Sod turned for $407M investment in 2 secondary schools in Region 8
Contractor
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Wednesday, July 3 –02:00h-03:30h and Thursday, July 4 – 02:30h-04:00h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Wednesday, July 3 –14:50h-16:20h and Thursday, July 4 – 15:40h-17:10h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Thundery to light rain showers are expected during the day and at night, with sunshine in the early morning and late afternoon. Temperatures should range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North Easterly to Southerly between 1.34 metres and 2.68 metres.
High Tide: 14:38h reaching a maximum height of 2.34 metres.
Low Tide: 08:08h and 20:23h reaching minimum heights of 0.72 metre and 0.89 metre.
Hurricane Beryl Aid air-dashed by Guyana to Grenada arrives
– “We have no choice but to rise from the ashes” – Grenada PM – 6 deaths reported in 3 countries
n light of the devastation caused by Hurricane Beryl in several Caricom States, Guyana’s first shipment of relief aid arrived in Grenada on Tuesday one day after President Dr Irfaan Ali announced that Guyana has activated a full emergency response team to offer the necessary support to affected countries.
The shipment which includes generators, water purification tablets, batteries, hygiene items, and other necessities was handed over to Grenada’s Minister for Climate Resilience, the Environment, and Renewable Energy, Kerryne James by the Head of the Civil Defence Commission (CDC), Colonel (Retired) Nazrul Hussain at the Maurice Bishop International Airport, Grenada.
Meanwhile on Tuesday evening, a statement of Guyana’s Office of the Prime Minister said that Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips has coordinated with multiple agencies, including the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Civil Defence Commission, and Private Sector groups, to provide assistance to Grenada, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.
It noted that on Tuesday the first shipment of relief aid was handed over to Grenada's Minister for Climate Resilience, the Environment, and Renewable Energy at the Maurice Bishop International Airport.
This initial consignment comprises vital items such as generators, water purification tablets, batteries, hygiene products, and other necessities critical for immediate relief and recovery efforts.
Further, Guyana is mobilising more supplies for shipment to include chainsaws, mattresses, tarpaulins, rice, sugar, flour, plywood, black water tanks, lumber, zinc sheets and other roofing material.
The statement said that regarding the Government of Guyana’s swift response to this crisis, the PM emphasised Government’s commitment to community solidarity in the face of the regional challenge.
"In these trying times, it is imperative that we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Caribbean family. Guyana is committed to supporting our sister countries, providing not only immediate relief but
also assistance in rebuilding and resilience efforts," Prime Minister Phillips stated.
From reports received, the impact of the hurricane has killed three people in
in Venezuela. No reports of deaths from the other affected countries were known up to press time.
After devastating several islands, the hurricane which
where it made landfall on Monday. Reports also indicated that one death was reported in St
had been upgraded briefly to a Category 5 was closing in on Jamaica on Tuesday evening with winds up to 165 mph which surpassed Hurricane Emily in 2005 with winds at
160mph. It is expected to pound on Jamaica with estimated rainfall of 4 to 8 inches across the mountainous island country, with isolated amounts of up to 12 inches possible. This could trigger flash flooding in vulnerable areas.
However, as the affected countries started their cleanup, Guyana was the first country to send aid to Grenada –one of the most severely-hit countries. In fact, President Ali has led a proactive approach by mobilising aid to the affected countries. On Tuesday, the Guyanese Head of State tasked Prime Minister Phillips to lead the coordination efforts.
This decision was taken on Tuesday during a meeting with stakeholders at State House, Main Street, Georgetown. In addition to that meeting, President Ali in his capacity as the Chairman of Caricom convened an emergency response meeting with regional leaders to evaluate the initial damage caused by Hurricane Beryl.
Carriacou, Grenada,
Vincent and the Grenadines and two persons were killed
The aid from Guyana being loaded into a GDF Skyvan for Grenada
Medical workers and relief staff boarding the Samaritans Purse plane for Grenada
Hurricane Beryl swept through these idyllic islands, leaving a trail of devastation and disruption in its wake. The aftermath of this natural disaster serves as a stark reminder of the region's vulnerability to the forces of nature, and the urgent need for preparedness and resilience.
Beryl's impact was swift and severe. Homes were ripped apart, livelihoods shattered, and communities plunged into darkness as power lines succumbed to the relentless winds. In some areas, access to clean water and essential services became scarce, compounding the already dire situation. The scenes of destruction evoked a profound sense of loss and despair among those affected, highlighting the fragility of human existence in the face of such powerful storms.
Beyond the immediate physical damage, Hurricane Beryl has also dealt a significant blow to the region's economy. Tourism, a cornerstone of many Caribbean economies, suffered disruptions as flights were cancelled, resorts evacuated, and attractions closed. The ripple effects of these disruptions would be felt for months, if not years, as communities work tirelessly to rebuild and regain their footing.
Yet, amid the devastation, there is a resilient spirit that shines through. Communities come together, neighbours help neighbours, regional and international aid pours in to offer support and relief. This solidarity is a testament to the strength and determination of the Caribbean people in the face of adversity.
In this regard, we must commend our own Government for the quick response in aid that was given to Grenada on Tuesday.
As we reflect on the impact of Hurricane Beryl, it is crucial to recognise that climate change exacerbates the frequency and intensity of hurricanes, making proactive measures even more imperative. These storms, once occasional visitors, now seem like unwelcome regulars, wreaking havoc and leaving scars on communities and landscapes across the region.
Climate change has altered the dynamics of hurricanes in profound ways. Warmer ocean temperatures provide the fuel that intensifies these storms, turning them into monstrous entities capable of unleashing unimaginable destruction. As hurricanes become more frequent and intense, they pose an existential threat to the Caribbean's socio-economic stability and the well-being of its people.
The recent onslaught of hurricanes like Irma, Maria, and now Beryl, serves as a stark reminder of the region's vulnerability. The devastation extends beyond physical damage, disrupting livelihoods, displacing families, and deepening socio-economic inequalities.
Climate scientists have long warned of these consequences. They point to rising sea levels, changing weather patterns, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events as evidence of a planet in distress. The Caribbean, with its small island states and fragile ecosystems, bears a disproportionate burden of these changes despite contributing minimally to the greenhouse gas emissions driving climate change.
The Caribbean's beauty and resilience are legendary, but they are increasingly tested by forces beyond their control.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, solidarity, resilience and proactive action must guide the path forward. The Caribbean region would rebuild, stronger and more prepared, but the scars left by Beryl serve as a poignant reminder of the urgent need for concerted global action on climate change and disaster resilience. Together, the Caribbean can strive towards a future in which the beauty and vibrancy of the Caribbean remain undiminished even in the face of nature's most formidable challenges.
PNC will never enjoy a clean bill of health
Dear Editor,
It was of no surprise that, controversies, contradictions and contrivances composed a concoction to conclude the 22nd Congress of the PNC over the weekend. So, the weighty wait is overbearingly over and an obvious ordinance was painstakingly put to bed. Incumbent Mr. Aubrey Norton, has been elected (by default?), to be the Leader of the PNC Party. One news media reported that he won by 140 votes from 166 votes cast. Another media stated that Norton won 1,040 votes from 1,066 votes cast. Was the Devil’s Advocate deployed to deliberately deliver some damaging displacement, or, the contagious continuity of their DNA, corroborated with the consented revelation?
The PNC always has a tumultuous task with calculation and counting. Their bizarre track record for being poor at Mathematics, among other things, ended up with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), having to schooled them in the fine art of dealing with figures. Imagine what would happen if the PNC had to deal with the production of gold, oil, gas and agricultural products and to report their performances to the nation! The question of accuracy will forever drive fear into the hearts and minds of honest Guyanese. The job of cut-
ting and joining bodies require special surgical skills and is not for the PNC.
Making waves was the Congress Administrator, who declared that there were just under 2,000 delegates, according to one media. The said media wrote that the Returning Officer announced that there were 1,300 eligible voters, quite a significant difference. The 1,300 delegates represented 218 groups who came from Guyana and the Diaspora. Was there a lengthy process to verify if the dead also voted? The PNC is once more exposing its deficiency in accountability and only confirming that, they are not equipped to expertly deal with the affairs of the nation and unqualified to manage the country’s administration. Remember how the PNC wanted 155 days to complete a recount of 479,4753 ballots cast at the “mother of all elections” in 2020?
The Honorable Opposition Members of Parliament, Amanza Waldron-Desir and Roysdale Forde, according to the media, had withdrawn their candidacy. But the CEO was reported as saying, “that they did not receive any formal withdrawal notice.” How strange when such letters and statements were published in the media. The withdrawal by the other candidates was just a matter of formality. In a pub-
lished statement, Amanza Desir wrote, “I come to you today to announce my decision to suspend my campaign for the PNCR leadership. This decision has been incredibly difficult, but it has been made after deep reflection and extensive discussions with my team and close advisor.” Being hurt by your own is more painful than when hurt by others!
The aggrieved MP Desir sited occurrences which created “doubt on the integrity of the leadership selection process.” Apart from a preliminary list of delegates not been made available to her as a candidate “to allow for claims or objections,” all the candidates did not agree “on the procedures for conducting the elections.” There is a standard procedure which governs PNC electoral policies and it’s nowhere near playing fair.
Attorney-at-law Mr. Roysdale Forde, SC, followed his colleague’s footsteps and also withdrew from all nominated positions. In his letter addressed to the Returning Officer, he stated, “For the avoidance of doubt please note that I Roysdale A. Forde, S.C., hereby withdraw from all nominated positions for the Congress elections to be held on Sunday June 30th, 2024.” Imitation usually follows innovation. Ms. Desir’s initiative was an irresist-
ible open invitation for Mr. Forde.
The agitated Forde registered his annoyance over irregularities within the party’s electoral process. He referred to “allegations of electoral malpractice and procedural flaws” which shadowed the election proceedings and its lack of fairness. He also reflected on “discrepancies with the delegates lists and unrealistic timelines.” He was ignored and his concerns were unaddressed. The odds were even. The tiger loses its teeth but not the stripes and it’s difficult for the PNC to outgrow bad habits.
The PNC Party is plastered with plagues and poisoned with promiscuous profanities. Of couse, their Founder Leader LFSB, the Kabaka, created the pernicious precedent to set the perfect paradigm for his protégés to pattern. His obedient students want to uphold and immortalize such a legacy! Hope Estate did provide and provoke many hopeless disciples who were infatuated with delusional illusions. Are there more such cravings for the architectural death of the likes of DR. WAR? How about a couple of PNC ministers and the goodly father? The two periods under PNC administration ended with the bankruptcy of the economy.
A surfer braves the waves in Carlisle Bay as Hurricane Beryl passes through Bridgetown, Barbados (VOA)
Guyana Police Force celebrating 185 years of service
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Monday commenced its 185th anniversary celebrations with the traditional Drum Head Church Service at the Police Officers' Mess Annexe, Police Headquarters, Eve Leary, Georgetown.
Speaking with this publication, one of the forces Public Relations Officers, Stan Gouveia, said that several other exciting activities that have been planned to mark this special occasion. One highlighted activity was the Semifinals of the GPF debate competition which is slated for the sixth of July.
“We have got the debate finals and this is something that has started a while back, as a matter of fact this weekend we have the semifinals which is going to see obviously four teams battling for a place in the finals” he stated.
Gouveia noted that this competition was initialised
PNC will never enjoy a clean...
Any possible third time will complete the inevitable hat-trick in order to upkeep the PNC tradition.
The question of decency is disillusioned and diluted within the code of ethics in the PNC Party. Despite the sexual harassment allegation by Vanessa Kissoon, Opposition Member of Parliament (Regin 10), the next General and Regional Elections in 2025 will feature Aubrey Norton as their Presidential candidate. Dawn HastingsWilliams, the General Secretary, resigned just days before, complaining about humiliating incidents. Geeta Chandan has also resigned from that position. Speculative? Their
treasurer, Faaiz Mursalin, had also resigned, claiming racial hostilities towards him and accounting irregularities.
The PNC has once again departed on a disastrous journey, depicting deficiencies and displaying their devious intentions for Guyanese and Guyana. Their election was simply
one of ‘more of the same.’
The PNC will never enjoy a clean bill of health because the national, regional and international communities have daubed, defamed and disfigured them with permanent disability, depravity and dishonesty.
Yours respectfully, Jai Lall
WEDNESDAY, JULY 3, 2024
06:00 (Sign on) Inspiration Time
06:30 Cartoons
07:00 Evening News (RB)
08:00 Stop Suffering
09:00 Guy's Grocery Games
10:00 Grand Designs
11:00 Paternity Court
11:30 Divorce Court
12:00 News Break
12:05 Movie - Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)
13:35 Wheel of Fortune
14:00 The Loud House S3 E16
14:30 Spongebob Squarepants
15:00 Indian Soaps
16:00 Young Sheldon S1 E11
16:30 Kickin' It S3 E16
17:00 The Young & The Restless
18:00 Aljazeera
19:00 The Evening News
20:00 Stop Suffering
20:30 Stand-up Comedy
21:00 Good Trouble S2 E5
22:00 The Witcher S1 E6
23:00 The Office S6 E6
23:30 Insecure S5 E2
00:00 Sign off
to showcase the talent of the members of the GPF.
Gouveia also noted that the GPF is currently in the process of increasing the number of skilled persons in the organisation as such he highlighted that an award ceremony will be held during the month to honor persons who would’ve taken the step to advance their education to the tertiary level.
“This year the police are seeking to honor all those who have obtained in the GPF from a degree all the way up to a doctorate,” he stated.
Gouveia noted that that events of such nature is part of the GPF strategic effort to encourage more persons in the organisation to obtain higher qualifications.
Additionally, he noted that the GPF in an effort to better server citizens has been building relationships with members of the public over the years, In this regard
he highlighted that in observance of the organisations 185th anniversary the GPF will be conducting a Police Officers symposium to further bolster public relationships.
“This is where they’re going to be having discussions on some critical issues and topics that really impact society and policing, as part of us being able to move from the Guyana Police Force to the Guyana Police Service it’s looking at how we are modernising certain aspects of policing and how we are integrating the relationship with civilians and police to make it a more harmonious approach” he posited.
Gouveia also note that more women are currently equipping themselves with the skills and knowledge to take up senior roles within the organisation he highlighted that to date, the GPF work force is comprised of some 40% females.
Dividing decimals by whole numbers
Dividing a decimal by a whole number is exactly like dividing whole numbers except you have to know where to put the decimal point in your quotient. If only the dividend has a decimal point, put the decimal point in exactly the same column in the quotient.
Example:
Estimate 6. 90 ÷ 3
Step 1: Set up your division problem and put the decimal point in the proper place in the quotient:
Exercises: Divide
Let’s get started!
Download the Feather Biology Slide Collection: academy.allaboutbirds.org/featherbiology-slide-collection. Look at different types of feathers. How do you think they are of use to birds. Use the Parts of the Feather diagram or share the Feather Biology Slide Collection to examine the feathers and identify the parts. You may want to draw the feathers and label your drawings.
Types of feathers
Down feathers: more delicate feathers that are located beneath the outside feathers and provide insulation for the bird
Contour feathers: the visible feathers that one can see on the bird; they provide the colour of the bird and hook together to keep the rain out
Flight feathers: contour feathers of the wing and tail that make it possible for the bird to fly
How do feathers work?
Pull the barbs apart — separate the barbs so there are gaps between them. Then zip the barbs back together by starting at the bottom and running your fingers up the feather (like zipping up a jacket). What’s happening to the feather? How do birds manage this movement?
Birds zip up their barbs by using their beaks. In addition to hooking the barbs together again, they add a little waxy, oily coating to the feather. This waxy coating comes from a gland on their rump. Test the feathers to see if they still have this coating. (startwithabook.org)
BY COLE SWENSEN
On one side of the pond, a woman heads west in stone, while on the other, it’s a man heading east, but with the same extravagant gestures of headlong flight—one leg thrown back and both hands launched forward. And sometimes it’s on the tip of one of the lifted heels that a pigeon sits, and sometimes it’s on a thumb, but usually it’s on a head, often one on each, making a mockery of the phrase “in headlong flight.”
Though now they’re rebuilding the pond, so they’ve drained it, with the odd result that the pigeons have gone and have been replaced by crows. They too particularly like to perch on the statues’ heads, but, determined to assert their alterity, they make sure that they’re always facing backward.
Source: Poetry (May 2024)
WORD SEARCH:
Continued from Tuesday
PNC mulls contesting 2025 polls without coalition partners – Norton
Insisting that the Peoples National Congress (PNC) is superior to the other parties it has coalesced with in the past, newly-elected leader Aubrey Norton revealed that the political grouping is considering contesting the 2025 General and Regional Elections independently.
In fact, Norton has indicated that he is also willing to step aside as the party’s presidential candidate for someone, who may have more electability.
However, he explained that any new presidential candidate must be someone from
within the PNC.
“In politics, you never say never. You have to analyse the situation, and as it emerges, you make the decisions. We are open to coalition, but we are a strong enough party that if we have to go and be one, we can do that,” Norton disclosed.
The PNC leader was at the time responding to questions posed to him during a live interview on a local radio station.
Meanwhile, when asked about partnering with the Alliance For Change (AFC) for upcoming election, Norton revealed that he is interest-
ed in commencing discussions with newly-elected AFC leader Nigel Hughes.
“Are you prepared to have a chat with the newly elected leader of the AFC, Mr. Nigel Hughes, going forward? - I think we must. I don’t see no reason why we shouldn’t. I’m prepared to talk with anybody,” the PNC leader said.
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), whose largest member is the PNC, had merged with the AFC in 2015 for the elections that year. The two parties had also jointly contested in the 2020 elections.
Guyana’s 1st shipment of relief...
While the outcome of that meeting is unknown, Guyana Times understands that the President has reiterated Guyana’s support during this difficult period.
Nevertheless, as Hurricane Beryl continues to wreak havoc, reports suggested that it could impact southern portions of the Dominican Republic and Haiti late Tuesday evening into Wednesday.
Destruction
St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, during a media brief on Tuesday, stated Hurricane Beryl has left immense destruction, pain, suffering, across our nation.
He noted that hundreds of families are uncertain about their future.
He noted that Union Island has been devastated and from reports he received, 90 per cent of the houses were either destroyed or severely damaged. The roof of the Union Island airport, he added is “gone”. He added that he is yet to be briefed on the destruction caused to other smaller airports.
On the other hand, Grenada Prime Minister Mitchell confirmed that three people were killed and “possibly more”, after Hurricane Beryl battered Grenada and its sister islands.
He added that his Cabinet was slated to meet in an emergency session on Tuesday evening, following the meeting of Caricom leaders earlier in the day “where we will begin to plan to [recover from] the devastation brought by Hurricane Beryl”.
Its DC-8 aircraft took off to Grenada with 13 members of our DART along with 600 rolls of tarp, 3,000 solar lights, a desalination unit, 300 collapsible jerry cans, and a mobile medical unit. The team assessed the hardest-hit areas and provided aid to those in need.
Further, the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency (CDEMA) and CARICOM Private Sector Organisation (CPSO) are working to mobilise and coordinate assistance and disaster relief efforts in the affected region.
Airline closure
He told a news conference
“Clearly this is a traumatic event in our history coming on the 50th anniversary of independence and we have no choice but to rise from the ashes and to remain united and to build.”
Assistance
Apart from Guyana, Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley on Monday evening stated that Trinidad and Tobago is ready to assist its Caribbean neighbours who were affected by the hurricane.
“As we remain prepared to support Grenada and St Vincent and the Grenadines during this challenging period, we are reminded of the saying, ‘there but for the grace of God go I,” Rowley stated.
In addition, Samaritan’s Purse based in North Carolina airlifted a Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) and over 24 tons of life-saving supplies to the Caribbean.
As Beryl approaches Jamaica, the Sangster International Airport will be closed from midnight on Tuesday. The authorities stated that after the hurricane passes, they will assess when it will be safe to reopen.
As such, it urges persons wanting to travel to Jamaica to check with their airline and resort to make other arrangements. Grenada’s Maurice Bishop International Airport was opened on Tuesday to light air traffic after a complete shutdown on Monday.
In addition, the Owen Roberts International Airport on Grand Cayman will cease Airport Operations at 18:00h while the Charles Kirkconnell International Airport on Cayman Brac will cease airport operations at 15:00h on Wednesday, July 3, 2024.
Caribbean Airlines have also cancelled several flights in and out of the affected countries including Jamaica.
The Alliance For Change (AFC), however, formally broke its coalition with APNU back in December 2022.
The revised Cummingsburg Accord, a political agreement between the two organisations, had provided for this separation.
At the time, Former AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan had indicated that the two political organisations would do their political work separately but work in parliament jointly.
Re-group Norton said he intends to engage senior and long-standing PNC members to resolve issues that were raised publicly leading up to Congress.
The most recent case was the party’s General Secretary, Dawn Hastings-Williams, who left just days before Congress, citing poor planning for the Congress and lack of transparency, among other issues.
Moreover, Norton’s challengers for leadership, parliamentarians Roysdale Forde and Amanza Walton-Desir just 24 hours before the start of the Congress both withdrew their candidacy – leaving Norton as the sole contestant for the top spot within the PNC.
In making their announcement on Thursday (June 27), Forde and Walton-Desir cited serious concerns and irregularities as well as lack of fairness and transparency as key reasons for their decisions.
According to PNC leader, the engagements with these individuals are part of the party’s primary goal, which is to re-energise, regroup, and refocus the PNC and its membership, given the party’s bid to win next year’s elections.
“Well, there must be engagement. I consider the PNC to be a party that involves everyone. What I do believe and for my own studies of conflict resolution, one has to handle conflicts in a particular way. In this case, I believe an inter-
locutor (3:04) may be better… I’m very clear in my mind that all of them have skills that we need (3:24) and that we need to include all the skill sets that exist,” he added. The PNCR’s 22nd Biennial Delegates Congress was held from Friday, 28th June to Sunday, 30th June 2024, at the party’s Congress Place headquarters in Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Votes tallied saw Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton returning as Leader of PNCR and Vincent Henry as Chairman of the Party while Vinceroy Jordan and Elizabeth Williams-Niles were re-elected Vice Chairpersons. Elson Low was also elected as Treasurer of the party. (G1)
The destruction left by Hurricane Beryl in Grenada
A section of St Vincent after Hurricane Beryl
PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton during the live interview with 104.1 Guyana Lite FM
“He is unconscious” – aunt of teen battling for life …Police
looking for driver in hit-and-run
accident
Police are searching for the driver of motor car PTT 1444, which late on Sunday night was involved in a serious accident at the intersection of Conversation Tree Road and the Rupert Craig Highway on the eastern outskirts of Georgetown.
That accident resulted in Rondell Robinson being
critically injured, and he is now fighting for his life in hospital.
Reports are that the driver of PTT 1444 fled the scene following the accident, abandoning his vehicle. Robinson was found in an unconscious condition trapped inside the silver-grey Toyota Carina 212 vehicle he was driving.
Robinson is an 18-yearold mechanic, a father of one, and a resident of Bachelor's Adventure, East Coast Demerara.
Speaking with Guyana Times on Tuesday, his aunt Melissa Cush recounted that, at about 23:30h on
Sunday, the family received a call informing that he was involved in an accident. She said that upon arriving at the scene, family members were informed that the driver of the car that had hit her nephew’s car had fled the scene.
TURN TO PAGE 15
Thinking about… …Barbados
In case ya’ll forgot, Caricom Day is actually July 4, when the treaty was actually signed at Chaguaramas in TT by Barbados, Jamaica, Guyana, and Trinidad and Tobago.
Today, your Eyewitness remembers Barbados, which has always been closest to us of all our fellow Caricom relations. Never mind that Guyanese Bench!! See how Mia and Pressie getting on like a house on fire – but it goes waaaaay before that!! Back when the Dutch decided to move from their Essequibo River settlements to the coast and into Demerara, they invited BRITISH planters from that island - who enthusiastically took up the offer. And, then again, when our formerly enslaved Africans decamped our plantations following Emancipation, it was mostly freed Bajans who first took up the slack!! So, there’s a bit of Bajan in most of us – somewhere!! Just listen to those who drop their aitches - “Hs”!
Barbados has always been ahead of the game. After St Kitts, it was settled by the Brits in 1625. This marked the real beginning of the British Empire – and hence Caricom!! Now, Barbados is only 166 square miles, but back then, it was more valuable as a colony to the Brits than the thirteen American colonies! Sugar was then king…and Barbados was the home of the King – until it was surpassed by Jamaica. At the time, its earliest labourers were po’ whites - from Ireland and elsewhere. They were the first indentured labourers to come to the Caribbean!! These white Indentureds later worked alongside enslaved Africans in the sugar and tobacco plantations, and are the ancestors of the “Redlegs” who remain in Barbados to this day - but not so po’ anymo’!! Like the white convicts who were sent to populate Australia…and who’re ironically now so racist! “Race” - as a matter of fact - was introduced to distinguish the Redlegs from the African slaves!
So, man’s inhumanity to man was codified right there in Barbados, when they adopted their Slave Code in 1661!! They followed the earlier Spanish and Portuguese models – and, in turn, became the model for the rest of the British colonies, including here in BG. In fact, in addition to African slavery, Barbados set the standard in so many ways. One was to actually boast about imitating all things British - even though the BRITS snickered at their pretentious - as can be gleaned from novels of the era, and proudly declaring they were “Little England”!!
But they finally removed slave-defender Lord Nelson’s statue from their capital two years ago, and removed the British Monarch as their head of state to become a Republic half a century after us!! But have they lost their slickness, lampooned by Lord Kitch in “Tek yuh meat out me rice”??
…Beryl
Beryl - the earliest category 4 hurricane in the history of our Caribbean - just brushed past Trinidad and Tobago, skirted Barbados; hit Grenada, St Vincent and the Grenadines; and will be roiling Jamaica later this morning. That pretty much takes care of most of Caricom, innit?? Now, we in Guyana shouldn’t be smirking because these natural disasters are missing us. In addition to those tremors we felt last week, notice that Beryl’s early arrival might auger some other changes in the paths of hurricanes!!
For quite a while, we used to explain to our fellow Caricom brothers and sisters that we were spared these natural disasters because we had Burnham – which was more destructive than all the earthquakes and hurricanes in history!! But Burnham’s been long gone, and the PPP’s bringing us out of that tragedy by wisely spending our oil bonanza - focusing on infrastructure rather than eating it all out!!
And yet we haven’t forgotten to lift our brothers and sisters hit by Beryl!!
…Haiti’s rescue?
Meanwhile, Haiti, the first Caribbean (and Caricom) island to seize independence, can start hoping. The Kenyan troops are patrolling, and it’s clear their reputation in shooting protestors in their homeland has reached Haitian gang members.
They’ve gone quiet!!
The cars that were involved in the accident
The empty alcohol bottles found in the abandoned vehicle PTT 1444
Sod turned for $208M Monkey Mountain Secondary School
In a significant step towards enhancing educational opportunities in Guyana’s hinterland, the sod was on Monday turned for the construction of the $208 million Monkey
to achieve universal secondary education by 2025.
The project, which is part of a larger allocation of $407 million for the construction of secondary schools in Region Eight,
ers’ quarters and a small dormitory for the children of Taruka and Tusseneng. Further, this contract includes facilities such as laboratories, an Information Technology
Mountain Secondary School, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni).
This initiative is part of a broader effort by the government to expand access to secondary education across the country, aligning with its ambitious goal
signifies a crucial investment in the educational infrastructure of the area.
The new school will cater to the educational needs of students from Monkey Mountain, Taruka and Tusseneng. In addition, it will also comprise a teach -
lab, and a library, ensuring that students have access to modern learning resources upon completion. The training of teachers is currently ongoing and more teachers were identified to begin training for instruction at the second -
ary level.
The construction contract, valued at $208,282,809, has been awarded to K’s Trucking & Construction Service, as announced by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), under the public advertisements in the
newspapers and the World Wide Web.
Minister Manickchand during the sod-turning ceremony highlighted the importance of the new school, stating that it will alleviate the burden on existing educational facilities such as Paramakatoi by accommodating an average of 250
secondary-aged children. Currently, students from these communities have had to travel significant distances to access secondary education, often facing logistical challenges due to the limited availability of schools in the region
The ceremonial ribbon is cut at the site for the new school
Education Minister Priya Manickchand and other officials turning the sod for the new $208 million school
Anguilla lifts visa requirements for Guyanese
Anguilla has joined a list of countries to lift the visa requirement for Guyanese who wish to travel to that country. This came into effect on June 24, 2024, following a decision by the Executive Council, a release from the office of that country’s Minister of Home Affairs stated.
In addition, Colombian Nationals can also travel to Anguilla, visa-free.
“This means that effective immediately these persons will no longer be required to apply for a visa prior to entering Anguilla. This move is in keeping in with the Government of Anguilla’s commitment to fostering and strengthening the relationship with regional and international counterparts and developing a more sustainable migration policy,” the release stated.
The Anguilla
Government stated that the removal of these visa requirements marks a significant step towards improving bilateral relations, encouraging tourism, and facilitating business development.
Further, the release stated that the recent announcement is in keeping with the United Kingdom which has removed the visa restrictions imposed on nationals of Guyana and Colombia on November 9, 2022.
Currently. Guyana passport holders can travel without a visa to 89 countries including, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ghana, Ireland, Malaysia, Panama, Philippines, South Africa, and Suriname.
Back in September 2023, Guyana and the Maldives inked an agreement that would see Guyanese travelling to that country with-
out a visa.
The Visa Requirements Agreement will facilitate visa-free travel of citizens of both countries. The agreement allows for the exemption of visas for single or multiple entry for both countries’ nationals, for a period of 30 days.
In July 2023, the Henley Passport Index ranked the Guyana passport at number 59, with access to 88 visa-free destinations – an improvement from the number 64 ranking in 2022.
Guyana ties in the 59th spot with Jamaica and Bahrain but outperforms nations like Suriname, which is ranked 65; China, which came in at 63 and India, which is at the 80th position.
The Henley Passport Index is the original, authoritative ranking of all the world’s passports according to the number of destinations their holders can access without a prior visa. The index is based on exclusive data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the largest, most accurate travel information database – and enhanced by Henley & Partners’ research team.
Meanwhile, the Guyana
passport is only projected to grow stronger as the Government forges deeper partnerships with nations around the world.
In November 2022, the United Kingdom
Government lifted the visa requirement for Guyanese passport holders. Reports are that Guyana is already in talks with Italy and Mexico on the possibility of visa-free trav-
el. Additionally, the Government had reported that at least five European countries have agreed to support Guyana’s bid for visa-free travel to Schengen countries.
Sod turned for $208M...
Manickchand, however, underscored the holistic approach of the project, mentioning that alongside the school, provisions will be made for teachers’ quarters to accommodate staff, given the remote location of Monkey Mountain.
This measure aims to attract and retain qualified ed-
ucators, thereby ensuring the delivery of quality education to students in the area.
Residents of Monkey Mountain expressed their deep gratitude, anticipation, and appreciation for the new school and the relief it will bring to their families. The residents chose to let their current grade six children be educated in the community pending the completion of the school.
In addition to Monkey Mountain, secondary schools are being constructed in Micobie and Kopinang while dorm facilities and schools are being significantly upgraded at Paramakatoi and Kato.
The Flag of Anguilla
Essequibo Coast teen with dengue dies after giving birth
Lanita Jacobs, a resident of Hampton Court in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), died after delivering a baby boy.
Reports are that the 19-year-old, who was eight months pregnant, was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday after she complained of feeling unwell.
She underwent an emergency C-section, and her baby is currently in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Suddie Neonatal Department.
Jacobs was transferred to Georgetown Public Hospital, where she succumbed to complications.
According to relatives, Jacobs had been diagnosed with dengue, and she suffered severe bleeding post-surgery.
Only a week ago, an 11-year-old boy of Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-
Mazaruni) succumbed whilst receiving treatment at the Georgetown Public Hospital for suspected dengue.
Kushal Doobay, who was a student of the St Anthony’s Primary School, took ill about three days prior to his death on June 26 and had to be
admitted to the Bartica Regional Hospital but after his condition deteriorated, he was transferred to the Georgetown Public Hospital to conduct several tests.
Only recently, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony stated that 398 persons were hospitalised with dengue for 2024 thus far.
In an interview with the media on Friday last, he stated that the Health Ministry has conducted over 18,000 tests this year to monitor and control the spread of this dangerous mosquito-borne disease. Out of these tests, 4700 individuals were found to be positive for dengue. Despite these efforts, the virus has resulted in four fatalities due to dengue-related complications.
Dengue (break-bone fever) is a viral infection
that spreads from mosquitoes to people. It is more common in tropical and subtropical climates
Public health officials are intensifying their efforts to combat the outbreak. The Health Ministry is urging residents to take preventive measures seriously. These include eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed, using mosquito repellent, and ensuring homes are properly screened to prevent mosquito entry.
The ministry stated that early detection and treatment are key in managing dengue. Residents who experience symptoms such as high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, joint and muscle pain, rash, or mild bleeding are advised to seek medical attention immediately.
Teen stabbed, robbed in MovieTowne washroom
An 18-year-old lad was on Saturday evening stabbed and robbed by a gang of men whilst in the washroom at MovieTowne.
The incident occurred at around 19:00h and was reportedly perpetrated by seven men.
Reports are that the young man was stabbed with an icepick and had to seek medical attention.
He was robbed of his cellphone and cash. The victim has since made a report at the Turkeyen Police Station. This publication understands that this is not the first-time police have received reports of robberies of this nature occurring at the entertainment complex.
When contacted by this publication, MovieTowne's Public Relations Officer, Kwanda Edmondson, said that the entity will not be commenting on the matter.
Dead: Lanita Jacobs
Ramsammy’s Ruminations
Guyana then and now
– from a basket case to a breadbasket and model country
CContractor shoots bandit who snatched his cellphone
Alearly, since 1990, our country has been a different country, and people see Guyana in a more positive light. For certain, we are no longer one of the most indebted countries in the world; and, in fact, Guyana stands as one of the very few countries with a debtto-GDP ratio that is considered favourable and sustainable. Definitely, Guyana is no longer categorized by any international organization as a highly indebted poor country (HIPC), as it was in 1990, and throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. The country has been able, after almost three decades post-independence, to conduct elections that have been declared by the UN, the Commonwealth, the OAS, CARICOM, and all independent international observer groups as free and fair.
It is true that Guyana, in partnership with international collaborators, had to fight in 2020 to prevent one group from rigging the results, but the elections were free and fair, and the attempt to rig the results was unsuccessful. We are truly a genuine democracy.
For a country that, for decades before 1992, suffered from negative economic growth, Guyana today has had almost four years of the highest economic growth rates in the world. Then and now, Guyana is a very different country on three fronts: food security, energy security, and climate and environmental security.
Guyana has become a global leader. President Irfaan Ali has built on the legacy of Cheddi Jagan and Bharrat Jagdeo to become one of the most inspirational leaders in the global movement for food security. In his 25 X 25 food security revolution, he seeks to literally drag Caricom to reduce its importation of food by 25% by 2025. He has been a pivotal player in the transformation of Guyana’s agriculture to provide Caricom with an alternative source of food. From being an importer of corn and soya for stockfeed to support the poultry and livestock industries, Guyana is now poised to meet all our own needs by 2025, and also, between 2025 and 2028, to be an exporter to other Caricom countries.
President Ali’s 25 X 25 food security agenda – the Irfaan Ali Initiative 2020 – builds on the Jagdeo Initiative, which in 2010 urged Caricom to address the trade, transportation, storage, manufacturing, quality, and regulatory deficiencies that forced the region to import food at that time worth more than US$5B annually. From a moribund response to the Jagdeo Initiative, Caricom has fully and enthusiastically embraced the Ali Initiative, and this gives us hope that the Ali Initiative would succeed.
In 2010, when President Jagdeo launched Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), few believed that Guyana would become a leader in the world’s climate and environmental security movement. But Guyana’s bold move -- sacrificing income by committing to preserving our forest, and therefore preserving one of the world’s most important carbon sinks -- is now paying off. The then Norway deal was squandered when Guyana, under another government, briefly abandoned the LCDS, did bring Guyana approximately US$250M; but now Guyana has become the world’s first country with formally certified carbon credit. A portion of that credit has already been sold for US$750M. In addition, Guyana has been certified to sell carbon credits to the airline industry, which has been mandated to cut its carbon emissions.
On the global stage, President Ali and VP Jagdeo are now among the most-sought -after leaders in the world in the fight to achieve climate and environmental security.
During the 2015 election campaign, some naysayers doubted the then Guyana Government when it announced the findings that would make Guyana an oil producer and an oil-economy. It is less than ten years hence, and Guyana has become one of the most important oil and gas exporting countries. The revenues -- even when the PSA with the oil companies was extremely lopsided in favour of Big Oil -- have helped Guyana to diversify its economy, build its social and economic infrastructure, and achieve the highest growth rates in the world in the last four years.
Guyana is definitely the country that is on everybody’s mind right now. Foreign investments have reached unbelievable heights, far more than anyone ever could have dreamt possible for Guyana. Our country is changing at a dizzying pace right before our eyes. It is in this context that many people in and out of Guyana worry a little bit about our political stability. It is therefore reassuring to see that our main political parties have held their party congress. A country’s democracy cannot be guaranteed if political parties do not subscribe to internal democratic practices. Holding their congress, albeit late in all cases, is a prerequisite to achieving internal democracy. While the governing party held a smooth, concern-free congress, the opposition parties held congresses that did not meet the “smell test”. Guyana can benefit from some sort of agreement through parliamentary action to ensure that no political party and institution responsible for conducting elections behave in a manner that ever makes it possible to rig elections. We had a near-miss in 2020. It must never happen again.
Racial and ethnic unity remains a challenge in our country. It was good to see that all three political parties, during their congresses in May and June, committed to racial, ethnic and religious unity. A cautionary note to these political parties must be evident – talk is cheap. The PPP congress ended with a perception that that party looks like Guyana, with all ethnic groups represented and playing a role. That congress embraced President Ali’s ONE GUYANA Movement. The other two political parties ended their congress looking more and more racially homogenous, out of sync with the country.
But good things are happening in our country. This past week, ten new puisne judges were appointed and sworn-in. Eight of these ten judges are women, demonstrating that, in Guyana, the glass ceiling clearly has been shattered. All these young new judges have had distinguished legal careers so far. Guyana’s judiciary appears to be in good hands.
32-year-old contractor on Sunday night shot one of two bandits who robbed him of his cellular phone at the intersection of Irving and Forshaw Streets in Queenstown, Georgetown.
According to reports, the contractor was overseeing workers repairing a gate at a property he owns at about 19:45h when the suspects, riding a motorcycle, CM 1812, approached him.
One of the assailants, a 29-year-old of South
Ruimveldt Gardens, demanded the contractor’s cellphone while brandishing a knife. The 29-year-
“He is unconscious...
FROM PAGE 8
“When his mother arrived at the scene, the car in which he (Robinson) was driving was there, and the other car was there…Reports are that a police vehicle that was on patrol passed and noticed the accident. When they checked, they saw my nephew was pinned in the car. However, with the help of citizens, they were able to get him out, and they took him to the hospital,” Cush related.
Cush said that evidence discovered in PTT 1444, such as empty rum bottles, suggested that the occupants may have been consuming alcohol. She also reported that her nephew sustained severe brain injuries and a broken arm, and had required immediate surgery. Robinson has remained unconscious since the accident.
“We don’t know what happened, and he is unconscious, so he can’t tell us anything. We want the driver of the other car to come forward and let us know what happened. We want answers… This young man (Robinson) had a family waiting for him at home. But instead of stopping to help, the driver treated him like a dog and ran away,” Cush said. She has made an emotional appeal for anyone with information regarding the driver to come forward.
Meanwhile, the police are urging anyone with information regarding the driver or the accident to promptly contact them.
“He (Robinson) is most times in the interior with his mother. He has a two-monthold daughter and he came out for her christening, which was supposed to be on Monday. We don’t know where he was going at the time of the accident…” Cush added.
Friends and family members of Robinson are also appealing to the public for prayers for his recovery during this challenging period.
Police are continuing their investigations. (G9)
old, who was the pillion rider, attempted to stab the contractor after confronting him. However, the contractor, who was holding his cellphone at the time, managed to evade the attack.
Subsequently, the bandit snatched the cellphone and swiftly turned to flee back to his accomplice on the waiting motorcycle.
According to Police, fearing for his life, after noticing the accomplice reach-
ing towards a suspiciously bulky area on his waist, the contractor drew his firearm and fired three shots at the suspects.
This caused the men to abandon the motorcycle and flee the scene. However, the South Ruimveldt Gardens resident, who was struck by one of the bullets, collapsed a short distance away.
The contractor, with the help of his workers, apprehended him and retrieved the stolen cell phone. He was subsequently taken to the Georgetown Public Hospital, where he is receiving treatment for a gunshot wound to the middle of his back, with the bullet exiting through the right side of his abdomen.
The police are continuing their investigation as they search for the other person involved in the robbery. (G9)
Dr Leslie Ramsammy
Injured: Rondell Robinson
3 years later
3rd suspect in murder of overseas-based Guyanese arrested
After evading Police for more than three years, Jason Isaacs of Bristol Street, East Canje, Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) wanted for the 2021 murder of United States-based Guyanese businessman Hemraj Pardesi, was arrested on Tuesday at the Weldaad Police Station.
In May of this year, Police issued a wanted bulletin for Isaacs. According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force, Isaacs is also suspected of fatally shooting a man in Suriname on October 12, 2023. He was arrested in Suriname on October 13, 2023, but escaped from the Paramaribo University Hospital and had been on the run until his arrest on Tuesday by the Guyana Police Force.
of Cumberland, East Canje, Berbice, and Malisha Dutchin, 26, of Reliance, East Canje, were charged and remanded for his murder. Police arrested Bissoondyal while he was hiding in Canje Creek, Berbice, where he allegedly confessed to being part of the plot and execution of the robbery-murder.
However, Bissoondyal allegedly told the Police that Dutchin lured Pardesi to her house via a phone call and contacted Isaacs after he left. Bissoondyal and Isaacs then went to Pardesi’s yard and reportedly attacked him.
The Police had first issued a wanted bulletin for Isaacs in 2021 in connection with Pardesi’s murder, but he managed to evade capture. Reports indicate that Pardesi, known as "Prem", of Lot 9 Reliance, East Canje, Berbice, was attacked in his yard by two suspects in August 2021 after his close associate, who had accompanied him to the bank earlier that day, had left. His lifeless body was discovered at the bottom of his outdoor steps, bleeding from the nose with duct tape around the neck. The upper flat of his house was ransacked.
Days after Pardesi’s death, Maryo Bissoondyal
He implicated Dutchin and Isaacs, revealing that the robbery was reportedly Dutchin’s plan. Dutchin later surrendered to authorities, allegedly admitting she had a relationship with Pardesi and had called him to her house the night he was killed, but claimed she knew nothing of what happened afterward.
In January, when Bissoondyal was arraigned before Justice Jo-Ann Barlow in the Berbice High Court, he entered a guilty plea to the 2021 murder of Pardesi. He was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after serving 30 years.
Despite efforts of the Guyana Police Force, Isaacs had remained elusive until his recent detention. (G9)
Dead: Hemraj Pardesi, known as "Prem"
Jailed: Maryo Bissoondyal
Arrested: Jason Isaacs
1 dead, 2 homeless, 8 businesses destroyed in Bush Lot fire
One person is now dead after he was trapped in a fire as three buildings were burnt to the ground at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) Sunday evening.
Eight businesses were also destroyed in the blaze.
The fire started at about 17:45h on Monday in the heart of the commercial area at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, Region Five.
Scores of firefighters were battling for hours, trying to control the ferocious flames but despite their efforts, two buildings were reduced to rubble and the upper part of a third was gutted.
In the end, the disaster left one person dead, two persons homeless and eight businesses destroyed.
Dead is Carl Persaud, who would have celebrated his 55th birthday on Tuesday.
Reports are that the fire was initially seen in the upper flat of a two-storey building where Persaud lived alone.
Eyewitnesses said the man was seen waving his hands through the window and shortly after fire was seen billowing through the windows and roof.
The lower flat housed the Nalico & Nafico Insurance office. The fire then spread to the east and destroyed a building that housed six businesses.
The flames also crossed over to the west, where two persons lived in the upper flat, and a clothing store occupied the lower flat.
The eight businesses housed in the three buildings were a branch of an insurance company, a jewellery store,
a pharmacy, a bicycle store, a clothing boutique, a hairdressing salon, a cosmetics store and a cell phone shop.
Eyewitnesses told this publication the Onverwagt Fire Station, which is just a few hundred meters away, arrived shortly after an alarm was raised but had difficulty accessing water and when they did had difficulty with the hoses they took to the scene.
However, assistance subsequently arrived from Mahaica Fire Station, New Amsterdam Fire Station, and GuySuCo Fire Department.
Residents also reported
that members of the community formed a bucket brigade to prevent the fire from further spreading.
Meanwhile, the son of the deceased, 19-year-old Jonathan Persaud said he went to Georgetown and had promised to bring back one of his father’s favourite meals for him.
Persaud, who lives a few houses away, said if he was at home he might have been able to save his father.
He said he was told that his father screamed for help three times with his hands stretched through the window.
the insurance official said.
Meanwhile, Ramesh Khemraj, who operated Ramesh’s Jewelry in the building next door which was also destroyed, said he arrived at the scene even before the fire spread to his business.
“The place was not on fire at the time, so we rushed over to the girl next door to where the fire started and started to help her to take out her things. When I came back the electrical wire fell on the shed and started to spark so I couldn’t get in the building. I
“The only thing that was left was his hands showing,” the grieving son said, adding only from the torso up was found; the rest of his body was burnt.
“Everything with him burn up inside. We don’t know what caused the fire,” the younger Persaud added.
Meanwhile, the supervisor of the Nalico/Nafico Bush Lot Branch, Charles Singh said, “we have at New Amsterdam, Rose Hall and Mahaica and everything is updated in the system and it is a service system so everything is updated,”
said if I get in and get trapped it would be more worse. The fire truck was in front so I say that they would help to save the one side wall and stop the building from catching on fire but the water when they spray it, it just reaching a few feet. Right through the hose like sprinkler; it leaking all over.”
Khemraj also operates a bicycle shop at the same premises.
“I had about 300 bicycles at the back there; the frames are still there and some cos-
metics. The front was the jewellery shop and the back was the bicycle shop,” he added.
Another business owner, Roxanne Butler, who operated a clothing store, said she was on her way home when she saw her store on fire. The businesswoman said she could not enter to try to save anything because of the thick smoke.
On Monday morning when she did enter the building, Butler discovered that some items were floating in water and others were water soaked. She estimated her losses at $3 million.
Inderdai Jagmohan, who lived in the upper flat of the building which housed the clothing store along with her daughter, said when the fire started, she was not at home. On her way home, she learned that her neighbour’s house was on fire.
“I kept in contact and then they told me that the fire spread to my house. By the time I got here I saw the firefighters were here trying to out the fire,” the now-homeless woman revealed.
Javid Saywack was high in his praise for villagers and the fire service as they assisted and ensured that his home was saved.
“Initially it was a bucket brigade and then we got a pump and a hose out... We had a blackout so the water was cut, but subsequently, it came on back but we had water in the tanks and when it came back on, we were able to use water from the pipe with the pump, so that helped a lot as well,” he said.
Up to press time, the cause of the fire had not been determined. (G4)
$199M Kopinang Secondary School construction to address educational needs
The construction of the $199M Kopinang Secondary School in Region Eight (PotaroSiparuni) will address educational needs in the community and ensure that students no longer have to go to travel outside of the region to access education.
The project will also support local economic growth by creating job opportunities and fostering community development.
This was disclosed by Education Minister Priya Manickchand during the sod-turning ceremony for the school on Tuesday.
Plans to establish the Kopinang Secondary School were set in motion last year, following Minister Manickchand’s visit to the Village where she engaged with local residents.
As a result of commit-
representatives of Sheriff Construction Incorporated, and village leaders turning sod for Kopinang Secondary School
ments made at the time, some 250 youths from the Kopinang village will soon benefit from universal education at the modern facility, which upon completion will feature amenities including laboratories, an information technology lab,
and a library, among others.
The contract of works was awarded to Sheriff Construction Inc. following a rigorous and competitive bidding process, as outlined in the Public Procurement Act.
Sheriff Construction
Inc. was recently awarded a $231 million contract to build a secondary school in Jawalla, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
These developments forms part of a larger allocation of $407,659,560 dedicated to constructing sec-
ondary schools in Region Eight and over $16 billion allocated through the 2024 National Budget for the construction, rehabilitation, extension, and maintenance of educational facilities nationwide including Monkey Mountain and Micobie secondary.
While the facilities are under construction, rigorous training programmes
are ongoing to upskill current and prospected teachers as Government aims to achieve Universal Secondary Education (USE) by 2025.
Manickchand had previously explained that these initiatives are being taken to ensure that teachers and students can thrive regardless of where they are in the country.
Education Minister Priya Manickchand,
Dead: Carl Persaud
The aftermath of the fire
Around the World
OIL NEWS
Crude falls as hurricane fears fade
Crude oil prices fell on Tuesday as fears faded that Hurricane Beryl would disrupt supplies as the storm will avoid most oil fields as it barrels toward Jamaica.
Brent crude futures settled down 36 cents, or 0.42 per cent, at US$86.24 a barrel. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude settled at US$82.81 a barrel, down 57 cents or 0.68 per cent.
Earlier on Tuesday, WTI rose US$1 to US$84.38 on fears Beryl might have a wider impact in offshore oil production areas in the US-regulated northern Gulf of Mexico as US demand for motor fuels is increasing.
Both benchmarks gained about two per cent in the previous session.
But as new forecasts emerged on Monday, traders were less fearful of supply problems, said Phil Flynn, analyst with the Price Futures Group.
"Markets came to the realisation that Beryl is not going to shut down any major amounts of offshore oil production," Flynn said. "We may see some shut, but it's going to have a minimal impact on platforms."
"We dodged a bullet on Beryl," said John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital LLC. "But, there definitely is an understanding that any storm that develops in the Gulf is going to be a big one."
Sources said on Tuesday after that, American Petroleum Institute (API) figures for last week showed US crude oil and distillates inventories fell while gasoline rose.
The API figures showed crude stocks were down by 9.163 million barrels in the week ending June 28, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Gasoline inventories rose by 2.468 million barrels, and distillates fell by 740,000 barrels. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Hungary's Orban, in Kyiv, proposes ceasefire to speed up peace talks
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban urged Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Tuesday to consider a ceasefire to accelerate an end to the war with Russia, but Kyiv said it saw its own approach as the path to peace.
Orban, who is an outspoken critic of Western military aid to Ukraine and has the warmest relations of any European Union leader with Russian President Vladimir Putin, held talks with Zelenskiy during his first trip to Kyiv in more than a decade.
In joint statements to reporters after the talks, Orban said he asked Zelenskiy to think about a ceasefire before the follow-up international summit Kyiv hopes to hold later this year.
"A ceasefire connected to a deadline would give a chance to speed up peace talks. I explored this possi-
Hurricane Beryl barrelled toward Jamaica as a powerful Category Four storm on Tuesday after battering smaller islands in the eastern Caribbean, and scientists cited human-caused climate change as the likely culprit for the storm’s rapid strengthening.
The unusually-early hurricane felled power lines and unleashed flash floods. It has so far claimed at least three lives.
Beryl, the 2024 Atlantic season’s first hurricane and the earliest storm on record to reach the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson Scale, hit St Vincent and the Grenadines especially hard, according to Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves.
Late on Monday, Beryl was at Category Five strength, but weakened slightly on Tuesday.
“The hurricane has come and gone, and it has left in its wake immense destruction,” he said. On one island in the Grenadines archipelago, Union Island, 90 per cent of homes had been “severely damaged or destroyed”, he added.
The Prime Minister con-
firmed one death, and said more fatalities could be confirmed in the coming days.
In a video briefing on Tuesday, Grenada’s Prime Minister, Dickon Mitchell, stressed that Carriacou and Petite Martinique, two of the three islands that make up the country, bore the brunt of the natural disaster.
“The situation is grim. There is no power. There is almost complete destruction of homes and buildings,” he said, citing impassable roads due to downed power lines and destroyed fuel stations
Thousands flee their homes as Israeli
forces bomb southern Gaza
bility with the President and I am grateful for his honest answers and negotiation," he said.
Zelenskiy, who spoke before Orban, did not respond to those comments.
But his foreign policy adviser, Ihor Zhovkva, later said in televised remarks that it was not the first such proposal and that Zelenskiy had responded to Orban with his publicly-known stance.
"We say that Ukraine really wants peace for itself, this is logical... For this, we have a tool the peace summit," Zhovkva said, referring to Kyiv's push to build a global coalition to support its vision of peace.
After hosting dozens of world leaders at a summit in Switzerland last month to advance that blueprint, Kyiv has said it hopes to hold a second international summit later this year that could invite a Russian representative to attend.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Israeli forces bombarded several areas of the southern Gaza Strip on Tuesday and thousands of Palestinians fled their homes in what could be part of a final push of Israel's intensive military operations in nine months of war.
Eight Palestinians were killed and dozens wounded, health officials said. Israel's military said that two soldiers had been killed in battle a day earlier.
Israel's leaders have said they were winding down the phase of intense fighting against Hamas, the Islamist group that has governed Gaza since 2007, and would soon shift to more targeted operations.
Later on Tuesday, 17 Palestinians were killed in Israeli tank shelling of a street in the densely-populated Zeitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City in the north of the Strip, med-
ics said. Footage on some Palestinian social media that Reuters was not immediately able to verify showed the scene at a local market, with bread scattered on a floor stained with blood.
The Israeli army ordered residents of several towns and villages in eastern Khan Younis to evacuate their homes on Monday, prior to tanks re-entering the area the military had left several weeks ago.
Thousands who had not heeded the call were forced to flee their homes in the dark, as Israeli tanks and planes bombed Karara, Abassan and other areas that had been named in the evacuation orders, residents and Hamas media said.
"Where will we go?" said Tamer, a 55-year-old businessman, who has been displaced six times since October 7. (Excerpt from Reuters)
crimping supplies.
Mitchell said at least two deaths were attributed to the impact of Beryl so far.
The hurricane, packing maximum sustained winds of 249 kilometres per hour (155 miles per hour), was about 781km (485 miles) east-southeast of the Jamaican capital of Kingston, according to an advisory from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) on Tuesday.
The NHC estimates that the massive weather system is moving toward the west-northwest at a speed of 35 kph (22 mph).
“Beryl is forecast to remain a powerful hurricane as it moves across the Caribbean Sea later this week,” according to a NHC post. It said a hurricane warning is in effect for Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.
In Jamaica, men hauled fishing boats out of the water and tied them down in preparation for the hurricane’s arrival, while others noted there was still time to prepare on Tuesday morning.
“We Jamaicans don’t take things serious,” said Standford Pusey, as he showed off items secured with plastic tarps.
In Fort-de-France on the French Caribbean island of Martinique, north of St Vincent, video shared on social media showed heavy flooding in the streets as lo-
US says
cals attempted to clear away debris.
NHC also issued a hurricane watch for the southern coast of Haiti.
Some weakening was expected, but Beryl will likely remain at major hurricane strength and is expected to bring 10-30 centimetres (4-12 inches) of rain to Jamaica and southwestern Haiti through late Wednesday, according to the NHC forecast.
Dozens of shipping vessels in the storm’s path risk being affected, with some diversions seen in the Caribbean, according to Vortexa, which provides energy-cargo tracking data.
The unusually early timing and rapid intensification of the storm is partly due to warmer ocean temperatures, scientists say.
Climate change likely contributed to Beryl’s early formation, while also driving how quickly it intensified, according to scientists surveyed by Reuters, which could provide an unsettling preview of future storms.
Global warming has helped push temperatures in the North Atlantic to record highs, said Christopher Rozoff, an atmospheric scientist at the US-based National Center for Atmospheric Research. The warmer waters lead to more evaporation, which fuels more intense hurricanes featuring higher wind speeds, he said.
Beryl jumped from a Category One to a Category Four storm in under 10 hours, according to Andra Garner, a Rowan University meteorologist. That marked the fastest intensification ever recorded before September, the peak of the Atlantic hurricane season, she added.
Video from Barbados showed waves pounding the shore of the island, breaching walkways, felling palm trees and flooding roads in Bridgetown, the capital.
Beryl is also expected to approach Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, dotted with beach resorts popular with tourists, on Thursday night. (Reuters)
it’s still open to
talks with Venezuela after Maduro announces meeting
The Biden Administration remains open to dialogue with the Venezuelan Government, US officials said on Tuesday after President Nicolás Maduro said he had agreed to restart direct talks just weeks ahead of a July 28 presidential election in Venezuela.
The officials said the US had previously indicated it welcomed discussions “in good faith”, but they stopped short of confirming Maduro’s statement late on Monday that a meeting was now scheduled in coming days.
The Socialist President is seeking a third term in office while Washington has expressed concern about whether he will make good on his promises to hold a free
and fair election. Western Governments dismissed his 2018 re-election as a sham. Maduro is now pitted against Edmundo Gonzalez, a veteran ex-diplomat who was named the main Opposition candidate after primary winner Maria Corina Machado had a ban on holding office upheld by the Supreme Court, a move condemned by the US at the time.
Machado has since given Gonzalez her backing, and he has built a large lead over Maduro in opinion polls.
The US reimposed oil sanctions on Venezuela in midApril, accusing Maduro of not fully complying with electoral guarantees he made in deals with the Opposition.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Local Jamaican fishermen help each other prepare by bringing boats inland as Hurricane Beryl approaches, in Kingston, Jamaica, July 2, 2024 (Reuters/Maria Alejandra Cardona photo)
Smoke rises from Gaza, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, as seen from Israel, July 2, 2024 (Reuters/Ammar Awad photo)
DAILY HOROSCOPES
(March 21-April 19)
Your creative imagination will encourage you to follow your heart and enjoy what life offers. Speak up and share your ideas, and you'll gain insight. You can't please everyone, so don't try.
Before you make a move, get your facts straight and your plans in place. Timing is everything; feel free to change your mind midway if something doesn't feel right.
SUDOKU
(May 21-June 20) (April 20-May 20)
Don't trust secondhand information or ads that promise the impossible. Make decisions that fit your standards. Preparation will make a difference in what and how you achieve your goal.
(June 21-July 22)
(July 23-Aug. 22)
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Take pride in your work. Making a change will enhance your chance to connect with someone who can offer a unique perspective. Think about how you can use your skills and experience to gain leverage.
Try something new, do things differently and let your creative imagination lead the way. Head in a direction that will provide excitement and enrich your life. Use your powers of persuasion.
Observe what others do before you take on too much or get involved in something for the wrong reasons. A change may excite you, but educate yourself before you jump into something.
Boredom is a sign it's time to shift gears. Before you go to extremes, take it upon yourself to figure out what's best for you and, more importantly, what you want.
All work and no play will drag you down. Make plans to get together with someone who makes you think. A change will enhance your life, but first you must make plans that satisfy your needs.
Talk the talk and walk the walk. Make your presence felt, and everything will fall into place. Live up to your word, and make fairness your calling card.
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Welcome change and embrace new beginnings. Think outside the box, and dazzle everyone with your ingenuity and candor. Share your intentions with a loved one. Romance is in the stars.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)
Put your energy and power where it brings the highest returns. Focus on what makes you happy and explore how to increase your productivity and expand your interests.
Make self-improvement your goal instead of trying to change others. Once you are happy with yourself, you'll know who you want in your life and who you want to set free. Don't overreact.
Moving to 2026…
As the world enjoyed a spellbinding 20-team event in the USA and the West Indies, it will be time to do it all over again come 2026, with another ICC Men's T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Again a 55-match affair, the tournament will be played out in the same format, with four groups of five, before two ‘super eight’ groups, semi-finals, and a final to crown the next champion. Before that, though, the final eight teams for the tournament need to be decided.
<Who is already in?>
As hosts, Sri Lanka and India take up the first two spots for 2026. From there, the next 10 spots were determined by Super Eight qualifiers at the 2024 edition, and ICC Men's T20I Team Rankings at the 30 June cutoff date.
Thanks to their strong first-round play and entry to the ‘super eights’, Afghanistan, Australia, Bangladesh, England, South Africa and the West Indies have all secured 2026 T20 World Cup spots; as well as USA, who upstaged Pakistan in a Super Over to steal a second-round spot in Group A.
Despite missing out on the ‘super eights’, Babar Azam's men have secured their place at the next edition, thanks to their T20I ranking (7th), alongside New Zealand (6th) and Ireland (11th).
The final eight teams for the 2026 edition will be decided by regional qualifiers in a pathway similar to that of
How the next Men's T20 Cricket World Cup may look
2024 qualifying. The number of qualification spots per region is to be confirmed.
Breaking down each region
Africa
A region that saw perhaps the biggest upset in regional qualifying in the last cycle, when Uganda upstaged regional giants Zimbabwe, there will be fierce competition when African teams do battle for T20 World Cup 2026 privileges.
Failing to reach the ‘super eight’ stage of T20 World Cup 2024, Uganda and Namibia will come back to regional qualifiers, with Zimbabwe joining the pair as the bestplaced challengers for the two 2026 spots.
Nigeria, Tanzania, and a rebuilding Kenyan team
stand as the others most likely to pose a threat to the aforementioned three, come the regional final.
Americas Just like the 2024 pathway, where they had qualified by virtue of hosting the tournament, the USA will skip regional qualifying, thanks to their finishing position in their home tournament.
The result is a big win for other teams in the region, given they have one fewer team to worry about when Americas qualification rolls around again.
Canada edged Bermuda on ‘net run rate’ to take the 2024 spot, and are favourites to claim a qualification spot again and feature in back-toback tournaments.
The Bermudians, mean while, are in a rebuild follow ing the retirement of Kamau Leverock among a number of others; while the likes of the Cayman Islands, Argentina and Panama stand as the next best teams to compete.
Asia
Alongside European qualifying for 2026, Asia can lay claim to the most chal lenging qualification process. Outside of Nepal and Oman, who go straight to the re gional final after com peting at T20 World Cup 2024, all other teams will have to compete and qualify through sub-regional play.
the backend of their careers, and with a young and rejunvenated UAE side waiting to challenge.
The Emiratis are not the only threat in the region though, with the growth of cricket in the Gulf and in South-East Asia set to make action ultra-competitive.
Bahrain, Kuwait and Qatar stand as three teams waiting to make their mark in the game, with the likes of Hong Kong and Malaysia being two side from the other side of the region poised to challenge.
East Asia-Pacific
The East Asia-Pacific Qualifier for 2026 is still Papua New Guinea's to lose, despite a winless T20 World
to overcome Indonesia, Philippines and South Korea in their sub-regional qualifier; while Vanuatu, the side to come out on top in the other sub-regional qualifier, must brush aside challengers Samoa, Fiji and the Cook Islands.
Europe
Squeezing into T20 World Cup 2026 qualification on rankings, Ireland would be relieved to be skipping a tough European pathway for T20 World Cup 2026 qualification. For the likes of Scotland and The Netherlands, there'd be a relief knowing they don't have to face Paul Stirling's men in a race for two spots. The Scots and the Dutch will be favourites to claim the European spots, come gional final, though with 21 teams still alive for the spots in the region, there is sure to be competi-
It looks an uphill battle, particularly for the Omanis, to reclaim a qualification spot with a number of players at
they prevail in their sub-regional group.
Kendel KadowakiFleming's side would need
An Italian side on the up have already secured their spot in the regional final, after beating out nine other sides in Subregional Qualifier A. Jersey and Germany stand as the two teams most likely grabbing the spot from Group B in July, while the likes of Denmark, Spain and Guernsey fight for the spot in Qualifier C in August.
(ICC)
Klay Thompson set to join Mavericks on three-year, $50M deal
K
lay Thompson has been instrumental to the Golden State Warriors' dynasty, and the Dallas Mavericks are hoping he can help their franchise capture a second NBA title.
Thompson has agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal with the Mavericks on Monday, according to multiple sources. The deal, which includes a player option, is part of a multiteam sign-and-trade that sends Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets.
Thompson, a core member of the Warriors' four NBA championship teams over an eight-year span from 2014-22, now joins a Mavericks team that re-
cently fell to the Boston Celtics in five games in the NBA Finals. He'll team with All-NBA first-team selection Luka Doncic and eight-time All-Star Kyrie Irving, as the Mavericks will look to secure their first title since winning their only championship in 2011.
With Thompson moving to another Western Conference power, it marks the end of an era in Golden State, where the 34-yearold developed into one of the best players in franchise history.
The 11th overall pick of the 2011 draft by Golden State, Thompson's tally of 2,481 three-pointers trail only long-time teammate
history in games played (793), and sixth in points
One of the most feared long-range shooters of his generation, Thompson has averaged a league-leading 4.4 three-pointers a game just one season ago, in 2022-23.
He wasn't as effective this past season, however, as that average dropped to 3.5 three-pointers a game, and he shot 38.7 per cent from beyond the arc; just the second time in his career he failed to shoot 40 per cent or better from long range. During his prime, though, he was among the best scorers in the NBA.
A five-time All-Star, he has averaged at least 20 points per game for five consecutive seasons, from 2014-19, as a vital part of
three NBA championship teams (2015, 2017, 2018) during that period. He missed the entire 2019-20 and 2020–21 campaigns due to a torn ACL and a ruptured Achilles tendon, but returned to average 20.4 points in 32 games the following season, and help Golden State to another NBA title. His run of seven straight seasons averaging 20 or more points per game came to an end in 202324, when he averaged 17.9 points in 77 games. Midway through the season, he was moved out of the starting lineup for the first time since he was a rookie in 2012, coming off the bench in 14 games. (Sportsmax)
World Cup Champions India will act as co-hosts for the 2026 World Cup, alongside Sri Lanka
Stephen Curry for the most by a Warriors’ player. He also ranks fourth in team
(15,531).
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors will be making a move to the Dallas Mavericks
Round Two, Season Six, KFC Elite League 2024…
Western Tigers, Den Amstel are
Rooted at the bottom of the table, Buxton
United FC have suffered another defeat when they came up against Den Amstel FC, while Western Tigers FC have moved up one spot to fifth position with a win over Ann’s Grove United FC in Saturday’s fixtures of Round Two of the KFC Elite League, Season Six.
In matches played on June 29 at the Guyana Football Federation’s National Training Centre at Providence, East Bank Demerara, Den Amstel's Jahshaun Moore opened the scoring in the 64th minute after a goalless first half, and Anthony Benn doubled their advantage in the 80th minute.
Inceford Charles pulled one back for Buxton United in the 81st minute, but they couldn't find an equaliser be-
fore the final whistle.
The evening's finale saw Andrew Murray net for Western Tigers in the 9th and 11th minutes. Ryan Seales grabbed the lone goal for Ann’s Grove in the 22nd minute, but that team was unable
to breach the Western Tigers' defence for a second time.
As the new month of competition kicks off, the Guyana Defence Force are maintaining their lead with 31 points secured from ten wins and one draw, alongside an impressive tally of 47 goals.
Slingerz FC of West Demerara hold on to second place with 29 points earned from nine wins, two draws and 44 goals.
The Guyana Police Force FC remain in third position with 28 points garnered from nine wins, one draw and two losses in eleven outings; while Santos FC occupy fourth place with 24 points notched up from eight wins and five losses.
The recent victory of the Western Tigers FC has pro-
PK Super Squad crowned champions of Gary James T10
Witnessed by a massive crowd that included their home supporters, PK Super Squad defeated Barima Nobo by 17 runs in the finals of the Gary James Memorial T10 Softball Cricket competition held at Mabaruma Settlement in Mabaruma, Region One, last Sunday. In competition organized by the daughters of the late Gary James - Treasure Alana James, Amin and Cherish James, and familySuper Squad batted first on a pitch with lots of moisture, and got off to a flier as they posted 75 runs for the loss of 2 wickets from their allotted 10 overs.
PK Super Squad’s opening batters were Angel Joseph, who made a fluent 29 (1*4) and Collette Mingo, who belted 15 (2*4); while not-out batters Abigale Boyce and Zeritha Benjamin contributed 21 (3*4) and 3 runs respectively. Natasha and Stacy Benjamin each took a wicket for Barima Nobo.
Barima Nobo, in reply, were skittled out for 58 runs. Lorenzo Daniels with 15 (3*4) and Natasha Benjamin with 12 (1*6) were the main contributors, while PK Super Squad bowlers Rayanna Benjamin, Jennifer James, Abigale Boyce and Zeritha Benjamin were the main wicket takers, as they sealed
pelled them up to fifth place with 18 points coming from six wins and six losses; while Fruta Conquerors FC have slid down to sixth place with 16 points coming from five wins, one draw and six losses.
Having secured a win over the weekend, Den Amstel FC have maintained their grip on seventh place with 12 points secured from three wins, three draws and seven losses.
Ann's Grove United FC remain in eighth position with eleven points won from three matches. They have drawn two and lost eight, and are closely followed by Monedderlust FC in ninth place, having nine points from two wins, three draws and seven losses.
Buxton United FC remain in the cellar in tenth place, having secured a sin-
gle point from a solitary draw while suffering twelve losses.
The KFC Elite League will continue tomorrow, Thursday July 4, when Den Amstel FC go head-to-head against the Guyana Police Force (GPF) FC at 18:30hrs. That clash will be followed by Fruta Conquerors FC taking on the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) FC at 21:00hrs at the NTC.
Jamaica Amateur Athletics
Assn vice president lashes out at top athletes
…Last-minute withdrawals cost 4x400m Relay team Olympic spot
JAAA Vice President Ian Forbes has expressed disappointment after the Jamaica 4x400m Relay team failed to achieve the qualifying mark for the Olympic Games in Paris.
The setback came after the top three finishers in the 400m at the National Championships and the 400m hurdles champion pulled out at the last minute. The replacements ran a time of 2:59.87, once again falling short of the required time, much to the frustration of fans who had anticipated an easy qualification.
Deandre Watkins, Sean Bailey and Jevaughn Powell who ran impressive times of 44.48, 44.65, and 44.79 respectively in the 400m finals on Friday night were expected to secure the qualification; and Malik James King who clocked a lifetime best of 47.42 in the 400m hurdles was anticipated to contribute to the effort. However, their last-minute withdrawals have left the team scrambling for replacements.
8:05pm on Sunday.
The athletes were provided with hotel rooms for adequate rest and transportation, and two companies had put up JM$1 million as an incentive for the runners, should they achieve the qualification time.
compete. “I must pause to commend the ones who stepped up and gave it their all. They really tried,” he said.
a comfortable victory and pocketed $200,000 cash.
Mr. Micquel Perez, the Culture, Youth and Sports Officer of Matarkai, and Ms. Rose Benn, Regional Democratic Councillor/Team Manager, expressed their gratitude to the following persons and entities who supported the Matarkai Cricket and football teams that participated in the tournnament: Matarkai NDC, Terry Cheap Shop - Baramita, Tarique Deonarine, RDC Region 1, OC Kooldeep, Lft. Field of the GDF, International Imports and Supplies, CPG Port Kaituma, Ms. Benn and Mr. Stephan Hernandez –AREO of Matarkai.
“We were most disappointed with respect to these late withdrawals,” Forbes told Sportsmax.TV. “It is my personal feeling that if one of the top three had come, we would have made the qualifying mark. It is very distressing when we thought we had persons ready and rearing to run for their country. These late withdrawals hit us hard. It must be remembered that the top 16 were advanced to the semi-final to facilitate this based on the suggestion of one of the athletes, and we took it on board. So, it’s most disappointing.”
Forbes highlighted the extensive preparations made to ensure the athletes were in optimal condition for the relay. Meetings with the athletes, coaches, and agents prior to the start of the National Championships led to the top 16 runners being advanced to the semi-finals, with heats and semi-finals run on Thursday and the finals on Friday night. This schedule was designed to give the runners ample time to recuperate before the 4x400m relay, which was scheduled for
“And I am not saying if one had an issue, particularly a potential injury or a niggle, they should have competed. But I find it a little off-putting that at least three of our top athletes did not participate; and the withdrawals, some of them were so very late, minutes before the start. I find it most distressing,” Forbes added.
“We did it in good faith. I think maybe we should have them sign a contract. We did it in good faith, because they are our athletes and we figured there would be some amount of commitment to the cause in terms of advancing the country to the top 16. It is not good.”
Forbes noted that no explanation had been provided by the athletes for their late withdrawals. “We need to have a pow-wow to look at what really transpired, because the information from the coaches was very fast, things moved very quickly, so we haven’t gathered all the information. But it was most distressing that, at the last minute, persons were pulling out.”
Despite the setback, Forbes commended the efforts of Reheem Hayles, Tarees Rhoden, Kimar Farquharson and Zandrian Barnes who stepped up to
The team, Jamaica Gold, which should have included national champion Deandre Watkins, Sean Bailey, Jevaughn Powell, and 400m hurdles champion MalikJames King, fell short of the qualification mark, leaving fans and officials angered and disheartened. (Sportsmax)
Jamaica are likely to miss out on the 4x400M event at the upcoming Paris Olympic Games
PK Super Squad posing with the championship trophy
A look at the clash between Western Tigers (yellow) and Ann’s Grove
Den Amstel (white) have inflicted a defeat on Buxton United
ExxonMobil U14 tournament…
Final showdown set after thrilling semis
Anew boys’ champi-
on will be crowned, while a repeat of last year’s girls’ final is on the cards for this Saturday, following a thrilling semifinal in the ExxonMobil Under-14 Boys’ and Girls’ Football tournament.
Semifinal action at the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground on Monday commenced with defending champions Waramuri Primary Top securing a place in the girls’ final.
The 2023 champions were held fiercely by Bartica Secondary girls, but a stalemate at the end of regulation time sent the game into extra time; and Shenesa Thomas found the back of the net through a header from a set piece in the 43rd minute, thereby booking her team’s final spot.
Winning Captain Tiana Abrams, later reflecting on their performance and the coach’s encouragement, said,
“Today’s game went great! We had fun! It was exciting! We enjoyed it.”
Responding to a question, she added, “No, I was confident, because I know my girls were prepared for anything. We can and we will do this.”
The Waramuri Primary Top captain added, “My coach would always say, ‘Keep your head in the game,
pass the ball, focus and, you know, be as a team’.”
Last year’s girls’ runners- up President’s College later came from behind to set a date with Waramuri in the final for a second consecutive year.
An infraction in the box handed Santa Rosa girls a penalty opportunity, which Veronica Chatta converted in the 15th minute to put the Region One side ahead.
However, their celebrations were short lived, as PC’s Kimora Edwards converted a beautiful free kick from just outside the box to level the scores in the 18th minute.
As both sides hunted the game-winning goal, another handled ball in the box presented a scoring opportunity, and Edwards of President’s College later sealed the 2-1 win in the
30th, after converting the penalty.
Discussing their win, Captain Edwards admitted the semifinal was a challenging one. Edwards told this publication, “Well, as we came out today, the semifinal was pretty hard, because [we were] playing against a team as strong as us. It was a bit challenging, but we really worked hard and we put the effort into it, so we came out with the victory.
“I was a bit furious in the first half, but then I think to myself that we can do it because we have the better team. So, we give a little motivational speech and we went back on the pitch and played very nicely,” the young lady from President’s College later said.
Chase’s Academy booked their spot in the Boys’ final
National Schools’ Basketball Festival…
PC, QC, St. Roses reap success on Day Two
Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) continued its much-anticipated 17th National Schools Basketball Festival on Monday, July 1st, at the National Gymnasium with President’s College, Queen’s College and St. Roses High School reaping success on Day Two.
In the first encounter of the day, the President's College Male Under-14 team smashed the defenses of Skeldon Lime Path with a scoreline of 19-5. Romarion Wolf led the way for PC with 8 points.
In another Boys’ U14 match, Queen's College showed their ability to counter to the hoops against Berbice High, and secured their debut triumph with the scoreline reading 29-19. Darren Dublin scored 11 points for Queen’s College, while Avion Kesney scored 17 points for Berbice High.
St. Roses High School achieved a significant margin of victory, their tenacity in offence enabling them to smash the defences of YBG Academy and leave the scoreboard reading 26-8. Brad Cush's 10 points proved important for St. Roses High School.
Berbice High began the
U18 season with a victory over the dominant Chase's Academic Foundation, with Cayden Pydana leading the Berbice High offence with 17 points and Anthony Vasconcellos leading the Chase’s offence with 10 points.
Mackenzie High School defeated Diamond Secondary by 10 points in the second round. Reyhan Bakkar led with 8 points while the scoreboard read 30-20.
Vryman's Erven, with their ability to convert baskets, defeated a fighting Christ Church by a 9-point advantage, with the final
in thrilling fashion after a 3-2 encounter with Leonora Secondary. Adrian Giddings got Leonora ahead in the 6th, after finding the back of the net from a freekick in the other half of the pitch. However, a flat shot into the left corner of the goal from Chase’s Akeel Younge levelled the scores in the 21st.
The second segment of the match was even more exciting, as Leonora retook the lead when Keon Grant capitalized on a set piece from the corner in the 24th.
Chase was again quick to equalize. This time, Jaden
Tasher took a straighton shot from just outside the box to tie things up in the 28th. A similar long shot from way outside, this time off the boots of Mark Glasgow in the 28th, gave Chase the lead for the first time in the clash, and eventually the victory.
Tasher later spoke to this publication about his team’s victory. “For the starting of the first half, we start play good, but when we concede, them [teammates] start get a little frustrated and so; but when we score again, that’s when we
start playing back and get our heads in the game. (At) halftime, coachman talked to us,” the Chase’s Academy Captain related.
“Yeah, I would say so,” Tasher said about the team’s motivation to do better once they are down a goal. The final game of the night saw Dolphin Secondary pipping South Ruimveldt Secondary 1-0. After a goalless first half, and the same for much of the second, Tyler Abrams headed a thrown-in ball into the corner of the nets in the 43rd to seal the win for Dolphin.
Dolphin Captain Damani Hardy later talked about their half-time conversation and corrections made that were crucial to the win.
“It was fun! We was controlling the game, but we were making mistakes too. But we still come out with a victory,” Hardy shared.
The youngster went on to reveal, “We had a pretty good conversation. We talked about the wrongs that we did; we talk about the people that we have to match up with in order to score the goal….”
The ExxonMobil final is scheduled for this Saturday at the same venue.
Intense triple-header
score reading 31-22. I-Girade Oudkerk led the attack with 7 points.
In the night's penultimate encounter, YBG Academy defeated a tough and competitive St. John’s College 39-23, with Khalfani McCallister contributing 12 points.
With a score of 30-29, Queen’s College U18 Boys put pressure on West Demerara Secondary's defences, and that was critical in putting the ball through the nets successfully, with Sean Duncan of North Georgetown and Allan Patterson each scoring 12 points.
Following a successful encampment, the Guyana Under- 19 ladies will be shifting focus to arch-rivals Trinidad and Tobago Red Force Divas, as action bowls off in the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Under-19 Women’s T20 tournament on Thursday July 4 in Trinidad and Tobago.
The tournament will open with a triple header featuring the aforementioned sides playing the first game from 10:00hrs, and the Guyanese contingent is set to wing out
shortly for the Twin Island Republic.
Game 2 will feature Barbados and Leeward Islands playing each other from 14:30hrs, while Windward Islands tackle Jamaica in the final game under lights from 19:00hrs.
The local ladies have had a highly-successful camp at the National Gymnasium, with tons of focus on fitness being key areas of work during the week-long training period.
Meanwhile, all first round matches will be played at the Brian Lara
