Pres Ali announces infrastructural, security upgrades for Bourda Market
18 Peace Corps volunteers to aid in advancement of literacy, healthcare in hinterland
7 years later
US still working on reversing catfish ban
Govt offers counseling, rehab for street dwellers with drug addiction
“Their time will come” – Norton on Forde, Walton-Desir's challenge for leadership
Confrontation ends in shooting; Police hunting ‘Hulk’
Guyana set to be 1st Caricom country to conduct HLA testing for organ transplants
Chilean President rejects Maduro's claim to victory in Venezuela
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Thursday, August 8 – No retraction and Friday, August 9 –04:00h-05:30h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Thursday, August 8 –06:10h-07:40h and Friday, August 9 – 06:45h-08:15h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Light to thundery showers are expected during the day, interrupted by sunshine in the late-afternoon hours. Clear to partly cloudy skies and thundery showers are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 31 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to South SouthEasterly between 0.89 metre and 2.68 metres.
High Tide: 06:43h and 19:00h reaching maximum heights of 2.59 metres and 2.53 metres.
Low Tide: 12:37h reaching a minimum height of 0.66 metre.
Pres Ali announces infrastructural, security upgrades for Bourda Market …Local
Govt ministers, senior police to make follow-up visits with vendors
ollowing a visit to Bourda Market, President Dr. Irfaan Ali pledged to look into upgrading the market with a logscale approach similar to the Parika Market complex and to enhance security in the surrounding area.
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, President Ali along with a contingent that included senior members of Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, visited Bourda Market, Georgetown.
After the visit, during which the president spoke with vendors, he announced that the Local Government Ministry will engage with vendors to explore the possibility of upgrading the market based on the Parika Market model.
At Parika, an over $200 million complex is being built, which will allow vendors to sell their goods in a more comfortable environment. Additionally, the government has been investing large sums of money in upgrading markets at Leonora, Region Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara) and Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
According to Ali, Local Government and Regional Development Minister, Sonia Parag, as well as Minister within the Ministry, Anand Persaud, will consult with
the other markets. And then clean up this whole place, tarmac it. Because the City Council not doing anything. Clueless.”
Ali also acknowledged the complaints from vendors regarding the garbage situation in the city. Despite the Georgetown Mayor and City Council being mandated to collect garbage, this continues to be an ongoing issue as piles of garbage can be seen all around the city.
In fact, only a few days ago Minister within the Public Works Ministry, Deodat Indar, had announced that strict enforcement measures will soon be implemented to curb the improper disposal of garbage around the capital city.
Indar had made this disclosure as he addressed several representatives of business support organisations at the Private Sector Commission’s
the vendors on this proposal.
“Minister Anand and Minister Sonia… and the councilors… will come during the course of this week and let us do a consultation in this Bourda Market area. Maybe to see how we do Parika and put down one big shed.”
“Instead of all of these small stands and the place in a horrible condition? We put one big shed and then do the stalls like how we do
Headquarters last Friday, where he told them that businesses have been found to be one of the most culpable sections of society in the removal of waste material.
Indar, who is also Chairman of the National Enhancement Committee (NEC), said it has come to his attention that commercial operations are indiscriminately disposing of their garbage by paying vagrants to
get rid of it in improper and unhealthy ways.
The minister disclosed that the NEC is obtaining
no security, nothing. They supposed to pick up the garbage. So, we’ll have to deal with it. We’ll work on that,” President Ali said.
“Today, I asked the police to come and do a full outreach on security. They’ve got to put down at least one major outpost to support the whole market. So, before the end of this week, the police got to put down, you know the containerised outpost? They’ll put down the containerised outpost.”
President Ali explained that they would also employ the use of CCTV cameras, which would be used to identify criminals in the act.
video and photographic evidence of those people breaking the law, and he said this would kickstart a vigorous campaign to charge those who continue to flout the anti-littering regulations.
Security
During the president’s discussions with vendors, concerns were also raised regarding security in the environs. In fact, this was one of the main issues raised. As far back as 2018, then Chief Constable Andrew Foo had named the Stabroek and Bourda markets as criminal hot spots. The vendors told the President, however, that the city constabulary is hardly even seen.
“They’re collecting money from the people in the market. They supposed to have the constable out there. The people said no constabulary,
These cameras, according to the Head of State, would be set up in a way to allow the vendors themselves to keep an eye on their environs.
“I’ll tell them to see how they can connect the cameras to this screen. So, everybody can see what’s happening in the market on the screen… it’s the motorbike (bandits). So, we gon sort that out. We gon put that there. We’ll put the outpost and connect the cameras to the screen. So the police can see the screen from the outpost,” he explained. The PPP/C Government has been implementing a ‘Safe City’ programme that, in 2024, received a $2 Billion allocation to expand the programme into a ‘Safe Country Project’. The project aims to help in fighting crime through the use of surveillance technology. (G3)
President Dr Irfaan Ali during his visit to Bourda Market
Senior members of the Guyana Police Force and City Councillors of the PPP/C engaging vendors and shoppers at Bourda Market
Editor: Tusika Martin
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Building Expo 2024
Guyana’s International Building Expo 2024, set to begin today, is more than just an event; it’s a moment for the country’s burgeoning construction industry, and a significant step towards development.
The International Building Expo 2024 promises to be a showcase of cutting-edge designs and construction practices. With participation from industry leaders and local institutions, the event is set to highlight the latest trends in building materials, techniques, and technologies, along with benefits available to new and existing home owners from financial institutions.
This is not only an opportunity for knowledge exchange, but also a catalyst for the adoption of practices that can enhance the efficiency and sustainability of Guyana’s construction sector.
Housing Minister Collin Croal, in his message about the expo, as posted on its website, states: “International Building Expo 2024 will give us another opportunity to continue to explore the innovations that are occurring within the housing and construction industry. This year’s theme, “Building on the Foundation of Sustainability and Unity”, speaks to our commitment to finding more sustainable and climate friendly options in housing and construction.”
He went on to say: “The housing sector is an important driver of our country’s economy, poverty reduction and development. It is rapidly changing the face of our country and the circumstances of our people. Housing construction stimulates employment and galvanizes business activities. This is why our government is investing some $78B this year to escalate the establishment and upgrade of housing schemes and the construction of more houses catering for all income categories…In 2020, we announced our intention to allocate 50,000 house lots by 2025. I can confidently report that with a little over a year left, we are well on track to realise this achievement.”
Guyana’s construction sector has experienced significant growth in recent years, driven by increased investments and infrastructural projects. The Expo also serves as a platform to further this growth by showcasing and connecting local businesses with international firms. This collaboration can foster innovation, create new opportunities, and stimulate more economic development.
It is clear that this event has in the past been, and has continued to be, crucial in connecting the construction industry and business alike with consumers. By embracing innovation and fostering collaboration, this year’s Expo represents a significant step towards showcasing our green building solutions and eco-friendly construction practices. As climate change becomes an ever-pressing issue, the event aims to highlight cutting-edge technologies and materials that promote energy efficiency, reduce waste, and minimise environmental impact. By focusing on sustainability, the Expo aligns with Guyana’s broader goals of environmental stewardship and responsible development.
Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, in her Building Expo 2024 message, said: We are thrilled to provide a wide range of exhibitors that highlight the most recent developments in affordable, low-carbon building techniques and solutions to help you with any construction project. I urge all of our visitors to engage with the exhibitors, who are happy to offer their expert advice and services.”
We concur with the minister when she said: “The International Building Expo is renowned for providing a platform for entrepreneurs to launch a new business, expand and showcase existing businesses, and offer unmatched opportunities to network among industry professionals.”
The question for Bangladesh: can it break the spell of its bloodstained history?
By Salil TripaThi
One of the most striking images from Dhaka this week has been the razing of the statue of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, Bangladesh’s first elected prime minister, and the father of the now ousted prime minister, Sheikh Hasina Wajed. Bangladesh is a country steeped in, and a product of, modern history. To understand the significance of this toppled statue, we need to make sense of how the country got to this point.
In 1947, Pakistan comprised two territories: West Pakistan (now Pakistan) and East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). A chasm opened up between the two halves, driven in part by linguistic difference (Urdu was the national language, despite East Pakistan speaking Bengali).
In 1970, Mujib, as he was known, led his party, the Awami League, to a spectacular victory in East Pakistan; he won an absolute majority (160 seats) and should have been invited to form the government of Pakistan. The Awami League had been campaigning for greater autonomy for the east; the west saw that as a potentially secessionist demand.
After the election results were announced, Gen Yahya Khan, the military ruler in charge of Pakistan, dithered: the military did not want the country’s leadership pass into the hands of the leader of the country’s eastern wing. On 25 March 1971, the military unleashed a reign of terror in the east, called Operation Searchlight. Mujib was among the first to be arrested and was jailed in West Pakistan. In the massacres that followed, Pakistani troops killed thousands of students, academics and Bengali nationalists in the first few days, and over the nine months that followed killed many more, a figure the Bangladeshi government puts at 3 million and recognises as genocide. More than 10 million refugees went to neighbouring India, which
supported Mukti Bahini, the liberation movement. Then, in a reckless move, Pakistani aircraft attacked Indian airfields in December, giving India the excuse to formally enter the war. Indian troops overran East Pakistan within two weeks; Bangladesh was liberated; the refugees returned.
Mujib was released and made a triumphant return to Bangladesh. The Awami League won the first elections in Bangladesh with a thumping majority. He undertook several economic measures that western governments did not like. But by 1974 his unpopularity grew, especially after a drought that threatened to cause famine. Militia loyal to him terrorised campuses, and in 1975 he turned Bangladesh into a one-party state, banning all opposition parties. A few months later, in August, he was assassinated along with most of his family in Dhaka. Hasina and her sister Rehana survived only because they were abroad. Successive governments undermined Mujib’s role, and he would have become a footnote in history.
However, in 1981, Hasina returned to Bangladesh, and was seen as the harbinger of democracy. Wildly popular, she promised democratic reforms and change, and challenged military rule, most notably by Gen Hussain Muhammad Ershad, who took over in 1983. She ran a spirited campaign against him, joining hands with all parties, including her arch-rival Khaleda Zia – and democracy returned. I met her in 1986 in Dhaka, when as a young reporter I had spent weeks in Bangladesh. She took me to her old family home, where the staircase still carried the bloodstains of her father. She showed me around the house where her family was murdered. After she took office, over the years the house was turned into a museum. On Monday, a mob ransacked the house, setting fires inside, erasing a part of Bangladesh’s history.
Hasina was first elected prime minister in 1996, lost in 2001, and returned to power in 2009. She continued in office until Monday; and while she held three elections since coming to power, opposition parties boycotted two of those – in 2014 and 2024; and while the opposition participated in 2018, it withdrew its candidates within hours due to widespread allegations of voter intimidation and rigging. In her early years, Hasina took many steps to empower the poor and Bangladesh improved its economic indicators and reduced poverty, boosted by garment exports and remittances from Bangladeshis working overseas. By 2026, it is forecast to graduate from its status as a “least developed country”. Those are major achievements.
However, her rule also turned authoritarian – businesses close to her party prospered; she appointed loyalists to senior positions in the bureaucracy and police forces; political opponents disappeared; there were extra-judicial killings; the press was attacked and newspapers sued; a draconian digital security act placed significant curbs on freedom, and corruption flourished.
The proximate cause of her downfall was a protest among students against preferential quotas in government jobs for freedom fighters and their progeny. There was no sunset clause, meaning these quotas were to stay in perpetuity, and at 30% were vastly disproportionate to the actual number of freedom fighters. It became an exercise in job-creation for those loyal to or close to the Awami League.
Instead of negotiating with the students, Hasina dug in stubbornly, until the agitation grew, and in mid-July she called those who opposed the quotas “razakars” – a pejorative term describing those who collaborated with Pakistani troops in the liberation war, not far off “quisling”. The youth wing of the Awami League began beat-
ing up the protesters, and the police started shooting –at least 200 people, many of them students, were killed, and the demonstrators then sought first an apology, then her resignation. She clung on; over the weekend the violence escalated, and another 100 people died, including more than a dozen policemen. She showed no sign of compromise, until the military told her that her position had become untenable, and she left office in disgrace, bound for India. It is not known where she will settle eventually. The Indian cricketer Vijay Merchant said: “Retire when they ask why, and not when they ask why not.” But politicians are different. They feel they are invincible. And, in South Asia, they often expect their children and grandchildren to continue operating the “family business”. The Nehrus in India (and many more in almost all political parties, including the ruling Bharatiya Janata party, which is filled with Scindias and other scions), the Sharifs and Bhuttos in Pakistan, and Ziaur Rahman and Mujib’s progeny in Bangladesh, continue to see the countries as their personal fiefdoms.
To overcome that, voters in Asia, and perhaps beyond, have to think beyond the families that were so crucial in post-colonial nation-building, and start experimenting with leaders whose claim to leadership rests not in their genes but in their character.
In order to reassure the international community, the markets and, importantly, Bangladesh’s closest neighbour, India, the army has now announced that the Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus will lead an interim government, whose task will be to oversee elections. Perhaps this will be the beginning of a process that allows Bangladesh to show the way forward. (The Guardian) (Salil Tripathi is the author of The Colonel Who Would Not Repent: The Bangladesh War and Its Unquiet Legacy)
Men row a boat near a deluged straw hut in the river Ganges in Prayagraj, India, after rise in water levels during the monsoons (AFP)
Guyana, Guyanese have much to celebrate
Dear Editor,
As we mark four years of President Dr Irfaan Ali's leadership of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, it is an ideal moment to reflect on the remarkable progress our country has made since the tumultuous 2020 General and Regional Elections.
A good starting point is the challenges Dr Ali and the PPP/C faced during those elections, and the eventual triumph of democracy, which marked a crucial period in our nation's democratic history.
The People's National Congress Reform-led A Partnership for National Unity-Alliance For Change coalition’s numerous attempts to manipulate the election results, although naked and ugly, were thwarted by the steadfastness of the PPP/C. Under the leadership of Dr. Irfaan Ali and then-General Secretary-now-Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, democracy prevailed.
The APNU-AFC's actions, including attempts to falsify vote counts and illegal declarations of the election results, threatened the very foundation of our democracy. The international community, the PPP/C, and dozens of countries and leaders' unwavering efforts to high-
light these irregularities led to increased scrutiny and pressure. The relentless efforts and vigilance of the PPP/C and the international community safeguarded the democratic rights of Guyanese citizens, culminating in Dr Irfaan Ali being sworn-in as President on August 2, 2020.
Support from the international community and CARICOM during the fivemonth electoral impasse, including the recount process, was pivotal in preserving our democracy.
The list of achievements of President Ali's government is exhaustive, and would require significant space in the newspapers to detail fully. I will therefore attempt to highlight only some of those achievements below.
Upon assuming office, President Ali's administration skillfully and successfully navigated the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic which gripped the world. His government’s success in responding to major floods that nearly crippled agriculture is also noteworthy from the onset of his presidency. Under his leadership, the sector has been turned around, with massive crop diversification, the infusion of technology, and increased youth involvement in hydroponics and shade
house technologies. His ambitious "25 by 2025" policy aims to reduce the Caribbean’s food import bill, showcasing his commitment to regional food security.
The PPP/C's successful programme to sell carbon credits, which has already yielded hundreds of millions of US dollars in revenue and preserved our standing forest under the Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 (LCDS 2030), has gained significant global traction and commendation. This initiative underscores the government's dedication to sustainable development and environmental conservation.
Under President Ali, Guyana has witnessed a remarkable transformation in various sectors. The government has increased salaries for public servants and has increased pensions and public assistance, while implementing policies to alleviate poverty and generate wealth.
The infrastructure landscape has been transformed with the construction of hundreds of kilometres of new four-lane highways on the East Coast, East Bank, and West Coast of Demerara; the long-awaited new Demerara River crossing, and thousands of community roads.
The massive housing programme has already seen distribution of over 30,000 house lots and houses in the low, middle, and high-income brackets, as well as young professional homes. President Ali's promise of housing for 50,000 families by 2025 is well on target.
The prudent management of the oil and gas sector, despite the lopsided contract signed by the APNU-AFC while in power, is commendable.
The almost 30,000 Guyanese benefitting from the GOAL Scholarship programme, with thousands already graduating, is a testament to the government's commitment to education. The President's promise of 20,000 scholarships in five years has already been exceeded by close to 10,000.
The PPP/C government's massive investment in education includes new schools, making university education free by 2025, the write-off of thousands of student loans, the reinstatement and increase of the "Because We Care" cash grant for school-aged children, the expansion of the national school feeding programme, the uniform grant, smart classrooms, and internet connectivity in many schools, including those in the hinterland.
The health sector has
PNC/AFC/APNU supporters recognising benefits achievable under President Ali’s “One
Dear Editor,
Prior to the 2011 elections when the coalition had attained a majority in Parliament, the country had seen significant progress, and had attained the status of a middle-income country. This was a remarkable shift from the bankrupt and heavily indebted economy inherited by the PPP/C government from the PNC, which had mismanaged the country for 28 years through rigged elections.
With their one-seat parliamentary majority in 2011, the coalition aggressively cut budgetary allocations across nearly every governmental department in the presentations made by PPP/C Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh. Those cuts hindered the ongoing social and economic development initiated by the previous Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo-led PPP/C administration, and pushed the country towards bankruptcy and recession.
Their refusal to pass the AML/CFT Bill without amendments for greater
parliamentary oversight led to economic sanctions by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), severely impacting the private sector. This strategy of coercion through violence, destruction and attacks on civilians has long been used to force PPP administrations into granting unfavourable concessions.
Today the influx of oil revenue has fuelled the coalition's greed. They hid a signing bonus in a private bank account, claimed it as a gift, and accepted lavish perks from oil companies, compromising the nation's right to fair revenue from the oil and gas sector. Their race-baiting political tactics threaten to drive the country back to the brink of civil unrest — a path the PPP has consistently avoided, favouring instead peaceful conflict resolution.
Under successive PPP/C administrations, including the current one led by President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Guyana has seen growth in advances and loans to the
Guyana” vision
private sector, thereby attracting foreign direct investment and boosting local investor confidence. This progress is attributed to "prudent fiscal management; sound macro-economic policies and planning; institutional strengthening coupled with deeper social cohesion and political stability", leading to sustained de-
velopment.
As the country continues on its path to progress and prosperity, even supporters of PNC/AFC/APNU are recognizing the benefits achievable under President Ali’s “One Guyana” vision.
Regards, Erin Northe
also seen substantial investments to improve the quality of primary healthcare, modernise the sector with new technology, and finance specialised care. This includes government-financed chemotherapy, the construction of several specialised regional hospitals, and a dedicated children's and maternity hospital.
President Ali has worked tirelessly to rebuild Guyana’s global image after the horrors of the attempts to rig the 2020 elections. His leadership has garnered many accolades and awards, attracting hundreds of investors who have confidence in the management of our economy.
The "One Guyana" vision has been instrumental in unifying the nation, promoting inclusivity and national cohesion.
The government has created tens of thousands of new jobs through policies that expand the private sector in construction, services, agriculture, oil and gas, manufacturing, and other sectors.
Thousands of Guyanese, many of them youths, are becoming entrepreneurs and receiving business support, including financing. The prudent management of the economy and the creation of wealth for Guyanese, such as the in-
crease in mortgage lending and the reduction of mortgage interest rates, have led to increased home ownership and wealth creation. These are but a few of the many achievements of this Government. As we continue on this path of progress, it is imperative that we remain vigilant in protecting our democratic values, and work collectively towards a prosperous and unified Guyana.
I hail President Ali and his PPP/C government for breathing new life into the hope and confidence of citizens after five years of disastrous governance under the APNU-AFC, which left our country in ruins in every sector. Mr President, I congratulate you and your cabinet of ministers for a job well done. Continue to lead with distinction, as there are exciting times ahead for our new and modern Guyana under your leadership and that of the PPP/C.
I urge all Guyanese to ignore the noises from elements who are enemies to progress and who want to divide our country by using race, and to get on the express train of development being driven by President Ali with able assistance from his cabinet.
Sincerely,
Edward Layne
Foundation
Changing from metric units to customary units
Use the chart below to help you convert metric units to customary units. The values may not be exact in all cases but approximations.
1 millimetre = 0.039 inch 1
1
1
1 kilometre = 0.621 mile
1 mile = 1.609 kilometres
Example:
1 metre = how many feet?
Step 1: Find metres on the chart above: 1 metre = 39.37 inches
Step 2: Multiply 1 x 39.37 = 39.37 inches.
Divide the number of inches by 12 to find feet: 39.37 ÷12 = 3.28 feet
So 1 metre = 3.28 feet feet.
Exercises: Calculate
1) Which is larger: a 2-litre bottle of Coca Cola or a 2-quart bottle?
2) A woman weighs 68 kilograms. How many pounds is that?
3) The weight limit on a bridge is 36,000 kilograms. How many tonnes is that?
4) Which is more expensive: $1000 per gallon gas or $175 per litre kerosene?
5) Which is shorter: the 100-yard dash or the 100-metre sprint?
By Walt Whitman
O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won, The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring; But O heart! heart! heart!
All living things change during their lifetimes. Your body is different now than it was when you were a baby. And it will change again. How a living thing, or organism, changes throughout its life is called a life cycle. All living things need food, too. Plants make their own food, but animals need to eat plants or other animals to grow and survive. Organisms in the same ecosystem -- or community of living things in a shared environment – live together and sometimes eat each other, too. Organisms are linked to each other in food chains, where each thing feeds on the one next to it in the chain. Food webs are interlocking food chains in an ecosystem. This day focuses on insect life cycles and their role in ecosystems. Research and answer the following
questions:
• What is a life cycle?
• What are the parts of an insect’s life cycle?
• What is an ecosystem?
• What do insects do in their ecosystems?
• What is a food chain?
• What is a food web?
• What would happen to our food chain without insects? (Adapted from startwithabook.org)
O the bleeding drops of red, Where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells; Rise up—for you the flag is flung— for you the bugle trills, For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths— for you the shores a-crowding, For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning; Here Captain! dear father! This arm beneath your head! It is some dream that on the deck, You’ve fallen cold and dead. My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still, My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will, The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done, From fearful trip the victor ship comes in with object won; Exult O shores, and ring O bells! But I with mournful tread, Walk the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.
7 years later
US still working on reversing catfish ban
Some seven years af-
ter the United States (US) imposed a ban on the export of catfish from Guyana, efforts have been ongoing to reverse this and according to US Ambassador Nicole Theriot, the process is getting close to the end.
The catfish ban was imposed since 2017 under the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/ AFC) Administration and since entering office in 2020, the current People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government has been working with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse the ban.
During an interview with reporters on the sidelines of an event on Wednesday, the US Ambassador in Georgetown explained that while this has been a lengthy process, the ban could soon end.
“I know it seems like a very long time but when you’re talking about the health and safety of your citizens, you have to be incredibly careful and that’s why it’s such a long, complicated process. But I promise you Guyana is getting close to the end and I think we will be there soon,” Ambassador Theriot assured.
Over the years, there has multiple exchanges between authorities from both sides with the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection
Services (FSIS) requesting additional documentation and information from its Guyanese counterpart.
The last submission by local authorities was made over two months ago.
“In May, they (Guyanese authorities) returned the last request for information. So, it’s kinda been going back and forth. And right now, it’s back in the US – so the ball is in our court – to review the responses we received on May 25,” the Ambassador disclosed.
The US diplomat added that the process to lift the ban could well progress once those documents are reviewed.
“Once we have reviewed that if we have any additional questions, we will send that back. However, if they are satisfied then we can start the process for allowing catfish exports back into the United States. Unfortunately, I don’t have a timeline for that because
it really depends on how long it takes them to go through the responses but I’m very confident we will get there,” Ambassador Theriot stated.
She went onto note that the US is strict when it comes to the health and safety of its citizens but assures that Guyana is well advanced in the process to reverse the ban on catfish exports.
“The US Department of Agriculture has a specific a specific office that handles all requests for exports products such as catfish, shellfish, vegetables – any sort of fresh product. There is a very clear, very strict process that must be followed. Any country in the whole that wishes to export to the United States, whatever product it is, must follow these guidelines and Guyana is quite advanced in this process,” the US envoy posited.
Since assuming office, the Dr. Irfaan Ali-led
Government has been engaging the US Government at high levels on reversing the catfish ban.
In fact, the matter was raised with former US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, during a visit to Georgetown in September 2020 and he had committed to reviewing the ban on catfish which was imposed in 2017 under the David Granger-led Administration.
Last August, former US Ambassador to Guyana, Sarah-Ann Lynch, said both sides have been in dialogue to get the paperwork across the finish line.
“Whatever was discussed during Secretary Pompeo’s time, we did build on those. Some are still in process, like the catfish agreement. That is still under review with the US Department of Agriculture, specifically the Food
Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)… But these things take some time,” Ambassador Lynch had stated.
It was reported early last year that Guyana was awaiting a response from the US Government, having followed various stipulated requirements to lift the exportation ban on catfish.
According to the regulations, Guyana must be able to catch catfish and transport it to a processing plant while it is alive. This is in contradiction to what is being practiced here, whereby the fish is caught, disemboweled and the carcass is iced until it reaches the shore.
Exporters of catfish were required to provide documentation to verify that their inspection system was equivalent to US standards. The failure to
do this resulted in the US imposing a ban on catfish imports from Guyana and other non-compliant countries.
Guyana is also required to have inspectors at the plants along with documentation of sanitation and the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) during the packaging process. It also needs to provide information on how adulterated catfish products are managed.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had previously lamented that the local fishing industry has severely been affected by the ban. The wild-caught catfish, especially ‘gilbaka’, has been in great demand within the Guyanese diaspora in the US.
Prior to the ban, the catfish export industry to the US was pegged at some $1.8 billion. (G8)
Confrontation ends in shooting; Police hunting ‘Hulk’
Police are investigating a shooting, which has left a 27-year-old nursing a gunshot wound to his leg.
Injured is Juhu Mingo, who was shot at about 22:50h on Tuesday night at his Cummings Park home.
According to Police, Mingo and the suspect, known only as “Hulk” had a confrontation at about 17:50h at a street corner. After their altercation, Mingo left the scene and returned home.
However, later that night, while Mingo was in bed, he heard his window shutter being opened and upon inspection, he told Police he recognised ‘Hulk’, who was dressed in all-black attire. In his police report, the injured man said that ‘Hulk’ then fired multiple shots in his
Mingo was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he received medical
Police said that crime scene investigators recovered three suspected 9mm shell casings at the scene of the shooting. An investigation has been launched as Police continue their search for the suspect.
US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot
direction, striking him once in the left thigh. He said that the suspect fled the scene on foot.
atten -
tion.
1 dead, 1 critical in 3-vehicle smashup on EBD
An accident involving three vehicles on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) public road has claimed the life of a minibus driver and left another driver in a critical condition.
Dead is Keith Caesar, a 35-year-old resident of North-East La Penitence, Georgetown.
The accident occurred on Wednesday at about 04:30h on the Garden of Eden public road, EBD.
It involved minibus BAE 7146, driven by Caesar; a motorcar, PVV 4095, driv-
en by a 35-year-old resident of Hyde Park, Timehri, and a hire car, HD 606, driven by a 30-year-old resident of Martyrs Ville, East Coast Demerara.
Based on police reports, motorcar PVV 4095 was travelling south along the eastern driving lane of Garden of Eden public road while the hire car was proceeding behind in the same direction.
According to the hire car driver, he observed the driver of PVV 4095 suddenly swerve westwards and collide with the minibus, which was travelling north along the western driving lane of the road at high speed.
As a result of the collision, the minibus toppled several times, and the motor car
spun and collided with the hire car. An ambulance and the fire service were called to the scene, along with two teams of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs).
The minibus driver was examined and escorted to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he received treatment but succumbed to his injuries.
The 35-year-old driver of motorcar PVV 4095 was also examined and escorted to Georgetown Public Hospital, where he was admitted as a patient in critical condition.
Meanwhile, police say the hire car driver was subsequently arrested and taken to the Grove Police Station. He is presently in custody, assisting with the ongoing investigation. (G8)
Return of…
…true lies
They say we’re in a “post truth” age. Does this mean we’ve reached a point where we’ve gone beyond “truth” and “lies”, and they’re all the same? So, we can say whatever we feel like saying, and it’s alright? Pinocchio’s nose won’t grow?? Seems like it!! Not that we couldn’t always say whatever the heck we wanted - but if what you said didn’t match what was “out there”, you’d soon be consigned to the nearest madhouse!! Well, don’t get too woke - we do refer to the “Berbice Madhouse”, don’t we??
One of exemplars of this “post truth” age is no other that the 45th President of the US – Donald Trump - now back on the hustings. The Washington Post - which evidently had the manpower to keep track – enumerated 30,573 “untruths” he uttered during his 4-year term between 2017 and 2021. That’s an astounding 21 fibs told EVERY DAY FOR 4 YEARS!! The man should get a prize for that, if nothing else!! That’s fidelity to a cause – the cause of the dawning of the age of “post truth”!! And he's now on course to break his own record!!
Now, what explains that Trump’s most fervent followers are the hardcore Christian fundamentalists from the Bible Belt? He’s even been called “the messiah”!! And this even though the Bible warns, “The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.” It means, therefore, that Trump and his supporters don’t consider themselves lying – even though evidence to the contrary might abound!! Didn’t the Bible hint at this tendency when it said that “those that have ears should hear and those with eyes should see”?? But really, folks hear what they wanna hear, and see what they wanna see. The scientific revolution ushered in an era wherein folks should look at the “evidence” before making claims. But that’s now gone for channa! Now we hear that every assertion we make in the world is “socially constructed”!! Meaning that what we regard as the “truth” is merely something we’ve agreed on. Take this thing called “gender”: we knew that sex and gender referred to physical and social “facts”, we accepted there was a correlation between the two. No more!! We can now be referred to as “he, she, it, or they” - depending on how we feel about our gender!!
Now, how about that claim which led to an invasion of Capitol Hill, in which people lost their lives?!! The election was rigged because Trump and his partisans say it was rigged!! If in the beginning God created the world with His “word”, then it seems that our world can now be created by some folks simply uttering their “word”!!
So, in Guyana, the Opposition insists there was no attempted rigging!!
…Kenyan turmoil
Did you follow those riots in Kenya that almost toppled Ruto’s govt? Now they’d done everything – and then some – on what’s being suggested to resolve our political impasse. Like us, free and fair elections were returned in 1992. They tried power sharing with parties – and leaders; decentralization; cultural policies; electoral reform; counting at the place of poll; POSTING OF EVERY SINGLE 44000+ SOPs on the internet so that everyone could check and add up votes themselves!!
All of this took place after disputed elections in 2007 led to 1300 persons being killed in riots and the constitution being changed to allow the above innovations with the 2008 “National Accord and Reconciliation Act”. So, there were elections in 2013, then 2017. The latter was objected to and was reversed by the Supreme Court, and new elections were held.
Now, the 2022 elections were won by Ruto, the outsider, but yet today – after committing troops to Haiti - he’s in the doghouse!
Can’t please everyone!
…punctuation
Some readers have been asking about your Eyewitness’ use of a combined exclamation and question marks - !?! – in this space!! Now, this ain’t his invention. Would you believe it represents asking a question with a raised eyebrow - an “interrobang”!?
The mangled minibus that Keith Caesar was driving
Motorcar PVV 4095 that allegedly crashed into the minibus and the hire car
GECOM considering proposal for cameras in polling stations, biometrics feasibility study
…additional legal safeguards in place to ensure integrity of elections
In preparation for the 2025 General and Regional elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) is considering proposals for installing cameras in polling stations and a biometrics feasibility study to enhance safeguards against misconduct.
On Wednesday GECOM’s spokeswoman Yolanda Ward responded to the matter raised by the Alliance For Change (AFC) regarding election safeguards. AFC, which was previously part of APNU that had attempted to rig the 2020 National and Regional election, has been calling for biometrics such as fingerprints to be implemented by GECOM for the next elections.
However, GECOM warned that they cannot make such a significant change to electoral procedure unless there is legislation to back it up. Indeed, the addition of ID cards in the 1997 elections, was one of the grounds on which
the validity of the entire election was overturned in court and even that electoral change came from an act of parliament.
“Whereas this call from the AFC is nothing new, it is necessary for the Commission to remind all political stakeholders and by extension the general public that (GECOM Chairperson) Justice of Appeal (Ret’d) Claudette Singh has repeatedly emphasised that the Commission’s operations are guided by the laws of Guyana,” GECOM explained.
“It is of paramount importance to recall that, in so doing the GECOM Chairman has emphasised that GECOM cannot and will not act outside of the extant statutory provisions pertaining to the conduct of National Registration, Local Government Elections and General and Regional Elections. More specifically, it must be emphasised that the introduction of biometrics requires legislative
changes and, until such is enabled, GECOM cannot proceed with implementing such a feature.”
GECOM did assure, however, that there are multiple safeguards already in place to protect the sanctity of the elections… safeguards enshrined in law. Moreover, the commission is already examining the question of biometrics.
It was revealed that a feasibility study was conducted on introducing fingerprint scanning, a form of biometrics. That study, according to GECOM, is currently being examined by the commissioners.
“Over an extended period of time, the chairman facilitated discussions on a Motion that was moved
“Discussions on the Motion, by the Commission, led to a decision being taken for a Feasibility Study to be conducted into the viability of introducing digital fingerprint capture and the use of biometrics in line with the Motion. The Feasibility Study has since been completed and copies have been circulated to all members of the Commission for perusal and subsequent deliberations,” GECOM outlined.
Cameras
In addition, a proposal is being considered by GECOM, from Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, for cameras to be placed in polling stations. These cameras, GECOM noted, would
by one Member of the Commission proposing the introduction of digital fingerprint capture during registration, and the introduction of biometric fingerprint identification of voters at polling stations.”
be placed in positions where they could record what happened in the polling stations, while maintaining the secrecy of the ballots.
Until these proposals can be implemented, however, GECOM reminded of the
safeguards at their disposal, including political party agents at each polling station and the identification process for voters. There is also the use of indelible ink, the counting of ballots before reps from all the parties and local and international observers.
There were also concerns raised about the integrity of the Official List of Electors (OLE) but GECOM assured, however, that the voters lists are sanitised and updated through Claims and Objections Exercises. Additionally, in accordance with the National Registration Act, the CEO has been writing to the Chief Medical Officer and the Commissioner of Police, for periodic updates on deceased persons. This allows GECOM to further sanitise and keep the register of voters updated, in a legal way.
“As it relates to the AFC’s posit that “updating the voters list is crucial for ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, it is of significant importance that we remind all concerned of the decision by the Chief Justice (ag) Roxane GeorgeWiltshire pertaining to the removal of names of persons from the National Register of Registrants Database (NRRDB) i.e., the records from which all voters’ lists are extracted,” GECOM said.
“This decision of the Chief Justice (ag) was never appealed. Accordingly, GECOM cannot update the NRRDB or any list, or any list extracted therefrom, ex-
cept by way of the existing legal provisions. GECOM routinely updates the NRRDB on the basis of reports in relation to deceased persons that are received from the General Register Office by flagging the records of the concerned deceased.”
Voting on election day in the 2020 General and Regional elections went off almost without a hitch. What happened after, however, were the desperate attempts by A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) to cling on to power.
The then government is alleged to have colluded with senior GECOM officials to rig the elections results – a move which plunged Guyana into five months of political deadlock, before President Dr. Irfaan Ali was finally able to be sworn in as President. As a consequence, a number of former GECOM staff are before the Magistrate’s court on charges of electoral fraud.
They include former Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo; former Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield; his former Deputy, Roxanne Myers and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller and Denise BabbCummings. Also before the court are current APNU Member of Parliament Volda Lawrence and PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph. (G3)
GECOM CEO Vishnu Persaud
The Guyana Elections Commission
Govt looks to Region 1 to boost agri produce supply to city
…to diversify wholesalers, aid in lowering food costs at city markets
In an effort to cushion food prices for produce in the city, the Government is looking at diversifying the sources through which retailers of agricultural produce acquire their goods. This includes looking at Region One (Barima-Waini) to supply wholesale produce.
During President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s visit to Bourda Market in Georgetown on Wednesday, he asked vendors about their produce prices. It quickly became clear that high prices were largely due to scarcity and the cost of transporting goods.
One vendor related that having bought her produce wholesale from Parika, Region Three (Essequibo Island-West Demerara),
the prices for items like eddo and sweet potato are high due to their scarcity.
At this point, President Ali noted that the government can provide logistical support in sourcing products.
“We can bring this out… we got a lot of provision in the interior… we will look at
Region One, make a note,” President Ali directed a member of his entourage, which included Minister within the Ministry of Local Government Anand Persaud and People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Councillor on the Georgetown Mayor and
In Region One, the MV Ma Lisha ferry, which was built by Indian firm Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd (GRSE) at a cost of US$12.7 Million, has been plying the NorthWest, Region One and Georgetown route over the past year.
When it was commissioned in 2023, President Ali, who was the feature speaker at the commissioning, had spoken of the important role the MV Ma Lisha was expected to play in Guyana’s development,
between Region One and Trinidad and along the rest of CARICOM,” the president had said.
The ferry has a capacity of up to 276 passengers, along with 18 crew members, and also carries 14 sedan-type vehicles and two trucks. It can also accommodate up to 250 tonnes of cargo with cold storage facilities.
It also comprises a front loading/offloading ramp that can accommodate easy loading and discharging of cargo at ports she will call on. The vessel also has a side boarding capacity.
The commissioning of the ferry was also done in the context of the government’s commitment to the ‘Vision 25 by 2025’ initiative and to investing in the agricultural potential of all regions across the country.
Vision 25 by 2025 aims for the Caribbean to achieve a 25 per cent reduction in the Region’s food import bill by 2025. Owing to the Region’s dependency on imported food it faces hardships when disruptions occur.
In light of this, the intention was to formulate a sense of food stability and
when it comes to transporting goods out of Region One.
“Region One has the potential to produce all the cassava, eddoes, sweet potatoes, yams, turmeric, ginger, and cage culture fish that the entire Trinidad and Tobago can utilise. Region One alone has this capacity. So, this ship… is an opportunity to open up a new discourse with India. That is the replacement of our fleet, but more importantly, making use of this opportunity of trade
A total of 19 navigational, mechanical, and auxiliary staff of the Transport and Harbours Department were trained in India in 2022 and 2023, to operate the new ferry vessel.
President Ali had also noted that with the ship’s cold storage capability, there would be opportunities for both primary and secondary foods to be transported out of Region One. He had also cited the opportunity for high-demand crops to be exported to international markets.
security… country by country, with Guyana playing a key role in helping other countries achieve greater food security. Only recently, President Ali had revealed that the Guyana Government intends to use science and technology to advance the agricultural sector.
This includes initiatives such as developing an industrial cassava flour mill, producing refined and organic sugar, and establishing a regional data facility.
(G3)
City Council, Alfonso De Armas.
The MV Ma Lisha ferry that services Region One
President Dr Irfaan Ali during his walkabout at the Bourda Market on Wednesday morning
18 Peace Corps volunteers to aid in advancement of literacy, healthcare in hinterland
Eighteen Peace Corps Volunteers will soon be deployed to Guyana’s hinterland regions where they will play a fundamental role in helping the government advance literacy in English Language as well as science among primary level children.
In addition to this, the group which was sworn in on Wednesday to begin their two years of service in Guyana, will also address various issues including adolescent health, and environmental stewardship.
The volunteers are Adriana Cammarano, Paula Clark, Eunice Cuffie, Emily Kuster, Georgia Metz, Josiah Pack, Michael Smith, Cristina Diaz, Tana Early, Chance Herbst, Matthew Jester, Justin Mascarin, Isis Parker, Lily Poat, Kayla Poncius, Marcelo Sanchez Viniegra, Delanie Craighead and Jameiya Walker.
They are from Missouri, Louisiana, Oregon, Minnesota, Texas, and California, among others.
To enhance their preparedness for these tasks the Volunteers completed an intensive nine-week pre-service training.
As it relates to education, seven volunteers will be assigned to schools to
co-teach, enhance school libraries, work with parents and pull students from the classroom for special tutoring, while nine Environment Volunteers will work in schools teaching science and implementing eco-friendly projects that teach children to be good stewards of Guyana natural resources.
In highlighting the important work of Peace Corps Volunteers and their local community partners in
“Their time
building a sustainable future for Guyana, Deputy Chief Education Officer for Administration, Tiffany Harvey commended host families, partner schools, and the Government of Guyana for their support of the Peace Corps’ work.
“When I look at literacy, science, health and family life those are directly related to what our focus is right now. We are deliberately working towards ensuring
that we produce the ideal citizens so that our students are prepared for the world of work to compete in the global market. So, with the focus of literacy from grades one to four we welcome that because it’s exactly what our mission is,” she said.
Meanwhile, two Health Volunteers will teach life skills to adolescents and will work to support the Health Ministry in a school health programme that is
focused on screening and early detection of non-communicable disease and mental health issues in children throughout their school years.
Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, who delivered brief remarks at the event, highlighted that the group will help his ministry bridge the gap between healthcare being accessed at schools and health centers.
“I know for this batch those who would be working in health that you’ll be focusing primarily on adolescent health and we have a lot of work in this area too… we have been focused on a few areas but now we want to have this comprehensive programme and I really look forward to the Volunteers working with us to make this a success in the areas where they will be assigned. And we want to bridge that gap between the schools in the area and the health center,” Dr. Anthony related.
The 18 new volunteers will join the current cohort of 36 already serving in nine of Guyana’s ten regions and is part of the 35th Volunteer group to work here.
United States to Guyana Ambassador, Nicole Theriot commended the group for their dedication, motivation
and unwavering support to the programme.
“Volunteers around the world reflect the very best of the United States and they bring back to the United States the very best of Guyana. They build lasting people to people ties that span decades and those ties are part of a lifelong commitment. In fact, many return PCVs seek to work overseas again because they catch the bug and living in the US just doesn’t do it for them anymore,” US to Guyana Ambassador said.
In March of 1961, President John F Kennedy created the Peace Corps to provide human resource and technical assistance to developing countries. The Peace Corps was first active in Guyana from 1966-1971, and later returned in 1995 at the invitation of then-President, Dr. Cheddi Jagan. Since its establishment, more than 900 American volunteers have supported numerous communities throughout Guyana.
In fact, since 1996 more than 240,000 Peace Corps Volunteers have served in 142 countries and in Guyana over 1,400 Volunteers have served since 1966 with a break from 1971-1995. (G1)
will come”– Norton on Forde, Walton-Desir’s challenge for leadership
Addressing the recent challenge to his leadership of the People’s National Congress/ Reform (PNC/R) Party, Aubrey Norton has said his two main challengers, Amanza Walton-Desir and Roysdale Forde, will have their time.
During a recent interview with Dr. Asquith Rose on Globespan, the Opposition Leader spoke of his leadership of the PNC/R as well as the relationship with his challengers. Ahead of the party’s congress in June, Norton was challenged for leadership by Walton-Desir and Forde. However, both challengers dropped out of the race before the internal polls, citing electoral irregularities. During his interview, Norton claimed to still be on good terms with both Forde and Walton-Desir; and, according to him, their time to lead the party will come one day.
“I would think so. In fact, I’ve spoken to both of them briefly. I was in the park where Amanza was, and we had a photo op-
portunity. I think these are young Members of Parliament who, with time, will come into their own,” Norton has said.
According to Norton, he has a strong base within the party, and whether or not Forde and Walton-Desir had dropped out, the election would have ended in his victory. As a matter of fact, Norton credited his efforts to connect with people at the grassroots, including in various entertainment spots, with his success in the party.
“One of the tasks I undertook from the time I became leader was to put the party back on the ground, make it a grassroots party. I’ve been involved in reinvigorating our groups, setting up new groups, and so, in large measure, a lot of the people who became despondent returned to the party and began working. So I can say that I have a strong base in the party,” Norton explained.
Walton-Desir and Forde had both outlined various concerns with the election, including the de-
lay in releasing a preliminary list of delegates and a lack of confidence in the transparency of the elections. Walton-Desir had, in a statement, cited serious concerns over procedural fairness and transparency as key reasons for her decision to withdraw her candidacy. She had said that, throughout her campaign, she had emphasized values such as transparency, fairness, decency and integrity within the party; however,
recent developments had cast doubt on the integrity of the leadership selection process.
“I come to you today to announce my decision to suspend my campaign for the PNCR leadership. This decision has been incredibly difficult, but it has been made after deep reflection and extensive discussions with my team and close advisors,” her statement had read. “Though I am suspending my campaign, our
work does not end here. We must continue to advocate for the values we believe in, and push for the changes our party needs,” WaltonDesir had expressed to her followers.
Meanwhile, hours after Walton-Desir had announced the suspension of her campaign, Roysdale Forde, SC, had announced that he also had taken a decisive step in the midst of the PNC internal elections turmoil by suspending his campaign and refusing all nominations for party positions. His actions had come as a response to what he had perceived to be severe irregularities within the party’s electoral process.
In his statement, Forde had outlined several critical reasons for his decision, chief among his concerns being allegations of electoral malpractice and procedural flaws that had tainted the integrity of the ongoing election proceedings.
Forde had said that his decision was precipitated by a lack of response to his repeated communications to the Central Executive
Committee and the General Secretary regarding his concerns about the transparency and fairness of the electoral process. Despite raising alarm over discrepancies in delegate lists and unrealistic timelines imposed for the party congress, Forde had said, his concerns had gone unaddressed.
Norton had meanwhile gone on to be re-elected as PNC/R Leader, and a motion had also been passed for him to be the presidential candidate at next year’s elections. (G3)
The Peace Corps volunteers along with US Ambassador Nicole Theriot, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, and other officials following their swearing-in ceremony
PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton and his former challenger APNU MP Amanza Walton-Desir posed for a photo during Emancipation Day celebrations in the National Park
APNU MP Roysdale Forde, SC
Guyana set to be 1st Caricom country to conduct HLA testing for organ transplants
Guyana is set to be the first Caribbean Community Member State to conduct Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing for organ transplants.
Earlier in the year, Government procured the HLA machine to increase Guyana’s capacity to determine human organ compatibility before conducting transplant surgeries.
In this regard, very soon, skilled health practitioners will be able to match patients and donors for bone marrow, cord blood, and other organ transplants.
According to Health Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, technical staff are currently being train-
ing to ensure the service is onstream by the end of 2024.
“So right now without that matching, we depend on sending those samples to Miami and that has been, that's how the programme was built all along. So, we're changing that where we can do these testing locally. And there's no country in the Caribbean that has been able to do HLA testing for themselves. So, once we put this equip-
ment in place, we would be the first one to be able to do that,” Dr. Anthony disclosed.
The Health Ministry through the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency is actively working to establish Guyana’s first National Human Organ and Transplant Registry.
This platform, which will be managed by the agency, is part of efforts to modernise Guyana’s healthcare system and
fast-track the process in which ill citizens access functioning organs.
Dr. Anthony explained that the HLA testing capability will complement the work of the agency, which aims to save lives.
“Well, the registry is important because in that way we'll be able to match people and do more surgeries and when a donor becomes available, they can be matched to a potential recipient. So that's
why that is very important and there are a lot of procedures that must be followed and so we're adhering to the best standards that exist globally… Now one of the requirements for the registry would be that we have to get a set of patients and we've been working with Donation Transplant Institute to put all the regulations in place,” he added.
The establishment of a National Donor and Transplant Registry is provided for in Part Three, Section 13 of the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Bill 2021.
The registry would include consents, amendments, and revocation of consents from adults regarding the donation of
their organs, tissues, cells, or biofluids, among other things.
Individuals who are any of transplantation aforementioned, as well as those who have received such treatments, will be included in the registration process.
Further, the Human Organ and Tissue Transplant Agency also plans to expand its Transplant Suite located at the GPHC to accommodate more patients who have had successful transplant surgeries and require aftercare.
To fulfill this requirement, the Agency, through legislation, will assume the responsibility of managing, operating, and preserving the donor registry. (G1)
Govt offers counselling, rehab for street dwellers with drug addiction
While the removal of street dwellers, commonly known as vagrants, is still a huge challenge for Government, the Health Ministry has moved to provide medical and psychological support to those seeking to overcome their drug addiction.
This intervention allows these individuals to access for free the necessary care, medication and therapeutic services not usually accessible to them. According to Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony, there are at least 10 clinics in the Georgetown area with which the Health Ministry collaborates to provide this service. He said the ultimate goal is to help the addicts transition back into society.
“So, for people who have a drug addiction (problem), we have at least 10 clinics in the city that are headed by Dr. Freeman. So, we can provide counselling, we can provide -- if in some cases they need certain meds to help them to wean off their addiction -- we can provide that; and we work very closely with the courts as well, so people who have (been) before the court, and if they have a drug problem, the courts would normally refer them to this clinic, and we'll work with them to help them with their addiction,” he disclosed.
In cases of street dwellers battling mental illnesses, Dr Anthony has said assistance is also in place to ensure they have access to medical care and have their daily needs met.
He explained that the programme, being spearheaded with collaboration of the Human Services and Social Security Ministry, also has its challenges, since, un-
der law, there are no provisions that allow Government to institutionalise these individuals.
“So I think that's something that we have to work jointly with several other ministries. But one of the pushbacks that we've been getting is that some of the people don't want to come into an institution. So that's why, for example, the Ministry of Human Services would have been providing them with a safe space where they can go get a bath, get a meal; but some of them don't want to come off the streets,” Dr Anthony explained.
“Many of these patients who are out there, they have been in our programmes, so they're known to the doctors. But again, it's (about) balancing their rights and institutionalising them. The new mental health law does not allow us to institutionalise people, unless it's an acute episode, so we can only keep them for so long; but then we have to release them if they want to go out,” he added. (G1)
Doctors at GPHC
Health Minister
Dr Frank Anthony
Example of Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) testing machine
Over US$100M generated by rice sector so far for 2024, as production increases
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha recently revealed that Guyana’s rice sector has generated a whopping US$127 million already for the year. The minister made this announcement on Tuesday during the closing ceremony for the Enhancing Precision Farming Practices in rice production for Guyana's small farmers using drone technology programme, which was conducted by the subject Ministry in collaboration with Guyana Rice development Board (GRDB) and The Food and Drug Organisation (FAO).
“When you look at the rice industry, we are seeing a lot also for a revenue com-
ing in for example in 2023 the rice industry brought in US$212 million for this year almost US$127 million have already been generated by this industry so rice is an important part of our country's development” the minister stated.
Moreover, the minister revealed that the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) has been making significant strides in rice production, as such he noted that the GRDB has managed to surpass its half year rice production goal for 2024.
“We have seen production increase every single year for example in 2022 we had a production of 610,00 tons of rice that we produce,
in 2023 that increased to 653 710 and this year our target is 710 000 tons of rice for the first half of the year we have already achieved our target, surpassed our target and we achieved a production of 362,030 metric tons,” the minister asserted.
On this point, the minister noted, that the Agriculture Ministry, has been committed towards enhancing agricultural productivity, as such he highlighted that through the Guyana Rice Development Board the ministry has implemented several high yielding varieties of rice to commercial farmers.
“Over the last few years we have witnessed almost
nine high-yielding rice varieties that have been released for commercial production boosting productivity and sustainability of the rice industry recently as last year when we had the agri investment expo we launched one of the most exciting variety a more nutritious variety a variety that can attract preferential prices the biofortify rice we have collaborated with ICA to launch that variety and now that variety has been made for commercial use too in our country” he stated.
Meanwhile the exploration of new rice varieties and export markets aligns with the government’s commitment to advancing the agricultural sector and ensuring sustainable development.
In 2023, the rice sector recorded an increase of seven per cent with a production of 653,706 metric tonnes. This signifies an increase of 43,111 metric tonnes in 2023 as compared to 610,595 in 2022. Guyana earned approximately $45.2 billion in exports in 2023, over $3 billion more than in 2022.
This year, $1.3 billion
was budgeted to be expended by the GRDB to support increased production and productivity of the rice industry.
Mustapha explained that the government would continue to implement various measures to bring immense
relief to the farmers. Farmers have also benefited from the distribution of seed paddy and availability of more farmlands to increase yields, and a number of facilities have been built and upgraded to aid in the nation’s rice production.
Power restoration in Bartica delayed
The Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) has announced a delay in restoring power to Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-
Mazaruni), due to technical difficulties at the Bartica Power Plant. The restoration, initially expected on Tuesday evening, has been
hindered after the plant lost two of its three engines on Monday, which severely impacted its power output.
In a statement issued on Monday, GPL explained, "Due to two engines being offline at the Bartica Power Plant, there will be 4-hour intervals of service within the township." On Tuesday, the company assured residents that technicians were working diligently to expedite repairs and return to normal service as quickly as possible.
However, a press release on Wednesday revealed that despite the team's efforts, they encountered unexpected alignment issues with the alternator of the Caterpillar engine, preventing it from coming online as planned. GPL said its team worked until 02:00h to address these issues and reported substantial progress. They anticipate completing the repairs and restoring power by late Wednesday night. Additionally, a contractor is on site to assist in repairing the other offline engines, which will provide reserve generation capacity.
Bartica’s Mayor, Anthony Murray, who visited the power plant on Tuesday night, confirmed with this publication that
technicians were working diligently to restore both engines. He noted that specialists for the Cummings and Caterpillar engines were
on-site, with the Cummings engine expected to be operational between 19:00h and 20:00h.
The mayor explained that
the Caterpillar engine faced technical issues, including problems with a component and wiring, which further delayed its restoration.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha
Technicians working on the engines at the Bartica Power Plant (GPL photo)
Govt outreach in Region 2 promotes youth education, training opportunities
…as minsters engage region’s private sector
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh,
made by the administration to directly facilitate the ramped-up utilisation of the education and skills training opportunities being offered
Dr. Singh, while addressing youths in attendance, used the opportunity to highlight the rapid economic growth that the country
along with the Tourism, Industry, and Commerce Minister, Oneidge Walrond,
has repeatedly said that Guyanese are living in an era which requires boldness as a country and as individuals to explore ways in which we can better what is already being done as well as engage in new economic ac-
them to continue to invest and expand their operations in Region Two and beyond.
Minister Walrond, who also addressed the private sector, elaborated on the government’s plans to promote Region Two as a major
and implementation of projects throughout the country, officials of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) today conducted a training exercise with a number of regional procure-
on Wednesday led an outreach in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) to showcase and encourage full participation in a number of education and training opportunities to youths, at the Anna Regina Multilateral Secondary School.
The training is a follow up to a visit to the Region by Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo where a promise was
by Government. According to a release from the Finance Ministry on Wednesday, the initiative allowed for youths to become sensitised to the numerous training programmes and scholarships, and even sign up on the spot for those being offered by the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), Board of Industrial Training (BIT), and the Ministries of Health, Public Service, Agriculture, and Tourism, Industry and Commerce.
is currently achieving and indicated that this growth translates to opportunities in all sectors of interest for all Guyanese irrespective of where they live. In particular, the minister pointed out that with the new emerging economy, the country needs more professionals and technicians in every sector including doctors, nurses, engineers, welders, construction workers, heavy-duty equipment operators, among others. He further alluded to the fact that in Budget 2024, reference was made to the unprecedented level of entrepreneurial and employment opportunities that are being generated as a result of Guyana’s rapid economic growth.
According to the release, Singh further pointed to the wide array of academic scholarships being offered by the Public Service Ministry and GOAL, as well as the various skills training programmes conducted by BIT, and he urged the youths to make full use of these opportunities.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
tivities.
centre for tourism and she engaged several stakehold-
Private sector
Singh also met and engaged with a broad cross-section of the private sector and listened to their concerns. During discussions, he highlighted the various development initiatives in the Region and encouraged
ers of the sector.
According to the release, as Government continues to strengthen the country’s procurement process, and ensure good governance, accountability and transparency in relation to the procurement, awarding
ment entities.
Persons at the forum were sensitised to the legal bidding and procurement procedures in terms of government contracts so that tendering authorities conduct the process in the correct manner and are in full compliance with the Procurement Act and its Regulations.
This initiative was also a follow-up to the Vice President’s recent visit to the region where he noted that “There is no room for departure of that Act unless they get the explicit approval of the NPTAB and the Ministry of Finance. Too often we have found departures from the standard bidding document that are part of our legislation and because there are so many procuring entities around the country, hundreds of them at different levels… they can alter the bidding documents which should be standard. That should not happen.”
Some of the young persons who were at the meeting
Meeting with private sector in Region Two on Wednesday
Minister Dr Ashni Singh, along with Minister Oneidge Walrond engaging some youths at the outreach in Region Two
Meeting the private sector in Region Two on Wednesday
Mocha man stabbed to death by Venezuelan teens during robbery
Ateenager is currently in police custody while another is on the run after they fatally stabbed a 33-year-old man and injured his girlfriend during a robbery on Tuesday night.
Dead is Ken Sukhdeo from Mocha, East Bank Demerara, and his injured girlfriend is 23-yearold Fernanda Perez, a Venezuelan national.
The robbery occurred sometime around 22:10h at Vreed-en-Rust, EBD.
Sukhdeo was robbed of his black Toyota Allion motor car (PWW 455), three cell phones including one Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and a shoulder bag with a small amount of United States (US) and Guyana currencies.
According to the police, Sukhdeo and Perez drove in his motorcar to the Seven Eleven Chinese Supermarket in Diamond, EBD. There, he met 19-yearold Louie Angadle and 19-year-old Jose Harrland
both Venezuelan nationals, who are currently residing in 19th Avenue, Diamond.
The two teenage suspects have been known to the couple for a while. The two suspects would normally give Sukhdeo US currency to
send to their respective families in Venezuela, police said on Wednesday.
On Tuesday night, the two suspects entered the back seat of Sukhdeo’s car, and he drove them to Vreeden-Rust, where Angadle allegedly pulled out a knife and dealt Sukhdeo several chops and stab wounds about his head and body.
Harrland, who was also armed with a knife, joined in and stabbed the man several times about his body.
Sukhdeo managed to stop the car and ran out, leaving his girlfriend in the car resulting in the two suspects turning their attack on her. She too managed to escape but not without being injured as well.
The two teenagers then drove away with the car and
subsequently crashed the vehicle on the road at the Little Diamond New Housing Scheme, EBD. After the crash, they escaped with the Sukhdeo’s bag that contained money and documents.
Meanwhile, both Sukhdeo and Perez were taken to the Diamond Diagnostics Centre, where they were treated.
Perez was treated for a wound to her right-side upper leg and right-side breast, while Ken Sukhdeo succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead by a doctor on duty.
According to the police, Sukhdeo's body was examined and 19 stab wounds were observed to his head, lower abdomen, left-side chest area, both hands, and lower back.
On Wednesday, based on information received, police ranks went to 11th Avenue Diamond, where public-spirited citizens held onto Harrland and assaulted him. He was handed over to the police with a swollen face and several marks about his body.
At the time of his arrest, the teenage suspect was in possession of Sukhdeo’s black shoulder bag.
When examined, the officers found US$145, GY$5,800 and three cellular phones (a Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, a Redmi and an ATT cell phone) in the bag.
Harrland was taken into custody while the police are on the hunt for his accomplice, Louie Angadle. Investigations are ongoing. (G8)
Resource centres to be established in Regions 6, 9 - senior business advisor
The Small Business Bureau (SBB) in an effort to ensure all Guyanese business owners have access to materials provided by the bureau have revealed plans of establishing resource centres in Regions Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo).
These extension plans were revealed by Senior Business Advisor at the Small Business Bureau (SBB), Brian Johnson on Tuesday. He noted that
most persons who wish to start a business do not have access to the necessary information needed to successfully grow their enterprise.
On this point, he noted, that the Small Business Bureau developed their resource center however recently new materials have been added to help foster small business owners.
“The resource center is something that we have had before, be we are try to well, we have added some more stuff to it and its to
help all of our guys who have small businesses you could even register with us to access to that little area there,” he stated.
The resource centre will give clients access to mentorship and coaching by the business advisors’ persons will also have access to reading materials, computers, internet, and printing services all free of cost.
Currently Georgetown is the only area that has a resource centre, when asked about expansion plans Johnson highlight-
ed that the Small Business Bureau (SBB) is currently working towards establishing two similar centers outside of the region.
“The resource centre is only in Georgetown however later on we have plans to have it later on in our incubator centre at Lethem and also in Belvedere Berbice” he stated.
Additionally, under the Small Business Bureau (SBB) persons can have access to the Loan Guarantee Programme through the Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited (GBTI) or Republic Bank. This programme allows small business owners to have access to funds ranging from $500,000 to $30 Million whilst offering low interest rates of 6 per cent per annum.
Moreover, the Small Business Bureau also offers partial collateral coverage for persons who would like access to financing. First time borrowers will receive a total of 40 per cent collateral coverage whilst repeat borrowers can have access to up to 70 per cent collateral coverage. Additionally, the Small Business Bureau in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services is currently providing business owners living with disabilities interest and collateral free loans for up to $500,000.
Launch of the Small Business Bureau's Resource Centre
Small Business Bureau Resource Centre
Dead: Ken Sukhdeo
GTT bringing smart home experience to Building Expo 2024
The Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Co Ltd (GTT) will be participating in this year’s Building expo proceedings and in a release on Wednesday said that attendees can look forward to an immersive smart home experience designed to revolutionise the way homeowners, potential homeowners, and small business own -
ers connect and operate. At the heart of GTT’s showcase is the Brava Home Office, which the company said, exemplifies two key Brava pillars: Brava Connect and Brava Synergy. Brava Connect highlights the company’s state-of-the-art Wi-Fi solutions, ensuring seamless connectivity throughout a person’s home or office while Brava Synergy
focuses on advanced cloud solutions, enabling individuals to manage their business efficiently, even on the go. “Visitors will see firsthand how a simple, yet effective home office setup can operate flawlessly, integrating various devices without lag or interruptions,” the company said.
GTT said that it is also pleased to offer an
exclusive promotion for Building Expo attendees: register for GTT Fibre at the event and enjoy 10% off their bill for one year, along with a free backup battery.
The exhibit will showcase a range of smart devices, including Smart Cameras, Smart Lights, Smart Refrigerators and Smart TVs.
Vilma De Silva elected as President of Region 2 Tourism Association
In an effort to boost tourism in Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), the Tourism Department of the Tourism Ministry, oversaw the election of a new executive body for the region’s Tourism Association on Wednesday.
The election took place during a meeting with business owners at Jaigobin Hotel's Conference Hall, Henrietta.
Velma De Silva, the Regional Chairperson of Pomeroon-Supenaam, was elected as president, while Devin Mohan, the Mayor of the Anna Regina Town Council, was elected as vice-president. Other executives include Wazeeda Bacchus as secretary and Greg De Young as assistant secretary. Dhanraj Singh was elected as treasurer, and Lavern was elected as assistant treasurer. Community members
elected include Dudley Stephens, owner of Star Light Restaurant, and Natram Nandanan. Joel Fredricks and Joan Allen were nominated as trustees.
The newly elected president emphasised the importance of tourism for the economic growth of the region and the pivotal role the people of Essequibo should play in exploring various tourism opportunities.
"For the entire Region Two, we can identify individuals responsible for different categories of tourism. For example, Miss Jane can handle the registration for those interested in agro-tourism, and Mary can oversee sports tourism and to assist with the hotel tourism if they want to be in the hotel industry.... listed like that I want to see because the government offers opportunities to support every sector,
and we want to ensure everyone benefits from this support. You have to register and be legal,”" she explained.
She stressed the importance of guiding in -
dividuals to meet the requirements for attracting tourists, whether it's starting a hotel or running an Airbnb.
"Standards and requirements must be met, and the tourism body will provide guidance to ensure this. We want to see that growth happening in Region Two," she added.
De Silva as the president of the new elected body called on the members to function effectively and inclusively, ensuring that everyone with potential in tourism benefits. The first task for the newly elected body is to plan and prepare a proposal of activities for National Tourism Day, which will be observed on September 27, 2024.
Former Bahamas MP says island facing water and electricity supply crisis
As challenges with water and electricity supply continued on Eleuthera, Former North Eleuthera MP Ricky Mackey yesterday labeled the situation a crisis, and said that residents need to know when they will have relief.
“Things are at a point of crisis,” he said in an interview with The Nassau Guardian.
“To say it’s never been this bad before is an understatement.
“... The fact of the matter is it is really, really bad here on Eleuthera and Harbour Island, and people’s tempers are now starting to flare.”
Mackey’s comments came as Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) advised Harbour Island residents of an “emergency” island wide outage to allow for repairs to a unit.
While a one-hour outage was schedule for 3 p.m. yesterday to allow for the unit to be disconnected, BPL said load shedding would continue into the night due to a generation shortfall.
“Crews will work on the disconnected unit and expect that it will be available for service on Wednesday,” the statement said.
“Once the unit is repaired, BPL will announce
another hour-long outage to facilitate the reconnection of the unit to the BPL network.”
Concerns have been mounting on Eleuthera as water and electricity outages continue to be frequent occurrences.
In June, Central Eleuthera faced days without water supply due to an equipment failure at the reverse osmosis plant. At the time, Central and South Eleuthera MP Clay Sweeting said the situation was unacceptable and pledged that the government was committed to finding and implementing a solution.
(Thenassauguardian.com)
The newly elected executive members of Region Two Tourism Association
100 visually impaired persons across 6 regions receive assistive aids
Some 100 blind or visually impaired individuals from Regions Two (Pomeroon–Supenaam), Three (Essequibo Islands–West Demerara), Four (Demerara–Mahaica), Five (Mahaica–Berbice), Six (East Berbice–Corentyne), and Ten (Upper Demerara–Upper Berbice) received a variety of assistive and mobility aids. This generous donation was made possible by the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD) in collaboration with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
In a statement released by GCOPD on Wednesday, representatives from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Kory Sellers and Diane Sellers, expressed their honor in partnering with GCOPD to support individuals disad-
vantaged by blindness or vision impairments.
“We know that with proper assistance and skills training, that these individuals can also become productive members of society, and this is our aim and goal as a church, to help others learn to help themselves,” a representative said. Meanwhile highlighting
Global Tours partners
the significance of the donation, Sheldon Deputron a beneficiary from Region Two, said, “I can now sign my name independently using the signature guide”.
Edwin Daniels a beneficiary from Region Three also expressed thanks for the donation and said “I don’t have to ask anyone to tell me the time I can now get the time
with my talking watch”.
Meanwhile, Ganesh Singh of GCOPD highlighted that there are additional items to be distributed to the beneficiaries of GCOPD’s Orientation and Mobility programme and this will be done by the training officers in the coming weeks.
This special humanitarian project is being implemented to ensure that persons who are blind and visually impaired have access to assistive and mobility aids. Additionally, some young persons with disabilities in educational institutions will benefit from tablet computers equipped with assistive applications. Both categories of recipients will receive the necessary training to effectively use the assistive aids and tablets. The aim of this project is to ensure that persons with disabilities can be able
to live independent productive lives through the use of technology.
Kory Sellers and Diane Sellers, humanitarian missionaries – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Ganesh Singh, programme
manager – GCOPD, Rosemarie Ramitt, programme officer – GCOPD as well as other members of the Church and GCOPD participated in the distributions.
with Latin American embassies to host Fiesta Latina
Just three months after the spectacular Fiesta Cubana, which took place on May 4, 2024, the Global Tours and Travel Company, in collaboration with several Latin American embassies in Guyana, is set to host "Fiesta Latina" on August 10.
This event aims to foster unity and celebrate the rich, diverse cultures of Latin America, showing that no culture is truly foreign.
All roads will lead to the picturesque Promenade Gardens in downtown Georgetown, where people from all walks of life, including the expatriate community, the growing Latino demographic, and Guyanese citizens, are expected to gather to experience the energy of Fiesta Latina.
This festival, featuring Latin American and international food, drink, music, and dance, promises to ignite the senses with a wide array of cuisines and beverages from across Latin America.
Attendees can look forward to dancing to various
Latin music genres, shopping for unique arts, crafts, souvenirs, and cigars, all while embracing a vibrant global celebration. The event will bring together participants from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Cuba, the Dominican Republic,
dance, traditional costumes, and mouth-watering cuisine. Fiesta Latina aims to offer an immersive experience capturing the essence of global diversity, uniting and elevating the appreciation of global culture in Guyana.
restaurants from Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and Venezuela. Experience iconic dishes such as Sancocho, a Dominican stew; Congri, a traditional Cuban dish made with black beans and rice; Feijoada, Brazil's nation-
Mexico, and Venezuela, showcasing the rich tapestry of Latin American cultures through artistic expressions such as music,
Additionally, patrons can be ready to indulge in a variety of authentic Latin American foods provided by renowned chefs and
al dish; Tacos, the globally popular Mexican dish; and Pabellón Criollo, the iconic Venezuelan meal. Food tents will offer succulent
Latin cuisine that will truly awaken your taste buds.
At the stands of individual countries, traditional dishes will be freshly prepared, often featuring ingredients and spices less common or even unknown in Guyana.
Latin American alcoholic beverages, from Mexican Tequila to Brazilian Caipirinha and Cuban Mojito, are internationally renowned for their quality and taste. Expert mixologists will craft the best Tequila, Cola de Mono, Caipirinha, Pisco Sour, Batida, Piña Colada, Mojito, Cuba Libre, Coco Loco, Michelada, Daiquiri, Margarita, Cuban Ginger, and Sangria for patrons.
The Brewtopia tent will showcase some of the most popular beers from the region, such as Budweiser, the ‘King of Beers,’ and Brazilian Itaipava. Additionally, South American wines, particularly those from Argentina and Chile, will be celebrated. Fiesta Latina promises a sensory journey filled with exquisite flavors
for seasoned oenophiles and casual enthusiasts alike.
The Bandstand will be the festival's lyrical heart, offering a full programme of live music headlined by iconic Cuban musician María Rodríguez and featuring the Latin violin virtuoso Amor Guirola Machado. The infectious Latino rhythm of merengue, reggaeton, bachata, and salsa will keep attendees dancing at the Promenade Gardens. Enjoy performances by exceptional live performers and groups, including a Cuban band and captivating dance performers from Brazil, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and beyond. A special Latin Karaoke session will give amateur singers a chance to shine.
Fiesta Latina invites patrons to take a walk around Latin America without leaving Guyana, promising a captivating celebration of diverse cultures from all around Latin America. Get ready to embark on a cultural journey like no other this summer at Guyana’s largest multicultural event.(G2)
Scenes from Latin events
Chilean President rejects Maduro's claim to victory in Venezuela
Chile's President Gabriel Boric said on Wednesday he does not recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro "self-proclaimed" victory in the country's hotly contested election late last month.
The rejection of Maduro's claim that he won the July 28 election by the center-left Boric echoes similar positions adopted by his counterparts across Latin America, including in Guatemala, Argentina and Peru. Other governments, including regional heavyweights Brazil and Mexico, have instead opted to push for Maduro's government to release full vote tallies, but it has so far failed to do so.
"I have no doubt that Maduro's government has attempted to commit fraud in Venezuela's election," Boric told reporters, adding that the government would have released detailed election results if its victory was clear. Boric stressed that he will only recognize results verified by independent international organizations, and he did not explicitly endorse Venezuela opposition can-
didate Edmundo Gonzalez claim that he won.
The Chilean president also accused Maduro's government of committing "serious human rights violations," including the repression of the right to protest as well as the persecution of opposition leaders. (Reuters)
Guardian Media records $2.3m loss
Chairman of Guardian Media Ltd (GML), Peter Clarke, has said the company has reported a $2.3 million loss for the sixmonth period ending June 2024, as revealed in its unaudited results released on August 8.
Despite cutting the company’s loss by half compared to last year’s reported $4.9 million loss, the company remains in the red.
Revenues for the period were $25.3 million, an increase of $.7 million over the corresponding period in 2023.
Year-to-date revenues of $47.7 million are higher by one per cent when compared to the $47.2 million reported for the same period in 2023.
The company's print revenues of $23.7 million are lower by eight per cent, while multimedia revenues of $23.9 million are higher by 12 per cent.
Clarke described the growth in multimedia revenues as “encouraging” and attributed it to increased commercial interests in the company’s outside broadcasts and events, local productions, and the ICC T20 Men’s World
Cup 2024, held in June.
He noted the loss before tax at the six-month interval has decreased by $4.3 million and says management remains focused on driving efficiencies and the continuous reduction of controllable expenses.
“We remain vigilant in monitoring and adapting to industry developments and consumer trends. We have also taken steps to review and restructure certain segments of our business to adapt to changing market dynamics,” Clarke said (T&T Newsday)
Venezuela opposition candidate ruled in contempt after rejecting court summons
The head of Venezuela's Supreme Court said Edmundo Gonzalez, who insists he beat President Nicolas Maduro in the country's July 28 election, was in contempt of court after refusing to answer a summons on Wednesday.
Responding to an appeal by Maduro, the court summoned the election's 10 candidates and representatives of the parties that nominated them to attend what it said was a certification of the results.
"Please...let it be recorded in the minutes that (Gonzalez) did not appear and that he did not comply with the summons," said court president Caryslia Rodriguez. Venezuela's electoral authority - which the opposition accuses of being biased towards Maduro - declared Maduro the winner of the election early on July 29 with around 51% of the vote. But it has yet to produce the voting tallies.
The opposition, led by Maria Corina Machado and Gonzalez, a 74-year-old for-
mer diplomat, says it has copies of the voting tallies that show it won the election with more than 7 million votes, compared to Maduro's 3.3 million votes. That result is broadly similar to that predicted by independent exit polls. Numerous Venezuelan opposition leaders have faced arrest and imprisonment or fled into exile in recent years and Rodriguez's comments came shortly after Gonzalez published a letter saying he
would be at risk of arrest if he went to the summons.
"If I go to the electoral chamber (of the Supreme Court) in these conditions I will be totally vulnerable due to powerlessness and violation of due process and I will put at risk not only my freedom but, more importantly, the will of the Venezuelan people as they expressed on July 28," Gonzalez said in the letter posted on X earlier on Wednesday. (Reuters)
No new trial for former Mexico drug czar, US judge says
Aformer top Mexican law enforcement official convicted last year on U.S. corruption charges does not deserve a new trial, after he tried to bribe a fellow jail inmate to lie that the government's case was tainted, a U.S. judge said on Wednesday.
Genaro Garcia Luna, who led Mexico's fight against drug cartels as public security minister from 2006 to 2012, was found guilty by a Brooklyn jury in February 2023 of taking millions of dollars in bribes from cartels in exchange for shielding members from arrest and allowing safe passage for cocaine shipments.
Lawyers for Garcia Luna urged U.S. District Judge Brian Cogan to grant a new trial, saying they found evidence that key witnesses
on charges that he accepted millions of dollars to protect the powerful Sinaloa Cartel, once run by imprisoned drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, at a courthouse in New York City, US, February 21, 2023
But the judge said Garcia Luna offered a fellow inmate, opens new tab at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn $2 million to corroborate another inmate's false claim that two cooperating witnesses had spoken with each other on contraband cellphones.
"This was a clear scheme by defendant to obstruct justice through bribery," Cogan wrote.
A lawyer for Garcia Luna did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Cogan said Garcia Luna's lawyers were not aware their proposed evidence was false. Garcia Luna, 56, could face life in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 9. (Reuters)
lied and that prosecutors' cooperating witnesses had improperly communicated with each other before trial.
Brother of former T&T AG dies in Miami prison
Former attorney general Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj, SC, is mourning the loss of his brother Kris, who died in the United States yesterday while serving a life sentence for a double murder he always maintained he did not commit.
In a press release issued yesterday, Maharaj said, “The death of my brother, Kris, is not only a sad loss to me but a sad loss to my entire family.” Maharaj noted that his brother, who was 85 years old at the time of his death at a hospital, always maintained his innocence.
He claimed that he formed the same belief based on information his brother gave him when he was charged almost four decades ago and when he (Maharaj)
subsequently visited him in prison.
“I witnessed the trial in Miami, and I realised that all the requisite evidence that should have been led before the jury was not produced to the court,” he said.
Maharaj said his brother spent 37 years trying to assert his innocence. The former AG noted that his
brother was successful in getting the death sentence commuted to life imprisonment. He pointed out that although a US judge had ruled that he had evidence to prove his innocence, the US Court of Appeal declined to quash his conviction and order a retrial based on such. (T&T Guardian)
Arima man sharing beef, bread with friends killed …over 58
bullets found at scene
A21-year-old man who was standing outside his house sharing a meal he had cooked with two friends, died on Monday night when gunmen opened fire on the group.
Emmerson “Kyle” Boucher and Michael De Gazon, 27, were both shot and died at hospital whilst undergoing treatment.
A 40-year-old man from Reid Lane, Arima, was also injured and hospitalised.
The shooting occurred around 9 pm at Edma Avenue, Samaroo Village.
Boucher’s relatives said yesterday that Boucher
had cooked some beef and went outside to share the food, along with homemade bread, with two friends.
While they were there, they saw a heavily-tinted, dark grey Suzuki Grand Vitara fitted with blue police lights driving up the street.
Believing the occupants were officers on patrol, the group did not disperse until a man whose face was covered with a green bandana came out of the car with an automatic rifle in his hand and opened fire.
Boucher and the others ran off in different directions while the shooter got
back into the waiting vehicle which sped off. The vehicle was found abandoned by officers on patrol around 9.37 pm at Windy Hill, Arouca, and later towed to the Special Evidence Recovery Unit (SERU) at Cumuto.
Investigators found 58 5.56 mm and two 9 mm spent shell casings.
Police linked these latest killings in Arima to an incident at Samaroo Village on August 3 when a young Muslim man was beaten by a group of young men, who were allegedly affiliated with the Seven Gang. (T&T Guardian)
Chilean President Gabriel Boric
Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez spoke at a presidential election campaign closing rally in Caracas, Venezuela, July 25, 2024
Mexico's former Public Security Minister Genaro Garcia Luna looks on as the jury bring back their verdict during his trial
Kris Maharaj
Around
OOIL NEWS
Oil settles 2% higher on falling US crude stockpiles, rebounds from multi-month lows
il prices gained more than 2% on Wednesday, bouncing back from multi-month lows, after data showed a bigger-than-expected draw in U.S. crude stockpiles, even as worries about weak oil demand in China persisted.
Brent crude futures settled up $1.85, or 2.42%, at $78.33 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $2.03, or 2.77%, to $75.23.
U.S. crude stocks fell for a sixth week in a row, dropping by 3.7 million barrels to 429.3 million barrels last week, government data showed, more than analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 700,000-barrel draw.
"The story here really is that demand is stronger than people thought and overall supplies are tighter," said Phil Flynn, an analyst at Price Futures Group. "Crude supply is below average for this time of year."
Industry data from the American Petroleum Institute on Tuesday had shown an unexpected build in crude and gasoline inventories.
On Monday, Brent slumped to its lowest since early January and WTI touched its lowest since February, as a global stock market rout deepened on concerns about a potential recession in the U.S. after weak jobs data. Both oil benchmarks broke a three-session declining streak on Tuesday.
"The recovery we have gotten from the large downturn on Monday shows it was a very short-lived temper tantrum and not a market crash," said Tim Snyder, chief economist at Matador Economics.
Lower production at Libya's 300,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) Sharara oilfield is also adding to concerns about supply shortages.
Libya's National Oil Corp declared force majeure in its Sharara oilfield from Aug. 7, the company said on Wednesday. NOC had said on Tuesday it would start to gradually decrease production at the field due to protests. (Reuters)
WHO warns of surge in COVID-19 infections
World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday warned of a surge worldwide in infections linked to the coronavirus (COVID-19), saying they are unlikely to decline anytime soon.
WHO said it is also concerned that more severe variants of the coronavirus may soon be on the horizon.
“COVID-19 is still very much with us,” and circulating in all countries, the WHO’s Dr Maria Van Kerkhove told reporters.
“Data from our sentinel-based surveillance system across 84 countries report that the per cent of positive tests for SARSCoV-2 has been rising over several weeks,” she said.
WHO said new waves of infection have been registered in the Americas, Europe, and the western Pacific, and that wastewater surveillance suggests the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 is from two to 20 times higher than current figures suggest.
It said such high infection circulation rates in the northern hemisphere’s summer months are atypical for respiratory viruses, which tend to spread mostly in cold temperatures.
“In recent months, regardless of the season, many countries have experienced surges of COVID-19, including at the Olympics where at least 40 athletes have tested positive,” Dr Van Kerkhove
said. As the virus continues to evolve and spread there is a growing risk of a more severe strain of the virus that could potentially evade detection systems and be unresponsive to medical intervention.
WHO said that while hospital admissions, including for intensive care, are still much lower than they were during the peak of the pandemic, it is urging governments to strengthen vaccination campaigns, making sure that the highest-risk groups get shots at least once every 12 months.
“As individuals it is important to take measures to reduce risk of infection and severe disease, including
ensuring that you have had a COVID-19 vaccination dose in the last 12 months — especially if you are in an at-risk group,” said Dr Van Kerkhove.
Vaccine availability has declined substantially over the last 12 to 18 months, WHO admitted, because the number of producers of COVID-19 vaccines has recently decreased.
“It is very difficult for them to maintain the pace — and certainly, they don’t need to maintain the pace that they had in 2021 and 2022. But, let’s be very clear: There is a market for COVID-19 vaccines that are [already] out there,” said Dr Van Kerkhove. (CMC)
State of emergency declared as Ukraine launches raid into Russia
Astate of emergency has been declared in the Kursk region of Russia, as a rare cross-border attack by Ukrainian troops continued for a second day.
The acting regional governor, Alexei Smirnov, said the move was necessary "to eliminate the consequences of enemy forces coming into the region".
Thousands of people have also been evacuated from border areas, Mr Smirnov said earlier, adding that doctors were being drafted in from other cities.
Earlier, President Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of launching a "major provocation" after
Moscow said hundreds of troops crossed the border near the town of Sudzha, 10km (six miles) from the border, on Tuesday morning.
They were supported by 11 tanks and more than 20
authorities called a
armoured combat vehicles, the Kremlin added.
Ukrainian incursions into Russian territory have been extremely rare since Russia launched its fullscale invasion in February 2022.
On Wednesday evening, Ukrainian MP Oleksiy Honcharenko said the Ukrainian army had established control over the Sudzha gas hub - a major gas facility involved in the transit of natural gas from Russia to the EU via Ukraine, which has continued despite the war. It is the only point of entry for Russian gas into the EU. Although this has not been verified by the BBC, Mr Honcharenko's comment was the first confirmation of an incursion into Russian territory by a Ukrainian official. Kyiv had previously not commented on reports of a cross-border attack. (BBC)
Egypt asked its airlines to avoid Iran airspace for three hours on Thursday 9 dead, including 5 children, after SUV crashes into
Egypt instructed all of its airlines to avoid Iranian airspace for three hours in the early morning on Thursday amid tension between Israel and Iran.
The NOTAM, a safety notice provided to pilots on Wednesday, said the instruction would be in effect from 0100 to 0400 GMT. It provided no further details as to why the notice was issued.
"All Egyptian carriers shall avoid overflying Tehran (Flight Information Region). No flight plan will be accepted overflying such territory," the notice said, referring to the three-hour period specified. Egypt's civil aviation ministry later confirmed on Wednesday the notice was intended to reduce flight-safety risks in light of a notification it re -
An employee of Luxor's International Airport, wearing a protective face mask, walks next to an EgyptAir plane in Luxor, Egypt April 9, 2021
ceived from Iranian authorities.
"Military exercises will be conducted over Iranian airspace on Aug. 7 from 11:30 to 14:30 and from 4:30 to 7:30 on Aug. 8 Tehran time," the statement said.
The ministry's press statement followed an unnamed source quoted by the state-affiliated Al Qahera News TV as saying that Iranian authorities had said to avoid flying in Iranian airspace because of "military exercises."
(Reuters)
Nine people are dead, including five juveniles, after a driver crashed into a canal Monday night in western Palm Beach County, officials said.
According to a crash report from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the driver failed to negotiate a left curve, resulting in the 2023 Ford Explorer veering onto the grass shoulder and hitting the guardrail before finally overturning into the canal.
The car was traveling westbound around 7:30 p.m. on Hatton Highway in Belle Glade, Florida.
Police in a statement said four victims were pronounced dead on the scene and six were transported to a local hospital, where five died.
“We have one survivor for a total of 10 vic -
canal in Florida
tims,” the sheriff’s office said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families during this heartbreaking incident.”
The one survivor, a 26-year-old male, remains hospitalized at St. Mary’s Medical Center with “serious” injuries.
Palm Beach County Fire Rescue told NBC News that “young children” were among the victims.
“There were five juveniles and five adults involved,” they said.
The driver, Pamela Wiggins, 56, would have celebrated her birthday this Tuesday, according to the crash report.
The rest of the victims were identified as Michael Anthony Hall Jr., 14; Imani Andre Ajani Hall, 8; Naleia Tucker, 1; Yasire Smith, 5; Leiana Alyse Hall, 30; Anyia Monique
Lee Tucker, 21, of Bridgeport, CT; Kamdien Edwards, 5, of Bridgeport, CT; and Ziaire Mack, 3, of Chesapeake, VA.
All nine victims were family members of a Bridgeport Public School District employee.
“It is with a heavy heart that I share the devastating news that one of our cherished custodial staff members has suffered an unimaginable loss,” superintendent Carmela Levy-David said in a statement.
“Nine members of their family were tragically killed in a car accident out of state. On behalf of the entire Bridgeport Public Schools community, I extend our deepest sympathies and heartfelt condolences to our colleague and their family during this incredibly challenging time.” (NBC News)
A damaged house following what Russian
Ukrainian military strike on the town of Sudzha
DAILY HOROSCOPES
(March 21-April 19)
Let your action lead the way, and opportunity will follow. Enlist complementary groups or organizations that can help further your cause. Socialize with people who share your concerns.
Take care of errands and responsibilities. Your associates will recognize and support you if you are energetic and reliable. Don’t limit what you can do; set goals and enjoy the moment.
(May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
(June 21-July 22)
(July 23-Aug. 22)
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Think twice before you commit to changes. Hasty decisions will complicate your life, causing uncertainty or financial burdens. Reinforce what is possible and take a wait-andsee approach to matters that require thought and promise.
Opportunities are within reach, and your intuition is on target. Don’t let insecurity stand between you and what you want. Take the plunge and do what you do best. Timing is everything; don’t skip a beat.
Participation will lead to mixed messages. Weigh the pros and cons before signing up for something that wastes too much time or money. Get the lowdown before you make promises you regret.
Do your due diligence before you sign up for something you know little about. Believe in yourself instead of following someone else’s lead. Discovery will brighten your day.
Procrastination will cost you. Step up and be the one to initiate change instead of letting someone control your fate. Enjoy the satisfaction of taking charge and improving your life.
Figure out what’s necessary and follow through without hesitation. Taking the initiative will make others take notice, opening doors to exciting opportunities.
Learn through observation. If you are too revealing, you’ll allow someone to outmaneuver you. Partnerships are favored, but only if equality prevails. Keep the playing field level.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Reiterate your position, beliefs and desires before you proceed with negotiations or sign up for something. Listen attentively, ask questions and adjust what’s essential.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Focus on home and family; you’ll make headway emotionally and financially. The plans you initiate will help you achieve a stress-free lifestyle.
Sit back and wait. The more information you gather, the easier will be to make good decisions. Walk away from temptation. Invest more time and effort in promoting yourself.
PEANUTS
CALVIN AND HOBBES
PICKLES
2024 ODI bilateral series between India, Sri Lanka: Game 3 of 3…
Wellalage’s five-for sends India crashing to 2-0 defeat
Avishka Fernando struck 96 - the highest individual score this series - and Dunith Wellalage picked up a five-for as Sri Lanka secured a first ODI bilateral series win against India in 27 years, with a dominant 110-run win in the third and final ODI in Colombo.
For India, it was a culmination of their travails against spin over the past week, losing nine wickets to spinners for the third game straight - the 27 in total being their most over a threematch series.
Wellalage was chief destroyer this time out with figures of 5 for 27, but at various times across the series it's been Wanindu Hasaranga, Jeffrey Vandersay, or even Charith Asalanka. But at no point - aside from during Rohit Sharma's now expected top-order romps - had India looked like they would be able to consistently contend.
This time, even Rohit's impact was relegated to a mere cameo - 35 off 20 - as Wellalage had him caught behind in trying to sweep before he could make any significant dents into Sri Lanka's total.
Aside from him, only Virat Kohli, Riyan Parag and Washington Sundar - 20, 15, 30 - got into double digits, and of those, only Washington's innings had sought to put any sort of pressure back on the Lankan bowlers.
India's struggles placed an even higher premium on Avishka's 96 off 102 earlier in the day, which had set Sri Lanka up so well that not even a collapse that saw them lose 28 runs for five wickets could derail their innings to any significant end.
Over the course of his innings, he was part of Sri Lanka's most profitable partnerships - 89
a case of Sri Lanka playing spin considerably better than the opposition; rather, it was a case of finding a way to maximise the opportunities afforded by the seamers.
In this case, while Shivam Dube went for just nine runs off his four overs, Mohammed Siraj was struck for his joint worst figures in ODIs - 78 for 1 off nine.
And of that 78, Avishka was responsible for 36 of them, at a strike rate of 200.
This, though, was more Siraj erring in his lines and lengths than anything Avishka himself might have done to put him off.
But on tricky surfaces such as those dished up at Khettarama, these are the margins that must be capitalised on.
Anything short was invariably put away, while Siraj was also guilty of bowling too straight to Avishka. Of the 36 runs he conceded to Avishka, 32 were square or behind square on the onside.
his front pad, before getting another to grip, straighten and skid to trap Charith Asalanka on the crease.
His best delivery, though, was reserved for danger man Wellalage, who was done in by one that dipped and turned, pitching middle and spinning past the outside edge to knock back off stump. His economy rate of six an over, meanwhile, was impacted by some late strikes, but the rest of the spinners - Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav and Washington Sundar - proved miserly as ever, each picking up a wicket, and none going for more than Axar's 4.10 per over.
Parag and his spin cohorts, however, had to be patient for their rewards, as Sri Lanka strung together two strong stands at the top of the order. Alongside Avishka, Pathum Nissanka (45) and Kusal Mendis (59) made important contributions; but, like in the first two games, Sri Lanka's middle order succumbed swiftly and suddenly. From 171 for 1, they spluttered to 199 for 6. From midway through the 36th over when they lost Avishka, up until midway through the 48th - 72 deliveries
to be precise - not a single boundary was scored, and they scrounged just 49 runs in the period. And from targeting a score in the region of 280, they were now struggling to reach 250.
SCOREBOARD
Sri Lanka (50 ovs maximum)
BATTING R
Pathum Nissanka c †Pant b Patel 45
India (T: 249 runs from 50 ovs)
BATTING R Rohit Sharma (c) c †BKG
Mendis b Wellalage 35
Fortunately for them, Mendisone of Sri Lanka's better players of spin - was around at the death, and he was able to strike some powerful blows to help push the total towards 240 -- a score that seemed competitive but perhaps underwhelming, considering the start provided by Avishka and co., but one that proved plenty in the end. (ESPNCricinfo)
Avishka Fernando lbw b Parag 96
Kusal Mendis † c Shubman
Gill b Kuldeep Yadav 59
Charith Asalanka (c) lbw b Parag 10
Sadeera Samarawickrama
lbw b Mohammed Siraj 0
Janith Liyanage b Washington Sundar 8
Dunith Wellalage b Parag 2
Kamindu Mendis not out 23
Maheesh Theekshana not out 3
Extras (lb 1, w 1) 2
TOTAL 50 Ov (RR: 4.96) 248/7
Did not bat: Jeffrey Vandersay, Asitha Fernando
Fall of wickets: 1-89
(Pathum Nissanka, 19.5 ov), 2-171
(Avishka Fernando, 35.3 ov), 3-183
(Charith Asalanka, 37.6 ov), 4-184
(Sadeera Samarawickrama, 38.5 ov), 5-196
(Janith Liyanage, 42.4 ov), 6-199
(Dunith Wellalage, 43.3 ov), 7-235
(Kusal Mendis, 48.4 ov)
BOWLING O-M-R-W
Mohammed Siraj 9-0-78-1
Shivam Dube 4-0-9-0
Axar Patel 10-1-41-1
Washington Sundar 8-1-29-1
Kuldeep Yadav 10-0-36-1
Riyan Parag 9-0-54-3
Shubman Gill b AM Fernando 6
Virat Kohli lbw b Wellalage 20
Rishabh Pant † st †BKG
Mendis b Theekshana 6
Shreyas Iyer lbw b Wellalage 8
Axar Patel b Wellalage 2
Riyan Parag b Vandersay 15
Shivam Dube lbw b Vandersay 9 Washington Sundar c Vandersay b Theekshana 30
Kuldeep Yadav lbw b Wellalage 6 Mohammed Siraj not out 0 Extras
The Sri Lankan team took the spoils after a first bilateral ODI series win against India in 27 years
Kusal Mendis took on Kuldeep Yadav
Dunith Wellalage took out the in-form Rohit Sharma
Washington Sundar kept India fighting with 30 off 25, but it was nowhere near enough
Avishka Fernando fell 4 short of a century
Monedderlust FC proud of turnaround in second half of Season Six
Monedderlust Football Club have made a major turnaround in the ongoing sixth season of the KFC Elite League. From a series of major losses in the first half of the 2024 tournament, the Berbice-based team have made a comeback in the second half of the competition, thereby avoiding relegation.
Following a major draw against Western Tigers a little over a week ago, Monedderlust FC pulled off another upset on Saturday last at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) National Training Center (NTC) at Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) when they defeated Fruta Conquerors 5-1.
Berbice team had had a horrid start to the tournament, Moore divulged how they were able to turn their season around, with their 2-2 draw against Slingerz FC in the very first game of their second leg also being a crucial part. He said, “For the first half, I would say that, as I said before, we wasn’t like that prepared! We wasn’t accustomed to the ground! But second leg we had some transfers, quali-
Monedderlust FC currently occupy 8th place among the ten teams in the tournament, with 4 wins and 3 draws equalling 15 points from 17 games. Looking ahead to their final game against Santos FC, Moore expressed hope of finishing on a high note.
The Tucville-based Fruta Conquerors had actually taken the lead in the 14th minute through a Shemar Koulen strike; but Tyrone Delph equalised for Monedderlust in the 26th minute, while Atlyn Brown scored his first in the 30th to tip the scales in favour of Monedderlust by the end of the first half.
ond segment, and goals from Jaden Thom and Terique Benn in the respective 67th and 88th minutes took the Monedderlust tally to five.
Brown then extended his team’s lead after just a minute’s play in the sec-
Speaking with this publication after the win, an ecstatic Captain Stephon Moore shared why the positive result was so important.
80 participants enrolled in
YBG summer basketball camp
Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) this week kicked off its summer basketball camp for boys and girls at the Marian Academy court on Carifesta Avenue, Georgetown.
The objective of this camp is to develop basketball in Guyana and nurture future basketball players.
Sessions will be held from Monday to Saturday, with action lasting from 13:00hrs to 16:30hrs. The time would be divided into sessions, with beginners 7-11 years old starting the sessions and going for an hour, from 13:00hrs to 14:00hrs. Girls and intermediate players 12-16 years old would be engaged from 14:00hrs to 15:00hrs; and boys would conclude the action daily with the Advanced U18 Boys partaking in sessions for an hour and a half, commencing from 15:00 hrs and concluding at 16:30 hrs.
Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Coordinator Leona Kyte said the aim of the camp is for the development and growth of basketball. She explained, “The aim of the Youth Basketball Guyana Summer Camp 2024 is basically to introduce basketball to those
who are now learning basketball for the first time and for those who’ve been around basketball for a while, to ensure that they learn the sport the correct way, and so they can play the sport in the way it is intended to be played.”
Explaining that the programme has thus far had a positive impact on the camaraderie of participants, Kyte declared, “I see it as being very impactful because, for example, I’m sorry you guys are here now, but if you’d come earlier, you’d have seen the seven-year-olds, from seven to the ten-year-olds. That is our largest group, and it’s just a joy to see them practising the drills that they’re being shown, teaching others when their colleagues are not getting it. I’ve seen some of the small ones teaching the other ones, ‘No, not this way, this is how we’re supposed to do it’,” Kyte shared.
The coordinator has divulged the key areas needed for improvement in development of basketball by saying, “I think there needs to be more parental support. We want to thank those parents who are involving in their children in basketball
and sports on a whole, but I think there needs to be more parental involvement.
“There also needs to be more facilities that can be used, especially indoor facilities, so that the kids can be a little bit more comfortable and have more access to those facilities as well.
So, as of today, today is our second day of camp and we have a total of 79 student-athletes attending our camp. Our largest group is the beginners, which are the seven-to-twelve-yearolds, as well as the intermediates who are from 12-13 based on their skills, and as well the advanced.
Well, as you can see, the advanced, we have that. That’s our smallest group. The other two groups - the intermediate and the beginners - are the largest groups that we have. We want to encourage as well parents to encourage the girls to be more involved in basketball. I think that’s one thing that is lacking in sports as a whole: more female involvement in basketball.”
This camp, which concludes on August 24, has sessions being facilitated by Coach Leona Kyle, Shamaar Huntley, and many others.
(Omar McKenzie)
“I feel really excited, like I can’t explain! But same way winning this game make we qualify for season 7, this game was a very important game for us, and we did our best and come out victorious. I’m so happy right now!” Moore told this publication. Admitting that the
ty players came to strengthen our team, and we worked together every day; and next season we’ll do better.
“One more game we left with, against Santos; and coming against Santos, we coming hard and get this three points! (In) the next season, we looking forward for a better spot in the Elite League Season 7,” Moore declared.
Monedderlust FC will face Santos FC tonight (Thursday, August 8) at the NTC from 19:00hrs. At the end of Season Six, the tenth-placed team would be relegated from the League, while the ninthplaced team would likely have to play for their spot in the tournament. Based on current standings, Buxton United FC are likely to be relegated, with Ann’s Grove United being the 9th placed team. (Jemima Holmes)
“Well, for me it was very important against Slingerz. We got a saying: ‘One team can’t beat we two time’. So, we come out, fight, and get a draw. We were so good, and so (impressive) with what we did…,” Moore said about the Slingerz clash.
“Take a page out of the Guyana Cup organizers’ book” – DoS Steve Ninvalle
The 2024 Guyana Cup would be an event of great significance. While the quality of horse racing would be a spectacle, the day at the Rising Sun Turf Club, on Sunday August 11, would be dedicated to family-oriented activities. The Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee has decided to have a fun park accessible to kids and the entire family to facilitate access to great fun while enjoying the races.
Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, has been delighted with this initiative, wherein the Guyana Cup organizers have made the 16th running of this prestigious event a family affair. He gave an update on the horse racing legislation while speaking at Sunday’s Guyana Cup press conference and drawing.
“The Government of Guyana is moving apace with the legislation, since it will make it easier for horses. This speaks of order, and
it is important that the organizers are making this event a family-friendly environment, and other sports organization should take a page out of the Guyana Cup organizers,” the Director of Sport has said.
Ninvalle, a former sports journalist, highlighted the growth of the sport of horse-racing. He reminisced on his days while covering the sport of kings at various racetracks around Guyana, including Rising Sun, Alness, Bush Lot, and Port Mourant.
Meanwhile, Dr Dwight Waldron, Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, shared that significant progress has been made on horse passports in Guyana.
“Good progress on horse passports for horses to travel to the Americas. Guyana will be able to move horses once legislation is implemented,” Dr Waldron has said.
Ten races are listed on the 2024 Guyana Cup programme, and over G$40 million in cash and prizes will be up for grabs. With this year’s Guyana Cup purse being the biggest in the Caribbean, horses from various countries will be travelling to Guyana to battle for supremacy. The Rising Sun Turf Club will take on an electrifying atmosphere for the entire family, while kids would be treated to a fun park and fans will be thrilled by great vibes when the DJ competition takes center stage after the race. Race time is 12:00 hours local time at Rising Sun.
Scenes from Monedderlust FC’s (red) most recent clash with Fruta Conquerors FC
Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, addressing the horse racing fraternity at the Guyana Cup press conference and drawing
The Beginners, 7-11 years category
Rain allows only 15 overs on opening day
Trinidad’s temperamental weather claimed the bulk of the opening day between South Africa and West Indies, where only 15 overs
to bat first after winning the toss, and had hoped to bed in on a surface on which their captain Temba Bavuma said he “did not see a blade of
grass”.
of play were possible. Play was called off five minutes into the scheduled tea time, and will resume half an hour early on the second day, after 75 overs were lost on the first. With an extra batter in their XI, South Africa opted
A bare, lifeless surface demanded good discipline from West Indies, and the experienced Kemar Roach did not disappoint. Given three slips and a gully, his first ball angled into Aiden Markram and beat him on the back foot, which was ex-
Over
$500,000
actly where Roach wanted him. In Roach’s next over, Markram stayed back and tried to cover-punch, but with no bounce on offer, he looked fortunate to get the ball over gully for South Africa’s first boundary.
Roach continued to deliver a testing opening spell, which eventually produced figures of 5-36-0.
At the other end, Tony de Zorzi looked more comfortable playing the ball off the front foot against Jayden Seales, and timed well enough down the ground to get a three.
Seales’s pace was in the mid-130kph range, and he offered little threat in the first three overs, which saw Kraigg Braithwaite turning to Gudakesh Motie in the eighth over.
And de Zorzi could not have asked for anything better. His eyes lit up when Motie flighted his fourth ball, and he went down on
one knee to swipe it over midwicket. He repeated the shot two balls later, and Motie was only kept on for another over, during which de Zorzi hit him for four before Braithwaite went to Jason Holder.
Now, remember Markram had been camping back in the crease against Roach? That’s where he was for Holder’s first delivery, which seamed in through the bat-pad gap and took out off stump to dismiss him for 9.
Markram’s last three first-innings scores in Test cricket have been in single figures, which could be something he would want to address as the season moves on. His dismissal brought South Africa’s new #3, Tristan Stubbs, to the middle. He was off the mark when he tucked Holder to square leg, and he faced four more balls before the rain began at 11.10am local time. An early lunch was taken 40 minutes later as showers came and went intermittently. Two hours later, im-
payout for quarter-finalists at Enmore
…Finals shifted to August 24
In a bid to ensure players continue to reap the rewards of competing in the second season of the Kares One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast, FL Sport has upped the stakes for the quarter-finals, set for Sunday August 11 at the Enmore Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara.
The organisers have also indicated that, due to unforeseen circumstances and based on discussions with sponsors, the finals and Cricket For Charity match involving President Dr. Irfaan Ali have been brought forward to Saturday, August 24.
“In 2023, we stated we want to ensure we give back more to players and fans, and this year, we have increased all of the prizes and added a hefty quarter-final payout. Each of the eight teams at Enmore will be rewarded”, John Ramsingh, Director of FL Sport, has said.
According to Ramsingh, each of the four winners would pocket $100,000, while each loser would get $30,000, for a total payout of $520,000, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport.
He elaborated that, at minimum, each of these eight teams would recoup their entrance fee of $25,000, while the winner would receive an early bonus.
Each of the losing semi-final-
ists on August 24 will take home
$250,000, compliments of Premier Insurance.
Second-place: $500,000 from SuperBet Guyana, and the winner pockets $1.5M from Star Rentals.
More so, players would vie for the titles of Most Runs, Most Wickets, and Player of the Final. Each winner would receive a Smart TV and a $75,000 cash prize, compliments of Regal Stationery and Computer Centre.
Assuria Insurance would present a motorbike, and $85,000 would go to the Most Valuable Player. Additionally, $100,000 would be split equally between the Kawasaki Super Striker of the tournament (player with the highest strike rate — minimum of 12 balls) and the Most Economical bowler (lowest economy rate — minimum of 24 balls). This would see more than G$3.4M being distributed in cash prizes.
The quarter-final matches are Team Corruption vs. Montra Jaguars at 09:30h, Tarmac Titans vs. Mahdia at 11:30h, Titans All-Stars vs. The Guards at 13:30h, and Brooklyn Youth Strikers vs. Diamond Gunners at 15:30h.
The Kares One Guyana T10 Blast also enjoys the support of Kares Engineering, Banks DIH Limited, Montra Restaurant and Lounge, Demerara Mutual, ETS, Metro Office and Computer Supplies, Jacobs’ Jewellery, Digital Technology, First Change Builders Inc, KFC Guyana, Hoosein’s Security Services, NEW GPC Inc., Building Expo 2024, Giftland OfficeMax, Sankar’s Auto Works, ENet, Avinash Contracting and Scrap Metal Inc., Trophy Stall, ANSA McAL Distribution, Camille’s Academy, R. Kissoon Contracting Service, Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, RS53 RestoBar and Lounge, Samaroo Investments, and Coel’s Boutique.
ages of covers decorated with puddles and ominously grey skies were beamed around the world, but the clean-up began. A 2pm inspection could not take place as the rain returned just as the umpires were about to begin their rounds, and 45 minutes later, the day was deemed unsalvageable.
The outcome will be
particularly disappointing for South Africa, who have not played Test cricket with a first-choice side since January, and have a lean red-ball schedule. After this Test, they have only seven matches left in this World Test Championship cycle, and all their series in the 2023-2025 period have been limited to two Tests. (ESPNCricinfo)
SCOREBOARD
David Bedingham, Ryan Rickelton †, Kyle Verreynne,
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF) on Wednesday revealed the final selection of the National Under-14 Boys team that would represent Guyana at the 2024 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Boys’ Under-14 Challenge Series. The prestigious tournament, usually held biennially, will take place from August 16 to August 24, 2024 in Trinidad and Tobago. According to the GFF, the CFU Boys’ Under-14 Challenge Series is a key development platform, showcasing young talent from across the Caribbean. Those representing Guyana in the Tier II category are as follows:
Goalkeepers: Ezekiel Jackman and Kerwain Chance
Defenders: Aaron King, Eshawn Chesney, Ezekiel Douglas, Garfield Jones, Isaac Taylor, Jaden Noble and Simon Solomon
Midfielders: Akeel Young, Damani Hardy, Emanuel Sinclair, Jaden Tasher, Kevin Bunton, Nyron Barrow and Pharez Noble
Forwards: Jaden Christian and Mark Glasgow
Match Schedule:
- August 17, 2024: Antigua & Barbuda vs. Guyana at 14:00
- August 19, 2024: Guyana vs.
Barbados at 11:00
- August 21, 2024: St. Vincent & the Grenadines vs. Guyana at 14:00
- August 23, 2024: Cayman Islands vs. Guyana at 11:00
GFF President Wayne Forde has noted, “The GFF is extremely proud to provide early international exposure for our local talent. I believe this tournament is an excellent opportunity for them to gain invaluable experience and represent Guyana with pride. We wish them the best of luck, and they should know that they have all of Guyana behind them.”
The CFU 2024 Boys’ U-14 Challenge Series is organized into the Group Stage and the Knockout Stage. During the Group Stage, teams are divided into groups and play in a round-robin format, earning points for wins and draws. Rankings within each group are determined by points, goal difference, and goals scored. The Knockout Stage follows, with play-offs, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final match. Tied matches in the Knockout Stage go straight to penalty kicks.
The GFF has said it is confident in the abilities of the selected players, and looks forward to their strong performance on the international stage.
Mulder, Keshav Maharaj, Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi
An 18-member team would represent Guyana at the CFU U14 Challenge
More thrilling action is anticipated this Sunday at the Enmore Community Centre Ground
Jason Holder’s first ball castled Aiden Markram
Tony de Zorzi was 32*, with two fours and two sixes, at lunch
