Kaieteur News

Section of Charity Market

destroyed by fire

...twofirefightersinjured

Two firefighters were injured on

Thursday night while battling a blaze that destroyed a section of the 'Amazonia Market' located at Charity, EssequiboCoast,RegionTwo.

According to the Guyana Fire Service, thefirebeganaround19:20hrs.

However, based on information received byKaieteurNewsontheground,itmayhave startedmuchearlier

Security guards at the market recalled seeing electrical sparks coming from the inside.

They did not initially have access to inside the market but after the sparks reportedly became intense, they broke the locks and entered only to see that the market hadcaughtfire.

The Essequibo Fire Department was alertedandrushedtothescene.

Eyewitnesses said that because of the distancebetweenAnnaReginaandCharity,it tookawhileforthefiretruckstoarrive.

By the time firefighters got on the scene,

thefirehadalreadystartedtospread.

At the scene, fire fighters sprang into actionamidstvendors,whowereriskingtheir livestosavewhattheycouldfromtheirstalls.

It was while assisting vendors that a fire fighter sustained electrical shocks and had to berushedtothehospital.

The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) stated, “At this time, we also have to report that one of our officers received a mild electrical shock during firefighting activities. He was takentothehospitalandtreated”.

The GFS added too that another officer was injured too while performing hisduties.

Fire fighters did however manage to contain the blaze resulting in the destructionofonlyasectionoftheMarket. Meanwhile, there were reports of looting amidst the chaos at themarket.

The police confirmed receiving such reports too and have promised to maintain a high presence to ensure there is no further theftofvendors'merchandise.

Chaotic Scenes at last night's Charity Market fire.

Pres. Ali wants country to prepare smooth pathway for more U.S. investors

Amid heightened

c a l l s , b o t h internationally and locally, for the lopsided oilcontractwithAmericanoil giant, ExxonMobil to be renegotiated,PresidentIrfaan AlihassaidthatGuyanamust continue to present a sustainable environment for more investment from the UnitedStates.

The President made this clear during a joint press engagement with the U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken at State House on Thursday Blinken visited Guyana on July 6, 2023 for the first time, during which he engaged the Guyanese President and members of Cabinet on energy, food and climatesecurity,amongother keyissues.

Following a meeting with the U.S Secretary of State, PresidentAli told reporters at State House, “So I believe at this timeof our development, the United States as a strategic partner, is not only helpful and supportive in the development of Guyana, but more importantly, they are playingakeyrole.”

It is safe to conclude that the American oil company, ExxonMobil has contributed to the significant growth in thecountry'sGrossDomestic Product (GDP) over the past three years, with a tripling of the country's exports, mainly driven by the petroleum sector

To this end,Ali said, “We have tremendous investment from the U.S. private sector and they continue to show greater and greater interest in our country ” He was referring to the continued investments in the Stabroek Block by Exxon and its partners as he noted that the country is responsible for building a society that encourages more investment bytheU.S.

“We must continue to build a society in which our systems, and our institutions are strong in which our institutions and systems can withstand scrutiny, point to a c c o u n t a b i l i t y a n d transparency, so that we can continue to present Guyana as a sustainable destination for more U.S. investment,” thePresidentexplained.

In highlighting the importance of the U.S. to Guyana, Ali pointed out that the country is Guyana's largest trading partner with an accumulated trade of over US$3.9 billion in 2022. Not only is the United States

destination with US$2 7 billion in goods shipped last year, but it is also the country's highest ranked import source, with over US$1 2 billion in items shippedduring2022aswell.

AccordingtoAli,theU.S. is also one of Guyana's strongest partners, with the two countries sharing a number of common values andprinciples.

“Wesharemanycommon values and principles. We both believe in the rule of law, democracy and ensuring that everyone, every country abides and work within a democratic framework...our relationship with the United Stateshasbeenonethatspans many sectors,” President Ali noted.

Hewentontoexplainthat that both countries pursue a foreign policy that seeks to ensure the World exists peacefully where “the rights ofeveryhumanisrespected”.

Added to that, the President said it also shares other common interests with the U.S. on three critical areas inclusive of food, energy and climatesecurity

On this note, Ali indicated that Guyana is seeking to expand its partnership with the U.S. in alloftheareasmentioned.He said, “There are a number of other areas, crime and security, ensuring that we build systems to ensure transnational crimes are addressed. Issues of drug trafficking, the United States have played a tremendous role in the training of our security forces in the last two years. We have the greatest partnership in terms of the trainingofoursecurityforces and partnership in combating many different forms of crime and we have gained tremendous success in the last three years in these areas,”hereported.

Ali noted that the two sides are committed to continuing and expanding the partnership, forging stronger relations and creatinggreaternetworks.

the Secretary of State noted, “American companies can bring unparalleled expertise, h i g h e n v i r o n m e n t a l

standards and transparency to help power Guyana's dynamic growth to advance regional energy security to

delivertangiblebenefitstoall thepeopleofGuyana.”

According to him, “We greatly value the leadership

of Caribbean nations on our shared priorities and the Presidentreferredtoa (Continued on page 9)

t

Meanwhile, the U S Secretary of State, Antony Blinken in his address, reaffirmed the country's commitmenttoamoresecure and sustainable region Weighing in specifically on Guyana, Blinken said the Export Import (EXIM) Bank of the U.S. is working with the Guyanese government on the Gas-to-Energy project that will cut harmful e m i s s i o n s t o t h e environment. In this regard,

President Irfaan Ali at State House yesterday alongside U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken addresses the press and members of Cabinet (Photo credit: Office of the President)

Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456

Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

GUYANA AND OPEC

The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries(OPEC)hasbeencourtingGuyanato join the exclusive club of oil producers AccordingtotheWallStreetJournal,mightySaudiArabia has been engaging top Guyanese political leaders for several months now to join OPEC (‘OPEC woes Guyana, tinynationthatsitsatopmassiveoilfield’-WSJ,June26). According to OPEC, however, it has not. Still, Vice President Jagdeo, Guyana’s oil sector head has firmly declinedatemptingsituation.

We think that this is a good decision. Though membership in OPEC has distinct advantages for a new producer, Guyana could find itself trapped in production cuts, as dictated by the more powerful producers in the organization.

This could be counter to the visions and plans of the government, and a backward step for the nation as whole. ThelastplacethatGuyanashouldwanttobeisinanentity like OPEC, which is usually locked in fierce differences with the West, especially America. We do not think that leaders in the PPPC Government want to be on the wrong side of the US. In view of longstanding American interferencesandinfluenceinournationalelections,neither of the two major political parties in Guyana would be regarded very favorably should the decision be to join OPEC.

Onasoberingnote,andagainnotwithstandingOPEC’s membershipbenefits,doesGuyanawishtobeaparticipant in production moves that usually result in whipsawing nationaleconomiesaroundtheworld.

On the one hand, production cuts, a staple of OPEC’s supplymanagement,ratchetsuppressuresanddistresseson poorcountriesandtheirpeople. PeoplejustlikeGuyanese, butwithoutanyoilwealth.

On the other hand, decisions to increase supply on a structured basis to flood the market could be counter to Guyana’s calculations of where oil prices should be, and whatsuchmeanforthelocaleconomy

Vice President Jagdeo is quoted in the Journal’s article referencedabove,assaying,“Rightnow,theideaistogetas much as these resources out of the ground as quickly as possible given we are not sure of the window in the future”. Simplyput,Guyanaispumpingwhatitcantodaybecause thereisuncertaintyaboutmarketsandpricestomorrow We hear the Vice President, and we can support that position, but only if two conditions are satisfied, both of them, and bothtothefullestextentthatcanbehad.

First, as ExxonMobil races ahead with increased production levels, Guyana must be protected. Guyana’s environment, Guyana’s economy, and the destiny of the Guyanesepeoplemustallbesafeguardedtothefullest. The onlyacceptablewayforthefulfillmentofthatrequirement isthroughaparentcompanyguarantee.

Second, as Guyana approves new projects to facilitate more production, the 2016 oil contract that ExxonMobil imprisonedthiscountryanditspeopleswithmustbebroken away from, and renegotiated for better terms for Guyana. This is a nonnegotiable condition of current and increased futureproduction.

To present in a different way: production is dependent onrenegotiationforimprovedsafetyandmoneyconditions forGuyana.

A follow-up comment that came from Vice President JagdeoontheOPECissueisintriguing,“Wejustwanttohug a corner for the time being and get our national act right ”Coming from Guyana’s oil leader, Jagdeo, interpreting “to hug a corner” is straightforward, for it meanskeepproductiongoingattherapidratethathasbeen pushed by ExxonMobil, and keep theAmerican company andAmericahappy.

Unfortunately, when Jagdeo says “get our national act right” that signifies nothing other than the murky, underground, manner in which he gets business done, and what has characterized how he has managed the sensitive responsibilitiesplacedinhishand.

against the injustices of this horrible Exxon contract

DEAREDITOR,

A l l o w m e t h i s opportunity to bid US SecretaryofState,AntonyJ. Blinken, a very warm welcome to Guyana. Like Dr RandyPersaud(KNJuly 6th),Iwouldalsoliketoraise a few issues for Secretary Blinken’sattention.

First, Secretary Blinken, pleaseforgivemeformaking an assumption about your visit. You are here to talk about Oil & Gas. And, of course it is the most important subject for both the United States and Guyana.

Note: I live in the Guyanesediaspora,basedin New York. Yesterday I paid $3.49agallonforregulargas at a New York Exxon gas station And, with Saudi

Arabia and Russia, both cuttingdailyproductionbya total of one-and-a-half millionbarrelsaday,itspells serious potential pocketbook issues for American consumers.

How can Guyana help?

The easy answer is to have Guyana and Exxon ramp up production.

Of course, this cannot happen overnight, but at the minimum keep Guyana’s production at an upward trajectory The good news is that VP Jagdeo is all for rampingupproductionashe sees a “limited window” for monetizingouroilresources. Very compatible with U.S. policygoals.

Mr Blinken, here is the problem Guyanese have with Exxon: The PSA

contractsignedinJune2016 is very lopsided in favor of Exxon and partners, CNOOC and Hess.And, Mr Jagdeo says it cannot be renegotiated. The Guyanese people think and believe Mr Jagdeoisbeingmanipulated and bamboozled by Exxon. The contract does allow for renegotiationprovidingboth parties agree. There is a palpable power imbalance between a small State of barely three-quarters of a million people and an Oil Giant.

And, given insecure leaders produced by an imperfect democracy and a racially divided state - these things have all played a role in rendering our leaders incapable of demanding renegotiation of the oil

contract The IndoGuyanese people are justifiably an embittered people – made so by 28years of dictatorial rule (all elections massively rigged by an Afro-Guyanese leader).

Understandably, these things make for an enduring power struggle between the two major races that make theirhomehere.

Exxon found a country ideally set up for easy exploitation. Exxon wasted notime.

Secretary Blinken, please accept the adage: All States, no matter how small and weak, must be paid Fair Value for their oil resource. Fair Value is not an abstract term–itcanbeevaluated

(Continuedon page6)

Government’s Failure to Protect the Vulnerable:AGrave Betrayal of trust

DEAREDITOR,

The case involving Former Minister Nigel

Dharamlall and the accusations of rape of a minor- an Indigenous girl has exposed a shocking disparity between the rhetoric of People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government officials, and their actions While the regimehasswiftlymovedto protect Dharamlall, and shield him from possible consequences, it has failed miserably to provide justice and support to the alleged victim.

President Irfaan Ali’s statements, which primarily focus on safeguarding the reputationofhisgovernment anditsofficials,demonstrate a callous disregard for the reported suffering endured by the young complainant and highlight a deeply flawed system that prioritises political interests overthewelfareofcitizens.

Lack of Support for the Victim

The government’s response to this heinous accusation has been deeply troubling Instead of prioritisingthewell-beingof the Indigenous schoolgirl, thePPPregimehaschosento protect the accused adult

perpetrator This sends a distressing message that those in positions of power are s h i e l d e d f r o m accountability, while the vulnerable are left to suffer the consequences The victim, already traumatised by the assault, is now being further victimised by a system that fails to provide herwiththesupport,justice, andprotectionshedeserves.

President’s Inadequate Response

President Irfaan Ali’s statements on the matter have only exacerbated the growing disillusionment with his government. By focusingsolelyondefending and protecting his former minister, he has neglected the primary duty of a leader to safeguard the welfare of all citizens, especially the most vulnerableones.

I n s t e a d o f acknowledging the seriousness of the crime and vowing to hold the guilty party accountable, the president’s statements have reinforced the perception that the government is more interested in preserving its ownimagethaninupholding justice.

FlawedSystemandLack

Hehasnotpilotedthisoilsectorinawaythatcouldbecalled “right.”

Hehasnotdone“right”bythisnation,despitemakingevery promise, and in the clearest terms that possible. With his

ofAccountability

This disturbing incident raises wider concerns about the state of governance and accountabilityinthecountry The fact that a government can prioritise shielding a minister accused of such a horrible crime over the welfare of a young victim highlightsasystemicfailure. It exposes an environment wherethoseinpowercanact withimpunity,confidentthat the corrupt system will protectthemratherthantheir victims.Thisnotonlyerodes public trust but also perpetuates a culture of silenceandinjustice.

TheWayForward

To restore faith in the government and the justice system, immediate action must be taken. The victim must be provided with comprehensive support, including counseling and legalassistance,toaidinher recovery and ensure that her rights are protected The government must also demonstrateitscommitment to justice by launching a thorough and unbiased investigation into the allegations against Nigel Dharamlall Any guilty person must face the full forceofthelaw,regardlessof position.

Furthermore, this distressing incident should serve as a wake-up call for thegovernmenttoreevaluate its priorities, policies, and practices.

It is crucial to establish robust mechanisms that prioritize the welfare and protection of all citizens, particularly the most vulnerable. Only by holding those in power accountable and ensuring a fair and just system can faith in the governmentberestored.

Conclusion

The failure of the PPP regime to protect the minor Indigenous child, and its subsequent focus on safeguarding Nigel Dharamlallrepresentagrave betrayal of trust. President Irfaan Ali’s statements, which overlook the victim’s plight, further underscores the government’s misplaced priorities. It is imperative that swift action be taken to rectify and correct this situation. The regime must provide support to the victim, and hold the guilty a c c o u n t a b l e T h e government must recommit itselftoupholdingjustice.

Pt. Ubraj Narine, JP, COA Mayor CityofGeorgetown

returntopower,Jagdeoissupposedtobethemanofthehour, yetthedayspasshimby GuyanaisnotjoiningOPECanytimesoon,ExxonMobilhad nothingtoworryabout,suchanobrainerthatissuewas.

Blinken has a moral and political responsibility to speak out

Innocent till proven guilty must be enforced

DEAREDITOR,

As someone who has s t u d i e d A m e r i c a n constitutional law and politicsatthedoctorallevel, I agree with GHK Lall’s argument that “Innocent until proven guilty must remain”(Jul4)

Heisspoton.Itisalsothe law in our country and globally The result may not befavorabletomost,butitis thelaw

Muchinkhasbeenspent ontheDharamlallmatterand justifiablyso.Itis/wasavery emotive allegation – the entire Guyanese universe andbeyondpassedjudgment ofguilt.

There was outrage and public protests. One expects wrathandragebytheserious allegations. Regrettably, the allegations were politicized especially by the accused detractors (and he has many thathecreated)andpolitical opponents (of himself and h i s p a r t y ) A n d understandably given the gravity of the allegations, most or many of the commentaries rendered the

accused guilty and lynched him in the press (including social media). I also chimed inbutwithoutpre-judgment. How many of those who voiced an opinion and or condemn the accused really carefortheallegedvictim?

As law abiding persons, we ought to reserve judgment on allegations untilacourtpassesaverdict unless an accused pleads guilty The accused denied theallegedcrimes.

In a democracy, especially in developed countries like the UK, US and Canada where most of the diaspora reside, and at home,anaccusedisinnocent untilconvicted.

One is entitled to due process (including right to a lawyer) In democracies, even mass rapists and mass murderersareentitledtoand given“dueprocess”–abasic principleinlawentitlingone to a fair hearing (trial) and the opportunity to a defense (face a complainant’s allegations).

IntheUS,thestatepays alawyer(ifhesodesiresone

Single use Plastics

DEAREDITOR,

Myunderstandingisthat legislation was passed some time ago relating to the banning/restriction of single useplastics.

The EPA distributed posters nationwide informing of the ban which was to become effective in 2021.

Two years later, we are still to learn if any mechanism was put in place to ensure a halt to importationofsuchplastics.

Instead, our EPA is

and if he can’t afford the cost)todefendanaccused.

The complainant was heard. Her allegations were not ignored by the President or the government He referred it to the police; that is the judicial process when there an allegation of a crime There was an investigation of the allegationsbythepoliceand the DPP As that was going on, the accused rightly recusedhimselffromhisjob (requestedaleaveofabsence until the matter was investigated and heard –tried in a court) The Presidentwiselyacquiesced, grantingleaveandappointed others to carry out the Minister’sresponsibilities.

The accused should be nowhere near or seemingly have any influence over or c o n t a m i n a t e t h e investigations The complainant, for whatever reasons, and there are many speculations without evidence, withdrew the complaint.

teenager is unwilling to go forward.

In any crime, there is an established laid down process and that process has to be followed regardless of status.Dueprocessmaytake time, but this centuries old dictum must be followed. One must not be emotive about the matter Politics musthavenoroleinit.Butin our country, everything is politicized.

Opponents smell ‘political red meat’ and as expected want to exploit it, seeking to make gains among voters Every opposition politician acts this way in virtually all countries.

enforced.

Politiciansandthepublic ought to take note that no political party has a monopoly on bad behavior o r o n a l l e g a t i o n s (particularly of a sexual nature) Some engage in duplicitous behavior –selectively condemn some politiciansaccusedofwrong doing and not others for similarallegations.Theyare more concerned about the politics (benefits arising from the allegations) rather than the on the welfare of victims.

cont

inued

Allegations of rape and domesticviolence,indeedof any allegation of a crime, must never be tolerated and certainly not those in which politiciansaretheaccused.

Butonecannotbedenied a fundamental right such as dueprocessbecauseoneisa politician or because one is disliked. The law does not work that way The judicial systemhastotakeitscourse anditdidinGuyana.

venturing into matters way aboveitscapabilitiesandour drainage continue to be blocked by single use plastics. We trust our EPA will get down to addressing thisveryimportantmatter

Regards,

CyrilWalker

According to Guyanese law, and indeed the law of maturedemocraticcountries like America, the matter cannot proceed without a complainant or victim no matter how egregious the allegations and regardless howthepublicfeels.Thelaw does not function of emotions but on facts and evidence (true or false) There can be no conviction on mere allegations or without a complainant. The

Logic, reason, law give waytopoliticsandthepublic loves it. Opponents called for the accused’s head. He tendered his resignation fromparliamentandcabinet, anditis/wasthewisethingto do given the anger or fury thatfollowedtheallegations. In resigning, he also shifts focusawayfromhimandthe work of the government so that nation’s work (law making, development, etc.) cancontinue.

The politics of the allegationshouldendorelse it will destroy any basis for moving forward Lessons should be learned and laws

Itisnotedthathardlyany of those who condemn the accusedarereallyconcerned about the welfare of alleged victim?Whathasbeendone to assist the alleged victim and her family? How many have proposed assistance to her?

The official opposition faced many sex allegations when it was in government during its 33 years in office andseveralweremishandled resulting in acquittal in court.

Whilemanyormostmay not like the ending, the process worked The accused was investigated and will not be tried in a court, but he has been tried by the court of public opinion.

He is gone. And many say good riddance The politicsofcapitalizingonthe pain of both the alleged victim and accused should also end. Parliament must nowworkonacodeofethics and political parties must hold their members accountable.

YoursTruly, VishnuBisram

The Coming and the Passing of Seepaltan Sahib JI

DEAREDITOR,

Due to obvious reasons, my efforts to share teaching moments with readers in Guyana and the readers of Guyana’s media have encounteredsomesetbacks.

T h e p r e v a i l i n g atmosphere in public affairs discussion has become highly charged and predominantly focused on proving and disproving arguments, leaving little roomforreasoneddiscourse and the valuable lessons derivedfromexperience.

Thiswritingispartofmy responsetothedecadeslong effort to reinvent encouraging human experiences and show the past as a zone one sided malice of one people or communityagainsttheother

In this writing, I am relying on historical facts printed since the last years of the 20th century in my book, Buxton Friendship-In Print and Memory In particular the facts, will be found in a guest chapter written by my late friend Rampersaud Tiwariandcirculatinginthe publicspacefordecades.

Buxton Friendship is a Union of two villages foundedbyselfemancipated Africans from several nearbyplantationssoonafter the founding of the pioneer v i l l a g e , Vi c t o r i a (Northbrook) BuxtonFriendshiphasthereputation

of being an African village, as its origins proclaim, but some new historians stop thereandtrytorenderitasa place in which other ethnic groups were in peril and experienced prolonged indignity and repression. In thesecircumstancesIdidnot trust myself as an African born in a neighbouring plantation to write or interpret the experience in Buxton of the visible Indo Guyanese minority Mr Tiwari who lived in Buxton until the racial conflicts of the 1960’s gladly undertook thetaskofspeakingfromthe locationofIndoGuyanesein a situation that had become extremely disquieting as wellasaminorfocalpointin theColdWar

According to the author, Mr Rampersaud Tiwari, Indians began to settle in Buxton in certain labor circumstancesinthe1890’s. The teaching lesson at the heart of the present writing surrounds Mr Seepaltan, described by his grandson as an indentured immigrant from the United Provinces of India Mr Seepaltan was born circa 1890,cametoGuyanaatthe age of 7, and died in March 1964.

When I began to know Mr Seepaltan,Iwasayouth, living in Buxton (backdam side),notthechoicestpartof the village for most people.

MrSeepaltanwasresidentof Buxton front, next to the Atlantic Ocean and later to sea wall and sea defences. Teenage boys from Buxton from Backdam side mingled,mainlyingamesof cricket. Apart from cricket, Buxton had four primary schools,someofwhichhada significant numbers of pupils of Indian origins, officially registered as East Indians.

These pupils would be maleandfemalesittinginthe same benches, taking the sameclassesandplayingthe same games. Because of the control of all the schools by Christian denominations, East Indian teachers were rarebutextremelyvisible.

IamseeingMrSeepaltan now as he went about his affairsinthevillage,whether near his residence, a regular working class cottage, or milling among villagers at thevillagemarketorthepost office, or the health center Readers can learn about Mr Seepaltan’s interest which I did not know at the time as recorded by his grandson Rampersad Tiwari However, there are things thatIcanspeakaboutatfirst hand. Mr Seepaltan was of mediumheight.

He carried himself with dignity I remember him on several occasions wearing his Hindu dhoti without apologyandansweringthose

of us who greeted him. His granddaughter said he alwaysworehisdhotiexcept when he was going to his farm. Inthechapterwritten by his grandson, there is mention of Mr Seepaltan using parts of the company canal closer to the outfall koker that emptied into the Atlantic Ocean for his morningrituals.Readerswill notice that his grandson claims that Mr Seepaltan turned that part of the company canal into his own river Ganges for his daily prayersandablutions.

Now for the teaching

lesson My friend Rampersaud Tiwari passed away in Toronto, about the middle of last year, months after he no longer lived by himself, but with his offspringsandwastherefore temporarily without a telephone.

Our frequent monthly conversations had come to an end in this way, but his offsprings were very concerned about it and as soon as she could, his sister called me from Toronto to tell me of his new situation. There was a plan on their side to furnish him with a telephone so that he could call me and resume our conversations. Before these arrangements could be made,hepassedawayinhis sleepattheageof91,ending mylastlivingandactivelink

with the Hindu world, he neverleft.

In reporting about his passing, his sister reminded me,althoughIdidnotneeda reminder, that she attended myeveningclassesatcounty high school She then narrated the dramatic circumstances of her grandfather’slastdays.That morning Seepaltan awoke andcontinuedtofeelunwell. Against the wishes of his wife, he decidedto go to his farm in the backdam to get bamboo so that the family could have a ‘work’ for the restoration of his health Finally, his wife produced a saucepan with his meal and his son decided to accompany his father into the backdam to be close to him. The journey by boat or canoe to his farm in the backdam was between five andsixmilesandhegotthere and began the day’s work. His bed was close to that of his friends, Bildad Howard and Walter Abrams, two veteran Buxton farmers. At middayintheheatofthesun, the farmers rested as was their custom. On resuming work after the midday meal, they noticed that Seepaltan was motionless His son foundthathisbodyappeared lifeless.

And generally the three ofthempresumedhimdead. His son, Shiwprasaud and his friends Billdad Howard

andWalterAbrams(farmers) placed his body in the boat and they paddled the sorrowful journey back to the point where he had boarded in the company canalneartotheocean.This timehislifewasspentandhe had to be lifted to his home. Bildad Howard and Walter Abramswerefellowfarmers in the community and Seepaltan was their friend whowasactiveintheaffairs of farmers and other public issues in the village. It is to be presumed from what is known that Seepaltan was an advocate for the end of dual control of schools (viz church control of schools) and other matters affecting Indiansandpoorpeople.

He had also been a member of the Buxton branchoftheBritishGuyana East Indian association alongwithMolviKhanwho outlived him by many years and also of the Indian National Congress, an organization founded by HindusinBuxtonFriendship to campaign for Home Rule for India, a campaign in whichIhadthehonortotake partasanassociatemember Seepaltan G was cremated at the Good Hope foreshore in a ceremony conducted by Pandit Ramsahoye Doobay and PanditSamaPersaud.

Yourssincerely, EusiKwayana

Blinken has a moral and political responsibility to speak out...

Frompage4 and compared to other countries to figure out what FairValueis.

Why must the contract be renegotiated? Just one fiscal item. Guyana gets a 2% royalty vs Suriname’s 6.25%(allotherthingsbeing equal). On eleven billion barrels of the Stabroek Block,Guyana(comparedto Suriname) loses/foregoes $35billion[11billionbarrels times 4.25% times Average priceperbarrelof$70=$35 billion].

Mr Blinken, if a foreign

company were to be operating in the United States on such a lopsided contract, you would be mad as hell and you’d be demanding renegotiation, especiallyifthehostcountry were manipulated/pressured into signing the contract –thanks to the power imbalances. Exxon and partners pay no corporate income tax on profits made in Guyana (waived for the life of the contract); but as per contract collect tax receipts from GoG when none in fact is paid. Exxon

most likely uses these tax receipts to obtain tax credits on their Tax Returns filed withU.S.Govt.Thisisfraud –andshouldbeinvestigated.

Oil Prices rose to $150 perbarrelforseveralmonths – Ukraine war premiums. Exxon made billions of dollars in Windfall gains. And, kept all of it. Guyana owns the resource. Another reasonwhythecontractmust berenegotiated.Itprompted the dictum from president Biden, “Exxon made more moneythanGod”.

The contract says Guyana’s take is initially 14.5barrelsoutofevery100, and as CAPEX (capital outlays) is paid down as per 75% CR (Cost Recovery), Guyana’s share of barrels will rise This will not happen – because new CAPEXisbeingaddedonto, with every new well or oil field Commingling of CAPEXes or Absence of RingFencingisadeathknell causing host country, Guyana to lose billions of dollars.

As fast as billions of dollarsaretakenoutforCR, it is put back in for a new well/oil field – and added back onto outstanding CAPEX.Endlessrecycling.

SecretaryBlinken,thisis a horrible contract “imposed” on the Guyanese State;andasperMrJagdeo’s special relationship with Exxon, he says it cannot be renegotiated. There is somethinghiddenhere.

Mr Blinken, you have a moral and political responsibility to speak out against the injustices of this horrible contract. Use your voice and your good offices to speak out – Call for a review/renegotiation of this contract.

Secretary Blinken, Dr RandyPersaudwhoworksin the Presidential Secretariat inGeorgetownhasraisedthe issue of the nation’s racial politics in an open letter addressed to you – and publishedinKNofJuly6th. The racial politics issue –ethnic parties, over 95% Afro-Guyanese and 95%

Indo-Guyanese voting for perceived ethnic parties – is a recipe for an implosion of the Guyanese State and potential ethnic violence. It is time for ABC and EU countriestolendtheirgentle voices to help alleviate this problem.You cannot have a viable democracy with such high rates of ethnic voting forethnicparties.

Both PPP and PNC are guilty of perpetuating this abominable practice PPP has an unwritten rule that says only an Indian can be leader–adeadgiveawaythat theyareanIndian-party PPP selects African-Guyanese for the post of Prime Minister – who cannot ascend to the presidency in theeventofavacancyinthat office. PNC has exactly the sameunwrittenrule.Guyana needs help to ease up in its quagmire of racial politics. Guyanese, by themselves cannotsolvethisproblem.

Secretary Blinken, in summary: Guyana needs help to embolden its leaders – tell them it is okay to

demand renegotiation for a FairDealoilcontract.Putan endtotherumorthattheU.S. government will collude with Exxon to oust the government of Guyana, if it w e r e t o d e m a n d renegotiation [Since the Church Committee hearings of 1975, U.S. govt does not throw out govts for any reason - that is the policy]. And finally, Guyana needs helptoevolveawayfromits entrenched racial politics.A racially-divided State is the mainreasonExxonhasbeen successful thus far in taking advantage of a weak state with weak leaders susceptibletomanipulation. Welcome to Guyana SecretaryBlinken.Andgood luckwithallyourhighstakes diplomacy

Whether it is China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Guyana, you have always exuded confidence and stridency Continuethegood work for President Biden andtheUnitedStates.

Regards, MikePersaud

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ATTENTION SEEKER, VP JAGDEO

Yesterday US Secretary of State,Antony Blinken met with President IrfaanAli at State House during a historic visit to Guyana.

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On any given day that is big news for small countries like ours - with all attention firmly fixed at State House.

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However, not willing to play second fiddle, Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo was determined to command some spotlight –so he released one of those sycophantic ‘soft ball’interviews - more like a talk shop with the man who called himself the Guyanese Critic.

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It was a sick and pathetic show to see a two-term president trying to compete for media spotlight with the youthful PresidentAli.

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Given the importance of the visit by Secretary of State, Blinken, one would have expected irrelevant activities like the Critic’s interview, be put on the back burner for another day- but not so with the man who is the de facto president, the prime minister, and the minister of everything.

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‘Man in video not my husband’

...woman robbed by bicycle bandits

The woman reportedly robbedbybicyclebanditson Sunday said that the man seen in the CCTV video is notherhusband.

Kaieteur News in an article published on

Thursday headlined, 'Man runs away, leaves wife to face bicycle bandits' said that security cameras on Sunday captured an elderly man running away and leaving his wife in their car after two bicycle bandits attacked them in front of their home at Laluni and Ornoque Street Streets, Queenstown,Georgetown.

However, the woman concerned told Kaieteur News on Thursday that “he was not running away but running behind one of the bandits”.

The duo was seen pulling up in front of a yard.

The man stepped out of the car while the woman remained seated While walking towards the gate, two men dressed in hats, darkjerseysanddenimjeans arrived.

The footage showed the mendismountingtheirbikes

and running towards the man.

One of them pulled out what appeared to be a large knife and after realizing that they were about to be robbed, the man appeared to have sprinted away and attempted to scale the fence,

schoolboy” drownsafterwave knockshimoffboat

A 15-year-year-old schoolboy reportedly drowned on Wednesday afternoon in the Upper Mazaruni River, Region Seven after a wave knocked him out of his grandfather's boat.

According to reports, the teen identified as Gavin Roland of Chinoweing Village, Region Seven, was sleeping when the tragedy occurred.

boat and continued their journey but Roland fell asleep.

H i s g r a n d f a t h e r reportedly got hungry again and made another stop around 18:30hrs at Abbou landing to get something to eat.

buthewasnotquickenough. One of the bandits dragged him down from behind, “viced” him while raiding his pockets However, the woman told Kaieteur News that only the bandits were being chased and it was the bandits seen running away fromthescene.

The duo was robbed of money and their cell phones by the bicycle bandits that attacked them in front of a house in Queenstown, Georgetownatabout00:30h onSunday

Police said that Roland and his grandfather, Teddy Roland had departed their village around 10:00hrs in a 40ftboatpoweredbya15Hp outboard engine. They were reportedly heading to Waramadong to pick up schoolchildren.

At around 15:00hrs while on their way, they stopped at Imbamadaiforlunch.

Teddy told police that his grandson consumed brown rum while they were there andgotdrunk.

After finishing lunch, they both got back into their

“About 18:30 hours they arrived at Yashoda's shop Landing, Abbou Settlement, where Teddy Roland went to purchase something to eat at Yashoda's shop leaving the victim in the said boat sleeping at the stern”, police stated.About five minutes later, Teddy recalled hearing someone shouting for him and ran back to his boat only to find that his grandson had disappeared.

E y e w i t n e s s e s subsequentlytoldhimawave made by passing boat struck his vessel and knocked Rolandoverboad.

His body is yet to be retrievedfromtheriver Investigations are ongoing.

screen grab from security footage of the attack on the woman and the man.

“Sleeping

BROADER PANEL OF PERSONS NEEDED FOR MAHDIA DORM FIRE COI

The President of Guyana, on the sidelines of an event, announced that the long-awaited Commission ofInquiry(COI)intothefire at the dormitory of the Mahdia Secondary School will soon be constituted. It will be recalled that the fire claimed the lives of 20 children, left at least two others seriously injured and dozenstraumatised.

That45dayshaselapsed and the COI is yet to be constituted is unacceptable, despite there being other major distractions. Greater alacrity should have been shown in addressing this issue.

The delay has created some degree of public unease with some persons contending,rightlyso,thatit is appalling that the COI is yettocommence.

It is always advisable to have such inquiries soon afteraneventsoastobenefit from the freshness of the memoriesofthosewhowere witnesses to the event. The promptness of an inquiry allows for the gathering of more accurate information onatragedy

Secondly, the early holdingofaninquiryallows for quicker response in developing preventative measure. The longer the delay in holding an inquiry, thelongeritwilltakeforthe recommendations to be implemented to prevent a reoccurrence of such a tragedy Thirdly,therewasa loss of confidence in the systemfollowingthefire.An early inquiry would have d e m o n s t r a t e d t h e government’s commitment to transparency and accountability and thus help

Dem Boys Seh...

torestorepublicconfidence.

It does seem as if a oneman Commission of Inquiry is going to be held into the Mahdia fire. This is a disappointing outcome. In whathastogodownandthe worst human tragedy in Guyana since the turn of the century, it would have helped to restore public confidence in the inquiry process if a broader Commissionwasestablished to probe the fire, its causes andconsequences.

But the PPPC works in mysteriousways.Itoptedfor three eminent jurists to conduct the inquiry into the elections imbroglio but has seemingly downgraded the COIintotheMahdiafiretoa one-personinquiry

A more diverse panel would have brought different expertise and perspectives to the inquiry

De Vee Pee blinking and blanking!

BlinkengatdeVeePeeblinking!Deman abandon he usual Thursday presser just because Blinken is in town. Now that is blinking at Blinken but blanking de press corps!

But yet he find time fuh talk to his favoritesocialmediapersonality Nowdatis not blinking. It is blanking de rest of de mediawahgatquestionstoask

ButdeVeePeehaslongbeenthemaster of blinking. If yuh did gat on yuh goggles yuh would have notice how much he does blink, especially when de Vice News lady askheaboutMr Sue.Heblinkalotthen.

WhenGlennLallaskheaboutdeinterest rateswahExxoncharging,heblinkawayde question. He went into one long theoretical discussion about interest rates and investment when all he had to say was a number Butheblankdatinformationoutof hemind.

DeVeePeeblinkingnuff. Iseverything heblinkingat.Itisreallyblinkingabsurd.He blinking like dem traffic lights wah nah wukkin’.LastweekheturnupinBerbicefuh talk about cricket. He also turn up pun Plaisance fuh talk about dem vendors wah getnoticefuhmoveoffderoadsidereserves and parapets. What happen to de other Ministers,demgetblank?

When de man blink once, it means he blank yuh. When de man blinks twice it means he working pun de problem. But whenGlennLallaround,demandoesblink threetimes.

WhendeCoal-A—Shundidsigndeoil contract,demanstarttoblinklikedemfairly lights. He promise fuh renegotiate de contract.Butwhenheturncometodoso,he blink once.And Glenn Lall nah understand datmeanrenegotiationgetblanked.

TalkHalf!LeffHalf!

Pres. Ali wants country to prepare smooth...

Frompage3

n u m b e r o f t h e mstrengthening democracy in the Americas, to addressing the global climate crisis to creating even greater and more inclusive economic opportunityforourpeople.”

Blinken also shared that his trip to the Region builds on what he described as the “most significant, the most sustained engagement in decades between the Unites States and the Caribbean”. Headdedthatlastyearatthe Summit of the Americas, three U.S. CaribbeanAction Committees were formed to improve the lives of people across the Region, address energyandfoodsecurityand

accesstofinance.

AccordingtothetopU.S. government official, “Just now,withPresidentAli,with Foreign MinisterTodd, with manyofourcolleaguesfrom the government here in Guyana, we had very productive discussions on the full scope of what is already a very strong bilateral relationship betweenourcountries.”

He indicated that among the numerous issues discussed with the Guyana government, energy and climate adaptation were frontandcenter Blinkenwas keen to note that the United States appreciates the increasingly significant role

process. Certainly a firefighting expert should have been a part of the panel constitutingtheCOI.

Nonetheless, whoever is selected should be impartial and fair and have a demonstratedtrackrecordin this regard. But there is also another important qualification. The inquiry is likely to have to pronounce onresponsibilityforthefire, including the possibility of ministerialresponsibility.

In order to avoid any accusations of a possible or potentialconflictofinterest, it is advisable for the C o m m i s s i o n e r o r Commissioners selected to have not had a professional affiliation with the government.

This is all the more so since ministerial action or inaction is likely to be a subject of the inquiry One editorialhassuggestedthata Ministerhasacasetoanswer by virtue of receiving a report about the state of the dormitory

If Ministers are likely to be called as witnesses or their actions placed under the microscope, it is not desirable to have someone who either worked or works with the President or the government to part of the inquiry This is not a judgment against the integrity of partiality of anyonebutissimplyameans of boosting public confidenceinthefinalreport by ensuring that allegations of a conflict of interest cannot be attributed to the COIprocess.

That said, it must be accepted that there have beennocomplaintsaboutthe personwhoitisbelievedwill headtheinquiry

But given the national importance of this inquiry, a broader panel of persons would have been more advisable.Equallyimportant are the terms of reference of theCOI.

It will cause public consternation if the terms of reference are too narrow

The fire was a national tragedyandtheimplications go beyond the issue of who set the fire and whether the girlswerelockedit.

Therearewiderconcerns including the management of the dormitory, the actions whichcouldhavebeentaken to prevent this tragedy and the response to the tragedy itself. Whether such a wideranginginquirycanbeleftto onepersonislefttobeseen. It is more than six weeks sincethefire.

Having waited so long forthePresidenttohonorhis pledge to appoint a COI, it can do little harm for the public to wait a little longer foralargerandmorediverse panel to be appointed to undertaketheinquiry

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

that Guyana is playing in addressing regional and indeedglobalissues.

He said, “Guyana will soon be the highest oil producingcountrypercapita in the world, but it’s also a l e a d e r o n f o r e s t conservation, demonstrating it is possible prioritize climate mitigation, environmental protection while responsibly using fossilfuelsresources.”

Meanwhile, he pointed out that the U.S. is also working with Guyana to counter illegal narcotics and trainthepolicetoreformthe justice sector to improve accountability and transparency

H@RD TRUTHS

GOODBYE, SECRETARY BLINKEN: WAS NICE WHILE THE VISIT LASTED

America has its expectations, which is why Anthony J. Blinken came here. Guyana had to have had its conditions to place before him while he was here.

Mr. Blinken had demands, a powerful hand. Guyana had to be unrelenting; it had, stillhas, thestrongestposition. Inthe aftermathofthevisit’spomp and pageantry, ceremony and excitements, this era of good feeling, some things must be said soberly and clinically Some context and lessons from history servebest.

American Secretaries of State must prioritize which countries in the globe are worth their attention and time. Guyana is neither a competitor with the America,norisitinanystate of tension or conflict with the US Friendly and

healthy is the public relationship with Big Brother to the north, other than for some grinding differences beneath the surface. So, when Secretary Blinken made Guyana an official destination, he had i n m i n d c e r t a i n compulsories with America plasteredalloverthem. Off the table was thawing of relations, restoring of rapport, building trust, or such things requiring r e c a l i b r a t i n g a n d reengineering.

Those are in place, not threatened. What the man from Washington wanted was to go home with his wish list (demands) marked ‘ d o n e ’ M i s s i o n accomplished.

AsAmericagot,Guyana should have gotten. As America wished, wooed, andwon,Guyanahadtowin too. I read of Mr Blinken proudlyannouncingUS$5.5

million for regional food security If the secretary was going to be about these paltryexercisesinAmerican purse parsimony, he should have cut short his visit immediately and left on the nextplanetoFoggyBottom. Though sharp, I avoid the language of Malcolm X or Stokely Carmichael today. US$5.5millionisnot even a starter, and it sounds like some pittance that Exxon would have drilled outanddumpedonGuyana. I believe that the US wants robustenergysecurity,andit pushed the envelope to the limittoachievethatstrategic vision.

Further, what David Granger rejected in 2018, that CIA base in the Northwest,hadtobebackon thetable. Ithinkthatneither PresidentAlinorVPJagdeo has it in them to say ‘no.’ They owe too much, too much is at stake. Political

powerforone,andretaining it.

With oil supplies severelycrimpedbyOPEC+ and Saudi Arabia drifting deliberately away from the American and Western camps, the Southern Crescent of Guyana, V e n e z u e l a a n d Surinametakes on unprecedented vitality and valueinUSeyes. Ileaveout thegeothisandgeothat,and cut to the quick: GUYANA IS NOW OF SUPREME

I M P O R TA N T T O AMERICA Iftheyhavea fraction of the smarts that they should have, President Ali and VP Jagdeo had to know this, and had to use it skillfully, boldly, and doggedly

In a word -leverage. In another,aces. Wehadtoget something more, that which embodied what is better for this poor (little richest girl country)intheworld.

Ishouldbeoffended,but won’t be, if any Guyanese were to counter that Exxon is private and corporate and commercial.

Guyanese must get this in their heads: Exxon is America, and America is Exxon.

Why do they think that Mr Anthony John Blinken, Secretary of State came to this shanty town, this frontier oil town, this capitalist paradise? We eithergetreal,orwewillbe reeled in like the helpless fishweare.

We must learn the hard, bitter lessons from the 2016 Exxon contract, from the body of work of departing Ambassador Lynch for American interests, even at the expense of Guyanese ones. It is because of American interests that Mr. AJ Blinken came here to much fanfare from natives fooled into frenzies by Americanfinery

Iamallforthat,withme standingfaroutside. Butwe must get something for all thesethingsthatMr Blinken had in his bag of demands. We had to (must) get many things: more favorable terms, more money, more American involvement and pressureonExxon.

Don’tsaythatitcan’tbe done, that one is government,andtheotheris business.

ThebusinessofAmerica is business, and that is not ancient nor any less resonant, relevant. Now, I tender two lessons from history of how host countries twisted American interestsandAmericanarms totheirbenefit.

Filipino strongman, FerdinandMarcos,aproven US ally, repeatedlyused the strategicClarkAirBaseand the gigantic Subic Bay Naval Baseto wring concessions from America. One was money, the other wasthathestayedinpower America yielded, helped Pakistan’s General Ayub

Khan and General Pervez Musharrafbargainedtotheir country’sfavorforabundant American favors, when it was clear that they had a distinct edge In the former’s instance, it was an India aligned with the USSR, and in the latter, it wasthewaronterror

Any Guyanese who asserts that Guyana cannot get America to squeeze Exxonbythemarblestoget it to cry ‘Uncle’ renegotiation of the onesided contract, either is cluelessaboutthenatureand versatility of American power,orisplayingthefool.

We just must get more. Mr Blinken’s visit was inextricably linked to America’s needs and Exxon’s presence here. It was in our interests to capitalize on both to the maximum. America has its vital interests, so does Guyana.

The ways and means should have been found to make the two more compatible than they are, less glaringly one-sided. If not,thenGuyanamustcease being the blood bank and oxygen tank of American interestsandvisions.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)

Local, int’l private sector bodies signal interest to develop biomedical hub - Min. Anthony

Minister of Health, Dr FrankAnthonyhasrevealed that there has been much interest from local and international private sector bodies to develop a biomedical hub to expand the manufacturing of pharmaceuticals.

This is in keeping with the government’s vision of creating a modern, worldclass health system. Biomedical hubs are for researchers, clinicians, and public health professionals across biomedical disciplinestoshareresearch

findings, ideas, theories, experimental results, and clinicalexperience.

Speaking on the ‘ G u y a n a D i a l o g u e ’ recently, Dr Anthony said this is one of the government’s plans to v e n t u r e i n t o t h e manufacturing of vaccines.

“We have been in discussion about the possible production of vaccinesinGuyanaandwe have spoken to a number of partners pertaining to this,” the health minister disclosed.

Additionally, the governmentisexploringthe manufacturingofdiagnostic kits and other medical devices locally Minister Anthonysaidtherehasbeen lots of interest in this area, noting that this is another successful industry that can be developed in Guyana. Thegovernmentisaimingto position Guyana as a medical hub in the Caribbean region, by implementing technologies and improving the healthcare infrastructure countrywide.(DPI)

Govt. strengthening anti-money laundering legislation to comply with CFATF standards

Government is actively putting systems in place to strengthenthecountry'sAntiM o n e y L a u n d e r i n g , Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing (AML/CFT/PF)

legislation, ahead of Guyana's evaluation by the Caribbean Financial Action

Task Force (CFATF) scheduledforSeptember Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, said the strengthening of the AML regime will see focus being placed on regulating the real estate industry During his weekly televised

programme, 'Issues in the News' Tuesday evening, the AG stated that the real estate bill will soon be taken to Parliament, following consideration from a cabinet sub-committee.

“Because of the volume of property sale and rental transactions taking place in

Guyana, the industry has been identified as a risk if it is not properly regulated. So, we have commenced work on a Real Estate Agents and Brokers bill. We concluded s e v e r a l r o u n d s o f consultation with many important stakeholders, in particular, the real estate

agents themselves, because they are the main subjects of the regulatory framework that the bill establishes.”

Thebillseekstoestablish a code of conduct for real estate agents and brokers, targeting the licensing of realtors, qualifications required, ethical rules

governing transactions, disciplinary procedures, as wellastheestablishmentofa governing authority and creates offences for noncompliance, among other issues.

The government has also d r a f t e d a G u y a n a Compliance Commission Bill 2023 to address instances where certain agencies lack regulatory or supervisorybodies. “In these cases, we have been forced to use agencies that are not r e a l l y r e g u l a t o r y o r supervisory to perform these functions, and it has not b e e n v e r y e f f e c t i v e . “Wherever one cannot find a proper regulator or supervisor for any given area of economic and financial activity, this compliance commission will act as a supervisor. And that will make us compliant fully with CFTAF standards,” the AGnoted.

Compliance with these standards is an integral aspect of the administration's overarching commitment to fostering transparency and accountability

Meanwhile, in relation to the Anti-Money Laundering, Countering the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing (Amendment) Bill 2 0 2 3 , A G N a n d l a l l underscored that the newest modification significantly strengthens the government's legislative ability to forfeit assetsandproceedsofcrime.

“It is recognised now worldwide that one of the most effective ways of dealing with the criminal is to hit them financially, and the way to do that is to not only convict and sentence but to go after the proceeds of the crime,” heexplained.

The government has received international assistance in crafting these amendments, from the Regional Security Services (RSS) and the National State Courts of the United States. Earlier this year, the government published its National Policy and Strategy for Combating Money Laundering, Terrorism Financing, and the Financing of Proliferation. The policy outlined private-public p a r t n e r s h i p s a n d e n g a g e m e n t s , t h e establishment of an AML/CFT/PF National Coordination Committee (NCC), and a strategy for greater collaboration among competent authorities, among other measures, in tackling and eradicating financialcrimes.(DPI)

Alfred Mentore elected Mayor of Georgetown, Sharma Solomon for Linden

A Partnership For National Unity (APNU) Councillor, Alfred Mentore was on Thursday elected as the new Mayor of Georgetown. Mentore previously served as Deputy Mayor under the leadership of outgoing Mayor, UbrajNarine.

Notably, new Opposition Councillor, Denise Miller was elected to serve as Deputy Mayor. “I stand here today very humble and grateful for the honor the executivemembersofAPNUhave placed in me for firstly to be appointed,nowtobeelectedtothis esteemed position for the citizens of the capital city of Georgetown,” Mentore said in his address to the new Councillors. The APNU has 19 seats on the Georgetown City Council, while the People's Progressive Party (PPP) has 11 seats.

Mentore assured that despite losing his constituency, he will work to regain their trust and support, in his greater calling as mayorasheservesthecityinanew capacity “So as Mayor-elect I personally would like to bury the hatchet and for us to turn a new page,”Mentoresaid.

He added that if the Councillors work together, they will be able to build the city,

“regardlessofwhowearsthegreen shirt and who wears the red shirt it'sveryimportantandIbelievethe time has come.” “And we cannot succeed as a municipality without usworkingtogetherasateam.Iam humbled to do my part as a captain of this team and I look forward to servingyouonthisteam,”Mentore said.

During his address, Mentore thanked Narine for his service to the people of Georgetown. “For

leading us in difficult times; we strategised how to keep the Council financially stable and ensured we paid our contractors andstaffevenaswefacedpressure with the little contributions comingfromcentralgovernment.” Mentore underscored that going forward, he wishes to see changes in the relationship between the Central Government and the Georgetown City Council. Moreover, he added that he

supports the statement by Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo, for the live streaming of City Council meetings. He added that he has no objection to that being done as he embarks on his task to show that, “thiscouncildoesn'thaveanything tohide.”

Additionally, APNU's Lelon Saul, was elected to serve as ChairmanoftheCouncil'sFinance Committee. The other members of the Committee include: Mentore

and Councillors: Troy Garraway, Clayton Hinds, Yvonne Ferguson, Tahirih Adams, with PPP Councilor,JaiSingh.

In the mining town of Linden, Former Chairman of Region 10, Sharma Solomon was elected Mayor of the Linden Mayor and Town Council Solomon was elected as he was unopposed. Dominque Blair was elected as Deputy Mayor Also, 16 Councillorswereswornin.

Mayor of Linden, Sharma Solomon

Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Denise Miller

Deputy Mayor of Linden, Dominque Blair

Mayor of Georgetown, Alfred Mentore

Norton, Blinken hold talks

L e a d e r o f t h e Parliamentary Opposition in Guyana and PNCR Leader, Aubrey C. Norton, MP on Thursday met with the United States of America, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

The PNCR said in a statement that Norton and Blinken cordially engaged on matters of importance to all Guyanese and discussed severalinternationalissues.

Blinken wrapped up a visit to Guyana late yesterday afternoon after meeting with President Irfaan Ali and some members of his cabinet as well as staff of the US Embassyhere.

A Department of Public Information release ahead of the visit had stated that Blinken andPresident,were expected to discuss a range of priorities, including food and energy security, climate

resilience, and finance. The US top diplomat made a stopover here following a visit to Trinidad and Tobago where he met with that country's leaders as well as heads of government attending the Caricom Summit.

The US Embassy had said that the visit by the Secretary of State will build on Vice President, Kamala Harris's historic June 8 visit to The Bahamas, where she co-hosted the U SCaribbean Leaders Meeting.

Wazim Mowla associate director of the Caribbean Initiative at the Atlantic Council's Adrienne Arsht LatinAmerica Center, wrote last week that Blinken's trip to the Caribbean cannot be a wasted opportunity He said on the surface, this is a win for US-Caribbean relations, as it comes off the back of several high-level US visits

to the region. According to MowlafortheUnitedStates, the consequences of insufficient action so far are evident,notingthatgiventhe enormity of the challenges facing the Caribbean, the region's leaders are seeking solutions to their problems elsewhere. The writer noted that Barbadian Prime Minister, Mia Mottley has taken to the global stage to overhaul MDB financing, while Guyana is welcoming investment in its oil sector fromallcornersoftheworld, and Trinidad and Tobago is increasing engagement with Venezuela over shared gas reserves. “Other Caribbean leaders see African countries, India, and China asattractivepartnersthatcan p r o v i d e f i n a n c i n g , investment,andaid,”Mowla wrote in the piece which appeared on the Atlantic Council'swebsite.

Leader of the Opposition, Aubrey Norton and Secretary of State, Antony Blinken cordially engaged on matters of importance to all Guyanese and discussed several international issues

FourarrestedafterlabourerstabbedtodeathinCorentyne

Four persons have been arrested following the stabbingtodeathofa29y e a r- o l d l a b o u r e r f r o m Kilcoy/Chesney Settlement

(Squattingarea) onWednesday

Dead is Leon Kum called 'Leo' of lot 21 A Kilcoy/Chesney, Corentyne, Berbice Kum was reportedly stabbed to death while asleepina'camphouse'.

Police disclosed that Kum was killedaround01:30hbytwomales. However, four persons have since been arrested for the man's murder ReportsarethatKumwasrestingin a 'camp house' located approximately15feetfromhiszinc house.

Police said that Kum had ventured to the zinc house to get something to eat after which he returned to his 'camp house'. It was shortly after his return to the 'camp house' that his relatives who live nearby heard loud noises coming fromthe'camphouse'.

Upon checking, the relatives

said they saw two males “jumping over the fence where Leon was sleeping and ran towards the western direction ” Kum was subsequently found lying face down on the ground with lacerations to his throat and left cheek. He was taken to the Port Mourant Public Hospital where he waspronounceddeadonarrival.

Meanwhile, Sattie Ramotar, Kum's relative who lives opposite him said he lived with her daughter and son-in-law in the zinc house.

Ramotar said she spent the day at Kum's house and left at night. She recalled that before she left for her home, Kum indicated that he wanted to sleep and opted to sleep inahammockthatwasinthe'camp house'.

Ramotar said sometime around 01:00h while she was cooking, she heard banging on the Kum's zinc house.

"...me hear the zinc knock and me thought goat mussy knock the zinc and after that me hear the zinc

knock hard again so me open the window to see, but me na see nothing so me run out and open the kitchen door after and me see me son-in-lawrunningapersonandby the time me run out, the person donereachontheroad..."

Ramotar said her son-in-law was pursuing the person who was riding a bicycle. After seeing this, she ran out of her home to Kum's yard which is unfenced. It was then she saw Kum slumped over with

Two GDF officers benefitting from India's ITEC scholarship

Defence Force officers were selected for training in India under the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC)programme.

Selected are Lieutenant Commander Luther Singh of the Coast Guard and Corporal Aaron Eusebeo Ateba of the Band Corps. Lt. Cdr Luther Singh from West Bank Demerara was selected for the seven-

month Basic Hydrography Course at the National Institute of Hydrography in Goa from June, 2023 to January, 2024. While Cpr

bloodoozingfromhisnecknearthe hammockinthe'camphouse'.

"...When me check with the light, me see the blood and me start holla for me son-in-law and me seh …Mikey bare blood," Ramotar stated. Police were subsequently contacted after it was discovered thatKumhadalreadydied.

The woman disclosed that her neighbours informed that they saw another person running away from Kum'shomeonfoot.

Lt. Cdr Singh met with IndianHigh

(Continued on page 22)

The scene of the murder

Sattie Ramotar

From Left: Lt Cdr. Luther Singh, H.E Dr. KJ Srinivasa and a representative of the High Commission of India, Mr. Tyagi

From Left: A staff from the High Commission of India, Ms. Gopie, Mr. Amir Chand, the Charge d’ Affaires and Cpl. Aaron Ateba of the Guyana Defense Force.

Guyanese welcome Blinken with protest over Exxon deal and rape allegations

Scores of women from the NonGovernmental Organization (NGO) 'Red Thread' and other groups onThursday staged protest actions at several points in Georgetown in a bid to capture the attention of the visiting United States Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

The women were calling for American oil major, ExxonMobil to provide full liability coverage to protect Guyana against the perils of an oil spill and for former Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Nigel Dharamlall to be charged with rape, in light of the allegations leveled against him.

The Red Thread w o m e n h a d b e e n protesting for several w e e k s n o w f o r ExxonMobil to take full responsibility for its offshore activities in Guyana's Stabroek Block. The group had also commenced picket action against Dharamlall and among other things, had called for him to be dismissed.

On their placards and via their slogans, the women demanded "Exxon must provide parent company guarantee" and even queried, "Who will

paythecleanupcostincaseofa disaster? Guyanese tax payers?"

Meanwhile, 'Red Thread' also demanded "Protect the victim, not the alleged rapist, Dharamlall."

Blinken was on a one-day visit to Guyana on July 6, to discuss areas of cooperation betweenthetwostates.

Highontheagendabetween the two allies were energy and food security, climate resilience, decarbonization, regionalmigrationandbuilding local capacity, according to the UnitedStatesEmbassy

The top U.S Official also held a meeting with Guyana's President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan AliyesterdayatStateHouse.

Scenes from the 'Red Thread' protest

Close to 1000 children benefit from Early Childhood Development programme in Region One

Close to 1000 children inclusive of over 300 migrants in various communities in the Mabaruma Sub-District are beneficiaries of quality early childhood development programmes and familysupportservicesinBarimaWaini,RegionOne.

This was highlighted by UNICEF Guyana at a recent highlevel visit to the region with the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Canada, Maninder Sidhu, High Commissioner of Canada to Guyana, His Excellency Mark Berman, Director General for Central America and the Caribbean, Sylvie Bédard, Political Counsellor, Caroline Mireault, Counsellor, Regional Heads,amongothers.

UNICEF explained according to press release that in 2021, the Department of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development, Canada provided a grant of three million CanadianDollarstoprovideasafe and secure environment in Guyana's hinterland and selected

coastal areas, to ensure that children under 4 years old and theirparentshaveaccesstoquality childhood development programmes.

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) programme is one component of the threemillion-dollar project that was realized in several communities in the Mabaruma Sub- District. The communities include Hosororo, Mabaruma Central, White Water, Khans Hill, Yarakita and Kamwatta, all areas with an increased number of migrant families.

During the visit to the ECD spaceatKhansHillHealthpostby the team from Canada, UNICEF and Regional Officers, Community Health Worker (CHW), Theresa Singh conducted a brief tour at the facility and expressed the benefits of the programmeinthecommunity

“I have learned a lot through this programme. It is a very good thing within this community Children are bolder and have an increased interest in learning and

wanting to go to school,” said Singh.

“We have also seen increased communication with parent and child…both children and parent work to help each other in the space especially when they come to the clinic. It also helped me personally with my daughter and mynieces…weweretaughtthatas we develop, we should take our learnings to other communities and engage them so others can benefit,”sheadded.

The CHW explained that Khans Hill Health Post was frequented by many migrant familiesinthearea.

Though many have moved to other communities, the remaining migrants continued to utilize the space with many children now at thenurserylevel.Withconcernsto the language gap, she noted that majority of the migrants understandEnglishinthearea.

Parentsattheeventalsolauded the program, noting that it has contributed to their children learning colours, shapes and numberstonameafew

Alsoboastingofthebenefitsof the programme was Regional Health Officer, Dr Steven Cheefoon who explained that the region worked rigorously with UNICEF Guyana to implement ECD posts at some border points of entry within the region to integrate better children into the schools.

“Our matriculation rate from 2021 to now has seen quite an improvement from 12 percent to 17percent.

Thanks to this programme we are able to see more children in schools who are more in a state of readinesstostartschool,including two autistic children.Because of this partnership with the Canadian governmentandUNICEFwehave been able to accelerate development within this region,” hesaid.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Canada, Maninder Sidhu while at theHealthPostinKhansHillsaid, “Canada is proud to support the project, in partnership with UNICEF, to improve access to

health and education for boys and girls in hinterland communities in Guyana.”

UNICEFGuyanaalsotookthe opportunity to express its sincere appreciation to the Department of Foreign Affairs Trade and Development,Canada.

“We are grateful for your generous contribution to children and parents of migrant and host communities in the hinterland and select coastal regions and we look forward to future collaboration with the Canadian government,” said Adolescent Development OfficeratUNICEF,JewelCrosse.

To date, 13 Health Workers have been trained and 804 community stakeholders in region one have benefitted from ECD parenting sessions facilitated by UNICEF Guyana, and have integrated the ECD strategies into theirdailyroutines.

The programme emphasizes nurturing care and early stimulation and aims to ensure children, particularly the most vulnerable, have the best start in life.

The high-level Canadian delegation pose with Regional Heads, UNICEF Representatives, Community Health Workers and Parents at the Khans Hill's Health Post where one of the Early Childhood Development corner is located .

A photo of the Early Childhood Development corner at Khans Hill Health post in Region One

Community Health Workers at the Khans Hill's Health Post conduct learning activities with children in the Early Childhood Development corner.

Workers

MUD celebrates election to Malgre Tout Meer Zorgen NDC

The newly established political partyMovement for Unity and Democracy (MUD) has earned a seat on the Malgre Tout Meer Zorgen Neighbourhood Democratic Council and its member Marshall Lambert was sworn in on Thursday to take up thepost.

In a press release MUD said Marshall is a dedicated advocate and passionate leader The party said the swearing-in ceremony, held at MalgreTout Meer Zorgen NDC, marked the beginning of a new chapter in LAAgovernance, one characterized by inclusivity, progressive values, and a commitment to positive change. “Lambert brings a wealth of experience and a deep-rooted passion for public service to this important role. As an integral member of the community, Lambert has demonstrated unwavering dedication to uplifting marginalised voices, championing social justice, and f o s t e r i n g m e a n i n g f u l connections among diverse g r o u p s W i t h a k e e n understanding of the challenges faced by the residents, Lambert stands poised to make a significant impact on Parfaite Harmonie'sfuture,”MUDsaid.

In his inaugural address, Lambert expressed gratitude for the trust placed in him by the constituents and emphasized his unwavering commitment to their well-being. He stated, "Today, I stand before you, humbled and honored, ready to serve the CommunityofParfaiteHarmonie with every ounce of my being. Together, we will build a stronger, more equitable Parfaite Harmonie where no voice goes unheard, no opportunity is lost, andeveryonecanthrive."

As a Movement Councillor, Lambert's platform encompasses a wide range of progressive initiativesaimedatadvancingthe common good and addressing systemic issues. Some of his key focus areas include: Social Justice and Equity Lambert is dedicated to creating a more inclusive society, where every resident, regardless of their background, feels valued and supported He will work tirelessly to address systemic disparities and fight for equal opportunitiesforall.

Sustainable Development: Recognizing the importance of environmental stewardship, Lambert is committed to promoting sustainable practices and ensuring a greener future for Parfaite Harmonie. He plans to spearhead initiatives that prioritize waste reduction and urbangreenspaces.

Community Engagement: Lambert understands the transformative power of communityengagementandaims tofosteractiveparticipationfrom

residents He envisions collaborative decision-making processes and platforms that amplify the voices of all communitymembers.

Economic Empowerment: Lambert recognizes the crucial role that a robust economy plays in creating a thriving community He will work towards supporting s m a l l b u s i n e s s e s a n d

implementing policies that promote job growth and economic stability With his inspiring vision and unwavering dedication, Marshall Lambert is poised to make a lasting impact on Parfaite Harmonie and its residents The community eagerly looks forward to the positive changes that will unfold underhisleadership.

Malgre Tout Meer Zorgen Neighbourhood Democratic Council member, Marshall Lambert

Rose Hall Estate to reopen by October –RegionSixChairman

Regional Chairman of RegionSix,DavidArmogan hasannouncedthattheRose Hall Sugar Estate is set to

reopen in October, in

k e e p i n g w i t h t h e government's commitment of revitalising the sugar

industry to promote a modernised sector and ensureitssustainability “It was closed down in 2017. It will go back into operationinOctoberofthis year… Our region is p r e d o m i n a n t l y a n agricultural region so, we are heavily dependent on rice, sugar, and cash crops. We are hoping that more acreage will be opened up. We have started already,” A r m o g a n t o l d t h e Department of Public Information quoted him as saying. Themovealsoaligns with the government's promise to revive the sugar industry since it contributes meaningfully to the economy, while creating employment opportunities for the residents where the estateswereclosed.

The government has allocated $1.195 billion to support the reopening of the estate for the second crop of 2023 Among other necessary equipment, the money will be used to procure a semi-mechanical plant trailer, fixed spray tractors, boom sprayers, fertiliser applicators, drainage tubes, and cane punts. Some $539 million was set aside to conduct major renovations on the Rose Hall factory With this investment, millers, a cane gantry component, a cane carrier, a broiler component, a n d s c a l e s w i l l b e rehabilitated. A further $50 million was injected to develop the roads and structures surrounding the factory

Since taking office, the government has expended over $10 billion on machinery and plants, repaired sugar cane fields at all factory locations, and promoted private-sector partnerships by giving cane farmers in Uitvlugt loans to increase the amount of land theycancultivate.

The administration sought to revitalise local economies by rehiring workers and providing $250,000 in cash grants to sugar workers who had been laid off. The recapitalisation of the Albion, Uitvlugt, and Blairmontestateswasfurther advanced by the government in 2022, and the marketing and sales mix was revised to shift from the selling of raw bulk sugar and towards packaged, advanced valueadded sales. As part of its robust food security aim, the government continues to create a strong agricultural sector that will improve livelihoods.(DPI)

John Macedo re-elected as Mayor of Lethem

IndeeraSinghwaselectedasDeputyMayor

The swearing in ceremony was done at the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Boardroom. Several newly elected Councillors were also sworn in. The members of the 3rd Municipal Council are: John Macedo, Indeera Singh, Jason Wilson, Fitzgerald Singh, Megan Thomas, Andreza Do Nasimento, Gerard Ryan Alcides, Keith Aubrey Anthony, Ronaldo Del Boston and Sharon NooraihanMalcolm.

Missing teen's body found floating at Bartica beach

The body of a 14-year-old boy was on Thursday afternoonfoundfloatingatthe Bartica beach, Region Seven one day after his relatives reportedhimmissing.

Dead is Daniel Cameron a resident of Kaneville Squatting Area, East Bank Demerara(EBD).

R e p o r t s a r e t h a t Cameron's body floated up at the Fifth Avenue beach, Barticaatabout15:30h. Police suspect that the teenmayhavedrowned.

According to police, Cameron's body was found floating face down in the Essequibo River some two hundred feet away from the beach “The body was examinedanda2cmabrasion wasseentoforearmandupper lip,” police stated.Speaking with Kaieteur News on Thursday evening, the boy's mother, Lilloutie Cameron said that her son had travelled to Bartica from Supenaam, Essequibo Coast, Region Two, on Tuesday to spend timewithhisgrandmother

He had already spent a weekathisaunt'sresidenceon the Essequibo Coast but did not want his vacation to end until he had spent some time withhisgrandmother.

His relatives on the Essequibo Coast told this newspaper that they had placed him in a boat and it left from the Supenaam Stelling just after 13:00hrs on Tuesday

The child arrived safely to

Bartica and was picked up from the Bartica Stelling by hisuncle,DavenaanSingh.

Relatives recalled Singh informing them via a phone thatCameronhadarrived.

About an hour later, Cameron's loved ones were plunged into a state of worry after the uncle returned a call informing that Cameron was missing.

“He [uncle] receive him at thestellingandallwawehear back is that the uncle seh that he disappear,” relatives on the EssequiboCoastsaid.

The uncle was later detained after Cameron's mothermadeanofficialreport to police on Wednesday morning.“He [the uncle] said hemekareportbutthey

(Continued on page 22)

John Macedo was onThursday morning re-elected to serve as the Mayor of Lethem, Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Essequibo).

Mayor of Lethem, John Macedo

credits: Rubeina khan Nickram)

New Lethem Town Council

Dead: Daniel Cameron

Man critical following execution attempt

WANTED VACANCY

One live-in Housekeeper needed to work in Virginia, USA. Ages 30-50 yrs. Call: 592-615-5476/ 845-325-8241.

Porters, Driver and Salesman needed. Attractive salary offered, experience will be an asset. Call: 226-9800.

One able- bodied male or female staff needed to work in a store. Call: 225-2313, 2261497, 658-8559.

Driver with MV licence, ages 25-40 years. location: R.M Bhaichandeen Inc, 78 Church st, G/town.

One diesel Mechanic and Welder Fabricator needed to work in the Interior. Interested persons can make contact on: 701-4000.

Domestic/ Cook needed. Contact: 223-5273/74.

Diesel Mechanic wanted. Contact: 688-0417/ 2235273/74.

Honest Driver and Saleman needed. Must have experience in sales and Lorry licenses. Contact: 233-3512 Email-prestigefoodsguyana @gmail.com

Female Domestic/ Maid for house keeping $4500 daily, Male Labourer $5000, semi skilled $6000, skilled $7000$8000. Call: 6825230, 6154414.

Ladies needed to wash 5 gallon water bottles. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 6619447.

Experienced canter Driver/ Salesman, to work on water delivery truck. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 6619447.

Office Clerk needed, ages 1725 years. Must have CXC Maths & English and must be computer literate residing on WCD or WBD. Call: 2540087.

Kitchen Assistant, Supervisor, Chef and Salesperson needed. Call: 659-5559.

One Clerk needed for TSI Eccles office. Must have English and Mathematics. Email:techserigy@yahoo.com or Call: 615-9132.

Hick's Ville Hotel is now hiring Receptionist and Hotel Attendant. Required to work shifts. Call: 6400673, 227-7714. Email: info@vegeworld.net

Cashiers & Stock Clerks urgently needed at Two Brothers mini-mart. Experience will be an asset. Call/ WhatsApp: 592-708-3256.

Vacancy exists for one Driver, ages 20 - 60 yrs. Must know to drive Manual and must have car, van & motor lorry License. Contact: 679-7391.

Vacancy exists for Sales Representative at Innovations America. Contact: 679-7391.

Vacancy exists for Junior Book Clerk at Innovations America. Contact: 679-7391.

Maid to cook and clean for East Bank area. Call: 615-9132.

One Salesman, 3 subjects cxc, experience in writing bills, stocktaking & cashing. Apply at Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office.

General Domestic needed to work 4 days per week, must know to cook. Apply at Keyfood Mc Doom village next to the post office.

Ladies needed to wash 5 gallon water bottles. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 661-9447.

Experienced canter Driver/ Salesman, to work on water delivery truck. Preferably living between Parika and Cornelia Ida area. Call: 6619447.

Aulicio Mining Inc is hiring Accountant, Database Administrator, Hr Assistant, Truck Driver, Human Resource, Operations and Security Manager. Email: ve@officegy.com

VACANCY

Accounts Clerk needed @ Beacon Cafe, 127 Quamina St, Georgetown. Must have FIA/ CAT and knowledge of microsoft Suite/ quickbooks. Call 225-9409/ 655-8944. Email: ateeyyeaali@gmail.com

Sales Clerks, Delivery Clerks and Porters needed. Apply at Lens 136 Sheriff St, next to Buddy's/ Pizzahut. Call: 227-2486/227-1511. Email: lensgy@outlook.com

ACampbellville, Georgetown resi dent is presently nursing multiple gunshot wounds to his body after a gunman in a tinted silver car attempted to execute him on Thursday night. The victim has been identified as 42-year-old, Safraz

FOR RENT

Fully furnished 2 bedrooms apartment in Albert Street, Alberttown. Preferably students, no smoking and no pets allowed. Call 231-5695/ 611-9134.

1-8000 sq ft Modern Warehouse/Manufacturing facility located in the Eccles Industrial site. $10,000 US per month. Telephone: 695-0333.

One, two and three bedrooms furnished apartments for rent in Providence and Diamond. Call: 604-6664, 6826238 or 216-2299.

2 bedroom Apt Vreed-enHoop, kitchen with granite countertop, ac, fence yard, security cameras, grilled. $40000 monthly. Call: 6825230, 6154414.

One bottom flat and storage space available in Vreed-enHoop suitable for clinics, salon/ barber shop, taxi service, office, etc. Call: 683-4281.

SERVICES

Visa Application to Canada and U.S.A, graphics design, advertisements,USA passport application forms & i130 application. Call: 6267040.

Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.

Khan and according to his relatives he is critical. The shooting took place at Austin Street, Campbellville. Security cameras mounted on nearby buildings captured Khan pulling up in front of a building in his car.

Moments later, a tinted silver car pulled up behind and a gunman in a yellow hoodie stepped out and opened fire on Khan while he was still sitting in his vehicle.

After firing multiple shots, the gunman’s getaway car drove off and he ran and entered the front passenger’s seat making good his escape. Up to press time, there was no police statement about the incident.

LAND FOR SALE

Ideal for apartment building or residence, located at Vlissengen into Lamaha street. Call: 223-6218, 6565544, 623-7805.

11 acres land at Kahsmir, Pouderoyen, WBD. Near new Four line to Crane. Call: 709-5234.

Two GDF officers benefitting...

From page 16 Commissioner, Dr. KJ Srinivasa and discussed the benefits that the ITEC programmes have had on India-Guyana relations, while Cpr. Ateba met with the High Commission’s Charge d’ affaires, Mr. Amir Chand.

The ITEC Programme is a training offered to friendly foreign countries in the defence sector. The Government

of India continues to strengthen its bond with Guyana, by offering several scholarships in various areas including military, medical, technical, and cultural training. This is the first time that Guyana has access to these military training programmes. Under the ITEC Programme, the Government of India covers all expenses related to this training.

VEHICLES FOR SALE

One CRV Honda, $3.3M negotiable and 1 Toyota Allion, $3.350 M, fully loaded immaculate condition, low mileage . Contact: 649-0956.

Cook needed at Poppyshow, Mid Mazaruni. Attractive salary offered, must know to cook: fried rice, roti, etc. Call/ WhatsApp: 6950337/ 677-0869.

FOR SALE

Pure breed German shepherd pups for sale. Call: 680-1828, 632-9022/ 639-4966.

Good quality parkay and vinyl with glue. Please Call: 693-1071/ 232-0269.

For sale rice farmers-132 laverda rice combine, 290 Massey tractor, 110-90 fiat tractor. Call: +592695 2220/ 9544648614.

Pure breed Huskies for sale. For more information Call/ WhatsApp: 626-0679.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

Newly renovated building with 2 sections, ac and 3 bedrooms each, located at Norton Street. Call: 223-6218, 656-5544, 623-7805.

Two level home (situated on two lots) at Manatee Place, South Ruimveldt Park, gated premises. Price: $ 50 mil. Call PMIS: 226-4322.

Missing teen’s body found...

From page 21 [police] didn’t take it… is only when I go to Bartica then they take a written statement,” Cameron’s mom recounted.

Police told Kaieteur News that while being questioned, the uncle said that he had left Cameron playing on a swing close to the beach area and had gone to take a malaria test but when he returned the child disappeared.

came to a tragic end after his body floated up in the Essequibo River. A post mortem examination is expected to be conducted.

Investigations are ongoing.

FOR SALE

Farm produce for sale: pumpkin, plantain, lemon, lime, cayenne and apple banana. Call: 688-0417.

Pure honey, wholesale and retail quantity. Call: 621-4273.

According to a police report, “Davenaan said that upon reaching the hospital, the deceased asked him to allow him to play on the swing in the play park opposite the hospital.

About 15 minutes after Davenaan had finished taking the smear, he went to the play park to check for the deceased but did not see him.

Efforts were made to locate the child but the search

Filing Visa application forms. Call: 683-0916.

The gunman fleeing the scene Critical after execution attempt, Safraz Khan.

$23M estimated to extend Fort Wellington Secondary School

The Fort Wellington Secondary School in Region Five will soon be extended to properly accommodate staff and stu-

dents at an estimated cost of $23,209,723. The Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development project was just

Audit Office of Guyana Supply and Delivery of Network Server Laptops and Printers.

recently opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board office, and a total of 23 contractors have bid for the contract.

This year the education sector was allocated some $12 billion for the construction, rehabilitation and maintenance of educational facilities

Construction of External Drains at Ministry’s Office.

across the country. Also at the opening of tenders, it was revealed that the ministry is also looking to extend the White Water Primary School in

Mabaruma, Region One. This project is estimated to cost $28,315,874. Below are the companies and their bids:

Renovation Works to Rosignol Health Centre.

Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development Extension of Fort Wellington Secondary School.

Rehabilitation of Electrical System for X-Ray Department, Mahaicony Hospital.

Construction of Nurses Hostel at Mahdia, Potaro/Siparuni.

Construction of Doctors Quarters at Mahdia.

Extension of White Water Primary School Mabaruma Region 1.

Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport

Procurement of Musical Instruments- National School of Music.

Ministry of Legal Affairs

Procurement of Goods for the Prisons.

Jamaica: Head of man wanted for rape, found in shopping bag in Manchester

Jamaica Observer

The head of a man who was listed by the Manchester Police as wanted for rape, burglary, assault at common law,andunlawfulwounding wasfoundinashoppingbag at Whitney Turn near the Manchester/ Clarendon

border on Thursday morning.

A senior police source identifiedtheheadasthatof Rohan Barrett, otherwise called “Black Seed”, a resident of Porus in the parish.

Police and residents say

about 6:30 am, Barrett’s headwasfoundatafruitstall alongtheWhitneyTurnmain roadclosetotheintersection withMountPleasantRoad.

Heyward McLean, the ownerofthefruitstallwhere the head was discovered, saidhebelievestheheadwas

put there so it would be easilyseen.

“When I got the call, I came down here and saw the police draw long

yellowtapeandsaidIcannot open the shop until they finishasitisacrimescene,” McLean told OBSERVER ONLINEashedescribedthe

d e c e a s e d a s a “troublemaker”.

“The head was in a brown shopping bag that youcarrytosupermarket.

The

spot where the head of Rohan Barrett otherwise called “Black Seed”, who was wanted for rape was found in a shopping bag at Whitney Turn on Thursday morning. (Photo: Kasey Williams)

Massy supports GRFU ahead of RAN C/ship

In order to foster and support the develop ment of sports within the nation, Massy Gas Products (Guyana) Limited has extended its backing to the Guyana Rugby Football Union (GRFU) for the U19 Men’s National Team’s involvement in the upcoming Rugby Americas North (RAN) Men’s U19 Championships.

This tournament is slated to occur in Kingston, Jamaica, at the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, from July 12-16.

Yesterday, Massy Gas Products joined as the newest sponsor of the youth Green Machine team. At a brief ceremony held at the company’s Old Road Eccles, East Bank Demerara location, Afzal Karim, the Assistant Vice President of Finance and Administration, presented a

sponsorship cheque to Troy Yhip, the Treasurer of GRFU. Meanwhile, the team is currently in preparation mode

for the 2023 RAN championship. A squad of twenty-three members was announced over the weekend, and they

Friday July 07, 2023

ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19)

Whatever you visualize today will likely materialize in the near future, Aries. People are clamoring to make themselves heard, so jump in with your opinion.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Inflated egos might block your progress today, Taurus, so be on the lookout for people trying to get a bigger slice of the pie than they deserve.

GEMINI (May 21–June 20)

Today is your day to become a hero, Gemini. You don't have to be dressed in fancy tights and a cape to make an important difference in someone's life.

CANCER (June 21–July 22)

This day will be agreeable, Gemini. There is a dynamic energy in the air that's fueling your fire. Have a good time regardless of what you do. An adventurous.

LEO (July 23–Aug. 22)

Things might reach a climax in some way today, Leo. Set aside time to think about what you can do to love yourself. Maybe you've been thinking so much about group needs.

VIRGO (Aug. 23–Se pt. 22)

Don't wait for someone else to take the lead today, Virgo. Take charge. Do what you know is right even though someone else might disagree with you.

Guyana end CACGames hockey with win over El Salvador

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22)

Put on a noble demeanor before you leave the house this morning, Libra. The key is to smile from ear to ear and just keep smiling. There's a great deal of power available to you.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21)

You might find that your emotions are going through a powerful transformation, Scorpio. Use it to add a bit of spice and passion to your day.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Give special attention to others today, Sagittarius. Remind people how much they mean to you. Adopt a childlike attitude of excitement and adventure. This is the name of the game on a day like this.

CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19)

Proceed with passion, Capricorn. Get out of gloomy mode. Don't sit home and mope. Get out in the sunshine, literally as well as figuratively.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

This is your day to shine, so turn it up a notch, Aquarius. Brush your hair before you go out, and make sure you're wearing flattering attire. .

PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20)

If an emotional issue is bringing you down, Pisces, find healthy ways to relieve the situation. Overeating won't solve the problem.

are gearing up to depart on July 10th for Kingston.

Notably, the RAN Championships offer a significant platform to showcase the talent and potential of young rugby players throughout the region.

Guyana’s U19 Men’s National team will seize the opportunity to compete against formidable teams such as South USA, Jamaica, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, and Trinidad and Tobago.

ExxonMobil basketball...

From page 30 against Mackenzie High’s 19 points to secure a comfortable win. PC’s top performers were Aiden Semple with 12 points and 3 rebounds, Ezekiel Saul made his presence known with 8 points and 6 steals, set up an easy win for PC.

Shortly after, Marian Academy found some form against St Rose’s High to secure a victory with 34-26 over St. Rose’s High’s. Jaden Simon delivered an exceptional performance with 21 points and 12 rebounds, while Kaden Khan added 7 points. Donnie Caspar played well for SRHS, contributing 13 points in a losing effort.

This event is sponsored by ExxonMobil, with support from the National Sports Commission, Edward B. Beharry, and G-Boats GY. More Boys Under 14 and 16 matches were set to take place yesterday at the same venue.

Me’shach Sargeant had a superb game against El Salvador, scoring two of Guyana’s seven unanswered goals. (1-4), the Dominican Republic (2-3), Cuba (3-5), and Jamaica (3-4).

It was a win worth the smile on the faces of Guyana’s men’s hockey team players since they ended their Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games campaign with a 7-0 victory over El Salvador.

After Captain Robert France got the score ticking in the fourth minute, Simeon Moore (17', 29'), Me’shach Sargeant (18', 28') and Shakeem Fausette (14') ensured that they closed the game on a high.

Under the guidance of Coach Robert Fernandes, a combination of young talents and seasoned veterans, the Guyanese team faced defeats against Trinidad and Tobago

Reflecting on each match, Fernandes acknowledged that the team struggled to maintain their focus, particularly during critical moments of the games.

However, their determination to not return emptyhanded, despite falling short of a podium finish, was evident in their performance yesterday.

Already failing to better their last showing at the CAC Games (2018) when they finished fourth, the Guyanese men were relentless on offence. (Rawle Toney)

GRFU Treasurer Troy Yhip (right) receives sponsorship cheque from Afzal Karim, the Assistant Vice President of Massy Gas Products.

Police Mixed Martial Arts Team win four

Gold Medals at T&T

event

- Athletes lauded by Top Cop, Admin Team for their excellent performance

TheGuyanaPolice Force’s Mixed MartialArtsteam comprisingfourathletesand Sensei Troy Bobb, made a courtesy call to Acting Commissioner of Police Mr Clifton Hicken on Wednesday after competing in the ‘Ruff n Tuff’ Mix Martial Arts Competition thatwasheldinTrinidad.

The champion athletes with four goals from four contests are Police Corporal Sheneze Bobb, Lance Corporals Carl Ramsay and Ijaz Cave, and RC Anevia Frank.

Over the past two years, the four athletes have represented Guyana at various International Mixed Martial Arts Federation (IMMAF) events, winning two(2)silvermedalsforthe countryduringthattime.

The medal-winning Police athletes continue to demonstrate discipline, commitment, and drive to the sport, which has led to themhavingcleanrecordsin accordance with IMMAF anti-doping rules and regulations.

In his congratulatory message, the Force Development Officer, Mr

Colin Boyce, said that the MixedMartialArtsteamhas been doing exceptionally well, and he is proud of the talented team’s dedication andhardwork.

In their upcoming CAC games next month, slated to be held in Colombia, Mr Boyce said he is optimistic that the ranks will repeat suchsuccess.

F o r t h e r e c e n t competition in Trinidad, the Guyana Police Force sponsored the team in collaboration with Fight Central.

According to Fight Central’s supervisor Ms Rebecca Ganesh, they were ecstatictosupporttheGPFat thecompetitioninTrinidad.

“We believe that the Guyana Police Force is the absolute partner, where its coaches and athletes always display a high level of d i s c i p l i n e a n d regimentation,”sheposited.

She further noted that as Guyana’s First MMA Promotional Group, Fight Central stands firm in ensuring that the National Federation and, by extension, its athletes and coaches have a solid platform to showcase the

fast-growingglobalsport.

FightCentral’sManager, Mr Michael Singh indicated thatthecompanyhasalways proactively supported the Guyana Police Force in its endeavours,especiallyinthe sportingarena.

“We remain steadfast in supporting the Police athletes.

The first time we supported them was in 2017 we are working with the international and local MMA Federation to ensure Guyana has a competentbodytohandleall MMA affairs,” Singh commented.

He said Fight Central looks forward to more such collaborationwiththeGPF

Top Cop Mr Clifton Hicken congratulated the athletes and expressed his gratitude for their performance.

Commissioner Hicken s a i d t h e S e n i o r Administration of the GPF willcontinuetosupportsuch initiatives, which will, in turn, build capacity in the areaofsports.

Commissioner Hicken chargedtherankstocontinue to do their best and excel at thesport.

Corporal Sheneze Bobb and RC Anevia Frank are flanked by Lance Corporals Carl Ramsay and Ijaz Cave after their successful showing at the MMAevent in Trinidad.

GSA/Guinness Senior’s Squash Championships... among winners on day two Alex Arjoon, Jojo Mekdeci, and the Khalil siblings

The Guyana Squash Association (GSA) National Senior Championship has commenced on July 4th at theGeorgetownClubCourts (GTC) situated on Camp Street. On Wednesday, the second day of the competition witnessed twentyexhilaratingmatches. Prominent players, such as Joseph ‘Jojo’ Mekdeci, Samuel Ince-Carvalhal, Steven Xavier, Avinash Oditt,Ashley,andJasonRay Khalil, among others, delivered exceptional performances.

Day two featured one Women’s Veteran match, three Women’s draws, fourteen Men’s draws, and twoMen’sOver-50category matches.

The opening match between Mary Fung-A-Fat andAveryArjoonendedwith a 3-0 victory in favor of Mary In the other Women’s draw matches, Ashley de Groot caused an upset by defeatingEmilyFung-A-Fat with scores of 11-1, 11-1, and 11-1. Akeila Wiltshire emerged victorious over Victoria Arjoon with scores of 11-6, 11-7, and 11-5.

Caribbean squash queen

Ashley Khalil dominated former U19 female star KirstenGomeswithathreegametonilvictory Thelone Women’s Veteran clash between Lydia Fraser and Tian Edwards resulted in Fraser triumphing in a 3-0 encounter

In the Men’s Over-50 Veterans division, Brian Yongclaimedhissecondwin againstNarendraSingh,with a match score of 3-0 in favourofYong.Shortlyafter, the experienced Joseph Mekdeci defeated Rob Edwardswithascoreof3-1, ultimatelywinning11-6,116,7-11,and11-2.

Moving on to the Men’s division, U19 star Louis Da Silva secured an 11-2, 11-2, and 11-4 victory over

ReaganRodriguesinhisfirst match of the 2023 seniors tournament. However, Da Silva later suffered a loss to Jerazeno Bell with scores of 11-4, 12-10, and 14-12

Jason van Djik fell short against Shomari Wiltshire with scores of 11-2, 11-4, and11-6,whileSamuelInceCarvalhalandReganPollard provided an entertaining match before Carvalhal secureda3-0victory Meanwhile, highly ranked Alex Arjoon outplayed Peter de Groot with a match score of 11-6, 11-1, and 11-7 While, Michael Alphonso comfortably secured his second win over Mohryan Baskh with a 3-0 victory Nicholas and Josh Verwey,

as well as Demetrius DeAbreu, also claimed victories on day two of the competition.

Steven Xavier triumphed for the second time against DejeDiaswithscoresof11-7, 9-11, 11-5, and 11-8 Miguel WongandAvinashOdittboth commanded victories over Nandishraj Singh and Justin Ten Pow, respectively, with identical scorelines of 3-0

Lee Fung-A-Fat later defeated Reagan Rodrigues, whileJasonRayKhalileasily overcame Jonathan Antczak in the final match of the evening, securing a convincing3-0victory T h e e x c i t e m e n t continued yesterday at the same venue with day three action.

8th Digicel Schools Football Championship…

Charity emerge as Region 2 Champion

Charity Secondary have become theRegionTwoChampionwith adominantperformanceagainst AbrahamZuilatAnnaRegina,yesterday,in the 2023 Digicel’s Schools Football Championship.

The Regional Champion won 4 – 1 againstAbrahamZuilasRenaldoSmithand

OundraSobersledwithadoubles.Hedrew firstbloodforhissideinthe10thminuteand completedthefeatonthebrinkofhalftime.

Itwasaone-sidedaffairineveryaspect withOundraSobersalsofindingthebackof thenetin37thand40thminutes. More details will be available in tomorrow’sissue.

Samuel Ince-Carvalhal (left) in action against Regan Pollard.

Alex Arjoon in full-stretch as he evades losing points to Peter de Groot.

ExxonMobil basketball Festival continues with U14 and U16 action

Day Five of the

ExxonMobil/Youth

Basketball Guyana (YGB) National Schools Basketball Festival continued at the National Gymnasium on Wednesday with thrilling Boys Under14 and Under16 groupmatches.

In the U14 division,

Bishop’s High emerged

victorious over YBG Academy in a nail-biting contest, while Marian Academy suffered a defeat againstQueen’sCollegeina low-scoring encounter Also

in the U16 matches,

Kwakwani Secondary

dominated Diamond

Secondary, securing a resounding victory While Queen’s College (QC) managed to edge past Bishop’sHighSchool(BHS) to book a spot in the semi finals.Inthelatter,President College (PC) faced off against Mackenzie High, with the game ultimately

favouringtheRoyals(PC).

NSBFHighlightsofDay Five: In the U14 division, Bishops’ High scored 21 points against YBG Academy’s 20 points after two overtimes, Bishops emergingasthewinners.

The top Performers for BHSwereMicaiahDefreitas who contributed 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 steals, Kemol Pickering added 8 points and 4 rebounds, and Quasie Newton recorded 3 points and 6 rebounds YBG’s Chazaiah Bernard stoodoutwithanimpressive performance in a losing

effort,contributing13points and17rebounds.

Queens College (QC) later defeated Marian Academy’s 9-2 points. Top performers for QC were Jared Boucher showcased hisskillswith5pointsand8

steals, while Nathan

Morrisonadded3pointsand 3rebounds.

Over in the U16 Boys

category, Kwakwani

Secondary dominated Diamond Secondary with a final score of 46-22.Thanks to; Roshane Sampson, who contributed17 points and 7 rebounds, while Shamar

Sam added 8 points and 8 rebounds to solidify their victory

Queens College later secured victory with 31 points against Bishops’ High’s26points. Ezekiel Griffith led the way with 16 points and 6 rebounds, Owen Hooper contributed 6 points and 4 rebounds Yaneil Easton showcased his all-around skills with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals for BHS.

Meanwhile, President’s Collegescored27points

(Continuedonpage27)

Bartica Champions Rivers View make winning start

When the Bartica FA’s 2023 Senior Men’s League kickedofflastMondayatthe Bartica Community Centre ground there was joy and disappointment.

Theopeninggameofthe CARICOM day doubleheader witnessed a no-show by Lazio FC against Potato StrikersFC.,butinthenight cap fans were not disappointed.

Defending champions

Rivers View cruised to a comfortable 5-2 victory over AKGalaxy Abraceeachby Andrew Simmons (18' and 41') and Omareo Lake (71' and 85') paved the way for a winning start Aloysious Edwards(30')wasalsoonthe score sheet For the losers, Ramon Defonsica (35') and MarkJoseph(60')netted

Therewasmoreactionat Bartica’s football headquarters last Wednesday withwinsforBeaconsFCand Rising Stars In the opening

fixture, a hat-trick by ShaquilleHopkinsoninspired the former Champions over Agatash United 4-1

Hopkinson converted in the 6th,19thand32ndminutesto register the first treble of the competition, while Yohace Butters scored in the 42nd minute Mark Ambrose got the consolation goal for the losers.

Inthe2ndencounterMil Ballers offered little resistance as Rising Stars

won3-0.JoshuaJones(47'), Ian Gomez Jr (55') and Shawn Bobb (59') were the goalscorers.

Matches in the 9-team League will continue today (7th July) at the Bartica Community Centre ground where Wolves United tackle LazioFCat6pmandat8pmit will be Rivers View against Potato Strikers Another double-header is set for tomorrow (8th July) with BeaconsopposingAKGalaxy inthe1stmatchat6pmandto follow it will be Rising Stars versusAgatashUnited Meanwhile, in the Capital City there will be 2 more matches in the FA’s competition at the GFC ground. The opening act set for 6 pm will bring together OrderandDisciplineFCand the home side. This will be followed by Camptown FC against the youthful Venezuelan aggregation of Vengy

Shaquille Hopkinson

The Royals knocks down free-throw points in their battle with Mackenzie High.

CWI Rising Stars U19 Men’s / Women’s Tournament Round 2...

Walsh half-century steersLeewards to 8-wicket win over Guyana -

Guyana Women secure 11-run win

Defending champ Rybakina reaches Wimbledon 3rd round despite error-strewn display

AFP - Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina outlasted injured French veteranAlizeCornet6-2,7-6 (7/2) yesterday to reach the third round despite an errorstrewndisplay

The Kazakh third seed broke Cornet at her first opportunityintheCentreCourt clash and repeated the feat to wintheset

But the second set was a muchtighteraffair,withneither playerabletobreak

The11thgamehadalready featured11deuceswhenCornet slipped and fell heavily to the turf, grabbing her right hip in agony She broke down in tears before receiving medical treatment on the side of the court, including fresh strapping to her right leg. Incredibly Cornet, 33, returnedtothecourt.

Rybakina eventually held serve to lead 6-5 in a game lasting27minutes,including the medical timeout. Cornet toughed out the next game

andtookthesettoatie-break butRybakinasurgedintoa62leadandsealedthewinon herfirstmatchpoint.

Thethirdseedhitatotalof

40 unforced errors in the match, balancing that out with36winnersandgoeson to face Katie Boulter for a placeinthelast16.

Leewardswhipped Guyana by 8 wickets thanks to a classy fifty from Malique Walsh,whenRound2ofthe CWI Rising Stars U19 Men’s Tournament continued in Trinidad and Tobago.

Batting first, Guyana were kept to a low score of 108 all out in 35.2 overs, after Kurt Lovell hit 37 down the order alongside some resistance from pacer Isai Thorne (15). Zachary Jodah (11) and Joshua Ramsammy (13) were the other primary scorers for Guyana.

Spinners Onaje Amory, whowasthestarbagging321 and Nathan Edwards (216), did majority of the damagefortheLeewards.

Chasing a low score, Leewardsracedto109for2 in 31 4 overs Malique Walshstroked52toleadhis team home while two other teammates hit scores of 20 odd, to see their team home withrelativeease.

Guyana U19 bowlers toiled,asThorneandcaptain Mavindra Dindyal each had identicalfiguresof(1-22).

Meanwhile, the Guyana’sWomenU19team struckgold,astheybounced backfromtheopeninground loss,tosecurean11-runwin overBarbados.

Opener Realanna Grimmond set the tone with 39 while Nya Latchman hit 26 not out, leading Guyana to110-6in30overs.

Theanny Hebert-Mayer

starred with 3-9 for

Barbados,whoinreplywere kept to 99-9 in 30 overs, despite Trishan Holder topscoringwith41atthetop.

Latchman then returned with the ball to snare 2-16, whileGuyana’sstarbowling attackincludingGrimmond, Celina Whyte, Cyanna Retemiah, each returned a wicket.

Other Rising Stars U19

Men’s/Round2scores

Jamaica beat Trinidad andTobagoby7wickets

BattingfirstT&Tscored 158 all out in 47.2 overs. In reply Jamaica finished on 159-4 33 overs, completing a7wicketvictory

Windwards Islands beat Barbadosby4wickets

Barbados batting first, were bowled out for 137 in 39.4overs.

In reply Windward Islands finished on 138-6, wrapping up a victory by 4 wicketwin.

Other Rising Stars U19

Women’sRound2scores

Trinidad and Tobago beatJamaica8wickets

Jamaicawerekeptto909 in 30 overs after batting first, leaving Trinidad and Tobagotosurgeeasilyto922inside20overs.

Windwards Islands beat Leewards Islands by 8 wickets

In a low scoring affair, Leewards were bowled out for a 59 in 22 overs

Windward Islands in reply strolledto60-2in11.1overs

Round 3 continues tomorrow,Saturday

Elena Rybakina (left) checks on Alize Cornet after the French player suffered a nasty fall at Wimbledon. (Glyn KIRK)

Guyana’s Realeanna Grimmond (Getty Images) Leewards Malique Walsh

Girdhari slams 121 for United Cricket Club in OMSCC Over-40 competition

Canada-based Guyanese

Ramesh Girdhari slammed an aggressive 121 retiredhurttwoSundays(June25th) ago in representation for United Cricket Club against HelenaSportsClubasaction continued in the 2023 Ontario Masters Softball Cricket Clubs (OMSCC) Over-40,T20competition.

Playing at St. Mother Teresa Catholic School ground in Scarborough, Ontario, the right-handed

Girdhari smashed 12 sixes andfivefoursduringhis52ball,enterprisingknock. His team cantered to a sufficient226-7fromthe20overs while Helena Sports Club only managed 72-7 from the 20-overs. United Cricket Club won comprehensively by 154 runs.

A p a r t f r o m t h e flamboyant Girdhari, he received fine support from ReynoldTimmwhoalsohita

whirlwind 41-ball 76 decorated with eight sixes andtwofours.

Faoud Ali collected two wickets for 15 runs from his maximum three overs delivering for Helena Sports Club whose innings never suggestedsolidity Rajesh Singh offered some resistance with 28 not out, however Top-bowler Patrick Balkarran tormented them by snatching 4-9 from three economical and

impressive overs and Jai Ramraj picked up 2-0 off a solitary over to play an assistantrole.

Meanwhile, the eightteam tournament will continue this Sunday after last Sunday was off due to CanadaDaylong-weekend.

United Cricket Club will tacklePegasuswhileHelena Sports Club meeting up GT Bannas.

Leguan Warriors are currently leading the points’ standing with five consecutive wins while United Cricket Club occupyingthenumber2spot withfourvictoriesnow

Defending champion

Carr Tec Masters Sports Clubisatnumber3.Thetwo otherparticipatingteamsare: All-Stars Sports Club and Ramblers Cricket Club Thingsareslatedtoconclude

Ramesh Girdhari

late August in this roundrobinannualevent.

Ramdhani siblings advance to the Mixed Doubles Quarterfinals at the CAC

Narayan and Priyanna Ramdhani

advancedtotheRoundof16and competed against Miguel QuiramaandJulianaGiraldoofColombiafor aspotinthequarterfinals.

Itwasathrillingthreesettermatchwhere theRamdhanislost13-21toColombiainthe first game but came back and in an intense secondgameandwon22-20.Theythentook the match when they won the third game at 21-17. This placed them in the Round of 8

(Quarterfinals).

Other matches played were Men’s Singles Narayan Ramdhanilost to the No. 1 seed in the round of 16, Priyanna Ramdhani won her match in the Round of 32 against Costa Rica and lost in the Round of 16 in a three-settermatchtoGuatemala.

Inalltheyplayedatotalof4matches(10 gamesat21pointeachgame).

PlaycontinuedyesterdayagainstJamaica intheMixedDoublesQuarterfinals.

Priyanna and Narayan Ramdhani in action.

Legend take LGC Domino Tourney

On Monday July 3, 2023 the Lusignan Golf Club hosted a dominotournament.

Team Legend was victorious as they managed to upset their other three opponents.

The other teams that participated were NARI,INTimeandDoubleDuce.Inround oneLegendtookthelead,whileNARIand DoubleDucefollowed.

Heading into the second round Legend maintained the lead, Double Duce trailed andINTimeshowedaglimmerofhope.

Winning captain of Legend, Anand Mohan said, “On behalf of our team, we thank the LGC for participating in this

dominotournament.

Wereallyappreciateit,wewanttothank allthesponsorsinvolved.

We had an excellent and competitive time and we were able to walk away victorious.

The tournament was tough but we foughtourwayandwediditandIcouldn’t askformore.

We are looking forward to have more tournaments of this kind in the years to come.”

Team Legend was able to walk away with a whopping $90,000 and a trophy They copped $45,000 each for being victoriousintheirtworounds.

Kitt turns in solid performance AAURegion1C/ship…

Alpha Harrison to compete at 2023 AAU Track and Field Junior Olympics in August

Ever since migrating to the USA, Guyanese Alpha Harrison has been pursuing an athletic career and has beendoingverywell,evenat his age. The former Mocha, EastBankDemeraravillager isonceagainaimingtocompete attheAAU Junior Olympics Games Track and Field competition.

This year, all the action will unfold at the Des Moines, Iowa at Drake Stadium.

The Mid American EnergyCompanyRecPlexis hosting the event from July 25-Aug.5.Harrison,whoisa member of Charles County Elite Track and Field Club, will be teaming up with Austin Bragg, Jayden Luckey, Kyrie Irvin and Jacob Sanders to contest the M11-124x100mrelay

Theyearcontinues to be fruitful for US-basedathletic sensation, Sean Kitt, who recently turned in impressive performances at t

Championship at Clifton Park, Ny, in the United StatesofAmerica.

Kitt competed for the

the Boys 9-year old Long Jump.

Dashing Dons and Divas in the four-day event, which commenced last Thursday (June 29) and conclude on Sunday,July2.

On the opening day, he claimed gold in the Boys 9yearoldLongJumpaheadof Xoan Achigbu and Hunter Dinham He returned on Saturday well rested but

finishedsecondinthe9-year oldBoys1500mwithatime of 5:29.42s. The winner, Samuel Taft, clocked 5:22 33s while the third place finisher, Cameron Leslie,gaveKittafightwith atimeof5:29.42s.

Afterthisevent,Kittwas off to compete in another USATFmeet.

Harrison’s father, Lindon has disclosed that thiswouldbeAlpha’ssecond year at these Olympics and training has been going fine for his son and clubmates and that they are aiming to make their club proud The seniorHarrisonhas embarked on a fund-raising drive to enable his son’s attendance attheJuniorOlympics.

Hehassetupagofundme accountinthenameofAlpha Youth junior Olympics, and persons wishing to make a donation can do so via this page.

The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit, volunteer,

the U.S. It started hosting the AAU

Field

Alpha Harrison

Team Legend was victorious in the recently LGC-hosted Dominoes Tournament.

Sean Kitt occupies the top podium position after he won