Teachers return to classrooms, as MoE, GTU resume talks Brazilian man missing after boat mishap Man confesses to killing Canje resident with iron rod Guyana gets 1st search & rescue crew via training partnership with OMNI
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, June 28 – 22:00h-23:30h and Saturday, June 29 –23:30h-01:00h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Friday, June 28 – 09:10h-10:40h and Saturday, June 29 –10:20h-11:50h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Thundery to light rain showers are expected to prevail during the day and at night, with early-morning and late-afternoon sunshine. Temperatures should range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-Easterly to South South-Westerly between 1.34 metres and 2.68 metres.
High Tide: 09:32h and 22:06h reaching maximum heights of 2.44 metres and 2.41 metres.
Low Tide: 15:34h reaching a minimum height of 0.78 metre.
"CGX
Corentyne
oil
block
will not play the Government of Guyana" – VP
Jagdeo …says company will have to show project details, financing source to move forward
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has made it clear that the Guyana Government would not be played by Canada-based CGX Energy, which has submitted a Notice of Potential Commercial Interest in the Corentyne Block even as the company lags in completing its Berbice Deep-Water Port (BDWP) project.
On Wednesday, CGX and its majority joint venture partner, Frontera Energy Corporation, announced that it has submitted a ‘Notice of Potential Commercial Interest’ for the Wei-1 discovery to the Guyana Government, which preserves their interests in the Petroleum Prospecting Licence for the Corentyne Block, offshore Guyana.
However, this is seen as a last-ditch move by the joint venture partners to avoid having to relinquish its acreage in the Block and according to VP Jagdeo, Government will not tolerate this. He pointed out that if the joint venture partners want to pursue a development offshore Guyana, then they need to detail that project and prove financing prospects.
“Let me make it clear, CGX will not play the Government of Guyana. For a very long time, they’ve been jerking people’s string – maybe their investors but no longer are we going to be tolerant of any ambiguity. If they are declaring commerciality now, they have to show in specific terms, how they intend to develop a project and where the finances are. I shouldn’t be so blunt but… we’ve given them time, as per the law, to do all they had to do. But this is the crunch time now,” the Vice President declared at a press conference on Thursday.
In 2023, the joint venture partners successfully drilled the Wei-1 well, its second well in the Corentyne Block, as part of its appraisal programme for the Kawa-1 discovery, which ends today –June 28, 2024. That drilling exercise fulfilled the operators’ obligation under Phase
Two of the Second Renewal Period of the original 10year licence.
Based on reports, however, if that notice is approved by Government, this will allow the joint venture partners to have an appraisal
commercial viability then this would be declared to the Government and pave the way for the operators to apply for a production licence before the appraisal period ends.
In their missive, the joint venture partners said they have the support from in-
period to conduct an assessment of the commercial viability of the discovery. If it is determined that there is
vestment banks and capital markets experts, Houlihan Lokey, to continue to actively pursue strategic options to unlock the potential of the
Corentyne Block. VP Jagdeo told reporters at Thursday’s press conference that the Notice of Potential Commercial Interest from the joint venture partners will be taken to Cabinet next week for review. He added that Government plans to engage the operators on the future plans for their Guyana operations.
Already CGX has had to give up two other blocks offshore Guyana along with parts of the Corentyne Block after failing to develop them as per its agreement with the Guyana Government.
BDWP Project
The Vice President’s harsh position with the Canada-based company comes on the heels of it delaying the completion of the Berbice Deep-Water Port (BDWP) project that is being built off the Berbice River in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne).
In recent weeks, the political landscape has been marked by significant turmoil within the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) party, one of the country's oldest political entities.
This turmoil has not only captured public attention, it has raised crucial questions about the future direction of the party.
At the heart of the matter are internal disputes over transparency within the PNCR, which have spilled into the public domain, revealing deep-seated divisions and challenges. Such internal strife is not uncommon for the party, but its impact can be profound.
The PNCR has its roots back in the pre-independence era. However, the current unrest threatens to undermine credibility and erode the trust placed in it by its supporters.
Central to the turmoil are issues of leadership, ideology, and strategy. These internal debates are natural, but must be managed transparently and responsibly to prevent them from escalating into damaging factionalism. The ability of the PNCR to navigate these challenges will determine not only its own future, but also its ability to contribute positively to Guyana's development and democratic stability.
Moreover, the accusations of its senior members that there are irregularities for its congress this weekend are damning.
Its General Secretary, Dawn Hastings-Williams, in her resignation, earlier this week said, among other things, readiness with a proper voters list to ensure transparency is lacking and raised concerns regarding financial accountability.
Contender for leadership, Amanza Walton-Desir, in suspending her campaign, said: As of the morning of June 27th, 2024, one day before the commencement of our Congress, a preliminary list of delegates has not been made available to me as a candidate to allow for claims or objections and further, there is a lack of agreement among all candidates contesting on the procedures for conducting the elections.
Likewise, fellow contender for leadership, Roysdale Forde, SC, who, too, suspended his campaign on Friday, contended: Despite several written communications addressed to the Central Executive Committee and the General Secretary regarding concerns about the integrity of the electoral processes for the party s elections, I have not received any response. There have been noticeable irregularities concerning the list of delegates, which raise serious concerns about the transparency of the election process further, my decision is rooted in the fundamental principles of accountability, transparency and democratic governance, which I believe are essential for the integrity of the party s electoral processes.
This party has always been cited for lack of commitment to democratic principles and institutional integrity and the current turmoil within has shown that nothing has changed.
Furthermore, it is incumbent upon all actors of the PNC to uphold democratic norms and practices. In recent years, there have been efforts within the PNCR to distance itself from its troubled past, but nevertheless, memories of past electoral misconduct continue to influence what is currently ongoing within. The legacy of electoral controversies remains a significant factor in shaping public perception of the PNCR.
While the current turmoil in the PNCR is a cause for concern, it also presents an opportunity for introspection.
Let us hope that the PNCR and its leadership rise to the occasion, guided by the principles of integrity as it hosts its biennial congress this weekend.
Scenes at the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup’s game India v England, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Thursday. India won and will now face South Africa in Barbados on Saturday in the final (Office of the President and Prime Minister photos)
This is definitely the joke of the century!
Dear Editor,
I am following a newspaper article in the Demerara Waves captioned, “High Court asked to stop PNCR Congress in the interest of reform, ending division; PPP and PNC named in related lawsuit on preventing unfair elections from infecting general elections.”
Quite a mouthful, one would agree, but “How did we get here?” is the question. Well, the last part of that lengthy caption says it all: “Preventing unfair elections from infecting general elections”; and here’s the crux of the matter.
It means that at least one person, Mr. Brian Collison,
has finally accepted the ghastly fact that his party is deeply entrenched in rigging, and it’s time to come clean. But isn’t he making a fool of himself, knowing fully well how sacred rigging is to his party?
Come on, Mr Collison, the PNC are proud of their ways, and staunchly defend
those ways, so trying to put up a case against a rigging PNC is simply ludicrous. What I can assure this gentleman is that, on a national scale, rigging is dead, never to be resurrected; and those who were complicit in that practice during the 2020 Elections would be dealt with swiftly and con-
Diana Rajkumar should do the honourable thing and resign from PPC
Dear Editor, The Public Procurement Commission (PPC) states on its website, “The Commission strives at all times to maintain the highest standards of conduct and professionalism.” It also lists “impartiality” as one of its seven core values.
It was therefore perplexing to see Diana Rajkumar, a member of the PPC, publicly campaigning on behalf of Nigel Hughes, who is contesting for the leadership of the Alliance for Change (AFC).
Rajkumar was photographed alongside sever-
al others in a post on Nigel Hughes’s Facebook page, captioned “Bottom House Campaign. Union Village No 30, West Coast Berbice.”
Given this development and Rajkumar’s politically partisan stance, she should do the honourable thing and resign from the
PPC. Her continued presence there casts a shadow over the operations of the PPC, bringing into question its ability to undertake its mandate free from political bias.
Yours truly, Brian
Azore
Stop with the cheap shots
Dear Editor,
Every government tender now attracts hundreds of qualified bids from an ever-growing cadre of contracting firms. It is a testament to the success of growth under the Irfaan Ali Administration, but it also serves as the greatest source of discontent; for, with every contract awarded, there is one happy company and hundreds who have spent time, money and effort which have gone unrewarded.
It is a harsh business environment that has spawned bitter accusations against all involved in the public procurement process. The administration’s task is to separate fact from fiction, truth from bile, and it is Sisyphean by nature.
There is some hope, as more firms are willing to lodge complaints with the Public Procurement Commission, and the PPC
is making adverse findings and recommendations for correction. This is the check built into the system to ensure balance; however, it works only when it is utilized.
In October 2023, in commenting on the controversial Tepui award of the Bel Vue pump station, I wrote, “The PPC investigation may or may not prove corrupt practice in the Belle Vue Pump contract award, but the level of thoroughness and transparency utilized by the PPC will demonstrate the success or failure of the house that Jagdeo built”.
I believe we can now say the system is being increasingly utilized by contractors, and is responding to the challenge positively. Contracts are being thoroughly investigated, and recommendations have been swift and clear.
Editor, Guyana is growing, and so are its people.
The maturity is seen when contractors are willing to make formal complaints when they feel hard done by and trust that the PPC would do investigations with integrity and promptness. Corruption will be uncovered and stamped out bit by bit. It is now for those in civil society to show maturity and abandon the use of innuendos and unfounded accusations with our claims of corruption, victimization
and discrimination in the same manner of the contractors, and make formal complaints to relevant oversight bodies such as the PPC, the ERC, the Police Complaints Authority, etc as needed. It is time to stop with the cheap shots and put effort into correcting the ills in our society in a structured manner.
Sincerely, Robin
Singh
dignly.
In the first place, why lecture our party on elections and electoral matters when the PPP is known to be a transparent body that carries out all its mandates in a clean and dignified way?
Mr. Collison needs to carry his lecture series to the PNC. To strengthen my point, you just have to take a quick look at all PNC elections and you will get the clear message of a party that is not at peace with itself. All of the PNC congresses I am familiar with were held in a cloud of controversy. A case in point was the selection of David Granger; in that messy affair, there was gunplay, which is a signature statement of the party’s horrible dealings when power and position come into play.
As we say in Creolese, “Why bring your dutty calico and wash it in public?”. Just keep your nastiness to yourself.
Now, is this PNCR member serious? I mean, is this PNCR member really serious in what he is asking a court of law to address? Why would he want the PPP to be a pallbearer in this PNC cortege procession?
I just cannot fathom, but to navigate around the question, we would say the PPP would have nothing to do with the demise of the PNC, lest they turn again and blame us for their misfortune. Let the breakup of
that party be the workmanship of their own hands; do not drag the PPP into that messy affair.
The stark reality is that the chickens have come home to roost. The rigging dogma that they have held so near to their hearts has finally reached its fulfillment. The PNC is a lost cause.
But stranger things have happened when you consider what took place during the last general elections. Guyana’s political landscape was held up for five long months with a legal challenge to determine that 34 was considered as the sole majority number when discussing what constitutes a majority in a 65-seat Parliament. In that ridiculous lawsuit, the legendary half-man genius phenomenon came up for discussion. That legal battle dragged on for months, until it finally reached an end when the apex court ruled against it. We are now about to hear another one of those frivolous and vexatious matters. Is this what our courts are set up to do? Why bog down a court with such non-essential matters? I think a heavy fine in costs for wasting the court’s time should be brought to bear on this litigant who filed such a case.
Respectfully submitted, Neil Adams
Adding decimals is just like adding whole numbers, except you must be careful to line up the decimals correctly . Once you do that, you can add as if the decimal is not there.
Example: Add 12 22 + 7 61
Power Up Maths
Power Up Maths
Adding decimals
Adding decimals is just
Step
In this fun and easy science experiment, we’re going to explore and investigate weather and the sun by seeing if we can cut a piece of string using the sun.
Important: Adult supervision is required.
Materials:
A jar with a lid
◄ Adding decimals
Step 1: Line up the numbers. Make sure that the decimal points line up in a single column.
Step 2: Place a decimal point in the answer line under the other decimal points:
Step 3: Add:
What if a number has no decimal point?
For example: Add 5 + 25 78
Just put a decimal point at the end of the whole number and add placeholder zeros after:
Cutting string with the sun
Tape Piece of string Magnifying glass
Instructions: Tape the piece of string to the inside centre of the lid. Put the lid on the jar so that the string hangs down inside. Use the magnifying glass to focus
the rays of the sun on the string for several minutes. The heat from the sun will become intense enough to burn through the string.
How it works:
A magnifying glass is a convex lens that is used to magnify (make larger) an object or image. The convex lens is
typically set in a frame with a handle. The convex lens of the magnifying glass will converge the sun rays when they pass through it. Sun rays carry energy and when the magnifying glass converges the sun rays into a single point, its energy becomes concentrated enough to raise the temperature where the energy is focused. This can often raise the
temperature of an item, in this case the string, past its ignition point.
Make this a science project: Try this experiment with different diameters and types of string. Try dry leaves. Try pieces of paper. Try filling the jar with water and using a thermometer to determine if the water temperature rises. (sciencefun.org)
Stringent measures coming for agencies deviating from standard bidding protocols – VP
…as Govt to begin contractor prequalification system based on capacity
In a critical move aimed at upholding transparency in Government contracts, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has announced stringent measures against agencies deviating from standard bidding protocols.
This stern warning follows some controversy over the $2.1 billion contract awarded to Kares Engineering Inc for the construction of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Wharf.
Jagdeo, who is also the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), defended the decision, asserting that Kares Engineering Inc secured the contract as the lowest bidder in a competitive tender process overseen by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). According to Jagdeo, NPTAB’s adherence to the standard bidding document was lawful and justified.
Speaking at a media briefing at Freedom House, Jagdeo stressed the importance of uniformity in procurement procedures: “There is a standard bidding document that should be used by every single government entity.”
NPTAB recently issued a statement clarifying the circumstances surrounding the contract award. The procurement process for the construction project involved a public tender where bids were evaluated independently, with Kares Engineering Inc emerging as the lowest responsive bidder.
However, controversy arose when Correia & Correia Ltd contested the decision in March 2024, citing outdated criteria in their bid review request. Jagdeo dismissed these claims, underscoring that any deviation from the approved Standard
260/2023/53-Coast Guard Wharf – Bidders ranked in descending order
Bidding Document could open doors to corruption within government agencies.
“The procurement act mandates adherence to standardised forms and criteria,” Jagdeo explained, highlighting procedural safeguards intended to prevent arbitrary changes in bidding requirements. He emphasised that such deviations undermine the integrity of the procurement process.
“This is not about corruption,” Jagdeo affirmed, noting ongoing efforts to strengthen enforcement and combat irregularities in procurement. He acknowledged persistent challenges but reiterated the Government’s commitment to transparency and accountability in public spending.
He also pledged continued efforts to streamline procurement practices, ensuring adherence to established guidelines to safeguard against malpractice.
Contractors’ prequalification
Meanwhile, the rapid expansion of Guyana’s road network, housing sector and other infrastructure projects have seen an increase in the number of contracts being awarded. In an effort to increase transparency and efficiency in this process, the Government will be introducing a prequalification system for contractors.
According to Vice President, this system will ensure Cabinet members are supplied with all documents indication contracts being completed by one company and include a threshold for contractors to limit the contracts receiving no-objections for one company.
“If you’re pre-qualified to do work for $500M and above and you get one con-
tract, and you’re at $450M, when the Cabinet paper goes there, the paper will say this contractor is pre-qualified for half a billion dollars and already has a contract for $450M, therefore the cabinet will immediately say; They have reached their capacity,” he explained.
The Vice President said in the current system, Cabinet is not aware of con-
tractors’ current workload prior to approving new contracts.
The Government has complained about some contractors’ inability to meet deadlines stipulated on their assigned contracts.
Jagdeo said this new system will be implemented across the country and across all sectors.
To ensure its functionality, “all of the agencies will have to report through the centre, or a website about work that people have everywhere so that the cabinet, or government can have a full picture.”
He noted that this step is in addition to other efforts to upgrade the procurement system including the implementation of an open bidding process and evaluation of bids.
Currently, he noted that the bidding process is very
"CGX will not play the...
“They made a commitment several years ago –maybe two or three years ago – that they will complete this project. They’ve been unable to complete it as yet. So, in light of the fact that they’ve now [declared potential commercial interest in the Corentyne Block]… we have to see whether they are prepared to move to a project. If they’re moving to a project then they would still need that [port] facility. If there is no project, we’ll have to engage them on what happens there. So, we’re going to be inviting them in for a meeting,” the Vice President posited.
Previously, the Guyana Government had expressed concerns over the slow pace of the BDWP Project and made CGX relinquish the Demerara and Berbice exploration blocks offshore back to the State so that the company
could focus on operations in the Corentyne Block, where it made significant oil discovery, as well as on the deep-water port facility.
Through its local subsidiary – the Grand Canal Industrial Estates (GCIE), CGX had undertaken the construction of the US$130 million deep-water port in the Berbice River which includes a wharf facility and a trestle as well as a cargo terminal. The port facility is being constructed to support oil and gas activities offshore of Guyana.
In an update back in March, the company had said that cargo operations at the port were slated to start in the second quarter of 2024. However, in its Quarterly Highlights for the first three months of 2024, which was published on May 8, CGX reported that operationalisation has been shifted to the third
quarter of this year.
competitive. According to the Vice President, “there are hundreds of bidding processes taking place simultaneously in Government Departments, regions, at the ministerial level, at the national level, in the semi-autonomous agencies and in the statutory bodies.”
He alluded to the road works from Craig to Garden of Eden on the East Bank of Demerara where forty-seven (47) bids were submitted for six lots. “Everybody under the sun bidding and some putting in some prices that can’t even build a community road,” he noted, adding that some of the contractors have incomplete contracts in other areas.
In May, Jagdeo announced that the Government is reviewing its procurement system countrywide in an effort to clamp down on corrupt practices.
PAGE 3
This is not the first time the highly-touted project has faced delays with CGX hoping to start operations since in 2022. Over the past year and a half, the commencement timeline has been shifted on several occasions.
Being built on about 25 acres of land adjacent to Crab Island on the eastern bank of the Berbice River and some 4.8 km from the Atlantic Ocean, the BDWP facility is intended to serve as an offshore supply base for the oil and gas industry, and as a multi-purpose terminal to service agricultural import/ export, containerised and specialised cargoes, including aggregates for construction purposes.
The BDWP Project is also aimed at enabling the provisioning of oil operators and vendors in the territorial
waters of both Guyana and Suriname.
GCIE had also previously reported that there were some minor setbacks with the project, due to revisions that were needed to the design of its wharf and trestle in the Berbice River.
As the lowest bidder, GAICO Construction and General Services Inc. was selected to construct the 160foot access trestle and wharf and to perform the required dredging operations for the BDWP facility to the tune of US$2.1 million.
The company is currently constructing a security fence around the port yard. Work was slated to commence in May on the construction of a trestle extension and ramp as well as driving piles for fendering and mooring to aid in bringing vessels alongside. (G8)
Man confesses to killing Canje resident with iron rod
Police in Berbice have arrested one person who has since confessed to the murder of a West Canje man.
On June 17, Dhanindranauth
Surujnauth Mahadeo, 56, had left his Lot 10 Caracas Vryheid Village, West Canje Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice – Corentyne) home to visit a female friend but never returned.
Two days later, a missing person’s report was filed at Central Police Station in New Amsterdam.
On Saturday last, police received an anonymous call about a body found in
a swamp area in Vryheid Village, West Canje.
A team of police officers arrived at the location and discovered a decomposed body in a swamp with dense vegetation, indicating stage three of decomposition.
When the discovery was made, it was believed that he might have been under the influence and instead of heading in an eastern direction to get home, he headed west and ended up in the savannah.
However, an autopsy conducted on the body of Mahadeo by Government Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan gave the cause of death as multiple injuries.
Dr Bridgemohan also found that there was a fractured cranium and a cut to a finger on his left hand.
One person, who was taken into custody, has since admitted to killing Mahadeo. The suspect told investigators on Thursday that he met Mahadeo, who was on his way home, and started a conversation with him which resulted in an argument.
The 26-year-old man told detectives that he armed himself with a piece of iron and hit Mahadeo several times to different parts of his body.
According to Divisional Commander Senior Superintendent Shivpersaud Bacchus, the man in custody revealed that Mahadeo was able to escape but he subsequently caught up with him and gave him more lashes until he fell unconscious.
The commander said the suspect is expected to be charged with the capital offence. (G4)
Destroying...
…the PNC?
We live in interesting times, that’s for sure!! To the Chinese, the expression “May you live in interesting times” is actually a CURSE!! Why?
Your Eyewitness guesses that it’s best to live in dull times, since life’s then predictable and you’d know what’s ahead! And be prepared. Interesting times? Two-edged sword, eh?? But here we are in VERY interesting times – so we might as well look carefully at what’s “interesting” and figure out why it may be dangerous.
The news du jour, of course, is the meltdown going on inside the PNC – which is causing the biggest crisis since it was founded back in 1958 by Forbes Burnham after his faction of PPP was trounced by Jagan’s. We don’t have to repeat the (sordid) details of Burnham’s string of betrayals, do we?? But whatever you can say, he ran a tight ship with his PNC. How’d he do it?? Well, first of all, he ensured that the PNC Constitution had a clause that, between Congresses, he had all the powers of that supreme institution!!
There was a time when a party member enquired (and Burnham overheard) whether Burnham thought he was God. The fella was latter summoned to Burnham’s office, and Burnham assured him that he (Burnham) didn’t think he was God. “God”, he informed the now cringing poor soul, “forgives and forgets. I don’t!!” And the fella was treated “condignly”, as Burnham was wont to say. Unlike what Dawn-Hastings said of Norton, Burnham didn’t ever scream: he was more like a snake who struck without warning!! Norton should’ve tried that approach.
Another Burnham tactic was to ensure there weren’t many other man-crabs in the PNC hole. John Carter - who had a following as the leader of the League of Coloured People, and had hired Burnham on his return as a lawyer – was effectively banished on diplomatic postings. While Norton doesn’t have the perks of running a government, he still had opportunities to let the wannabe leaders shine in out-of-town party mobilizations. But he wanted to do it all with the pick-up team of youngsters he gathered about himself!!
Anyhow, the “wicked and vindictive, illegally-installed cabal”, as he described the PPP when he refused to shake Pres Ali’s hand for a year, is still around, and is quite wellentrenched, thank you. What can Norton do to save the PNC – and himself - from imploding? Well, the visit by the Carter Center has given him a boost, and suggests that with so many foreign eyes focusing on Guyana - not just because of the 2025 elections, but our new petrostate status – he can begin by playing the waiting-in-the-wings statesman!! And use that platform to bring in some real big men and big women on his team, rather than those pipsqueak, wetbehind-the-ears youngsters.
Over to you, Aubrey!!
…democratic change
A very smart fella once pointed out that “democracy ain’t instant, like coffee”. You gotta be patient!! America launched their democratic revolution since 1776, and they’re still busy straightening out kinks. And it’s not even a matter of what the Yanks are doing; it’s more about whether we want to live in a democracy or not!! If we don’t – like China, for instance – that’s fine, especially since they’re doing so well!! But we can’t run with the hare and hunt with the hounds, can we??
So, the PNC gotta accept that, if they don’t win elections, they gotta “take our licks like a man” - as one Caricom PM advised back in 2020. And for 2025, fix what went wrong and get ready. But it seems that the “wild men” in the fringe opposition enjoy yapping at Aubrey’s heels to undermine his credibility.
Guaranteeing the PNC will also lose “corn and husk” in 2025!
…democracy
The saddest thing is that democracy in Guyana needs the PNC. In divided societies, most would still gravitate to a party of “their own”. Fortunately, the PPP and PNC are pretty balanced – but it’s only the PNC that’s reaching across the fence. While the wild men chase others away.
Dead: Dhanindranauth Surujnauth Mahadeo
Liza 1 petroleum production licence case Minister acted lawfully in granting licence to 3 co-venturers – CCJ rules
The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ)
Thursday dismissed a case which was filed by a private citizen, challenging the decision of Guyana’s Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat to grant a petroleum production licence to the three co-venturers in the Liza 1 Petroleum Project carried on in Guyana’s Stabroek Block offshore.
The appellant, Ramon Gaskin, had mounted the legal challenge on the ground that the Environmental Protection Act (EPA) required that an environmental permit must be obtained for any project that would significantly affect the environment, and only ExxonMobil had obtained one, and not it’s co-venturers, Hess and CNOOC.
Gaskin contended that all three of the co-venturers ought to have applied for and obtained permits, and that the Minister acted unlawfully when he issued the licence to all three of them when only ExxonMobil had a permit.
ExxonMobil, CNOOC and Hess filed an application to be added as parties to defend their interests in the proceeding, as their licence was under threat.
Gaskin objected and after hearing arguments, Guyana’s Chief Justice Roxane George had found the companies had a definite interest in the outcome of the proceeding and they were entitled to be added to the proceeding to defend their interest.
Moreover, the chief justice had dismissed the challenge in the High Court. She ruled that permits are issued for projects and as ExxonMobil had obtained one, the Minister acted lawfully in issuing the licence to the three co-venturers.
Gaskin appealed to the Court of Appeal. He contended that the Chief Justice erred when she found that ExxonMobil had satisfied the Act’s requirement for a permit for the project, and that she had breached the Time Limit for Judicial Decisions Act by taking 366 days to give her decision.
The Court of Appeal upheld the Chief Justice’s ruling and held that she had not breached the Time Limit for Judicial Decisions Act, whereupon Gaskin appealed to the CCJ.
The regional court heard oral arguments at the seat of the Court in Trinidad on February 27, and today gave its ruling.
It held that while a permit is required for a project, there was no need for a multiplicity of permits for the same project, and that ExxonMobil as the sole operator, satisfied the requirements of the Act by obtain-
ing its permit.
The CCJ also ruled that Hess and CNOOC are strictly financial partners who did not carry out any petroleum operations or activities and therefore are not required to obtain permits.
The CCJ determined that the minister, therefore, acted perfectly lawfully when he issued the licence to all three co-venturers as the operator ExxonMobil had obtained a permit. The court took the view that
the time limits set out in the Time Limit for Judicial Decisions Act must be construed as being of a discretionary and not mandatory nature. While a one-year delay should not be condoned, the court had no way of knowing what objective difficulties, if any, faced the courts below.
Gaskin was represented by Seenath Jairam, SC, and Melinda Janki.
The minister was represented by Edward Luckhoo, SC, with Eleanor Luckhoo, and. Ronetta Sargent (of the Attorney-General’s Chambers).
ExxonMobil, CNOOC and Hess were represented by Andrew Pollard, SC, and Nigel Hughes.
The EPA was represented by Sanjeev Datadin and Frances Carryl.
Attorney for ExxonMobil, CNOOC and Hess, Andrew Pollard, SC
Attorney for the Natural Resources Ministry, Edward Luckhoo, SC
The appellant, Ramon Gaskin Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat
NGSA results to be announced next Thursday
Results for the 2024 National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) will be announced on July 4, the Education Ministry has assured.
A total of 15,488 pupils wrote this year’s NGSA on May 2 and 3. The pupils were tested in English Language, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science.
The reading of results will be done via live broadcast from 10:00hrs on the Ministry’s Facebook page.
In a video message, Education Minister Priya Manickhand said the marking of results is almost complete and grades are being finalised.
“We’re going to be making the results that we have not yet received final. So, I haven’t gotten those
results as yet. The process is still happening but I’m assured that it’s going to be finished by next Thursday and so I’ll make the announcement next Thursday,” the minister said.
Manickhand also assured students that regardless of which school they are placed, they will receive a “solid, high-quality” education.
“You’re already a winner”
“Now I want to again congratulate every boy and girl who actually sat the assessment, you’re already a winner. I want to remind you that schools have limited spaces so you might be and most likely are a very bright child but you simply cannot fit in your dream
school because it has a limited number of spaces and so our aim is to make sure
id high-quality education through trained teachers, equal resources like your dream school,” she added.
This year, Guyana’s Education Ministry achieved a new milestone by recording the highest number of children writing the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) since onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
According to reports, only a minor percentage of absentees were recorded for the examinations.
“Since Covid-19, this is the best we have seen in terms of turnout…with 95 per cent of our attendance registered and a three per cent absentee rate,” the minister underscored.
whichever school you go to, whichever school you earn, that you can get a sol -
Declaring that the three per cent absentees
is still regarded as a high percentage for the ministry, she revealed that work is ongoing to reduce this amount, as the ministry expects to reconcile the numbers for absent pupils.
“This is too high, as even (one) per cent would be too high for the ministry as well, and we will reconcile that number. When I say reconcile, I mean that if a child was going to St Pius but left without informing the ministry to go to a private school, and registered there and did the exams, they would be regarded as a walk-in, but at St Pius an absentee. So, when they reconcile the numbers, they expect to see a decrease,” Manickchand said back in May. (G1)
Education Minister Priya Manickchand
Teachers return to classrooms, as MoE, GTU resume talks
Heeding the call from their union, teachers have returned to the classrooms, successfully allowing the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) to resume talks on salary increases and other benefits for the nation’s educators.
As a result, representatives of the two parties returned to the bargaining table on Wednesday.
This was confirmed by GTU General Secretary Coretta McDonald during a telephone interview with this publication.
This is the first phase of conciliatory talks between the two entities since the signing of the Agreement of Resumption just five days ago.
Meanwhile, in a Department of Public Information (DPI) report it was stated that statistics from the Education Ministry on Thursday has shown that 90 per cent teachers from nursery, primary, and secondary schools countrywide turned out to their class-
rooms this week.
The agreement signed between the union and the ministry paved the way for the 70-plus day strike action by teachers to end.
In fact, McDonald explained that immediately after the meeting began, both parties wasted no time and delved straight into discussing the payment period for salary increases.
“Yes, we resumed talks yesterday [Wednesday]. We had our first set of talks. Those were on the timeline, the time frame… We look forward to having many more fruitful meetings. This period was now in the phase of looking at the proposals and hearing from the Ministry of Education, by extension, the Government, what they are willing to offer,” McDonald said on Thursday.
When questioned about the union’s previous requests which included across-the-board increases before resuming conciliation talks – something which the Ministry had rejectedMcDonald said that GTU’s decision to compromise was
in the interest of all teachers.
Agreement of Resumption
The Agreement of Resumption was signed on June 21 between the Guyana Teachers’ Union and the Education Ministry.
Among the terms of the agreement was for the end of the strike and full resumption of work by all teachers/ educators within two working days; no discrimination or loss of service or transfer of any teachers who were on strike; and for the status quo
to prevail pending the outcome of the legal proceedings.
The agreement also states that upon the full resumption of work by teachers, conciliation will commence forthwith to determine whether the timeframe proposed by GTU – 2019 to 2023 – or the ministry – 2024 and onwards – should form part of a new multi-year agreement. These talks will be held in accordance with the 1990 Grievance Procedure Memorandum.
These talks will be held
in accordance with the 1990 Memorandum of Agreement, which followed a breakdown of talks between the ministry and the union and resulted in the intervention of the Labour Ministry to mediate between the two parties.
Govt always committed
Further, she expressed optimism that the MultiYear Agreement with the GTU would be amicably resolved.
“The Ministry of Education, and by extension the Government, is very happy that we have come to an agreement, and that we can conclude this first step in the conciliation process… We look forward to the continued commitment of the GTU, as we are committed to bringing a conclusion to this matter, so that at the end of it, we can have a Multi-Year Agreement that benefits all parties,” she had said.
President of the GTU, Mark Lyte, echoed similar sentiments by saying, “GTU is committed to the process to ensure that we continue to negotiate in good faith, and at the end of it, we arrive at a position that would be beneficial to the children, the teachers and the nation as a whole… I hope that we can find common ground and see the bigger picture as we go forward.” (G1)
Meanwhile, Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry, Shannielle Hoosein-Outar, had last week reaffirmed that Government has always been committed to ensuring what is best for the children, the teachers, and the nation.
Chief Labour Officer Dhaneshwar Deonarine (centre) overseeing the signing of the Agreement of Resumption by GTU President Mark Lyte and Permanent Secretary of the Education Ministry,
Shannielle Hoosein-Outar
2025 General, Regional Elections Carter Center in Guyana on pre-assessment mission
Ateam from the Carter Center is currently in Guyana on a pre-assessment mission ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections. Founder of the Carter Center, former President of the USA, Jimmy Carter, first visited Guyana in 1990, and the Center has since consistently sent a key elections observer mission to this country.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday indicated that Government has invited the Carter Center, the European Union, and others to observe the upcoming elections.
Already, the two major political groups –the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) – have commenced campaigning in their traditional support base. In fact, the PPP/C has concluded its congress to set the pace for the elections, while the major parties in the APNU: People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), are each set to host their Congress soon.
Jagdeo has said the Carter Center pre-assess-
ment mission would meet with President Irfaan Ali on Thursday. The team has already engaged Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips on Tuesday. According to reports, Prime Minister Phillips has reaffirmed the Government of Guyana’s steadfast commitment to democracy and the rule of law, and underscored the nation’s dedication to maintaining transparent and fair electoral practices.
The team would also engage Opposition members, private sector representatives, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), and civil society organisations in a comprehensive engagement that is aimed at ensuring a thorough assessment of the pre-election landscape in Guyana.
Following the 2020 General and Regional Elections, which deteriorated during the tabulation process, the Carter Center had recommended consolidation of all legislation related to elections in order to create greater legal clarity and common understanding among stakeholders, and to help ensure the legal framework for elections is more
accessible to Guyana’s citizens.
It was further recommended that Guyana enact legislation to regulate political parties’ registration and operations, support freedom of association, and promote broad multi-ethnic parties that can represent citizens’ interests in Government.
The Carter Center had also urged Guyana’s political leaders to make criti-
cal issues of constitutional reform an urgent priority, and commit to completing
key reforms -- including reform of the “winner-takesall” election system — well
before the next general elections.
Specifically, the Center had recommended that the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) introduce a Political Party Code of Conduct earlier in the electoral process; increase transparency of GECOM’s operations and decision-making; update the voter registry and review voter registration procedures; better define operational procedures; enforce existing campaign finance regulations; and develop and publicize written procedures for tabulation.
Currently, several former employees of GECOM, including the Chief Elections Officer and Deputy Chief Elections Officer, are before the court on matters relating to electoral fraud.
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips met a delegation from the Carter Center at the Office of the Prime Minister on Camp Street, Georgetown earlier this week
Children escape as faulty electrical wiring triggers fire at children’s centre
Several persons, including children on Thursday morning escaped unhurt after a fire erupted at the Family and Children Centre at Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown.
Reports are that the fire started at around 10:24h at the building, which is owned by the Human Services and Social Security Ministry.
After the blaze was extinguished, the Guyana Fire Service revealed that the fire is believed to have been caused by faulty electrical wiring installation, which resulted in arcing and sparking, subsequently igniting nearby combustible materials.
The GFS said that when firefighters arrived at the
scene, they observed that the top floor’s northwestern side was engulfed in flames and smoke.
According to eyewitness Vannessa Nurse, who was in close proximity to the fire, there were some setbacks in extinguishing the fire.
Nevertheless, Nurse lauded the fact that the firemen successfully evacuated persons from the burning building.
“Well, they had already gotten the children out of the building for their safety’s sake. They need to be more active with how they are acting with fires and so forth, because they take a bit long even before they out the fire, as for the hose they had to put the hose in the trench before they got some water,”
she relayed.
Another eyewitness, Romana La Rose spoke with the media and “I see the smoke and I holler for me husband and I tell he call the fire people let them out the fire because remember we have children in there. He try to call and that is all I saw for the morning when I see the big smoke,” she told reporters.
“…when I holler, I see all them children done pack up outside and I was glad because you know is children and I feel little more better when I hear that,” she added. By the time the blaze was extinguished, the top floor of the building was severely damaged, while the ground floor suffered severe water damage. (G2)
Guyana gets 1st search & rescue crew via training partnership with OMNI
In keeping with the Government’s plans to strengthen national security, specifically in the area of aviation, five Guyanese nationals have been equipped with skills to respond to helicopter search and rescue tragedies.
This was facilitated through the partnership with Omni Helicopters Incorporated (OHI), which saw the new Search & Rescue (SAR) Rear Crew completing six months of rigorous training in Canada and Guyana.
The team: Curt Mendonca, Daniel Yorris, Ishwar Parbhu, Kevin Sawh, and Johnelle Ogle (first female), commenced training in January with the primary role as Rear Crew to support the SAR Helicopter.
cue persons or casualties from vessels, offshore installations, water, or challenging jungle terrain.
Additionally, the team was required to engage in daily swim training at the Guyana National Aquatic Centre to build confidence and stamina.
The various levels of training tested their physical capabilities and technical proficiency to operate helicopter equipment.
On Wednesday, the five Guyanese were presented with certificates of completion and official badges during a simple but significant graduation ceremo-
They were trained to respond to emergency situations that may result in saving lives and delivering critical support to unplanned events to persons in distress or imminent danger.
This followed after their recruitment training and daily examinations, which entailed observing SAR missions and when needed, support missions to safely res-
ny at the Eugene F. Correia International Airport, Ogle East Coast Demerara.
Recalling events from training, Daniel Yorris expressed gratitude for the op-
portunity to upskill himself, increase his physical endurance, gain technical knowledge and ability to work seamlessly with a team.
“Thanks for pushing us to the brink and even sometimes over it because let’s be honest, you need to make sure that we can handle intense real-life rescues from the icy water of Canada to the scorching hot sun in Guyana… And to my colleagues as we move forward from this day, as we stomp history as being the first ever helicopter search and rescue team remember why we choose this path. It’s not just about being the best winner of the best man on the hookit’s about being there whilst someone’s worst day turns into the best because of us,” Yorris encouraged.
Speaking on behalf of President Dr Irfaan Ali,
Chief Investment Officer and Head of the Guyana Office for Investment, Dr Peter Ramsaroop congratulated the crew for their hard work and dedication to developing the aviation sector in Guyana.
On this point, he disclosed that confidence in teams’ ability to become a world class SAR Rear Crew.
“His vision (the President) for our people is that our people should have the ability to get the higher paying jobs, get the chance for prosperity and development of our own, and I am so proud to see two companies-OHI and the local company get together and do a joint venture, win a major contract and to demonstrate this first batch and I’m sure they will be many more to come,” D. Ramsaroop said. (G1)
The crew at the beginning of the training
The search & rescue crew: Curt Mendonca, Daniel Yorris, Ishwar Parbhu, Kevin Sawh, and Johnelle Ogle
Chief Investment Officer and Head of the Guyana Office for Investment, Dr Peter Ramsaroop
The Family and Children Centre at Plum Park, Sophia, Greater Georgetown at the time of the fire
Roysdale Forde, Amanza WaltonDesir drop out of PNC leadership race
…cite “severe” electoral irregularities
Amanza WaltonDesir and Roysdale Forde, SC, who were the two contenders against People’s National Congress (PNC) leader, Aubrey Norton, for leadership of the party, have announced the suspension of their campaigns just one day before the party’s Congress is set to commence.
On Thursday, WaltonDesir in a statement cited serious concerns over procedural fairness and transparency as key reasons for her decision.
“I come to you today [Thursday) to announce my decision to suspend my campaign for the PNCR leadership,” Walton-Desir stated. “This decision has been incredibly difficult, but it has been made after deep reflection and extensive discussions with my team and close advisors,” her statement read.
She said that throughout her campaign, she emphasised values such as transparency, fairness, decency, and integrity within the party. However, recent developments have cast doubt on the integrity of the leadership selection process.
“As of the morning of June 27th, 2024, a preliminary list of delegates has not been made available to me as a candidate to allow for claims or objections,” Walton-Desir pointed out, adding that “further, there is a lack of agreement among all candidates contesting on the procedures for conducting the elections.”
These procedural issues, along with others that Walton-Desir did not specify in detail, led her to believe that immediate action was necessary to protect the integrity of the party’s democratic process.
“Though I am suspending my campaign, our work does not end here. We must continue to advocate for the values we believe in and push for the changes
our party needs,” WaltonDesir expressed to her followers.
Walton-Desir concluded her statement by calling for unity among PNCR members and supporters during this challenging period.
Walton-Desir’s withdrawal raises questions about the future dynamics within the as the party prepares for its Congress.
“Severe” irregularities Meanwhile, hours after Walton-Desir announced the suspension of her campaign, Roysdale Forde, SC, announced that he too has taken a decisive step, in the midst of the PNC internal elections turmoil by suspending his campaign and refusing all nominations for party positions. His actions come as a response to what he perceives as severe irregularities within the party’s electoral process.
In a statement on Thursday evening, Forde outlined several critical reasons for his decision, chief among his concerns are allegations of electoral malpractice and procedural flaws that have tainted the integrity of the ongoing election proceedings.
Forde said that his decision was precipitated by a lack of response to his repeated communications to the Central Executive Committee and the General Secretary regarding his concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. Despite raising alarm over discrepancies in delegate lists and unrealistic timelines imposed for the party congress, Forde said his concerns have gone unaddressed.
“For the integrity of our party’s electoral processes, I find it necessary to suspend my candidacy and reject all nominations,” Forde declared in his statement, adding that “our party’s strength lies in up-
holding democratic principles, and unfortunately, recent events have shown that these principles are not being upheld.”
Forde expressed gratitude towards his supporters and party members while reaffirming his commitment to the PNCR’s founding principles. He urged party leadership to take immediate action to rectify the flaws in the electoral process to restore confidence among members and uphold the party’s democratic ethos.
Turmoil within
On Wednesday, a PNC member took his own party to court, seeking to stop the upcoming biennial congress scheduled for this weekend, over the irregularities in the process leading up to the long overdue congress.
The member, Brian Collison, is contending that in light of irregularities in the process leading up to the selection of the PNC delegates, the High Court must intervene to protect the will of the PNC members and support base. Collison is being represented by Attorney-atLaw Vivian Williams, with PNC leader Aubrey Norton being named as a respondent in this case.
On Monday, Dawn Hastings-Williams, the party’s General Secretary announced her resignation from the party – becoming the latest in several high-profile resignations. Her resignation letter highlighted several concerns, including the lack of readiness for this weekend’s congress and concerns regarding financial accountability.
She also expressed concerns that as General Secretary, she was not being integrally involved in the preparations. Additionally, HastingsWilliams highlighted that she has received complaints from several groups
and party members, some in writing, that the records of the secretariat do not correspond with their previous submissions, and that their membership register does not reflect their true membership.
The General Secretary further revealed that many members also claim that they have been unable or will be unable to meet the short deadlines set for the submission of the delegates and other information because of the short notice period for Congress.
Hastings-Williams’ res-
ignation follows the resignation of her predecessor, Geeta Chandan Edmonds, in 2022. Also resigning at that time had been party treasurer, Faaiz Mursalin. At the time Mursalin had resigned, he had also claimed a lack of financial accountability.
The PNC’s congress is set for this weekend.
Norton is already grappling with the recent sexual allegation made against him by former Member of Parliament (MP) for Region 10, Vanessa Kissoon. In a video recording released
last week, Kissoon accused Norton of threatening to rape her at gunpoint. Following that revelation, Norton’s supporters have taken to social media to ridicule Kissoon, currently a Linden Town Councillor. However, other figures in the party and wider coalition have urged for an impartial investigation.
It was subsequently announced that a group of senior Executives of the PNC, referred to the Council of Elders, has been called in to probe the sexual harassment allegation.
Amanza Walton-Desir
PNC Leader Aubrey Norton
Roysdale Forde
Fisherfolk applauded as production increased by 37%
Following a period of declined catches, which were due to several reasons including climate change, Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha disclosed that in 2023, 36,396 MT of seafood was harvested in the fishing industry, representing a 37.8 per cent increase.
Speaking at an event on Wednesday in observance of Fisherfolk Day 2024, which was held at Uitvlugt Community Center in Region Three, the Minister pointed out that fisherfolk need to be applauded explaining that the work they do can be described as a dangerous one.
This year, Fisherfolk Day was observed under the theme “Protecting Livelihoods, establishing a Safe and Sustainable Environment for our Fisherfolk”.
According to the Agriculture Minister, those in the industry needed to be applauded for the sacrifices they make by braving
the elements at sea to earn a living and provide citizens with an affordable source of protein.
He said Guyana is being positioned as a major food producer and exporter in Caricom. Hence, the role played by the fishers is being seen by the Government as a very important one.
For last year the Minister pointed out, the sector earned more than US$50 million.
“We must commend and applaud our fisherfolk for the sacrifices they make by braving the elements at sea to earn a living and provide citizens with affordable and nutritious sources of protein. As a Government, we are positioning this country
to be a major food producer and exporter in CARICOM and you have a very important role to play in these efforts. In 2023, 36,396 metric tonnes of seafood were harvested in the fishing industry representing an increase of 37.8%. The aquaculture industry is also doing well. Last year, that sector grew by 75 percent; if we match these production figures with the earnings, you will see that in 2023, the sector earned US $54 million,” the agriculture minister pointed out.
He also said that since the Government took office, systems have been put in place to ensure fisherfolk
have greater representation and a stronger voice in policy-making processes noting that significant strides have been made to enhance the fisheries sector through initiatives aimed at improving safety, increasing sustainability, and ensuring economic security for fisher folks.
Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organisation -FAO Country Director, Dr Gillian Smith pointed out that the impacts of climate change, the degradation of fishing habitats, and the intersection of fisheries activities with other activities have an impact on the fisheries sector on a global scale. She called on fisher folk to collaborate with stakeholders and cooperate with the technical officers to meet the local and global demand for fish and other seafood.
On Wednesday a $75 million contract was signed for the refurbishing of Meadow Bank wharf and another contract for $50 million to rebuild the landing site and a vending area. (G4)
In recent years, the Agriculture Ministry has worked tirelessly to bolster the resilience of our fishing communities. With the establishment of the Guyana National Fisherfolk Organisation, we have empowered our fisherfolk with greater representation and a stronger voice in policy-making processes. We’ve also resuscitated and enhanced all fishing vessel landing sites across the country. That was a programme initiated by President Ali,” Mustapha explained.
Brazilian man missing after boat mishap
Police have launched an investigation into a river mishap that occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), which has resulted in the disappearance of a Brazilian national.
Missing is Jose De Ribamar Lisboa Silva. Reports are that the incident took place around 14:30h when a wooden boat, powered by a 200 horsepower Yamaha outboard engine, encountered mechanical failure while navigating the Akabusa/Fumbler Falls.
According to Police, the boat, captained by a 50-year-old man and loaded with cargo and passengers, including Silva, had departed earlier from Bartica.
According to reports, the engine failure caused the boat to drift downstream and capsize, throwing its occupants and cargo into the
water. Despite efforts to swim to safety, Silva, along with the cargo, was lost amidst the tumultuous waters of the falls.
Two survivors managed to reach safety by catching another passing boat and continuing their journey.
Rondel Khan, a 35-year-old miner who had prepared the boat for the journey, and
Police have indicated that the search for
Statements from wit-
and survivors are being gathered to determine the sequence of events leading to the mishap.
James Bacchus reported the incident to the Bartica Police Station.
Jose De Ribamar Lisboa Silva is ongoing.
nesses
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha
A section of the fisherfolk in attendance at the Fisherfolk Day event (Agriculture Ministry photo)
Work on new Skeldon hospital on track for completion this year – Health Minister
Construction work by the Sinapharm and CAMCE on the new Skeldon Hospital is on scheduled for the new facility to be opened this year.
Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony inspected works on Saturday.
Last year President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that the new hospital at Number 75 Village Corentyne, Region Six would be constructed and will replace the current Skeldon Hospital.
The Head of State also said that the new facility would provide a wider range of services.
Dr Anthony during the visit said that the new 75-bed hospital would of-
fer a 24-hour Accident and Emergency services, a wide range of imaging including CT scans and digital X-rays.
Additionally, the hospital will have a delivery ward, two operating theaters and one minor theater and will offer 24-hours laboratory services.
“Our target date is by the end of the year to be substantially completed to have this operational early next year,” the minister told reporters.
He noted that the Health Ministry had been monitoring the progress on a monthly basis and he is pleased with the progress made to date.
“We have meetings almost every month to look at
progress. If we think that they can do a little bit more, we point out areas where they can speed up,” he added.
Dr Anthony said the overall objective in constructing a new hospital is to replace the current one at Skeldon, because the government took a decision to have some of the old infrastructure in the country replaced.
As it relates to the Skeldon Hospital he explained that it doesn’t have theater capacity among other things.
“So, to repair that, which we have been doing over the years it would be much more costly and given the development that is going to be happening in this part of
Region Six and the anticipation of a new bridge connecting Suriname, this is an area where a lot of growth will happen and we anticipate that there will also be an increase for health care needs. Hence, some of the things that we are putting in here is a big upgrade from what we have at the current Skeldon Hospital, but we are also anticipating future growth.”
In addition to the Skeldon Hospital, a new New Amsterdam Hospital is also being constricted in Region Six. In Region Five a new hospital is being constructed at Bath Settlement, while in Region Four there are two new hospitals being constructed; one on the East
Coast and the other on the East bank. The health minister said they want to decant the services from the Georgetown Hospital and have two regional hospitals in that region.
“So that people living in those areas don’t have to go to Georgetown, they can go to these hospitals. So the load at Georgetown Hospital will be less and we want Georgetown Hospital to be a referral hospital so that it can function in that referral capacity,” the health minister explained.
Meanwhile, in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara), a new hospital is being constructed at De Kinderen Village.
In Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) a new hospital is being built at Anna Regina. At Ogle, East Coast Demerara, a maternal and pediatric hospital is also being built which will have 265 beds.
Apart from those, the government is currently seeking bids for the construction of hospitals at Kato, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni); Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo); Kamarang, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) and Moruca, Region One (Barima-Waini) all being hinterland locations. Government is also working on a design for a new hospital at Bartica. (G4)
Ptolemy Reid Rehab Centre receives ATVs, computers to improve service to hinterland
In a move that will greatly improve the services delivered to persons living with disabilities in the hinterland locations of the country, the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre has received a significant donation of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and computer from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The donation includes two ATVs, 10 laptops, and a quantity of wheelchairs. The ATVs will facilitate school visits in Regions One (Barima-Waini) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), particularly aiding children with impairments in accessing essential services.
Speaking during the handover ceremony, Director of the Disability and Rehabilitation Services
explained how this donation will help persons with disabilities in far-flung communities.
“This donation goes beyond just providing the wheelchairs; this is very big and it really will help us to improve what we are offering the patients in those regions. It will bring accessibility to them as opposed to them coming to us,” Mangar stated.
She stated that the Health Ministry has set up an electronic program to keep track of wheelchairs.
“The laptops and computers will come in handy because we have set up an
electronic medical record program which will track
all the wheelchair users in Guyana. We will be able to see every single person, not just with the wheelchairs you give us, but the other wheelchairs which the government buys, so we will have a bigger picture of the wheelchairs, canes, crutches, and so forth within the regions.”
Meanwhile, Ptolemy Reid’s Administrator, Ashford Ambedkar, thanked the church for its generous donation, noting that
it has been a helpful partner throughout the years.
“Over the past three years, we have been receiving approximately $36 million for some of the projects, which includes the reach of wheelchair distribution outside of Georgetown.”
He also expressed that most patients are unable to purchase prosthetic legs and the church has assisted with a substantial amount of funding over the years.
“When a patient cannot af-
ford a prosthetic, the church has provided some funding to assist those people. I want to let you know that about 26 persons received those benefits, and of those 26 persons, the amount came up to about $745,000.”
The Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre provides rehabilitation services, training programmes, and dormitory residence for adults and children with disabilities and developmental impairments. (G2)
Construction work ongoing at the new Skeldon hospital
Department at the Health Ministry, Dr Ariane Mangar,
Elder Kory Sellers and his wife handing over the items that were donated
Director of the Disability and Rehabilitation Services Department at the Ministry of Health, Dr Ariane Mangar
One of the ATVs donated to the Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre
Bolivia coup fiasco lays bare a divided country in political, economic crisis
Acoup attempt in Bolivia that saw soldiers take over La Paz's central square and ram the presidential palace with an armoured truck was put down as abruptly as it started, but has laid bare a brewing economic and political crisis in the divided nation.
On Wednesday, military units led by rogue General Juan Jose Zuniga launched the attack on the Government, but pulled back as it quickly became clear they had little support. The former armed forces commander was arrested on live TV.
But while the Government of leftist President Luis Arce heralded its success at putting down the coup attempt, it has uncovered the tense political fault lines in the South American country and growing anger with a flagging economy.
"We have a President with low popularity, without legislative control,
with economic problems," said Raul Penaranda, a Bolivian political analyst and Journalist. "All of this makes for a very difficult and complicated scenario."
The country of some 12 million persons is heading for presidential elections next year. Arce's socialist MAS party is split between backing him, and
T&T PM
party grandee and icon Evo Morales, a former ally to Arce who is now trying to unseat him.
Meanwhile the economy is floundering.
Gas exports that helped drive the country's "economic miracle" in the 2000s have dried up, leading to a dangerous decline in foreign reserves that are near
zero. Protests have been building, with many people unable to get dollars, and pressure on the long-stable currency is rising.
In the heat of the failed coup, flanked by soldiers, Zuniga cited growing frustrations, demanding the Government "stop destroying, stop impoverishing our country".
On all sides of the aisle, Bolivians though rejected the coup attempt, which many saw with dark humour as a something of a farce. Zuniga himself, without giving evidence, had claimed Arce had asked him to do it to help boost his low approval ratings.
"Our beloved Bolivia is in economic crisis, it is in political crisis, it is in social crisis," La Paz resident Juan Carlos Llanque told Reuters outside the presidential palace in La Paz after the coup attempt. He still though backed Arce.
"This was all a political comedy."
(Excerpt from Reuters)
reacts to queries on Petrotrin talks with Jindal
Trinidad and Tobago
Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley says he will meet with Opposition Leader Kamla PersadBissessar regarding her concerns about the integrity of Indian businessman Naveen Jindal, but only if she firstly deals with the criminal charges facing her chief whip, David Lee.
But firing back immediately, Persad-Bissessar said it was now clear the Prime Minister has been caught in a scandal and is using her Pointe-a-Pierre Member of Parliament (MP) as a distraction.
Prime Minister said, You seem to have a lot of time to waste on Mr Roget and the Opposition Leader.
Pausing by his vehicle, Dr Rowley then said, I will ensure that the Opposition Leader does not undermine and derail what the Government of Trinidad and Tobago is doing for the people of Trinidad and Tobago.
Lula signs into law 20% tax on international purchases
Brazilian President Luiz In cio Lula da Silva on Thursday signed into law a 20 per cent tax on international purchases of up to US$50, despite having previously criticised the measure.
Lula signed the bill into law during a meeting of his Council for Sustainable Economic and Social Development in Brasilia.
The tax on online international low-cost purchases was a request from Brazilian retailers who argue that they are being victims of unfair competition,
mainly against Chinese e-commerce giants. In May, Lula had said he was willing to negotiate with lawmakers about taxing cross-border low-cost purchases of up to US$50, but he did not rule out the possibility of vetoing the measure. At the time, the President pointed out that the measure could impact people with lower income. The highly-controversial tax was attached to a bill that creates the socalled Green Mobility and Innovation programme (Mover). (Reuters)
J'can National Security Minister defends decision to deport Haitian caregivers
TBoth the United National Congress (UNC) and the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) have criticised the Prime Minister s meeting with Jindal on the Petrotrin refinery at the Diplomatic Centre on June 17. The UNC leader highlighted the criminal charges Jindal is battling in India and questioned how the PM could be unaware of this.
in light of the allegations against the Indian businessman, who is Chairman of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd.
Meanwhile, the OWTU claimed Dr Rowley s meeting with Jindal was a breach of the procurement laws
Responding briefly to their assertions following his closed-door Breakfast with the Prime Minister at the Hyatt Regency in Portof-Spain Wednesday, the
Pressed further for a response, particularly with respect to Persad-Bissessar s concern that he, as Prime Minister, should have been aware of Jindal s run-in with Indian authorities, Rowley said, If she is so interested in Mr Jindal s charges, I would say, deal with David Lee s charges first and then I will talk to her about Jindal s charges after.
(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
El Salvador plans mass firing of Ministry employees
El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said on Thursday that the Culture Ministry would fire 300 employees who he said were promoting agendas "incompatible" with the Government's vision.
"Furthermore, we will save public funds in the process," Bukele said on X. "Bitter medicine."
Bukele did not elaborate. But last week he appointed Raul Castillo, a former teacher, as Culture Minister, saying that he
wanted to "promote patriotic and family values".
Ruling party lawmaker Alexia Rivas wrote on X shortly after Bukele's post: "El Salvador is prolife, pro-traditional family and the 2030 agenda has no place here", an apparent reference to the United Nations Sustainable Development Agenda which includes provisions for a range of human rights.
"This is what the people asked for, this is the vision of our President, and this is
the path that officials must follow," she said.
El Salvador maintains some of the world's harshest anti-abortion laws, while earlier this month, the Culture Ministry cancelled a play by drag artists after receiving complaints from local conservative and religious groups.
Bukele took office at the start of June for a second term after winning a landslide re-election, pledging to cure the "illnesses" of the Central American country
by prescribing "medicine" to fix the economy, following what he described as a cure for the "cancer of the gangs" during his first term.
Bukele garnered massive popularity for transforming security in a country that was once one of the world's most dangerous, but use of mass trials, a mega prison, and suspended civil rights have drawn criticism from human rights groups. (Excerpt from Reuters)
he Government has defended its decision to send home 12 of the 16 Haitians who arrived in the island as caregivers to 59 disabled orphans who were allowed to enter Jamaica in March as part of a humanitarian effort led by the international charity organisation Mustard Seed Communities.
The Haitians were returned at midnight on Tuesday and Minister of National Security, Dr Horace Chang on Wednesday told the Jamaica Observer that they were sent home based on security concerns and indications that there was no truth to the claim that they were caregivers for the orphans.
According to Chang, while the Government had no hesitation to allow the orphans and the 16 caregivers into the island based on the crisis in Haiti, where gangsters have taken control of large sections of the capital, it was quickly realised that only two were really caregivers while the rest did not have a clue about what they were there to do.
When we realised that 14 of the so-called caregivers were here staying in breach of their conditions, they were absconding, and in fact one who seems to be a trouble-
maker, had gotten a car from somebody and was driving around making mischief and taking the people out he is the one believed to have taken the 14-year-old child out of Kingston Public Hospital with a friend of his the Police are looking for him, said Chang in reference to one of the orphans who has not been seen since he was released from the Corporate Area health facility where he had been taken for treatment.
They [the Haitian caregivers] then became abusive to the people at Jacob s Ladder [where the orphans are being housed], misbehaving, and when the Police went there, they were hostile to the Police. So we decided, through immigration, that they were in breach of their conditions, they came under false pretence and we were going to deport them, so we deported them, explained Chang.
He told the Observer that the troublemaker , and another of the so-called caregivers, have not yet been found. However, two other Haitians, who had been previously ordered deported and were in detention, were included in the group shipped out at midnight Tuesday. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)
Demonstrators face members of Bolivia's military as Bolivia's President Luis Arce "denounced the irregular mobilisation" of some units of the country's army in La Paz, Bolivia, June 26 (Reuters/Claudia Morales photo)
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Reuters/Ricardo Moraes file photo)
T&T Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley responds to a question from Guardian Media's Akash Samaroo following his breakfast meeting at the Hyatt Regency in Port-of-Spain
Around the World
OIL NEWS
Oil settles US$1 up, war risk premium outweighs ample US stocks
Oil futures settled higher on Thursday on worries about global crude supply disruptions as geopolitical pressure in the Middle East and Europe mounted, while a surprise increase in US crude and gasoline inventories gave prices a ceiling.
Brent crude oil futures settled up US$1.14, or 1.34 per cent, to US$86.39 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures settled up by 84 cents, or 1.04 per cent, at US$81.74.
WTI futures also rose by more than US$1 a barrel earlier in the session.
Cross-border strains between Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah have been escalating, fanning fears that a widening war could draw in other countries including major oil producer Iran.
The French Foreign Ministry said France was extremely concerned about the situation in Lebanon and called for restraint.
Any contagion could have a big impact on crude supplies from the Middle East, said Panmure Gordon analyst Ashley Kelty.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said his country stood in solidarity with Lebanon and called on the region's countries to show support.
Israel stormed a neighbourhood in Gaza City, telling Palestinians they must head south.
Israeli forces also bombed the southern city of Rafah in what it called final stages of an operation against Hamas militants.
Yemen's Houthis targeted "vessel Seajoy" in the Red Sea with a drone boat and a number of missiles and drones, the Iran-aligned group's military spokesman Yahya Saree said.
The Houthi militia, which controls the most populous parts of Yemen, has staged attacks on ships in the waters off the country for months in solidarity with Palestinians fighting Israel in Gaza.
In Europe, Russia is considering a possible downgrade of relations with the West due to deeper involvement of the US and its allies in the Ukraine war, but no decision had yet been made, the Kremlin said.
Downgrading relations or even breaking them off would illustrate the gravity of the confrontation between Russia and the West over Ukraine following escalating tensions surrounding the war in recent months.
The US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported a 3.6 million-barrel weekly jump in crude oil stocks. Analysts polled by Reuters had expected a drawdown of 2.9 million barrels.
"Yesterday s EIA report is still an overhang for the market today as it was a surprise in terms of the builds we saw, and the refinery run rates," said John Kilduff, partner at Again Capital.
US gasoline stocks rose by 2.7 million barrels. Analysts had expected a one-million-barrel draw.
"We are right now at the peak of the summer driving season, approaching July 4 weekend, so for markets to be moving sideways now, then we may well even see a dip after the holiday weekend, said Tim Snyder, economist at Matador Economics.
In Europe, independently-held gasoline stocks in storage in the Amsterdam-Rotterdam-Antwerp (ARA) refining and storage hub rose by over nine per cent in the week to Thursday, data from Dutch consultancy Insights Global showed, suggesting limited scope for transatlantic US gasoline demand.
Meanwhile, comments from Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic in a policy essay released on Thursday reiterated expectations of an interest rate cut in the fourth quarter of this year, in line with investors' expectations of cuts starting in September.
"There is certainly nothing we can hang our hats on in terms of the Fed looking to juice the markets again," Again Capital's Kilduff said. (Reuters)
Israel storms Gaza City neighbourhood, orders Palestinians to go south
Israel stormed a neighbourhood in Gaza City on Thursday, ordering Palestinians to move south as tanks rolled in and bombing continued in the southern city of Rafah in what it says are the final stages of an operation against Hamas militants there.
Residents of the Shejaia neighbourhood in Gaza City said they were surprised by the sound of tanks approaching and firing in the early afternoon, with drones also attacking after overnight bombing of the city, which Israel had combed early in the war.
"It sounded as if the war is restarting, a series of bombings that destroyed several houses in our area and shook the buildings," Mohammad Jamal, 25, a resident of Gaza
City, told Reuters via a chat app.
Later on Thursday, the Palestinian Civil Emergency Service said the Israeli military strikes had killed at least seven persons in Shejaia so
far. More casualties are feared to be under the rubble where rescue teams cannot reach, it said.
Footage obtained by Reuters showed women, men, and children carrying bags
and food as they ran in the streets after the raid began. Some men carried injured children, some bleeding, in their arms as they fled.
"This is the (Israeli) occupation targeting us, as you can see. You can see the children, the targeting of children here," said a man carrying a bleeding boy in his arms.
An Israeli military spokesperson said they had no comment on reports of casualties in Shejaia.
The armed wing of Hamas ally Islamic Jihad said it had detonated a pre-planted explosive device against an Israeli tank east of the district.
Israel accuses the militants of hiding among civilians and says it warns displaced people to get out of the way of its operations against the fighters.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Ukraine military says Russian troops pushed out of part of key eastern
town
Ukraine's military said on Thursday its forces had forced Russian troops out of a district in the town of Chasiv Yar on the war's eastern front seen as Moscow's next target in its slow advance through the area.
But a Russian report said Moscow's forces had destroyed a communications tower near the town and made further headway.
Russian forces are slowly pushing their way across parts of eastern Ukraine, capturing several villages since seizing the key city of Avdiivka in February.
Chasiv Yar stands on high ground 20 kilometres (12 miles) to the west of Bakhmut, a town Russian forces captured a year ago after months of battles. Both
sides see Chasiv Yar as a potential staging point for Russia to advance on the key cities of the eastern Donetsk region, including Kramatorsk and Sloviansk.
Nazar Voloshyn, a spokesman for Ukraine's southern group of forces, told the Ukrinform news agency that Russian forces had moved out of Chasiv Yar's "Kanal" district along the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal that runs along the town's eastern edge.
"Ukrainian defenders have indeed squeezed Russian forces out of the Kanal district in Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region," Ukrinform quoted Voloshyn as saying. "The enemy army is no longer there."
Voloshyn told other Ukrainian media outlets that
Biden and Trump face off in early debate, with age, ability in focus
Democratic President
Joe Biden and his Republican rival
Donald Trump took the stage on Thursday night for a debate that offered voters a rare side-by-side look at the two oldest candidates ever to seek the US presidency.
Biden, 81, and Trump, 78, would be under pressure to display their command of issues and avoid verbal stumbles as they seek a breakout moment in a race that opinion polls show has been deadlocked for months.
The 90-minute televised debate, the first between a sitting President and a former one, aired at 21:00h ET (0100 GMT on Friday) on CNN and took place far earlier than normal more than four months before the November 5 Election Day.
It comes at a moment of
profound polarisation and deep-seated anxiety among voters about the state of American politics. Twothirds of voters said in a May Reuters/Ipsos poll that they were concerned violence could follow the election, nearly four years after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the US Capitol.
Trump will take the stage as a felon who still faces a trio of criminal cases, including to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. The former President, who continues to falsely claim that his defeat was the result of fraud and has suggested he will punish his political enemies if returned to power, will need to convince undecided voters that he does not pose a mortal threat to democracy, as Biden asserts.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Russian troops were shelling Kyiv's forces in more than 200 incidents over 24 hours, mostly on the town's southern approaches.
The Ukrainian military's General Staff, in a late eve-
ning report on Thursday, said Russian troops had tried to push back Ukrainian forces six times near Chasiv Yar. Three attacks were repelled and fighting still gripped the area. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Iran holds presidential vote
Iranians will vote for a new president today following Ebrahim Raisi's death in a helicopter crash, choosing from a tightly-controlled group of four candidates loyal to the supreme leader, at a time of growing public frustration.
While the election is unlikely to bring a major shift in the Islamic Republic's policies, the outcome could influence the succession to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's 85-year-old supreme leader, in power for three-and-a-half decades.
Khamenei has called for a "maximum" turnout to offset a legitimacy crisis fuelled by public discontent over economic hardship and curbs on political and social freedoms.
Voter turnout has plunged over the past four years, with a mostly young population chafing at political and social
restrictions.
Polls open at 08:00h local time (0430 GMT) and close at 18:00h (1430 pm GMT), but are usually extended until as late as midnight. As ballots are counted manually, the final result is expected to be announced only in two days although initial figures may come out sooner.
If no candidate wins at least 50 per cent plus one vote from all ballots cast including blank votes, a run-off round between the top two candidates will be held on the first Friday after the election result is declared.
Three of the candidates are hardliners and one a low-profile comparative moderate, backed by the reformist faction that has largely been sidelined in Iran in recent years.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
A Palestinian man carries a child while walking near rubble, following an Israeli strike on a school sheltering displaced people amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, June 27, 2024 (Reuters/Hatem Khaled photo)
A heavily-damaged building amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in the frontline town of Chasiv Yar in Donetsk region, Ukraine, June 25, 2024 (Oleg Petrasiuk/Press Service of the 24th King Danylo Separate Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces/ Handout via Reuters)
SUDOKU
DAILY HOROSCOPES
(March 21-April 19)
You don’t have to be trendy to fit in or broaden your awareness or position. Focus on putting the best team together to get the results you want. Avoid drama and be true to yourself.
Talk to experts, and you’ll discover a unique approach to turning your plans into something tangible. Be creative, take a unique path and seek out helpful people. Romance is on the rise.
(May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
Use common sense and concentrate on your responsibilities. Let your actions speak for you; your inner voice will help you discover how to reach your expectations.
A positive change is approaching. Use your imagination and put energy and discipline behind your thoughts. Don’t let your emotions deter you from making your dreams come true.
(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Unnecessary change will set you back. Look for opportunities that offer knowledge and growth. Use your skills, energy and attitude to get ahead. Lending a helping hand will enhance your reputation.
Live and learn. Embrace your day with enthusiasm and engage in meaningful events. Make personal gain and romance your priorities. Work to make something good happen.
Taking time to think will help you gain perspective regarding what’s possible. Don’t follow someone heading in a different direction. Be open and honest about what you want to pursue.
Put stress and aggravation behind you. Learn from experience and avoid people, conversations or pastimes that cost you time, energy and money. Make better decisions.
You should create an opportunity rather than sit back and wait for things to come to you. Think outside the box and do your own thing. Don’t let someone else step in and take the lead.
Consider where your money goes. Evaluate your relationships with others and adjust what isn’t working for you. A change will give you a big boost.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Separate yourself from drama and anyone trying to take control. Look for opportunities that allow you to use your skills to your advantage. Work hard for your dreams.
Put a smile on your face and proceed down the path that encourages peace of mind. Seek out like-minded people for in-depth conversations. You can make some big strides.
GBA National Juniors tourney moves into semifinal stage
The National Gymnasium was once again buzzing with activity on Wednesday evening as the Guyana Badminton Association’s (GBA’s) National Junior Singles tournament moved into its second night of action.
After more preliminary matches, the tournament was able to progress to the knockout stages, where more thrilling action was witnessed.
In the Boys’ Under-19 category, Frank Wadell got the better of Joanathan Debidin 21-6, 21-6 in the semifinals. Xavio Alexander also booked his spot in the Boys’ U19 final by defeating Jonathan Robinson 218, 21-9.
In the girls’ division of that
age group, Mishka Beharry eased past Nevaeh Eastman 21-18, 21-5, while Leshaunte Berkley got the better of Malia Haley in an entertaining threeset game 21-17, 17-21, 21-16. Mishka Beharry was on a roll, securing a place in the Girls’ Under-17 finals, this time by defeating Menikshi Jaikissoon 21-5, 21-7. Malia Haley later became the other Girls’ U17 finalist, after topping Nevaeh Eastman in another three-set game 13-21, 2220, 21-14.
In the boys’ category, Xavio Alexander cruised into the U17 final by defeating Avinash Ramnarine 21-8, 21-9.
For the Under-15s, Gabrielle Felix booked a place in the final after getting the
better of Anya Manickchand 21-7, 21-4. Felix will meet Harshini Muralidharan in that final, after the latter overcame Anjaneysa Godette 21-14, 2115 in the semifinal.
For the boys’ division, Ruel Rambiriche is a finalist, having defeated Mohamed Farouk 217, 21-10, while Egan Bulkan will also play in the gold ribband game following a win against Phillip Stephanas 2119, 23-21.
Other results: (winners in bold)
BS U19: Nikolas Pollard vs. Vishal Gopaul 16-21, 21-16, 21-17
BS U17 QF: Avinash Ramnarine vs. Christopher Jordan 21-17, 21-17
BS U17 QF: Xavio
Chelsea Edghill elected to Commonwealth Athletes’ Advisory Commission
Elections for places on the Commonwealth Games Federation’s Athletes’ Advisory Commission took place in May, and for the very first time, the new members have been elected by athletes from across the Commonwealth. This is an important and positive step that is consistent with the CGF’s strategy to place athletes at the heart of Commonwealth Sport.
Guyana’s Table Tennis Olympian Chelsea Edghill is among those elected to serve on this commission.
The six Regional Representatives and one Para Representative were elected by each Commonwealth Games Association’s (CGA’s) Athlete Representative Body (ARB), who voted for their Regional Representative as well as electing a Para Representative.
The Athletes’ Advisory Commission (AAC) is chaired by Brendan Williams, who will be joined by the following athlete representatives:
<Para Representative Matt Levy – Australia (Swimming)
Matt Levy, OAM, is a fivetime Paralympian who competed at the 2018 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. He became the first male para-swimmer to successfully defend his title at the Games when he won the men’s 50m freestyle S7 in Birmingham in 2022. He announced his retirement from swimming during the Birmingham Games.
Africa Representative Moroke Mokhotho – Lesotho (Boxing)
Moroke Mokhotho was born in Lesotho in 1990. He competed in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, boxing in the Flyweight division where he successfully won two bouts before losing in the quarter finals to Muhammad Waseem of Pakistan. He went on to represent Lesotho at the 2016 Olympic Games and at the Commonwealth Games in both the Gold Coast in 2018 and Birmingham 2022. In March 2022, Mokhotho opened his own sports academy in HaThetsane in Maseru.
Americas Representative Chelsea Edghill – Guyana (Table Tennis)
Chelsea Edghill is a Guyanese Table Tennis athlete who participated in both the 2014 and 2022 Commonwealth Games. She is also the first player from Guyana to complete at the Olympic Games in Table Tennis, and carried the national flag at the opening ceremony. She graduated in 2019 from Lindenwood University in St Charles, Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry, and has since acquired a post-graduate Certificate in International Sports Management.
<Asia Representative Terry Tay – Singapore (Gymnastics)> Terry Tay spent 24 years representing Singapore in Artistic Gymnastics. He competed at the 2014 and 2022 Commonwealth Games, and also attended the 2011 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Isle of Man. Terry’s impact goes beyond trophies and records. In 2022, Terry was
appointed to the Singapore National Olympic (SNOC) Athletes Commission with the mission to represent the views of Singaporean athletes within the SNOC. His dedication and commitment to be a voice for Singaporean athletes led to him in 2023 securing a similar position on the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) Athletes’ Commission.
Caribbean Representative
Makeba AlcideSt Lucia (Athletics)
Makeba Alcide represented Saint Lucia in athletics, netball and rugby spanning a career of over 20 years, during which she was named St Lucia’s Sportswoman of the Year and NCAA Field Athlete of the Year.
Her roles as a Physiotherapist at the St Lucia Sports Academy and as the Chairperson of the St Lucia Athletes’ Commission underscore her commitment to advocating for athletes’ interests, ensuring their voices are heard in decision-making forums.
<Europe Representative Suzy Drane – Wales (Netball)>
Suzy Drane has worked as a Senior Lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University in Sport Development and Management for 12 years, been part of a high-performance team environment for 20 years, and had the privilege of being Wales Netball captain for 12 years, before retiring from playing. Her academic and sporting experiences led her to be accepted on the Commonwealth Games Wales Athletes Commission in April 2023.
Oceania Representative
Julia Ratcliffe - New Zealand (Athletics)
Julia Ratcliffe was involved in athletics for over 20 years before retiring from competition in 2023. She represented New Zealand at the 2014, 2018, and 2022 Commonwealth Games and at the 2020 Olympic Games. Julia currently serves on the Board of Athletics Auckland and the Athletics New Zealand Athletes Commission. (Commonwealth Sport)
Alexander vs. Mohamed Farouk 21-5, 21-5
BS U19: Jonathan Debidin vs. Darian Thomas Walkover
BS U19 QF: Jonathan Debidin vs. Nikolas Pollard 2111, 21-6
BS U17 QF: Ruel Rambiriche vs. Gabriel Felix 21-16, 21-17
GS U19 QF: Mishka Beharry vs. Gabriella Henry 21-4, 21-9
BS U19 QF: Frank Wadell vs. Percival Chester 21-4, 21-0
Richards-Botham Test Series 2024…
GS U17 QF:
21-13, 17-21, 21-15
GS U11: Anjaneysa Godette vs. Emma Ramsaran 21-1, Retired
GS U11: Riyo Alexander vs. Arianna Bassier 21-7, 21-4
BS U17 QF: Nikolas Pollard vs. Joel Prince 21-14, 21-8
BS U19 QF: Xavio Alexander vs. Christopher Jordan 21-5, 21-15
BS U19 QF: Jonathan Robinson vs. Gabriel Felix 2117, 19-21, 21-17
BS U11: Liam Brumell vs. Christopher Harrison 21-1, 21-4
BS U13 SF: Joel Rambiriche vs. Ethan Ramsaran21-8, 21-7 The GBA National Junior Singles tournament is scheduled to continue on Saturday night with the coveted finals in each of the 5 categories.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) has announced an updated 15-member squad for the three-Test RichardsBotham series in England, starting on 10 July 2024 at Lord’s.
The squad features one significant change: Kemar Roach has been replaced by fast bowler Jeremiah Louis of St. Kitts & Nevis, due to Roach’s ongoing rehabilitation for a knee injury sustained during the County Championship in England.
Lead Selector the Most Honorable Dr. Desmond
West Indies Test squad: Captain Kraigg Brathwaite, Vice-Captain Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Joshua Da Silva, Jason Holder, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Mikyle Louis, Zachary McCaskie, Kirk McKenzie, Gudakesh Motie, Jeremiah Louis, Jayden Seales and Kevin Sinclair. 19-year-old fast bowler Isai Thorne will join the squad as a development player.
Team Management Unit:
Haynes has remarked, “Kemar’s skill and experience in English conditions will be missed. However, this opportunity has been long in the making for Jeremiah Louis; he certainly has the skill and experience to make an impact in England.”
The Richards-Botham series, named after West Indies legend Sir Vivian Richards and England great Lord Ian Botham, is a historic rivalry dating back to 1928, when the West Indies first toured England.
Head Coach: Andre Coley
Team Manager: Rawl Lewis
Assistant Coaches: Jimmy Adams, Rayon Griffith, Shaun Tait
Physiotherapist: Dr. Denis
Byam
Strength & Conditioning
Coach: Ronald Rogers
Team Masseuse: Fitzbert Alleyne
Team Analyst: Avenesh Seetram
The squad have been in a training camp at Tonbridge School, and will play a 3-day warm-up match against the England Lions at Beckenham,
Guyanese Olympian Chelsea Edghill has been elected to the Commonwealth AAC
Jeremiah Louis would be replacing Kemar Roach in the Test team
Kemar Roach is still undergoing rehabilitation for a knee injury
Nevaeh Eastman vs. Gabrielle Felix
A look at the Badminton action on Wednesday night at the National Gymnasium
India dismantle England in semifinal game
– through heroics of Rohit, Axar and Kuldeep
India’s quest for a world title in T20I cricket is well on course. It’s been 11 years since India last stood on the podium as champions. Now all that separates them from glory is a few hours’ time and a fiery South African team.
Rohit Sharma and his men have dismantled defending champions England in a T20 World Cup 2024 semifinal game, bowling them out for a mere 103 after first whacking them around to make 171 at Providence in Guyana. The mismatch from Adelaide 2022 was turned on its head.
Tactical battle in tough conditions
On a pitch like Guyana’s, where the pace is slow and the bounce is low, runs square and behind the wicket come at a premium. That’s because if a bowling unit is disciplined enough to hit a good length and keep the stumps in play, the batter just cannot force the pace.
England had planned to
shut out half of the outfield to India, but they weren’t always successful: 69 runs, including eight fours and three
Within the powerplay period, Rohit was scoring at a strike rate of 133, with shots he was not at all in control
sixes, still came from where they shouldn’t have, and at a strike rate of 192.
Rohit and risk
SCOREBOARD
India (20 ovs maximum)
BATTING R Rohit Sharma (c) b Rashid 57
Virat Kohli b Topley 9
Rishabh Pant † c Bairstow b Curran 4
Suryakumar Yadav
c Jordan b Archer 47
Hardik Pandya c Curran b Jordan 23
Ravindra Jadeja not out 17
Shivam Dube c †Buttler b Jordan 0 Axar Patel c Salt b Jordan 10
Arshdeep Singh not out 1 Extras (lb 2, w 1) 3
TOTAL 20 Ov (RR: 8.55) 171/7
Did not bat: Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah Fall of wickets: 1-19
BATTING R Phil Salt b Bumrah 5 Jos Buttler (c)† c †Pant b Patel 23 Moeen Ali st †Pant b Patel 8 Jonny Bairstow b Patel 0 Harry Brook b Kuldeep Yadav 25 Sam Curran lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 2 Liam Livingstone run out (Kuldeep Yadav/Patel) 11 Chris Jordan lbw b Kuldeep Yadav 1 Jofra Archer lbw b Bumrah 21 Adil Rashid run out (Yadav) 2 Reece Topley not out 3 Extras (lb 2) 2
The Rashid recovery India’s intent was manifested in the form of their batters moving around in the crease. Even a bowler of the calibre of Adil Rashid found it hard to cope, and that was a triumph because these were conditions where, as a bowler, all you had to do was hit a length to target the top of the stumps. The England wristspinner was 2-0-17-0, but he recovered.
On the other side of the second rain break, which consumed 153 minutes of this game’s time in total, Rashid decided not to worry about where Rohit and Suryakumar were positioning themselves, and instead began to hold a line on off stump. His reward was the wicket of the India captain for 57 runs off 39 balls. Rashid’s final two overs went for only eight runs.
Spin is king
With Rashid done by the 14th over, India held Shivam Dube back, believing that the quicks would be taking over. So Buttler found reason to press Liam Livingstone to work, trusting his right-arm all-sorts even at the death.
The part-timer finished with figures of 4-0-24-0. It was a sign: if he was prov ing to be unhittable, Axar, Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja would be as well.
India’s spin-bowling allrounders had a hand to play in getting them to 171 as well, alongside Hardik Pandya, as they struck three sixes and two fours in the
career strike rate in T20Is is 141. This has been the difference India have been searching for. Don’t just bat by waiting for the bad ball; bat as if everything is a bad ball. Rohit eventually settled.
Since the fourth over, he was in control of 20 of 26 balls, and he used that control to great effect in scoring 40 runs, including four fours and two sixes. He’s accepted that risk is a part of T20 cricket, and there’s no point
last two overs, bowled by Jordan and Archer.
Box office Axar
This Guyana pitch is spin-friendly. The schedule, as soon as it was announced, suggested India would play there in the semi-final. They packed their squad with spinners. Three of them found place in the XI. Each of them took turns bowling jaffas. Axar was the
game-changer. He came on immediately after Jos Buttler had whacked Arshdeep Singh for three fours in an over, and, with his very first ball, took out the biggest threat. England’s captain went down to re he shifted the line onto leg stump and left him in a tangle, the flatter trajectory and the quicker pace playing a part in the ball evading the swing of the bat and crashing into the stumps behind. As a further sign of their
India celebrating their entry into the final
Rohit Sharma launched one over the off side by opening the face of the bat
Kuldeep Yadav didn’t let Sam Curran prosper
Chris Jordan got Hardik Pandya at a crucial time
Axar Patel sent back Moeen Ali for his third wicket
Indian fans travel from across the globe for Providence semifinal
TIndian
who
Cup semifinal against England. While there was the odd England fan here and there, the
here were ‘puddles’ of blue at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence, East Bank Demerara, rep-
resenting
nationals
had travelled from all across the globe to witness their team in action in the ICC Men’s T20 World
blues ‘ruled’ the stands at Providence, and
keep the tempo hyped until India got over the line. Here are a few photos snapped in the stands by Jemima Holmes.
