.
Bowman discussed the difficulties faced in finding, and significance of, collaborations to the festival in an interview with Guyana Times Sport.
“…that says it all! I mean, there are certain things necessary to run off successful tournaments: facilities and teams, but the bottom line is that you need the resources. And (had it not been for) the support this year, quite frankly, of ExxonMobil at the last minute, it (would have) put us in a difficult spot. But what I can say is that we are happy that other sponsors reached out and responded positively. This has been one of the most challenging years we have had, and one of the things this year is we have had to cut some of the features in the tournament.
We have had to move the Allstar to a different one; we have
had to forgo the U16 version, instead of four divisions (to) just three divisions. So, there have been a lot of challenges, but we have (had) a successful tournament. I think how we measure success this year is the fact we were able to complete the NATIONAL Schools Basketball Festival,” Bowman expounded.
He continued by saying the calibre of basketball played in the U14 category has astonished him. Bowman disclosed, “We are impressed with the quality at the U14 level. The U14 players, I don’t know if because of Youtube, they are watching more ball, they are more engaged, they are more polished, they have a higher level of IQ, they play more together as a team much more than the older divisions. So, we like what we see coming up from the U14.”
The YBG Co-Director has thanked the Guyana Amateur
Basketball Association for regularly holding competi-
ward to, so they have the tertiary then they know that they
tions that have increased the amount of playing time for student athletes. Bowman expressed, “Now with more tournaments, both at the GABA level, because GABA is having a good year and we are very happy about that, we are very happy that school players have something to look for-
are going to play when they go to club level; So, we are very happy about that.”
This tournament saw 40 schools, consisting of 56 teams within four divisions — Under-14, Under-16, Under-18 boys, and Under-18 girls — showcasing their talents. (Omar McKenzie)
In the penultimate over before the interval, Root was left smiling in disbelief after losing his off stump. This time, Motie went wide on the crease and bowled his arm ball with an upright seam. Root shaped to punch into the off side as the delivery drifted in sharply, but it deviated late off the pitch to beat him on the outside edge.
Smith was the protagonist of the second session, hitting Seales over the Tavern Stand and onto St John's Wood Road during his maiden Test innings. He shared a sedate partnership of 52 with Chris Woakes, but after Woakes and Atkinson fell in quick succession to the second new ball, Smith found a new gear while batting with the tail, even with the field spread.
After beginning his innings uncharacteristically slowly, he started to skip down the pitch, and crunched Shamar Joseph into the Grandstand for six
together.
Louis's dead-eye, direct-hit, run-out of Shoaib Bashir at the non-striker's end meant the retiring Anderson was applauded out to the middle for what may well prove to be his final innings in Test cricket. But he didn't face a ball, with Smith pulling Seales’s final delivery over to McKenzie at deep backward square leg to finish with 70.
Shamar Joseph spent some of the afternoon session off the field due to some muscle tightness after a recent diet of T20, and was seen receiving treatment on his left hamstring in the dressing room. He was forced to leave the field midway through his 15th over, and looked in discomfort after getting through one further over with the second new ball.
There are not enough batters left for Anderson to leapfrog the late Shane Warne and become the second-highest wick-
three overs after reaching a 98ball half-century. Three overs later, he gave himself room and cracked Seales's short ball over midwicket and out of Lord's al-
et-taker in the format's history. But in his 188th and final Test, he has the opportunity to clinch one final victory for his country on Friday. (ESPNCricinfo)
