kaieteur News

...death toll reaches 56,000

T&T state company

in bid to develop

gas processing plant in Guyana

Daughter, son-in-law charged with Non Pareil woman’s murder

Man dies in boat mishap

room for sharing of

‘WIN’ Party -FmrGECOMlegaladvisor

Mohamed launches

‘Joinderlistleavesno seats’ CorettaMcDonald electednew PresidentofGTU ...promisestobuildunified Guyana,betterlifeforall

Ramfilessecondcaseagainst topublicinformation

-renewscallfor himtobefired

Trinidad and Tobago's Energy Minister of Energy

Dr. Roodal Moonilal

Austin Ramchand Saffia Mohamed

T&T state company in bid to develop gas processing plant in Guyana

Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Minister of Energy Dr Roodal Moonilal on Monday disclosed that their state-owned company Phoenix Gas Processors Limited is involved in a bid to develop a natural gas processingplantinGuyana.

“Today,wehaveanother activitytakingplace,whereI believe Phoenix Gas is involved in a bid to assist with developing a gas processing plant in Guyana, as well,” the minister said during T&T’s mid-year parliamentary sitting He added, “We are hoping that that bid goes well, we are hoping that something can happenthere.”

The minister spoke extensively on T&T’s regionalstrategytoprioritise energy cooperation with Guyana, Grenada, and Suriname.Hestressedthatit is critical for T&T state enterprises to establish themselves as serious entitiesinSuriname,Guyana and Grenada. “That is our vision, that is how you will becomethehub,youwillnot become the hub by out producingGuyana…wewill not become the hub by out producing Suriname with gas,”Dr Moonilalsaid.

Healsodisclosedthathis ministry held talks with United States company Fulcrum,whoisinvolvedin Guyana’s gas development, amongothercompanies.“In terms of Guyana it is no secretthatGuyanahasmore barrels of oil per day than they have people…they are producing oil. We are in touchwiththeGuyaneseOil andGasEnergyChambers,I have been asked to say that the Trinidad and Tobago government is in touch with the energy chambers in Georgetown that has pledgedtogivetheirsupport tocompaniesinTrinidadand Tobago to work,” Dr Moonilaladded. Hestressedthatitisasad reality thatT&Thas been in oil and gas for over 100 years,whilesisterCaribbean

Community (CARICOM) territories are only about a decade into the industries, butnotedthatuponreturning to office, the current administration discovered thatthetwin-islandstatehas no “footprint” in those countries.

“Imagine the oldest, the territory with the most e x p e r t i s e , m a j o r infrastructure, human capital, had no footprint in Guyana and Suriname…” the Minister lamented. “We have the potential today to become a regional leader, a hub in the Caribbean,” Dr Moonilalsaid.

T&T’s new Prime Minister, Kamla PersadBissessar SC, upon her reelection had signalled her administration’s plan to forge partnerships with Guyana, Grenada, and S u r i n a m e H e r announcement followed the T&T Dragon Gas deal with Venezuela being revoked by theUSgovernment. PersadBissessar had said, “The

dragon gas deal is dead, we will be foolish to not go elsewhere they kept it alive for 10 years and couldn’tmakeitwork,sowe are not going to do it now Right in CARICOM, as I

Guyana,Suriname.”

Meanwhile, Guyana’s Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo had explained that a study will have to be conducted to determine whether sending Guyana’s gas to T&T is more feasible

than other options for monetising the resource. He explained that Guyana is currentlyconsideringatleast three other options to monetise its gas resources likebringingthegasonshore to generate electricity and supply Brazil, using it for industrial purposes such as fertiliser and petrochemical production, or developing offshore LNG (liquefied natural gas) platforms for direct export – but processinginTrinidadcould beanotheralternativewhich shouldbeexplored.

Guyana had contracted FulcrumLNGinJune2024,

Limited,andthegovernment tomonetiseitsgasresources. However, recently VP Jagdeodisclosedthatnonew agreements, including those with Fulcrum or for petroleum prospecting licenses should be signed before the upcoming 2025 Regional and General Elections.

TO BUILD UNIFIED GUYANA, BETTER LIFE FOR ALL Mohamedlaunches‘WIN’Party

...PROMISES

Azruddin Mohamed assures that his party –We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) – will invest in the country’s people, provid

solutions to challenges and unitethecountry

In a video footage

released on Monday evening,Mohamedsaidthat after traveling the country over the years and meeting withthepeople,“Ihavefelta powerful and undeniable truth The people of Guyana are ready for a new chapter You are ready for a leadership that listens and for a government that serves.”

“It is your energy, your belief and your unwavering spirit that brings us to this historic moment today, with aheartfullofhumilityanda deep sense of purpose, I am honored to officially introduce you to our new political hope. We call our party WIN,” he officially introduced.

Mohamed said WIN “is not just a party, it is a principle,apurpose,afuture shaped by the people for a betterGuyana.”

healthcare,nomothershould fear childbirth. No elder shouldbeleftbehind.Health is a right, and not just a privilege. Environmental strength, local jobs, we will protect our forests, our waters, and create green industries with Guyanese hands. National unity above party, we will lead a government that listens, a government that works with you and not above you,” he

emphasised. Meanwhile, turning his attentiontothediaspora,the businessman assured that their investments would not beinvain.Henotedthathis

Continuedonpage6

“We chose this name becauseitisadirectpromise of what we stand for, unity Becausefortoolong,theold politics has sought to divide us along lines of race and social standing. We believe our diversity is our greatest strength,andwewillbuilda Guyana where every single citizen feels they belong, whether or not they support our party, they will still benefit, because true leadership should serve everyone,”heelaborated.

Thepresidentialhopeful, who was sanctioned along withhisfatherbytheUnited

WIN’s leader said it is true dedication and commitment to people that “anationwins”.

States for alleged tax evasion, corruption, and gold smuggling said his party will not discriminate based on race, religion or location noting that the country’svastwealthwillbe invested wisely for the benefitofallandinareasthat trulymatter

“Our symbol represents everythingyourgovernment will be for you. It stands for speedandactionbecausewe willmovedecisivelytosolve the problems that have held you back for too long. It standsforfocus,becausewe willbelaserfocusedonyour progress,neverdistractedby the old politics of division.

And it stands for efficiency and power, because we will use our nation’s resources wisely to deliver real results foryourfamily,”herelated.

Further, committing to creating a better life for all Guyanese, the Presidential candidate aims to build a self-sufficient economy by investing farmers, fisher folks, entrepreneurs, and youths.

“Guyanese wealth must stay in Guyana, education for the future, free technical and vocational training scholarships in tech, healthcare and energy Our children deserve tools, not justtalk.Universaldignityin

Trinidad and Tobago’s Energy Minister of Energy, Dr. Roodal Moonilal

Presidential Candidate of the ‘WIN’Party, Azruddin Mohamed

KaieteurNews

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana

Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456

Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams

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

EDITORIAL

The PPPC Government's chief policymaker, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, has repeatedly promised halfpricedelectricitytoenergy-challengedGuyanese. Inturn, Guyanese have longed for both an electricity supply that they can be confident in and the prospect of their energy bills being reduced by 50 percent. Who wouldn't want something like that? The roadblock being encountered is that the chief policymaker's promise continues to be stretchedandtwistedtosuchanextentthatthosehangingon his words question when (if ever) they will see that halfprice cut. This year is out, and it should be sometime in 2026,accordingtoJagdeo.

The problem for Jagdeo and the PPPC Government is not so much that a promise was made. Politicians make thoseallthetime,withgodontheirlipsandthemostsolemn of faces, only to fall when it is time for them to deliver Jagdeo is the best Guyanese have experienced so far, for making big promises, and then either not producing, or whathepresentstothenationdoesn'tholdup. Itishowhe has held this country hostage since he has been in pivotal positionsingovernment. Flashypromiseshavebeenmade byhimthatlightupthemoment,onlyforhisdismalrecord of non-delivery to take over Two of the more prominent onesweremindtaxpayersandthehopefulsinGuyanahave been the modernised Skeldon sugar factory that dug a multibillion-dollar crater in this country's treasury Guyanese are still waiting for the benefits that Jagdeo promised would come from that project. The other is the APNU+AFC signed 2016 ExxonMobil oil contract. He made big promises before the world about all that he was goingtodowiththatvileoilcontract,onlytowalkbackhis words and leave Guyanese hanging. The hopefuls have sincelostfaithinhimandhispromises.

It is human to err, but Jagdeo, as Finance Minister, as president, as vice president, and as chief oil and gas policymaker(andincountlessotherareas)hascompiledan inhumanrecordoferringandfailing. Promisesareeasyto make,andpoliticiansofthecalibreofJagdeoareamongthe sharpest at making them. To retain some level of credibility,somehavetobeproved,andthebestproofisin making good on what was sold, committed to the people. Thisisachallengeforusatthispaper,becausewewantto giveandhavegivenJagdeosomespacetooperate,toprove himself, only for him to disappoint again and again. The Wales Gas-to-Energy and its much-watched and heavily anticipated 50 percent reduction in electricity bills must rankassuchadisappointment,ahugeone. Duetocost-ofliving pressures and the fact that electricity charges have such a cascading effect on the prices of other goods and services, this is how much Jagdeo's 50 percent reduction promisematters. Insomanyrespects,hehasbecomethat sun which never shines amid rising, suffocating floodwaters. According to the chief policymaker, if the governmentweretomoveaheadandcutelectricitybillsby half,theoppositionwouldmakehayoutofthatsincethisis an election year This is standard Jagdeo, where the rationales for his failures somehow always end up on the headsofthePNCandAFC. Whenhewantstoraceahead withapolicydecision,hedoesn'tcareaboutwhoobjectsor who uses that for political gain. He simply throws aside restraint and respect for processes and others, and powers ahead. Yet,therehewaslastweek,allconcernedaboutthe politicalopposition's reaction. He knows all too well that theenthusiasticresponseofGuyanesetotheintroductionof half-priced electricity would deliver such benefits that making a political (elections) issue out of it could very likelybackfireonacarpingopposition. Inotherwords,it wouldbeawinnerforhimandthePPPCattheSeptember polls.Havingsaidtheabove,therealissueiswhetherthis WalesprojectcandeliveratthepricethatJagdeohastouted. Orifitdid,howlongwouldthatlast,andwhattricksdoeshe haveuphissleevetoshockGuyanese?

The original statement of polls is a moot matter

DearEditor, I found the Chronicle newspaper of June 23, 2025 of interest, if only for its unusual attention to things PNC/APNU. Three of its four front page headlines wereaboutthingsPNC.This is unusual, but not ironic, because none of them headlined positive stories about the PNC; thus, the reportage, since the Chronicle never carries anything positive or even neutral about the PNC or bodies perceived to be related to the PNC or not knowntosupportthePPP

A cursory look at the a

surprises.Infact,thearticles were either fallacious or implied negative cues about thePNC.Caseinpoint:One article described Natasha Singh Lewis as “the third senioroppositionmember…

topartwayswiththeparty”. Part ways she has, but never has she been other than a parliamentarian, a backbencher, if I am not mistaken, but now for propagandistic purposes described as a “senior oppositionmember”.

Turning to the report on Sandy,whocontestedforand assumed executive office in the party after the 2021 internal elections (post the 2020 general and regional elections), the article focused on his now belated public contention that the PNC lost the 2020 elections based on his personal knowledge of the SoPs for the East Coast, copies of which he has retained. All that occurred during the recount of the 2020 ballots resulted in GECOM declaring the PPP/C as the winnersofthe2020elections

based on the recount SoPs ratherthantheoriginalSoPs, which, for all intents and purposes, became irrelevant oncetherecountwasordered and executed Sandy's reference and the reference of all others to the original statements of poll are, therefore, a ruse rather than relevant. What all of those contenders,andChroniclein particular, seek to obfuscate is the fact that Mingo`s declarations were set aside and that the recount uncovered that ballots amounting to approximately fourteen thousand (14,000) could not be validated, although GECOM included them in the count for the purposeofdeclaringaresult, a n d d e e m e d t h e allegation/problem to be determinablebythecourt.

Even worse, the recount uncovered the allegation of

multiple/substitute voting, with thousands being reported to GECOM, of which383of510(75.098%) were verified by the Chief Immigration Officer as absentee voters, and the remaining thousands confiscated by theAttorneyGeneralandnotsubjectedto a public report on the veracity of the allegation. Yet, the state media uses Sandy`s belated and nonconsequential confession, insofarastheelectionresults are concerned, to perpetuate its biased anti-PNC reporting The original statement of polls is a moot matter, while the allegations of voter impersonation/ the castingofvotesforabsentee voters/fraudulent votes have beenmutedbyGECOMand theAttorney-General.

Yourstruly, VincentAlexander

Egos must be restrained for the sake of the nation

DearEditor, “Ego”, a Latin word meaning “I”, can be traced back to the early 19th century and was made prominent by the Father of Psychology,SigmundFreud, to define the difference between the 'id' (instincts) and the superego (morality) as humans navigate realities oftheworld.

= Itisnosurprisethatinthe political arena, where there isapushforpositioningand influence, the gaps between instincts and morality come into a collision course, resulting in an egotistical mentality

Therecenttalksbetween one-time coalition partners, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance for Change (AFC), suggest a menu for egomania rather than cooperation.

Negotiations involve a complex interplay of technical elements such as strategicpositioning,interest alignment, value creation,

riskassessment,andcontract structuring.

These require not only analytical precision but also contextual sensitivity Being representedbyforeignactors who lack understanding of l o c a l c u l t u r a l idiosyncrasies such as communication norms, historical dynamics, power structures, and decisionmaking customs—can lead to critical miscalculations. Such representatives may inadvertently signal disrespect,misinterpretnonverbal cues, or push proposals that are culturally tone-deaf, ultimately weakening your negotiating position.

I n h i g h - s t a k e s discussions,especiallythose involving national interests or community welfare, this disconnect can result in unfavourable outcomes, erosionoftrust,orlong-term reputationaldamage.

The negotiations approach by both parties seems to lack the aforementioned context,

clarity and each party's vision for nation building.

The make-up of the negotiation teams should reflect this calculus and abstain from including outsiders as representatives forapartywhoaredeficient in the country's historical context, a critical aspect to understanding political orientations. We may never have the full menu of discussions between the negotiation entities However, national interests were not being faithfully pursued In this pivotal election, significant issues like national morality, wealthmanagement,andfair deals for citizens, benefiting down to the “man in the streets” , have been overshadowed by media confrontations.

T h e c o m m o n adversaries, the People's Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) and ill-mannered

foreign actors, are disremembered for selfinterest, deception, and meaningless posturing. The

decision makers forgot the mother of three kids struggling to make ends meet, living paycheck to paycheck, our nation's education deficiencies and the healthcare crisis we find ourselves in. Social, political, and economic reforms are overdue due to inadequate education & training,researchandquality assurance measures that defineinstitutions.

This defining moment in ourcountrycarriesthehopes and dreams of our young peoplewhoarenotboundby antecedents, but the willingness to see a nation transition into the 21st century of science, technology, and innovation. Theballotisloadedwithlots ofhopebutlittleintentbythe main opposition parties to put aside personal differences and embrace a path of taking the country forward.

Coalition politics will always be a difficult task of assemblingdifferingsocial, (Continueonpage5)

Soesdyke- Linden Highway - That is road!!

DearEditor,

On Monday, June 23rd, 2025, I travelled along the HeroesHighway,thenalong the East Bank Public Road before turning onto the Linden Highway as far as Hauraruni. I'm so glad that I rarely have to traverse those roads!Itwasarough,bumpy ride!

Even though some sections of the Linden Highway are now being redone (hopefully for the better),Ihadtomarvelatthe

excellentroadworkthatwas executed there more than five decades ago!Thatroad,

officially opened in December 1968, is a testimonytoqualityandreal knowledgeofwhatittakesto buildadurableroad!

Then I read in the online Stabroek News edition of June24,2025:"Asectionof the Heroes Highway in the vicinity of the Eccles Roundabout caved in yesterday, leaving a huge holeintheroadandrequiring

emergencyrepairs."

What is really going on?

Wasn't the Heroes Highway (aka "Concussion Road") commissioned 2 years ago?

A r e w e w a n t o n l y squandering taxpayers' money?And that East Bank Road!! It seems it's forever beingdoneandredone.

We fell into so many holes on our way back to town that I'm thankful that we reached home safely without damaged tires, concussion or any form of

travelsickness!

Best-selling author

Philip Crosby has said, "Do it right the first time...then there will be no need for a second and third attempt.” He believed that leadership playsacrucialroleinsetting the tone for quality and definingwhat"right"means. When will we learn? When will we get competent persons to build our roads again?

Regards, ClaudiaHeywood

Importance of public trust in GECOM

DearEditor,

The hue and cry, principally from opposition quarters, about distrust and lack of confidence in the G u y a n a E l e c t i o n s Commission's (GECOM) ability and competence to supervise and conduct free and fair elections scheduled for September 1, 2025 continues unabated The latest song and dance is that they are 'going into the electionstopreventrigging'.

Sinceitslossatthe2020 elections, the political opposition has persisted in its distrust of GECOM. It is the political opposition that has cultivated doubts in the minds of people about GECOM's inability to fulfil its constitutional mandate.

The political opposition apart, it is nevertheless the duty of all stakeholders to clearupasmuchandasfaras possible, doubts and scepticism that have been created about GECOM's ability to fulfil its constitutionalmandate.

U n p a c k i n g t h e opposition'sdistrustandlack of confidence in GECOM will show that, apart from taking aim at the chairman and CEO of the elections body, those on the opposite sideofthepoliticalspectrum arenothomogeneous.There are those who, while sceptical about GECOM, neverthelessplacetheirtrust and confidence in the governing PPP/C.This is an interesting dichotomy to note.

People can be sceptical ordistrustingofGECOMfor many reasons, whether it is fromoneunfoundedclaimto anotherorabouttheconduct of elections in general, but

whatmustbepubliclystated over and over again is the factthattheclaimshavebeen found to be either of no evidential value or were thrownoutbytheCourts.

It is important to note, save for one extremist view that'noelectionisbetterthan a rigged election', is that amongst the sceptics and doubting Thomases, there is no strong nor prevailing view that the impending elections should be boycotted, at least up to this point in time except the opposition's claim that “we are going into the election knowing it is rigged against us.”

Insofar as the pushback againsta'lackofpublictrust in GECOM' is concerned, there are two lessons to be learnt; first, that scepticism about GECOM's ability and competence to conduct free and fair elections is not widespread And second, that distrust of GECOM is more politically, than technically or operationally driven.

Scepticism and doubts aboutGECOM'ssupervision andconductofelectionscan be remedied by heightened publicawarenesscampaigns byallstakeholdersaboutthe elections body's role and place in strengthening democracyandthepillarsof goodgovernance.

Agoodstartingpointand acknowledgement would be torecognisethatdistrustand scepticism come in many forms and that public relations activities carried through community outreaches, principally by GECOM's senior managers and key technical staff, would go a far way to win

I believe I owe the public an explanation

DearEditor,

greater public trust and confidence in the organisation to which they belong.

GECOM has come a far way since the days of the BollersCommissionandthe era of groundbreaking electoral reforms that have enduredtothisday Today,at GECOM, there is more openness meant to cultivate t

transparency, participation, andcollaboration.Newlaws

RepresentationofthePeople Act(ROPA).

Promotingpublictrustin GECOMbyallstakeholders is paramount for several interconnected reasons, all of which will contribute to the legitimacy and stability of the electoral process and, by extension, Guyanese society While expressions of public trust in GECOM, by all stakeholders, are critical, it is equally important that the electoral process be recognised as legitimate if the election results are to be accepted as accurate, reliable and for political stability to be maintained.

In an environment saturatedwithfakenewsand misinformation, recognising GECOMasacrediblesource ofinformationcangoalong way in dismantling fake news and misinformation. Allstakeholderscanplayan important role in pushing back against such harmful information.

Moreover, if all stakeholders, including the political opposition, were to recognise GECOM as impartial and competent in executingitslegalfunctions,

such as voter registration, procedures for voting, as well as the counting and tabulation of ballots, that would be a step in the right direction.

Public statements by all stakeholders, including the political opposition, that help promote public trust and confidence in GECOM will undoubtedly see active voter participation in the electoralprocess.Butaslong as the political opposition

Moving

DearEditor,

continues with its antiGECOM campaign, citizens are bound to have doubts about the electoral process, believingthattheirvoteswill not be counted and that the election outcome will not reflectthewillofthepeople.

Elections in Guyana have historically been associated with ethnic and political tensions A

GECOM trusted by all stakeholders, including the politicalopposition,canhelp

mitigate such tensions by ensuring that the electoral process is seen as fair and transparent.This,inturn,can contributetosocialcohesion and reduce the likelihood of post-election unrest more often associated with the politicalopposition

So long as GECOM is recognised by all stakeholders, including the political opposition, as a crediblebody,itwillbe (Continueonpage6)

close to the precipice

On June 22, 2025, the United States dropped severalbunkerbusterbombs onthreenuclearsitesinIran. This reckless attack by the US has pushed our world closertodisaster Whatused tobeconsideredunthinkable can very well become possible, that is, the use of nuclearweaponsinconflicts. That attack appears very much like the US attack on Iraq on March 19, 2003. Then the pretext was to destroy Iraq's “weapons of mass destruction” It is apposite to recall that none waseverfound,butIraqwas very seriously damaged More than one million died, and basic infrastructure was destroyed. In the case of Iran, we have been hearing that Iran is days away from havinganuclearweaponfor more than three decades. This falsehood has persisted even though the IAEA has repeatedly stated that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons.

EventheUSintelligence community knows this. As late as March this year, Ms. Tulsi Gabbard, U.S Director

ofNationalIntelligence,told the U.S Congress that Iran did not have any nuclear weapons, nor did they have any decision to make one. After her boss contradicted her in public and attacked Iran, she recanted. Indeed, in 2015, Barack Obama's government and Iran signed an agreement on this matter This was called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which imposedstrictlimitationson Iran's programme. This plan was countersigned by EU countries, Russia and China as well. Iran was strictly adheringtotheagreement.

Unfortunately, in 2018, the Trump administration withdrew from this, apparently on the insistence of Israel and reimposed sanctionsonIran. Itisclear, therefore, that the issue of Iran's nuclear capability is not the main issue for the hostility and the vicious attacks it has been subjected to.

It is just a pretext.

The real reason is the desireofUSimperialismand Israel to overthrow the Iranian government, and

regime change. Israel sees Iranasthebiggestobstacleto its plan of establishing a “greater Israel”. To do so, it must seize all of the Palestinian lands and eliminate the population, thus the genocide that is takingplacetodayinfrontof our very eyes. That is not enough for the Zionist scheme; a greater Israel for them must include a substantial amount of Arab land.

They plan to seize as much land as possible from Syria. They have already takentheGolanHeightsand seized a huge chunk of Syria's territory during the overthrow of the Assad governmentlastyear. They also want part of Lebanon and eventually the whole of Jordon. Naturally, the Zionists would get resistancefromthepeopleof those countries. Indeed, all the resistance movements in those places, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc., came into existence to resist the aggression of the racist, Zionist land-grabbing regimeofIsrael. Iranhas

(Continueonpage6)

Yourssincerely, G e m M a d h o oNascimento

When my husband, Kit Nascimento, was asked to identifyoneoftheaccused,I saw he could not see where shewassittingatthebackof thecourt,andthelawyerwas indicating a different direction for him to look. I, therefore, made a subtle gesturewithmythumbinher direction,notknowingthatI wasviolatingtherulesofthe court, for which I now apologise. My husband told me after that he never even sawmedothis.

Frompage4 political and economic backgrounds into a solitary theme focused on national development While the outlookforrealityappearstobe grim, children, young people, adults and the elderly wait in anticipation for a winning combinationthatwillunseatthe incumbent and rescue the country from the throes of corruptionitnowoccupies Regards, Collin Haynes, MPH, MBA Egos must be restrained...

Moving close to the...

Frompage6 been the main supporter of the resistance movements. Thus, the aggression against the Iranian government Iran's support has to be regarded as really selfless becausethePalestinianArab neighbourshavebeenbeaten and bribed into submission. Many of them treacherously kept supplying oil and assisting the Israeli racist regimewhiletheycarriedout a genocide against Palestinians. The US is involved in the diabolical scheme for two reasons. In the first place, the US hates Iran because the revolution of 1979 overthrew its main allyintheregion,theShahof Iran.

The Islamic government of Iran not only removed the brutal dictatorship, but in economics, it took very strong nationalistic positions, particularly as it relates to its natural resources. The Khomeini government re-nationalised the oil and the Uranium mines of Iran. The Iranian regime, in the early period, was very hostile to the US because it felt that the US wasthemainsupporterofthe brutal Shah's dictatorship. Thatledtotheseizureofthe USembassyinTehran. The US seem to have never forgiven them for that action,morethanfortyyears ago Since then, the influence of Israel on US politics has increased greatly Israel, through its lobbying arm, theAmerican Israel Public Affairs Committee(AIPAC),hadset out to capture the US state machinery This body has tremendous influence in almost every aspect of US socio-economicandpolitical life.Indeed,itisnowevident

that AIPAC exercises great powerintheUnitedStates. They were able to be in this strong position because they finance all elections in the United States These include presidential elections, elections for Congress, Senate and electionsattheStatelevelas well. Apart from supporting theirchosencandidates,they alsoworkhardtodefeatany Congress and Senate members who refuse to take their direction A strong possibility,too,istheworkof MOSAD, the Israeli equivalent of the CIAin the US.Sostrongistheircontrol of the main government institutions in the United S t a t e s t h a t s o m e commentators are beginning to regard the US as a capturedstate.Thatexplains the continued massive economic and military support that the United StatescontinuetogiveIsrael, a state that is murdering children and innocent unarmed civilians in Gaza. AllthetalkofHumanRights and Democracy has been incineratedinGazaandnow inIran.

The USA has been working with Israel to destroy international institutionsandInternational laws.This is seen by the US attitude to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It has banned personnel from the ICC, including its Chief Prosecutor,fromvisitingthe US because he issued a warrant for Netanyahu and two of his most vicious ministers. They slander the ICJandaredoingeverything to discredit that institution. This is because the ICJ is hearing the case against

Israel brought by South Africa and joined by many other countries. All because they are hearing the case against Israel. They have sided with Israel to remove the UN's Committee from Gaza.Thisissothattheycan continue to starve the helper population They have replaced the United Nations ReliefandWorksAgencyfor Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Gaza with a US/Israeli Committee. The new body's main function seems to be to gather starving Palestinians with the promise of some food, but give them bullets and bombs instead. Every day, Palestinians are being bombed and shot while lining up for some parcel of food The most recent bombing of Iran by the UnitedStateswasdoneatthe behest of Israel. This aggression is pushing the world towards the edge. It has made our world a far more dangerous place. Implicit in those actions is a message to all the world, which is, you can only defend your independence and freedom by being in possession of nuclear weapons Instead of preventing Iran from having nuclear weapons, that US attackcouldforceittoreally getthem.Moreover,itcould very well lead to a proliferation of weapons of massdestruction.Itistimeto step back, time to keep and respect international agreementsandinternational laws.

The mentality of “might isright”isalawofthejungle, not suited for a civilised world.

Sincerely,

DonaldRamotar FormerPresident

Importance of public trust in...

Frompage6 accepted as the organisation that facilitates peaceful retention or transfer of power.

And when all stakeholders, including the political opposition, assist with promoting trust in the electoral process, the losing contestantsaremorelikelyto accepttheresultsandrespect the outcome. This is crucial for maintaining political

stability and preventing unrest.

Public trust in GECOM is essential for upholding democratic principles. It reinforces the rule of law, protects the rights of voters, and ensures that the government is accountable tothepeople.

Alack of trust can erode theseprinciples,leadingtoa decline in democratic governance.Itisvitalthatall

stakeholders, while maintaining vigilance and alertnessoverelections2025 that they throw their weight behind GECOM and the electoralprocesswithaview to the holding of a highly successful general and regional elections to the satisfaction of all contestants.

Yoursfaithfully, ClementJ.Rohee GECOMCommissioner

Mohamed launches 'WIN...

Frompage3 party is not fixated on building bridges of steelandconcretebutbuildingthebridgethat unitesthepoorandtherich. “Ourmissionis simple, building a Guyana where there is a path that leads to a comfortable life, and where you are not struggling to make ends meet, where our children see a future filled with boundless opportunities right here at

home,andwherethedivisionsofthepastare replaced by a shared sense of national purpose,” he assured. WIN, he said, is a vehiclefortheaspirationsofeveryGuyanese who dreams of a safer, more prosperous and united nation. In May, the businessman had announced his intention to compete in the upcoming General and Regional Elections, scheduledforSeptember1,2025.

BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT

Ram files second case against Ramson over lack of access to public information

Ch a r t e r e d accountant and a t t o r n e y , Christopher Ram has approached the high court for the second time over whathesaidisthesustained and deliberate refusal by C o m m i s s i o n e r o f Information, Justice (Ret'd) Charles Ramson Snr, to provide information under the Access to Information Act,2011.

According to Ram, the new application seeks a

declaration that the commissioner is a public authoritywithinthemeaning of the Act; a ruling that his failuretorespondconstitutes a deemed refusal under section 18(3); a finding that he has breached section 23 by failing to provide the requirednoticeorreasons;a mandatoryordercompelling the release of the requested information within 14 days; andcoststogetherwithsuch further relief as the court mayconsiderjust.

Ram, who consistently led public protests against the commissioner's office back in April, said he made further requests to the c o m m i s s i o n e r f o r informationontaxpayments

Accountant, Christopher Ram

made by the government on behalfofExxonMobilunder the 2016 Petroleum Agreement, the related Certificates of Assessment, (whether these payments werereflectedinthenational accountsordisclosedinEITI reports) the commissioner's statutory reports to the national assembly, and statistical data on how his officeprocessedinformation requests between 2015 and 2023.

Butinsteadofcomplying with the clear requirements of the law, Ram said the commissioner chose delay, evasion and derision. “He has not approved, deferred,

or refused the requests as requiredbysection18ofthe Act.Norhasheprovidedany lawful justification under s e c t i o n 2 3 I n correspondence, he has d

conditions that are not supported by statute, and usedlanguageunworthyofa publicofficeholder

Ram lamented that Ramson, a retired Justice of Appeal, is being allowed to make a mockery of the law He said his conduct undermines the very legal system he once swore to uphold.

“It offends the public conscienceanddiscreditsthe administration of justice Ramson does not deserve to hold the office of commissioner even one day longer,”Ramstated.

He also slammed

President Irfaan Ali, who, when asked to account for Ramson's failure, responded that the government “does notintervene”intheworkof thecommissionerandthathe has“notfollowedtheissue.”

“That statement is both appalling and inaccurate The president is the constitutional office-holder

responsible for the

C o m m i s s i o n e r o f Information.Theofficefalls under executive oversight and is funded by taxpayers. To disclaim responsibility is to abandon constitutional duty,”Ramchided.

He said Ali's response suggests that Ramson is being protected by a president who has also abdicated his duty “This is nolongerbureaucraticdelay It is executive-sponsored obstruction.”

Beyond the president's glaring tolerance for sustained incompetence, Ram said the commissioner continues to be represented by attorney Pauline Chase, despitebothbeingembroiled in a clear and unresolved conflictofinterest.

“As I detailed in my letter published in Stabroek NewsonJune3,2025,Miss Chase persists in acting in a private capacity while simultaneously holding

Duo remanded for New Star Backdam double-murder

A 40-year-old businessman and a 30-year-old businesswoman were remandedtoprisononTuesdayfortwo countsofmurder.

They are accused of killing Wendy James and 24-year-old gold miner, MarkThomas,lastMondayatNewStar Backdam,NorthWestDistrict(NWD), RegionOne.Thepair,JuniorRichmond and Kizzian Baird, appeared before Magistrate Rabindranaught Singh via ZoomatthePortKaitumaMagistrates' Court.They were not required to plead to the indictable charge and were subsequentlyremanded.Richmondand Baird were represented by attorney Pamela De Santos.The matter was adjournedforAugust14,2025.

It was reported on Saturday that police had arrested three persons in connection with Thomas' and James' murder.The police disclosed that the suspects involved in the case are two malesandafemale.

“All three suspects were successfully apprehended in various hiding spots within the Backdam region.Theyhaveundergonevideoand audio interviews, and witnesses have providedwrittenstatementsconfirming the suspects' involvement in the acts,” the police said.Reports were that the suspects received information that Thomasbrokeintotheirshopandstole

a number of items, which caused the suspects to contact the miner.“The suspects tied a rope around Thomas' waist, and they tied up his hands. The suspects then dragged and beat Thomas. Subsequently, the suspects fled the scene, leaving Thomas in a critical state. Thomas subsequently stopped breathing, which caused a report to be made at Baramita Police Station,”policesaidinastatement.

According to the report, when officers visited the scene, Thomas was

found lying motionless, facing upwards, while dressed in torn pants withlongbootsonhisfeet.

It was also observed that Thomas had a rope tied around his waist and several bruises on his body He was takentotheBaramitaCottageHospital, wherehewaspronounceddead.

A post-mortem examination confirmedthatThomasandJameswere beaten to death with wood and died fromabrainhaemorrhageasaresultof multipletraumastothehead.

publicoffice-asituationthat compromisestheintegrityof both roles. In doing so, she and Mr Ramson Sr have demonstrated a departure from the meritorious standards and noble ideals that once defined the legal profession.”

Heisthereforecallingon the president to sack Ramson; to have a full and independent audit of the performance of the office of the

information since its inception; and to amend the Access to Information to m

effective.

Ram maintains that the situationisnotapersonalor apoliticaldispute,butrather a constitutional crisis in miniature.

“If we allow the right to information to be trampled

Commissioner of Information, Retired Justice of Appeal,

by those sworn to protect it, then we forfeit our claim to democraticgovernance. No modern, democratic society can function with such gross disregard for the law and blatant refusal to carryoutone'sconstitutional and statutory duties. As a taxpayer and citizen of Guyana, I will not be silent until this law is respected andenforced.”

Bartician remanded for cocaine possession

A40-year-oldBarticianwas remanded on Tuesday for possession of cocaine The accused,AsifBacchus,ofLot54 Fourth Avenue, Bartica, appeared at the Bartica Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Teriq Mohammed, who read the charge. Bacchus pleadednotguiltytothecharge, whichallegedthathewasfound with 11.6 grams of cocaine during a cordon and search operation conducted by police officers.

Magistrate Mohammed remandedBacchusuntilAugust 19,2025.

Accused, Kizzian Baird Accused, Junior Richmond

Chartered

Charles Ramson snr.

The cocaine that was found in Asif's possession

Why the electoral system poses challenges for small parties?

In Guyana's 2020

G e n e r a l a n d RegionalElections,a total of 460,352 valid votes were cast. Based on the establishedelectoralsystem, this translated into an electoralquota—thenumber of votes required to secure one of the 65 seats in the National Assembly—of just over 7,000 votes per seat. Thisfigureiscrucialbecause it sets the bar that any party, large or small, must cross to automatically secure a seat intheNationalAssembly

The outcome in 2020 was as follows: the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC)secured33seats,the APNU+AFC coalition got 31 seats, and the remaining oneseatwenttoajoinderlist comprising three small parties the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), A New and United Guyana (ANUG), and The New Movement (TNM)

Importantly, the combined votes of these three parties did not reach the electoral quota, yet they managed to win one seat. In fact, the combined votes of all the small parties did not reach the electoral quota. But the joinder list secured a lone seat because of how Guyana's seat allocation system deals with surplus votes.

Seats in the National Assembly are distributed based on how many votes a party wins relative to the electoralquota.

The first stage allocates seats based on whole multiplesofthequota,while the second stage distributes anyremainingseatsbasedon thelargestsurplusofvotes.

This is how the joinder list, even without crossing the quota threshold, managed to clinch a single seat.

But what about if a

Dem Boys Seh...

joinder list gains more than oneseat?Howthenarethese seats allocated among the various parties? This was clarifiedinaletterpublished in another newspaper yesterday It's important to notethattheformulaforhow seats are divided within a joinder list only kicks in if morethanoneseatiswonby thatlist.

This means that if, say, the joinder list had won two or more seats, then the total votes for the combined list would be divided by the number of seats the joinder parties obtain and an electoral quota specific to the joinder list would be determined.

Based on this quota, the seats earned by the joinder would be allocated relative totheindividualtalliesofthe respective parties to the joinderlist.

However, in 2020, only one seat was won by the

Watch dem story bout blow-out!

NGSAresultscomingouttoday And therewillbecelebrationsandlotsof crying. Some people will cry with joy and others will cry in anguish – the anguishofnotobtainingtheschoolthem(or rathertheirparents)desired.

Too much is hanging on this primary school-leavingexamination.

It places too much pressure on the childrenanditaffectsthempsychologically whentheydonotdowell.

Theyfeelthattheyhavelettheirparents down and no child should have to experiencethat.Theworthofachildshould neverbeaboutpassinganexamination.The only examination worth passing is the ExaminationofLife–andthatexamination got many sittings and you cannot be absent fromany

This reminds dem boys about four university students who plan a lil scheme fuh skip dem final exam. Imagine that! Big

people, almost done school, and still trying to play smart man. Dem seh, “We gon turn uplate,telldeprofessorsomenicestory,and tekdetesttomorrow.”

So dem tun up almost at de end of de exam—paperdonealmostdone-write!Dem run to de professor wid long face and sad story "Sir," dem seh, "we really try come early, but de car get a blow-out and we deh pon de road long, long time trying fuh changetyre."

Now this professor ain't no sweetbread. Hesmileandtelldem,“Noscene.Youcould stillwritedeexamtoday Igongivey'allone questionalone.Yougetitright,youpasswid anA.”

Dem four boys feel like dem win lotto. Demsitdown,fullconfidence,thinkingdem hustlewukbetterthandemevenplan.Until demseedequestion:

“Whichtyreblowout?” Talkhalf.Leffhalf

joinder list. Therefore, by law, GECOM could only assign that seat to a single party in this case, the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) which obtained the highest number of votes of the parties that comprised thejoinder

W h a t h a p p e n e d afterward namely the rotation agreement where the seat was to be shared a m o n g t h e t h r e e parties was strictly an internal arrangement among theconstituentpartiesofthe joinderlist.GECOMhadno authority over that rotation arrangement,andneitherdid the Speaker of the National Assembly Indeed, after LJP demitted the seat as part of theagreedrotation,itwentto another party within the list, which refused later to cede the seat to ANUG when its turn came. This highlights thelegalandpracticallimits

o f t h e s e i n t e r n a l arrangements they rely entirelyongoodfaithandare unenforceable by the G u y a n a E l e c t i o n s Commission or the National Assembly

This brings us to the looming2025elections.The 2020figuresmakeonething abundantly clear: it will be extremely difficult for small partiestowinaseatoutright unless they can muster at least7,000votes.Thatisthe minimum threshold under

the electoral quota system, assuming there is only a marginalincreaseinthetotal validvotescast.

One emerging political force, Team Mohamed, has alreadygeneratedsignificant buzz and appears to be the most viable small-party contender heading into 2025. It is already causing concern in the ranks of the PPPC,anindicationofearly tractionandpublicvisibility. But in Guyana, early appearances are deceiving and the electorate can be crueltosmallparties.

Even if Team Mohamed performsbetterthanallother small parties (excluding the AFC), it is still unlikely to surpass the 7,000-vote threshold.

Thismeansitschancesof entering the National Assembly would depend, as withthe2020joinderlist,on whether a surplus seat remainsunallocatedafterthe major parties have claimed theirshares.

Giventhelikelihoodthat only one surplus seat might be available, Team Mohamed may find itself in the same situation the 2020 joinder list did—hoping to grab that final seat on a surplus basis. But unlike the 2020 parties, Team Mohamed has ruled out forming a coalition. This may also be its position in terms of a joinder list

arrangement While this independent stance might appeal to voters seeking a clean break from traditional alliances, it also reduces the party's strategic options for entering Parliament. If they fail to cross the electoral quota and no surplus seat is available, they walk away empty-handed.

However,ofallthesmall parties Team Mohamed appears to have the best chance and therefore once it obtains the highest number of votes of all the small parties, and once one seat is available, that seat is likely to go to it with or without a joinder arrangement in place. Therefore,eitherinor outside of joinder list, Team Mohamed is likely to gain any seat that is to be allocated based on surplus votes. But do not tell that to Team Mohamed. The new party is most likely of the view that it is going to win thePresidencyoutright,asso many others before it deluded themselves into believing.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

H@RD TRUTHS

Guyana Govt. joins Exxon to insult citizens

I take the liberty of addressing Exxon Guyana

Head, Mr Alistair

Routledge, directly

Frankly, sir, I am disappointed.

The huge 2024 profit differential between Exxon and Guyana, US$10 4 billion and US$2.6 billion, respectively, is a matter that just had to be dealt with directly by the company itself. Profit sharing and how arrived at when numbersaresoskewedisnot a matter at the margins. When the corporate honour ofExxonitselfisscrutinised, onlythebiggestgunswilldo. No juniors; not that

shovelpasstotheMinistryof Natural Resources (MNR) effectively reducing it to a slavish messenger Mr Routledge himself had to deal with the profit-sharing hot potato. Employing the ministry for servile duties made Exxon look tricky, unworthyoftrust. No Guyana Government ministrysufficesasawilling servant boy for Exxon

BecausethisgoestoExxon's corporate credibility, only Mr Routledge will do, relative to profit sharing for 2024.

N o w , f o r t h e enlightenment of the world (thisgoesbeyondGuyana),I

respectfully lay some questionsatMr Routledge's feet, invite him to do the courteous thing. Respond, sir!

Why does Exxon hide from facing the music, Guyanese, if there isn't anythingtohide?

Why did Exxon recruit MNR to take Exxon's place, use Exxon's words, and do Exxon'scleanupwork?

Why does Exxon disrespect Guyanese by thinkingtheywouldswallow US$10 4 billion equals US$2.6billion?

Why does Exxon insult Guyanese with the disparagementthatrevenues

andprofitsarenotthesame?

Why did Exxon mislead investors globally with inflated profit number (billions), when decisions are fueled by pennies in profits?

Why did Exxon behave like Enron with danger subtracted (it's Exxon), but deception conflated, then multipliedexponentially?

Why did Exxon seemingly include cost recovery billions as profits, and not manage/treat that differently with notes appended?

Whyproceed,persevere, withprofitcreativitywhenit closely resembles profit deformity?

Whynot,Mr Routledge, stepforward,admitpublicly that liberties were taken, mistakes made (no apology necessary)?

Exxon needs to conduct itself like a top global oil company, not stoop to the level that makes Guyanese questiontheirsenses.

And distrust their government. Anddenounce their leaders. I do. Whena ministry in my government iscommandeeredtoperform yellowdogdutiesforExxon, Ido.

How can profits from Exxon's 2024 operations be so different in a 50:50 sharing agreement? This is the crux of the issue: How can the Exxon consortium's 50% profit be US$10.4B, and Guyana's 50% be US$2.6B? Now we know: theformulaisafarce. Even verbalfraud,Ithink.

For18longdaysafterthe first headline on its profits, Exxon concealed its face, bought time to figure out its

options, then coercedyetanother grovelling voice of the government (MNR) to be the nasty bully boy for it. The facts speak loudly I share them withGuyanese.

th KN's June 4 headline was, “ExxonM raked in US$6B profit in 2024Financialsreveal.” Theday before, June 3rd, Reuters reported, “Exxon-led consortium's 2024 profit in Guyana rose 64% to US$10.4B”.” Also,onJune rd3 , NASDAQ.com had this headline, “ExxonMobil Consortium Reports US$10 4B Profit From Guyanain2024.”

Finally,onthesameJune rd3 , OilNow, a media entity reportedtobeahandmaiden of the company, reported, “ExxonMobil's Guyana profits jump 62% to US$4.7B in 2024.” I focus the attention of Guyanese (and world) on that word “PROFIT” that was bannered repeatedly in the foreign media So, for Exxon to now use MNR to spout about there being a difference between revenue and profits is diabolical, dangerous Candidly, Guyanese were given a load ofBS,nothingelse. Thisismyreadingofthe games being played by Exxon (and government) First, Dr Jagdeo was very disciplined and did not do what he did before: 'go ask Exxon.'

Then, when the responsible/subjectminister, Vickram Bharrat, should have had the personal courage to face the media, expound on the difference

between revenue and profits (whichnobodyneeded),and then provide precise details about this magic formula, with numbers to match, he lost his mojo, probably more The faceless, mindless ministry got the c

Guyanese any BS. All this emphasised one thing, brought to one place Somebodyhadsomethingto hide,whichmadethemlook derelict,peoplebestkeptfar from, for one's own cleanliness.

Exxon's own profit numbersdamnsitbeforethe world. Recall who treated those numbers as meaning what they said (2024 net profits), and then presented themtotheworldasbuilton conventional income and expense elements, and as appropriately categorised andtreated.

Last, I read of Exxon speaking through the m i n i s t r y a b o u t “backgrounders ” Were those deep background briefingsnotoff-the-record? Why retreat behind “backgrounders” when billionswereinplay?

Summation: Guyana wentfromelectionriggingto profit rigging. It's now Mr Routledge's turn to speak. AllGuyanawaits.

(Theviewsexpressedin this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)

Daughter,son-in-lawchargedwithNonPareilwoman’smurder

The 23-year-old daughter of Jenny Mohamed of Non Pareil, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and her reputed husband were on Tuesday charged withMohamed’smurderwhentheyappeared attheVigilanceMagistrates’Court.

The accused, 24-year-old Austin Ramchand, an Auto Electrician of Lot 304 Mon Repos, East Coast Demerara; and 23year-oldSaffiaMohamed,aHousewifeofthe sameaddresswerearrestedonJune16,2025.

Mohamed was reportedly killed on June 10, at her Non Pareil, ECD home and her body dumped in a trench along the Eccles NewRoad,EastBankDemerara(EBD).

Ramchand and Mohamed appeared beforeMagistrateSunilScarceandwerenot required to enter a plea to the indictable offence.Theywereremandedtoprisonuntil August4,2025.

Mohamed, called ‘Baby’ a 46-year-old woman of Lot 368, Section ‘D’Non-Pariel, ECDwasreportedmissingonJune12,2025, at approximately 11:58 hrs She was reportedly last seen at her residence around 06:15 hrs on June 10, 2025, by her husband RasheedMohamed.

Followingthereport,onJune13,2025,a

team of police ranks from the Vigilance Police Station visited the residence and a check was made around the yard; no disturbed soil was observed, and nearby persons were questioned, but no useful informationwasobtained.

However, Jenny’s sister revealed that theytalkeddailybutshewasunabletomake furthercontactandlearntfromthedeceased’s husbandthattheyhadanargumentwiththeir daughter,onthenightofJune9,2025,during which Jenny reportedly told her daughter to

moveout.

The husband said that when he left for work the next morning, his wife, their daughter and her (daughter’s) common-law husbandwereatthehouseatthetime.

OnJune16,2025,apoliceteamrevisited the Non-Pareil residence and upon entering, discoveredsuspectedbloodstainsonacouch, walls, and floor of the hall. Further stains were found in a northeastern bedroom and kitchen.

Senior Counsel Murseline Bacchus dies

Senior Counsel, Murseline Bacchus

Senior Counsel Murseline Bacchus has died. According to a source close to his family, the late attorney passed Tuesday morningattheageof83.

In a statement the Bar Association of GuyanasaidMr BacchusSC,thepre-eminent lawyerformanyyearsintheancientcountyof Berbice, was one of the leading criminal lawyersinGuyana.

Accordingtothebarassociation,Bacchus wasamongtheearliestCaribbean-trainedlaw graduatesoftheUniversityoftheWestIndies (UWI) and the Hugh Wooding Law School (HWLS), and was a classmate and lifelong friend of the former Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and Chief Justice, Ian ChangSC.

“Between them,” the bar association said “theyprovedthataCaribbeanlegaleducation was, at least, the equivalent of English training,andtheysetthebarforthegeneration of Caribbean-trained lawyers who followed them.”

“Mr. Bacchus was appointed senior counsel by President David Granger in January 2020 and was in his fiftieth year of practice as an Attorney-at-Law in Guyana, thisyear,”thestatementadded.

Assuch,thebarcouncilexpresseddeepest condolences to the family and friends of Mr BacchusSC.Heleavestomournhiswifeand four children, among who is his daughter

custody

That day, a forensic team returned to Jenny Mohamed’s home and confirmed multiple areas within the home tested positive for human blood. A handwritten note,allegedlyfromJenny,wasfoundinside a notebook, which was deemed suspicious duetothecontents.

Police said that clean-up attempts were observed, and potential evidence, including blood-stained upholstery and swabs, were collected. A vehicle associated with the suspects was also examined, and strands of hairwererecoveredfortesting.

Additionalinterviewswereconductedon thethreesuspects,andaccountsaboutJenny Mohamedwereconflicting.

OnJune19,2025,whileincustody,Saffia Mohamed, confessed that she and her common-law husband murdered her mother onJune10andgaveadetaileddescriptionof thekilling.

She detailed that they stabbed and strangled Jenny with a rope. Her body was subsequently wrapped in a garbage bag and tarpaulin,andthendumpedinatrenchalong EcclesNewRoad,EBD.

PatriciaBacchus,Attorney-at-Law,andCEO andChairpersonofCaribbeanContainersInc.

In a similar statement, Attorney General and Minister of LegalAffairsAnil Nandlall, SC expressed deep sorrow at the passing of Murseline Bacchus, SC, whom he described asadistinguishedmemberofGuyana’slegal fraternity and a respected advocate who servedthepeopleofBerbicewithunwavering dedicationandinhisowninimitablewayfor nearlyfivedecades.

“His sojourn begun as a law clerk…This whetted his appetite for more. He then commencedthestudyoflawattheUniversity of Guyana and then continued at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, Barbados, and then onto the Hugh WoodingLawSchool.”Nandlallsaid

He noted that upon his return to Guyana, Mr Bacchusquicklybecamealeadingfigure attheBerbiceBar

“Renowned for his expertise in criminal law, Mr Bacchus argued numerous highprofile cases, many of which are reported in the West Indian Reports His industry, research and tenacity served his clients well…He was one of the lawyers to whom practitionerscanturnforguidanceonobscure pointsincriminallaw Althoughalittlerough inhismannerisms,hewasalwayshelpful…” Nandlallsaid.

He noted that Bacchus was from the old school “He researched from books (hardcopies not from the internet). His knowledge of old decided local cases was indeed admirable He used them most skillfully, to the benefit of his clients. No doubt, practitioners and judges alike, benefittedfromhisresearch.”

According to the Attorney General, Mr. Bacchus was inducted into the Inner Bar on the 22nd December, 2020, making him the onlyBerbicianSeniorCounseltobeadorned withsilkindecades.

“It was a deserving elevation. No doubt, the void left by him will be difficult to fill in thenearfuture.Iextendheartfeltcondolences to his wife, Florence Bacchus, his daughter, PatriciaBacchus,Attorney-at-Law,theentire Bacchus family, the Berbice Bar and the Guyanese legal fraternity…” the attorney generaladded.

All stains appeared to have been wiped out.Ahumanbloodfieldtestwasconducted and returned positive results. The residence was secured for forensic examination, and Jenny’shusbandwasdetained.

BasedonfurtherinformationonTuesday, June 17, 2025, ranks from the Vigilance PoliceStationconductedacordonandsearch operationwithintheVigilancePoliceStation District.

During the exercise, Ramchand and SaffiaMohamedwerearrestedandplacedin

Saffia then led investigators to the dump site, where the decomposed body of her motherwasrecovered,bearingmultiplestab woundsandaropetiedaroundtheneck—all of which was done under video and audio recording. The scene was processed and documented.

Police said that subsequent interviews andconfrontationswereheldwiththeson-inlaw and husband, where the son-in-law subsequentlyadmittedandconfirmedhisrole inthemurderanddisposalofthebody

Austin Ramchand and Saffia Mohamed

‘Size does not equal success’

– ARMY CHIEF SAYS GUYANA FOCUSED ON STRATEGY, PARTNERSHIPS

Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, said the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is focused on strategy, partnerships, and investments as it continues efforts to safeguard the country’s borders in the face of Venezuela’s continuedaggression.

The army chief appeared on the first episode of ‘Safeguarding the Nation’aired onTuesday, a new national seriesonsecurityandpublictrust.

BrigadierKhansaidwhileVenezuela’sclaimtoGuyana’s Essequibo region is more political theatre than a military threat,theGDFremainsactiveinitspursuittomaintainthe country’sterritorialintegrity

In response to a question on Guyana’s military power being smaller compared to Venezuela’s, the army chief responded,“sizedoesnottranslateintosuccess.Thatiswhy we are focusing on strategy, on technology, and on partnerships.”

He assured that the GDF is committed to a modern defenceapproach,supportedbykeyinternationalalliessuch as the United States, United Kingdom, France, Brazil, ColombiaandtheCaribbeanCommunity(CARICOM).

Further, Brigadier Khan acknowledged the challenge of monitoring Guyana’s over 3,000-kilometre border, especially the 824-kilometre stretch shared withVenezuela, where there are known issues with drug trafficking, illegal mining,andcross-bordercrime.HenotedthatGDFworksin tandemwithlawenforcementandregulatorybodiesundera jointconceptofoperations.

“Wewillfindthem.Wewillapplywhatisnecessaryand bring them to justice,” he said, referring to transnational criminalnetworksoperatingneartheborder

Moreover,Khanalsoaddressedconcernsabouttheinflux of Venezuelan migrants fleeing their country’s socioeconomic crisis. While Guyana continues to receive thousands, he said this pales in comparison to millions in ColombiaandBrazil.

“WhileGuyanaisapproachingthiswithcompassion,we are committed to safe borders… That is why we have implemented strong security measures on vetting, processing, [and] documenting all Venezuelan migrants,” BrigadierKhanexplained.

He added that this is done through a multi-agency approach.Additionally,healsocalledonyoungGuyaneseto consider serving their country through the military, highlightingtheopportunitiestheGDFprovidesforpersonal andnationaldevelopment.

“Letyourstorybegininuniform.Letitbegininserviceto Guyana,”heencouraged.

Venezuelahaslonglaidclaimtomorethantwo-thirdsof Guyana’s resource-rich Essequibo region. The GuyanaVenezuela border controversy is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Despite a December 2023 agreement between President Ali and Venezuelan PresidentNicolasMadurocommittingtoregionalpeace,on March1,2025,aVenezuelannavalvesselenteredGuyana’s waters and approached Exxon’s Prosperity Floating ProductionStorageandOffloading(FPSO)vesseloperating intheoil-richStabroekBlockandradioedthattheFPSOwas operatingindisputedterritory

Boyfriend to be charged for Berbice woman’s death

AlfredDeJonge,theboyfriendof22-year-oldStacyWalton,who diedinanaccidentonFridayalongtheNumber7PublicRoad,East BerbicewillbearraignedattheRelianceMagistrates’Courttoday

Police in a statement Tuesday night said that the accident occurred at approximately 01:50h Friday and involved motor car #PAG2279,ownedbyDeJongeofLot7-17CharlotteStreet,New Amsterdam,Berbice,anddrivenbyWaltonwholivedonAlexander Street,NewAmsterdam,Berbice.

Reports are Walton was imbibing earlier in the evening, after whichshedrovethecarproceedingwestonthesoutherndrivelane ofNo.7PublicRoad.

“Shewaswearingherseatbeltatthetimewhenshelostcontrol of the car, which ended up in a trench on the southern side of the road. The car, which was partially submerged, was spotted by public-spirited citizens who assisted in removing the driver, who was in an unconscious condition, and conveyed her to the New AmsterdamPublicHospital,”policesaid.

Waltonwaspronounceddeadonarrivalatthehospital.

200younggirlsparticipatein GirlsinGearEngineeringworkshop

Over 200 girls from grades 9-11 participated in ExxonMobil Guyana Limited’s (EMGL) Girls in Gear Engineering Workshop at the Princess GeorgetownRamadaHotel.

The workshop was held on Saturday, June 21, 2025 in observance ofInternationalWomeninEngineering Day

The girls hailed from Regions 3, 4, and 6 “These young women, participants in the ExxonMobil Guyana-sponsored Family Awareness Consciousness Togetherness (FACT) and Volunteer Youth Corps (VYC) afterschool STEM programs participated in hands-on activities like

building a rocket and constructing a bridge out of household items. These activities, led by experts from University of Guyana, UG Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) Student Chapter, Baker Hughes, TechnipFMC, Specialists in Sustained Youth Development and Research (SSYDR), and Cerulean, provided invaluable learning experiences for the budding engineers,”Exxonsaidinastatement.

Rebecca Cvikota, EMGL’s InCountryProjectManager,addressedthe young women, emphasizing the importance of STEM education. “By investing in STEM education like this program today, we can help close the

gender gap, build more diverse teams, and encourage unique perspectives and ideas, which we need to lead more innovative solutions and address complex global challenges But Exxon doesn’t just say all those words, they put those words into action; 53%ofourGuyaneseworkforceis women,”Cvikotastated.

She was joined by Eketa Ewards, Fabrication Lead at EMGL, who highlighted the need for women in STEM while donningfullsafetygear

“Whether you’re dreaming of building bridges, apps, or entire cities, your ideas are powerful Engineering is about creating solutionsthatchangelives from clean water systems to smart cities,fromsustainableenergytospace travel Girls like you are already leading the way Don’t ask for permission Start building trust in yourself Follow your passions and neverstopbelievinginyourpotential,” Ewardsencouraged

Exxon said that the initiative underscores its commitment to empoweringwomenintheworkforce.

The Girls in Gear Engineering Workshop not only inspired the next generationoffemaleengineersbutalso created a platform for them to envision and work towards a future where they canthriveinSTEMcareers.

Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan

Dead: Stacy Walton

‘Joinder list leaves no room for sharing of seats’-Fmr.GECOMLegalAdvisor

F o r m e r G u y a n a Elections Commission (GECOM) legal advisor, attorney Kurt Da Silva, has clarified that the law providesnoflexibilityinthe allocation of seats under the joinder list system, emphasising that there is no provision for sharing seats betweenparties.

In a letter to the editor publishedbyStabroekNews on Tuesday, Da Silva

explained that the RepresentationofthePeople Act (ROPA) clearly defines the joinder list and leaves “no room for deviation on the allocation of seats.” He stressed that while GECOM must formally address the matter, “it can only do so in accordance with the provisions of the law.” Da Silvasaidinthecaseofhow itshouldtreat'JoinderLists', referred to in RoPA as a 'combination of lists,' “the

law is very clear and leaves no room for either GECOM or the parties themselves to treat with the allocation of seatsinadifferentmanner.”

TheJoinderlistsystemis a combination of two or more lists of candidates joinedsolelyforthepurpose of seat distribution, but not for voting. This means that while the combined lists are treated as one entity when calculating how many seats

, individual voters still cast ballots for the specific list they support He further explained that the allocation of seats among multiple parties is more feasible under a coalition than under a joinder list, which is also known as a combination of lists.

The issue of joinder lists was raised last Thursday during a briefing hosted by GECOM, which was

Gold miner gets one-year sentence for unlawful wounding

A 41-year-old gold miner was sentenced to one year's imprisonment on Tuesday over an unlawful wounding charge. Brian Joseph, of Lower Pomeroon River, Essequibo Coast, appeared at the Bartica Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Teriq Mohammed. Josephwasnotrequiredtoplead to the indictable charge. He was found guilty and subsequently sentenced by Magistrate Mohammed.

attended by sixteen political parties.Thebriefingfocused on the final procedures leading up to Nomination Day and the September 1 General and Regional Elections. However, several parties expressed strong doubts about GECOM's

unresolved joinder list mechanism.

Some parties criticised GECOM for its inaction on the issue, which has been ongoing for about two years without resolution Many parties emphasised that the joinder list system could give smaller and newer parties a better chance at gainingseatsinParliament.

However,DaSilvastated plainly, “There is also no allowance for the sharing of anyseatbymorethanonelist of candidates.” Da Silva, in his explanation, referenced Section 97(4) of ROPA, stating,“Forthepurposesof the foregoing provisions of this section, a combination oflistsshallbetreatedasone list.” DaSilvaclarifiedthat when the 65 seats in the National Assembly are allocated among the lists of candidates submitted by variousparties,anygroupof parties that have combined their lists pursuant to Section 22 of ROPA—must be treated as a single list for the purpose of that initial allocation.

However, Da Silva pointed out that Section 97(5) further specifies the next step in the process. It states: “The seats allocated toacombinationoflistsshall be allocated among the lists c o m p r i s e d i n t h e combination in accordance

withsubsections(2)and(3), the electoral quota for that purpose being the whole number found by dividing thetotalnumberofvotescast for the combination of lists by the number of seats a l l o c a t e d t o t h e combination.” According to Da Silva, this means that although the combination is initially treated as one list, theseatsallocatedtoitmust then be redistributed among the individual parties that formed the joinder This is doneusingthesamemethod o f p r o p o r t i o n a l representation outlined in Sections97(2)and97(3).

He outlined the multistepprocessasfollows:

(i) An electoral quota is calculated, this time being the whole number found by dividing the total number of votes cast for the lists in the combination by the number of seats allocated to the combination.

(ii) The number of votes cast for each list is then divided by the electoral quotaandseatsareallocated to those lists based on the whole number resulting fromthatdivision.

(iii) Where 1 seat remainsafter(ii)above,itis awarded to the list with the highest surplus among the listsinthecombination.

(iv) Where 2 or more seats remain after the allocationin(ii),thefirstseat is awarded to the list in the combinationoflistswiththe highest surplus, the second seat to the second-highest surplus, the third seat to the third-highest surplus, etc untilallseatsareallocated.

For further clarity, Da Silva provided an example ofhowthejoinderlistworks.

“Consider a scenario where 3partiesformacombination of lists. Party A gets 3000 votes, Party B gets 1000 votes and Party C gets 500 votes. Together they receive 4500votesandareallocated 3 seats. The seats are to be allocated among them as follows: (i) The electoral quota is 4500 divided by 3, whichgives1500,”DaSilva said.

Inthesecondstep:

Party A, with 3,000 votes, gets 2 seats (3,000 ÷ 1,500 = 2), with no surplus votes.

Party B, with 1,000 votes, gets 0 seats (1,000 ÷ 1,500 = 0.67), but has a surplusof1,000votes.

PartyC,with500votes, alsogets0seats(500÷1,500 =0.33),withasurplusof500 votes.

Withoneseatremaining, it goes to the list with the highest surplus—Party B. PartyAendsupwith2seats, Party B with 1, and Party C withnone.

Da Silva further explained that if the combination had only been awarded one seat, the electoral quota would be 4,500 (total votes) divided by 1, which equals 4,500. Since none of the individual parties received that amount ofvotes,theseatwouldgoto the party with the highest surplus, which in this case wouldbePartyAwith3,000 votes.

Da Silva also explained the key differences between a coalition and a

(joinder). In a coalition, a single list of candidates is s

d, with one presidential candidate and onelistrepresentative.Votes arecastforthecoalitionasa whole, and seats are allocated accordingly, with the list representative selecting candidates to fill the seats Conversely, a combinationoflistsinvolves multiple parties, each submitting their own list, with different presidential c a n d i d a t e s a n d representatives Votes are cast for individual parties within the combination, countedseparately,andthen aggregated for seat allocation. Seats are first allocatedtothecombination and then distributed among the individual lists. Each list's representative fills the seats allocated to their list, andonlycandidatesonthose specific lists may fill the seats.

Additionally, Da Silva referenced Section 99A, whichmandatesthatifaseat becomes vacant before Parliament is dissolved, it must be filled by someone from the same list as the member who vacated it. He emphasised,“Thus,aperson from another list in a combination of lists, or any other list, cannot fill such a vacancy Thepersonmustbe from the same list as the personvacatingtheseat.”

armed robbery Man dies in Pomeroon boat mishap

A 33-year-old Sophia resident was released on $350,000 bail on Monday for three counts of armed robbery

The accused, Rafael Hintzel, of Lot 135 Red Road, Sophia, Georgetown, appeared before Magistrate SunilScarceattheVigilance Magistrates'Court.

Hintzel pleaded not guilty to the charges, which allegedthatonNovember4, 2024, on the Ann's Grove mainaccessroad,EastCoast Demerara(ECD),herobbed 30-year-old Dexroy Singh, called 'Bow', 25-year-old Kishon Pompey, called 'Breeze', and 20-year-old Lawrence Pellew, called

A 20-year-old man lost hislifeonMondaynightina boat mishap at Jacklow, Lower Pomeroon River, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) saidonTuesday

Dead is Damion Frederickscalled'Smurf'.

Police said the incident occurredatabout22:30hand was allegedly caused by 24year-old Joseph Melville of theLowerPomeroonRiver.

Reports are that at about 18:00h Fredericks, Melville and Shane Narine were out imbibing at a bar in Charity, Essequibo Coast. The trio left the location at about 22:10hwithseparateboats.

“Joseph claimed that afterhecollectedhisboat,he

drove across Jacklow River heading east, and while crossinghefeltahardimpact to the left side of his boat causing his boat to capsize and sink into the river,” policesaid.

Meanwhile, 41-year-old RolandRamdeenofJacklow told police that he was at home when he heard a loud impact.Heleftinhisboatto visittheareawhereheheard the impact to investigate. While there, he saw a boat that capsized with major damage to the front and another boat that was damaged at the sides. He reported that Melville was thereandheassistedhim. Ramdeenreportedthathe

also saw Narine screaming while Fredericks was motionlessatthesternofthe boat with injuries to their facesandheads. Narine was escorted to the Charity Hospital by Ramdeen. Fredericks was

also taken to the same hospitalbyrelatives. Narine was admitted and later transferred to the Suddie Public Hospital for further treatment since his condition was considered critical Meanwhile, Fredericks was pronounced deadonarrival.Hisbodywas taken to the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary, where it awaits a Post- Mortem Examination. Meanwhile,Melvillewas treated at the Charity Hospitalandlatersentaway H

arrested and is assisting p

investigations at the

Accused, Brian Joseph

Former Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Legal Advisor, Attorney Kurt Da Silva

Dead: Damion Fredericks

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Oil prices tumble after Israel agrees to Iran ceasefire

(BBC NEWS) Oil prices tumbled by nearly 5% on TuesdayafterIsraelagreedto a ceasefire with Iran after nearly two weeks of conflict.

Brent crude, the international benchmark for oil prices, initially fell to $68 a barrel though it then recovered some ground after Iran and Israel accused each other of violating the ceasefire within hours. Prices had spiked in recent days as concerns grew that Tehran could disrupt global supplies by blockading the Strait of Hormuz,akeyshippingroute for oil and gas.

Stock markets in the US, the UK and Europe rose and heldsteadyafterUSPresident Donald Trump told Israel on social media not to drop bombsafteritaccusedIranof

breaching the ceasefire. Just hours earlier, Trump had declaredtheceasefirewas“now in effect”, after which Israel confirmed that it had agreed to the move.

Oil prices have soared to asmuchas$81abarrelsince the missile strikes began, stoking fears that the cost of living could increase as petrol, diesel and business expenses grew. Crude is currently trading at $69.67, just belowthelevelitwasatwhen Israel launched missiles againstIran’snuclearsiteson 13June.

“If the ceasefire is followed as announced, investors might expect the return to normalcy in oil,” said Priyanka Sachdeva, senior marketanalystatPhillipNova.

But she added that “the

extenttowhichIsraelandIran adhere to the recently announcedceasefireconditions will play a significant role in determiningoilprices”.

Thefallinpricesnarrowed asIsraelclaimedthatIranhad violatedtheceasefireafteraccusing Tehran of launching a missilestrike.

Stock markets in the US opened higher

TheS&P500andtheDow Jones Industrial Average wereaheadnearly0.9%while theNasdaqrosebymorethan 1%. In Europe, the UK’s FTSE100indexintheUKwas up0.4%,whileGermany’sDax increased by 1.7%. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei share index closed up 1.1%.

The Middle East conflict had pushed global energy prices higher, which if sus-

tained would have a knockon effect on energy bills and petrol prices. Wholesale UK gas prices dropped by 12.5% on Tuesday after spiking higher. Qatar is a major supplier of liquefied natural gas, which is transported through theStraitofHormuz.OnMonday, Iran had launched missiles at a US military base in QatarinretaliationforAmerican strikes against Iran’s nuclear sites.

The recent rises in oil priceshadledtofearsthatincreased energy costs could makeeverything-frompetrol and food to holidays - more expensive around the world, including in the UK. That is what happened after Russia invaded Ukraine three years ago, affecting people’s lives around the globe.

EducationMinistercommitsto upgradingMackenzieHighSchool

Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand, on Monday committed to either rehabilitatingorrebuildingthe Mackenzie High School in Region 10 once the government is elected for a secondterm,afterlearningof its deteriorating state.

The commitment was madeduringherremarksatthe sod-turningceremonyforthe new $2.6 billion Christianburg/ Wismar Secondary School.

“I have been approached

by the board members of Mackenzie High, and I am told that the school needs significantrepairsorarebuild. And once we have that look, youhaveacommitmentfrom me at this podium that it will happen, that it will happen,” she assured.

Manickchand said that it is the government’s aim to ensure that there are no schools in disrepair while notingthat22newsecondary schools are being built in the hinterland.

“Our commitment to you is that in that second term, wherever we need to build or rehabilitate in Region 10, as everywhere else in the country, it will happen,” she added.Withthegovernment’s investment in infrastructure, the minister noted that it is imperative that the schools produce good results.

“Linden particularly benefitsfromsomething,and thatis100%ofyourteachers, actually, 110 are trained in Linden. That’s nowhere else

in the country; that’s in Linden.Butweneedtomake sure that we see that in Region 10. We can’t be making these investments, which are heavy, and not seeing the results,” she pointed out.

Challenging not only the schools in Linden but across thecountrytoimproveonthe areas they are falling behind on, the minister assured that bringing in better results meansmoreopportunitiesfor the students.

24partiessubmitsymbolstoGECOM

The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) announced Tuesday that 24 political parties have submitted symbolsforapproval,signaling their intention to contest

theupcominggeneralandregional elections.

According to the elections body, the submissions were made in response to a noticeinvitingpotentialcon-

testants to submit their respective symbols no later thanJune23,2025.

“The commission is scheduled to consider and approvethesymbolsreceived

Alibegscitizenstovotewisely

From page 17 opportunities have surged.

In healthcare,Ali said the government is working to buildasystemthatis“worldclass, affordable, free, and equitable,” with new hospitals, clinics, and partnerships with renowned international institutions like Mount Sinai andNorthwellHealth.

Ali used part of his addresstoremindcitizensofthe APNU+AFC's time in office, which he said was marked by hardship and broken promises. “Consider that what we have today, consider the way we are delivering because it is comprehensive, and if you do not vote for moving forward together as one people

onSeptember1,youputitall at risk,” he said.

To this end, Ali pleaded with citizens to vote for the PPP to ensure that Guyana keepsmovingforward.President Ali said, “You've done all of this, my brothers and sisters, now it's not the time to tear it apart. Now it's not the time to risk it. This is the time for strong, trusted, stable, competent, visionary leadership, and that is what the People's Progressive PartyCivic[in]officedo.”

Moreover, with Venezuela'sclaimtoGuyana's Essequibo region still looming, Ali pointed to the government's ongoing investments in national

security.Also on Venezuela, Ali outlined how the neighbouringSpanish-speaking nation was the wealthiest country in South America a few decades ago, and how that has changed, to it being one of the poorest countries in the continent.

“Even though they have oil, oil alone does not translate into wealth, the choices wemake,thepolicieswepursue,theambitionswehavefor our people, the investments wemake,thewayinwhichwe invest in our people, and the choices in which we give them,” he said.

He further noted that a viable country is not like Santa Claus walking around, it is about strong policies, good leadership, consistent leadership,trustedleadership and understanding of what is required to make our country great.

onTuesday,July1,2025. Immediatelythereafter,thepartieswillbeinformedaboutthe outcomeofthecommission’s considerations regarding their respective submissions,”GECOMsaidinitsrelease.

The commission said political parties are required to submit their respective lists of candidates on nomination dayforelections2025,i.e.,on the14thJuly,2025,alongwith a copy of their pre-approved symbol to the Chief Election Officer. GECOM remains committed to engaging all stakeholders to ensure that they are adequately prepared for this critical statutory timeline in the electoral process.

Last Thursday, political partiesbegansubmittingtheir symbols to the commission, after which they attended a briefing on the requirements for nomination day and preparedness for the September 1 poll. Many of the parties expressed concerns about GECOM’s readiness for the elections. The commission however expressed confidence in its preparedness for the polls.

WantedoneMaid.Call:680-

Ali begs citizens to vote wisely

…says other parties promising 'moon and the stars' irresponsible

PresidentIrfaanAliinan early morning message on Tuesday, urged Guyanese to protect the country's developmentgainsbyvoting wisely for the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) in the upcoming September 1 General and RegionalElections,warning that the progress achieved under his administration could be reversed by his oppositionopponents.

Ali outlined government spending in the health, education and infrastructure sector and also the various grants and initiatives that they had implemented for the betterment of the citizens. With that in mind, he warned citizens to vote for the PPP and not to turn backthehandsoftheclock.

“Guyanese hear me, this is a choice you face in this electiononSeptember1,the PPP Civic government has brought you stability, we

have brought you economic growth, we brought you widespread development, we are building a social safety net, and we are doing so responsibly and stable,” hesaid.

President Ali cautioned that many of his political opponents are making promises that are neither feasible nor grounded in soundpolicy

As it stands, PPP presidentialcandidateIrfaan Ali could face several contenders in the upcoming General and Regional Elections, including A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) leader Aubrey Norton, newcomer and US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, and Alliance for Change (AFC) leader Nigel Hughes, among others Notably, these presidential candidates are subject to change, particularly if

coalition agreements are formed ahead of the elections.

Ali noted, “Those many groups that we are running against are like the grasshopper They are promising all kinds of things, irresponsible things to make you happy now, insteadofproperlypreparing for the future, they are promisingyouthemoonand the stars. They say you can haveitallrightnow Butmy brothers and sisters, this is irresponsible and leads to instability.”

He even referenced a children'sstory,'TheAntand the Grasshopper', to draw comparisonbetweenthePPP and the opposition political parties. Ali noted that the ants are the PPP and the grasshoppers are the other politicalparties.

“[The] ant spent the summer working and being responsible.The ant worked

day in and day out to have their home with food so when the winter came, they wouldhavesomethingtoeat. The grasshopper spent their summer gyaffing and eating liketheydidn'thaveacarein the world Then winter came, and what happened, grasshoppers came to the ants starving because they spent the summer being irresponsible instead of preparing for the future,” he noted.

Ali added, “The choices of September 1st that you have is for safe, stable, secure and responsible development with the People's Progressive Party and taking this country forward without any risk,

andyou'veseenthenatureof thegrasshopper.”

I n a d d i t i o n t o highlighting the PPP government'sinvestmentsin infrastructure, housing, education,health,andpublic servicewages,Alipointedto thousands of kilometers of roads and hundreds of new bridges both major and community level as well as improved salaries for teachers, public servants, andmembersofthesecurity forces.

In education, he said, over 30,000 Guyanese have earned academic and professional qualifications under his administration, and tuition at the University of Guyana is now free. The

President Irfaan Ali, the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) presidential candidate

“Because We Care” cash grant has been expanded, andscholarship (Continuedonpage16)

CorettaMcDonaldelectedasnewGTUPresident

Coretta McDonald was onMondayelectedPresident of the Guyana Teachers' Union (GTU) at the union's 2025 Triennial Elections h e l d a t t h e G T U Headquarters on Woolford Avenue,Georgetown.

The former GTU General Secretary secured 2987 votes and was elected unopposedtothepost.

Accordingtoastatement released via the GTU's

Facebook page, McDonald securedthemostvoteswhile Ms. Mariska Williams was electedas1stVicePresident with2131votesandMr Karl Vanier was elected as 2nd Vice President with 1236 votes.

Mr Collis Nicholson with 2697 votes secured the post of General Secretary while Mr Heathcliff Peters was elected Deputy General Secretary with 2060. Ms.

Rarlene Phillips was elected to the post of treasurer with 2132 votes; the Regional Vice President-Berbice post went to Ms Mehalai McAlmontwhosecured517 votes; Regional Vice President-Demerara position went to Mr Randy Mingo with 1244 and Regional Vice PresidentEssequibo went to Mr. Thakurdeen Durga with 265 votes.

Israelkillsmorethan80peopleinGaza, includingdozensofaidseekers

…including dozens of aid seekers

... death toll reaches 56,000

Hamam Al-Farani sits next to his sister, in white, along with other family members as the body of their father Alaa, killed in an Israeli army strike that also injured the boy, is prepared for burial at Shifa hospital in Gaza City, on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)

(AL-JAZEERA) Israeli forcesanddroneshavekilled more than 80 Palestinians sincedawn,includingatleast 51 near aid distribution centres, in the latest attacks on desperate people seeking aid in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to medical sourcesinhospitals.

In Rafah alone, in the south of the enclave, 27 aid seekers were gunned down by the Israeli military on Tuesday

The overall death toll fromIsrael'swarhasrisento 56,077 killed and 131,848 injuries since October 7, 2023.The killings are the latest in a wave of daily carnage near aid distribution points established late last month by the controversial Israeli and United Statesbacked Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which the head of the United

(UNWRA) has labelled a “deathtrap”.

Medicalsourcesreported that at least 25 people were killedinanincidentonSalah al-Din Street south of Wadi Gaza in central Gaza, according to TheAssociated Press news agency More than 140 other people were injured,62ofthemcritically Footage posted on social media site Instagram, and verified by Al Jazeera's Sanad agency, showed bodies being brought to alAwda Hospital in the nearby Nuseiratrefugeecamp.

Similar scenes were reported from the Nasser Medical Complex to the south in Khan Younis, following unverified reports that the Israeli army had targeted people waiting for aidonal-TinaStreet.

People approaching an aid point in Gaza City were alsokilled,AlJazeera'sHani Mahmoud reported from the city in the north of the territory, as well as Rafah in thesouth.

“Casualtieswerebrought

Meanwhile, McDonald in a statementnoted that her electionasPresidentofGTU isawinforallteachers. The newly elected GTU Presidentpromisedthatteam work will be center of her efforts as head of the union. Mostimportantly,shevowed to keep the morale of teacherslifted.

“We recognize that coming out of the last negotiations and the signing of that agreement, our teachers felt disenchanted, theyfeltundervalued,andat the point, they felt that they werebetrayed,”shesaid.

Last April, the GTU

announced the list of candidates who have officially accepted their nominations and will be contesting in the upcoming elections. According to the list released by the GTU, McDonald was the lone nominee for the position of PresidentoftheGTU.

In an interview with Kaieteur News on Tuesday, McDonald disclosed that there were three other

to various health facilities, including al-Shifa Hospital [inGazaCity],”hesaid.“The emergencywardthereturned into a bloodbath, and many died waiting for medical care.”

Witnesses told the AP thatIsraeliforceshadopened fire as people were approachingtheaidtrucks.

“Itwasamassacre,”said Ahmed Halawa, reporting that tanks and drones had fired “even as we were fleeing”.The Israeli military saiditwasreviewingreports of casualties from fire by its troopsafteragroupofpeople approached soldiers in an area near the militarised NetzarimCorridor

Israel has said that previousshootingsnearGHF aidsiteshavebeenprovoked by the approach of “suspects”towardssoldiers.

W i t n e s s e s a n d humanitarian groups have said that many of the shootingstookplacewithout warning.

(AL-JAZEERA) The ceasefire between Israel and Iranisalreadyshowingsigns of strain – and has triggered frustration, and a televised expletive, from United States President Donald Trump, who accused Israel of undermining the deal just h o u r s a f t e r i t s announcement.

The ceasefire, brokered by the US and Qatar, came into effect late Monday following days of intensive missilebarragesbetweenthe twofoes.Israel'slastwaveof strikes targeted Iranian military infrastructure near Isfahan, prompting retaliatorydronelaunchesby Tehran.

Iran violated the ceasefire, “but Israel violated it too”, Trump told reporters on the White House's South Lawn on Tuesday as he departed for theNATOsummit.

“So, I'm not happy with them. I'm not happy with Iran either But I'm really unhappyifIsraelisgoingout thismorning.”

“I've got to get Israel to calmdown,”hesaid.“Israel, assoonaswemadethedeal, theycameoutanddroppeda load of bombs, the likes of which I've never seen before.”

Ashepreparedtoheadto a NATO summit in The Hague in the Netherlands, Trump's anger flared on the White House Lawn: “We havetwocountriesthathave beenfightingsolongandso hard that they don't know whatthef***they'redoing.”

A day earlier, Trump boasted on his Truth Social app that “the Ceasefire is in effect!”

“ISRAELisnotgoingto

presidency: Sir Martin Samaroo from Essequibo, Collis Nicholson and Julian Cambridge. However, she was the only nominee to accept. The election was conducted using the postal ballotmethod.

Dr. Mark Lyte was the lastpresidentoftheGYU.

Israel-Iran ceasefire off to rocky start, drawing Trump's ire after fanfare

An angry Donald Trump swore on CNN as he talked about his distaste with Israel over its handling of the war against Iran (Image: AP)

attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, whiledoingafriendly'Plane Wave' to Iran. Nobody will behurt,”Trumpwrote.

Trump's unusually public display of anger at Israel saw the US leader apparentlytryingtoforcehis ally to call off warplanes in realtimeonTuesday

Earlier the same morning, he had posted on TruthSocial:“ISRAEL.DO

NOT DROP THOSE

BOMBS” – without it being clear which bombs he was referringto.“IFYOU,DOIT ISAMAJOR VIOLATION. BRING YOUR PILOTS HOME,NOW!”

Israeli Prime Minister

Benjamin Netanyahu seemed to quickly accede, with his office saying in a statement on Tuesday that Israel still carried out one moreattacknearTehranafter Trump's appeal, but is refraining from “further strikes”.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz had said earlier on Tuesday that he had ordered the military to mountnewstrikesontargets inTehraninresponsetowhat he claimed were Iranian missiles fired in a “blatant violation”oftheceasefire.

'Extra fury' aimed at Israel Iran denied launching anymissilesandsaidIsrael's attacks had continued for an hour and a half beyond the timetheceasefirewasmeant to start.For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that his country would not fire at Israelifitwasnotfiredupon, but that a “final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later” Despite the rocky start, Trump voiced support for the ceasefire itself, clarifying he is not seeking regime change in Iran, after some mixed messaging in recent days, and insisting that the ceasefire remains in effect.

If it holds, the truce would be a big political win forTrumpinthewakeofhis risky gamble to send US bombers over the weekend to attack three nuclear facilities in Iran that Israel and the United States claim were being used to build an atomicbombinsecret. US intelligence and the United Nations' nuclear watchdog had previously recorded no indication Iran was developing a nuclear weapon.

GTUPresident, Coretta McDonald

West Indies Cricketer accused of Sexual Assault in Guyana

By Rawle Toney

A prominent Guyanese andWestIndiescricketerhas been accused of sexually assaulting a young woman, with disturbing allegations surfacing online and now under scrutiny by local media and potentially regionalcricketauthorities.

The allegations have prompted renewed attention to an incident reportedly involvingthecricketeranda 24-year-oldwoman,referred

to in this report as Jane Doe toprotectheridentity

The alleged victim and herparentsspoketoKaieteur News, and revealed that she has made multiple unsuccessfulattemptstofile an official report with the GuyanaPoliceForce.

The incident is said to haveoccurredshortlybefore theplayerleftGuyana.

JaneDoeclaimsthatshe and the cricketer had agreed to go on a date, with clear boundariesset.

However, what began as a casual evening reportedly ended traumatically within the vicinity of her home at Providence, East Bank Demerara.

She presented what she described as evidence, including photos of injuries allegedly sustained during the incident, as well as messages purportedly from the player expressing remorse.

S c r e e n s h o t s o f WhatsAppmessagesseenby

Kaieteur News appear to show the cricketer apologizing for his actions and asking that the matter remain private In one exchange, he also allegedly o f f e r e d m o n e t a r y compensation in an attempt to make amends, which was refused.

This is not the first time the player's name has been associated with similar allegations.

Kaieteur News has learned of at least four instances, with one prior incidentthatwasreportedto thepolice,whereastatement was taken. However, that matter reportedly did not progress to formal charges and quietly faded from publicview

Wednesday June 25, 2025

ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)

You might have visitors, Aries, or even a hot date scheduled for tonight By midafternoon you might feel tootiredtogooutandwonder ifyoushouldcancel.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Deliveries that you expect could be delayed, Taurus Today you might learn something shocking about a neighbor or relative The gossip might spread rapidly throughyourcommunity This could have you reeling even though it might be exaggerated.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Some good but surprising news could come your way today, Gemini. Perhaps a family member or friend will call or drop by with a surprising development that directlyaffectsyou.

CANCER(June21–July22)

Today may start out frustrating, Cancer Be prepared! Some equipment might go on the blink and it could take a while to get it fixed.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Your level of artistic inspirationishightoday,Leo. Dreams or meditation may bring up some spiritual insights and revelations, and youmaypromptlyforgetthem upon coming out of your dreamormeditativestate.

VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)

Some upsetting news regarding money could throw youintoadithertoday,Virgo. Perhaps a check you've been expecting hasn't arrived on time.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

Asetbackinyourcareermight have you feeling disoriented. Equipment might be involved. Don't go crazy. Spend time relaxing and enjoying the companyoffriendsandfamily

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)

A delivery that you were expectingfromfarawaymight be delayed, Scorpio, causing you to wonder if it might have been lost. Unfortunately, there isn'tmuchyoucandobutwait. Mechanical equipment could also go out of whack, necessitating a call to a repair service

SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)

Todayyoumayfeelespecially passionate, and desire a romanticencounter Youmight evenhaveahotdatescheduled. Don'tbesurprisedifithastobe postponed for reasons beyond anyone'scontrol.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

A visitor with a few problems might come to your door in searchofadviceandsympathy, Capricorn. He or she might alsohavesomeothernewsthat couldshockyou.

AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)

Tasks of any kind are likely to seem like the labors of Hercules today, Aquarius Overwork and strain could have you feeling a little under theweather Itmightbeagood ideatotakesometimealoneto rest.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)

Money matters might be weighingonthemindofaclose friend or lover, Pisces, and he orshemightseekyouradvice. But you should be able to completeitasplanned.

systemic reluctance from authoritiestoact.

Kaieteur News will continue to

DuckettleadsEngland...

Frompage22 composure the situation demanded Runs ticked down, anticipation grew The second new ball became available when only 22 were needed - too late. England completed a five-wicket victory with 14 ove

match remainingafterscoringata rate of 4 55 Root was unbeaten on 53, Smith 44.

Efforts to obtain an official response from the P u b l i c R e l a t i o n s Department of Cricket West Indies (CWI) were unsuccessful up to the time ofpublication.

But sources within the regional cricket body confirmedthatofficialshave been made aware of the recent accusation and are reportedly reviewing additional claims involving thesameindividual.

As the matter develops, questions are being raised about the handling of such allegations involving highprofile athletes, particularly when victims allege

New kickoff date...

Frompage23 extended to the organiser It enjoys the endorsement of DeputyMayorDeniseMiller and is backed by an impressive roster of sponsors, such as; One Communication, Toolsie Persaud Limited, Reunion

Gold, C&CL, John Fernandes Limited, Pegasus Hotel, IPA, SuperBet Sports Betting, NAMILCO, China Trading, Ready Mix, Stars Rental, BK International, Busta Soft Drink, Sari Products, Sterling Products, Cummings Electrical Company, Caribbean Containers Inc , JCA, Eddie's Bobcat, E-Net, Kings Liquor Store, G a f o o r s , M a s s y

Distribution, Dr Colin Watson, Patrick 'Labba' Barton, Ronaldo Alphonso, and the Office of the CommissionerofPolice.

With the stage now set, fanscanfinallylookforward to a spectacular return of seven-a-side field football actioninGeorgetown.

The teams have eight days to regroup before the second Test begins at Edgbastonon2July

Scores: England 465 (Pope 106, Brook 99, Duckett 62, Bumrah 5-83) and 373 for 5 (Duckett 149, Crawley 65, Root 53*, Thakur 2-51) beat India 471 (Gill 147, Pant 134, Jaiswal 101, Tongue 4-86) and 364 (Rahul 137, Pant 118, Tongue 3-72, Carse 380)byfivewickets.

Trophy Stall Legends to defend title at Independence Softball Cup this weekend

TrophyStallLegendsare settodefendtheirtitleatthis year'sIndependenceSoftball CupwhichisslatedforJune 27-29 in New York. The three-day extravaganza will be hosted by New York Softball Cricket League and will have teams from Guyana, Canada and USA participating.

It will be held in three categories: Legends (Over50), Masters (Over-40) and Open, All-Stars. All will be T20s. The team (Trophy Stall) will have a list of

prominentsoftballplayersin their lineup. Trophy Stall Legendscapturedthetrophy in 2024 and are confident they can repeat similar success. According to the owner of the team, Ramesh Sunich, he is anticipating fierce competition in the Legends category but very optimistic that his players woulddowell.Headdedthat veteran softball batsman SamuelKingstonisincluded and he will definitely boost thebattingdepartment.

Meanwhile, Regional

Inderjeet Persaud wished Trophy Stall side good luck at the mega softball event and he too is very confident that Trophy Stall will bring backthetrophyinGuyana.

Persaud, who does softball commentary at the annual Prime Minister's Softball cup three-day tournament in Georgetown, is elated to see the inclusion ofKingstonaswell.

Over ten teams will be participating in the Legends Division.

Campbell, Hope in as West Indies name playing XI for first Test against Australia; King to debut

S

Campbell and Shai Hope will make their return to the regional side in the game's longest format as both men were named in the West IndiesplayingXIontheeve of the start of the first Test against Australia at the Kensington Oval in Barbados.

Campbell will open the batting alongside former captain Kraigg Brathwaite while Hope, theWest Indies ODI and T20I skipper, will bat at number six and keep wicket.

ItwillbeCampbell's21st Test appearance and first since June 2022 while Hope will play his 39th Test and firstsinceDecember2021.

Keacy Carty will bat at number three while another Jamaican, Brandon King, will bat at four in his Test debut.

John Campbell

Captain Roston Chase will bat at five while Justin Greaves will bat at number seven.

Vice-captain Jomel Warrican, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph and Jayden Sealesmakeuptherestofthe eleven.

West Indies: 1 Kriagg Brathwaite, 2 John Campbell, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Brandon King, 5 Roston Chase (capt), 6 Shai Hope (wk), 7 Justin Greaves, 8 Jomel Warrican, 9 Alzarri Joseph, 10 Shamar Joseph,

11JaydenSeales Australia opted to retain their traditional balance of three frontline quicks and a spinner supplemented by Beau Webster who can provide medium pace and offspin Josh Inglis will coverforSmithatNo.4. Australia: 1 Usman Khawaja, 2 Sam Konstas, 3 Cameron Green, 4 Josh Inglis,5TravisHead,6Beau Webster,7AlexCarey(wk), 8 Pat Cummins (capt), 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Nathan Lyon,11JoshHazlewood

Kares One Guyana T10 final Lucky fan to ride away with motorcycle at

One lucky spectator attendingthegrandfinaleof the Kares One Guyana T10 TapeballBlastissettowina brand-new motorcycle, courtesy of Banks DIH, throughtheirGTBeerbrand.

Thefinalisscheduledfor Sunday, August 3, at the National Stadium, Providence, following the preliminaryrounds.

The tournament action commences in Berbice on June28,withmatchesatthe #48 Ground and the Rose Hall/CanjeGround(Welfare Ground)onSaturday

The Berbice zone final willthenbeheldunderlights at the Albion Sports Complex on Sunday, with play commencing at 9:30

AMlocaltimeonbothdays.

Spectator entry is free acrossallvenues.

The tournament will subsequently move to other zones: East Bank and West Demerara (July 5-6), Georgetown/East Coast (July 19-20), and Essequibo (July 26-27), culminating in thenationalfinals.

GT Beer's Brand Manager, Dwain Bristol, announced the exciting giveaway and other fan engagement initiatives at ThirstParkonTuesday Cricket fans will have multiple opportunities to win, with chances to enter a drawforthemotorcyclewith everypurchaseofaGTBeer orGTBeerLightsbucket.

Additionalprizeswillbe awarded for catches and other activities during the matches, aiming to enhance theoverallfanexperience.

Beyond the motorcycle, substantialcashprizesareup forgrabs.

The Berbice zone champion will pocket $300,000 and a trophy, with an opportunity to compete for a further $1.7 million in thenationalfinals.

The Berbice runner-up willreceive$100,000.

The national finals promise even bigger rewards, with the runner-up taking home $700,000, a trophy, and medals. Each losingsemi-finalistwillalso receive$300,000.

Mercenary crowned OSCL 10-10 champions

Mercenary w

e crowned the 2025 Ontario Softball Cricket League (OSCL) 10-10 Vish Jadunauth champions after beatingCaribbeanSensation by 8 wickets on Saturday at St Bedes ground, Scarborough.

Mercenary won the toss and elected to bowl. They justified the decision after leavingCaribbeanSensation wobbling at 24-4 in the 5th over before restricting them toamodest64-7attheendof the10-overs.

Their chase was clinical and led superbly by opener Avinash Sookdeo with an enterprising, unbeaten 43 as they got to the target with 5 ballstospare.

The right-handed and Canada-based Guyanese Sookdeo hammered 5 sixes andtwofoursduringhis24ball knock and was with RichardLatiff,whowason7 whenvictoryachieved.

Sookdeowasmeticulous initially, but started to accelerate despite Mercenary lost opening batsmanAvish Rukhram for 7andthensoonafterRichard Diasfor03.

But the confident Sookdeo and Latiff ensured therewasnomorefuss.

Earlier, Caribbean Sensation had a promising start of 21 runs for the firstwicket between skipper Faheer Juman (6) and Anil Ramoutar (8) But both perishedtoRabindraDiaram

while Anil Samuel and another frontline batter

Anand Balwant gone for 3 and2respectively

Sheik Khan batted aggressivelyandpunchedan effortless six and four to remainon14notout,thetopscorer but Caribbean Sensation continued to struggle for momentum as Mercenary took few splendidcatches.

Diaram finished with 211 from his maximum two overs while Rukhram also picking two wickets but he conceded13runsfromhis1overouting.

At the post-match Presentation ceremony, Sookdeo was named playerof-the-match for his responsible and memorable inningsandwasvotedasthe MVPonthewinningteam.

For the runners-side AndyNarayanwasgiventhe MVPtrophyafterdelivering amaidenover The winning and runners-up teams received a trophy each. All trophies were donated by Norman

S u e B a k e r y a n d representative of Norman Sue Bakery Kim Sue congratulated the victorious side and stated that her companywasdelightedtobe associated with the 7-team eliminatingtournament.

She also thanked the OSCL for given them the opportunity to sponsor the annual knockout again According to Kim Sue, the

tournament is being played in memory of Vish

Jadunauth,whopassedaway in 2022 due to illness, was the person initiated the idea to have the 10-10 competition.

President of the OSCL

Shiv Persaud was unavoidably absent at the presentation function due to personal commitment but met both teams before the startofthegame.Hewished them good luck and expressed his gratitude to Norman Sue Bakery while echoing similar sentiments toalltheparticipatingsides.

Captain of Mercenary

Looknauth “Colgate”

Ramsuchit also spoke at the presentationhighlightedthat his team played excellent cricket and the hard-work paid off. He attributed the success also to total team's workandthankedhisfellow p l a y e r s f o r t h e i r commitment again in this year'sedition.

Juman congratulated Mercenary for emerging victorious but alluded to the factthattheytalliedupalow score but confident his team cancomeoutchampionnext year

Bobby Ramlagan, an Executive of the OSCL congratulatedbothteamsfor reaching the final having spoken. The ceremony was chaired by prominent Cricket writer and commentator Ravendra Madholall.

Individual performances

will be recognized throughout the tournament with attractive prizes: MVP ($150,000 + motorcycle), Most Runs ($100,000 + trophy+TV),MostWickets ($100,000 + trophy + TV), Man-of-the-National Final ($75,000 + trophy + TV), H

Economy($35,000).

The Kares One Guyana

One fan will ride away on a motorcycle on August 3

T10 Tapeball Blast has garnered support from: Kares Engineering Inc, the Office of the President, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, KFC Guyana, Star Rentals, Banks DIH, ENet, Guyana Lottery Company, Regal Stationery and Computer Centre, I

Contracting and Scrap Metal, Shawn's Mini Mart, G

Companies, Kris Jagdeo Construction Company, Montra Restaurant & Lounge, Windsor Estates, The New Doctor's Clinic, GuyOil, ANSA McAL, SuperBet Guyana, Digital Technology, Camille's A c a d e m y , N a v i n Construction, Demerara Mutual Life Insurance, Continental Transportation, and Environmental & TechnicalSolutions.

Duckett leads England to classic defeat of India

BBC Sport - Ben

Duckett's astonishing 149 ledEnglandtoatargetof371 -oneoftheall-timegreatrun chases - to beat India on a nerve-shredding final day of the first Test at Headingley Duckett played one of the finestinningsbyanEngland batter as the home side pulled off their secondhighest successful pursuit, beaten only by the 378 to defeatthesameopponentsat Edgbastonthreeyearsago. In doing so, Duckett

addedhistothelistofnames etched into Headingley folklore: Ian Botham in 1981,MarkButcherin2001, Shai Hope in 2017 and, perhaps most famously, Ben Stokes in 2019 Duckett shared 188 for the first wicket with Zak Crawley, who made a measured 65.

Crawley was dropped on 42 and Duckett on 97. While Duckett was at the crease, England were strolling, but the opener and Harry Brook weredismissedinsuccessive

Shardul Thakur deliveries. England,fourwicketsdown, were still 118 adrift. India had hope. Stokes joined Joe Root in England's fight against the surging Indians and threatening clouds

Another 49 precious runs were added until Stokes' fortune against left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja ended with a reverse-sweep to short third man. Jamie Smith arrived with 69 requiredandpossessedthe (Continueonpage19)

Ben Duckett scored an attacking century. (Getty Images)

Andrew Lewis National Novice Championship returns July 25 – 27 …Republican Gym makes comeback under new leadership

The bell will ring once again for Guyana's next generation of ring warriors as the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) stages its 2025 National Novice Championship from July 25–27 at the National Gymnasium.

The three-night tournament, seen as the launching pad for future champions, will not only featureemergingtalentfrom across the country but also mark the much-anticipated return of the Republican BoxingGym,nowunderthe stewardship of seasoned coachWincellThomas.

The Republican Gym's re-entry into the national fold adds an exciting dynamic to an already competitive field, as they look to re-establish their dominance among Guyana's storiedboxingclubs.

Heldinthehonourofthe late World Champion, Andrew "Six-Head" Lews, the tournament, often referred to as the GBA's "talent cradle," the National Novice Championship serves as the first official stepping stone for young fighters transitioning into theamateurranks.

The event also plays a pivotal role in identifying

New kickoff date set for ultimate Seven-a-Side Football Championship DeputyMayor'sCup2025

After months of delays causedbyinclementweather and the unavailability of suitable playing venue, the long-awaited Seven-a-Side

Inter-Ward/Village

Knockout Football Championship finally has a newkickoffdate.

Officially dubbed the Deputy Mayor's Cup 2025, the highly anticipated tournament is scheduled to kickoffonJuly5thand6that the Police Sports Club

Ground, Eve Leary, Georgetown.

A total of 32 teams are expected to clash in an electrifying battle for over one million dollars in cash and prizes. The tournament will unfold across four nights,withwinnersfromthe firsttwonightsautomatically advancing to the Round of 16. From there, teams will fightforacovetedspotinthe final eight, which will be determined on Wednesday, July9th.

The 2025 edition is expected to climax in thrillingfashiononSaturday, July 12, when the quarterfinals,semifinals,and finals will all be played in a single,action-packednight.

Georgetown's Deputy Mayor, Denise Miller, expressed optimism about the new start date, following nearly two months of unforeseen delays TournamentCoordinatorand former national coach

and grooming athletes for thenationalprogramme.

GBA President Steve Ninvalle underscored the c h a m p i o n s h i p ' s significance, adding that, “The Novice Championship remains one of the most importanteventsontheGBA calendar It is here that we discover the raw talent that goesontorepresentGuyana on the international stage. Withoutthistournament,our

talent pipeline would be severelycompromised.”

Last year's edition saw the Guyana Defence Force (GDF)BoxingGymreaffirm their dominance, walking away with the Best Overall Teamtitle.

The spotlight also shone brightly on Jagwan Milo, whowasnamedBestNovice Boxer,whileRyanRogersof the Forgotten Youth FoundationGymtookhome

the Best Schoolboy Boxer award.

The Best Female Boxer accolade was awarded to KenishaPlass,arisingstarin thewomen'sdivision.

Thisyear'stournamentis expected to draw boxers from across Guyana's ten administrative regions, promising three actionpacked nights, all in the n a m e o f b o x i n g development.

Deputy Mayor of Georgetown, Denise Miller eager to witness the thrilling action

What'satStake?

Aside from bragging rights and community pride, teams will compete for substantial financial re

$500,000 in cash along with championship prize and medals Second place f

$300,000 in cash while third and fourth place finishers will walk away with $200,000 and $100,000, respectively In addition, special awards will be presented to the Most Disciplined Team and the tournament's Most Valuable Player(MVP).

Leading up to the tournament, a strong communitybackingwere (Continueonpage21)

Lennox Arthur has also issued a strong reminder to all participating teams to be punctual, warning that late arrivals will result in forfeitures.

Wincel 'Naka B' Thomas, Steve Ninvalle

Ramesh Sunich of Bourda Market, left, and Samuel Kingston with the team jersey

John Campbell