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Hundreds

Wales gas project bus drivers protest unpaid salaries ‘THREE MONTHS, NO PAY’

More than 10

l o c a l b u s d r i v e r s contracted to work at the Gas-to-Energy Project in Wales,WestBankDemerara

(WBD) protested on Wednesday,citingmonthsof unpaid salaries, deplorable working conditions, and allegations of immediate termination threats if they speakout.

D

C

position in an invited comment to Kaieteur News

“I wouldn’t be able to give any comment to Kaieteur News but I will say that everyone is being paid, sometimes payments are being made late most

companies have that problem.”

The demonstration attracted members of the

Opposition, including Leader of the Opposition

Azruddin Mohamed, alongside Members of Parliament Nandrani Singh, Vishnu Panday, and Dr Andre Lewis, who levelled criticism at the government and the Minister of Labour

KeomaGriffithforfailingto protect Guyanese workers onceagain.

The affected drivers, who utilise their personal vehicles to transport approximately 1,000 workers to and from the site daily,revealedthattheyhave not received payments for March,April,andMay

DwayneGriffith,adriver andfatherofnine,statedthat he has been working since Marchwithoutasalaryandis currently owed roughly $800,000.

“The boss always telling us, next week, next week, and every time next week

Left to right- Balram Singh, Vishnu, V Gregory Amour and Kerwin Griffith

comes, he’s not paying us,” Griffith explained “Our vehicles are damaging up; we have to find money for gas. It’s real hard...We need justice concerning this matterhere.”

The financial strain has reportedly caused severe domestic issues for multiple drivers. Griffith and fellow driver Phillip Trotman both notedthatbecausetheyleave home as early as 2:00 a.m. and return late without earnings, their spouses have accused them of infidelity andhidingtheirincome.

“I am a father of four I amrentingahouseandIgot

all my children going to school,” Trotman said. “My wife is thinking like I got somebodyelseoutside...We getting bad name because somebody failed to pay we forwhatwedoneworkfor.”

BrokenPromisesand ForeignLabour Domination

Opposition Leader

AzruddinMohamedandMP VishnuPandayhighlighteda massive disparity in the project’s workforce composition, claiming that out of approximately 1,500 workers currently employed by the main contractor, Lindsayca Guyana Inc, only

about50areGuyanese.

The Opposition officials emphasised that the current

ation had previouslypromisedthatthe Gas-to-Energy project

hundreds of cane cutters displaced by the closure of theWalesSugarEstate.

“Today,youbetrayallthe people, all the cane cutters, all the people living along the West Bank,” Mohamed stated, addressing Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo

“We got sheer foreigners working here, reaping the benefits,whileGuyaneseare left stranded The job is nothing technical, it is to drive machines, servicemen work, mechanic work, labour, tie steel, carpentry, and cleaning ” Mohamed furtherallegedthattheheavy reliance on foreign labour from Venezuela, Cuba, and theDominicanRepublicisa deliberate cost-saving measure by sub-contractors to avoid paying National Insurance Scheme (NIS) contributions and Pay As You Earn (PAYE) taxes for

localworkers.

HazardousInfrastructure andSubstandard Amenities

Drivers described the access road from Patentia to the Wales project site as nearly impassable, comparing it unfavourably to the Lethem trail The rough terrain has reportedly resultedinextensivevehicle damage, forcing drivers to pay out-of-p

constantrepairs.

“The road is extremely bad,” driver Balram Singh noted.“Thisman reachinan accident the other day with mybus.Andwhenweasked to sign contracts, there’s no contracts That’s the first thingthatissuspicious.” Additionally, drivers highlighted a complete absence of basic sanitary facilitiesatthestagingareas. Trotman revealed that drivers face immediate dismissal if caught relieving themselvesnearthevehicles, forcing them into the surroundingbushes.

“Theydon’thavenoway tourine...Ifyouwantto

Continued on page 17

Govt.backsdownonrapists’secrecy

...as public outrage forces Sexual Offences Bill to committee review

Facing intense public backlash and condemnation fromthepoliticalopposition, the Government of Guyana has bowed to public pressure, with President Irfaan Ali ordering that the controversial Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill be sent to a Parliamentary SelectCommittee.

The administration’s sudden pivot was signaled late Wednesday afternoon whenVicePresidentBharrat Jagdeo announced on his Facebook page that the executivewouldabandonits proposal for a “closed” sex offenders registry in favour ofafullypublicdatabase.

“President Dr IrfaanAli hasinstructedthattheSexual Offences(Amendment)Bill, presented in the National Assemblyon5thJune,2026, be sent to a Select Committee,” Jagdeo said on hisFacebookpage.

“He has also indicated thatitishisview,andthatof theCabinet,thatanyregister of sex offenders must be public. I strongly share this view,” the Vice President stated.

The announcement follows days of mounting fury over provisions within the bill that shielded the identities of convicts from thepublic,requiringcitizens to instead submit formal requestformstothepoliceto access background information.

Shortly after the Vice President’s announcement, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, took to social media to defend the architecture of the initial draft while acknowledging theexecutiveturn.

“The Sexual Offences Amendments Bill 2026 has for the first time a Sex

President Irfaan Ali

President, myself and the membersofCabinetholdthe view,this should be an Open Register However, the Bill was crafted based on the

overwhelminglysuggesteda closedregister,”theminister said.

Persaud confirmed that as the subject Minister, she intends to propose sending

Committee “to have it

y members,” noting that the legislationwill“benefitfrom more scrutiny and views at thatCommittee.”

OppositionDemands Resignation,Slams Legislative “Incompetence”

The administration’s retreatdidlittletopacifythe opposition, which launched a coordinated onslaught characterising the government’s legislative process as chaotic and hypocritical.

TheAllianceForChange (AFC)previouslydemanded theimmediateresignationof Minister Persaud, accusing her of attempting to “shield predators” and branding the

Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud

legislation “unworthy of the NationalAssembly.”

Forward Guyana Movement’s Leader and Member of Parliament

Amanza Walton-Desir lashed out at the mixed messaging coming from the executive, calling the situation “incompetence at itsbest”inapublicstatement posted on her Facebook page.

“TheVicePresidentnow tellsusthatthePresidenthas instructed that the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill... be referred to a Select Committee,” Walton-Desir stated.“Atthesametime,the Minister responsible has been telling the public that this bill emerged from consultation Consultation with whom? When were these consultations conducted?Wherewerethey advertised?”

Walton-Desirarguedthat thepolicyreversalexposesa fundamental breakdown in governance.

“ E i t h e r C a b i n e t approved the policy and is now publicly revising its position after the bill was tabled, or the bill was broughttoParliamentbefore Cabinethadsettledoneofits most important policy

COVID-19 outbreak at GuySuCo Training College sparks contact-tracing effort

AuthoritiesinRegionSixarecontinuing tomonitoranoutbreakofcoronavirusatthe GuySuCoTrainingCollegeinPortMourant, Corentyne. This is according to a health official, who also confirmed to this publicationonMondaythattherehavebeen nodetectedcasesoutsideoftheinstitution.

LastThursday,over20casesofCOVID19 were detected among students who stayed in the dorms of the school. Reports are that none of the cases was critical, but ratherasymptomatic.

questions,” she added. “The PPP Government is an unseriouslot,”shedeclared.

“AStepintheRight Direction”

The shift toward transparency, however, found an ally inAlliance for Liberty (ALP) leader Simona Broomes, who strongly backed the transition to an open database.

“I strongly believe that suchregistershouldbemade public, it is in the public interest,”Broomessaidinan invitedcommenttoKaieteur News “How will parents know to protect themselves from these predators? Too many predators around If you really follow up, any attempt to curb these predatorsisastepintheright direction to have it made public,”Broomesstated.

FlawedInfrastructureand LegalLoopholes

Beyond the privacy of the registry, the bill faced fierce criticism over its structural and ethical components.

The AFC raised major logistical questions regarding a clause requiring convictedoffenderstoreport tolocalToshaos(indigenous community leaders) in hinterland areas lacking law enforcement.

“What makes the Minister believe that

offenders will willingly comply with such a requirement? Moreover, why, in 2026, are there still communities without adequate police presence?” theAFCquestioned.

The opposition also targeted exemptions built into the bill excluding individuals with mental disabilities from being placed on the registry The AFCnotedthatifacourthas already convicted an individual of a sexual offense, any defence based on mental incapacity has alreadybeendeemedlegally insufficient to prevent a findingofguilt.

TheProblemwith InternationalImporting

Adding weight to the opposition’s criticisms, WIN’s Shadow Minister of Human Services Natasha S i n g h - L e w i s , M P, dismantledthegovernment’s reliance on international benchmarks,suchasthosein the U K , Canada, or Australia,tojustifyaprivate registry

“What [Minister P e r s a u d ] f a i l s t o acknowledge is that those countries also have strong institutions, independent oversight bodies, robust victim protection systems, and a level of public c o n f i d e n c e i n l a w enforcement and the justice

system that simply does not exist in Guyana,” SinghLewisargued.

“You cannot import one part of an international model while ignoring the safeguards that make that model work,” Singh-Lewis stated “The Minister is asking Guyanese to trust a closed system when many citizens have little confidenceintheinstitutions thatwillcontrolthatsystem. That is the fundamental flaw,”shesaid.

BackgroundtotheBill

The legislative push to update Guyana’s Sexual OffencesAct of 2010 began in earnest in April 2025, when public consultations were launched by the MinistryofHumanServices and Social Security The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported in 2025 that the drafting consultant and Attorney-atlaw Kim Kyte-Thomas had outlined protocols for data security, access restrictions, a n d p e n a l t i e s f o r unauthorized disclosure under the closed-registry framework.

While Minister Persaud previouslyhailedthedraftas a “very progressive piece of legislation” surpassing anything in the region, the realities of severe public distrusthaveforcedthestate backtothedrawingboard.

Followingtheoutbreak,theentireschool was vacated, and those students who were confirmed as infected were placed in quarantine. The official stated that the situation is being carefully assessed, and contacttracing is being undertaken to identify and managepersonswhomighthavecomeinto closecontactwiththeaffectedindividuals. Itwasalsohighlightedthatcontingency measures exist in the eventuality of further spreadingofthevirus.

Uptopresstimetheinstitutionremained closed. One source confirmed that students wereinformedthattheywillbereturningto thetrainingschoolonSunday Health officials in the region have not respondedtoqueriesfromthisnewspaper

Kaieteur News

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Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS

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EDITORIAL

Justice delayed, but not denied

There are few crimes in recent Guyanese history that haveleftasdeepascaronthenationalconsciousnessasthe murdersofcousinsIsaiahandJoelHenryinSeptember2020. Their brutal deaths shook the nation, triggered widespread unrest, and became a symbol of the anxieties and divisions that marked a particularly tense period in our country's history Coming in the immediate aftermath of the contentious 2020 elections, the killings intensified an already volatile atmosphere and left many citizens demandinganswers,accountability,andjustice.

On Tuesday, nearly six years after the horrific crime, a Berbice High Court jury found Anil Sanchara and Vinod Gopaulguiltyofthemurders.Theverdictbroughtameasure ofclosuretoacasethathaslingeredpainfullyinthemindsof many Guyanese. For the relatives and friends of the Henry boys,itwasundoubtedlyamomentofprofoundemotion—a mixtureofrelief,sorrow,andreflectiononajourneythathas beenfarlongerandmoredifficultthananyoneshouldhaveto endure.

Thepassageoftimehasnotbeenwithoutconsequences. Since the murders, family members have passed away without seeing the conclusion of the case. Others have suffered immense emotional burdens while waiting for justicetorunitscourse.Onerelative,overcomebygriefand frustration, even found himself imprisoned after taking matters into his own hands. Such developments serve as starkremindersofthefar-reachingeffectsviolentcrimecan have, extending well beyond the immediate victims and alteringthelivesofentirefamiliesandcommunities.

The details that emerged during the trial were deeply disturbing. Testimony painted a chilling picture of how a disputeoveradestroyedmarijuanafarmallegedlyescalated intoanactofunimaginableviolence.Theevidencepresented to the court described a brutal attack carried out with cutlasses,leavingtwoyoungmendeadincircumstancesthat horrified the nation. The autopsy findings revealed the savage nature of the killings, while witness testimony providedanarrativethatjurorsultimatelyfoundcompelling enoughtoconvict.

Yet beyond the gruesome details lies a broader lesson about the administration of justice. In high-profile cases, particularly those that stir strong public emotions, there is oftenpressureforswiftresolutions.Citizensunderstandably become frustrated when investigations and court proceedings stretch on for years. Questions arise about whetherjusticewilleverbeserved.Doubtsemergeaboutthe effectiveness of institutions. The Henry boys' case was no exception.

However, the criminal justice system is designed not merely to deliver verdicts, but to ensure that verdicts are reachedthroughdueprocess,evidence,andtheruleoflaw Thatprocesscanbepainstakinglyslow Investigationsmust be conducted thoroughly Evidence must be tested Witnesses must be examined. Defendants must be afforded the opportunity to challenge the case against them. These safeguards are not obstacles to justice; they are essential componentsofit.

Theverdictdeliveredthisweekdemonstratesthatdespite delays and frustrations, the system can work. It may not alwaysmoveatthepacethepublicdesires,butitslegitimacy depends upon fairness and careful consideration. The alternative—a rush to judgment without proper procedures would undermine the very principles upon which justice rests.

Itisalsoimportanttorecognizethataconvictiondoesnot erase pain. Nothing can restore the lives of Isaiah and Joel Henry Nothing can return the years lost by grieving relatives. The scars left on families, communities, and the nation will remain. Justice, in this context, does not mean forgetting. Rather, it means establishing accountability and

The persistent flooding crisis during rainy seasons

DearEditor, In Guyana climate change is presenting us with greater and even greater challenges, especially during periods of heavy r a i n f a l l I n m a n y communities' residents are experiencing major water accumulation in their yards, homes and streets, which is adding to the burdens we face, due to the discomfort, destruction of household items the loss of livestock and livelihoods, not to mention the increased probability of infectious diseases.

Addingtoourtroublesis thefactthatthesaturatedsoil means that trees and electrical poles can fall and cause injury and damage to propertyatanytime.

Children,theelderlyand people with disabilities are allatadisadvantage,trapped indoors while their homes remain under water for days with no place of refuge. Some schools have to be closed with children being senthomeduetotheflooded yards and toilets and absent teachers who themselves have to cope with these conditions.

We are experiencing severe floods because of clogged canals, inadequate drainage and the intense rainfalls. With the drainage unabletocopewiththehigh volume of water, streets begin to flood. Businesses suffer and with crops being destroyedthesupplyoffresh foodisalsoaffected.

Everybody is trying to raise the level of their yard and concreting the land, trying to reduce the impact on their household. This ends up causing more water torunintodrainsandcanals.

The flood waters pose health risks especially for poorerfamilies.

The stagnant water becomes contaminated from the human waste and dead animals, mosquitoes have lavishbreedinggrounds,and we are made vulnerable to the spread of many waterbornediseases.Theconstant flooding due to clogged drainage causes damage to buildings, roadways and walkways.

I am calling on the relevant authorities, the MayorandCityCounciland the Ministry of Public Works, the Ministry of

AgriculturetheNDCsetc. to ensure that the kokers, canals and drains are cleaned/ desilted and maintained on a regular basis.

maintenanceneeds to be put in place to minimize flooding, Since the building of the new roads and expansions, there is no system put in place to facilitate the increasing runoffofrainwater

More drains/ trenches shouldbebuiltandnotfilled intowidenroadsorclogged because of construction, w h e t h e r i t b e building/expansionofroads, housesorbusinessplaces.

Citizens also must take responsibility to properly dispose of our garbage and not dump trash into the canalsordrains.

But the NDCs and town councilsmustalsoplaytheir part by doing regular trash collection.

L

avoided at all cost. Stop dumpingyourgarbageonthe roadside,stopthrowingyour emptybeveragebottles,food boxes, snack wrappers out

the bus window and taxi, onto the roadways and out the boats into our rivers. Pollutiondoesnotaffectone, it affects all even though someofusmayfeelthebrunt of it depending on our locationsandsituationsInall the years I live in

G e o r g e t o w n f r o m childhood,Ihaveneverseen somanystreetsfloodedafter a few hours of rainfall Places like the seawall road, Ogle aerodromes were affectedandfloodedout.

Aconsiderablesectionof the Coastline is below sea levelandwehavetodepend on the canals and drains, to storerainwaterrunoffduring hightidewhenthekokersare closed to drain the water Now with more intense rainstorms and longer rainy seasonwewillhaveagreater drainage problem leading to flooding in more and more communities.

This is a serious matter that threatens our lives and livelihoods and it requires moreseriousandconsidered attention than Ministerial walkaboutsafterthedamage isdone.

Sincerely

TheRedThread

Race relations

DearEditor, Today, the Guyana Public Service Union

( G P S U ) p r o u d l y commemorates another anniversary of its Race Relations, Equality and Human Rights Committee, launched by the Late Mrs. Janet Jagan, former Prime Minister of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana on 9th June 1997 pursuant to Rule 20(xii)oftheGPSURules. For twenty-nine years, the Committee served as a guardian of equality, justice, and human dignity, championing the rights of workers and promoting respect for human rights throughout Guyana. The Rules of the Union provide that the Committee is responsible for maintaining

good relations among the diverseethnicgroupswithin the Union, promoting good governance, justice, fair play,andrespectforciviland human rights, and investigating allegations of d i s c r i m i n a t i o n , victimisation, intolerance, andabuse.

Thismandateremainsas relevant today as it was in 1997. As Dr Martin Luther King Jr reminded us, “Injustice anywhere is a t h r e a t t o j u s t i c e e v e r y w h e r e ” T h e Committee's work is not merely administrative; it is centraltoensuringthatevery worker is treated with dignity,fairness,andrespect.

Throughoutitsexistence, the Committee has advocated for equal

affirmingthatactsofsuchbrutalitycannotgounanswered.

Thepossibilityremains,thatappealsmayfollow Thatis therightofthoseconvictedandanotherimportantfeatureofa legal system committed to fairness. Whatever future legal proceedings may occur, Tuesday's verdict represents a significantmilestoneinacasethatmanyfearedmightnever reachthisstage.

AsGuyanareflectsonthisoutcome,thereisroomforboth solemn remembrance and cautious confidence Remembrancefortwoyounglivescutshortinasenselessact ofviolence.Confidencethat,despitesetbacksanddelays,the institutions responsible for delivering justice remained committedtoseeingthematterthrough.

opportunity, fair treatment, decent working conditions, andsocialjustice.Ithasalso supported efforts to address inequalities experienced by vulnerablegroups,including Indigenous communities, personswithdisabilities,and those living in rural and hinterland regions. Today, new challenges continue to confront us, including attacks on Public Servants through social media, disparities in benefits and opportunities within the p u b l i c s e c t o r , underemployment, and the erosion of merit-based systems. These issues undermine fairness, transparency, and confidence in public institutions. We must also recognise that artificial intelligence, rapid industrialization, and the shift toward a green economy, while vital for development, can also increase workplace inequality if not guided by fairnessandinclusion.These changes may alter job structures, displace traditional roles, and concentrate opportunities among those with greater skillsoraccesstotraining. Withoutstrongreskilling pr

vulnerable workers risk being left behind. Progress must therefore remain just and inclusive, ensuring that d

s dignity and opportunity rather than deepening inequality The increasing prevalence of mental health and neurodevelopmental c

, schizophrenia, learning and communication disorders, and other behavioural and cognitive conditions are alsoaffectingthechildrenof fartoomanypublicservants, andtherisingconcernsabout violence and sexual abuse against children, require greater compassion and stronger support systems. It requires parents to be given more opportunities to be in the lives of their children, and less physical time in the workplace.

The Union has noted an increase in complaints from Public Servants who are deniedreasonableflexibility to care for children and familymemberswithspecial (Continuedonpage6)

Dirigisme and Guyana: Why government spending must be controlled

DearEditor,

Dirigisme is an economic doctrine that originated in France after WorldWarII.

Itwasembracedtofoster rapid growth, and it is currently being used in different parts of the world primarily by ex-communist

regimes and those

communist countries transitioning to a stronger economy It is when the government plays a very

active role in the development of the nation's economy

The main difference between this model and capitalism is that market dynamics are not allowed to adjust based on supply and demand In our young democracy, Guyana is also partaking in Dirigisme, and this can be seen in several sectors of the economy where competitive forces, both internal and external, have been weakened by government intervention. In this economic model taxes, duties and subsidies are the leversmostused.

This can result in less competitive sectors, an increase in the size of government and wasteful spendingiftransparencyand accountability is lacking DuringthisperiodinFrance an old boys club also emerged that tightly controlled the economic power.

Somewhat similar to what Guyana experienced underPresidentBurnham.

In Guyana's context we arewitnessingasimilarpath

being taken today towards Dirigisme by President Ali andhismentor Considerthe tax being placed on our NaturalResourceFund. Its depletion has been accelerated,anditsusagehas been less than transparent.

As Margaret Thatcher once said,"Thestatehasnosource of money other than the money people earn themselves.Ifthestatewants tospendmore,itcanonlydo so by borrowing your savings or by taxing you more".

This in effect is what is happening in Guyana. The fund established for our natural resources, especially from the oil and gas sector, does not belong to the government.

These are funds that belong to the people of Guyana.Itisthepeoplewho must decide how it will be spent or saved by electing leaders who will carry out theirwishes.

The money spent from this fund is money which belongs to the people of Guyana and every dollar spent from it comes out of the pockets of our citizens. We must ask ourselves, is ourmoneybeingputtogood use by the government? Would it be better if the funds being spent by the state were distributed to us forustospendasweseefit?

The government would in return benefit from taxes on purchases and the economic multiplier that occurs with consumer spending.

The tax rate will

determine what is available for the state to spend and allocate to each ministry Thus,returningthepowerof thenationalpursebacktothe peopleofGuyana.

Currently, expenditure has been occurring at an accelerated rate while taxes h

ed, depleting the savings of our people via the reduction of thenaturalresourcefund.

Due to corruption and nepotism, we the people are provided with less value for ourmoney

The easily washed away road to Timehri / CJIA is evidenceofthislossinvalue. The mocking of our citizens with the holiday cash grant that never arrived on time is further evidence of the ill will of the current government and their total disregard for the owners of the funds being spent. We were told that we must behavetoreceivethemoney whichbelongstous.

The government has oversteppeditsauthorityand has insulted the people who itworksfor

We are also seeing the expansion of government into nontraditional sectors, where government officials are using our savings to unfairlycompetewithfellow citizens of our country in everysector

Yet another pitfall that occurs with the Dirigisme economic model that is bad for independent companies. If it is the preference of we the people to have the funds inourownbankaccountsto do with as we see fit and

providethegovernmentwith theresourcestheyneedviaa reasonable tax rate then we must show that preference withourvote.Thiswillhelp curtail the unfair business practices that are hindering local businesses from becomingmorecompetitive.

The current situation is beforeus,andtheoutcomeis being witnessed. Pilferage and poor-quality work are happening before our eyes, and the people of our nation are losing the benefit of the dollarsgainedfromtheoil& gas sector and other productive sectors that fund governmentspending.

By pursuing a regular distribution schedule of funds to the people and a reasonable tax rate for expenses, the wealth of the nationwillreachthepockets of our citizens equally and not just enrich the few that areinapositionofpowerand their families, friends and favourites.

Aconcernthatmustalso be safeguarded against with the launch of the new development bank that doesn't require collateral for loans nor charge interest. The risk of default is quite substantial without consequences for the borrower An easy target for theunscrupulous.

Today,inGuyanaweare seeing the pitfalls of the Dirigisme economic model as major projects exceed budget estimates and weakening sectors are subsidized.

As our country grows in wealth and access to capital

increases, the government can, if not restricted in spending,overspendinareas that appeal to large voting blocks to secure their supportatthepolls.

This can be seen with renewedsubsidiesintherice sector and was another one of the pitfalls of this economic model when in placeinFrance.

Thepreferenceshouldbe towards seeking balance by equally distributing the funds amongst the population and allocating a portion of tax revenue to support sectors that can become more competitive and gain a long-term competitiveadvantageinthe market Otherwise, ingenuity and innovation willnotbeincentivized,and competitivenesswilldecline overthelongterm.

The sugar industry is an exampleofthisproblematic.

While European subsidies in the form of favourable prices were in place, improvements in cost and productivity lagged competitors and once those subsidies were removed our sugar industry could no

longer compete in the open market. The consequences arestillbeingfelttothisday I t i s C R G ' s recommendationtokeepthe taxbreakscurrentlyinplace to sustain the gains in disposable income while also using the amounts a l l o w e d f o r N R F withdrawals for distribution to each household, and have the government fund their expenses with the taxes collected.

This will foster better fiscal management, help reduce waste & corruption, and encourage improved project management and selection.Thekickbackswill decrease and the people of Guyanawillbeinastronger position to hold the government accountable because future government spending will depend on the spending decisions made by each voter In today's Guyana most voters trust themselves to do more for themselves with their own money vs letting the government spend it for them.

Bestregards Jamil

Changlee

Guyana produced raw sugar at US$1 per pound above average world price in 2025 – Mustapha

Guyana produced raw sugar at almost US$1 per pound above the average worldpricein2025,Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustafahassaid.

The minister made the revelationduringlastweek's sitting of the National Assembly He shared that inclusive of labour and maintenance costs, each pound of sugar produced costUS$1.09.

The Minister was asked by the Shadow Minister of Agriculture and Member of Parliament (MP) for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Vinceroy Jordan to provide written re

questions.

Jordanaskedtheminister to provide the production cost for sugar made with in the first crop of 2025, including maintenance and labour costs, as well as the total production of sugar for the same period at the Blairmont, Albion, Rose HallandUitvlugtEstates.

In his response the minister said that, “Production per pound for the first crop 2025 was US$1.09.” He also provided a breakdown of the amount of sugar per tonne produced at the above-mentioned estates.

He said that the Albion and Rose Hall Estates in Region Six produced 5579 and3577tonnesrespectively whiletheBlairmontEstatein Region Five produced 2790 tonnes. The Uitvlugt Estate in Region Three produced 4,007 tonnes of sugar bringing the total to 15,954 tonnes produced for the first crop.

A c c o r d i n g t o agrideriaindustrialllc.com andczapp.comin2024-2025 Brazil, Thailand, EU+U.K, and China were responsible for 60% of the world's total sugarproduction.Brazilwas producing raw sugar at US

One dead, two suspects flee

…after botched Chinese supermarket robbery

MinisterofAgriculture, Zulfikar Mustapha.

$335 per tonne, which translates to 15.2 cents per pound.

“OnasUSDbasisitlooks likea2%costinproduction, however it is a consequence of the BRL weakening 13% from one season to the next. But overall, costs in BRL saw an increase with inflation,higherdieselprices as well as lower ag, yield in 2024/25 that affected average costs,” an article 'Sugar cost of production across the world' published byczapp.comstated.

The article noted that India was producing sugar forUS$420pertonne,which translates to 19 cents per lb for raw sugar However, the price for sugar has been steadilyontheriseinIndian Rupeesandasaresultofthis thegovernmenthasset,“Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) that mills must pay farmers The government increasestheFRPeachyear, anda4.5%increasehasbeen announcedfor2025/26.This follows the 8% increase we saw in 2024/25,” the said articlesaid.

More competitive industries like the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Poland are able to produce sugar at US$ 750850pertonne,thistranslates to around US$ 34 cents per pound.

An armed robbery suspect was shot and killed Wednesday night following an exchange of gunfire with a police rank at the People’s Choice supermarket on Mandela Avenue, law

confirmed.

The incident occurred at approximately 20:40h on Wednesday P r e l i m i n a r y investigations revealed that three males entered the business establishment, where one of the men, who was armed with a handgun, held two unarmed security guards at gunpoint and ordered them to lie on the ground.

The targeted heist was interrupted when a police

rank on mobile patrol observed the unfolding crime. The officer stopped the patrol vehicle and approached the suspects insidethesupermarket.

“The armed suspect allegedlydischargedaround in the direction of the police

rank, who returned fire with his service pistol The suspects then ran out of the supermarket in different directions The armed suspect subsequently fell into a nearby drain on Mandela Avenue, “the Guyana Police Force said in

astatement”. He was later examined by a doctor on duty and pronounced dead Crime scene detectives processed thesceneandrecovereda.38 revolver, loaded with three live rounds, alongside severalspentshells.

Race relations

Frompage4 needs. The workplace must also evolve to recognise theserealities.

As former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan stated, “Human rights are the foundation of human existence and coexistence.”Theprotectionof workers must therefore include the protection of families This Committee proudly supported the enactment of the Prevention of Discrimination Act of 1997. Since then, Guyana hasmadeimportantprogress in advancing equality and inclusion However, our workremainsunfinished.

AsaUnioncommittedto human rights and equality, w e r e a f f i r m t h a t discrimination has no place in our workplaces or our society This includes discrimination against persons because of their sexual orientation. A just societyisoneinwhichevery citizen enjoys equal rights and equal protection, regardless.

We remain committed to e n s u r i n g t h a t a l l

persons—regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, disability, religion, geographic origin, are treated with dignity and respect. This commitment reflects the principle contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that “All human beings are born free and equalindignityandrights.”

This anniversary also follows closely on the heels

of another important milestone Yesterday, the GPSU celebrated 103 years of organised public sector representation Since the registration of the British Guiana Civil Service

Association in 1923, generations of public servants have fought to secure fairness, dignity, and respectforworkers.

Today, new challenges continue to confront us, including attacks on public servants through social media,disparitiesinbenefits and opportunities within the p u b l i c s e c t o r , underemployment, and the erosion of merit-based systems These issues undermine fairness,

institutions.

The Race Relations, Equality and Human Rights Committeemustcontinueto advocateforaGuyanawhere opportunity is not determined by race, geography, social status, gender, or political affiliation;wherefreedomof expression is protected; and where every citizen can participate fully in national development.

The GPSU will continue toadvocateforequalpayfor workofequalvalue,aliving wage for all Guyanese, stronger social protections, affordable childcare, comprehensive insurance coverage for workers and their families, improved mental health support, and greater access to digital technology in rural and hinterlandcommunities.

As Nelson Mandela observed, “To deny people their human rights is to challenge their very humanity ” E

justice, social justice, and h

inseparable.

AsGuyanadevelops,we mustensurethatprosperityis sharedandthatnooneisleft behind As Eleanor Roosevelt famously stated, “Where, after all, do universal human rights begin?Insmallplaces,close to home ” It is in our workplaces, communities, andinstitutionsthatequality and justice must first be realised.

Aswecommemoratethis anniversary,letusrenewour commitment to building a Guyanawherejusticeisnota privilege but a right; where equality is not an aspiration but a reality; and where every worker is treated with dignityandrespect.

On behalf of the Executive Council of the Guyana Public Service Union, I extend a Happy Anniversary to the CommitteeandallMembers oftheGuyanaPublicService Union as together we forge ahead in unity of purpose in defenceofall.

Sincerely Guyana Public Service Union

Development bank risks becoming welfare agency

F o r m e r G u y a n a

AmbassadortoSouthAfrica

and Professor, Dr C Kenrick Hunte, has raised serious concerns about the p r o p o s e d G u y a n a Development Bank (GDB), warning that aspects of the legislation could transform

the institution into a costly welfare agency rather than a sustainable development bank.

...former ambassador warns against zero-interest, no-collateral lending

In a letter to the editor, Hunte examined provisions contained in the Guyana Development Bank Act 2026, particularly Section 5(2), which states that the bank may assist small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by providing loans “with or without collateral andwithorwithoutcharging interest.”

The provision has already attracted public

attention following the tabling of the legislation in the National Assembly by Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh Government has promoted the proposed institutionasamechanismto expand access to financing for entrepreneurs, including thepossibilityofloansbeing offered without interest or collateral.

However, Hunte argued that the language of the Bill createsfourpossiblelending scenarios, each with significantly different implications for the bank’s sustainability and effectiveness.

According to Hunte, the first and most conventional model involves charging interest and requiring collateral Under this approach, interest income helps cover operational expenses and generates profits, while collateral provides security against loan defaults and ensures borrowercommitment.

The second scenario, where loans are issued without interest and without collateral, is what Hunte considers most problematic. He contends that such an arrangementcannotproperly be described as banking activity

“This is not a bank loan; instead, this is a financial transfer, given by government,”Huntewrote.

He argued that without i

est income, the institution would have no internallygeneratedrevenue to cover operational costs.

n

ld be required simply to keep the institution functioning Given reports that the GDB will begin with an initial

capitalisation of G$40 billion, Hunte noted that no details have yet been provided regarding the operational expenses that would have to be deducted fromthoseresources.

A third possibility identifiedbyHunteinvolves loans being issued without interest but secured by collateral While collateral mayprotectagainstdefaults, he maintained that the absence of interest income

would still leave the institution dependent on government grants to financeitsoperations.

The fourth scenario would involve charging interest while dispensing withcollateralrequirements. Hunte said such a model would require intensive monitoring and supervision to minimise loan losses and ensure repayment He suggested mechanisms such as “Assignment of Sales” agreements, whereby repaymentobligationscould be linked directly to revenues generated by borrowers.

Based on his analysis, Hunte concluded that any significant reliance on the second and third lending modelswouldunderminethe bank’sviability

“It is clear that if the GDB utilizes the credit frameworkinCases2and3, thiswillbeaseriousdrainon scarce resources and it will not be a development bank, but a welfare agency,” he stated.

sufficient attention has been paid to designing sound credit policies, setting operational targets, and ensuringefficiency

He also raised concerns about staffing requirements, asking whether there is adequateunderstandingof

The former ambassador also used the opportunity to revisit the closure of the Guyana Agricultural and Industrial Development Bank (GAIBANK), which he describedas a financially viable development finance institution. Hunte criticised the People’s Progressive Party(PPP)administration’s decision to shut down the bank more than three decades ago, arguing that recommendations made by formerAuditorGeneralS.A. Goolsarranin1993and1994 wereignored. Now, as the government seeks to establish a new deve

Continued on page 9

Labourer remanded for armed robbery

A25-year-oldlabourerwasonTuesdaychargedwith Robbery Under Arms when he appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrates’ Court before Senior MagistrateCliveNurse.

The accused, Kumar Persaud, of Annadale New Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was arrested on June3“inrelationtooffencescommittedona30-yearold man of Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara, on May 27, 2026, at Mon Repos Market Road, East Coast Demerara.”

Persaud “pleaded not guilty to the offence of RobberyUnderArmsandguiltywithexplanationtothe offenceofMaliciousDamagetoProperty.”

Hewasdeniedbailonbothmatters,policesaid.

ThematterswereadjournedtoJuly20,2026. Remanded: Kumar Persaud

Art is much more than a reflection of reality

Itisnowonderthearts,in all its forms, in Guyana is mired in mediocrity If there can be such scant understanding of what art is about,thenitshouldsurprise no one that this country has failed to develop its cultural industry

The purpose of art, be it sculpture, paintings, drama or books, yes books, is not merelytoreflectsociety Art is not just a mirror of what exists in its raw state. If that was the case, everyone would be an artist, because everyone's reality would become their

art.Artisawayoflookingat societyandtreatingwiththat reality

The problem in Guyana isthatforfartoolong,theart of social reflection has been allowed to simply become a mirror Ithasbeenallowedto merely reflect, without any attempt at treating this reflection, and/or in so doing, condition a response tothistreatment.

Artisnotjustaboutbeing amirrorofourculture.When art – in all its forms – is reducedtothisbasefunction, thenitlosesitspotency And

inGuyana,everythinginthe arts now seems to be destinedforthislesserfate.

A painting simply becomesavisualdrawing.It simply reproduces a scene, neglecting effect or projection of some idea or ideal Anything can be painted and everything has been painted. It is but mere photography on canvas, not art.

Most of the local stage productions have been reduced to this level of mediocrity Local play writing is, in the main, now

DEM BOYS SEH

Sweetieisnowlegaltender

Dem boys went in a shop and made a purchase. De bill come up to $1,199.90. Demboyshandintwothousanddollarbills todecashier Demanhanddemboyshebill anda“sweetie.'

Demboyssehthingsgattobebaddatall deshopmancanofferasagift,isa'sweetie' Nevertheless, dem boys thankful fuh small mercies – in dis case de 'sweetie'. So dem boyssehthanksandstandupwaitingfuhde $10 change.After about 2 minutes, it dawn ondemboysdatdesweetiewasdechange. Sweetienowturnlegaltender.

Instead of giving yuh back yuh small change, some of dem shop man paying yuh in'sweetie'.

It mek dem boys remember when de $5,000billdidfuscomeout.Amanwentina

shopancallfuhtwomintswhichwas$20in totalanddenhanddeshopmana$5,000bill. Deshopmanturnedtodemanandtellheto tek de mints fuh free, and hand he back de $5,000note.

Deh gat some people used to tek short dropinminibus.Indemdaysdeshortdrop was$100.Anddemflashinga$5,000punde conductor.Depoorconductornowgattouse upallhechange.

But dis situation with de 'sweetie' beat all. Deshoppeoplerealizethatdeonlything a$10couldbuyisa'sweetie”andbypaying yuh with a 'sweetie,' dem not only selling demsweetiebutmekkingalilprofitpunde sidebecausemostofdembuyingdesweetie fuhlessthan$10. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

Developmentbankrisksbecoming...

From page 8 thetrainedpersonnelneeded to manage what could become a decentralised development banking system across Guyana’s ten administrativeregions.

Hunte’s intervention adds to a growing debate surrounding the proposed legislation Critics have already questioned the governance structure of the bank, including provisions that would allow the Minister of Finance to appoint all directors, the chairperson and deputy chairperson. Concerns have also been raised regarding oversight mechanisms, lending criteria and accountabilitysafeguards.

T h e G u y a n a Development Bank Bill is expectedtobedebatedinthe National Assembly before lawmakersdecidewhetherto approvethelegislation.

entertaining rather than engaging or provoking. No wonder the arts in Guyana are in such disarray Plays have become a mere reflectionofoursociety,and sometimes a mere lampooningofreality

Thenewlabelispopular theatre, where the audience goes to and does laugh at even a tragedy Popular theatre has become so ingrainedthateveniftodaya serious production, treating withsocialthemesandwitha strongunderlyingmoralwas tobeproduced,theaudience wouldlaughatalmostevery line.The problem is that the jokeisonthem.

Art is supposed to say something, not simply replicate a scene of a development.Thisappliesto paintingsandplaysasitdoes to writing. The writer may see something, but not just what he sees and the lens through which he sees is important, but how he treats withit.

Edgar Mittleholtzer wrote a classic called “Corentyne Thunder.” But he was doing more than simply telling a story He was digging deeper beneath the surface of relationships betweenamiserlyfatherand his children or between the bizarre relationship between theweatherandthefortunes ofafamily Itwasalsoabout

thewayonesocialclasssaw another This was not storytelling, but social commentary using storytelling. This is what art is about. It is not a mere mirror,butanattempttotreat withrealityinacertainway

The artist who cannot and does not do this is not engagedinartform.

The good writer goes beyondmeredescriptionand reflection.Hescoursbeneath the surface of things, goes deeper than outward appearances to expose what is often discomforting and troubling.

V S.Naipaulinhispostcolonial prose exposes the pretenseandfalsenessofour existence.Heisruthlessand controversial in the way he treatswithreality Andthisis whatmakeshimsodespised, becauseheshowsusapartof usthatmanyofusdonotlike orwishtoacknowledge.

We prefer the superficial – that which is often described as brutally frank and real, except that it is really not. It is what we prefer to settle for because delving beneath the surface willunearththedebrisofour existence.

The writer aims to also sendamessage.Wemaynot always agree with this message. But it is important enoughforittoengageus.

Take that short story

written many years ago about the cat and the milk: the cat who was an interloper, came like a thief in the night to steal the milk that had been so carefully prepared. The writer is free to delude himself that there was milk at all, but what matters is not whether anyone agrees with that message, but the fact that it exists.

There may be different realities to what the author addresses. Those different perspectives or ways of representing this reality are today often referred to as narratives.

Everyone and every group has/have their own narrative. For some, their perspective may be occasionedbythebruisesof the loss of political power Butthewriteralwayshasthe liberty of treating reality the way he or she wishes.After all, is this not what art is about – except if the writing is reduced to a mere base reflection of things; but a meremirrorofsociety

That is not art. Art goes beyondsuchreflection.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.

Hunte indicated that his latest submission is only the first in a series of observationsandthatfurther commentaryontheproposed institutionwillfollow Flaws Just last week Chartered Accountant and Attorney Christopher Ram warned that flaws in the legislation governing the institution could leave billions of taxpayers’dollarsvulnerable tomisuse.

In an invited comment, Ram, an advocate for good governance told this publicationthattheproposed legislation raises serious concerns about governance, accountability and financial prudence. He said, “The most troubling feature is that the Bank is exempt from the Financial Institutions Act andthereforefromoversight by the Bank of Guyana. Unlike every other financial institution, it will not be subject to independent prudential supervision, inspections or regulatory intervention With $40 billion of taxpayers’ money at stake, this is a significant weakness.” Ramwentontopointout

that governance is another concern The lawyer explainedthattheBilltabled in the National Assembly lays the foundation for the Finance Minister to appoint all directors, including the Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson ‘That concentration of authority is particularly troubling given his well-documented history of delayed appointments to statutory bodies and institutions under his oversight Ironically, the same Minister was once a vocal critic of similar shortcomings when they occurred under the previous administration,”Ramsaid.

Additionally, the attorney noted that the Guyana Development Bank also falls outside of the CompaniesAct.Assuch,the lawyer flagged that the legislation contains no statutory indemnity for directorsactingingoodfaith and omits many of the governance safeguards normally associated with corporateentities.

H@RD TRUTHS

Petitioning Excellencies Ali, Phillips, Jagdeo and Cabinet

This is a public appeal to every l e a d e r a n d minister in the Government of Guyana Excellencies Ali,Phillips,andJagdeoand theentirecabinetisincluded. In fact, this courtesy is extendedtotherulingparty’s CentralExecutive,allvoting andnonvotingmembers.

I regret to inform that

trust for the national government is low Quite

f r a n k l y, a n d m o s t respectably, Excellencies andhonorableGuyanese,the trustoftheGuyanesepeople

f o r t h e i r n a t i o n a l government could not be lower Please refer to the UniversityofGuyanaGreen

I n s t i t u t e ( U G G I ) Independence 60 Survey, and the Preliminary Report captioned: “Trust, Oil, and the Society being Built ”

Though the sample is small (134), the area narrow (Region Four), and the age and education spread could be much wider, the finding on trust for the national government is remarkable Onascaleof1to10,withthe latter representing great, almost total, trust, national government received a meager 3 72 score Not goodatall.

It is my belief that an expanded survey would yield close to the same trust

score, if not worse. Shabby and trashy for a country that is frequently in the news globally

This means, dear leaders and ministers that the visions, mentality, policies, procedures, approaches, standards, and practices of the national government are all in need of a massive overhaul It means, honorable gentlemen and ladies, that the Guyanese people are not buying One GuyananorallGuyana. Nor that national government is doing the right things. It means that the ethics of the national government leaves much to be desired It means, it must be said, that fromthepresidenttothevice presidents to the ministers are viewed mostly distrustfully, found wanting. Undoubtedly, hardcore national government insiders would have an oppositeview Namely,that the national government in place today is the most trustedever

Those who have benefited immensely and unfairly can be expected, reflexivelytoscornwhatthe UGGI Independence 60 Survey found, because their bread has been richly buttered. Ithinkitwouldbe wise, practical, selfenhancing for the Survey to

be absorbed, taken with utmost seriousness, by national government. With honest intention to do something about what the people think, how they see where national government is.

For the information of Excellencies Ali, Phillips, Jagdeo and all ministers: playing to selected and captivecrowds,preachingto the faithful flock has its benefits. But the utility is limited,andmisleading. For thereismoretoGuyana,that other side of Guyana. It is not of those against current national government, or wanting others to be the nationalgovernment. Itisof Guyanese who are seeking substance behind the words, quality leadership from those who hold those positions, and to experience the effects of living in this gloriousOilRepublic.

Trythisreality Myown experience with traditional, diehard, supporters of this national government has b e e n a l m o s t overwhelmingly negative The negativity begins and ends with distrust The lamentisthatpiraciesaretoo much, that accepting responsibility is alien to the culture of national government, that taking genuine action to right the

ship of state is yet another trick played on citizens, and that being answerable to the people has distilled to either mocking or ignoring them altogether Note: this is not from the UGGI Survey, but from my own encounters with those who trusted enough to vote into national office.

Trust means that someone is seen as dependable, because he or she has delivered, proven true to their promises. A track record, that’s its own bestrecommendation. Trust in national government, especially in this time of an unprecedented, unmatched, bonanza, means that its

principalsareseenashonest, honoring oaths, fighting for the Guyanese people, and not first for what benefits themselves, circle No spins; just doing honest things.

Inclosing,IwishIcould trust the names mentioned and their companions. Most unfortunately, I cannot Whentheyprovethemselves worthyofallGuyanese,rich and poor, I trust. Guyana would be a better society I am better N

onal government is held in high esteem.

Atbottom,citizensmake countries, decide on and

assessment carries the most weight. There’s the survey, itsfindings.

Thenationalgovernment should resolve. Separately, oil investors can expound f

y, a

ut Guyana’sdemocracy,andits sweetbusinessenvironment. Buttheythemselvesareheld in the lowest repute by Guyanese.

Next: trust and foreign oil comp

e

, with Excellencies Woods and Routledg

ing prominently

(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Survivor in Zeelugt murder remains hospitalised

Seventy-two-year-old Haliman Itwari of Zeelugt New Housing Scheme, East Bank Essequibo (EBE),whosufferedastabwoundtotheneck among other injuries, following a home invasiononFriday,whichleftherseven-yearold great-grandson Adriel Aftab Mohamed dead, remains a patient at the De Kinderen RegionalHospital.

The woman’s son, Naseeb Mohamed, briefly told Kaieteur News on Wednesday thatherconditionhasimprovedandshewill bedischargedsoon.

“Sheisdoingmuchbetter Physicallymy mom is okay but mentally she is not. She is very traumatised and she is still in the hospital,” he said. Mohamed said that Itwari is receiving the requisite support needed duringthisdifficulttime.

The elderly woman who was stabbed to therightsideofherneck,sufferedacutonthe leftsideofherfaceandononeofherfingers, andbruisesonotherpartsofherbody Mohamed disclosed also that the seven-

year-old boy is expected to be laid to rest on Saturdayafternoon.

The home invasion occurred around 04:45 hrs. on Friday, June 5, 2026 at the family’s Phase 3 Zeelugt New Housing Schemehome,wherethechildandhisgreatgrandmotherwerealone.Around05:05hrs.,a relative arrived at the home and made the horrifying discovery — Itwari injured and youngAdrieldead.

The elderly woman, who had been stabbed to the neck, was rushed to De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where she remains a patient.Apost mortem conducted on Monday confirmed the boy died from an incised wound to the neck, compounded by bluntforceinjuries.

The suspect, Shaheed Mohamed was arrestedthefollowingday Investigatorssaid he confessed and that his confession was drivenbyatrailofdigitalevidencethatplaced himsquarelyatthescene.

He was charged with the child’s murder andremandedtoprisononTuesday

Cargojet Airways launches operation in Guyana

The Ministry of Public Utilities andAviation announced on Wednesday that Canadian airline – Cargojet Airways Limited will operate non-scheduled air cargo services to Guyana.

According to a release from the Ministry, the move followsameetingwithPresidentIrfaanAliandtheexecutives ofCargojetAirwaysLtd.inCanadaearlierthisyear

OnWednesday,MinisterofPublicUtilitiesandAviation, Deodat Indar met representatives of DHL who have hired Cargojet Airways, as the airline readies to commence operationsinGuyanaon12thJune,2026.

“Cargojet Airways will operate once weekly nonscheduled air cargo services on the Miami (MIA)/Caracas, Venezuela (CCS)/ Georgetown (GEO)/ Medellin, Colombia (MDE)/ Miami (MIA) route for DHL Express USA,” the ministrystated.

The minister in his meeting with DHL’s Executive Director, Maurice John, and DHL Aviation America’s DirectorofBusinessDevelopmentandACSStrategy,Xavier Cerruto, noted that Cargojet Airways is tapping into the opportunitiesthatexistinGuyanaatatimewhenthecountry isexperiencinganunprecedentedgrowthinthemovementof international air cargo since 2020, reflecting the country’s expanding economy, increasing trade activity, and growing internationalconnectivity

According to the ministry, total air cargo volumes increasedfrom7.6millionkilogramsin2020to14.4million kilograms in 2025, representing an 88.5% increase over the five-year period. This sustained growth, the ministry stated has been driven largely by the importation of industrial equipment and supplies supporting Guyana’s rapidly expandingoilandgassector,coupledwiththecontinuedrise ofe-commerceanddemandforairfreightservices.

“The upward trend has continued in 2026, with cargo volumes recording a further 21% increase year-to-date, underscoring the increasingly important role of air freight in supporting national development, trade, and business activity,”theministryexplained.

Notably,theministrydisclosedthattheaviationsectorhas also benefited from the presence and expansion of internationalcargooperators,whichhaveenhancedaircargo capacity and strengthened Guyana’s access to regional and globalmarkets.

Among the international cargo carriers operating in Guyana since 2020 are LATAM Cargo and Avianca Cargo, bothofwhichhavecontributedtothecontinueddevelopment and diversification of the country’s air freight network, the releasesaid.

fined $300k for trespassing on

Lethem aerodrome

Charged: Lennard Pompey

Anelectrician,identifiedas43-year-oldLennardPompey, of Culvert City, Lethem, Central Rupununi, was onTuesday chargedwithTrespassingonAerodrome.

PompeyappearedbeforeMagistrateOmadattChandanat the Lethem Magistrates’Court where the charge was read to him, police said. He pleaded guilty and was fined $300,000. Failure to pay the fine would result in him being imprisoned forthreemonths.

Oko West Gold project moved from environmental approval to mining licence and construction phase

within 12 months –report

…Canadian firm says US$59.1M spent on local procurement

The Oko West Gold projectownedbyaCanadian firm G Mining Ventures Corp. (GMIN) moved from

environmental permit approval to mining licence

a p p r o v a l a n d t h e

c o m m e n c e m e n t o f

construction within approximately12months.

T h e u p d a t e w a s highlightedinthecompany’s 2025 Sustainability Report, published on June 5, which outlined its environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance for the year ended 31st December, 2025 Among the key achievements listed in the report, GMIN noted the responsible project advancement of Oko West, stating that the project moved from environmental permit approval to mining

licence approval and c o n s t r u c t i o n

commencement in roughly oneyear

Early 2025, GMIN received an interim permit which allowed the company to begin early works at Oko Westprojectwhichincluded the development of a wharf on the Cuyuni River, access roads, and construction of the permanent camp By September 2025, GMIN announced that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved the environmentalpermitforthe project The five-year permit is valid through July 2030 It authorises the construction and operation of OkoWest. By the end of 2025, the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) in 2025 granted GMIN a 20-year mining licence for the project. The licence,whichtookeffecton 5th December, 2025,

authorisesfulldevelopment, operation and commercial productionatthesite.

The project is located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni), about 100 kilometres southwest of G e o r g e t o w n , a n d approximately60kilometres fromBartica.

The project covers a 68 square kilometers (km²) prospecting license area GMIN’s exploration to date has outlined 5 4 million ounces of indicated gold

The wharf that was completed earlier this year to support the Oko West Gold Project.

resources and 0 4 million ounces of inferred material. In relation to proven and probable reserves, the Oko West is estimated to hold 4.64 million ounces of gold at an average grade of 1.89 gramsofgoldpertonne.The project is expected to produce about 350,000 ouncesofgoldannuallyover a12.3-yearminelife.

Moreover, GMIN in its 2025 Sustainability Report also disclosed that it spent approximately US$59 1M on local procurement in Guyana during 2025 According to the report, GMIN maintained a strong safety record, recording no work-relatedfatalitiesacross approximately 3 7 million hoursworked.Thecompany alsoreportedzerosignificant environmental non-

compliances, fines or regulatory sanctions across itsportfolio.

In addition, local workforce participation stood at approximately 80 percentatboththeOkoWest Project and the company’s Tocantinzinho Mine in Brazil.

The Oko West project, which will include both open-pit and underground mining, has been advancing on schedule and on budget. Oko West is expected to become one of the most significant new mining

operationsintheregion.The projectisbackedbyaninitial investment exceeding US$972M.

GMIN had previously disclosed that it made substantial progress across engineering, procurement, site infrastructure and process plant development. Bytheendofthefirstquarter of2026,theprojectachieved anoverallcompletionrateof 19.7 per cent; this includes the completion of the barge landing caisson and ramp at the project site. Meanwhile construction at the tailings storagefacilitydevelopment isprogressingandthepower plant is expected to be operational in July 2027, while the grinding mills are expectedtobeoperationalby August2027.

Firstgoldpouristargeted for the second half of 2027 and commercial production isexpectedbyJanuary2028.

GMIN has already revealed that it anticipates three to four flights weekly from the OkoWestgoldprojectsiteto transport gold from the interior, as well as facilitate other business and emergencies.

Kaieteur News reported that the Oko West Gold

Project was added to GMIN’s portfolio back in 2024 following a business combination with fellow Canadian firm, Reunion

Gold Corp valued at US$638M(C$875million). Inasimilarmovelikeits business combination with Reunion, in April 2026, it was announced that GMIN entered into a definitive agreement with another Canadian company, G2 G o l d f i e l d s f o r approximately US$2 2B (C$3 billion) to consolidate the two adjacent gold projects in Guyana: G2’s Oko-Ghanie Project and GMIN’s fully permitted and fully financed Oko West Project. Acquiring G2 will bring the Combined Measured & Indicated Mineral Resources of 7 0 million ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 2 3 millionounces.Thedealwill also expand GMIN’s footprint in Guyana by 293 km², creating a combined contiguous land package of over362km².

G2’s Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) released last year, outlinesacombinedopenpit and underground operation with a 14-year mine life and estimate total production of 3 2 million ounces gold A

on

s projectedtoaverage298,000 ounces during years three through 10 The deal is expectedtoclosethismonth, subject to shareholder and courtapprovals.

Minister of Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha (6th left), former U.S. Ambassador to Guyana Sarah Ann Lynch (5th left) and the U.S. Industry Executive delegation and others after their meeting on Wednesday.

Former U.S. Ambassador Sarah-Ann Lynch leads major U.S. business delegation to Guyana

Fo

m

United States (U S )

AmbassadortoGuyana,Sarah-AnnLynch is leading a U S Industry Executive delegation to Guyana to meet with government officials and discuss investmentopportunitieshere.

Lynch served for almost five years as the American envoy to Guyana, before departinginlate2023.

On Tuesday, the delegation met with Minister of Public Utilities andAviation, Deodat Indar to discuss investment opportunities across the aviation, energy, w

d ma

Parliamentary Secretary, Thandi McAllister, Director GeneralAlfonso De Armas, and Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Guyana, Richard Leo participated in the engagement.

Moreover, onWednesday, the delegation met with Agriculture Minister Zulfikar

opportunities within Guyana’s rapidly expandingagriculturesector

MustaphatoldtheU.S.delegationthat Guyana possesses several competitive advantages that positions it to become a leading agricultural producer, including vast expanses of flat, arable land and an abundanceoffreshwaterresources.

The Ministry of Agriculture in a

highlighted the significant transformation takingplacewithinthesectorandoutlined thegovernment’svisionofpositioningthe countryasamajoragriculturalpowerhouse intheregion.

He explained that while Guyana has made substantial gains in increasing agricultural production, the government is also focused on developing a robust agro-

industrialsectorthatwillallowthecountryto move beyond primary production and add greatervaluetoagriculturalcommodities.

Mustaphaoutlinedthatthegovernmentis actively working to create opportunities for strategic partnerships between local stakeholders and international investors, which include linking local farmers and landownerswithinvestorswhoareinterested in large-scale agricultural production and agro-processing ventures, while also promoting Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)toaccelerategrowthacrossthesector

Moreover, the minister also underscored the government’s commitment to ensuring thatlocalprivatesectorentitiesplayacentral role in the development of new agricultural industries. In this regard, he pointed to the ongoingcornandsoyabeanprojectinthe Continued on page 15

Five in custody for armed home invasion at Good Hope

Five persons have been arrestedinconnectionwitha violent armed robbery that terrorized a family at Good Hope, East Coast Demerara (ECD), early Monday morning.

TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) confirmed the arrests in a statement on Thursday, notingthatinvestigationsare activelyongoing.

According to the police, the victim - a 49-year-old self-employed man- was at home with his wife and two

n masked men entered their property

investigations revealed that the victim was at home with his wife and two daughters when about seven masked males, armed with firearms, cutlasses, and knives, arrived at the premises. The suspectsallegedlystruckthe frontdoor Shortlyafter,loud explosions, suspected to be gunshots,wereheardandthe suspects forcibly gained entry into the house,” police said.

One of the victim’s daughters was struck during theattack,whilethemanand his jewellery, two cell phones, cash and personal documents- the value of which is yet to be

determined.

The 49-year-old man managed to escape and reported the incident to the police.Ranksrespondedand visited the scene, and the victims were taken to the Enmore Regional Hospital forexamination.

“Further investigations led ranks to a location at PhaseTwo,GoodHope,East Coast Demerara, where a search was conducted on Tuesday June 9, 2026 During the search, two .32 pistols were recovered in a blue cookie tin,” police furtherstated.

The weapons were examined and lodged as

$329M in contracts awarded

to

build new fire stations in Regions 5 & 6

The National Procurement and Tender AdministrationBoard(NPTAB)hasrecently awardedtwocontractstotaling$329,544,164 for the constructions of new fire stations, at RosignolinRegionFiveandCumberlandin RegionSix.

According to information provided on NPTAB’s website, the construction of the Cumberland Fire Station following the biddingprocess,the$180,409,805contract wasawardedtoGreenPlainsEnterprise.

The construction of the Rosignol Fire StationwasawardedtoWestbrookCaribbean Inc. for $149,134,359. These projects are being executed through the Ministry of HomeAffairs.

Kaieteur News understands that the RosignolFireStationwillbethethirdstation in Region Five when completed. There is a fire station currently under construction at Mahaicony According to the Guyana Fire Service’swebsite,theonlyactivefirestation inRegionFiveislocatedatOnverwagt.

This publication understands that the Mahaica Fire Station would also provide servicestocommunitiesinRegionFive.

In Region Six, there are the Rose Hall, New Amsterdam and Corriverton Fire Stations. The Ministry of Home Affairs reported that the new fire stations feature a waiting area, offices for the station officer

and subordinate staff, an EMS office and storage room, IT and finance offices, a fire prevention officer’s office, conference and control rooms, and both senior and junior livingquarters,tonameafew

Located in strategic areas to improve response time, enhance coordination, and ensure that firefighters can operate efficiently,thenewfirestationsformpartofa broader national effort to modernise the Guyana Fire Service, strengthen preparedness, and support community resilience.

The Home Affairs Ministry received a budgetaryallocationof$52.1Bthisyear,and outofthatsum,$6.3Bhasbeenallocatedfor theGuyanaFireService’sprogramme.

Former U.S. Ambassador...

Frompage14

Tacama Savannah, which was conceptualisedbyPresidentIrfaanAliandis being developed through collaboration between the government and private sector partners.

He further highlighted the significant market opportunities available within the CaribbeanCommunity(CARICOM)region, noting that there is strong demand for a numberofcommoditiesproducedinGuyana. Present at the meeting were the Director General of the Ministry of Agriculture, DhaneshwarDeonarine,andPresidentofthe Caribbean Poultry Association and

evidence, pending further investigations Two men wereinitiallyarrested-a21year-old labourer and a 33year-old taxi driver, both of Good Hope Squatting Area, East Coast Demerara. Three additional suspects were subsequently taken into custody,bringingthetotalin custodytofive.

The firearms that were discovered in the cookie tin.

Man beaten to death at Honey Camp Landing

Four persons have been arrested following the beating to death of ‘Curry’ (only name) at Honey Camp Landing, Region Seven, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) said. In a statement, police said the incident occurred on Tuesday between 05:30hand07:00h.

“Preliminaryinvestigationsrevealedthat the deceased, who had no fixed place of abode and did odd jobs at Honey Camp Landing, was allegedly confronted by several males and accused of stealing,” policesaid.

Thedeceasedwasallegedlyassaultedby the suspects during a confrontation. Police saidabeltwasplacedaroundhisneckandhe was dragged on the ground. It was reported

that the man was also dealt several lashes with a spade, cutlassand piecesof wood on several parts of his body In addition, it is allegedthatanacidicsubstancewas thrown onhim.

‘Curry’wasabandonedonthesandnear an abandoned shop and the police were summoned.Ontheirarrival,the“motionless body of the deceased was observed lying facedowninthesand.”

“The body was examined and what appeared to be abrasions and burn marks wereseenabouthisbody,”theGPFsaid.

Statements were obtained from several persons and four suspects are assisting with investigations.Policeareonthehuntfortwo othersuspects.

Engineer robbed of cash, mobile phone; two arrested

Two persons have been arrested in connection with the armed robbery of an engineer Tuesday night at Parika. The 21year-old engineer from Wakenaam was relieved of $200,000 and a Samsung S22 mobile phone. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Thursday said that the incident occurred at around 23:30h in the vicinity of BigKissParkingLotatParika.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the victim was walking south when an identifiable male approached him, pointed what appeared to be a firearm at him and begansearchinghispockets,”policesaid.

Themanwasthenapproachedandchoked from behind by an identifiable male and it was during this time that the first suspect relieved him of $200,000 cash and one

SamsungS22cellularphone.

The two attackers then entered a black Toyota Fielder Wagon and made their good escape in an eastern direction. The victim visited the Parika Police Station where he made a report. The police acting on the information received, intercepted a car matchingthedescription.Duringasearchof the 30-year-old driver, the police found $59,060wasrecovered.

“Acting on further information received, a 17-year-old labourer of Stewartville, West Coast Demerara, was later arrested and escorted to the Leonora Police Station. He was searched and $65,000 was found on his person,”policerevealed.

Boththecashandthemotorvehiclewere lodged.

Managing Director of Bounty Farm Ltd, DavidFernandes.

KaieteurNewsrecentlyreportedthatthe Government of Guyana is in talks with the U.S. Government to expand U.S. private sector engagement in Guyana and increase commercial ties and investment. Last week, MinisterofForeignAffairsandInternational Cooperation Hugh Todd and Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud held a series of high-level engagements in Washington, D C , aimed at strengthening bilateral relations between Guyana and the U.S. across key areas including energy, defence, diplomacy,andeconomiccooperation.

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Trumpclaimsmorethan100millionbarrelsofoil, 200shipshavesafelymadewaythroughStraitofHormuz

The president referred to it as a “secret mission” conducted last month

The Independent - Soon afterPresidentDonaldTrump said in the Oval Office on Wednesday that the United States has been secretly ferrying“millionsofbarrels”of oil through the Strait of Hormuz, Trump announced on social media that “more than100MILLIONBarrelsof Oil”and“morethan200CommercialShips”havesuccessfully travelled through the strait.

“Last month, I directed ourGreatU.S.Militarytoexecuteasecretmissiontosupport Oil Tankers and other CommercialShipsthroughthe Strait of Hormuz,” Trump wroteonhissocialmediaplatform.

“Today, I am pleased to announce that this effort has resulted in more than 100 MILLIONBarrelsofOilmaking its way through the Straight, and into the Open Market.Morethan200CommercialShipshavesafelytravelled through the Strait.”

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The president referred to it as a “secret mission” that he says was conducted last month amid the ongoing war with Iran, which has led the strait to be closed to regular commercialshipping.

ABC News could not immediatelyverifytheaccuracy of Trump’s claims and the numbers of oil barrels and ships that he claims have passed through the Strait of Hormuz.

Earlier Wednesday, in the OvalOffice,Trumpalludedto apparent U.S. operations to stimulate shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, with Trump claiming that the U.S. recently “took” 22 ships, amountingtomillionsofbarrels of oil, through the strait.

“Do you know, we’ve been taking out millions of barrelsofoil?Nobodyknows it. You know who doesn’t

knowaboutit?Iran,untilright now We took out the other night 22 ships late at night with no lights, because they don’thaveanyradar,because weblastedthecrapoutofit,” Trumpsaid.

President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for the “Secure AmericaAct”intheOvalOffice of the White House in Washington, 10th June , 2026.

In his post Wednesday afternoon, Trump referred to the alleged operation as a “wildly successful effort” that is due to the U.S. blockade on the Strait of Hormuz.

“This wildly successful effortisbecausetheUNITED STATESofAMERICACONTROLStheStraitofHormuz —NOTIran,”Trumpwrote. Since last month, there

have been reports of the U.S. Navy helping ships navigate through the Strait of Hormuz —thoughU.S.officialshave said that the efforts have not beenarevivalofProjectFreedom,theshort-livedU.S.military initiative to escort commercial vessels through the StraitofHormuz.

TrumpannouncedProject Freedom in early May — pausing the effort just two days later

Rather, this most recent effort was a coordination effort where shippers could contact U.S. Central Command and in turn, receive informationaboutwheretotransit through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a U.S. official.

The coordination effort was first reported by The NewYorkTimes.

ABCNewsconfirmedthe

Times’ report that, as of late lastmonth,approximately70 commercial ships had been guided through the strait. In addition to the U.S. coordinating safe passageways, the Times reported that many of the vessels traveling through the strait had turned off their transponders to “avoid detection.”

During the Oval Office event earlier Wednesday afternoon, Trump had also indicated that he was choosing to reveal this “secret” missionnowbecausetheIranians had “figured it out.”

“ButnowI’mgoingtotell you, because they just figured it out. So now that they figureditout,Icantellyouit was very hard for me. I wanted to say it so bad, but itwas.Ididn’twanttoruinit, but it was very hard,” Trump said.

PAHO calls for higher taxes on alcohol, ‘sweet drinks’

...says current

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Taxes on alcohol and sugar-sweetened beverages across the Americas remain toolowtosignificantlyreduce consumption and prevent noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), despite the Region recording some of the highest consumption levels globally, according to two new reports released by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).The reports, Taxes on Alcoholic Beverages in the Americas and Taxes on Sweetened Beverages in the Americas, reveal that tax levels across the Region fall below global averages, limiting the impact of oneofthemostcost-effective publichealthmeasuresavailable.

For beer, the median total tax burden in theAmericas is 25.5%, compared with a globalmedianof29.4%.Taxeson spirits average 31.5%, well below the global median of 38.7%. For sugar-sweetened beverages, the median tax burden accounts for just 17.1%ofthefinalretailprice, slightlybelowtheglobalmedianof17.8%,whileone-third ofcountriesintheRegionstill do not tax these products at all.

The findings come as the

Americas—particularlyLatin AmericaandtheCaribbean— continue to experience some of the highest consumption rates of alcohol and sugary drinksworldwide,PAHOsaid in a release.

Adults in the Region, the report said consume an average of 7.8 servings of sugarsweetened beverages per week, nearly three times the global average of 2.7 servings.

High consumption of these products is linked to a range of serious health conditions,includingoverweight and obesity, which affect 67.5%ofadultsintheAmericas, as well as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, liverdisease,andotherNCDs. Harmful alcohol use is also associated with injuries, violence,andprematuremortality

Healthtaxesaredesigned not only to discourage the consumption of products that harm health, but also to generate revenue that governmentscaninvestinhealth andsocialpriorities.Evidence shows that well-designed taxes can delay the initiation of alcohol use among young people,reduceharmfuldrinking, and lower consumption

of sugary beverages associatedwithobesityandchronic disease.

Lowtaxes

However,PAHO’sreports notethatmanycountriescontinue to apply low tax rates, maintainnarrowtaxbases,or fail to regularly adjust taxes for inflation, reducing the long-term effectiveness of these measures. In addition, products such as sugarsweetened dairy drinks and fruit juices are often exempt from taxation, potentially shifting consumption toward untaxed alternatives and weakeningpublichealthoutcomes.

Several countries have taken steps to strengthen health taxes in recent years. BarbadosandColombiaintroduced new taxes on unhealthy products, while Dominica increased taxes on tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks.

“In many countries of the Americas,existingtaxeshave notbeendesignedinlinewith international best practices and remain too low to meaningfully influence consumptionpatterns,reduceexposure to health risks, or generate the level of health and fiscal gains that effective health

taxes can deliver,” said Dr Anselm Hennis, Director of PAHO’sDepartmentofNoncommunicableDiseases.

To maximize both health and fiscal benefits, PAHO recommends that countries strengthenhealthtaxpolicies through better-designed tax structures, higher and more effective tax rates, broader product coverage, and regularinflationadjustments.The Organization also calls for stronger implementation, monitoring, and evidencebased reforms to ensure health taxes effectively reduce harmful consumption and improve population health.“PAHO is committed to providing technical support to Member States to strengthen the implementation of health taxes, an evidence-based measure that contributes to reducing risk factors and protecting population health,” Dr. Hennis added.

The reports were presented in May during a webinar organized by PAHO in collaboration with Johns HopkinsUniversityandcontribute to ongoing regional and global efforts to monitor fiscal policies that advance public health goals.

U.S. military chief Hegseth warns Cuba against acquiring military arms

Aljazeera - Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has warned that Cuba could inviteconfrontationwiththe United States if it seeks to bolster its military capabilities with new purchases.

Wednesday's comments come as US President Donald Trump continues to threaten possible military intervention on the Caribbeanisland.

“It would be unwise of the government of Cuba to try to procure or get access tothetypesofweaponsthat could reach this base or the American homeland,” Hegseth said during a visit to the US military base at GuantanamoBay,Cuba.

“Theywouldbeinviting the kind of confrontation, not only do they not want buttheycouldnotstand No country on Earth can match the capabilities of the United States of America ” Hegseth did not offer specifics about the type of military weaponry Cuba mightseek

Buthisremarksfollowa Mayreportinthenewsoutlet Axios stating that the country had acquired more than300militarydronesthat

Hegseth's visit to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, comes as the Trump administration increases pressure against Cuba's government.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. [File: Edgar Su/Reuters]

could potentially be used againstUSforces.

Cuba sits roughly 140 kilometres,or90miles,from the southern tip of Florida, and the island's communist leadership has long had a tense relationship with the USgovernment.

Since the Axios report was released, Cuba has reiterated that it is not a threat to the US. It has also underscored that it has the right to defend itself, and it accused the US of

“fabricating pretexts” and “creating and spreading falsehoods” to justify

‘THREEMONTHS...

Frompage2 defecate,yougottohideanddefecateinthebush,”Trotman stated.

ExploitationandRetaliationClaims

The drivers identified the local transportation subcontractor as Adrian Duncan, who manages the fleet for Lindsayca Guyana Inc. According to workers, Duncan utilisesarigidpaymentstructure,payingonlyfor26daysa month($312,000)ratherthanstandardmonthlyratesthatcan reachupto$400,000withovertime.

Driversalsoaccusedthecontractorofpredatorylending practices,allegingthatwhentheyrequestedcashadvancesto repair vehicles damaged by the project road, they were met withexorbitantinterestdemands.

“IaskedMr Duncantolendme$100,000tolookafterthe bus, and he tell me how I got to give he back $130,000,” driverGregoryAmouralleged.

Theworkforceremainsheavilydividedonprotestingdue to fear of reprisal. Drivers stated that Duncan issued an ultimatumviaadigitaltransportationgroupchat,threatening thatanylocalworkerwhocomplainedorspoketothemedia would be dismissed with immediate effect. Following the arrival of opposition members, text messages seen by this publication were sent promising partial payments by the upcomingSaturday MP Vishnu Panday criticised the Ministry of Labour’s absence from the major state-backed infrastructural development,notingthatalackofoversighthasleftworkers withoutformalcontractsorlegalprotections.

“WehaveinthiscountryaMinistryofLabourwhoisnot heretoprotecttherightofGuyanesepeople.Perhapshe’snot even aware where is this location,” Panday said. “This is againstallthelawsofemployment.”

TheGas-to-Energyproject,initiallyprojectedin2021to cost under US$900M with a completion date of 2024, has balloonedtoanestimatedUS$2B.

Despite the massive capital expenditure, local stakeholders maintain that the Guyanese labour force is beingactivelymarginalisedandexploited.

“potentialaggression”.

'Ilovetheinflation'

USPresidentTrump dismissespriceconcerns

Still, friction has increasedbetweenthetwo countries since Trump returnedtoofficein2025.

Following an attack on January 3 to abduct Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, Trump has threatened to take military action elsewhere in Latin America, includinginCuba

Hehasalsoimposedade facto energy blockade on Cuba, threatening tariffs against any country that supplies the island with oil.

The resulting fuel shortages

h

rgy blackoutsacrossthecountry, as well as scarcities of other basicsupplies.

Earlierthisweek,Volker Turk, the United Nations high commissioner for human rights, slammed the USrestrictionsashavingan outsizedimpactonthemost vulnerable members of Cuban society “Children are dying because doctors lack access to essential medical supplies and medicines,”hesaid.“Thisis unacceptable.”

But there are lingering concerns that the US may seek to escalate tensions with Cuba. Since last year, the US has been increasing

its military presence in the Caribbean Sea. In May, it deployed an aircraft carrier, the USS Nimitz, to the region,aswell.

The US has repeatedly described Cuba as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to its national security, and reports have emerged that Trump is seeking regime change on theisland.

Hegseth's arrival in Guantanamo Bay follows a visit last month from General Francis Donovan, the leader of the US Southern Command, which oversees military action in LatinAmerica.

During Wednesday's

Baby drowns in pool of water at Cracrana Village, Region 9

Aone-year-oldchilddied Wednesday morning at Cracrana Village, South Pakaraimas,RegionNine.

The child has been identifiedasEthanChristian.

According to a police statement,thetragicincident occurred between 11:30hrs and11:43hrs.

Police stated that “the child was at home with his mother when she reportedly

lefthimlyingonabedinside the house and went to use a toiletlocatednearby.”

Upon her return, she discoveredthatthechildwas nolongeronthebed.

“Asearchwasconducted in and around the house and the child was subsequently found lying face down and motionless in a pool of water,” the police report detailed.Thepool,estimated

to be approximately three feetdeep,waslocated“about 100 feet away from the house.”

Theunresponsivetoddler was immediately removed from the pool and taken to the Karasabai Public Hospital, where he was pronounceddeadonarrival.

No marks of violence were seen on the child’s body, wh

visit, Hegseth said the US is seeking a p

ve relationship with Cuba and implied change was imminent.“Soon, we could be a friend of the leadership ofthegovernmentofCuba,” he said. But he did not rule outthepossibilityofmilitary action.

“For now, let's see what h a p p e n s B u t t h e DepartmentofWarwillgive the commander-in-chief everysingleoptionheneeds within that contingency,” Hegsethsaid.

“What happens with the futureofCubaisinthehands of the president of the United States and the leadershipofCuba.”

WIN MP arrested for allegedly abusing wife, child

AWeInvestInNationhood(WIN) Member of Parliament (MP) was on Wednesday arrested for allegedly abusing his reputed wife and fouryear-oldchildinMoruca,RegionOne.

The MPhas been identified as 31year-oldDeonLaCruz.

Reports are that La Cruz temporarily rendered the woman unconscious while also attacking the child.TheGuyanaPoliceForce(GPF) confirmed that LaCruz was arrested after the victim reported the alleged assault at the Acquero Police Station on Wednesday evening. Following the arrest,WIN inastatementWednesday night,vowed“appropriateaction”ifthe allegations against its MP are substantiated.

According to preliminary police reports, the incident occurred at approximately17:00hrsonWednesday, 10th June, 2026, at the couple’s residence in the North West District. Investigators stated that an argument between LaCruz and his reputed wife escalatedintoaphysicalaltercation.

During the confrontation, the

suspect allegedly assaulted the fouryear-old child. Police reports indicate that when the mother intervened to protectthechild,LaCruzallegedlydealt herseveralblowsandpushedhertothe ground, causing her to strike her head andbrieflyloseconsciousness.

The victim further alleged to investigators that the MP subsequently armed himself with a chopper and advanced toward her in a threatening manner,causinghertofearforherlife.

Following the report at the Acquero Police Station, she was escorted by rankstoseekmedicalattention.

Respondingtothepolicestatement, WINacknowledgedthatLaCruzwasin police custody and distanced itself from the MP’s alleged actions, emphasising a “zero-tolerance” policy for violence against women and children.

“Public office is a position of trust and carries with it a heightened responsibility to uphold the law and demonstraterespectforthedignityand safety of others,” the party statement read. “While the investigation is ongoing and the facts must be determined through the proper legal process,lettherebenoambiguityabout ourvalues:violencehasnoplaceinour homes, our communities, or our politics.”Thepartysaidthatitsupports a full, impartial, and professional investigation by the Guyana Police Force.

“Should these allegations be substantiated,thePartywillnothesitate totaketheappropriateactionconsistent with our principles and commitment to accountability,” the statement concluded.

…Iran's

President said the country will

“stand firm”

and denounced U.S. threats

U.S. launches new attacks on 'multiple targets in Iran'

WASHINGTON/DUB

AI,June10(Reuters)-The United States began a fresh round of strikes against multipletargetsovernightin Iran, the U.S. military said on Wednesday, hours after President Donald Trump vowed new attacks if no peacedealissecured.

"The strikes are in response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression," the military's Central Command said in a postonX,addingthestrikes began after midnight in Tehran.

Iran's top joint military command responded to the U.S. strikes, warning that it would fire on any vessel attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely closed for months Iranian media reportedthattwoshipswere firedupon.

The U.S. attacks are the latest development in an escalating exchange of strikes that threaten to reignite a full-scale war, which was paused in early April when the two sides agreedtoafragileceasefire.

Iranian news agencies reported explosions in several cities in southern Iran, including Sirik, Kangan, Bandar Abbas and Minab.

Trump told reporters earlier on Wednesday at the White House, "We're going to be attacking them, attackingthemveryhard."

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth presented the move as an effort to force Iran into a deal to end the conflict, telling reporters during a visit to Central CommandinFloridathatthe strikes would "advance our military interests and also enhance our diplomatic position."

"Wewillstrikethemhard tonight, and hopefully Iran makes a good decision," he said."Ifweneedtonegotiate with bombs, we'll negotiate withbombs."

The United States and Iran have traded fire several times since the tentative ceasefire took hold, even as n e g o t i a t o r s h a v e unsuccessfully sought an end to the three-month-old war Trump has repeatedly said a deal is close, though there has been no sign of a breakthrough, while also threatening to resume bombing.

The U S military targeted air defenses and radar sites around the Strait of Hormuz onTuesday after

a U.S. attack helicopter was downed near the strategic waterway on Monday Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.AU.S. official said there was no significant damage.

Iran accused the U.S. of striking reservoirs that supplied drinking water to 10 villages and violating internationallaw

"This is not collateral damage -- it is a calculated war crime and a flagrant violation of human rights,"

F o r e i g n M i n i s t r y spokesperson Esmaeil Bagheisaid.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a requestforcomment.

Trump, who has threatened before to destroy Iran's civilian infrastructure, did not say whether the coming strikes would target powerplantsandbridges.

The head of the Iranian

, Ebrahim ⁠Azizi, warned in responsethatthe"warwon't belimitedtotheregion."

Despite the belligerent language from both sides, there were signs of continuing diplomatic efforts.

AdelegationfromQatar, which has been mediating between the United States andIran,landedinTehranon Wednesday to hold talks on the latest developments, Iranianmediareported.

TRUMPCLAIMSA SECRETMISSION

The war has killed thousands and disrupted roughly one-fifth of the world's supply of oil and natural gas, sending prices sharply higher. Iran has blocked traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, while the U.S. has maintained its own blockadeonIranianports.

The conflict has become a political headache for the White House, with public polls showing Trump's approval ratings sinking amid voter anger over high gasoline prices Some Republicans have openly worried the war's unpopularity could cost them control of Congress in November's midterm elections.

Oil prices rose nearly $3 following Trump's threat of escalation,to$94perbarrel.

Trump said vessels carrying 100 million barrels of oil have defied Iran to travel through the strait as part of a secret military

Vessels are anchored in the Strait of Hormuz, as seen from Musandam, Oman, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Stringer

mission. He said oil prices would be much higher withouttheeffort.

Hegseth said ships have been transiting the strait "in the middle of the night, protected by the United StatesinawaythatIrancan't

Israel's Iron Dome anti-missile system operates for interceptions over the IsraelLebanon border, as seen from northern Israel, June 10, 2026. REUTERS/Ammar Awad

stop,⁠theycan'tseeit."

Separately, the U S military said it disabled an oil tanker transporting Iranian crude in the Gulf of Oman on Tuesday for a secondconsecutiveday FIGHTINGIN

LEBANONCONTINUES

Fightinginaparallelwar between Israel and Iranbacked Hezbollah militants in Lebanon has continued.

Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon killed at least 13 people on Wednesday,

Lebanese security sources said, while Hezbollah claimedfreshattacksagainst Israeliforces.

Tehran's demands include an end to Israel's attacks in Lebanon, the lifting of sanctions on Iran, the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets, and recognition of its control of thestrait.

Trump says Iran must end its restrictions on shipping through Hormuz. He also says any peace deal must ensure Iran cannot developanuclearweapon. Iran denies any such ambition.

The U N nuclear watchdog's 35-nation Board of Governors passed a U.S.backed resolution on Wednesday telling Iran to declare its remaining enricheduraniumstocksand let inspectors verify them. Iran branded the resolution as"political".Photosavedas Iran

Iran says it struck ships in Strait of Hormuz after U.S. launches new strikes

BBC-Iran'sIslamicRevolutionary GuardsCorps(IRGC)saysithasstruck shipsintheStraitofHormuz,afterthe U.S. military launched a new wave of strikesonIran.

The latest U.S. attack comes after President Donald Trump said Iran would be hit "hard" and Tehran has taken"toolongtomakeadeal"toend thewar

U.S.CentralCommand(Centcom) said it began "self-defense strikes" on Wednesday in "response to Iran's unwarranted and continued aggression".

Iranian state media then reported the IRGC had struck two ships in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and the U.S. havetargetedmilitaryandsurveillance sites in recent days in an escalation of tit-for-tat strikes, testing a fragile ceasefireagreedinApril.

Explosionshavealsobeenheardon

theislandofQeshmintheGulf,aswell as a number of other cities, including BandarAbbasandSirik.

In response to the U.S. strikes, Iranian state media reported that the Strait of Hormuz was "completely closedtoalltypeofvessel".Centcom, however, said "commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the StraitofHormuz".

Hours before the latest U.S. attack waslaunched,Trumphadwarned:"We hit them hard yesterday and we're goingtohitthemhardagaintoday."

Trump wrote on Truth Social that Iranianleadershave"takentoolongto negotiate a deal", while the Iranian foreign ministry accused the U.S. of "damaging the diplomatic process through the contradictory message it sends".

In response to Trump's comments Iran's president Masoud Pezeshkian

said Iran "will stand firm against any pressureorthreat".

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth later said bombs would be "droppingonkeyfacilitiesinIran".

HegsethsaidIranhadbeengivena chancetomakeadealbuthadnottaken it, and Trump had said Iran would be attacked again if no peace deal was secured.

InApril,theU.S.andIranagreeda ceasefirethatwasinitiallymeanttolast for two weeks. Both sides have since exchanged intermittent fire, without returningtofull-scalehostilities.

However, recent efforts to broker negotiations between Washington and Tehran have stalled and attacks have rampedup.

On Tuesday, a U.S. helicopter was downedinanattackthatwasblamedon Iran.TheIRGCrespondedbytargeting U.S.basesacrosstheMiddleEast.

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

ExxonMobil continues to fight

ExxonMobil’s continued fight against returning US$214 million flagged by independent auditors exposes the ugly imbalance at the heart of Guyana’s oil arrangement. After securing one of the most generous petroleum contracts in the world, the oil giant is still resisting efforts to refund expenses auditors say were wrongly charged to Guyana.

Even more troubling is the government’s persistent portrayal of Exxon as a trusted partner while disputes drag on for years and billions in costs remain under audit. A true partner does not battle a developing nation over every dollar, delay resolutions, and force matters toward international arbitration.

Meanwhile, many Guyanese still truggle with poor healthcare, inadequate housing, rising living costs, and entrenched poverty despite unprecedented oil wealth. The US$214 million under dispute belongs to the people of Guyana, not Exxon’s balance sheet. The question is whether the government is prepared to fight for it with the urgency it deserves.

Plaisance Sec', President's...

Frompage27 barrage and suffocating defensive performance to dismantle Golden Grove Secondary 54-0 in one of the mostdominantdisplaysofthe tournament.

From the opening tip-off, President's College dictated the tempo, forced turnovers, controlled the boards, and never allowed Golden Grove tofindanyoffensiverhythm.

R o m a r i o n Wo l f e spearheaded the attack with a game-high 17 points, repeatedly finding ways to score in transition and in the half-courtset.

Dontrell Ross provided outstanding support with 14 points of his own, as the duo relentlessly attacked

Grove's defence Terron Mohabiralsoplayedapivotal role in the rout, contributing nine points as President's College continued to pour on the pressure en route to the lopsidedvictory,keepingtheir NSBF dreams very much alive.

With semifinal victories secured, Plaisance Secondary and President's College will now collide in the East Coast "Country" Regional Basketball Final today at the President's College Hardcourt, Golden Grove, EastCoastDemerara.

TheRegionalPlayoffsare sponsored by Edward B Beharry Ltd., G-Boats Inc., the National Sports Commission, the Ministry of Education, and Banks DIH Ltd.

Guyana boxers depart for intensive Trinidad camp ahead of CAC and Commonwealth Games

With the Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games and the CommonwealthGamesfast approaching, the Guyana BoxingAssociation (GBA) has intensified its preparations by sending four of the country's top amateurboxersandacoach toTrinidadandTobagofora 10-day high-performance training camp.Leading the delegation is National Middleweight Champion Desmond Amsterdam, one o

G

fighters and a member of the country's team at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham,

England Amsterdam is j o i n e d b y f e l l o w Birmingham Games representative Collin Lewis,Caribbeanchampion Terron Wintz, and the squad's lone female boxer, AkeelahVancooten.

Accompanying the athletes is former national champion and respected coach Jeff Roberts of the New Amsterdam Boxing Academy, who has been tasked with overseeing the t

throughout the intensive trainingprogramme.

everyeffortisbeingmadeto ensure the nation's best available boxers are properly prepared and positioned to contend for podiumfinishes.

TheGBApresidentalso expressed gratitude to the G u y a n a O l y m p i c

Association (GOA) and Excel Guyana for their support in making the Trinidad and Tobago training camp possible, n

advancementofthesport.

Krishna Arjune...

Frompage27

batterShimronHetmyerisamongtheseasonedcampaigners including: Romario Shepherd, Rovman Powell, Glenn Phillips, Johnson Charles, Quentin Sampson and dynamic all-rounderKeemoPaul.

Thursday June 11, 2026

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19

Insights shared by a family member could lead to possible ways to increase your income Expect to handle a lot of paperwork regardingmoney

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

If you need to execute legal papers of any kind, Taurus, youcouldn'tfindabetterday to do it Relationships, particularlyromanticone.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Homeandfamilyareapttobe your primary focus today, Gemini. Work around the house might take up a lot of yourtime.Youmightwantto spruceuptheplaceandmake itmorebeautiful.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Todayastrongsenseofdestiny couldleadyoutosomeoneneweitherapotentialclosefriendor prospective romantic partner You're apt to feel especially protectivetowardthisperson

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Volatileemotionsmaycome to the surface among the members of your household today This could prove irritatingforyou,Leo,buttry to avoid becoming involved inothers'quarrels.

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

Someonedistraughtorangry, perhaps a relative, might phone you today expecting a sympatheticearandsoothing words. You'll be more than abletoprovidethem.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

A lost possession could be recoveredtoday Agift,either moneyoralong-desireditem of some kind, could bring tearstoyoureyes,Libra.

(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Today should prove to be a wonderfulday,Scorpio.Your physical energy is good, and you should be looking and feeling wonderful. Though you'llprobablywanttospend mostofthedayathome,

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Today you might feel as if you're walking around in a daze, Sagittarius, but it's a good daze.Your imagination and artistic abilities are sharp.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

A group with which you're affiliated with could suddenly seem to grow closer, and a family feeling could develop among its members.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Family members might want togetoutintheworldtoday, perhapstoattendafestivalor rally Thisisanexcellentday to do this sort of thing, Aquarius.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Familymemberswholivefar away might be planning a visit in the future, and you could discuss it at some length today, Pisces.Alot of phone calls or emails could beexchanged.

The camp, which runs from June 10 to 21 in the Twin-Island Republic, is expected to provide invaluable exposure and high-level competitive training opportunities for the Guyanese contingent as they continue preparations for the prestigious competitions scheduled for July.The CAC Games are scheduled to be held in the Dominican Republic from July 24 to August 8, while the Commonwealth Games will take place in Scotland fromJuly23toAugust2.

According to GBA President Steve Ninvalle, the overseas encampment representsacriticalphaseof t h e a s s o c i a t i o n ' s preparation strategy as it seeks to ensure its athletes are adequately equipped to challenge for honours on both the regional and internationalstages.

The GBA president noted that training and sparring against elite oppositionfromthroughout the Caribbean will provide the type of competitive environment that cannot be replicated locally, allowing Guyana's fighters to finetune their techniques, improve their ring awareness, and build confidence ahead of their majorassignments.

Ninvalle described the initiative as a vital investmentinthecontinued development of boxing in Guyana, emphasising the association's commitment to creating opportunities that will enhance the performance of Guyanese athletesatthehighestlevels ofcompetition.

While the association has not yet officially finaliseditsteamsforeither the CAC Games or the Commonwealth Games, Ninvalle indicated that

The other players in the team are: Amir Jangoo, Muhammad Haris, Mohammed Nabi, Dwaine Pretorius, ImranTahirandGudakeshMotie.

“WhenIlookedattheteamlist,Isawalotofplayerswith International experience and that should boost this team's confidenceimmensely;Iknoweveryside[is]comingoutto play competitive cricket and winning the tournament but Guyana Amazon Warriors will bring out their best on this occasionagain,”the45-year-oldArjunerelated.

Quizzed on the team should play from start, Arjune responded: “Well, T20 cricket is about being astute and innovativeandWarriorstoplayaggressivecricket;theteam iscomprisedofseveralpugnaciousbattersandsmartbowlers and that is important but just go out there and execute your plans.”

The other participating team is Desert Vipers, a team comingfromUnitedArabEmirates.

Henry injured as WI lose to Australia; England trump Richa's heroics

ESPNcricinfo - Georgia

Voll scored an unbeaten 77 off 48 balls as Australia defeated West Indies by six wickets in the warm-up fixture in Cardiff Voll finished the 132 chase with 4,6,4offJannilleaGlasgow as Australia won with five overs to spare. Overall, she hittenfoursandtwosixesin herknock.

The match came at a potentially greater cost for West Indies with allrounder Chinelle Henry stretchered off after falling awkwardly inthefield.Henry,fieldingat long-on, slipped as she charged in to take a catch afterVollhadskiedaballoff Afy Fletcher in the ninth overofAustralia'sinnings. The extent of Henry's injury isunknownbutsheiskeyto her team's tournament chances with her explosive hitting,wicket-takingability and athleticism in the field.

West Indies begin their WorldCupcampaignagainst reigning champions New Zealand on Saturday in Southampton. While Voll batted through the innings, her opening partnerBethMooneybashed 34off18deliveriestolaythe foundation of the chase Mooney retired out after dominating the 48-run opening stand, but the next highestcontributionfroman Australian batter was only AshleighGardner's7. Earlier, Australia used eight bowlers and seven of them took at least one wicket to bowlWestIndiesoutfor131. WestIndieswere109for4in the16thover,butwentonto lose6for22.DeandraDottin top-scoredforthemwith46, but didn't find support from other batters. Gardner and Lucy Hamilton took two wicketseach,asWestIndies' highest partnership was the

45whichDottinandJahzara Claxtonaddedforthefourth wicket.

Scores: Australia 132 for 4 (Voll 77*, Mooney 34, Joseph1-6)beatWestIndies 131 (Dottin 46, Gardner 217, Hamilton 2-19) by six wickets.

On paper, England won and Indialostbutforbothsides,a thrilling warm-up game in Cardiffwasalmostthenearperfect workout before the 2026 T20 World Cup kicks off.Englandposted171for6 after being inserted at the toss,andcaptainNatSciverBrunt-inmuchneedofsome battingtime-produceda45ball 57 that held the first innings together She got an opportunitytostartslowand then build into her innings courtesy of opener Amy Jones' 45-ball 64, who continueshersplendidform. Despite a middle-overs wobble triggered by India's

1966 to 2026

Frompage26

Simone Perrotta (or Daniele De Rossi), Francesco Totti (or VincenzoIaquinta),LucaToni.

SPAIN SPARKLES IN SOUTHAFRICA

FIFA 2010: REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA: “Vuvuzelas” abounded; continuously numbing notes, like a big four-engined airplane always revving at full throttle. Very thankfully, I was directlyinvolved. FIFA2010RSA was one of my favorites, behind FIFA 1978 ARGENTINA, FIFA 1970 MEXICO and FIFA 2022 QATAR. FIFA 2010 RSA was wickedly,excitinglywild. Wow! Only African countries could bid to host FIFA 2010. RSA, Egypt, Morocco, Libya / Tunisia (Joint)did. Briberyandcorruption accusations of FIFA Officials reached high fever pitch. Some FIFAOfficials were allegedly paid US $ 10 million, each, to secure votesforRSA. Ouch!

CAF: Algeria, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, hostsSouthAfrica. CONCACAF: Mexico, United States, Honduras. CONMEBOL: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay Newbies Slovakia and Serbia Semi-Finalists: Uruguay, Netherlands,Germany,Spain.

Best games: Uruguay 2 v Netherlands 3; Semi-Final; and FIFA 2010 SOUTH AFRICA

FINAL: Spain 1 v Netherland 0; extremely contentious affair. EnglishrefereeHowardWebbwas very busy indeed; thirteen yellow cards, one red. Netherlands' third

WorldCupFinalloss.

FIFA 2010 SOUTH AFRICA: SPAIN – First Champions: Ikar Casillas (GK & Captain), Sergio Ramos, Gerald Pique, Carles Puyol, Joan Capdevila, Sergio Busquets, Xabi Alonso (or Cesc Fabregas), Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Pedro(orJesusNavas),DavidVilla (orFernandoTorres).

FIFA2014: BRAZIL: Tried to get to Brazil. I found out, even with massive aviation contacts, that,backthen,travellingfromthe Caribbean to Rio De Janeiro, despite short distances as the crow flies,wasdifficult.

So, while no alcohol intake, I perched for every game either at Queen's Park Oval's Pavillion & Bar or at “Smokey & Bunty” oldstyle Rum Shop & Food Bar, western POS. The camaraderie at both was very noisily fantastic. Folksstillowemeforwagerswon!

Bosnia & Herzegovina, goalline technology, cooling breaks, anti-doping passports, referees' vanishing line-marking spray all debuted. CONCACAF: Costa Rica, Mexico, USA, Honduras. ExpectationsforhostsBraziltowin its sixth championship but Brazil wasjustabadmirage. Germany's stunning savagery and silky skills destroyed Brazil; 7 – 1. Brazil's 2014 team was as over-rated as Brazil's 2026 team. Some stupidly uninformedevendaredtocompare NeymartoPele. Nonsense. Iwon bets on Germany but no-one expected Brazil to blow-out like a bloated balloon. Hundreds of millionsofBrazilianscriedyellow!

spinners,DaniGibsonstruck four fours and a six in her unbeaten 12-ball cameo of 30 in the death overs to provide England with a strongfinish.

India, with their captain Harmanpreet Kaur back in the team after missing the opening warm-up game, continued their experiment of giving ShafaliVerma one over to start the bowling innings while Renuka Thakur conceded 44 runs.

Kranti Gaud mixed her lengths, often troubling England's batters with the fullerdeliveries.

Then in the chase, Smriti Mandhanafellfor1,andthe next four batters produced scores of 13, 15, 17 and 18. With batters settling in and thengettingout,itwasRicha Ghosh from No 6 who dragged the game from a one-sided affair to a close one.Withninefoursandtwo

USA v Belgium; round of 16; was excellent. USA's goal-keeper Tim Howard; magnificent; sixteen saves. Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku saw Belgium home 2 – 0. Then USAPresident Barack Obama even called Tim Howardtocongratulatehimonhis performances. FIFA2014FINAL: Argentina v Germany Germany's th Mario Gotze's 113 minute goal wonit.

FIFA 2014: GERMANYFourthTitle: ManuelNeuer(GK), Phillip Lahm (Captain), Jerome Boateng,MatsHummels,Benedikt Howedes, Christopher Kramer (or Andre Schurrie), Bastien Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, ThomasMuller,MiroslavKlose(or Mario Gotze), Mesut Ozil (or Per Mertesacker).

FRANCETOTHE

FOREAGAIN

FIFA2018:RUSSIA: Firstin Eastern Europe. France's Kylian Mbappe's, aged nineteen, debuted. By then, I had already been employed by Delta Air Lines for three years; hired at age 62. Can you even imagine that happening anywhereintheCaribbean? Nah!

As for FIFA 2014 BRAZIL, I really wanted to go to FIFA 2018 RUSSIA,oneofveryfewcountries I have never visited. I might have gottentherebutreturningcouldnot beconfirmed. Notrip!

ReadyingRussiaforFIFA2018 was very difficult. It cost a heartstopping US $ 14 billion plus. Allegations of clubs' and country's overt racism, Neo-Nazism, and slave labour used to build stadia. Scores died on construction sites. Securityandterroristthreatsmajor concerns.

High-end political inquests for bribery and corruption on awards

Georgia Voll struck 77 off 48 balls. (Sam Gosling / Cricket Australia)

sixes, she scored 68 in 36 balls,butwithsixneededoff threeballs,shewasstumped in the final over Linsey Smith,whowasbowlingthe 20th over, finished with a three-wickethaul.

Alice Capsey, not Jones, took the gloves for England in the run chase, a move to acclimatise their back-up keeper Jemimah Rodrigues, Lauren Bell, Arundhati Reddy, Sophia Dunkley and Heather Knight were some

for FIFA 2018 and FIFA 2022. High-end resignations too Referees and Assistants expelled for alleged match fixings and bribery Video Assisted Referees (VAR) premiered. Free public transportforticket-holders. Iceland and Panama debuted. Ghana, Ivory Coast, Italy, Chile, Netherlands, USAmissing. CAF: Egypt, Senegal, Tunisia, Nigeria, Morocco. CONCACAF: Costa Rica,Mexico,Panama. Surprising Semi-Finalists: France, Belgium, Croatia,England. 12owngoalsin tournament.France4vArgentina3 and Belgium 3 v Japan 2; both round of 16, were brilliant. SemiFinal Croatia 2 v England 1, a.e.t., wasagoodpreviewforFIFA2018 FINAL. Croatia's Captain, Luka Modric was “Tournament's Best Player”;histeambeatenbyFrance; 4 – 2; in FIFA 2018's excellent FINAL.

FIFA 2018: FRANCE: Champions. Second Title: Hugo Lloris (GK & Captain), Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Lucas Hernandez, N'Golo Kante (or Steven Nzonzi), Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, Blaise Matuidi (or Corentin Tolisso), Oliver Giroud (or Nabil Fekir).

FIFA 2022: QATAR: First held in Middle East. Only host Qatar was new Held just after Covid-19 pandemic. No masks. Astronomical costs; supposedly US $ 220 billion, apparently i n c l u d i n g n a t i o n w i d e infrastructureprojects.

France's Kylian Mbappe “Golden Boot” winner - eight goals. Argentina's Captain, Lionel Messi“PlayeroftheTournament”. Morocco first African nation to play Semi-Final, losing 0 – 2 to

squad members across both teams who were rested for thisfixture.

Both teams now move to Birmingham for their respective tournament openers. England play Sri Lanka (June 12) while India take on Pakistan (June 14), bothatEdgbaston.

Scores: England 171 for 6 (Jones 64, Sciver-Brunt 57, Patil 2-29) beat India 166 (Ghosh68,Smith3-42,Dean 2-16)byfiveruns.

France. ArgentinabeatCroatia3–0Semi-FinalNo.2.

FIFA2022: QATAR: FINAL: Best ever Seasoned Legend v Emerging Legend. Lionel Messi's Argentina v Kylian Mbappe's France;manoamano. Messi's penalty, and flying winger Angel Di Maria, had Argentina2–0upbyhalftime. 20 minutes to full time, Mbappe scoredapenalty,thenmiraculously volleyed France's second, despite FIFA 2022's Best Goal-Keeper, Argentina's Emiliano Martinez: Fulltime2–2. nd Messiagainscoredin2 halfof extra time, before Mbappe scored th again, another penalty, in the 117 minute. 3–3. Mbappehadscored a hat-trick. Penalty shoot-out followed;Argentinawinning4–2. France's Kingsley Coman and AurelienTchouamenimissed.

FIFA 2022: ARGENTINA: Champions. ThirdTitle: Emiliano Martinez(GK),NahuelMolina(or Gonzalo Montiel), Cristian Romero, Nicolas Otamendi, Nicolas Tagliafico (or Paulo Dybala), Enzo Martinez, Alexis Mac Allister (or German Pezella), Rodrigo De Paul (or Lautaro Martinez),LionelMessi(Captain), Julian Alvarez (or Leandro Paredes), Angel Di Maria (or MarcosAcuna).

FIFA 2026: USA-MEXICOCANADA: PortugalvArgentina would be a fantastic Final, to properly celebrate Christiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. 48 teams Ambitious Curacao, population only 160, 000, smallest countryevertoaFIFAWorldCup, mightevenwinagame. Whatever happens, be safe, enjoy fully, and have several brandies for me. Cheers!

Rama Krishna and West Ruimveldt among latest Smalta Windball cricket winners

Results in the Smalta, in partnership with NSC MCYSASTP, A Munroe organised Return of Primary School Girls Windball Cricket played inside the National Gymnasium, showed wins for Rama KrishnaandWestRuimveldt.

Comenius won the toss and elected to bat and made 32-1. Orissa Xavierscored16.

RamaKrishnarepliedwith34-0. WestRuimveldtafterbeensentit to bat scored 58-1 with Amiya Murray22andToharialHalliman21.

Saint Margaret's in reply were restrictedto35-0.JisselKendallmade14.

SaintPiusafterbeeninvitedtobatfirst made 52-4, Sophia Razac led with 14. TiannaJohnnytook2wkts,whileMeagan Bowman & Jada Cranmore had 1 wkt a piece.StellaMarisendedon49-4withJada Cranmore10inreply

AlsopresentattheArenaandinteracted with the young players was, Guyana only two times Olympic Table Tennis player, who also played Windball Cricket during herPrimaryschooldaysatMae's,Chelsea Edghill.

GMRSC Mourns the Passing of Motorsport Legend Victor Pires

The Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMRSC) is extending its deepest condolences to the family,friendsandthewider motorsport fraternity on the passing of veteran racer and

respected motorsport stalwart,VictorPires. Pires, whose contributions to motorcycleracinginGuyana spanned more than five decades, passed away on Monday, leaving behind a legacy that will forever be etched in the history of local motorsport.

Widely regarded as one of the country's most

a c c o m p l i s h e d a n d knowledgeable motorcycle racers,Piresexcelledinboth the 125cc and 250cc classes

and was revered by generations of riders for his skill, dedication and passion forthesport.

Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club (GMRSC)

President Mohamed Shairaz Roshandinpaidtributetothe lateracingicon.

"Motorsport has definitely lost a pillar in Victor Hisworkinthesport, and more so the motorcycle aspect, cannot be overstated. He brought tremendous value to motorsport in Guyana and his legacy will live on for generations to come," Roshandin stated "To his family and friends, know that Victor will continue to live on through thesporthelovedandhelped develop."

Pires began his racing

'StressRelief'SecondarySchools TapeballactionsetforJune13

TheUprisingPromotionissettohostitsfirsteverselfsponsored,'StressRelief'SecondarySchools'Boys30-ball (fiveover)TapeballCricketcompetitiononSaturday,13th June.Actionbowlsofffrom9:00amattheNationalPark tarmac

Theevent,coordinatedbyveteransportsorganiser,James Lewis,hasgarneredover24school'steamsalready,with severalothersexpectedtobeconfirmedinthecomingdays.

Yesterday,theorganisersofficiallyannouncedthe tournamentfixtureswithafewhugeclashessettoentertain thecricketsupporters.

Thefixture:

QueensCollegevs.BrickdamSecondary

St.StanislausCollegevs.WestminsterSecondary

VergenoegenSecondaryvs.TutorialHigh

St.John'sCollegevs.YarrowkabraSecondary

PatentiaSecondaryvs.RichardIshmaelSecondary

CoventGardenSecondaryvs.L.B.I.Secondary

DiamondSecondaryvs.B.V.Secondary

Bishop'sHighvs.LeonoraSecondary

NewCampbellvilleSecondaryvs.TucvilleSecondary

MahaiconySecondaryvs.SchooloftheNations

St.JosephHighvs.St.Rose'sHigh

Vreed-En-HoopSecondaryvs.ZeeburgSecondary

Meanwhiletofacilitateanyadditionalmatches,plansare alreadyinplaceforaSundayconclusion,attheSportsHall tarmacfrom9a.m.Formoreinformationschoolteamscan UprisingPromotions(WhatsApp)on592-688-0078.

career in the early 1970s duringtheformativeyearsof Guyana's grass track racing scene, competing alongside notablefiguressuchasKamil Haniff,PeterDaSilva,Clive Ng Kien, Rene Carrega and TerrenceClarke. He quickly rose through the ranks, capturing championship honours beforetransitioningtocircuit racing. Representing Team Solo and Guyana on several occasions, Pires established himself as one of the country's premier riders, competing against some of the sport's most respected names, including Frank Van Sertima and Stanley Ming. Following a period in Canada, Pires returned to Guyana in the 1990s and

once again made an immediateimpact.

After returning to grass track competition, he moved back to circuit racing where he dominated the 125cc category aboard specially prepared machines His pursuit of excellence saw him acquire a Honda 250 Grand Prix motorcycle, with fellow racing legend Stanley Ming serving as his mechanic.Thepaircompeted at Daytona in Florida before bringing the machine to Guyana, where Pires successfully challenged much larger motorcycles in the 600cc and 1000cc categories.

T h r o u g h o u t h i s illustrious career, Pires competed against and alongside some of the finest

riders of his era, including WayneVieira,MikeCorreia, Kevin Graham, Lennox Beckles and Aubrey Archer, amongmanyothers.Beyond his achievements on the track,Pireswasrespectedfor his vast knowledge of motorcycle racing and his willingness to share his experience with younger competitors,helpingtoshape the sport's continued growth anddevelopment.

The Guyana Motor Racing & Sports Club joins the entire motorsport community in mourning the loss of a true champion, mentor and ambassador of motorcycle racing His remarkablecontributionsand enduring legacy will continuetoinspireracersfor generationstocome.

2026 CWI Rising Stars U-19 50-Over Championships… Minister Ransom urges lads to maintain disciplined workout regimens

- says practice equally important as actual games

TheGuyanaUnder-19cricketteamrecentlysharedalight moment with Minister of Culture, Youth & Sport, Charles Ramson Jr who spent some time with the lads ahead of their upcomingcampaigninthisyear'sCWIRisingStarsU-1950OverChampionships.

Upon another recent site-check visit to the nearlycompleted Anna Regina National Stadium, the Sports Minister spoke briefly with the players, who have been encampedsincethe6thandjusthappenedtohostoneoftheir manypreparatorysessionsatthenewlyconstructedvenue.

Minister Ramson, who was a youth cricketerin his days, impartedsomefirsthandtipsandwordsofencouragementto whatisconsideredthenextbatchofGuyanaHarpyEaglesand possiblyWestIndiesprospectsduringhisbriefchatinavideo clippostedonlineduringhisusualsitevisit.

“Yourskillandthedevelopmentofyourskillisbasedon what you do repeatedly You have to keep practicing the one skillofthatareaoverandoveragain.It'slikewhenyougoand writeyourtest,howmuchdidyoustudy?Well,thepracticeis your study so this might be a different way of thinking for you,”saidtheSportsMinister

Heurgedtheyoungsterstomaintaindisciplineasitrelates to putting in hard work while encouraging them to not just practice but enjoy the process of growing from strength to strength.

"Don'tjustgothroughthemotions,don'tthinkthatgame day is the most important day; your practice is equally importantasyourgameday,becausethegamedayisjustthe finishingofyourpractice.”

MinisterRansomconcludedhisspiritedaddressbyadding thattheextraemphasisonpracticingone'sskillsetiscrucialat thisstage,giventheupcomingresponsibilitiestheladwillbe faced with; the Minister further reinforced that they should utilize their practice sessions much like how they would academicallywhenstudyingforanexamorso.

Theteam,meanwhile,willcontinuetheirtrainingasthey looktogetthemselvesinpeakphysicalandmentalcondition before winging out where they will have a few days to get themselves acclimatized with the conditions inAntigua with actionbowlingofffromJuly7.(CliftonRoss)

1966 to 2026

– my 60 years of FIFA soccer world cups – part three (final)

ColinE.H.Croft–FormerGuyana, LancashireCCC&W.I. InternationalCricketer

Unlike commentators who “hem and haw” their opinions, hiding behind seethrough shadows, saying nothing but making useless noises,Isaythisnow: USA and England will not make FIFA 2026's Semi-Finals Toosoft. Bigcall. Favorites: France, Argentina, Spain, Germany Surprises: Morocco, Mexico, Croatia, Japan. Brazil over-rated. Wagersanyone?

FIFA WORLD CUPS 2006 – 2022: LIVING LEGENDSARRIVE!

F I F A 2 0 0 6 : GERMANY: Argentina's

forhissixthFIFAWorldCup. Portugal's Christiano Ronaldo debuted too; aged 21. In FIFA 2022 QATAR, he became the first player to

for Christiano Renaldo and Lionel Messi, “Gods of Soccer”last20years,toplay FIFA2026 FINAL– Sunday 19 July 2026; MetLife

nineteen in his first global tournament. Not even “El Mesias” coul

imagined that he would still be playing at elevated levels

score in five consecutive WorldCups. Now “CR7” is in his sixth too. At 73, I definitelyneedwhateverNo. 10andNo.7aretaking! It would be tremendous

Stadium, New Jersey –Argentina v Portugal Possiblebutunlikely!

Newbies in FIFA 2006: Angola, Ukraine, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Togo, and new

South Africa Welcoming FIFA World Cup 2010 with Vuvuzelas.

Sweden; Angola drew v Mexico and Iran; Ghana won v Czech Republic and USA, qualifying for knockouts,asdidcolorful,skillful Ukraine. Nice!

Like FIFA 2002, massive corruption and bribery accusations in FIFA 2006, allegedly involving high-up politicians of severalcountries,prominent businesses, billions of dollarsofbusinessdealsand well-known companies

Supposedbarteringallowed GermanytohostFIFA2006 instead of preferred

C O N C A C A F

representatives, Trinidad & Tobago, relieving T&T's FIFA 1990's “dread-ness”. France beat defending champions Brazil; QuarterFinals. 26 billion on-line viewsoverall.

FIFA2006 was seriously abrasive. 345 yellow cards; 28 reds. Officials criticized for rigid rules. T&T drew v

Republic of South Africa, who, instead, hosted FIFA 2010.

Best games: Germany 0 vItaly2a.e.t,andPortugal0 vFrance1;Semi-Finals;and FIFA2006FINAL:France1 v Italy 1 a.e.t; Italy winning onpenalties. France'smegastar Captain, Zinedine Zidane, was red-carded for head

Materattiinasoccerwar

FIFA 2006: ITALYFour-time Champions: Gianluigi Buffon (GK), Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro (Captain), Marco Materazzi, Fabio Grosso, Mauro Camoranesi (or Alessandro Del Piero), Gennaro Gattuso, Andrea Pirlo (Player of Final), (Continuedonpage24)

National Triumph fuels

Linden honours its outstanding young athletes

Khalil's pursuit of Excellence

Winning the 2026 Women's National Squash Championship has only strengthened Ashley Khalil's determinationtobecomeanevenbetter player as she sets her sights on future

on day it became a town

regional and international competitions.

FreshoffhervictoryattheNational Racquet Centre on Sunday, Khalil said the achievement serves as motivation ratherthanafinishingpoint.

"Winning a national title always serves as motivation to keep learning, growingandstrivingtoperformbetter," she said.The seasoned squash standout revealedthatherambitionsextendwell beyondthelocalscene.

"Myfocusremainsoncontinuingto improve in the sport and represent Guyana to the best of my ability

Regional and international competitionsareahead,andI'mlooking forward to participating in those opportunities."

To prepare for those challenges, Khalil plans to focus on several key

areas of her game ”I am looking forward to continued work on my fitness,oncourtmovementandkeeping thingsconsistent,whilefindingwaysto evolvemygame."

Her latest national success came despitealess-than-idealbuild-uptothe championships.

"Preparationforthechampionships was a little different this year due to personal commitments requiring me to adjustmytrainingschedule."

Nevertheless,Khalilmaintainedthe disciplinenecessarytoremainatthetop ofhergame.

"Thistime,Iwasn'tabletospendas muchtimeasIwouldhavepreferredon court, but my focus on staying consistent with my fitness routine and dailyactivitykeptmeinthegame."

That commitment ultimately paid dividendsassheonceagainemergedas nationalchampion.

Reflecting on the accomplishment, Khalil expressed appreciation for the many individuals who have supported

Krishna Arjune bats for Guyana Amazon Warriors at ExxonMobil GSLT20

Former Guyana opening batsman Krishna Arjune is throwing his supporting behind the Guyana Amazon

Warriors to win the ExxonMobil Global Super League(GSL)T20trophy

T h e f i v e - t e a m tournament is slated to bowl off July 23rd at the Guyana

National Stadium, Providence with Pakistanis Lahore Qalandars taking on Australian Perth Scorchers while the hosts will open their campaign against San Francisco Unicorns at the samedaybutunderlights.

The Canada-based Guyanese Arjune stated that Warriors have possessed somequalityT20playersand that has given him the confidence they can be the triumphantunitagain.

Warriors dethroned

Rangpur Riders from Bangladesh last year Riders capturedtheinauguraltitlein 2024.

“I really like the team; it looksbalancedandtheyhave got some great all-rounders as well; once they play to their true potential I believe they can win the tournament once more, ” Arjune mentioned.

Hailing from Unity Village on the East Coast

D e m e r a r a , A r j u n e represented Guyana in 40 first-class matches and 12 limited-overgames.

He is also optimistic that home-advantagewilldowell forthehost-nation.

“IthinktheWarriorswill do good at Providence; most of the players are familiar withconditionsandthepitch and with crowd support, I think they are favourite to emerge as champions,” the right-handed batter Arjune

commented Guyana AmazonWarriorshaveyetto name a Captain for the tournament which will concludeAugust1stwiththe grand finale.However, star(Continunedonpage23)

herjourney

"I'mincrediblygratefultohavewon the 2026 national title. For me, every championship follows unique hurdles that makes the win special. This title reminds me how grateful I am for my community of constant support, my family, coaches, physios, training partnersandeveryonewhogiveswords ofencouragementalongtheway."

Althoughpleasedwiththeoutcome, Khalilremainsgrounded.

"I'mveryproudoftheresultbutstill mindful that there is more work to be doneahead,"sheconcluded.

With another national title secured, Guyana's squash stalwart is already focusedonthenextchallenge,eagerto continue raising her standards while proudly carrying the Golden Arrowheadontheinternationalstage.

Last month, Khalil's multi - sport prowess was also demonstrated when she captured the title at Guyana's 60th Independence Daimond Jubilee BadmintonOpen.

Plaisance Sec', President's College faceoff today in YBG's East Coast-Country final

PC's Wolfe-Ross show sends them into YBG's Country final against Plaisance Secondary today.

President's College (PC) are set for a clinical showdown today as Youth Basketball Guyana (YBG) crowns its East Coast Regional champion and determines the next qualifier for the 2026 National Schools Basketball Festival(NSBF).

After Queen's College secured its place in the national championship with an impressive 11-point victory last weekend, the spotlight now shifts to the Country Regionals, where two in-form teams will battle for regional supremacy and a coveted ticket to the national stage.With everything on the line, supporters can expect an intense contest filled with grit, defensive

aspirations as YBG closes another excitingchapterofitsregionalplayoff campaign.

Plaisance Secondary booked its place in the final after grinding out a hard-fought 20-17 victory over Hope Secondaryintheopeningsemifinal.In a contest dominated by defence and rebounding, Trevor James controlled the paint, pulling down 11 rebounds while contributing five points to anchorPlaisance'seffort.

Christopher Ram once again delivered when it mattered most, knockingdownsevencrucialpointsto lead the scoring for Plaisance, while PrinceMarschippedinwithsixpoints

and several key rebounds that helped maintain his team's narrow advantage throughouttheencounter Hope Secondary mounted a spiritedchallengebehindDionMoore, who poured in a game-high 10 points, while Isaiah Browne added six However, despite their offensive efforts, they were unable to overcome Plaisance'sdisciplineddefensivestand as the eventual finalists held firm to securethethree-pointvictory If Plaisance earned its place through determination, President's Collegestormedintothechampionship gameinemphaticfashion. PCunleashedarelentlessoffensive (Continuedonpage23)

Guyana boxers depart for intensive Trinidad camp ahead of CAC and Commonwealth Games

Minister Ransom urges lads to maintain disciplined workout regimens