VP Jagdeo challenges AFC to come forward
9 orphanages adopted for 1 year in 3rd phase of "Adopt an Orphanage" initiative
Suspects remain tight-lipped on discovery of large cache of guns & ammo at Kitty
Cemetery Road project MoPW to monitor ongoing work to enforce compliance with 3-week deadline – Min Edghill
Allegedly drunken Berbice salesman drowns after falling into Corentyne River Police looking for known character for murder of Westminster contractor – Crime Chief
UNDP partners with Home Affairs Ministry to combat genderbased violence
The delegates for the Miss Universe Guyana Pageant 2024 set for this evening at the Guyana Marriott Hotel: Shyla Murray – Miss Bartica; Faydeha King – Miss Berbice; Katifa Lester – Miss Demerara-Mahaica; Imarah Radix – Miss East-Berbice-Corentyne; Ariana Blaize – Miss Georgetown; Tawane Marshall – Miss La Parfaite Harmonie; Kelcia Nelson – Miss Linden; Misha Caleb – Miss Nabaclis; Ashley Cameron – Miss New Amsterdam; Indranie Codrington – Miss Skeldon and Farah Sattaur – Miss Uitvlugt (Photo by Michael Bonds Photography)
Suspects remain tight-lipped on discovery of large cache of guns & ammo at Kitty – Police working on other leads
As investigations continue into the discovery of a large cache of guns and ammunition at the home of slain biker, Ricardo “Paper Short” Fagundes, the six persons who were arrested remain in custody and have reportedly refused to cooperate with detectives.
Those arrested following the discovery were Eon Fagundes – the brother of Ricardo- his mother, two sisters, a niece, and a handyman.
However, Guyana Times understands that the suspects have since denied knowing about the firearms and ammunition and remain silent during interrogation. Nevertheless, a source close to the investigations revealed that if the 72-hour detention period expires, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) plans to approach the High
Court for an extension.
Further, this publication was told that the police are working on other leads and other persons may be arrested.
It was reported that 26 high-powered rifles and handguns along with over 1600 rounds of various calibres of ammunition were discovered during a police operation at Bar Street Kitty, Georgetown.
Police stated that ranks executing a search warrant entered the yard on Wednesday and observed Eon Fagundes exiting a flat wooden house with a side bag in his right hand.
As such, he was approached and the ranks requested to search the bag during which one Sig Sauer Rifle and one magazine containing 14 rounds of 9mm ammunition; one
Polimore-80 9mm pistol without serial number and one magazine containing eight 9mm rounds of ammunition; one Spring Field Armory 45 pistol and four magazines of which one contained five live .45 rounds of ammunition, and one Bravo gun holster were found.
In addition, the team ob-
served a heavily tinted black Nissan Juke bearing registration number PVV 6472 parked opposite Fagundes' home. Upon inquiries, it was revealed that the car belonged to the suspect’s daughter and child-mother but at the time, it was being used by him.
The keys to the vehicle were subsequently handed over to the police who found a suitcase, one gulf bag, and a haversack upon entering.
Upon inspection, a large cache of ammunition and firearms was discovered.
These include one AM 15 rifle and two magazines containing 61 rounds of .223 ammunition; two Ruger-57 9mm pistols and one magazine containing 40 rounds of 9mm ammunition; one FN45 pistol and two magazines containing 38 rounds of .45 ammunition; one Smith and
Wesson 9mm pistol and a magazine; one Berretta 9mm pistol and a magazine; one Spring Field Hellcat 9mm pistol and a magazine; one Canik 9mm pistol and one magazine; one Glock 43 pistol and one magazine; five Glock 19 pistols along with nine magazines and 21 rounds of 9mm ammunition; seven Glock 40 pistols and 10 magazines with 18 rounds of .40 ammunition; two Glock 17 9mm pistols and two magazines; one Glock 9mm pistol and one magazine and one Glock 45
pistol and one magazine. In addition, 75 rounds of 2-gauge cartridges; 456 rounds of .223 ammunition; 484 rounds of 9mm ammunition; 83 rounds of 5.7- 28 ammunition; 13 rounds of 10 MM ammunition, and 315 rounds of 7.62 -39 ammunition and 15 magazines were found in the bags and suitcase. The firearms, ammunition, and magazines were taken to the Guyana Police Force (GPF) Ballistic Section to be examined while the motorcar was impounded.
Allegedly drunken Berbice salesman drowns after falling into Corentyne River
The lifeless body of a salesman was pulled from the Corentyne River on Tuesday, hours after he fell overboard and never resurfaced. The dead man has been identified as 47-year-old Paul Bahadur of Canje Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne).
Police stated that on Saturday, July 21, 2024, Bahadur, along with three other salesmen, Michael Balgobin,34; Brian Chand,18; and Ricky Jaimangal,19, all of whom are from East Canje Berbice travelled to Orealla to ‘walk and sell’ pots and other utensils.
However, on Tuesday at about 07:30h, they went to
the Orealla stelling to board a boat for the nearby village of Siparuta. According to one of the other salesmen, Bahadur was intoxicated and as he was about to jump onto the boat, he slipped and fell into the water. They were reportedly alerted by the loud splashing sound in the river. Upon checking, they discovered Bahadur was nowhere to be seen. The boat captain was alerted, and a search party was formed. After several hours of searching, his body was found. There were no signs of foul play but a post-mortem will be conducted shortly.
Arrested: Eon Fagundes
The guns and ammunition found during the operation
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, July 26 – 04:00h-05:30h and Saturday, July 27 – 22:00h-23:30h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, July 26 – 07:55h-09:25h and Saturday, July 27 –08:45h-10:15h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Thundery showers are expected to prevail during the day and at night, with late-afternoon sunshine. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to Southerly between 0.89 metre and 2.68 metres.
High Tide: 08:12h and 20:36h reaching maximum heights of 2.63 metres and 2.57 metres.
Low Tide: 14:08h reaching a minimum height of 0.63 metre.
VP Jagdeo challenges AFC to come forward with its national development plan
– accuses party of using PPP/C as a cover for own ineptitude
n response to calls by Alliance For Change (AFC) Leader Nigel Hughes for the political parties to come up with a national bipartisan development plan, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has urged the AFC to come forward with its own plan.
The call by Hughes comes at a time when the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) administration has several such plans out in the open.
During his weekly press briefing, Jagdeo who also serves as the General Secretary of the PPP/C, made it clear that his party has no interest in being used as cover for the AFC’s inability to come up with a development plan of its own.
Jagdeo was of the view that after being in existence for 15 years and in government for five, the AFC ought to have a plan in place for
key sectors of the economy. But while the PPP/C has published several of its own plans, the AFC is yet to do so.
“You should talk about your plan first. If you’re coming to the table, you either say ‘I’m adopting the PPP plan or I believe the PPP has a plan and let’s improve it…but don’t come pretending that you bring any great intellectual bearing to the issue.”
“(Hughes) wants someone to do the work for him because he’s incapable, his party is incapable. Not that they didn’t have opportunities too, but they are intellectually incapable,” the Vice President said.
Jagdeo assured that the PPP/C has a national development plan of its own. This plan, according to the Vice President, is concrete and covers several sectors.
Jagdeo reminded that the PPP has released its plan on
several occasions inclusive of the Poverty Reduction Strategy (2000), the National Competitiveness Strategy (2006), and the two Low Carbon Development Strategies (LCDS).
He further pointed out that the ongoing works to improve the health, energy, transportation and other sectors show evidence of the plans which exist for those sectors. Further, he stated that the plans of his party go beyond election term.
“We’re the only political party that has a laidout plan that goes beyond election cycles. He (Hughes) wants a cover for the intellectual bankruptcy of that party…they have nothing to offer…let them talk about what he has to offer in detail…not ‘oh we have to draft a plan together,” the VP added.
Last week Hughes, who was recently elected to the leadership of the AFC, had called on President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the PPP/C to convene a meeting of various political parties and technical experts to come up with a multi-year development plan in at least five areas –the economy, education, foreign affairs, health, and poverty reduction.
“I think that’s the responsible way forward. And I wanna repeat, the Alliance For Change has called to the President, to convene such a meeting of all the parties and all the appro-
priate technical skills, so we can have this 10- to 15-year plan in education, economy, foreign affairs, poverty, and health,” Hughes had said.
“Everything else we can compete at in the national elections. But let us sign off on a long-term plan in those five areas. And I hope the President listens to this. And consults with, doesn’t have to consult with us, but with other persons. And we can arrive at a plan everyone signs off on,” the Attorney-at-Law had added.
While Hughes made that pitch for President Ali to convene meetings that would include national stakeholders and Opposition parties to come up with a national development plan, such a consultative approach is nothing new to successive PPP/C Governments. Under the Presidency of Dr. Cheddi Jagan (1992-1997), the National Development Strategy (1996) was introduced.
Meanwhile, under the presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo (1999-2011), three such strategies –the Poverty Reduction Strategy (2000), the National Competitiveness Strategy (2006), and the Low Carbon Development Strategy (2009) were developed. Under the current President, an updated Low Carbon Development Strategy that would cover the years 2022-2030 was also achieved.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Editor: Tusika Martin
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Emergency response planning
We need to get serious about disaster preparedness. What does that entail? Disaster preparedness refers to measures taken to prepare for and reduce the effects of disasters. That is, to predict and, where possible, prevent disasters, mitigate their impact on vulnerable populations, and respond to and effectively cope with their consequences.
It’s the conversation that no one wants to have: how to prepare for a disaster. It could be a fire, a flood, a shooting, a break-in, etc. All of these things constitute a disaster in one form or another. They have all affected the lives of someone we know and yet, we tend to push the possibility that they could happen to any of us, at any time, to the back of our minds.
Take, for example, the recent fire in Berbice that killed a 94-year-old man and other fires that claimed the lives of two lads earlier in the month – one at Sophia and the other at Enmore. But the most tragic is back in May 2023 when 20 children, including a five-year-old, perished when the Mahdia dormitory went up in flames.
This might have been prevented. In the wake of these tragedies, we need to take stock. Were there appointed and identified fire exits? Was there an emergency procedure in place? Was it customary to conduct fire drills? Was there an identified muster point? Was the building overcrowded? There are many questions to be answered, and we have not even considered the firefighters’ response.
The point is: we fail to prepare for such eventualities since we are taken up with ‘more important’ issues. “Who really has the time anyway?” Before a fire erupts, contingency plans must be mapped out for efficient response and for survival.
Fire is, by no means, the only disaster that can strike at a moment’s notice. There is also the increasingly rampant home invasion-type robberies. This too can be considered a disaster and yes, we do need to prepare for this. There is an epidemic of home invasions sweeping this country and no one is addressing the matter of preparedness.
Let us face the harsh reality, criminals not only target businesses but look elsewhere to perpetrate their crimes and sadly, they see people’s homes and residences as much easier and less risky targets.
Home invasions are among the most insidious of crimes, shattering the sense of safety and security for children and families for many years after the crime, often for a lifetime. With the rise in these types of crimes, it’s important to learn what persons can do to safeguard their home and family. It is crucial that we “burglar-proof” our homes as best as we can. Reinforced doors, bars on our windows, guard dogs and, in some cases, if it is affordable, a security service.
However, all the steel bars, bulldogs, and minefields in the world cannot keep the unwanted out if they are not used. A few personal measures can make a world of difference. This is where our disaster preparedness comes in.
For example, persons should at least look through a peephole or out the window before answering their door. Many home invaders wait until someone opens the door a crack, then they kick it in and push their way into the home. If this happens, all your security measures would have gone to waste.
Be wary of uninvited solicitors, “repair men”, utility representatives, or any unfamiliar individuals. Always call and confirm before you open the door. Keep a phone nearby, of course – most of us own cell phones so this is not an issue. You may need it on hand at a moment’s notice to call the Police.
Most importantly, persons should have a plan that their entire family understands. In the event of an attack, they should be able to relay a password that lets people know what is happening. Then the rest of the plan should kick into action. This plan should involve all family members. The main objective should be to get the family to a safe area and to defend that area.
Defending against a home invasion, or any disaster, is no easy task. But if people are prepared, they can prevent or survive any attack. Have that talk today. Make your disaster plan.
Bold stance needed by Caricom leaders
Dear Editor, Caricom Heads of Government are meeting at the end of July. This meeting is taking place at a time when three countries in the region have just been very seriously damaged by hurricane Beryl and many people, mainly working people have lost their livelihood.
A worrying thought is that the hurricane season has only just began. God forbid that we get another hit in this season. However, that eventuality cannot be ruled out.
While we continue to describe events as natural disasters, we now know that that is not the whole truth. Scientists have advised us that the frequency and intensity of these events are a direct result of human activities, particularly since the industrial revolution. We have polluted the world, and we rapidly changed the climate.
Unfortunately, despite this knowledge we continue to abuse nature. We appear to be incapable of doing things differently and are marching to even worse catastrophic events.
What would be Caricom’s answer in this situation? No doubt the leaders will bemoan the fact that we are among the least of the polluters but are amongst the worst hit
by its negative consequences. They would most likely call on the rich, developed countries which were and are the greatest polluters, to honour their commitments made at regular international fora and transfer money to poorer countries to work on some adaptational measures.
That call would fall on deaf ears, it would be promptly ignored as has happened so often in the past.
While the demand for resources to implement some adaptational measures must continue, however, it is important that the region’s leaders go to the root causes of the problem and be bold in taking firm steps to deal with it.
One of the great contributors to environmental degradation today is the numerous wars and conflicts which are relatively widespread. The damage done to our planet’s atmosphere by military and military conflicts are mostly still a big secret.
However, what is clear that wars are particularly harsh on our environment. It’s contribution to climate change is extremely high.
Just pause to look at the terrible destruction in the GAZA caused by the genocidal war that Israel is prosecuting. At the time of
writing, it is estimated that 70,000 tons of bombs were dropped on that tiny strip averaging 21 miles long and 4 miles wide. Millions of tons of dust are daily pushed in the atmosphere contributing to worsening of the climate catastrophe. Add to this, the green house gases released by the tons of bombs that are killing innocent civilians is further contributing to the destruction of the world we live in.
In this regard, it is not just Israel that is to be blamed. The United States and many NATO countries that have been the main suppliers of weapons to that murderous fascist Israel regime, are definitely complicit with the killings and the other crimes against humanity.
Caricom leaders must be bold to make this point explicitly. This is time to call a spade a spade. It is after all in our own interest to halt the barbarous and uncivilised behaviour of Israel and its backers.
Caricom has much greater power than it possibly realises. It is time to use our strength unitedly. All the countries in the region should break diplomatic relations with Israel. Take a leaf out of the book of South Africa and act boldly on behalf of human-
ity.
Such an act will help to bring the massacre to an end and will establish a benchmark where others would follow. Most of all, it would be in our best interest since it would be making a great contribution in the fight against climate change and the destructive power of hurricanes, which ravage us so often.
The war in Europe is also causing very serious damage to the world’s climate and must be stopped. That conflict can degenerate into nuclear war and the end of intelligent life on earth.
For that to be halted NATO powers must give up their ambitions of world domination. NATO must halt its expansion and abandon their tactic of threatening countries with destruction. The surrounding of China and Russia with military bases is creating tensions and conflicts. If allowed to continue we can only expect more destructive wars. The principles of equal security for all countries is vital to prevent conflicts and wars. This important measure must be fully respected by all. Efforts by Western powers to emasculate the United Nations must end now.
The moon rises behind the Olympic rings displayed on the Eiffel Tower in Paris on July 22, 2024, ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (Photo by LOIC VENANCE/AFP via Getty Images)
Isn’t it time the PNC begs pardon from Guyanese?
Dear Editor,
It would seem as if the Lyrics of Lynn Anderson’s 1970 song, “Rose Garden” were scribed with the PNC Party in mind. Their thoughts, words, deeds, and actions characterise the choreography of the delinquent track record of the PNC from birth to its current sad state of affairs. From an embryo fused with greed and jealousy, LFSB wanted all or nothing. Guyanese were warned to beware of Forbes who challenged Dr. Jagan for the leadership of the PPP. He failed miserably and then cunningly, crafted the PNC Party out of racial tendencies with a vision full of mischief to mold his own destiny by earmarking his ambition. Linden’s goal was to seek vengeance without mercy. It was not a People’s Party but a powerful party for his kind as adumbrated by current PNC advocates. No wonder there is a call for the GDF guns to turn in the right direction.
Indeed, the Party is well to confess that there gotta be a little rain sometimes, the only main difference is that, it’s not sometimes but incessantly all the time. Burnham gave the people porous buckets to catch the rainwater as they stood
drenched with the rain falling on their heads. He never provided any umbrellas or raincoats. The people were left Naked with rooftops leaking. He wanted rice farmers to cut rice without availing grass cutters and cane cutters to cut and load the cane without cutlasses and punts. What did the fake English impersonator know about separating the sweet from the soil? Riding on his horse and smoking cigars, did that make him British or Cuban? Yet he wanted a National Party!
But for the PNC, when it rains, it continuously pores, resulting in severe floods and unsurmountable damages. Agriculture was never a pet subject for Burnham nor the PNC. He said to produce or perish. Well, the people perished because they could not produce chicken when there were no eggs. No wonder the Agriculture Bank went broke after so many Coops failed to perform because the funds were misused and those reaping the fruits never knew how to plant a tree!
The Guyana National Coop Bank was a charade to parade and perfect the convenience of confidently shipping and shifting money under protective covers. Even cricket wasn’t safe as
Bold stance needed...
Imagine that during this conflict one of the NATO countries, most people believe it was the United States, blew up the North Stream 2 pipelines releasing millions of tons of environmentally dangerous gases in the atmosphere. This was a conscious decision and deliberate act. The perpetrators knew that that would have worsened the climate crisis. Yet no one even the “environmentalists” said anything They were quiet as a church mouse.
Caricom leaders must not shy away from their responsibility in making a contribution to world peace and a cleaner world. This is time to tell our friends who are supporting the Zelinsky regime that they are wrong. After all, Russia and China are not attempting to surround the US or any NATO country with military bases. It is they who are the victims of NATO’s encroachment and aggression. Our leaders must demand an end to those measures which endanger the whole world. Recall the stance taken by the US in 1962 when it felt threatened by nuclear weapons. We say do onto others as you will have them do onto you.
Finally, we must work towards expanding our de -
the ground became wet from leaky covers. Burnham's magic only worked once.
As a result, there will only be a blooming rose garden for the selected few who are well-pampered and taken good care of. Burnham made his cronies executives in all the agencies so that he could control the masses. His dangerous fangs spread as poisonous tentacles. He banned essential food items but craved those very items. Conflict of interest wasn’t born as yet. How ironic that he should call for condensed milk as he withered away in twilight! But he ensured that garlic was bountiful around Christmas time. He succeeded in increasing the smuggling rate as, “smarter the government, wiser the population.”
The External Trade Bureau (ETB) was established to fill certain pockets and empty certain pockets, thereby, making some millionaires while minimising some millionaires. His Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI) was anything but knowledgeable. It helped to build long, laborious, and lamentable food lines in a non-align country.
Many suffered angrily and hungrily as they queued up waiting out of desperation. One person died at Guyana Stores while standing in a line. He became a laughing stock among his CARICOM peers, as, they tantalised him as being unable to feed his people while hosting CARIFESTA to show off. He was King of “No Man’s Land.”
The local man with foreign tastes mesmerised the crowd with his oration as he told the women not to take everything lying down. How could they stand up and fight when the Guyana National Service was meant to be the factory for the new nation’s product? Female job seekers had to yield when in the field At Sophia, a new chapter was written with party paramountcy. The court, parliament, and all government agencies became the arms of the PNC with the General as the head. Now is we time, massa time done? Congress lost its nationality as the people ran for their lives overseas.
Anything he touched turned to dust. Midas and Satan cried bitter tears. From sugar to rice to baux-
ite, all suffered the same fate after nationalisation. While sugar saved Guyana as the sugar workers broke their backs to subsidise the other non-performing industries, Burnham misused the sugar levy and failed to plough the revenue back into that industry for its sustenance. Guyana owes that much to bring back the sugar industry alive. Guyana is synonymous with sugar because its multi-racial society metamorphosed from slaves and indentured laborers who were bundled and brought for the sole purpose of producing sugar. Burnham bought his way and befriended backstabbers as he endangered the PNC with borrowed time. Time up was called in 1992 by the US and Carter!
But, there was no sunshine for the mass and the grass was no longer green. The Guyana State Corporation (Guystac) was stacked with Burnham’s buddies who knew how to snatch and stash only. Guyanese were told to tighten their belts. With the minimum wages and wage freeze, the people grew in Poverty. GAWU paid a
heavy price to gain recognition and even the CCWU was taken to task as Gordon Todd was taken to sea to learn how to swim with the sharks.
Of course, they are full of sweet talk and when they don’t talk, beware, still water runs deep, so, Guyanese have to look before they leap. The PNC took a lot from Guyana and Guyanese and they lived the good life. They really did, at the expense of letting go of the mass. The small man grew smaller and the real man grew manly and womanly. Corruption pervaded from 1964 to 1992 and prevailed again from 2015 to 2020. To date, PNC supporters are still cringing over the PNC legacy and want to know why the PNC party failed to enrich all of them when they were in power. The PNC did not deliver the world on a silver platter to the nation or their members because they didn’t know that roses cannot grow on stalks of clover.
Isn’t it time the PNC begs pardon from Guyanese?
Yours respectfully, Jai Lall
gree of freedom. Our sovereignty is important, and we must always strive to strengthen our independence.
To do so our leaders should consider diversifying our international relations. A multi-polar world is advancing, and the period of unipolar world has come to an end. This process is now manifest with the expansion of the BRICS alliance. More and more countries are joining this bloc to protect themselves from unilateral and illegal actions by Western imperialist and former colonial powers.
Caricom leaders must examine these trends and broaden their international relations so that we can increase our degree of freedom and allow us to take a firm stance against the violations of human rights and to have justice for all. These measures have the possibility of impacting positively on our people’s socio-economic conditions and allow us to make a worthy contribution to international life and to contribute meaningfully to the struggle to halt Climate Change.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar Former President
06:00 (Sign on) Inspiration Time
06:30 Cartoons
07:00 Evening News (RB)
08:00 Stop Suffering 09:00 Guy's Grocery Games 10:00 Grand Designs 11:00 Paternity Court 11:30 Divorce Court 12:00 News Break
12:05 Movie - Hidden Figures (2016) 14:00 The Loud House S3 E29
14:30 Spongebob Squarepants
15:00 Indian Soaps
16:00 Young Sheldon S2 E6
16:30 Kickin' It S4 E11
17:00 The Young & The Restless 18:00 Aljazeera
19:00 The Evening News
20:00 Stop Suffering
20:30 Stand-up Comedy 21:00 Friday Night Smackdown 23:00 Yellowstone S3 E1 00:00 Sign off
Foundation
Customary Units of Length
The customary units of length (that is the units commonly used) are inches (in); feet (ft); yards (yd); and miles (mi).
1 foot = 12 in
1 yard = 3 ft
1 mile = 1760 yd
You can compare these units to each other.
Exercises: Convert
How many feet are in a mile?
Step 1: You know that there are 3 feet in a yard, so multiply the number of yards x 3.
Step 2: 1760 x 3 = 5280. There are feet in a mile.
The standard units of measurement that should be used in Guyana are the metric measurements. It is necessary to know customary units of length to convert them to metric units.
You do not have to add the plural s when you abbreviate units of measurement.
In this fun and easy force and motion science experiment, we’re going to send some toothpicks travelling with a little bit of water and science.
Materials: Bowl 4 toothpicks
Liquid dish soap
1) 4 feet to inches
2) 2 miles to inches
3) 10 inches to yards
4)39 inches to feet
5) 1 foot to yards
6) 1.25 miles to yards
Travelling Toothpicks
Instructions: Fill the bowl with warm water. Place the toothpicks in the water so that they form the shape of a square. Now squirt a drop of liquid dish soap on your finger and then touch the water in the middle of the toothpick square.
This should send the
toothpicks ‘travelling’ across the bowl!
Note: To repeat the process, you will need to clean the bowl and use new water and toothpicks.
How it works:
The liquid dish soap will break the surface tension of the water. The water molecules will spread out
and away from the soap and move toward the edge of the bowl. Since the toothpicks float, they will be carried and “travel” with the water toward the edge of the bowl. Make this a science project:
Try popsicle sticks. Try cotton swabs. Try different temperatures of water. (sciencefun.org)
BY NAOMI SHIHAB NYE
2
And there were so many more poems to read! Countless friends to listen to. We didn’t have to be in the same room— the great modern magic. Everywhere together now. Even scared together now from all points of the globe which lessened it somehow. Hopeful together too, exchanging winks in the dark, the little lights blinking. When your hope shrinks you might feel the hope of someone far away lifting you up. Hope is the thing ... Hope was always the thing! What else did we give each other from such distances? Breath of syllables, sing to me from your balcony please! Befriend me in the deep space. When you paused for a poem it could reshape the day you had just been living.
Source: Poetry (March 2021)
WORD SEARCH:
Govt considering causeway proposal for Berbice deep-water port project
– VP cites challenges with dredging mouth of river
The proposed deep-water port project, which when constructed is expected to revolutionise the Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) economy, could be modified with the building out of a causeway to mitigate challenges with dredging the mouth of the Berbice River.
According to Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo during his Thursday press conference, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government is considering such a proposal. One benefit of this proposal is that the country would be spared the logistical and financial hurdles of dredging the mouth of the river, which would have too much sediment.
“As I was explaining at the meeting, wherever we put the Deep-Water Harbor now, because there are some
issues with the mouth of the river, too much sedimentation. So, we’re looking now
Guyana 1st in C’bean to introduce university degree in respiratory care
tory therapists providing patient care in hospitals, pediatric clinics, extended care facilities, sleep labs, and more.
During the launch at Herdmanston Lodge on Wednesday, Vice Chancellor of the University Professor Paloma Mohamed-Martin disclosed that Guyana is willing to spearhead similar programmes in Caribbean countries seeking to acquire the skill.
(BSRC) programme
Guyana is now the only country in the region offering a Bachelor of Science Degree in Respiratory Care (BSRC) at the University of Guyana (UG).
Currently, no other Caribbean Members State offers a degree programme that equips students with the expertise and requisite knowledge to diagnose and treat breathing issues and lung disorders.
The programme to be administered by UG stemmed from a holistic collaboration between the tertiary institution, the Health Ministry, and the Georgetown Public Hospital Cooperation (GPHC).
It was developed in 11 months with the primary aim of expanding Guyana’s academic offerings and strengthening competencies in clinical healthcare skills, respiratory therapy, and technology and instrumentation, among others.
Further, the Bachelor of Science Degree in Respiratory Care (BSRC) programme gives students a foundation in cardiopulmonary care and prepares them for careers as respira-
“Guyana which poses one of the largest natural lungs of the world is also adding to the academic medical field by being the only country in the region for the moment that has a degree like this. It is wonderful and I think it's important because I’ve seen many people…. and young children struggling to breathe and you can’t help them…. And I think we are going to give this to the region because we don’t take our gifts for ourselves, we give and we share. So, you will share with everybody else in other countries who are close to us and need this work.”
On the other hand, Health Minister Dr. Frank Anthony shared that the BSRC programme will boost Guyana’s capability to manage and grapple with the effects of pandemics that COVID 19 which is a serious threat to the respiratory system.
With this in mind, he urged UG to ensure that Guyanese students from the ten administrative regions are engaged when recruitment for the programme commences.
“So, I think having recognised all these challenges during COVID and how ill-prepared we were, this then became a natural thing to do. We just needed to get
a course like this so that we could train more professionals and have them in the system. And so, I think that's one of the reasons why this was expedited. So, we need to recruit people maybe in a very deliberate way. Get people from different regions, at least in the first batch so that when they graduate, they will be able to serve in their respective region.”
Some 54 individuals in the medical field have already signaled interest in joining the programme.
Dr. Anthony explained that these persons and others who will join programme will play a crucial role in supporting the Government’s efforts to provide world-class healthcare service at the regional hospitals being constructed.
“Why that is also important is that we, right now, we have a deficit in the existing hospital but by the end of this year, we're expecting to bring six new regional hospitals on stream. Latest by the first quarter of next year, they'll all be operational. And therefore, at each of these hospitals, we have facilities where we need people in these types of specialty.” (Trichell Sobers)
at a causeway proposal. Where you build out into the Atlantic, in the deep. So, we don’t have to have dredging costs,” he said.
But whatever form the deep-water harbor takes, it will have profound implications for the Region Six economy. Additionally, the harbor will be complemented by the construction of the four-lane road from Palmyra to Moleson Creek.
“Often, when I speak here, we tend to focus on what’s happening around the city, or in region four or region three. And we don’t speak often to the people in Berbice and other regions, about what’s taking place in their communities. In every region, we have a plan for the development of that region.”
“We’ve just awarded two contracts for the four-lane road, from New Amsterdam to Moleson Creek. There are three lots, two have been awarded for $400 Million. But that road will change
Berbice. And so, the fourlane road would be crucial to moving goods and services along the whole Berbice corridor,” Jagdeo further explained.
A causeway is a raised path, railway, or road across an expanse of, in this case, the ocean. This differs from a bridge since there is little or no opening underneath. Instead, it consists of a crest with embankments on either side.
Over the past few years, President Dr Irfaan Ali has been pushing a vision to make Guyana a logistics hub in the region. With work ongoing on a paved road through Lethem to connect to Northern Brazil, and with the Corentyne River Bridge to connect with Suriname pending, the aim is to use Guyana as a transshipment hub to get cargoes moved to neighbouring countries as well as to other nations in the region.
When it comes to the deep-water Port, the govern-
ment has been eyeing the mouth of the Berbice River to construct the port. Once built, it is expected that this will cut down on transportation time for food supplies between Guyana, Northern Brazil, and the Region, and improve regional logistics.
In October 2021, President Ali had disclosed during a press conference that Abu Dhabi Ports, a United Arab Emiratesbased company that deals in industrial zones and logistics, has shown keen interest in establishing a worldclass deep-water harbour facility in Guyana. The company had even sent technical teams to Guyana to work on, and look at, the possibility of developing the facility here.
“The interest is great in this project…they will have a second team coming with a follow-up on the evaluation. And they are looking at a modern, state-of-the-art port facility, operated with cutting-edge technology focusing on efficiency, safety, and security… Their initial assessment is one of great optimism. That’s how they described it. They believe that this is a project that can happen; that (it) is a viable project. They are now working on the nitty-gritty, the finer details in terms of this project,” the Head of State had noted.
He had further explained that while this would be a Private Sector investment, it would see the involvement of Guyana’s immediate neighbours: Brazil, Suriname, and even French Guiana, since the project would be across borders. (G-3)
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony at the launch ceremony for the Bachelor of Science Degree in Respiratory Care
Vice Chancellor of the University of Guyana Professor Paloma Mohamed Martin
Example of a deep-water port
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Police looking for known character for murder of Westminster contractor – Crime Chief
As investigations intensify into the gunning down of 69-year-old Jairam Ramkishun, a contractor at his Westminster Housing Scheme, West Bank Demerara (WBD) home, the police are still in pursuit of the suspects.
This was according to Crime Chief Wendell Blanhum who further told the Guyana Times on Thursday that one of the men is a known character to the Police. He was reportedly implicated in several criminal activities along the West Coast (WC) and West Bank of Demerara (WBD).
It was reported that Jairam also known as “Kenneth” was shot dead in the wee hours of Sunday after bandits invaded his property. At the time of the incident, his wife, Tajwantie Harry Persaud, and their two sons, aged 24 and 25
Murdered: Jairam Ramkishun
were also in the house.
Tajwantie and the now dead man were reportedly asleep in their bedroom when they were awakened by three males dressed in hoodies one of whom was armed with a handgun.
She recounted being beaten to the head with the gun by the intruders who demanded cash and jewellery. Her husband, howev-
er, put up a fight against the men. Upon hearing the commotion, one of their sons, Jonathan, came out of his bedroom.
Together, they managed to force the suspects out of the house. During the scuffle, Jonathan sustained a stab wound to the left side of his rib area. The men exited through the western side door, after which
Ramkishun armed himself with a cutlass and went after them.
The wife further stated that amid everything, she heard a loud explosion, which sounded like a gunshot. Upon checking, she saw her husband lying motionless on his face in a pool of blood at the front of the yard.
She immediately contacted a family friend who reported the matter to the police. After checks were made in their home, it was discovered that one iPhone 8 and one iPhone 11 were missing.
The police later found two live rounds of 9mm ammunition and one 9mm spent shell at the front of the yard. In addition, a black haversack and two flap hats were also found at the scene.
Jairam will be cremated today at the Good Hope crematorium.
What’s with...
...wokeness?
Last year, your Eyewitness explained a word that has been gaining currency across the world – “WOKE”! In case you forgot, as the hip Urban Dictionary defined it not so long ago: “Being woke means being aware… knowing what’s going on in the community (related to racism and social injustice)”. It had been part of Black America’s street lingo (like “hip”!) in Harlem and hit white America when the NY Times mentioned it in 1962. Got it, a’ight??
In 1972, this connection with Black America was made explicit when a character in the play “Garvey Lives!” said: “I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr Garvey done woke me up, I’m gon stay woke. And I’m gon’ help him wake up other black folk”. Since then, the word has expanded its reach into the wider world: oppression knows no boundaries – along race, colour, sex, gender, age, ethnicity, origins, etc.
So being “woke” is to be aware of who’s stepping on whom – and accepting that we gotta stand on the side of the oppressed. The problem is – who decides who’s oppressed!! Of recent, the word’s been given an ironic twist suggesting that some folks place themselves on pedestals from where they can sneer down on others –who aren’t as “woke” as they. So how’s this playing out in Guyana? Here, to be “woke” is easy – just criticise whatever the PPP does!! Doesn’t matter what it is: reaching across the old political divide and recruiting African Guyanese activists to woo votes from that community?? Being woke decides that’s not the most racist thing possible: they’re acting like the “slave catchers” who sold our people into slavery!! If you didn’t know that then, know you not only NOT woke – but BACKWARD!! Being woke means throwing around the words “racial” and “racist” with abandon nowadays – especially before and after our elections.
But why is it that the folks bandying those terms are more “woke” than others? This suggests there’s more in the (social) mortar than the pestle (of race)? So, we gotta be jive to be woke?? Listening to those Opposition talking heads on social media and you’d be forgiven for thinking you’re in deep Alabama!! And expecting folks with pointy hoods burning crosses on your bridge!!
Over in Florida in 2022, Rep Gov De Santis had introduced the “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” - the acronym standing for “Wrong to our Kids and Employees” and prohibited teaching any of eight woke concepts on race. The first is that “Members of one race, colour, national origin, or sex are morally superior to members of another race, colour, national origin, or sex.” Is this the assumption by the PPP haters??
It was however turned down by the Courts!!
…our Region 11??
New York City – we know – is our 11th and LARGEST Region. By some estimates, there’re more Guyanese there than our entire Mudland!! But what’s hardly mentioned, is quite a good chunk of them are illegal!! And they’re now shaking in their boots with the prospect of Trump winning the November elections. Why, you ask, Dear Reader?? Well, you must’ve hibernated over the last few months!! One of the major planks on the Trump platform is he’ll launch the most massive deportation of illegal immigrants in America!!
Forget about Lady Liberty declaring “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free." That’s for WHITE folks coming from Europe!! Last week, there was a report of one raid – under Biden, even! – when no Whites were questioned!! To be a REAL American is to be white!! Trump said these illegals are “poisoning the blood” of America. Never mind Ivana came via an illegal “business marriage”!!
So expect a great return starting next year!!
…supermarket labour?
There was an announcement that one of the supermarkets has installed one of those computerised terminals where you can check out your groceries. Now that customers are doing the checkout work, shouldn’t they get a 1% discount?
Cause of fire that claimed life of elderly man in Bartica still unknown – GFS
– as investigations continue
The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) on Thursday reported that investigations are still underway to ascertain the cause of the fire that claimed the life of 94-yearold Albert Hopkinson.
The GFS was alerted of the fire which reportedly started at about 13:20h on Wednesday at Sixth Street and Third Avenue, Bartica, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).
engulfed in flames.
They observed that the two-storey wooden and concrete building owned by Hopkinson and his daughter, Dawn Hopkinson was
In response, a water tender, water bowser, and their respective crews were dispatched to the scene, and upon their arrival some five minutes later, the firemen went into action.
As a result of the fire, the top floor of the building was destroyed. On the other hand, Hopkinson received second and third-degree burns about his body, while his daughter sus-
tained first and second-degree burns.
They were both airlifted to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where the elderly man succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment. “Investigations are ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire,” the GFS stated in a release.
Meanwhile, citizens are reminded to exercise caution and follow safety measures to avoid home fires.
“Homes should be equipped with fire prevention and firefighting devices such as smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, or buckets of sand, which will aid
in alerting people to a fire and putting it out quickly.” Additionally, the GFS stated that while grillwork provides homes and businesses with security, it is necessary to have an evacuation plan in place in the eventuality of a fire or other emergencies.
The aftermath of the fire on Wednesday
A section of the upper flat that was destroyed
Dead: Albert Hopkinson
Issues affecting Mon Repos residents, fisherfolk will be resolved in phases – Pres. Ali
Issues affecting fisherfolk and residents of Mon Repos Village, along the East Coast Demerara (ECD) will be resolved in phases, President Dr Irfaan Ali has assured.
He made this commitment during a community walkabout on Wednesday where he spent time interacting with citizens about pressing issues affecting them.
Among crucial issues to be addressed are the construction of an access road and ramp to assist the fishermen in bringing their produce onshore.
Additionally, the dredging of the waterway in the
area is also on the agenda, to alleviate the current challenges faced by boats due to shallow waters.
Ali has since informed the residents that works have already commenced to resolve most of the issues raised due to prior engagements with fisherfolk.
He explained that the undertaking is part of the Government’s transformative agenda that caters to the improvement of working conditions of the 500 fisherfolks who ply their trade within the Mon Repos community.
“I am here just to tell you that those things that you raised with us, we have al-
ready started to work on it.
I have asked the Ministries of Agriculture and Public Works to make the resources available and to work with you guys on ensuring those things are done.”
As it relates to enhancing the livelihood of residents, President Ali disclosed plans to regularise squatting lands being occupied by some 600 households.
This includes resolving outstanding disputes among neighbours to expedite the process of providing the ownership documents to the residents.
“The transport issue we will see how we get past that
legal hurdle and I promise you I’m going to work on this myself with Housing so before the August holiday out we will come right here and give you your title,” President Ali said.
This is the second engagement in two months President Ali has facilitated with fisherfolks operating along the ECD.
Back in May, the Head of State committed to constructing a new ramp for Fisherfolks at the Ogle Outfall to bring their boats onshore for maintenance, upgrading the mud dam
leading to the channel, as well as addressing security issues. He also instructed that the Public Works Ministry immediately look into road upgrades.
Mon Repos Market
In addition to meeting the fisherfolks, President Ali also visited the newly renovated Mon Repos Market, during which he engaged vendors and market officials.
Back in November 2022, a $619 million contract was awarded for the rehabilitation and expansion of the
market to eliminate roadside vending which will ultimately address the flow of traffic in the area.
This saw the previous wooden structure being torn down and a modern new 18,000 square-foot pre-fabricated multi-level building that can accommodate some 490 stalls erected in its place.
During his interactions with vendors, concerns were also raised about security in the market and the President has committed to having a police outpost established there.
President Dr Irfaan Ali addressing fisherfolk at Mon Repos
The docked fishing vessels
Govt proposes 7% salary increase for teachers for 2024
– also 6% for 2025 and 2026
Despite the Guyana Teachers’ Union (GTU) proposal of a 39.6 per cent across-theboard increase for 2024, the government has reportedly made an initial proposal of 7 per cent on Thursday.
In addition, the government has also proposed a 6 per cent increase for 2025 and 2026 when the union had requested 30 per cent.
Negotiations between the GTU and the Education Ministry continued on Thursday but there has been no agreement from both sides with respect to the proposals. Several non-salary issues were reportedly dealt
with but talks on salary increases remain a deadlock.
However, the Union’s president, Mark Lyte told a section of the media that while there is some progress in certain areas, a decision was taken by both sides not to release any information “Both sides committed to not releasing details on the discussions, but I would say for the most part, our discussion today went very well, and you can see that the members are hopeful, optimistic that in the short term, we will have a signed agreement,” the GTU President told a section of the media after the meeting.
Commenting on the proposals by the government, Lyte stated “The proposal put forward by the Ministry, like I said, several areas they have to go back and get, because when they proposed certain things, the Union might have said, we don’t quite agree with this and those are being reviewed.”
Bilateral talks between the ministry and the union on the new 2024-2026 multiyear agreement commenced on July 11 after months of prolonged industrial action. Earlier in the month, the GTU conceded to government’s proposal that salary increases for teachers
should be determined under a new agreement from the current year onward.
The GTU had been pushing for a backdated collective bargaining agreement. But government, through the Education Ministry has maintained that it is fully prepared to work on a multi-year agreement from 2024 and not 2019 as being initially demanded by the union. The GTU subsequently recanted and agreed
to negotiate from 2022 onwards – a proposal that was also rejected by government.
The Union has also proposed a performance-based incentive of two per cent per annum to be paid to eligible teachers during the period of the multi-year agreement, with effect from January 1, 2024.
This is in addition to an annual health/risk allowance of $25,000, and monthly internet/mobile data al-
lowance of $10,000 to be paid to all teachers.
Moreover, the body is seeking a termly school’s transportation grant of $150,000 in the case of those operating on the coastland and $300,000 for hinterland/ riverain schools or alternately a mode of transport (boat, ATV etc.) to offset the cost of teachers travelling to attend meetings, workshops, orientation sessions, or emergencies at school.
Cemetery Road project MoPW to monitor ongoing work to enforce compliance with 3-week deadline – Min Edghill
...3rd sub-contractor added to team to fast-track project
Determined to ensure the Cemetery Road project is finally completed after facing several delays, the Public Works Ministry is now strictly monitoring ongoing works to ensure the three-week deadline is met.
Guyana Times was told that a senior engineer from the Ministry’s Engineering/ Projects Department is spearheading this undertaking.
This comes days after Public Works Minister Juan Edghill announced that two sub-contractors were hired to assist the default company - Avinash Construction and Metal Works – to complete the project.
On Thursday, the minister visited the area to inspect ongoing works to ensure contractors are working to meet the new deadline. Whilst there, he emphasised that ‘even a single day’s delay would not be tolerated.
In fact, following a rigorous review process, an additional sub-contractor has been approved to bolster the efforts of the main contractor.
“There will be a third subcontractor starting work this evening (Thursday) from the police outpost back to Mandela Avenue to get rid of all the debris and ensure the
shaping of the shoulders and everything,” the Minister disclosed.
Edghill also told the Guyana Times that the senior engineer tasked with monitoring the project is among multiple representatives from his ministry who will be at the site daily.
“The two subcontractors are knowledgeable of what they have to do. They are getting on with their work. I put on the site as well, apart from the project engineer, a very senior engineer is seeing this project through for the next few weeks to make sure it is complete,” he added.
Avinash Construction and Metal Works was on Monday summoned to a meeting and agreed to a ‘Programme of Execution’, which requires the company to pay the sub-contractors for their work. At the time, Edghill disclosed that all the parties involved had approximately three weeks to complete the much-anticipated project. He explained that the decision was made given that the pertinent piece of infrastructure is one year behind. To date, it stands at 70 per cent complete.
GTU President Mark Lyte (left) and Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Shannielle Hoosein-Outar after signing the Agreement of Resumption in June 2024 – a process overseen by Chief Labour Officer Dhaneshwar Deonarine (centre)
Public Works Minister Juan Edghill inspecting ongoing works at the site
9 orphanages adopted for 1 year in 3rd phase of "Adopt an Orphanage" initiative
Through First Lady Arya Ali’s “Adoptan-Orphanage” initiative, sponsorship was secured for nine orphanages for the third consecutive year. These are the Prabhu
ited to financial support for the nine homes.
“It is a demonstration of your commitment to making a difference, a fulfilment of your promise to stand by a child and support their dream of a bet-
Sharan Orphanage, Red Cross Convalescent Home, Bless the Children Home, St. John’s Basco Orphanage, Shaheed’s Boy and Girls Orphanages, Hope Children’s Home,
ter life, to celebrate their achievements, and to encourage them through their struggles. It is about building a bridge of hope and possibility.”
She added that the
their hardships, carry within them a spark of hope—a hope that we now have the privilege to nurture”.
She recalled back in 2021 when the initiative was launched, the primary focus was to ensure that some of the overhead expenses of these homes were taken care of, so it would provide them with flexibility to improve other areas of the children’s welfare.”
“Today, because of your support we are offering medical services to them, inclusive of eye tests and free spectacles, and dental services; medical check-up, and even counseling services. We have also hosted several social activities including a movie night, a kite flying activity for easter, and a trip to the Suarez Brother Circus,” she told the sponsors and other stakeholders on Wednesday.
These activities and events, she added are not to improve their place
Joshua’s Children Home, and Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Centre.
These deals were made official at the launch of the third phase of the initiative on Thursday at State House, Main Street, Georgetown.
According to Mrs. Ali, the sponsorship is not lim-
gathering is not just as individuals but as a community bound by compassion and the shared belief in the power of kindness.
“This journey continues here, with each one of you, as we open our hearts to these children who dream of a brighter tomorrow. These children, despite
of dwelling but to create homes.
“We are not just offering support; we are inspiring dreams. We are not just giving care; we are sharing love. Your sponsorship is a testament to our belief in these children's potential and our dedication to their success.”
“As we continue on this journey, I want to urge you to look into your hearts and see the boundless capacity we have to bring change. Each contribution, each act of kindness, no matter how small, ripples out to create waves of hope and transformation. Together, we are building a future where every child in Guyana knows they are valued, cherished, and capable of achieving great things.”
However, the second
phase of the initiative saw close to 300 children.
One of the main sponsors of this initiative is the Chinese Embassy in Guyana and its Ambassador Guo Haiyan have since encouraged other organisations to support this cause.
“Charitable programmes need assistance and support from the whole society, from people from all walks of life. The Chinese Embassy is happy to make one contribution to some kinds of programs although the contribution is limited.”
She pointed out that Guyana’s society can pay
attention to orphans.
“I do hope that the whole society, people from all walks of life, can pay more attention to the orphans and protect their rights and interests to make sure that the orphans can grow up healthy, safely, and happily.”
Meanwhile, the other sponsors include Demerara Bank Limited (DDL), J.S. Supermarket, Sheriff Construction, Comfort Sleep, Lucky Star, Premier Construction, Dr. Balwant Singh's Hospital, Optic Vision Care, Sheriff Hospital, Anthem McCall, Amazonia Mall, and the Mexican Embassy.
MoPW to monitor ongoing...
“A sub-contractor will complete the Princes Street bridge; another sub-contractor will build the culverts at Sussex Street and all the other remedial works including paving will be executed by Avinash. Everybody has the same timeline and the monies that will be paid to the sub-contractors will be deducted from the sum of the contract Avinash bid for.”
According to Edghill, the Government’s evaluators decided against terminating the contract with Avinash Construction and Metal Works since the company had significantly advanced works, despite its slow pace.
Nevertheless, he said the government has already pursued liquidated damages from the contractor for the delays suffered in the execution of the contract.
The $475 million project will see the two-lane carriageway being extended into four lanes. When completed, it is expected to significantly alleviate traffic congestion.
Edghill said no further delay will be tolerated given that the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) administration has already committed to the residents of the East and West Ruimveldt.
“I can’t deem it as a further extension because they have already been charged liquidated damages as expected… We apologise to the
people for the inconvenience they have been suffering as
a result of this lagging project but we are determined to get it finished”.
“I am saying it here loud and clear; we will not allow
First Lady Arya Ali alongside various sponsors and representatives of the orphanages that will benefit
The deal was officially signed on Thursday
First Lady Arya Ali addressing the gathering
Chinese Ambassador Guo Haiyan
that contractor to continue to frustrate the people of East
and West Ruimveldt. We will have to take over the project and we will finish Cemetery Road,” the Minister stressed. (Trichell Sobers)
The incomplete Princes Street bridge
A section of the unfinished work
On Wednesday evening, President Dr Irfaan Ali visited Stabroek Square where he interacted with commuters and vendors
UNDP partners with Home Affairs Ministry to combat gender-based violence
To bolster Guyana’s efforts to further enhance data collection to eliminate all forms of violence against women and girls, Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to Guyana and Suriname, Gerardo
Noto, handed over various Information and Communications Technology (ICT) equipment and furniture procured through the Spotlight Initiative to the Home Affairs Ministry.
The items were received by subject minister, Robeson Benn at his
Brickdam, Georgetown office on Wednesday.
This support empowers the Ministry and by extension the Guyana Police Force to combat and reduce gender-based violence (GBV) more effectively through better data collection, management, and supportive work environ-
ments. Moreover, these investments will significantly support victims in their journey to justice and recovery.
This partnership between UNDP and the Ministry of Home Affairs positively contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 5 on achieving Gender Equality and empowering all women and girls.
Only recently, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund
(UNFPA) opened a GBV Mobile Remote Unit in Khan’s Hill, Mabaruma, Region One (BarimaWaini).
The GBV Mobile Remote Unit aims to provide accessible and immediate support to survivors of gender-based violence in Mabaruma and surrounding areas.
This initiative is part of a broader strategy to extend all essential services to remote and Indigenous communities, under one roof including intervention
services in all cases of GBV including first responders, Survivors Advocates, cases reporting services via Police, and on-site medical assistance to ensure immediate care for survivors; counselling and Psychosocial support to address trauma and promote healing; legal support and advocacy to help survivors; shelter services for women and children; community education and awareness programmes to prevent GBV and promote gender equality.
5 EBD families receive core homes
As the government continues to prioritise homeownership for vulnerable populations, five low-income individuals on the East Bank of Demerara received Core Homes under the Adequate Housing and Urban Accessibility Programme (AHUAP).
The homes were handed over by Housing and Water Minister, Collin Croal; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues; and Deputy Director of
Community DevelopmentCH&PA, Donell BessBascom, and team.
Arissa Richmond, a mother of five, was moved to tears expressing her relief after moving from place to place for 14 years.
“Now there’s no more moving for me because I have my own home […] no rent, just light bill, nobody to tell you anything, you go can come as you like, you feel comfortable in your own home.” She and her children are excited to settle into their newly built
Core Home.
Another recipient, Debra Best, who uses a walker for mobility, highlighted that she previously rented and is now happy to have a place to call her own.
“I was renting a place and it was deplorable. Then the people told me that I had to leave and I’m now presently at my grandson’s home.” Special rails were installed in her new home to enhance her accessibility.
However, Minister
Croal emphasised the importance of addressing the needs of vulnerable populations through the Ministry’s national housing programme and AHUAP.
“This is fulfilling one aspect of what we do, catering to a vulnerable segment of our population. Allocating low-income house lots, is one aspect and this project is another.”
He noted that over $1 billion is being invested along the East Bank of Demerara (EBD) through the AHUAP
for Core Homes, the Home Improvement Subsidy, and other programme components. An additional 80 homes for the EBD are currently at the procurement stage.
Meanwhile, Minister Rodrigues related that, including the homes handed over today, 121 Core Homes were handed over since 2020.
All beneficiaries were selected for the programme and applications are closed. Minister Rodrigues added that through the Home
Improvement Subsidy Initiative, 900 beneficiaries were selected and 600 were disbursed.
The subsidies, increased from $500,000 to $750,000, help individuals with deplorable homes acquire building materials. Under the Core Home Support initiative, a total of 323 beneficiaries have been selected. Each home costs approximately $5 million.
AHUAP is funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).
Assistant Commissioner of Police and Deputy Commissioner of Administration (ag) Ravindradat Budhram; Permanent Secretary Andre Ally, Home Affairs Minister, Robeson Benn; UNDP Resident Representative Gerardo Noto and Programme Analyst at UNDP, Nadira Balram
Minister Benn and UNDP Resident Representative Noto
Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal hands over the keys to one of the homes
Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues being greeted by one of the recipients
Guyana making progress in transitioning to clean energy – UN Permanent Rep
... says Guyana will be even more competitive with reduced energy costs
While certain parts of the world struggle to achieve clean and reliable energy, Guyana is making much progress, through the use of its natural resources, to achieve the transition to clean energy.
This is according to Guyana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.
During a Wednesday night dialogue on the Summit of the Future, which will be held from September 22 to 23 at the United Nations, Rodrigues-Birkett spoke about Guyana’s energy transition. According to Rodrigues, the energy transition is one of several priority areas that Guyana will champion at various forums, including at the upcoming summit.
“If we take for example the continent of Africa, 43 per cent of the people have no energy at all. And we’re talking about the sustainable development goals. We’re not going to be able to achieve the sustainable development goals if people don’t have energy.”
“They cannot industrialise. And for a long time, our problem in Guyana has been the cost of energy. We’re going to become competitive, as we bring that cost down. And that’s what we’re working on right now,” the Ambassador further said.
When it comes to transitioning to clean energy, Rodrigues-Birkett pointed to the international consensus that the world will still depend on fossil fuels for the next 20 to 30 years.
According to her, while Guyana is doing its part in transitioning to clean energy, it will take time.
“We’re not going to be able to phase out fossil fuels tomorrow, in the world. Our position as Guyana, is that we should not be punished, for exploiting our fossil fuel resources. Because other countries have industrialised and they’ve become developed. Because they were able to do that. They should be the ones reducing emissions.”
“But we also have another factor. We have a forest, 80 per cent of the country is covered with forests. And so even as we continue to use fossil fuels and zero net emissions, I think that should be factored. But that being said, we are using our
resources to transition to clean energy,” RodriguesBirkett added.
The Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project is a central part of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) government’s plan to transition to cleaner energy. It will see the construction of a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant and a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) plant.
The pipeline and transmission network will be completed by this year. This will allow the power plant and NGL facility being operational by next year. Government has said that in addition to approved reliability, electricity rates could potentially be slashed by 50 per cent.
Only a few days ago, Guyana had received a shipment of transformers that will be installed in the GtE Project as well as in the Guyana Power and Light
(GPL) upgrades. At least two of these transformers weighed an unprecedented 241 metric tons each, setting records as the heaviest cargo ever offloaded in Guyana.
A total of 16 transformers were delivered by. Nine of them were sourced by Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd (KPTL), which was contracted last year to provide engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) services for the transmission lines and substations’ component of the GtE project.
Meanwhile, LINDSAYCA’s transformers were stored at the GYSBI Industrial Estate at McDoom, until transit to the GtE project site at Wales, West Bank Demerara (WBD). It was explained that the heavier three of the seven transformers, with a weight of 129 metric tonnes each, were offloaded in a
tandem lift between Sammy Multilift Services Guyana Inc. and GYSBI.
In last year’s national budget, the GtE project received a $43.3 billion allocation, in addition to the $24.6 billion injected into the start-up of the transformational project, for the construction of the NGL Plant and the 300-megawatt (MW) Combined Cycle Power Plant at Wales, WBD. This year, a whopping $80 billion was budgeted to advance this project and its associated infrastructure, including transmission and distribution upgrades to offtake the power. As of January, this year, the marine offloading facility has been completed, and 26 kilometres (km) of onshore pipelines have been installed.
This year, the remaining works include installing risers on the Liza Destiny and Liza Unity, the deepwater pipelaying, and connecting the pipeline to the power plant, which will not come on stream until the end of the first quarter in 2025. The PPP Administration has also made significant investments in solar energy as well as in hydropower. When it comes to hydropower, the 165-MW Amaila Falls Hydropower Project (AFHP) has also dominated local conversations for years, and despite setbacks, the current administration is still actively pursuing investments in that project. (G-3)
PAHO calls for expanded access to diagnosis, treatment for hepatitis
In the run-up to World Hepatitis Day observed on July 28, the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) is urging countries to expand access to testing and treatment for viral hepatitis, which affects more than ten million people in the Americas, only 23 per cent of whom are diagnosed.
Of the five types of hepatitis, B and C are responsible for most illnesses and deaths. In the Americas, an estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people die each year from these diseases. Most symptoms appear during the later stages of the disease, once severe liver disease or cancer has already developed.
"Hepatitis B and C are
silent chronic infections that can progress to cirrhosis or liver cancer. The good news is that there are medications that can cure hepatitis C, as well as effective treatments to control hepatitis B," Director of PAHO Dr. Jarbas Barbosa stated.
"It is crucial to strengthen our efforts and investment to end this public health problem," he added.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 2024 Global Hepatitis Report, only 36 per cent of people infected with hepatitis C globally are diagnosed and 20 per cent receive curative treatment.
As for chronic hepatitis B, only 13 per cent of those infected are diagnosed and 2.6 per cent receive life-saving medication.
Vaccination against hepatitis B, included in the immunisation schedules of all countries and territories in
the region, is helping to eliminate mother-to-child transmission during childbirth as a public health problem. This underscores the importance of continuing vaccination to prevent infection in new generations.
Under the slogan "It's time for action!" on this World Day, PAHO emphasises the urgency of accelerating measures to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of the disease. PAHO works in col-
laboration with countries in the region on the design and implementation of national policies for the elimination of hepatitis, with strategies focused on primary care. It also facilitates access to diagnostic tests, treatments and vaccines at more affordable prices through its Regional Revolving Funds.
The global benchmark price for curative treatment of hepatitis C is US$60 per 12-week course, and for hepatitis B treatment, it is
US$2.4 per month.
World Hepatitis Day, celebrated on July 28, is an opportunity to intensify the global fight against these diseases, promote action and participation of individuals, partners, and the public, and underscore the need for a stronger global response. The day is commemorated on July 28 to celebrate the birth of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1976 for his discovery of the hepatitis B virus in 1967 and his contribution to the invention of a diagnostic test and corresponding vaccine.
Hepatitis B and C, along with mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B, are included in PAHO's Elimination Initiative, which aims to eliminate more than 30 communicable diseases and related conditions in the Americas by 2030.
Director of PAHO, Dr Jarbas Barbosa
Guyana’s Permanent Rep to UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett
Model of the Gas-to-Energy power plants
UG’s Law Professor honoured by Hugh Wooding Law School for outstanding contributions to legal education
The Head of the Law Department at the University of Guyana, Professor Kenneth Benjamin was honoured by the Hugh Wooding Law School for his distinguished career in the legal field.
Recognised for his extensive contributions to law and justice, he was the only Guyanese among the seven honourees at the institution’s 50th-anniversary celebrations which were held on July 13 at the Hilton Trinidad and Conference Centre, St Ann's, Port of Spain
Professor Benjamin shared that his journey has been an interesting one, admitting that he was destined to become what he is today. Professor Benjamin shared that initially, he wanted to study Economics at the University of Guyana. However, his interest shift-
ed to Law while he was signing up for the Economics course, and he decided to enroll in both. He later received a scholarship to pursue his Law degree, which he explained was completed between Guyana and Barbados, followed by his professional training at the Hugh Wooding Law School in 1977.
Benjamin’s professional journey began in private practice as a Solicitor at Clarke and Martin Legal Practitioners in Guyana in 1977. By 1980, he transitioned to working as an Attorney-at-Law in private chambers. His judicial career started in 1981 when he served as an acting Stipendiary Magistrate, followed by his role as Assistant Judge-Advocate of the Guyana Defence Force from 1986 to 1988. His career took him be-
yond Guyana, serving as a Magistrate and then Chief Magistrate in Antigua
OSH officers undergo maritime training
Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Officers attached to the Labour Ministry are currently undergoing Standard of Training, Certification, and Watch Keeping (STCW) training.
The ten-day foundation course which started on July 15, 2024 is being facilitated by MatPal Marine Institute and aims to equip participants with the essential skills and knowledge required for maritime safety and security.
It covers several areas including personal survival techniques, personal safety and social responsibility, elementary first aid, and basic firefighting.
It also teaches participants how to address ‘man overboard’ situations, how to deal with ‘abandon ship’ situations, and various emergencies like fire, flooding, collision grounding, and others.
On Thursday, the OSH Officers, together with members of the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) and other persons, completed their practical water drill. These included donning a lifejacket, water entry, treading water, and the survival float, among others.
The training will assist the OSH officers in understanding the maritime industry, developing their ex-
pertise in maritime safety, enhancing incident response capabilities, and improving regulatory enforcement in the maritime sector.
This will play a vital role in improving safety standards and practices within our maritime sectors.
Two of the Ministry's work-study students, Telibert Illiman and Tanesha Turney also sat in to observe the training.
Fellow of the Commonwealth Judicial Education Institute, Professor Benjamin continues to contribute to the legal field. Since 2021, he has been sharing his extensive knowledge and experience as a professor and from 2023 as Head of the Law Department at the University of Guyana.
and Barbuda from 1985 to 1993. In 1993, he was appointed as a Judge of the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court, initially assigned to Antigua and Barbuda and Montserrat, and later to the British Virgin Islands and Grenada. By 2007, he served as the Presiding Judge of the Criminal Division in St. Lucia and acted as a Justice of Appeal for the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court.
In September 2011, he was appointed Chief Justice of Belize, a position he held until his retirement in March 2020. Recognised as a
Throughout his career, Professor Benjamin has always been keen on sharing his knowledge with lawyers and other professionals in the legal field. While he had considered teaching support staff, he had not initially thought about teaching formally at a university. However, since joining the University of Guyana as a professor, he has found great fulfillment in this new role. He enjoys imparting his extensive experience and insights to the next generation of legal minds, contributing to their academic and professional development, and thus continuing his legacy of dedication to the legal profession.
Reflecting on his career, Professor Benjamin emphasised the importance of reading for those studying or interested in law. “Reading and understanding cases are crucial for mastering legal principles. People are not reading as much as they should, and it is important, especially if you are pursuing a legal career.”
“It is my firm resolve to devote my energy to legal education including the educating of legal practitioners and judicial officers at all levels. At the academic level, the quality of law graduates is crucial for nation-building. Beyond the University, legal education impacts the standards of the legal profession. In the same vein, judicial education raises the bar on judging in our courts with our citizens being the ultimate beneficiaries,” Professor Benjamin further added.
This award serves as a testament to Professor Benjamin’s impactful career, from his early days in private practice to his service as a judge and Chief Justice, and now as an educator shaping future legal minds.
The Hugh Wooding Law School’s gala dinner also honoured six other distinguished graduates for their significant contributions to the field of law. These include Retired CCJ judge Rolston Nelson, CCJ Judge Andrew Burgess of Barbados, the President of the CCJ, Adrian Saunders and the President of the Trinidad Criminal Bar Association Israel Khan, SC. Former special prosecutor Dana Seetahal and former Trinidad and Tobago Attorney General Keith Sobion received posthumous honours.
North Ruimveldt youths being trained as electricians, plumbers
Some 20 young residents of Festival City and surrounding communities in the North Ruimveldt, Georgetown area will soon be certified electricians and plumbers, following the launch of a four-month electrical installation and plumbing training programme.
The launch on Wednesday at Festival City Resources Centre was facilitated through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) and aims to equip the
youths with the requisite skills and knowledge to be employed.
Labour Minister, Joseph Hamilton expressed his elatedness to youths for taking advantage of the skills training programmes that is being offered through his ministry.
He added that their participation in the initiative will not only increase their prospects of gaining employment but can be utilised as a stepping stone to other viable employment and ed-
ucational opportunities.
Hamilton stressed that the launch of these programmes fulfills a commitment he made to the community during his previous visit there, and as such, he urged them to complete their respective programmes for their benefit.
He also noted that these skill programmes are just the beginning of what the ministry intends to offer to the community since it plans to offer several other programmes in 2025.
Head of the Law Department at the University of Guyana, Professor Kenneth Benjamin
OSH officers during the practical water drill training on Thursday
The facilitator during a demonstration
A few of the youths at the launch on Wednesday
Regional
Venezuelan elections: Candidates close campaigns, Opposition trusts military to back result
Venezuelan Opposition candidate Edmundo
Gonzalez said on Thursday he trusted the country’s military would ensure respect for the result of the presidential election this Sunday, as he and his rival, incumbent President Nicolás Maduro, held final rallies.
Gonzalez has attracted significant support, even from former supporters of the ruling socialist party.
But the Opposition and some independent observers have questioned whether the vote will be fair, saying decisions by electoral authorities and the arrests of some Opposition campaign staff are meant to create obstacles.
Maduro, who has been in power since 2013 and is seeking his third six-year term, has said the country has the world’s most transparent electoral system.
“We are going to win ... and we trust that our armed forces will respect the will of our people,” Gonzalez told Journalists in Caracas on Thursday. “Millions of Venezuelans want change.”
Later at his closing rally, Gonzalez, who with Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado has urged voters to go to polling stations early and stay all day after casting their vote, said Venezuelans would be witness to change on Sunday.
Gonzalez, 74, a former diplomat, is known for his calm demeanour and his promises that change could bring home many migrants.
“I want liberty,” 23-yearold pharmacy student Yuliany Suarez, who also works in a supermarket, said before Gonzalez’s remarks.
“The result is kind of uncertain,” said Suarez, who came with friends and was wearing a Gonzalez bandana. “I have faith in Edmundo, but with this Government, who knows.”
Venezuela’s military has long supported Maduro and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chávez. Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino has said the armed
forces would respect the outcome of the election.
Gonzalez inherited the Opposition mantle from Machado, who won the Opposition primary, but was barred from holding public office.
Some in the Opposition have expressed fears that Gonzalez could also face a ban or other restrictions, but he said he was confident of peaceful voting and a decisive victory on Sunday.
Attorney General Tarek Saab denied participating in political persecution or holding political prisoners and said in an interview with Reuters this week the election should be peaceful.
Maduro’s Government has presided over an economic collapse, the migration of about a third of the population, and a sharp deterioration in diplomatic relations, crowned by sanctions imposed by the United States, European Union and others which have crippled an already-struggling oil industry.
Domestic and international business “know that only with us are their investments guaranteed”, Maduro said during a State television broadcast on Thursday.
“I don’t owe anyone anything, I am a totally independent president of the people, free and sovereign,” Maduro, 61, told his final rally in central Caracas, adding he will call a national dialogue on Monday.
“I don’t have favours, nor businesses, so I am a free man.”
The US reimposed oil sanctions in April, accusing Maduro of reneging on deals reached with the Opposition to ensure democratic elections. On Thursday, the White House expressed concern about the threat of violence, warning Maduro the vote must be fair and free of repression.
“It’s good for us if he (Maduro) wins,” said public servant Luisa Medina, 51, who was wearing a Maduro T-shirt.
Hundreds of buses lined Caracas’ central Libertador Avenue after transporting Maduro supporters, sometimes from other states.
“It’s the only government which has thought about us, the poor,” Medina said before Maduro’s closing rally, adding the President had continued Chavez’s project.
Maduro warned last week of a “bloodbath” if he were to lose, comments that drew criticism from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Brazil’s electoral court and former Argentine President Alberto Fernandez both said on Wednesday they had withdrawn from acting as election observers.
Results of the vote could be published on Sunday evening or in the following days. Polls will be open 06:00h to 18:00h (6am to 6pm) local time on Sunday. (Reuters)
Trinidad: State concedes firearm dealer Brent Thomas’ arrest unlawful
TheState has conceded that Police Officers acted illegally in their controversial arrest of firearm dealer Brent Thomas in Barbados and his subsequent return to this country in October 2022.
The admission was made by lawyers for the Office of the Attorney General as they presented submissions in an appeal over a decision by High Court Judge Devindra Rampersad to uphold Thomas’ lawsuit over his forced deportation and Police probe into him and his company, Specialist Shooters Training Centre Limited.
Presenting submissions at the Waterfront Judicial Centre in Port-of-Spain, King’s Counsel Peter Knox claimed that the officers’ unlawful actions were based on a legitimate belief that Thomas was seeking to flee the country while under investigation.
“They (the Police) acted wrongly, but they did not act maliciously,” Knox said.
While he accepted that Justice Rampersad was entitled to make the findings he did in relation to Thomas’ arrest and extradition and order compensation, he suggested that they (the findings) should have been made against the T&T Police Service (TTPS) and not the State.
Knox claimed that the Judge overstepped in staying the criminal charges against Thomas and making adverse findings in rela-
tion to the probe that led to the charges. Knox claimed that there was evidence that Thomas was found in possession of three prohibited automatic rifles and six non-lethal grenades, which led to him being charged. He claimed that two of the rifles were listed on Thomas’ firearm user’s licence (FUL) but one was not.
“We are not saying this is conclusive of anything, but there is something to look at,” Knox said.
He suggested that Justice Rampersad should have been more cautious to avoid trespassing on the power of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in relation to criminal prosecutions.
“It is not for a constitutional court to interfere in matters like this. You do not have the constitutional right not to be prosecuted,” he said.
Knox also took issue with Justice Rampersad’s findings in relation to a series of search warrants used to raid Thomas’ Maraval home and his business. He suggested that Thomas’ lawyer should have filed the case against the Justice of the Peace (JP) that granted the warrants.
In his submissions, Senior Counsel Ian Benjamin, who led the legal team for the DPP’s Office, claimed that the judge misconstrued the Firearms Act when he questioned how Thomas could be charged for possession of the weapons
that he was granted permission to import by the Office of the Police Commissioner. Benjamin pointed out that under the legislation, the Police Commissioner did not have the power to grant permission to citizens for the importation and possession of prohibited weapons, which can only be lawfully held by Police Officers, members of the T&T Defence Force (TTDF), certain staff at the Forensic Science Centre, and prison and customs officers.
In his submissions, Thomas’ lawyer, Fyard Hosein, called on the appeal panel to uphold their colleague’s judgment. Hosein admitted that the Commissioner did not have the power to allow the importation and possession of prohibited weapons, as he pointed out that his client refused to receive the rifles and grenades after Justice Rampersad ordered their release, last year. He suggested that his client should not have been prosecuted for the legal loophole that was used by five Police Commissioners to get him to supply weapons and ammunition to local law enforcement agencies for almost two decades. Hosein noted that the rifles and grenades, which he claimed were all listed on the FUL’s held by Thomas and his business, were kept for demonstration purposes. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
Venezuela grants licence to BP, Trinidad’s NGC for offshore gas project
Venezuela on Wednesday granted a 20-year licence to British energy producer BP and State-owned National Gas Company of Trinidad and Tobago (NGC) to develop the Venezuelan side of a natural gas field that extends into the Caribbean country’s waters.
Venezuela, whose gas reserves are mostly untapped,
10-year-old boy killed in Colombia’s 1st drone death
A10-year-old boy has been killed in a drone attack, becoming the first person to die in such an attack in Colombia, according to the nation’s Defence Ministry.
Colombia’s army commander said a grenade had fallen from the drone onto a football field in the town of El Plateado, leaving 12 others injured.
The Ministry said Wednesday’s attack was targeting soldiers and blamed the Carlos Patiño Front, a
group of dissident guerrillas who broke away from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) when the FARC signed a peace deal with the Colombian Government in 2016.
A leader of the Carlos Patiño Front, Kevin Arcos, denied responsibility when contacted by AFP and blamed Colombia’s army.
Defence Minister Iván Velásquez expressed solidarity with the boy’s family in a post on X, saying there
would be a military offensive to “capture those responsible”.
The incident in the southern Cauca region highlights the ongoing violence in the South American country.
Dissident guerrilla groups are increasingly using commercially available drones to drop explosives.
In June, the Colombian army reported 17 drone attacks over six weeks, with no resulting deaths.
Drones have also
been used by Colombia’s Government to increase surveillance.
Colombia’s left-wing President Gustavo Petro is a former guerrilla fighter and has promised to bring peace by negotiating with remaining rebel groups.
The 2016 peace deal between the Government and FARC aimed to end five decades of armed conflict, in which more than 260,000 persons were killed and millions internally displaced.
(BBC News)
has in recent years expanded offers for offshore gas projects to foreign companies, but progress remains slow amid sanctions and a massive need for investment.
The Cocuina-Manakin field, whose Venezuelan portion belongs to the idled gas offshore project Plataforma Deltana, has 1 trillion cubic feet of proven gas reserves. The US Treasury Department in May authorised the project to move forward as an exemption to energy sanctions on Venezuela.
The field will be jointly developed, with BP and NGC on Venezuela’s side, and BP’s Trinidad unit on the twin-island nation’s side. The largest investor will be selected as the project’s operator, according to the list of documents signed in Caracas.
A separate sheet of terms to sell the gas produced on the Venezuelan side of the field to companies in Trinidad was also signed, as was an agreement for a bonus payment to Venezuela. The amount was not disclosed.
The companies accelerated negotiations with Venezuela’s Government and State energy company PDVSA in recent weeks to have the licence signed before a presidential election in the South American country on July 28, sources said.
“We are making a monumental step in the right direction,” said President Nicolás Maduro during the signing ceremony, broadcast by State television station VTV. Trinidad’s Energy Minister, Stuart Young, and Venezuelan Oil Minister Pedro Tellechea signed some of the documents governing the project. The head of BP Trinidad and Tobago, David Campbell, and NGC Vice President Verlier Quan-Vie signed on behalf of the companies.
A larger project in Venezuela also to be shared with Trinidad, the 4-tcf Dragon offshore gas field to be operated by Shell, received a similar 20-year Venezuelan licence in December. First output is expected in late 2025. (Reuters)
Supporters of Venezuelan Opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez and Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado attend a campaign closing rally in Caracas, Venezuela, July 25, 2024 (Reuters/Alexandre Meneghini photo)
Around the World
SOIL NEWS
Repsol doubles Q2 earnings on higher oil prices
panish energy giant Repsol more than doubled its second-quarter net income from a year earlier as higher oil prices offset lower gas realisations and weak refining margins.
Repsol reported a net income of US$713 million (657 million euros) for the second quarter this year, more than double compared to US$334 million (308 million euros) for the same period of 2023.
The company, which is expanding its renewables assets and generation, continues to book most of its earnings from the upstream division, which benefited from higher oil prices in the second quarter and the first half of this year, compared to year-ago levels.
However, natural gas realisations were lower, due to a slide in gas prices, while weaker refining margins hit the downstream business of the Spain-based energy group.
Commenting on the second-quarter and first-quarter results, Repsol said “The results for the first half of 2024 came against a backdrop of recovering crude oil prices, low gas and electricity prices, slowing refining margins and very low margins at the chemicals business.”
Repsol also reported for the first half of 2024, lower earnings in its Industrial division, due to lower margins at the refining and oil and gas trading businesses and poor market conditions for the chemicals segment.
Adjusted income for the first six months of the year fell by 21.8 per cent from the same period of 2023, to US$2.3 billion (2.126 billion euros), “in an environment marked by low gas prices and narrower refining margins”.
TotalEnergies also flagged weak gas realisations and lower refining margins in its Q2 earnings. The French supermajor reported on Thursday lower-than-expected net income amid lower LNG sales and prices and weaker refining margins.
TotalEnergies booked an adjusted net income of US$4.7 billion for the second quarter, down by nine per cent from the first quarter and also down from the US$4.96 billion earnings for the second quarter of 2023. The Q2 2024 adjusted net income missed the analyst consensus estimate of a net profit of US$4.96 billion. (Oilprice.com)
UN demands action on extreme heat as world registers warmest day
United Nations
Secretary General António Guterres called on Thursday for countries to address the urgency of the extreme heat epidemic, fuelled by climate change – days after the world registered its hottest day on record.
“Extreme heat is the new abnormal,” Guterres said. “The world must rise to the challenge of rising temperatures,” he said.
Climate change is making heatwaves more frequent, more intense and longer lasting across the world.
Already this year, scorching conditions have killed 1300 hajj pilgrims, closed schools for some 80 million children in Africa and Asia, and led to a spike in hospitalisations and deaths in the Sahel.
Every month since June
Harris pushes Netanyahu to ease suffering in Gaza: “I will not be silent”
US Vice President Kamala Harris pressured Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday to help reach a Gaza ceasefire deal that would ease the suffering of Palestinian civilians, striking a tougher tone than President Joe Biden.
“It is time for this war to end,” Harris said in a televised statement after she held face-to-face talks with Netanyahu.
Harris, the likely Democratic presidential nominee after Biden dropped out of the election race on Sunday, did not mince words about the humanitarian crisis gripping Gaza after nine months of war between Israel and Hamas militants.
“We cannot allow our-
selves to be numb to the suffering and I will not be silent,” she said.
Harris’ remarks were sharp and serious in tone
North Korea hackers trying to steal nuclear secrets, US and UK warn
North Korean hackers are attempting to steal nuclear and military secrets from Governments and private companies around the world, the United Kingdom, United States and South Korea have warned.
They say the group –known by the names Andariel and Onyx Sleet - -is targeting defence, aerospace, nuclear and engineering entities to obtain classified information, with the aim of advancing Pyongyang’s military and nuclear programmes and ambitions.
The group has been seek-
2023 has now ranked as the planet’s warmest since records began in 1940, compared with the corresponding month in previous years, according the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.
The UN called on Governments to not only tamp down fossil fuel emissions – the driver of climate change – but to bolster protections for the most vulnerable, including the elderly, pregnant women and children, and step up safeguards for workers.
Cities are warming at twice the worldwide average rate due to rapid urbanisation and the urban heat island effect.
By 2050, some researchers estimate a 700 per cent global increase in the number of urban poor living in extreme heat conditions.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
ing information in a wide range of areas – from uranium processing to tanks, submarines and torpedoes – and has targeted the UK, US, South Korea, Japan, India and elsewhere.
US air force bases, NASA and defence companies are said to have been targeted.
The high-profile warning about this specific group appears to be a sign that its work combining espionage and money-making activity is worrying officials because of its impact both on sensitive technology and every-day life.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
Monster fires may have destroyed half of historic Canadian town
Huge, fast-moving wildfires have destroyed up to half of the historic Canadian resort town of Jasper, officials say, and the blazes are still out of control as firefighters try to save as many buildings as possible.
Entire streets of the main town in western Canada’s Jasper National Park have been levelled by the fire, with video showing smouldering rubble where homes once stood and the charred remains of cars.
While no deaths have been reported, some 20,000 tourists and 5000 residents have
fled the mountainous area in Alberta province which has been hugely popular with tourists for decades.
During a news conference on Thursday, a tearful Alberta Premier Danielle Smith struggled at times to recount the scale of the damage, but said “potentially 30 to 50 per cent” of buildings may have been destroyed.
“There is no denying that this is the worst nightmare for any community,” she said, adding that Jasper National Park had been “a source of pride” for “many generations”.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
and raised the question of whether she would be more aggressive in dealing with Netanyahu if elected President on November 5.
But analysts do not expect there would be a major shift in US policy toward Israel, Washington’s closest ally in the Middle East.
The conflict began on October 7 when Hamas militants attacked southern Israel from Gaza, killing 1200 persons and taking more than 250 captives, according to Israeli tallies.
Israel’s retaliatory attack in Gaza has killed more than 39,000 persons and caused a humanitarian calamity with most of the coastal enclave levelled, people displaced from their homes, famine, and a short-
age of emergency relief. Biden met with Netanyahu, but did not make substantive remarks. Aides said he pressed for a ceasefire in his first face-toface talks with the Israeli leader since Biden travelled to Tel Aviv in the days after October 7.
Netanyahu will meet Harris’ Republican rival, Donald Trump, today at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
A ceasefire has been the subject of negotiations for months. US officials believe the parties are closer than ever before to an agreement for a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release by Hamas of women, sick, elderly and wounded hostages.
Meanwhile, Israel is seeking changes to a plan for a Gaza truce and the release of hostages by Hamas, complicating a final deal to halt nine months of combat that have devastated the enclave, according to a Western official and a Palestinian and two Egyptian sources.
Israel says that displaced Palestinians should be screened as they return to the enclave’s north when the ceasefire begins, retreating from an agreement to allow civilians who fled south to freely return home, the four sources told Reuters.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
China, India should work in same direction, relations have an important impact, says Wang
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said it is hoped that China and India would work in the same direction and explore how the neighbouring countries can get along, according to a statement.
Wang, in talks with his Indian counterpart, said China-India relations have an important impact beyond the bilateral scope,
according to the statement released by the Chinese Foreign Ministry late on Thursday.
“It is in the interests of both sides to get ChinaIndia relations back on track,” Wang said about the talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, according to the statement.
(Reuters)
Vice President Kamala Harris meets with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House grounds, in Washington, DC, US, July 25, 2024 (Reuters/Nathan Howard photo)
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi speaks during an event hosting Mahmoud al-Aloul (not pictured), Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of Palestinian organisation and political party Fatah, and Mussa Abu Marzuk (not pictured), senior member of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 23, 2024 (Pedro Pardo/Pool via REUTERS photo)
SUDOKU
DAILY HOROSCOPES
(March 21-April 19)
Do something to boost your morale. Challenge yourself to be and do your best, and gain perspective through experience and knowledge. Don’t waste time; embrace every moment and whatever comes your way.
Hide your feelings until you know where you fit in and how to choose the right words to make yourself heard. If you act in haste, it will be difficult to backtrack and reach your objective.
(June 21-July 22)
(July 23-Aug. 22)
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23) (May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Listen to reason, adjust where necessary and don’t fear getting your hands dirty to reach your objective. Actions speak louder than words, and novel motions will gain respect. Romance is favored.
Use common sense to ensure you develop a winning combination that allows you to use your expertise to control whatever situation you encounter. Praising others will open a window of opportunity.
Consider where your experience will make the most impact. Plan an outing that offers insight into how you can make a difference in your community. Romance is favored.
Look for opportunities to upgrade, learn something new and enhance marketability. Hone your skills and reset your goals. Learn from the experience and examine the potential fallout first.
Refrain from letting anyone bait you into an argument; instead, allow everyone to have opinions and preferences. Be the better person. Romance is in the stars.
Be kind. The gestures you make will set the tone for what’s to come. A pleasant, entertaining demeanor will stifle negativity and encourage a positive response.
Don’t feel bad for making others wait. Choose your words wisely and let your instincts direct your actions. Look for positive opportunities. Personal growth is favored.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Don’t allow your emotions to dictate or encourage you to ignore the truth. Call an expert for sound advice before engaging in a joint venture. Keep your money and possessions in a safe place.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Construct a space that encourages you to explore projects you enjoy. Surround yourself with people who enhance your life instead of those holding you back. Romance is on the rise.
Sit tight, regardless of what others do and observe. There are lessons to learn, and taking time will lower stress while you figure out what and who is important to you. Discipline conquers defeat.
PEANUTS
CALVIN AND HOBBES PICKLES
Sponsorship continues to grow
Sponsorship for next month’s 16th instalment of the prestigious Guyana Cup racing event continues to grow.
The Guyana Cup is one of the biggest horse-racing events in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. It will be held on Sunday, August 11, 2024 at Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC), West Berbice.
On Thursday, supporting this major sporting event, which is only overshadowed in popularity by cricket’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL) were real estate giant Century 21, fuel supplier GUYOIL, and Jagmohan Construction. All of whom joined the growing bandwagon of well-wishers to have their brands be part of this fantastic day of racing. The event will reach an international audience in excess of
three million viewers.
This year, the event’s theme will be family. As Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee (JJTRC), who will be promoting the event has shifted its focus on the families of the country, and supporters and participants in an age- old sport, which continues to grow to unbridled heights.
JJTRC noted, “Horse racing is part of the fabric of the country. The Guyana Cup day of racing have made it more spectacular because everybody wants to have a horse race on the day. It’s a dream come true for them, whether they win or lose. Just getting their horse to the races is victory for them. We give them that opportunity to make their dream a reality.”
JJTRC shared,
“Sponsorship is the lifeline for the success of horse rac-
Forde confident in GDF
Guyana Football Federation (GFF)
President Wayne Forde is confident that Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Football Club, the reigning two-time champions of the Elite League, will perform strongly in the 2024 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Club Shield, which was set to commence on Thursday, July 25, in Curaçao.
The tournament features 20 top clubs from across the Caribbean, including defending champions SV Robinhood from Suriname, competing for two spots in the CONCACAF Caribbean Cup.
“We have a formidable team representing Guyana in the regional cup. I am confident that Guyana Defence Force FC will deliver strong performances against top clubs in the region,” Forde remarked. “Best wishes from the entire football fraternity.”
Guyana Defence Force FC, currently leading the points table in season six of the Elite League, clinched the Elite League title in 2016 and then last year to book their spot in the CFU Club Shield, which has a straight knockout format.
Head Coach Joseph Wilson said the army team has been rigorously training in anticipation of tough competition, as regional teams are also performing at their peak. In addition to GDF FC and reigning champions SV Robinhood, participating clubs comprise America FC (Haiti); Arnett Gardens FC (Jamaica); AS Étoile De Matoury (French Guiana); AS Junior Stars (Sint Maarten); B.A.Y.S FC (St Lucia); CCCUL Dublanc FC (Dominica); Club Atlético Pantoja (Dominican Republic); CRKSV Jong Holland (Curaçao); Defence Force
FC (Trinidad and Tobago); Grenades FC (Antigua and Barbuda); Metropolitan FC (Puerto Rico); Paradise FC International (Grenada); RAMS Village Superstars FC (St Kitts and Nevis); Scholars International SC (Cayman Islands); SCSA Eagles (St Maarten); SV Racing Club Aruba (Aruba); SV Real Rincon (Bonaire) and SWA Sharks FC (Turks and Caicos Islands).
Established in 2018, CFU Club Shield promotes professional football across the Caribbean, inviting semi-professional and amateur teams holding current championship titles in their domestic leagues to compete.
The Guyana Defence Force FC go up against Grenades FC (Antigua & Barbuda) today, Friday, July 26,2024 from 17:30h at the Regnaal Jean Francisca stadium, Curaçao.
ing. We have to thank Century 21,
GUYOIL, Jagmohan Construction, and many other sponsors who have given their commitment to make the day a success. We have to thank them for the important role they play in the success of this day. Sponsors, horsemen, and most importantly patrons transform this day into what it has grown into – one of the
biggest social events on the country’s calendar. “ Century 21 Office Training Coordinator Kamini Ramcharran said, “Century 21 Guyana’s sponsorship of the Guyana Cup is significant to us, because it allows us to deepen our ties with the community and show our support for local traditions. Participating in these events not only boosts our presence, it also showcases our sincere dedication to the people of Guyana. This sponsorship helps us connect with potential clients on a more personal level and
highlights our dedication to fostering growth and unity in our community. We’re proud to contribute and be a part of something that brings so many people together.” The major attraction for the family is security of the kids, who will be enjoying the Kids’ Fun Park. JJTRC advised, “We will be taking that problem [worrying about their children’s safety at the event] away from parents….organisers have assured that there will be trained personnel to ensure the safety and welfare of the kids.”
592 Tip-ball Tournament set for July 28
Organisers and players of the tournament
The Eve Leary Ground will be filled with excitement as the 592 Tipball Tournament slated for July 28 gets underway with the aim of promoting CounterTrafficking in Persons and is expected to be filled with jubilant competition and passionate fans.
The tournament will see the participation of 18 male teams including Sophia Unstoppable, Plum Park Warriors, Sparta Boss, Germain Jr, Progressive Warriors, E-Field Dynamic Warriors, Tucville Terrorist, Sophia B, Back Circle, CPCE, De Santos, Festival City, A-Field Warriors, Street Vibez
and three female teams thus far in the categories of adolescent-males, females and seniors.
Romario Samaroo of the Special Programs Unit at the Ministry of Human Services, while speaking at the launch, divulged the aim of the tournament.
He said: “In actuality, July is celebrated as World Trafficking in Persons Month and as the Ministry responsible for raising awareness, we decided that using such a sport such as football, which is one of the two most popular sports in Guyana as a vessel to promote Counter-Trafficking in
Persons and to raise awareness in sensitising the public of the issues of the Trafficking in Persons [problem] that is why we decided to take this route.”
The format of the tournament will see five persons per team playing for two halves of five minutes of regulation time. Two games will be played at the same time. The winner of the tournament will cart off $100,000 along with trophies while the runners-up will receive $60,000 along with trophies. Admission to the event is free of cost and it will commence at 13:00h.
GFF President Wayne Forde (front, left) is confident that the current Elite League champions will do well
Century 21 hands over its sponsorship cheque to a representative of the Guyana Cup organisers
GUYOIL hands over its sponsorship cheque to a representative of the Guyana Cup organisers
S Jagmohan of Jagmohan Construction hands over its sponsorship cheque to a representative of the Guyana Cup organizers
Unchanged England seek 3-0, as Test cricket desperately seeks a contest
Big picture: Can WI go to the well again?
They were putting out the bunting ever so briefly at Trent Bridge last week. Roll up, roll up, free entry for the fifth and final day!
Relive the glories of that first heady summer of Bazball in 2022… marvel at the chutzpah! Swoon at the strokeplay! Savour the glorious uncertainty of Test cricket at its finest!
At 61 for 0 chasing 385, it was all systems go for a marketing coup de theatre to rival that which Jonny Bairstow delivered so gloriously on this same ground two years ago… until all of a sudden it wasn’t. Instead, 10 West Indies wickets tumbled in the space of 23.1 overs, five of them to another precocious display of attacking offspin from Shoaib Bashir, and that, as they say, was that.
Despite the obvious euphoria among the England players and the fans in the ground who were lucky enough to witness the dramatic denouement, it was hard to escape an underlying sense of deflation at West Indies’ demise. For
Hussain on Sky Sports likened the Trent Bridge Test to an arm-wrestle, in which the effort it took simply to stay vertical eventually gave way to a splat of forearm on table-top. Can West Indies find the strength to go again? A fair few day three and four ticket-holders will be anxiously urging them to dig
extent to which Test cricket fights its corner this week rests unfairly and unequally on the shoulders of the team that is already 2-0 down.
In the spotlight: Pope and Louis A haul of 229 runs in three innings, comprising a century and two fifties, is
Moreover, that record follows directly on from one of the greatest performances – not only of Pope’s career, but also in all of England’s Test history. His sensational 196 in Hyderabad earlier this year was Pope in excelsis, an in-
three days and two sessions, they punched eagerly above their weight, with Kavem Hodge’s wonderful maiden century the centrepiece of their efforts.
But despite making 457 at Trent Bridge to secure a first-innings lead of 41, West Indies have now been bowled out for a sum total of 400 runs in their other three innings of the series – 121, 136 and 143. No one has made so much as a half-century in those efforts, while the only England bowler who is currently averaging more than 25 for the series is the phenomenally luckless Mark Wood, whose scorchingly-quick spells helped prise more than a few openings at the other end.
The overall impression is of a series dripping with goodwill, and underpinned by an almost patronising desire for an equal contest to break out, but one in which the sport’s structural issues are sure to win out in the end. Nasser
There is, of course, another factor nudging into the picture during this Test. The fourth season of the Hundred got underway earlier this week, a tournament that was expressly commissioned to help future-proof the English summer. However, the very fact of its existence continues to gnaw at the fabric of English Test cricket. We’re not quite going to face the optics of an entire summer with no August Test match, as was the case during the Ashes last year, but the alternative isn’t ideal either. What’s the message this scheduling sends from on high? Move along, nothing to see here? All aboard the shiny new gravy-train? Or does the grand old game dig in and fight for its pre-eminence against its new saltysnacked overlords? With the greatest respect to England’s efforts to inspire with their unfettered approach to Test cricket, the
pretty convincing evidence of a batter’s form… right? Oddly, it’s not quite that simple for Ollie Pope right now. Without question, those runs prove his tenacity, and indicate that he is tracking in the right direction, but as the man himself has conceded, he’s yet to feel quite as composed as those returns would imply. He was twice dropped – on 46 and 54 – en route to his hundred at Trent Bridge, and while he felt he “played better in the second innings”, he is still coming out of a notable form slump, having aver aged 19.05 in 18 red-ball innings for England and Surrey prior to Lord’s.
course, is more experience. But, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul the notable absentee on this tour, Louis could do with a score of note at Edgbaston to ensure he gets that chance to further his education.
Team news: Wood retained, Sinclair injured England were quick to name an unchanged squad in the aftermath of victory at Trent Bridge, and now they’ve trotted out an unchanged XI too. There was never any prospect of wholesale changes, especially in the batting, where Dan Lawrence was down in Southampton on Wednesday night, propping up London Spirit’s Hundred opener.
The interesting decision
Despite being in the runs this series, Ollie Pope says he’s yet to feel quite as composed
Pitch and conditions
A pleasant week of weather is in prospect in Birmingham, with the prospect of a scorcher on Monday – if the contest extends that far. The pitch is a browner hue than can sometimes be the case, with the expectation that it’ll be quite flat. Anything circa 400 has been a par score in recent matches, particularly against India and Australia in the last two seasons. (ESPNcricinfo)
nings tinged with such genius that it’s entirely possible he’ll never play that well again. If he’s still trying to process the implications, then all he can do in the meantime is keep those runs flowing.
As West Indies’ first Test cricketer from the island of St Kitts, Mikyle Louis has already made history in this series, and he has made a decent impression too, with a solid technique, a (mostly) sound temperament, and a bullet arm, as shown by his superb run-out of Bashir at Lord’s, one of the most uplifting moments of a campaign that has rarely lacked spirit and togetherness. But despite double figures in each of his four innings to date, Louis has yet to go past the 27 he made in his maiden innings.
He has been undone in a variety of guises along the way – a worldie of a catch here, a ball-change there; a drinks-break lapse at Trent Bridge, and one utter shocker of a slog at Bashir – all of which point to his lack of experience, over and above any single irredeemable flaw. The only remedy to that, of
concerned the fast bowling. Wood bowled rockets at Trent Bridge, and might have earned a break as a consequence, but it seems England’s priority is testing his robustness for backto-back Tests. The uncapped Dillon Pennington and Matthew Potts, the latter sidelined since 2022, wait patiently in the wings for an opportunity, but that won’t now come until the Sri Lanka series at the earliest.
England: 1) Zak Crawley; 2) Ben Duckett; 3) Ollie Pope; 4) Joe Root; 5) Harry Brook; 6) Ben Stokes (Captain); 7 Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper); 8) Chris Woakes; 9) Gus Atkinson; 10) Mark Wood and 11) Shoaib Bashir.
Kevin Sinclair has been ruled out due to a fractured forearm, courtesy of the exocet bouncer from Wood that dismissed him at Trent Bridge. Gudakesh Motie, who dropped out of the morning of the match after succumbing to a bout of flu, seems to be over his illness, and reclaims his spinner’s spot. Unfortunately, he seems to have passed it to Shamar Joseph instead. Akeem Jordan is on standby for his debut.
West Indies: 1) Kraigg Brathwaite (Captain); 2) Mikyle Louis; 3) Kirk
McKenzie; 4) Alick Athanaze: 5) Kavem Hodge; 6) Jason Holder; 7) Joshua Da Silva (wicketkeeper); 8) Gudakesh Motie; 9) Alzarri Joseph; 10) Shamar Joseph/Akeem Jordan and 11) Jayden Seales.
Indies showed spirit at Trent Bridge but the denouement was chastening
Indies showed spirit at Trent Bridge but the denouement was chastening
Forde pleased with Guyanese performance in Youth Academy Cup
…impressed by “underdog” champions Guyana Panthers
On Sunday, the Guyana Panthers jubilantly lifted the inaugural Youth Academy Cup championship trophy at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Centre (NTC), Providence, after downing the Guyana Jaguars 4-3 on penalties.
The tournament featured two Academy teams each out of Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. According to GFF President Wayne Forde, he is pleased with the way in which the Guyanese performed against the international opposition.
“Of course, I believe to have a dominant score of 4-2, we had a lot of possession of the ball and moving the ball around a lot. A lot of the things we’re trying to make sure becomes natural to our playing style, we saw it in all the games and we’re happy and always warm in welcoming our Trinidadian counterparts here, but you know, we like to make sure that we measure ourselves against them, because we know they’re doing a lot of good work, especially in the academies,” the GFF President told Guyana Times Sport exclusively.
He added, “So, yeah
we’re happy with the overall performance of our two teams.”
Interestingly, the second-placed Jaguars roster possessed more of the firstrate National Under-16 players as compared to the champion Panthers.
Highlighting this fact, the GFF President shared how it augured well for the national programme that was preparing for competi-
tion in 2025.
Forde divulged, “The Jaguars is the team that we believed had the greater talent, had the deeper talent but obviously, they did not prevail as the champions here today.”
“If you understand football, you will know that anytime you put a national programme together, and you have a B team that is being prepared alongside an
Guyana lead points table heading into 3rd round
On the back of two major victories earlier this week, Guyana’s Under-19 men’s team currently sit at the top of the points table of the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars U19 50-Over Championships.
Steered by Mavendra Dindyal, Guyana currently have 10.6 points from two victories, in as many games. The team from the Land of Many Waters are 2.8 points ahead of the team currently in second place – Barbados (7.8 points) who have a win and a no-result.
In third position are Jamaica with 6.8 points from a win and a loss.
On Tuesday, Guyana started the competition with a thrilling 15-run win against Jamaica.
Guyana posted 175 all out in 49.5 overs, thanks to opener Rampertab Ramnauth leading with 45 (5x4); and Thaddeus Lovell (23), Riyad Latiff (25) and Isai Thorne (21) adding impetus to the innings.
Odel Samuels (4-19) and Tamarie Redwood (331) were the primary wicket-takers for Jamaica, who played well but found themselves all out for 162-10 in 34.1 overs.
Captain Brian Barnes
(59) and opener Adrian Weir (35) looked good, but failed to get past left-arm spinner Golcharran Chulai, who snared 2-29, supporting star bowler Dindyal, who captured 5-24 from 9 overs.
The following day, the Guyanese outfit returned to thump Leeward Islands by 122 runs, with Captain Dindyal once again being a key player.
Guyana racked up 249-8 after Jonathan Van Lange (77 – 7x4 3x6); Ramnauth (41), and skipper Dindyal (39) had strong showings in the middle. Dindyal and Ramnauth added 80 to help stabilise the team along with contributions from Latiff (23), Lovell (12) and Andrew Lim (19). Leewards fast bowler
Matthew Miller grabbed 3-46, but his team found themselves all out for 127, despite T’yanick Honore leading a fight back by hammering five sixes and three fours in his 56 off 45 deliveries.
Dindyal, who grabbed five wickets in the first game, had another magical spell, grabbing four wickets including a hat-trick during his first over, before closing off with returns of 7-24. Van Lange returned to claim 2-19, as he too finished an excellent match.
The Guyana U19s will now shift their focus to Trinidad and Tobago, who they will take on from 09:30h today at the Cumberland Playing Field, Cumberland, St Vincent and the Grenadines.
A team; the match between the B team and A team is always viciously competitive, because the B team is the one that has something to prove and often times they prevail.
“The difference between
these two teams here is the intensity. Those youngsters that are a part of the Panthers team clearly came out here to work hard and I think the work rate is what separated these two teams here today. This is a good thing, it is a wake-up call for those guys that ‘hey you know what, you’re going to face competition on the international scene similar to this’ and I think some of the youngsters from the Panthers team made a statement for themselves and I’m sure they’ve given the
Technical Director and his team a lot to think about,” the GFF boss opined.
The Youth Academy Cup, according to Forde, will not be a one-off event, with expansion plans already in the pipeline for the 2025 edition.
“We’ve had some exciting matches and we’re going to be doing this bigger and better next year. We’re going to be inviting academies out of Suriname and maybe we’ll even go a bit further, given our relationship with other football MA’s [Member Associations] around the world.”
He further explained, “Yes, what we’re really trying to do is make sure we have international exposure for our players that are likely going to be part of our national team set-up and while this is not competition between two MA’s, they had exposure of different styles.”
“We’re going to definitely go to the drawing board and see how we can make this more exciting and obviously, include more teams in 2025,” Forde assured.
Premier Insurance, Jacobs Jewellery & First Change join Kares One Guyana T10 Blast
The Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast continues to gain momentum, with Premier Insurance, Jacobs Jewellery, and First Change Builders Inc signing on as sponsors.
Premier Insurance returns as a major sponsor, contributing significantly. It has sponsored the championship trophy and the $250,000 consolation prizes for the losing semi-finalists.
It has also taken the unique step of fielding its ‘Premier Insurance’ team in the tournament, one of only two main sponsors to do so this year.
Premier Insurance Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Anil Singh expressed his enthusiasm for the evolving tournament and his commitment to providing continued support.
Steven Jacobs, a familiar name in Guyanese sports sponsorship, returns through his businesses Jacobs Jewellery and First Change Builders Inc.
First Change is a growing local construction industry force co-owned by decorated former National Captain Leon Johnson.
Jacobs and Johnson are expected to appear during the tournament, potentially in the Cricket for Charity match or the main draw.
The action starts on August 3, with opening matches at the Police Sports Club, Queen’s College Ground, and Lusignan Sports Club.
The knockout stages begin on August 4 with the Round of 16 at Police Sports Club and Lusignan.
The quarter-finals will be played on August 11 at Enmore, culminating in the finals and a Cricket for Charity match at the prestigious National Stadium on August 25.
The competition promises to be fierce, and a larger prize pool will entice the 32 participating teams. The champions will receive $1.5 mil -
lion, while the runners-up will receive $500,000. The Kares One Guyana T10 Blast enjoys the support of Kares Engineering; Banks DIH Limited; Star Rentals; Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport; Montra Restaurant and Lounge; SuperBet; Demerara Mutual; ETS; Metro Office and Computer Supplies; Building Expo 2024; Giftland OfficeMax; Sankar’s Auto Works; Enet; Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc; Trophy Stall; ANSA McAL Distribution; RS53 RestoBar and Lounge; General Marine; Samaroo Investments and Coel’s Boutique.
U19 Captain Mavendra Dindyal has racked up 12 wickets in two games thus far
Jonathan Van Lange has been a key player with bat and ball
Anil Singh of Premier Insurance signifies the company’s support with Romario Samaroo of FL Sport
The Guyana Panthers were the underdogs of the tournament
GFF President Wayne Forde
