The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Tuesday, June 25 – 04:00h-05:30h and Wednesday, June 26 –04:00h-05:30h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Tuesday, June 25 –06:30h-08:00h and Wednesday, June 26 – 07:20h-08:50h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Winds: East North-Easterly to South SouthEasterly between 1.78 metre and 2.68 metres.
High Tide: 06:44h and 19:20h reaching maximum heights of 2.63 metres and 2.48 metres.
Low Tide: 12:50h reaching a minimum height of 0.58 metre.
Pres Ali urges regional distillers to cooperate, take blends to int’l markets
In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Caribbean Community (Caricom), a special rum blend bringing together flavors from around the region was presented, during which President Dr Irfaan Ali urged regional distillers to work together to penetrate international markets.
Caricom celebrated its 50th anniversary on July 4, 2023 and on Monday, a special rum blend was unveiled to belatedly mark this occasion. The rum blend, which was handed over by Guyana’s Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL), brings together the flavors of three different rum stills.
According to Caricom Chairman, President Ali, this is one area where regional distillers can work together to penetrate new, international markets. He noted what a collective marketing corporation could achieve.
“One of the things that I believe that Caricom distillers should do, in celebration of their own integration in this 50th year, is to come together and find ways in which, collectively, we can penetrate a regional brand, carrying all our products, in the international market. And that, I think, would help us.”
“Because if we have one marketing corporation or entity, one advertising entity that we collectively hire, to take our collective brand into new markets, then the operational costs come down, the marketing cost comes down, the logistics cost comes down, and it improves our competitiveness,” President Ali said.
The Head of State also made a call for distillers to set up common warehouses and transportation systems, in much the same way as countries in Caricom itself are pursuing regional integration.
“So, if we don’t want to do it for the regional market, we should have a common warehouse, a common transportation system, through which collectively we target the new markets. And I think that is something, Komal, that you guys should get.”
“If you can’t integrate your blend, then you should integrate your ideas and your upbringings in going after new markets, through a collective mechanism that makes you competitive,” the head of state said.
Guyana has already earned almost US$35 Million from rum and spirits exports in 2022 and according to President Ali, this demonstrates how big the industry is locally.
“In Guyana in 2022, exports of bottled rum and spirits earned our country almost US$35 Million. And bulk alcohol brought in export revenue of US$19.3 Million. That tells you how huge the industry is here.”
Producing blend
The West Indies Rum & Spirits Producers Association (WIRSPA), was once Chaired by DDL Chairman Komal Samaroo. In his address, Samaroo gave insight into the work that went into producing the blend.
“We started out to think how we could put each one of our products into a final product. And that got nowhere. So, we finally said,
let each one of us do our own thing. It shows how difficult integration is. So, one component of this blend is from the Uitvlugt French Saville still. That was a still installed at Uitvlugt over 50 years ago. It operated there. “
“The second component came from the Diamond coffee still. This is a still that is produced in Scotland… and the third one is from the Port Mourant double wooden pot still. This is very unique to Guyana. Nowhere in the world, is a still of this nature existing. Now each one of those three rums are absolutely unique and extraordinary, by themselves. But when they’re combined in this blend, I think it’s the most extraordinary blend.”
Samaroo noted the symbolism with Caricom, which is composed of individually great countries. But he noted that when these countries come together and achieve integration, extraordinary things can be achieved.
Regional integration has been an ongoing effort in Caricom, with countries agreeing on methods of enhancing the integration
movement including in transportation. During the recent 46th Regular Meeting of the Conference of the Heads of Government in Georgetown, Guyana, regional integration was a prominent topic of discussion, particularly when it comes to an inter-island ferry service… which is already well advanced and will use the Galleons Passage, a Trinidadian vessel.
Only in March, Regional Governors of the InterAmerican Development Bank (IDB) have agreed to commit US$20 million towards the bank’s Ordinary Capital Strategic Development Programme, which is aimed at accelerating regional integration in the Caribbean under the “One Caribbean” initiative.
“One Caribbean” envisions a region where climate adaptation, disaster risk management and resilience, citizen security, Private Sector engagement in the economy, and food security can all be improved through more digitalisation and strengthening of institutions. (G3)
President Dr Irfaan Ali (left) at the launching of the 50th Caricom anniversary blend
“Because We Care": A model for social responsibility
In an era often defined by global challenges and complex socio-economic issues, initiatives that prioritise social welfare and community development stand out as beacons of hope and practical action. The Government’s "Because We Care" initiative exemplifies such an endeavour, marking a significant step towards addressing the needs of Guyana’s society with compassion and effectiveness.
The Government has always said that against the backdrop of Guyana's evolving social landscape, it had launched the "Because We Care" initiative in 2014 to underscore the Government's commitment to uplifting citizens through targeted interventions.
At its core, the initiative aims to provide direct financial support to families and individuals, thereby mitigating the impact of poverty in some instances and enhancing social equity.
Central to the success of "Because We Care" is its emphasis on inclusivity. Initially set out to assist parents who have children in public schools, the programme has now been expanded to include those in private schools. By distributing cash transfers directly to beneficiaries, the initiative ensures that aid reaches those who need it most without bureaucratic hurdles or delays.
This year’s distribution, which began on Monday, has been lauded already by parents as the direct approach not only enhances the efficiency of resource allocation, but also fosters trust and accountability —a crucial foundation for sustainable social development.
The comments by parents, especially those from vulnerable families, about the ways in which this grant will assist them to help in the education of their children, speak to the human nature and success of the initiative.
Moreover, "Because We Care" represents a strategic investment in human capital. By supporting families with children in school, despite their economic background, the initiative creates pathways for long-term socio-economic stability.
Critically, the success of "Because We Care" hinges on continuous evaluation and adaptation. As societal needs evolve, so too must the initiative's response mechanisms. Regular assessments of impact and effectiveness enable policymakers to refine strategies, optimise resource allocation, and ensure that the initiative remains responsive to the evolving landscape of Guyana.
Beyond its immediate benefits, "Because We Care" serves as a model for other nations grappling with similar challenges. By prioritising social welfare, educational needs and harnessing the power of targeted interventions, Guyana sets a precedent for effective governance and compassionate leadership. The initiative not only demonstrates the Government's proactive stance but also highlights the transformative potential of strategic investments in educational and social development.
As we applaud the "Because We Care" initiative, we also recognise the collective responsibility to support and amplify such efforts.
It was Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, who, on Monday, reminded that the “Because We Care” cash grant of $40,000 this year has been substantially increased from $15,000 in 2021 when its disbursement resumed. Together with the uniform allowance of $5000, this year’s grants to each child will amount to $45,000, and he noted that following the disbursement of the grants this year, Government will have disbursed $9.2 billion for this year alone, while for the period 2021-2024, a total of $26.9 billion in the cash grants would have been disbursed to schoolchildren under the programme.
We congratulate Education Minister Priya Manickchand, who said on Monday: “Once we have resources, we make sure we invest it back into you. Once we have resources, you feel that in your pockets and your children feel it in their book bags. And even when we had little, we would always find a way to make sure we improve what you have, because that is what this government does.”
Guyana's "Because We Care" initiative stands as a testament to the transformative power of social welfare policies. By prioritising the well-being of citizens, Guyana not only charts a course towards sustainable development but also inspires solidarity in the pursuit of a more just and equitable future for our children.
Childhood trauma damages society
By Bessel Van der KolK
Twenty-five years ago a study by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) revealed that, in the United States, traumatic life experiences during childhood and adolescence are far more common than was expected. The participants in that study were mostly white, middle-class, well-educated, and in possession of good medical insurance, and yet, only one-third of them reported no serious adverse childhood experiences. In the remaining sample, the vast majority had experienced two or more horrendous childhood events. Subsequent scientific reports from 96 countries have shown that, globally, over half of all children – one billion girls and boys – are exposed to violence each year.
Why is that important?
People with childhood histories of trauma are vulnerable to develop a host of problems, including difficulties concentrating, outbursts of anger, panic, depression, and difficulties with food intake, drugs and sleep, as well as higher levels of stress hormones, and reduced or impaired immune responses. Neuroscience research consistently shows that childhood trauma alters brain systems dedicated to evaluating the relative risk of what is happening around us, and causes difficulties regulating emotional responses throughout life.
Despite the World Health Organisation’s leadership in anchoring violence against children as a global public health priority and the numerous studies over the past 30 years spelling out the devastating effects of childhood trauma on mental and physical health, the effects of exposure to violence remain largely unrecognised, and unresourced, in school systems, childcare agencies, medical clinics, and the criminal justice system.
A chance to redress that neglect is on the horizon. In November 2024, the Government of Colombia
– in partnership with the Government of Sweden, the WHO, UNICEF and the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General on ending violence against children – will host a Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children. A first-ever bringing together of all 194 countries to recognise the scale, and severity of impact, of childhood violence and to begin to marshal much-needed resources to accelerate action.
The fact that this is a first-ever Global Ministerial on the issue, and that it is largely considered a third-tier policy priority, is startling. A response commensurate with the challenge that preventing childhood violence presents is long overdue.
Long-overdue and short-sighted; the CDC study concluded that childhood violence is the most costly public health issue in the US, calculating that the overall costs exceeded those of cancer or heart disease. It estimated that eradicating childhood violence in the US would reduce the overall rate of depression by more than half, alcoholism by twothirds, and suicide, serious drug abuse, and domestic violence by three-quarters. Moreover, preventing exposure to violence and abuse would significantly affect job performance, and vastly decrease the need for incarceration. In fact, about 95 per cent of violent inmates suffer from childhood experiences with violence and abuse. That, of course, is not limited to the US, but is relevant to children around the world.
When people talk about children’s exposure to violence, they tend to focus on what happens outside the home: on the streets, at school, in refugee camps, and in war-torn societies. However, for the majority of children, trauma begins at home, at the hands of their own family members. Both physical and sexual violence by one’s own caregivers have devastating consequences.
In 1987, Frank Putnam
and Penelope Trickett at the National Institute of Mental Health started the first longitudinal study of the impact of sexual abuse on girls’ development that now has been ongoing for 35 years. Compared with girls of the same age, race and social conditions, sexually abused girls suffer from a range of profoundly negative effects: difficulties learning, depression, troubled sexual development, high rates of obesity and self-mutilation. They dropped out of school at much higher rates and had more serious medical illnesses. This study, and numerous others like it, underscore the reality that supporting high-quality early caregiving is critically important in preventing physical, social and mental health problems, regardless of traumas that occur outside the family.
Safe and protective early relationships are vital to protect children from long-term problems. If the parents themselves are the source of distress, the child has no one to turn to for comfort and for restoring disrupted biological functioning. Social support is a biological necessity – not an option, and this notion should be the backbone of all prevention and treatment. Early stimulation and sensitive parenting are fundamental to successful growth and development.
John Heckman, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Economics, has shown that quality early childhood programmes that involve parents and promote basic skills in disadvantaged children more than pay for themselves in improved outcomes. Economists have calculated that every dollar invested in high-quality home visiting, daycare, and preschool programmes results in $7 in savings on welfare payments, healthcare costs, substance abuse treatment, and incarceration, plus higher tax revenues due to better-paying jobs. Following violence, the world is experienced with a different nervous system. The three-decade-long research by Martin
Teicher and his colleagues at Harvard has shown that many of the brain abnormalities that were thought to be specific to a variety of psychiatric problems were, in fact, the direct consequence of childhood trauma and abuse.
Labels such as “depression”, “oppositional defiant disorder”, “intermittent explosive disorder” and bipolar disorder, do not begin to address underlying issues.
A mislabelled person is likely to become a mistreated patient. Mental illness is not really like cancer or heart disease: everything about us – our brains, our minds, and our bodies – is geared towards being integrated members of social groups, able to share, nurture and collaborate. This is the key to our success as a species, and this is what breaks down in most forms of mental illness. It is critical to recognise that many of our behaviour patterns are the result of the social conditions and caregiving systems that shape our minds and brains when we are young, and that continue to underpin the fundamental substance and meaning of our lives. With just six months until the Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, my hope is that Governments recognise the opportunity and necessity to prioritise child protection, as both the right and smart thing to do. The stability and functioning of the societies and citizens of tomorrow depend on the decisions of Governments today. No doubt, Governments are feeling fiscal pressure but recognising and adequately resourcing childhood violence prevention will prove to be a strategic investment.
(Al Jazeera)
(Bessel Van der Kolk, MD, is the author of #1 New York Times Science best seller, The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Treatment of Trauma (translated into 43 languages) and Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Medical School. He regularly teaches at universities and hospitals around the world)
As part of the 10th International Day of Yoga, the Indian High Commission in Guyana hosted a yoga session at Anna Regina, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) (India in Guyana page photos)
US TIP report encourages Guyana to screen foreign workforcee
…Govt also urged to increase screening of hinterland worksites
The Guyana Government is being encouraged to proactively screen foreign workers to improve its fight against human trafficking.
This is according to the 2024 Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report produced and published annually by the US Department of State.
The report recognised that "although the Government meets the minimum standards, it did not vet labour agreements with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Cuban Governments for trafficking vulnerabilities, adequately screen PRC and Cuban workers for trafficking indicators, or conduct sufficient inspections of these nationals’ worksites."
The document referenced 2023 media reports whereby the Government announced plans to receive 200 additional nurses in 2024 through the Cuban medical programme, but noted that "Cuban Government-affiliated medical professionals working in Guyana may have been forced to work by the Cuban government."
A similar claim was made by the US State Department regarding Chinese nationals but no evidence was cited in the report.
The report quoted observers, noting although the Government, International Organisations, and NonGovernmental Organisations had no reports of forced labour in government-to-government contracts, officials rarely inspected the worksites.
Considering these findings, the US Department of State recommended regular screening of these categories of workers, vetting labour agreements with the Chinese and Cuban Governments for trafficking risks, and regular inspections of worksites.
Recommendations were also made for the Government to proactively screen other vulnerable populations, including Haitian migrants for trafficking indicators, refer them to services, and ensure potential victims are not deported without screening.
Migrant labour policy/worksite visits
Meanwhile, the report also flagged the country for not having a migrant labour policy.
Currently, according to the report, migrant workers who wish to change employers need to first obtain a new work permit from the Home Affairs Ministry. This can either be done by the previous employer officially informing the Ministry’s Immigration Support Services that the employee was no longer employed and request the cancellation of the work permit or visa before the new employer could apply, or a new employer could request a cancellation of the previous work permit or visa on making a new employment or sponsorship offer.
The report acknowledged that the Government previously reported the latter method protected against the exploitation of migrant workers by the first employer.
However, the report said that the Recruitment of Workers Act and the Employment Exchanges Act provided the legislative framework for labour recruitment, but the government did not have any laws prohibiting employers, recruiters, or labour agents from charging workers recruitment fees, switching contracts without the workers’ consent, or withholding wages as a means of keeping workers in a state of compelled service, despite an increase in in-country recruitment agencies targeting workers for the country’s burgeoning oil sector.
The report added that the Government did not adequately oversee recruitment agencies, prevent worker-paid recruitment and placement fees, or adequately screen for trafficking victims in the interior of the country.
As such, recommendations were made for the Government to complete a review of existing legislation on labour recruitment.
The US Department of State also urged the Government to increase labour inspections at high-risk worksites in the mining and logging districts.
It noted that labour officers trained on trafficking frequently conducted impromptu investigations of worksites
and business premises in the capital City but they did so infrequently in the interior mining and logging districts because of the limited number of inspectors and a lack of vehicles capable of traversing the terrain.
It was noted that while both sex trafficking and labour trafficking occur in remote interior mining communities, limited government presence in the country’s interior renders the full extent of trafficking there unknown.
Exploit workers
However, the report said as was reported over the last five years, human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Guyana, and traffickers exploit victims from Guyana abroad.
It noted that traffickers exploit victims in labour trafficking, in mining, agriculture, forestry, domestic service, and shops.
In fact, the report said in March 2024, the Human Services and Social Security Ministry recorded a 400-percent year-over-year increase in adult men who were victims of labour trafficking.
It was also observed that the government also reported some traffickers use social media to publish ads to recruit workers to work on farms, in mines, or as janitors or wait staff in bars or hotels.
"NGOs reported traffickers are often middle-aged men who own or operate nightclubs. Some traffickers are also family members of
the victims. Migrants, women, and young people from rural and Indigenous and minority communities, children, and those without education are the most at risk for human trafficking. Traffickers exploit women and children from Guyana, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Suriname, and Venezuela in sex trafficking in mining communities in the interior and urban areas of the country,"
the report said.
Nonetheless, the report noted that the Government continues to demonstrate serious and sustained efforts during the reporting period and therefore, Guyana remained on Tier One.
These efforts included increasing investigations and prosecutions; convicting one trafficker and ordering her to pay restitution; and enacting a new anti-trafficking law
with increased penalties. The Government also constructed a care home for child migrants, including child trafficking victims; identified more victims and referred them to services; granted more victims residency and work permits; hired more English-Spanish interpreters and other additional staff; and conducted extensive awareness campaigns and training.
TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2024
06:00 (Sign on) Inspiration Time 06:30 Cartoons 07:00 Evening News (RB) 08:00 Stay Woke 08:30 Guy's Grocery Games 09:30 BBC Travel Show 10:00 Stop Suffering 11:00 Paternity Court 11:30 Divorce Court
12:00 News Break
12:05 Movie - The King's Daughter (2022) 13:35 Wheel of Fortune 14:00 The Loud House S3 E11
14:30 Spongebob Squarepants
15:00 Indian Soaps 16:00 Young Sheldon S1 E5
16:30 Kickin' It S3 E10
17:00 The Young & The Restless 18:00 Aljazeera
18:30 Teaching the Truth in Love
19:00 The Evening News
20:00 Stop Suffering
20:30 Stand-up Comedy
21:00 Dynasty S5 E13
22:00 Blacklist S9 E13
23:00 Van Helsing S1 E8 00:00 Sign off
Page Foundation
Comparing and ordering decimals
When you compare whole numbers, you look at place value. To compare decimals, you will look at place value. Line up your decimals so that the decimal points are in a column. Then begin by looking at the column to the immediate right of the decimal point, the tenths place. As you arrange your numbers, work toward the right
Example: Place these decimals in order from least to greatest: 0.71, 0.70, .007, 0.0007, 0.90, .00007
Step 1: Line up the decimal points: 0.50 0.51 .07 0.071 0.90 .00007
Step 2: Find the greatest number in the tenths place: 0.90. Then the next greatest number in the tenth place: 0.7
Step 3: If two decimals have the same number in the tenths place, look at the next place value, the hundredths place and rank according to the higher number. With 0.50 and 0.51, 1 is greater than 0.
Step 4: What do you do with .07 and 0.071? Add a zero to .07 before the decimal and for the thousandths place as a placeholder: 0.070. Now, you can see that 0.071 is greater than 0.070.
Remember: When comparing numbers with decimals, always look at the whole numbers first. If two whole numbers are the same, then compare to the right of the decimal point.
Exercises:
Place these decimals in order from least to greatest:
As the six sides of the hex nut contact the balloon, it bounces and vibrates creating a really cool roaring sound.
Make this a science project: Try other objects in the balloon. Do different sized balloons work better or worse? What happens if you introduce a small amount of water into the rip-roaring balloon? (sciencefun.org)
BY JAKE SKEETS
After CD Wright the sun fails to make sense anymore an insect buzzes in overgrown red brome butterfly whistle spark of beetle or wire rush cattle choke wide sage in late weather a field of big grass and red sky small water amiss through words and wind and a faded scar like the one I trace on your wrist sometimes and man the day fell hours ago and you ask me to slow down something shifts in the bushes a rabbit an eternity a bull snake there is a meteorite in my hand a bird in yours
Source: Poetry (November 2023)
WORD SEARCH:
PNC General Secretary quits
....cites lack of financial accountability; poor preparation for fair, transparent internal election
In a move that further highlights the troubles of the Peoples National Congress (PNC), the party’s General Secretary has resigned, just days away from its 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress.
Dawn HastingsWilliams tendered her resignation with effect from June 24, citing among other things the lack of readiness for this weekend’s congress and concerns regarding financial accountability.
These were outlined by Hastings-Willians in a letter to the party’s leader, Aubrey Norton.
“With all the administrative task that has to be undertaken by the secretariat, I believe that the one-month period for preparation for such a congress can lead to confusion rather than having a fair and transparent process and outcome,” the politician, who is also a former Government minister, penned.
She also expressed concerns that as general secretary, she was not being integrally involved in the preparations.
“I think that it is my duty as the General Secretary to be integrally involved in every aspect of the preparation for the Congress. However, that has not been happening in many instances. For exam-
ple, invitations were sent out to persons without my knowledge and I don’t know under whose authorised signature other than the General Secretary of the Party. I found out when I began to send out a few written invitations and only to be told that they are already in receipt of an invitation. This, I see as a gross disrespect to my office,” Hastings-Williams contended.
In her letter, the former General Secretary also expressed concerns regarding the removal of a Central Processing Unit (CPU) from the Office of the General Secretary, without her knowledge.
“Membership-ever since my assumption of Office as the General Secretary, I have been attempting to correct this situation after I was informed that the external drive with all the information on the General
membership was removed and perhaps destroyed and that the software on the computer was crashed. I can confirm the computer was eventually fixed sometime in late April or early May. And then you had the incident where the CPU was removed from the department without the General Secretary’s permission. This occurrence caused a delay for almost two weeks. Consequently, I cannot personally vouch for the accuracy of the records in this section,” she outlined.
Additionally, HastingsWilliams highlighted that she has received complaints from several groups and party members some in writing, that the records of the secretariat do not correspond with their previous submissions and that their membership register does not reflect their true membership.
She further revealed that many members also claim that they have been unable or will be unable to meet the short deadlines set for the submission of the delegates and other information because of the short notice period for Congress.
“Consequently, I cannot substantiate or dismiss the accuracy of these claims especially when it was only Friday 21st June, the updated but not quite com-
pleted general membership register was handed over to the administrator. Hence the need for corrections and changes will have to be done between the current time and the date of the Congress,” she outlined.
In fact, she highlighted an instance whereby someone from a group in the USA visited her office to enquire about the reason why membership cards were not being printed.
“…and we both entered the Membership Department to examine the computer and the other equipment so as to determine what was the pending issue and to see whether he can assist in any way to get the membership matter addressed. Not even five minutes past when the Leader called him to ask why was he questioning a junior staff about membership. The ex-
pression on the Comrades face and the tone of his voice told me that something was not right. I never felt so humiliated after that incident,” the politician expressed.
“I felt as if I was being watched and monitored. In fact, this was actually the second time I felt humiliated after being locked out at the gate where canters and cars were used to block my vehicle from entering to pick me up to take me home from work,” she revealed.
Hastings-Williams also reflected that during her time as GS, which lasted for over a year, she was unable to present any financial statement to the Central Executive Committee. “Reason simply being that I have no access to the weekly or monthly income and expenditure statement. I had requested of the accountant last December to prepare and produce a financial statement for the year 2023 so as to present it to the CEC. When I called for the statement to be handed in to me the accountant said that she had completed the statement as was instructed by me but was told not to hand it over to me but to put in on hold.”
Not conducive to working
Moreover, HastingsWilliams contended that
“Congress Place at present is not conducive to working especially when you have someone shouting and threatening staff that they will be sent home.”
PNC’s biennial congress is set for this weekend, commencing Friday, June 28.
Norton, whose leadership style has been criticised and questioned by many party members including stalwart Amna Ally, is being challenged for the position of PNC leader.
There have been a number of controversies leading up to the PNC Congress, with the most recent being allegations of sexual assault against Norton by party member Vanessa Kissoon.
Kissoon, who is currently a councillor on the Linden Town Council, claimed that Norton had threatened to rape her at gun point.
The PNC’s elders have since launched an investigation but indicated that the process could not have been completed before the congress.
Moreover, Norton has not opted to step down from the leadership race during this period.
He is being challenged by Roysdale Forde and Amanza Walton-Desir. (G11)
PNC Leader Aubrey Norton
Dawn Hastings-Williams
3 persons found dead in minibus died of carbon monoxide poisoning
The three persons, who were found dead in a minibus which was stuck in a pothole along the Mabura Trail in Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice), died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh on Monday conducted post-mortem examinations
with dissections on the bodies of Leon Achee, Vincent Albert Fausett and Reva Bovell and concluded that they died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Forty-two-year-old Achee, the bus driver of Lot 245 Sixth Street, Martyr's Ville, Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara; a 44-yearold Fausett, the operator of Lot 40 Plantation Ross,
West Coast Berbice, and 24-year-old Bovell of South Amelia's Ward, Linden were found in the minibus at about 09:40h on Sunday at 28 Miles, Mabura Trail.
Investigations revealed that the minibus, BAC 7350, was stuck in a deep pothole with its rear submerged. The vehicle’s engine was running, and all windows were locked at the time of discovery. Police suspect that the victims may have slept on the bus overnight. An examination of the bodies showed no visible marks of violence.
The bodies were handed over to relatives for burial/ cremation.
All about…
…the Kabaka
As the PNC continues its death spiral in the catfight to succeed their founder leader, let’s look at what a former PNC Ex-Co member – Dr Festus Brotherson – said. In a paper published by the Ivy League Stanford University he started with Burnham’s vaunted “foreign policy genius”: “The country's foreign policy was not crafted over the years to serve the objective national interest. Rather, the overriding objective of Guyana's authoritarian leadership was to do abroad what it had failed to do at home: i.e., to establish legitimacy. With this approach, Burham sought to follow the strategy outlined by Machiavelli, namely, to legitimize one's regime by means of glorious foreign adventure or diplomatic success, which would whip up nationalist fervor on the one hand and stifle domestic opposition on the other, wringing grudging support from the latter in the process.” Now Norton and company know!!
On the domestic front, this quest for legitimacy also dictated Burnham’s policies: “Burnham's resurrection of radical socialism was inspired by the opportunity which that ideology afforded to gain near-total authoritarian charge of the society, and to out-radicalize his Marxist rivals in his pursuit of legitimacy. He wedded himself to the exercise of authoritarian measures which socialism justifies. Repeatedly portraying the domestic situation as one of "peaceful revolution", he explained away resort to coercion and arbitrary action as requisite "revolutionary tactics." Imagine that!! With socialism dumped, will the PNC winner chose the authoritarian capitalism of Chairman Xi Jin Ping?! Burnham’s increasingly radical turn teed off the US, but they couldn’t get rid of him because they saw Cheddi as “the worse of two evils”. But they still squeezed him: “In the wake of an informal, but effective, Western freeze on economic assistance to Guyana, trade and barter arrangements with communist nations increased significantly. Invariably, these countries took advantage of Guyana's need to dump their inferior goods and flawed technology on the society, as in the case of a Chinese textile mill, Bulgarian telephones and radio communication equipment, Soviet cars, commercial aircraft and military helicopters, and Yugoslavian buses.” So is picking Xi’s Chinese way, out??
About the boasts on Burnham’s “creative policies”, this is what Brotherson wrote: “Burnham was always on the alert to adopt projects which his counterparts abroad had used to their own advantage in their own countries in hopes such strategies would prove equally successful in garnering personal support for him in Guyana. For example, following a state visit to Tanzania, Burnham announced the “Declaration of Sophia”, in which he introduced the controversial policy that the ruling party should be paramount over the government. This was no more than a thinly-disguised version of Julius Nyerere's Arusha Declaration in that East African country.”
So, maybe next week’s PNC winner will adopt Trump’s MAGA??
…the ex-leader
Your Eyewitness was surprised David Granger hasn’t been selected as an “elder” to settle the Norton story. Jeez, the man only turned over his home to house the “Burnham Foundation” to keep Burnham’s legacy alive!! Your Eyewitness suspects it was chock-full of pics with Burnham who turned Guyana from a flourishing country to a poster child for poverty!! But that’s Burnham’s legacy, no??
Granger was also a protégé of Burnham –plucked straight out of QC in 1965 and sent off to Mons for training to form the core of Burnham’s new army!! Unlike others like Morgan, etc, Granger obviously showed quite early on that he was willing to toe Burnham’s line. Which is why he was made Head of the GDF in 1979 when Rodney was infiltrating it!!
But since there was some “bad blood” between Norton and the “sanctimonious gangster” when the latter vied for PNC leadership – with Vanessa Kissoon as Norton’s biggest defender! – Granger might’ve been seen as not exactly impartial!!
…cricketing hopes??
Your Eyewitness knows we’ve been knocked out of the World Cup!! But in looking over our performance over the course – he feels there are some rays of hope for our future. This last game could’ve gone either way!
Dead: Leon Achee Dead: Reva Bovell
The minibus in which the bodies were found
Load shedding needed to prevent total collapse of DBIS – GPL …says
addition of 36-MW power
ship
allows for more maintenance work
While many Guyanese complain about the inconvenience of load shedding, it is actually necessary to prevent the collapse of the entire power system. This is according to Guyana Power and Light (GPL) Systems and Operations Manager, Navin Deonarayan.
The state media was recently given a behind the scenes look at the GPL operation center, where the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) is managed. Deonarayan explained the work being done to keep the DBIS afloat.
“We have here a software we’re trying to build internally. And what it does is log all generation data, every hour. And you can see the operator now entering the data. So, she’s entering what the generators generate at a specific time.”
“This tells us, for example, the amount of generation we have available. So, this plot here comes from that data that the operator enters, which she receives from power plants. And this line shows us the demand. For example, at 12 last night and the early morning, we have some space. Meaning there is some amount of reserve capacity,” he said.
When the demand for power overtakes the DBIS’ reserve capacity, it becomes necessary to do load shedding, also known as opening a feeder. This is something that is tracked in real time, by operators in the control center.
“At this time, we’re seeing that the demand is fluctuating here and even touching the capacity line. So, when that happens, is when we see a difference in our frequency. So therefore, we’ll have to at this
point open a feeder. Because there’s essentially zero capacity remaining. And if we allow it to continue like that, we may eventually end up in a situation where there’s a trip of a generator.”
“When we say open a feeder, it means that at the sub-station, there’s a circuit breaker there similar to what you have in the house. But a bigger version, that supplies power to the lines that you see running along the road ways. And of course, there are multiple transformers connected to those lines along the poles. And then we as customers get power from those transformers.”
As it relates to ensuring that generators are in the best working conditions, he revealed that they have now been given more time to do maintenance. This, according to Deonarayan, is due to the 36-megawatt (MW)
power ship that was recently added to the grid through Everton, Berbice.
“So, once we open that circuit breaker at the substation, that line goes out. So essentially the customers don’t receive power anymore. It is absolutely necessary, because that’s how we manage the frequency and keep the system alive. If we don’t do this, the entire system may collapse. Thus, everyone is out of power.”
“We have not taken out feeders because of generation shortfalls, since the introduction of that ship. This has given us some comfort, presently, in relation to being able to carry out maintenance on other generators. For instance, currently we have like two generators down for maintenance as we speak,” Deonarayan further explained.
In April, GPL signed a multimillion-dollar deal
with Qatar-based Urbacon Concessions Investments, W.L.L (UCI) for the rental of the 36-MW floating power plant for two years in a move to add much-needed capacity to the grid.
While the rental deal was signed with UCI, the power ship is owned by Turkey-based Karpowership International. As part of this agreement, GPL has already paid a US$1 million mobilisation fee.
The power company also has to pay a fee of US 6.62 per kilowatt-hour (kWh) as a monthly charter fee for the power ship and a monthly operation and maintenance fee of US 0.98 cents per kWh based on electricity generated. GPL is also required to provide Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) for the operation of the generators onboard the vessel.
The State-owned power company has been experi-
encing generation shortfalls due to an unprecedented rise in electricity demand coupled with challenges from its aged equipment. In March, two of GPL’s engines failed disrupting power generation across the country. Before this vessel was connected to the grid, GPL was generating about 165 megawatts of power. However, the peak demand is about 180 megawatts. (G3)
Systems and Operations Manager Navin Deonarayan
Pharmacies selling antibiotics over the counter, counterfeit drugs will be shut down – Govt warns
The Health Ministry has warned that pharmacies and other medical outlets that sell antibiotics without prescriptions as well as counterfeit drugs would soon be shut down.
The warning was sounded by Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who has said that the Government will be embarking on stronger measures aimed at ensuring that the local pharmaceutical industry operates in line with international standards.
It was also noted that the move is part of efforts to eliminate the illegal importation and distribution of harmful medication in Guyana, especially those that has the potential to increase antimicrobial resistance in patients who should be taking prescribed drugs for various health issues.
Dr Anthony issued the warning during an event to commemorate Commonwealth Pharmacy Week on Sunday.
He told the gathering that oftentimes, products are imported and used in Guyana without being examined for indicators of adverse effects, and in recent years, several doctors were found guilty of contributing to antimicrobial resistance by not prescribing the mandated drugs for treating tuberculosis, among others.
However, he explained that due to the Health Ministry’s prompt response and ability to import medicines to reverse the symptoms those patients were privy to, the individuals sustained no long-term injuries.
“As we move to put stricter supervision in place, if you don’t change this type of be-
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony
venting counterfeit drugs from entering Guyana is difficult, the new Medicine Regulation Bill would tighten loose ends in the healthcare system.
“We also want to take a firmer stand on the falsification of medications, one of the challenges if you have counterfeit medication in the system, it can create problems in the management of patients and so this is
haviour then we might have to close you down and use the full force of the law…We have had cases in this country where we have seen patients who have developed resistance to many of the medications that we have and if we are going to continue this indiscriminate use of antibiotics, we are only going to accelerate the development of antimicrobial resistance,” Dr Anthony disclosed.
Dr Anthony added that, any act of soliciting unprescribed antibiotics and generic/ counterfeit drugs are not only a clear violation of existing legislation but also dangerous to the lives of patients.
On this point, he noted that while pre-
something that we want to ensure that we are removing from our system or reducing it substantially,” he added.
The Medicine Regulation Bill is one of the first pieces of framework needed to raise the standard of the country’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
With the implementation of this new bill, importers of these drugs will be mandated to conduct separate monitoring for adverse reactions and report the necessary information to the Ministry.
The pertinent piece of legislation will also cater for the prosecution of pharmacies and doctors who issue antibiotics without the necessary prescription. (G1)
"Because We Care", uniform grants
“This will do a lot for my children” – parent on $45,000 cash grants
…205, 000 students to benefit from initiative …as “fast and efficient” delivery commended by parents
By Mishael henry and andrew CarMiCheal
The Education Ministry began the nationwide distribution of the $45,000 "Because We Care" cash grant and the uniform grant, on Monday for students in both public and private educational facilities.
The first day of distribution saw scores of parents across Guyana, who praised the speed and efficiency of the disbursement. These grants are expected to benefit over 205, 000 school-aged children this year.
With an allocation of more than $9 billion in the national budget, the programme, the Education Ministry said, aims to alleviate financial burdens on families and ensure that every child has the resources they need to thrive in their academic journey.
As the distribution began, Education Minister, Priya Manickchand visited Port Kaituma, Region One (Barima-Waini) and emphasised the Government’s unwavering dedication to education, stating that the Ministry and by extension the Government, is keen on continuously improving the lives of its citizens, specifically in the hinterland regions.
"Before the end of today, more than 40 million dollars will go into your pockets. Once we have resources, we make sure we invest it back into you. Once we have resources, you feel that in your pockets and your children feel it in their book bags. And even when we had little, we would always find a way to make sure we improve what you have, because that is what this Government does," the minister said.
Fast and effective
In Georgetown, at the Tutorial High School, Persantie Baldeo, a mother of one, who recently suffered a stroke and has been unable to work and provide for her daughter, explained how the grant would significantly assist her child.
“We are happy for the cash grant. We will buy lots of books, school uniforms, and bags,” Baldeo said, her voice cracking with emotion.
“This cash grant is big, you know. It is very huge that they came up with this amount because they make us able to get it, and they added on $5,000 so that we can buy school clothes.”
At F.E. Pollard Primary, another parent, Clifton Singh, received his grant in a record time of five minutes.
“The process is very fast and effective,” Singh said. “I didn’t spend 10 minutes to receive my cash grant. The $45,000 will assist me in fully attiring my child for school
in September with complete uniforms, bags, and books.”
Meanwhile, at Bel Air Primary School, parent Jared Norville shared how he plans to budget the funds for his child's education.
“I am thankful for this cash grant; I will buy my sons all the necessary thing that they need for schools and the rest that remain I will put it to use incase they have any other assignments.” Norville shared.
Not only were parents in Georgetown expressing their thoughts but also parents residing in the deep ends of Swan Primary.
A mother from Swan Primary, East Bank Demerara (EBD), who had to constantly provide for her five children revealed how appreciative she was to the education minister for having implemented this initiative.
Gladly posing with her five cash grants in her hand, she confidently said, “I just want to say thank you to Miss Priya Manickchand for this cash grant and the Government of Guyana. This will do a lot for my children. I want to say thank you so much for this.”
Senior persons also chimed their views on the grant received. Carletta Williams who is a grandparent of two, expressed her gratitude as she quickly made her way to buy school clothes for her grandchildren.
“I am really thanking the president for everything that has been done for me,” Williams said. “I’m going to buy school clothes and other supplies, and whatever is left will help pack up my house.”
At Port Kaituma, Region One also showed their glee as parents stated that they must thank the unwavering support of the Government for their various initiatives.
Ministers, including Tourism Minister Oneidge
Walrond, Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, fanned out across the country to oversee the distribution in various districts. At Bel Air Primary, Minister Walrond reiterated the government’s commitment to increasing the grant to $40,000 per child.
This year, the “Because We Care” cash grant was increased to $40,000, coupled with the $5,000 uniform allowance, and will benefit 205,000 children countrywide.
Senior Minister in the Office of the President with
to be young in Guyana, noting that in this new Guyana, the rate at which the economy is growing, there are incredible new opportunities arising in every single sector of the country.
“Young people irrespective of what their interest is, irrespective of what they want to study (in this new Guyana) or what career they wish to pursue ,opportunities are limitless,” Dr Singh told parents and
Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh during distribution exercise at Queen’s College, reiterated that the restoration and increase of Government’s cash grant to school children initiative on the return to office of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) is the delivery of one of the party’s promises in its 2020 Manifesto.
The minister further explained that Government has been placing the highest level of priority in ensuring that the young people of Guyana realise their full potential.
While addressing parents and teachers at the launch, Dr Singh used the opportunity to highlight that this era is the most exciting time
teachers, as he alluded to the large number of training and job-creation opportunities Government has been providing in various sectors, as well as the recent second Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) graduation ceremony where over 1,700 young people graduated, while over 7,700 more persons have been awarded scholarships to study in various fields.
Systems in place
Meanwhile, systems have been put in place to cater for those parents, who are unable to uplift the grants as per the Education Ministry’s schedule.
In Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne), Natural
Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has said, the process went smoothly on the opening day in the eastern-most region of the country.
Almost 23,000 students in Region Six are expected to benefit from the cash grant; 3,331 at the nursery level, 10,633 at the primary level and 7,390 at the secondary level.
Additionally, more than 1,500 students attending private schools will also benefit from the $40,000 cash grants and $5,000 uniform grant.
“When this programme would have started in 2013, under the PPP/Civic administration it was only for students attending public schools, unfortunately between 2015 and 2020, it was disbanded by the then administration and we had promised that once elected we will restart the cash grant programme for students and also to increase it.”
He noted that it was $10,000 back in 2013 when the programme commenced and it has risen to $40,000 plus the $5000 uniform voucher.
Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat noted that arrangements have been put in place for those who have been unable to uplift their cash grants as per the schedule outlined by the Education Ministry.
“The Ministry of Education will continue the programme. There are other days when they will be going to different schools, so a system has been put in place that parents can visit those other areas or the education office and the regional Educational Officer will be responsible there,” he added.
In Berbice several parents expressed appreciation for the cash grant which many assured will be of great assistance.
Wonderful initiative
Dominic Caldera of New Amsterdam, a mother of four, three of whom are attending school, said the cash grant for school children is a wonderful initiative by the government.
“It will aid in some school supplies along with their text books because my son will be writing the National Grade Six Exams next year so it will be helping him getting some books and stationery that he and his brother and sister needs too.”
Andrea James also collected for three children and she said since the money was given for the children, she will be using it to purchase their uniforms and needed supplies.
“What leave over I will put up and use it to buy things to put into their school bowls to go to school.”
Another parent Radica Ramdeen referring to the initiative as being a good one, pointed out that it will assist her only child in acquiring school supplies.
“The money I does use up to buy school things for her,” she said with a smile on her face.
Selochine Moonasar who has the responsibility of taking care of her two grandchildren said they are both at secondary school.
“I have to buy a computer for my granddaughter and I have to buy a phone for my grandson so I am very thankful for the money.” The distribution of cash grants will continue into next week.
The Because We Care cash grant of $40,000 this year has been substantially increased from $15,000 in 2021 when its disbursement resumed. Together with the uniform allowance of $5,000, this year’s grant to each child will amount to $45,000.
A parent moments after receiving her cash grant poses with Education Minister Priya Manickchand
A parent counting money from his cash grant
Parents during the cash grant distribution process
TUESDAY, JUNE 25, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo on Sunday evening met with members of the Diaspora and business community during an engagement at the Pearson Convention Center, Brampton, Ontario, Canada. He also interacted with worshippers and other attendees during his visit to the Brampton Triveni Mandir at Brampton, Ontario, Canada (Office of the Vice President photos)
Murder of mother of 3 Reputed husband who fled scene arrested
Police have arrested the reputed husband of Anuradha Khatoon, who was stabbed to death on Saturday evening.
Reports are that Neldon Neblett suspected of brutally stabbing Khatoon at Best Village, West Coast Demerara, had fled the scene but was apprehended by detectives hours later.
He remains in custody pending charge.
Reports are that Neblett allegedly stabbed the mother of three on Saturday evening after she reprimanded him for his drunkenness at about 23:30h.
The lifeless body of the 34-year-old woman also known as “Mama,” a fruit vendor was found in the living room of her Best Village, West Coast Demerara (WCD) home.
Based on reports received, Khatoon and the suspect—a 30-year-old fish-
erman—had been in a common-law relationship for the past five years, living togeth-
er in Khatoon’s house along with her three children from a previous relationship.
On Saturday evening, the suspect returned home under the influence of alcohol and was scolded by Khatoon to “ease on the alcohol drinking.”
This resulted in a heated argument during which the suspect became enraged, armed himself with a knife, and stabbed Khatoon in the throat. As such, the injured woman collapsed in the living room area.
The woman’s 12-yearold son who was awakened by his mother’s screams immediately raised an alarm. She was taken to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
During an inspection of the body, one stab wound
was observed to the throat.
A blood-stained knife suspected to be the murder weapon was found at the scene.
When the Guyana Times
One-stop rehab facility needed to centralise care for patients – Dr Anthony
In a bid to centralise the level of care being provided to persons who require rehabilitation services and are diagnosed with a chronic illness, the Guyana Government is mulling plans to establish a One Stop Rehab Facility.
The interest to construct a One Stop Rehab Facility in Guyana was signaled on Sunday by Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony during the Health Ministry’s 19th Rehab Week Celebration.
Rehabilitation therapy and treatment for chronic diseases are currently being conducted at different primary healthcare facilities across the country.
The health minister highlighted that a significant percentage of disabil -
Director of Rehabilitation and Disabilities Services, Dr Ariane
ities are caused by the adverse effects of illnesses like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension.
Dr Anthony believes that given the link between the two services it
is best to have them being administered under one roof, which will eliminate the need for referrals and multiple follow-ups.
On this point, he explained that this move will
allow the ministry to better monitor the various conditions and put better data management systems in place to properly cater for patients.
“I think that is something that we have to work on to make sure that our patients get improved services. So, over the next couple of months we'll try to do that and hopefully when we come again here next year, we can say that we have implemented this service so that we can see improvement in how we manage our patients that have these chronic diseases,” Dr Anthony said.
Meanwhile, Director of Rehabilitation and Disabilities Services Dr Ariane Mangar disclosed that efforts to digitalise the
Ministry’s Rehabilitation service will continue.
Among the interventions is a Patient Satisfaction App which will be launched in coming weeks to ramp up data collection efforts and provide a platform for citizens’ utilising the service to recommend strategies aimed at improving the quality of care from the comfort of their home.
“We'll be able to gather from that real-time data to understand what is happening in the various departments throughout the country. And this will ultimately help us to improve the quality of service that we're providing to our patients. We'll also start piloting the rehab electronic medical record system at
the Palms from next week,” Dr Mangar disclosed.
This year’s Rehab Week runs from June 23rd to 28th, and is being observed under the theme: “Transformative Triumphs: Celebrating the Transformative Triumphs and Successes that Individuals Achieve Through their Rehabilitation Journey”. Rehab Week is geared at promoting the value and importance of rehabilitation and celebrate professionals involved in providing rehabilitation and disability services to those in need.
Guyana has over 50 physiotherapist, 12 speech therapists and 17 occupational therapists, among others.
Mangar
A section of the gathering at the Health Ministry’s 19th Rehab Week Celebration
visited Khatoon’s home on Sunday, her mother, Shashikala Lall, shared that the suspect was in the constant habit of abusing her daughter.
Dead: Anuradha Khatoon
Arrested: Murder suspect Neldon Neblett
EPA disclosure of insurance case
State has a right to be added to legal proceedings – High Court rules
…
applicant ordered to pay $600,000 in costs to AG, ExxonMobil
In another significant ruling, the High Court has ruled that Attorney General Anil Nandlall and oil giant ExxonMobil, must be added as parties in a case where a citizen, Sherlina Nageer, is attempting to force the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to disclose the insurance policy and parent/affiliate company guarantee lodged by Exxon in case of an oil spill.
The case was filed by Nageer, who is being represented by international lawyer Melinda Janki and local Attorneys-at-Law Tim Prudhoe and Anna-Kay Brown. In it, she is seeking copies of the policy and guarantee documents. In lieu of, that should the EPA not produce the documents, she’s seeking a declaration to cancel Exxon’s permit for the Liza Phase 2 project and an order prohibiting EPA from issuing a replacement or one with weaker provisions.
“EMGL and the AG had filed applications to the Court ordering that they be joined as parties to the litigation. EMGL contended that if its Permit was cancelled as the Applicant is seeking, they would suffer
serious financial loss and damage as they would be unable to carry out their petroleum project,” a statement explained.
“They also contended that this would be a deprivation of their property rights which would be unlawful
and that Government’s developmental agenda would be seriously interfered with if the Project was halted as the Applicant sought.”
In the court’s ruling, delivered by Justice Simone Ramlall, it was pointed out that both Exxon and the Attorney General, as a representative of the state, had clear and definite interest in the outcome of the case. Added to this is the fact that the Petroleum Activities Act that was passed in August 2023, mandates for the state and licensee to be added to cases that can have an adverse effect on them, which the applicant failed to do.
“EMGL had a clear interest in the outcome of the matter, as it would be very
unless they are allowed to defend their rights. The AG claimed that the State’s budgets enjoyed substantial revenue flows from the Project
adversely affected if the Applicant were to succeed as it would lose its Permit making it unable to carry
out its Project, which could cause it to suffer substantial loss and damage.”
“The Court ruled further that the AG also had a definite interest in the outcome of the case given Government’s reliance on substantial petroleum revenues from the Project for its development agenda,” the statement said.
Among the court’s judgements are, that Nageer has to pay both the AG and EMGL, $300,000 each. Additionally, both of them are to be added as parties to defend the claim. The matter will also be continuing.
It was only in January of this year that Frederick Collins and Godfrey Whyte, two other citizens, had
also moved to the Court of Appeal to order the EPA/ ExxonMobil to produce the US$2B unlimited parent company guarantee.
No jurisdiction
During a hearing in the Appeal Court, Sanjeev Datadin, attorney for the EPA, had argued that Justice of Appeal Rishi Persaud lacks jurisdiction to hear the summons. But Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam, representing the applicants, had countered with a rebuttal, and threatened to bring contempt of court proceedings against ExxonMobil (Guyana). The court of appeal subsequently ruled that it did not, in fact, have the jurisdiction to compel the EPA to produce evidence of the guarantee.
On May 3, 2023, High Court Judge Sandil Kissoon issued an order, inter alia, directing the EPA to issue ExxonMobil (Guyana) with an Enforcement Notice on or before May 9, 2023 for the company to provide, within 30 days thereof, an unlimited Parent Company Guarantee Agreement and/or unlimited liability Affiliate Company Guarantee, together with environmental liability in-
surance, as is customary in the international petroleum industry. Failing to do so, the Environmental Permit granted to the company for its operations stands suspended.
The EPA complied with that court order, but, shortly after, filed with the Court of Appeal an appeal against Justice Kissoon’s ruling, and later went to that court to request a stay of the said order, pending the hearing and determination of the appeal filed by the agency.
Then, on June 8, 2023, Appeal Court Justice Rishi Persaud stayed the order issued by Justice Kissoon for the oil company to provide an unlimited parent company guarantee. In the interim, Justice Persaud ordered ExxonMobil to lodge a US$2B guarantee in “an effort to allay any anxiety as to any impending doom”. The company has already lodged that guarantee, as required.
The High Court order has its origin in a case filed in September 2022 by Collins and Whyte, who had moved to the court to get the EPA to enforce the liability clause in the environmental permit.
Govt actively working to reopen Rusal operations in Berbice River – Bharrat
Years after the Russian-owned bauxite company shut down its operations in Guyana, the PPPled Government is actively trying to have the activities in the Berbice River restarted.
This commitment was restated by Natural Resources Minister, Vickram Bharrat, who explained that the current administration is working assiduously to rebuild the local bauxite industry.
RUSAL’s Bauxite Company of Guyana Incorporated (BCGI) subsidiary left Guyana in February 2020, amid industrial unrest among their workers, terminating 326 employees.
Before they decided to leave, BCGI faced difficulties, including low production.
In addition, when the company had initially announced its decision to terminate workers, it had
stated that it was experiencing difficulties after the former Government ended its duty-free arrangement for its fuel.
The former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government was severely criticised for its handling of the issue and its failure to protect the interests of the hundreds of bauxite workers who were left jobless following the company’s decision to leave Guyana.
However, several months later, when the new Peoples Progressive Party administration assumed Government, the company was engaged in negotiations with the Government about returning.
To date, no decision has been made but Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat told reporters on Monday that this matter is still being actively pursued by the Government.
“We have been exploring options; we have been speaking with different companies to see how we can get this operation reopened and to go back into production; that is still ongoing. As of now, there is no concrete decision with regards to the reopening of RUSAL’s operation in the Berbice River but I want to assure you that it is still on our agenda. It is still something that is being discussed and it is still our intention to operationalise that mine once again at some point in time in the near future,” he said in response to a question on the company.
Minister Bharrat had previously explained that the bauxite industry dwindled by over 40 per cent under the former Government.
On Monday, he emphasised that the sector is being rebuilt by the PPP administration.
“The bauxite industry is being rebuilt and we are seeing increased production in the bauxite industry and the bauxite industry is even poised to expand even more through the expansion work and investment that is happening at BOSAI in Linden. Only recently we would have licensed a remnant deposit; a new small depos-
it to the BOSAI Company to boost their production,” he added.
The Natural Resources Minister also provided an update on the Government’s efforts to develop the Tarakuli area, which is one of the largest bauxite deposits remaining in Guyana that is of high quality and untouched.
He noted that there are
large deposits of bauxite there and across the river on the Suriname side there are also large deposits of bauxite.
“So, Guyana has a deposit and Suriname has a deposit and so we are looking at ways in which we can collaborate with Suriname to maybe do extraction and refining as well. Both Suriname and Guyana have large deposits of gas, so having a refinery which will be an aluminum plant is possible now with gas being a cheaper source of power or energy. In the past that was a hindrance but now it is more possible.”
Bharrat said the Guyana Government is seeking areas to collaborate with their counterparts in the Dutch-speaking territory in developing those resources. However, he noted that to date it remains at the discussion stage with no decisions taken as yet.
(G4)
Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat
Applicant Sherlina Nageer
Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC
“All
Weldaad blaze
of us are hustling” – daughter …as
family focuses on rebuilding
Following the fire on Saturday afternoon at Weldaad Village, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) which left twelve persons homeless, the family is making arrangements to get back on their feet but desperately needs public assistance.
The fire flattened the Lot 22 Weldaad Village, two-storey building, and family members were unable to save anything but their lives and the clothing they were wearing at the time.
A construction crew that was passing at the time was able to remove an electric bike from the burning building.
On Sunday when this publication visited the site, it was being cleared with the aid of an excavator.
Yolanda Reynolds, one of the seven siblings, told this publication that while the focus now is on rebuild-
ing, they are unable to do it on their own.
“My mother is a single parent; it is seven children. All of us are hustling. I work in the interior, but you have to spend months there before you can get a little.”
She pointed out that she came home the day before the fire and went to Linden to attend a cousin’s funeral and while there, she heard that the house was on fire.
“Everything that I came with gone, when I reached home it was night and it was flat on the ground.”
Her 64-year-old mother, Marlyn Fraser, said she was playing a game on her phone when she sensed that something was burning. She asked a grandchild to go and investigate. The child returned and stated that smoke was in one of the bedrooms.
“I take time to get up because I can’t just jump up and go because of the prob-
lem with my knees. When I pushed the room door the mattress was burning.”
She said her initial plan was to pick up the mattress and throw it throw the window even if it meant breaking the window panes.
“As soon as I raised up the mattress, I don’t know if it is the air that caused that but it started to blaze, so I put it down and ran to the kitchen.”
Fraser said that she could not find a bucket to dose the blaze with water.
She said she asked her two grandchildren ages four and six for assistance but the children were in a state of confusion.
“So it took my carpet that was on my kitchen floor and took it to the sink. It took some time to soak. When I went to the room and pushed the door because I wanted to spread the wet carpet over the fire but when I pushed open the door, I had to turn back. I
did not make a second attempt because I was feeling the heat outside, so I dropped the carpet and told the children to run.”
The woman said she was able to make it out of the burning building and together with a neighbour sought assistance but was unsuccessful.
“Two guys stopped with a truck and they came in
but the fire was blazing. They saw the motorbike downstairs in the verandah and they moved that.”
Fraser and six of her children lived on the upper flat with two of grans while on the lower another grand lived with his parents.
The Human Services and Social Security Ministry in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on Monday announced the official opening of the Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Mobile Remote Unit in Khan’s Hill, Mabaruma, Region One (Barima-Waini)
The GBV Mobile Remote Unit aims to provide accessible and immediate support to survivors of gender-based violence in Mabaruma and surrounding areas. This initiative is part of a broader strategy to extend all essential services to remote and Indigenous communities, under one roof including: Intervention services in all cases of Gender-
based violence including first responders, Survivors Advocates, cases reporting services via Police, and onsite medical assistance to ensure immediate care for survivors; counselling and Psycho-social support to address trauma and promote healing; legal support and advocacy to help survivors; shelter services for women and children; community education and awareness programs to prevent GBV and promote gender equality.
According to a release from the ministry on Monday, this comprehensive model mirrors the newly operational Hope and Justice Center in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) which also provides all services for survivors of vio-
Meanwhile, her daughter said they need construction material which includes sand, cement, and stone. “Everything we need,” she said.
The family can be contacted through telephone number (592) 663-1430. (G4)
“I sit on the road corner and watched that entire house – the upstairs go up in flames before it come and burn the bottom flat,” she said sadly.
Gender-based violence mobile remote unit opens in Mabaruma
lence, both adults and children under one roof. In addition, the ministry will be offering other services catering to senior citizens, persons with disabilities, and general welfare.
Speaking at the launching, Human Services and
Macron warns podcast of 'civil war' risk as French elections loom
French President Emmanuel Macron told a podcast episode shown on Monday that both the far right National Rally (RN) party and the left-wing New Popular Front coalition – front runners in the parliamentary election –risked bringing "civil war" to France.
Macron told the podcast "Generation Do It Yourself" that the manifesto of the RN party – which election pollsters put in first place – and their solutions to deal with fears over crime and immigration were based upon "stigmatisation or division".
"I think that the solutions given by the far right are out of the question, be-
cause it is categorising people in terms of their religion or origins and that is why it leads to division and to civil war," he told the podcast.
Macron made the same criticism of the France Unbowed (LFI) extreme leftwing party, which forms part of the New Popular Front coalition.
"But that one as well, there is a civil war behind that because you are solely categorising people in terms of their religious outlook or the community they belong to, which in a way is a means of justifying isolating them from the broader national community and in this case, you would have a civil war with those who do
not share those same values," said Macron.
Asked to respond to Macron's civil war comments, RN President Jordan Bardella – seen as a possible prime minister if the RN wins the most votes in the election – replied to M6 TV: "A President should not say that."
France Unbowed leader Jean-Luc Melenchon also slammed Macron's comments in an interview with France 2 TV, saying it was Macron's own policies that were bringing about civil unrest, such as in the French overseas territory of New Caledonia. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud said, “our commitment to eradicating gender-based violence is unwavering. The GBV Mobile Remote Unit is a testament to our dedication to reaching every corner of our country, ensuring that no one is left behind in our fight against this scourge. Accessibility and inclusivity are hallmarks of the MHSSS service provision as we continue to leverage all that was gained during the Spotlight Initiative and merge it with our programs to crest a robust framework to combat GBV and provide pivotal services to assist survivors while at the same time rolling out campaigns on education and awareness across communities.”
Additionally, remarks were given by the EU Ambassador to Guyana, Rene Van Ness, who reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to projects by the Government of Guyana of this nature.
UN Resident Coordinator, Yeşim Oruç also added her words of
support and praised the Ministry for the achievement. Mr. Adler Bynoe gave a comprehensive overview of the purpose of
the building and emphasized that it will also provide mobile services. The event was chaired by Dr Cona Husbands, head of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Unit of the Human Services Ministry.
The GBV Mobile Remote Unit is expected to improve reporting and response to incidents of gender-based violence; enhance the support network for survivors, fostering a safer and more supportive community; increase awareness and education on GBV prevention and response, leading to a cultural shift towards gender equality.
The aftermath of the fire
Regional Kenyan Police to arrive in Haiti this week, US State Department says
The first Kenyan Police Officers assigned to tackle rampant gang violence in Haiti were scheduled to leave Kenya today and are set to arrive this week, the US State Department said on Monday.
"We hope to see further measurable improvements in security, particularly with respect to access to humanitarian aid and core economic activity," State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters.
Kenya volunteered in July 2023 to lead an international force to tackle violence in the Caribbean nation, where gangs control most of the capital Port-au-Prince and have carried out widespread killings, kidnappings, and sexual violence.
The deployment has been repeatedly delayed by court challenges and a deterioration of security in Haiti, which in March forced the acting Prime Minister to resign.
Four officers, who asked not to be named because they were not authorised to speak publicly, said their weapons
and personal belongings had been collected Sunday evening to be loaded onto the plane.
Kenya's Government spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
Kenyan President William Ruto on Monday held a departure ceremony for 400 officers who will be the first contingent to deploy to Haiti.
"This mission is one of the most urgent, important and historic in the history of global solidarity. It is a mission to affirm the universal values of the community of nations, a
mission to take a stand for humanity," Ruto said.
Another group of around 600 officers will join the first contingent later, the four officers said. They said they expected to stop in a third country before reaching Haiti.
In addition to Kenya, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Barbados, Chad, and Bangladesh have pledged personnel to the 2500-strong mission, which is being funded primarily by the United States. (Reuters)
PM defends move to sell Petrotrin refinery
Trinidad and Tobago Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley has defended the Government's move to sell the mothballed Petrotrin refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre after the Oilfield Workers Trade Union (OWTU) Head slammed recent talks with an Indian investor.
Speaking to supporters at the People's National Movement (PNM) sports and family day at Skinner Park on June 23, Dr Rowley responded to comments by OWTU President Ancel Roget during Labour Day celebrations last week.
"I hear one union lead -
er singing calypso and in his calypso tent sending word for me to say that the Government will not be allowed to dispose of the refinery without his and his friends' permission.
"I want to tell him today when you own your own refinery, the Government wouldn't interfere with it. But the refinery that is owned by the people of Trinidad and Tobago, until you are in the Government or the Prime Minister, go and sing your calypso to your friends elsewhere and stop talking stupidness," Rowley said. On June 18, Rowley
met with Jindal Steel and Power Ltd Chairman Naveen Jindal at the Diplomatic Centre, St Ann's.
A release said the meeting was a result of Rowley's visit to India last month, when he met several business leaders and invited them to explore investment opportunities in Trinidad and Tobago. But during the rally at Charlie King Junction, Fyzabad on June 19, Roget said the OWTU would not stand idly by and allow anyone to take over the refinery.?
(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)
Fake news clampdown in Jamaica
Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness has indicated that his Government will be taking steps to begin clamping down on the proliferation of false information on social media platforms.
According to Holness, the widespread practice has caused a lot of confusion, even for some of the brightest people.
Addressing youth affiliates of his Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) at Almond Tree Hotel in St Ann on Saturday, the Prime Minister implored the young people not to engage in spreading misinformation for political gains.
“Recently, I became
aware of a situation where a young man made a post on social media that borders on being defamatory and probably libellous. The person was tracked and identity discovered. The long and short of it is that the person was put up to doing this by a political organisation. We have been tracking several such cases and, when you dig into it, you discover that young people are behind these accounts. They are being recruited to do this,” Holness charged.
“They are being used to comment and post negatively, spread rumours on people, and do some really nasty things. We have been tracking, and you are going
to see some action shortly. We have too many good news items and achievements that you need to promote without having to resort to attacking people. We deal with policies, programmes, and principles. People who don’t have that attack people who do. People who don’t have good news, they spread bad news. Where there is no bad news, they create falsehoods,” Holness said.
He said he had been silent on the issue for a long time, but would no longer be because of the potential for fake news to disrupt and negatively impact lives.
(Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)
Colombian Government, Segunda Marquetalia armed group begin peace talks
The Colombian Government and the Segunda Marquetalia armed group began peace talks on Monday, part of President Gustavo Petro's efforts to end 60 years of war in his country.
Segunda Marquetalia is a dissident faction of the now-demobilised Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels whose leaders initially agreed to a 2016 peace deal, but returned to arms citing unfulfilled promises three years later.
The initial round of talks in Caracas, Venezuela, will last through June 29.
The Segunda Marquetalia has already had the experience of a peace deal not being
correctly implemented, the head of its negotiating team Walter Mendoza said, referring to the 2016 FARC deal.
"Overcoming this situation is in the hands of the State and all its institutions and in particular of the current Government," Mendoza said.
The Head of the Government's negotiating team Armando Novoa told Reuters earlier this month that Colombia hopes to sign and begin to implement a peace deal with the 1751-member Segunda Marquetalia before Petro leaves office in just over two years.
"We cannot begin from zero, it would be a historic error," Novoa said in his opening remarks.
Novoa has said he hopes that the talks will move more quickly because some of Segunda Marquetalia's leadership participated in the FARC talks.
Petro's efforts to stop the conflict, which has killed at least 450,000 persons, have faced significant setbacks. The Government is holding separate talks with National Liberation Army rebels – though there have been repeated moments of crisis between the two sides – and the Estado Mayor Central armed group, a former FARC faction that never signed the 2016 deal and a majority of whose units have rejected dialogue. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Lula visits convalescing Noam Chomsky in São Paulo
American linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky, who is recovering in Brazil after he suffered a stroke last year, received a visit on Monday at his São Paulo home from Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the Government news agency reported.
Chomsky, 95, was recently hospitalised in São Paulo and was discharged June 18 to continue his treatment at home.
He is married to Brazilian Valeria Wasserman. The couple have had a residence in Brazil since 2015, Agencia Brazil said.
Beyond linguistics, Chomsky is an intellectual known for his social criticism and political activ -
In 2018, Chomsky and his wife visited Lula, a former shoeshine boy and union leader who was first elected to the presidency in 2002, when he was in prison on alleged corruption charges that had barred him from running for office again. Those charges were later overturned, and Lula was elected for an unprecedented third term in 2022.
ism. He has been an outspoken critic of US foreign policy since the Vietnam war.
"Although his policies while in office were designed to accommodate the concerns of domestic and international finance, he is despised by elites, in part no doubt because of his policies of social inclusion and benefits for the dispossessed," Chomsky wrote at the time.
(Reuters)
Avalanches leave dozens stranded in Chile mountain towns
Dozens of people were stranded after avalanches blanketed mountain towns east of Chile's capital Santiago and blocked roads, according to authorities.
Heavy rain and snowstorms from the last few days have left large piles of snow throughout the province of Maipo, in central Chile.
Two small towns in the Cajon del Maipo mountain range have been cut off as well as a ski centre, due to road closures caused by snow slides, Police and provincial government au -
thorities said.
"We are doing everything possible to reach them and take them to a safe area," said Alejandra Cortes, a federal government delegate to Cordillera province.
She added that in the next few days, authorities will attempt to set off a controlled avalanche to clear snow if it does not occur naturally first.
At Lagunillas Ski Centre, 33 persons were trapped, including eight children, Lieutenant Colonel Bernardo Leiva of Chile's national police said.
"No people were injured (at the ski resort), and food has been brought to them," he said.
A second avalanche blocked an access road in the mountains, leaving nine persons trapped in the town of Banos Morales and 20 stuck in Lo Valdes, according to Cortes' office. Both towns are awaiting snow ploughs to clear roads, where 10 metres (33 feet) of snow built up after the avalanche. More rain and possibly snow are expected today.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Kenyan Police Officers attend a pre-departure briefing for the first contingent of Police Officers to deploy to Haiti, at Embakasi, Nairobi, Kenya, in this handout photo released June 24, 2024
(“William Samoei Ruto” via X/Handout via Reuters)
US linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky addressing the audience at the National Autonomous University's Educational Investigation Institute (UNAM) in Mexico City, September 21, 2009 (Reuters/Jorge Dan photo)
SAround the World
OIL NEWS
Oil supply risks push prices higher
Israeli strikes kill at least 11 in Gaza, tanks push further into Rafah
Two Israeli air strikes targeting aid supplies killed at least 11 Palestinians in Gaza on Monday, medics said, as Israeli tanks pushed deeper into Rafah in the south and fought their way back into areas in the north they had already subdued months ago.
upply risks are back in focus for crude oil with tensions building in the Middle East between Israel and Lebanon, while further ship attacks in the Red Sea reignite concerns, commodity strategists at TD Securities (TDS) noted, according to FXStreet.com:
“This comes at a time when algorithmic inflows had already been supporting the market after the OPEC+ [Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies]-driven selloff, and the firm price action has seen Commodity Trading Advisors (CTAs) back on the bid in WTI crude.”
“A renewed surge in our energy supply risk indicator can further support price action in the near term; however, the bar is growing higher for algorithmic flows to continue.”
“We still argue that the rally could start to fade as CTA buying flows taper off. Indeed, prices below US$81.92/bbl would halt the WTI buying, and prices just below US$81/bbl would see funds begin to liquidate the length.”
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that John Hess, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Hess Corp, has joined the board of Goldman Sachs as an independent director, the Wall Street firm said on Monday.
He is the latest addition to the board after senior banking executive Tom Montag joined as an independent director last year.
He will also become a member of the Goldman Board's compensation, governance and risk committees, the statement said.
Hess Corp did not offer a comment on the matter.
Since 1995, Hess has served as CEO of Hess Corp, which is being sold to Chevron in a US$53 billion deal, which is still under review by US regulators.
The deal is also embroiled in an arbitration battle with ExxonMobil and CNOOC, Hess' partners in a lucrative Guyana oil-production joint venture.
Goldman Sachs is advising Hess on the deal.
"Advising companies and their management teams is a core part of our business, and we’re thrilled to have John Hess, a long-standing client, join our board," Goldman said in an email.
Hess will retire from his company roles and join the Board of Directors of Chevron. He has also served as an independent director at KKR & Co and Dow Chemical in the past.
Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon said in the statement the company's Board, management team, and shareholders will benefit from Hess' nearly 30 years of experience as a public company CEO.
(Excerpts from FXStreet.com and Reuters)
World's biggest music labels sue over AI copyright
The world's biggest record labels are suing two artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups over alleged copyright violation in a potentially landmark case.
Firms including Sony Music, Universal Music Group and Warner Records say Suno and Udio have committed copyright infringement on an "almost unimaginable scale".
They claim the pair's software steals music to "spit out" similar work and ask for compensation of US$150,000 (£118,200) per work.
Suno and Udio did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuits, announced on Monday by the Recording Industry Association of America, are part of a wave of lawsuits from authors, news organisations and other groups that are challenging
the rights of AI firms to use their work.
Suno, which is based in Massachusetts, released its first product last year and claims more than 10 million people have used its tool to make music.
The company, which has a partnership with Microsoft, charges a monthly fee for its service and recently announced it had raised US$125 million from investors.
New York-based Udio, known as Uncharted Labs, is backed by high-profile venture capital investors such as Andreessen Horowitz.
It released its app to the public in April, achieving near-instant fame for being the tool used to create "BBL Drizzy" – a parody track related to feud between the artists Kendrick Lamar and Drake.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
One strike at a food distribution centre in Gaza City, near the Shati historic refugee camp, killed three persons. Another, near Bani Suhaila town in the southern Gaza Strip, killed at least eight, including guards who accompany aid trucks, the medics said.
There was no immediate comment from Israel, which denies attacking aid efforts and accuses militants of causing harm to civilians by operating among them.
Overnight, an Israeli
air strike at a medical clinic in Gaza City killed the Director of Gaza's Ambulance and Emergency Department, the enclave's Health Ministry said. Israel's military said that strike had killed a senior
Hamas armed commander.
The Health Ministry said the killing of Hani al-Jaafarawi brought the number of medical staff killed by Israeli fire since October 7 to 500. At least 300 others have so far been
detained. In a statement, the Israeli military said the strike targeted Mohammad Salah, who it said was responsible for developing Hamas weaponry.
No ceasefire accord
More than eight months into the fighting, international mediation backed by the United States has so far failed to bring a ceasefire agreement. Hamas says any agreement must end the war, while Israel says it will agree to only temporary pauses in fighting until Hamas is eradicated.
On Monday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he remained committed to a proposed ceasefire and hostage deal, announced by US President Joe Biden in May. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Russia promises retaliation against US for Ukraine strike on Crimea
The Kremlin on Monday squarely blamed the United States for an attack on Crimea with US-supplied ATACMS missiles that killed at least four and injured 151, and Moscow formally warned the US Ambassador that retaliation would follow.
The war in Ukraine has deepened a crisis in relations between Russia and the West, and Russian officials have said the conflict is entering the most dangerous escalation to date.
But directly blaming the United States for an attack on Crimea – which Russia unilaterally annexed in 2014 although most of the world considers it part of Ukraine – is a step further.
"You should ask my colleagues in Europe, and above all in Washington, the Press Secretaries, why their Governments are killing Russian children," Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters. At least two children were killed in the attack
on Sevastopol on Sunday, according to Russian officials. People were shown running from a beach near Sevastopol and some of the injured being carried off on sun loungers. Kyiv did not comment on the attack, but denies targeting civilians.
Russia said the United States had supplied the weapons, while the US military had aimed them and provided data.
Russia's Foreign Ministry summoned US Ambassador Lynne Tracy and told her Washington
was "waging a hybrid war against Russia and has actually become a party to the conflict".
"Retaliatory measures will definitely follow," it said.
Tracy said Washington regretted any loss to civilian life, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Washington provided weapons to Ukraine so it could defend its sovereign territory, including Crimea.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
WikiLeaks' Julian Assange to be freed after pleading guilty to US Espionage Act charge
WikiLeaks founder
Julian Assange is due to plead guilty this week to violating US espionage law, in a deal that will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia, ending a long legal odyssey.
Assange, 52, has agreed to plead guilty to a single criminal count of conspiring to obtain and disclose classified US national defence documents, according to filings in the US District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands.
Assange is due to be sentenced to 62 months of time already served at a hearing on the island of Saipan at 09:00h local time today. He is expected to return home after that hearing.
A lawyer for Assange did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
WikiLeaks in 2010 released hundreds of thousands of classified US military documents on
Washington's wars in Afghanistan and Iraq – the largest security breaches of their kind in US military history – along with swaths of diplomatic cables.
Assange was indicted during former
President Donald Trump's Administration over WikiLeaks' mass release of secret US documents, which were leaked by Chelsea Manning, a former US military intelligence analyst who was also prosecuted under the Espionage Act.
The trove of more than 700,000 documents included diplomatic cables and battlefield accounts.
The charges against Assange sparked outrage among his many global supporters who have long argued that Assange as the publisher of Wikileaks should not face charges typically used against federal government employees who steal or leak information. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Mourners attend the funeral of Palestinian Hani Al-Jaafarwi, the Director of ambulance and emergency services at the Ministry of Health, who was killed in an Israeli strike on Al-Daraj clinic, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Gaza City (Reuters/Dawoud Abu photo)
WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange's supporters demonstrate against US extradition in front of the British Consulate in Barcelona, Spain, February 20, 2024 (Reuters/Nacho Doce photo)
DAILY HOROSCOPES
(March 21-April 19)
Don't start something you cannot finish. Keep your thoughts and feelings to yourself until you sort through the facts and have time to calm down. Put your energy where it can do some good.
Don't let anger set in when action is required. Take a leadership position. You can make a difference if you are bold and brave. Seize the moment, and praise will follow.
SUDOKU
(May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
Chase information and prepare to act. A disciplined mind and a good plan will save money and boost your reputation. Focus on what you can accomplish.
(June 21-July 22)
(July 23-Aug. 22)
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Push for what you want. Set high standards and do your part, and you'll build a following. Think outside the box and use discipline and foresight to implement your plan.
Don't try to do the impossible. Look for opportunities and put your experience, knowledge and energy where they will bring the highest return. Refuse to let emotional incidents get in your way.
Be aware of what's happening around you. Hanging out with people who share your insights will be beneficial. Look into attending educational or networking events.
Fix your surroundings to accommodate what you want to pursue. Expand your mind rather than limit yourself. Try something new and exciting. Broaden your horizons.
Learn from your mistakes and move forward without trepidation. Expanding your interests, knowledge and desires will take you on a journey that stretches your imagination.
Distance yourself from people standing between you and what you want. Pay attention to details. There is little wiggle room today, so leave nothing to chance. Don't hesitate.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Unusual people, places and pastimes will draw your attention. Go with the flow and explore the possibilities. Start making some long overdue changes.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Sit tight and be wary of anyone pushing you to make a change or act hastily. Fixing up your surroundings and mulling over how you feel and what you can do to relieve stress will help you find solace.
Take the high road and don't look back. Cozy up to someone you feel has long-term potential as a personal or business partner. Trust in your own ideas, not in someone else's.
RICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024
Rohit powers India into semis; Australia's hopes take a hit
ohit Sharma is the reason India are in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 semi-finals. He was sublime. But then again he has been for a long time, simply with his commitment to an attacking game at personal cost. It deserves credit but until now it's come in intangible form. Perhaps in five days' time, it will take the shape of an ICC trophy.
On a sunny morning in St Lucia,
to believe all that hurt might rise up again when his opening partner and world-beating bestie Virat Kohli fell for a duck. Some might have taken a backward step. Rohit took Mitchell Starc for 29 runs in an over instead. He was 50 off 19 in the fifth over. The other end had contributed 2 off 13. India's 52 was the lowest score at which an individual player had brought up a half-century in T20Is where ball-byball data is available. Rohit was not playing.
Pitch it up and get punished Australia, though, played right into Rohit's hands. Starc, for example, kept going full. It's his one job. Try to find swing. Try to break stumps. But at the Daren Sammy Stadium, that was the wrong length. Josh Hazlewood showed the way there. He pitched up only two times in his entire spell and those were yorkers. Every other ball was on a length or just short of
and he scored 71 runs, in cluding seven of his eight sixes and five of his seven fours.
Rohit's shots
Six of the 11 overs that Rohit was out there for went for double-digits. He was playing like he does when he's 200 not out in ODI cricket. Going down on one knee and slog sweeping Pat Cummins, who came into this game with back-to-back hat-tricks, for a six that thudded onto the roof of the stadium. Coming down the track like water flow ing down a cliff – so devas tatingly smooth – to smack Marcus Stoinis on the up over extra cover. Trying a version of the scoop but end ing up with a version of the pull – new addition to the playlist. Bottom line was everything he was do ing was working for him. Even a defensive push to cover had such an aura behind it that Australia ended up misfield ing and giving up a second run.
Starc's recovery India scored 10 fours
Australia finished the powerplay at 65 for 1, five runs better than India. Marsh's power game and Head's incredible skill at clearing his front leg and somehow opening vast swathes of the outfield on both sides had flipped the script.
Axar's sensational catch India needed something special and it arrived in the form of Axar Patel. He was a few yards off the fence at deep square leg, which seemed like an error considering it was Marsh on strike. The slog sweep flew off his bat. Flat. Hard. Destined to go for six. A support staff member was even ducking for cover fearing it would beat the fielder. But Axar didn't let it. He leapt up, went for it with both hands, and got it with just his right. It was one of those that had to stick and it did. Every last one of his team-
Stoinis 4-0-56-2
Australia (T: 206 runs from 20 ovs)
David Warner c Yadav
b Arshdeep Singh 6
Travis Head c Sharma b Bumrah 76 Mitchell Marsh (c) c Patel b Kuldeep Yadav 37
Maxwell b Kuldeep Yadav
It turned the exact opposite way. And it left his stumps a mess. The dip on that ball was everything. India struck twice in the three overs that followed, one of which was Bumrah foxing Head with his offcut-
Waramadong, Paruima triumph in Upper Mazaruni football tournament
he Upper Mazaruni Under-18
Football Tournament 2024 came to an exciting close on Sunday afternoon at the Edwins United Sports Ground, Waramadong village, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Paruima's impressive 5-0 victory not only helped them to retain their crown in the Upper Mazaruni U-18 Football Tournament 2024, but also highlighted their defensive prowess as they conceded zero goals throughout the tournament.
The female final was a nailbiting showdown between Waramadong and Jawalla villages. The first 45 minutes of the clash had many near misses, but ended in a tense 0-0 draw. In the second half, Waramadong's Ester Lival broke the deadlock with a brilliant solo run in the 48th minute. The excitement continued as Edilsa Daniels extended the lead with a stunning shot from outside the 18-yard box in the 62nd minute. Waramadong held firm in the remaining minutes and the host village triumphed, emerging as the inaugural girls’ champions in the Upper Mazaruni U-18 tournament.
Granes opened the scoring in the 14th minute for the 2023 champions, setting the tone for the match.
In the boys’ final, defending champions Paruima showcased their dominance with an explosive performance. Lot
MCYS, NSC congratulate powerlifters on recent success
The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport (MCYS) and the National Sports Commission (NSC) have extended congratulations to local powerlifter Carlos Petterson-Griffith for his historic achievement in setting a new squat world record in the 93kg category at the World Classic Powerlifting Championships in Lithuania.
Minister of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Charles Ramson Jr and Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle led the chorus of praise for PettersonGriffith from the two sporting authorities, who are at the forefront of local development.
Petterson-Griffith, who finished fifth overall in a field of 34 competitors, etched his name in the annals of world history by setting a new benchmark for the squat with a mammoth 337.5kg (744.06 lbs), besting the previous mark of 337kg held by American Gavin Adin.
With his remarkable feat, which led to a gold medal acquisition in the section, Petterson-Griffith, who is colloquially known as the “Showstopper”, became the first Guyanese to achieve a world record in any discipline.
Overall, Petterson-Griffith tallied a combined 860kg (1895.975 lbs) after also bench-pressing 177.5kg and deadlifting 345kg.
Petterson-Griffith’s unprecedented success is indic-
ative of what can be achieved if the investment into sport, which is the largest in the history of the nation, mirrors the existing talent in synchronisation with the requisite structure and policies.
His achievement has placed Guyana firmly on the map of the sporting world, especially in a discipline that is traditionally dominated by North Americans and Europeans, which makes his accomplishment even more outstanding and serves as evidence of the strides that are being made towards achieving a world-class sports culture.
Petterson-Griffith has not only left an imprint on the world, but his achievement will serve as an example and inspiration for all Guyanese.
In a similar vein, Dominic Tyrell should also be commended for his impressive performance in securing a bronze medal and a sixthplace overall placement on his debut in the 83kg category.
The Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport and the National Sports Commission would once again like to congratulate Petterson-Griffith on his remarkable achievement and state that we remain committed to the development and improvement of the sporting ecosystem. His triumph will serve to further invigorate and empower the aforesaid objective.
Kimron Thomas then extended Paruima’s tally in the 28th minute for a 2-0 score at the half. In the second segment, Darnis George made it a 3-0 affair in the 50th, while Miguel Gonsalves pushed their tally to 4 in the 58th minute. Thomas returned to complete his brace in the 60th minute, thus sealing the 5-0 win for Paruima.
Earlier in the girls’ thirdplace play-off, Kako downed Kamarang 6-0. Rovin Morris had an early brace in the 12th and 23rd minutes, while Grenaive Brown added another in the 17th minute. While Kim Ronald found the back of the net in the 48th minute, Haynes Ronald added her name to the scoresheet with a brace in the 42nd and 52nd minutes.
Kako’s boys also lifted the third-place trophy in their division after sneaking past Waramadong 2-1.
Waramadong’s Andy Larson opened the scoring in the 22nd minute, but Kako’s Kayleon Williams levelled the scores in the 24th minute.
Stephon Williams of Kako later handed his team the lead and
the winning goal in the 34th minute.
In individual awards, Waramadong’s Ester Livan was adjudged the tournament’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) while her teammate Julianna Thomas was the best goalkeeper. With four goals to her personal tally, Kako’s Rovina Morris was the highest goalscorer while Jawalla’s Roslyn Henry picked up the young player award.
On the other hand,
Blue Water Shipping Girls’ U15 tournament…
8 schools move on
Paruima’s Miguel Gonsalves was the boys’ MVP while his teammates Gordo Masters and Kimron Thomas (6 goals) were the best goalkeeper and highest goalscorer respectively. Kamarang’s Audwin Thomas received the young player award in that division.
The Upper Mazaruni tournament was sponsored by Guyana Beverage Inc under its Busta and Turbo brands and also received support from MVP Sports.
to quarter-final round
Six schools from various outlying areas and two from Georgetown have progressed to the quarterfinals of the Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls' National Secondary School Championship after a rigorous Round of 16 held on Saturday and Sunday.
The June 22 and June 23 matches at the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) National Training Centre (NTC) on East Bank Demerara saw unforgettable moments from Guyana's up-and-coming football prospects from nine regions.
The teams from the preliminary round were divided into four groups, with the top two advancing to the June 29 quarter-finals of Guyana’s largest girls’ tournament.
In Group A, Waramuri Primary claimed the top spot with nine points, followed by Bush Lot in second with six points. Charity Secondary finished third with three points, while ChristianburgWismar Secondary exited the tournament in fourth position.
Group B saw Santa Rosa Secondary lead with nine points, while Tucville Secondary
secured second place with four points, edging out Ann's Grove Secondary on goal difference. New Amsterdam Secondary secured fourth place.
Group C was dominated by St Ignatius Secondary, who won all three matches and accumulated nine points. Queen’s College secured second place with six points, followed by Westminster Secondary with three points and Woodley Park Secondary at the bottom of the group.
In Group D, Bartica Secondary and President's College both advanced with seven points each. Mackenzie High School claimed third place with three points, while New Campbellville Secondary finished fourth.
These results set the stage for an exciting quarter-final round in the competition.
GFF President Wayne Forde congratulated the eight teams advancing to the third round and lauded all the student-athletes for their competitive spirit.
"We have witnessed some incredible football this weekend. Every athlete represented their school well. Congratulations to the top eight teams. I anticipate an even more intense next round, given the dedication
and hard work these young girls have displayed throughout the tournament," he said.
The Ministry of Educationbacked tournament began nationwide on May 4, featuring over a thousand studentathletes and heralding the commencement of the competitive phase of the FIFA Football For School Programme (F4S), aimed at imparting life skills through football.
While Region Eight is not participating this year, plans are in motion to include them in the next edition of the tournament.
Operations Coordinator Lavern Fraser said students from all teams played "with determination to secure the top two spots in each group".
"We've witnessed two days of exceptional football from our budding stars."
President of the Women’s Football Association (WFA), Andrea Johnson, also praised "all the teachers and coaches for their commitment over the weekend to ensure these future national players have the opportunity to compete on a national stage".
The inaugural champions of the GFF-Blue Water Shipping Under-15 Girls' National
Secondary School Championship will be crowned on June 30.
Carlos Petterson-Griffith (centre) shattered the squat world record at a recent competition
Scenes from the Blu Water Girls’ U15 Round of 16 over the weekend
Upper Mazaruni boys’ champions Paruima
Upper Mazaruni girls’ champions Waramadong
ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024
South Africa knock West Indies out to enter semi-final with nervy win
Now, they've (almost) done it all. After an undefeated streak of six matches, five of them far too close for comfort, South Africa have survived a rain-reduced match and successfully chased a tricky target to book a spot in the semi-finals of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Men's T20 World Cup 2024. They knocked co-hosts West Indies out in the process and have topped their Super Eight group, which means they are also likely to avoid India in the final four. We'll say it again: is this their time?
All the evidence points to a change of fortunes for a team that have so long coveted an ICC trophy and equally long, have been denied.
South Africa are now winning games they should be losing, scrapping like their rugby
nacity to them and it's seen them get to a T20 World Cup knockout for the first time in a decade.
Incidentally, when they got to the final four in the 2014 tournament, Aiden Markram had just led the Under-19 team to the World Cup. Now, he finds himself
counterparts, the Springboks – who won the quarterfinals, semifinals and final, each by one point last year - -and finding ways to overcome pressure. There's a new-found te-
captaining the senior side and he is doing differently and to great success. Markram took the new ball in this match, and bowled himself for a full
South Africa (T: 123 runs from 17 ovs)
Quinton de Kock † c Rutherford b Russell 12 Reeza Hendricks c † Pooran b Russell 0
Andre Russell 4-0-19-2 Alzarri Joseph 4-0-25-2 Gudakesh Motie 1-0-20-0 Obed McCoy 1.1-0-15-0 Roston Chase 3-0-12-3
quota of four overs. He decided to rely on a non-traditional strength: spin. South Africa had never bowled this many overs of spin in a T20 World Cup match (and only bowled more twice before against Sri Lanka in 2021) and the change of tack worked like a charm. Between them, South Africa's spinners took 5 for 79 in 12 overs.
They were largely responsible for keeping West Indies quiet and for several of the 57 dot balls West Indies faced in their innings – the equivalent of 9.3 overs – and the most at this T20 World Cup. Only an 81-run stand between Kyle Mayers and Roston Chase kept West Indies in the game, and they were the only two batters to get an individual score of more than 15.
And once the tears have dried, West Indies will look to their batting as the major reason they were unable to advance. Their bowlers worked with what they had and had South Africa 15 for 2 in two overs, before the rain came down. They kept at and removed all the recognised batters. Chase's 3 for 12 and
Markram gets funky, but fielding gets messy
An eventful first 10 overs saw South Africa drop four catches and Markram become just the second South Africa spinner to bowl four successive overs after opening the bowling in a men's T20 International (T20I), and that was with two specialist spinners in the XI. Markram
and Jansen converged on the ball and didn't call and collided into each other. Jansen had to leave the field, but returned and Markram finished with 1 for 28 from his four overs.
Missing… KG Rabada
The success of South Africa's spinners meant Markram had no use of Rabada until the 18th over,
shared the new ball with Jansen, and got a wicket with his first ball, as South Africa won the early exchanges with West Indies 5 for 2 early on.
They should have had a third in Jansen's next over, when Chase, on 12, swiped across the line and hit it straight up. Anrich Nortje had all the time in the world and got under it, but could not hold on. Chase added eight more runs and then slog swept Keshav Maharaj to deep midwicket where David Miller could not contend with the aerial ball and the wind and let a difficult chance slip.
Then, Maharaj was at square leg when Mayers, on
Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen took it home.
13, swept to him and he put it down. But the worst of the lot, from a visual perspective, was when Mayers hit Markram down the ground, Rabada
making it the latest he has ever bowled in this format. Rabada had played 62 T20Is before this one and had bowled in the first four overs in 61 previous instances. The latest he has bowled
closed out with an over worth 11 runs to keep West Indies to 135.
It's South Africa in a virtual World Cup knockout –did you need more drama? Yes, yes, you did. And it delivered. Quinton de Kock took 12 runs off the opening over to get the chase underway, but then Russell got hold of the new ball. He strangled Reeza Hendricks down the leg side with his first ball – though the decision needed to be reviewed and reversed after Snicko confirmed the edge – and they had de Kock well caught by Sherfane Rutherford at deep backward square. But that was not where the early tension ended. At the end of that over, the heavens opened and an almighty shower came down, bringing with it memories of… 1992, 2003, 2015 and many other rain-affected matches that South Africans would prefer to forget. The delay lasted 75 minutes and three overs were lost, reducing the target to 123.
Klaasen puts South Africa in front We all know T20 match-
before was in the fifth over –also against West Indies – in 2021. He has once before been introduced after the halfway stage, in the 11th over in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021.
So, this was different but still, he had an almost immediate impact. Rabada had seen enough to know pace off was the best option and his first delivery, to Akeal Hosein, could only be dabbed to short third. Hosein and Andre Russell ran, but Nortje picked up and threw quicker and Russell was run-out. Later in the over, Hosein hit a cutter straight back to Rabada, who took a simple catch. His first over cost only one run and held West Indies back from a late surge. He
es can change in an over, but in a rain-reduced match, that is even more amplified. Heinrich Klaasen provided the game-changing passage of play when he took on Gudakesh Motie and broke the back of the chase to put South Africa on course for victory. Klaasen hit Motie's first ball into the stands and the last three for successive fours, albeit risky. He stayed on the back foot and hit Motie aerially towards Chase, who could not reach the chance despite a full-stretched dive at backward point, then glanced him past short fine and edged it past Nicholas Pooran to leave South Africa needing 53 runs off 10 overs and clearing the path to the semi-finals. (ESPNcricinfo)
Joseph's 2 for 25 meant South Africa were always on tenterhooks, but at seven down,
Aiden Markram and Marco Jansen embrace each other
Rovman Powell and Roston Chase celebrate a wicket
Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada celebrate the win
Nicholas Pooran's acrobatic catch sent Heinrich Klaasen back
Alzarri Joseph bounced Klaasen out
Athletes show up and show out at AP invitational
There was excitement galore at the National Track and Field Center (NTFC), West Coast Demerara (WCD) on Saturday evening as the Aliann Pompey Invitational returned with a bang after a lengthy hiatus.
Guyana’s Aiyah Abrams outran the stacked field of competition to come away with gold in the women’s 400m event, in a time of 52.00s. The all-Guyanese podium saw Kenisha Phillips clinching silver in 52.86s, while junior athlete Tianna Springer crossed the line third in 52.91s.
In the men’s version of
the event, the Dominican Republic’s Lidio Feliz came out on top, stopping the clock at 46.02s for first place, while USA’s Evan Mafilas was second in 46.39s. The third position went to another athlete hailing from the Dominican Republic, Nefer Santana, who clocked 46.5s while Guyanese Revon Williams narrowly missed out on the podium, clocking 46.98s for fourth place.
In the highly-anticipated 100m sprint, Ghana’s Joseph Amoah stopped the clock in 10.35s for first place while Guyanese record holder
Emanuel Archibald was close behind for second in 10.37s. The Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando completed the podium in 10.41s.
In the distaff, Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle LeeAhye crossed the finish line in 11.49s for first place while Guyanese Olympic hopeful Jasmine Abrams stopped the clock in 11.53s for second place. Another Guyanese, Keliza Smith was third in 11.55s.
In another sprint event, this time the 200m, 100m winner Lee-Ahye was pipped by Guyana’s Deshana Skeete
who crossed the line in 23.64s for the gold medal. Lee-Ahye had to settle for silver in 20.86s while Dominican Republic’s Milagros Duran clinched bronze in 24.29s. Junior athlete Narissa McPherson was just behind the top trio, in 24.56s for fourth.
The men’s version of the event saw St Kitts and Nevis’ Nadale Buntin coming out on top in 20.862s. Ghana’s Amoah narrowly missed out on the sprint double, stopping the clock at 20.864s for second place while Guyana’s Shamar Horatio was second in 20.88s.
Over in the long jump pit,
Archibald continued his dominance in the event. After missing out on his initial jumps, Archibald leapt 7.67m for first place, followed by the Bahamas’ Laquan Nairn who jumped 7.58m for second place. In third was Australia’s Henry Frayne, who leapt 7.50m.
In the distaff, Guyana’s Analissa Redmond claimed gold with a jump spanning 6.05m. In the all-Guyanese podium, Leoni Adams finished second with a jump of 5.28m while Shaneka Campbell secured third with a leap of 5.24m.
…as he leads LTI to 2024 Tertiary Basketball League championship
Also in field events, Guyana’s record holder Leslain Baird flighted the javelin 73.79m for the gold medal. The lone Trinidadian in the field, Anthony Diaz threw 68.52m for second place while young Gabriel Lim clinched third with a throw of 64.22m. While no competitors reached their intended qualifying standards for the Paris Olympics 2024, the event, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and a line-up of corporate sponsors was deemed a success.
The Kimol Grimmondled Linden Technical Institute (LTI), despite missing two of their best players, were able to dethrone the University of Guyana (UG) as they won the Tertiary Basketball League on Sunday evening at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue.
LTI came out with vengeance on their mind in the first quarter, as they managed to penetrate their opponents’ defensive unit despite UG using the jump ball to grab an early 21-12 lead, setting the tempo of the game.
The second quarter saw the UG outfit showing their ability to penetrate their opponents’ defence as they scored 21 points in that session to elevate their score to 42 points, while the LTI scored 24 points in that session to take their total to 36 at the end of that quarter.
Third-quarter action saw the Linden outfit keeping their composure as they erased UG’s lead. Both teams were tied on 59 at the end of the quarter, with LTI scoring 23 points while UG were re-
stricted to 17 points.
With seconds to go in the game, the LTI outfit pounced on UG to seal the deal by breaking through their defence, securing their victory with the scoreline reading 7970.
Grimmond led the offensive attack once again for LTI as he top-scored with 17 points with 11 rebounds and 6 assists, while Stephen George contributed 17 points and 5 rebounds with Leron Joseph and Captain Neil Marks pro-
ducing 12 points.
On the losing side with 38 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 steals was the University of Guyana’s Jushawan Bailey as he continues to be persistent with the ability to put the ball through the net. He received assistance from Malachi Grimmond, who scored 19 points and 8 rebounds.
In individual accolades, Kimol Grimmond with his ability to control the offensive end for LTI, helping them maintain an unbeat-
en streak, was named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Tournament.
In an invited comment to media operatives, the LTI top-scorer expounded on their game plan to become victorious.
Grimmond said, “Well, it’s the most amazing feeling, I have felt in a while, we understand that they were defending champions and all of that, but we came in the tourna-
ment undefeated, but still not underestimating any team. Thank God, for the resilience of this team tonight brought us the win.”
Grimmond went on to touch on the impact of the team’s defensive unit and highlighted some of the mistakes that occurred within the game.
“The defence, honestly, my teammates I owe it to all of them on the defence that con-
quered the defence tonight. I think they were a little confused, you know, coming into the competition. I mean, is a final, so yeah, they got a little frustrated and ended up making silly fouls, but they did the job well,” Grimmond explained.
The tournament would not have been possible without the sponsorship of Edward B Beharry Ltd and G-Boats. (Omar McKenzie)
Most Valuable Player of the Tournament, Kimol Grimmond
Deshana Skeete (left) surpassed her competitors in the women’s 200m
Leslain Baird threw over 73 metres for gold in the javelin
Emanuel Archibald bagged another long jump gold medal
