The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, August 14 23:30hrs01:00hrs. There will be no retraction on Thursday August 15.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Wednesday, August 14, 2024- 11:10 hrs to 12:40 hrs and Thursday, August 15, 2024 - 12:45 hrs to 14:15 hrs
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
ome 40 Guyanese businesses are slated to attend the official launch of the British Chamber of Commerce Guyana (BritCham Guyana) in Central London on September 11.
These companies are hoping that their attendance will allow them to tap into untouched areas in the United Kingdom market, especially as it relates to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) and agri-
Dr. Peter Ramsaroop highlighted that BritCham Guyana would provide its members with increased access to, and knowledge of, each market; investment opportunities; expert and technical skills; advisory services; a wide range of industry, policy, and regulatory insights across sectors; and competitive pricing
This he believes has the potential to further deepen bilateral trade and investment between the United Kingdom and Guyana.
culture.
Among them are Guyana Telephone & Telegraph Company (GTT), Gafoors, Farfan and Mendes, Nextech, Caribbean Travel Specialists, and Giftland Group.
BritCham already has a presence in Guyana following its launch here in 2023, but the new office in London promises to foster an open networking environment wherein companies can engage and discuss issues impacting their businesses and UK-Guyana trade.
As a result, the launch event promises to be an engaging and insightful occasion, bringing together key stakeholders from government, industry, and academia to explore opportunities for trade, investment, and partnership between the UK and Guyana.
During a brief press conference on Tuesday, Chief Investment Officer and Head of the Guyana Office for Investment (Go-Invest),
“What we are looking for from the British is knowledge in the ICT sector. We
believe that with Artificial Intelligence coming in place, Guyana could be a data center hub and we are going to have gas to do high power. We are looking more rapidly into the manufacturing sector as the gas comes to shore and energy cost goes down which country best to be speaking to like Great Britian and England as a whole,” Dr. Ramsaroop said.
“What we hope this event will bring is partnership and that’s why we are ensuring that our local businesses get a chance to go up and be there and be ready to partner with a British company to exercise their investment opportunities in Guyana,” he added.
BritCham Guyana is an independent non-profit chamber that works closely with the British High Commission in Georgetown and with Government departments in the UK to support advocacy work in both countries.
As a result, attendees can expect thought-provoking discussions, networking opportunities, and firsthand insights into the economic
landscape of Guyana and its potential for British businesses.
Topics of discussion would include opportunities in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, and other key industries that are driving Guyana’s economic development.
British High Commissioner to Guyana Jane Miller said companies in the United Kingdom have already signaled interest in exploring Guyana’s market, with few disclosing plans to bring technological innovation here.
“The UK is one of the greatest innovation hubs in the world whether you are looking at all kinds of technology from IT to Science and research. So, UK and Guyana we see this being a great opportunity particularly this event to see how we can grow and promote the Guyana market in the UK. BritCham has already been a great opportunity for networking, it enables businesses to get to know one another, seek opportunities and also helps one another in terms of navigating business environments,” she revealed.
Guyana is the UK’s largest trading partner in the Caribbean, in fact, total trade in goods and services between the UK and Guyana has reached an impressive £1.6 billion in the four quarters leading up to the end of 2023.
According to reports from its Department of Business and Trade, a substantial increase of 312.5 per cent or £1.2 billion in current prices was recorded compared to the same period in 2022.
Editor: Tusika Martin
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Guyana's agricultural sector has long been a cornerstone of the nation’s economy, providing food security, employment, and export revenue. However, as climate change continues to pose challenges and the demand for fresh produce increases, it’s time to explore innovative approaches to farming that can ensure sustainability and resilience. One such approach is the expansion of shade houses across the country, a strategy that could significantly boost Guyana's agricultural productivity and food security.
Shade houses, which provide a controlled environment for cultivating crops, offer numerous benefits that are unmatched by traditional farming methods.
China's Shandong province, known for its advanced agricultural practices, presents a compelling model for countries like Guyana, which are seeking to enhance their agricultural sector. Shandong's success, built on a combination of shade houses and technological innovation, holds valuable lessons for Guyana.
One of the key aspects of Shandong’s agricultural success is its adoption of modern technology. Shandong farmers use advanced irrigation systems, precision farming techniques and greenhouse cultivation to optimize crop yields. Guyana and China have long had very efficient diplomatic relations, and by seeking these practices from that nation and incorporating its technologies, Guyana could significantly improve its agricultural productivity. Precision farming, for example, could help Guyanese farmers better manage their resources by applying water, fertilizers and pesticides more efficiently, reducing waste and increasing yields.
Another practice from Shandong that could benefit Guyana is the efficient use of limited land resources. Shandong’s farmers often employ intensive farming techniques, maximizing output on smaller plots of land. In Guyana, where agricultural land is abundant but often underutilised, adopting similar methods could lead to more productive and sustainable farming practices. This is particularly relevant for small farmers, who could increase their incomes by growing high-value crops on smaller areas.
Crop diversification, a hallmark of Shandong's agriculture, is a direction in which Guyana has been moving, with several initiative of this nature being pushed by President Dr Irfaan Ali, and this is another area wherein Guyana could benefit. This diversification would not only improve food security, but also open up new markets for Guyanese products, thereby increasing the country’s export earnings.
In regions like Linden, Region 10, where the Agriculture Ministry recently established a shade house that is cultivating a diverse range of crops — including scotch bonnet and moruga hot peppers, lettuce, kale, sweet peppers, and celery — the potential of this technology is becoming increasingly evident. These controlled environments allow farmers to grow high-value crops that might otherwise be difficult to cultivate due to fluctuating weather patterns and soil conditions.
The expansion of shade houses could also have a transformative impact on Guyana’s agricultural economy.
Moreover, the widespread adoption of shade houses could serve as a critical tool in the fight against climate change. As extreme weather events become more common, traditional farming practices are increasingly at risk. Shade houses, however, offer a buffer against these challenges, ensuring that crops can continue to thrive even under adverse conditions. This resilience is crucial for safeguarding the livelihoods of farmers and maintaining the nation’s food supply.
The economic benefits of expanding shade house farming are equally compelling. By increasing crop yields and extending the growing season, farmers can boost their incomes, contributing to rural development and poverty reduction. Additionally, the establishment of more shade houses would create opportunities for employment in construction, maintenance, and crop management, further stimulating the economy.
By embracing modern technology, efficient land use, and crop diversification, Guyana’s agriculture sector can unlock more potential.
It is time that we invest in the future of farming, and shade houses – which are being pushed by President Ali - offer a promising path forward.
Dear Editor,
The PNC hotly contends that it failed as a government because it had no sovereign wealth, like the present PPP/C Administration. They wallow that had they been blessed with wealth as the PPP/C, they would have done so much for the people, and provided a better life for all.
Nice sounding words, I must admit, but is this the real picture painted on the tapestry of our minds when we analyze all matters about wealth in this country? Are The PNC telling us they were so bereft of finances to manage this economy compared to their counterpart the PPP/C? Are they telling us that the PPP/C was blessed while a curse was laid on them? Is this the message they want us to believe?
The comparison drawn is the PPP/C is blessed and highly favoured, while the PNC is the unfortunate party that fell on hard times.
Now, if you are not familiar with Guyanese politics, you are tempted to believe that PNC Mantra. However, closer scrutiny dictates that we wipe that unfortunate thought from our minds. In the first place, Burnham was blessed with resources coming from triple sources: rice, bauxite and sugar. These three combined gave him a good head start. Bauxite
gave this country foreign exchange in hefty quantities comparable to that period. This is up until nationalization, when things took a drastic downturn. I promise to carry an indepth discussion on bauxite sometime shortly.
Rice, as it always did, was a bedrock to Burnham's Regime, making great financial deposits into the treasury, thus the combination of rice and bauxite provided liquid cash at the PNC's disposal.
We save sugar for the last spot, due to its most significant position on the economic scale of foreign exchange earners. Sugar earned itself the top spot badge, due to the following factors:
1. Preferential treatment: our exports entered Europe, specifically Britain, tax-free, and our total earnings reached their maximum
2. The Sugar Protocol Agreement gave us an added advantage in those our brown muscovado Demerara crystals, which were the much-sought-after sweetener in Britain.
3. Guyana's rum and molasses, which are byproducts of sugar, were also bestsellers on the European market.
The foreign dollars earned from sugar can be rated with that coming from the oil of today, as sugar ran Guyana's econ-
omy. Proceeds from sugar gave us free education from nursery to university, and built our roads, schools and drainage channels. Sugar was so significant a sector that it was taxed to prop up the bauxite community of Linden. How fantastic! And carefully following the funds, some were smuggled into private bank accounts. It was reported by the foreign press that, around this time, Burnham became the 23rd richest Black Man in history.
These are the telltale facts of our economy, that in 28 years of the PNC, Guyana went from a high position to a humiliating low, taking up the position of a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) below Haiti. This is all due to the corrupt nature of the regime and a lack of futuristic vision.
Fast forward to another 5 years, 5 months of the PNC and we see a repeat performance of the Burnham Mistake. They came into office in 2015 under the "manufactured truth" that the treasury was empty and our country was bankrupt; yet, in two (2) short months, they reduced their poverty by raising their salaries by 50% over. Could they tell us where that money came from, seeing we were so bankrupt? Is this another attempt to "piss in our eyes and call it rain”? We can
safely conclude that the modus operandi of the PNC was not that of developing a country; theirs was a classic case of “we are here to plunder”. Further to our discussion is the fact that our First Oil Money of US$18M ExxonMobil Signing Bonus, given to us in 2016, cannot be accounted for. Where did that money go? To whose account was that money deposited? We reserve the right to know. Presently, the matter resides in our court, as we get down to the bottom of it, the former finance minister owes us a sensible explanation as to where our money is.
We close our discussion today by taking a glance at the two regimes. Here we find a vast difference in economic values; that is, frugal developmental management and forward vision on the part of the PPP/C, while, on the other hand, corruption and gross mismanagement on the PNC's end. We are separating the proverbial men from the boys here. The PNC cannot defend that asinine excuse that they were not blessed with economic gains. Yes, they were, but the difference lies in the absence of proper management and a lack of vision on their part.
Respectfully, Neil
Adams
Dear Editor,
Deliberating on the decency of democracy, the dangerous PNC has a demeaning if not disturbing way of demarcating their conception, configuration and compilation of politicizing the fragrance of love, the warmth of peace and the comfort of truth.
As some of their elders grow older and the seniors get senescent, the PNC’s application, translation and interpretation continue to be devoid of the norms of society as they grossly serenade the sound of the guillotine from the gallows, severing the heads of innocent men and women.
Expounding Burnham’s love for members of the PPP, the late President once told the leaders of his PNC party, “The gauntlet has been thrown down. We have picked it up. The battle is joined. We asked no quarter and we shall give none. We shall use every weapon at our disposal. Let there be no weeping or complaints.” There was no ambiguousness in the path he established and the avenue he directed his members to tra-
verse. No wonder his loyalists still identify with harm’s way.
Exemplifying his likeness for his assumed enemies, Burnham, who was a dramatic orator with the drawl of the English Bull Dog, emerged as a victor with power in the 60s, with the help of the British and the Americans. They deemed him “less radical” than his chief rival, Dr. Cheddi Jagan.
Burnham’s sustenance was enshrined with the help of his buddies in the sister islands, who thought that the colour brown must be seen but not heard. Sampson boasted that he will not rest until his “enemies are crushed and utterly destroyed.” Such was the horror not humored by the man who refused to listen to “religious programs” on the radio with his siblings!
Examining the call by modern day “Idi Amin” for “guns to turn in the right direction,” it is being fuelled and funnenlled by the limited few fanatics who still farcify a feign and faint response. But thankfully, most Guyanese no longer are bending towards hate, but succumbing to love
thy neighbour, credits going to President Ali’s perpetual outreaches to all the communities in all the regions without reservation or discrimination.
Explicating PNC’s adaptation of their warmth of peace, declassified documents extracted from the Digital National Security revealed the following: “The CIA got its way, but the United States lost in this covert operation. Forbes Burnham turned out to be corrupt, arbitrary, and self-dealing. After a 1968 election, again with the CIA subsidizing Burnham, the leader of a renamed Guyana increasingly turned away from the United States, becoming a dictatorial figure. In 1970, despite all that CIA aid, Burnham turned to the left and adopted the very politics the United States had sought to fend off. He assumed the position of president, and governed until his death on August 6, 1985.” The British and the Americans birthed a wolf in disguise, whose compost transformed into a venomous snake!
Explaining the racial violence in Guyana, it is glaringly
pellucid to identify those root sources responsible for this catastrophic heredity. The discovery of the PNC’s X-13 Plan and the intellectual and financial capitalists, colonialists and capricious backers fermented Burnham’s goons to rain terror against anyone opposing his leadership or challenging his supremacy to own and control the land of many waters. All had to fear the wrath of the PNC’s terror as the sharpness of Burnham’s steel was felt by all and sundry! Call Dr. Rodney and Father Darke to the stand. They will attest to his evil doings.
Executing a sense of responsibility and the judgmental value of a clear conscience, President Irfaan Ali has permitted law and order to replace lawlessness and disorderliness, so that justice can unfold its long arms. He warned, “No man is above the law,” and all those not in conformity will be dealt with condignly. His message is clear: peace has to prevail, so that Guyana can enjoy tranquility from violence. Guyana no longer has to “be-
Dear Editor, The PPP/C was returned to Government in 2020 by the Guyanese electorate; this is not a debatable statement. This fact consigns Neville Bissember's entire opinion piece on August 13, 2024 to the dung heap, for his premise outlined in his opening paragraph contains an outrageous lie! "thanks to the Trump Administration and a robust campaign by the Mercury public strategy firm, that their party was returned to office."
Bissember 'doubles down' on this in his closing paragraph. "So, to those residing in Region 11, I urge them to realize that the help that
was needed from the Trump Administration to unseat the government in 2020 would not be required this time around". These lies (I cannot find a more appropriate nor polite word) cannot be allowed to go unnoticed or unchallenged.
President Trump stood up for democracy in Guyana when he forced the APNU+AFC/David Granger administration to accept the will of the people as expressed at the ballot box, or face personal sanctions. It was not 'help' or anything to do with PR firm Mercury, who by the way was let go by the PPP long before the elections in March 2020. Neville Bissember may
want to ask Guyanese living in the USA to vote for Kamla Harris, and he is free to do so and make as many arguments for that as he wishes. He, (Bissember) is not, however, free to rewrite Guyana's history in the process.
The Stabroek newspaper should also guard carefully against misuse of its columns to disguise propaganda as news and/or opinion. One can take paid adverts for the promotion of one's political ideals, and candidates (as I have on more than one occasion, including urging GuyaneseAmericans to vote for Trump 2024).
Neville Bissember should
apologize to the Guyanese people for his attempt to rewrite our history, and consider that a career in diplomacy has better prepared him for 'fence sitting', and not opinion writing. The Stabroek newspaper is diminished for allowing this thinly disguised propaganda and lies to pass as an opinion. I sincerely hope to see an explanation from the publication on how this 'big lie' escaped their safeguards, for as Lenin said, "A lie told often enough becomes the truth." And that we cannot brook, ever.
Sincerely, Robin
Singh
Dear Editor,
The name Priya Manickchand has become synonymous with education in Guyana. It is a name that sparks conversations filled with both commendation and critique. As the Honourable Minister of Education, she has helmed one of the most critical sectors in our nation for the past four years, and this is a role that directly impacts our children's minds and our country's future.
In 2024, the education sector operated under her stewardship with a budget of 100.5 billion dollars, a testament to her significant responsibilities. As is often the case with public office, Minister Manickchand’s leadership has drawn both praise and criticism. This is the nature of public service — balancing prestige with the duty to be accountable to the people. And so, as a citizen
and someone who has worked closely within the Ministry of Education, I ask myself: How do I judge Priya?
I have had the privilege of working with the Ministry of Education across different administrations, particularly in the Public Relations Department. However, when Minister Manickchand took office during the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, I truly witnessed her leadership. She focused on restarting the educational system amidst global uncertainty, placing a strong emphasis on revitalising the Distance Education arm — a critical initiative during a time when traditional classroom learning was disrupted.
Editor, inspired by her determination, I reached out to her, offering my services to contribute to this transformation. Under Ms. Mohamed, I
joined the team and played an integral role in the operations of The Learning Channel. We expanded it into six digital stations — a first for Guyana. Two years later, I transitioned to the Radio department, where I had the honour of leading the evolution from a recording studio in Kingston to EDYOU FM, Guyana’s first 24/7 educational radio station, boasting the widest coverage in Guyana.
Minister Manickchand’s belief in my abilities has been a defining factor in my career. The opportunity she provided has not only allowed me to develop professionally, but has enabled me to pay it forward. Through my work with The Learning Channel and EDYOU FM, I have been involved in hiring and mentoring over two dozen young talented Guyanese, creating opportunities for them and, by extension, the families they repre-
sent.
These are the real, tangible impacts that may not make headlines, but are deeply significant to those of us whose lives have been touched by her leadership. They reflect the foresight and dedication of a minister who genuinely cares about the future of our nation’s youths.
So, how do I judge Priya Manickchand? I judge her by the opportunities she creates and the lives she transforms. I judge her by the fruits of her policies and her unwavering commitment to our children.
As Walter Lippmann said, "The final test of a leader is that he leaves behind him in other men the conviction and the will to carry on." By this measure, Minister Manickchand has done well.
Sincerely, Phillip
Williams
ware of my brother Forbes,” but to be wary of his constant surrogates in sheep’s clothing.
Exploring the comfort of truth, it is highly inconvenient to associate the PNC with the sanctity and veracity of religious righteousness. If Old Man Time was monitoring the utterances from the PNC with each tick from the clock, the PNC would have surpassed the thirty thousand odd lies spoken by Trump. Granger did not reveal Burnham’s true military orders and intentions. Hoyte covered for Burnham’s misdeeds. The loquacious Burnham had the voracious appetite for imported luxuries, banned goods and the devious urge to flawlessly lie.
Extending his malicious plans, he alarmingly accused the CIA of being responsible for the deaths of 11 Guyanese when 76 persons were killed in the Cuban airline explosion over Barbados. The relationship with the US became strained, and the US State Department in turn called him a “bald-faced liar.”
Excluding the confession of a few good men and women from the PNC, who had the decency to display honour and integrity to disassociate themselves from the corrupt PNC, the others have remained loyal to the deceitfulness and dishonesty in distorting facts and figures. Former AFC Minister Dominic Gaskin (Granger’s son-in-law) ran from the PNC Government rather than walk with a hanging head and lowering eyes. He said, “I am simply not prepared to support any political party blindly. My loyalty is to my country…Who
vex vex.”
Exclusively propaganda cover ups; tongue-twisting fabricated evidences; fake impressions, false witnesses, lies, deceits, crime, corruption, violence, mis-management and everything associated with uprooting a country from thriving for peace, progress and prosperity are synonymous with the legacy of Burnham, and the elements factored into characterizing the doom and gloom of the PNC party.
Exorcising cannot exterminate the excruciating pain, damage and loss Guyanese have suffered during the reign of the PNC’s 33 years in power.
Former founding PNC member D.J. Taitt said it well when he accused Burnham of leading PNC members into a “blind alley of improvised tribalism at variance with the economic and social realities of the two major ethic groups of our country…”
Expelling all PNC negativity and extracting only positive vibes for democracy to prevail under the PPP/C banner, President Ali told Parliament, “We stand together on the cusp of what can be a new economic era of prosperity, in which all will share now, and from which future generations will benefit… Let us, together, run with endurance the race God has set before us….”
President Ali and the PPP/C Government love for peace and unity remains true.
Yours respectfully, Jai Lall
Sometimes, two angles can be defined by their relationship to each other.
Supplementary angles are two angles that form a line. Their sum will be 180o, so if you know the measure of one, you can figure out the other. Note that angles can sometimes be called by one letter, placed near the vertex.
If angle a = 120o, what is the measure of angle b?
Step 1: Think: A straight line = 180o
Step 2: Subtract: 180 – 120 = 60 So angle b = 60o
Identify whether the following angles are supplementary
People who aren’t entomologists (scientists who study insects) use the word “bugs”* to refer to all manner of creatures that creep, crawl, burrow, jump, fly, and swarm. What entomologists call true bugs –cicadas, aphids, planthoppers, leafhoppers, assassin bugs, bed bugs, and shield bugs – are insects, but not all insects are true bugs since not all insects have membrane wings and the sucking mouth parts of the true bugs.
Most of the invertebrate animals we think of as bugs are arthropods, a phylum or division of invertebrates grouped together based largely on body parts. The arthropods include insects, spiders, crustaceans, and centipedes. Insects are a subgroup, or class of arthropods that have a 3-part body, six jointed legs (3 pairs), an exoskeleton, compound eyes, and
external mouthparts. Many insects, but not all, have one or two pairs of wings.
There are more insects on Earth than any other kind of animal. According to the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, “at any time, it is estimated that there are some 10 quintillion (10,000,000,000,000,000,000) individual insects alive ... Recent figures indicate that there are more than 200 million insects for each human on the planet!”
Insects and other bugs play an important role in ecosystems and our lives, even if we don’t always see them doing their jobs. They help plants grow and help dead plants and animals break down and build healthy soil. They are an important part of the food chain, providing food for some creatures and eating others. A world without insects would mean
By Martin Carter
most bird and amphibian species would be extinct. There’d be no coffee, honey, or chocolate and products like waxes, lotions, cosmetics, dyes, polishes, varnishes, and inks. Scientific and medical research would be stalled. Understanding and valuing what insects contribute and make possible is crucial for maintaining our ecological health.
Some people find bugs beautiful and interesting. Others might find some bugs scary. Many people of all ages are afraid of bees, wasps, or other insects that sting and bite. Some fear any kind of creepy crawly. The truth is, unless you are allergic to stings or get bitten by a bug carrying an illness, there’s little to be afraid of. The more you know about bugs and their fascinating lives, the more there is to appreciate.
Death must not find us thinking that we die too soon, too soon our banner draped for you I would prefer the banner in the wind Not bound so tightly in a scarlet fold not sodden, sodden with your people’s tears but flashing on the pole we bear aloft down and beyond this dark, dark lane of rags. Now, from the mourning vanguard moving on dear Comrade, I salute you and I say
Death will not find us thinking that we die
Former
Deputy Chief Elections Officer
(DCEO) Roxanne
Myers has had her libel suit against Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo thrown out by High Court Judge Navindra Singh, who ruled, among other things, that Jagdeo’s statement that Myers was holding Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Chair Claudette Singh hostage, was not defamatory.
Myers had filed a libel suit against the Vice President in the High Court in March 2021, followed by an amended claim three months later, claiming that Jagdeo during an interview on March 5, 2020, defamed her in an interview.
At the time, efforts were being made to serve the GECOM Chair with a High Court injunction, to prevent the declaration of disputed results from the Region Four counting of the votes. Those efforts had been futile, however, because the GECOM Chair had been locked up in a room in Ashmins’ Building, which was the tabulation center.
During the interview, Jagdeo had said that the GECOM Chair was being held hostage in the room by Myers, as part of a plot hatched in Congress Place. However, while Myers claimed in her libel suit that these statements were defamatory, Justice Singh in his ruling disagreed.
No denial
According to the Judge, Myers did not even deny the specific allegations Jagdeo made about her holding the GECOM Chairperson hostage, nor did Myers, who was represented by Attorneyat-Law Eusi Anderson, offer facts deemed adequate enough to rebut Jagdeo. Instead, she issued a general denial and claimed that Jagdeo could not prove his allegations.
“(Criminal Procedure Rules) 69.01 (4) places a positive obligation on the
claimant to provide sufficient factual rebuttal of the facts alleged in a statement of defense to enable the defendant to appreciate why the words are inaccurate or unsupportable. In this regard, the court finds that the claimant failed to rebut the defense of truth as pleaded by (Jagdeo) with respect to those statements,” the judgement states.
According to the judgement, Jagdeo’s comments on the GECOM Chair being held hostage were a mix of fact and opinion. The fact remains that Jagdeo tried to meet and numerous persons attempted to make contact, with the Chairperson but were unable to do so. It is also factual that Myers went into and remained in the room with the Chairperson, from whom no statements or explanations were forthcoming.
“He is asserting that based on the circumstances he articulated in the interview, he held the honest belief that the Chairperson was being held hostage and that her movement was being restricted. He further described his personal attempt to meet with the Chairperson, which he perceived was blocked by (Myers)… in this case, as stated, the facts upon which (Jagdeo) says he relied on were not effectively denied,” the ruling states.
The judge therefore upheld Jagdeo’s defense of
truth, contained in his Statement of Defense. Jagdeo had filed an application on January 25, 2024, asking the court to determine whether the statements complained about by Myers were defamatory.
Myers’ amended case against Jagdeo, as well as against News Room, which published Jagdeo’s comments, were thus dismissed. The Judge also ordered that Myers pay costs in the sum of $500,000 to each of the defendants, on or before September 12, 2024. Jagdeo was represented by Attorneys-at-Law Devindra Kissoon, Abhimanyu Dev and Natasha Vieira.
Charged
In August 2021, Myers, along with Keith Lowenfield and Clairmont Mingo, were terminated from their posts as Deputy Chief Elections Officer (DCEO), CEO and Region Four (DemeraraMahaica) Returning Officer, respectively.
Myers was arrested in October 2022 after she surrendered herself at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) Headquarters moments before the Police Force was able to issue a ‘Wanted’ bulletin for her arrest.
Lawyers representing Myers contended that she had been arrested for “perverting the course of justice”, but the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has contended
that she had been detained for “conspiracy to defraud”.
The GPF reported that its ranks had been trying for over a month to question DCEO Myers in regard to electoral fraud committed at the March 2, 2020 polls.
“However, those efforts were futile, as Ms. Myers made every effort to elude the Police investigators,” the GPF had said in explaining that a ‘Wanted’ bulletin had consequently been prepared, but before it was released, Myers had shown up at CID Headquarters in the company of her attorneys. According to the GPF,
“Ms. Myers was promptly arrested for the offence of ‘conspiracy to defraud’, and she was told of the allegation at the said time. She then exercised her right to remain silent.”
Myers is among nine persons before the court charged with electoral fraud. The others are Mingo; Lowenfield; former People’s National Congress/ Reform Chairperson Volda Lawrence; PNCR activist Carol Smith-Joseph; and GECOM employees Sheffern February, Enrique Livan, Michelle Miller and Denise Babb-Cummings.
They are facing 28 charges relating to electoral fraud. Among the offences these defendants are accused of committing are: misconduct while holding public office; presenting falsified documentation; and planning to manipulate Guyana’s voters by presenting an inaccurate vote total. Meanwhile, with only three hearings completed, the 2020 elections fraud trial, which was slated to continue on August 5, has been deferred until September, as presiding Magistrate Leron Daly has been placed on 30 days’ sick leave.
The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has issued a public notice to all mine operators, claim holders, permit holders, and lessees, reiterating the prohibition against paying wages or compensating goods and service providers with gold in any form.
This reminder comes as part of the enforcement of the governing regulations regarding the conveyance of gold, which strictly forbids such transactions unless the proper permits or licenses have been obtained from the relevant authorities.
In the notice, Commissioner of the GGMC, Newell Dennison, emphasised that gold obtained from mining activities must be sold exclusively to the Guyana Gold Board, authorised dealers, or traders licensed by the GGMC. The commission also warned that any failure to comply with these regu-
lations could result in the seizure of gold by the authorities and legal action against the involved parties.
The GGMC in the notice urged all stakeholders in the mining sector to adhere strictly to these guidelines, underscoring the importance of maintaining lawful and regulated gold transactions in the industry.
Ronel Trotman of Golden Grove, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was arrested along the Itaballi Trial in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) with 781 grams of cannabis, has been charged and remanded to prison.
The 38-year-old miner appeared before Bartica Magistrate Tariq Mohammed on Monday and pleaded not guilty as charged, but was however remanded to prison until August 27, 2024.
Trotman was arrested on Saturday during a police operation along the Itaballi Trail, after being found with 781 grams of ganja. Police reported-
Remanded: Ronel Trotman
ly intercepted motor lorry GYY 9433 with the driver and five other occupants, one of whom was Trotman; and during a search, ranks found a multi-coloured haversack containing 781 grams of ganja. Trotman reportedly
accepted ownership of the bag, and reportedly told the ranks, "It is me weed; I buy it from Berbice to sell".
As such, he was arrested and taken to the Bartica Police Station, where he was charged.
Forty-four-year-old miner James Thomas, also called ‘Wormie’, was on Monday doused with High Wine and set ablaze during an argument at Imbaimadai Landing, Upper Mazaruni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni).
The suspect, a 53-yearold miner who also resides at Imbaimadai Landing, has been arrested pending charges.
Police have said that the suspect and the victim are known to each other, and were consuming alcohol (High Wine) at the
Imbaimadai Landing when an argument erupted after Thomas collected the High Wine and refused to return it. In retaliation, the suspect forcibly seized the bottle, doused Thomas with its contents, and set him alight.
Thomas sustained severe burns as the flames
engulfed his body, and was transported to the Imbaimadai Health Post for treatment, but had to be transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he has been admitted suffering from second-degree burns. The suspect was later arrested.
The partially decomposed body of a woman discovered in a trench at the Eccles Industrial Site on Saturday has been identified as a resident of Thomas Street, Kitty, Georgetown.
Police on Tuesday said that the woman was identified as Angela Andrea Sooknanan.
She was identified at about 15:00h on Tuesday by her 76-year-old father, Romel Sooknanan.
According to Sooknanan, Angela had been struggling with mental health issues for some time and was under the care of Dr. Bhiro Harry. He told police that his daughter last visited the doctor on Thursday, August 8, for an examination and treatment related to her illness.
However, on Friday last Angela asked her mother, Charlotte Sooknanan, for money, stating that she in-
tended to go to Diamond, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
However, her body was discovered on Saturday, floating in a trench near the Eccles Dumpsite Road.
According to police reports, at about 15:00h on Saturday, a call was received from the Police 911 Hotline and the caller reported that a body was floating in the trench at Eccles dumpsite road.
Her body was fished out
and examined by the Crime Scene Investigator (CSI) rank, and what appeared to be blood and water were flowing from her nostrils. The woman’s face was also swollen.
At the time of the discovery, she was cladded in long black tights and a grey armless top. She had on only one-side slippers.
There was no mark of violence seen on the body, police had said.
Sometimes we’re our own worst enemies! Take alcohol: nobody puts a gun to our heads and commands us to drink!! Yet we pour it down our throats, become alcoholics, and destroy not only OUR lives, but of those around us! And this self-destructive behaviour occurs at every level of our social lives. Take our towns and villages where we live on the Atlantic coast. Now all of this “land” was once mangrove swamp, hence its early name the “Mosquito Coast”. It was pretty much created from the mud brought down by our rivers and creeks – but most of all by the mighty Amazon 1000 miles away across the Atlantic!! Imagine that!! Now you know why we don’t have bluewater beaches!!
The Dutch drained the swamps using enslaved labour – all under sea level! - through an intricate network of dams, canals and kokers to create plantations on which they grew sugar cane, cotton and coffee. Let’s not forget that Georgetown wasn’t created on no highland or such like – but from plantations created from those swamps!! Yep, La Penitence, Werk-en-Rust, Cummingsburg, Thomas Lands etc were ALL plantations, with canals leading to kokers draining them at low tide – just like all the other plantations, such as, say, Enmore!!
But somehow, we insist on pretending that the law of gravity acting on water falling on these former plantations has ceased to operate - just because we baptized them “towns” and now “CITY”!! So, we filled up most of the canals that once divided East Street; Main Street etc, to create those oh-so-pretty walkaways where we can hold hands and stroll! EIGHTY PERCENT of the waterways draining Georgetown have been filled up – and the remainder are filled with debris!! And we expect that it won’t be flooded when you have four inches of rain in as many hours??
Also, those canals didn’t just drain the land, but acted as reservoirs between tides. And the now totally concreted one-square-mile basin doesn’t allow any water to percolate into the soil. We expect to drain a one-square-mile flooded basin using pumps?? Isn’t that sorta like the reverse of plugging a hole in the sea wall with your pinky?? Or pi55in’ in the wind with all your might?? Ain’t gonna work!! And the rising seas due to Climate Change – which the polluting big countries declared “FULL STEAM AHEAD!!” - ain’t helping none!!
So, all your Eyewitness can say is Pres Ali should take the offer by the selfsame big polluting countries to compensate countries affected by their profligacy and complete Silica City ASAP. And knowing where the (city) shoe pinches, make sure we also don’t repeat mistakes like vending!
You gotta know when to hold it and know when to fold it!! Time to fold it!!
…in Mad Maduro’s BS
So, what’s really going down with Mad Maduro over in Venezuela?? Your Eyewitness is getting kinda confused with the news coming out of that benighted country!! We always knew the rig was in play – all we needed to know was how would the defenders of democracy deal with Mad Maduro’s continued dictatorship. Which for us means more refugees pouring into our country and more sabre-rattling over his annexation of our Essequibo!!
Your Eyewitness wasn’t expecting the US to stage an invasion or anything like that: the days of landing Marines in Latin America have long been over. Its last gasp was the invasion of Grenada – all 135sq miles of it!! But he thought at least some sanctions would be imposed!! All we got was a recognition of Mad Maduro’s opponent Gonzalez as the winner – then this was quickly altered to “waiting on proof”!!
Even the amnesty the WSJ said was offered for the Madman’s leaving - via Panama - hadn’t been in play. So that’s it??
…in the Russian bear hug
So, the West is exulting over Ukraine making a push into Russian territory. Have they forgotten the denouement of Napoleon’s and the Nazi’s invasions in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries??
Total annihilation!!
With the long-awaited number portability currently in the final live testing phases among the various service providers, the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is assuring that this feature will be launched during the course of 2024.
Number portability, the practice of switching one’s mobile network without changing their cellphone numbers, has been in the works for the past few years. The PUC has the statutory responsibility of overseeing its implementation.
In its latest update on the subject, the PUC revealed that significant strides were made throughout last year towards implementing number portability. It was explained that service providers are in the final stages of conducting live testing, following which number porting will be launched this year.
“Throughout the 2023 reporting period significant milestones were achieved in the implementation of
Number Portability. The service providers-initiated testing on the non-production platform for successful porting amongst each entity,” the commission explained in a recent report.
Currently, the main phone service providers in Guyana are GTT, Digicel and E-Net. There are 772,985 subscribers to both GTT and Digicel combined, as of 2023. PUC had no figures from E-Net.
It was explained that Dutch company Porting XS, has been conducting training with the PUC and the service providers on number porting. Further, the Commission conducted multiple visits to each service provider during the tests, which have had both successful and unsuccessful scenarios.
“All service providers are now connected to the production platform with PXS to begin porting and call routing tests. At the time of this publication, testing is ongoing. The Commission conducted multiple visits to each service provider during the test-
ing phases, observing both successful and unsuccessful test scenarios. Live testing has entered its final stages and the Commission expects Number Portability to be launched within the calendar year of 2024,” the PUC said.
The introduction of the number portability system in Guyana was first announced in May 2023 by Chairperson of the PUC, Dela Britton, during a webinar held in observance of World Telecommunications and Information Society Day.
She had explained that the PUC has the statutory mandate to implement number portability in Guyana, a system which allows phone users to retain their phone numbers when changing from one network provider to another.
“Number portability is game-changing in the competition space, as it allows consumers to retain their existing telephone or cellular numbers when switching providers. It generally forces players, when faced with
competition, to improve their service offerings,” Britton had said.
She had also explained that the process to ensure number portability is introduced locally began in July 2021 when a working group comprising representatives of the PUC and service providers was established.
Initially, authorities were working to have this system implemented by July. The PUC had admitted last year that this was stymied by the delay in the licensing of the clearinghouse provider and the completion of multiple detailed processes, especially the numerous porting tests between the service providers. However, consumers were notified.
As regulator for the telecommunications sector, the PUC is responsible for implementation and general oversight of the number portability process in Guyana. To this end, the Commission had established a Number Portability Working Group (NPWG) to oversee the process.
The Working Group is chaired by a member of the Commission and comprises representatives from all the telecommunications service providers: namely, GTT Incorporated, Digicel and ENet, together with the Telecommunications Agency.
The Telecommunications Agency has the responsibility of processing telecommunications licences, issuance of telephone numbers, and the regulation of spectrum used for both mobile and wireless radio communication.
The Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP), after taking office on August 2, 2020, had officially liberalized the telecommunications sector, with the commencement orders issued on October 5, 2020. The advent of liberalization brought with it the prospect of better quality of service, competitive rates, better prices, and better choices. Number portability, according to the PUC, is perhaps the key drive of liberalization with the intended competition and enhanced consumer choice.
Leading Firewoman
Indra Archer of the Guyana Fire Service has distinguished herself as the top performer in the recently concluded Junior All Arms Ordnance Course 2024-01.
The intensive 10-week course, which commenced at the Specialist-to-Arms Institute on May 7 and concluded on July 12, 2024, saw Archer excel among her peers and earn the coveted title of best student.
She demonstrated exceptional proficiency in areas such as storekeeping procedures, Government Store Regulations, and practical exercises in forms and storekeeping; and her outstanding performance in information technology modules further solidified her position at the top of the class.
Throughout the programme, Archer showcased a deep understanding of the 55ve Sp. Bn's history, role, organisation, and capabili-
ties. Her performance indicates she has developed the skills to function effectively
as both a store woman and a Ledger Clerk, requiring minimal supervision.
Archer's achievement is particularly noteworthy as it highlights the growing role of women in traditionally male-dominated fields within the military and emergency services. Her success serves as an inspiration to other women in the Guyana Fire Service and beyond, demonstrating that skill, dedication and hard work can lead to excellence, regardless of gender.
As the Guyana Fire Service continues to modernize and integrate with other arms of national security, professionals like Leading Firewoman Archer play a vital role in ensuring smooth operations and resource management. Her newly acquired skills in military-grade logistics and inventory management would undoubtedly contribute to enhancing the operational
efficiency of the Guyana Fire Service.
Looking ahead, Archer's performance in this course positions her well for future advancements and specialized roles within the Guyana Fire Service. Her success story is a testament to the importance of continuous professional development and cross-training between different arms of Guyana's security services.
Berbice woman on electric bike dies after being struck by motorcar
Sheron Munroe of Experiment, West Coast Berbice has been killed after she was struck down from behind by a motorcar as she was riding an electric bike along the Experiment Public Road.
The police have said that on Tuesday, at about 08:20h, Munroe was on her electric bike proceeding along the roadway when motorcar PAE 6334 struck her from behind. She fell on the roadway and sustained injuries, while the driver lost control of the vehicle and collided with a utility pole.
Picked up in an unconscious condition, Munroe was rushed to the Fort Wellington Public Hospital,
but succumbed while receiving treatment.
The driver of the motor car and another occupant were treated at the same hospital. The driver has been detained as the investigation continues.
A67-year-old pensioner of Kwakwani, Region 10 (Upper DemeraraBerbice) is now homeless after losing his $15M home and business to a fire on Monday.
Housing Scheme at about 18:00h.
Moments after the fire, Primo, stated that he had no clue as to what may have caused the fire.
“I cried all day, I cried
I don’t know how it was caused because I wasn’t at home,” he stated.
“I only had an electric stove and my house was equipped that you cannot cook and bake at the
Reports are that the fire started at Michael Primo’s home at Kwakwani, 2nd Phase
like nobody was there… I’m a pensioner and this is where I relax and this is what I end up with, a fire of unknown [origin]
same time because the circuit and the breakers that I had was equipped in way in which you cannot go above a certain am -
perage it triggered on the house so it was hard for me to believe that it could be an electrical problem because the main breaker was at the entrance of the building.”
Though he was not able to sum up a cost for the amount of damages that the fire had on his household appliances, he recalled the items that were lost whilst also stat -
ing that the fire destroyed his tools in his downstairs mechanical shop.
“Each room had a bed, I had three chair sets, I had a fridge, an AC, a freezer, a chair set, an electric stove, a dining set, I had a cupboard and I had a music set. The building alone is about 15 million dollars. And the rest of the things. I can’t really estimate them.”
He added, “There was a mechanic shop downstairs we used to do mechanic work for people general electrical work, AC wiring building and all these different things you know? And then we used to do mechanical work for cars.”
The Guyana Fire Service has since launched an investigation. (G2)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2024 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
…contractor to submit plan by August 20
Government has given the contractor of highly anticipated East Bank Demerara (EBD) Road improvement project, spanning from Good Success to Timehri, until August 20 to submit the road’s design.
The contract was awarded to China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) to the tune of US$75.8 million.
Works were slated to commence on August 1 but the Guyana Times understands that the contractor, has only completed the design for seven kilometres of road. The project spans 24 kilometres.
As a result, the company has lost approximately 14 days of labour time thus far.
To prevent further delay, government has instructed the contractor to complete the design in one
weeks’ time
In a recent interview, Public Works Minister Juan Edghill disclosed that the contractor has reassured that the design plan will be submitted by the stipulated deadline to allow for it to be finalised.
“I was disappointed when the design which should have been completed by the end of July was
not completed and that is why I met with the team because a couple of days delay can lead to difficulties. So, they understand that they have to get this design completed and the contractor promises to submit that in the shortest possible time,” Edghill told Guyana Times.
The East Bank Demerara (EBD) Road im -
provement project is aimed at supporting climate-resilient infrastructure development and marks the first of its kind to be funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Guyana.
When completed it will alleviate traffic congestion
schedule with minimal disruption to commuters.
Section A covers the stretch from Good Success, beginning at the Ganga Temple, to Supply, while Section B extends from Supply to the Soesdyke Junction. Section C continues from the Soesdyke
traffic signs will be installed to enhance safety and navigation along the carriageway.
and facilitate vital routes for efficient transportation. Given its significance, Edghill has assured that the delayed design will not affect the stipulated 36-month deadline.
“We are not accepting anything less because that is an important road and I can assure the people of Guyana that we are not going to allow that project to falter. One, it is the main road to our international airport and two, it is the main artery that’s available right now to bring sand and stone that is required into the coastland. Every day I think it’s a minimum of 200 trucks traverse that road.”
According to the Ministry of Public Works, the project has been divided into three sections to ensure it remains on
Junction to the Timehri Junction, near the Timehri Police Station.
A notable feature of the project is the integration with the Soesdyke/Linden Highway through the construction of a roundabout, designed to facilitate smoother traffic transitions.
The project entails the rehabilitation of 24 kilometres of road, alongside the reconstruction and widening of over 58 bridges and culverts.
The roadway will be upgraded to a two-lane highway, complete with enhanced safety features such as sidewalks and cycle lanes to cater to vulnerable road users, including pedestrians and cyclists.
Additionally, thermoplastic road markings, LED street lighting, and
To manage the flow of traffic during the construction period, a comprehensive traffic management plan has been developed. Construction will begin in Section B, where there is sufficient space to accommodate ongoing work without severe traffic disruption.
During that time, at least one lane of traffic will remain open at all times, with efforts to maintain two lanes wherever possible. Construction activities will be confined to one side of the roadway at a time to further mitigate traffic issues.
Stakeholders and road users will remain informed through the RESOLV 75 app, which will provide real-time updates on the project activities.
Additionally, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) will also be mobilised to maintain order and ensure a steady flow of traffic throughout the construction period. (G1)
Closing SUGAR has been an obsession with the Opposition since before 1992. In Guyanese parlance, some people are “hard ears”, meaning they do not listen and learn. I will reiterate for the naysayers to hear loud and clear: SUGAR is here to stay.
The SUGAR narrative in Guyana has had various chapters, good times and bad times, but the Irfaan Ali-led PPP government is determined, like predecessor governments led by Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar, to write new chapters of an evolving industry. This column last week highlighted the dog-whistle messaging employed by the Opposition to threaten SUGAR, clearly implying that the policies of the then PNC-led APNU/AFC government (2015-2020) will be resurrected once the PNC is in Government. That policy led to the closure of four sugar estates, and had the No-Confidence Motion not blocked them, the PNC-led APNU/AFC government would have shuttered the whole industry by now.
The Opposition’s pathological obsession with SUGAR exposes their unwillingness to acknowledge that this failed policy was a significant factor in their resounding defeat in Elections 2020. In fact, the Opposition is doubling down on failed policies, such as the 2AM curfew and the closure of SUGAR. The main reason for their obsession with closure is that they must punish sugar workers for supporting the PPP, as Khemraj Ramjattan confessed in Parliament. They continue to be myopic, failing to see the demographics showing the workforce for SUGAR includes increasing numbers of persons from villages and communities traditionally considered as PNC strongholds.
The dog-whistling threats issued in a recent statement from Aubrey Norton, the Leader of the Opposition, and repeated in Parliament by various Opposition speakers last week, are not new. In late 2015, it became clear that the then David Granger-led Government was on a path to close SUGAR, no matter what words were being used. When, before the closure of Wales, I highlighted in a letter to the press that sugar cane cultivation was ended at various places -- such as Providence, a part of the Rose Hall Estate -- the GUYSUCO PR Department went into a frenzy to deny such things had happened. But I had walked through those abandoned cane fields in Providence, other parts of Rose Hall Estate, Skeldon, and Wales, and knew exactly what I was talking about.
The closure narrative (disguised as “downsizing”, “reengineering” or “restructuring”) justification is the subsidies that GUYSUCO has had since 2010. The naysayers have been banging on this door for years, but supporting in difficult moments an industry which is critical to the economy is not a new or untried concept. In 2008, when the financial crises brought economic chaos around the world, governments in the EU and America stepped in and bailed out companies that were about to collapse. In America, the justification was that the financial sector was about 1.5% of the GDP, and therefore too big to fail. The same happened for the automotive industry. In India, PM Indira Gandhi in the 1970s ensured the public transport industry was subsidized, so that it could employ hundreds of thousands of people even though it was determined there were too many workers. In all these cases, subsidization was considered the more affordable, most effective, and most morally correct option.
Just in case anyone forgets, billions of dollars earned through the sweat, blood and sacrifice of sugar workers have been siphoned off by PNC-led governments in the 1970s and 1980s, and again between 2015 and 2020. Through NICIL, between 2016 and 2019, government usurped more than 4,600 acres of GUYSUCO’s land, conservatively valued at more than $80B. In particular, lands at Wales were sold off by the government to hand-picked persons and entities.
Through the 1976 Forbes Burnham-led PNC Government sugar nationalization, illegal taxation in the 1970s, loans from GUYSUCO’s accounts in the 1980s, the sugar levy and transfer of land from GUYSUCO to Government, GUYSUCO is owed way far more than $100B. GUYSUCO is also saddled with a 2016 $30B loan taken by the Granger-led Government through NICIL. Most of that money never led to any meaningful investment in GUYSUCO.
Then there is the more than $100B in today’s value that they ripped out of GUYSUCO through the 26-year-long shameful sugar levy. But, in addition, they borrowed money from GUYSUCO that amount to billions also. For example, they owed more than $25B to Bookers in the nationalization deal. They took that money out of GUYSUCO. In 1974, they instituted an illegal tax on the gross revenue of GUYSUCO that took out about $17B from GUYSUCO, and ended only after the workers went on strike for 135 days in 1977. The workers were never compensated for the money the Government took out illegally between 1974 and 1977. GUYSUCO is merely asking Guyana, not for a handout, but just to pay back a fraction of the money we took to prop-up dictatorship in the 1970s and 1980s.
Also, just in case we have forgotten – GUYSUCO is not the only subsidy in Budget 2024, original or supplementary. Electricity in the mining towns of Region 10 continue to be subsidized at more than $5B annually. There are special and differential needs being recognized by a sensible Government.
The GUYSUCO payback helps maintain a productive sector; more than 17,000 employees and their families; support the local economies in Regions Three, Four, Five and Six; provides infrastructural and operational support for drainage and irrigation in these regions, at a cost of billions, that GUYSUCO does not recover.
SUGAR is pivotal for the food and energy security platforms that Guyana has taken leadership in on the global stage. Sugar’s ethanol future will help the transport industry’s vision to restrict fossil fuel. At the same time, sugar’s overall positive impact on agriculture helps to achieve the food security ambition of Guyana and CARICOM. The vision is clear –SUGAR is part of this vision.
Linden’s premier tertiary institution, the Linden Technical Institute (LTI) through government’s investments has seen significant growth over the years. Recognising the current development of the
more or less the dormitory may come on board sometime in the new year” he explained.
Construction of the complex, a multi-million-dollar capital project under the Ministry of Education, had
commenced in September 2018 with the contract being awarded to Compustruct Engineering Inc. Currently major construction works are completed while minor works such as electricity and plumbing are currently be-
The almost completed dorm
country the institute has aligned itself to meet the growing needs of the population.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday was Principal of the Linden Technical Institute (LTI), Hector Anthony, who explained that the school’s curriculum now offers a wider range of advanced programmes to approximately 500 persons who are currently enrolled at the institution.
“Currently we are doing more high-level programmes, we are doing both Caribbean Vocational Qualification or CVQ programmes. We’re also doing the GTE programmes at different levels,” he stated.
Moreover, the school’s principal explained that the implementation of several new programmes has significantly boosted the teaching capabilities of the institution.
“If you look back from about 2010 to now, we have actually have double the amount of programmes compared to what was being offered back then. But in a summary, we are offering approximately about twenty-two (22) programmes” he stated.
Currently talks are underway to further bolster the institute’s curriculum by adding several other programmes such as solar installation among others.
Additionally, the principal revealed that the school’s dormitory which has been under construction for several years now will soon be completed. He noted that major construction works on the structure have already been completed with only a few small touches to be added.
“As it relates to the dormitory, I would say it’s completed. It just has to be handed over, now you have to furnish it with beds etc. Also we have to get staff, but
ing executed. The complex will consist of four dormitories, a study hall and an administrative building when completed, the dormitory will cater to 150 students.
Work continues on the Berbice Deep Water Port (BDWP), being built by Canadian oil company CGX Energy, who recently revealed that an important component of the project, the trestle, should be completed this month.
The Canadian oil company recently provided an update on the BDWP, being built in the Region Six (East Berbice/Corentyne). For instance, in the update, CGX revealed that security fea-
tures in the port such as a security fence around the port yard and surveillance cameras, had been completed in June 2024.
Further, CGX also announced that the extension of the trestle, as well as piles, would be completed by the end of August. Work on the trestle had started in early July. Once the project is completed, these components would help in the mooring of vessels.
“The Company completed in June, construction of
a security fence and installation of surveillance cameras. Construction of a trestle extension as well as driving piles for fendering and mooring to aid in bringing vessels alongside commenced in early July with completion expected by end August,” CGX said.
Through its local subsidiary – the Grand Canal Industrial Estates (GCIE), CGX had undertaken the construction of the US$130 million deep-water port in the Berbice River which in-
In light of the deterioration of several key access routes throughout Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Esequibo) due to inclement weather over the past three months, Public Works Ministry has mobilised several teams across the region to begin remedial works.
These throughfares are expected to be restored to a usable state within the next few days, this is according to the region’s regional chairman Bryan Allicock, who on Tuesday during a telephone interview with Guyana Times revealed that several key areas have already been rehabilitated resuming traffic flow along the Linden to Lethem highway.
“The Bush Mouth trail has already been completed; traffic is passing there now, you have, further down the trail several other areas that are completed and the township of Lethem. By next week already they should complete the entire thing,” he stated.
Moreover, the chairman explained that due to the topography of the soil, heavy rainfall during the rainy season poses a significant threat to the usability of the trail. However, he noted that in an effort to mitigate the effects of rainfall on the road drains are being constructed along certain parts of the trail.
“When the rain comes, regardless of what we try to do, certain parts and certain ar-
eas, we never expect to be destroyed. So what we'll be doing is doing back the road, we'll be recapping it, you know, and putting tubing and culverts in areas that we think are needed,” he stated.
Meanwhile, several vehicles had remained dormant at the Bush Mouth trail in Wowetta Region Nine in July as a truck which was carrying goods along the route toppled over due to the deteriorating condition of the road.
In June, at least 20 persons in the region were displaced and had to be relocated temporarily with relatives and/or friends. According to information from the Civil Defense Commission (CDC) at the time, homes and other structures had collapsed due to intense rainfall and heavy winds. The commission had set up shelters in a few villages to house affected persons. Additionally in May, sev-
eral villages in Region Nine were underwater following the prolonged downpours. Some of the most affected villages were Potarinau, South Central Rupununi, Aishalton, Parishara and Nappi Village. In addition to these villages, several bridges and roads were not accessible to vehicular traffic. One such bridge was the Iwokrama Reserve, approximately 15 minutes away from the Kurupukari Crossing. In addition, the Pirara to Lethem Road was completely underway thus leaving scores of passengers stranded on both sides. In light of these occurrences, the Civil Defence Commission (CDC) dispatched a team to the affected areas to conduct thorough assessments. In addition, it handed over cleaning supplies to the Regional Authorities to be distributed to the residents.
cludes a wharf facility and a trestle as well as a cargo terminal.
Local company GAICO Construction was contracted to work on the access trestle and wharf, as well as dredge the Berbice river. The port facility is being constructed to support oil and gas activities offshore of Guyana.
In an update back in March 2024, the company had said that cargo operations at the port were slated to start in the second quarter of 2024. However, in its Quarterly Highlights for the first three months of 2024, which was published on May 8, CGX reported that operationalisation had been shifted to the third quarter of this year.
Being built on 30 acres of land adjacent to Crab Island on the eastern bank of the Berbice River and some 4.8 km from the Atlantic Ocean, the BDWP facility is intended to serve as an offshore supply base for the oil and gas industry, and as a multi-purpose terminal to service agricultural import/ export, containerised and
specialised cargoes, including aggregates for construction purposes.
The BDWP Project is also aimed at enabling the provisioning of oil operators and vendors in the territorial waters of both Guyana and Suriname. GCIE had also previously reported that there were some minor setbacks with the project.
This is due to revisions that were needed to the design of its wharf and trestle in the Berbice River. The port will be capable of loading and offloading vessels, mainly aggregates, from the completed trestle, as well as the storage of material at the completed port yard.
Previously, the Guyana Government had expressed concerns over the slow pace of the BDWP Project and made CGX relinquish two oil exploration blocks offshore Demerara and Berbice to the State so that the company could focus on operations in the Corentyne Block, where it made significant oil discovery, as well as on the deep-water port facility.
Concerns still remain, however, with Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo recently revealing that the Guyana Government could end its deal with CGX due to their failure to present satisfactory responses on plans to develop its oil block offshore Guyana. Jagdeo had also said that Government plans to engage the operators on the future plans for their Guyana operations.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali has on multiple occasions, emphasised the importance of a deep-water harbour in Guyana as part of his administration’s push to have the country become a major logistics and trans-shipment hub in the South America and Caribbean regions.
With work ongoing on a paved road through Lethem to connect to Northern Brazil, and with the Corentyne River Bridge to connect with Suriname pending, the aim is to use Guyana as a transshipment hub to get cargoes moved to neighbouring countries as well as to other nations in the region. (G3)
Another deadline has passed and the $475 million Cemetery Road Project remains incomplete.
Guyana Times visited the project site on Tuesday where contractors were doing what they described as final touches to the long-overdue road project.
While the major works were completed – like the paving of the lanes – other aspects of the project were still ongoing.
At the Princess Street and Cemetery Road intersection, major works were still ongoing on the bridge.
Guyana Times was made to understand that the curing of the road is still needed as construction workers were still in the process of pouring the concrete.
However, because of this ongoing work, drivers had to use only one side of the road when approaching Princes Street.
When this curing is completed the Princess Street and Cemetery Road intersection still needs to be swept and pavement markings need to be placed.
Close to the interception was also a pedestrian walking area connected to the road where final works were also being done. Meanwhile, in another section of Cemetery Road, other pedestrian walkways were also under construction, with workers moving swiftly to complete them.
However, throughout the entire stretch of the road, pavement markings were not seen as yet and various drivers were seen partially driving in and out of there
Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign said it was notified by the FBI last month that it was “targeted by a foreign actor influence operation”, a NBC News reporter said on
Tuesday.
“We have robust cybersecurity measures in place, and are not aware of any security breaches of our systems resulting from those efforts,” the campaign said,
according to the reporter.
The FBI said on Monday that it was investigating after Harris’ Republican rival Donald Trump’s presidential campaign said it was hacked. ( The Guardian)
Meanwhile, in an effort to enhance education delivery in Region 10, expansion works have commenced on the main building at LTI.
Sod turned On Monday, the Education Minister, Priya Manickchand turned the sod for works to begin. In a brief comment, Manickchand said that “this critical expansion initiative, valued at $43,322,000, represents a significant investment in the future of technical and vocational education in Linden and its surrounding areas.” The Minister emphasised the significance of this project, stating, "The expansion of Linden Technical Institute is a testament to
our government's commitment to providing quality education and training opportunities for our youth. This project will not only benefit the students of today but will also contribute to the long-term economic development of Linden and the surrounding areas."
The project, is being executed by Phoenix Engineering Enterprise. With a projected duration of six months, the expansion will enhance the institute’s capacity to serve 250 students, providing them with improved facilities and access to cutting-edge training in various technical fields.
The mobilisation amount for the project stands at G$12,996,600, ensuring that construc -
designated sections.
The Cemetery Road project was awarded to Avinash Construction and Metal Works Company in 2022 and was initially expected to be completed in July 2023.
Some two weeks ago, the Public Works Ministry had brought on subcontractors to help the main contractor execute the works in a timely fashion and it was hoped that the project would have already been completed.
It was reported that while the subcontractors completed their section of the works on time, the main contractor continued to fail to meet their timelines.
The government had said that the main contractor would be responsible for paying the subcontractors. The government had also disclosed that it was pursuing liquidated damages against the main contractor over the significantly delayed project.
The $475 million project
will see the two-lane carriageway being extended into four lanes. When completed, it is expected to sig-
nificantly alleviate traffic congestion.
Edghill said no further delay will be tolerated given that the People’s
tion progresses on schedule and that the necessary resources are in place for the timely completion of the extension.
The expansion project is expected to have a profound impact on the local community, with the institute now able to accommodate more students from the catchment areas of Linden and beyond. The improved infrastructure will also support the introduction of new technical courses, equipping students with the skills needed to thrive in the modern workforce.
As a means of gaining both employment and experience simultaneously, five students from the institute will be working on the project and will be paid a stipend.
Tropical Storm Ernesto battered the north-east Caribbean on Tuesday as it took aim at Puerto Rico, where officials shuttered schools, opened shelters and helped move dozens of the US territory’s endangered parrots into hurricane-proof rooms.
Ernesto is expected to become a hurricane early on Wednesday, prompting forecasters to issue a hurricane watch for the US and British Virgin Islands as well as the tiny Puerto Rican islands of Vieques and Culebra.
“Ernesto could be near or at hurricane strength in about 24 hours,” the US National Hurricane Center in Miami said in an advisory issued late Tuesday morning.
The storm is forecast to move over or near the US Virgin Islands on Tuesday evening and pass just northeast and north of Puerto Rico late Tuesday and early Wednesday.
‘Fierce
United Nations human rights investigators have urged Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, Nicolás Maduro, to halt the “fierce repression” being perpetrated by his security forces after last month’s allegedly stolen presidential election.
In a statement published two weeks after the 28 July vote, the UN’s fact-finding mission to Venezuela condemned Maduro’s “escalating” crackdown, during which more than 100 children and teens have been detained. The UN investigators said they had recorded 23 deaths, the vast majority caused by gunfire and nearly all young men.
“Street protests, as well as criticism on social media, in the weeks following the election have been met with fierce repression by the state, as directed by its highest authorities, inducing a climate of widespread fear,” added the group, calling for
a thorough investigation of “the spate of grave human rights violations that are currently occurring”.
Maduro, who claimed victory in the recent election despite compelling evidence that actually he lost heavily to his rival Edmundo González, looks unlikely to heed the UN’s call.
On Monday, Venezuela’s strongman leader ordered officials to treat his “fascist” opponents with an “iron fist” and vowed to severely punish those challenging his government. Maduro, who has governed in an increasingly authoritarian man-
ner since being elected in 2013, has refused to release detailed election data supporting his supposed victory, despite calls from countries including Brazil and Colombia to do so.
The opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was the driving force behind González’s presidential campaign, has called fresh anti-Maduro protests for next Saturday in cities around the world.
In a recent interview with the Guardian, Machado urged the world to challenge Maduro’s “campaign of terror”. (The Guardian)
At least five Haitian children have been killed or injured a week so far in 2024, charity Save the Children said on Tuesday, urging the United Nations and security forces to do more to protect kids from crossfire and gang violence.
Haiti in 2022 called for a security mission to help its under-resourced police fight violent gangs that have taken over most of the capital, bringing indiscriminate killings, gang rape, extortion and recruiting minors into their ranks.
But progress has been slow and so far just 400 Kenyan police mandated to lead a U.N-ratified mission have deployed in Haiti, while countries have lagged in delivering on promises of funds, personnel and armored trucks.
'We want light and water' –Bahamas Harbour
Dressed in white, scores of Harbour Island residents marched along the streets of Dunmore Town to protest prolonged utility outages.
As they made their way to the island’s Bahamas Power and Light (BPL) office, they chanted, “Briland unite. We want light.”
Many marchers carried signs, one of which read, “No light, no water, no vote!!!”
The protest came after months of frequent utility outages that have plagued not only Harbour Island, but mainland Eleuthera as well.
Javaughn Rolle said the situation is dire and requires immediate attention.
“We have one question for the government today –are you going to fix the problem or are we going to get a new government?” he said.
“The people are tired. The people are really tired.”
He added, “How is it that
we bring in so much money to our GDP and we get what we get today? We are funding the bottom line of this country.
“... But we don’t get no power.”
A small business owner, Rolle said despite the frequent outages, his electricity bills have been exorbitant recently.
“This is the highest I’ve ever seen my bill this month,” he said.
“Why is it high if the power has been off for the last month, all month? Why am I paying y’all?”
In a statement yesterday, Minister of Energy and Transport JoBeth ColebyDavis announced a 50 percent rebate on the base electricity rate for Eleuthera customers for July. She said the rebate will be applied to the August bills. (The Nassau Guardian)
Triggered by the slaughter of eight Jamaicans at Cherry Tree Lane, Clarendon, on Sunday and the injury of nine others in what law enforcers say was an act of reprisal, Prime Minister Andrew Holness, in declaring a “total assault on gangs” across the island, pledged that the “Government will use this opportunity to deal with the gangs once and for all”.
gency press briefing at Jamaica House on Monday morning, after a meeting of the National Security Council, the prime minister said it had been confirmed that players from multiple gangs, including people overseas and those behind bars, played a role in what he described as “an act of terror”.
Declaring that Jamaica has “played with gangs for far too long” the prime minister said, “We will not treat this as another criminal act; we will treat this as an act of terror. Therefore, we have given directions to the security forces to launch an all-out assault on the gangs that are involved.”
‘Go after every single gang — and erode them,’ “ the prime minister said grimly. Added Holness: “There is no way that eight persons can be killed in one incident in Jamaica and the State stands as if nothing happened. Every gang member will feel the full force of the State today. This must never happen in Jamaica again. Everyone involved in this incident will be brought to justice — in whatever form the justice is visited upon them.”
"Behind these horrifying numbers are real children who have been severely harmed or killed," the charity's Haiti director Chantal Sylvie Imbeault said.
"Entire neighborhoods have been burned, kidnappings and sexual assaults
Citing U.N. data, Save the Children said at least 131 children were killed or injured in the first six months of 2024, often due to stray bullets or reprisals for supporting rival gangs or police, and said the true numbers were likely much higher.
are rampant, and children are being directly targeted or caught in the crossfire."
In late July, local media reported that a Kenyan mission to Ganthier, a community by the border with the Dominican Republic, had rapidly ended with police having to help them escape gang gunfire due to lack of preparedness and resources. (Excerpted from Reuters)
An earthquake with a magnitude of 4.2
was felt in several Caribbean countries on Tuesday, the Trinidadbased Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies has announced.
It said that the quake, which occurred at 1.55 a.m.
(local time) had a depth of 125 kilometres (km) and was felt in 68 km east north east of Kingstown, the St Vincent and the Grenadines capital, as well as 85 km south east of Castries in St Lucia and 117 km west north west of the Barbados capital, Bridgetown.
The SRC said there
were no immediate reports of damage and or injuries in any of the islands.
The quake followed one with a magnitude of 3.5 two days earlier, which rattled the islands of Dominica, St Lucia and the French island of Martinique.
That quake was at a depth of 19 km. (Excerpted from Jamaica Gleaner)
The attack carried out by men armed with high-powered rifles aboard a white motor car at 8:45 pm disrupted birthday celebrations being held by a 31-year-old bar owner for her boyfriend, a 23-yearold mechanic from the area. After the shooting ended it was discovered that several individuals had been shot. Amongst the casualties lay a seven-year-old boy, while a baby of one year and eight months was injured.
Speaking at an emer-
“Operationally, they must go after every single gang…today every gang leader should ‘tek weh dem self’.
“The security forces have now been given a directive, after our National Security Council meeting:
The prime minister, in branding the incident “coordinated, organised armed violence”, said the perpetrators will be treated as criminal terrorists. In noting that “operations are underway at all levels”, he said Jamaica has sought the support of international partners to nab those overseas who are facilitating, directing, and funding criminal operations here. (Jamaica Observer)
Query over internet bill turns deadly as T&T mom beaten to death
Amentally ill man is now in police custody, after he allegedly beat 57-year-old Mala Boodram to death at her Cleghorn Village, Princes Town home yesterday.
The suspect works at the Water and Sewerage Authority in San Fernando.
Investigators said that around 11.40 am, Boodram went downstairs to ask the suspect why he had disconnected the internet, which he paid for on a monthly ba-
sis. It is believed that the suspect flew into a rage and started beating her.
Speaking to Guardian Media at the victim’s home yesterday, Boodram’s sister, Omatie Basdeo, said after the attack, the suspect called them to say Boodram had suffered a heart attack.
“When we came, he was sitting on the couch. She was found with blood in her mouth and bruises on her body,” Basdeo said.
Indicating that the sus-
pect has a history of mental illness, Basdeo said, “He goes to Ward 1, and usually, when he takes his medicine, he is a good person. He doesn’t interfere with anyone or become violent. But he was on vacation for three weeks. I know he gets angry sometimes, but never like this.”
Boodram, a mother of two, worked in a roti shop and often catered for her neighbours.
(T&T Guardian)
Brent and U.S. crude oil futures fell on Tuesday as traders grew less nervous about the potential for a wider war in the Middle East, with Iran yet to act on threats to retaliate on Israel for assassination of a Hamas official in Tehran.
Benchmark Brent crude futures settled down $1.61, or 1.96% at $80.69 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished down $1.71, or 2.14%, at $78.35 a barrel.
"The markets had priced in an imminent attack by Iran against Israel within 24 to 48 hours," said Phil Flynn, senior analyst at Price Futures Group. "That hasn't happened. The market is taking that risk premium out of the price for crude."
The International Energy Agency kept its 2024 global oil demand growth forecast unchanged but trimmed its 2025 estimate, citing the impact of lacklustre Chinese consumption on economic growth. Brent on Monday gained more than 3%, closing at $82.30 a barrel after hitting the lowest closing price in seven months, $76.30, a week earlier.
Also on Monday, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries cut expected demand in 2024 even though the group and its allies, known as OPEC+, aim to raise output from October.
Escalation in the Middle East could endanger crude supply from a leading oil-producing regions, but wider war seemed less likely as Iran suggested renewed cease-fire talks with Hamas could prevent retaliation.
"We're seeing evaporation of the geopolitical risk premium," said Jim Ritterbusch, president of Ritterbusch Associates.
The U.S. has prepared for what could be significant attacks by Iran or its proxies in the region as soon as this week, White House national security spokesperson John Kirby said on Monday.
Markets also await Wednesday's U.S. consumer price index report that will give a crucial read on inflation. (Reuters)
Only a ceasefire deal in Gaza stemming from hoped-for talks this week would hold Iran back from direct retaliation against Israel for the assassination of Hamas leader
Ismail Haniyeh on its soil, three senior Iranian officials said.
Iran has vowed a severe response to Haniyeh's killing, which took place as he visited Tehran late last month and which it blamed on Israel. Israel has neither confirmed or denied its involvement. The U.S. Navy has deployed warships and a submarine to the Middle East to bolster Israeli defenses.
In comments published
Canada’s reliance on temporary foreign workers is “breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery”, a UN special rapporteur has warned, amid growing calls to overhaul the controversial program.
The damning report from the UN investigator Tomoya Obokata found that deep power imbalances and discriminatory practice in Canada cuts costs for companies but exploits against workers from the global south.
Obokata toured Ottawa, Moncton, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver to study the decades-long program, which relies heavily on workers from Mexico, Guatemala and Jamaica.
Throughout the country, he found workers were locked in debt bondage. Many had borrowed money to participate in the program and relied on their Canadian wages to repay accrued debts.
He also heard testimony of widespread emotional and physical abuse, wage theft, hazardous work conditions, long hours, sexual
harassment and exploitation.
“The special rapporteur retains the view that the temporary foreign worker program serves as a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery, as it institutionalizes asymmetries of power that favour employers and prevent workers from exercising their rights,” said the report.
Under the current rules, Canada’s temporary for-
eign worker program allows companies to bring in foreign workers for sectors when an employer is not able to find local workers.
In the past the agricultural sector has relied heavily on seasonal migrant workers.
Last year, employers were approved to hire 239,646 temporary foreign workers – more than double the 108,988 hired in 2018, according to Employment and Social Development Canada.
Employers are increasingly using to fill positions in new sectors, including in fast food and construction. The number of people hired for low-wage jobs in the healthcare sector is up more than 15,000% since 2018.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Canadians got a glimpse of the abuse and exploitation of rampant within a system long ignored by residents. (The Guardian)
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday approved the possible sale to Israel of fighter jets and other military equipment worth over $20 billion, the Pentagon said.
In a statement, the Pentagon said Blinken approved the possible sale of F-15 jets and equipment worth nearly $19 billion. He also approved the possible sale of tank cartridges worth around $774 million and army vehicles worth $583 million, the Pentagon said. The tank rounds would be almost immediately available for delivery. The
on Tuesday, the U.S. ambassador to Turkey confirmed Washington was asking allies to help convince Iran to de-escalate tensions. Three regional government sources described conversations with Tehran to avoid escalation ahead of the Gaza ceasefire talks, due to begin on Thursday in either Egypt or Qatar.
"We hope our response will be timed and executed in a way that does not harm a potential ceasefire," Iran's mission to the U.N. said on Friday in a statement. Iran's foreign ministry on Tuesday said calls to exercise restraint "contradict principles of international law."
(Excerpted from Reuters)
Boeing Co (BA.N), opens new tab F-15 fighter jets would take years to produce and deliver.
The U.S. has staunchly supported Israel as its top Middle East ally prosecutes a war in the Gaza Strip that has devastated the Palestinian enclave. The war was set off by the militant group Hamas' Oct. 7 attack in southern Israel.
While approving weapons to Israel, Washington has also tried to arrange a ceasefire deal in Gaza that would potentially stave off a wider Middle East war.
Fears of a broader war have increased since the recent killings of Hamas lead-
er
Iran and Hezbollah military commander
Acourt in Bangladesh has ordered an investigation into the former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s alleged role in the death of a grocery shop owner in the capital, Dhaka, during last month’s student-led protests.
The case filed by Bangladeshi citizen Amir Hamza against Hasina and six others was accepted by Dhaka’s chief metropolitan magistrates court after a hearing, Hamza’s lawyer, Anwarul Islam, said. The magistrate Rajesh
Chowdhury ordered police to investigate the case, Islam added.
It was the first case filed against Hasina after a violent uprising that killed about 300 people, many of them college and university students. She fled to India on 5 August and has been sheltering in Delhi.
The other accused in the case include the general secretary of Hasina’s Awami League party, Obaidul Quader, the former interior minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, and senior police
officials.
Hamza alleged the grocer, Abu Saeed, was killed on 19 July at about 4pm (10.00 GMT) when he was hit by a bullet while crossing the street in the Mohammadpur area of Dhaka, as police fired on students and other people demonstrating against quotas in government jobs.
The complainant blamed Hasina, who had called for strong action to quell the violence, for the police firing. Hamza said he was not related to Saeed but voluntarily approached
the court because Saeed’s family did not have the finances to file the case.
“I am the first ordinary citizen who showed the courage to take this legal step against Sheikh Hasina for her crimes. I will see the case to an end,” Hamza told Reuters.
Hasina, who was prime minister for 15 years, could not be immediately reached for comment. Quader’s phone was switched off, while Kamal did not answer his phone when Reuters tried to reach him.
(The Guardian)
(March 21-April 19)
Do your research, ask direct questions and decide what’s best for you. Don’t let outside influences dictate your fate. Trust your instincts, follow your heart and be innovative.
Pay attention to your spending habits. Indulgent behavior, trying to buy favors or failing to resist temptation will lead to emotional backlash. Talk to someone you trust.
(May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
Oversee every change personally. If you allow someone to take control, the outcome will disappoint you. Refuse to let emotional issues escalate or lead to poor decisions.
Discipline, continuity, and going beyond the call of duty will pay off. An open dialogue will help solve problems and point you in a direction that brings about positive change.
(June 21-July 22) (July 23-Aug. 22)
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
Step into the spotlight and do what you do best; use your skills. Don’t let anyone talk you into purchasing things you don’t need. Recognize your attributes and make things happen.
If you take on too much, you’ll fall short. Focus on what’s significant to you; it will take you on a memorable journey. The choice is yours, so don’t let anyone tell you what to pursue.
Looking the other way will put you in an awkward position. Weigh the pros and cons, and don’t jeopardize a meaningful connection or put yourself in harm’s way.
Look at contracts, investments and medical matters carefully. Scour the internet for information that can shed light on your situation, but be cautious of scams.
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Emotional matters will escalate quickly. Be aware of your surroundings and respectful of others, and avoid participating in discussions that challenge your beliefs.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Keep your thoughts to yourself and your eye on your objective. Limit your spending and avoid joint ventures. Look inward and adjust your plans to suit your needs.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Keep your eyes wide open and refuse to let anyone get the better of you. Be on guard, question information and verify facts. Stick close to home and make your space more convenient and functional.
Note what others are doing and do your best to keep up or surpass competitors. Someone will notice a change you make, so thoroughly review your plans before you put them into play.
Ben Stokes has been ruled out of the rest of the summer, after scans on Tuesday revealed England men's Test captain has torn his left hamstring.
Stokes sustained the injury playing in the Hundred for Northern Superchargers against Manchester Originals on Sunday. Called through for a quick single early in Superchargers' chase, he pulled up injured on completing the run, before falling to the floor and clutching his left leg. He had to be helped on the field and returned to the team dugout with crutches.
A scan on Tuesday revealed the extent of the damage, with Stokes now unable to play any part in the upcoming three-match Test series against Sri Lanka which begins in Manchester on August 21. It means Ollie Pope, Stokes' vice-captain for over a year, will assume full captaincy duties for the series. He was subsequently withdrawn from London Spirit's squad for their final Hundred match against Northern Superchargers on Tuesday evening.
The ECB said in a statement that Stokes is aiming
to return for England's winter Test tour of Pakistan, which will start in Multan on October 7. Zak Crawley, who is missing the Sri Lanka series with a finger injury, is also targeting the Pakistan tour for his return.
England have decided not to name a replacement for Stokes in their squad to face Sri Lanka. In his absence, Jordan Cox will come into contention to make his Test debut as a specialist batter at No. 6. Alternatively, they could change the balance of the team by moving Jamie Smith and Chris Woakes up to No. 6 and 7 respective-
ly, and select an additional seamer in Matthew Potts or Olly Stone.
Stokes is expected to join the rest of the squad in Manchester this weekend, as originally planned, and it is understood he would try to be with the team for every day of the series, which includes two Tests in London.
At the same time, England would hope Pope embraces his temporary promotion, having been made Stokes's deputy in 2023 with a view to giving him more responsibility to harness his leadership potential. His promotion to No. 3 came on similar grounds, and has large-
The BCCI has made two changes to India's home season schedule: moving the first T20I against Bangladesh on October 6 from Dharamsala to Gwalior, and swapping the venues of the first and second T20Is against England, which will now be played in Kolkata and Chennai respectively in January 2025.
The change in venue for the first T20I against Bangladesh from Dharamsala to Gwalior was necessitated because of "upgrades and renovation work being carried out by the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association in the dressing rooms," according to a BCCI statement. This is the second international fixture moved out of Dharamsala in the last two years. In February 2023, a late decision was made to move the third Test between India and Australia to Indore because the outfield in Dharamsala was not ready for play.
The first T20I against Bangladesh will be the inaugural international fixture at the new Madhavrao Scindia Cricket Stadium,
and the first in the city since 2010, when Sachin Tendulkar scored a maiden double-century in men's ODIs.
For England's tour of India in 2025, Chennai was originally scheduled to host the first T20I on January 22 and Kolkata the second on January 25, but those venues have now been swapped. "The venue change was necessitated following a request from Kolkata Police to the Cricket Association of Bengal regarding their prior Republic Day commitments and obligations," the BCCI said.
India's 2024-25 home in-
ternational season begins with two Tests and three T20Is against Bangladesh from September 19 to October 12, after which New Zealand visit for three Test matches from October 16 to November 5.
India then tour Australia for five Test matches from November 22 to January 7, after which they return home to host England for five T20Is and three T20Is from January 22 to February 12. The ODIs against England are India's only scheduled 50-over games before the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan. (ESPNCricinfo)
ly been a success, averaging 44.63 in that position, with five centuries.
Pope's captaincy experience is limited to a single first-class match, leading Surrey against Glamorgan in September 2021, though he did take the reins for their 2024 Vitality Blast campaign with regular skipper Chris Jordan away with England at the T20 World Cup. He has previously captained England XIs in warmup matches in the UAE ahead of the 2022 Pakistan tour and in New Zealand at the start of 2023, after Stokes opted to sit out of both. (ESPNCricinfo)
Any club wanting to sign Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi must pay "superstar money", says the club's co-owner and chairman Steve Parish.
Newcastle have made three offers for Guehi with the latest understood to be in the region of £60m.
Guehi was one of the standout performers for England at Euro 2024, and played six of the seven games in the competition, only missing the quarter-final through suspension.
The 24-year-old has been tracked by clubs across Europe since excelling for the Eagles after signing in 2021, and has under two years left on his contract.
“We’d like to keep hold of him. There’s a price and a situation where we might consider it," Parish told BBC Sport.
“Somebody [in another interview] said he’s a superstar, so somebody has got to pay superstar money.
“Realistically, homegrown, 24 years old, sensational talent, somebody has to make it difficult for us. At the moment it isn’t. He’ll still be at Crystal Palace at the moment, but it’s not impossible.
“He is certainly not making anybody’s life difficult. His agents are decent people. It’s a very good situation. Whether he is here or not will make no difference to how he performs.”
'No concrete interest in Eze' Parish spoke about several other Palace players, including Fulham's second offer for Guehi’s central defensive partner Joachim Andersen, believed to be
£25m plus £5m in add-ons. Palace rejected Fulham’s first bid of £20m on Monday, and value the Denmark international at closer to £40m.
“That’s an interesting one, because I can’t imagine a situation where we would lose both of our centre-halves,” Parish said.
“Again, Joachim, he’s a special lad and very much at the heart of what we do.
He’s like our quarterback at the heart of that back three, a sensational footballer.
“We have got to sit and think about what is the right thing to do, what the players want to do. If both of them are still here at the end of the window I wouldn’t be surprised.”
The Eagles have already sold star player Michael Olise to Bayern Munich for £50m, and are braced for interest in England international Eberechi Eze.
Eze was of interest to champions Manchester City last season, but they signed Matheus Nunes instead. Parish says there
has not been any "concrete interest" in the forward this transfer window.
“Everyone is in a trading deficit in the Premier League. If you want constancy, you have to first of all attract the right talent, and part of that is showing them a pathway," he said.
“Players like Michael [Olise] going to Bayern and going to the top clubs in the world shows people that coming to Crystal Palace you can get picked for your country, you can go and play at the highest level.
“What do we hope? One day we are the Champions League club that everybody wants to come to, we’re the Europa League club that everybody wants to come to.
“Up until then we have to be realistic. We have to work with the players, work with the sporting department, we have to make sure we have a good squad and we are making smart decisions about recruitment - buying and selling.”
(BBC Sport)
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14,
Several weeks of diligent training will culminate with raging fistic action when Guyana joins several other Caricom countries for championship honours in the Winfield Braithwaite Caribbean Schoolboys/girls Boxing Championships at the National Gymnasium, Mandela Avenue, commencing this Friday, August 16, and concluding Sunday 18.
Boxing was introduced into the Junior CARIFTA Games in 1985, and four Guyanese boxers contested for honours; Earl Green (lightweight), the son of the late Dick 'Tiger' Green, and Michael Benjamin (featherweight) procured Gold medals at those games, with middleweight pugilist Terrence Munroe (silver) and bantamweight Garfield Sam (bronze) completing the medal tally for Guyana.
Local pugilists have since dominated the scene, retaining Guyana's dominance at the Caribbean level.
Despite dominating their Caribbean counterparts and officially attaining the tab as Caribbean Champions over the years, local coaches have left
'We
nothing to chance, and have been taking their charges through their daily paces. The popular saying "Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown," aptly describes the anxiety emanating from the Guyanese camp as the squad prepares for highly anticipated encounters when the first bell rings.
The Guyanese boxers have been going through their paces under the watch-
ful eyes of veteran coaches, Terrence Poole and Lennox Daniels. Both coaches have been exceptionally tough on their charges over the past several weeks, from as early as 05:00hrs, Monday to Friday, whipping their bodies into an acceptable shape.
The applications of amateur boxing are vastly different in comparison with professional boxing. The term ‘Gong to Gong,’ or as
the uninitiated would say, “start to finish”, is usually associated with amateur boxing, and the ‘third man’ usually ensures that the boxers ‘get it on.’ The coaches, both former boxers, understand this and will conduct (or should that be, “have been conducting?” sessions with this in mind.
This writer visited the
training sessions at the Andrew ‘Sixheads’ Lewis Gym (ALBG) and was impressed at the application and concentration on their training sessions. Mr. Poole has singled out a few of the boxers for special mention. Among them are Dreshawn Willery in the U15 category, Aaron Sealey, a youngster who has twice clinched Best Boxer honors in previous high-profile tournaments; and Ezekiel Bancroft, whose father Eon Bancroft (jnr) and grandfather Eon Bancroft (snr) have both enjoyed productive tenures in the ring. Then there is Junior Madray, a former Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) silver medalist.
Mr. Poole said that those are but a few of the boxers in the Guyanese lineup that are expected to keep the Golden Arrowhead flying high.
This writer had engaged the coaches of several of the participating countries, and they are all exuding similar confidence in the charges.
The other participat-
ing countries: Suriname, Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, and Antigua and Barbuda, are unable to match the numbers of their Guyanese counterparts. St Lucia, with the largest contingent (13), is the most realistic threat to dethrone defending Champions Guyana.
Manager and President of the St Lucia Boxing Association (SLBA), David ‘Shakes’ Christopher, is confident that the championship trophy would change hands this time around.
Meanwhile, the overseas contingent will start trooping into Guyana on Wednesday and will be staying at the Britanny Hotel on William Street Campbellville, while local boxers have already opened camp at the ALBG on Callendar Street, Albouystown.
The opening ceremony and march past would be held at the National Gymnasium on Friday afternoon, two hours before the first bell at 19:00hrs. Guyana is the defending champion.
Antigua and Barbuda’s National Hero and iconic West Indies batsman Sir Vivian Richards, has hailed the accomplishments of St. Lucia's Julien Alfred and Dominica's Thea LaFond at the just-concluded Paris Olympic Games.
In fact, while sharing his excitement about the athletes' achievements, Richards said he believes their historic feats are something that the entire Caribbean should be proud of, especially given the fact that both are from tiny islands with a combined population of 250,000.
“We all should be proud,
and I feel like I am them [athletes] on the podium too, because you can feel it [the pride] when they hold their hearts. This is just a special time, and you have to big them up because it’s huge, especially coming from small territories as we do at times, and being able to make an impact in the world, and you have the world media saying beautiful things about you; there is no better feeling,” Richards said on the Good Morning Jojo sports show.
Alfred, 23, won gold in the women’s 100m in 10.72s, beating American Sha’Carri Richardson, the reigning World Champion, who was
heavily favoured to take the race. The feat delivered St. Lucia’s first ever Olympic medal, before Alfred added another when she placed second in the 200m in 22.08s
Prior to Alfred's feat, LaFond again etched her name in history books for Dominica when she won triple jump gold with a leap of 15.02m. That was her country's first ever Olympic Games medal.
The accomplishments of both Alfred and LaFond followed their exploits at the World Athletics Indoor Championships earlier this year, where they also won their respective events.
(Sportsmax)
Preparation is moving apace for the Guyana Under-14 national male team to compete in the 2024 Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Boys' Under-14 Challenge Series, set for Trinidad from August 16 to August 24, 2024, where the team looks to make a significant mark with the wide pool of talent.
The CFU 2024 Boys' U-14 Challenge Series is organized into the Group Stage and the Knockout Stage. During the Group Stage, teams are divided into groups, and play in a round-robin format, earning points for wins and draws. Rankings within each group are determined by points, goal difference, and goals scored.
The Knockout Stage follows, with play-offs, quarterfinals, semifinals, and a final match. Tied matches in the
Knockout Stage go straight to penalty kicks.
Head Coach Levi Braithwaite, while speaking to this publication, expounded that he has seen some improvement among the youths and is confident in his team’s ability to challenge for the title.
Braithwaite said, “We covering everything but, this moment we are working on finishing, trying to put the ball in the net from crosses. From the start to now we have seen improvement and the guys are getting better each day each session I should say. I am confident in going and going and compete and going and competing to the best of our ability.”
Guyana will have their first matchup against Antigua & Barbuda followed by Barbados on the 19TH, St. Vincent & the
Grenadines on the 21st and Cayman Islands on the 23rd. Those representing Guyana in the Tier II category are as follows Goalkeepers: Ezekiel Jackman and Kerwain Chance, Defenders: Aaron King, Eshawn Chesney, Ezekiel Douglas, Garfield Jones, Isaac Taylor, Jaden Noble and Simon Solomon, Midfielders: Akeel Young, Damani Hardy, Emanuel Sinclair, Jaden Tasher, Kevin Bunton, Nyron Barrow and Pharez Noble and Forwards: Jaden Christian and Mark Glasgow.
The Shuttle Strikers team emerged victorious on Saturday last as they championed the inaugural President’s Games Badminton tournament held at the National Gymnasium on Mandela Avenue.
The team tournament comprised 4 teams, all captained by national Badminton players. The teams competed in 5 events, namely boys’ and girls’ singles, boys’ and girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles; with one athlete being eligible to compete in only two events.
Led by Priyanna Ramdhani, the Court Conquerors comprised Joel Rambiriche, Joanathan Debidin, Yonnneil Benjamin, Naveah Eastman and Genvieve Bookram. Shuttle Strikers featured Akili Haynes as captain, with Frank Waddell, Gabriel Felix,
Nikolas Pollard, Mishka Beharry and Minikshi Jaikissoon. Captain Nkosi Beaton and players Jonathan Robinson, Egan Bulkan, Ethan Bulkan, Gabrielle Felix and Malia Haley made up the Black Panthers, while Team Terminetters was led by Jaurel Hendricks and comprised Avinash Ramnarine, Ruel Rambiriche, Vishal Gopaul, Anjaynesa Godette and Leshaunte Berkley. In the semifinal action, Terminetters defeated the Court Conquerors 3-2, while the second semifinal saw Shuttle Strikers dominating Black Panthers 4-1.
The Court Conquerors were on a high at the start of the first semifinal, leading the game 2-0 after the boys’ and girls’ doubles.
Court Conquerors’ Jonathan Debidin defeat-
ed Ruel Rambirche 2112, 21- 18 while his teammate Genvieve Bookram got the better of Anjaynesa Godette 21-18, 9-21, 21-18 in the girls’ singles. However, Terminetters turned things around in the boys’ doubles, as Ruel Rambiriche and Vishal Gopaul teamed up to defeat Joel Rambiriche and Yonnneil Benjamin 21-14, 217.
It was smooth sailing thereafter for the Terminetters, with Anjaynesa Godette and Leshaunte Berkley claiming the girls doubles over Naveah Eastman and Genvieve Bookram 21-16, 2110. In the decisive fifth game, Terminetters’ Ramnarine and Berkely joined forces to defeat Debidin and Eastman 21-16, 21-19.
The second semifinal saw Shuttle Strikers starting out
Dynamic all-round-
er Avinash Singh took a hat-trick for Better Hope last Sunday in the continuation of the 2024 Ontario Softball Cricket League Regular Season T20 competition against Leguan Warriors at Littles ground in Scarborough.
Thanks to Singh’s heroics, Better Hope won by six wickets with 13 balls to spare, having chased down Leguan Warriors’ competitive 175-7 from the allotted 20-overs. Singh conceded 21 runs from three tidy overs.
Leguan Warriors’ innings was built around a brilliant 91 from former Guyana youth player Krishna Deosaran, after they were sent in by the winning side to bat.
The left-handed Deosaran slammed 11 sixes and two fours during his 41ball exhibition at the crease.
Fazeem Haniff contributed 25.
The pair also featured in a flamboyant 84-run sec-
ond-wicket stand after they lost veteran batsman Naresh Bodo cheaply (4) at 11-1 in the second over.
The Canada-based Guyanese Singh returned with the bat to make a top score of 49 for Better Hope, while Yohandlall Sukhall
supported Singh with 34 not out, and Rovendra Mandolall contributed an unbeaten 23.
The five-team ‘A’ Division continues on Sunday with two simultaneous matches before the Playoff segment starts the next Sunday.
with a loss in the Boys’ singles. Shuttle Strikers’ Nikolas Pollard fell victim to Black panthers’ Jonathan Robinson 19- 21, 21-17, 13-21. However, Minikshi Jaikissoon turned thing around for the strikers, overcoming Malia Haley 21- 10, 21-6. The boys’ doubles saw Frank Waddell and Anjaynesa Godette getting the better of Egan and Ethan Bulkan 21-8, 21-11, while in the girls’ doubles, Mishka Beharry and Jaikissoon easily disposed of Gabrielle Felix and Malia Haley 21-13, 21-12.
Beharry and Waddell teamed up in the mixed doubles to secure Strikers’ win over Black Panthers’ Robinson and Felix 21-12, 218. The Shuttle strikers then went on to make light work of the final, overcoming the Terminetters 3-0. In the boys’ singles, Shuttle Strikers’ Frank Waddell defeated Terminetters’ Ruel Rambirche 21-11, 21-12. The result was the same for Shuttle Strikers in the girls’ singles, as Mishka Beharry
got the better of Anjaynesa Godette 21-10, 21-7. Shuttle Strikers then wrapped up the game early with a decisive win in the boys’ doubles, as their players Nikolas Pollard and Gabriel Felix fought hard in a three-set match to defeat Vishal Gopaul and Avinash Ramnarine 21-23, 21-19, 2115.
Each of the players featured in the Badminton tournament would be competing in the Regional CAREBACO competition from August 22nd to 25th.
The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has been loud in its praise for President Irfaan Ali’s initiative in procuring and distributing over 400 playing kits to young cricketers (male and female) from all across Guyana.
The distribution was done at an impressive and well- attended ceremony held on Saturday, August 10, at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre (ACCC).
That the event was graced with the presence of His Excellency, the Hon. Prime Minister, 6 Ministers of Government and a number of senior state functionaries clearly illustrated the importance the Government of Guyana (GoG) placed on this historic presentation.
The ACCC was filled with an appreciative audience, including parents and cricket coaches, who gave thunderous applause as President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips, Minister Charles Ramson and Minister Ashni Singh delivered speeches, all of which were well received. The delight on the faces of the youngsters as they received their kits was evident, and was matched only by the pride and joy displayed by their parents.
In his feature address, President Irfaan Ali emphasized the importance which the GoG places on sports as a unifying medium in his
“One Guyana” vision. The President urged the youngsters to spend time on honing their skills at cricket, to give more of themselves in their quest for stardom, and to adopt a disciplined approach at mastering the game at an early stage in their quest for cricket glory.
As a passionate cricket fan and supporter, President Ali has once again led by example and in a tangible manner made an invaluable contribution to cricket driven by a desire to ensure that the game progresses on its upward trajectory consistent with the prodigious development taking place throughout Guyana.
The President’s initiative has guaranteed that bud-
ding cricketers from across the country can continue to improve and develop their cricket skills.
The GCB is particularly pleased with President Ali’s insistence and commitment to have cricket development taken to even the far reaches within Guyana’s 10 Regions. Already the GCB has seen a high level of cricket talent emerging from areas such as Moruca, Warapoka, Baracara and Great Troolie Island.
The GCB would like to place on record its profound gratitude to President Irfaan Ali and the GoG on their continuing contribution to the progress and development of cricket particularly at the youth level.
