On Wednesday, Minister of Education Priya Manickchand commissioned the Para Bara Nursery School and a new duplex teachers’ accommodation. Prior to this, the nursery children were housed in a corner of the primary school. This new school gives both the primary and nursery children child- friendly learning spaces, and this was welcomed by the community. A young teacher from the village of Awarenau is already occupying one of the teachers’ homes, thereby allowing a stronger delivery of education in the village. Minister Manickchand was particularly pleased that the library, under the “Libraries for Primaries Programme” had already reached the deep-south village, and expressed delight and satisfaction that all the teachers were in training or about to begin training while being able to stay in the Village. The Minister had a lunch of peas-and-rice with stewed chicken, and watermelon and swank with the children during their hot-meal provision (MoE photos)
- facility to provide restorative justice, rehabilitation services for minors
- Dr. Jagdeo says, highlights empowerment of over 83,000 persons through GOAL, other training initiatives
- says building roads is not a ‘vanity project’ but part of an economic plan
Disciplined Services ranks to vote on August
GECOM must take firm action against those parties threatening persons, fraudulently putting backers on lists - Dr. Jagdeo says
AHEAD of the September 1 General and Regional Elections, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has raised concerns about political aspirants threatening persons and fraudulently putting backers on their list.
During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, the General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President urged the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to take firm action against these efforts to subvert the will of the electorate.
Dr. Jagdeo said: “GECOM should take firm action against any
party threatening people not to go on any party’s list. They should also take action against parties fraudulently putting backers on their list.”
Further, he cautioned citizens that representatives of some parties may tell them that they are signing up for sports teams or cash grants, but instead, they are being used as party nominators.
To qualify for election participation, political parties are required to adhere to specific submission guidelines. They must present their approved party symbol along with their candidate lists: one National Top-Up List, at least six Geographical Constituencies’ Lists, and the
Regional Democratic Councils’ Lists.
The National Top-Up list, which identifies the Presidential candidate, must have at least 42 candidates and between 300 and 330 nominators countrywide. Each Geographical Constituency List must have between 150 and 175 nominators from each geographical constituency.
Recently, GECOM reviewed several critical matters as part of its ongoing preparations for the upcoming General and Regional Elections slated for September 1, 2025.
This was according to People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)-nominated commissioner, Sase
Gunraj in an invited comment to the Guyana Chronicle.
He said that among the decisions discussed was a move to revise the official nomination forms to include a declaration clause.
This new addition would require nominators to affirm that they knowingly signed the documents, a step aimed
at strengthening transparency and accountability in the candidate nomination process. Commissioners also deliberated on the appointment of Returning Officers (ROs) and Supernumerary Returning Officers (SROs), who will play key roles in the administration and oversight of the electoral process across the var-
ious electoral districts. Further to this, discussions also included possible locations for the RO and SRO offices. Additionally, the commission also reviewed the most recent cross-matching (fingerprints) report on duplicate applications for registration.
The meeting served as part of the series of engagements that the commission will go through as it ramps up preparation for the September 1, 2025 election.
Previous meetings of the commission since the announcement of the election date by President Ali were derailed by opposition-nominated commissioners.
Guyana eyes offshore salmon production ‘collab’ with Norway – President Ali
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has called for a shift in public attention from superficial online engagement to the substance of nation-building, as he unveiled plans to explore offshore salmon production through collaboration with the Kingdom of Norway.
Speaking at a recent event, President Ali emphasised the quiet but critical work being undertaken in agriculture to diversify and expand Guyana’s food production capabilities.
A recent study published in Nature Food found that Guyana is the only nation among 186 countries analysed that achieves full self-sufficien-
cy in food production.
This means that Guyana is producing enough food in all of the seven major food groups (meat, fish, milk, grains, plant protein, fruits, and vegetables) to meet the nutrition needs of its people without imports.
Dr. Ali revealed that Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, was tasked with approaching Norway in developing offshore salmon farming schemes, including procuring worldwide certification allowing Guyanese produce to enter the global market.
“This is not the kind of work you’ll see on the
front page of every newspaper, or trending on TikTok,” President Ali stated. “It’s easy to just pick up a phone and post, but that’s not the work.”
While Guyana is a significant exporter of seafood—primarily finfish, red snapper, prawns, and tuna—salmon production, whether wild or farmed, remains concentrated in other regions of the world. Norway leads as the largest producer of farmed salmon globally.
With extensive support and investment from the government, Guyana’s aquaculture and fisheries industries are growing
rapidly. The government has allocated significant funding to support the fisheries and aquaculture sector, including projects like shrimp hatcheries and prawn ponds.
The Ministry of Agriculture remains dedicated to enhancing these sectors in Guyana, positioning them as viable and lucrative contributors to the nation's economy.
The move toward salmon production reflects a strategic initiative by the government to broaden the sectors, with the aim of generating employment and enhancing export potential.
Dr. Jagdeo rejects efforts to stop gov’t from campaigning on its achievements
- says building roads is not a ‘vanity project’ but part of an economic plan
WHILE opposition members and those aligned to the party are attempting to silence the government from campaigning on its achievements, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has rejected these efforts.
During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Georgetown, the General Secretary called out those figures who are attacking the government for speaking on how they have transformed Guyana.
While dismissing the attempts to dictate what the party must campaign on, Dr. Jagdeo underscored just a few of the government’s initiatives that have made a posi -
tive impact on the lives of Guyanese.
Also, although some have characterised the government’s initiatives and implementations as routine, the General Secretary shot back by putting the previous “shortsighted” APNU+AFC’s dismal track record on display, and the opposition’s current rhetoric that one cannot ‘eat roads’.
“You do have governments that don’t do any of this,” the General Secretary said while reflecting on the People’s National Congress-Reform (PNCR)’s economic philosophy, which led Guyana down a path of economic despair for 28 years.
It is the capital budget that builds roads, schools, and water systems, Dr.
Jagdeo emphasised, while recalling that the APNU+AFC’s capital budget was smaller than the PPP’s in 2014, which was its last before the Coalition took office in 2015.
He argued that the opposition’s economic philosophy prioritises recurrent spending over capital investments, noting that the recurrent budget grew massively under the APNU+AFC coalition government, which mainly focused on the then government’s personal interests.
The General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President, affirmed that infrastructure remains central to his party’s campaign, given the transformative results that will result from it.
The road networks be-
ing created and expanded are not for vanity, the Vice- President highlighted, as they will open up opportunities and deal with transit woes.
“It's not a vanity project; it is an organic part of implementing our economic plan,” he said.
But, as some are asking, what does this mean?
Dr. Jagdeo explained: “So, all the roads; every road that we got, particularly the highways, would have an impact on transit time and transit cost for goods and people, and if you can lower the cost of transit on the road, or the time that it takes you to move between point A to point B, then that's money saved, or time saved.
“Everything can be quantified, because the
time spent on the road, stuck in a vehicle, could be used in other pursuits, either leisurely pursuits, or on economic pursuits… These roads also open up opportunities for people.”
For example, the Heroes Highway will open up more lands for development purposes, both of private lands and State
lands, he said. He then pointed to the visible impact from the moment one drives out of South Georgetown, ranging from the commercial buildings, the booming employment opportunities, and even the recently opened Diamond Hospital.
President Dr. Irfaan Ali
PPP General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
British national only known survivor in Air India Dreamliner plane crash
–– 241 passengers, crew presumed dead; authorities suspect persons in Ahmedabad college hostel were also killed
MORE than 240 people were killed when an Air India plane bound for London crashed moments after taking off from the city of Ahmedabad on Thursday, authorities said, in the world’s worst aviation disaster in a decade.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, with 242 people on board, which was headed for Gatwick Airport, south of the British capital, had only one survivor after it crashed onto a medical college hostel during lunch hour.
The sole survivor is a British national of Indian origin, and is being treated in a hospital, the airline confirmed. The man told Indian media how he had heard a loud noise shortly after Flight AI171 took off.
“We are still verifying the number of dead, including those killed in the building where the plane crashed,” Vidhi Chaudhary, a top state police officer told Reuters.
She said the death toll was more than 240, revising down a previous toll of 294, as it included body parts that had been double counted. It was not immediately clear how many of the dead had been on the aircraft or on the ground.
The only known surviving passenger was in seat 11A,
next to an emergency exit, Chaudhary said, adding that there could be more survivors in hospital.
“Thirty seconds after take-off, there was a loud noise and then the plane crashed,” 40-year-old Ramesh Viswashkumar told the Hindustan Times, which showed a boarding pass for seat 11A in that name online.
“It all happened so quickly,” he told the paper from his hospital bed.
“When I got up, there were bodies all around me.
I was scared. I stood up and ran. There were pieces of the plane all around me,” he said. “Someone grabbed hold of me and put me in an ambulance and brought me to the hospital.”
He said that his brother, Ajay, was seated in a different row on the plane. “He was travelling with me and I can’t find him anymore. Please help me find him,” he said.
Ahmedabad police chief G.S. Malik said the bodies recovered could include both passengers and people killed on the ground. The dead included Vijay Rupani, the former chief minister of Gujarat State, of which Ahmedabad is the main city.
Relatives have been asked to give DNA samples to iden-
Firefighters work to put out a fire at the site where an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner plane crashed in Ahmedabad, India, June 12. REUTERS/Amit Dave Purchase Licensing Rights
tify the dead, state health secretary Dhananjay Dwivedi said.
Parts of the plane’s fuselage were scattered around the smouldering building into which it crashed. The tail of the plane was stuck on top of the building.
The passengers included 217 adults, 11 children and two infants, a source told Reuters. Air India said 169 were Indian nationals, 53 were Britons, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.
It was the first crash for the Dreamliner, a wide-body airliner that began flying commercially in 2011, according to the Aviation Safety Net-
work database. The plane that crashed on Thursday flew for the first time in 2013 and was delivered to Air India in January 2014, Flightradar24 said.
CRASH JUST AFTER TAKE-OFF
CCTV footage showed the plane taking off over a residential area and then disappearing from the screen before a huge fireball could be seen rising into the sky from beyond the houses.
“My sister-in-law was going to London. Within an hour, I got news that the plane had crashed,” Poonam Patel, a relative of one of the passengers told news agency ANI at
the government hospital in Ahmedabad.
Ramila, the mother of a student at the medical college, told ANI her son had gone to the hostel for his lunch break when the plane crashed. “My son is safe, and I have spoken to him. He jumped from the second floor, so he suffered some injuries,” she said.
According to air traffic control at Ahmedabad Airport, the aircraft departed at 1:39 p.m. (0809 GMT). It made a Mayday call, signalling an emergency, but thereafter there was no response from the aircraft.
U.S. aerospace safety consultant Anthony Brickhouse said one problematic sign from videos of the aircraft was that the landing gear was down at a phase of flight when it would typically be up.
“If you didn’t know what was happening, you would think that plane was on approach to a runway,” Brickhouse said.
Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said that a formal investigation has been initiated by the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau.
“The government is constituting a high-level committee comprising experts from multiple disciplines to examine the matter in detail,” he added.
Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in a note to employees that was seen by Reuters that he and the head of Boeing’s commercial airplane division had cancelled plans to attend next week’s Paris Air Show, the industry’s biggest event of the year.
Before Thursday’s crash, Ortberg was heading to Paris having made considerable progress on his efforts to rebuild trust in the company following multiple production and safety crises in recent
years. Now, a team of Boeing experts is ready to go to India to help investigators there, he said.
Air India CEO Campbell Wilson said the investigation would take time and expressed “deep sorrow” about the incident.
Boeing’s (BA.N), opens new tab shares fell 5% in the crash’s wake.
Aircraft engine-maker GE Aerospace said that it would put a team together to go to India and analyse cockpit data, India’s CNBC TV18 reported.
The U.S. transportation secretary said the Federal Aviation Administration was working with Boeing and GE in the investigation.
Britain was also working with Indian authorities to establish the facts around the crash and to provide support to those involved, the country’s foreign office said.
“The tragedy in Ahmedabad has stunned and saddened us,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X. “It is heartbreaking beyond words.” Gujarat is Modi’s home state.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said images of the crash were “devastating”. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said King Charles was also being kept updated.
U.S. President Donald Trump called the crash “terrible”.
INDIA’S FIRST CRASH SINCE 2020
Ahmedabad Airport, which suspended all flight operations after the crash, said it was operational again but with limited flights. The airport is operated by India’s Adani Group conglomerate.
The last fatal plane crash in India, the world’s third largest aviation market and its fastest growing, was in 2020 and involved Air India Express, the airline’s lowcost arm.
The airline’s Boeing-737 overshot a “table-top” runway in southern India, skidded and plunged into a valley, crashing nose-first into the ground and killing 21 people.
The formerly stateowned Air India was taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Group in 2022, and merged with Vistara - a joint venture between the group and Singapore Airlines – in 2024. (Reuters)
Healthcare shortages being addressed with international recruitment as gov’t builds local capacity - Dr. Jagdeo says
WHILE addressing the shortage of healthcare professionals as Guyana expands its health sector, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has stated that there must be a recruitment of foreign healthcare workers alongside government’s continued investment in building its local human resource.
During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Georgetown, the General Secretary said that the government is recruiting people from around the world, not just Cuba.
He did make it clear that the Government of Guyana is working to ensure that the people who come from Cuba meet the definition because of what the United States (U.S) Secretary of State, Marco Rubio had outlined.
He also stated that the main notion is to develop the nation’s human resources but at the moment, Guyana does not have enough health care personnel to offer the expanded level of services that will come through the opening of the new hospitals.
“So, we have to train more of our people. We have to increase their remunera-
tion and working conditions, and that is in training…. But we don't want the service to suffer because of the shortage of Guyanese healthcare pro-
‘Our policies are working for all’
- Dr. Jagdeo says, highlights empowerment of over 83,000 persons through GOAL, other training initiatives
GUYANA’S future is in safe hands, as, over the past five years, over 83,000 Guyanese have benefitted from scholarships and specialised training, People’s Progressive Party (PPP) General Secretary Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has highlighted, while underscoring his government’s commitment to progress and empowerment.
During a press conference on Thursday at Freedom House, Georgetown, Dr. Jagdeo congratulated those future leaders who have benefitted from the government’s transformative policies.
The magnitude of the impact made by the Government of Guyana’s Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) programme stands out.
Since its launch in 2021, GOAL has provided a record 39,000 fully-funded scholarships to Guyanese nationals, almost double the government’s initial target of 20,000 scholarships by 2025.
The programme demographics tell a powerful
narrative of empowerment and inclusion. With 21,436 scholarships to women compared to 8,322 to men through 2024, GOAL has been a powerful instrument for gender equality in education.
Further, about 13,000 individuals received training through the Board of Industrial Training (BIT), and about 17,000 persons from the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) programmes, Dr. Jagdeo disclosed.
“We’re talking about 83,000 people who’ve undergone some sort of training, and all free, with the exception of those who paid cash for UG; that’s a massive number of people, and it’s spread all over the country,” he also stated.
The PPP, in its 2020 Manifesto, promised 20,000 Online scholarship, but has surpassed this figure, marking a bold and visionary leap towards educational equity and national development.
This is in spite of the attempts by government critics to dismiss the signif-
icant progress made in the education sector by the PPP.
The General Secretary, who also serves as Guyana’s Vice-President, said that he is excited about Guyana’s future, which will be led by those building themselves to be better.
Speaking about the sea of Guyanese that are destined to become the future leaders, he said that GOAL’s recent graduation was reflective of Guyana, with men and women of every race.
“That is a very satisfying thing for us in the People's Progressive Party; our policies are working for all the people of our country. And I want to once again congratulate all of those
fessionals. We want a good quality service until we can fill those positions with our own people. And so, that is the approach to that matter,”
he said.
In February, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the country’s plans to expand a visa restriction policy targetting Cuban officials that are believed to be affiliated with a labour programme that sends Cuban workers overseas, especially those in the health sector. The US administration believes that Cubans may be part of a forced labour programme.
The announcement further went on to state that all who are involved would be deemed complicit in the “exploitation and forced labour of Cuban workers.”
“This expanded policy applies to current or former Cuban government officials, and other individuals, including foreign government officials, who are believed to be responsible for, or involved in, the Cuban labour export programme, particularly Cuba’s overseas medical missions. This policy also applies to the immediate family of such persons. The Department has already taken steps to impose visa restrictions on several individuals, including Venezuelans, under this expanded policy,” the U.S. said.
who graduated recently, and those who opted to study through this programme,” Dr. Jagdeo said.
Agriculture, the digital society, healthcare, education are just some of the fields that will absorb these future leaders of tomorrow, he added.
The vice-president also
commended participants of the programme for their resilience and faith in its success, noting that despite initial scepticism, particularly from critics, their dedication is now producing visible and impactful results.
Over the past five years, approximately
13,000 individuals have graduated from the University of Guyana. With tertiary education, including studies at UG, now offered free nationwide, Dr. Jagdeo emphasised that this move underscores the government’s commitment to empowering its citizens.
PPP General Secretary, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo
Some of the GOAL Master’s Degree graduates
A function of good governance
THE recent exchange between Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Alliance For Change Leader Nigel Hughes regarding GECOM's legal counsel highlights a critical misunderstanding, or perhaps a deliberate obfuscation, of the Attorney General's constitutional role in Guyana.
Nandlall's clarification that his office is not the 'legal adviser' to the Guyana Elections Commission, but rather provides legal opinions upon request, is not merely a semantic distinction; it is a fundamental explanation necessary to cut through political rhetoric and uphold the integrity of state institutions.
As the most senior legal officer of the state and the principal legal adviser to the Government of Guyana, the Attorney General's Chambers serves as a vital legal resource for numerous state agencies.
It is a time-honoured tradition, deeply embedded in Guyana's legal framework, for independent constitutional and statutory bodies to seek legal guidance from the Attorney General on complex legislative matters. To suggest that providing such an opinion automatically designates the AG as the agency's primary legal adviser fundamentally misrepresents the scope of his office.
This distinction, as Nandlall rightly pointed out, should be particularly clear to someone of Mr. Hughes's legal standing
The accusation that Nandlall is acting as GECOM's legal adviser appears to be a politically motivated attempt to cast doubt on the commission's independence and the Attorney General's impartiality. This narrative conveniently ignores historical precedent.
Nandlall himself recalled the period between 2015 and 2020, and crucially, the 2020 elections impasse, when government-nominated commissioners from the previous administration actively sought legal advice from the very same Attorney General's Chambers.
There were no similar outcries then; no accusations of the Attorney General usurping GECOM's independence. This selective amnesia or convenient outrage exposes a double standard that prioritises political point-scoring over a consistent understanding of constitutional functions.
GECOM, grappling with recent amendments to the National Registration Act and the Representation of the People Act, would be remiss not to seek clarification from the state's highest legal office.
The complexity of electoral laws
demands expert interpretation, and the Attorney General's opinion provides a crucial layer of legal clarity. This is a service rendered to the state, intended to ensure that its agencies operate within the bounds of the law, not a means of asserting control or undermining autonomy.
Ultimately, Nandlall's detailed response serves as a necessary public education on the distinct yet interconnected roles within Guyana's legal and governmental landscape.
It underscores the importance of facts and legal nuance in public discourse, especially when dealing with institutions as vital as the Guyana Elections Commission. Responsible leadership demands a clear understanding of these roles, rather than the perpetuation of misinformation for narrow political gain.
The PPP: A proven manager of Guyana’s economy
Dear Editor,
IN recent discussions regarding Guyana’s rapid economic growth, many have attributed this transformation solely to oil revenues.
As a concerned citizen who has closely monitored our country’s development, I feel compelled to address the misconception that our progress is entirely oil-driven.
A deeper dive into the data reveals that the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) has consistently demonstrated superior economic management long before oil began to flow from our seabed, as substantiated by data from the World Bank and World Development Indicators (NY.GDP.MKTP.KD.ZG).
Analysing the economic leadership over the last six decades highlights a significant disparity in performance between political parties.
During the period from 1966 to 1992, under the Peoples National Congress (PNC), Guyana’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) contracted in multiple years, including a staggering decline of -11.5 per cent in 1983. Throughout the 1980s, inflation averaged over 20 per cent, as per World Bank data.
The economy was beleaguered by excessive public debt, widespread shortages of essential goods, and a mass exodus of over 30,000 citizens annually. GDP per capita
plummeted, and confidence in our economy reached an all-time low during this darkest chapter of our history.
When the PPP assumed office in 1992, they inherited a deeply weakened and heavily indebted economy.
Despite these challenges, the party ushered in an era of macroeconomic reform and modernisation lasting until 2015. From 1992 to 2015, real GDP growth averaged over 4 per cent annually, inflation was effectively controlled—typically ranging from 3 per cent to 6 per cent—and public debt was stabilised through comprehensive restructuring.
Foreign investment flourished, and critical infrastructure, including roads, hospitals, and schools, was constructed or revitalised. Consequently, net migration fell to below 6,000 people per year by the mid-2010s, according to the Global Bilateral Migration Database/ UN DESA.
All this progress occurred without oil revenues. The PPP’s achievements were propelled by sound macroeconomic policies aimed at repairing the economy prior to 1992 and fostering growth and prosperity for all Guyanese.
When the APNU+AFC coalition took power in 2015, they inherited a stable and growing economy. However, their tenure from 2015 to 2020 was marked by significant economic mismanagement, which included
the introduction of over 200 new taxes and fees, significantly burdening working families.
According to the Guyana Revenue Authority’s “Summary of Tax Measures—2015 National Budget,” this mismanagement was compounded by a failure to establish a sovereign wealth fund or savings framework for impending oil revenues. During this period, the World Bank noted stagnation in GDP growth until 2019, when oil contributions just began to materialise. The coalition also neglected to plan for infrastructure expansions linked to oil readiness.
By 2020, the Auditor General of Guyana reported that the coalition had depleted the Treasury, leaving insufficient fiscal buffers. Rather than build fiscal resilience and invest in the future, the APNU+AFC left office with minimal tangible progress and no meaningful improvement in the lives of Guyanese citizens.
Since regaining office in 2020, the PPP has restored macroeconomic credibility and demonstrated that while oil is a revenue source, effective governance is the true engine of progress. Despite the challenges posed by a global pandemic, GDP growth reached 33.8 per cent in 2023 and is projected to exceed 13 per cent in 2025, according to the IMF.
Inflation remains modest at under 4 per
cent, and the ratio of national debt to GDP is declining, thanks to prudent budgeting and accelerated growth, as reported by the Bank of Guyana in its Annual Report for 2023. Unemployment has also dropped to around 10 per cent—substantially lower than during previous crises.
Notably, oil revenues are being invested in critical areas such as housing, roads, healthcare, and education, thereby laying a foundation for long-term prosperity. The PPP has even surpassed its goal of granting educational scholarships to 39,000 Guyanese, exceeding its goal of 20,000.
The evidence is clear, under the PPP, Guyana experiences growth, while the PNC/ APNU era saw stagnation or decline. The assertion that “it’s only the oil” fails to account for the economic decline during the PNC’s governance without oil, the PPP’s considerable rebuilding efforts without oil, and the APNU+AFC’s poor management as oil revenues approached.
Ultimately, what matters most is leadership, vision, and discipline—qualities the PPP has consistently demonstrated during both challenging times and periods of economic boom.
Yours faithfully, Dr. Tilokie Arnold Depoo Economist
Ram’s letter is burdened with presumption rather than fact
Dear Editor,
CHRISTOPHER Ram, prominent Accountant who is also a lawyer and indulges, from time to time, in dabbling on the extremities of politics and letter writing to the press, wrote a letter published in last Sunday’s Stabroek, (8th June, 2025), given pride of place, claiming that President Mohamed Ali has “diminished the Presidency” and “ought not to be re-elected”. Strong and accusatory words.
Mr. Ram is, of course, entitled to his opinion, even though defaming, as he does, the character and performance of the President, and however misinformed, misguided and mistaken he is.
Mr. Ram’s letter is burdened with presumption rather than fact, personal opinion instead of the truth, and is based on Ram’s convenient interpretation of Mr. Azruddin Mohamed’s alleged WhatsApp messages accusing the President of facilitating “the undervaluation for customs purposes of a high-end vehicle” (a Lamborghini), in Mr. Ram’s words.
There is not a scintilla of evidence, but loads of speculation, that the President did any such thing, all of it based on accusations from the newly declared Presidential Candidate, Mr. Azruddin Mohamed.
What are the facts as we know them, shorn off speculation? Mr. Ram conveniently overlooks the fact that Mr. Mohamed has admitted his own guilt of attempting to persuade the President to act improperly on his behalf. There is no evidence, because there is none, that the President did anything to satisfy Mr. Mohamed’s appeal for his intervention.
The facts are that Mr. Mohamed has been sanctioned, along with his father and his company, by the United States of America’s Treasury Department for the alleged massive evasion of taxes on gold exports to the tune of some G$10B at the expense of our government and the people of Guyana.
The facts are that Mr. Mohamed has also been sanctioned for allegedly paying bribes to Guyanese government officials. The facts are that Mr. Mohamed is now before the Courts for misrepresenting the value to the Guyana Revenue Authority of the Lamborghini and other fancy vehicles which he imported into the country.
Nevertheless, Mr. Ram prefers to believe and support claims made by an individual who has been accused by the US Government and is now before our own Courts accused of gross criminal behaviour.
I feel reasonably certain, knowing my friend (I don’t use that term sarcastically) Mr. Ram as I do, that Mr. Ram will respond
to my letter, so, in advance, I ask him, whom would he choose at the forthcoming elections to be Guyana’s President, other than Mr. Mohamed?
Would he choose, for instance, the confused Mr. Aubrey Norton, who has embraced the abject racism of Mr. David Hinds or, perhaps, the other Presidential Candidate, Mr. Nigel Hughes, who has disqualified himself by the fact that his company, Hughes, Field and Stoby, represents ExxonMobil, an unforgivable and unacceptable conflict of interest for a Presidential Candidate? Or, perhaps, he would choose Mr. Mohamed?
I have another question for Mr. Ram. Does he really believe that President Mohamed Ali, as a favour to Mr. Azruddin Mohamed, would have picked up the phone and directed Mr. Godfrey Statia, Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority, to jeopardise his professional reputation by cheating on Mohamed’s tax declarations?
Mr. Ram’s letter, to a large extent, seems to be founded on a Stabroek News Editorial (Saturday, 7th June, 2025), arriving at much the same wholly irresponsible conclusions which he has echoed in his letter, that “on the face of what was presented by Mr. Mohamed about his contact with the President in September of 2020, there is certainly a case for President Ali to answer”.
The Stabroek News appears to have arrived at this conclusion only based upon, it seems, that there once existed a long friendship founded on the shared Muslim faith between the President’s family and the Mohameds, about which there is no secret, and, therefore, somehow, that the President would be susceptible to the importuning of Mr. Mohamed, and nothing much else.
What the Stabroek News and Mr. Ram have chosen to ignore, is the fact that President Ali, in spite of that friendship and because he is the President, has properly ended that relationship.
Mr. G.H.K. Lall, well recognised for his entrenched hostility to all that is the PPP and the government, has gleefully joined the Stabroek News/Ram bandwagon and, in the Kaieteur News, (Tuesday, 10th June, 2025), published a fountain of verbiage and meaningless superfluous rhetoric, calling for the President’s resignation, devoting over some 1,000 words, but not a single one of evidence, to support his hysteria. Why and how in the name of heaven does anyone read him, or does anyone?
This entirely malicious attack on President Ali has clearly been fuelled by the very apparent political bias of the Stabroek News and the personal animosity of Mr. Ram. So,
I have a final question to ask, not merely of Stabroek News and Ram, but the entire electorate?
Given that every declared contesting Presidential Candidate is not without fault of some sort, would they really prefer our country to be governed by a President who is criminally sanctioned by the US Government, or a President dedicated to taking our country down the black hole of racism and from a party which attempted to rig the last elections, or a President totally politically
compromised by legal ties to Exxon and also a party associated with the rigging of the last elections, or a President of a governing party who, with all of his alleged foibles, has already, evidentially, led our country down the road of a massive development programme to the ultimate benefit of every one of our citizens? For these are the choices before us as voters on 1st September, 2025.
Yours sincerely, Kit Nascimento
Does Walter Rodney still live on this day?
TODAY’S date in this calendar year is one of the saddest days in the world.
I anticipate what you think I am going to write. But sorry to disappoint you. I am not going to write that it is the saddest day because Walter Rodney was assassinated. That was a global tragedy, of course.
It is because on Friday, June 13, 2025, Walter Rodney’s comrades and intimate friends and also family members have assassinated him for the second time. Not one of the close comrades of Rodney who live today adheres to his essential beliefs. Without exception, all of them have gone in directions of either anti-Indian racism, pro-Western ideologies or have become mediocre drifters desperately trying to remain relevant and in seeking that goal, they come across as either comical or repugnant.
Rodney put the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) onto the world stage. He was the WPA, the WPA was him. Today, look at the former WPA militant he fought with in the trenches? Look at what they have become. This Guyanese hero has to be turning in his grave.
There isn’t a soul in the world today who shared the revolutionary porridge with Rodney as they sat in a government yard fighting Burnham’s oppressors that says: “Stop, do not desecrate the name of Walter, do not desecrate the name of the WPA that he gave the world.”
I am psychologically floored that Rodney’s wife and son cannot muster the courage to urge that there be a stop to the concatenation of desecrating decibels.
If you go through the pantheon of heroic humans, the zealous custodians protect
their legacies with phenomenal energy.
The list is too long to mention – Mahatma Gandhi, Che Chevara, Martin Luther King, Fidel Castro, Cheddi Jagan, Forbes Burnham, Maurice Bishop, Nelson Mandela, Karl Marx, Patrice Lumumba, Steve Biko, and Salavador Allende. I just randomly selected these names.
It is a sad day on June 13 in Guyana in 2025 that the comrades that Rodney walked with in the darkness of night when tall shadows threw light on the enemies waiting in cloistered crevices with daggers in their hands could become what they are today.
Where are these people? Why have they travelled so far from Rodney? Why do the psyches of people become fragile that the dreams of yesterday become poison in their vein?
I was there in the government yard sharing the porridge as we watch soldiers, the police and the thugs their guns. And the guns took lives; Walter Rodney was one.
We shared his porridge then, we shared his ideals then, we shared the hard fight he endured. Why in the passage of years we have thrown away the candle that he handed to us? I look around Guyana and the world where the comrades of Rodney are and I see how incomprehensible the human mind is.
How can the once revolutionary associates of Walter Rodney preach race hate against the Indian people in Guyana when a noticeable percentage of the Indian people in Guyana fall either within the categories of proletariat, lower or middle order peasantry, lower middle class. These are the social classes that Rodney fought for.
Was Rodney in a deep Freudian way an African supremacist and he kept it hidden because of the dialectics of the 1970s? And this would explain why so many of those who were part of his soul became rabid racist and are such today?
There may be research material out there that may sustain an iconoclastic essay on this topic? I am getting on in age and I want to look into this area. But I would reject any assertion that Rodney was an African supremacist.
For me, Rodney’s vulnerability lies in his embedded life with the Mulatto/ Creole class (MCC). The difference with Rodney and that class was that Rodney’s experience world-wide diluted his MCC existence when he returned to Guyana. Although endowed with MCC characteristics, Rodney was far more conscious of class roles in Guyana than his MCC colleagues in the WPA’s leadership.
One of the complex factors that have
not been written about as yet if whether the MCC class wanted to use violence to topple Burnham but it had no choice but to go along with Rodney because that was Rodney’s agenda.
And it was politically impossible to diverge with Rodney on the justified violent path Rodney had taken. Had they parted with Rodney, it would have taken away the phenomenal national popularity they enjoyed.
I will leave this subject for an academic paper but suffice to say deep, research may reveal logical explanations as to why the once revolutionary comrades of Rodney have transformed themselves into political reactionaries of the worst kind in a Caribbean context.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
Labour Minister commits to continued efforts to prevent, eradicate child labour
By Faith Greene
UNDER the theme
‘’Progress is Clear, But There’s More To Do: Let’s Speed Up Efforts”, the Ministry of Labour lead an awareness walk in observance of World Day Against Child Labour on Thursday.
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton, in his remarks, said the theme was a reminder of progress made in the efforts.
He noted that the ministry will continue to spearhead efforts to create an environment that supports and enhances effective coordina -
ernment entities to tackle this problem.”
The ministry is closely collaborating with the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security- particularly the Child Care and Protection Agency, to enhance its ability to identify, investigate and to report on child labour issues.
This collaboration, he noted, included joint workshops with probation officers, and other child protection professionals that seek to strengthen coordination and response strategies between agencies to protect children from ex -
fects a child can face once involved in child labour,” the minister said.
Minister Hamilton urged for work to continue to be done in the spirit of collaboration and encouraged community-driven leadership to prevent and address child labour.
He further called on everyone to reform their collective vision of a Guyana and a world where every child enjoys the promise of a safe, happy and enriching childhood.
Meanwhile, Sherwood Clarke, the Vice-President of the Federation
tion, collaboration and co-operation among all stakeholders, in the fight to prevent and eradicate child labour.
As Guyana remains steadfast in this endeavour, to ensure that every child is allowed to thrive, grow and reach their full potential in a safe, and nurturing environment, the labour ministry has implemented several initiatives aimed at raising awareness and fostering community collaboration to prevent child labour.
According to the minister, “We have maintained a strong collaboration with our social partners and various gov-
ploitation.
This year, the ministry has planned various awareness events to highlight the detrimental, emotional and physical effects that children forced into child labour experience.
The ministry intends to visit more than 20 secondary schools across Guyana, where they will engage students on issues of child labour. This has already commenced.
“Additionally, the National Child Labour Art Competition and Awareness Walk in Regions Four and Six will be held to raise awareness of the negative ef-
2025: A review of policies and programmes and highlighted the methods and corresponding outcomes outlined in the report.
These are to strengthen legal commitments to eradicate child labour and highlight the significance of social dialogue, promote legal opportunities for adults and youths, primarily through informal tackling and outreach, expand social protection systems
and set minimum standards to reduce family economic vulnerability, expand access to free, quality public education as an alternative to labour, address labour in supply chains, and protect children in vulnerable situations and crises.
Meanwhile, President of the Guyana Trade Union Congress, Norris Witter, reiterated that while we have come a long way in addressing child labour, we still have
quite a distance to go. He told the students present, “You are here today, particularly the young persons, and you are the best person to take this message forward, that child labour is an abomination, it is wrong, and we need to do everything possible to ensure that, even if it is not entirely eliminated, which must be our objective, it must be minimised to a low level.”
of Independent Trade Unions of Guyana (FITUG), briefly shared that the organisation has consistently and formally advocated against child labour, and has always endorsed the effort to promote awareness, as well as to implement labour rights legislations designed to safeguard children against exploitation.
Clarke related that the theme of World Child Labour Day 2025 stresses the need to eliminate child labour by 2025.
He referenced the International Labour Organization (ILO) report: Ending Child Labour by
Minister of Labour, Joseph Hamilton and Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, lead the child labour awareness walk on Thursday (Delano Williams photo)
CPA launches a grant for enhancement of child care, early learning facilities
THE Childcare and Protection Agency (CPA), on Wednesday, launched its “Enhancement of Child Care and Early Learning Facilities and Development Services Grant”, as part of efforts to foster an environment of excellence and create safe spaces for its children.
According to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, this grant was launched during the “International Day of Play- Play with a Purpose” event, held at Unique’s Daycare, Pre-school and Nursery School at La Parfaite Harmonie, West Bank Demerara.
Delivering the feature address at the launch, Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud, stressed the importance of equally investing in childcare facilities and human resources. With this in mind, the grant was implemented through the CPA to support privately owned daycare facilities to become centres of excellence.
“Today, I proudly announce that we will be launching a Childcare and Development Grant, which will be given to 10 care centres in Regions Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, and 10,” the Minister disclosed.
Minister Persaud stated further that, “Each care centre will receive $200,000 towards making their centres not only
achieve minimum standards but to become centres of excellence.”
She added, “This support does not only stop there, but these centres will also continue to be nurtured and guided by the CPA team. We will continue to do this until every centre in this country is at that stage of excellence. This includes both the physical appearance of the centres and their human resources,” Minister Persaud assured.
Moreover, the grant will continue to be distributed annually to facilities that meet the requirements. This transformative financial support underscores the Government of Guyana’s commitment to fostering children’s holistic development and ensures that they are rightfully cared for.
It falls under the mandate of the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security’s CPA to keep “Every Child Safe.”
Earlier this year, in his speech during the presentation of the 2025 National Budget, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr. Ashni Singh, indicated that since August 2020, the Government has updated the Adoption of Children (Amendment) Act 2021 to address intercountry adoption and the Family Violence Act 2024 for the protection of victims of domestic
violence including children; completed an Early Childhood Development (ECD) Policy in 2023 which provides a national integrated framework for improved ECD services and structured guidelines for caregivers and ECD centre staff working with children from birth to three years of age, and completed the construction of two early childhood and development centres at Rose Hall and Bartica, and an early childhood centre of excellence at the University of Guyana.
In 2024, construction also commenced on another ECD centre at Diamond which is expected to be completed in 2025; construction of one day and night care centre at Anna Catherina was completed in 2024 and in 2025 another is set to be completed at Providence.
Further, more than 3,800 persons were trained to provide childcare services countrywide. Of this, 50 persons were provided with grants of $100,000 each to start or expand their facilities. Another 4,000 are set to be trained this year, while 50 additional persons will be provided with grants to open or expand their facilities.
A sum of $1.3 billion was budgeted in 2025 to continue initiatives to support the care and protection of our children.
Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Dr. Vindhya Persaud with officials from the CPA, and Unique’s Daycare, Pre-school and Nursery School (Human Services Ministry photo)
Guyana poised to lead regional growth
––
GO-Invest head tells Jamaican business mission
By Feona Morrison
GUYANA is rapidly becoming the region’s most promising economic frontier, and now is the time to seize the moment. That was the core message from Chief Investment Officer and Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, as he addressed a visiting delegation of public and private-sector representatives from Jamaica on Thursday at the Marriott Hotel, in Kingston, Georgetown.
Speaking during the trade mission meeting, Dr. Ramsaroop painted a vivid picture of Guyana’s booming trajectory, bolstered by its oil production—projected to reach 1.3 million barrels per day by 2027—and abundant reserves of natural gas, gold, bauxite, silica sand, and a thriving agriculture sector.
According to him, Guyana is on the verge of a path that probably has not been seen anywhere else in the world in recent times. “We probably are the last frontier of development that will take place within the region and within the world,” he told the delegation.
Ramsaroop highlighted that Guyana’s distinct advantage stems from the synergy between its abundant natural resources and the strength of its national leadership.
He noted that President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s 2030 vision is not just aspirational but built on measurable and actionable goals, with a clear commitment that Guyana’s prosperity must translate into prosperity for the wider Caribbean region.
Dr. Ramsaroop called for stronger commercial ties between Guyana and Jamaica, particularly in agro-processing, information and communication technology (ICT), and manufacturing.
He recalled telling executives from global food brands that they either partner with Grace Kennedy and Guyanese producers, or risk being replaced on Caribbean shelves.
He also lamented the importation of coconut water from Malaysia for cruise ships in the Caribbean, calling it a missed regional opportunity.
“When you think of all of these cruiseliners, thousands and thousands of tourists on them, and we don’t own that market,” he emphasised.
Dr. Ramsaroop pointed to the impending gas-to-energy project which will significantly reduce energy costs, along with the digitisation of government services and major infrastructure developments including new hospitals, roads and luxury hotels as key factors positioning Guyana to
become the manufacturing hub of the Caribbean.
The Chief Investment Officer encouraged Jamaican firms to explore joint ventures and “twin” operations with Guyanese counterparts.
“You’re here to make money. Our job is to make sure, as government, we put the right incentives in place, we follow the right rules and regulations. But ultimately, our job is to make your life better in order for you to hire people and make money,” he said frankly.
Jamaica’s Minister of Industry, Investment and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill, hailed Guyana’s rapid economic transformation, declaring the country a model of development and a prime destination for Caribbean business partnerships.
Speaking during the business mission, Hill underscored the importance of understanding and engaging with Guyana’s evolving economic landscape.
“When you come to Guyana, the first thing I try to do is make sure you understand what is going on here,” he told attendees, noting the growing interest among Jamaican investors and entrepreneurs.
The minister highlighted Guyana’s meteoric rise in GDP per capita over recent years.
Senator Hill pointed out
Guyana one of its top-performing markets.
Praising Guyana’s natural resources, expanding oil industry, and investment climate, Hill added, “I’ve seen what happens to countries when they really expand their oil business, or find new oil, and not just in the Middle East, but elsewhere.”
Senator Hill reflected on witnessing the transformation of Dubai under Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and drew a parallel with Guyana’s growth.
He projected that in the
next five to seven years, Guyana’s population could potentially double or even triple, largely due to an influx of expatriates drawn by opportunities in key sectors.
He urged Jamaican entrepreneurs to invest in Guyana not only for profit but to contribute to regional growth.
Having now led four business missions to Guyana, Senator Hill closed by reaffirming Jamaica’s dedication to advancing regional development through sound governance and sustainable economic growth.
Jamaica and Guyana
have enjoyed a long-standing and constructive bilateral relationship, rooted in decades of regional cooperation. Their ties date back to July 1973, when both nations became signatories to the Treaty of Chaguaramas, laying the foundation for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and deeper regional integration. In more recent years, efforts to strengthen collaboration were renewed with the reactivation of the Guyana-Jamaica Joint Commission in 2018.
that just six or seven years ago, Guyana’s per capita Gross Domestic Product (GDP) was below US$7,000 and lagging behind Jamaica.
Today, however, he noted that Guyana has climbed significantly to rank ninth globally, with a per capita GDP of US$94,000, based on recent Forbes data.
He pointed out that this puts Guyana among the top 10 richest countries by per capita GDP.
Hill said Jamaica is well-positioned to complement Guyana’s development by offering services across ICT, education, legal, health, and construction sectors.
He highlighted the growing regional and international reach of Jamaican businesses, pointing to the expansion of several companies across the Caribbean and beyond.
He also referenced the participation of the prominent law firm, Myers Fletcher & Gordon, in the current mission, as a reflection of this widening footprint.
“I bring people who want to do business,” Hill said, emphasising the importance of strategic partnerships.
He also recalled successful Jamaican ventures in Guyana, including food producer, Home Choice, which found local partners and now considers
Chief Investment Officer of the Guyana Office for Investment, Dr Peter Ramsaroop
Jamaica’s Minister responsible for Industry, Investment, and Commerce, Senator Aubyn Hill
Darren Wade prepared to take legal action against
‘defamatory’
remarks made on Mark Benschop show
–– claims the opposition-aligned ‘activist’ allowed misrepresentation of facts pertaining to Adriana Younge case
ATTORNEY-AT-LAW
Darren Wade is preparing to take legal action over what he has described as “false, libelous and defamatory” remarks which were made against his character during an online pro -
gramme hosted by opposition-aligned activist, Mark Benschop.
In a statement made Thursday on his Facebook page, Wade called for the identity of the interviewee who appeared on Benschop’s show and made accusations against him, to be revealed.
According to Wade, the unnamed interviewee alleged that she has a connection to the Younge family and proceeded to make several harmful remarks.
The attorney was adamant that he is not aware that that individual has any connection to the child’s family.
Wade further accused Benschop of constantly targeting him, pointing to repeated attacks made in Rickford Burke’s ‘Guyana Outreach Group’.
“Only recently, I publicly addressed his ongoing fixation and obsession with me in that forum,” Wade said.
According to the attorney, Benschop’s omission of known facts during the interview was “deliberate and mischievous.”
He stated: “Mark is fully
aware of the facts concerning the retention of Dr Gary Collins as the independent pathologist. However, he failed to disclose these facts to his unidentified guest during the interview. In my view, this omission was deliberate and mischievous.”
Further, he said: “As someone who has worked in the media for over three decades, Mark should know that basic journalistic standards require an interviewee to provide their name and to explain their connection to the matter at hand. I say this with confidence, having studied communication and been taught these principles during my Diploma in Communication.
“It is clear that Mark’s conduct is driven by a personal vendetta against me. I will not allow anyone to drag my name through the mud or to defame me.”
The attorney who is among those representing the Younge family vowed to pursue all available legal remedies.
Attorney-at-law
“I will use the full force of the law against those responsible,” he stated.
Adriana was found dead on April 24, 2025, in the swimming pool of the Double Day Hotel at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE), the day after she was reported missing.
The police have since said that the certified findings from the autopsy confirmed that her death was consistent with drowning, and that no evidence of trauma, assault, or any other criminal activity was found.
Disciplined Services ranks to vote on August 22
MEMBERS of Guyana’s Disciplined Services will cast their ballots on August 22, 2025, ahead of the general electorate, as part of the General and Regional Elections process.
This was confirmed on Thursday by Public Relations Officer of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Yolanda Ward.
According to GECOM’s standard electoral procedures, votes cast by the Disciplined Services are not counted separately.
Instead, Ward reminded this publication that the ballots are secured in tamper-proof containers and later mixed with the general ballots on Election Day before being counted.
Traditionally, she explained that members of the Disciplined Services vote prior to the general public to allow them to be deployed for security duties on Election Day.
In preparation for the upcoming General and Re-
Flashback: Members of the Guyana Police Force cast their votes on February 21, 2020, ahead of the General and Regional Elections held on March 2, 2020
gional Elections set for September 1, 2025, Ward said that GECOM has appointed ballot officers for members of the Disciplined Services.
According to a notice published in the Official Gazette dated June 5, 2025, Chief Election Officer, Vishnu Persaud, formally appointed three individuals to oversee balloting within the respective security agencies. The appointments are in accordance with Section 65I (1)(a) of the Representation of the People Act,
Cap. 1:03. The appointed officers are Areana Britton, who will serve as the ballot officer for the Guyana Defence Force, established under the Defence Act, Cap. 15:01; Sharon Jethu, who has been designated for the Guyana Police Force, established under the Police Act, Cap. 16:01; and Sadhna Boodhanlall, who will be responsible for the Guyana Prison Service, established under the Prison Act, Cap. 11:01.
Mark Benschop
Darren Wade
Guyana delegation underscores efforts to empower, bridge gap for PWDs
ARTIFICIAL Intelligence
(AI) holds the potential to transform the world for persons with disabilities (PWDs). These words were shared by Programme Manager of the Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities (GCOPD), Ganesh Singh.
Singh was part of the Guyana delegation, led by First Lady Arya Ali, at the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
In his statement, Singh said this is not a distant hope, but a powerful reality that is already making changes.
“AI-powered tools are helping to bridge the accessibility gap and ensure persons with disabilities have access to opportunities to live a more independent and productive life,” he said, adding, “We’re seeing more persons with disabilities employed, accessing more educational opportunities and becoming more independent as a result of artificial intelligence.”
He pointed out that in Guyana, through the Digital
School, PWDs are able to access more tailored lessons. Singh said the Online school is fashioning individualised education plans for all registered students, including those students with disabilities.
The disability advocate also underscored the fact that more persons with disabilities are using AI in their daily jobs.
“Screen readers are improved now, voice activated devices are making a difference in their lives,” Singh expressed.
These examples, according to Singh, illustrate just how artificial intelligence can ensure that PWDs live an independent life. He further noted that AI re-enforces dignity, independence, and participation, core principles of the CRPD.
He said that while there are positives to AI, there are also risks, and highlighted that if AI is developed with biased data, or in a process that is not inclusive or deployed without accessibility standards, there will be problems.
Additionally, on the first day of the conference, Guyana’s First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali, in her speech, underscored that Guyana has taken decisive steps to safeguard the rights of PWDs. She further mentioned
that the Prevention of Discrimination Act and the Persons With Disabilities Act provide the legal foundation to prohibit discrimination in employment, mandate rehabilitation, ensure access to
free education and healthcare, and promote participation in cultural and recreational life.
Mrs. Ali noted that Guyana’s Low-Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) reinforces this commitment, and our government backs this with practical support. This is inclusive of free healthcare and assistive devices, employment and housing opportunities, inclusion in the school system, and lifelong public assistance for everyone with permanent disabilities.
She added that the Disability Support Unit was created to ensure inclusion and no discrimination.
“Under our One Guyana initiative, youth with disabilities are provided with the tools and resources to pursue economic opportunities,” the First Lady pointed out,
“We recently launched the Centre for Equity, Opportunity and Innovation that currently employs scores of persons with disabilities, and provides technical, vocational and business development training.”
The First Lady further said the combined efforts of
the Mahaica Learning Lab, Board of Industrial Training, Business Centre and the Open Doors Vocational Centre offer free skills training for persons with disabilities.
Mrs. Ali noted that Guyana is home to the Regional Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, which offers early diagnoses for children with disabilities.
She posited that in recent years, hundreds of persons with disabilities have received house lots from the Government, while President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s Men on a Mission programme has built homes and provided construction materials for persons with disabilities.
“A society is judged by how it treats its most vulnerable. Guyana is proud of our efforts, as we believe that the most effective way to give true meaning to the Convention is through education, empowerment, and engagement.
These are the pillars upon which we will continue to build a future where the rights of all persons with disabilities are realised,” Mrs. Ali concluded.
President Ali, R3CCI extend deepest condolences
–following tragic Air India plane crash
PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali on behalf of the Government and People of Guyana, on Thursday expressed solidarity with the Government and People of the Republic of India in light of the tragic crash of Air India flight AI171 shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of the 230 passengers, including 11 children, two infants and 12 crew members aboard the flight, as well as those who lost their lives or were injured from the impact of a building struck by the aircraft,” President Ali said in a Facebook post.
Meanwhile, the Essequibo Islands–West Demerara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (R3CCI) expresses its deepest condolences to the
Governments and people of India, and United Kingdom and to the families and communities affected by the tragedy.
“This heartbreaking accident has claimed innocent lives and cast a shadow of grief across nations. We mourn alongside those who have lost loved ones and
Scenes from the crash site
stand in solidarity with all who are enduring this immense tragedy,” a release from the Chamber said. It added that Ms. Bhabita Albert, President of R3CCI said, “Our hearts go out to the families affected, and to the people of Indian and the United Kingdom during this time of sorrow.
We extend our compassion and unwavering support to all impacted by this devastating event.”
R3CCI said it joins the global community in praying for healing and comfort for the bereaved, and for strength for those involved in recovery efforts.
First Lady Mrs. Arya Ali and GDOPD Programme Manager Ganesh Singh at the CRPD18 (Office of the First Lady photo)
State-of-the-art Children’s Court opened in Charity
–– facility to provide restorative justice, rehabilitation services
Stories and
by Indrawattie Natram
THE Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Judiciary of Guyana, in collaboration with UNICEF, has officially opened a stateof-the-art Children’s Court at the Charity Magistrate’s Court in the Essequibo Magisterial District.
Anil Nandlall, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Roxane George, UNICEF Area Representative (ag) for Guyana and Suriname, Mr. Gabriel Vockel, and Region Two’s Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva.
to all major United Nations protocols related to children’s rights.
Minister Nandlall also referenced social support measures such as the “Because We Care” cash grant, which offers financial aid to parents to
support their children’s education.
A COURT ALIGNED WITH JUVENILE JUSTICE
The Children’s Court is a direct implementation of the Juvenile Jus-
tice Act of 2018, which outlines comprehensive guidelines for handling juveniles who come into contact with the law— from arrest and custody to court proceedings and sentencing.
“The process of justice for children must include rehabilitation and restorative justice,” Nandlall explained, emphasising inter-ministerial collaboration with the Ministry of Human Services for custo-
This landmark initiative was executed in multiple phases, and will serve Charity and surrounding communities.
Costs for the new court are part of $72 million spent on the complete renovation of the existing Charity Magistrate’s Court, the construction of a new annex, fencing, electrical rewiring and upgrades, the modernisation of both the children’s and magistrate’s courtrooms, and the installation of washroom facilities.
The ceremonial ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling were led by Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir
Delivering remarks, Minister Nandlall described the court as the first of its kind in the County of Essequibo. He emphasised the government’s unwavering commitment to children, describing them as the nation’s most valuable resource.
“Our greatest investment is in our children,” Nandlall said. “It is our duty to ensure they grow, are educated, and mature into citizens capable of reaching their fullest potential.”
The AG highlighted that the government has implemented modern legislation concerning child custody and adoption, and reaffirmed that all laws aim to safeguard the welfare of the child. He noted that Guyana is a signatory
photos
The cutting of the ribbon signals the official commissioning of Region Two’s first Children’s Court. Also pictured are Minister of Legal Affairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards; Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George; UNICEF Area Representative (ag) for Guyana and Suriname, Mr. Gabriel Vockel and Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva
AG Anil Nandlall
Children’s Charity services for minors
dial care and safeguarding of children.
UNICEF Representa -
tive Gabriel Vockel hailed the occasion as a historic milestone in the advancement of child protection and justice in Guyana.
He emphasised that the court supports Sustainable Development Goal 16, which advocates for peace, justice, and strong institutions.
“This establishment expands justice for children, ensuring their rights are upheld and their voices heard,” Vockel said, calling for ongoing collaboration to empower and protect children.
Additionally, the regional chairperson described the court as a major boost to the justice system in a region home to over 15,000 children.
She called on parents to embrace more compassionate forms of discipline, reflecting the court’s rehabilitative approach.
Justice of Appeal Navindra Singh, speaking as a proud Essequibian, called the court “truly transformational.”
GAWU’s President represents Guyanese workers at 113th International Labour Conference in Geneva
“This court reflects our commitment to child rights, justice, and rehabilitation,” Justice Singh said.
Chief Justice Roxane George stated that this is the third specialised Children’s Court in Guyana, made possible through a partnership between the Government of Guyana and UNICEF.
She referenced Article 40 of the Juvenile Justice Act, which mandates that every child be treated with dignity and respect throughout the judicial process.
“This court in Region Two, Cinderella County, is a major step towards implementing the rights of the child,” she said adding, “Its digital services and child-friendly facilities are aligned with the national vision of inclusive legal development.”
Justice George concluded that such courts will be established across Guyana to ensure that as the country grows, both adult and juvenile legal services evolve to match the pace of social and economic progress.
He noted that it offers young people a second chance and a space to understand accountability, emphasising that children often make poor choices, but deserve the opportunity to rewrite their stories.
THE President of the Guyana Agricultural and General Workers Union (GAWU), Seepaul Narine is attending the 113th International Labour Conference (ILC) of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland.
GAWU’s President’s participation underscores Guyana’s continued commitment to advancing the rights and dignity of workers both at home and across the globe.
As a dedicated trade unionist, Narine’s presence at this pivotal gathering serves to amplify the voice of Guyanese workers on the international stage. He actively engaged in discussions promoting greater respect for fundamental principles and rights at work. The GAWU President advocated for stronger mechanisms to uphold decent working conditions, freedom of association, and collective bargaining – all critical pillars for sustainable and inclusive development.
Narine has also joined calls for enhanced social dialogue as a tool to address not only workplace issues but wider societal challenges. As the world of work continues to evolve, meaningful engagement between governments, employers, and workers has become more crucial than ever.
A key focus of the
GAWU’s President’s advocacy is the need for a just transition, especially in the context of escalating climate change. He has emphasised that workers must not be left behind as global economies pivot towards greener alternatives. Instead, there must be deliberate efforts to ensure that climate policies are fair and inclusive, safeguarding livelihoods and promoting equity.
Additionally, Narine contributes to timely deliberations on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. He is championing a balanced approach that embraces innovation while protecting workers’ rights, employment opportunities, and
well-being. The rise of AI and automation presents both challenges and opportunities. Seepaul continues to advocate for policies that ensure workers are equipped, protected, and empowered during this digital transformation.
The Union’s President is joined at the conference by officials from the Ministry of Labour, and the Consultative Association of Guyanese Industry (CAGI), who demonstrated Guyana’s tripartite commitment to collaborative labour policy development. This collective participation reflects a national effort to engage in meaningful dialogue on issues that affect workers and employers alike.
The 113th ILC has convened stakeholders from around the world to deliberate on major themes, including protecting workers against biological hazards, decent work in the care economy, and strategies for achieving a sustainable and equitable recovery from global crises.
Seepaul’s participation not only strengthens the voice of Guyanese workers but also reaffirms the value of labour as the cornerstone of national and international development. His contributions highlight the urgent need to centre workers’ welfare in all aspects of economic and social policy-making.
(GAWU)
Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court to be commissioned soon – Chancellor
ACTING Chancellor of the Judiciary Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards has announced that the long-anticipated Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court will soon be commissioned.
This announcement was made during her remarks on Thursday at the official opening of the Children’s Court at Charity.
She reaffirmed that Guyana’s judicial system is fully committed to keeping pace with the country’s rapid development.
“The judiciary is working to match services with the unprecedented transformation taking place across the region,” she stated. She reiterated that the mission of the
Justice Cummings-Edwards emphasised that once commissioned, residents of Anna Regina and surrounding areas will no longer need to travel to Suddie to file cases, seek maintenance orders, or apply for liquor licences. All these services will be accessible at the Anna Regina court.
Supreme Court is to uphold the Rule of Law and ensure fair, transparent, and efficient access to justice for all.
The sod-turning ceremony for the new courthouse took place in October 2023.
The project, valued at $178.2 million, was awarded to Satar Mohamed and Son Construction and Hardware Supplies, with Kalitech Inc. Engineering, led by consultant Kalyan Tiwari, providing oversight.
The state-of-the-art facility will feature modern courtroom infrastructure,
dedicated living quarters for magistrates and court clerks, washroom amenities, and adequate parking. This development comes as a major improvement over the previous courtroom, which was housed in the Anna Regina Police Station, and was widely considered cramped and inadequate.
Justice Cummings-Edwards extended her gratitude to the Guyana Police Force for their longstanding support in accommodating court proceedings over the years.
She noted that the new court will significantly reduce bottlenecks in the judicial process, and improve service delivery across the region.
Regional Chairperson Vilma De Silva also expressed appreciation, stating that the region looks forward to the commissioning of the new court. She thanked the Government of Guyana for its continued investment and visible developmental progress in Region Two.
From left to right: CAGI’s CEO, Charles Ogle; Chief Labour Officer, Dhaneshwar Deonarine; and GAWU’s President, Seepaul Narine at the 113th ILC in Geneva, Switzerland (GAWU photo)
Chancellor of the Judiciary (ag) Madame Justice Yonette Cummings -Edwards
Geeta resigns from PNC
GEETA Chandan-Edmond has tendered her resignation from the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR).
In an email seen by this publication, the former PNCR Member of Parliament tendered her Letter of Resignation to the current General Secretary, Sherwin Benjamin.
The email read: “I write this letter to formally tender my resignation from the People's National Congress Reform, effective immediately.
Please consider this letter my formal resignation from all roles, affiliations, and obligations connected to the PNC.”
ly press conferences about Chandan-Edmond’s hiatus. On each occasion, he rebuffed the question.
Sources close to the PNCR had spoken, on condition of anonymity in October 2022, alleging that Chandan-Edmond, who’d replaced PNC veteran Amna Ally earlier this year as PNC-R General Secretary, was being forced out of her position.
Chandan-Edmond recently endorsed President Dr. Irfaan Ali, throwing her full support behind his bid for a second term, and aligning herself with the governing People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C).
However, the former Parliamentarian’s endorsement has led to a series of racially-charged attacks from the opposition’s former and current top brass.
In 2022, Chandan-Edmond resigned from her position as General Secretary and had been on extended leave from her duties in the party since August 2022.
Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton was repeatedly questioned during his week-
Recently, while almost driven to tears, the long-standing opposition member, during her presentation to the National Assembly, said her decision to break ranks with the PNC came after several attempts to silence her.
Standing at the podium, Chandan-Edmond watched as members of the PNCR camp exited the parliament chamber.
“Let the record reflect tonight that I stand proudly with President Irfaan Ali; I stand with his leadership, I stand with his vision, and I stand with his steadfast commitment to this country… Because when the choices between progress and happiness, between development and dysfunction, between loudness and leadership, I will always choose Guyana,” Chandan-Edmond said.
She added: “Today, I say no to silence, no to bullies, no to division.”
Chandan-Edmond continued: “I say to every one of you in this House and out of this House that President Ali deserves a second term, and Guyana deserves nothing less… And so I fully and unapologetically endorse
President Irfaan Ali for a second term.”
But Chandan-Edmond is not alone.
Other prominent political players who have now endorsed President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the PPP include: Liberty and Justice Party Leader, Lenox Shuman; The Citizenship Initiative’s Shazaam Ally; PNCR’s Daniel Seeram, Samuel Sandy, Geeta Chandan-Edmond, James Bond and Dr. Richard VanWest Charles; the AFC’s David Daniels, and Regional Councillor Ismail Muhammad-Al-Cush.
These endorsements come ahead of the September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections, as President Ali and the ruling PPP/C seek re-election to office.
Nigerian man involved in package delivery scams,
romance
FOLLOWING an intense investigation conducted by the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), it was revealed that during 2022, Matthew Ejike Nwachukwu facilitated several fraudulent romance schemes and package delivery scams that defrauded dozens of Guyanese of millions of dollars countrywide.
On Thursday, June 12, 2025, Magistrate Rushell Liverpool of the Wismar Magistrate’s Court found
scheme sentenced to six years in jail
the Nigerian man guilty on two counts of Conspiracy to Commit a Felony contrary to Section 33 of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8.01, and sentenced him to three years’ imprisonment, each, on both counts.
In September 2022, Ejike was charged and remanded on both charges. One of the complainants whose case was on trial recounted that she was befriended by a German man (the mastermind), and that they later developed a long-distance relationship.
She recalled that in July 2022, her German partner indicated that he would be sending packages for her with valuables via FedEx.
She stated that after three days, she received a call from a foreign number stating that the packages had arrived in Guyana, and that she would be required to pay the sum of G$155,000.00 to various persons at the Mackenzie Post Office to uplift them.
She related that she believed the packages to be genuine after she was in -
formed that diamonds and other valuables were in them, and that the sum of G$155,000.00 was required to ensure that they were not confiscated on the basis of money laundering.
At the trial, SOCU led evidence to show that the defendant, Matthew Ejike Nwackukwu, was an accessory to the crime, and that he’d arranged agents on behalf of the German mastermind to uplift monies from the virtual complainant at the Mackenzie Post Office.
Matthew Ejike Nwachukwu
The matter was prosecuted by SOCU Prosecutors Aaron Daniels and Neville Jeffers, while Attorney-at-Law Lawrence Harris represented the defendant, Matthew Ejike Nwachukwu. SOCU reports that efforts are being made to apprehend the German mastermind and other accomplices as investigations continues into massive package delivery and romance schemes by Nigerian nationals operating here in Guyana. (SOCU)
Geeta Chandan-Edmond
Validation workshop held to craft best practices for sport fishing in Guyana
By Michel Outridge
SUSTAINABLE Wildlife Management (SWM) along with other key stakeholders on Thursday held a validation workshop to develop best practices for sport fishing in Guyana’s inland waters.
The workshop was held at the Ministry of Agriculture’s boardroom, on Brickdam, Georgetown, and aimed to craft a document that governs sport fishing.
Representing the Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha, was Advisor Caricom Agriculture- Food System, Dr. Richard Blair, who said Guyana is noted for its extensive river systems, abundant aquatic biodiversity, and some of the most pristine natural environments in the world.
He added that in this country, we are uniquely placed, positioning us as a premier destination for sport fishing in the Caribbean and South America.
Dr. Blair stated that sport fishing cannot only be seen simply as a recreation activity, but the focus ought to be on sustainable use, rural development, eco-tourism and particularly economic di-
versification in the context of Guyana’s blossoming growth from the oil sector. It was noted that if managed well, such an activity can provide income to those living in our riverine and hinterland communities, offering jobs, supporting small businesses, and promoting conservation through responsible practices.
“We recognise the immense potential,” he said, adding that there are species that have already attracted attention globally.
“But we also understand that for this industry to thrive, we must ensure
clear guidelines, strong partnerships, and ongoing research and monitoring in it,” he said.
In this regard, Dr. Blair reported that to advance the fishery sector, sustainable practices must be adopted and maintained.
He pointed out that the management of fishing in our inland waters through the development of management plans and a legal framework emanated from the increasing pressures of fishing climate change and environment regulation.
“I wish to stress, this process has been totally consultative, and through
so as to secure the wide population and livelihood of ecotourism businesses and Indigenous communities, sport fishing, indeed is lucrative, and Guyana is particularly placed to offer it.
species was over-harvested to a changed situation, thereby becoming a model village for sport fishing where conservation is the hallmark of its operation.
consultation with stakeholders, several documents have emerged, and I will only sample a few amendments to the Fisheries Act, which includes inland fishing co management plan for fisheries in the North Rupununi wetlands, among others,” Dr. Blair said.
As such, he pointed out that the guidelines being developed aim to offer guidance on responsible sports fishing practices,
“Your input today will allow for the development of a comprehensive strategy to do so. Let us promote Guyana as a top-tier sport fishing destination, where biodiversity is respected, communities empowered, and always at the centre of this element of people and communities must be empowered by this process. And visitors leave not only the trophies, but with a deep appreciation of what Guyana has to offer,” he said.
Meanwhile, Candace Phillips, Product Development Officer, Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) said Guyana itself is recognised and has won several awards based on the value of sport fishing.
She noted that Guyana has been championing the cause especially in Rewa.
Phillips emphasised the success story of moving from a place where the
Phillips explained that after putting the pieces together, we can develop a robust policy that will not only further community involvement, protect the rights of Indigenous Peoples and the stewardship of the land and waterway that they’ve taken care of, but also, the very thing that is the heart of the protection of a species.
Denzil Roberts, Chief Fisheries Officer, Ministry of Agriculture, in his remarks, told the gathering that working together to ensure that a document is realised is key to conservation for inland and sport fishing in Guyana. He reported that due to accessibility of our waterways, there have been intense fishing activities which are more than our environment can accept. In this regard, he emphasised that it is our duty to ensure sustainability of our inland fishing.
Speakers at the head table are: Candace Phillips of GTA, Denzil Roberts, Chief Fisheries Officer, Ministry of Agriculture; and Dr. Richard Blair, Advisor Caricom Agriculture- Food System
Black Bush Polder residents rally behind President Ali citing tangible community improvements
RESIDENTS and farmers of Black Bush Polder are voicing strong support for President Dr. Irfaan Ali and the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), highlighting a series of transformative developments that have significantly improved their livelihoods since the party took office in August 2020.
From enhanced infrastructure and better access to government services, to increased agricultural support and job creation, Black Bush resident said that their once-overlooked farming community has seen a noticeable upliftment under the current administration.
Speaking during a community engagement with Regional Vice-Chairman, Zamal Hussain on Wednes-
day, many residents praised the President’s hands-on leadership style and his government's commitment to rural development, saying it has brought real change to their lives.
"The changes are visible. We have better roads, more drainage and irrigation support, and we’re seeing real attention being given to the issues that matter to us," one farmer remarked.
Randy Mattadin, another farmer from the Lesbeholden area also spoke passionately about the improvements his community has witnessed under the current government.
“For the past five years, government is doing an excellent job throughout Black Bush. Any complaint that we give, and we call anybody, we get instant results,”
Mattadin said, emphasising the responsiveness of officials and the swiftness with which concerns have been addressed.
He further added that the transformation in his immediate surroundings has strengthened his support for President Ali, making a heartfelt appeal on behalf of those around him.
“On behalf of me and my family and my people around this area we would love to give President Ali a second chance, my street was mud, now from my yard to the road concrete, all the drains them and thing up to date,” Mattadin shared, highlighting infrastructure upgrades that have enhanced quality of life in his neighborhood.
Turning his attention to the agricultural sector, Mat-
tadin pointed out the significant level of assistance received from the Ministry of Agriculture, which he says has made a substantial difference for farmers across the region.
“During this five years we receive fertiliser, we receive grant, we receive a lot of things, we crop we just talk about it we get good results and the President don’t play with these things. Just you call on him [an d] if he can’t come, he sends somebody and me personally I got to know what good for my family future to give the President a second term,” he explained.
Mattadin’s sentiments reflect a broader mood among many residents in Black Bush Polder who say the Ali administration has de-
livered on key promises, with particular attention on rural communities and agricultural development. As the country moves closer to the next election cycle, voices like his are becoming emblematic of the grassroots support President Ali continues to build across Guyana’s heartland.
Satesh Persaud, a ranger from Johanna, Black Bush Polder, explained that the developments that has happened in the area is monumental. “Government is doing a wonderful job, also help rice farmer, cash crop farmers, I want to say they deserve a second term because for the good thing Mr Ali doing.” He continued, “I live here for 51 years. Now me see abbay get streets and
abbay never get that because me know lil bai growing up going to school we got to hold we pants on we shoulder and go to school so I just want to say thank you Mr President for looking after Black Bush Polder.”
Meanwhile, Lounita Sanichar, Chairwoman of the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council also spoke about the developments currently taking place in the polders. “Everywhere is development. Actually, we are making all the streets, the tractors even using the streets to get to the farms. So, it’s good for farmers too…everybody is supporting President Ali and he deserve a second chance and he will get a second term,” he said.
Randy Mattadin
Satesh Persaud
Lounita Sanichar, Chairwoman of the Black Bush Polder Neighbourhood Democratic Council
WCPL set to be hosted in Guyana
CMC – Guyana is set to host the fourth season of the Women’s Caribbean Premier League (WCPL), which is scheduled to bowl off on September 6.
The inaugural edition of the WCPL in 2022 was held in St Kitts and Nevis, while the 2023 and 2024 seasons were held at the
Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad & Tobago.
Similar to the previous three seasons, the Amazon Warriors, Trinbago Knight Riders and Barbados Royals will feature in the 2025 edition, with the final to be played on September 17.
The Royals are the defending champions having
defeated the Knight Riders by four wickets in last year’s final.
All seven games – including the final – will be played at Providence Stadium, with the three teams playing each other twice.
The Royals have been the tournament’s best team so far with a runners-up
finish in 2022 and two titles in 2023 and 2024.
Knight Riders won the tournament in 2022 and were losing finalists in 2024, while the Amazon Warriors have been third in 2022 and 2024 and runners-up in 2023.
Hayley Matthews is the tournament’s leading run scorer with 424 runs and is also the highest wicket taker with 23 scalps.
Women’s Caribbean Premier League 2025 fixtures:
Sept
Sept 17: Final
CRICKET QUIZ CORNER
(Friday June 13, 2025)
Answers to yesterday’s quiz: (1) ENG 3; WI 0 (2) Joe Root (ENG)
Today’s Quiz: (1) Which WI compiled most runs in the recent WI/ENG ODI series? (2) Which ENG player scored most runs?
Answers in tomorrow’s issue
World Test Championship Final… Australia ahead after Cummins, Rabada and Ngidi dominate pulsating second day
(ESPNCRICINFO)
- For two hours in the middle of day two, Australia had one hand on the WTC mace after taking a 74-run first-innings lead at Lord's. For the next two, South Africa did their utmost to prise their fingers from it, and for the one after that, Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc fought them off with a a 61-run eighth wicket partnership.
As things stand, Australia still have a few fingers on the mace after a gripping day of Test cricket.
It was, once again, a day for bowlers. Fourteen wickets fell on day two, the same number as the first day, for a total of 28 wickets in six sessions.
Pat Cummins stole the early headlines when he became the first visiting captain to take a five-for at Lord's and then went on to pluck his 300th Test wicket.
Then it was over to Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen who had Australia 44 for 3 before Lungi Ngidi, back in the Test side after 10 months and
coming off a poor first innings, redeemed himself with three wickets in a nine-over spell that broke Australia open.
Where things stand at the end of the day is that South Africa will already have to pull off the fourth-highest successful chase at Lord's, and do it against Australia's unrelenting attack. That means it's probably still advantage Australia after a breathless seven-and-half-hours in a final that has hit fast-forward.
South Africa resumed on 43 for 4, 169 runs behind Australia's 212 and on a goslow. Temba Bavuma had laboured his way to 3 off 37 overnight as South Africa's innings ground to a halt, but he showed more initiative on the second morning.
He struck two glorious lofted drives in Mitchell Starc's second over of the day and looked to be finding his touch.
Bavuma was on 17 before he was given out lbw off a Josh Hazlewood delivery that nipped in and struck his back pad, and he reluctantly reviewed. To everyone's disbelief including Bavuma's, Snicko showed
an inside-edge.
Bavuma went on to drive Hazelwood and Starc over the covers and pull Pat Cummins into the stands for six in what looked like an increasingly authoritative stay at the crease.
His partnership with David Bedingham grew to 64 and it took a moment of magic in the field to separate them. Bavuma drove Cummins in the air and to the right of Marnus Labuschagne, who dived full length a cover and pouched it with both hands.
Bavuma's dismissal sent South Africa back into their shells. Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne scored 17 nervy runs in the next 52 balls and both looked vulnerable. Bedingham was drawn into a false stroke by Hazlewood and Verreynne was on 1 when he edged Beau Webster just short of Smith at second slip.
But the moment of controversy came when Bedingham edged Webster onto the flap of his pad. Alex Carey moved towards him in an attempt to take a catch and the ball bobbled into and then out of Bedingham's pad flap.
At that moment, Bed -
ingham reached for the ball and dropped it close to his foot.
Khawaja and Smith began appealing for obstructing the field, and there was some excitement before it was decided the ball was dead. Bedingham responded by hitting the next ball, a half-volley, for four and South Africa went to lunch on 121 for 5, 91 runs behind.
More drama ensued after the break when Cummins hit Verreynne on the pad as he shuffled across, and the ball deflected to
fine leg. Verreynne attempted a run, Cummins turned to appeal, and the pair collided, by which point a throw had come in and there was also the chance of a run-out.
Cummins asked for a review on the lbw and replays suggested the ball would have gone on to hit leg stump.
Three balls later, Jansen handed Cummins a simple return catch, and at 126 for 7 South Africa were in disarray.
Cummins completed his five-for when he had Bedingham caught behind
off a thin edge three overs later and then got his 300th when Rabada nailed a pull to Webster at deep square. Cummins finished with 6 for 28 in a final analysis that included six maiden overs out of 18.1 and barely a bad ball. Crucially, he gave Australia an important lead that could still have a decisive say on this game.
The same can be said of South Africa's collapse. They lost 5 for 12 in 35 balls; Australia had lost 5 for 20 in the same time on day one.
Tottenham appoint Thomas Frank as head coach
(BBC) - TOTTENHAM have appointed Brentford boss Thomas Frank as their head coach on a deal until 2028.
The 51-year-old Dane replaces Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked earlier this month despite leading Spurs to victory in the Europa League final in May. Frank spent seven years in charge of Brentford, guiding the club from the Cham pionship to the Premier League in 2021. He is Tottenham's fourth permanent manager since June 2021.
Spurs finished 17th in the top flight last season, losing
qualified for next season's
in Bilbao - their first major trophy for 17 years.
Justin Cochrane will join Frank at Tottenham as the Dane's assistant, despite efforts from the Bees to keep hold of the England coach. Frank has also brought head of performance Chris Haslam and first-team analyst Joe Newton with him from Brentford, while another assistant coach, Andreas Georgson, arrives from Manchester United.
In a statement, external Brentford said everyone connected with the club "would like to thank Thomas for the incredible impact he has had on the
club's history". Bees director of football Phil Giles said: "From the moment he replaced Dean Smith, he understood what we were trying to build and his wisdom, coaching ability and emotional intelligence have helped transform the club.
"But it's not just what you see on the pitch. He forged a special connection with our fans, helped develop and improve players, and was instrumental in implementing the culture that has seen Brentford go from strength to strength.
"We will never forget Thomas, but now it is time to thank him and take the
next steps in our journey with a new leader who we believe can be just as successful and influential."
An hour after the appointment of Frank was confirmed, Spurs captain Cristian Romero posted a message, external to his former boss Postecoglou.
It included the line: "You paved the way despite the many obstacles that always existed and always will exist," which some supporters have viewed as a shot at Spurs owner Daniel Levy, who chose to sack Postecoglou despite winning the Europa League.
Pat Cummins picked up his 300th Test wicket on his way to 6 for 28 • ICC via Getty Images
22 of their 38 matches and finishing seven places and 18 points below Brentford. However, they have
Champions League after beating Manchester United in the Europa League final
Thomas Frank previously coached in his native Denmark before joining Brentford
PCB retains four out of five selectors for men’s team
(ESPNCRICINFO) -
The PCB has quieted speculations of wholesale changes to the current selection committee, with four of the five men remaining in position. They are Azhar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Aaqib Javed and former umpire Aleem Dar.
The only change is Usman Hashmi replacing Hassan Cheema as the data analyst.
Unlike Cheema, Hashmi will not be a voting member and will only assist the selection committee.
Reports of significant changes, or even a complete disbanding, of the committee were widespread enough for the PCB to issue a statement denying it.
Notably, the statement also appeared to open the door for the head coach and the captain to begin having a say - if not an explicit voting right - on matters of selection.
"The selection com -
mittee is bound to discuss with the head coach and captain of respected formats before finalising the team," the statement said. In October, when the selection committee was announced, the PCB revoked the captain and coach's right to vote on selection matters, leading to some frustration. It was given voice most notably by Jason Gillespie, Pakistan's Test coach then, who complained he had been reduced to the role of "match-day analyst", stating it was "not what he signed up for". Both
he and white-ball coach Gary Kirsten departed in the following weeks.
That there has been no significant change to this committee is almost notable in itself, given the frequency with which Pakistan has changed the selectors in recent years. Since August 2021, Pakistan has used 26 different selectors for the men's national side.
Pakistan's next international assignment is in July, when they travel to Bangladesh for a T20I series.
Jordan helps Surrey beat Kent
[ESPNCRICINFO]
- CHRIS Jordan hit a boundary off the last ball as Surrey beat Kent Spitfires by four wickets in a South Group thriller at the Kia Oval. It was quite a night for Jordan who had earlier taken 4 for 10 - his best figures in the competition - in Kent's 171 for 7.
Jason Roy (56) and skipper Sam Curran (32) seemed to have the chase under control when they put on 90 in nine overs but there were more twists to come.
Wes Agar removed both in the 12th over and Tom Curran was run out as Surrey lost three wickets in nine balls to find themselves 109 for 5.
But Laurie Evans and Mitch Santner added 48 off 33 balls and when Santner was dismissed in the 18th over the experi-
enced Evans and Jordan took control.
Evans struck successive fours off Tom Rogers in the 19th and, with their seamers bowled out, legspinner Matt Parkinson was given the last over with an extra fielder inside the circle because Kent hadn't bowled their overs in time.
Six runs came off the first five balls before Jordan perfectly dissected two fielders as he found the boundary at wide long-on. Evans, with 46 off 29, had played a crucial role too.
Surrey had inserted the opposition for the first time this season and Kent needed the impetus of Joe Denly's 40 off 22 balls to post a competitive score.
Daniel Bell-Drummond and Tawanda Muyeye had scored 46 in the fifth over when Jordan made the breakthrough
Guyana through to Knockout stage of U23 3x3 Tournament in Paraguay
TEAM Guyana, featuring Anish Ramlall, Domitre Ranking, Arren Vanlewin, and Stephen George, has advanced to the next round of the U23 3x3 basketball tournament in Paraguay.
The event marks the conclusion of a High-Performance Training Camp ahead of this year’s Junior Pan
with a short ball which Bell-Drummond hoisted to midwicket.
Harry Finch was making his first appearance of the season after scoring three fifties in four second XI T20 games, but both he and Muyeye found it difficult to accelerate. The pressure told in the 11th over when slow left-armer Santner struck twice in three balls.
He dragged a delivery wider when he saw Muyeye coming down the wicket and the batter toe-ended an easy return catch. Finch then mistimed a drive down the ground and was caught at long-off.
Having scored 46 in the first five overs, it took Kent a further eight to double their score. But Denly hit three successive boundaries off Dan Worrall and three sixes in the 16th over off Nathan Smith as the fifth-wicket
American Games.
Under the leadership of Coach Willon Cameron, Guyana will now face Group A winners Paraguay today at 9:00 hours (local time).
Drawn in Group A alongside Argentina, Grenada, and the Cayman Islands, Guyana faced a mixed set of results in the group stage.
adde d 52 before Jordan again made good use of the short ball to have Denly caught behind and Grant Stewart taken at mid-off as he matched his previous format best for England against USA in last year's World Cup.
Surrey lost Dom Sibley to a fine diving catch by Finch at deep square leg and Will Jacks got a bottom edge in the powerplay. Curran and Roy got Surrey back on track before Agar's double strike turned things
Kent's way again.
Curran spliced a pull to long-off and Roy, having taken his tally in this season's Blast to 256 with his third fifty, gloved a short ball, although he stood for several seconds while Kent's fielders celebrated before trudging reluctantly off.
In the next over Tom Curran was run out by Stewart's throw. Kent seemed to be on top, but Evans and Jordan stepped up.
The Cayman Islands were forced to withdraw due to two injuries sustained during pre-tournament training, resulting in a walkover win for the other teams. Guyana battled Grenada but came up short in a 16–21 contest, and against tournament favourites Argentina, they were defeated 10–21.
Coach Cameron noted that it was the first time the players were competing together as a unit, but highlighted their steady progress throughout the training camp
“The tournament was a great opportunity for the players to apply what they’ve learned since the programme began on Monday,” said Coach Cameron.
The cam p, hosted in Paraguay’s capital, Asunción, runs until June 13 and is part of a wider initiative to prepare teams for the upcoming Junior Pan Am Games.
Guyana’s participation comes on the heels of a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) and the Paraguayan Olympic Committee, designed to foster greater collaboration and development in sports.
Other countries participating are Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Roca, and the United States Virgin Islands.
Aaqib Javed will continue in his role as one of the selectors • AFP via Getty Images
(L-R) Arren Vanlewin, Stephen George, Coach Willon Cameron, Domitre Ranking and Anish Ramlall
Chris Jordan and Laurie Evans walk off after sealing victory • Surrey CCC/Getty Images
GMR&SC Circuit Racing championship… Round two set for July 6
THE second round of the Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club (GMR&SC) Circuit Racing Championship is set for July 6 at the South Dakota Circuit.
The club announced that the event, which is just over three weeks away will bring together the nations best drivers and riders in circuit racing action.
The two-day event features qualifying sessions for all classes on Saturday, namely, the Vitz Cup, Rookies, Street Tuner, Sports Tuner, Groups two, three and four as well as bikes.
Sunday’s action is ex -
pected to get underway at 10:00 hours with intense rivalry’s being revisited following the year’s earlier round one.
The club has already begun the planning stages of the event, with a spokesman saying, “we have begun to put the necessary steps in place to ensure that the weekend has what it needs.”
“We have already reached out to all the relevant authorities, some via informal means just to let them know we are interested in their services for the date. We expect to begin sending out those formal requests in
CWI announces T20 series against Nepal
CRICKET West Indies
(CWI) is pleased to announce the region’s participation in a historic threematch T20 International series against the Asian nation of Nepal, the first-ever bilateral series between the two teams, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing mission to grow and globalize the game of cricket.
Taking place in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates on September 27, 28, and 30, 2025, the series is being hosted by the Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) and represents a landmark opportunity for Nepal as it gears up for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier later this year.
For CWI, the engagement reflects its strong commitment to supporting the development of cricket in emerging nations and fostering meaningful partnerships with fellow cricketing boards worldwide.
Speaking on the importance of this occasion, CWI CEO Chris Dehring stated:
“This series is more than just a set of international matches—it’s a celebration of the game’s expanding global footprint and a testament to what cricket represents: pride, purpose, and the power of unity. As a full-member nation, we see it as part of our responsibility to contribute to the development of cricket beyond our
the new week,” the spokesman added.
“I can say for sure that in regards to competitors, there are a lot of unsettled battles arising out of round one, especially in the newly established Vitz cup class.
A lot of guys there who thought the event would have been a walk in the park have now seen that it is a lot of pressure there and come round two, there are expected to be even more competitors.”
There is also a lot of unwritten rivalry in the bike class, particularly the street
borders. Supporting Nepal in this key phase of their cricketing journey not only builds the sport at the grassroots and international levels but also reminds us of the deep pride and honour associated with representing our nation and wearing our national colours. We are proud to stand with Nepal at this moment in their history and look forward to exciting and competitive cricket in Sharjah.”
The West Indies team, known for its rich legacy and dynamic style of play, is expected to field a competitive squad that will offer Nepal critical exposure ahead of their World Cup qualifying campaign. The series also provides an opportunity for players and fans alike to experience the spirit of international cricket in a vibrant, neutral venue.
Cricket West Indies extends its sincere thanks to the Cricket Association of Nepal and the Emirates Cricket Board for their collaboration in organising the series and looks forward to continuing to work together towards advancing the global growth and accessibility of the game of cricket.
Match Schedule (All Matches @Sharjah, UAE): 1st T20I – September 27, 2025
2nd T20I – September 28, 2025
3rd T20I – September 30, 2025
THE Petra Organisation has postponed the start date of the highly anticipated 6th Annual ExxonMobil U-14 Football tournament.
A statement from the Organisers on Thursday indicated that the tournament, initially scheduled to start on June 14 has been shifted by one week to June 21 with the opening and march past set for that date. Meanwhile the body and
bike class, those guys have their own little battles within themselves and that always makes for intense rivalry on the track,” the spokesman said.
Entry to Saturday’s qualifying is free with Ad-
set at 2000 dollars for adults and 1000 dollars for children under 12.
6th Annual ExxonMobil U-14 Football… Petra postpones starting date due to inclement weather
title sponsor, ExxonMobil on Wednesday, hosted the official team briefing and ball distribution exercise at the National Library teams were presented with practice balls ahead of the tournament to ensure that final bit of preparation is done.
Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca said, “From just a few teams, we now have 52 teams participating, representing eight
administrative regions.
This growth is a testament to your commitment to youth development through sport.”
Meanwhile ExxonMobil’s Community Relations Advisor, Lasawhna Prescott, contended, “We have seen the inclusion of more schools and players over the years, and are always impressed by the amazing display of football skills, team spirit and growth.
Meanwhile, Christina Ramroop, Local Content Manager at Stena Drilling, told the students, “Play with passion, perseverance, and commitment.”
52 participating teams (32 boys’ and 20 girls’) will be each vying for the $400,000 first-place prize, a championship trophy, and medals. Prizes will also be awarded to second, third, and fourth-place finishers.
mission on Sunday
Vitz cup action will be back on July 6
Barbados Royals celebrate their WCPL title from last season • Getty Images
Petra Organisation in collaboration with ExxonMobil Guyana held its 2025 team briefing and ball distribution exercise at the National Library
