“I would work as a doctor in the day and make bouquets in the night” …aspiring doctor says as ribbon rose-making business blooms
880 rounds of ammo found at Buxton home during domestic violence investigation
Caricom Chair urges region to connect with other trade partners on US
Surinamese authorities rescue four Guyanese fishermen after ordeal at sea Court of Appeal reduces life sentence for Berbice man convicted of raping elderly woman Homeless man sentenced to two years in prison for simple larceny
Over 12,000 women screened for cervical cancer in 2024 – as Guyana accelerates national elimination plan
The New Demerara Harbour Bridge Overpass Connection currently under construction is set to transform the Guyana landscape and lives of Guyanese upon completion (Photo from Tourism Guyana)
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Parika and Supenaam
FERRY SCHEDULE
are expected to range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-Easterly to East North-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.
High Tide: 13:13h reaching a maximum heights of 2.11 metres.
Low Tide: 06:40h and 19:31h reaching minimum heights of 1.26 metres and 1.04 metres.
Pres Ali discusses collaborations with IBM, tech majors from Silicon Valley
Guyana could soon see major partnerships being rolled out with some of the biggest tech companies in the world, with President Dr Irfaan Ali having visited a number of them to explore possible collaborations with Guyana.
Among the tech giants the Head of State toured was IBM, a multinational company that provides services and solutions in IT consulting and computer technology and is one of the world's oldest and largest technology companies.
IBM has been credited for numerous technological innovations, including ATM machines and magnetic stripes on cards. And based on the discussions that have been had between IBM and Guyana, the company is willing to work with Guyana on developing innovative solutions.
According to a release from the Office of the President, the Head of State visited the IBM headquarters in Silicon Valley and met with Director Jeff Welser and his team. During the visit, they discussed the advancements and projects in quantum computing and data farming, which are aimed at creating a resilient
of many innovative startups in Silicon Valley. While there, he met with Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Astro Teller and his team, and they discussed potential solutions and future collaboration between Guyana and Google X.
Additionally, President Ali met with a team of top executives from the hardware giant, Nvidia, at its headquarters in Silicon Valley. While there, the Nvidia team presented the company’s vi-
Water, Susan Rodrigues, and Deputy Chief of Mission at the Guyana Embassy in Washington, Zulfikar Ally, during the visits.
President Ali was in California, United States (US) to attend the Berkeley Innovation Forum on Thursday, during which he was presented with the prestigious Global Leadership Award for Open Innovation 2024 from the University of California, Berkeley in recognition of his visionary
and safe environment.
“IBM expressed its willingness to engage in further discussions to find collaborative solutions for practical challenges facing Guyana,” the release said.
Another company that President Ali toured was Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus. Microsoft is another multinational technology corporation known for its software, services, devices and solutions including the Windows operating system and the Office suite.
President Ali also paid a visit to the innovation offices of Google X – the birthplace
sion for sovereign nation artificial intelligence (AI) to the Guyanese delegation.
Nvidia is traditionally a graphics and hardware technology company that has gained momentum in other business streams, including the build-out of AI factories and upskilling of the workforce, as well as the video game industry where its graphic cards are known for their powerful performance in gaming, enabling high frame rates.
The President was accompanied by First Lady Arya Ali; Minister within the Ministry of Housing and
leadership in promoting environmental sustainability and inclusive economic development on a global scale.
Guyana has been embarking on its own journey of digital upgrades, particularly for Government services. According to the President, his Government’s vision behind these digital services is to not only make the provision of such services more efficient, but to also remove the element of human biases and mistakes.
This is already in place at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) and other ports of entry,
where an automated border management system that allows persons to fill up their immigration forms using this electronic platform, is up and running.
In February of this year, Deputy Chief Immigration Officer (DCIO), Superintendent Stephen Telford had announced during an interview with Radio Eve Leary that they were working on deploying the automated system at all key entry points.
At the time, the automated system was only being used at the CJIA. Previously passengers were required to fill out printed forms upon arrival, a task that often causes delays and frustration.
With the new system, travellers can complete these forms in advance, with the information being shared directly with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA). And instead of waiting in long lines to be processed by an immigration officer, travellers can now simply swipe their ID Cards or passports and proceed.
This not only speeds up the entry process, but also reduces congestion at the airport, enhancing the overall passenger experience. This integration of digital systems reduces the likelihood of errors, speeds up customs processing, and ensures better tracking of goods entering the country.
The announcement aligns with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government’s broader efforts to digitise healthcare. In fact, over 250 Guyanese are expected to be trained as Health Information Systems and Technology (HIST) technicians, who will implement, manage, and maintain a national Electronic Health Record (EHR) system.
President Ali and team at the office of hardware giant Nvidia
The President and team during his tour of Google X
Tariffs are in the news after US Pres Donald Trump complained that his country was “being taken advantage of” by other countries that imposed high tariffs on imports of American-made goods, and on April 2, he imposed “reciprocal tariffs” against these countries’ exports to America. A tariff is a tax imposed by one country on the goods and services imported from another country, and would be paid to the government by the importer, who would then typically pass it on to his customers. The increased price of the imported goods would typically lead to lower sales.
The tariff on Guyanese goods entering the USA is now a whopping 38%. One would have expected that the “reciprocal tax” imposed by the US would have been an average of, or in some way related to, the tariffs imposed by Guyana or any other country on imports from the USA. However, what was evidently done was to take the value of the total imports from a country to the US, subtract from it the total exports from the US to that country, and express the ratio as a percentage. In our case this was 78% – meaning that Guyana’s imports from the US was only 78% of our exports to it. The US has now arbitrarily imposed half of that percentage trade deficit – 38% – as a tariff on our exports to the US.
The calculation assumes that the trade deficit is entirely due to tariffs imposed by the exporting country – which is not necessarily the case. It could be due to a host of factors, such as lower prices due to labour and other costs; or to better quality of the products etc. Further, in our case, the excess of our exports over our imports with the US is primarily due to petroleum being shipped by Exxon and Hess to their refineries in the US. Of US$3.37 billion total “Exports to United States in 2024”, $3.18 billion was petroleum products. And since we only receive 14.5% of the profits from those sales, it is doubly unsuitable for determining any trade imbalance much less “reciprocal” tariff. The unkindest cut is that “petroleum products” are exempted from the US tariff – so the price to the American consumer is not raised, but still contributes to our 38% “reciprocal” tariff.
The US gripe, of course, is its overwhelming trade deficit with its archrival China for its hold on remaining Number One in the world. Since returning to power in January, Trump had already levied two tranches of 10% additional duties on all Chinese imports, which the White House said was necessary to stem the flow of illicit fentanyl from that country to the US. Combined with pre-existing tariffs, that means Chinese goods arriving in the US would be effectively subject to tariffs of well over 54%. Leading to a certain trade war, China on Friday announced that it would impose 34% reciprocal tariffs on all imports from the United States from April 10.
Now, since 1995, the imposition of tariffs has been governed by WTO guidelines. Under these, member nations commit to “tariff bindings”, which set maximum tariff levels that cannot be exceeded unless renegotiated. For the US, the average bound tariff for all goods is 3.4 percent. These commitments, outlined in each country’s Schedule of Concessions, ensure stability and predictability in trade.
Countries impose tariffs on imports for several reasons – to raise revenues, to influence the exporting country, or to protect competitive advantages. In the case of China, the last two are arguable; but with our exports to the US, none of these really apply, since, for geopolitical and even domestic reasons, we’re already supportive of the US as a “friend”. Secondly, oil, bauxite and gold, which are our major exports, are all exempted. Our Government has already announced that it would be explaining these and other points to the US Government.
China and other countries, such as Australia, have announced that they would resort to the WTO.
The global victory of capitalism has turned it into something dark
By Janet Daley
The richest country in the world has just imposed punitive tariffs on some of the poorest countries in the world. Overnight, Donald Trump has turned capitalism into the monster that the Soviets once depicted it as being.
If you are old enough to remember the Cold War, you will recall that the message which Communism proselytised to the populations of what was then called the Third World rested on this argument: the fundamental precept of the capitalist system is that selfishness rules. The doctrine of free markets and unbridled competition is simply a licence for the rich to get richer at the expense of the exploited poor, with only the most heartless likely to prosper.
The Western world countered this by arguing that free markets unleashed the social mobility and independence of spirit which created individual opportunity and self-determination on an unprecedented scale. Capitalism was not a licence to exploit the weak: it was a way to enable and reward everyone s initiative and endeavour.
The spreading of affluence by free market economies offered self-fulfillment and the realisation of personal potential that had once been available only to those with inherited privilege. The democratising effect of capitalism was one of its strongest moral claims: the fact that the poor might rise by their own efforts, and the wealthy fall by their own bad judgement, made it a forceful antidote to immovable hierarchical societies. In the interest of winning the great global argument of the time, this was
applied to nations as well as individuals. Countries which had been impoverished by corruption or failure to develop their assets had to be guided out of their backwardness and helped to establish the kind of economic freedoms that would prevent their people from falling under Communist influence.
The Soviet propaganda campaign portrayed this idealised picture of the capitalist dream as a wicked deception, a brazen disguise for naked avarice and the unfair distribution of wealth. Under capitalist rule, it claimed, it was those people and those nations which ruthlessly pursue their own interests without compunction or compassion who would always win the game of life, and they are not the slightest bit interested in the fate of the rest of humankind.
We now know how that argument ended. Communism collapsed with an ignominious whimper. It had failed in its own terms within its own borders, let alone in the assistance of what is now called the developing world, much of which has embraced the principles of free market and free trade.
What happened next?
Many of these countries came out of poverty for the first time in their independent histories, and they did this by relentlessly pursuing the goals of emerging economies. They very sensibly made use of whatever was available to them: natural resources that were now in global demand, and the cheap labour which is in plentiful supply in poor societies, in their determination to join the modern international club. And yes, they charged those old imperial countries which had been rich for generations whatever they
could for the goods they were now producing, and put whatever tariffs on their imports they could get away with.
Then there was another twist to this tale. It turned out that capitalism which had unquestionably won the economic contest did not have to be coupled with democracy in order to succeed. In fact, totalitarian governments could be even better at it at least in the immediate term than liberal democratic ones. They could dispense with the need for popular consent and the sentimental tropes of benevolence and social fairness. Their brand of capitalist enterprise was quite the opposite of the individualistic, inspirational model that the West had promoted in its idealistic glory days.
The state capitalism of China and the countries that have followed its lead is making full use of all the advantages that totalitarianism offers: its policies and decisions can be as unapologetically tyrannical and merciless as its leaders claim are necessary. The assumption had once been that capitalism was the natural corollary of personal freedom, but it has transpired that capitalism could grow more successfully (and quickly) without the encumbrance of freedom. China is now the second largest economy in the world. It has encouraged the growth of a rich bourgeoisie class whose personal wealth contrasts starkly with the mass poverty of much of its population. It can act with impunity in the world without having to offer any pretence of conscientious concern for what damage it might be inflicting on its trading partners (or its own people), because it is still nominally a communist country.
The argument of the Cold War is over. China does not have to persuade the emerging nations of the world that it has the superior system. When it wants to pull those fledgling countries into its orbit, it simply offers them development loans under its Belt and Road Scheme which it knows they would never be able to repay. Whereas America once dreamt of being an inspiration to the world, China has effectively become a loan shark to the world. It is using the most cynical of capitalist techniques in a race to dominate the global economy. The struggle for world domination is not ideological any more. It is not about ethical values or the social good, or the rights of the people in whose name these decisions are being made. It is about pure, naked power and the possession of valuable territory. The United States, which once presented itself as a model to the world the incarnation of conscientious democratic capitalism is now engaged in an ugly name-calling contest, while some of the poorest states in the world, like Cambodia and Bangladesh, have simply become pawns in the standoff. Does Trump really believe that America whose population, even in its present state of industrial decline, enjoys levels of affluence which would exceed the dreams of most people on the planet is really being victimised ( robbed , pillaged ) by countries like Bangladesh? Or can he just say these things because there is no more argument to be won: no more need for American capitalism to present itself as standing for something more than greed and self-interest?
(The Telegraph)
The Guyana Police Force conducted School Safety Patrol training at LBI Secondary, Vryheid's Lust Primary, and Hope Secondary schools along the East Coast Demerara corridor on April 4, 2025
Unpaid $1.2B taxes
GRA says it has irrefutable evidence against Mohamed family
...court temporarily blocks vehicle seizures
...angry mob confronts GRA officers
...in 2016 under APNU, GRA seized Ban Shan Lin vehicles for unpaid duties
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has said that it has “irrefutable evidence” of tax breaches by United States sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed and his relatives, following a tense stand-off Saturday morning that saw law enforcement officials blocked from seizing several high-end vehicles linked to nearly $900 million in unpaid duties.
Officers of the GRA, accompanied by ranks of the Guyana Police Force, went the Mohamed family’s Houston, Greater Georgetown residence to take possession of the luxury vehicles, after repeated notices and a month-long effort to resolve the matter amicably.
However, the operation was halted after the officers were met by an angry mob that physically obstructed access to the premises.
The GRA reported that Azruddin Mohamed refused to cooperate, questioned the basis for the operation, and summoned a mob from his property and nearby areas. The mob reportedly became increasingly hostile, prompting officers to retreat due to safety concerns.
Among the vehicles targeted for seizure were a Lamborghini Roadster, Ferrari 488, two Toyota Land Cruisers, a Rolls Royce, and a Range Rover—all allegedly imported under the re-mi-
grant scheme but found to be in breach of its terms, including failure to meet residency requirements and false declarations of value.
Despite the mounting stand-off, the GRA noted that it had made multiple attempts to engage the Mohameds, sending three separate letters and emails inviting them to settle the outstanding taxes or make arrangements for inspection. No meaningful dialogue was initiated by the family, the agency said.
By Saturday afternoon, however, the GRA’s enforcement efforts were placed on hold by a temporary restraining order issued by Justice Gino Persaud at 13:39h. The court barred the GRA from seizing or detaining four vehicles—two Land Cruisers, a Lamborghini, and a Ferrari— until a further hearing.
At 15:30h, the court extended the order until Thursday, April 10, 2025, giving the GRA until then to respond to Azruddin Mohamed’s application for judicial review and a full injunction. Officers have since been instructed to cease seizure efforts and comply with the court’s directives.
While the legal proceedings continue, the total taxes owed by the Mohamed family amount to nearly $900 million, linked to multiple luxury vehicles allegedly imported under false pretences or in breach of the re-migrant scheme.
Among the amounts cited
are $479.7 million for a 2020 Ferrari registered to Hana Mohamed, $371.7 million for a 2020 Lamborghini Roadster titled to Azruddin Mohamed, and $320 million for a 2023 Rolls Royce registered to Bibi Mohamed. Additional taxes include $61.4 million for a 2023 Range Rover under Leslie Khan’s name, and $24.6 million each for two Toyota Land Cruisers also registered to Azruddin Mohamed.
It was just days after the Mohameds had posted the vehicles on social media, that GRA began their investigations of the luxury vehicles.
GRA has made it clear that its actions were lawful and based on concrete evidence. The agency also emphasized that such enforcement is routine when duty-free or re-migrant concession agreements are violated.
Despite claims of political persecution by the Mohamed family, the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has reaffirmed its stance that no individual or company is above the law when it comes to paying taxes.
“Seizure and possession of vehicles for taxes and breaches to remigrant and duty-free agreements are nothing new. Matter of fact, hundreds of such cases are carried out yearly when there are breaches by remigrants, public servants, breaches to Investment Agreements and even when Tax Exempt Agencies and
Diplomats do not abide by the agreements by which such vehicles are entered free of or subject to reduced duty,”
GRA said in a statement on Saturday, after it was blocked by a temporary court order from seizing or detaining any of the Mohamed’s luxury vehicles over some $1.2 billion in unpaid taxes.
It went on to say, “This particular activity results in hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections on an annual basis. The GRA administers the laws in a fair and consistent manner, regardless of who the taxpayer may be. The Authority will vigorously defend the cases presently before the court.””
This assertion was underscored by parallels drawn to a 2016 enforcement action in which GRA officers seized
two luxury vehicles belonging to Chinese logging giant Bai-Shan-Lin over millions of dollars in unpaid import taxes. The revenue agency had reportedly made multiple attempts over several months to have the company settle its tax liabilities, but those efforts were ignored.
Media reports at the time had states that the GRA’s seizure followed persistent non-compliance from BaiShan-Lin, despite clear notices and opportunities for resolution. The incident drew additional attention when reports surfaced that a senior APNU/AFC government official had previously intervened to halt the seizure during an operation.
In 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control
(OFAC) had announced that it sanctioned against Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, several of their companies, and a Guyanese Government official, Mae Thomas, for their roles in alleged public corruption in Guyana. According to a statement from OFAC, this is related to the evasion of taxes on gold exports noting that between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10 thousand kilograms (kg) of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million (over $10 Billion Guyana Dollars) in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana. Since being sanctioned, the Mohamed’s have never directly addressed the sanctions imposed by the US government.
The efforts of GHK Lall and others to disrupt harmony and unity
Dear Editor,
Within the national boundaries of Guyana, colourful birds nest in radiant flowering and wild fruit trees flourishing along the banks of rivers, canals, and creeks that flow with awe-inspiring grace towards the Atlantic Oceanall ushering in serenity that has become commonplace experiences of residents and visitors alike. In this picturesque atmosphere of nature’s varied splendour, Guyana’s population of six races/ethnicities interact daily with civility and an ever-increasing harmony that rivals of the current Government seek daily to disrupt and rupture, for fear of being relegated into the abyss of irrelevance.
These anti-government individuals and groups, preoccupied with acquiring influence and power, utilise every means available to ignite disharmony among the population. From their various media platforms, lofty perches or secure economic bunkers, they hock their trades of manufacturing and marketing falsehoods, fomenting strife or inciting indifference and distrust by targeted denunciations against the President
and/or Vice President. Among the chronic anti-government complainers is GHK Lall.
Those of you who have listened to GHK’s digital video pontifications or read articles written by him would readily discover that his anti-government remarks seldom, if at all, address weaknesses in developmental policy promulgations and implementations. Neither does his frequent soliloquies offer how his formulations would better serve the interest of the country, or improve and enhance the daily lives of all Guyanese.
In addition, one would realize that GHK’s anti-government complaints rarely present accurate, verifiable and valid evidence that facilitates rigorous scrutiny. Frequently focused on generating indifference and divisiveness, his denunciations regularly run counter to the policy initiatives and actions undertaken by the Government to establish an enduring unity and safety of Guyana’s multicultural, multiethnic population – especially in the face of recurring threats from Venezuela.
Take, for example, GHK’s recent article entitled “Preferential treatment
for America, but what about Guyana?” (3/29/25). In it, he questioned whether President Ali handed “the whole of Guyana over to the USA, while affixing the cool label of “different and preferential treatment” to it?” Apparently unsure, GHK asked again whether “President Ali and the PPP Government [outdid] its rival by giving away all of Guyana.” As if by some sort of epiphany, he then said, “Thanks to Pres. Ali and the PPP Government, Guyana has just reentered the province of a bona fide slave state… It’s over. Guyana has surrendered its right to be a country controlling its own destiny.”
Perhaps GHK fancies himself a clairvoyant, an expert on “bona fide slave states”, and an adept psychoanalyst of Ali’s thoughts and behaviours. Yet, he struggled to meaningfully phrase his questions, and thereafter proceeded to answer them without providing an iota of valid evidence to support his ludicrous claims. How’s that for anti-government propaganda?
The acuity with which President Ali demonstrated concern about Guyana’s na-
tional security should not be overlooked or underplayed. And that he sought to formalise protectional security arrangements with the US indicates pragmatism and astuteness; especially since Guyana, with less than a million citizens, is known to be incapable and inadequately equipped to defend itself against such aggressors as Venezuela’s Maduro.
Instead of attacking President Ali, GHK could have benefitted from being self-informed on the Paraguayan War of 1864-1870, chronicled by Leslie Bethell and mentioned by the Brazilian novelist Machado de Assis in his book “Philosopher or Dog.” As history indicates, then Paraguayan dictator Franco Solano Lopez sought to expand his economic and military power, and increase his influence over the region. Bethell explains that “The Paraguayan War (1864-70) began formally with declarations of war by Paraguay’s dictator Francisco Solano Lopez, first on the Empire of Brazil in December 1864, then on the Argentine Republic in March 1865, followed by invasions of their territories. With the
signing of a Treaty of Triple Alliance (May 1865), it became a war waged by Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay for the destruction of Paraguay. The Paraguayan War, or War of the Triple Alliance, was the longest and bloodiest inter-state war in the history of Latin America.”
This brings us to the question of who would support Guyana against the expansionist threats of the erratic Maduro. To this question GHK fails to provide an answer, except to question “What is Guyana getting in return, other than a Big Brother to stand for it against Venezuelan hostility?” Wow! Such pathetic exemplification of myopia and warped understanding of today’s geopolitics, international relations, and hemispheric alliances.
Interestingly, nowhere in his article did GHK present his solution in regard to preserving Guyana’s national security. Nor did he produce or cite any valid evidence to substantiate his claim that Ali ‘gave away Guyana’ to America.
Perhaps GHK could have availed himself of gaslighting by apprehending these mem-
orable words of poet John Donne: “No man is an island, Entire of itself, Every man is a piece of the continent, A part of the main,” - words that so impressed the acclaimed author Ernest Hemmingway that he quoted them in his book, “For whom the Bell Tolls”, which focuses on the Spanish Civil War.
In sum, GHK’s article awakens us that: Daily within Guyana’s national borders dogs bark, donkeys bray, monkeys chatter, pigs grunt, horses neigh, roosters crow, owls hoot, snakes hiss etc. Could it be that these are illustrative of the varied anti-government din aimed at disrupting or rupturing the increasing harmony and unity unfolding among Guyanese of all ethnicities? Perhaps GHK and anti-government devotees could learn from George Orwell’s novel, “Animal Farm” - a story in which Napolean the pig led the farm animals in a revolt, only to become a totalitarian dictator after overthrowing farmer Jones, the animals’ human master. One wonders!
Regards, Narayan Persaud, PhD Professor Emeritus
Vehicles used to block the entrance to the Mohameds’ Houston residence to prevent GRA from entering
The
National
Grade Six Assessment (NGSA) exams are scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 and Thursday, April 17; here are some tips to make sure you make the best of the exams.
Although, the best way to ensure that you’ll get the grade you want is to understand the material thoroughly, good test-taking skills can help make the difference between a top grade and an average one. They can also help reduce stress and relieve test-taking anxiety.
The tips for test taking below are divided into two categories: six things you can do to prepare for your exam and seven things you should do once the test begins. We hope these test-taking tips will help you succeed!
Here are the six best things you can do, beside cultivating good study habits, to make sure you are prepared for your test.
It might seem like a good idea to spend hours memorising the material you need the night before the test.
In fact, cramming for a test is highly counterproductive. Not only are you less likely to retain the information you need, cramming also increases stress, negatively impacts sleep, and decreases your overall preparedness.
So avoid the temptation to stay up late reviewing your notes. Last-minute cramming is far less likely to improve your grade than getting a good night’s sleep.
2. Gather materials the night before
Before going to bed (early, so you get a good night’s sleep), gather everything you need for the test and have it ready to go.
Having everything ready the night before will help you feel more confident and will minimise stress on the morning of the test. And it will give you a few extra minutes to sleep and eat a healthy breakfast.
feeling full without making you feel sluggish. Whole wheat cereal or bread or tennis rolls, eggs, oatmeal, fruits, and nuts may be great choices (depending on your personal dietary needs and preferences). It’s best to avoid foods that are high in sugar, as they can give you a rush of energy that will wear off quickly, leaving you feeling tired.
And don’t forget to drink plenty of water. If possible, bring a bottle of water with you on test day.
5. Arrive early
Arriving early for a test can help decrease stress. And it allows you to get into a positive state of mind before the test starts.
Take your seat as soon as possible. Organise your materials so they are readily available when you need them. Make sure you are physically comfortable (as much as possible).
3. Get a good night’s sleep
And speaking of sleep…showing up to your test well-rested is one of the best things you can do to succeed on test day.
Why should you make sleep a priority? A good night’s sleep will help you think more clearly during the test. It will also make it easier to cope with test-taking stress and anxiety. Moreover, excellent sleep habits have been shown to consolidate memory and improve academic performance, as well as reduce the risk of depression and other mental health disorders.
4. Eat a healthy breakfast
Like sleeping, eating is an important part of self-care and test-taking preparation. After all, it’s hard to think clearly if your stomach is grumbling.
As tough as it can be to eat when you’re nervous or rushing out the door, plan time in your morning on test day to eat a healthy breakfast.
A mix of complex carbohydrates and healthy protein will keep you
By settling in early, you are giving yourself time to get organised, relaxed, and mentally ready for the test to begin. Maximising the time you have in the test classroom – even if it’s just a couple of minutes –can help you feel more comfortable, settled, and focused before the test begins.
6. Develop positive rituals Don’t underestimate the importance of confidence and a positive mindset in test
Positive rituals can help combat negative thinking, test anxiety, and lack of focus that can easily undermine your success on test day. Plan some extra time to go for a short walk or listen to your favourite music. Engage in simple breathing exercises. Visualise yourself succeeding on the test.
Your rituals can be totally unique to you. The important thing is having a calming habit that will boost your confidence, attitude, and concentration when the test begins.
Test-taking tips for success
You have gotten a good night’s sleep, eaten a healthy breakfast, arrived early, and done your positive test-day ritual. You are ready to start the test!
Different types of tests require different test-taking strategies. You may not want to approach a Maths test the same way you would an essay test, for example. And some computerised tests require you to work through the test in a specific way.
However, there are some general test-taking strategies that will improve your chances of getting the grade you want.
1. Listen to the Instructions
Once the test is front of you, it’s tempting to block everything out so you can get started right away.
Doing so, however, could cause you to miss out on critical information about the test itself.
The teacher or proctor may offer details about the structure of the test, time limitations, grading techniques, or other items that could
impact your approach. They may also point out steps that you are likely to miss or other tips to help improve your chances of success.
So be sure to pay close attention to their instructions before you get started.
2. Read the entire test
If possible, look over the entire test quickly before you get started. Doing so will help you understand the structure of the test and identify areas that may need more or less time.
Once you read over the test, you can plan out how you want to approach each section of the test to ensure that you can complete the entire test within the allotted time.
3. Do a “brain dump”
For certain types of tests, remembering facts, data, or formulas is key. For these tests, it can be helpful to take a few minutes to write down all the information you need on a scrap paper before you get started.
Putting that important information on paper can relieve stress and help you focus on the test questions without worrying about your ability to recall the facts.
4. Answer the questions you know first
When possible, especially for multiple-choice tests, do a first pass through the test to answer the “easy” questions or the ones you know right away. When you come to a question that you can’t answer (relatively) quickly, skip it on this first pass.
Don’t rush through this first pass, but do be mindful of time – you’ll want to leave yourself enough time to go back and answer the questions you skipped.
*It’s important to remember that this technique is not possible on some tests. Essay-type and sequential tests do not allow you to skip questions and return to them later. On these types of tests, you will need to work through each problem in order instead of skipping around.
5. Answer the questions you skipped
Once you’ve done a first pass, you now have to go back and answer the questions you skipped.
In the best-case scenario, you might find some of these questions aren’t as challenging as you thought at first. Your mind is warmed up and you are fully engaged and focused at this point in the test. And answering the questions you know easily may have reminded you of the details you need for these questions.
Of course you may still struggle with some of the questions, and that’s okay. Hopefully doing a first pass somewhat quickly allows you to take your time with the more-challenging questions.
6. Be sure the test is complete
Once you think you’ve answered all the questions, double check to make sure you didn’t miss any. Check for additional questions on the back of the paper, for instance, or other places that you might have missed or not noticed during your initial read-through.
A common question is whether you should skip questions that you can’t answer. It’s not possible to answer that question in a general sense: it depends on the specific test and the test rules. It may also depend on the value of each individual question.
But, for the NGSA, it is better to put something down than nothing.
7. Check your work
Finally, if you have time left, go back through the test and check your answers.
Read over short answer and essay questions to check for typos, points you may have missed, or better ways to phrase your answers. If there were multiple components to the question, make sure you answered all of them. Double check your answers on Maths questions in case you made a small error that impacts the final answer. You don’t want to overthink answers, but a doublecheck can help you find – and correct – obvious mistakes.
Ways to Cope with test-taking anxiety
Nearly every student gets nervous before a test at some point, especially if the exam is an important one. If you are lucky, your pre-test nervousness is mild and can be mitigated by these test-taking tips.
A mild case of nerves can even be somewhat beneficial (if uncomfortable); the surge of adrenaline at the root of a nervous feeling can keep you focused and energised.
For some students, however, test taking anxiety – a form of performance anxiety – can be debilitating and overwhelming. This level of anxiety can be extremely difficult to cope with.
However, there are a few things you can do before and during a test to help cope with more severe stress and anxiety:
Take a meditation or sitting stretch break
Take a minute or two before or even during a test to focus on your breathing, relax tense muscles, do a quick positive visualisation, or stretch your limbs. The calming effect can be beneficial and worth a few minutes of test time.
Replace negative thoughts with positive ones
Recognise when your brain is caught in a cycle of negative thinking and turn negative thoughts into positive ones. For example, when you catch yourself saying “I’m going to fail”, force yourself to say “I’m going to succeed” instead.
Caricom Chair urges region to connect with other trade partners on US tariffs' issue
– Warns of impact on businesses
Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of the Caricom, Mia Mottley has issued a stark warning to the region: the world is on the brink of a global trade war, and the Caribbean will not be spared.
In a sweeping and impassioned statement issued on Friday, Mottley urged Caricom Member States to brace for the economic impact of rising US tariffs—particularly those on Chinese-made goods—and to urgently diversify trade relationships, increase local production, and protect vulnerable sectors like tourism.
“This trade war… will mean higher prices for all of us at the corner shop, higher prices at the supermarket, higher prices at the restaurant,” Mottley said.
“My brothers and sisters, our Caribbean economies are not very large. So, we are, and have always been, at the whims of global prices. If Europe and China, and the US (United States) and Canada, and Mexico are all putting tariffs on each other, that is going to disrupt supply chains, that is going to raise the cost of producing everything, from the food you eat, to the clothes on your back, to the phone in your pocket, to the car you drive down the road, to the spare parts that you need for critical infrastructure. That means higher prices for all of us to pay, and sadly, yes, this will impact all of us, regardless of what any of our Caribbean Governments will do. We could lower our tariffs to zero in Caricom, and it will not make a lick of difference, because our economies are small and vulnerable”.
The warning comes in response to a recent US policy announced by US President Donald Trump to impose Global Reciprocal Tariffs against a number of countries, on all goods that the US imports.
Additionally, the decision to impose tariffs ranging from $1 million to $1.5 million on Chinese-built ships entering American ports, is one of many mea-
sures seen as escalating tensions in global trade. Mottley emphasised that the fallout will be felt across supply chains: from food and clothing to electronics and automotive parts, most of which the region imports, often through or directly from the US.
Calling for regional solidarity, Mottley appealed to both public and private sectors to “put any divisions aside” and work in unison to bolster domestic and regional production. She referenced the Caricom “25 by 2025” food security initiative, led by Guyana’s President Irfaan Ali, as a vital starting point, but suggested the region may now need to go even further.
“Buy local and buy regional,” she urged Caribbean consumers and businesses. “The products are better, fresher and more competitive in many instances… Together with colleague Heads of State and Heads of Government, we have been working to diversify ourselves away from this dependence. We’ve already started to reap some successes, especially in the field of agriculture, for example, but we still have a long way to go. As we do this work, we have to be mindful that those recent announcements that have been made in the last few days will impact us very directly as a Region and as a Caribbean people”.
While reaffirming the historic and familial ties between the Caribbean and the US, Mottley called on Washington to remember that Caricom economies are too small to distort global trade.
“To President Trump, I say simply: our economies are not doing your economy any harm in any way. We are your friends. Let us talk, and let us work together to keep prices down for all of our people.”
Regional Assessment
Caribbean countries are assessing the potential economic fallout from new US tariffs announced by President Donald Trump this week, with several Governments indicating plans to open talks with Washington in hopes of easing the impact.
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister Stuart Young vowed to negotiate responsibly, and Foreign Minister, Dr Amery Browne, warned of potential negative effects on smaller nations.
In Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne highlighted an existing reciprocal 10 per cent tariff agreement with the US Meanwhile, Barbados' Finance Minister Ryan Straughn urged regional producers to adapt through innovation, investment, and increased intra-Caricom trade, emphasising the role of the Common External Tariff in safeguarding regional interests.
Guyana’s Government is in discussions with US officials, calling the tariff “reciprocal” and expressing hope for resolution.
In fact, amidst unease over the US’s recent imposition of a 38 per cent reciprocal tariff on products from Guyana, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has assured of Government’s commitment to engaging the US Administration on this issue, urging local exporters not to panic.
Based on an Annex to the Executive Order signed by President Trump, instituting various percentages of tariffs for countries around the world, petroleum crude, aluminium ore and gold are exempted.
According to the Vice President, these are the highest exports to the US, with figures from 2024 showing that crude export totalled US$3.1 billion, aluminium US$36.9 million and gold US$16.6 million.
Other major exports to the North American country are fish at US$19 million, molasses, sugar and honey
at US$8.7 million, alcoholic beverages at US$6.5 million, measuring/checking instruments at US$5 million, and fish at US$3.1 million.
Room for discussion
Against this backdrop, the Vice President believes that there is room to work with the US Government on the reciprocal tariff that is slated to be instituted on Guyanese products from April 9, 2025.
“From what we looked at and all we have read, it seems as though all of the countries that have higher reciprocal tariffs, are countries exporting more to the US than they are importing,” he explained.
However, Jagdeo pointed out that the UN Comtrade reports, which are submitted by each country, show there are discrepancies between the US figures versus the Guyana figures.
“Clearly, there is room for us to work with the US
partners to clarify this information… We want to point out to the United States of America, because we have good import data, that we are importing much more from the [US] than what is reported by the US to the UN Comtrade system,” Jagdeo said.
The Vice President noted that a revision of these figures could lead to a “significant reduction” in the trade surplus. This could potentially see a reduction on the 38 per cent tariff instituted on Guyana’s exports to the
US.
Moreover, another negotiating factor to be used is the fact that Guyana’s largest export, crude, is being produced by two US oil majors, ExxonMobil and Hess Corporation, which are operating in the oil-rich Stabroek Block, offshore.
“Our trade surplus is largely because of our export of oil in the last four years… So, we can clearly make that case… I think there is still room to discuss a lot of these issues with the United States,” the VP had stated.
US President Donald Trump as he announced the tariff measures
Prime Minister of Barbados and Chair of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), Mia Mottley,
880 rounds of ammo found at Buxton home during domestic violence investigation
While responding to a domestic violence report, police discovered some 880 rounds of .22 ammunition at a house in Buxton Library Road, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The discovery was made on Friday during a search of the home of a 26-yearold security officer, who was not present at the time.
Upon arrival, police reports stated that officers met with the suspect’s wife, a 22-year-old security officer. She informed police that her husband was not home and could not be reached.
Based on gathered information, the officers proceeded with a search and found two small bottles containing the .22 rounds.
The ammunition was seized and transported to the Vigilance Police Station, where it was processed for latent prints in the presence of the suspect’s wife.
A total of 880 rounds were counted and photographed for evidence. Statements were also taken from the suspect’s wife, and further checks to locate the suspect in the area were unsuccessful.
Investigations are ongoing, as police continue to probe the origin of the am-
munition and whether it is linked to any firearms.
War break…
…on trade and space
Your Eyewitness has stocked up on popcorn as the reaction to Pres Trump’s “Liberation Day” on tariffs kicked in – and some countries at the receiving end kicked back!!! Ooooh! This is gonna be fun!! Now, some may ask, “How about that 38% tariff on our exports to the States??” But hey…since petroleum, gold and bauxite are exempted, the US ain’t really doing this to collect revenue –like we do on all the taxes we slap on cars, or to slap us into line (Mad Maduro has already done that!!), or to preserve a local industry. So, our Government should straighten things pretty quickly!! We already have a paid lobbyist, don’t we?? But, as your Eyewitness has already announced, he doesn’t mind that 38% being slapped on “whiskered fish” – Gillbacker – and “crustaceans” – shrimp. Right now, with most of the better catch going to Stateside, your Eyewitness pretty much has to hock his heirlooms to eat those treats!! Let’s see how those Guyanese in foreign gonna deal with Gillbacker at US$25 per pound!! So, all in all, we’re small potatoes, and we’ll work it out.
Your Eyewitness is more interested in how not only China – enemy #1 to the US – but friends like UK, Germany, Canada, Mexico and EU gonna be reacting!! On the latter, Trump’s hitting them in their pocketbooks – which is where it hurts the most!! And not only that…they must now find money to defend themselves against the Big, Bad Russian Bear, whom they’re convinced is champing at the bit now that Ukraine’s almost in its pockets!! Trump clearly thinks they’re paranoid – but that doesn’t give them much comfort, seeing that THEY think Trump and Putin have a smokin’ bromance going on!!
The other bone of contention, of course, is that while the Europeans see Trump playing fast and loose with their “security” vis-a- vis Ukraine, they haven’t digested that a friend would want to expropriate such a big piece of real estate like the entire Greenland – from Denmark!! Yes, Denmark – where a founding figure of the western gestalt – Hamlet – pondered the existential question: “To be or not to be”!!
To Europeans, “Something isn’t right in the state of the USA”!!
So, on to what the Chinese response is gonna be –apart from the 34% reciprocal tariff they slapped on Trump’s reciprocal tariff!! It’s a supreme irony that, twenty-five years after the US and China had signed a landmark agreement on China's accession to the WTO, the latter has gone to that body to lay charges against the former for violating the rules of the game!! But then it was the same US that built up China to be the superpower it now is, innit?? Ouch!!
…infiltration??
We had three hundred years of colonisation by the West – never mind Gabriel Marquez’s “One hundred years of solitude”!! We were never cut off from the tentacles of Western power through the myriad forms assumed – art, culture, language, politics, economics, and so on. But, in all those years, we in the south were never “settler colonies”. The bottom line is that the British, for example, would dally here for a while and crack their whips – but in the end return to Old Blighty to end their days.
Even when the Americans took over from the Brits –after installing Burnham in power – they never descended on us like the proverbial swarm of locusts. They even built our first airport – where CJIA now stands – and stationed troops during WWII, but they got out before Sparrow could sing ‘Jean and Dina’!! Well, there’s a new coloniser in town – the Chinese. Unlike the West, they send in their citizens to actually settle here. Supermarkets at every corner!!
How’d we deal with settler colonialism??
…with subventions
Government just announced an increase in subventions to NDCs amounting to $30 million. With the VP also just pointing out how these councillors have become overbearing little Caesars, shouldn’t there be some stronger oversight mechanisms implemented??
The ammunition that was found by police
Court of Appeal reduces life sentence to 25 years for Berbice man convicted of raping elderly woman
A42-year-old man, Marino Corbis, who was convicted for raping a 69-year-old woman during a brutal home invasion in Berbice in 2016, has had his life sentence reduced to 25 years by the Court of Appeal.
While the appellate court upheld his conviction, it found the original sentence to be excessive given the circumstances.
Corbis, who had returned to Guyana in 2016 after residing in Antigua and Curaçao, was tried at
the Berbice High Court in early 2018. His trial, which lasted approximately two weeks, was presided over by Justice Sandil Kissoon and heard before a 12-member mixed jury. At the conclusion, Corbis was found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The offence was committed in the early hours of November 16, 2016. The victim, a woman who had known Corbis since he was a child and viewed him almost as a son, testified to enduring a horrific 30-minute ordeal.
According to her testimony, Corbis forcefully entered her home during the night and raped her at knifepoint.
Throughout the trial, Corbis denied committing the crime. He maintained that he was at home at the time of the incident. However, his defence did not formally pursue an alibi defence, nor were any witnesses called to corroborate his claim.
In his appeal, Corbis challenged both the conviction and the sentence. He argued that the trial judge’s
directions to the jury were unbalanced and unfair, contending that the summation leaned heavily in favour of the prosecution’s case while neglecting to properly outline the deficiencies in the evidence and the defence’s arguments. He also maintained that the life sentence imposed was unduly harsh.
The matter was reviewed by a panel of three appellate judges: Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, and Justices of Appeal Dawn Gregory and Rishi Persaud. The ruling was handed down on Wednesday.
In delivering the decision, the appellate court found that the trial judge had adequately addressed the key issue of identification. Chancellor CummingsEdwards pointed out that the complainant was well-acquainted with Corbis, having known him from infancy, and that her identification of him during the prolonged attack was not based on a fleeting or uncertain sighting. However, the appellate panel did note that some aspects of the trial judge’s summation could have been more balanced. Specifically, the court acknowledged that the summation appeared to place more weight on the prosecution’s case without giving equal consideration to the weaknesses in the evidence presented. Among the concerns raised were the lack of forensic evidence linking Corbis to the crime, and the fact that no fingerprints were collected by investigators from the crime scene.
Despite these concerns, the Court of Appeal concluded that the evidence presented during the trial was strong enough that the jury would likely have arrived at the same verdict regardless. “It is clear the jury would have arrived at the same verdict,” the court ruled.
In relation to the sentence, the appellate judges agreed with the appellant that a life sentence was excessive under the circumstances. Referring to regional sentencing standards and recent decisions by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), the court underscored the need for proportionality and consistency in sentencing, even in cases involving grave offences such as sexual violence.
While the panel noted several aggravating factors, including the severity of the offence, the use of a weapon, the emotional and physical trauma inflicted on the elderly victim, and the significant breach of trust, they held that a term of 25 years’ imprisonment would be a more appropriate punishment.
As a result, the court ordered that Corbis serve 25 years behind bars, with credit to be given for the time he has already spent in custody, both before and after his trial.
Marino Corbis
Protecting the market from greed
WEnergy security essential for developing digital solutions, cutting edge tech – Pres Ali
– says technological progress is stalled without energy security
With our newfound wealth, occasioned by the oil-find off our Atlantic coast, fuelling our rapid development, we should take heed of Fredrick Douglas’s pithy observation: that crops can never be produced without first breaking apart the earth. He was reminding us that very few, if any, improvement in the collective human condition ever arrives without breakdowns, upheavals and struggle. With the benefit of hindsight, we should appreciate that while the capitalist free enterprise system which we have adopted as our “engine of growth” has delivered undreamed-of wealth and improvements in living conditions, debilitating by-products such as the exploitation of others and the ravaging of the social and physical environments were also unleashed.
While its early analyst Adam Smith identified “self-interest” as the “invisible hand” for the success of the free market system, most ignore that he had earlier clearly defined selfinterest not as selfishness or greed, as some would have it, but as a moral sentiment to earn that ultimately seeks to earn favour with others in society. Entrepreneurs provide goods and services that others need.
It is a subtle point that bears development at this time, when we are witnessing in the developed nations that serve as our model the unleashing of untempered greed which might bring down the whole edifice. But we cannot ignore the reality that, even here, our methods of socialisation keep on throwing up individuals who are only driven by their id and greed. As Madison noted, not long after Smith, in an analogous context (politics): “If men were angels, we would not need governments.” In addition to the demons of the id, we recognise also that none of the institutions that we design around our values would ever work perfectly (hence imperfect socialisations, to begin with), so macro-institutions must be created to deal with these exigencies. In matters economic, from early in the day, markets have been regulated so as to mitigate the inevitable excesses precipitated by greed and “imperfect markets”.
Part of the problem is that there has been a stubborn insistence in some quarters that Adam Smith’s “invisible hand” means “no hand” in the workings of the much-abused term “free markets”. But they speak from both sides of their mouths. Take, for instance, the creation and issuance of money, which is regarded as the sine qua non for the creation of markets in the modern sense of the term. These have been regulated, by definition, from the earliest days, either by the institutions that issued them in the first place, or later by governments. One can’t very well have everyone creating money and expect markets to function. The problem is that those who ritually invoke the ethereal “free market” do so only when the regulation in question hinders their efforts to make excess profits over what other regulations allow them to make in the first place. Take banking, for instance. Government regulations the world over allow banks to create money out of thin air by a multiple over and above the amount that is deposited. Thus, they make money coming and going – once by paying lower interests to depositors than borrowers, and then by lending the excess money created through the magic of regulation. Today there is talk of “modernization” to mean further deregulation in Guyana. But let us heed the experience from up north, when they were allowed to invest depositors’ money and securitized mortgages in speculative vehicles, which when they went bust, had to be bailed out by the state. In a perfect demonstration of the workings of the id-greed imperative, bankers expected profits to be privatised but losses socialised.
Karl Marx’s early critique of Capitalism (“Das Kapital” 1867) was remarkable for its prescience in highlighting several of its inherent contradictions, but the attempts to institutionalise his insights failed miserably in our own lifetime. It would appear that, ironically, Marx was too idealistic about man and his greed. To paraphrase Churchill’s aphorism about democracy, capitalism/free enterprise is evidently the worst type of economic system – excepting for all others that have been tried and failed. We cannot give up on socialising ourselves into becoming more sensitive and responsive to the overall societal good – if for nothing else than that society is simply a collection of us, the individuals.
But in the meantime, we must insist that the government get back to regulating the institutions of the market that will always be prone to subversion through greed.
ith Guyana currently aggressively expanding its digital support systems at every level, President Dr Irfaan Ali has asserted that the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government’s work to ensure energy security is a critical component of this vision.
President Ali recently made a feature address at the Spring 2025 Berkeley Innovation Forum in California. While there, the President spoke of how energy security and technological innovation are both deeply connected.
“Advancements in technology are needed to drive the development of more efficient, sustainable energy solutions. Energy supply is essential for powering innovation, enabling industries to develop cutting edge technology like artificial intelligence (AI), automation and digital infrastructure. Without energy security, technological
progress stalls.”
The President, who used the opportunity to tour tech companies from Silicon Valley, warned that without innovation, sustainable energy solutions cannot be reached. He quoted the words of former United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, who spoke of the importance of energy.
“Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon once said, and I quote: ‘Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, social equity and the environmental sustainability’,” President Ali said.
“At this time, the consequences of future development of AI are not fully clear, but I believe, that we should adopt a positive approach to AI, and look at the possibilities of AI directed to the public good.”
Energy projects
The PPP/C Administration’s flagship
President Dr Irfaan Ali
Guyana to Energy (GtE) Initiative is divided into five components: the pipeline from offshore production activities to Wales, the construction of the power plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) facilities, the transmission main to move power generated at the plant, a new control centre at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD), and the upgrading of the national power grid.
Upon completion, the project is expected to substantially lower electricity generation costs, enabling Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL) to reduce tariffs by up to 50 per cent. This reduction has significant implications for the Guyanese economy, fostering more competitive production costs and stimulating broader economic growth.
Ravi Dev
Homeless man sentenced to two years in prison for simple larceny
A47-year-old homeless man, Eon Paul was sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to simple larceny.
Paul appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, where he admitted to the crime.
The incident occurred on March 26, at Hogg Street, Albouystown, Georgetown.
Paul was found to have stolen two Toyota Harrier mirrors, valued at $141,360, from Caroline Hicks. In court, he explained that his motive for the theft was to raise money for his birth certificate and identification to qualify for a $100,000 cash grant.
Eon Paul
He insisted that this was his first offence and admitted to taking the mirrors after noticing them on a parked vehicle. Paul later discarded the stolen items in a nearby bin after noticing they were marked. “I throw it in the bin
cause once it’s marked, it’s no good,” he told the court.
Although Hicks was absent from court, her husband testified that on the day of the theft, he had parked the vehicle on Independence Boulevard around 7:00h and went home to prepare for work. When he returned at 9:00h to take the car to the wash, he noticed that the side mirrors were open and discovered they were missing.
He contacted a local businessman and requested video footage, which showed a man matching Paul’s description removing the mirrors.
In the prosecution’s statement, it was revealed that Paul had a prior criminal history. He was granted bail
in 2010 for a charge of breaking and entering, and had also been remanded in 2018 for simple larceny. In light of this, Magistrate McGusty sentenced Paul to two years of imprisonment.
Paul was previously charged with the theft of insulation wires belonging to the Guyana Post Office Corporation (GPOC) in 2018.
On April 15 of that year, Paul allegedly stole three insulation wires, valued at $75,000, from Robb Street, Georgetown. Although he pleaded not guilty, the court, considering his status as a homeless individual and the nature of the offence, denied him bail at the time. He was later released from custody.
Surinamese authorities rescue four
Guyanese
fishermen after ordeal at sea
The Maritime Authority of Suriname (MAS) saved four Guyanese fishermen who had been adrift for more than 12 hours, after their vessel sank off the Surinamese coast.
The incident occurred earlier this week when the fishing boat encountered structural issues, leading to its submersion. According to Surinamese officials, the fishermen’s ordeal began when a plank on their vessel gave way, causing water to flood in rapidly. The crew clung to an icebox throughout the night to stay afloat. It wasn’t until 07:55h the following morning that MAS received an emergency call and promptly initiated a res-
World Health Day 2025: "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures" — Its Connection to the Environment
Every year on April 7, we celebrate World Health Day. This year, the day is observed under the theme “Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures.”
World Health Day, celebrated annually on April 7th, serves as a global call to action for health awareness, urging individuals and governments alike to reflect on the most pressing health issues affecting the world today. This year’s theme underscores the importance of early-life health and its profound impact on long-term well-being while also highlighting the role of environmental factors in shaping these outcomes. The connection between healthy beginnings and the environment is not just crucial—it is fundamental to ensuring a hopeful, sustainable future for generations to come.
Healthy Beginnings: The Foundation of Life
The theme "Healthy Beginnings" draws attention to the critical early stages of life, starting from conception through infancy, childhood, and adolescence.
cue operation, deploying the lead boat, Waraku, with the Coast Guard on standby.
The fishermen were found approximately one nautical mile from the coast, suffering from hypothermia and exhaustion, but were otherwise out of danger.
Upon arrival in Paramaribo, they received immediate medical attention, food, and drink to aid their recovery. The vessel’s owner has been summoned for further investigation, and authorities are assessing the feasibility of salvaging the sunken boat.
MAS and the Coast Guard have urged fishermen to conduct thorough inspections of their vessels before departure to prevent such incidents.
This recent event underscores the persistent dangers faced by Guyanese fishermen. In February of this year, 23-year-old Sanjay Khan from Crabwood Creek, Corentyne, Berbice, went missing after reportedly falling overboard while hauling in fish. The seine hook allegedly caught his foot, pulling him into the water. Despite search efforts, Khan has not been found, leaving his family desperate for answers.
In November 2023, four fishermen, Hazrat Razack, Cicil Persaud, Vickram Singh, and Worrin Yip-sam, departed to assist a distressed vessel but never returned. Their boat was later found abandoned in shark-infested waters, intensifying concerns about their fate. Families continue to seek closure as search efforts have been unfruitful.
Similarly, in August 2023, fishermen Keston Fordyce and Lincoln Culley were lost at sea for four days after their boat encountered difficulties. They survived by clinging to debris and were eventually rescued, recounting harrowing experiences that have deterred them from returning to the sea, despite two decades of experience.
During these formative years, the body and mind undergo rapid development, and establishing a strong foundation for health during this period can have lasting positive effects on an individual's future well-being. A healthy beginning, however, doesn’t just focus on personal health—it must also encompass the environment in which children are raised. Factors such as clean air, safe drinking water, access to green spaces, and the quality of the built environment (homes, schools, and communities) play a major role in supporting physical and mental health during early development. When environmental conditions are compromised by pollution or climate change, it directly affects the health of children, hindering their ability to develop optimally.
Environmental Factors and Early Childhood Health
The environment and the physical surroundings in which children grow up can significantly influence their health from birth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), air pollution causes around 7 million premature deaths annually, and a large proportion of those affected are young children. The quality of the built environment also plays a critical role. Children who grow up in overcrowded, poorly designed urban spaces with limited access to nature and green areas face higher risks of developing mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and attention disorders.
Urban areas with limited green spaces or safe places to play not only restrict physical activity but also reduce opportunities for social interaction and stress relief—both essential for healthy childhood development.
In addition, climate change poses a growing risk to children’s health, especially in developing countries. Extreme weather events, rising temperatures, and changing disease patterns contribute to malnutrition, waterborne diseases, and other health complications. The consequences of climate change are already being felt in vulnerable communities, directly impacting the health outcomes of children born into such environments.
Hopeful Futures: The Role of Sustainable Solutions
While the challenges posed by the environment on earlylife health are significant, the theme "Hopeful Futures" emphasizes the possibility of positive change. By taking action to protect and improve the environment, we can ensure that future generations grow up in healthier, more sustainable conditions. Some of the key actions include:
• Promoting clean energy and reducing pollution
• Investing in green spaces and sustainable infrastructure
• Ensuring access to safe water and sanitation
• Combating climate change
World Health Day 2025's theme, "Healthy Beginnings, Hopeful Futures," emphasizes the critical importance of a healthy start to life and the role of the environment in shaping that health. Ensuring that children are raised in environments that promote well-being—free from pollution, with access to clean air and water, and surrounded by green spaces—creates the foundation for healthier generations to come.
By taking immediate action to address environmental challenges, we can guarantee a hopeful future for all, where every child has the opportunity to grow up healthy and thrive.
You can share your ideas and questions by sending letters to: “Our Earth, Our Environment”, C/O Communications Department, Environmental Protection Agency, Ganges Street, Sophia, GEORGETOWN, or email us at: communications@epaguyana.org. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram and subscribe to our YouTube channel.
The fishermen who were rescued by MAS (Image (c) Public relations Coast Guard of Suriname)
Over 12,000 women screened for cervical cancer in 2024 – as
Guyana accelerates national elimination plan
The Ministry of Health has made significant strides in its fight against cervical cancer, screening more than 12,400 women in the latter half of 2024, as part of a national plan aligned with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.
The Ministry’s screening initiative, launched in mid-2024 is focused on identifying high-risk strains of the Human papillomavirus (HPV), especially types 16 and 18, to detect women at higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
With cervical cancer steadily rising in Guyana and remaining one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths among women, Director of the Ministry’s Chronic Disease Unit, Dr Lachmie Lall explained that the urgency to detect and treat it early has never been more pressing.
“We did an analysis of our population and roughly about 211,000 women between the ages of 21 to 65 are eligible for an HPV test”.
“So apart from having
the test, the test is the first step in screening for cervical cancer. And we want every woman between the age of 21 to 65 to get this test. Once that is done, based on the results that we see, if it's positive, we then go on to do a vaginal examination to see if there are changes at the level of the amount of the cervix. If there are no changes, then we encourage the women to get tested again in about two to five years. For those women who are positive and do see changes on the cervix, right there we can discuss what her options are, which usually would be cryotherapy, where we freeze the cells at the level of cervix, and we excise those, we take them out,” the Director said.
According to Dr Lall, the response from the public has been encouraging, with many women showing up for testing, especially towards the end of the year. As a result, the Ministry has extended the programme into 2025, aiming to reach more women and improve understanding of HPV prevalence and cervical cancer risk.
Director of the Chronic Disease Unit, Dr Lachmie Lall
To expand access, the Ministry has increased the number of labs providing HPV tests from five to eight, and continued its voucher programme, which subsidises the test at a cost of $8,000, through both public and private healthcare providers.
“We just want to let the public know that even though you might see a voucher with a date from last year, once you have that voucher and you did not use up that voucher, it is still valid for this year.
at $8,000”.
“What they will do is do a simple vaginal examination with the use of a speculum. And it's a cotton swab that's inserted into the vagina. They take a simple sample from around the mouth of the cervix. It does not involve any kind of pinching, no insertions of needles, nothing like that. Very simple procedure. Very painfree procedure as well. So I don't think women have anything to fear,” she explained.
You can still go to any of the facilities listed on the back, and you can get your HPV test done. Yes, and I know that this voucher is valued
This nationwide screening effort is part of Guyana’s broader strategy to meet WHO’s 2030 cervical cancer elimination targets, which include ensuring that 90 per cent of young girls are vac-
cinated against HPV by age 15, 70 per cent of women are screened with a high-performance test by age 35 and again by 45, and 90 per cent of women with precancerous or cancerous lesions are receiving appropriate treat
ment.
In the Americas, cervical cancer claims nearly 38,000 women each year, with mortality rates in Latin America and the Caribbean four times higher than in the United States (US) and Canada. By bolstering its screening and vaccination programmes, Guyana is taking a firm step toward reversing this trend and ensuring a healthier future for its women.
Sixty junior non-commissioned officers to receive JLC training
Some sixty Junior NonCommissioned Officers (JNCOs) have embarked on the much-anticipated Junior Leaders Course (JLC) 2025-01. This Programme is set to span 12 weeks, and is designed to refine their leadership abilities and enhance their operational effectiveness.
This meticulously structured course aims to develop the ranks into skilled and capable junior leaders, equipping them with both theoretical knowledge and practical expertise to administer a section, squad or equivalent in peacetime or limited warfare.
rience.
Lieutenant Colonel, Loring Benons, delivered the
feature address, emphasising the crucial role of leadership, discipline, and resilience
in shaping competent military professionals.
GDF strengthens defence ties during Curaçao visit
Ting abilities, and foster adaptability in high-pressure situations.
Throughout the course, students will be immersed in a comprehensive curriculum that covers key military disciplines, including Leadership, Drills, Skill-at-Arms, Map Reading and Navigation, Minor Tactics, Physical Training, Military Law, Military Ethics, Signals, Field Craft, Artillery Weapons, Basic Drone Operation, and Administration.
These subjects are carefully designed to build confidence, enhance decision-mak-
Training for this course will take place at both the Colonel John Clarke Military School (CJCMS), Tacama. and the Colonel Robert Mitchell Jungle and Amphibious Training School, in Makouria, ensuring a dynamic and challenging learning environment.
As the course progresses, outstanding students will be recognised for exceptional performance with prestigious awards, including Best Graduating Student, Runnerup Best Graduating Student, Best Drill, Best Shot, and Best Fitness accolades.
These accolades serve as a testament to excellence, rewarding those who consistently demonstrate superior skill, determination, and leadership throughout the Programme.
The opening ceremony was held on April 1, 2025, at the CJCMS, marking the beginning of an intensive and transformative learning expe-
he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has successfully completed a three-day visit to Curaçao, which ultimately strengthened the GDF’s delegation, led by Colonel General Staff, Captain (Coast Guard) Vernon Burnett.
The visit, hosted by Rear Admiral Walter Hansen, Commander of the Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean (NLFORCARIB) and Director of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard (DCCG), aimed to strengthen defence ties and explore future cooperation.
The team, which included senior officers from the Coast Guard, Air Corps, and Planning Branch, engaged in briefings and discussions focused on shared security priorities, including territorial integrity, transnational crime, and disaster response.
ing training area, as well as a high-speed sailing exercise through the port of Willemstad.
Highlights of the visit included tours of Navy Base Parera, Her Netherlands Majesty's Ship (HNLMS) Pelikaan, DCCG aviation units, and the Western Atlantic Coastal Operations Area (WACAO) live-fir-
The visit reinforced a mutual commitment to regional stability and paved the way for continued collaboration through joint exercises, forums, and bilateral cooperation.
The sixty officers
GDF ranks alongside ranks of the Netherlands Forces in the Caribbean (NLFORCARIB)
“I would work as a doctor in the day and make bouquets in the night”
A10-year-old girl, who is aspiring to become a doctor has launched her own ribbon craft business. Deepika Latchman is a Grade 5 student at Kildonan Primary, who wants to become a medical doctor.
However, at her tender age Latchman is already seemingly a businesswoman, with her own business. The young lady makes artificial rose bouquets with ribbon, and sells on order.
Last Saturday, upon visiting, Latchman was busy making roses for a bouquet, which she had promised to have picked up the following Monday.
…aspiring doctor says as ribbon rose-making business blooms
“When I was about 9-years-old, I saw a video online of some one making ribbon ros es, and I was immediately hooked. I loved the idea of creating something beauti ful and delicate out of some thing as simple as ribbon,” she explained.
“I just tried to make it and I got inspired, but I
sion. I love the process of creating something unique and beautiful. I find it very She said she decided to
“I wanted to share my ers and make them accessible to everyone. I named my business "Radiant Roses By
where I will get my supplies, and also look to get the best price etc. But it was all worth it, because I'm doing something I love.”
Giving an insight into her business, Latchman disclosed that she chooses the colours and designs for the roses based on the occasion, or a colour combination.
“It takes me about 20 minutes to make one ribbon rose, depending on the complexity of the design...I'm always experimenting with new designs. I love trying new things and pushing myself creatively.”
She pointed out that her family, friends and teachers have been incredibly supportive of her business.
“They've helped me with everything – from marketing to packaging… The most exciting moment in my journey so far has been seeing my ribbon roses bouquet completed, and when I see someone message me to order… It was a dream come true.”
"I would work as a doctor
Deepika Latchman started her business, "Radiant Roses By Little Romina" with assistance from mum
GOAL scholar achieves doctorate, book award
– Ashwannie Harripersaud is the first and only teacher in the secondary classroom with a doctorate
Assistant Senior Mistress at the Canje Secondary School in New Amsterdam, Berbice, Dr Ashwannie Harripersaud earned her Doctorate in Education from Selinus University, based in Rome, Italy, earlier this year. She is currently the first and only teacher at the secondary level in that institution to hold a doctoral degree. Dr Harripersaud also holds a Master of Arts in English, which she obtained last year from Jain University in India, through the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme.
She has also published six books; one of which won the Blue Rose Book Award in 2024, and she has published nineteen full-length articles in international, scholarly refereed journals.
In 2023, Dr Ashwannie Harripersaud was granted the Global Award for Outstanding Scholarship. Last year, she was also named a recipient of the 25 Influential Women’s Award. Throughout her studies, Dr Harripersaud continued to serve as a full-time secondary school teacher of English and Mathematics.
also have my domestic obligations which most adult women have,” she told this publication. She pointed out that it was all achieved through hard work and sacrifice, which included many sleepless nights. "The lack of sleep, the perpetual grind, was it worth it?” she asked herself, and also expectedly gave the answer.
“To me it is all worth it, and I hope my fellow Guyanese think it is worth it as well.”
Despite many sleepless nights, Dr Harripersaud said in the evening, during her studies, she found the time to unwind from the day’s activities.
“Each night, I spend time feeding and chatting with my six babies. One German Shepherd, one Husky, and four Shepskies. Even when they howl their displeasure at me for being late with supper, they do so with such love that I relax,” she explained.
However, as unusual as it may seem, Dr Harripersaud started her doctoral studies immediately after the Masters, and completed it within a year.
“Several people have asked me about that, a few with some suspicion. It is
There are several elements to consider here. First the traditional Ph.D. programme has five requirements for students admitted with a master’s degree, and no or scant publication record”.
Outlining the five stages, she pointed out that the first is the doctoral or post-graduate courses.
“These are meant to fill the gaps in one’s area of specialisation and can be as many as ten. If there are no gaps, one may be exempt from courses. One year is saved,” she explained.
The second stage is where a foreign language is required and if the student is already certified as having a foreign language, then that requirement has been met and more time saved.
“Another stage is the comprehensive examination. This is a 9-hour exam on any and all aspects of your area of study, starting from the inception of that discipline. If you are reading for a doctorate in English, for example, you may be asked questions on anything written before the English alphabet (like the runic script), right
up to what was written in English that was published yesterday. It is formidable, which is why the Ph.D. candidate is given one year to read for this. However, if you have a formidable record of publication like I had, the university may exempt you from the comprehensive exam,” she added.
“The dissertation is the next step. This is mandatory, since your dissertation must be a new and significant addition to knowledge in the area under study.
One is given one to two years to complete this.”
The fifth step towards obtaining a doctorate is the defence of the dissertation, which is mandatory.
This, she explained, can be between one to three hours. “This amounts to about four years. Having completed all five of these requirements, one has fulfilled the requirements towards the doctorate.”
She confesses that she was ignorant of the process. “It was my mentor–himself a world-renown scholar–who enlightened me about how the system works. He prepared me by insisting that I publish with an eye to quality and consistent quantity.” She says in her case, the exemptions were made because of her record of scholarly publications.
“My completion of the doctorate came from sheer hard, unrelenting work –and my mentor’s unflagging support and encouragement.”
This information in the process is most likely to inspire young aspiring academics in Guyana. Asked what she was doing with
a Doctorate in Education at a secondary school and not lecturing at the university or serving in the Ministry of Education, Dr Harripersaud said she is unaware of the hiring practices at the University of Guyana (UG).
“It may be that our national university has higher standards that I can meet at this time, I don’t know. The Ministry? I do not know either, but I can assure you that I am ready to serve wherever I am asked to serve. Right now, there are no offers. I am somewhat disappointed, but I remain hopeful. In the meanwhile, I am employed at a secondary school, and I will continue to serve my school and my students with all that I have,” she added, while noting that she will continue to serve the country in whatever capacity she is allowed. Dr Harripersaud is currently authoring another book on Education: “Education, Educating, Educators: Working to Create an Educated Nation”. It is expected to be released in May of this year. “I would like to especially thank Vice Chancellor Paloma Mohamed, who has never failed to be supportive of my work,” she expressed gratefully.
Energy security essential...
Only on Friday, contracts worth US$442 million were signed to upgrade the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) DemeraraBerbice Interconnected System (DBIS) transmission system… with over 320 kilometres (km) of high voltage power lines to be installed, 167-km of 69 Kilovolts (kV) double-circuit transmission lines to be put in place, five new substations to be constructed, and the Kingston substation to be upgraded.
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) has already finished constructing the gas pipeline, and the transmission lines and substations required for integration of the project are significantly advanced, with completion anticipated by mid-year.
Other works complet-
ed by the contractor last year include 140,000 metres of piles driven at the site. Over 7,000 steel piles, some at 37.5 metres are slated to be driven for this project. Earlier in December the contractor, LNDCH4 had reported that some 3,715 of these piles had been installed.
Meanwhile, another major milestone in 2024 was the arrival of two state-ofthe-art gas turbines from Sweden in October. These turbines, capable of generating 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity, are set to revolutionise Guyana’s energy landscape by providing cleaner power for decades to come.
Also, two state-of-the-art steam turbines and two oil tanks arrived in the country
on December 21. These critical components of the GtE Project were safely transported and stored at the warehouse, until installation.
Back in July 2024, LNDCH4-Guyana successfully offloaded and transported seven essential transformers – devices that will step up the voltage for transmission and help to minimise energy loss, ensuring a stable power supply to homes and businesses in Guyana.
The manufacturing of the Flare, the Heat Recovery System and the NGL Facility as well as the NGL Storage Tanks, were also completed. According to LNDCH4, these works were completed during 900,000-plus accident-free hours.
J– QC’s Gabriela Arjun advises SHOUT 3.0 participants to victory
umping into the Recover Guyana SHOUT Competition without a strategy could be a recipe for disaster, especially when you consider the trailblazing success of 2024’s champion, Gabriela Arjun.
engaged in things happening around her.
Arjun’s path to victory can be seen throughout the immaculate work which she produced.
Her bold, unwavering presence in the contest was a clear reflection of the hard work and determination she poured into her entry— qualities that set her apart and earned her a resounding win.
This victory has since caused her to reveal a significant blueprint for eager students willing to take on the challenge of becoming SHOUT’s 3.0 champion.
According to Arjun, part of what persons looking in must consider, is that she has received immense support from her school and family.
“So, I think it was the unwavering support from not only my school but my family. The environment I worked in wasn’t stressful at all. I mean, there was anxiety, but I think the support and the environment created were really what helped me power through,” she said.
Arjun relayed that this competition pushed her to do more research and become more
“I was always environmentally aware, but this competition really pushed me to learn what was going on in the world. It led me to do more research and understand current events, making me more involved and aware of everything that’s happening around us,” she shared.
She also gave some advice to students, saying that when passion drives their motives, victory is within reach—but significant work needs to be done to achieve their goals.
She wishes other students apply it to their lives.
“I always say once you’re passionate about something, you’ll be able to get through it.
But you need to do your research, be aware of what’s going on, and keep researching. Once you’re passionate about what you’re doing, success will follow.”
In fact, she believes others can also take a page out of her book when it comes to environmental safety.
“We need to realise that we are the future,
especially as youths. The environment, as everyone is saying, is everybody’s business, and we should be more concerned with it. With this concern, be able to be more involved in environmental
Arjun developed the hydroponic kitchen garden system in 2024, with the goal of producing food sustainably.
With this project, her school was able to grow and eat whatever they produced.
However, she faced several challenges balancing her SBAs and other schoolwork, while trying to initiate this project. The mere execution of the project itself was no easy feat; it took about 5 to 6 months after the competition, before Arjun and her team officially launched it on November 22, 2024.
The competition has helped Arjun grow as an environmentalist, and she continues to evolve in that role.
Her futuristic goals for environmental
management include broadening the reach of her project to produce more than what is currently being produced in Guyana, as well as diversifying the crops.
“Guyana has many upcoming students who will be entering this competition,” she said, underscoring the importance of sustainable practices for future generations.
This year, the SHOUT competition will reward participants with $4 million in cash and prizes, reflecting the growing recognition and impact of this platform.
The top secondary school will receive a cash grant of $1 million towards an environmental advancement project and one year of free fibre internet, compliments of One Communication.
The winning teacher will also enjoy a trip to Kaieteur Falls.
The first, second, and third-place winners will each receive prizes, including green awards, cash prizes, laptops, and one year of free fibre internet service from One Communication.
Now in its third year, SHOUT 3.0, implemented by Recover Guyana, has grown into a nationally recognised platform that inspires youths to take action and drive sustainable change across Guyana.
Sheet Anchor woman receives new home from MOM
Asingle mother of sev-
en from Sheet Anchor, East Canje Berbice, received a life-changing, new home on Saturday through His Excellency
President Irfaan Ali’s Men
on a Mission Initiative. Minister of Agriculture, Hon. Zulfikar Mustapha handed over the new structure to the woman, Pearl Reynolds, 47, of Lot 65 Sheet Anchor Village, who had
previously lived in a makeshift zinc house at the same location.
Now, she and her two children, aged 14 and 12 who resided at the location, will have a safe and comfort-
able place to call home.
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Reynolds described the contractors who built the home as “angels”, and expressed that this new beginning will positively change
the trajectory of her children’s lives.
Contractors Aubrey David of Quality Deliverers, Ameir Adams of A Adams Enterprise and Julius DeNobrega of Devon
Engineering Services, came together to make the initiative possible.
Additionally, Ray Jahoor of Ashiek and Sons handed over a laptop and printer to the children.
Pearl Reynolds cuting the ribbon to enter her new home
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha handing over a laptop to the family
Gabriela Arjun –SHOUT 2.0 Champion
Growing connection between Guyana, Northern Brazil will open significant opportunities – GMSA President
The continued strengthening of partnerships between Guyana and its neighbours in the Guiana Shield: Brazil and Suriname, was recently highlighted by Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) head Ramsay Ali, who noted ways in which they stood to benefit.
Ali was at the time addressing the GMSA’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), when, in his remarks, he spoke about the bilateral ties between the three countries, and the opportunities for the manufacturing sector that come with them.
“You know, of course, the connection with Northern Brazil. We have a common geographical space, that will open significant opportunities, not only for export and import, but also raw material supply,” Ali said.
He also referenced instances the GMSA has partnered with the Suriname Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC), and expressed hope that this partnership will continue to grow, to the mutual benefit of both countries.
“Especially with the bridge. So, it’s going to be a lot of collaboration with Guyana and Suriname,” Ali
further explained.
Only last month, Guyana had signed on to a new Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) programme to foster integration within South America, as part of efforts to build a more connected and prosperous continent.
The signing was done during the IDB and IDB Invest Annual Meetings held at the Mapocho Station Cultural Centre in Santiago, Chile from March 26 to 30. Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, attended the meeting.
Dr Singh, along with other high-ranking representatives from Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, and Uruguay, joined IDB President, Ilan Goldfajn, to ink a declaration of support for the “South Connection” programme, in which they recognised the cross-border nature of shared challenges and requested the IDB’s support to address them jointly through a pragmatic, regional approach.
The IDB said “South Connection” is a new regional programme co-created by South American countries for developing strategic corridors to improve connectivity,
strengthen value chains, and modernise institutional frameworks. By connecting currently fragmented markets, the initiative seeks to increase scale, reduce costs, and attract investment.
Guyana has explored and, in some cases, moved ahead with a range of development plans aimed at increasing integration with Brazil and Suriname. In the case of Brazil, there have been a flurry of major infrastructure projects in Guyana including the US$190 million LindenLethem Road and expansion of airports, as well as plans for a port development that would position Guyana as a logistical hub
with enormous opportunities for Northern Brazil in terms of shipping at a reduced time and cost.
Only recently, a Guyanese delegation had conducted a three-day trade mission in Northern Brazil, specifically Boa Vista, State of Roraima as part of ongoing efforts to improve cross border trade between the two countries.
The Governor of the State of Roraima had indicated that the State is ready to expand trade and economic relations with Guyana and stressed that the State offers an excellent business environment for investment.
Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud
who was a part of the delegation, had noted that to increase trade in a mutually beneficial way, there was need for a review of the Partial Scope Agreement, the framework under which trade is conducted between the two countries.
Additionally, it was explained at the time that the two sides are in active discussions towards the operationalisation of the GuyanaBrazil International Road Transport Agreement (IRTA), which would see an increase in the movement of goods and people.
Meanwhile, in the case of Suriname, a US$236.1 million bridge is being built across the Corentyne River that would connect Moleson Creek in Guyana with South Drain in Suriname, would be approximately 3.1 kilometres (km) in length,
and would have a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination would be established. That duty-free zone would see major infrastructural development, such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.
There have also been talks between Guyana and Suriname, on the potential collaboration between the two neighbouring countries to jointly develop their respective natural gas resources. Suriname is now forging ahead with its first offshore petroleum development project, which the Guyana Government had previously said opens up opportunities for the two nations to work together.
$40M Corentyne fisheries building commissioned
– to provide better access to services, materials used in the fishing industry
Aproject costing the Government $40 million will see all fisherfolk on the Upper Corentyne, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) having better access to services and materials used in the fishing industry.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday commissioned the new headquarters of the Number 79 Fisherman Coop. The project also includes a shed for fisherfolk at the Number 43 landing site.
The Minister noted that it was during a meeting last year with Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo that the co-op had requested assistance to resuscitate the facility, which had been in disrepair for more than a decade.
He noted that the fishing industry has been making a significant input to Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and as such, Government is committed to supporting the industry.
“We must appreciate what the Government has been doing, and as a Government, we know that they have been risking their lives to ply their trade. That is why we will continue to support this important industry. The fishing industry has been making valuable contributions to Guyana’s GDP, to our country’s economy. There are some 18,000 persons directly involved, and earning their livelihood from the fishing industry,” the
Agriculture Minister noted.
Though the building was commission on Saturday, the Minister noted that more work will be done at the Co-op headquarters.
“I have made a commitment to the fisherfolk here that we will do the tarmac: we will concrete the entire lot here; a gas station will be built here so that fisherfolks can purchase their gas right here; they will put in a hardware store here so that they can come here and purchase their seine, lead, rope and other fishing inputs, and we will work very closely with this committee.”
Meanwhile, in underscoring the importance of co-ops, Region Six Chairman, David Armogan, pointed out that they still
have their uses in the modern world.
Senior Fisheries Officer, Mikhail Amsterdam, explained that the commissioning comes at a critical time for Guyana's fisheries sector, and is a direct reflection of the Government's commitment to not only improve the livelihoods of fisherfolk but also forms part of a broader national agenda to ensure that coastal communities along the Corentyne thrive in this rapidly evolving and competitive sector.
“The Number 79 village has a rich history of fishing, and today it still remains one of the critical areas along the Corentyne for fishermen to land catches, repair vessels, and supply
fresh fish to the markets,” he noted.
The Senior Fisheries Officer outlined that in order for such initiatives not only continue but expand,
the fisheries department will increase the number of training opportunities, landing site and vessel inspections, and expand data collection activities.
ECD woman dead after being crushed by truck at Lusignan
Mohandai Persaud, a 54-year-old woman of Lusignan Pasture, East Coast Demerara (ECD) is now dead after she was crushed by a truck.
The accident occurred on Friday (4th April, 2025) on the Lusignan public road, ECD. At the time, the
truck – Motor Lorry #GAC 7708 – was being driven by a 46-year-old man from Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE).
Based on police reports, the truck was stationary at the traffic light facing East in the centre lane of the northern carriageway of Lusignan public road,
behind a motor car (registration number unknown). As the traffic light signal changed from red to green and the traffic began to move off, Persaud attempted to cross the road from north to south and walked into the path of the motor lorry, which collided with her.
Flashback: Scene from when a Guyanese trade delegation toured Northern Brazil
GMSA President Ramsay Ali
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha at the ribbon-cutting ceremony
Minister Mustapha looking at equipment in the new building
Regional Caribbean rum grapples with new Trump tariffs
he Caribbean rum in-
Tdustry is bracing for economic turbulence after the United States imposed a 10 percent tariff on imports from Barbados and other CARICOM nations, an industry leader has told Barbados TODAY.
The move is said to threaten the profitability of the region’s premium rum producers and is straining longstanding trade arrangements.
Chief executive officer of the West Indies Rum and Spirits Association (WIRSPA), Vaughn Renwick, described the development as “bad news all around”, warning that the region’s small, premium-focused producers now face a fresh wave of economic pressure.
Renwick explained that Caribbean rum, including Barbados’ globally celebrated brands, traditionally entered the US market duty-free under trade arrangements such as the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI). However, he noted that even with duty-free access, producers already contended with substantial federal and state-level excise taxes upon entry into
St Maarten
the American market.
“So taxation is already high, and adding a 10 per cent at the border just puts more pressure on producers to see where they can cut costs because you can’t just go into the market and raise prices like that. Your distributor is going to be putting pressure on you not to increase prices [and] for you to absorb that cost yourself.
“So I imagine all over the world, producers of whatever goods are being pressured by importers and distributors to try and hold prices where they are,” Renwick added.
Historically, rum and other spirits have been major export products for Barbados and other Caribbean countries.
In the short term, Renwick said Caribbean rum producers will have to focus heavily on what can be adjusted. He said: “They’re looking to see whether they have products on the way, having conversations with distributors, and of course, in the medium term, they’re going to be looking at their supply chains—the things that they need to buy: bottles, labels, and so on—to see where they could possi-
bly reduce costs to continue to be competitive.”
But adaptation only goes so far, he warned.
“Our producers in the Caribbean are indigenous brands, and some of these indigenous brands have international ownership— for instance, Mount Gay is owned by Rémy Cointreau. Whilst you have big global brands that buy their product from all over the place and they have very sophisticated supply chains—they can play with their supply chains to cut costs and export to the US and maintain prices,” he noted.
“We here in the Caribbean—we’re selling premium products that are based on Barbados origin, based on Jamaica origin, based on Guyana origin—we can’t just all of a sudden switch where we’re buying alcohol from…. You can’t just play with your supply chain like big global brands can. So even though everybody has the same 10 percent, we are at a disadvantage because we’re small companies; we’re vulnerable to these changes.”
(Excerpt from Barbados Today)
offers cash, plane tickets, hotel stay to fight brain drain
The Dutch Caribbean territory of St. Maarten is offering cash, plane tickets and an extended hotel stay to attract professionals and students back home.
Prime Minister Luc Mercelina announced this week that married couples would get $2,000 and single people $1,100 for a re-
location allowance, as well as economy-class plane tickets, a six-week stay at a hotel and large containers to transport their belongings.
Families also would get $140 per child, he said Wednesday evening.
Mercelina also said the government would offer a salary adjustment allowance in certain cases and
help cover a portion of student loans for those who move back to the territory.
The offers aim to reduce a shortage of skilled professionals on St. Maarten, a territory of some 46,000 people with a net migration rate of 5.7 migrants per 1,000 persons, ranking 16th worldwide. (Loop Caribbean News)
Canada warns travellers of US border agents’ authority to search electronic devices
The Canadian government is warning citizens visiting the United States that US border officials have the authority to search travelers’ electronic devices – including phones, laptops, and tablets – without providing a reason.
In a revised travel advisory posted online, it urges Canadians to “expect scrutiny” when crossing the border and warns that refusing to comply involves risks including device seizure, travel delays, or the denial of entry for non-US citizens.
Under US law, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents may demand passwords to unlock de-
vices during inspections. Travelers who refuse the demand risk having their electronics confiscated and may face long delays.
The advisory recommends placing devices in airplane mode before crossing to prevent unintended downloads of remote files, which could complicate screenings.
The move follows recent incidents involving such searches. Last month, Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a Lebanese assistant professor and physician at Brown University, was deported to Lebanon after US agents at Boston Logan International Airport discovered deleted photos of the late Hezbollah
leader Hassan Nasrallah and Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on her phone.
The existence of the photos was outlined in a court filing obtained by CNN affiliate WCVB.
While US authorities maintain that device searches are critical for national security, civil liberties groups have long criticized the practice as invasive.
The US Supreme Court has upheld the authority of border agents to conduct warrantless device searches, citing the “border search exception” to the Fourth Amendment. (Excerpt from CNN World)
T&T police seize over $136M in Maracas cannabis find
Over $136 million worth of Colombian “Creepy” Cannabis was discovered and seized by the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) along a secluded inlet on the Maracas coast Friday.
In a statement, the TTPS said a specialist unit received information from a source who indicated that a known Drug Trafficking Network had recently imported a substantial consignment of narcotics from South America.
According to police, the drugs were reportedly stashed in the remote area, which is only accessible by sea, pending further transshipment to other regional territories.
The TTPS said the team braved rough sea conditions to travel to the inlet where they found 45 bales of cannabis which consisted of 2,250 packets with a combined weight of 1,242.9 kilograms.
Acting Commissioner of Police Junior Benjamin stated: “This significant drug seizure underscores the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service’s unwavering commitment to protecting our nation from the threats posed by transnational criminal networks. We remain vigilant in our efforts to disrupt the illegal drug trade and will continue to leverage intelligence and work closely with our local, regional, and international law enforcement partners.”
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Intelligence and Investigations, Suzette Martin commented: “The success of this operation is a testament to the strength and effectiveness of the in-
telligence-gathering systems within the TTPS. Intelligence-led policing continues to be a cornerstone of our strategic approach to tackling organized crime and narcotics trafficking. The TTPS remains committed to refining and expanding our intelligence capabilities, and to working hand-in-hand with our regional and international law enforcement partners to protect the citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.” Investigations are ongoing. (Source: Loop News Trinidad and Tobago)
Trump tells US to ‘hang tough’ over tariffs
US President Donald Trump urges American businesses and the public to “hang tough”, insisting he’ll deliver “historic” results with his tariff plan.
China has been hit much harder than the USA, not even close. They, and many
other nations, have treated us unsustainably badly,” he writes in a post on his Truth Social platform. “We have been the dumb and helpless ‘whipping post’, but not any longer.”
The president then says the administration is “bringing back jobs and businesses like never before,” before declaring: “THIS IS AN ECONOMIC REVOLUTION, AND WE WILL WIN. HANG TOUGH, it won’t be easy, but the end result will be historic.” (Excerpt from BBC News)
Anti-Trump protesters gather in Washington, other US cities
Thousands of protesters gathered in Washington, D.C., and across the U.S. on Saturday, part of some 1,200 demonstrations that were expected to form the largest single day of protest against President Donald Trump and his billionaire ally Elon Musk since they launched a rapid-fire effort to overhaul government and expand presidential authority.
People streamed onto the expanse of grass surrounding the Washington Monument under gloomy skies and light rain. Organizers told Reuters that more than 20,000 people were expected to attend a rally at the National Mall.
Some 150 activist groups had signed up to participate, according to the event’s website. Protests were planned in all 50 states plus Canada and Mexico.
Terry Klein, a retired biomedical scientist from Princeton, New Jersey, was among those who gathered by the stage beneath the Washington Monument.
She said she drove down to attend the rally to protest Trump’s policies on “every-
Thousands of demonstrators gathered on Boston Common in Boston, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
thing from immigration to the DOGE stuff to the tariffs this week, to education. I mean, our whole country is under attack, all of our institutions, all the things that make America what it is.”
Wayne Hoffman, 73, a retired money manager from West Cape May, New Jersey, said he was concerned about Trump’s economic policies, including his widespread use of tariffs.
“It’s going to cost the farmers in the red states. It’s going to cost people their jobs – certainly their 401Ks. People have lost tens of thousands of dollars,” Hoffman said.
Trump, who shook financial markets and upset nations around the world with a raft of trade tariffs this week, spent the day in Florida, playing a round of golf at his club in Jupiter before returning to his Mar-aLago compound in the afternoon.
Hours before the protests were due to kick off in the United States, hundreds of anti-Trump Americans living in Europe gathered in Berlin, Frankfurt, Paris and London to voice opposition to Trump’s sweeping makeover of U.S. foreign and domestic policies. (Excerpt from Reuters)
A large cache of Colombian “Creepy” cannabis was seized by members of the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service (TTPS) and Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG)
Congo, M23 rebels hold first talks after months of conflict
Congo’s government and M23 rebels last week held private talks in Qatar for the first time since the rebels conducted a lightning offensive in the country’s east, a source briefed on the discussions told Reuters.
The talks, which will continue next week in Doha, offer the greatest hope of a halt to hostilities since M23 seized eastern Congo’s two largest cities, a rapid advance that since January has resulted
in thousands of deaths and forced hundreds of thousands more from their homes.
The fighting has raised fears of a wider regional war, as Congo’s neighbours Uganda and Burundi also have troops in the region.
Reuters reported last week that Kinshasa and M23 planned to hold their first direct talks in Doha on April 9.
But the source with knowledge of the situation said private talks were also held last
week.
They were positive, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity, and prompted the rebels to withdraw from the strategic town of Walikale, in an area rich in minerals including tin, as a goodwill gesture.
M23 and Congo’s government did not immediately comment on Saturday.
The April 9 talks are still expected to go ahead in Doha.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
‘Unprecedented’: Video shows last moments of Gaza medics killed by Israel
Avideo recovered from the mobile phone of a Palestinian medic killed along with 14 of his colleagues in Gaza last month contradicts Israeli claims.
The video – found on the phone of deceased Rifat Radwan and released on Saturday by the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) – shows their final moments as the Palestinian medics, wearing highly reflective uniforms and inside a clearly identifiable PRCS ambulance, are shot at by Israeli forces in Rafah’s Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood in southern Gaza on March 23.
The Israeli military had said its soldiers “did not randomly attack” any ambulances, insisting they fired on “terrorists” approaching them in “suspicious vehicles”. It said, “several uncoordinated vehicles were identified advancing suspiciously toward [Israeli army] troops without headlights or emergency signals”.
PRCS lost eight of its workers in the attack. Six members of the Palestinian Civil Defence agency and an em-
ployee of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, were also killed that day.
Their bodies were found buried near Rafah in what the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) described as a mass grave.
The video, apparently filmed from inside a moving vehicle, captures a red firetruck and ambulances driving through the night.
The vehicles stop beside one another on the roadside, and two uniformed men exit. Moments later, intense gunfire erupts.
In the video, the voices of two medics are heard – one saying, “The vehicle, the vehicle,” and another responding: “It seems to be an accident.”
Seconds later, a volley of gunfire breaks out, and the screen goes black.
The medic recording the scene can later be heard reciting the Islamic declaration of faith, the Shahada, which Muslims traditionally say in the face of death as intense gunfire continues in the background.
PRCS said the convoy was dispatched in response to emergency calls from civilians trapped following an Israeli bombardment in Rafah.
According to Gaza’s civil defence spokesperson Mahmoud Bassal, several members of their team were found with their hands and feet bound and visible bullet wounds on their heads and torsos, suggesting they were executed at close range after being identified for their humanitarian work. One of the civil defence personnel had been decapitated, and the remaining bodies were found in pieces, he said.
Israel “must be held accountable for its crimes, the likes of which have no parallel in modern history,” a spokesperson for Gaza civil defence told Al Jazeera on Saturday.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, also condemned the attack, raising concerns over possible “war crimes” by the Israeli military. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
British Labour MP arrested over rape, child abuse allegations
Labour have suspended Dan Norris, the MP for North East Somerset and Hanham, after he was arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.
Norris, a former Labour minister who defeated Jacob Rees-Mogg as MP at last year’s general election, was taken into custody after police raided his constituency home on Friday. Police said he had also been arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office.
Norris had previously served as an MP for Wansdyke from 1997 to 2010. He became mayor of the west of England in 2021. His constituency website said he trained with the NSPCC and worked as a teacher and child protec-
tion officer.
Avon and Somerset Police said: “A man aged in his sixties was arrested on Friday on suspicion of sexual offences against a girl (under the Sexual Offences Act 1956), rape (under the Sexual Offences Act 2003), child abduction and misconduct in a public office.
“He’s been released on conditional bail for enquiries to continue. This is an active and sensitive investigation, so we’d respectfully ask people not to speculate on the circumstances so our enquiries can continue unhindered.
“In December 2024, we received a referral from another police force relating to alleged non-recent child sex offences having been committed against a girl.
“Most of the offences are
‘Nothing should be off the table’ to respond to tariffs – Starmer and Macron
British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, and French President, Emmanuel Macron, have spoken to discuss the tariffs imposed by the White House.
A Downing Street readout of the call between the leaders says they “agreed that a trade war was in nobody’s interests but nothing should be off the table”.
The statement adds that they “shared their concerns about the global economic and security impact, particularly in South East Asia”.
They also discussed the talks the UK and France are chairing to bring together a “co-
alition of the willing” - the group of nations who are considering how to support Ukraine if any peace deal is signed. Starmer is expected to spend this weekend speak-
(Source:
Anti-Trump protests take place across the globe
Anumber of anti-Trump demonstrations took place across Europe and the US on Saturday.
From Berlin to London, protesters have hit out against the US president and billionaire Trump adviser, Elon Musk, calling for an “end to the chaos” and expressing support for Ukraine.
Protesters in London’s Trafalgar Square compared the US president to his Russian counterpart, as demonstrators took to the streets in Berlin calling for an “end to the
(Source: BBC News)
TikTok deal put on hold after China objects over tariffs, sources say
Adeal to spin off the U.S. assets of TikTok was put on hold after China indicated it would not approve the deal following President Donald Trump’s tariffs announcement this week, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
have spun off TikTok’s U.S. operations into a new company based in the U.S. and majority-owned and operated by U.S. investors. ByteDance would hold a position of less than 20%.
statement on its official account on Chinese social media platform WeChat. “In accordance with Chinese law, any agreement is subject to the relevant review procedures,” it said.
alleged to have occurred in the 2000s, but we’re also investigating an alleged offence of rape from the 2020s.
“An investigation, led by officers within Operation Bluestone, our dedicated rape and serious sexual assault investigation team, remains ongoing and at an early stage.
“The victim is being supported and given access to any specialist help or support she needs.”
A Labour party spokesperson last night said: “Dan Norris MP was immediately suspended by the Labour party upon being informed of his arrest.
“We cannot comment further while the police investigation is ongoing.”
(Excerpt from Guardian UK)
Trump on Friday extended by 75 days a deadline for ByteDance to sell U.S. assets of the popular short video app to a non-Chinese buyer, or face a ban that was supposed to have taken effect in January under a 2024 law.
The deal, the structure of which was largely finalized by Wednesday according to one of the sources, would
The deal had been approved by existing investors, new investors, ByteDance and the U.S. government, the source said.
ByteDance said early on Saturday that differences remained over the deal.
“(We are) still in talks with the U.S. government, but no agreement has been reached, and the two sides still have differences on many key issues,” the company said in a
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, asked about the status of a deal for TikTok, said in a statement: “China has stated its position on TikTok on multiple occasions. China has always respected and protected the legitimate rights and interests of enterprises and opposed practices that violate the basic principles of the market economy.” (Excerpt from Reuters)
Car manufacturers swift to act over 25% tariff
One of the tariffs announced by Donald Trump during his “Liberation Day” speech on Wednesday was a 25% tariff on all car imports.
The vehicle tax went into effect almost immediately, and since then car manufacturers have been swift to act:
Jaguar Land Rover has today said it will “pause” shipments to the US this
month, as it considers how to address “the new trading terms” of Trump’s tariffs. Meanwhile carmaker Stellantis has said it will temporarily shut down its assembly plant in Windsor, a Canadian city on the US border, next week due to the new tariffs
However, Nissan is considering shifting some of its production to the US, according to reports. It has
also announced it’s reversing plans to scale back its operations in Tennessee. The United Auto Workers union – which represents those working in car manufacturing – has applauded the introduction of tariffs, saying the move “signals a return to policies that prioritise the workers who build this country, rather than the greed of ruthless corporations”. (BBC News)
ing to foreign leaders about Trump’s tariffs, with Downing Street confirming he already spoke with his Australian and Italian counterparts on Friday.
BBC News)
chaos”.
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
GEMINI (MAY 28June 20)
(June 21July 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) (March 21April 19)
Dream, strategize and turn your ideas into a reality. Be forthright regarding what you want and what you are willing to give in return. Trust your instincts and shoot for the stars.
Conquer your fears by embracing whatever stands in your way. A fearless approach will make you impossible to defeat. Focus on your attributes and use them to reach your objective.
Keep a watchful eye on anyone you don’t fully trust. Be aware, open and prepared to take charge or leave any situation that can alter your life. Look out for your best interests.
Use your creative imagination, and you’ll outmaneuver anyone trying to compete with you. A financial opportunity will come from someone or something you least expect. Be quick to respond, and prosperity will be yours.
Explore, learn and expand your awareness. The time to venture out and discover what’s possible is now. The future looks bright if you embrace what’s new and exciting. Broaden your circle of friends. Put more time, effort and thought into money matters. Look for opportunities, but don’t bet everything on one person or prospect. Cut your losses, divvy up your interests and participate in what’s most purposeful.
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Engage in something that makes you think, and expand your mind, interests and friendships. Stop procrastinating and waiting for things to come to you. The future looks bright if you are willing to initiate change.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19) LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
(Feb. 20Mar. 20)
Social and networking events will be valuable. Someone you encounter will offer a unique perspective that will help diversify how you use your skills and evaluate what you do.
Keep a low profile, and you’ll exceed your expectations. Once you eliminate interference, you’ll have a chance to let your mind wander and find inspiration.
Participate, travel and be resourceful. Take interest, ask questions and try your hand at something that you can incorporate into your lifestyle or turn into a profit.
Push for change, be the forerunner and show everyone how to do things properly. Taking charge will help you develop a pattern that is conducive to using your skills, experience and awesomeness.
Take charge, and don’t stop until you are happy with the results. Whether you put yourself in a competitive situation or decide to socialize with people who share your interests, you stand to come out on top.
Peanuts
Calvin and Hobbes
Pickles
AQUARIUS
CANCER
CAPRICORN
PISCES
Rajasthan Royals hand Punjab Kings their first loss in IPL 2025
– through fiery contributions from Archer, Sandeep, batters
Yashasvi Jaiswal scoring runs; Jofra Archer continuing the rhythm he seemed to have rediscovered against Chennai Super Kings; and Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga coming into their own may have all been on the wish list of the Rajasthan Royals (RR) as they came into Saturday night’s match against Punjab Kings (PBKS).
All three wishes were fulfilled, as RR consigned PBKS, playing their first home game of IPL 2025, to their first defeat of the season.
Jaiswal and Riyan Parag provided the sparks at the respective start and finish for RR to become the first team to post a 200plus IPL total in Mullanpur. With this being only the sixth IPL game at the venue, it wasn’t yet clear if 205 was a winning total, but that was only until Archer made his entrance. Six legal balls into their chase, PBKS were two down, with Archer finding movement at upwards of 145kph to take out Priyansh Arya and Shreyas Iyer. RR struck two more blows in the first seven overs, and PBKS were always playing catchup thereafter, even when Nehal Wadhera and Glenn Maxwell added 88 for the fifth wicket.
Theekshana and Hasaranga did their bit to stifle the partnership’s scoring rate, and then struck one after the other to remove both batters, who were set;
They hit only one boundary in the last 5.4 overs as RR wrapped up victory by 50 runs.
Jaiswal, Samson lay the foundation Jaiswal had got off to a scratchy start, slashing and missing against the new-ball lefty pair of Arshdeep Singh and Marco Jansen, who both found early swing. He miscued a pull just beyond the reach of a backtracking midon, and scored just 12 runs off the first 14 balls he faced. But perhaps all he needed, after starting his season with scores of 1, 29 and 4, was a bit of time in the middle and a bit of luck. The fourth over brought him back-to-back sixes off Jansen - a ramp over the keeper and a slog over midwicket - and he seemed to be up and run
Yuzvendra Chahal and the slower cutters of Lockie Ferguson and Marcus Stoinis had a lot to do with this, and the pitch was just a touch grippy and two-paced. Samson fell in the 11th over as he tried to force the pace against Ferguson, and
46 off 39, he found that elusive higher gear and crunched Chahal down the ground to bring up his fifty, before slog-sweeping his next ball for six. He hit Stoinis for a six and a four in the next over - the 13thbefore becoming Ferguson’s second victim, as he swung too early at a well-disguised, stump-bound knuckleball.
leaked 36 in his last two, which again told the tale of RR’s batters coming to grips with the conditions, and finding a way to master them.
Archer hits the bull’s eye
ball. Stoinis popped a return catch to Sandeep Sharma off a fairly innocuous seam-up delivery in the fourth over, and Prabhsimran Singh slog-swept Kumar Kartikeya to deep midwicket in the seventh.
The first ball Archer bowled could not have been ter: perfect length, rooting Impact Sub Priyansh Arya to the crease,ment from leg to off at 144.6kph. The left-handed Arya defended down the wrong line and the ball slid past his outside edge to flick the top of
Parag began much like Jaiswal had done: strug gling initially to come to grips with the sur face. At one stage, af ter four successive dots against Arshdeep’s cut ter, which had been angling across the righthander and turning further away, Parag was on 12 off 14 in the 16th over. Then he paused for breath, and took strike transformed, a batter able to hold his shape for a split-second longer. He hit each of the next two balls from Arshdeep for four, and that began a hitting spree that brought him 31 off his last 11 balls at the crease. With Nitish Rana, Shimron Hetmyer and Dhruv Jurel contributing cameos as well, RR rushed past 200 in the final over.
Stoinis, whose first two overs had gone for only 12,
None of this
seemed to make any impact on Shreyas Iyer, though. The PBKS captain began in a manner befitting someone whose head coach had likened his previous innings to a purring Rolls Royce. He stroked Archer for two fours through the covers in his first four legal balls at the crease, then he got greedy and exposed all his stumps to try and make room for another off-side hit. That was when Archer burst a 148.6kph ball through him.
RR stay in control despite Wadhera and Maxwell Wickets kept falling even when Archer didn’t have the
The required rate kept mounting also: PBKS needed 163 from 82 balls when Maxwell joined Wadhera. Hope began to flicker when both batters hit sixes off Kartikeya in a 19-run 10th over, but Theekshana and Hasaranga immediately got to work and conceded just five and 12 - the latter an impressive recovery after Wadhera slog-swept the first ball of the over for sixin the 11th and 12th overs.
As Maxwell ramped and reverse-swatted
Yudhvir Singh for a pair of fours in the 13th, Wadhera launched Hasaranga for a straight six to bring up a 33-ball fifty in the 14th, and began the 15th with back-to-back fours off Theekshana. PBKS again began to dream, then the two Sri Lankan spinners again brought their defensive skills to the fore, asking the batters to try and fetch balls dangled wide of their hitting arcs.
Maxwell sliced a catch to long-off at the end of the 15th over, while Wadhera slog-swept to deep midwicket at the start of the 16th, and PBKS were six down while needing 75 off 29. It was never going to happen, as they continued to lose wickets. (ESPNcricinfo)
SCOREBOARD
Rajasthan Royals (20 ovs maximum)
Yashasvi Jaiswal
b Ferguson 67
Sanju Samson (c)† c Iyer
b Ferguson 38
Riyan Parag not out 43
Nitish Rana c Maxwell
b Jansen 12
Shimron Hetmyer c Maxwell
b Arshdeep Singh 20
Dhruv Jurel not out 13
Extras (lb 2, w 10) 12
Total 20 Ov (RR: 10.25) 205/4
Did not bat: Wanindu Hasaranga, Jofra Archer, Maheesh Theekshana, Yudhvir Singh, Sandeep Sharma
b Archer 0 Prabhsimran Singh † c Hasaranga b Kartikeya 17
Shreyas Iyer (c)
b Archer 10
Marcus Stoinis c & b Sandeep Sharma 1
Nehal Wadhera c Jurel
b Hasaranga 62
Glenn Maxwell c Jaiswal b Theekshana 30
Shashank Singh not out 10 Suryansh Shedge c Hetmyer b Sandeep Sharma 2 Marco Jansen c Hetmyer b Theekshana 3
Arshdeep Singh c Hasaranga
Jofra Archer bowled a fiery opening spell
Yashasvi Jaiswal went past 30 for the first time
Lockie Ferguson got two wickets in his first three overs
Dhruv Jurel hit 13* off just five balls
Giving up career in accounting to become professional footballer
– Curtez Kellman tells his story –
urges teenagers to create a balanced path for football and
What was supposed to be a career in accounting turned out to be a career in professional football for 27-yearold Curtez Kellman, who is presently a member of both the Slingerz FC and Guyana’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars.
“I wanted to get into the accounting field, but the love of football popped out of nowhere; and from then on, I knew I had to focus on what I loved the most, and that is definitely football,” Kellman told Guyana Times Sport in an interview.
Kellman, who plays in both defense and midfield positions and has represented Guyana at the Gold Cup Preliminaries, Concacaf Nations League A and B, and World Cup Qualifiers, among other international friendlies, has said he has no intention of ceasing to play football anytime soon.
This young man, who has attended several schools both in Guyana and in the United States of America, started playing football with the Georgetown Football Club (GFC) when he was 14 years.
He went on to play for the Grenades FC in Antigua in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) tournament and was later signed with Western Tigers in Guyana.
While being a member of the Western Tigers, he migrated to the USA after securing a full scholarship at the Eastern Florida State College to pursue studies in Business Administration with a specialization in Entrepreneurship, as well as to develop his football skills. However, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the college was forced to drop football from its curriculum, due to financial constraints.
This saw Kellman taking a transfer to the Daytona State College, where he continued his studies as well as focused on his football career.
In 2021, he returned to Guyana and continued his stint with Western Tigers, but one year later, he joined the Sporting Kansas City FC. Then, in 2023, he returned to his homeland and again played with the Western Tigers, up until 2024, when he joined the Slingerz FC. He remains as a critical player for that team.
While in college overseas, he was named ‘All American’ twice: once in 2020 and once in 2021, and was also named the Midfielder of the Year in 2021. In 2022, he was instrumental in taking his team, Slingerz FC, to victory in the ‘One Guyana’ Football Tournament.
The Pisces-born football star has both international and local role models to whom he looks up for inspiration, and in some cases guidance.
“Locally, I always tried to emulate Vurlon Mills; not only on the field, but also his lifestyle off the pitch. His discipline and respect for the game are above par… Internationally, Sergio Busquets is a player I admire a lot on the pitch. He never loses the ball, dictates the tempo of the game, and is very dedicated,” Kellman related.
Curtez Kellman is a former student of Chase’s Academic Foundation. He hails from East Ruimveldt Housing Scheme in Georgetown, and is on a mission to take up the mantle from where his father, grandfather and uncles – all former footballers - have left off.
“Football runs in my family. My father played for a short time during his early years. My grandfather, on the other hand, was the first FIFA referee in Guyana, and I also have a few uncles who played as well…So, I can safely say that I am continuing from where they left off,” he disclosed.
He added that choosing football wasn’t an easy decision, as was also fond of playing cricket.
“In school, whenever there’s football playing, I was playing cricket, a sport that I
was also good at. But one day I had to choose between the two, and most naturally, after deep consideration, I chose football; and from there on, it was no turning back,” he explained.
His first competitive match was in the U17 tournament when he played for the GFC. While he couldn’t remember against which team, he recalled starting the game as a striker and then a winger. Today he is versed in multiple positions, and plays wherever the coach sees it fit for him to play on any given day, depending on their challenge or condition.
During his 13-year run, he has played competitive football against the national teams of countless countries, among which are Panama, Cape Verde, Puerto Rico, Guatemala and Suriname. He has also played against some very strong teams, such as Houston Dynamo, Minnesota FC, and Real Salt Lake, and the experience he has garnered is unmeasurable.
Even though he played many important games for his team and native country, two stood out for him – one was at home and one away game against the Puerto Rico national team.
“On pen and paper, everyone knows that Puerto Rico had the better team. But on the pitch, we played as a team, and along with Coach Jamaal Shabazz tactics, we executed well and won both games 3-1. That set the tone for us in the group that led to us qualifying for League A in the Concacaf Nations League.”
He noted that in games such as these, players understand that there is no “I” in TEAM. With team effort and hard work, he stated, a team is bound to have success.
“When you play as a team, the work becomes easier on the pitch…We understand each other, and once we know the plan, we execute. Consistency plays a major role…how we keep ourselves fit physically, which enhances our performance on the pitch; and naturally, consistency falls into place,” he detailed.
“And yes, before every game, I know I amand so are our team members - always nervous. but I always think about what my teammates would say if I make a mistake on the field, and I would take deep breaths and focus more on being optimistic. That helps me to feel a bit more relaxed and ready for battle,” the young man stated.
Nevertheless, the skills and technique to play game after game did not come on a silver platter for the versatile footballer, but rather it involves dedication and lots of training, even if it meant giving up things he loves doing.
“When I receive my weekly training schedule, I would usually put other important
academics
activities before or after the training times… whether I practice in the morning or afternoon; so, it’s an easy balance for me. Sometimes some stuff would clash, but training obviously takes priority,” he detailed.
For him, being humble, self-motivated, confident, dedicated, and most of all being disciplined, has led to his success thus far. He remains willing to learn because he knows that, in the long run, it would help in his game strategy and ultimately his team’s success.
Kellman, now a national player, has acknowledged the input of Vurlon Mills and Faizal Khan in his football career, but has also commended the work of Slingerz FC coach Jamaal Shabazz, who continues to invest his time in making the club one of the most professional ones around.
“He has helped us not to just win games and accomplish our goal, but also to build our understanding tactically and help improve… individually,” he explained.
With the teaching and knowledge he has grasped over the years, Kellman has an eye on coaching in the near future.
“The GFC had a programme called the Junior Jags, and I was able to share my knowledge and help a few players who went on to represent Guyana. I’m always open to share my knowledge and help other players in any area they need help with, not just on the field, but off as well,” he disclosed.
Asked about his biggest rivals in football, he grinned and stated, “It has to be the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) team.” At the same time, he added that despite the challenges and the high-quality players they often compete against, representing his team, and more so Guyana, has
always been an honour.
“It’s always an honour to represent my country…fighting for the badge and also our supporters. I must say we are improving as a nation and competing with some of the big teams in Concacaf. I want to urge all Guyanese to continue supporting us. We need that support.”
As he continues his football journey, Kellman wants to continue competing at the highest level, but more so, he wants to impart his knowledge to the younger players.
“Being able to do that at my age, that would be a great feeling,” he declared.
On this note, he feels that the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) should organize outreaches in various communities to get the youths more involved in the game which would undoubtedly lead to them appreciating the sport and wanting to participate at some point in time. At the same time, he is urging young players, especially the teenagers, to create a path where they have a balance for the sport and academics.
“Football is great, but everyone’s path is different… an injury can mess up someone’s career; and if that’s the case, by just creating that balance could help them to fall back on whatever they were hoping to accomplish academically,” he explained.
Apart from football, Kellman visits the gym quite regularly, hosts movie nights as a form of relaxation, and hangs out with his relatives and friends. His favourite colour is blue, but he also wears mostly black clothing and loves the sitcom “All About the Benjamins.”
In regard to the future of Curtez Kellman, fans might definitely be hearing wedding bells soon, as this young versatile footballer is already taken.
Curtez Kellman in action for the Golden Jaguars
Curtez Kellman
Curtez Kellman
suiting up for Slingerz FC at the club level
Mexico, Guyana draw first blood as ‘One Guyana’ 3x3 Quest begins
The Cliff Anderson Sports Hall (CASH) was blanketed in a kaleidoscope of colours on Saturday morning as teams from across the world and an ensuing cultural presentation livened the Homestretch Avenue venue when the ‘One Guyana’ 3x3 Quest was officially opened.
The FIBA-sanctioned event is the first of its kind to be hosted in the Englishspeaking Caribbean, and teams from as far as Europe have been attracted.
During the aforementioned opening ceremony on Saturday morning, Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr., speaking to the magnitude of the event, justified the Government’s investment in the host facility.
“The pieces started coming together more than 3 years ago. We didn’t know
that we would be able to host the first 3x3 tournament in the English-speaking Caribbean, or the only one that’s being hosted outside of Miami or Puerto Rico. We didn’t know that we would be able to do that, but we built with that intention. And many times, when you’re building, you have to have the courage to make that decision and then back those decisions up,” Guyana’s Sport Minister articulated.
On-court action has seen Mexico’s ‘Ball so hard’ team picking up the first win of the tournament - defeating Guyana’s Untouchables 20-9 in the Pool A clash. Mexico’s Yannick Espinosa, recapping their performance, shared their goals for the remainder of the weekend’s competition. “Everything at this level - which is an international quest - is high level.
West Indies Championships…
First of all, I want to thank the organization for inviting us. We come all the way down from Mexico to here to participate, and we’re looking for the same thing everyone is looking for: the qualifying to the next stage of the World Tour in Edmonton,” Espinosa shared.
He added, “It was a good game. The Guyana team, they’re pretty tough, strong,
they’re athletic. Basically, that’s our challenge: beat them on the athleticism and on the strategic point of view. Like I said, we’re super excited,” he said.
“We coming to win everything! We know the first two of each group qualifies to the next round of the quarterfinals, and that’s going to be like do-or-die basically. We’re prepared, we’re ready
for it, and we really love to be out here in the competition,” Espinosa shared about his team’s intentions.
On the other hand, Guyana’s Renegades were the next team to join the winners’ circle, thumping Bermuda’s Hamilton 20-10 in a Pool B matchup.
Guyanese national player Travis Belgrave later described the encounter as intense as he also addressed the home court advantage.
“It was a bit intense. It was a bit physical, as per normal, but we’re experienced in this kind of 3x3 play; so, I think we adapted quite well, and we’re very grateful for this victory,” Belgrave told this publication.
“Well, the experience plays a major part in 3x3. It’s fast-paced, but it requires a lot of thinking; so, based on our experience, I think we should go a far way,” Belgrave later shared about the Renegades’ experience on
the 3x3 circuit.
The Guyanese national player went on to say about their home advantage, “Definitely! We’re home, we’re accustomed to these conditions, so I think we will do well.”
In other results on Saturday, Cayman Storm of the Cayman Islands suffered a 15-21 loss at the hands of Suriname’s Team Paramaribo.
An overtime contest resulted in St. Kitts and Nevis’s SKN Sugar Boys walking away with the win over BVI Elites 13-11 St. Lucia’s Elite Blazers downed Trinidad and Tobago’s Quarters United 1915, Guyana’s Georgetown got past Guatemala’s PSN 13-8, and USA’s NY Soundview got the better of the Netherlands’ Team Philipsburg 21-8.
The ‘One Guyana’ 3x3 Quest continues this Sunday morning and the anticipated final is scheduled for 18:30hrs this evening.
GHE settle for draw with Hurricanes
Although the Guyana Harpy Eagles had batted themselves into a commanding position in their 6th Round clash with the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in the West Indies Championships tourney, they still had to settle for a drawn result in St. Kitts and Nevis on Saturday.
The Harpy Eagles resumed the final day’s play on 381-4, with Captain Tevin Imlach unbeaten on 103 after recording his sixth First- Class century and third this season in the final session on Friday afternoon. Imlach added another 20 runs to his tally, for 123 from 238 deliveries, before perishing.
Jewel Andrew c RJ Alimohamed b AR Nedd 0 Jahmar Hamilton WK not out 23 Keacy Carty not out 19 Did not bat: Rahkeem Cornwall, Oshane Thomas, Justin Greaves, Hayden Walsh, Javier Spencer, Karima Gore Extras b: 0, lb: 8, wd: 0, nb: 0, p: 0 8
Total 50.0 ov, RR: 2.94 147/3 Fall of wickets: 1-98 (M Louis, 32.6 ov), 2-99 (JT Andrew, 33.6 ov), 3-99 (K Henry, 34.2 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Ashmead Nedd 17-2-47-1 Keemo Paul 4-0-18-0 Ronaldo Alimohamed 4-0-18-0
At the other end, Kevin Sinclair hit the second halfcentury on the Harpy Eagles’ scoresheet by notching up 62 off 121 balls, including 3 fours and 2 sixes.
Keemo Paul and Veerasammy Permaul contributed 16 and 15 runs respectively before the Harpy Eagles declared on 490- 9, leaving the hosts 349 runs to get in order to pull off a win.
Hurricanes’ standout bowler Javier Spencer ripped through the Eagles’ lower order to produce 5-77 from 25 overs, while Hayden Walsh, Rahkeem Cornwall and Karima Gore each claimed one scalp. With just two sessions left for the Leeward Hurricanes to cut down the massive score, the Harpy Eagles appeared to be heading down the path of a draw after the clash at Warner Park in St. Kitts and Nevis; and that is exactly what unfolded.
Openers Mikyle Louis and Kadeem Henry, enjoying an illustrious 98-run first
wicket partnership, frustrated the Guyanese bowlers, who were eager to wrap up the win. Louis brought up his second half- century of the game, and eventually hit 61 off 101 balls before handing his wicket to Veerasammy Permaul for the opening that Guyana needed.
In the blink of an eye, the Hurricanes were 99-3, as an aggressive shot from Jewel Andrew sent him back to the dugout for a duck, while Henry put his good start to waste by being LBW trapped by Permaul for 36 off 101 deliveries. However, as wickets seemingly dried up for the visitors, the draw was agreed upon and the match saw an early close of play.
Permaul claimed 2-27
from 18 overs, and Ashmead Nedd took the other wicket for 47 runs off 17 overs.
In other Round 6 results, Jamaica Scorpions ended Trinidad and Tobago’s unbeaten streak with a 223- run victory in Trinidad; Combined Campuses and Colleges settled for a draw with West Indies Academy also in Trinidad, and Barbados Pride defeated Windwards Islands Volcanoes by 2 wickets in St Lucia.
The seventh and final round of the 2025 West Indies Championships will bowl off on Wednesday, April 9, with the Harpy Eagles locking horns with T&T Red Force from 10:00hrs at the Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad as they look to retain their title.
The Guyana Harpy Eagles are still unbeaten after a draw in Round 6
Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr (Jemima Holmes photo)
Sport Minister Charles Ramson got the first shot off in the tournament (Jemima Holmes photo)
Guyana’s Renegades (black top) were too much for Hamilton to handle (Jemima Holmes photo)
SKN’s Sugar Boys (red top) were also in the winners’ row (Jemima Holmes Photo)
Mikyle Louis was steadfast with a half- century on Day 4
