Canada-based Omai Gold Mines Corp. believes that the company’s Guyana gold project is not receiving the market value it deserves, arguing that the company’s shares remain significantly undervalued despite doubling its Mineral Resource Estimate to almost eight million ounces inlessthantwoyears.
During an interview on Crux Investor, Omai’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Elaine Ellingham outlined that the company has two large gold deposits in Guyana, the shearhosted Wenot Deposit and the adjacent intrusion-hosted Gilt Deposit.
“We actually doubled the size of our ounces of our resource estimate in less than two years.And if you’ve got a small deposit, that’s easy But going from 4.3 to 8 million ounces, is a big jump up…I think it just hasn’t been fully valued into the stock,” she added.
Omai’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Elaine Ellingham
The Omai Gold Mine is located in Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni), and produced over 3 7 million ounces of gold from 1993 to 2005. Since its return to Guyana’s mining sector in 2020, Omai, through its subsidiary Avalon Gold ExplorationInc.,hasidentified 2,495,000ouncesofgoldinthe indicated category and 5,465,000 ounces in the inferredcategoryatthehistoric OmaiGoldproject.
Ellinghambelievesthatthe Continued on page 18
Screenshot showing a section of Hess 2025 financials
TwoofthethreeStabroekBlockpartners have made no investment in the Stabroek Block for the last two years according to financial statements published by the companies Hess Guyana Exploration Limited, a 30% shareholder, in its 2025 financial statement revealed that no contributions from the head office were madefortheyears2024and2025
Similarly, CNOOC Petroleum Guyana Limited, the 25% shareholder reported that the Branch’s capital commitment for 2024 and 2025 were not provided The oil company noted that, “The capital commitments contracted, but not provided for includes estimated payments for the developmentofStabroek,LizaPhase1,Liza Phase 2, Payara,Yellowtail, Uaru,Whiptail, Hammerhead, Guyana Futures and Projects (facilities, subsea, shore base and other,
drillingandcompletions).
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited, on the other hand which operates the block holds 45% interest. The company indicated that contributions from its head office for 2025 were $46.4B in 2025 and an astounding $105Bin2024.
Recently, Chartered Accountant and Attorney, Christopher Ram raised an alarm over Guyana’s oil revenue being quietly invested by the Stabroek Block partners, delaying the country from receiving a larger portionofrevenue,generatedoffshore.
During a programme hosted by the Oil and Gas Governance Network (OGGN) and airedonKaieteurRadio99.1/99.5FM,Ram pointed to the implications of the refusal by government to ring-fence the projects in the StabroekBlock.
Thismechanismwouldrequirethateach
CNOOC 2025 financials indicate financial commitments were not provided for the past two years.
oil project pays for itself. Once the expense relatedtothatprojectisrecoveredbyExxon, thecontractorandgovernmentwouldequally split all the revenue generated each month, aftertheoperatingexpenseisdeducted.
In the absence of ring-fencing, Exxon takes 75% of all the oil produced to pay for projectsthatarestilltostartup.
To this end, Ram told listeners and viewersoftheprogramme,hostedbyformer Stabroek News Editor, Anand Persaud, that Guyana is investing in the development taking place offshore. Be that as it may, the commentator flagged that the country is not recognisedasaninvestoranddoesnotenjoy anyadditionalfiscalbenefits.
Heexplained,“Theimplicationofthisis what is happening, we become an investor becausepartofthatmoney–theprofitshare whichweareforegoingisbeinginvestedand we get nothing for that. It’s more like if governmentisnowajointventurepartnerin this transaction and it shows a level of
amateurishness and disregard for basic principles of overseeing and managing a contractofthissignificanceandcomplexity.”
In 2025, Kaieteur News reported that Hess boasted of Guyana’s self-funding projects The company’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, John Rileynotedthattheoperationwasgenerating enoughrevenuetopayforitself.
At the time, Riley disclosed that the Yellowtail project is set to deliver a substantial boost in free cash flow for the American oil company during an interview, highlighting the transformative financial impact of the company’s operations in the StabroekBlock.
“Yes,Guyanaisself-fundingandlook,it was self-funding now and then. Obviously, when the Yellowtail coming on, you get a whole big jump, and we really do get a big step change in cash flow every time when theseFPSOscomeon,”Rileysaid.
…flags lack of consultation with Indigenous communities, information on Reg. 7 project
As concerns mount over the proposedKurupunguraniumproject in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni),theAmerindianPeople’s Association(APA)hascalledforthe project to be halted, citing the absence of public and communitylevel consultations and a lack of informationabouttheproject
The project which carries a historicalresourceestimateof20.6 millionpoundsofuraniumisbeing developed by Canada-based U92 Energy Corp The company acquired the project which spans across 92.2 square kilometres of mining lands, earlier this year following its acquisition of a Singaporean firm LIA Industries Pte.Ltd.
Since acquiring the project, U92 has already finalised a commercial agreement for a Phase One 5,000-metre diamond drilling programme and submitted the requiredenvironmentalapplication fordrillpadpreparation.
In a statement this week, APA stressed that uranium exploration presents significantrisks and lacks Free, Prior and Informed Consent
(FPIC)withtheIndigenousPeoples whoselands,livelihoodsandfuture are now under threat. It called on governmentandU92toupholdthe principles of FPIC as established under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of IndigenousPeoples(UNDRIP)and the UN Guiding Principles on BusinessandHumanRights.
APA reiterated its firm opposition to any uranium exploration, mining or development activities in Region Seven, stating, “This position is
grounded in decades of decisions and deliberations made by the leaders and peoples of the Mazaruni, who have consistently rejected uranium development on theirtraditionallands.” NOCONSULTATION
According to the APA, the Kurupung area forms part of the traditionallandsoftheKapohnand Pemon Peoples, with communities suchasIsseneruamongthosemost
thatcanbedirectlyaffected.
It stressed that meaningful consultation must begin immediatelyandmustbeledbythe affected communities themselves.
“Todate,therehavebeennopublic or community-level consultations that would have allowed affected communities to understand the project,raiseconcernsordetermine whether they consent to its development. This failure alone is
A look at U92’s uranium project
sufficient grounds for halting the projectandrepresentsaviolationof the rights of Indigenous Peoples andtherightsofGuyanesecitizens to meaningful participation in decisionsthataffecttheirlivesand environment,”APAsaid.
APA also criticised the lack of transparency surrounding the proposed uranium project and calledit“deeplytroubling.”It
Continued on page 10
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Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456
Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams
Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
ThedeathsofCollisBristol,called“Cappo,”andAkeem Burgess, known as “Burnham,” on the Railway Embankment at Clonbrook are the latest reminder that our roads have become places where recklessness, lawlessness and,increasingly,inhumanityareallowedtoflourish.
What makes this tragedy particularly disturbing is not only that two lives were cut short in an instant, but that the driver responsible allegedly struck the men and fled, abandoning them on the roadway without the slightest regard for whether they were alive or dead.That single act speaks volumes about the erosion of basic human decency Whateverthecircumstancessurroundingthecollision,there can be no justification for leaving two injured men to die whilechoosingself-preservationoverhumanity
As our news report revealed, public-spirited citizens eventually came to their assistance, but both men were pronounced dead at the Enmore Regional Hospital. Their families have now been left to bury loved ones while grappling with the agonising knowledge that the person responsibleremainsatlarge.
The pain of those families is now compounded by frustration.
Residents have complained that the recently upgraded RailwayEmbankmenthasbecomeanightlyplaygroundfor speeding motorists and drag racers. The irony is painful. Infrastructure intended to improve transportation has, accordingtothosewholivethere,becomeacorridorwhere some drivers behave as though traffic laws simply do not exist.
If these reports are accurate, then this tragedy should surprisenoone.
For months there have been concerns about excessive speeding on sections of the East Coast roadway Yet residentssaytherehasbeenlittlevisiblepolicepresence.Itis no secret that the Guyana Police Force faces manpower challenges. Officers are stretched thin by expanding responsibilities and increasing demands But acknowledging those realities does not lessen the responsibilityofensuringthatknowndangerzonesreceive meaningfulenforcement.
Thestatisticsthemselvespaintatroublingpicture.Only days before this tragedy, Deputy Commissioner of Police Ravindradat Budhram disclosed that fatal accidents have increased by four per cent while road deaths have risen by seven per cent during the current reporting period. Even morealarmingistherevelationthatspeedingaccountsfor75 percentofallfatalcrashesrecordedsofarthisyear
Thosefiguresrepresentfathers,sons,mothers,daughters andfriendswhoselivesendedviolentlyonourroadways.
Anothertroublingaspectofthislatesttragedyisalsothat it is not the authorities leading the search with the greatest urgency Instead, grieving relatives and residents have launched their own campaign, even offering a cash reward forinformationleadingtotheidentificationofthesuspect. Their determination is understandable. Families naturally want answers. They want justice. They want to knowthatthepersonresponsiblewillfacethecourtsrather thandisappearintoanonymity.
But citizens should never feel compelled to fill investigative gaps themselves. Offering rewards may produceusefulinformation,butitcanalsocreatedangerous consequences, including the possibility of vigilantism or false accusations driven by the lure of money Criminal investigations belong in the hands of trained law enforcement,supportedbymoderninvestigativetools. Whichraisesanotherunavoidablequestion.
TheGovernmenthasrepeatedlyhighlighteditsSafeCity Initiative, promising expanded surveillance through cameras across the country Citizens have been told that technology is transforming policing and improving public safety Ifso,wherewerethesesystemswhentheyweremost desperatelyneeded?
If cameras cover this corridor, investigators should by nowhaveaccesstoimagescapableofidentifyingthefleeing
As Hurricane Melissa approached Jamaica in October 2025, Mona-Lisa was busy with a desperate, unusual task. To save her family’s only source of income, she and her three children carried 1,200 chickens, batch by batch, from the coop into their livingroom.Theyshovedthe furnitureasidetomakeroom for the flock. As Melissa roaredoutside,thenightwas ablurofnoiseandfear
When the storm subsided, her chickens were safe,mostly.Inthedaysthat followed,theflockdwindled to 840. She faced a setback, butherbusinessdidnotdie. This story captures something particular about the Car
n: when resources are thin and life’s
stormsapproach,peoplefind a way For the five years I have spent working in the region, I saw governments doingthesamething.
When I arrived in Jamaicain2021astheWorld Bank’sfirstDirectorbasedin the region, the global landscapewasdominatedby an immediate, singular crisis COVID 19 The assumption was that the storm would pass, and we wouldreturntoapredictable ‘normal.’ But the reprieve never came Instead, we entered an era of cascading shocks: the conflict in Ukraine,aninflationsurge,a volcanic eruption, and a relentless succession of climate events, including HurricaneBerylin2024,and then Hurricane Melissa in 2025.
These were very intense years of my career I remember the urgency of finalizing the first-ever Climate Resilient Debt Clause for Barbados, which thecountrysignedjusthours before Hurricane Beryl. The clause gives Barbados and now 8 other Caribbean countries an option to defer debtservicepaymentsforup to two years following a disaster, freeing up critical cash–aninitiativeforwhich Prime Minister Mottley advocated. I also remember the complex negotiations that helped Belize and Suriname secure access to concessional financing, unlocking much-needed resources to strengthen resilience.
What became clear across those years is that
resilience is not an end in itself. It is the precondition for growth. A country that spendsitsenergyrecovering cannot invest in the jobs, education,andinfrastructure that raise living standards. Our work in the Caribbean has been guided by that logic: helping governments stabilize their fiscal position so they can pursue a longtermagenda—onecentered ongrowth,employment,and economictransformation.
Working alongside Caribbean governments, the WorldBankGrouphasmade its mark on several areas— each helping to expand the space for investment, productivity, and job creation The first is a financial architecture that providesthe“spaceto
Continued on page 5
The recent Supreme Court decision reaffirming birthright citizenship under the14thAmendmentwasthe
and followed Supreme Court case in recent memory For nearly a century, birthright citizenship has ensured that children born in America, regardless of their parents’ immigration status are recognized as full citizens.
The republican majority court on Tuesday affirmed the right of citizenship of anyonebornonUSsoil;this includesiftheywerebornin any of the American territories. If the court had ruled against birth right citizenship, it would have created a generation of children treated as outsiders intheonlycountrytheyhave ever known developing into an underclass and resulting in increased poverty Also, manyofthosebornfromlast year to undocumented (illegal) immigrants would (will) be considered illegal andsubjectedtodeportation. It would also have meant
henceforth that any baby born to (visiting) female in USA, unless the father is a citizenorlegalresident,will notbeconsideredacitizen. Every Guyanese, legal and undocumented, indeed every immigrant in USA, andGuyaneseathomeandin the diaspora and people around the globe was anxiously awaiting the court’s ruling. Thousands of foreigners, including many Guyanese, Trinis, and other West Indians on visitors’ visaswereknowntocometo USA and give birth, giving automaticcitizenshiptotheir new born. Guyanese and othersaroundtheworldwere worriedthattheirbabieswill be denied the coveted American citizenship. Last year,PresidentTrumpsigned an executive order denying birth right citizenship to babies born to visitors and illegal aliens. His executive order was challenged in courtandeventuallymadeits way to the Supreme Court, the highest decision-making body in the country The court rebuked the President.
vehicle,tracingitsmovementsorcapturingitslicenceplate.If no such coverage exists along a roadway that residents reportedly identify as a hotspot for dangerous driving, then serious questions must be asked about priorities and implementation.
Technology,however,isonlyonepartofthesolution.
Deputy Commissioner Budhram rightly observed that lasting improvements require a culture in which road users obey the law because they value human life, not simply because they fear penalties. That cultural change is desperately needed. But it must be matched by consistent enforcement.Speedcamerascannotreplacepolicevisibility
By a 6-3 majority, the court retainedtheinterpretationof the American 14th Amendment that anyone born in USAis considered a citizen and enjoys all rights and privileges that come withcitizenship. The attempt to end birthright citizenship was targeting migrant families. They were about creating a permanent underclass of childrenandaboutusingfear and exclusion as political tools. And they would have disproportionately harmed colored migrants like Guyanese.
The ruling brings profound relief to Guyanese and other migrants in USA and to those foreigners ponderingofcomingtoUSA to give birth. Attempts to undermine this basic American constitutional guarantee threatened to destabilize Guyanese families Without this protection,manybabiesborn to illegals would have faced uncertainty regarding their legal status, access to public education and eligibility for
healthcare and educational grants. The ruling now preserves the new born babies’ access to various benefits especially if poor, such as Medicaid, SNAP, grants,etc.
The ruling empowers Guyaneseandothermigrants as it protects theirAmerican born who can grow up to become activists and politicians to advocate for theircommunity Inthepast, migrantslikeGuyanesehave b e e n t a r g e t e d b y exclusionary immigration proposals; the ruling reinforces a right they always thought they have as an American citizen Upho
citizenship reaffirms a core American principle: that equalityunderthelawisnot contingent on the status of one’s parents Birthright citizenship is a cornerstone ofAmericandemocracy Itis a promise that this nation made after the Civil War to ensure citizenship of all and equalityunderthelaw
Yourstruly, VishnuBisram
Artificial intelligence cannot substitute for determined investigations Public education cannot excuse weak enforcement.
For the families of Collis Bristol and Akeem Burgess, discussions about strategies and future initiatives offer little comforttoday Whattheydeserveisswiftjustice.
The Guyana Police Force must devote every available resource to identifying and arresting the driver responsible. Everycamerashouldbereviewed.Everyleadpursued.Every witnessinterviewed.Everyforensicavenueexhausted. A society cannot permit motorists to kill and simply disappearintothenight.
During the past 15 monthswehaveconducteda careful and thorough survey of the long delays and time consuming at Guyana’s leading banks, Republic Bank, Citizens Bank, The Bank of Novia Scotia, Guyana Bank of Trade and Industry (GBTI) and DemeraraBanktodetermine the length of time spent by theircustomersineachbank. As most of us know, every bank at some point and time during the day, especially at peakhours,willhavepeople
waiting very long in lines to c o m p l e t e r o u t i n e transactions such as deposits, withdrawals, accountinquiries,customers services, and special assistance,amongothers.
It is with great disappointment that our survey found that the two banks with the most ridiculous and excessive long lines in every service area and at every branch throughout the country are the Republic Bank and the CitizensBank.
On multiple occasions,
we have observed that customers must wait in line forapproximatelyfourhours or longer on any given day andanaverageofanother40 minutes would be spent at the teller or with customer service personnel Regrettably, this means that each customer spends an averageofbetweenfourand ahalftofivehoursperdayat thesetwobanks.
And even though there are special sections with seating available for the elderly, parents with small children, pregnant mothers
Frompage4
choose.”Agovernmentthatfacesahurricane with no pre-arranged financing has no real choices.Jamaicachangedthat.WhenMelissa hit Jamaica in October 2025, within days, US$91.9millionarrivedfromCCRIFandthe catastrophe bond paid out US$150 million. With the disbursement of the World Bankfinanced Catastrophe Deferred Drawdown Option(CatDDO)andofotherdevelopment partners, total pre-arranged financing reached US$650 million. Prime Minister HolnesssaiditwasthefirsttimeJamaicadid nothavetoscrambleformoneypost-disaster Jamaica is the clearest example, but not theonlyone.Ninecountriesacrosstheregion now hold contingent financing available through the Cat DDO, giving them immediateaccesstoemergencyfundswithin 48 hours. And the World Bank Crisis Preparedness and Response Toolkit, approvedin2024,allowsthemtodoublethat financingifrequiredafteradisasterorpublic healthemergency
Most World Bank projects in the region also now include a contingency component thatallowsgovernmentstoredirectfundsinto disasterreliefwithindaysratherthanmonths. Together,thisisafinancingarchitecturethat did not exist a decade ago. It enables governmentstoactivateapre-negotiatedplan the morning after a disaster, and it supports the country in securing long-term investments.
The second is regional scale. For small states,aregionalapproachchangesthecostof almost everything Infrastructure built regionally costs less per country Countries negotiating as a bloc secure terms no single island could get alone. Over time, that compounds into a stronger economic position: broader markets, lower costs for citizens, more credible institutions –outcomes the new World Bank Group small states strategy seeks to achieve. And it is precisely that stronger economic base that gives governments room to maneuver when shocksarrive.
High energy costs are among the most significant constraints on private investment andjobcreationintheCaribbean.Electricity pricesintheregionareamongthehighestin the world, putting Caribbean businesses at a structuraldisadvantageandlimitingthekinds of industries that can take root. And while renewableenergyisanobviousanswergiven the region’s natural gifts of sun, wind and geothermal energy, no single island in the EasternCaribbeanhasprojectslargeenough
to attract premier international investors. WorkingwiththeEasternCaribbeanCentral Bank, we established a US$235 million facility to accelerate the energy transition to affordable,resilientandcleanenergy
By providing risk mitigation and guaranteesforrenewables,andpoolingsmall projectsacrossislands,thefacilitycreatesthe scale needed to attract global investors.This is complemented by investments in grid modernization to strengthen resilience Lower, more stable energy costs make the region more competitive — for tourism, manufacturing, and the growing digital economy — and directly affect the cost of doing business for the small entrepreneurs whodriveemployment.
This regional approach extends beyond energy We supported the Caribbean Public Health Agency in building a shared laboratory network so one specialist can provide diagnostics for twelve countries. Similarly, through the Caribbean Digital Transformation Project, the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) harmonized fintech and cybersecurity regulation across borders, creating a digital market where a small entrepreneur on one islandcanreachcustomersonanother
The third element is people. When La Soufrière erupted in St. Vincent and the Grenadines,physicalinfrastructurewasgone withindays.Buttheknowledgeandskillsof the people remained. Human capital is the most precious asset of any country This is why our partnership with Caribbean governmentshasincreasinglyshiftedtoward investinginpeople.Togetherweareworking on improving foundational learning in Barbados, Sint Maarten, and Guyana, aligningsecondaryeducationinJamaicawith thedemandsofachanginglabormarket,and strengthening secondary and post-secondary education in the Eastern Caribbean A population with technical knowledge and adaptive capacity provides a strong basis to keeptheeconomymoving.
Leavingtheregiontoday,Iknowthereare still challenges ahead. But Caribbean governments, and their people, like MonaLisa, have shown they can prepare for what theycannotprevent.
I’m thankful to have worked alongside the innovative, dedicated and passionate people of the Caribbean, to help build resilienceandabetterCaribbean.
Sincerely,
LiliaBurunciuc WorldBankDirectorfortheCaribbean
and people with disabilities, the delay is about the same. There are also long lines at eachofthebranchesofATM outlets throughout the country
Whileweunderstandthat the banks must follow security, compliance and standard operating procedures, the current waiting times ar
disheartening for customers w
o m e acclimatizedtothesituation. Infact,theyhavebecomeso accustomedtotheunusually and exceptionally long lines and lengthy delays that they do not complain because they have concluded that nothing would change. In theiropinion,bankingdelays at almost every bank are common throughout the country
During the last fifteen months, our interviews with more than 2648 bank customershaverevealedthat the current waiting time of roughly five hours has affected their mental health, disrupted their daily chores andcustomertrust,butmost of all, it has severely impacted productivity in the country
In the survey, we found that eight out of every ten customers are full-time employees, and this has resultedinthecountrylosing more than 1.3 million of productionhourseveryweek or the equivalent of 5.2 million per month or 62.4 millionperyear Losingover 60 million production hours per year is unacceptable and is highly impossible for Guyana to develop. We are living is a digitized world,
but where is the digitation that the government talks about.
The time has come for the banks to digitize and modernize the banking systemtoreducesuchahuge loss in production. Tellers and customer service personnelcontinuetousethe old-fashioned system of writinginformationobtained from computers on three or four banking and deposit slips to be signed by them andthecustomerswhichare completely backward and a wasteoftime.
If the information exists in the computer, then why rewrite it on the slips. This nonsensical act proves that banks do not rely on computers, which suggest backwardness and redundancy by the banks in the21stcentury Simplyput, it is a waste of the consumers’timeandalossof unnecessary production, which has never been the focus of the banking executive.Their focus is not on customers suffering but on huge profit margins for the parent companies overseas
Efficient and modern digitized service are a core expectation in banking, and webelievethatthedelaysare the result of poor staffing, inept process, mediocre training, inadequate qualification, incompetent
management and an ineffective and hopeless system riddled with problems that need urgent attention.Wehavewitnessed thatoutofthedozenormore tellers’ windows available, only two or three are used most of the time to attend to more than three hundred customers daily And the delay time is further increased when the tellers and customer service personnel who would constantly leave their windows or desks to seek advice from supervisors whenservingacustomer We have seen more personnel walking around the office in the banks than those serving thecustomers.
Both Republic and Citizens Banks and all the other banks are respected financial institutions, but mostseniormanagementare not only insensitive to the needsofthepeople,butthey are also disrespectful to them Addressing these unwanted, needless and annoyingdelaysatthebanks willhelptorestorecustomer confidence, and credence and uphold the standard of service Guyanese citizens deserve from the banking establishments. All senior banking officials should heed this profound and superlativeadvice.
Sincerely,
Dr.AsquithRose
Police, educators, and community leaders in Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) met on Wednesday to confront a surge in vaping among school children, pledging tighter enforcement of Guyana’s Tobacco Control Act alongside a renewed pushforparentalandschoolbasedintervention.
The multi-stakeholder meeting, held in the boardroom of New Amsterdam Secondary School, brought together representatives of law enforcement, faith-based organisations,theMayorand Town Council, education officials, and parents Presentations at the session confirmed what many attendees already suspected: vaping has become deeply embedded in youth culture across the region, with students increasingly found carrying e-cigarettes or vaping openly on school grounds.
Deputy Commander ‘B’ D
, speaking on behalf of the GuyanaPoliceForce(GPF), outlined the health and legal risks of e-cigarette use and said officers would respond promptlytoreportsofillegal sales to minors or vaping in restrictedareas.
Under the Tobacco Control Act, Nurse said, police and other authorised officers can act against anyone vaping in prohibited spaces — including indoor
public places, workplaces, public transport, schools, and hospitals. The law also banssellingvapeproductsto anyone under 18, and empowers police, customs officers, and public health inspectors to investigate illegal advertising, conduct inspections, seize evidence, and prosecute offending businesses.
Beyond enforcement, Nurse said the GPF is prepared to partner with
Police have arrested a 36-year-old businessman from Alexander Village for attemptingtocommitakidnapping.
In a statement onWednesday, the police said the arrest was made following an intelligenceledoperationonTuesday “Acting on information received, police ranksconductedanoperationduringwhicha
36-year-old businessman of Alexander Village, Georgetown, allegedly made arrangementsandhandedoveraquantityof cash as part payment to have a male kidnapped,”policesaid.
Afterbeingplacedincustody,aquantity of cash was lodged as the investigations continue.
schools, communities, and the Ministry of Health on anti-vaping awareness campaigns, and to help intercept illicit vape products entering the market.
But he acknowledged a critical gap: minors caught vaping face little real consequence School-level penaltiesareoftendismissed as a “slap on the wrist,” and police cannot exceed their legal authority to fill that void.
“The police can’t work outside the ambit of the law So, we need to get the education and the sensitisation going, with everyone parents, the proprietors of the stores, the
teachers,”Nursesaid.
Attendeesfloatedarange ofresponses,fromincreased police checks and in-school sensitisation sessions to greater parental vigilance at home.
M a y o r o f N e w Amsterdam Wainwright McIntosh called the sale of vapes and other illegal substances to minors a serious threat to the community’s health, safety, and future, and urged parents, educators, business o w n e r s , a n d l a w enforcement to treat child protection as a shared responsibility
“The increasing accessibility of vaping products and illegal
substances to minors is deeply troubling These products can have serious physical, psychological, and social consequences for our youth.Thesaleofsuchitems to persons under the legal age is not only irresponsible butalsoaviolationofthelaw andabetrayalofourdutyto safeguard the next generation,”McIntoshsaid.
The mayor singled out localbusinesseshesaidhave prioritised profit over children’swelfarebyselling vapes to minors, calling the practice a form of exploitation and demanding strict compliance with the law
“I wish to strongly urge all business owners and vendorsoperatingwithinthe Municipality of New Amsterdamtoadherestrictly to the laws and regulations governingthesaleoftobacco products, vaping devices, and all controlled substances Profit must never take precedence over the health and safety of our children,”hesaid.
McIntosh closed by calling on parents and guardians to stay closely engaged in their children’s lives and to educate them directlyaboutthedangersof vapingandsubstanceabuse.
A vendor is now in police custody after a search was conducted and approximately four pounds of marijuana was found on Tuesday at Ruimveldt Public Road, in the v i c i n i t y o f M a s s y Supermarket.
In a statement on Wednesday, police said an investigation has been launchedintothematter
“Ranks, acting on information, carried out an intelligence-led operation in theareawheretheycontacteda 28-year-old male vendor of River View, Ruimveldt During the exercise, a search was conducted, and one black plastic bag containing a quantityofsuspectednarcotics wasfound,”policesaid.
The vendor was placed underarrestandescortedtothe
D
headquarters, where the narcotics were weighed in his presence and totaled four pounds,beforebeinglodged. He remains in custody as theinvestigationscontinue.
Onverwagt,WestCoastBerbice.
The issues were first highlighted by OppositionLeaderAzruddinMohamed,who
statedthestrugglesthefarmerssaidtheyhave beenfacingwhentryingtoaccessthefacility andotherbenefits.
Kaieteur News spoke Wednesday with a fewfarmerstohearoftheirplight.
Sayuad (only name given) a farmer and butcherinRegionFive,said,“Theissuewhat wehavewiththeabattoiristhattheybringing inforeignanimalsandslaughterthem.”
He confirmed that local animals are not beingpurchased,neitherdotheyhaveaccess tothefacilities.Sayuadsaidasacattlefarmer andbutcher,hehasnoideawhoisinchargeof thefacilitythattheyshouldbeusing.
“I went there when they invited me for some training, and next thing you know duringthetrainingsessiontherewasalotof Brazilian people, so we did not really understand,whatreallywasgoingoninthere because they hardly understand English. If therewasabouttwoGuyaneseinthere,they werelabourerssothemain’tknowwhoisthe boss them ain’t know what going on nothing,”hestressed.
Another farmer Herman, (only name provided) told this publication that the farmers in his area do not have access to the abattoir and the authorities have been sourcinganimalsfromelsewheretoslaughter there.
“Wedon’thavenoaccesstheydoesbring them government bull and so and we don’t have no access. It been happening long now and they never offer we farmer anything. I don’t know where the government bringing theanimalsfrom,andsometimestheydonate to the big farmers and we don’t get no benefit,”headded.
Romel, another cattle farmer told this publication, “I know that the abattoir open and thing but I never get no like feedback about it you know, that we can take our animals and get them to slaughter and them things.”
In a response to the recent reports, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Guyana LivestockDevelopmentAgency(GLDA)Dr DwightWalrondappearedinalivestreamon Facebookto‘cleartheair’onthematter
Reading from what appeared to be a prepared statement, he said he had been seeing several reports circulating in the media, and was merely there to bring some clarityonthematter
“Over the past several days, there has been a deliberate attempt by political actors to mislead the Guyanese public about the operations of the Guyana Livestock Development Authority, claims that the Onverwagt abattoir is not functioning, is underutilised because of corruption, and that’s a very strong word, or has been abandoned are completely false and are intended to create unnecessary alarm and undermine public confidence in the agriculturesector,”hesaid.
The CEO reminded that the system in place does not cater to a two-tier system in
relation to food products being put out. Therefore, the functions of the abattoir are critical, and it should remain functional, continuingtoprovideslaughteringandother servicestothelivestockfarmers.
He said anyone can access the facility, notingthattodate,ithasproducedmorethan 112,000 kilograms of beef. Butchers are charged a minimal fee of $3000 and he vouchedthatthefacilityisprimarilysupplied byfarmersfromRegionsFour,Five,Sixand Ten, and supported by limitedsupplies from Bonfin, Brazil, through an approved importationchannel.
“These are verifiable figures and demonstrate that the facility is functioning and contributing to the growth of the sector Like any public facility, it’s the level of utilisation depends on market demand, seasonallivestocksupply,andI’msuremost of you would recall that because of our culturalpracticesinGuyana,wehaveperiods in Guyana when we have utilisation of animal-based protein is significantly reduced,”Dr Walrondexplained.
He further reminded reporters that the government has continued to invest in improving livestock infrastructure and expanding opportunities for farmers rather thanallowingthesefacilitiestodeteriorate.
He clarified further, “What transpired basedontheinformationthatwasbroughtto my attention, it was during the period when the facility was fumigated. Alright, so once remediation is taking place, there is no slaughtering of animals during that period. I was in the area recently because we have another project, so I stopped by, and I was preventedfromgainingaccessbecauseofthe SOPthatexists,”headded.
Slaughtering has been halted due to fumigation,butwillresumeonFriday
Police have arrested two suspects, ages 25 and 18 for robbing an auto-body technician at gunpoint at Covent Garden NewScheme,EastBankDemerara(EBD).
Inpress-statement,policesaidthevictim waswalkingintheeasterndirectionalonga road at Covent Garden New Scheme, when twobanditspounceduponhim. The man was holding his cell-phone
when the men rode up from behind on a motorcycle.
One of the suspects jumped off the bike and pointed a gun at the victim before grabbingthecell-phonefromhishand.
The men escaped, but quick response frompoliceledtothecaptureoftwosuspects andtherecoveryofthestolenphone. Investigationsareongoing.
The figures released recently by Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony should cause every parent, teacher and policymaker in Guyana to sit up and pay attention. If the numbers are accurate, they point to a problem that is far more serious than many of us imagined.
According to the Minister, 43% of the 6,039 secondary school students surveyed admitted to consuming alcohol.Another 32% said they vape, while 5% admitted to using cannabis.
When those figures are looked at together, they create a deeply troubling picture. They suggest that a very large proportion of our secondaryschoolpopulation is involved in some form of substanceuse.
If these findings are validated, they should trigger a national conversation of the highest urgency Indeed, one could argue that the situation would warrant emergency measures within the school systemitself.
Such levels of substance use would not merely be a schoolproblem.Theywould
raise uncomfortable questions about supervision
at home, peer influences, social attitudes and the effectiveness of existing preventionprogrammes.
Before we rush to conclusions, however, there is another important issue that deserves attention. It is calleddesirabilitybias. Desirability bias occurs when people answer survey questions in ways they believewillmakethemlook good, popular or socially accepted Sometimes respondents exaggerate behaviours because they think those behaviours are fashionable or admired by theirpeers.
This tendency is especially common among teenagers. Adolescence is a period when fitting in often seems more important than tellingthecompletetruth.
A student may claim to have consumed alcohol because friends view drinking as a sign of maturity Anothermayreport vaping because it is seen as trendy, even if he or she has never actually touched a vape.
Theresultisthatsurveys can sometimes overstate the prevalence of certain behaviours Researchers around the world have long recognized this challenge
when studying sensitive issues involving young people.
That does not mean the survey is wrong. It simply means that every serious survey should be examined carefully to determine whether the results accuratelyreflectreality
Questionsthereforeneed to be asked about the methodology used How were the students selected, what questions were posed, how were they phrased and under what conditions were theresponsescollected?
Were students assured that their answers would remain confidential? Were there safeguards to reduce thetemptationtoexaggerate or provide answers that wouldimpressclassmates?
These are not criticisms of the survey They are standard questions that should accompany any research project whose findings have significant policyimplications.
The Ministry of Health should therefore be encouraged to publish additional details about the methodology Independent scrutiny can only strengthen public confidence in the results.
Yet even if desirability
Dem boys seh sometimes de loudestpraisesingerdoesbede one singing fuh heself. Fuh years, Aunty P used to walk around de neighbourhood talking about how she keep debighouseshining.Everycrackpaintover, every floor polish, every curtain straighten, and every visitor who pass by got to hear howdeplaceneverlookbetter
IfyuhlistentoAuntyPlongenough,yuh would think she single-handedly invent broom,mopanddisinfectant.Evenaftershe move to another part of town, she still does post pictures and stories about de house. Everytimeaflowerbloomorawindowget cleaned,Aunty Pquietly remind everybody thatdeseedsandideascomefromshedays ascaretaker
Now dem boys got no problem giving people credit. If somebody plant a mango tree, dem deserve credit when mango start bearing.
But trouble start when de new tenants moveinandinviteUncleFranktoinspectde house. De man begin finding things that wasn’t showing during de guided tours. Behind de fresh paint dem find wood ants happilyoperatingahousingscheme.
Under some boards dem find structural defects that look older than de last election campaign.And in some corners, things that
bias played some role, there isanotherrealitythatcannot be ignored. The numbers would still remain frighteninglyhigh.
After all, thousands of students were willing to tell surveyorsthattheyconsume alcohol, vape or use cannabis Even if some exaggerationexists,thelevel of admission itself is cause forconcern.
In previous generations, many students might have been reluctant to admit such behaviour Today, some appear comfortable enough toacknowledgeitopenly
That shift alone tells us something important It suggests that attitudes towardsubstanceusemaybe changing among sections of ouryouth.
TheMinisteristherefore correct to emphasize prevention Waiting until addiction develops is far more costly than preventing harmfulbehaviourinthefirst place.
Schools have a role to
play in educating students aboutthedangersofalcohol, vaping and drugs. Parents, however,remainthefirstand most important line of defence.
Childrenspendonlypart of their day in school. The values they develop are shaped largely by what they seeandexperienceathome.
C o m m u n i t y organisations, religious bodiesandyouthgroupsalso have responsibilities
Building resilience among young people requires the involvement of the entire society It is encouraging that efforts are being made to s
partnerships such as the one announcedwithMountSinai Hospital.Treatmentcapacity is important because some youngpeoplewillinevitably requireprofessionalhelp.
shoulda been fixed long ago suddenly start collapsingundercloserinspection.
Dem boys seh it remind dem of a man whousedtoboastthathekeephismotorcar inperfectcondition.Thenwhenhesellit,de newownerdiscoverthathalfdeenginewas surviving on prayer, hope and a length of wire.
Noweveryhousegotlilproblems.Even de best caretaker can’t prevent every leak, squeakandcrack.
Butifyuhspendyearstellingeverybody how flawless de place was, people gon naturally ask why so many surprises appearingafteryuhgone.Iseitherdedefects develop overnight, which would be a miracle of reverse construction, or dem thingswerethereallalongandnobodylook tooclosely
Demboyssehdelessonsimple.Itiseasy toadmiredeshineondefrontverandah. Itishardertoinspectdebeamsindeattic. Andsometimesderealtestofacaretakeris not how nice de house look when visitors passing,butwhatdenextoccupantsdiscover when dem start opening cupboards and liftingfloorboards.
As dem boys seh, paint can hide plenty things, but wood ants never join no conspiracyofsilence.
Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
If further examination confirmsthesefindings,then Guyanaisfacingachallenge ofenormousproportions.We would be looking at the emergence of a generation increasingly exposed to alcohol, vaping and drugs during some of the most formative years of their lives.
That is not a future any societyshouldacceptlightly It is a warning signal that deserves serious attention, carefulanalysisanddecisive action.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
But treatment alone will not solve the problem. The greatest success will come from preventing substance abusebeforeitbegins. For that reason, the survey should neither be dismissed nor accepted uncritically It should be carefully validated and its methodology thoroughly scrutinized.
Exxon hires the smartest Only the best Its Guyana Country Head, Mr Alistair Routledge, passed the test When he felt the heat, he beat a hasty retreat. Into the shadows. A teacher A watcher Enter, Exxon’s Vice President and Business ServicesManager,Mr JohnColling. Asuper spinner Amasterobfuscator Anowproven first-ratevacillator
Guyanese thought they were getting an inspiringpartnerinExxon,adifferent[oil]Big Brother Wrong twice Instead of a partner, they got a spinner In place of a true Big Brother, they got an undertaker Guyanese get carried out feet first, without their boots on. Bootlessness; especially politicians. Lessweightwhenrunningfromdealingwith Exxonfaceup,straightup.
InMr Colling,there’sgoodnewsandbad news Thegoodnews:theyhearasweet,sad story Thebadnews:Guyanesearepayingfor it. SpindoctorslikeMr Collingdon’tcome cheap. Imustlistentohimtodetectifthere’s that good ole Texas drawl to put locals to sleep. Thenmakeringsaroundthem Hehas become very practiced at that, since Mr Rouledge rolled out Exxon’s latest secret weapon. Asked about the cost of Exxon’s High Command skyscraper, and the usually overflowing Mr Colling could only say it’s “appropriate.”
Now when millions are involved, Mr Colling tries to push Guyana’s pushy media towards the other two silent partners Since HessCorp’sJohnHesstookhismillionsand took off forAcapulco, silencehas prevailed. Plus,theChineseareknownforstoicsilence, even in the face of draconian tortures. By subtraction, there’s only Exxon and Mr Collingleft.
Colling had spun webs before with the farcical half-and-half profit split between Guyana and Exxon According to John Colling: “there’s a difference between petroleum agreement accounting and IFRS…” I have heard about accounting practices, but never accounting propaganda. The standing question is: how does Exxon find oil masters (not paintings) like Routledge and Colling, then dump them here? Next, I translate for Guyanese, Mr Colling’s profit-sharing tango Be patient Hold strain Don’t tek wurriez Be happy ExxoniswithGuyana,willensureitgetsits half. Likehellitwill.
ThereisExxon’shalf,andthere’sanother
Exxon teaches them well In its Country Head, Mr Routledge, there’s a leader who cametoRomeandstarteddoingastheRomas do. Thanks to Guyana’s domestic dancing masters, the Ali-Jagdeo Duo, Exxon’s Routledge and Colling have become skilled at one-liners and one-worders. Read the financials,Collingsaid Heknewfullwellthat the HQ costs is shared among the threememberconsortium Heuses that to slip the question:thefinalcost,sir Exxonusuallyis thefaceandvoiceoftheconsortium.
kindofhalf Guyanaisstillcalculatingwhat fractionofahalfit’sgetting EvenEuclidand Archimedes wouldn’t touch the ExxonGuyanaprofitformula.
AskedaboutGuyana’sprovenoilreserves, Mr Routledge sidelined Mr Colling and stepped forward like George Armstrong CusterattheLittleBigHorn. “Doesn’t have to be proved” until a project is funded. See what I keep saying about Guyana’s partner(s). Because Exxon’s own 2025 Annual Report highlighted: “Additions to proved reserves include 2.1 GOEB (billion oil equivalent barrels) from extensions and discoveriesprimaryintheUnitedStatesand Guyana and 0.1 GOEB related to United Statesacquisitions.”
Mr Routledgeignoredthatdocumentand CEO, with “don’t have to be proved” , until Onepartner’sgameswiththeother Exxon’s hotshot spinners observe Guyanese and see countrybumpkins. Exxon’sdodgesmustbe seenforwhattheyarerefinalcostfortheHQ.
It went from approx. $52 million in 2020 to $160 million in 2025. Inflation? Or, IFRS accountingtechniques?
Whateveritis,Guyanesearepaying Like freerumandfreefood,Exxon’senjoyingitself Last,theExxonHQwhichGuyanesefunded, sections of it are off-limits for locals. Perhaps, Exxon’s spying on Guyanese and listeningtoPPPGovt.conversations.
Plus, track Azruddin “Mr Renegotiate” Mohamed and feed the CIA Mr Colling is tightlippedabouttotalcost ButGuyaneseare gettingvaluefortheirmoney WithExxonas partner, Guyanese have a brother, mother, andfather
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflecttheopinionsofthisnewspaper.
Frompage3
arguedthatIndigenouscommunitiesareleft in the dark without being adequately informed about the nature of the project and potentialimpactstheprojectposesespecially totheenvironmentandtheirlivelihood
ThispublicationreportedthattheGuyana Geology & Mines Commission granted LIA (Guyana) Inc, a private limited liability companyinGuyanawhichwasincorporated on 20th March, 2023, the “exclusive right of occupation and exploration” through the issuance of two Exclusive Prospecting Licences(PLs)on19thApril,2024
A January 2026 filing said exploration activities at the project site commenced in 2024. The prospecting licences permit the exploration of uranium, other radioactive minerals,andrareearthelements(REEs)for a period of three years ending 18th April, 2027. The licences may be extended upon applicationforamaximumoftwoadditional one-yearperiods,extendingthetermto18th April,2029
APA noted that history has shown that uranium extraction has disproportionately harmedIndigenousPeoplesincountriessuch as the United States, Canada and the DemocraticRepublicoftheCongo.Assuch,it said Guyana should learn from those experiencesratherthanrepeatthem
“Before any consideration is given to uranium development, the country must establish a comprehensive legal and regulatory framework that addresses the unique environmental, health and social risks associated with radioactive minerals,” APAsaid.
Notably, public disclosure on the Kurupung uranium project has largely come fromU92’sfilingsandannouncements
APAalsoquestionedU92EnergyCorp.’s capacity to undertake uranium exploration, pointing to its limited track record in the sector
Kaieteur News reported that the KurupunguraniumprojectislistedasU92’s only project The filing seen by this publication described U92 as an early-stage mineral exploration company with no production from any property, and
consequently has no current operating income, cash flow, or revenues. Notably, U92 was incorporated under the Ontario Business Corporations Act (OBCA) on December 13, 2024 under the corporate name“U92Corp ” Theregisteredandhead office of U92 is located at 200 Bay Street, Suite2800,Toronto,Ontario
“We are equally concerned about U92 Energy Corp’s suitability and experience in undertaking uranium exploration, given its limitedhistoryinthesector Ourcommunities, like many Indigenous communities across Guyana,alreadyunderstandtheconsequences ofpoorlyregulatedmining,”APAsaid Registering its concern over U92’s experience, theAPAhighlighted that across Region Seven, mining has degraded forests and waterways, while suspected mercury contamination continues to raise serious concerns about public health and environmentalsafety
ItnotedthattheprotectionoftheMazaruni River Basin is of national importance The riversthatflowthroughtheMiddleMazaruni sustain the livelihoods, health and culture of the Kapohn and Pemon Peoples before continuing into the Mazaruni and Essequibo riversandultimatelytheAtlanticOcean.
“Existing mining has already caused river discolouration and raised concerns about impacts on ecosystems, fisheries and foodsecurity,”itsaid.
The organisation added that uranium explorationandmininghavethepotentialto exacerbate these impacts, introducing additional environmental and health risks associated with radioactive materials that can persist for generations. It added that uranium tailings and radioactive runoff could create even more severe consequences, with contamination that may remainhazardousforcenturies.
“Indigenous Peoples will be the first to experiencetheseimpacts,withwomenand children among those most vulnerable to the effects of radioactivity Without a comprehensive Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), there is no basis upon which Indigenous communities or the wider Guyanese public can be assured that these risks can be safely managed,”APAadded
President Irfaan Ali has confirmed that Guyana has received no official
communication from Paramaribo regarding reports that Suriname intends to unilaterally financeandowntheplanned $236 million Corentyne RiverBridge.
Speaking on the sidelines of a swearing-in ceremony for puisne judges onWednesday,PresidentAli e m p h a s i s e d t h a t Georgetown’s position remains unchanged and that the megaproject remains a bilateralinitiative.
“I have not received anything official, other than what’s already been placed in the media,” PresidentAli stated.
“The Corentyne River bridge is a bridge that is being discussed jointly as a joint project by the Government of Guyana and the Government of Suriname Guyana is interested in being part of a project that covers two sovereign states in a joint manner That has always beenourvision.”
President Ali also noted that river operations remain unaffected by the political back-and-forth, confirming withtheMinistryofForeign Affairs that no recent challenges or complaints have been reported by operators or users of the river
“Ihavenotreceivedany complaint from any of the operators on any challenge of recent,” the President noted.
“Ihavenotreceivedany complaint of any challenge fromtheusersoftheriverin recent times. And I have confirmed this also with the Ministry of ForeignAffairs. Asyouareaware,theefforts continue.”
T h e d i p l o m a t i c confusion erupted after Surinamese Minister of Public Works and Spatial Planning, Stephen Tsang, announced during a parliamentarybudgetdebate thatSurinamewouldbypass the shared bilateral frameworkentirely
A c c o r d i n g t o SurinamesenewsoutletStar Nieuws, Tsang informed legislators that the government decided to finance the bridge 100% on its own, declaring, “It must and will be a Surinamese bridge.”
Tsang conceded that opting for solo financing will effectively reset the
project’s timeline
Depending on the financial model chosen by the Ministry of Finance, which is currently exploring toll mechanisms, a completely new international tender proceduremayberequired.
When asked about the sudden declaration, President Ali signaled that his administration does not view a minister ’s parliamentary statement as an official change in stateto-statepolicy
He noted that he was operating under explicit, recent commitments made directly to him by Surinamese President JenniferGeerlings-Simons.
According to Ali, President Geerlings-Simons had assured him that Suriname was simply finalising its side of the existing shared legal framework, while Guyana had already completed its administrativepreparations.
“There is only one thing we’re interested in and that is the joint development of the bridge and that was the arrangementfromdayone,” Ali stated firmly He added that if an official request to altertheagreementismade, he will “pronounce decisivelyonit.”
The proposed 3 1kilometer bridge across the Corentyne River is widely regarded as a critical economic infrastructure asset.
It is designed to replace the aging ferry connection between South Drain in Suriname and Moleson CreekinGuyana,physically linking the two neighboring oil-producing nations, with eventual connections to FrenchGuianaandBrazil.
Just last year, both heads of state issued ajoint statement hailing the “transformative potential” of the project for regional trade, tourism, and connectivity within the AmazonRegion
While the Surinamese Public Works Minister declined to clarify how this financial decoupling would impact standing bilateral treaties, Guyanese officials are maintaining a unified front.
When approached for comment, Guyana’s Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill, remained brief:
“The president has already commented, I have nothingfurthertosayonthe matter.”
President Irfaan Ali and Surinamese President Jennifer Geerlings-Simons during their engagement in 2025.
Six new Puisne Judges were officially sworn in by President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday The ceremony took place at the president’s Shiv Chanderpaul Drive office, following their recent appointment by the Judicial Service Commission(JSC).
The newly appointed judges bring a wealthofdiverselegalexperiencetothehigh courtbench.ThecohortconsistsofSueanna Lovell, former Registrar of the Supreme Court, Mandisa Breedy, Attorney, Christel Lambert-Meertins, former Commissioner of Title, Renita Camille Singh, former CommissionerofTitle,SunilScarce,former SeniorMagistrateandAzeenaBaksh,former RegistrarofDeeds.
In his address, President Ali noted that this is not the first time a substantial cohort has been appointed simultaneously to the bench,recallingasimilarappointmentoften Puisne Judges in June 2024. He emphasised
thattheexpansionisadirectresponsetothe changinglandscapeofGuyanesesociety
“The swearing in of six more judges today reflects a deliberate and necessary effort to strengthen the capacity of our judiciary to meet the demands of an increasingly rights-conscious society, where citizensaremoreawareoftheirentitlements and more willing to seek judicial redress,” PresidentAlistated.
The head of state, according to the Department of Public Information, affirmed that with these appointments, the executive branch has fulfilled its constitutional obligations, acknowledging that a wellresourced judiciary is indispensable to upholdingtheruleoflaw
Addressing the core principle of judicial independence, President Ali made it clear that while the government facilitates the mechanism for their appointment, it maintains no role in directing their judicial functions.
“Theauthorityyouwieldisnotyourown. You are now arbiters of right and wrong, guardians of fundamental freedoms, and interpreters of law.The oath you have taken represents a sacred trust,” the president chargedthenewjudges.
He reminded the appointees that their decisions will carry lasting impacts on individuals, families, and communities. He called on them to render judgment with courage, clarity, and compassion, while maintaining a strict commitment to efficiency
“I therefore encourage you to approach your docket with a sense of urgency The backlogwillnotvanishovernight,butevery caseyoudisposeofisacitizenwhoreceives
closure Every judgement you deliver promptlyrestoresconfidenceinthesystem,” PresidentAliurged.
“The public deserves satisfaction that theircausehasbeenheardandtheircasehas beendeterminedinatimelymanner.”
Puisne Judges serve within the High Court of Guyana, where they preside over civil, criminal, and commercial matters. UnderArticle 128 (1) of the Constitution of Guyana,appointmentstothisofficearemade by the President, acting in accordance with the advice and recommendations of the JudicialServiceCommission.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips on Wednesday overseeing the preparations of humanitarian relief supplies destined for Venezuela, who was affected by recent earthquakes.
Prime Minister Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips said containers of humanitarian relief supplies destined for earthquake-strickenVenezuela,arecurrentlybeingprepared.
The prime minister who was joined by private sector representativeMr KomalSinghandDirector-Generalofthe Civil Defence Commission, Colonel Nazrul Hussain on Wednesday visited the John Fernandes Limited Container Terminal, where they observed the packing of several containers.TheprimeministeronhisFacebookpage,saidthe ongoingexerciseformspartofGuyana’snationalresponseto support communities affected by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela. The containers are being packed with essential items,includingrice,inamannerintendedtosupportefficient distributionuponarrival.
“What is happening now is that we are packing these containers. In this instance, they are being packed with rice and packaged in such a way that, upon arrival, the supplies willbeeasytodistribute,”thePMsaid.
On Wednesday, he and his team also visited the Muslim Youth Organisation (MYO) facility on Woolford Avenue, wherereliefsuppliesarebeingreceived,sortedandprepared aspartofGuyana’scoordinatedhumanitarianresponse.
Thevisitcomesaspreparationscontinuefortheexpected departureofareliefvesselonFriday,3rdJuly,2026.
The PM said he interacted with 18 volunteers from Saraswati Vidya Niketan, led by Geography Teacher Ms. TiffiniThomas,whoalsorepresentedtheMinistryofHealth’s Climate Change and Environmental Health programme, Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and CDC staff who are all assistinginthereliefexercise.
PresidentIrfaanAlionSaturdayannouncedthatavessel, capable of transporting 8,000 tonnes of humanitarian supplies,isexpectedtodepartGuyanathisFriday
The president, during a social media address, outlined Guyana’s coordinated humanitarian operation and regional mobilisationeffortfollowingthedevastatingearthquakes.
Thepresidentsaidthevessel’slargecarryingcapacityhas allowed Guyana to expand the operation beyond national supporttoincludecontributionsfromacrossCARICOM.
“We’ve extended the operation to include CARICOM support,” PresidentAli said, noting that relief supplies from regional partners are expected to arrive in the coming days before the shipment departs. Guyana’s assistance package willprioritisepharmaceuticalsupport,medicalsupplies,food for children and families, sanitation items, recovery equipmentandessentialhumanitarianaid.
Expressingconcernforthoseaffected,PresidentAlisaid the country’s response is centred on helping vulnerable groups,especiallychildren,women,theelderlyandfamilies displacedbythedisaster
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Images from the Auditor General’s 2024 Report on the Kato Secondary School dormitory back in July 2025.
Sixcontractorshavesubmitted bids to complete the constructionoftheKatoSecondarySchooldormitory,the National Procurement and TenderAdministrationBoard (NPTAB)officehassaid.
Theproject,whichwould be spearheaded by the Regional Democratic Council (RDC)ofRegionEightisestimatedtocost$120,730,286.
The companies that submitted the bids are Ullah & Sons General Contracting$106,807,496;K&DContracting Services - $104,041,938; AndrectEngineering&ConstructionInc.-$118,565,522; A.A.V Ragoobeer General Construction&UnarmedSecurityServices-$265,440,709; Keron Evans General Construction & Transportation$103,317,627;andP.REnterprise-$20,106,000.
This is not the first time the project was tendered for In fact, the contract for the project was awarded in September2021.Atthattime,the region’s Regional Executive Officer,PeterRamotarsigned a $285 million contract with Reiaz Akbar General Con-
struction Services to construct the dormitory The facilitywhichwassettoaccommodate 300 students was expectedtobecompletedwithin three years.
FormerLocalGovernment Minister, Nigel Dharamlall had witnessed the signing of thecontract.TheDepartment of Public Information (DPI) reported at the time that the ministerinformedthecontractor,“Itisourexpectationthat the project will be completed ontime.TheKatoSecondary School had some issues before… we would not like to negotiate beyond the contracted completion period.”
However, the contractor failed to meet the ministry’s expectation and was terminated.
The project was also flagged in the Auditor General’s(AG)2024report.
“As at 31st December, 2024,thesumof$249.995was paid to the contractor,” the report disclosed.
The Auditor General detailed that based on physical verification conducted on 16thJuly,2025,itrevealedthat
noworkswereongoing,while the contractual completion date expired since 2023 and no approved extension of time was seen.
In addition, at the time of reportinginSeptember2025, no measured works breakdown was attached to the PaymentVoucherspresented and examined, the report stated.
“As such, works paid for against actual works completedandwhetherornotthe contractorhasbeenoverpaid, could not have been verified,”theAGrelated.
Responding to the Auditor General, the regional administrationindicatedthatthe project encountered several setbacks. The region explainedthat“theannualrainy seasons(2022-2024)created challenges as building materials were being trucked in thru’ the road which at times is impassable for weeks.”
“The contractor is in discussion with the office of the budget – capital- seeking solutions to issues that they have raised in relation to rising cost of materials over the period of the contract. The administrationwilldoanupdated assessment of completed works as recommended by the audit office,” the region said in the report.
It was reported that the dormitory was being built to support the $1 billion plus troubled Kato Secondary Schoolwhichopenedbackin 2018.
Therewerealsodelaysin the construction of the Kato Secondary School with defectsevidentin2012.
(Reuters) - Iran and the United States concluded a round of indirect talks on with no sign they had made headway toward a lasting peace, focusing instead on issues that they had supposedly resolved two weeksago.
Sources said negotiators for the two countries spent twodaysinDohadiscussing maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz and financial incentives for Iran, two pillars of the initial agreement they signed in June, rather than more difficult topics that framework was supposed to teeup.
In Washington, U S President Donald Trump said the two sides were makingprogressonpossible limits to Iran’s nuclear program — the main reason he launched the war in F e b r u a r y “ T h e denuclearization of Iran is moving along well,” he told
the beach of Bandar Abbas, Iran, June 30, 2026. Amirhosein Khorgooi/ISNA/ via WANA (West Asia News Agency)via REUTERS
reporters.“They’vehadvery good meetings, and we’ll see.”
But sources said the nuclear program did not come up in the talks, which weretechnicalinnature.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that would be addressed later “Obviously, we’re worried about the nuclearissue,we’regoingto start talking about that,” he
toldreporters.
The two sides did not meet face to face, instead interacting separately with mediators from Qatar and Pakistan.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and top U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, dispatched to the region for what the White House had billed as “high-level” talks, did not attend the sessions,
according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity
The leader of Iran’s delegation, deputy foreign m i n i s t e r K a z e m Gharibabadi, said talks concluded. Neither side said whethertheyhadmanagedto bridgetheirdifferences.
The initial deal calls for
IranandtheUnitedStatesto allow shipping to resume through the Strait of Hormuz, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquidnaturalgasbeforethe war
Though traffic has partially resumed, the status of the strategic waterway remains unclear and the two countries exchanged strikes last weekend following an Iranian attack on a cargo ship.
Iranisdeterminedtowin international recognition of its control over the strait even if it has to do so by force, two senior Iranian sources said, and has repeatedlysaiditwillassess tolls on shipping starting in mid-August, after a toll-free periodspecifiedbytheinitial agreementexpires.
Trump downplayed the possibility of a return to allout war with Iran. “I think they’vecomealongway,”he said.
Oil prices fell to their lowest level in four months following Trump’s comments, and analysts cut their price forecasts for the first time since the war began.
Iran’sstatemediasaidon Wednesday a foreign container ship had run aground in shallow waters outside the shipping route designated by Iranian authorities.
“Hormuz continues to reopen but it’s patchy, unpredictable, and not fully transparent,” said Vandana Hari, founder of oil market analysis provider Vanda Insights.
Several European countries have offered to help clear mines from the Strait, but Germany’s defense minister Boris Pistorius said he did not expect his country to participate, citing Iran’s unwillingness to cooperate withothercountries.
(Reuters) - Uthy spent seven years in medical school training to become a doctor in Hait i. On the cusp of graduation, she fled the countrythreeyearsagototheU.S. withherhusband,youngchildanda dreamtoreturnwhenitwassafe.
Uthy, who holds Temporary Protected Status, now lives in fear that she or her family could be detained and deported at any time aftertheU.S.SupremeCourtruled last Thursday that the Trump administration could TPS for HaitiansandSyrians.
TPSprovidesdeportationrelief andworkpermitstopeoplealready in the U.S. if their home countries face natural disasters, armed conflict or other extraordinary conditions. The Supreme Court’s decision could strip hundreds of thousands of people like Uthy of work authorization and protection fromdeportation.
“Iliveinpaineverysingleday,” said Uthy, 32, who now lives in Sunrise, Florida, about 30 miles outside Miami, and asked that her last name be withheld for fear of retribution.
The decision sent fear through Haitian communities in places like SouthFloridaandNewYork,where TPS holders have spent years buildinglivesonanuncertainlegal foundation raising families, sustaining churches, opening businesses and filling critical jobs inareaslikehealthcare,hospitality, constructionandcaregiving.
Haitian Americans make up a
small share of the U.S. population but are deeply rooted in Florida, NewYork,MassachusettsandNew Jersey, with some of the country’s largest Haitian communities in the Miami,NewYorkCityandBoston areas. Advocates say the decision could create ripple effects well beyond those directly at risk of deportation.
Therulingcomesafteryearsof heightened tensions over U S President DonaldTrump’s rhetoric and immigration policies, includingcriticismthathehasused racist language toward immigrants ofcolor.
During their 2024 election campaign, both Trump and nowVicePresidentJDVancepromoted false claims that Haitian migrants inOhiowereeatingpets.
As recently as December, Trump referred to Somali immigrantsas“garbage.”
Even as Trump’s strict immigration enforcement agenda remains unpopular, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling, the court’s decision allowing his administration to end TPS likely means they will be targeted for detentionanddeportation.
“Ifyounolongerhavestatusin this country, then you’re supposed to be deported,” Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser,saidtoreporterslastweek.
SEEKING SUPPORT
In the hours and days after the court’s decision, Haitians began
seeking support from churches, relativesandtheirworkplaces.
“We’re going to have to give them shelter, and we’re going to have to give them a place to stay and feed them because they won’t be able to work,” said Jean Marcellin,aHaitianAmericanwho ownsrestaurantsacrossNewYork. “Most likely they’re going to rely onfamilymembersandcommunity helpthroughchurches.”
One such church is Haitian Emmanuel Baptist Church in the Little Haiti neighborhood north of downtownMiami.
Ronald Eugene, 61, serves as assistant pastor of the church that offers services in English and Haitian Creole. His sermon on Sunday centered around Psalm 23, apassageheusedtoencouragethe congregationtokeeppeace.
Eugene said in an interview following the service that the communityandchurchwillfillthe voidsleftbygovernment.
“This is when we, as a church, asabody,sometimesmightneedto stepuphelping,”hesaid.“Because theywon’thavethatsupport.”
Reverend Daniel Ulysse, a Haitian-born ministerandchairof the Haitian American Republican Caucus,saidthat10%to15%ofthe 60,000 Haitians in parishes across Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are TPS holders Ulysse met recently with elected officials in Washington, D.C., and hopes the decisionwillbereversed.
“Many Haitians voted for this Republican administration. Many people supported it. They were expectingbetter,”hesaid.
LEGAL SCRAMBLE
Immigration attorneys’ phone lines are being flooded with calls about what to do in light of the decision, with many Haitians seeking alternatives like asylum or workpermits.
Congress created the TPS program in 1990 after a spike in migrantsfleeingElSalvador’scivil war. The U.S. Homeland Security secretary can designate a country for TPS in six- to 18-month increments, allowing eligible nationals already in the U.S. to apply
Though temporary, many designationshavebeenrenewedfor decades. And since TPS does not provideapathtocitizenship,some recipients have been in temporary statusforyears.NotallTPSholders wouldbeimmediatelydeportableif their status ends, as some have pendingasylumorotherclaimsthat mayallowthemtostay,fornow
Allen Orr, a Washington-based immigration attorney, said his officeishelpingclientsassesslegal alternatives, including asylum, while warning that immigration courtshavebecomedifficultterrain formigrantsseekingprotection.
“For Haitians who’ve been in thecountrysometimesmany,many years, it’s difficult to provide the documentationtoshowyouhavea newfound fear to return back
home,”hesaid.
Orr said clients also fear they maybesenttocountrieswherethey have no ties if they cannot be deported directly to Haiti because ofdangerousconditionsthere.
“Theconceptofbeingdeported toaplacethatmightnotspeakyour language and which you have no connection to, after you’ve been somewhereinsomecasesfive-plus years,isterrifying,”Orrsaid.
Advocates like North Miami CityClerkVanessaJoseph,alsoan immigration attorney and Haitian American,pointtoasliverofhope in a bill, opens new tab before the U.S.SenatethatwouldextendTPS protectionstoHaitiansbylaw.
Whilethefutureofthebillanda separate House-passed measure in April remain uncertain, fear and resilience remain mainstay emotions among Haitian communities.
Farah Larrieux, 47, lives by herself in Miramar, Florida, about 30 minutes outside Miami and holds TPS. As owner and founder ofTHÉLARManagementGroup,a communications company that promotes Haitian and Caribbean small businesses, her walls are adornedwithawardsfromanarray ofcitiesacrossSouthFlorida.
In the run-up to the court’s decision, Larrieux braced for what she called an expected opinion, on the eve of the country’s 250th birthday
“The United States is still an inspiration for many countries,” shesaid.“Anditisashamethatas we are celebrating the 250th anniversary of the country, this countryislosingitsvalues.”
Havingreceived$13.4Binthisyear’sbudget,theGuyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) is preparing to spend its allocationtoextendCaneYardatAlbionEstateamongother projects.
Bids for the project were recently opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) which revealed that two contractors have applied to do the works.Thesecompanieshavebetween$75.3Mand$78.5Mto carryouttheextensionofCaneYardatAlbionEstate.
Bids were also opened for works to be done at the Rose HallandBlairmontEstates.
GuyanaSugarCorporation(GuySuCo) ExtensionofCaneYardatAlbionEstate.
Decommissionmildsteelmolasses boxesandreplacewithstainlesssteel.
Rehabilitationoffourmildsteelhigh gradecrystalliserwithstainlesssteel.
Frompage2 project’s shares should commandahighervaluation on the TSX Venture Exchange, pointing to the scale, quality and growth potential. She explained that what was observed is that Omai’s value per ounce of gold on the market has fallen, even though the company’s resource base expanded.
Omai trades at US$150 perounceofgold.Ellingham then compared Omai to its peers, who trading between US$180 and US$226 per ounceofgold.
She also pointed to the recent takeover of G2 Goldfields by G Mining
Ventures (GMIN) to combine the two companies goldprojectsinGuyana,this move has valued GMIN’s resources around US$600 perounceofgold.
The CEO attributed the undervaluing of Omai’s stock can be partly to the speedatwhichthecompany expanded its resource estimate, saying analysts have not yet fully incorporated the updated figures.
Ellingham highlighted that the project being developed is a past producing mine with fairly high-gradeounces.Addedto that, she noted that the project is also located in a good jurisdiction that supportsmining
RehabilitationofCaneGantryatAlbionEstate.
Decommissionofcastironsyrupboxes andreplacewithstainlesssteel.
Supplyanddeliveryof2KGand 5KGDemeraraGoldLaminatedFilms.
Supplyanddeliveryofmaterialstoretube#1boiler superheaterandinstallnewheaderforRoseHallEstate.
Decommissionofmildsteelmagma receiverandreplacewithstainlesssteel
“There’s a number of reasons why, actually we should be garnering a significant premium on the dollarperounce,”shenoted.
Moreover, she added that the company’s upcoming Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA), could result in a market re-rating “I think that is going to be a real catalyst because even for some of the analysts, becauseweonlyputoutthat new resource two months ago, their models have not caughtup,”shesaid.
The company has been engagedindrillingactivities at both the Wenot and Gilt deposits as part of the company’s 50,000-metre exploration programme as preparationsareongoingfor the project’s PEA, expected within the next four to six weeks.
Further, Ellingham said the expanded resource base now supports the potential for a much larger, long-life miningoperation.
“This isn’t just about 8 million ounces This is about you a long mining life My goal had always been, even from the beginning when I saw this project, 5 million ounces was my target, 250,000 to 300,000 ounces a year We’ve blown through the size and we’ve blown through that production profile,”Ellinghamsaid
A
l d shopkeeper from Ann’s
sentenced to three years and fivemonthsinprisonafterhe w
possessing narcotics for the purposeoftrafficking.
Ezekiel Lewis, called “Bell”, of Lot 12 Ann’s Grove, was convicted on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, following a trial at the Bartica Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Teriq Mohamed.
Lewis had been arrested on October 8, 2025, and chargedtwodayslaterunder Section 5(1)(a)(i) of the Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act, Chapter 10:10.
He first appeared before the court on October 10,
Supplyanddeliveryofdouble wheelrotaryditchersfortheIndustry
Supplyanddeliveryoftiresfortheindustry
Supplyanddeliveryofmaterialsforupgradingfrom mildsteeltostainlesssteelatBlairmontEstateLots1-4.
2025, where the charge was read to him. Lewis pleaded not guilty, and the matter proceededtotrial. At the conclusion of the case, the court found him guilty and imposed a prison sentence of three years and fivemonths.
of
An elderly Cuban national identified as 65-year-old GerardoMachadoValdivia,losthislifeinanaccidentonthe newDemeraraRiverBridgeonWednesday
Police have launched an investigation into the incident whichoccurredabout06:42hrs.The“motorcar#PAG6631, driven by a 22-year-old male of Hague Front, West Coast Demerara; motor car #PAM 2461, driven by a 28-year-old female of Recht-Door-Zee, West Bank Demerara and motor hire car #HC 723, driven by a 54-year-old male of Onderneeming, West Bank Demerara,” police said in a statement. It was revealed during initial enquiries that that motor car #PAG 6631 was headed west along the southern lane of the southern carriageway when the pedestrian reportedly made attempts to cross the road from south to north. It was also reported that the driver reportedly applied brakes,swervingtoavoidacollisionbutdespitehiseffortsthe rightsideofthefrontofthecarstillcollidedwithValdivia.
“As a result of the collision, Valdivia was flung onto the northerncarriageway,wherehesustainedinjuriestohishead andabouthisbody Thedriverofmotorcar#PAG6631then lost control of the vehicle, which collided with the concrete median, spun and ended up on the northern carriageway, where it collided with motor car #PAM 2461 and motor hire car #HC 723, which were proceeding east along the said road,” police said. Emergency Medical Technicians were summoned to the scene, where Valdivia was pronounced dead.HisbodywasescortedtotheMemorialGardensFuneral HomeMortuary,whereitawaitsapost-mortemexamination. Bothdriversunderwentbreathalyzertests,andnotraceof alcohol was found in their breath, they are both in police custodyassistingwiththeinvestigations.
Frompage22
practical discussion, participants will explore how Guyana can make informed decisions about building a sport system that reflects its own national priorities, communities and long-termaspirations.”
GSLChairman Sir Clive Lloyd hailed the increased focusonsportsdevelopment in the country: “I am very proud to call myself Guyaneseandequallyproud for GSLto be playing a role in the upliftment of our
sportingknowledgebaseand opportunities for growth in our great country GSL is a proudlyGuyaneseeventthat seeks to engage the world and celebrate our wonderful country,bothitsheritageand its bright future. The latest GSL campaign celebrates the“SuperWe.”:ourgreatest strengthwhichisourpeople. This workshop I hope provide our sporting people sometoolsforexpansionand excellence.”
Abouttheworkshop The workshop is
participants through a progressive exploration of sport development and capacitybuilding. The agenda moves from the broader sport ecosystem context, to structural and strategicconsiderationssuch as governance, through to key enabling mechanisms
concluding with applied outcomes related to sport tourism and leveraging events.
This sequencing is intendedtocreateacohesive a n d i n t e g r a t e d understanding of capacity building across the sport sector, highlighting the interconnected nature of these themes rather than approachingthemasisolated orsiloedconcepts.
Amongthebroadareas to be covered during the seminarare:
Ÿ B u i l d i n g a n Ecosystem for Sport Participation and Development
Ÿ Governance
Frompage24
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Today will be like playing a game on your home field, Aries.Youhavefansoutthere supportingyouandyouknow the territory Take advantage of the little things that you havegoingforyou.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Enlistthehelpofotherstoday, Taurus You'll find that information exchange is the key to putting the last few puzzle pieces into place Doing things on your own is importantandnecessary
GEMINI(May21–June20)
This is an excellent day for you, soliveitup!Youregois strong, and beautiful things are flowing your way in general. You should enjoy a good mood that will attract favorable people and situations.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Your emotions may be a bit erratic.Itcouldbehardforyou to focus on anything today, Cancer Things continue to shiftfromonetopictothenext with little resolution of any Others aren't apt to be very sympathetictoyourfeelings.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Thereisanextrablastofwind tofillyoursailstoday, somake sure you've got both hands on the steering wheel Whichever way your rudder is pointed is thedirectionyou'llgo
VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)
Theday'senergyiserraticand you'reapttojumpalloverthe place, Virgo Don't worry about trying to firm up any plans at this time. You may feellikeyou'retryingtograba slippery fish with butter on yourhands.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Get up and get going today, Libra.Youhavenotimetolose. Your quick mind will be busy working on many tasks, but this suits you just fine. You're well equipped to deal with the manyfranticsituationsthatare apttocropup.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Your heart may experience some wild fluctuations today, Scorpio.Itmayseemasifyour emotions are on a runaway train with no track. If so, the best thing to do is sit by yourselfandwrite.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Suddenlythingsarecomingto aheadforyou,Sagittarius.The drama is escalating, and you aren'tsureifyoucanremember all your lines. Take things one step at a time. Deal with the issuesastheycome.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
A great deal of attention will centeronyouremotionstoday, Capricorn, although being centeredinandofitselfwillbe quite the challenge. You may feellikeayo-yoatthemercyof someoneelse'shand.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Maintainingequilibriummight not be the easiest task today, butifanyonecandoit,youcan, Aquarius. You may find that others' strong opinions are cropping up and challenging yourego.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Desireisthenameofthegame for you today, Pisces. If you want it, you can get it, but it won't come easily The prize will go to the person who desires it the most. Show the people around you how much youcanaccomplish.
Ÿ TheSportWorkforce
Ÿ Sport Tourism and LeveragingEvents AboutDeakinUniversity
Deak
touchline rants at his players by manager Thomas Tuchel whoalsorangthechanges.
The wall finally broke in the 75th minute as the 32year-oldKanefoundspacein ‘the penalty area to head home substitute Anthony Gordon’s cross, cleverly escaping the marking in typicalpredatorystyle.
His next effort, a strike travelling at almost 100 km per hour, was a spectacular winning goal as he drifted across the edge of the Congolese box before shooting home. It was his 13th‘WorldCupgoal,taking him one above Pele on the all-timelist.
“What a crazy game, their keeper made some unbelievable saves in that first half,” Kane said. “From an attacking point of view it was probably our best game of the tournament so far We’re in the part of the tournament where you have to grind wins out and that’s whatwedidtoday.”
Frompage25
Theraceoftheyear2025saw
Vincentori, Secret Silence and Mapa Do Brasil are the horsesnominated.
The year 2025 saw the passing of promising jockey Kishawn Pereira and in honoringhisname,thefuture jockey award will be the “Kishawn Pereira Future Star Jockey” award The nominatedjockeysareArvin Dhanraj, Quinton Kellman andAmitParmanan.
Thepresentationswillbe made from race four of the CARICOMCupprogramme onSunday
n offers a comprehensive portfolio of sporteducationprogrammes spann
ica
disciplines shaping the modern sports industry, i n c l u d
g s p o r t management, exercise and sport science, and sport mediaandjournalism.
Among its flagship offerings is the Master of B u s i n e s s ( S p o r t Management), ranked number two globally for on
recognised as the number one postgraduate sport business course in Australia andtheAsia-Pacificregion. The programme is embedded in the Faculty of Business and Law and equips graduates with the strategic, commercial and leadership capabilities requiredinoneoftheworld’s fastest-growingindustries. Deakin’s Exercise and Sport Science programmes intheFacultyofHealthalso continue to set the international benchmark, with Deakin’s sport science schoolrankednumberonein theworld.
Frompage23 prizes. The cricket teams would also be honoring the top student from Rose Hall Town at the Grade Six and CSEC level with a personal laptop computer, sponsored by contractorRaymondHaniffofDiversityInvestments. BasilButcherplayed44testmatchesfortheWestIndies, scoring 3104 runs at an average of 43.11 with seven centuries. He is one of two Berbicians to score a double centuryintests-209notoutversusEngland.TheRHTYSC since its formation in 1990 has produced 133 players for Berbice,76forGuyanawhile13hasgoneontoplayatthe international level.Among the players areAssad Fudadin, KevinSinclair,KelvonAnderson,EsuenCrandon,Royston Crandon, Shemaine Campbelle, Shabika Gajnabi, Erva Giddings, Sheneta Grimmond, Clinton Pestano, Jonathan RampersaudandDomoniceRikhiandAskayHomraj.Over the years, the RHTYSC has also won 133 cricket tournaments and won the Guyana Cricket Club of theYear award-fivetimes.
Several former Essequibo cricketers have paid tributes to formercricketerandCoachForbes Daniels who passed away last Thursdayage65.
DanielswasaformerEssequibo Inter-County player and a longserving Coach for multiple clubs and Essequibo teams at various levels.
Dillon Heyliger, who represented Essequibo, Guyana and his adopted country Canada, expressed his profound condolences to the family and stated that he was saddened with Forbes’passingduetoillness.
Heyliger, who comes from Suddie,thevillagethatForbesdone most of his coaching and the adjacent village Zorg, mentioned that Forbes had left an indelible markwithhisexceptionalcoaching and he will remember him for his contributionsaswell.
“I was definitely shocked and heartbroken to learn the death of Forbes; he was such an energetic coach and loved coaching youngsters but may soul rest in peace,” Heyliger, the versatile allrounder,commented.
Forbes began his coaching career in late 80s and would have helped with the development of a numberofplayerstoenhancetheir
skills.
Duringthelasttwoconsecutive decades, he opened a cricket academy and youths on the Coast have benefitted from his training, expertise and coaching. Players rangedfromunder-13to19.
“Hereallyworkedhardwithhis coaching to guide the youngsters and I was happy to make a contributionbydonatinggearathis request, hopefully these young aspiring cricketers will continue with what Forbes left,” Heyliger related Joining Heyliger, were Rovendra Mandolall, Devon R
Madholall, all three featured for Essequiboandwereclosefriendsto Forbesaswell.
“Undoubtedly, he was one of thebestcricketingcoachescoming out of Essequibo; he demonstrated that with his unmatched commitment and loved the job greatly,” Mandolall, the former Guyanayouthplayer,stated.
Ramnauth shared similar thoughts of Heyliger and Mandolall,butworkedcloselywith Forbes to sustain the youth academy.
According to Ramnauth, who also wore national colours at the youth level, he would continue to assist the academy and rated
Forbes’ contribution to South Essequibo’scricketasphenomenal.
“I’m still in shock, early this yearIpledgedmysupportpublicly toCoachmanandhiswork;wedid one project together which was successful and I want to follow through and continue in his footsteps to help our youths in SouthEssequibo,”Ramnauth,who is currently residing in Canada, mentioned.
Ramnauthtooktheopportunity to express his sympathy to the familyandhisthreechildren.
“Mydeepestcondolencestohis
Four Essequibo cricketers few years ago talked about the youth development of Essequibo’s cricket: from left, Rovendra Mandolall, Devon Ramnauth, Dillon Heyliger and Ravendra Madholall.
daughterDebbieandtherestofthe family and friends and many supporters; South Essequibo mourns as we definitely lost a part of the heart and soul of youth cricket development,” Ramnauth declared.
Madholall, who played for Essequibo at the Under-19 level, statedthathewasindisbeliefwhen heardaboutForbes’suddendeath.
“Forbes and I talked a lot over thephone;didfewinterviewswith himinthecapacityasJournalistand he was always overwhelmed with cricketing development; he was
thinkingabouttheyouthsalotand neverreluctanttoteachtheguysthe fundamentals,” Madholall, who revealedfromCanada.
Meanwhile, on Friday, the youngsters will have a cricket matchatSuddiegroundandanight of reflection Friday night at the samevenue.
The body will pass through SuddiegroundtohishomeatZorg (12pm-2pm) for a funeral service and viewing before Forbes will be laid to rest at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Golden Fleece, EssequiboCoast.
The Ministry of Culture,Youth
and Sport on Wednesday announced a sport development seminar series to be conducted on July 30-31, 2026, with Deakin University of Australia, which seeks to provide cutting edge training, insights and tools to help elevate the development of sports capacityinGuyana.
Theeventwillbeopentosports federations, students and related industry professionals from across Guyana.
Theworkshopwillbedelivered in association with Deakin University’s Department of Sports Management, home to the number two ranked Sports Management Mastersdegreeglobally
Itisfacilitatedandsupportedby the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, Guyana’s premier internationalsportingevent.
Minister Charles Ramson had this to say about this exciting development: “One of our core objectives at the Ministry is building capacity across the sports sector by connecting governance,
L-R: Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr., Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs, Professor Pamm Phillips of Deakin University and Chairman of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, Sir Clive Lloyd.
workforce development and event leveraging into an integrated
understanding of sports administration By examining sports ecosystem models and case studies from around the world, the workshop will provide an opportunity for us to apply best
practices in sports management with a bespoke model Sports development today is far bigger than just athlete performance, and toachievethenationalobjectiveof a premier destination for worldclass events and expanded opportunitiesinsportsitrequiresa
bigpicturethinkingatalllevels.”
Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Steven Jacobs, also commented: “This initiative forms part of the construction of a stronger sports ecosystem in Guyana, one that facilitates talent development for
athletes and administrators alike. By investing in knowledge, governance and practical capacity building, we are creating the conditions for better performance, stronger organizations and an end result that benefits Guyana as a whole.Sportmustbeseennotonly ascompetition,butasapathwayfor discipline, opportunity, national prideandlong-termdevelopment.”
Professor Pamm Phillips of Deakin University is an internationally recognised scholar and leader in sport management, bringing more than 25 years of academic and professional experience spanningAustralia, the UnitedStates,andAsia.
She underscored the importance of the forum for Guyana: “This workshop is designed to support Guyana in thinking strategically about the future of sport development by examining how effective sport ecosystemsaredesigned,governed and sustained internationally Throughglobalcasestudiesand Continued on page 21
St.Rose’s,Saints,Berbice High and Kwakwani
Secondary Schools advanced to the semifinals of the Boys’ Under-16 division at the KFC National Schools Basketball Festival on day two, as action intensified in the Under-14 and Under-18divisions.
It has been an ultimate test for most of the contending schools, with the top seeds carrying their playoff form into the national championships.
The Bishops High, Good Hope Secondary,Queen’sCollegeandSt Stanislaus College all started well.
Bishops High pounced on North GeorgetownSecondary,withEthan Henry turning in a brilliant twoway performance — 12 points and 14rebounds,tofuela24-5victory
Christopher Claxton and Jafer Matthews spearheaded a 16-point winforGoodHopeSecondaryover Marian Academy, each adding ten points and combining for 11 rebounds to shut down Marian’s attackina28-12affair
Queen’s College proved too good for President’s College, downingthem24-4.PCcameinas thebetterteamonpaper,butYohan
President’s College secures blow out victory against St. Joseph High to keep U18 title hunt alive.
Langevine’s perfect 10-point, 10rebound performance powered QC totheupset.
Saints handed Christ Church
Secondary their first defeat of the tournament, 22-12, behind a
double-double from Nathan Baptiste, who finished with 14 pointsand13reboundstomovehis teamintoasolidposition.
Under-18Division
The U18 division saw the young stars collide. Saints wasted no time asserting their dominance, thumpingBrickdamSecondary359.HartleyPricedidthebulkofthe scoring with 13 points, while Demitri Crandon and Rolson Pollardaddedeightpointsapieceto secure the team’s first win of the competition.
Tutorial Academy and The Bishops High met in a massive matchup, with Bishops prevailing 33-21 on the strength of Kemol PickeringandLoganSimpson,who combinedfor23points.
East Coast regional champions President’s College closed out day two with a dominant performance, defeating St Joseph High by the biggestmarginoftheday Itwasan overall team effort for PC: Terron Mohabir was excellent from the outside with 13 points, Romario Wolfe continued his strong form with 10 points, and Omarie Grandison’s eight-point contribution rounded out a commanding48-6win.
SamuelWelcomeheadlinedday twoastopperformer,leadingNew AmsterdamMultilateralSecondary toahard-fought,34-31victoryover Government Technical Institute with a game-high 18 points and sevenrebounds.
Earlier in the day, Tutorial Academy defeated Queen’s College 18-7 in the Girls’ U16 division, with Jada Alexander posting six points, seven rebounds and three steals. JC Chandisingh Secondaryclaimedtheirfirstwinof the championship, edging Marian Academy11-6behindJadaMinty’s five points, four rebounds and five steals.
In the Boys’ U16 division, St Rose’s High defeated Marian Academy43-12,SaintstoppledQC 24-22, Berbice High remained unstoppablewitha34-18winover Hururu Secondary, and Kwakwani Secondary edged Line Path 27-25 all four advancing to the semifinals.
Thetournamentissponsoredby KFC,withsupportfromEdwardB. Beharry,G-BoatsInc.,theMinistry of Education, and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports. Action continuestoday
The Cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club haslaunchedthe7thannualedition of their Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund in memory of the legendaryWestIndiesmiddleorder batsman.Thefundwasestablished in 2020 after Butcher died in December 2019 in the United States of America after a long illness.
Club Secretary Hilbert Foster notedthatthemainobjectiveofthe fund is to keep the memory of the lateButcheraliveinBerbicewhile assisting others to make a positive differenceinthelivesofothers.The teams - Poonai’s Pharmacy Under 11 and 13, Farfan and Mendes Under 15, Bakewell Under 17 and second Division, Pepsi Under 19 and Intermediate, Metro Females, Namilco Thunderbolt Flour Under 23 and First Division are responsible for organising the programme each year during the periodJunetoSeptember
This year’s programme was launched with the hosting of the TributetoMedicalDoctorsAwards at the Port Mourant Hospital Fourteen doctors were honoured
and they each received a trophy, medal of excellence, framed certificateandseveralspecialgifts.
Numerous schools across the Corentyneareahavealsobenefitted with items for their upcoming graduationceremonies.Amongthe schoolstobenefitaretheRoseHall Town Nursery School and Rose Hall Town Primary They received trophies, medals, framed certificates,schoolbagsandspecial gifts.
Hundreds of fathers received foodhamperslastmonthas partof the club’s father’s day celebration. Each food hamper was worth five thousand dollars. Several churches including the ST Francis Xavier RomanCatholicChurch,ST Agnes Anglican and the Maranatha Faith Ministries also benefitted from the foodhampersproject.
The cricket teams also cosponsored the Berbice Cricket Board life seminar Development Programme that was held last Saturday at the Port Mourant Community Centre for ninety youth cricketers The teams donated three special prizes, educational materials (exercise
books,pens,pencil,sharpenersetc) whitetwelveyouthsattheseminar also received school bags with educationalmaterials.
The Port Mourant Public Hospital also benefitted from a donation of four digital clocks, which would be stationed across the extended building. The Trust Fund also donated a cycle to a pensioner who takes care of his ailing wife to assist him to move about. The Berbice Cricket Board received a contribution of sixteen
trophies towards assisting them to host cricket tournaments in 2026. While the RHTYSC Cricket teams alsosponsoredacrosscountryrace in memory of the late Beyonce Ross, a former athlete from Rose HallTown.
The Basil Butcher Trust Fund overthenexttwomonthswouldbe sharingouthundredsofschoolbags to students along with educational materials. The Trust fund would also be hosting the annual RHTYSC Cricket Academy and Republic Bank Grade 6 Summer Camp. A combined two hundred youths are expected to attend both programmes and over two million dollars worth of prizes would be shared out to the outstanding performers. Among the prizes are bicycle, electric bike, electronic tablets, tricycles, personal laptop computers, Comfort Sleep Mattresses, designer watches and clothes, food hampers, kitchen utensils, household items, gold medallionandfootwear
The top student from each programme is guaranteed to take homehalfamilliondollarsworthof Continued on page 21
Anna Regina is set to host an unforgettable evening of cricket, entertainment and celebration on July3asagalaxyofstarsconverges for the grand opening of the new stadium, marking a major milestone for sports and communitydevelopmentinRegion Two.
The opening celebrations will be headlined by a T20 match featuring two teams captained by legendaryWestIndianbattingicons Brian Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, promising fans a showcase of elite talent and excitingcricket.
Lara XI will feature an impressive mix of international experienceandhomegrownstars.
The dynamic left-arm spin duo Gudakesh Motie and Veerasammy Permaul will spearhead the
bowling attack, while explosive batting firepower will come from the formidable trio of Quentin Sampson, Christopher Barnwell andKevlonAnderson.
ChanderpaulXIwillbeequally power-packed, with Guyana Amazon Warriors Global Super League and Caribbean Premier League selectee, as well as West IndiesUnder-19standout,Jonathan VanLangejoininganexcitinglineup that includes stylish opener Matthew Nandu, wicketkeeperbatter Kemol Savory, off-spinning all-rounder Richie Looknauth, and all-rounders Kevin Sinclair and ThaddeusLovell.
The match will also provide a nostalgic treat for cricket fans as several former Guyana national players return to the field for the specialoccasion.
Among those expected to dust
Anthony
Norwayne Fredericks, Kevon Boodie, Ricardo Adams, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Leon Johnson, Delon Heyliger, Jonathan Foo, Devendra Bishoo and Royston Crandon, adding further quality and experience to an already starstuddedcontest
Adding even greater excitement,PresidentDr IrfaanAli andMinisterwithintheMinistryof Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs will suit up for Lara XI, while Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr will represent Chanderpaul XI in what promises to be a memorable exhibitionencounter
Beyond the on-field action, spectators will be treated to an exciting programme of cultural performances, fireworks and
ATLANTA, (Reuters) - Harry Kane scored twice in the final 15 minutes to see England through to the World Cup round of astheyleftitlatetofightbackandovercome adoggedDemocraticRepublicofCongo2-1 onWednesday.
Kane produced another match-winning performance for his country as the captain equalised with a 75th-minute header before thrashing home a stunning winner four minutes from time after England had trailed formorethananhourofanabsorbingmatch.
Brian Cipenga gave the Congolese a shock seventh-minute lead before Kane deliveredhisheroicstosavehisteamfroman ignominiousdefeat.
England, who enjoyed overwhelming support in the 68,239-strong crowd, needed allthepatienceandperseverancetheycould muster ‘to avoid what would have been one of the tournament’s biggest upsets and now headtoMexicoCitytoplayco-hostsMexico onSunday
“First shot, first goal. Then, it became even more difficult,” England manager ThomasTuchelsaid.
“After the first water break, we were on topofthegame.Thesubstitutescameon,and put the effort in, and we won it. It was well deserved,butwehadtoworkalot.”
Cipenga struck home a powerful rightfooted shot from a tight angle after being unmarked on the left, beating Jordan Pickfordatthenearpost.Itcamefromalong ball from Congo skipper Chancel Mbemba that went over the head of Noah Sadiki and defender Djed Spence to allow the 28-yearoldtoputtheCongoleseaheadwithhisfirst internationalgoal.
ENGLAND PRESSURE PUT CONGO ON BACK FOOT
England might have had a fortuitous equaliser 21 minutes later when Declan Rice’sfreekicka‘defender’skneeandwent narrowly wide, but an even better delivery from Rice saw Jude Bellingham’s on-target
military display, creating a festive atmosphere worthy of the opening of a facility expected to become a premier venue for sports, youth development and major events on theEssequiboCoast.
The new stadium represents a significant investment in Guyana’s sporting infrastructure and underscores the Government’s commitment to expanding opportunities for athletes while strengthening community engagement through sport and recreation.
Members of the public are invited to witness this historic occasion and enjoy an evening of elite cricket, entertainment and celebration as Anna Regina welcomes one of Guyana’s newest sportinglandmarks.
Gates open at 17:00h and admissiontothevenueisfree.
Ricardo Adams, Veerasammy Permaul, Steven Jacobs, Norwayne Fredericks, Bruce Vincent, Isai Thorne, Ronsford Beaton and Gudakesh Motie Coach: Ryan Hercules
Chanderpaul XI: Shivnarine Chanderpaul (captain), Matthew Nandu, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Kemol Savory, Leon Johnson, Jonathan Van Lange, Delon Heyliger, Jonathan Foo, Ronaldo AliMohamed, Richie Looknauth, Kevin Sinclair, Devendra Bishoo, Golcharran Chulai, Charles Ramson Jr , Renaldo Jeffrey, Antony Adams and Royston Crandon.Coach:FelixWalker
England’s Harry Kane scores their second goal. (REUTERS/Claudia Greco)
header repelled by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi’sone-handedsave.
England’spressureinanincident-packed first half continued with Marcus Rashford’s shot cleared off the line by Aaron WanBissaka and Mpasi making instinctive stops todenyBellinghamandKane,whoalsohada penaltyappealwavedaway The Congolese had a chance to increase
their lead in the 43rd minute when WanBissaka’scrosswassteeredontothepostby YoaneWissa.
Mpasi’s ‘heroics continued with a onehandedstoptodenyBellinghamearlyinthe secondhalfandEnglandlookedincreasingly frustratedasCongo’sdefenderscomfortably dealtwiththeirattacks,promptingseveral Continued on page 21
Dataman set to claim horse of the year award for 2025.
BBC Sport – Youri Tielemans scored a penalty late in extratimeasBelgiumproducedasensationalcomebackfrom twogoalsdowntodefeatSenegalinadramaticlast-32World Cuptie.Thelast-gaspvictoryhelpedtheBelgiansbookalast16 meeting with either the United States or BosniaHerzegovina.RudiGarcia’smenhadlookedtobeheadingout astheytrailedanimpressiveSenegalbytwogoalswithonly fourminutesremainingofnormaltime.
But half-time substitute Romelu Lukaku flicked in ThomasMeunier’scrosstogivethemaglimmerofhope.
Andtheymadethemostoftheunexpectedlifelineinthe 89thminuteasLeandroTrossard’scrossintotheboxeluded goalkeeperMoryDiawandTielemansheadedintolevelat22 and force extra time. The Belgian pair were earlier seen having a heated argument before the second-half hydration break,withLukakusteppingintoseparatethem.
Their comeback stunned Senegal after goals from Habib DiarraandIsmailaSarrhadgiventhemadeserved2-0lead. AndBelgiumsnatchedacontroversialwinnerinthe125th minute.DodiLukebakio’sshotbrushedthecrossbar,butthey were awarded a penalty for Lamine Camara’s sliding challenge on Tielemans just before that chance following a videoassistantreferee(VAR)review
Up stepped Aston Villa midfielder Tielemans to calmly slotthespot-kickintothetopcornerandsettletheoutcome.
Youri Tielemans side foots his penalty into the top right corner and Belgium have snatched victory. (Getty Images)
Master Z top horse Dataman is the front runner to win the Guyana horse of the year award for the 2025 season, with Regal Man of Js Racing Stables and Slingerz’s Ritorna Vincentori beingtheothernominees.
The Guyana horseracing awardsceremonywillbeheldon Sunday July 5 during the CARICOM horserace meet at Bush Lot United, West Coast Berbice.
JsRacingStablesisprimedto winthestablesoftheyearaward while Yovin Kissonchand is in line to win his maiden jockey of
theyearaward.RonaldoLimais set to wear the champion trainer crown. Three horses were nominatedforthechampiontwoyear-old Guyana bred. All the Time,MonicaTimeandSummer time (formerly Nice Time) are thenominees.
John Bull, Regal Man and Statarethenominatedhorsesfor the imported sprinter of the year 2025.
The horses nominated for three-year-oldGuyanabredareI Will have Another, Ruff Time and Spank Me. Mulan, Storm Bird and Sydney are the three-
year-oldWestIndianbredhorses nominated.
Meanwhile,thefour-year-old and over Guyana bred nominees are Country Rock, River Dance IIandThreeDMovie.Amicable Kate, Emotional Damage and Soca Harmony are the horses nominated in the four year-old andoverWestIndianbred.
Amicable Kate was again nominated but this time for the Upset win of the year The other horses nominated for the upset winoftheyearareSpankMeand StormyVictory
Continued on page 21
- Windies legends Chanderpaul/Lara among others set for action
St. Rose’s, Saints, Berbice High and Kwakwani
Secondary advance to U16 Semifinals as U14 and U18 action heats up
