See stories on pages 2, 3 and 7
…survivors recount horror as families cling to hope for missing loved ones …int’l community, region express support for Guyana, rescue efforts
Police seize ecstasy, ganja in separate drug busts
Over $100M to be invested in sawmill projects
Sacrifice will never be forgotten –Walrond on fallen Police heroes 2
Governments, regional leaders and diplomatic missions have expressed condolences and solidarity with Guyana following the capsizing of the MV Barima, as search and rescue operations continue for passengers who remain missing. In separate statements on Sunday, the United States (US), the European Union (EU), Caricom, the Governments of Jamaica, St
Kitts and Nevis, Trinidad and Tobago along with the Chinese Embassy in Guyana, offered support to Guyana while paying tribute to the rescuers involved in the ongoing operation. The Delegation of the EU in Guyana said it was “deeply saddened” by the capsizing of the MV Barima.
“The news of the capsizing of the MV Barima is deeply
saddening. Our thoughts are with those who remain missing, their loved ones and everyone affected by this tragic incident,” the delegation stated. It also commended the rescue efforts, saying the “tireless efforts, courage and dedica-
tion” of everyone involved in the operation were deeply commendable. “The European Union stands in solidarity with Guyana during this difficult time. We hope and pray for the safe recovery of those who remain unaccounted for,” the statement added. The US Embassy in Guyana also expressed sadness over the incident, extending condolences to the families of those aboard the vessel. “The US Embassy
is deeply saddened by the sinking of the MV Barima. Our heartfelt condolences go to the families of those on board, passengers and crew alike,” the Embassy said. It also recognised the work of emergency responders. “We honour the courage of every rescuer who answered the call in the dark hours of the night and who continue their mis-
sion today. We pray for the safe recovery of all those still missing.”
Caribbean is one family Prime Minister (PM) of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Terrance Drew, said the tragedy had affected people across the Caribbean. “Like so many across our Caribbean region, I am deeply saddened by the tragic ferry incident in Guyana,” he stated. Dr Drew said his thoughts and prayers were with the people and Government of Guyana, particularly the families awaiting news of their loved ones. He also offered prayers for those who had been rescued and the first responders con-
tinuing search and rescue operations under difficult circumstances. “In moments like these, we are reminded that the Caribbean is one family,” he said, adding that the people and Government of St Kitts and Nevis stood with “our brothers and sisters in Guyana,” sharing in their sorrow and hoping for the best possible outcome for those still unaccounted for. Jamaica’s PM Andrew Holness also expressed solidarity with Guyana. “I am deeply saddened by the capsizing of the MV Barima and the distress this incident has caused,” Holness said. He extended solidarity on behalf of the Government and people of Jamaica to President Dr Irfaan Ali, the Government and people of Guyana and especially to the families and loved ones of those affected.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone impacted by this event, as well as the brave rescue teams who continue their efforts with dedication and courage. We pray for strength and comfort for all those affected,” he added. PM of Trinidad and Tobago Kamla Persad-Bissessar said her Government was deeply saddened by the incident and the significant loss of life it may have caused. On behalf of the Government and people of Trinidad and Tobago, she extended condolences to President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the people of Guyana. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by this tragedy, especially the families of those who remain missing or who have lost loved ones,” she said. Persad-Bissessar also paid tribute to the rescue teams, noting that air and naval assets, along with personnel from the Trinidad and Tobago Defence Force, were supporting the recovery efforts. She added that Trinidad and Tobago stood in solidarity with Guyana as families awaited the safe return of their loved ones and expressed hope that those still unaccounted for would be found as search and rescue operations continued. Caricom also issued a statement expressing sadness over the capsizing of the passenger ferry off the Atlantic coast near the Pomeroon River.
TURN TO PAGE 10
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, July 20 –08:05h–09:35h and Tuesday, July 21 – 08:50h–10:20h.
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
Thundery to light showers are expected during the day and at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-Easterly to Easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.02 metres.
High Tide: 08:44h and 21:06h reaching maximum heights of 2.42 metres and 2.39 metres.
Low Tide: 14:38h reaching a minimum height of 0.83 metre.
The Guyana
Government has launched a comprehensive investigation after it was revealed that the captain of MV Barima, which capsized off the Essequibo Coast on Saturday night with over 100 passengers onboard, along with at least two crew members were tested positive for cannabis. This comes as authorities are also grappling with an inaccurate passenger manifest. Initially, it was reported that there were 116 passengers along with 17 crew members on board the vessel, which capsized shortly before midnight on Saturday. Up to press time on Sunday, 67 persons - 41 males, 11 females and 15 children (six boys and 9 girls) - had been rescued. Authorities also confirmed the recovery of two bodies, including a female who was found washed up amongst the mangrove on the Essequibo Coast shoreline. But during a press briefing on Sunday evening, Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, revealed the troubling discoveries made during rescue efforts.
“As rescue efforts progressed today [Sunday], authorities discovered that a number of individuals who were rescued were not listed on the vessel’s official manifest. Additionally, two rescued crew members tested positive for cannabis during medical examinations conducted by healthcare personnel,” PM Phillips stated. According to the PM, who was leading the Government’s emergency response efforts, these “deeply concerning and shocking developments” has prompted an immediate investigation.
“The Government has ordered an urgent and comprehensive investigation involving members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and other technical maritime experts,” he stated. Phillips told reporters at the press briefing that the team has already commenced the probe, which will examine all of the facts and circumstances surrounding this tragedy, including the accuracy of the passenger manifest, the loading of passengers and cargo, compliance with maritime safety regulations and the conduct of the captain and crew before and during the voyage.
No tolerance
“Let me be absolutely clear, where negligence, misconduct, or criminal wrong-
doing is established, those responsible will face the full force of the law. There will be no exceptions and no tolerance for actions that placed innocent lives at risk,” PM Phillips declared. Meanwhile, these revelations were described by Public Works Minister Juan Edghill as “criminal action,” as he too made it clear that no effort would be spared, especially in ensuring that those responsible are brought to justice. “To be confronted with a reality that, despite an official man-
ifest was given to us, persons who were rescued were not manifested, that is a criminal action… And we’re taking action in that regard because life is important and nobody for the want of a few extra dollars can cheat a system or do whatever mischief you want. [This] has compromised the entire search and rescue operation because we are looking for 133 persons… [but] we don’t really know the real number right now,” an outraged Edghill contended. Moreover, the Public
Works Minister went onto add, “…we have a zero tolerance for members of the crew drinking or smoking while at work. And for us to have positive tests from the Captain, I could understand a sailor, but not a captain. This is serious. People’s lives are at risk and those matters will be dealt with.” The captain along with the first engineer and a sailor were all rescued and while’s undergoing medical checkup, they were tested for alcohol use and drugs.
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The People’s Progressive Party’s formal abandonment of Marxism-Leninism closed one chapter in Guyana’s political history, but opened another. That decision is less significant for what it rejects than for the question it now poses: if not MarxismLeninism, then what? The answer cannot simply be “neoliberalism”.
The collapse of the Soviet model worldwide – and Burnham’s cooperative socialist one here – settled the argument over whether the State should own the “commanding heights of the economy”.
Experience has shown that centrally-planned economies struggle to innovate, allocate capital efficiently, or satisfy the aspirations of increasingly educated populations. Guyana, enriched by unprecedented oil revenues and integrating into the global economy, has no need to revisit that experiment.
Yet the opposite extreme deserves no less scrutiny. For four decades, neoliberalism – imposed here in 1989 through IMF “conditionalities” – has championed deregulation, privatisation, reduced taxation, labour market flexibility and the supremacy of markets. It has undoubtedly generated wealth. But it has also concentrated wealth. Across much of the developed world, productivity has risen while wage growth has stagnated. Public infrastructure has often deteriorated while private fortunes have multiplied. Economic growth has not automatically translated into broad-based prosperity.
Fortunately, the Government seems determined not to import those contradictions. Our country’s greatest advantage is that it begins this new phase with extraordinary fiscal capacity. Oil revenues provide a rare opportunity to shape markets rather than merely react to them. The challenge is, therefore, not choosing between the State and the market. It is designing a partnership in which each performs the functions it performs best.
Markets remain unmatched in rewarding initiative, encouraging entrepreneurship and allocating resources efficiently. Private investment and entrepreneurship must continue to drive innovation, create employment, and expand exports. Guyana’s future depends upon entrepreneurs operating in a regulatory environment that is transparent, competitive, and free from unnecessary bureaucracy.
But Governments possess strengths that markets do not. Only Governments can ensure universal education, healthcare, public security, environmental stewardship and modern infrastructure. Only Governments can correct regional imbalances that markets often ignore. Only governments can guarantee that every child –whether born in Georgetown, Lethem, Port Kaituma or Mabaruma – begins life with genuine opportunity rather than inherited disadvantage. This is not socialism. It is intelligent capitalism.
A modern developmental state does not seek to replace private enterprise. It seeks to cultivate it. Singapore, South Korea and, increasingly, several Gulf States demonstrate that Governments can actively guide development while preserving vibrant Private Sectors. Strategic investments in ports, digital infrastructure, technical education, research, renewable energy and industrial parks can crowd in private investment rather than crowd it out.
Guyana is embracing what economists increasingly describe as “inclusive capitalism”. Workers are not merely receiving wages; they are being given opportunities to accumulate assets – especially housing. The Government is creating accessible capital markets to allow ordinary Guyanese to participate directly in wealth creation. They are using oil revenues not simply to spend but to invest. Every dollar directed towards education, vocational training, scientific research, digital connectivity and resilient infrastructure expands the productive capacity of future generations. While cash grantfuelled consumption satisfies today’s voters, investment enriches tomorrow’s citizens.
This vision is entirely consistent with the PPP’s historic commitment to working people. Being pro-worker in the twenty-first century need not mean opposing business. Workers need profitable businesses, because profitable businesses create employment. Businesses need educated, healthy and secure workers, because productivity depends upon human capital.
The ideological labels of the twentieth century have become increasingly obsolete. The practical questions of the twenty-first are different. How can artificial intelligence complement rather than replace workers? How can oil wealth finance a diversified economy? How can rapid growth avoid producing entrenched inequality? How can entrepreneurship flourish while ensuring that opportunity remains genuinely open to all? These are not Marxist questions or neoliberal questions. They are Guyanese questions.
Our circumstances are unique: a small, resource-rich, multiethnic democracy with extraordinary revenues and extraordinary expectations. We can, therefore, afford to craft our own model –one that welcomes markets without worshipping them, values enterprise without excusing excess, and recognises that economic growth is meaningful only when its benefits are widely shared, especially among our several ethnic groups.
Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond, Police Commissioner Clifton Hicken, members of the Guyana Police Force’s Executive Leadership Team, Regional and Branch Commanders, heads of department, representatives of the Joint Services and members of Fallen Heroes Inc, along with several families, paid tribute to the nation’s fallen heroes during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Fallen But Not Forgotten Heroes monument in the Police Officers’ Mess Compound on Sunday. The observance honoured the sacrifice and service of those who gave their lives in the line of duty (GPF photos)
Dear Editor, The Association For Democracy and Human Rights of Guyana supports the ongoing national search and rescue effort for the passengers of the MV Barima. We commend the authorities, emergency responders and all persons involved in the operation and urge every Guyanese to continue praying and hoping that all passengers are located and recovered safely. However, we
have noticed that Azruddin Mohamed and the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party have already begun using this tragic accident to promote propaganda, misinformation and political opportunism. At a time when the country is grieving, searching for answers and standing together in solidarity, no responsible political leader should attempt to manufacture panic, distort the facts or exploit the pain and un-
certainty being experienced by families for political attention. This is not the time for reckless speculation, sensationalism or self-promotion. It is a time for compassion, restraint, accuracy and national unity. Every public statement must respect the dignity of those affected and the sensitive work being undertaken by the authorities, emergency responders and other personnel engaged in the search and rescue opera-
tion. The Association urges all political actors to allow the competent authorities to conduct their work and communicate verified information to the public. Unsubstantiated claims and inflammatory commentary can cause unnecessary distress to families, create confusion, undermine public confidence and interfere with the responsible management of a national emergency. Guyanese must remain wary of the
Mohameds’ persistent attempts to insert themselves into every national issue, even where their interventions lack competence, credibility and basic human sensitivity. Leadership is not about rushing towards the spotlight during moments of tragedy. It is about knowing when to speak, what to say and, most importantly, when the national interest demands compassion and responsibility over political oppor-
tunism. The Association For Democracy and Human Rights of Guyana calls on all Guyanese to reject misinformation, rely on verified official updates and continue supporting the affected families with dignity, empathy, solidarity and prayer.
Sincerely,
Association For Democracy and Human Rights of Guyana
Following the positive results for drugs, all three of them were taken into police custody at the Anna Regina Police Station in Region Two (Pomeroon Supenaam), where they remained overnight. Another crew member, the mate, who is the second most senior person on board after the captain, was also rescued and assisted the search and rescue teams. He too was tested but nothing was found. Initially, Edghill had reported earlier on Sunday that, based on information received including from both crew and surviving passengers, MV Barima had capsized due to the rough Atlantic waters, which tilted the vessel and causing it to go under water.
But Director of the MARAD, Captain Stephen Thomas, explained during
the late-night briefing that while rough waves and winds could cause a vessel to heel (rock to the sides), it should return to an upright position once there is “positive stability.”
It was noted that the investigation would unearth whether they intoxicated state of the Captain and crew members had a role in the vessel capsizing, which according to survivors occurred in less than a minute.
Mischief
In fact, out of the 67 survivors who were rescued, only 35 of them were listed on the passenger manifest. This, according to the Public Works Minister, is nothing but pure “mischief” by staff of the Transport and Habours Department (THD).
“We can’t excuse it,
[it’s] mischief… There’s a traffic manager that manages the Kingston goods wharf. There’s a superintendent that is responsible for loading the vessel, whether it’s cargo or passengers. And then there’s an officer responsible for revenue because if you’re putting on cargo, you got to pay for it. And if persons are going on the boat, they got to be paid… Those persons are now the subject of an investigation. What action will be taken will be determined by the outcome [of the probe,” he noted.
Edghill further indicated that immediately following the press briefing, he would be meeting with senior officials of the THD including all the managers of the various departments.
Search and rescue mission continues
Meanwhile, the search and rescue mission continues with assistance from both state agencies as well as the private sector. In fact, ExxonMobil Guyana has made available a vessel equipped with a scanner that can detect life underwater. However, the search is also still underway to locate the vessel, which has sunk.
Divers have also been deployed as the search and rescue efforts were expanded from an initial 400-square-kilometre area to 1070 square kilometres (km). Additionally, local fisherfolks have also joined the efforts to locate remaining passengers.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony said on Sunday evening, that most of the persons rescued received minor injuries. However, four persons were kept overnight in the hospital for further observation.
The MV Barima is licensed to carry 284 tonnes of cargo and up 397 passengers. The initial cargo manifesto indicated that some 268 tonnes on board – a figure authority were reviewing given the inaccuracies detected.
Similarly, efforts were being made up to late Sunday night to ascertain the true number of passengers on board the vessel.
While the Government has released the full list of the 67 survivors as well as the passenger manifest, members of the public who had relatives or know anyone that were on board the vessel but is not named on either list to contact the authorities.
The Government has established three Emergency Family Assistance Centres across the country. These centres are located at the Umana Yana in Kingstown, Georgetown; at the Port Kaituma Community Centre in Region One and at the NAREI Extension Centre in Kumaka, Mabaruma also in Region One.
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House of Cards
A circle graph compares parts of a whole to a whole. They are also called pie charts because each looks like a pie that has been sliced up. When you read a pie chart, it does not always matter how big the whole is, because you are comparing parts to each other and the whole. However, sometimes you can calculate a whole exactly.
Examples:
Which kind of bank note did Patricia save the most?
Step 1: Find the biggest segment of the pie chart.
Step 2:Read the label for that segment. Patricia saved more $20 bills than any other kind of bank note.
Get your colouring pens ready, it’s time to bring a beautiful stained‑glass window to life! In this crafty game, you’ll roll a special dice, and whatever colour it shows is the co lour you add to your window. Get ready to make something truly special.
Markers
Cardboard
Ruler Scissors
What you'll need
How to make
Step 1: Create a stained glass window design and a dice design using the photo as a guide.
Step 2: Colour in the dice using six dif ferent colours.
Step 3: Cut it out and stick it together, then cut out your window.
Step 4: Roll the dice and colour in your window in the order of the colours you roll.
Top Tip: You could play this with a friend, taking turns to roll the dice and co lour. (Adapted from bakerross.co.uk)
Patricia saved a total of 98 bank notes. How many of them were $20 bills?
Step 1: Look at the whole circle. You may not be able to tell exactly how big each part is. However, you can estimate. The $20 bills segment accounts for roughly one half of the circle.
Step 2:Multiply ½ x 98 = 49. There are 49 $20 bills. Calculate the value of the $20 bills segment: $20 x 49 = $980.
Types of pie charts
By Jeffrey yang
No jesses to bate against the arctic air, light passes through a drop of oil in the eye, spectral sight this vision of soaring still soaring heart beating quick between the wings the light underfoot underwing hovering in stillness, wings beating against the air against feathered peak lampblack eyes thinking always thinking to dive arrowlike into the water silvered bait in wine-dark beak Aeolian lift ghostly tail half a mermaid’s purse guides the wind along the meridian arcs the lifelong peregrinations between the antipodes circumpolar flight in sight of the horizon half the brain sleeps as the other half dreams through ecliptic tilt across hemispheres chasing the sunlight no-voice calling from the periphery beyond the clouds and blue mists you likewise blessed by the House of Birds between the waters having left this world late less ice for rest less trees to breathe for the land without night writing patterns in the sky as a mascle of sable and or unknotted key to the eterfinifrete as speech in the flames, unscathed drawn to earth by translucent wings N. T. (1928–2024)
(Source: Poetry [July/August 2026])
Survivors of the capsized MV Barima vessel are thankful for a second chance at life, though many of them are devastated over missing relatives who are yet to be located followed the Saturday night tragedy. One such person is Nathaniel Matabheek, who recalls the moment the ferry vessel started to tilt to the side, going underwater and capsizing in less than a minute, resulting in his family going missing.
The Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice (WCB), man was at the time travelling with his wife, Rachel Welch, and their three children - eight-year-old
save his wife and children and they are still missing.
“The boat cant over and me get cover up underneath… Me deh fight up fuh get out [under the water] and me nah know how me find one spot fuh come out. And when me come out, me search, search and watch, me nah see them [his wife and kids] back. Me nah know if the boat suck down them or the boat cover them or what. Me na know,” the grieving man recalled. Nathaniel, along with his brother and sister-in-law, managed to survive the ordeal. Though he thought about giving up after being unable to find his family, Nathaniel’s older
Nathaniel Jr, five-year-old Nathalia and three-yearold Ezekiel. Nathaniel’s brother, Adam Matabheek, and his wife, Carlita also called “Rebecca”, were also on the vessel. They were on their way to Smith Creek in the North-West District, Region One (BarimaWaini), to visit Welch’s ailing mother when tragedy struck. An emotional Nathaniel recounted that the boat sank so fast that no one could have done anything. He could not even
brother and sister-in-law held onto him and the three managed to stay afloat until help arrived. After being rescued, they were taken to the Charity Hospital on the Essequibo Coast, where they received medical attention and were subsequently relocated to the Essequibo Technical Institute (ETI), where a makeshift shelter was set up for survivors and family members, as they eagerly await news of the missing woman and three children.
“Bye-bye grandma. bye-bye grandpa”
Meanwhile, back at Bush Lot, the children’s grandmother, Bebi Matabheek, could only wait and pray. Speaking through tears, she recounted that although she understood why the trip had become necessary, she never wanted her family to make the journey by boat. Long before they left home on Saturday evening, Bebi pleaded with her sons and their spouses to reconsider. “I was telling them not to go… I was telling them to leave the grandchildren, but after the other grandmother said she wanted to see them, that is why they had to go,” the woman related.
She explained that the children were not accustomed to travelling by boat and even Rachel herself had not returned to the North-West District since getting married about nine years ago. According to Bebi, she learnt the news of the incident from a neighbour on Sunday morning. Since then, relatives began telephoning everyone they thought might know something, hoping someone – anyone, could give them some information. Hours later, they learnt that Nathaniel, his brother and sister-in-law survived. But with no word still about Rachel and her three children, relatives are clinging to hope. The grandmother said she refuses to believe that all hope is lost. “I hope them to come back safely. I love them. I love my grandchildren. I don’t want anything to happen to them.” She said that children were a constant presence in her life. They often spent nights with her and her husband. Bebi said she keeps replaying the family’s departure in her mind, wondering if there was anything more she could have said to persuade them not to make the trip. She recalled the children saying goodbye to her before leaving home. “Yesterday, when they were leaving, they came and gave me a kiss… [One of the grandsons] said, ‘Bye-bye Grandma. Bye-
bye Grandpa’,” the woman recalled.
Mother of two missing children
Meanwhile, Eve Jerome is in the same position, anxiously awaiting word on loved ones still unaccounted for following the capsizing of the MV Barima on Saturday night. For Jerome, the wait is for her two children, three-yearold Alliya Gonsalves and 12-year-old Jerome Jacobs. The mother survived the incident but was separated from both children during the chaos that followed the vessel’s capsizing.
teriorated and fear spread among those on board resulting in life jackets being eventually distributed.
Jerome said she had never used a life jacket before and initially struggled to put it on properly. Nevertheless, she believes it played a vital role in helping her survive after the vessel overturned. Now, as search and rescue teams continue working to locate remaining passengers and crew members still missing, Jerome is left wanting for news about her children. “My children were everything to me. I keep praying and hoping
Jerome, who was later taken to the Essequibo Technical Institute in Region Two, said the family had been travelling to Region One to reunite with relatives. She explained that her husband is visually impaired and that the family depends heavily on public assistance. The tragedy also resulted in the loss of her personal belongings, including important documents and records related to the assistance she receives. While recounting the ordeal, Jerome said passengers had begun expressing concern at around 21:00h after rough water was noticed entering the vessel. She claimed that concerns raised by passengers were met with assurances that the situation was under control. However, the situation de-
that they can be found,” the distraught mother stated. Her story is one of several emerging from the MV Barima tragedy, as families across Guyana continue to wait anxiously for answers about their loved ones.
“We hollering but nobody can’t hear” MV Barima departed Port Georgetown on Saturday afternoon with 116 passengers and 17 crew members, heading to Port Kaituma in Region One. However, just before midnight a distress call was received from the ferry, which eventually capsized due to the rough Atlantic waters, according to authorities.
Up to press time, 67 persons, 41 males, 11 females and 15 children (6
boys and 9 girls) – had been rescued. Among those rescued was Orman Cox. But for him, it was struggle to survive. He recalled being stranded in the waters for more than six hours, battling harsh waves, fatigue and cramps to stay alive. The Wauna, Region One, resident said he was travelling with three other persons when they boat made a sudden tilt, sending them sliding across before capsizing. “The bottom left up top and we went down in the water,” he recounted. Cox related that he was struggling to swim up to the surface and had to remove his boots to free himself. “I went deep down in the water. I had to drink water cause I can’t able to stop me breath no more. But I still end up reach up.” The man said he gathered up some plastic bottles that were floating around the wreckage and used his pants belt to tie them together making a makeshift float.
“The swelling just coming all the time and ducking yuh head so you had to try keep your head out de water… Like five of we ended up holding onto together,” he recalled. According to the man, they were in the water for hours before the rescue team eventually get to their location. During that time, he said they could have seen the Coast Guards but the rough waters made it difficult to do anything. “How the swelling went, sometime you could see, sometimes you can’t see. We hollering but nobody can’t hear. We were hearing other [people from the vessel] hollering [from different directions in the water]… I done was getting cramps… As soon as you loose off [the make-shift float], the water done pushing you away. So, you gah hold on and we deh holding on,” the man related. After being rescued and receiving medical treatment on the Essequibo Coast, Cox was among a group of Region One residents who were flowing down to Mabaruma, where they reunited with anxious family members and relatives.
Two men were found dead in a pick-up which overturned and submerged in a concrete drain along the Henry Public Road (Eccles-toOgle Bypass), East Bank Demerara (EBD) on Sunday morning. Dead are 38-yearold Brian Sookram of Lot 3 Crown Dam, Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD), who was the driver of motor pick-up GRR 5251 and 35-year-old Leon Sookdeo of Lot 998 Diamond New Scheme, EBD, who was a passenger. According to preliminary investigations, the pick-up was discovered turned turtle in a concrete drain on the southern side of the roadway. The drain, estimated to be about 15 feet wide and 10 feet deep, contained water and dense vegetation. Police said the vehicle was removed by a tow truck in the presence of investigators, during which the bodies of both men were found motionless inside. The scene was examined by ranks from Regional Police Division 4B. The men were transported to the Diamond Regional Hospital, where they were pronounced dead on arrival. Their bodies were later taken to the Memorial Gardens Funeral Home Mortuary, where they are being stored pending post-mortem examinations (PME). Investigators also processed the scene and examined the vehicle. Police said efforts to locate CCTV footage and eyewitnesses were unsuccessful. The pick-up has since been lodged at the SAGE Pond Police Outpost as investigations continue.
In our judicial system, every litigant’s entitled to hope – but while some hope for justice, others hope for a procedural miracle!! As July 29 approaches, your Eyewitness suspects Sanction Man is hoping the CCJ discovers a legal rabbit that neither our High Court nor our Court of Appeal could find in the hat. The latest source of optimism is T&T –where Jack Warner did a Jack Horner and pulled out a plum to have his decade-long, FIFA-origin extradition proceedings thrown out after the State couldn’t produce the very legal agreement it claimed justified sending him to the US!! That judgment must’ve set Sanction Man’s heart palpitating –if T&T’s Government can’t produce the legal key to unlock extradition, perhaps Guyana also cannot??
Well, there’s one hitch – Guyana’s already produced the key!! Unlike T&T, our case has never rested on some mysterious “bespoke agreement” hidden in a ministerial filing cabinet between the Christmas decorations and obsolete policy papers!! It relied on a much older, tested document: the UK-US Extradition Treaty of 1931, continued after our independence – together with the Fugitive Offenders Act that provides the domestic machinery for acting upon extradition requests!! That rather spoils the dramatic courtroom moment where counsel rises triumphantly and declares, “Produce the agreement!” – only to be met with sheepish silence!! In our case, the response would be, “Certainly. Here it is, budday!!!”
Which brings Sanction Man back right where he started!! His appeal ain’t really about whether Guyana got the legal power to extradite. It’s about whether the Home Affairs Minister exercised that power lawfully, independently and without bias. While he’s grasping at straws, questioning whether the legal foundation for extradition exists at all ain’t even a straw!! The danger in borrowing too much confidence from the Warner decision is mistaking similarity of subject for similarity of facts. Both cases involve extradition, the US and prominent political figures. But beyond those headlines, the legal roads quickly diverge!!
T&T’s road asks, “Where’s the agreement?” Guyana’s asks, “Did the Minister exercise her discretion properly?” They ain’t the same destination. The CCJ ain’t gonna confuse a missing document in Port of Spain with a produced treaty in Georgetown simply because both cases happen to involve OFAC and extradition. On July 29, Sanction Man’s gonna discover that hope ain’t a recognised ground of appeal!! The CCJ ain’t deciding whether he’s innocent or guilty of the charges made by the US. It’s deciding whether Guyana acted within the law when the Minister set the extradition process in motion!!
And the answer’s gonna be yes!! So dreaming about Jack’s plum would’ve served much the same purpose as bringing an umbrella to a cricket match played indoors.
Comforting, perhaps. Useful, not so much!!
Your Eyewitness has often bemoaned the fact that while the US wants the Chinks outa our hemisphere in general and Guyana in particular – as far as business and strategic initiatives like the B&I are concerned – they haven’t been stepping to the plate with the necessary investments our development agenda demands!!
While the US Exim Bank had provided a US$2.5B Line of Credit…it was left for US firms to use that credit with concrete business projects – like the pioneering Wales GtE initiative!! Well, your Eyewitness was chuffed to see that last Friday, Guyana and the US held the first-ever Guyana Investment Enabling Forum in Washington, DC! In attendance were senior US Government officials and representatives of major American corporations.
Pipping China’s coyness on the subject, the Forum underscored the US’s “unwavering support and respect for Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as a foundation for continued cooperation and investment”!!
While oil has made the US our largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and our leading trade partner, hopefully investments gonna now be more diversified!!
Canada’s First Bauxite restarted and retooled bauxite mining in Essequibo’s Bonasika area a while back –specialising in non-metallurgical ore. They’ve just been acquired by a “Strategic Bauxite” company – that’s provided no bona fides. Not good enough!!
More than $100 million is set to be invested in two sawmill projects in Guyana, with Acarai Logging Inc proposing an $88 million sawmill and value-added processing facility along the LindenSoesdyke Highway and Y Alli's Sawmill planning a $20 million investment to expand and strengthen its existing operations at Hand en Veldt, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD). According to project documents, Acarai Logging Inc is proposing the creation of a sawmill set-up and value-added processing facility at Madewini Creek and Kuru Kururu on the eastern side of the Soesdyke-Linden Highway. The proposed site spans approximately 7.5 acres, with the sawmill facility occupying an area measuring 50 metres by 15 metres. Other planned infrastructure includes a generator room, workshop, one wooden house with a washroom and toilet, and two
container houses with two sets of toilets connected to septic tanks. The documents noted that the site was previously used for sand mining, reducing the impact on existing vegetation. The company said the proposed project involves "a total capital investment of approximately $88 million over a three-year implementation period." The investment will cover land preparation, infrastructure development, machinery procurement and environmental safeguards. The facility is also expected to include "a 50 × 15 metre prefabricated steel industrial shed, generator room, solar power systems, container and wooden housing for staff, septic tanks and workshops." On environmental management, the project states that waste oil generated from servicing equipment will be reused. Meanwhile, Y Alli's Sawmill is proposing a $20 million investment at its existing business in Hand en Veldt,
Mahaica. Project documents describe the operation as playing "a critical role in processing timber into marketable wood products, supporting both local industry and sustainable forest utilisation." The company stated that its primary objective is to ensure that sawmill operations are conducted efficiently, safely and in compliance with all relevant environmental and regulatory standards. The operation serves as "a key component of the forest-to-market value chain, converting harvested logs into sawn timber for construction, furniture, and other commercial uses." The sawmill's key components include a log pond and storage area, debarking and primary sawmill operations under a 50x50 mill shed, secondary processing and finishing lines, wood chip and sawdust handling systems, maintenance and administrative buildings and truck loading and unloading areas. According to the
project description, the operation is capable of processing between 20,000 and 30,000 board metres of logs per month. It is equipped with one resaw, one planer, one skid steer and one 150 kilovolt-amperes (kVA) generator.
The document states that dressed and rough lumber are produced from timber species including Tatabu, Torinario, Karatie, Silverballi, Dukalie, Purpleheart and Greenheart. Logs are sourced from logging con-
cessionaires in Ituni, Kwakwani and Mabura before being transported to the site by hired log trucks.
The logs are offloaded into a log pond capable of holding approximately 300 to 430 cubic metres of logs before being transported to the mill for processing. After sawing, the boards are further processed by an edger, producing both dressed and rough lumber.
Utilities are supplied through Guyana Water Incorporated (GWI), a generator and One
Communication Network, while solar lights are used to provide lighting for the dwelling house, office and mill shed.
The operation currently employs two persons who work from 08:00h to 17:00h Monday to Saturday. Workers are provided with personal protective equipment, including gloves, visibility vests, helmets, goggles and steel-tip boots, while a first aid kit and transport arrangements are available for emergencies.
The regional body said it continued to closely follow the ongoing search and rescue operation involving passengers and crew. Caricom extended prayers and support to the families awaiting news of their loved ones and paid tribute to the courage, dedication and selfless efforts of the rescue teams and all those responding in the aftermath of the inci-
dent.
The organisation noted that the response was being led by the relevant arms of the Government of Guyana and included private vessel operators who mobilised overnight in challenging conditions to save lives. Caricom reaffirmed its solidarity with the Government and people of Guyana, particularly the families and communities affected by the disaster.
Meanwhile, the Chinese Embassy in Guyana said it was closely monitoring the incident and the ongoing search and rescue operations. The Embassy extended its sincere sympathies to the Government and people of Guyana and expressed concern for the passengers, crew members and their families. It said it sincerely hoped the rescue operations would proceed smoothly and that everyone aboard would return safely. The Embassy also stated that China stands ready to provide assistance within its capacity in light of Guyana’s needs.
Police are investigating a suspected murder-suicide and attempted murder that claimed the lives of two people and left another woman injured on Saturday night at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara (WBD). Dead are 42-year-old shop owner Ana Trotman of La Parfaite Harmonie and 47-year-old John Trotman of Onderneeming, WBD. Ana Trotman’s 59-yearold mother, Tandie Ashley, sustained gunshot injuries during the incident and is currently receiving medical treatment.
According to Police, the incident occurred between 21:45h and 22:15h at a residence in La Parfaite Harmonie. Preliminary investigations revealed that an argument reportedly broke out at the residence shortly before several loud explosions were heard. Police ranks and emergency medical personnel responded to the scene, where Ana Trotman and John Trotman were found with gunshot injuries. The injured 59-year-old woman was transported to the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH), where she remains under medi-
cal care. Reports are that the couple had been separated for about a year and their six children were living with their mother and grandmother. On Saturday, after a telephone call with one of the children, John Trotman went over to the house were an argument ensued and gunshots were heard. The man then kicked open a bedroom door where the children and their grandmother had retreated and fired several shots. Tandie Ashley was injured as a result. The children then later found their father dead in the kitchen and their moth-
er dead in the living room. During their examination of the scene, investigators recovered a Taurus .32 calibre pistol, nine spent .32 calibre shells and 30 live rounds of ammunition. The items were lodged as evidence pending further investigations. The bodies of the two deceased were taken to WDRH, where a doctor on duty pronounced them dead on arrival. They were later transferred to the Ezekiel Funeral Home, where post-mortem examinations (PME) are pending. Investigations are continuing.
Police are investigating two separate narcotics bust in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) and Bartica, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni). In the first incident, police in Regional Division Six are investigating the discovery of 81 grams of suspected ecstasy at No. 78 Foreshore, Corentyne, Berbice, on Saturday at about 06:40h.
According to police, ranks observed a speedboat arriving from Suriname with one passenger, a 53-year-old unemployed Georgetown resident. The man was intercepted and escorted to the Springlands Police Station, where a search was conducted in the presence of other ranks. During the search, police allegedly found two transparent plastic bags and one black
plastic parcel containing quantities of green, pink and grey pills suspected to be ecstasy concealed in the crotch area of his pants. The suspect was arrested and the suspected narcotics were weighed in his presence and amounted to 81 grams before being lodged as evidence.
He remains in police custody as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident, police in Regional Division Seven are investigating the discovery of 12.4 grams of cannabis during a patrol in Bartica early Sunday morning. Police said ranks were conducting a patrol at about 03:50h when they ob-
served a 27-year-old man of Second Avenue, Bartica, behaving in a disorderly manner. He was warned to desist but allegedly continued, resulting in his arrest and escort to the Bartica Police Station. A search of a black haversack the man was carrying reportedly un-
covered a white plastic bag containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis. The cannabis was weighed in the man’s presence and amounted to 12.4 grams before being lodged. He also remains in custody.
MV Barima tragedy: Search-and-rescue operations following the capsizing of the MV Barima Region One. Emotional scenes unfolded on Sunday as several survivors were reunited with to account for all passengers as the search remains ongoing (Photos courtesy of Office of tions Network (NCN) and
Barima in the vicinity of Iron Punt near the Pomeroon River, while en route to Port Kaituma, with their families after being brought safely ashore. Authorities have continued efforts the Prime Minister; Barima-Waini Regional Democratic Council (RDC); National Communicaand other contributors)
ome Affairs Minister
HOneidge Walrond on Sunday reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening the Guyana Police Force (GPF) as the nation honoured officers who died in the line
members of the Force in the protection of the nation. She said every name engraved on the monument represents a life dedicated to protecting others and a family whose sacrifice can never truly be measured. The Home Affairs
supported to carry out their duties.
No words could erase grief
Speaking directly to the families of fallen Police Officers, she acknowledged that no words could erase their grief but assured them that the courage, sacrifice and service of their loved ones will forever remain part of the proud history of the GPF and the nation. Commissioner of Police, Clifton Hicken, in his address, described the memorial as more than stone and engraved names, calling it a sacred symbol of devotion, courage and selfless service. He reminded serving ranks that every officer whose name appears on the monument answered the call to duty without knowing whether that shift would be their last, yet served with honour, integrity and unwavering commitment. Quoting renowned mythologist Joseph Campbell, Hicken said, “A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.” “These words capture the very essence of why we are gathered here today.
of duty during the Force’s 187th Anniversary Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Fallen But Not Forgotten Heroes Monument at the
Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to strengthening the GPF through continued investment in training, technology,
Police Officers’ Mess Annexe, Eve Leary, Georgetown.
Delivering the feature address, Walrond described the ceremony as one of profound national significance, saying it serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by
equipment, infrastructure and operational capacity.
According to Walrond, honouring those who made the ultimate sacrifice must also include ensuring that the men and women who continue to serve are equipped and
celebrations.
The Commissioner also said the wreaths laid and the traditional 21-gun salute were more than ceremonial observances. “The wreaths laid today are more than ceremonial gestures. They are symbols of our gratitude and respect. The 21-gun salute reminds us that the service and sacrifice of our fallen colleagues remain forever etched in the memory of this Force and this nation,” he said. Hicken stressed that honouring fallen officers must also include continued support for the families they left behind. “The Guyana Police Force recognises that when a rank dies in the line of duty, the loss is not borne by the Force alone. It is borne by spouses, children, parents, relatives, friends and communities. For this reason, our commitment extends beyond honouring the memory of our fallen heroes; it also includes caring for those they left behind,” he stated. He reaffirmed the Force’s commitment to ensuring that the families of fallen ranks continue to receive meaningful support through welfare pro-
that the service and sacrifice of their loved ones will forever remain part of the history of the GPF. He also called on serving members to honour the legacy of their fallen colleagues by wearing the uni-
They remind us that true heroism is not defined by rank, title, or public recognition, but by a commitment to a cause greater than oneself. It is reflected in the courage to place duty above self, service above comfort, and the safety of others above personal interest. Our fallen heroes embodied these values and it is their sacrifice and legacy that we honour today,” the commissioner stated. Reflecting on the history of the monument, Hicken explained that it was established in 2002 under the leadership of then Commissioner of Police Laurie Lewis to permanently honour members of the GPF who lost their lives in the execution of their duties. Since then, he said, the annual wreath-laying ceremony has become one of the Force’s most solemn traditions during its anniversary
grammes, educational assistance and other initiatives.
Welfare efforts
Highlighting the Force’s welfare efforts, Hicken disclosed that during 2025, the GPF sponsored 25 wakes and 25 funeral arrangements for members of the Force. Between January and June 2026, an additional seven wakes and seven funeral arrangements were sponsored. He further revealed that while one Police Officer died in the line of duty in 2025, no officer lost his or her life in the execution of duty during the first half of 2026. The Commissioner added that the Force continues to provide educational assistance for children of fallen ranks and financial support to their beneficiaries. Expressing gratitude to the families of fallen officers, Hicken assured them
form with humility, professionalism, compassion and integrity every day. “Let us serve with their courage, let
still guides us, and their legacy still lives in every officer who proudly serves the people of Guyana.”
Educational, welfare assistance Chairman of the GPF’s Fallen But Not Forgotten Heroes Foundation Inc, Reverend Dr Winston Assanah, said the Foundation remains committed to ensuring that the families of fallen officers are never forgotten. He noted that since its establishment in 2015, the Foundation has invested millions of dollars in educational and welfare assistance for children whose parents made the ultimate sacrifice. Continuing that commitment, assistance was presented to nine families, benefiting 14 children.
Sunday’s ceremony ended with the sounding of the bugle, the traditional 21-gun salute and a period of silent reflection, as Government
us lead with their integrity and let us stand by their commitment,” he urged. He added, “Though our fallen heroes are no longer among us, their courage still marches beside us, their example
officials, members of the GPF, the Joint Services and relatives paid tribute to officers whose service and sacrifice continue to be honoured by the nation.
By Dr Tariq Jagnarine
Fam meD, enDocrinology
Children are naturally curious. They explore their surroundings by touching, tasting, and placing objects in their mouths, noses, and ears. Unfortunately, ordinary household items such as coins, beads, food, toy parts, batteries, and magnets can become dangerous foreign bodies.
As a clinician, I have seen how quickly a normal day can become frightening for a family. A child may be playing happily and, within seconds, begin coughing, choking, or struggling to breathe. In other cases, no one witnesses the event, and the first clue may be unexplained drooling, persistent coughing, or an unpleasant discharge from one nostril.
Parents often arrive frightened and blaming themselves. My role is not only to assess the child, but also to reassure the family, establish what may have happened and determine whether urgent removal is required. These situations have taught me that even a child who appears comfortable may still have a dangerous foreign body.
Why are young children particularly vulnerable?
Children younger than five years are at the greatest risk because they have narrow airways, are developing chewing skills, and have limited awareness of danger. They may also be unable to explain what they swallowed, inhaled, or inserted.
Common foreign bodies include:
• Coins
• Beads and buttons
Small toy parts
• Pen caps
Seeds, peas, and pieces of sponge
Fish or chicken bones
• Nuts, popcorn, sweets, and whole grapes
• Button batteries
High-powered mag-
nets
• Jewellery, screws, and pins
The level of danger depends on the type of object, its size, its location, and whether it is blocking breathing or damaging nearby tissues.
Foreign bodies in the airway
Food is one of the most common causes of choking in children. Peanuts, popcorn, hard sweets, whole grapes, chunks of meat, raw vegetables, and small bones may completely or partially obstruct the airway.
A child with complete airway obstruction may suddenly become unable to speak, cry, cough, or breathe. The child may clutch the throat, appear distressed, turn blue, or lose consciousness.
Not every inhaled object causes complete choking. An object may travel deeper into one lung and cause:
Sudden coughing
• Persistent wheezing
• Noisy breathing
Difficulty breathing
• Reduced air movement on one side of the chest
• Recurrent chest infections
Sometimes the initial coughing settles and the child appears normal. This can create false reassurance. A suspected inhaled object still requires urgent medical assessment because symptoms may return hours, days, or even weeks later (Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, 2024a).
What should you do if a child is choking?
If the child is coughing strongly, encourage continued coughing and watch closely.
If the child cannot breathe, speak, cry, or cough effectively, call 911 immediately while first aid is being administered.
For an infant younger than one year:
1. Give up to five firm back blows between the shoulder blades.
2. If the object is not expelled, give up to five chest thrusts.
3. Continue alternating back blows and chest thrusts until the object is expelled or the infant becomes unresponsive.
4. Never perform abdominal thrusts on an infant.
For a child older than one year:
1. Give up to five firm back blows.
2. If unsuccessful, give up to five abdominal thrusts.
3. Continue alternating these actions until the object is expelled or the child becomes unresponsive.
If the child becomes unresponsive, begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation if trained and follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions. Never perform a blind finger sweep, as it may push the object deeper. Any child who receives chest or abdominal thrusts should be medically assessed, even if the object comes out (Resuscitation Council UK, 2025).
Swallowed objects
Many smooth objects eventually pass through the digestive system. However, caregivers should not assume that every swallowed object is harmless.
Seek urgent medical attention if the child develops:
Excessive drooling
• Difficulty or pain when swallowing
• Refusal to eat or drink
• Repeated vomiting
• Neck, chest or abdominal pain
• Coughing or difficulty breathing
• Blood in vomit or stool
Abdominal swelling
• Fever or unusual weakness
Sharp objects, large objects, magnets, batteries, and objects containing lead
require urgent assessment.
Button batteries are medical emergencies
Button batteries are found in toys, watches, remote controls, calculators, hearing aids and electronic decorations. When lodged in the oesophagus, a battery can produce an electrical current and cause severe tissue injury within approximately two hours. Even an old or apparently flat battery may remain dangerous.
If a button battery may have been swallowed: Take the child to the nearest emergency department immediately. Do not wait for symptoms to develop. Do not induce vomiting.
• Do not allow the child to eat or drink unless advised by a healthcare professional.
If the child is at least 12 months old, can swallow normally and the battery was swallowed within the previous 12 hours, give two teaspoons, or 10 mL, of honey every 10 minutes for up to six doses while travelling to the hospital. Do not delay transportation to obtain honey. Honey may slow tissue injury, but it does not replace urgent removal. Honey must not be given to infants younger than 12 months (National Capital Poison Center, 2026).
A button battery placed inside the nose or ear is also an emergency.
Magnets can damage the bowel
High-powered magnets can attract each other through separate loops of bowel. This may trap the bowel wall, cut off its blood supply, and cause obstruction, perforation, infection or death.
Swallowing more than one magnet or swallowing a magnet with another metal object is particularly dangerous. Any suspected magnet ingestion requires urgent hospital assessment and imaging, even if the child appears well (Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, 2024b).
Children commonly place beads, seeds, peas, paper, sponge, stones and toy parts into their noses or ears.
Possible warning signs include:
Pain or discomfort
• Bleeding Nasal blockage
• Reduced hearing Ear or nasal discharge
• An unpleasant-smelling discharge from one nostril
In clinical practice, a persistent unpleasant-smelling discharge from only one nostril should always raise suspicion of a retained foreign body, particularly in a young child.
Do not insert cotton buds, tweezers, hairpins or other instruments into the nose or ear. Repeated at-
tempts may push the object deeper, cause bleeding or damage the eardrum. Keep the child calm and seek medical care (NHS, 2021).
Foreign bodies in the eye or skin
Dust or a loose eyelash may sometimes be removed by gently rinsing the eye with clean water. The child should not rub the eye. Persistent pain, redness, sensitivity to light, blurred vision or an object embedded in the eye requires urgent assessment.
Do not pull out a large or deeply embedded object from the skin. Removing it may worsen bleeding or damage nearby structures. Cover the area carefully and seek medical attention. The wound should also be assessed for infection and the child’s tetanus vaccination status reviewed.
Prevention begins at home
As both a clinician and parent, I understand that it is impossible to watch a child every second. Prevention must, therefore, involve creating a safer environment. Parents and caregivers should:
• Store batteries, coins, magnets and small objects out of children’s reach
Ensure battery compartments are secured with screws
• Select toys appropriate for the child’s age Check toys regularly for loose or broken parts
Cut grapes and similar foods lengthwise into smaller pieces
• Avoid nuts, popcorn, and hard sweets in young children
• Ensure children sit calmly while eating
• Discourage running, laughing or playing with food in the mouth
• Teach older children to keep small toys away from younger siblings
Learn paediatric first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Foreign body incidents can happen in any family. They are not always the result of poor supervision, but their consequences can be severe. My advice to parents is simple: remain calm, do not repeatedly attempt to remove the object and seek help promptly. Button batteries, magnets, sharp objects and suspected inhaled objects should never be managed by waiting at home. Early recognition and appropriate action can prevent a minor accident from becoming a lifelong tragedy.
At least six persons were killed and 21 injured after two earthquakes struck a mountainous region of Peru, the country’s civil defence chief said on Sunday.
The quakes, measuring magnitudes 5.1 and 3.7, hit on Saturday night in Chupaca province in the Junín region, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) east of Lima, according to Peru’s National Seismological Center post on X.
The first quake struck at a depth of 24km (15 miles) and the second at 18km, the centre said.
The EuropeanMediterranean Seismological Centre earlier reported that the first earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6.
Luis Vásquez, head of Peru’s National Civil Defence
Institute, told local radio station Exitosa that preliminary reports showed about 48 homes had been destroyed and another 18 damaged, affecting around 300 persons who are being provided with tents.
Homes in the affected communities in Chupaca are generally rudimentary structures built from adobe blocks.
Vásquez said emergency crews and firefighters arrived in the affected areas early on Sunday to clear debris amid concerns that additional victims could be trapped.
Peru lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, a zone that accounts for roughly 85 per cent of the world’s seismic activity.
(Reuters)
Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara arrived in the United States on Saturday after completing a five-year prison sentence on the communist-run island.
Otero Alcántara, co-founder of Cuba’s Opposition San Isidro Movement, was welcomed in Miami by a group of singing supporters and visited the National Shrine of Our Lady of Charity.
Speaking outside the church to journalists and members of the Cuban community, he thanked the United States and the European Union and reiterated calls for a change of government in Cuba.
“I believe the dictatorship has to end, and the Castro dynasty has to end, as well,” Otero Alcántara said. “Because as long as there is a Castro in power, there will be corruption.”
Responsibility for rebuilding the country lies with Cubans themselves, he said. “Cuba’s future depends on us, the Cuban people,” Otero Alcántara said.
Otero Alcántara, 38, was detained by Cuban authorities in 2021 amidst the largest an-
ti-Government protests seen in Cuba in decades. He was convicted of offences including desecration of national symbols, contempt and public disorder, and spent five years in the Guanajay prison near Havana.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio announced Otero Alcántara’s arrival in a statement earlier without providing details of his whereabouts.
“The Cuban Government’s brutal crackdown against its own people five years ago is yet another reminder of the unique misery and evil that is innate to the communist system,” Rubio said, urging the re-
lease of all political prisoners in Cuba.
“Otero Alcántara’s only ‘crime’ was refusing to stay silent and using his art to demand the basic freedoms everyday Cubans have been denied for almost seven decades.”
A US Embassy official in Havana on Friday said Otero Alcántara had been granted humanitarian parole.
Cuban authorities had previously offered him the option of leaving the country in exchange for an early release, an alternative Otero Alcántara repeatedly rejected. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Antigua and Barbuda and the United States have co-hosted a global maritime security symposium aimed at strengthening international sanctions enforcement.
According to a US Department of State media note, the Global Maritime Security and Sanctions Enforcement Symposium was held in St John’s from July 13 to 15 and was co-hosted by the Antigua and Barbuda Department of Marine Services and Merchant Shipping (ADOMS).
The Department of State
said the symposium brought together representatives from ship registries, maritime authorities, international organisations and global coalitions, including the Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC), from 26 countries. It said participants focused on advancing enforcement of non-proliferation sanctions across the global maritime sector and denying rogue regimes revenue used to support weapons programmes.
The Department of State also said stronger international enforcement raises the
cost of sanctions evasion, reduces the number of actors willing to service shadow fleet vessels, and weakens the ability of proliferators to finance their weapons programmes.
The Department of State thanked the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and ADOMS for their partnership and reaffirmed its commitment to working with the global maritime community to enforce non-proliferation sanctions, disrupt proliferation financing and uphold international norms.
(Antigua Observer)
The University of the West Indies (UWI) has detailed a comprehensive capital expansion and modernisation project for its Mona and Western Jamaica campuses, set to be executed over the next three to four years.
Key developments in the short to medium term include the construction of a 50-bed hospital in western Jamaica, alongside a new School of Engineering and a centralised campus hub at the Mona site.
“The truth is that Mona is on a transformational path, and what we’re seeing is that we are reviving the systems and procedures and processes about how we do things at our Mona campus.
We are talking about modernising the campus, not only in terms of infrastructure work, but in terms of our governance, in terms of our academic programmes, and also in terms of the processes and systems that we do,” stated The UWI, Mona principal, Professor Densil Williams.
Williams shared the plans with the Jamaica Observer following his presentation at the inaugural Ministry of Education, Skills, Youth and Information Higher Education Leadership Conference 2026 held at Princess Grand Hotels and Resorts in Green Island, Hanover, last Thursday.
He also detailed the plans for the Western Jamaica campus.
“We have great plans for our Western Jamaica campus as well, where we’re going to be building out a proper global health facility. We’re going to be looking at a 50-bed hospital over there, and we’re going to look at a teaching and research complex for medical education in western Jamaica…We’re going to overhaul the current site of the Western Jamaica campus to look at business and management education and also short and professional courses as well,” said Williams, who noted that all these are longterm plans that will be done “step by step”. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)
Major data centre already in works in T&T, but location a secret
The Government has already established and equipped a Tier 4 data centre (the most powerful) in Trinidad and Tobago, but has not disclosed its location.
In December 2025, according to procurement notices by the Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence (MPAAI), the Government sole-selected and leased land for 20 years for the data centre.
In an additional notice, it sole-selected a contractor to conduct civil works for the data centre to be completed last month (June), with a 10-day standstill period.
It also procured rated engines, equipment, operation staff, janitorial services, security services and preventative maintenance services for one-year periods.
That Tier 4 data centre project began in 2022 under the former People’s National Movement (PNM) Administration.
In 2023, the then Government, through iGovTT, invited tenders for a proposed Tier 4 data centre facility at Phoenix Park
Industrial Estate. That initial tender had also included a solar park, capable of producing 500 kilowatts of electricity and that the data centre should have, “at a minimum Tier 3 certification at the point of commissioning if the elements for Tier 4 are not available within the timeline specified”.
In 2024, that estate, a flagship project of ChinaTrinidad and Tobago cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative, was opened and is close to the Point Lisas Industrial Estate. The data centre is not listed as part of the estate’s tenants.
The data centre was funded by a US$120 million CAF Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean loan. It was done through the Ministry of Digitalisation, now MPAAI. Guardian Media understands that the equipment for the centre had already been acquired prior to the April 2025 General Election and has since been set up.
As it stands, T&T already has five data centres – Fujitsu, TSTT, Digicel, Cable and Wireless and Air Link. Those would be classified as Tier 3 data centres. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
To date, the Government has not made the details of that data centre or its location public, even as it has drawn down from its CAF loan to fund the facility. There has been no public information about the project after the election and no publicly-available information on any modifications done to the project. Further, there is no publicly-available information on whether it is operational or has established agreements with the country’s utilities. Instead on July 10, the Government of T&T signed three Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with two of them being for the proposed establishment of large-scale data centres and artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure – one with Ernst & Young (EY) LLP to partner with third parties on a 300-megawatt data centre and another with Hummingbird AI Holdings, for a proposed 150-megawatt centre with the ability to scale up other 500 megawatts.
Oil prices jumped three per cent today, with Brent surpassing US$90 a barrel, as the United States and Iran expanded attacks in the Middle East that have curbed energy shipments in the Strait of Hormuz.
Brent crude futures climbed US$2.69, or 3.05 per cent, to US$90.79 by 2343 GMT, touching the highest since June 11, extending gains after rising 15.9 per cent last week, its biggest weekly gain since April.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was US$84.68 a barrel, up US$2.19, or 2.65 per cent, the loftiest since June 12. Front-month prices gained 15.5 per cent last week, the largest weekly ascent since early March.
The Middle East conflict escalated over the weekend with the US conducting a ninth straight night of attacks against Iran, while US allies Kuwait and Bahrain reported more Iranian strikes.
In recent days, both sides have taken aim at shipping traffic, with the US saying it is enforcing a naval blockade on Iranian ports, and Iran saying it targets vessels violating its rules on navigating the Strait of Hormuz, which usually handles onefifth of global oil trade.
A vessel was on fire northwest of Oman’s Kumzar, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations agency said early today.
“The coming days and weeks will provide a clearer picture of the sustainable level of oil exports from the region under renewed dual blockades,” Barclays analyst Amarpreet Singh said in a note.
“As things stand, we think oil markets are still too complacent about the potential fallout for inventories, which, unlike at the beginning of the war, are at the tightest of the past five years.”
Four vessels made the transit through the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, down from eight in the previous day, LSEG data showed. At least three oil products tankers and one Very Large Crude Carrier, have entered the strait since Friday to load oil, the data showed.
(Reuters)
JD Vance announces birth of baby boy with wife Usha
US Vice-President JD Vance has announced the birth of his fourth child, a boy, with his wife Usha Vance.
Alec Neel Vance was born on Sunday morning, the Vice President said in a statement on social media.
“Usha and the baby are happy and healthy, and our kids are overjoyed to meet their little brother,” he added, also thanking the military doctors and staff at Walter Reed Medical Center for their care.
It is the first time a
The United States said it had completed an eighth straight night of attacks against Iran after earlier announcing that at least two US military personnel were killed in Jordan, while US allies in the region reported more Iranian attacks on Sunday.
The US military also confirmed a third death in recent days, saying a service member was killed on Saturday in northern Iraq, where the US has military bases, during a controlled detonation of what Central Command called unexploded ordnance on a downed Iranian attack drone.
The US and Iran have intensified attacks as an interim ceasefire agreement signed a month ago has unravelled and a struggle for control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping channel, has deepened, raising the risk of a return to
Smoke rises from an explosion at an unknown location, during what US Central Command (CENTCOM) says are strikes on Iran, in this screen grab taken from a handout video released on July 18, 2026 (US Central Command/Handout via Reuters)
all-out hostilities.
Israeli officials said Israel was preparing to receive more US refuelling aircraft after the recent escalation, and ahead of a possible expansion of US military operations against Iran.
US Central Command said the latest airstrikes, beginning at 6 pm EDT (2200
GMT) on Saturday, were designed “to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and swiftly punish Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces who launched attacks against American service members in Jordan”.
Even prior to Saturday’s attacks from Iran, the US had
started moving additional assets to the Middle East, including aircraft such as fighter jets, a US official told Reuters. Central Command later said it had completed its wave of attacks, hitting Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Pledging to “rewire Britain”, “King of the North” Burnham becomes PM
Andy Burnham, dubbed the “King of the North”, becomes Britain’s seventh Prime Minister in a decade today, promising to “rewire” the nation to better focus on issues people care about, such as a cost-of-living crisis and poorly-performing services.
After Keir Starmer makes his farewell speech outside his Number 10 Downing
Street office and tenders his resignation formally to King Charles, Burnham, a former Mayor of Greater Manchester, will also meet the monarch to become Prime Minister.
Then the hard work begins.
Burnham, 56, faces a long list of problems, from Britain’s underperforming utilities to anaemic economic
growth, and must first unveil his top team of ministers – already the subject of much debate in the governing Labour Party.
Describing his election to become Labour leader as “the most significant change moment in our politics for 40 years”, Burnham has promised to radically change Britain’s political system to quickly raise living standards.
“The Government I lead will confidently lay that path out starting next week,” he said on Friday when he promised to offer Britain the hope and change the country “was crying out for”.
“It will take us to a country where life is more affordable and all people and places are lifted from where they are now.” (Excerpt from Reuters)
Russia has carried out a wave of ballistic missile and drone strikes on Ukraine, killing at least eight persons and injuring dozens, officials say.
Four people were killed in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv, and an elderly woman died in the capital Kyiv. There were two more fatalities in Zaporizhzhia in the south and one in Sumy in the north-east.
Ukrainian President
baby has been born to a sitting Vice President while in office for more than 150 years, according to the Associated Press.
The pair have three other children: Ewan, 9; Vivek, 6 and four-year-old Mirabel.
Usha Vance was born and raised in the working-class suburbs of San Diego, California, to a mechanical engineer father and a molecular biologist mother who had moved to the US from India.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the raid on Kyiv was “one of the most massive ballistic attacks” since Russia launched a full-scale invasion in 2022.
Late on Sunday, Ukraine’s navy said five persons were killed when a Turkish-owned civilian cargo ship with grain was hit by Russian missiles in the Black Sea. Russia has not commented.
Meanwhile, Ukraine said it had hit three Russian oil
tankers in the Black Sea, and three oil depots in the southern Stavropol region. Zelenskyy said they were targets that “finance Russian aggression”.
A number of areas in the Kyiv region were hit overnight. The Ukrainian military said air defences in the capital had shot down 18 out of 41 missiles. The systems also intercepted 108 drones.
Kharkiv regional head Oleh Syniehubov said a post-
al terminal in the city suburbs had been attacked, with four men aged between 24 and 62 killed. Several of the injured were in serious condition.
In a Telegram message, Zelenskyy said in the past week Russia had “used about 1450 strike drones, more than 1640 guided bombs and 99 missiles of various types against Ukraine”.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate have been arrested in the United States after British authorities issued 38 new charges against the brothers, including rape, actual bodily harm, and human trafficking.
Britain is seeking to extradite the brothers to face prosecution for both the new charges and pre-existing ones.
Britain’s Crown Prosecution Service said it was bringing the further charges against Andrew,
39, and Tristan Tate, 38, after identifying four additional victims. The Tates face charges in Britain relating to alleged offences between July 2010 and August 2017.
It said Andrew Tate was being charged with seven further counts of rape, as well as charges relating to sex trafficking and indecent images of a child, while Tristan Tate’s charges included two counts of rape and three counts of arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation.
“We have decided to pros-
ecute Andrew and Tristan Tate for further offences including rape, arranging or facilitating trafficking for sexual exploitation and offences relating to indecent images of a child,” Malcolm McHaffie, head of the Special Crime Division at the CPS, said in a statement.
The Tate brothers, who have dual US and British citizenship, have denied any wrongdoing.
The brothers were arrested in Miami, according to multiple news outlets.
The arrests mark a new
chapter in the widening legal troubles for the brothers, who face criminal proceedings in Romania, where authorities have been investigating them since December 2022. The brothers have built a large online following promoting their views on masculinity and wealth, while Andrew Tate has previously described himself as a misogynist. Andrew Tate is due to face trial in Britain this year in a civil case brought by four women for alleged physical and sexual abuse. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Check out every possibility, venue and person who can help you gain insight into how to reach your goal. Be direct, bold and receptive to the suggestions and help you receive.
Speak up if you find something confusing. The options you receive will help you make a decision that offers insight into how to invest or handle your cash flow better.
Focus on what’s important to achieve. Having an upbeat attitude and the ability to offer unique ideas will help you gain respect and acceptance from those who may not have been receptive in the past.
Opportunity begins with you. Speak up and show how much fight you have. Refuse to let anyone dominate you or the conversation. Let your memory and experience lead the way.
Don’t waste time when opportunity awaits. Make calls, draw information from experts and put your best foot forward. Trust and believe in yourself instead of enlisting others to complete your mission.
Choose a platform to express your thoughts and feelings, and you’ll discover a passage to personal growth. Don’t allow someone’s negativity to make you second-guess yourself.
Revamping your surroundings or updating your credentials or vision to suit what’s popular will help change your perspective and offer insight into how to utilize your knowledge and experience to get ahead.
By stepping outside your comfort zone, you will grow and recognize the possibilities. Keep a tight grip on spending habits, and use your intelligence and connections to ensure you get the most for the least.
Take responsibility for your happiness. Cut emotional and financial losses, eliminate what’s holding you back and turn your attention to what makes the most sense and improves your self-awareness and confidence.
Chill; take a moment to center yourself and to evaluate your past, present and future. Use your imagination, and put your energy into something you enjoy doing. It’s not always about the money.
Push forward with hope, innovative ideas and a quest to make your dreams come true. Trust in your skills, and set up meetings to self-propel your interests. Don’t wait for people to come to you.
Put institutional matters to rest quickly and move on. Refuse to let emotions factor into joint ventures, shared expenses or contracts that have gone awry. Be the one to set the record straight.
Guyana’s senior men’s national football team, the Golden Jaguars, will be under new leadership for their next outing following a recent change of guard.
Back in May, Head Coach Thomas Dooley, who served in the post for under a year, announced his resignation, taking up an opportunity in Bangladesh.
As such, the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) was on the hunt for a new gaffer, and all roads led to Marco Bonofiglio.
Quizzed about the recent appointment, GFF President Wayne Forde shared how the Federation arrived at Bonofiglio as the perfect candidate.
The GFF President told
monstrated, many, many times in the past, the GFF always go out, when we vices of a Head Coach ve recruitment process. We were not completely prepared, even though I got some amount of notice Coach Dooley was going to depart; it still placed us in a little bit of an awkward position, to go and advertise and recruit and all that, given that the September window is upon us.
“So, we took a decision to look internally and we felt that, given his track record, given what he has done, what we know of him behind the scenes, it was the best thing to do, under the circumstances, “
“I have a lot of confidence and faith in Coach Marco and we have a clear goal of what we’re hoping to achieve in this edition of the CONCACAF Nations League and I have no doubt that he’ll be able to achieve
those goals and objectives for us,” Forde expressed.
The GFF boss went on to detail Bonofiglio’s familiarity with the Guyanese framework.
“Marco has been one of the most dedicated professionals in the senior national team programme, Forde opined, “Of course, our first engagement with him started with the U17, and there’s no doubt, we all saw what he did with that and ever since that engagement, he has been assistant to the Head Coaches.”
He added, “He was the assistant under Coach Dover and then he was the assistant under Coach Dooley and he’s been working in the programme, behind the scenes.”
Responding to concerns about Bonofiglio’s pedigree at the senior level, having mostly worked in the youth setup, Forde was unfazed by those criticisms.
He retorted, “When you look at successful managers, one of the things that they bring, that is sepa-
rate and apart from other managers that may not be as successful as they are, is man management and relationship. Coach Marco enjoys an exceptional relationship with the players, both domestic and international players, and there’s a lot of trust and commitment in that relationship.
“So, I believe the skills and the knowledge and the experience that he has and having the dressing room, the way in which he commands that space, seeing
him work with those guys, I believe that is a perfect formula for results.
“We always welcome the fans’ comments whet her it’s negative or positi ve, they have a right. This team doesn’t belong to the GFF, it belongs to the nati on. We’re just honoured to have the privilege to mana ge it at this moment and it falls upon us to make cer tain decisions, some may agree, some may not agree and that’s okay, that is the business of football,” the
Title leader Kimi Antonelli has continued to extend his gap in the championship after winning the Belgian Grand Prix, while his teammate George Russell crashed on the opening lap.
Spain claimed a hattrick of individual awards after beating Argentina 1-0 to claim their second World Cup title on Sunday at MetLife Stadium.
Rodri won the Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player, Unai Simón won the Golden Glove for the top performance by a goalkeeper and Pau Cubarsí won the Best Young Player Award, beating out fel low 19-year-old teammate Lamine Yamal.
Argentina star Lionel Messi was hoping to win a record-extending third Golden Ball as the tournament’s best player. He’s already the only player to win the award multiple times since it was first given in 1978, and sparking Argentina’s run to a second straight final at age 39 gave him a strong case for another.
But the award went to Rodri for captaining Spain’s run to its second World Cup title. Messi had to settle for the Silver Ball, with France’s Kylian Mbappé taking the Bronze Ball.
”This group is incredible,” Rodri said. ”We are two-time world champions.
possible,” he said. ”That a player who touches the sky and then plummets to hell is also capable of rising again. It is an example of overcoming adversity, and you have to believe. Honestly, it’s incredible.”
The Manchester City midfielder did not have a goal in the tournament, but his passing and controlling the possession are central to the way Spain plays. He became just the 11th man to win the World Cup, the UEFA Champions League, and Ballon d’Or.
Simón set a record with his seven shutouts in the tournament, allowing just one goal in eight games.
”The stats highlight the defensive work of the enti-
re team. If you want to win a World Cup, you have to be consistent. We achieved this together,” Simón said.
”We played against Cristiano’s Portugal, Mbappé’s France, and now Messi’s Argentina, facing players who can wreak havoc at any moment. We managed to keep our cool and control our emotions, and that was crucial.”
Mbappé won the Golden Boot after totalling 10 goals and four assists for a France team that finished fourth. Messi ended up with eight goals and four assists after going without a goal or an assist Sunday for the first time in his last 12 World Cup games. (ESPN)
Antonelli cleared Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with 10 laps remaining at Spa-Francorchamps to take his sixth win of the season, and double his title advantage over Russell from 25 points to 50.
Leclerc, unable to follow up his British Grand Prix triumph a fortnight ago with another win, crossed the line 1.9 seconds back from Antonelli with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen third.
Lewis Hamilton finished fourth. He endured an eventful afternoon in the Ardennes, first colliding with Russell – for which he was sanctioned with a five-second penalty – before he ran over his own mechanic in the pit lane when he was erroneously given the green light to rejoin the track. The mechanic appeared to escape without significant injury.
Hamilton was able to take advantage of Russell’s demise to move back up to second in the championship, albeit now 45 points behind the impressive Antonelli. However, the 41-year-old faces a post-race investigation for Ferrari’s ”unsafe release”.
Antonelli, not 20 until next month, might have started from pole but he had to work for his win after Leclerc benefitted from a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) and was able to assume the lead of the race.
Leclerc’s advantage stood at three seconds, but Antonelli reeled the Monégasque in before blasting past the Ferrari on the
Kemmel Straight on the 34th lap and keeping him at arm’s length for the remainder of the fixture.
Antonelli’s fine victory compounded a disastrous afternoon for Russell, who has now failed to score in three of the 10 rounds so far, and has just two wins to Antonelli’s six.
Russell qualified third and started well, but another mechanical glitch in his Mercedes saw him gobbled up by Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, and Hamilton on the 200 miles-per-hour (mph) opening stampede to Les Combes.
Russell drew back alongside Hamilton under braking for the right-left combination, and then briefly ahead, but he was not afforded enough room by his former Mercedes teammate.
The left-front tyre of Hamilton’s Ferrari made contact with the rear-right of Russell’s Mercedes and the latter was sent out of control and into the gravel trap. Russell’s race was instantly over.
”The incident with Lewis was a racing incident,” said a downcast Russell. ”He didn’t do it on purpose. He was more to blame than I. But he didn’t do anything reckless.”
The Safety Car was deployed after the first-lap drama and the race resumed on lap five with Antonelli in control. It remained that
way until the sole round of stops with Leclerc, the last of the leading trio to stop, capitalising on a VSC deployed for debris, to take the lead. However, Leclerc could not prevent Antonelli from blasting past to take his first win since the Monaco Grand Prix in June and lay down another championship marker.
Hamilton leapfrogged Piastri on the 40th lap, but loses another 13 points to Antonelli in his bid for a record eighth world title. Lando Norris started 13th following an engine penalty and drove back to seventh, a position behind Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar. Piastri finished fifth.
”It is great to be back on the top step after a few difficult rounds,” said Antonelli. ”It was a hard-fought race. We lost the first place with the VSC, but we made our way back. But it was a tough win because Charles was quick and we had to hold on to that.
”The [championship] momentum was always there. It was just about getting the results and today we were a bit lucky, in terms of what happened in the championship but you have to take every opportunity because we can see how much it can swing. We have to keep performing, getting the results, and we will see what happens at the end of the year.”
(ESPN)
Through a joint initiative between the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League and NAGICO Insurances, one promising young Caribbean cricketer will benefit from a historic developmental scholarship programme for the 2026 tournament.
As part of the initiative, which falls under the League’s Super We platform, 21-year-old batting all-rounder Michael Palmer of St Maarten, home to the headquarters of NAGICO
Insurances, will be attached to home franchise Guyana Amazon Warriors.
This initiative will provide the young player with valuable exposure to a high-performance professional cricket environment.
The scholarship programme, initiated by the Global Super League and fully supported by NAGICO Insurances, is a reflection of the company’s ongoing commitment to youth development and the growth of cricket across the Caribbean.
By investing in emerging talent, the company aims to help create meaningful opportunities for young players to enhance their skills and gain experience alongside elite regional and international cricketers.
Kyria Ali, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NAGICO Group, said, “At NAGICO, we believe that one of the greatest investments we can make is in the potential of young people. This initiative is about more than giv-
Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) on the East Coast of Demerara (ECD) has joined the global sporting community in mourning the passing of Sir Garfield Sobers, who died on July 17, 2026 at the age of 89. Universally regarded as cricket’s greatest all-rounder, Sobers was also a passionate golfer whose connection to Lusignan remains a proud chapter in the club’s history.
In 1979, he captured the Neal & Massy WSC Four-Ball Golf Tournament at Lusignan Golf Course, a victory that demonstrated his remarkable versatility and love for sport beyond the cricket field. Sobers’ triumph at Lusignan was more than a headline, it was a moment that elevated the prestige of the tournament and inspired local players to pursue golf with renewed dedication.
ing talented youth a chance to watch elite cricket, it is about giving the opportunity to experience it from the inside, to share a dressing room with some of the world’s best players, observe the professionalism and discipline that define success, and return home inspired to pursue their own dreams.
“As a Caribbean company, we are proud to facilitate this first-of-its-kind programme and look forward to building it out further with the Global Super League in the future. We believe that this experience can ignite passion, build confidence, and help shape the next generation of Caribbean sport-
ing talent. Sometimes, a single opportunity can change the course of a young person’s future, and we are honoured to work alongside the Global Super League team to help make that possible,” she added.
Chairman of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, Sir Clive Lloyd, welcomed the initiative, describing it as an investment in the future of Caribbean cricket.
Sir Clive shared, “One of the key objectives of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League is to create opportunities that extend beyond the matches themselves. We are delighted
that NAGICO Insurances has partnered with us to provide this developmental scholarship, which will give one talented young cricketer invaluable exposure to a professional environment. Initiatives like this help ensure that the next generation of Caribbean players is equipped to carry our rich cricketing legacy forward.”
The initiative adds another important legacy component to the 2026 ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League, reinforcing the tournament’s role in fostering the next generation of Caribbean cricket talent while delivering world-class competition.
PMembers recall his warmth and humility, qualities that made him as approachable on the greens as he was celebrated on the pitch. His swing carried the same elegance that defined his batting, and his presence brought a sense of fellowship and pride to the Guyanese sporting community.
While cricket will forev-
er be his greatest legacy, with 93 Test matches, over 8000 runs, 235 wickets, and unforgettable feats such as his world-record 365 not out, golf was his personal joy. At Lusignan, he found camaraderie and relaxation, reminding us that sport is not only about competition but also about community and shared passion.
His victory in 1979 remains etched in memory as proof that excellence knows no boundaries. Today, Lusignan Golf Club remembers Sir Garfield Sobers not only as a legend of cricket but as a gentleman golfer whose contributions enriched our history. His swing, whether with bat or club, will echo through generations, and his legacy will continue to inspire all who walk our fairways.
laisance Football Club have emerged as champions of the East Demerara Football Association (EDFA) Youth Ensemble Under-13 Competition after finishing the tournament with the highest points tally, bringing an exciting campaign to a close on Friday, at the Buxton Ground.
Plaisance FC secured the championship following a dramatic final round of matches.
Buxton Stars FC, who entered the decisive fixtures, level on five wins and eight goals alongside Plaisance, saw their title hopes dashed after suffering a narrow 1-0 defeat to Mahaica Determinators FC.
Buxton Stars FC finished as runners-up, while Melanie FC claimed third place and Golden Stars FC secured fourth. As champions and runners-up, Plaisance FC and Buxton Stars FC have both qualified for the GFF Youth Ensemble U13 National Championship, scheduled
to be held between late July and early August.
Reflecting on the successful conclusion of the competition, EDFA President Rickford Profitt praised the commitment of everyone who contributed to the tournament’s success.
“I have a heart of gratefulness and I’m very thankful for the coordinators, parents and volunteers. I’m happy we have completed the U13 competition, and next comes the U15 competition,” Profitt said.
The final day of competition delivered the same excitement and intensity that characterised the tournament from its opening whistle, with clubs from across the East Demerara corridor displaying impressive technical ability, teamwork, and determination throughout the matches.
The EDFA Youth Ensemble Programme now
shifts its focus to the ongoing U15 competition, which is expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
The Guyana Football Federation (GFF), in a recent communication, has congratulated all participating clubs, players, coaches, match officials and volunteers for contributing to another successful youth football competition and wished Plaisance FC and Buxton Stars FC every success as they prepare to represent the Association at the upcoming National Championship.
and West Indies played
ing in the contest for much of their bowling innings, West Indies eventually paid the price for not having enough runs to defend on a two-paced surface, as the visitors clinched a thriller by one wicket to take an unassailable 3-1
The man who got them over the line was Mitchell Santner, their captain, er order to make a steely unbeaten 34 not out. His batting partner, Jayden Lennox also played no small part. Having been Player of the Match for the last two games for his bowling exploits, the No 11 blunted 10 deliveries run stand with Santner to
As the sport -
ing world had its collective gaze on
bowled by left-arm wrist spinner Vitel Lawes, there was some more drama. A close appeal for lbw off Santner was turned down; replays confirmed he was struck marginally outside the off-stump. Off the next ball, the first of the 45th, with the field in to save the single, Santner’s miscued lofted hit off Seales over cover sealed victory.
The other big contributor to the New Zealand win was Mark Chapman, one of two half-centurions from the match. His 82ball 80 injected momentum through the middle phase of the New Zealand innings. Chapman walked in to bat at 6 for 2 in the third over of his team’s chase of 189, and cruised through two handy part -
ed, West Indies had the opportunity to deliver the knockout blow when Jayden Seales foxed Santner with a superb slower-delivery. Early into a check drive, Santner only managed to lob it over extra cover. Ackeem Auguste – running back
the football World Cup final in New Jersey, the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown was draped in remembrance of Sir Gary Sobers as New Zealand
from inside the ring – and Justin Greaves – coming in from the sweeper cov er boundary – collided and put down the chance.
In the following over,
When they returned, West Indies had Bracewell first ball to Motie, leaving New Zealand 149 for 6. With 40 still to get, this was now anybody’s game. By then, Motie was particularly proving to be menacing with his robotic leftarm quick deliveries that turned viciously as he ran through the lower order, having Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher clean bowled to take a five-for. Despite wickets tumbling, Santner looked unflappable. With 18 needed, he muscled a slog sweep for six off Motie. He would go on to hit every single run scored off the bat from there on to complete a sensational performance,
that also included 2 for 36 off his 10 overs. Earlier in the morning, West Indies had hoped to dedicate a series-levelling win to Sobers, and Shai Hope, their Captain, had impressed upon them the need to show pluck over flamboyance. What unravelled quickly would not have pleased him, including the yorker from Fisher that flattened his off-stump to give him his first ODI wicket. This left the hosts at 58 for 3. Auguste, who took 19 deliveries to get off the mark, became Santner’s second wicket soon after and West Indies were on a freefall. With the innings in danger of folding, Amir Jangoo and Motie dug deep and stitched together a superb 81-run stand to give West Indies some hope. And they made a mighty good fist of it in the end, only to rue not batting out the overs that may have given them the extra runs needed to seal a series-levelling win. (ESPNcricinfo)
West Indies (50 ovs maximum)
Ackeem Auguste
Ferran Torres clinched Spain’s second men’s World Cup title with an extra-time winner against reigning world champions Argentina in a bad-tempered final marred by Enzo Fernández’s red card for a reckless foul on Pau Cubarsí.
Barcelona forward Torres, a 62nd-minute substitute for Mikel Oyarzabal, sealed a 1-0 win for the European champions when he struck from close range in the 106th minute after Nico Williams had headed Pedro Porro’s cross into his path.
“The goal belonged to 47 million people,” Torres said. “It wasn’t just mine or the 26 players. Destiny was written, and it was meant for us to win far away from our people.”
By that stage, Argentina had been reduced to 10 players following the dis-
missal of Chelsea midfielder Fernández after his 90th-minute foul on Cubarsí that left referee Slavko Vincic with no option but to issue a second yellow card and a red to the 2022 World Cup winner.
Spain had dominated the game in New Jersey and created countless scoring opportunities without being able to convert them. Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez finished with 11 saves, the most ever in a World Cup final.
Spain’s dominance was such that Argentina did not register their first shot at goal until Lionel Messi had an attempt blocked in the 117th minute.
The 39-year-old Messi, who became the first man to start three World Cup finals and the oldest outfield player to start a final, finished the tournament with eight goals, two behind France’s
Kylian Mbappé in the battle for the Golden Boot.
While he has yet to confirm his future plans, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has likely finished his World Cup career with 21 goals, one behind Mbappé for the leading all-time scorer.
“I feel sad,” said Messi, who was moved to tears after receiving his runner-up medal and staring into the crowd at Argentina supporters. “They were better, to be honest.”
Argentina, aiming to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to win backto-back World Cups, were unable to match up to Spain, with even Inter Miami star Messi failing to trouble Luis de la Fuente’s team.
“I feel sadness, but knowing that we left everything out there,” Argentina Coach Lionel Scaloni said. “I have a lot of things to say about
“When you have Messi on the other side, well, you are nervous,” Torres said. “At the end of the day, we always depended on us. We always come up with our football, and we showed it again.”
The Spanish finish the World Cup with just one goal allowed, the fewest for a World Cup winner despite playing more games (eight) than any previous champion.
The win made De la Fuente, at 65, the oldest coach to lead a team to the World Cup title.
“We are world champions,” De la Fuente said. “It was together we reached this stage.”
As well as a second World Cup title, Spain’s win extended their unbeaten streak to 38 games in all competitions (29-9-0 W-D-L), breaking a tie with Italy (2018-21) for the longest by a men’s national
the United States, Canada and Mexico. Because there were more matches than any previous World Cup, it was no surprise that there were more goals than all other editions -- 307 and counting entering Sunday.
The spectacle was not limited to simply soccer.
Celebrities – from all walks of life – were there. Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, and Matt Damon were among the actors at the game. The NBA had enough talent there for a full All-Star Game, with the list of players attending including Stephen Curry, Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kevin Durant, and James Harden.
Serena Williams and Carlos Alcaraz were among the tennis royalty watching, the NFL had names like Eli Manning, Patrick Mahomes, Odell Beckham Jr, and Saquon Barkley in attendance; two of the greatest US skiers ever in Mikaela
The ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) has announced its 2026 broadcast lineup, confirming an expanded slate of media partners that will bring the tournament to audiences across the Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, South Asia, the Middle East, North America, and beyond.
Building on the momentum of previous seasons, GSL has strengthened its footprint in key cricket markets while welcoming new partners in territories where the tournament has not previously had dedicated coverage, including the United Kingdom, Afghanistan, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Bhutan.
“This year’s broadcast line-up reflects
just how far the Global Super League has come. We’ve deepened our exclusive partnerships in core markets like Australia, New Zealand, the USA and Canada, while opening the door to new fans in the UK, Afghanistan, Malaysia, the Maldives, and Bhutan for the first time. Cricket is a global game, and our job is to make sure no matter where a fan is watching from, GSL is easy to find and exciting to follow,” said Sir Clive Lloyd, ExxonMobil GSL Chairman.
The 2026 season will see GSL’s broadcast footprint reach its widest distribution to date, with coverage confirmed across more than 20 territories and additional partnership announcements expected as the tournament approaches. (GSLT20)
2026 Broadcast Partners:
Afghanistan – StyxSports
Antigua – Winners TV
Australia – Fox Sports
Bangladesh – T Sports
Barbados – CBC
Bhutan – Sony
Guyana – ENET
Grenada – GBN
India – Sony
Maldives – Sony
Malaysia – StyxSports
Middle East – MYCO
Nepal – StyxSports
New Zealand – Sky NZ
Pakistan – A Sports, Tamasha
Pan-Caribbean – Rush Live & Louder
Sri Lanka – Dialogue TV
St Kitts – ZIZ
St Lucia – Winners TV
Trinidad – CNC3
USA & Canada – Willow
United Kingdom – ARY Digital
Rest of the World – YouTube
Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn were at the match -- and, of course, there was soccer royalty with the likes of Kaka, David Beckham, Didier Drogba and Zinedine Zidane as well as a reunion of Spain’s victorious 2010 team.
Post Malone headlined the closing ceremony, which started about 90 minutes before the final was set to begin and just a few minutes after Messi and Argentina arrived at the stadium. The halftime show – a first for FIFA and part of a 27-minute break –- featured Justin Bieber, Madonna, Shakira and BTS, along with Burna Boy, Venezuelan conductor Gustavo Dudamel, the PS 22 Chorus with Coldplay and even characters from Sesame Street and the Muppets.
President Donald Trump was present as well, with plans calling for him to be part of the trophy presentation at the conclusion of the match. (ESPN)
Woods Inc. is inviting applications for the following positions: Moulder Operator (3),
Scenes from the GSL Cricket Clinic, facilitated by the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League on Sunday
Several young Guyanese cricketers had the opportunity of a lifetime on Sunday, interacting with and learning from several international cricketers who are set to represent their respective franchises at the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL), bowling off later this week.
Organised by the ExxonMobil GSL, players and Coaches from the participating franchises, namely: Guyana Amazon Warriors, Perth Scorchers, San Francisco Unicorns, Lahore Qalandars and Desert Vipers conducted a cricket clinic at the Guyana National Stadium for young up-and-coming players.
The clinic covered all aspects of the game, including batting, fast bowling, spin bowling, and fielding.
Speaking with Guyana Times Sport, Desert Vipers Fastbowling Coach Azhar Mahmood shared his thoughts on Sunday’s activity.
“I think this is a great initiative by GSL and you know, we at Desert Vipers, we’re pleased to be part of that. There’s some serious talent, like they just need the right guidance, we’ve seen some high potential cricketers. Hopefully, they
keep playing cricket and enjoy their cricket, play for Guyana and play for West Indies Cricket,” Mahmood told this publication.
The Coach went on to add, “It’s a great bunch of guys. They asked questions, I was looking after the fast- bowling side of things, they asked questions about the bend knees and you know, how to swing the ball. It’s a great opportunity for me to pass on my knowledge to these young kids. It’s great to be part of this.”
Meanwhile, Guyana Amazon Warriors’ Jonathan Van Lange, who, not too long ago, were in those young players’ shoes, sang the praises of the initiative from the GSL.
Van Lange explained, “Yeah, I think it was a good initiative, having the international guys and me also being around the international guys. I think, not only the youths have learned something, I have also learned a lot from the international Coaches and stuff like that. So, I think it was a good initiative from the GSL group.
“I remember coming to these clinics, going home and just recapping everything that I learned, going into practice and just doing it and just trying to be better all the time,” the
Guyanese all-rounder added.
The young players were very receptive to the opportunity.
Young Someash Boyer told this publication, “As a fast bowler, it was a really good experience. They teach we swing and how to grip the ball, run up momentum. It was a really good experience and hopefully, [I] get the chance to play in the Guyana Amazon Warriors team, maybe West Indies going forward.”
“I was really excited, couldn’t sleep all night,” Boyer further noted.
Jeremiah Johnson later related, “Well, I think it was a great experience for the youngsters that coming up and wanting to play cricket.
“Certain things I was working on this morning was finding my length and my action and finishing through my runup.”
“It is a valuable experience for me. Coaches may be around, scouting, looking for left-arm pacers. It would be great for me to make my parents proud and my grandmother proud.”
