Canadian gold company now has hands in Eccles wharf and storage facilities …saysgoldproject19.7%complete, goldproductionsetfor2027
Man fined $8.7 million, jailed over cocaine bust
Venezuela already decided how border controversy will be determined -InterimPresidenttellsICJ
T h e S e n e g a l e s e government headed by the youngest democratically elected President, Bassirou
Diomaye Faye, has terminated the concessions for several oil blocks, to cater for reviews to and renegotiations of the contractsgoverningthem.
According to an article carriedbysceneweb.comon Saturday May 9, the Senegalese government has madewhatitdescribedas“a major move” in its energy sovereignty strategy Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko andhisteamofministershad to play their part in
renegotiating certain contractsdeemed"unfair."
The article said in addition to the adjustments ontaxesofthecementsector which was announced during a press briefing on Thursday, March 12, 2026, the head of government
revealed a series of terminations of oil and gas contracts This therefore clearly marks a break in managementofthecountry's natural resources under the Macky Sall era. Under the Ministry of Energy's leadership and the general management of Petrosen, several contracts have been simplycancelledasreported bythePM.
“Since we've been here, we've had to terminate contracts concerning quite a few oil blocks We've terminated the Diender block, the Djiffere block. We'll take back the Kayar deepoffshoreblockinafew days:it'stheKayarblock,the Kayar shallow offshore
block, the Saint-Louis shallow offshore block, the Rufisque offshore block… All these blocks have been terminated since we've been here,”herevealed.
These decisions are part of an approach aimed at e n s u r i n g a m o r e advantageousexploitationof nationalresources.Speaking to journalists, the Head of Government stressed the needto"resizetheblocs".
“We are also discussing the resizing of the blocks. I said it when we were in opposition, the perimeters were too vast and too large. This does not conform to international standards,” he said.
In another article carried by Ecofin Agency on Monday March 16, the PM revealed that Senegal will define its national strategy before selecting oil and gas partners, after terminating several petroleum block contracts and plans to renegotiate key agreements, including the GreaterTortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project.
The country became an oil producer in 2024, with the Sangomar field, while theGTALNGprojectbegan last year The Senegalese government plans to change the way its petroleum contracts are signed, as it is intheprocessofreassessing the country's hydro carbon sector
Referencing a press briefing on March 12, PM Sonko said, “We are no longer operating under a model where we sign concessions with partners
Manfined$8.7M, jailedovercocainebust
Winston Hazel was sentenced to three years' imprisonment and ordered to pay a multimillion-dollar fine onThursdayfollowinghisconvictionforcocainetrafficking. Appearing before Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court on April 30, Hazel faced charges stemming from a high-profile Customs AntiNarcoticUnit(CANU)operation.
Thecourtfoundhimguiltyofthepossessionofnarcotics for the purpose of trafficking, specifically involving 5.814 kilograms of cocaine. In addition to the custodial sentence, Magistrate Azore imposed a mandatory fine of GYD $8,721,000. The case originated from a March 2022 operation in the Guyhoc Park, Tucville area. During the exercise, CANU officers intercepted a motorcar containing two occupants.Asubsequent search of the vehicle revealed fiveparcelsofcocaine,whichwerelaterconfirmedtoweigh 5.814kilograms.
Hazel was remanded to begin his sentence immediately followingtheruling.
Guyanese Head-of-State, President Irfaan Ali
and then meet again in 25
government wants to align resource development with the country's economic prioritiesandenergyneeds. Therefore, the new strategy that will be put in place will firstly address requirements for national development and domestic energy consumption. After this phase, the authorities can then be able to select industrialpartnerswhoagree to operate within the strategicframework.
Thearticlewentontosay that it was also during this very briefing that the PM announced the termination of the contracts that cover “quite a number of oil blocks” since taking office.
“An official statement from the prime minister's office confirmed that several blocks are under review in a d d i t i o n t o t h e Yakaar–Teranga licence, which authorities discussed for possible termination and nationalisation in October 2025 The government identified several blocks in the process of restructuring, including Djiender, Djiffer
Offshore, Kayar Deep Offshore, Kayar Shallow Offshore, Saint-Louis Shallow and Rufisque Offshore.”
In addition, the officials have revealed that they are resizing the exploration areas so that they align with international industry standards. The government has also announced its intention to renegotiate contracts that are linked to the offshore has project Greater Tortue Ahmeyim, which operator BPdevelops jointly with neighbouring Mauritania.
“We consider that the signed contracts are excessively favourable and we intend to review their substance,” the prime minister's office said in the statement. BP holds a 56% stakeintheprojectalongside Kosmos Energywith 27%, Petrosenwith 10%, and SMHwith7%.
M e a n w h i l e t h e Guyanese government has madeitveryclearthatitwill stick to the sanctity of the contract it has with ExxonMobil Recently President Irfaan Ali r
d that his administration will not budge.
The 2016 oil deal with ExxonMobil and its partners, Hess Corporation and CNOOC for the lucrative Stabroek Block, has long faced criticisms because of its lopsided nature,whichbenefitstheoil companies'waymorethanit doesthecountry
Thispublicationreported on May 7 that the head-ofstate in his address to Rice University's Baker Institute in Houston, Texas, said that several people have asked about the Exxon oil deal.
“We have made [it] very clear that the sanctity of contractisimportantforus,” Alisaid.
Ali pivoted to note that insteadofmakingchangesto the Exxon PSA, his administration has created a new PSA which governs future oil agreements with the State for offshore oil blocks.
He stated, “So there's no secondguessingwhatweare doing.Wearereadytomake theharddecisions;wemake those decisions; we make thempublic.Westandbythe decisions we make So, there's predictability.” Ali stressedthatoneofthemost important things in this sector is predictability, as a key component for investors, wanting to see predictability in state's policyanddecisionmaking.
The lucrative Stabroek Block is currently governed byadealthatwaivesalltaxes from the oil companies, and stipulates that Guyana must
Senegalese Head-of-State President, Bassirou Diomaye Faye
cover these costs. It allows the companies to recover up to 75% of their investments beforetheremaining25%is split Of this, Guyana receives 12.5%, in addition to a 2% royalty paid by the oilcompanies.
The oil deal was signed by former Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman, who served under the APNU + AFC Coalition government between 2015 and 2020. A few years ago, Trotman in his book titled, 'From Destiny to Prosperity' offered support to the government to renegotiate the lopsided Stabroek Block deal However, Trotman's offer was refused by Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo.
During an interview while running for president backinMarch2020,Alihad stronglycriticisedtheExxon PSAsignedbytheCoalition G o v e r n m e n t w i t h ExxonMobil.Hestatedatthe time,“Wehavemadeitvery clear, and we can never agree, how could, how could, I don't think any Guyaneseagreewiththis,no
(Continuedonpage6)
United States President Donald Trump during a telephone Interview with Fox News' John Roberts said that he is “seriously considering making Venezuela,America's51stState”.
AccordingtoFoxNews,Trumpsaid during the phone call that he is motivated by the estimated $40 trillion valueofoilinVenezuela,addingthathe ispopularwiththecountry'scitizens.
"Venezuela loves Trump," the AmericanPresidentreportedlysaid.
His comments come as officials continue to court oil companies for investments in the South American country after his administration forcefully removed Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro from power byamilitaryaction.
Venezuela's Interim President, Delcy Rodriguez
President Donald Trump
Meanwhile Venezuela's InterimPresident,DelcyRodriguezhas rejected Trump's claims telling journalists that Venezuela is not a colonybutafreecountry
She was at the time speaking at the InternationalCourtofJusticeinHague on the final day of hearings on the border controversy case between GuyanaandVenezuelaoftheEssequibo Region.AP News quoted her saying, “We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence,ourhistory.”
Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana.
Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456
Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
The tragedy of PNCR Leader, Aubrey Norton is not merely that he lost power Political leaders lose elections every day The real tragedy is that when he had the opportunitytoleadwithcourage,clarity,andconvictionon themostimportantissuefacingGuyana,hechosehesitation, ambiguity,andpoliticalcowardice.
Now,afterleadinghispartyintooneofitsworstelectoral humiliationsandbeingstrippedofhispositionasOpposition Leader,Mr Nortonsuddenlyfindshisvoiceonring-fencing Exxon’soilprojects.
What changed? Exxon did not suddenly become more powerful.Thecontractdidnotsuddenlybecomeworse.The facts did not suddenly emerge yesterday Guyanese have been hearing for years from international experts, economists,watchdoggroups,andevenlocalcommentators thatGuyanawasbeingshortchangedbytheabsenceofringfencing provisions in the Stabroek Block agreement. The IMFsaidit.TheWorldBanksaidit.ChathamHousesaidit. The UNDP said it. Kaieteur News has screamed it from everyrooftoppossible.
But when Aubrey Norton stood at the helm of the parliamentaryoppositionhebehavedlikeamanterrifiedof confronting ExxonMobil directly Every time the issue arose, he danced around it. He spoke about “reviewing projects” and “examining viability.” He sounded more like Exxon’s cautious legal adviser than the Leader of the OppositionforthepeopleofGuyana.
Nowthathehasbeenpoliticallydeclawed,nowthathis authority within the opposition has collapsed, now that his partyresemblesascatteredandvoicelessshellofitsformer self,Mr Nortonhasdiscoveredthewisdomofring-fencing. Suddenly,heagreesGuyanashouldstopallowingExxonto useGuyana’sownprofitstofinancefutureprojects.
Well, welcome to the party, Mr Norton. The Guyanese peoplearrivedthereyearsago.
The painful irony is that this position would have mattered when Norton still had political influence, public leverage,andparliamentaryrelevance.Backthen,afirmand uncompromisingoppositionstancecouldhavepressuredthe government politically and internationally It could have forced public debate. It could have helped build bipartisan nationalpressureonExxonMobil.Instead,Nortonpreferred political caution. He preferred soft words. He preferred accommodation.
One cannot escape the perception that while Guyanese were demanding stronger representation against an oil contract widely criticised as lopsided, Norton seemed far more comfortable standing beneath Exxon’s frock than standingindefenseofthenation’seconomicfuture. Andthisiswhytheelectoratepunishedhimsoseverely Leadershipisnotaboutdiscoveringcourageafterdefeat. Leadershipisabouttakingriskswhileyoustillholdpower It is about speaking hard truths when it is inconvenient, not after your influence evaporates. Anyone can sound bold when they no longer possess responsibility, leverage, or consequences.
Mr.NortonnowsaysExxonshoulduseitsownprofitsto fundfuturedevelopmentsinsteadofcontinuouslydeducting costsfromGuyana’sshare.Butthatispreciselywhatcritics ofthecurrentarrangementhavearguedforyears.Underthe existing setup, Guyana keeps waiting for the promised oil wealth while billions continue disappearing into cost recoverymechanismsthatendlesslydelaythecountry’sfull benefits.
Thisisnotatechnicaldebateanymore.Itisamoralone. How can a poor developing country with struggling families, rising living costs, collapsing purchasing power, inadequate healthcare, and underdeveloped infrastructure continue subsidising one of the richest oil corporations on earth?Atwhatpointdoesinvestmentbecomeexploitation? Atwhatpointdoespartnershipbecomedependency?
The disturbing reality is that Guyana’s political class, both government and opposition, has repeatedly failed to show the spine necessary to confront ExxonMobil aggressively Jagdeo once promised renegotiation. That
While looking ahead to a likely appeal to the Caribbean Court of Justice, Guyanese and Caribbean citizens must be worried sick about the Appeal Court’s devastating overturn of Justice Sandil Kissoon’s May 3, 2023 sage landmark Decision requiring Stabroek Block operator, ExxonMobil (Exxon) Guyana Limited (EMGL) to provide a Parent Company Guarantee (PCG) from its parent company Exxon and affiliates CNOOC and HESS to coverallcostsrelatedtoanoilspill.
As the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Head who created the PCGpolicyastheonlynecessarymeans toprotectGuyana’sinterest,withalldue respect to the court, I hands down disagree with its overturning of Kissoon’s profoundly thorough understanding of the context and well thought out decision heralding the nostalgic feeling of national independence until now when ironically, the nation is about to celebrate its 60th anniversary of independence.FoundingfathersForbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan must be turning in their graves witnessing the surrendering of Guyana’s sovereignty to new colonial masters such as
corporategiantExxon.
Unbelievably, although Exxon unconscionably corrals 86% of Guyana’s God given oil patrimony, the court still chose to exonerate this filthy richoilgiantfromallliabilities.EMGL, and not Exxon, is the sole contractor party to the Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) and all permits; and so,ownsalloftheliabilitiesdespitenot having assets to cover an oil spill. Consequently, in the event of a spill, EMGLdeclares bankruptcy and Exxon goesscot-free,leavingGuyanaholding the bag of financial bankruptcy and environm
phe –unquestionably the trickery behind ExxoncreatingEMGLtoinsulateitself from liability; hence, the necessity for originating the PCG to save Guyana. Exxonwouldnevergetawaywithsuch a scheme in its home country of the USA;but,asJudgeKissoonwiselyputs it “EMGL is engaged in a course of action made permissible only by the omissions of a derelict, pliant and submissive EPA…putting this nation anditspeopleingravepotentialdanger ofcalamitousdisaster.”
Unfortunately, it appears that the court accepted the nonsensical ghost defence arguments that the word
“unlimited” is not in the permits; and that the guarantee should be capped with an estimate. The following EPA permit clauses in litigation are presentedbelowforreaderstojudgefor yourselves:
Clause 14:1 “The Permit Holder (EMGL)isliableforallcostsassociated with”anoilspill.Notethespecificityof all costs (definition of “unlimited”) whichmeansnotcappedforexampleat the phantom $2 Billion estimate (acceptedbytheCourt).
Clause14:10“EMGLmustprovide from the Parent Company or CoVenturers (CNOOC and HESS) one or more legally binding agreements in which they undertake to provide adequatefinancialresourcestopaytheir respective environmental obligations if EMGL “fail to do so”. Note the specificity of “if EMGLfail to do so”dictating that parent Exxon must provide financial assurances/guarantee for all costs which EMGL cannot pay (fail to do so).Again, the definition of “unlimited.”
In summary, clause 14.1 mandates that EMGL as the permit holder is responsible for all costs. However, if EMGLhasinadequateresourcesto Continued on page 6
DEAREDITOR,
International Nurses Day 2026isbeingobservedunder the theme: “Our Nurses Our Future Empowered Nurses SaveLives”Thefocusofthe t h e m e i s o n t h e “strengthening of health systems by empowering nurses through safe working conditions, fair pay, and greater influence in policy.”
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e
International Council of Nurses the theme also “emphasizesthatintimesof g l o b a l p r e s s u r e , empowering nurses with safeworkingconditions,fair pay, and decision-making authority is essential to maximizingtheirlife-saving
impact and strengthening healthsystems.”
In a previous message I made the point that “nurses perform invaluable services to the Nation and therefore should be pampered and treated with the respect, dignity and admiration they deserve” To this end, these professionals have impacted the lives of every citizen Countrywide, including the political hierarchy, who has thepowerandopportunityto invest in the nursing professiontobringaboutthe required life-saving impacts inhealthcare.
A few years ago, the PPP/C Administration limitedly addressed the
disappeared. Norton once hid behind caution.That too has now magically transformed into outrage after political collapse.
But Guyanese must be careful not to confuse late realisationwithleadership.
History will not judge political leaders by what they discovered after losing power It will judge them by what they defended while they still possessed it. And on the defining economic issue of Guyana’s generation, Aubrey Norton’s record remains one of hesitation when boldness wasrequiredmost.
The country did not need another cautious politician whispering concerns behind closed doors. It needed a national leader prepared to publicly fight for a better deal, demandring-fencing,andchallengetheendlessdrainingof Guyana’soilrevenues.
Thatmomentcameandpassed.
Now, Norton’s new position sounds less like statesmanshipandmorelikepoliticalrepentancefromaman whohasnorelevance.
financial pressures faced by somecategoriesofnurses,but failedtoaddresstheproblems holistically, because they defiantly avoided meeting with the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), the WorkersRepresentative This wascompoundedbythefact that the attrition rate within theprofessionrequiredthese professionals to work long hours, sometimes in harsh working conditions without adequatecompensation.
The seemingly untrained h u m a n r e s o u r c e s management that treat with Nurses’ matters at hospitals, among other things, not only hindertheupwardmobilityof some nurses within the profession, but also their access to benefits. These circumstances have continuedtobedisruptiveand destructive for the state of healthinGuyana.
The GPSU is also very appalledanddisturbedbythe lack of suitable responses or feedbacks to such violations, when related representations are made to management of hospitals, including Government inaction when related letters are copied to theExecutiveforinformation and necessary action, in accordance with existing legally binding Collective Labour Agreements. Most recently the Government
agreed on measures to further enhance the conditions of service of Registered Nurses, but to date these benefits have not been implemented by the Executive.
Policy makers and their representatives urgently need toaddress:(a)theauthoritarian and disrespectful treatment meted out to Nurses in Guyana; (b) where necessary, the unsafe and substandard work environments these healthcare professionals are requiredtoworkunder;(c)the grossly inadequate remuneration and other undesirable conditions of service; and (d) last, but not least, the spiraling attrition rate that affects the availability, quality and timeliness of lifesaving healthcare If these matters aregiventheurgentattention, they deserve the healthcare delivery index would improvetremendously
Nevertheless,onbehalfof the Executive Council, staff and membership of the GPSU,Iwouldliketoextend best wishes for a safe and enjoyable International Nurses Day 2026 to all Nurses and their families, who continue to make tremendous sacrifices during their work in Service to the Nation
Sincerely,GPSU
Guyana’s Prescriptive claim at the ICJ moves beyond the validity of the 1899 Award and into an alternativebasisofterritorial sovereignty under international law. Yes, prescription. Many scholars would argue that even if the 1899 Award were somehow weakened, which is highly unlikely,Guyanawouldstill possess a very powerful prescriptive claim to the ZonadeReclamacion.
Let us untangle this carefully
P r e s c r i p t i o n i n internationallawissomewhat analogous to “adverse possession” in domestic property law International lawrecognisesandupholdsit as a mode of territorial acquisition In other words, courts recognise prescription asavalidandpowerfulclaim to territorial sovereignty Simply put, a state can acquire sovereignty over territory through an occupation that is long, continuous, peaceful, public, and uncontested exercise of authority The idea is rooted in the international legal preference for stability, effectiveness, and finality of bordersettlement
There are two major forms of prescription Internationaljuristsgenerally distinguish between these twoforms:
(A) Acquisitive Prescription Thisistheclassic doctrine Itrecognisesastate’s acquisitionofterritoryaslegal because it has exercised
authority over territory for a prolonged period, openly and continuously, while the rival claimant either acquiesced, failedtoprotesteffectively,or abandoned its claim in practice. This is the form of prescription most relevant to Guyana Key ingredients in Guyana’s claim include effective administration, peacefulcontrol,publicactsof sovereignty, passage of time, andinsufficientoppositionby the rival state, Venezuela Examples of sovereign acts include: policing, taxation, elections, mining licenses, land grants, infrastructure, courts, immigration control, resourceconcessions,military patrols,andlocalgovernment administration Guyana has done all of these in the Essequibofordecades ( B ) E x t i n c t i v e
Prescription (or Loss by Prescription). This is the reverse side of acquisitive prescription Astatemaylose sovereignty because it failed to occupy and exercise authority, abandoned effective control, or slept on its rights while another state governed openly This doctrine focuses less on the acquiring state and more on thepassivityorneglectofthe losingstate
Insum: •acquisitive prescription =gainingsovereignty, •extinctive prescription =losingsovereigntythrough inaction.
In practice, the two doctrines often overlap.The question remains: Does Guyana have a strong
prescriptive claim? In my humble assessment: yes, very strong although Guyana’s primary legal argument remains the 1899 Award. Prescription is essentiallyGuyana’sGoogly orits“backupfortress.”And here is why. Guyana’s strongest prescription argument is continuous and effective occupation and administrationofEssequibo. For well over a century, the territory has been administered by British G
independentGuyana.
Thisisclassiceffectivités actualdisplayofsovereign authority Internationalcourts caredeeplyaboutthis Onthe otherhand,Venezuelalargely accepted the boundary for
occupied the Essequibo territory that it is now claiming or was the title of ownership transferred to Venezuelawhenitbecamean independent state Reason: Spaincannotcedetitlethatit neverhadoracquired
This is one of Guyana’s strongest points After the 1899 Award, Venezuela participated in boundary demarcation, accepted maps, and behaved for decades as thoughtheboundaryexisted And that period of relative acquiescence is legally important Indeed, many analysts believe Venezuela’s long acceptance between 1899 and roughly 1962 seriously weakens its later attempt to reopen the matter International Law disfavors
states resurrecting dormant territorial claims generations later.
Acquiescence is very important in this case.And it does not require explicit consent.Silenceorinsufficient protestoveralongperiodcan matterenormously Ifonestate (Guyana) openly governs territory, while the other state (Venezuela) does not effectivelycontestthatcontrol, International Law shall gradually consolidate sovereignty to the administeringstate
Does Venezuela have a counterargument? Yes
Venezuela would strongly resist the Prescription argument Caracas would arguethatitneverabandoned its claim, that its protests existed periodically, that the 1962 repudiation interrupted any prescriptive period, and therefore no uncontested sovereigntyevercrystallized That is not a frivolous
Prescription usually requires relativelyweakorineffective protest by the rival claimant.
ButonceVenezuelaformally reviveditsclaimin1962and persisted with it, the prescriptive clock at least arguably stoppedrunning So, the key question
b e c o m e s : H a d
Guyana/Britain already consolidated title before 1962? Many legal scholars wouldsay:Yes
Georgetown has reasons tocelebrate.Itscaseremains especially strong Even beyond Prescription, Guyana benefits from the convergence of multiple reinforcingdoctrines:
(A) Arbitral title: The 1899Awarditself.
(B) Effectivités: Actual administration of the territory
(C) Acquiescence: Venezuela’slongacceptance after1899.
(D) Stability of boundaries: One of the strongest principles in InternationalLaw.
(E)Estoppel:Astatemay be prevented from reversing apositionitlongaccepted. Together, these create a cumulativelegalweightthat isverydifficulttoovercome.
AndthatiswhyVenezuela has focused so intensely on attacking the original 1899 Awarditself Becauseoncethe Court looks at 127 years of continuous and peaceful occupationandadministration, r e c o g n i z e d m a p s , governmentalauthority,settled populations, and international conduct, the legal terrain becomes increasingly difficult for Caracas Guyana’s case beforetheICJisuncomplicated and straightforward, Venezuela’s is turbid to the point of opacity and seriously lackinglegallegstostandon
Sincerely, Prof.
DanielKGibran
Government has acquiredlandsatFriendship, East Bank Demerara, to facilitate the expansion of the transmission line for the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated(GPL).
AGazetteOrderonMay 2,2026saidthattheprocess was completed through the “Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes (GPL Transmission Line Project East Bank of DemeraraPlantation Friendship)”, as Order 92 of 2024 and was initially made on January 4, 2024.
T h e p r o p o s e d construction of the transmission line for the company in the Plantation Friendship area will pass through lands that were described in schedule to the order that was made in January 2024, the area was
declaredtobeapublicwork under Section 3 of the Acquisition of Lands for PublicPurposesAct.
“AND WHEREAS by the said Order the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, together with his agents, servants or workmen, was authorised undersection4oftheActto enteruponthesaidlandsfor the said purposes therein m e n t i o n e d ; A N D WHEREAS in accordance with the provisions of section 6 of the Act, the report of the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys and a plan of the lands together with the buildings and erections thereon to be acquiredwerelaidbeforethe minister,”theordersaid.
In keeping with the provisions of Section 6, it was declared that the lands
and any erections described in the schedule to the order are required for the said public works. It said the order may be cited as the Acquisition of Lands for Public Purposes (GPL Transmission Line Project East Bank of DemeraraPlantation Friendship (No. 2)Order,2026.
The land being acquired takes up approximately 30 acres, comprising sections from31parcels.Thesizesof theparcelsrangefrom3.836 acres to 0 26 acres respectively GPL has been visitingseveralcommunities alongtheroutethelineisset totakeandeducateresidents ondifferentthingsincluding the projects route and compensation for their property
Thispublicationreported onApril 17 that the Guyana
Frompage3
Guyanese except the government that is defendingit.Wehavemadeitveryclearthat wehavetogotowards,we’relookingatthese contracts, renegotiating these contracts, looking at contract management and all of thesethings.Everythingwehavetorelookat because we have to ensure that our country doesnotgetthewrongendofthestick.”
Ali’s remarks back then indicated a willingness to “review and renegotiate” the contract to secure better terms for Guyana. However, since assuming office in August 2020, his administration has shifted to sanctityofcontract.
Speaking with British Broadcasting Corporation(BBC)SeniorJournalistGideon Longina2023interview,PresidentAliwhen pressedaboutthepossibilityofrenegotiation andtheExxondealnoted,“Well,Iwouldsay definitely,wedidnothavethebestofdeals, Exxon have a good deal signed by the last government.” President Ali had outlined thatsanctityofcontractisveryimportantto
his government, adding, “We can’t go back onthat.”
WhilethePPPadministrationhasmadeit clearitwillnotseektomakechangestothe Exxondeal,itshouldbenotedthattheformer APNU+AFC government had renegotiated and signed the Stabroek Block PSA with ExxonMobil’saffiliate.
A few years after the agreement was signed, the David Granger administration approached the Exxon consortium, and successfully renegotiated a critical fiscal elementofthedeal.AccordingtoAddendum No. 1 to the Petroleum Agreement dated April26,2019,itwasevidentthatthenamed parties were in agreement that the contract allowed for the 2% royalty to be recovered.
To plug this loophole, the Addendum that was subsequently filed with the deeds registry categorically stated that it shall not be recovered in any way Sealing the new arrangement were former President, David Granger and President of Exxon Guyana affiliate,RodneyD.Henson.
Power and Light (GPL) met withfarmersattheLakeville Health Centre, De Hoop, Region 5 to discuss the 230kV transmission line passing through their lands andtoexplorecompensation amongotherissues.
Thepowercompanyina statement said a team led by KeshNandlallandincluded Director General of the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, Alfonso De ArmasandotherstaffofGPL conducted the community meeting.
“During the session,
farmerswereinformedabout the proposed 230 kV transmission line that will traverse sections of their farmlands The team outlined the importance of the project, emphasising its role in enhancing the reliability and stability of electricity supply within the region,”GPLsaid.
In addition, GPL shared details about the proposed route, the phases in which the proj
be implemented, and the
completion This allowed stakeholders to have a clearer understanding of the scope and impact of the project.
“Farmers also inquired about compensation and the potential impact on their farms. They were assured that any impact to their livelihoods would be minimal and would be appropriatelyaddressed,and were advised of the process for receiving compensation. All other concerns raised wereaddressedbytheteam,” GPLsaid.
Frompage4 cover all costs “fail to do so”, then 14.10 orders that deep pocket parent Exxon and CoVenturersareliableforallcostsoverwhat EMGL can cover It is therefore unfathomable how such “unambiguous language” (Judge Kissoon’s words) could meananythingbutan“unlimitedguarantee”, since all means no limit. Yes, the term “unlimited” is not mentioned in the permit, but that is ghost argument if the words mentioned mean the same as “unlimited”. Confusingly,thecourtalsofoundthat“while Exxon remains liable for pollution related damages,thatliabilitydoesnotautomatically require unlimited financial assurance”, completelyignoringthekeyoperativewords “allcosts”atClause14.10whichcouldonly mean “liability for all pollution related damages”.Itbegsthequestion,whywerekey words“allcosts”sovisiblyomittedfromthis mostconsequentialfinding?
Further,insteadof“unlimitedguarantee”, therulingrequiredanestimateofthedamage asFinancialAssurance,hintingthattheCourt may have been terribly misled that such an estimateispossibleoreverdone.Whosoever coulddosuchanestimatehastobeafortune teller and should immediately purchase a lottery ticket. Nonetheless, just to humour such an ludicrous thought, the only possible estimatingmethodwouldbeofananalogous type using a similar situation such as the Macondo oil spill which occurred in our backyard,gushing5millionbarrelsoilfor87 days costing British Petroleum $US145 –none of which was, or could have been estimated! Thereby leading to the million dollarquestionthatwasnotaddressedbythe Court as to who will pay the cost of a Macondo type spill over and above Exxon’s farcicalUS$2BAssurance?Itmustbenoted that this $2B ploy was Exxon’s first attempt in 2019 with insurance papers in hand to countertheEPA’sdemandforthePCG,butit wasinstantlyrejected.
Another frivolous defence argument was thattherewasnospecificPCG,wheninfact, therecanbenomoreofasubstantivelybona fidePCGthanthelegallanguageintheEPA Permitsshownearlier Theonlyrequiredside agreement was to be amongst Exxon, CNOOC and HESS referenced in clause 14.10 earlier as the “binding agreement” to show how the three entities will share “pay their respective environmental obligations” whichhadtobeapprovedbytheEPAbefore startofoperation.Ifthegovernmenttestified that such an agreement never existed, then they admitted to violating the permits by
approving startups without that agreement. The court should have hoisted them by their ownpetard.
Sadly,thewholecruxofthematterfliesin thefaceofGuyana’ssovereigntyatthistime of the nation’s momentous 60th independence anniversary celebration, when Exxon is being enabled by authorities to evade its moral and financial obligation to bearallcostsofspilldamagesoccurringfrom operations earning it $trillions, while cold bloodedly exposing to financial and environmental ruins, the poverty-stricken country that generously furnishes its wealth. Worse yet, besides dumping billions of barrelsofhot,toxic,radioactiveandoillaced produced water into our clean ocean, destroying its ecology and millions of fish eggs and fish life, and flaring of billions of cubic feet of toxic produced gas into our pristine air, causing health, acid rain, and climate change problems, Exxon is greenlightedtorecklesslyproduceabovethelegal safe limits enshrined in the Environmental Impact Assessment, thus enhancing the chances of a spill without any liability coveragebyvirtueofthisruling.
With Guyana at its tender age of policy and law making for this critical oil sector, consequential decisions such as this ruling must be informed by the numerous bad lessons learned from other countries.Acase inpointisthelitigationintheBritishCourts involving Nigerians suing Shell Oil Co. for costs covering oil spills in Nigeria; but, because of the absence of a PCG, Shell’s defence was that the spills occurred under their subsidiary company as their operator, makingShellnotliable.Surprise!Surprise!
Also, Repsol which operates in Guyana, wasresponsibleforasmall12,000barrelsoil spill in Peru; and absent tight liability laws, the Government was forced to seize the passportsofRepsol’sExecutivesandsuedthe company for US$billions for cleanup and other liabilities, in addition to urgently establishing new laws to protect Peru from recurrencesofthiskind.
Lastly, it must not go unnoticed that Exxon had willingly agreed to, signed, and honouredthePCGlanguagefirstenshrinedin theyellowtailexplorationwellpermitin2019 andrepeatedinallofthesubsequentpermits thereafter; but, only became an issue when thePPPCtookofficeandsidedwithExxonto negate it, resulting in the lawsuit by the two patriotic citizens that has brought us to this point.
Sincerely,
Dr.VincentAdams
ByDavinaBagot
AsGuyanainchesnearer to repaying ExxonMobil for its investments in the Stabroek Block, the country can begin receiving 50% profitsinsteadof12.5%.
This would significantly increase revenue flow to the country, by as much as four times its current share - a subject that is likely to be
addressed soon by government according to Minister of Natural Resources,VickramBharrat.
On Monday, minister Bharrat during an interview with Kaieteur News was
asked whether the Government of Guyana (GoG) is considering ringfencingthetwonewprojects announcedbyExxonMobilthe eighth and ninth - since the company previously revealedthatUS$5billionin costswerelikelytoberepaid bytheendofthisyear
To this end, Bharrat noted that Longtail and
Haimara,Exxon'seighthand ninth projects, respectively are in the planning phase, with no approval granted to date.
Thismeansthatthecost bank is currently being repaidorreducedrapidly.In accordancewiththe2016oil contract, after the cost bank is clear, Guyana will be entitled to 50% of the revenue generated in Stabroek, after operation expenseispaid.
As such, Bharrat explained, “No new project is added because there is no approval and you would have heard from several persons that we are coming to a desaturation point...so we'llbeabletomaybeholda press conference or the president might say something publicly on that issue on the desaturation of thecostbankandhowitwill operatemovingforward.”
Regarding increased revenueflowforGuyana,he noted that although no other
project cost has been added to the cost bank, other expenses relating to exploration is still being incurred.
“On your question about 50/50,rememberthereisstill some amount of expenses
Be that as it may, he indicatedthatGuyanaisstill poised to begin receiving moreoilliftsinamere“few months”. Each oil lift is equivalent to approximately onemillionbarrels.
In March this year,
being incurred in terms of exploration activities in the StabroekBlock.
Now they still have a year more on that explorationlicence,sothose are costs that will still be accumulatedtoo.
That's why we say we didn't pay off the cost bank, but its being desaturated so we will now have to look at the numbers and look at the workongoingintheblockto see at what point in time we will get to that 50/50 profit sharing of oil,” Bharrat explained.
president of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge revealed that Guyana was likely to pay off the cost bank by the endof2026duetothehigher oilprices.
Currently, four projects a r e p r o d u c i n g approximately 920,000 barrels of oil per day (bpd) offshore Guyana. A fifth project, Uaru is likely to startupbeforetheendofthis year and will increase the country'soutputtoabout1.2 millionbpd.
“Ifyoustayatthecurrent
oil price then it will happen thisyearbasedonthelevelof expenditures and the productionthatweanticipate so that's a significant acceleration. What that then meansisthatinsteadroughly the14andahalfpercentthat the country has been receiving by way of revenues into the Natural Resource Fund from the Stabroek production and revenues, what will happen is that percentage will significantly increase,” Routledgetoldreporters.
Following the recovery of all costs, Article 11.4 provides “The balance of crude oil…shall be shared betweenthegovernmentand the contractor for each field inthefollowingproportions: Contractor fifty per cent (50%) and minister fifty per cent(50%).”
So far, ExxonMobil has expended US$40 billion to develop the seven oil projectsapprovedtodate. Guyana could have
already been receiving 50% of profits from the four projectsinoperation.Dueto the lack of ring-fencing, Exxontakesaportionofthe revenue to develop other projects.
By failing to ring-fence the projects, Exxon will continue to use profits that should come to this country to pay for projects that are yet to start producing oil. A ring-fencing provision will ensure the country gets its full
TheMinistryofHealthis developing a quality audit system to improve the standards of patient care across Guyana's public healthcaresector
According to the Department of Public Information, the initiative introduces an additional layer of accountability that ensures healthcare workers follow established treatment guidelines and protocols whenmanagingpatients.
Speaking on the Starting Point Podcast on Sunday, MinisterofHealthDr Frank Anthony said the audits are intended to identify gaps in patient care, particularly in the treatment of chronic illnessessuchasdiabetesand hypertension.
“Let's say in diabetic care, we have these protocols, but maybe somebody at a health centre isnotfollowingtheprotocol, our internal quality audit would go out, pull random charts, check the charts, see whetherornotthepatienthas been receiving the care that they should be receiving. If there is a gap, then they will point that out to the
MinisterofHealth, Dr. Frank Anthony
physicianandthenursesand soforth,”heexplained. If shortcomings are identified, healthcare providers will be advised on corrective measures and given time to address the issues In some cases, additional training may also berecommended.
Minister Anthony added that the ministry expects the audits to encourage stricter compliance with updated medical protocols and i m p r o v e p a t i e n t
management throughout the system.
“You will start seeing a qualitative change in how our patients are being managedbecauseeverybody willbemonitored,”hesaid.
Alongside the audit initiative, the government is also pursuing international accreditation standards for the new hospitals and other health facilities being established.
The minister said the country has been working with the Joint Commission International (JCI) to place six new hospitals on a p a t h w a y t o w a r d s accreditation.
The process involves implementing strict operational and clinical protocols,alongsiderandom inspections to assess whether facilities are c o m p l y i n g w i t h internationalstandards.
He said the long-term goal is to extend those standards across the wider healthcaresystem.
“This is to ensure patients get the best care. Thatisthebottomlinehere,” theministeremphasised.
There was a time in Guyana when citizens approached government offices with hope, optimism and a small brown envelope containing all the required documents.
Today,citizensapproach government offices much the way medieval subjects approached the royal court: clutching petitions, seeking favours, and hoping that some powerful figure might graciously intervene where the ordinary machinery of the government has failed them.
This, I suspect, explains the extraordinary turnout at the recent Public Day at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, where hundreds upon hundreds of citizens descended upon ministers clutching files, receipts, letters, certificates, photographs, affidavits, Xrays, land applications, pensioncomplaintsand,inat least one imagined case, what appeared to be a notarizedprayer
The government no doubtseesthisasdemocracy in action. Ministers seated heroically behind tables, listening compassionately while citizens explain that they have been waiting 14 years for a transport, seven years for a land title, and approximately three geological eras for someone
in a ministry to answer a telephone.
T h e o p t i c s a r e wonderful. It resembles a humanitarianmissionaftera flood, except the disaster being relieved is the public serviceitself.
But if one pauses long enoughtoreflectonearrives at a deeply unsettling conclusion. If the system were functioning even moderately well, there wouldnothavebeenacrowd largeenoughtoresemblethe line outside a stadium concert.
Think about it In a healthy administrative system, citizens should not need to seek ministerial intervention for routine matters One does not require Cabinet-level arbitration to process a NIS pension file or correct a clericalerror
In countries where bureaucracy functions with minimalcompetence,people interact with civil servants, obtain services and return home without needing divine intervention or a cousin who “knows somebody who knows somebodyinthere.”
In Guyana, however, the bureaucracy has evolved into a kind of mysterious place. Files disappear with the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle. Some applications
movefromdesktodeskwith the speed of continental drift. Public servants treat u r g
immortality-an interesting concept, but not something likelytohappensoon.
N a t u r a l l y , t h e government introduced the citizen’s app, which was supposed to digitise the filing of complaints and improve responsiveness
This is admirable
Unfortunately, digitising dysfunction merely creates electronic dysfunction A complaint ignored manually is still ignored efficiently online. One now has the added convenience of watching one’s grievance disappearinrealtime.
The problem is not technological. The problem is institutional malaise. The bureaucracy is clogged with redtape,politicalpatronage, inefficiency and laden with proceduralconfusion.
Entire ministries appear designed around the principlethatnothingshould happen today if it can be postponeduntilafterthenext electioncycle.
And because the machinery does not function, citizens have adapted in the only rational way possible: by bypassing it entirely Why wait six years for a file to move
Dem boys seh in Guyana if yuh allow people fuh sell pun de reserves, by monthend dem applying for squatters’ rights, opening a cook-shop and asking GPL for meter.Thatis why government got to learn that certain things got to be nip in de bud before dem spread faster than rumours that flourpricegoingup.
Lookatdetintbusiness.Lastyear,when one or two man start putting lil dark shade pun dem car window, authorities shoulda stopitquick-quick.
Butno.Everybodypretendnottonotice untilsomevehiclesgetsomuchtintthatde onlythingvisibleinsidewasdeairfreshener swinging like pendulum. Some car dark enoughtoqualifyforsolareclipsewarning. Yuh coulda park next to one at midday and stillfeellikenighttime.
And because government let it slide, peoplestartbehavingliketintingwasoneof de fundamental rights and freedoms protected by the constitution. Tint shops start to pop up all over de place, including pun government reserve. In Guyana once somebody put down two concrete blocks and one rusty container, dem does start talking about “my establishment” and “privateproperty.”
Same thing with dese caravans and roadside vending. Government clear out somefromneardeProvidenceStadiumand everybodythinkorderrestore.Butcaravans
through normal channels when you might accelerate the process by cornering a Minister at Public Day betweenapensioncomplaint andadrainageissue?
Of course, not everyone attending these events is a victimofdysfunction.Some aretherebecauseevenifthe system worked perfectly, they would still prefer “a littlehelpfromfriends.”
Guyanese society has elevated the concept of the “shoo-in” into an unofficial constitutional principle Merit is respected in theory, but influence is admired in practice.
Wehavecreatedaculture wherepeoplebelievethatthe shortest distance between two points is not a straight line but a recommendation fromsomeoneimportant.
This explains the almost mystical reverence surrounding meetings with senior officials. Ministers are approached not as administratorsbutasroyalty sittingonthrones
Citizens wait in lines stretching into parking lots hoping that one signature, one phone call or one stern ministerial glance will achieve what the formal systemcouldnotaccomplish in a decade. The tragedy is
that this spectacle is celebrated instead of condemned.
Public Days are treated as evidence of accessibility Intruth,theyareevidenceof administrative collapse They are the governmental equivalent of a hospital proudly announcing that patientsmaynowbypassthe emergency room and plead directly with the Minister in theparkinglot.
And it is profoundly unfair Foreverycitizenwho secures an audience with a Minister, there are four or five others suffering similar problems who were not present, could not travel, could not leave work, or simplylackedthestaminato standinlineforhours.
The government’s obligation is not to create larger complaint sessions. It is to build institutions that function without ministerial rescuemissions.
Yet despite being perpetually besieged by truckloadsofgrievances,the state persists with this farce called “Public Day,” while genuine public service reform remains somewhere near the bottom of the nationalagenda—probably buried beneath several missingfiles.
WhatGuyanarequiresis not more apps, more receptions or more ceremonial listening exercises It requires a leaner, professionalized publicserviceinsulatedfrom political hacks and obsessed with efficiency rather than procedure for procedure’s sake. Citizens should not need connections, influence or political intervention to obtain services already paid forbytaxpayers.
If the system truly worked, Ministers would spend Public Days relaxing quietly at home, perhaps worrying about inflation or geopolitics instead of adjudicating disputes over missing documents and mysteriously stalled applications. The crowds at the Arthur Convention Centrewerenotatriumphof governance. They were an X-rayofdysfunction.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper
now creeping back slow-slow like auntie visiting fuh two days and staying six months. A whole set appearing in de afternoons outside de big hotel. De place now looking like like a small border town completewithfriedchickenandbarbeque.
IsdesamethinghappeningatDiamond wherepeoplestartoccupyingdereserveon depublicroadandalongsidederoadleading intotheentrance.
Now some caravans spreading along de East Coast Public Road too. If government ain’t careful, by next year somebody gon applying for cash grant with the following address: “Lot 24, Behind De Blue Caravan OppositeDeCoconutVendor.”
DemboyssehGuyanesepeoplecreative when it comes to stretching rules. Tell somebodydon’tbuildpunreserveanddem gonbuildhalfpunreserveandhalfpun de road.Telldemnovendinganddemgonsay technically dem only “temporarily displaying merchandise in an entrepreneurialformat.”
Smallproblemsgottobestoppedearly Becauseoncepeoplegetcomfortable,every attempt to restore order suddenly becomes “an attack pun poor people” and “de single parents.”
Government then got to pass law and issue regulations just to undo what shoulda beenpreventedfromdebeginning.
Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
Piece by piece. Layer after layer Guyanese are closeup eyewitnesses of political dismantling in action. What used to be
precious, had to be protected, is now stripped andsavaged,thensentnaked into the world. Friendship curdled.Likemilk,downthe drainitgoes.Handswashed. Distancekept.
What follows is all natural, nothing artificial Let'sgo.There'sworktodo. Partingthecurtains,pushing through the webs, so after painful steps Guyanese see light's slivers. How their country works. How rotten, rancid, their heroes are. Of what's a scientific dismantling of edifices built and cherished. Of what is done with mathematical politicalprecision.Whenthe spirit moves, that flame burns, is restless for expression.
There was a time, an endlessseason,whenthelaw couldn't be broken. Even when some tried, actually did.Therewasnolaw.None found. None that applied. Nor men that cared hard enoughtolookdeepenough andstandtallenough.Ifthis is too fancy, too bad. Get usedtoit.
It was inevitable that the latter became every day Fortresswallssecureintheir ability to withstand the poundingoftime,overcome localnoise,untiltheshipsof another state came over the horizon.
Now it's every man for himself. Some women got their fingernails chipped Ruff company, it is. I scan the landscape Where's everybody? Those who collectedmoney Thosewho received lavish donations. Thoseatrareelevations,who sworetofriendship'slifelong fraternity Where are they? My own echoes only heard. Have mostly my own company Whenstormsrage, even the strong seek shelter The stupid gene came
A man could commit murder in this burg, and it didn't matter A man could laff at the law, and it didn't meanonedamnthing.There was the guarantee of powerful friends, great defenders, the most voluminous, raucous wellwishers. Who would mess with that combination, dem kine ah peeple? Certainly, notI.Oh,therewasmoneyto make things happen Anything. Regular citizens waited in line, counted themselves lucky when they weren't thrown out the line. Supplicants for a right of citizenship, only for that to be determined by those in uniforms, and those with highseatsinhighoffices. Thus, the law rendered impotent, inapplicable, insipid.The law rules. Look atwhointoneswhatthatrule represents,andonwhomitis enforced.Itwasagrandtime then, and a grander one today From great heights, thegreatmenofthiscountry looked on, looked out for, and knew when to look the otherway
effortlesslytome.
First, all the friends with stars and stripes forgot formergoodtimes.Constant mantras:Iknownottheman. Some got brave, got packed off and pushed out. Second, the men and women who enjoyed celebratory momentsandtakingpictures with their then loaded friends, now carefully rearrange their faces, and wringtheirhands:thehorror, the abominations. Woe is me. It's more of woe is he.
Third, one tool, one asset, one resource, after another stripped or seized. One friend gone, then another, until there is no other The only friends left, if they can be called such, are regional, then farther Whether 1956 or 2026, nothing has changed, especially the constancy of alien control. The latter posse of friends waits,certaininthepowerof its position, its reach, and those whose fate it controls. Guyanese history on a memory stick. A new era,
sameoletimes.
In daytime, nighttime, they now come to collect, to corner those for whom they once came down hard o
D i s m a n t l i n g
institutions, all in perfect alignment An awesome, peculiarmanmadeeclipsein action. This stopped, that taken, things blocked, movementswatched,people restricted, and always a sworddanglingoverheard. Makewrongmove,taste thepowerofthestrong.Itis 2026, not 1984. Today, I do thecounting.
I watched those who coulddonowrong,whonow can't do one thing right. Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, washed his hands. Guyana's governors wash their hands, wash their mouths Before, they washed their clothes. The alphabet people have their own political detergent, arithmetic.
Diminishing. Disgracing by dragging through mud and filth Somehow nothing sticks to those doing the dragging. The Red, White, and Blue people definitely have a precision by which theywagetheirwars,engulf their allies. Who is playing whom? Think of those playing Guyanese for fools. Rule of law Nobility of purpose.
Try democracy of the dirty Involved. Tainted. Immunized. For now Oil's power transcends money It paralyzes politics, transforms politicians into reprobates, and reduces the people to helpless, inconsequentialbystanders. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper
The Eccles Port Facility, located on the Demerara Facility River near Georgetown, is currently being used to load barges destined for the Project's barge facility on the Cuyuni River. River
Concrete work in the grinding area is progressing, with formwork installation and rebar placement for the SAG mill piers well advanced. The ball mill foundation can be seen on the right.
Camp infrastructure continues to expand, with additional dormitories being delivered through 2026. A large central building housing the kitchen and mess hall is scheduled to be operational in the second quarter.
G Mining Ventures Corp. (GMIN), which is positioned to control a seven-million-ounce gold project in Region Seven, has announced that it acquired a 20% interest in a wharf and storage facilities at the Eccles Port Facility on the Demerara River
The company made the announcement in its Q1-2026 update on its 100%-owned Oko West Gold Project, which it said isadvancingonscheduleandon budget, with first gold pour targeted for the second half of 2027andcommercialproduction expected by January 2028.According to GMIN, it now holds 20% interest in Rock Solid International Inc. (RSI), which indirectly owns and operates the wharf and storage facilities at the Eccles According to reports, RSI is a Barbados-registered company, owned by Guyanese citizen, TimurMohamed.
GMIN explained that the movetoownapercentageinRSI provides priority handling and preferential rates for equipment, materials and supplies to supply its gold operation in Region Seven. “A planned expansion, targeted for completion by year end, is expected to allow incoming vessels to berth and unload cargo The facility currently includes a laydown area and barge loading point,” thecompanysaid.
Louis-Pierre Gignac,
President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GMIN
commented: “We are very pleased with the rapid construction progress being made at Oko West, which is tracking well on-schedule for firstgoldpourinthesecondhalf of2027andon-budget.”
Inrelationtoitsgoldproject, GMIN said tha
e commencing development activitiesinOctober2025,ithas madesubstantialprogressacross engineering, procurement, and site infrastructure and process plant development, while enhancing cost visibility and executioncertainty
According to the firm, its earlyworkstrategyhasenabledit to secure key contracts ahead of infla
, strengthening cost control and reducing schedule risk across criticalscopes.
It was further stated that the overall project progress has reached 19 7% and detailed engineering is approximately 80%complete,withconstruction advancing on schedule. GMIN also shared that the Oko West project remains on budget with approximately US$292 million spenttodate.
Construction at Oko West is advancing across key work areas, including the process plant, power infrastructure, tailings storage facility and site infrastructure.
Further, the tailings storage facility development is also progressing reaching about 36% completion. The power plant is (Continuedonpage16)
Mass excavation for the primary crusher is complete, and the area is ready for concrete works to commence; and foundations for the Mine Maintenance Facility are progressing, with completion targeted for Q2 2026 with steel structure erection to follow
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo addressing the media at the sidelines of a Public Day on Monday
Almost five months after government held its last press conference,VicePresidentBharrat Jagdeo has promised to reconvene thesecrucialengagements.
Onthesidelinesofapublicday engagement held Monday at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Lilliendaal, East Coast Demerara theformerpresidentexplainedthat while there was public speculation about his health, government has been busy implementing its manifesto, following a successful
campaign and elections in Septemberlastyear
“They'respeculatingaboutme. TheysaidI'msick,Ihavecancer,all ofthat.Theydon'tunderstand.The elections are over.We campaigned aggressively We won a big majority- seven seats majority in the parliament. My role changed from general secretary of the party and shifting from campaign to planning. We have to build 40,000 homes, to get a lot of issues addressed to keep the economy
going and not to suffer from the Dutch disease requires a lot of planning and people don't understand that sometimes,” Jagdeoexplained.
He noted that while not in the publicdomaindaily,governmentis still working on things “of a differentnature”.
Meanwhile, he told journalists, “Now I felt that we have a lot of things in train and back in the public domain addressing the implementation of some of these
issues...my press conference will resume but they will address mainly government issues, not so muchthepoliticalissues.”
The last press conference by governmentwasheldonDecember 18,2025byVicePresidentBharrat Jagdeo. Prior to his engagement with members of the media, President IrfaanAli hosted a press conferenceonNovember21,2025. Since these events last year, reporters have not been able to deeplyquestiongovernmentonthe
rollout of its development agenda. Thisissuehascausedablackoutin the media fraternity with journalists being forced to utilise other avenues to hold government accountable. This would usually taketheformoflimitedquerieson the sidelines of events, often hurriedly addressed to facilitate “anotherengagement”orthecasual “please keep questions on today's events.”
During Monday's public (Continuedonpage16)
Interim President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela,DelcyRodriguez on Monday reaffirmed that the country's position on the Guyana border controversy will not change, despite the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in determining theissue.
Rodriguez addressed the world court on the final day of oral submissions on the Guyana /Venezuela border controversy where Guyana isseekingadeterminationof the validity of the 1899 arbitral award which gave the country control of the resource rich Essequibo region.
In her submission, Rodriguez told the ICJ that citizens have already decided by way of a 2023 referendum how the matter willbesettled.
“The people of the Bolivarian Republic of rd Venezuela on the 3 of December2023turnedoutin large numbers at the polls and gave us a series of clear and unequivocal mandates. Firstly, the mandate to maintain the historical position of existential m a t t e r s s u c h a s independence and territorial integrity to judicial mechanisms.Secondly,their mandate to uphold the Geneva Agreement as the only valid, legal instrument for resolving territorial disputeovertheEssequibo.”
The Venezuelan president said her country stillbelievestherecouldbea negotiated solution to the settlement.
“Anegotiatedsolutionis therefore an inevitable and an indispensable condition of the controversy The Geneva Agreement buries and moves beyond the discussion over the validity of invalidity of the 1899 award.”
Professor Paolo Palchetti, lawyer for Venezuela addressed the legitimacy of the award. He said that while Guyana insisted there was precedence establishing that attheendofthe19thcentury, arbitral tribunals were already established as a common means for settlement, in the case of Great Britain (Guyana's colonial master) and Venezuela, the general practice of this system was notcompliedwith.
The lawyer posited that, “...forthisreason,theaward isnullandvoid.”
Professor Palchetti stated, “Mr President
Members of the court Venezuela and Guyana hold opposing views regarding theroleplayedbyVenezuela in the negotiation of the arbitration treaty Guyana pretends thatVenezuela was closely involved in the treaty's negotiation [When in fact], Venezuela played no role in the negotiation…”
The lawyer claimed there is correspondence that confirmsthatVenezuelawas absentfromthenegotiation.
He emphasised, “There is no evidence that Venezuela was involved in the negotiation because it was not Reading this correspondence carefully, onecanseethatthereisnota single reference to the position of a Venezuelan Government, one would expecttofindsentenceslike, I have instructions from Caracas,orIneedtoconsult aVenezuelanGovernment.”
Palchetticontinued,“Mr President, Venezuela has beenvictimoffraud,andthe evidence before you amply justifies the conclusion that the arbitration treaty is invalid, and as a consequence, the award is invalid.”
In his submission on behalf of Venezuela, Professor Christian J. Tams, noted that the tribunal itself showed no respect for the terms by which the parties haddefineditstask.
Heheldthat“Itoperated according to its own logic, decidingwhatwasnotasked of it, ignoring what it had to decide and violating its absolute duty to decide on the basis of law We might say,aswehaveinthewritten pleadings, that in rendering thisaward,thistribunalwent rogue.”
According to him, despite Guyana's strange claims to the country, now, theresultofthisrogueaward wasadisasterforVenezuela.
“President Martin says compromise line gave Britain over 90% of the disputed territory, and that Venezuela retained control of the mouth of the Orinoco was not seriously in contention, as Lord Russell had noted during the proceedings, 'Britain had explicitly admitted that the Orinoco was Venezuelan.'” ProfessorTamsasserted.
Thelawyeralludedtoan 1899 punch magazine cartoon illustration, which showed the then Prime Minister Lord Salisbury chuckling barely capable of holdingontoeverythingthe
arbitration held for Britain the territory and gold mines wrapped up nicely in the Union Jack the British flag.
He continued, “The caption [of the illustration] says,'Ilikearbitrationinthe properplace.'”
“Mr President,members of the court.This arbitration mayhavebroughtplentyfor Britain, but it did not bring peace amidst a civil war, faced with regular threats of military invasion, from the Britishultimatumof1895to
the crushing blockade European powers imposed on it, soon thereafter, Venezuela was not in a p o s i t i o n t o r e a c t meaningfully,asmanyother nations in colonial or quasi coloni
, Venezuela had to put on a brave face. It had to accept the 1899 Award, which enactedcoercionthroughthe civility of the legal form,” Tamsclaimed.
The matter wrapped up with Venezuela team
Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez
emphasising their position that the Geneva Agreement gave them the right to invalidate the award and hence open a new
negotiation of boundary lines Both Guyana and Venezuela presented their arguments in two rounds of (Continuedonpage17)
Children and young women continue to be the primary targets ofsexualviolenceinGuyana,with anaverageof200rapecasesbeing reported annually to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), according to the Sexual Offences and Domestic ViolencePolicyUnit(SODVPU).
Presenting the agency's fiveyear Statistical Sexual Violence Report (2021-2025), SODVPU Manager Dr Cona Husbands revealedthatmorethan1,200rape cases were recorded nationwide during the period under review –2021 to present - with Regions Three (Essequibo Islands/West
Demerara) and Six (East Berbice/Corentyne)accountingfor morethanhalfofthereports.
“The highest number of reported cases was recorded in Region Three with 253, closely followedbyRegionSixwith243,” Husbands shared yesterday at a Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)Symposiumhostedbythe
A section of the gathering at the SAAM symposium yesterday
Ministry of Human Services and Social Security under the theme, “LookingBack,MovingForwardRoadmap to Prevention of Sexual Abuse & Harassment ” She describedthesefiguresasalarming.
In 2021, she noted that reports climbed to 262 cases, the highest figure recorded during the fiveyear period, though annual reports generallyremainedaroundthe200 mark. The year 2025, though,
showed a slight reduction in reported cases, and the data also revealed seasonal trends, with reports peaking in January and Octoberbeforedecliningsharplyin December
According to Husbands, females accounted for 94 per cent of all reported victims of sexual violence, while males represented approximately 5.5 per cent. Male victims remain consistently low in
the data, she noted, as there are several factors contributing to underreporting among boys and men.
For 2025 alone, Husbands said 24 cases of sexual violence were reported to the GPF, with 96 per centofthevictimsbeingunderthe age of 18. The perpetrators were primarily male, and nearly half wereidentifiedasfamilymembers.
Husbandsalsooutlinedthesupport
and prevention initiatives implementedbytheSODVPUand itspartnersovertheyears.
She disclosed that more than 4,000 police officers and 1,200 healthworkershavebeentrainedto respondtocasesofsexualviolence. The agency has also collaborated with the Ministry of Education to train teachers and guidance counsellors, while outreach programmes have extended to Indigenous communities through the training of Toshaos, village councillors and more than 4,000 Indigenouspersons.
In addition, staff members conducted awareness sessions in over 200 schools across Guyana, reaching more than 20,000 students.
Husbands said the ministry's 914 hotline continues to provide support services to survivors of sexual violence and remains an important reporting and assistance mechanismforvulnerablepersons.
Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA) Levine Gouveia on Monday criticised the major breakdown in Guyana's response to child sexual abuse, citing delays in police investigations, inadequate medical responses, court backlogs and failuresinprotectingvictims.
Presenting the five-year Statistical Sexual Violence Report for Children (2021 to present), Gouveia expressed frustration as she detailed what she described as systemic shortcomings affecting child victims across the country, andforwhichtheultimateblameis giventoher Gouveia was addressing a Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)symposiumhostedbythe Ministry of Human Services and Social Security under the theme, “LookingBack,MovingForwardRoadmap to Prevention of Sexual Abuse & Harassment ” She describedthesefiguresasalarming. While collaboration exists between the CPA and the Guyana PoliceForce(GPF),Gouveianoted thatoperationalfailurescontinueto severely impact case management and child protection responses. “Theseissuesneedtobeventilated so the seriousness can be understoodanditneedstobefixed now,” she urged Among the concerns raised were delays in responding to reports, inconsistent handling of child-sensitive investigations,prolongedwaitsfor medical examinations, difficulties obtainingupdatesoninvestigations andchallengesgatheringevidence. Gouveia recounted cases in
CPA head Levine Gouveia addressing the gathering yesterday
which children were allegedly traumatised dur
ng the investigative process In one instance, she said a child who reportedbeingmolestedunderwent aforensicinterviewonlytolaterbe confrontedatapolicestationbyan investigating rank in the presence of the alleged perpetrator “The officersaid,'Isitbecauseyouwere spurned by him, that is why you reportedthismatter?'Thechildfelt blamedbecauseofthewayshewas spokento,”Gouveiasaid.
Inanothercase,shesaidachild who accused a police officer of abuse had to be removed from her district for protection while the Office of Professional
Responsibility (OPR) investigated
the matter Although the investigation was expected to conclude within three months, it remainsincomplete,shesaid,while the child's protection order has expired. “The child is now back with the family who was coercing hernottotellherstory Chancesare
the child will recant her story because she is back in the environment the investigations werenotdoneinatimelymanner,” Gouveiastated.
She also condemned delays in obtainingmedicalexaminationsfor child victims, describing the situation as “appalling ” “The policewouldsaytheyhavetowait twotothreeweekstogetamedical done It's appalling because everything is time sensitive,” she said, adding, “We are failing our children. When I say we; it's an inter-agency collaboration So, when I say we, I'm not excluding CPAfrom the process; Ministry of Health, Guyana Police Force, we areallinthistogether.”
Gouveia referenced another recent rape case in which a region had no rape kit available. This required intervention from senior ministry officials to facilitate the examination, she said, but two weeks later, another rape victim, accompanied by a social worker
and parent, was transported to Georgetownonlytobesentbackto the region before the examination was eventually conducted. “These aresomeofthehardpillsthatIhave to swallow,” she said. “I am going to be frustrated and I am going to call my minister and permanent secretary and equally be frustrated over the process because I don't know what else to do,” Gouveia expressed.
Despitethechallenges,shesaid theCPAcontinuestostrengthenits presence nationwide, with officers stationed across all districts and senior officers assigned to every district.
Continuing her presentation, she said sexual abuse cases involving children have remained persistentlyhighbetween2021and the present, with 2022 recording the highest number of reported cases during the five-year period. Girlsaccountedforthemajorityof victimsannually,particularlythose between the ages of 14 and 18,
while girls aged eight to 13 represented the second most affected group. “Notably, 77.1 per centofchildrenbelowtheageof18 are victims of child sexual abuse,” Gouveiadisclosed.
Region Four consistently recorded the highest number of reported cases, followed by Regions Three and Six. However, she warned that lower figures in hinterland regions should not be interpretedaslowerlevelsofabuse, explaining that underreporting remains a major challenge in remote communities. It is often “hush-hush” when it comes to reporting and oftentimes the perpetrators are persons within the community and are in positions of trust,”shesaid.
She added that prosecutions remain difficult in several hinterlandregionsduetologistical andoperationalchallenges,though support from some Toshaos in Region Nine has helped advance cases.
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The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development is currently seeking contractors to build new market facilities at New AmsterdaminRegionSixand ZeelugtinRegionThree.
According to the tender document, works at both markets will be done in four lots and bids for the projects are expected to open on May 28, 2026 at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)office.
Construction company seeks JuniorAccountsClerk,Maths & English required, Bel Air Village,email:latchmiekumar @amcomguyana.com or whatsapp:758-4277
AilialAggregates Inc Vacancy forAssistantSecretary, Drivers, Chef, Managerapplyviaemail: Ailialaggreates@outlook.com
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Wales Public Road, W.B.D, Parcel21(0.467acres)20,342 sqft.AvailableLongterm2025 years. Sign on property Phone/Whatsapp: 615-2270/ 628-8619.
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Malgre Tout, W.B.D, (South of Masjid) - Lot "C" (1.347 acres) 58675 sq ft.Available Long term 20-25 years. Sign on property. Phone/Whatsapp: 615-2270/628-8619.
Versailles, W.B.D, (South of AracariHotel)-Lot167(4.6606 acres) 203,016 sq ft.Available Longterm20-25years.Signon property. Phone/Whatsapp: 615-2270/628-8619.
La Grange W.B.D road to river,SilverHill20acres,Craig (9 acres) Spring Gardens (Dora) 20 acres, Long Creek &TucanDrive.ContactRay's Realty627-9685.
Kaieteur News understands that the projects willformpartofthe$18billion that was approved from the national budget for market projects across the country In addition to constructing new markets, the money will cater to rehabilitate the structures at Port Kaituma, Bath, Railway Line, Unity, RoseHallandLethem,justto nameafew
In March, Local Government Minister Priya Manickchand met with her team to discuss the future of several markets across the country The ministry had shared that the discussions explored what the Buxton, Plaisance, Zeelugt, and Tuschen markets could look like with redevelopment, as well as possible enhancements to the New Amsterdam and Skeldon markets. The ministry noted at the time that consideration was also given to the developmentoftheSoesdyke Junction market area and the possibility of a rest stop along the highway
Regarding the New
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Amsterdam Municipal Market, President Irfaan Ali announced in August 2025 that the government planned to replace the decades-old market with a new modern structure.
According to a Department Public Informationarticle,President Alidisclosedthattheexisting
market will be dismantled to makewayforthenewfacility
Having visited several market spaces between last year and this year, minister Manickchand disclosed duringoneofthesevisitsthat markets remain critical economic hubs within communities, providing livelihoods for hundreds of
families while ensuring access to fresh produce and goods for residents. She added through her ministry theyworkonimprovingthese infrastructures, enhancing sanitation facilities, addressing drainageconcerns,andcreating a more organised and resilient space for vendors and customersalike.
From page 11 expected to be operational in July 2027 and the grinding mills expected to be operational byAugust 2027.
Notably, earlier this year, the barge landing caisson and ramp were completed at the project site.
GMIN has already revealed that it anticipates three to four flights weekly from the Oko West gold project to export gold from Guyana as well as facilitate other business and emergencies.
Moreover, the on-site workforce has increased to 1,379 personnel, of which
82% are Guyanese. The companynotedthatthecamp capacity has increased to 1,058 beds to support ongoing workforce ramp-up, withfulloccupancyexpected byNovember2026. The 4.64 million ounces Oko West Gold Project was added to GMIN’s portfolio back in 2024, following its business combination with fellowCanadianfirmReunion Gold. In a similar move like its combination with Reunion, GMINlastmonthannounced thatitenteredintoadefinitive agreement with another Canadian company, G2
Goldfieldsforapproximately US$2.2billion(C$3billion).
The transaction will consolidatetwoadjacentgold projectsinGuyana:G2’sOkoGhanie Project and GMIN’s fully permitted and fully financed Oko West Project. Acquiring G2 will bring the Combined Measured & Indicated Mineral Resources of 7.0 million ounces and Inferred Mineral Resources of 2.3 million ounces and also expand GMIN’s footprint in Guyana by 293 km² (square kilometres), creating a combined contiguous land packageofover362km².
From page 12 meeting, hundreds of Guyanese, young and old braved the heavy rainfall and windstomeetwiththeVPand other cabinet members at the ACCC.
Members of the public were given a number to wait and speak with a cabinet member of their choice, including the VP. Persons lined the stairway of the ACCC in some instances, waitingtohavetheirconcerns addressed.
Severalministersandtheir team were in attendance to document issues raised by those in attendance.
DoreenPersaud,aneldery woman of Enterprise, East Coast Demerara said she
applied for land in 2022 and decided to meet with government for assistance in that regard.
Another young woman, who gave her name as Ms. Murray of Georgetown told this newspaper that she was pleasedtoseetheturnoutand despite the large number of persons she felt “secure and confident” that the weather was not hindering government from meeting with the public.
“My main concern was my land and they took my information for me to come back next week so that’s a good start. They are speeding up the process,” she noted. Twowomenwithmobility
issues,AndreaHendricks,42, of Region Three and Bibi Feroze,23,ofMontrose,East Coast Demerara both arrived at the location an hour ahead of its intended start time. They said concerns were discussed with VP Jagdeo and the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA).
Hendricks said, “I came heretospeakwiththeminister regarding housing for persons with disabilities and to see what the government has in store for us and not have us to go through a longdrawn-out process and I was able to directly interact with VicePresidentBharratJagdeo and minister Priya Manickchand.”
The Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) said Monday that the risk from the Hantavirus in the Caribbean is at an all-time low,advisingmemberstates and the public to remain vigilantbutnotalarmed.
The regional public health agency said it has been monitoring the Hantavirus outbreak aboard the international expedition cruise vessel, the Dutch registered MV Hondius, originally reported to the World Health Organization (WHO)onMay2asacluster of passengers with severe respiratory illness which departed Argentina on 1st April 2026 on a tour of the SouthAtlantic.
According to CARPHA, as of May 11, nine (9) cases have been identified by the WHO, including both confirmed and suspected infections with three reporteddeaths.
It said the risk is low for the Caribbean public Scientific evidence shows the virus does not spread easilybetweenpeople.
According to CARPHA, theAndesstrainlinkedtothe outbreak is unusual in that limited person-to-person transmission has been observed; however, this is rare, requires very close and prolonged contact, and has not been shown to spread widelyincommunities.
“There is also an additional passenger of the s h i p w h o h a d a n inconclusive test result, which is being repeated today Passengers and crew have originated from 28 countries; including Philippines,UnitedStatesof America, United Kingdom, and The Netherlands Several individuals disembarked or were medically evacuated to different jurisdictions, prompting international contact tracing across multiple countries,” the health agency stated in a release.
It said the WHO alongside Dutch authorities have put the vessel under strictpublichealthprotocols following a notification by the International Health Regulation(IHR)focalpoint for the United Kingdom to WHO of a cluster of respiratory infections on boardthevesselon2ndMay 2026. Passengers and crew
have undergone monitoring, with some already transferred for care or repatriated to their home countries under controlled conditions International healthauthoritiescontinueto coordinate surveillance, contact tracing and risk assessment of exposed individuals.
CARPHAexplained that Hantavirus is not a new disease, as it is a welldocumented rodent borne viral zoonotic disease, with approximately 20 strains, carried by rodents and has been present in different parts of the world for decades. It said the viruses exist naturally in specific rodent populations, which shed the virus in their urine, droppings, and saliva Hantaviruses/are/typically/r o d e n t borne,/transmitted/through/ contact/with/infected/rodent s/or/theirexcreta.
“The current Hantavirus outbreak linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship is caused by the Andes virus, which is the only known strain/capable/of/limited/hu m a n - t ohuman/transmission. It is found primarily in parts of South America, including Argentina Based on available evidence, the rodentspeciesthatmaintains this virus in nature is not presentintheCaribbean,and therefore there is no established local source of transmissioninourregion.”
It continued, “this rare h u m a n - t o - h u m a n transmission usually
requires intimate or prolonged exposure while the incubation period before symptoms appear is usually 1 - 6 w e e k s There/is/no/specific/antivira l/treatment/or/vaccine;/care/ is/supportive,/including/oxy g e n / t h e r a p y and/intensive/monitoring./
CARPHA’s Caribbean tailored early warning surveillance and laboratory systems, mechanism and networks are actively monitoringthissituationand can detect and respond if needed.”
The Caribbean health body said through close collaboration with regional and international partners, it
remains focused on providing proactive
communication with memberstatesandthepublic
ThemoreLOVEyougive, themoreyoureceive; themoreyouhave,theeasier itbecomestogive.
to ensure accurate information sharing, reduce misinformation,andsupport situationalawarenessefforts inrelationtotheoutbreak.
CARPHA encourages thepublictoalwayspractice good hygiene, including frequent handwashing,
avoiding close contact with people who are unwell, and taking precautions in environmentswhere rodents may be present These measures are effective not onlyforhantavirus,butfora wide range of infectious diseases.
Hantavirus is NOT COVID-19 because it spreads very differently COVID-19 spreads globally because it transmits easily between people, including those with mild or no symptoms. In contrast, Hantavirus is primarily
rodent-borne,andhuman-tohuman spread is uncommon and limited, and requires close,intimatecontact.
This fundamental difference means that Hantavirusdoesnothavethe same potential to cause a globalpandemic.
The Ministry of Education plans to rehabilitate theWest Ruimveldt Primary School located in Georgetown, to enhance its functionality and ensure the safety of staff and learners.
The project was opened recently at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), withsome33contractorsbiddingfortheworks.Noengineer's estimate was stated, but contractors have bid between $6 millionand$18millionfortheproject.
Belowarethecompaniesandtheirbids: MinistryofEducation General rehabilitation of West Ruimveldt Primary School.
Bidder
SatroConstructionServices
DonieConstructionPlus
MobileExpress
MDSGGeneralServices
TulboxConsultancyFirm
MobileConstructionCompany
Oneika&Son’sDevelopment
Bissoon’sEnterprise
EGISInvestment
PMWConstruction&GeneralServices
InnovativeDevelopmentSolution Guyana(IDSGY)
Rishma&SistersEnterprise
D.Chowkai&SonsConstruction
HolisticContracting&ProcurementInc.
S&JGeneralServices
Crockwell&SonsGeneralConstruction &Supplies
R.PersidConstruction
CollinMentoreConstruction
Shane’sConstruction&Weeding Services
R.Daniel’sEngineeringConstruction
FugenzBusinessSolutions
Dalton’sConstruction
FullworksConstruction
EzeWayConstructionInc.
MinistryofHomeAffairs
AmountTendered
$9,183,300
$9,169,440
$7,261,410
$8,665,965
$8,725,920
$18,432,340
$7,568,820
$8,017,380
$7,940,940
$8,430,398
$7,769,160
$7,070,280
$9,418,500
$9,969,500
$7,175,700
$7,531,600
$6,495,930
$8,596,350
$8,813,910
$8,750,910
$9,159,990
$8,549,100
$8,622,180
$8,511,300
ProcurementofbrandnewvehiclesfortheGuyanaPrison Service.
Procurement of new mini buses for the Guyana Fire Service.
already decidedhowborder...
Frompage13 oralpleadingsbetweenMay4andMay11beforetheICJ. The court is set to announce its decision in the coming months.
Guyana’s Attorney General Anil Nandlall, SC, in a statementattheconclusionofthemattersaidthatthecourt will now deliberate on the matters before it and, in the comingmonths,willissueitsfinalJudgmentonthemerits ofthecase,whichwillbelegallybindingonbothparties.
“WewillawaittheCourt’sfinalJudgmentonthemerits with patience, decorum, dignity and optimism. We will continue to address Venezuela in a spirit of peace, cooperation and friendship, and as sovereign equals. We will respect Venezuela’s sovereignty, as we have always done,andinsistthatVenezuelarefrainfromtrespassingon, orthreatening,Guyana’ssovereignty.”Nandlallsaid.
He noted while Venezuela’s representatives said they donotaccepttheICJ’sjurisdictionandwillnotabidebyits rulings, it is hoped that Venezuela’s expression of disrespectfortheproceedingswillnotbefollowedthrough.
“We hope, that after the passions recede, and responsible government officials reflect, they will conclude,aswehavedone,thatbothstatesarebestserved by an end to this longstanding conflict, and that the only way to secure a just and lasting peace, and an enduring friendship, is by respect for and compliance with, the Court’sfinalJudgment,whateveritmaybe.”
(Reuters) - US President Donald Trump saidonMondaythataceasefirewithIranwas “on life support” afterTehran’s response to a US proposal to end the war made clear the twosideswerestillfarapartonanumberof issues.
Iranhascalledforanendtothewaronall fronts, including Lebanon, where US ally Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hezbollah militants Tehran also demanded compensationforwardamage,anendtothe U.S. naval blockade, a guarantee of no furtherattacks,andresumptionofIranianoil sales.
Tehran also emphasized its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, where it has shut down shipping traffic that normally carries one-fifthoftheworld’soilandgassupply
TrumpsaidIran’sresponsethreatenedthe statusofaceasefirethathasbeeninplacesince April7 “Iwouldcallittheweakestrightnow, afterreadingthatpieceofgarbagetheysentus I didn’t even finish reading it,” said Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to end the ceasefire.
TheUS hadproposedanendtofighting before starting talks on more contentious issues,includingIran’snuclearprogram
TehrandefendeditsstanceonMonday
“Our demand is legitimate,” Foreign MinistryspokespersonEsmaeil`Baghaeisaid
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad BaqerQalibafsaidthatIran’sarmedforcesare
bombing campaign, some 66% of poll respondents - including one in three RepublicansandalmostallDemocrats-said Trumphasnot“clearlyexplainedthegoalsof U.S.militaryinvolvementinIran.”
Iran’s Qalibaf seized on the mounting discontent in the U.S., warning that a prolonged war would deepen the burden on Americans “The longer they drag their feet, themoreAmericantaxpayerswillpayforit,” hesaidinhisposton`X.
Washington has also struggled to build international support, with NATO allies refusingtosendshipstoreopenthewaterway without a full peace deal and an internationallymandatedmission.
People walk on a street near a mural featuring an image of the late Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Tehran, Iran, May 11, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
ready to respond decisively to any “act of aggression”
Brentcrudeoilfutureswereup3%tomore than $104 a barrel, as the deadlock left the Strait of Hormuz largely closed Before the war began on February 28, the narrow waterwaycarriedone-fifthoftheworld’soil and liquefied natural gas, and has since become a central pressure point in the conflict.
Disruption caused by the near-closure of
the strait has forced oil producers to cut exports,andOPECoiloutputdroppedfurther in April to the lowest in more than two decades, a Reuters survey showed on Monday
The United States on Monday imposed newsanctionsonindividualsandcompaniesit saidwerehelpingIranshipoiltoChina,partof effortstocutofffundingforTehran’smilitary and nuclear programs, while also warning banksaboutattemptstoevadeexistingcurbs.
A second Qatari LNG tanker was attemptingtotransitthestrait,thedatashowed, daysafterthefirstsuchcargocrossedunderan arrangementinvolvingIranandPakistan.
Sporadic flare-ups around the strait in recentdayshavetestedtheceasefire
In the U.S., surveys show the war unpopularwith‘votersfacinghighergasoline priceslessthansixmonthsbeforenationwide elections that will determine whether Trump’s Republican Party retains control of Congress. Two out of threeAmericans think Trump has not clearly explained why the country has gone to war, according to a Reuters/IpsospollcompletedonMonday
Morethantwomonthsintoaconflictthat began February 28 with a U S -Israeli
Hakan Fidan, the foreign minister of Turkey, which has been liaising closely with theUS,IranandmediatorPakistansincethe start of the war, will hold talks in Qatar on Tuesday on the conflict and on ensuring navigational safety in the strait, a Turkish diplomaticsourcesaid.
UAE’sATTACKS
The war is also exposing rifts within the Middle East, with ‘some US allies taking a more direct role in the conflict The United ArabEmirates,whichhasbornethebruntof Iranian counterattacks, has carried out military strikes on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiarwiththematter
The strikes, which the UAE has not publiclyacknowledged,includedanattackon a refinery on Iran’s Lavan Island last month, the Journal said Reuters could not immediatelyverifythereport.
AtthetimeoftheApril‘8strikeonLavan, the National Iranian Oil Refining and Distribution Company called it an “enemy attack” The next day, Iran’s Mizan news agencyreporteditwascarriedoutbyMirage fighterjetsusedbytheUAE.
Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday,whereIranissettobeamongthe topics discussed with Chinese President Xi Jinping
Trump has been leaning on China to use its influence to push Tehran toward a deal withWashington.
Following its massive mortgage announcement in February 2026 of 5% for loans up to $60 million in February 2026, Republic Bank (Guyana) Limited is again proud to announce the Republic Mortgage Move. This is another strategic update to its residential mortgage offerings to ensure access to finance and affordable low- and middle-incomehousingforallGuyanese.
InareleaseMonday,thebanksaidthenew Republic Mortgage Move enables customers at other banks who have existing residential mortgages between GYD$20 million to GYD$40 million to move their mortgages to Republic Bank to benefit from better rate of 4.70% and access additional financing for home improvements, expansion or other needs.
Additionally, Republic Bank has no lending ceiling for residential mortgages, which means there is no limit to the amount Guyanese can borrow, giving them greater flexibilitytoborrowontheirindividualneeds andqualifications.
Republic’s highly competitive offerings forRepublicMortgageMoveseektomeetthe evolving needs of Guyanese across all segmentsatthelow,middleandhigh-income segments:
-350%foramountsuptoGYD$9million
-425%foramountsoverGYD$9million anduptoGYD$20million
-470%foramountsoverGYD$20million anduptoGYD$40million
- 5% for amounts over GYD$40 million anduptoGYD$60million
Additionalbenefitsinclude:
-Upto100%financing
-Zeronegotiationandattorneyfees
- Extended repayment terms tailored to yourneeds
-Monthlyamortizedpayments
- Online application and document submission.
Republic Bank remains committed to providing strategic, affordable and customerfocused solutions that help more Guyanese invest in their homes with greater ease and flexibility
For more information, customers are encouraged to visit their nearest Republic Bank or visit our website at wwwrepublicguyanacom
For further information, kindly contact Marketing & Communications, Republic Bank(Guyana)Limited,155-156NewMarket Street, Georgetown, Guyana Email: gymarketing@rfhlcomorgyemail@rfhlcom
National leaders in the PPP/C just like they are determined not to have a petroleum commission, are ensuring that the Access to Information Act does not work. They put a man to run the process, but he is more interested in ensuring Guyanese do not access information rather facilitating it.
President Ali and other members of his PPP/C Government have embraced the practice of asserting loudly and consistently about how much they are about transparency. We suggest that both the president and his team cast their eyes in the direction of the all but comatose Office of the Commissioner of Information and its head.
By even some minimum standard of self-respect, the president and his people should be prompted to change their minds and confirm that transparency in government is self-serving exaggeration, pure myth. Access to information is severely limited, that nonexistent.
GCA/Enline Security Logistics Inc. U-17 50-over tournament
National Under-15 player Shahid Ramzan pulled out another sterling all-round performance which helped Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) crush Queen’s College by 165 runs when action in the GCA/Enline Security Logistics Inc.U1750-overtournamentthispastSaturday GCCrackedup240alloutafterRamzanstrokedaclassy 58 with 3 fours, while Aaron Persaud (35), Balashankar Narine(32*)andTrilokNanan(22),addedtothetotal. QCspinnersNathanielSukhnandan(3-32)andAfrazAli (3-45)ledthebowlingwithhelpfromNitinBhowandat(2-34) andShivPiterhadaue(2-67).
Ramzan then returned to bag 4-11 which stifled Queen’s Collegeforapaltry75runs,asmedium-pacerDilshanGanesh and off-spinner Ravaldo Pereira shared 5 wickets between theminsupportofRamzan. Actionissettocontinuethisweekend.
National youth all-rounder
B A R C E L O N A , (Reuters)-Barcelonaturned theClasicointoacoronation on Sunday, swatting aside RealMadrid2-0ataroaring Camp Nou to claim their 29thLaLiga
HansiFlick’ssidemoved to an unassailable 91 points, 14 clear of second-placed Real with three games remaining The triumph cappedadominantcampaign in which they lost only four league matches. Villarreal arethirdon69points.
Real arrived needing victory to keep their waferthin title hopes alive but Marcus Rashford crushed those aspirations just nine minutesintothegame.
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Getstartedonsomethingnew today You know what you want, and you know exactly how to get there. Anything you start today is sure to end uptakingyousomewherenew andwonderful.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Even if you find the best deal imaginable, you may want to waitbeforedroppinganycash today,tosaynothingofadding toyourdebt.Spendingnowis likelytocauseheartachelater
GEMINI(May21–June20)
You know lots of people by sightorbyname.Atleastone of those folks you don't see every day but know well enoughisvitaltoyoursuccess rightnow.Waitforserendipity orstartmakingcalls.
CANCER(June21–July22)
When things get weird today, your first impulse may be to lash out or to turn it into an argument Trynottotakethings personally You've got more goingonthanyourealize
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
You'rehavingtoomuchfunto worry about whether or not you're learning anything, and that almost guarantees that you pick up on at least one important life lesson. Share theknowledgewiththosewho needit.
VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)
Youfeelmorestridentandsure of yourself today, and with good reason! Your energy is just right for committing yourself to new projects or finding new meaning in old ones Enjoythelift!
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Your love life can run on autopilot for the time being. Youneedtofocusallthissocial energy on other people! Old friends,colleagues,customers, family,andmoreallneedyour attentionnow
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Trytotakethingsonestepata time today If you get too far ahead of yourself, you're just going to have to redo all your hardwork!Beasmethodicalas youcanandallwillbewell.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
You're full of fun and games today, so much so that you mightactuallybeabletoleave responsibilities behind as you take care of your inner child. Things get better as the day progresses!
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Something has got to end, and youneedtobetheonetoendit soon. Try not to worry too much about whether or not you're saying it the right way You've just got to say it out loud.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Tryoutanew,big-pictureidea. Things can be a lot better if you're willing to take a risk! Others might not understand what you're shooting for, but they are sure to appreciate it whenitcomesdown.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Your communication style is a littleoutofsyncwiththerestof the world today, but that doesn'tmeanthatyou'reoutof touch. Speak in cryptic poetry or see if you can play word gameswithafriend.
produced a clever backheel thatsenttheballintothepath ofTorres,whorifledafierce strikeintothetopcorner
Thewincompletedbackto-back league titles for Flick,whoalsodeliveredthe LaLiga and Copa del Rey doubleinhisfirstseasonlast year
Both sides were heavily depleted Barcelona were without Lamine Yamal, Raphinha and Jules Kounde fromthestartinglineup.
Antonio Rudiger fouled FerranTorresjustoutsidethe box and Rashford bent a superbfreekickintoThibaut Courtois’ top-left corner, giving Barcelona the early ‘lead and sending the home crowdintoraptures.
Nine minutes later, Barcelona doubled the lead. Fermin Lopez crossed into the area and Dani Olmo
Frompage25 the200-runmark. One of the Eagles young prospects to feature in this match, Ramsammy, then joined forces with Nandu as Guyana were locked in approachingcloseofplayon Day2.
Earlier,WIAresumingon 423-6 with Rivaldo Clarke already 150 runs up and Amari Goodridge also unbeaten on a ton, Guyana managed to snuff out the remainingwickets.
Clarke would go onto to finishwithamajestic180off 228ballswith23foursand5 sixeswhileGoodridgeended on 123 with 12 fours and 3 sixes, piling on 280 runs for the 7th wicket before both centurionsfelltofast-bowler NialSmith(2-61).
Young seamer Thaddeus Lovell bagged 2-88 as both Veerasammy Permaul and Richie Looknauth failed to add to their respective first day3-fers.
Meanwhile, Trinidad & TobagoRedForcewhowere bowledoutfor333inthefirst innings,stillmanagedtogain a 71-run lead over Barbados Pride, who are reeling on 262-9 going into today’s 3rd day over at the Coolidge CricketGround.
Real’s list of missing players was longer, with EderMilitao,DaniCarvajal, Ferland Mendy, Arda Guler and Rodrygo all absent Federico Valverde also missed out after suffering a head injury following a midweek changing-room fight with team mate Aurelien Tchouameni, with both players 500,000 ‘euros overtheincident.
Real threatened through ViniciusandGonzalobefore halftime, but Barcelona carried the greater menace. Courtois kept the visitors alive with fine saves from Torres and Rashford before theinterval.
Barcelona continued to press after the ‘break, Rashford repeatedly tormenting left back Fran Garciadowntheright,while Courtois produced another sharpstopwithhisleftfootto deny Torres from pointblank range in the 56th minute.
Bellingham had a goal ruled out for offside in the 62ndminuteandJoanGarcia was quick to ‘deny Vinicius in a one-on-one, preventing theBrazilianfromliftingthe balloverhim.
Realkeptprobinglateon, but there was little bite in their attack, and Barcelona calmly saw out the win before the title celebrations began.
Kylian Mbappe did not travel because of a leg muscle injury, forcing manager Alvaro Arbeloa to start Vinicius Jr alongside academy striker Gonzalo, with Jude Bellingham and Brahim Diaz pushing forwardinsupport.
Guyana’s reigning Elite League champions, Slingerz Football Club, continued their preparations for the upcoming CaribbeanFootballUnion(CFU) Club Shield tournament with a commanding 6-1 victory over a B l u e b e r r y Hill/Alleys/Valleys/Christianbur g combination team on Saturday evening at the Bayroc National StadiuminLinden.
Despite the emphatic scoreline, Slingerz FC Head Coach Jamaal Shabazz made it clear after the match that the outingwasneverabouttheresult, but rather the continued development of the team’s tactical approach and overall match fitness ahead of July’s regional assignment in Trinidad andTobago.
The Linden combination side earned the opportunity to face Slingerz FC after emerging champions of the recently concluded Linden Town Week Football Tournament, and scores of fans turned out despite intermittent showers to witness the contest featuring several of Linden’s top players against one ofGuyana’spremierclubs.
Thevisitorswastedlittletime asserting themselves, with Elite League MVP Darron Niles producing a clinical double to leadtheattack.
The remaining goals came from Solomon Austin, Kemar Beckford, and Curtez Kellman, while an own goal rounded off SlingerzFC’stallyonthenight.
While pleased with aspects of the performance, Shabazz
stressed that the focus remains firmly on preparation rather than results at this stage of the season.
“The match wasn’t about the result. Of course, as a club, you want to win every time you step on the pitch, regardless if it’s a practice match or not, but for Slingerz FC, it was about using thegametoimplementandwork on our playing style, getting the players match-ready,” Shabazz explained.
Accordingtotheexperienced coach, the club had resumed training shortly following the conclusion of the GFF Elite League Cup and is now placing heavy emphasis on sharpening the squad physically and tactically ahead of regional competition.
Shabazz noted that the technical staff is carefully managing the players’ workload while gradually increasing the intensityofsessionstoensurethe team peaks at the right time for theCFUClubShield.
HealsorevealedthatSlingerz FC intends to engage in additional pre-season matches, both locally and regionally, as part of the club’s build-up to the prestigious Caribbean tournament.
With just over a month remainingbeforetheClubShield kicks off, Shabazz noted, that S a t u r d a y ’s d o m i n a n t performance offered supporters in Linden an encouraging glimpse of a Slingerz FC side determined to represent Guyana stronglyontheregionalstage.
Jamaican, Kemar Beckford, makes his way around defenders at the Bayroc National Stadium.
BBC Sport - Reigning French OpenchampionCocoGauffearned another confidence-boosting win on the clay by fighting back from match point down to beat ailing AmericanteenagerIvaJovicinthe ItalianOpenfourthround.
Gauff’s preparations for her RolandGarrostitledefencelooked to be taking a significant blow as shetrailed7-55-3against18-yearoldJovicinRome.
Buttheworldnumberfour,who
also recovered from a set down to Argentina’s Solana Sierra in the previousround,survivedthematch pointbeforeendingupwinning5-7 7-56-2.
Despite victory, Gauff knows shewillhavetoplaymuchbetterto match her run to the Italian Open final last year - and go anywhere near retaining the French Open, whichbeginson24May
Gauff, who won her second Grand Slam title by beatingAryna
Sabalenka in last year’s Roland Garros final, was far from her best inadramaticcontestagainstJovicplayedinatestingwind.
The noise of fighter jets in the skies over the Foro Italico venue alsodisruptedtheplayers.
ClinicalSinnercontinues tolookunstoppable
Inthemen’sdraw,Italianworld number one Jannik Sinner continuedhisbidforacleansweep of the ATP Masters titles with a
routinevictoryinthethirdround.
Sinner, 24, cruised to a 6-2 6-0 win over Australia’s Alexei Popyrininlittleoveranhourashe looks to land the Rome trophy for thefirsttime.
Moresignificantly,winninghis home tournament will see Sinner become only the second man after Novak Djokovic to claim all nine Masters titles - the tier of events belowthefourGrandSlams.
Sinner has won the past five
Masters tournaments and another exhibition of clinical ball-striking against Popyrin extended his winning streak at this level to 30 matches - leaving him one behind Djokovic’s record 31-match run in 2011.
In this form, four-time major championSinnerlooksunbeatable. With nearest rival Carlos Alcaraz injuredandahostofothertopseeds already out of the draw, it is difficulttoseewhowillstophim.
The next player tasked with trying to deny Sinner’s bid for history is Italian qualifier Andrea Pellegrino,whohasreachedthelast 16ofaMastersforthefirsttime.
Before this week, 29-year-old Pellegrino had never played a Masters main draw but the world number 155 continued his dream homerunwitha7-6(10-8)6-1win over two-time US Open semifinalistFrancesTiafoe.
Continuing his run by beating Sinner would be a seismic shock which would rank among the greatestupsetsontheATPTour
2026 GCA/Sherwin Williams 2nd Division T20 tournament…
- Chandrika, Latif lead with tons
Everest and Transport Cricket Clubsbaggedhugewinswhileafew other clubs registered victories, as part of an action-filled weekend of cricket played across the city in the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Sherwin Williams T20 2nd DivisionTournament.
Everest on Saturday, posted a daunting 234-2 by the time their overs ended after a classy yet aggressive 120* off 62 balls from ex-Guyana Jags/Windies Test opener Rajendra Chandrika, who nailed14foursand5sixes.
Alongside Narendra Persaud, whomissedatonasheendedon91 notoutoff44withninefoursand4 maximums, and Chandrika added 209-for the 3rd wicket partnership whichessentiallywonthegamefor Everestbya92-rundeficitbyvirtue ofDLS.
Diplomats Seon Walcott (2-31) was the only bowler to escape maximum punishment, as his team would go onto post 88-5 after their overswerereducedduetoweather
SeonGaskin(32*),wasthemain scorer as Javed Rasheed (2-10),
Rafael Singh (1-2), Persaud (1-3) and Aaron Beharry (1-19) kept the inningsincheckforEverest TransportbeatPoliceAllStars Academyby67-runs
In another competitive game, TransportbeatPoliceAllStarsby67 runsafternationalyouthall-rounder RiyadLatifspanked106tohelphis team post what turned out to be a 201-4from20overs
The dynamic Latif got to his score off a mere 61 balls after hammering10foursandsevensixes, withhelpfromJeremiahHohenkirk and national player Emmanuel Lewiswhoscored34apiece
Bowlingforthelawmenwasled byDarwinLaRose,whostarredwith
decent returns of 2-48 as veteran cricketer Troy Benn (1-37) and national youth all-rounder Joshua Budhram(1-39),lentsupport
In pursuit of a big target, the PoliceAllStarsAcademycouldonly muster 134-8 from 20 overs after Benn(45)wasforcedtotapintoall his experience as he returned to steady the ship with 6 fours and a pairofsixesoff33balls.
Backup came in the form of GuyanaPoliceForce(GFP)Deputy Commissioner “Administration” Ravindradat Budhram who stroked a classy 45 (4x4 1x6) and Troy Leitch(19)
Transport bowling saw youth all-rounderReyazLatifreturning4-
14whileveteranShaunMassiah(213) and Renaldo Grenville (1-17) aidedthecause
In other games, Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) beat Positive Foundation Agricola by 3 wickets afterbowlingoutthelatterfor116all out from 181 overs, despite Leron Crawfordscoring58
All-rounderVijai Kalpu bagged 5-14 while former Guyana skipper and West Indies batsman Leon Johnson (2-11), Joash Charles (224) and Yeudistir Persaud (1-18) snappedupwickets
GCC in reply finished on 117-7 from 164 overs with Navindra Persaudcarryinghisbatto51*,with helpfromTimothyMcAlmont(45),
Agricola’s Sealon Sue (2-17) and ShaquilleLeung(2-33)endedasthe primarywicket-takers.
ElDoradoCricketClubdefeated Sophiaby23runsafterposting1317 from 163 overs thanks to Ntini Permaulleadingwith60
Bowling for Sophia was led by Tyriq Walters (2-12) who had help from Ronaldo Hercules (1-20), JoshuaGrant(1-22),GarthAllen(123)andTerranceDecuna(1-30)
Sophiainreplywerebundledup for 108 in 155 overs with meager contributions from Joshua Grant (25)andMalcolmMorris(18);who triedtofendoffAkeemWilliams(211) and Yogendra Singh (2-14) (CliftonRoss)
Kemol Pickering delivered a commanding performance on Sunday evening, powering The Bishop’s High School to a crushing 74-14 victory over School of the Nations as Youth Basketball Guyana continued its Georgetown C i t y R e g i o n a l championshipsonSundayat the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
P i c k e r i n g w a s unstoppable on both ends of the court, finishing with a game-high 24 points and a tournament-best 18 rebounds to record a dominant double-double display His all-round brilliance spearheaded a ruthless Bishop’s attack that overwhelmed Nations from theopeningwhistle.
Fellow standout Eli Archer also registered his double-double with 21 points, 10 rebounds and three assists, while Lalique Williamschippedinwith13 points and five rebounds to cap another emphatic showingfromBishop’sHigh as they strengthened their titleambitions.
The Bishops’ clinical shooting and relentless reboundingprovedtoomuch forNations,withPickering’s inside dominance helping his side maintain control throughout the one-sided contest.
Earlier in the evening, Tutorial High secured an
impressive36-23winoverSt Stanislaus College in what was arguably the most competitive matchup of the night.
Julian Charles once again led the charge for Tutorial, dominating in the paint with 20 points and threerebounds.KeionLynch provided solid support with 12points,fourreboundsand
fourstealsasTutorialpulled away late to secure the 13pointtriumph.
Despite a determined effort from Josiah Lee, who finished with eight points and four rebounds, St Stanislaus struggled to recover from a fourthqu
eventually succumbed to Tutorial’sdisciplinedplay
Bishops’Kemol Pickering in full flow against School of the Nations, finishing with a game-high performance to lead his side to 60-point win.
strong performances from Lemuel Wilson andAntoine Liverpool.
Wilson earned Player of the Match honours after tallying 12 points and six rebounds, while Liverpool contributed 10 points, four rebounds and three steals in thecomfortablevictory Queen’s also received valuable contributions from Anfernee Cummings, who added eight points and six rebounds,andDimitriSingh, whose defensive effort producedsixpointsandeight rebounds as QC closed out the night in dominant fashion.
With the Georgetown City Regional tournament nearing the decisive stages, The Bishop’s High and Tutorial High continue to emerge as strong contenders for zonal suprem
y followinganothersuccessful roundoffixtures.
In the final game of the evening, Queen’s College brushed aside Marian Academy 41-20 behind
The tournament is sponsored by Edward B. Beharry Ltd., G-Boats Inc., the National Sports Commission,theMinistryof Education and Banks DIH Ltd.
Wembanyama appeared to elbow Timberwolves’Naz Reid in the jaw. (Reuters)
BBC Sports - Victor Wembanyama was ejectedforthefirsttimeinhisNBAcareerfor elbowing an opponent - as his San Antonio Spurs side were beaten 114-109 by theMinnesotaTimberwolvesingamefourof theWesternConferencesemi-finals.
France international Wembanyama, 22, had grabbed the rebound of a missed Spurs three-pointerearlyinthesecondquarterand was protecting the ball when he turned around and appeared to elbow Timberwolves’NazReidinthejaw
The incident was initially called as a offensive foul, as fans in Minneapolis chanted“kickhimout,kickhimout”.
And, after a video review of the play by theofficials,itwasupgradedtoaflagrant2which is an automatic ejection and a
minimum of $2,000 (£1,464) fine - for excessivecontactabovetheneck. Timberwolves’victoryonSundaylevels the best-of-seven series at 2-2 before game fiveinSanAntonio,TexasonTuesday Spurs coach Mitch Johnson said, while hedidnotcondoneWembanyama’sactions, he was glad he “took matters into his own hands”ashebelievesthe7ft4in(2.24m)star needsmoreprotectionfromreferees. Wembanyama finished with four points andfourreboundsinjustunder13minutesof action, while his Spurs team-mates De’Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper scored 24 pointseach. Reid, meanwhile, contributed 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the Timberwolves.
MCYS / East Bank Inter Village Football
The inaugural edition of theMinistryofCulture,Youth and Sport / East Bank Inter Village Football Tournament endedonSaturdaynightatthe Eccles EE Ground with Grove ending as the only undefeated village with a comfortable 3-0 win over Kuru Kururu to cart off the top prize of one million dollars and the Republic Banktrophy
The evening and indeed the tournament belonged to the village of Grove which was Captained by Domini Garnett who led from the front in every regard to seal another title for the former East Bank Football Associationchampions.
Garnettnettedadoubleto end the tournament with a total of eight (8) goals, he was also named Most Valuable Player of the tournament.Henettedinthe 13th and 40th minute to compliment Lloyd Matthews’7th minute effort as Kuru Kururu could not counterinanyeffectiveway, theGrovebackline.
Kudos to Kuru Kururu though, as they represented their village with determination and was rewarded with a prize of $500,000fortheirefforts.
Garnettwasrewardedfor his MVP accolade with $100,000 compliments of Fitness Express whilst also receiving $80,000 as the tournaments highest goal scorer and a voucher worth $25,000 pledged by A & B VarietyShopakaGreenShop ofLot526EEEccles.
The third-place match between Herstelling and Agricola saw the former, on account of a Malcolm Hendricks goal in the 44th minute, seal victory and
claim the Bounty Farm Ltd.
$250,000 cash prize, Agricola rewarded with $150,000 also sponsored by BountyFarmLtd.
Copping the Best
Goalkeeperprizeof$80,000 was Grove’s Ronel McLean who only conceded twice in the five matches his village contested, including four (4) cleansheets.
Grove also copped another individual accolade as Most Promising Player prize went to 19 year-old Shaquan Joseph. He was presented with $25,000 compliments of Quincy ‘Presser’ Ashley, First Vice President of the West
D
Association.
Organiser of the tournament, Sports Extra expressedgratitudetoallfor theircombinedeffortswhich resulted in a successful tournament which attracted twelvevillagesfromtheEast Bank and the Soesdyke Linden Highway, namely Circuitville, Swan, Kuru Kururu, Timehri, Soesdyke, Friendship, Grove, Kaneville, Mocha, HerstellingandAgricola.
Gratitude was also extended to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, OfficeofthePrimeMinister, MinistryofHousing,Bounty Farm Ltd., Fitness Express, Star Rentals, Trophy Stall, NAMILCO and Republic Bankfortheirsupport.
Assisting with the presentation of prizes which followedthefinalwereMrs. Michelle Harinarine ( C h a i r p e r s o n Lamaha/Yarrowkabra NDC), Mr. Kevin Ally of Bounty Farm Ltd., and Mr. Balgraj Budwa of the Grove/DiamondNDC.
Kuru Kururu Captain, Sherven Henry receives their second place prize from Assistant Director of Sport, Franklin Wilson.
ByCliftonRoss
Guyana Harpy Eagles opener
Matthew Nandu dazzled the Antigua Recreation Ground yesterday with a phenomenal unbeaten ton which gave histeamahugechanceatgettingclose to the monster 1st innings total set by the West Indies Academy (WIA); as theytrailby237runswithanimportant 3rddayloomingtoday
Nandu notched up his second 1st class hundred which gave the Eagles a tremendous start in their hunt of the Academy’smammoth1stinningsscore of485allout.
The reliable in-form opener Tagenarine Chanderpaul applied
Herstelling’s Captain Jonathan Conyer accepts their third-place prize from Bounty Farm Ltd., rep. Mr. Kevin Ally.
himself for yet another innings this season with a 106-ball 59 featuring 10 fours, adding 127 for the first wicket alongsideNandu.
Atcloseofplay,Guyanawererocksteady on 248-3 after 68 overs with Nandu on 110 not out with 13 fours, carrying his bat throughout the entire passageofday2whichkeptGuyanain thehunt.
All-rounder and debutant Zeynul Ramsammy(12*),lookedpositivewith acoupleoffoursbeforestumpsandwill looktoleaveanimpressiontoday
After Chanderpaul’s departure, KevlonAnderson sought to finally get some form ahead of the final, playing well for his 31 (4x4) but still was nowhere near his peak batting zone as hefelltoGiovonteDepeiza(1-19). Leg-spinning all-rounder Zishan Motara (2-87), who removed Chanderpaulearlier,thenaddedthebig wicket of the Eagles captain Tevin Imlach, who was knocked over for a grueling8off32(1x4);tohiscollection shortlyafterGuyanawouldgowellpast Continued on page 21
