cite lack of int’l and local consultations say opaque legislative process contrary to good governance, violation of the rule of law
cite lack of int’l and local consultations say opaque legislative process contrary to good governance, violation of the rule of
As t h e O i l
P o l l u t i o n
Prevention Preparedness Response and Responsibility Bill continuestoattractcriticism
for failing to meet international commitments, theCommonwealthLawyers Association (CLA) has joinedincallingonPresident IrfaanAlitowithholdassent totheproposedlegislation.
OnThursday,thebody,a non-profit organisation which exists to promote and maintain the rule of law
t h r o u g h o u t t h e Commonwealth, flagged numerous concerns with the Bill, passed in Guyana's ParliamentonMay16,2025.
The Association
explained, “The Oil Pollution Bill has been
c r i t i c i s e d a s unconstitutional, contrary to Guyana's international legal commitmentsandanattempt to reverse the impact of judicial rulings. These are seriouscriticismswhich,asa matter of good governance based on the rule of law, oughttobeaddressedbefore any exercise of the President'sassent.”
Withelectionsscheduled to be held on September 1, the President is expected to issue a Proclamation dissolving Parliament. The Commonwealth Lawyers Association therefore pointedoutthatthispresents an opportunity to ensure good governance by withholding assent to the Billandleavingtheseissues for the new Parliament to address “through a proper
democratic process consistent with international standards including public participation.” Consultation
The organization was
keen to note that the Commonwealth (Latimer House) Principles on the Three Branches of Government provide at ArticleVIIIthat:“Inorderto enhance the effectiveness of law making as an essential element of the good governance agenda: There should be adequate parliamentary examination of proposed legislation;
VIII.Itisalsoviolativeofthe rule of law, according to the Association.
The body pointed out that public participation in decision-making processes has evolved into a principle of public international law since it was enshrined in Principle10ofthe1992Rio Declaration.Itremindedthat is reinforced by the Escazu AgreementtowhichGuyana
memberstatestocollaborate in “safeguarding their marine environment from pollutants and hazardous wastes.”
As such, theAssociation calledonGuyanatodevelop itsoilspillresponselawand systems in cooperation with CARICOM and the CaribbeanStates.
Transboundaryimpact
With Guyana's oil and
Where appropriate, opportunity should be given for public input into the legislativeprocess;”
To this end, CLA raised concerns over the fact that althoughtheBillhasserious national and international implications,itwaspassedin less than three weeks of its first reading on 28 April 2025.
“ T h e r e w a s n o opportunity for public input from experts. Further, the businesssectorwhocouldbe significantly affected by an oil spill were also not consulted. Critically, coastal communities in Guyana, including Amerindian communities,werenotgiven an opportunity to raise their concerns and make recommendations to protect their livelihoods and their cultural, spiritual and physical dependence on the marine environment,” the bodysaid.
Itthereforemadeitclear that this opaque legislative process is contrary to good governance and to Article
isaparty
An objective of this Agreement is to guarantee public participation in environmental decisionmaking process in order to contribute to the protection of the right of every person of present and future generations to live in a healthy environment and to sustainabledevelopment.
Internationalobligations
Moreover , CLA noted thatArticle197oftheUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) requires Guyana to cooperateonaregionalbasis with other states and competent international organisations to formulate rules, standards and recommended practices and procedures to protect and preserve the marine environment, taking into account characteristic regional features. This is reflected in the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas which requires the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and its
Limited (EMGL), the subsidiary of ExxonMobil C o r p o r a t i o n i n environmental studies showed that oil from its operations could foul the Caribbean Sea and the territories of Caribbean states all the way up to Jamaica, affecting shipping, tourismandfisheries.
disaster”.
Suchconductonthepart of the Agency puts Guyana inbreachofitsduediligence obligations and endangers the marine environment, economies and livelihoods of sovereign states in the Caribbean.”
gas operations posing transboundary impacts, as confirmed by maps produced by ExxonMobil, the country is obligated by international law to ensure itslawsareenforcedtoavoid significant harm to the environment.
ExxonMobil Guyana
“In this regard, the CLA notesthedecisionofCollins and Whyte v EPA and ExxonMobil Guyana Ltd whereJusticeKissoonstated t h a t G u y a n a ' s Environmental Protection Agencyhad“relegateditself to a state of laxity of e n f o r c e m e n t a n d condonation compounded byagravelackofvigilance” thereby putting Guyana and itspeople“ingravepotential danger of calamitous
In light of these issues, the Association called on President Ali to withhold assent to the Oil Pollution Bill.
It said this would allow the next elected Parliament after a due election process, to consider the issues the Government by its international obligations is required to consider; and to ensure that in its process of decision making the Government of Guyana adheres to international standards.
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Governmentshaveareputationforbeingslowtothepoint ofparalysis InGuyana,however,thePPPCGovernmenthas just compiled a record worthy of inclusion in the Guinness BookofWorldRecords Ithasbeenalmostfiveyearssincethe IrfaanAligovernmentreturnedtopower,andthevitalmatter of confirming the appointments of the Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice still hangs undecided. In President Ali's own words, “we continue to examine the issue,” and “the matter of Chancellor and Chief Justice is important to me, and the judiciary, and our country, so I'll continue to work to find a solution.” As a soundbite, there arepersuasiveingredientsinwhatthepresidentoffered. In reality, this is how a nation is embarrassed, how a leader makeshimselflooksmall.
ActingChancellorYonetteCummings-EdwardsandChief Justice (ag) Roxane George-Wiltshire have occupied their importantjudicialrolesinanactingcapacityfor13and9years, respectively Aseriouspresidentwouldnotwantthatdubious situationtolastanotherdayunderhisgovernment. Ithasbeen close to five years since PresidentAli has held his vaunted title,andheisstillworkingtofindasolution. Wethinkthat the only obstacle to confirming the CoJ and CJ is the president himself, with his government in lockstep. The president was clever enough to mention the Leader of the Opposition on this thorny issue (he “is aware of their appointment”). But aware of what, that they both are still acting after five years of PPPC governance? That this countryhasbeenlackingasubstantiveCoJandCJforgoing onaquarterofacentury? Also,thepresidenthastohavehis wits about him. It would help him to be aware that the Opposition Leader has already expressed support for the confirmation of Justices Cummings-Edwards and GeorgeWiltshire. Simple logic emphasises that, since that constitutionalhurdlehasbeencleared,theonlyoneshaving difficultyoverthesetwoconfirmationshavetobethePPPC GovernmentandAlihimself.
AdiscomfortingfactisthatPresidentAlihascompiledatall recordofgivingcomfortingassurancesonchallengingsubjects, andthenseemstowashhishandsofthosematters. Transparency is one, accountability is now coated in disgrace, and unity is unable to smile due to a terribly disfigured face. Like the seriousconsiderationclaimedtobegivenbyAlionremoving the acting from the titles of CoJ and CJ, he had promised similarly on those other three boiling issues in Guyana Regardingunity,transparency,andaccountabilityunderAli's watch, the best that could be said is that all three areas have deteriorated to their worst states Considering how the governmenthastieditselfintoknotsoverthetwosubstantive appointments,andthepresidenthaseggonhisface,thetrend has continued The trend of making solemn statements in public,whichhaveapleasingringtothem,andthenmovingon withoutsomuchasasecondthoughtorglance Itcouldbethat thepresidentforgetsquickly,orhisgovernmenthasbetterthings todo,orthereareotherconsiderationsatwork,whicharetooselfshaming to mention To have these two positions of trust lingeringintherealmofactingappointmentsforalmost25years mustqualifyfornationalshame Inhiswisdom,PresidentAli may not think so, since politics is the alpha and omega of everything for him and his government Due to his packed schedule,itisprobablethatthepresidentmaynothaveheard, orabsorbedfully,thecallsoftheGuyanaBarAssociationand the Caribbean Court of Justice for the confirmation of a substantiveCoJandCJ Itisworthmentioningthatwehave noticed that there are many times when President Ali hears whathewantstohear Thentherearethoseothertimes,when hedevelopsacutedisturbanceswithlisteningtowhatisnotin keepingwithhisgovernment'scalculations
Guyana needs a substantive Chancellor and Chief Justice This must supersede all other visions, calculations The president should discontinue his farce about examining and producetwosubstantiveappointments His presidency could bebetterforit;Guyanawouldbebetteroff
DearEditor,
On April of 2025, General Manager of Pritipaul Singh Investments (PSI), Pritipaul Singh, reported a 77% decline in fish catches and revenue by his company since 2019 and a reduction in profits since the operator of the Stabroek Block, ExxonMobil Guyana L i m i t e d ( E M G L ) , commenced oil production in2019.
PSIreportedowning107 fishing vessels equipped with food, fuel and other supplies for the fishermen and prior to oil production, fisherfolkspentthreetofour days offshore but this has increased to as much as 15 daysatseaandexportshave decreased from 20 containers to 2 containers a month.
In 2022, Professor at the University of British Columbia, Dr Janette Bulkan pointed out that ExxonMobil and other operators are being “given free rein” by the Guyanese Governmenttodominatethe country's marine space, superseding the legal and customary rights of fishers, resulting in a decline in fish c a t c h e s a ff e c t i n g approximately 5,000 fisherfolks.AccordingtoDr
Bulkan, EMGL activities in Guyana's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) are contributing to not only low catches but also disrupting the vibration routes of the fish,shrimpandlargemarine mammals including Red Snapper, Trout, Bangamary, Seabob and Shrimp Guyanesewouldbe“naïveto think that there is no impact onmarinelife,sealifewithin our ocean,” when tonnes of toxicwastebeingdischarged intotheocean.
Dr Vincent Adams, former head of the EPA in 2023, revealed that while he was head of the EPA, the Payara environmental permit required that producedwaterbereinjected backintothereservoir With achangeofGovernmentand the non-renewal of Dr Adams's contract, this requirement was removed and produced water was once again allowed to be dumped into the ocean. Dr Adams also calculated that because of the permitted oil in produced water, 29 to 40 barrels of oil are being dischargedintotheoceanfor every million barrels of producedwater
Considering the 77% reduction in fish exports reported by PSI, the
reduction in fish catches by artisanal fisherfolk and the tonnes of discharges, and chemicals used by EMGL the concerns below are even morerelevant:
1 EMGL operations expose the lack of an established regulatory mechanism in Guyana for many waste materials and chemicals associated with offshore oil and gas production.
Afterapproximatelyfive years of operation, Guyana asacountryhasfailedtopass legislation and adequate regulations for standards to whichoilandgascompanies can be held legally accountable, neither has it developed independent abilitytomonitorandensure safe practices and failed to produce verifiable monitoringinformation.
2. In the absence of the Guyana's lack of capacity, EMGL enjoys the role of both operator and regulator with wide discretion for voluntaryindustrystandards that do not often adhere to the stringent protection standards of international guidelines.
h o
e installationsshouldtakeasa point of departure the minimization of discharges and the achievement of zero discharges of oil in p r o d u c e d w a t e r ” Additionally, according to OSPAR's produced water discharges from offshore oil and gas installations 20092019–“since2009,therehas been a 16% reduction of dispersed oil discharges in producedwaterrangingfrom 12.4 mg/L to 14.1 mg/L”. Despite this, EMGL's standards for the oil in produced water discharges continues to be a daily maximum of 29 mg/L and monthlyaverageof42ml. (Continueonpage5)
3 Produced water is typically the largest effluent by-product from oil & gas operationsandisregardedas a high-volume toxic waste. According to leading authorities on oil and gas including OSPAR (The Convention for the Protection of the Marine Environment of the North East Atlantic), the most environmentally sound systemforproducedwateris re-injection back into an appropriatereservoirorwell. OSPAR sets the goal for produced water as followsthey “should ensure that plans to construct new offshore installations, or to m
DearEditor, I w e l c o m e M r Ramdyal's thoughtful response, Selectivity in sympathy is still injustice ( https://wwwkaieteurnewso nline.com/2025/05/27/select ivity-in-sympathy-is-stillinjustice/ ), and his shared commitment to justice, even aswedivergeonhowbestto secure it Disagreement, when grounded in a mutual pursuit of truth, enriches public discourse I offer these clarifications in that spirit.
Mr Ramdyal rightly observes that “justice must have the bandwidth to hold two truths at once.” I agree. But the act of holding multipletruthsmustnotlead us to treat all wrongs as morally equivalent The tragic death of eleven-yearoldAdriannaYoungeandthe d e s t r u c t i o n o f property while both lamentable occupy fundamentally different moral terrains.To say this is not to deny anyone's pain; it is to insist on the kind of ethical discernment that is
thefoundationofrealjustice. Ididnottrivializethefire norabsolvethosewholooted and destroyed What I challenged was the disproportionate moral attention paid to property loss, especially in a moment that demanded the nation's fullattentiontothedeathofa child and the institutional failures surrounding it
When the Guyana Police Force's narratives collapse within hours, when critical security footage is mishandled or hidden, and whenpublicofficialsremain curiously mute, our first moral instinct should not be balancebutscrutiny
Mr Ramdyal is right to be concerned about trust whether it can be rebuilt after suspicion, fear, andruin.
But in societies marked by decades of institutional failure,wherejusticehastoo often followed influence rather than evidence, trust cannotberestoredbysilence or the mere absence of charges. It must be rebuilt through accountability and
transparency Itisnotenough to insist on the innocence of the accused; we must also account for why, in the eyes ofmany,thesystem'ssilence oftenappearsascomplicity
To reject mob rule—as I do without hesitation—does notmeanwemustignorethe roots of the rage
Understanding why mobs emerge is not the same as excusing their actions. We must have the courage to hold both thoughts in view: public violence must be condemned,andinstitutional betrayalmustbeconfronted. Justice fails when it is blind toonesideofthisequation.
Mr Ramdyal suggests that my logic drifts dangerously toward rationalising violence I respectfullydisagree.WhatI seekisnotrationalizationbut reckoning.
Guyanacannothealfrom trauma by condemning only its symptoms. The looting and arson were unlawful. But so too were the deceptions and silences that incubated the public's fury. Wecannotstandforlawand
order if we do not also demand truth and justice from those sworn to uphold them.
Justice must indeed be consistent—but consistency is not sameness. It requires us to distinguish between a child'sdeathandabusiness's destruction, between the actions of a mob and the
emotional understanding and moral approval To collapsethesedistinctionsis notfairness—itisflattening. Finally, this is not a contest of sympathies but a test of conscience In how we respond to Adrianna Younge'sdeath—inwhatwe condemnfirstandloudest,in whatweexplainandwhatwe excuse we disclose our deepestvalues.Ifjusticeisto meananythingatall,itmust begin with the truth, spoken without fear or favour, even when it implicates the powerful, the comfortable, orthefamiliar
Sincerely,
Guyana could become like Dubai if we are united and committed to its development
DearEditor,
Our beautiful Guyana is beamingwith oiland gas, awashedwithgoldandrichin other precious minerals, flourishing in agriculture, over-flowingwithwaterand an abundance of fishes all overthecountry,yetitisstill relatively poor Many if not most of us seem to think or believethatnottoofarinthe distantfuture,Guyanacould
become a very prosperous country achieving the lushness of Dubai. Some have even contended that Guyana, is blessed with its vast oil and mineral resources and huge forests and could become wealthier thanDubai.Othersareofthe opinion that it could happen because not too long ago, Dubai was a dry and sandy desert with hardly any oil or
natural resources. Jobs were scarce and its people were strugglingtosurvive.
ThetruthisDubaididnot become rich overnight. Its wealth stems from a combination of factors, including its significant oil and gas reserves, strategic economic diversification, and a thriving tourism and real estate sector The discovery of oil in Dubai in
1966 provided a substantial income source and allowed its leaders to invest heavily in infrastructure, healthcare, e d u c a t i o n , h u m a n development and public services,thustransformingit into a modern, global economic power The leadersofDubaihadplanned carefully and they had a visiontomakeDubaiatruly independent and affluent
Justice must indeed be consistent...
Frompage5 4. EMGL and the EPA also fail to use updated and relevant information for the analysisofimpactsandrisks.
For example, samples of produced water should be taken, analysed and characterized to determine radionuclide activity, suspended solids, oil ratio, PHAand chemicals and this shouldbepubliclyavailable.
F i v e y e a r s i n t o
ExxonMobil/EEPGL production, there is still a lack of relevant data even though four (4) oil projects are in production and an additional three (3) others are being approved and planned.
5. Despite the vast quantities of chemicals that aretobeusedinoffshoreoil andgasoperation,thereisno chemicaluseandmonitoring plan in place for drilling fluids and other production chemicals in keeping with international best practices, includingOFC,WorldBank, OSPARandIOGPguidance. Such a plan should not only quantify but assesses the environmental risk of each chemicalusedorproposedto beusedduringtheentirelife of the project – exploration, drilling, production, and decommissioning of wells. This is a glaring and unacceptable gap Additionally, only approved chemicals should be used, but Guyana's regulatory agencytheEPAseemstonot only lack the expertise but also the regulatory systems
todothis.Chemicalsshould be tested for toxicity, bioaccumulation, and biodegradabilitybytheEPA. https/www.ospar.org
6. Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) wastes have not being giving sufficient attention in EMGL's operations This is even more alarming as exposure to radiation and radiation hazards is one of the most harmfulhazardstothehealth of humans and the environment even in small d o s e s L e v e l s o f radionuclides toxicity also tendtoincreasetheolderthe offshorewells.
7. H ydrocarbon contaminated solids/sand
f r o m p r o d u c t i o n , contaminatedbrine,mercury equipment and NORM contaminated solids, waste mineraloildrillingadditives
lack EPA hazardous regulations. These are all major hazardous wastes and should have written EPA regulations, but without waste profile sheets it appearsthisdataisnotbeing collectedandcategorizedfor thepast5years.
8. The sheer volume of hazardous discharges into Guyana's ocean are not well known Daily discharges from produced water from Liza 1, Liza 2 and Payara adds up to 18,750 bpd (barrels per day), 562, 560 bpd for 30 days and 6,750, 720 bpd per year Based on Dr Adams calculations that for every millions of barrels
of produced water 29 – 40 barrels of oil will be discharged into Guyana's ocean,atotalof174to240barrels of oil are being dumped into Guyana's aquatic environment every year with the produced water If we calculate for 4 years, this adds up to 696 –960barrelsofoil.
Recommendations:
The EPA should stop processing permits for new offshore oil and gas productionuntilGuyanaasa country has both the legal and technical capacity in placetomanageimpactsand regulatetheindustry.
The Data Visualization Centre of the Petroleum Institute together with the EPAneedstoexpanditsdata collection to include oil not only in produced water daily/ monthly but data on bilge water discharged in G u y a n a ' s m a r i n e environment and which include oil residues and otherhazardouswastes,data on drill cuttings including water based and nonaqueous drilling fluids on drill cuttings discharged to the seabed and quantities of chemicals used and discharged into Guyana's marine environment. This must also be made available publicly and in a userfriendly format. The EPA shoulddevelopwasteprofile s
y Occurring Radioactive MaterialsNORMwastesand all other wastes as indicated inparagraphs7and8.
TheEPAmustdevelopa chemicaluseandmonitoring plan in place for all chemicals used in its operations in keeping with international best practices and which assesses the environmental risk of each chemical used during the entire life cycle of oil & gas exploration, production and decommissioninGuyana.
We remind the EPAand E M G L o f t h e i r responsibility to guarantee andensuretheconstitutional rights of Guyanese to a safe and healthy environment (article 149), the duty of citizens to participate in activities for the improvement of the environment&toprotectthe health of all Guyanese (article 25) and the right to access environmental information, right to public p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n environmentalmatters,right to a healthy environment, safe and enabling e n v i r o n m e n t f o r environmental defenders, free from threats, restrictions, and protection a n d p r o m o t i o n o f environmental defenders in environmental matters (Escazu agreement) A similar submission was sent to the EPA re UARU's EIA with a request for an EAB hearing before an environmental permit was issued to EMGL No response was ever received fromtheEPA.
Yourssincerely, DanutaRadzik
nation.
AndeventhoughDubai's total outstanding debt is US$112.4 billion, which is 22% of its GDP and which includes both direct government debt and debt from Government-Related Entities, it is actively working to reduce its debt burden by more than half throughadebtsustainability plan Furthermore, its leaders did not squander the country's money or build mansions for themselves. They have built roads, bridges, airports, schools and a massive tourist attraction similar to what P r e s i d e n t A l i ' s administration has done and continues to do. Simply put, the leaders of Dubai are smart and insightful in that they had the wisdom and foresight to spread the country's wealth across many sectors. Today, Dubai is raking in huge sums of money from its oil and gas, tourist attraction and its real estate ventures, among others.
It is the belief of many thatGuyanacandothesame or even better than Dubai, but it will take strong, discipline, courage and properleadershipandastute, sk
e planning. If we do not heed thisadviceandspendouroil revenues wisely, the vast majority of the population will remain poor and impoverished despite our enormous resources
Another reason why Dubai has become filthy rich in such a short span of time is because white collar crimes incl
embezzlement of public funds are dealt with swiftly and severely The delay in progress in Guyana is due largely to corruption and bribes/ kickbacks which are rampant at almost every level and, in some cases, h a v e b e c o m e institutionalized with hardly anyharshpenaltiesorsevere consequences. It must end immediately.
Thenation,especiallyits youths are tired of corrupt practices, frustrated with cronyism, fed up with bad roads, poor schools, and annoyed with pitiable and mediocre health care services.Andwhileafeware getting rich, a large section of the population has remained poor and are getting poorer Those in authority have to think carefully, act strategically and embarked on smart farming, clean energy, ecotourism, and improve and e n h a n c e h u m a n development, health care andeducation.
WethepeopleofGuyana cannot afford to remain divided along racial lines or become distracted. We must remain focus and keep our eyes on the prize Development cannot be achieved with empty speeches, broken promises and unfiltered rhetoric, but with action by our youths who are roughly 65 percent of the total population. We need leaders who will serve thepeople,liftupouryouths, instillconfidenceinthem, (Continueonpage6)
DearEditor,
On May 25, 2025 elections were held in neighbouring Suriname Fourteen political parties contested the elections held in all ten districts of Suriname.
The candidates from the two main parties were Chandrikapersad Santokhi, of the ruling Progressive Reform Party (VHP) having wonthe2020election.
The Progressive Reform Party (VHP), an IndoSurinamesepartyfoundedin 1947 by Jaggernath Lachmon, a Surinamese politician, who served as President of the VHP until hisdeathin2001.
The main opposition party is the National DemocraticParty(NDP)led by Jennifer GeerlingsSimons The party was founded in 1987 by Dési Bouterse, and is one of the firstpartiesinthecountryto haveastablebaseofsupport across different ethnic groups.
Other contesting parties were: The National Party Suriname (NPS); The General Liberation and Development Party (ABOP); Arena Political Party (APP); The Party for Communication (PVC) OPTSU; Alternatief 2020 (A20); The Pertjajah Luhur (PL); People's Party; Leefbaar; VLS);De Nieuwe Leeuw (DNL); Brotherhood and Unity in Politics (BEP); DemocraticUnionSuriname (DUS) Democratic; Alternative'91.
Massive billboards displaying the faces of leading party candidates with their corresponding number on the ballot paper were mounted all over Paramaribo while flags bearing the colours of the contesting political parties were visible at every nook andcrannyofthecity Under Suriname's PR electoral system, a political party can
name candidates in each of the ten electoral districts to contestagainstcandidatesof other parties. The hope is to garner as many votes as possibletowinthatelectoral districtfortheirparty
Depending on which partycandidategetsthemost votes, that person may contest within their own party to be the party's presidential candidate and later,forthepostofpresident of the country at the first sitting of the Surinamese NationalAssemblysinceitis theParliamentthatelectsthe PresidentoftheRepublic.
However, should the National Assembly end up being a 'Hung Assembly'
t h e n t h e d i s t r i c t representatives who were also elected at the just concluded election (each elector is by law allowed to vote twice on two separate ballotpaper;oneforpartyto send representatives to the National Assembly and secondly,anothertoserveas adistrictrepresentative).Itis thelatter,whowillbecalled upon in the case of a 'Hung Assembly' to elect a President along with 51 members of the National Assembly
With a change in the Surinamese electoral system, this year's elections were held under the PR or proportional representation system (as in the case of Guyana) Previously, general elections in Suriname were conducted using the (ten) constituency electoral arrangement, more or less akin to the Constituency electoral system as obtains in other CARICOMmemberstates.
I n 2 0 2 2 , t h e Constitutional Court of Suriname held that the constituency system was o u t d a t e d a n d unconstitutional, citing unequal voting power among districts. As a result of the ruling, all 51 seats in
the NationalAssembly were up for election from the whole of Suriname that is nowoneconstituency Inthe circumstances, electors in the just concluded elections cast their ballots for party lists, not individual candidates.
Elections Day was peaceful Long lines of voters were seen outside polling stations Persons dressedinpartycolourswere allowedtovoteandbuilding housing polling stations were bedecked with the different party flags Politicalpartieshadcolorful booths mounted just a few feet away from polling stations.Thevotecounttook place at polling stations in the presence of party representatives. There were no commotions. Seats in the National Assembly are allocated to parties in proportion to the total number of votes they would havereceivednationwide.
Thenewelectoralsystem was officially approved by the National Assembly in October2023.
Uptothetimeofwriting, seats have been allocated as follows:
The Progressive Reform Party(VHP);17
T h e N a t i o n a l DemocraticParty (NDP):18
The General Liberation and Development Party (ABOB):6
The National Party of Suriname(NPS):6
PertjahaLuhur(PL):2
Alernatief2020(A20):1 Brotherhood and Unity Party(BEP):1
According to Suriname's constitution, 26 seats are neededtogovernSuriname
According to reports A Coalition government based on deal making began long before May 2025. Together they have 34 seats. A sixparty coalition amongst the parties that won seats has been established leaving out
Guyana could become like Dubai if we...
Frompage5 andmakeeverycitizenproud tobeGuyanese.
Our leaders must be committed to good governance, transparency, the perseveration of democracy, equality and an impartial,ethicalandvirtuous justice system for all Guyanese must not accept poormanagementasnormal, excuses for excellence and party loyalty for progress. Wemustdevelopandbuilda Guyana in which every
citizen, regardless of race, ethnicity, party affiliation or statusmusthaveachanceto strive.Thename"Guyana"is derivedfromanAmerindian language which means land of many waters due to the numerous rivers, creeks, canals and streams that traverse the country, including the Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice rivers.Guyanaalsohaslarge reserves of oil, gold, fertile lands,hugerainforestsallof which make Guyana the
the Indo-Surinamese who constitute 27.4% of the total population,makingthemthe largest ethnic group in Suriname. Any political or social scientist would draw certainconclusionsfromthis outcome.
Someofthepartiesinthe new coalition under the leadership of the NDP were in Santokhi's government in the first years of his administration but owing to differences on policy matters, claims of unacceptable personality traits, allegations of corruption and drug traffickingagainstholdersof public office, many left and eventually gravitated towardstheNDP Butitwas more the persuasive and negotiating skills of Geerlings-Simons that brought those disillusioned with the VHP over to an alliance with NDP In the circumstances, GeerlingsSimons is likely to be the first woman President of Suriname.
On the economic front, Suriname entered into 36month International Monetary Fund (IMF) extended Fund Facility that was approved by the IMF Executive Board in December2021.
According to a report by an IMF team who held discussions with the Surinamese authorities during February, 2025, agreement was reached on what was described as; 'a staff-level agreement on the ninthandfinalreviewofthe authorities' Economic
Recovery Programme (ERP), supported by the Extended Fund Facility (EFF).Thereviewissubject to approval by the IMF's Executive Board if approved, by the said body Surinamewouldhaveaccess to about USD 61.3 million (SDR46.8million).'
'was at aimed at debt restructuring, consequential austerity measures, and tenders for high-profile infrastructure projects that wereriddledwithallegations of corruption, all of which helped weaken his party's popularityinthecountry '
T h e c h a l l e n g e s notwithstanding, the IMF reported that 'Economic growth is projected to reach 3 percent this year (2025), inflation is on a steady downward trend, donor support is increasing, investor confidence is returning, international reserves are stable, public debt is declining, the autonomyandgovernanceof the central bank have been strengthened, and now at comfortable levels '
According to the Fund; 'The authorities' main near-term policypriorityistomaintain fiscaldisciplineintherunup to the elections while protectingthevulnerable.'
The incoming NDP administration will have to decide on the future of its relations with the IMF consideringtheobservations made by the IMF that; 'the authorities face important near-term risks, including capacity constraints and policy implementation challenges reflecting the increasingly difficult sociopolitical environment ' Furthermore, the incoming N D P c o a l i t i o n administration will have to consider the IMF's call that; 'Stronger efforts are needed to address the challenges in the execution of the social beneficiary program to ensurethebenefitsreachthe intended beneficiaries, particularly in the country's interiorregions.'
recommendation that 'the amendment should be promptly enacted and implemented' and that 'Transparency of public official's asset holdings w o u l d l e s s e n t h e vulnerability to corruption that comes with the massive oil revenues ' The IMF observedthat;'Itisalsovery important to work towards getting the suspension lifted from the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.”
Also, the incoming coalition administration will have to keep in mind the IMF's suggestion that; 'Broader structural reforms are necessary to increase efficiency,transparency,and accountability in the energy sector.'
Unless skillfully managed by the new government, the on-going IMF driven economic and social reforms are likely to cause some unease amongst theSurinamepopulace
The electoral setback notwithstanding, outgoing VHP administration should be commended for leaving behind a healthy economy since according to the IMF mission; ‘Suriname's medium-term outlook has improved significantly with the announcement of the final investment decision (FID) paving the way for offshore oil production beginningin2028.'
The Fund commended the outgoing Santokhi administration for making 'important steps towards amending the anticorruption legal framework tostrengthentheincomeand asset provision for politicallyexposedpersons.'
envy of the world. Guyana also has a rich culture and brilliant minds and is sitting onatreasurechest,butthese alone cannot build a nation likeDubai.Whatthecountry needs is unity, and selfless leaders with vision, courage andintegrity Wedonotneed separate groups divided by race and politics, but one people united, free and strong and fighting for one futureandoneGuyana.
Sincerely, Dr AsquithRose
According to the IMF, the Santokhi administration facedanumberofchallenges during its term in office i n c l u d i n g ; 'underperformance of nont a x r e v e n u e s a n d overspending on electricity subsidies. The government also had to support rice farmers that lost their crops due to drought The challenges notwithstanding, the VHP according to the IMF; 'achieved the broad o b j e c t i v e s o f t h e programme.'
The IMF funded ERP and implemented by the Santokhi administration
Among key measures recommended by the IMF thatthenewgovernmentwill have taken on board is; 'the Surinamese authorities should promptly implement the recently completed strategicplantoenhancethe effectiveness of social protection with the support o f d e v e l o p m e n t partners and with the bankingsystem.”
The Fund went further suggesting that 'The authorities need to push ahead with their ambitious structural reform agenda to strengthen institutions and governance With the supportoftheIMF.'
Furthermore, the incoming coalition governmentwillnowhaveto take note of the Fund's
In the final analysis, the VHP paid the price for swallowing the bitter medicineofIMF'sERP This was reflected in the formationoftheseven-party anti-VHPalliance.
The economic and fiscal considerations aside, it seems to me that there is a much larger and geostrategicquestionhere.Ithas todowithwhatsomeviewas the 'Democratic Wave' within CARICOM with the comingtopoweroftheUNC in Trinidad and Tobago, the unexpected return to office of NDP with its allies in Suriname and the likely reelectionofPPP/Ctoofficein Guyana.
The coalition of antiVHPforcesinSurinamehas reinforcedthedemocratic (Continueonpage9)
ANewandUnited G u y a n a (ANUG) has congratulated President IrfaanAli for his timely and constitutionally mandated announcement of General and Regional Elections 2025.
This move reflects a commitment to democratic norms and the rule of law, which form the bedrock of our nation's governance,thepartysaidin a press release. “We also acknowledge the statement by the Chairperson of the G u y a n a E l e c t i o n s Commission (GECOM) Justice (Retired) Claudette Singh, affirming that GECOMisreadyandwillbe readytodeliverfreeandfair elections within the stipulated constitutional timeline. ANUG welcomes this assurance as a critical step in maintaining public confidence in the electoral process.”
However, ANUG said while they commend GECOM's stated readiness, “we cannot overlook its long-standing operational shortcomings, particularly evident in the 2020 General Elections. The Secretariat's logistical and procedural missteps, many of which were publicly documented
andlaidbarefortheworldto see, must be urgently addressed GECOM's internal systems, personnel training, and election-day management require a serious overhaul to guarantee credibility and efficiency.”
Of note, ANUG said is therevelationofoppositionnominated commissioners that they were not informed of the decision made by the
chairwoman with regard to the readiness of GECOM beforethedeclarationbyHis Excellency “Clearly all is not well at the Commission anddecisionmakingmustbe done transparently and in keeping with established norms and protocols,” ANUGsaid.
Equally concerning, ANUG said is GECOM's continued laxness in upholding key elements of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA) “Campaign financing regulations, for example, remain effectively ignored, with no visible enforcement o r a c c o u n
b i l i t y mechanisms This failure undermines the spirit and letter of the law and opens the door to undue influence and opaque political financing, both of which erode public trust in our democratic system. Why GECOM continues to leave this matter unaddressed and their persistent flouting of the law only continues to diminish trust in those that lead the electoral body ANUG hopes that General Elections 2025 will be the beginning of something different; the ball is in GECOM'scourt.”
Furthermore, GECOM's ongoing refusal or inability to clarify the matter of the true Representative of the ListforTheNewMovement (TNM)remainsasignificant b l e m i s h o n t h e Commission's record. The lack of resolution on this matter compromises the transparency and integrity expected of our electoral body and raises serious concerns about GECOM's i m p a r t i a l i t y a n d competence. “In light of the
upcoming elections, ANUG calls on all Guyanese to uphold the principles of democracy by respecting eachcitizen'srighttochoose the candidate and political party of their choice. We remindtheelectoratethatthe power of the vote lie in its equality, every vote carries the same weight, and it is through this collective exercise that the will of the people is expressed. A vote forthepartyofyourchoiceis anactofcelebrationofyour right of suffrage, something thatwasearnedthroughhard w o r k a n d m a j o r commitments Even a refusal to vote, is a form of expressionofyourrightasa citizen of our beloved nation.”
AccordingtoANUG,for 59 years, Guyana has been governed by the same two major political groupings. “The nation has given them many chances, yet the promise of a just, inclusive, and prosperous Guyana remainsunfulfilled.Itistime to consider new voices and newleadership.
ANUG calls for a clean campaignseason,onewhich is free from mudslinging, fear, threats, violence and division.Wedemandrespect for political opponents, respect for our laws, our constitutional bodies and their representatives, and zero tolerance for any form of violence be it, before, during,orafterelections.Let us seize this moment as an opportunity to recommit to democratic values, to transparency and fairness, andtoafuturethatservesthe interest of all Guyanese Together we can, we must andwewillbuildANewand UnitedGuyana.”
InEnglishcriminallaw,a mere utterance of anger or frustration, even if it
contains aggressive language, does not automatically rise to the levelofacriminalthreat.The courts have consistently distinguished between speech that expresses transient irritation and that which is intended to intimidate, instil fear of immediate unlawful violence, or provoke a breachofthepeace.
Thisiswhythestatement “Ifyoubotherme,Iwillcuff you in the face,” when examined through a lens of legal principles and precedent, does not satisfy the legal criteria required to constituteacriminalthreat.
Threats of a criminal naturearedefinedintermsof wordsorbehaviourlikelyto provoke fear of immediate unlawful violence. For a person to be convicted or threatening language or behaviour, the prosecution must establish that: (1) the defendant used threatening, abusive, or insulting words or behaviour; (2) there was an intent to cause another person to believe that immediate unlawful violence would be used (the emphasis in on immediate) and(3)thevictimdidindeed fear such violence. Thus, both intent and immediacy are indispensable elements ofathreat.
The statement in question,“Ifyoubotherme,I will cuff you in the face,” is clearly conditional The inclusion of the word “if” rendersthethreatcontingent on a future hypothetical
event—i.e., the other party bothering the speaker. A threatthatisconditionaland lacks immediacy does not meet the threshold of criminality. Conditional threats, particularly those uttered in the heat of the moment, are typically not construed as intending to provoke fear of imminent harm.
Context is also legally critical.Courtsdonotassess words in a vacuum but consider how, when, and why they were said A statement made in frustration or exasperation, particularly during a heated but non-violent exchange, is not presumed to carry genuine intent to inflict harm. The legal test is not merely whether the words could be frightening, but whetherareasonableperson, hearing those words in the same circumstances, would interpret them as a real and immediatethreat.
In the present case, the speaker's words are not unequivocally threatening The phrase “cuff you in the face” is colloquial and arguablyless menacingthan words like “beat” or “kill.”
The term “cuff” assault, and its usage, may reflect cultural or conversational informality rather than genuine intent to commit violence. Coupled with the frustration evident in the speaker'stone,thestatement is more reasonably interpreted as a verbal expression of annoyance or frustration, not a calculated attempt to instil fear or to commitviolence.
subjective fear is not determinative of criminal l
y. W
r experienced by the recipient may be relevant, it must align with the objective reasonableness standard Thatis,thefearmustbeone that a reasonable person in the same situation would also experience. A person mayclaimtheywerefearful, but if a reasonable person in the same position would have understood the speaker'swordsasblusteror venting, the legal threshold for a criminal threat is not met. Intent is also central to any analysis of threatening language. The prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the speakerintendedtocausethe
Statements made in anger, particularly those spoken in theheatofthemoment,often lack this necessary mens. Frustratedorreactivespeech does not, without more, constitute a criminal act. Words said in temper withoutseriousintentdonot amount to a criminal threat unless supported by actions o r s u r r o u n d i n g circumstances that suggest follow-through.
As such, it is my considered opinion that the statement“Ifyoubotherme, I will cuff you in the face” doesnotrisetothelevelofa criminal threat under English law It lacks immediacy,itisconditional, it was likely said in frustration rather than with calculatedintent,anditdoes not reasonably convey a threatofseriousorimminent
harm.
While the listener may have subjectively felt fear, thatfearmustbegroundedin an objectively reasonable belief of immediate violence. In this case, that standardisnotmet.Criminal law should not penalise impulsive or frustrated speech unless it clearly crosses into the territory of intentional intimidation. To do otherwise would risk criminalising mere bad temper or poorly chosen words,whichthelawwisely seekstoavoid.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Wednesday come and de sky open up likeawomancryingatafuneral.Rainsfall like it vex with de whole country People had to wade through water like Moses partingdeRedSea—butinsteadofparting, de sea just sit down pon de road and seh, “Trypassmenow!”
One man decide after that soaking, he done with de nonsense. Thursday morning heputonhebestpants,shinehelongboots, andgrabdebigblackumbrellalikehegoing to war with de weather gods. He walk to workproud-proud,umbrellacockhighlike heexpectingacategoryfivestorm.
But guess what? Not a drop! De sun come out like it had a grudge against he umbrella People watching he and whispering, “He look like he miss de memo.” By lunchtime, he sweating like a sinner in church, walking round wid de umbrellalikeashameflag.
Dem boys seh is one thing wid this weather—it does wait till you leave de umbrellahome,thenitsendraindownlike
judgementday
Desamemansehtoday,Friday,“Nah,I not carrying umbrella. Is dry season now.” Buthearnah,demomenthestepoutwithout it, mark meh words—rain gon pelt like it wanttopunishhesoul.
Is like de weather got a personal beef with he. Is a game of cat and mouse: you carry de umbrella, sun does bun yuh; you leaveit,raindoesbaptizeyuh.
Dem boys seh Guyana weather is not aboutforecast—it'saboutvibes.Derainand sunplayingtagteam,andyouisdejoke.
Solehdemantryhelucktoday.Buthe betterknow—ifheleavedeumbrellahome, isthendeheavensgonopenandteachhea nextlessoninhumility
And if yuh see he soaking wet later, don'tlaughtoohard.Nextweek,itcouldbe you.
Dem boys seh, walk wid yuh umbrella. Even if it don't rain, it can block sun—or shame. Talkhalf.Leffhalf
Frompage6 Electoral Wave' which had emerged and existed for a short while in CARICOM beginning with the victory of Kamla Bissessar in T&T, Irfaan Ali in Guyana and Chandraprasad Santokhi in Suriname.
Had the VHP been re-
elected in Suriname and with an imminent victory of the PPP/CinGuyanaasaresultof free and fair elections in the three CARICOM members states, the 'democratic wave' in CARICOM would have beenbefurtherconsolidated.
Yoursfaithfully, ClementJ.Rohee
“Here we go, round the mulberrybush
The mulberry bush, the mulberrybush…”
That English nursery rhyme of yore, is Guyana's Bharrat Jagdeo rhythm in rainandsun. IfGuyanahad snow and sleet, he would be right there too dancing and cavorting round his mulberry bush. While the big man is having a ton of fun, the small man and womaninGuyanaareliving
onbushteaandbramble. So, what'snewinGuyana,other thantheoldnowrefinedand perfectedbyVPJagdeo?
A short while back, Dr Jagdeo was asked about publication of some mineral contracts. Man! Did he get into gear and drove Guyaneseallovertowninan e n d l e s s c i r c l e !
Unsuspecting media people were sent to the Ministry of NaturalResourcesfirst,then to the Guyana Geology and
Mines Commission, and when both failed to turn up gold, they were dispatched by Jagdeo to the majestic Guyana Revenue Authority Insteadofstrikinggoldwith a few sheets of paper, the mediagotabagofgrimefor its troubles. It was Bharat Jagdeo's version of a sightseeing tour, a cruise around GT, and having a longbellylaff,whilemaking afoolofthenationoverand overbackthen. Hesaidthat
it is his government's standard of accountability Round and round Jagdeo's pimpla bush. When he is questionedaboutsomeofthe biggest things in Guyana, Guyanese discover the strangestofrevelations. The biggest things in Guyana occupythesmallestspacein Jagdeo's head. Thus, he sends inquirers to lawyers and auditors and doctors who are tightlipped and tied into knots. He also has his reserve of fabricators
Recall oil blocks and how some people got some, and nobody could say why and on what terms, and it is the same old beating about the bushfromlawyerstorecords toministry Untilhelatched onto the fact that there was no law in place to inhibit such political adventures, hence, none was broken. Then,therewasthatbigone, thatmysteryauditmoney,all US$214 million of it, that some very versatile rewrite man in one of Guyana's ministries converted to US$3 million while everybody was watching closely And then back to US$214 million while the inkwasstillwet. IwishIhad those skills, those types of patrioticpriorities.
B u t , i t i s t h e constitutional right of every Guyanese to the entitlement of his or her own priorities. And if it is power and the money that flows from its acquisition and retention, thenfewshouldcomplain. It is political Darwinism at its best. And now Dr Bharat was back with his best: the Walesgas-to-energyproject. Somebody is going to be energized,anditmaynotbe Guyanese hoping for a cheaper light bill. Once again, it was what Jagdeo rubs becoming rancid. I
encourage fellow citizens, the energy hopefuls to follow this track that theWales Gasto-Energy (Gte) has taken, compliments of Jagdeo's expert navigational resourcefulness. Theeasiest componentoftheWalesGte wasthemilesofpipelinethat Exxon laid undersea from theoilandgassitestoWales withoutmuchfanfare. After that, matters have gotten a little shaky A lawsuit has been filed by a foreign company,anAmericanbank tookaneternitytoapprovea loan for the onshore parts of theWalesGte,andGuyanese only have what VP Jagdeo tellsthemisthebasisforthe project. What Dr Jagdeo has put on the table is nothing. It is all of two words:trustme.
I remind all Guyana that thisWalesGteisthebiggest oneonlandundertakensofar by any government in this country's history It currently carried a price tag of US$2 billion The operative word is 'currently' because it is almost guaranteed to be a couple hundredmillionmore. Only a couple. And only Dr Jagdeo can enlighten citizenshowthisGteproject spiraled to between three to four times what was said to be its original cost I emphasizethatwhateverthis national leader touches, some taint follows. But the vice president is anything, butone-dimensional. Henot onlyhasdifficultyproducing any pack of papers that provides the technical and economic rationales for the Wales Gte. He can find neither the papers to lay in parliament nor anybody in his government who has ownershipofthem.
Prime Minister Phillips
promised delivery of the WalesGtedocumentsthrice, and like St. Peter he thrice disowned his prior commitment. Apparently, PM Phillips has a hearing problem,whichcouldbeasa result from all the artillery shells exploding near him during his army stint. It is whyhecannothearallthose roosters crowing after his third fall. Hon. Minister Gail Texeira whose named was called said, 'don't come to me.' Minister Vickram Bharat, another highly honourable Guyanese, was also fingered by BJ to be a trustee having access to the Wales Gte documents, and he was even rougher than Minister Texeira: don't even look in my direction.' After that patented Jagdeo mulberry runaround, he ran out of gas. All of theWales Gte documents will be shared when the US$2 billion project is completed. That's vintage Jagdeo: selling what he calls substance, but blowing smoke in Guyanese eyes. Whenever there is a big jag, ormomentousdevelopment, orcauseforcelebration,such news is broadcast to the widest audiences. Here, Guyana's oil and gas man goes in the other direction: under the bed, or deep underground. I say this one last time: whatever Boss Jagdeorubsbecomesrancid. Some have that spirit in them. It blights all things thatcomeoutofthem.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Senior Vice President of Exxon Mobil Neil Chapman hasexpressedconfidencethat his company will be able to acquiretheHesssharesinthe lucrative Stabroek Block offshoreGuyana
According to a Reuters
article on Thursday, Chapman was at the time speaking at a Bernstein conferenceonThursday The arbitration proceedings concludedthisweekanditis expected that a decision will bemadewithingthenexttwo or three months “While speaking at a Bernstein conference,Chapmansaidhe was confident that a threemember arbitration panel wouldruleinExxon'sfavour and determine it had a rightof-first-refusal to purchase Hess' stake in a Guyana oil joint venture operated by Exxon,”Reuterssaid.
On May 25, this publication reported thatTop U S oil producer ExxonMobil and Hess will meet face-to-face in a court hearing to determine the fate ofChevron's,$53billiondeal to buy Hess and with it a prized stake in Guyana's prolificoilfields
The planned acquisition, announced in October 2023, is one of the oil industry's biggestdealsinyears Itiskey to Chevron CEO Mike Wirth'sstrategyofimproving the oil company's
performance Exxon and China's CNOOC, Hess' partners in Guyana, filed arbitration disputes early last year,whichhavedelayedthe deal's closing and caused Chevron to miss out on increasedoutputandrevenue Hess'mostattractiveasset is its 30 per cent stake in the Stabroek Block off the coast of Guyana, operated by Exxon. Guyana is one of the world's fastest-growing oil producers and the Stabroek Block is estimated to hold morethan11billionbarrelsof oilequivalent Exxon and CNOOC
claim that they have a contractual right of first refusal to purchase Hess' stakeintheGuyanafield
Chevron and Hess argue the clause does not apply to the sale of the whole company If they lose the arbitration and are unable to agree on an acceptable resolution with Exxon and CNOOC, the acquisition would fail, according to the termsofthedeal.
A three-member arbitration tribunal under the International Chamber of Commerce will analyse the dispute in a confidential
hearingthatstartsonMonday inLondon
The joint operating agreement in the Stabroek Block between Hess, Exxon and CNOOC is governed by UKlaw,accordingtoasource familiarwiththeterms
By the time the hearing kicks off, Hess, Exxon and CNOOCshouldhavealready submitted in writing the majorityofthetestimonythat will be considered by the tribunal, according to four international arbitration attorneys who are familiar withtheICC'sprocedures
A spokesperson for Hess pointed to a previous filing thatsaidthecompanyexpects adecisionafterthehearingin the third quarter, while an Exxonspokespersonreferred back to previous public
comments about the case ChevronandCNOOCdidnot respond to requests for comment Prior to the hearing, the companies may submit documents and written statements from witnesses or experts they havecalledontosupporttheir claimsinthedispute
Attorney-at-law, Nigel Hughes, has promised to appeal the High Court decision rendered against Alliance for Change (AFC) Member of Parliament (MP), Catherine Hughes, in thelibelsuitlostagainstVice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo.
Mrs Hughes sued JagdeoformorethanGY$50 million for calling her a “low-life”,atermshesaysin court papers can mean, amongotherthings,thatshe isacriminal,disreputableor immoral and can be tied to herraceorgender
The court subsequently
dismissed the case and awarded costs in favour of Jagdeo in the sum of $4,099,999.00.
Thecostwasimposedon Hughes by Justice Priscilla Chandra Hanif at the GeorgetownHighCourt.
In a brief statement, Mr Hughes, who is the husband oftheOppositionMP,noted that the sum is the highest award ever given to a plaintiff in a High Court matter Hesaidthat,assuch,the matter will be the subject of anappeal.
“In the highest award of costseveragainstaclaimant/ plaintiff in the High Court,
Justice Hanif today gave judgment in favour of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo in libelproceedingsbroughtby Member of Parliament Catherine Hughes against Bharrat Jagdeo for referring toherasa'low-life'.”
The lawyer said, “In the written ruling, Justice Hanif expressed the view that the description of Catherine HughesMPasa“low-life”in the following terms, 'The Courthasconcludedthatthe comment made by the defendant was fair and reasonable.'”
Mr Hughes also noted that the defendant [Jagdeo] failed to testify at the trial
whilethenumberoffulltrial dayswaslessthansevenfull days.
According to him, the judgmentappearstohaveset thetoneforpublicdiscourse in the upcoming national elections.
In her libel suit, Mrs Hughes said Mr Jagdeo slandered her at a news conferenceonNovember23, 2023, when he uttered and caused to be published the following words “from someone, a low-life like Cathy Hughes” in clear referencetoher
“The publication of the words complained of has g
n
ured the reputation of the Claimant, exposed her to public scandal and contempt, great e m b a r r a s s m e n t , psychological trauma, emotional distress and p
, ” accordingtothelawsuitfiled on her behalf through Hughes, Fields and Stoby-t
principals include her husband.
Particularsofthealleged
slander are that “in their n
meaning, the words meant and were understood to mean and suggest in their plain and literal language, nine descriptions, which are allblatantliesanddeliberate falsehoods.”
In support of her claim for general and exemplary damages, Mrs. Hughes is cited in the court papers as theChairmanoftheAlliance For Change (AFC), is a member of the National Assembly, Chairperson of theAFC, a political party in the National Assembly, served the Republic of Guyana as a minister of the GovernmentofGuyana,and
internationally, female and African.
Shearguedthattheterm “
criminal, disreputable, African woman or woman
d disposition, low class A
t deserving of and respect, and/or dignity; conducted her life in a manner which most persons disapproved
deserving of contempt, sub-human African female o
dishonourable
Businessman
A z r u d d i n
Mohamed, after posting his bail at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court on Thursday, told reporters that he has evidence to show that President Irfaan Ali facilitatedtheimportationof hisLamborghini.
Mohamed, during an interview, told reporters that he holds proof of the President facilitating and assisting with the clearance of the Lamborghini. “Irrfan Ali is nothing more than a…person.
IhaveproofwhereIrfaan Ali facilitated and assisted with the clearance of the Lamborghini.
I'm waiting for him to saythatthatisalie.
Andtrustme,anytimehe comes out and say it's a lie,
I'll show the whole country how he is,” Mohamed said.
StillontheLamborghini, Mohamed said: “I called Jagdeo,IsaidIwanttomeet withyou.Hesaid,comenow totheconventioncentre,that is in August/ September I toldhimIwanttopurchasea Lamborghini. And he said, go to Irfaan Ali and to talk Irfaan Ali. That is what he told me,” the businessman told reporters. Jagdeo, during his weekly press conference on Thursday, challenged Mohamed to release the evidence: “Let himreleasetheevidencethat President Ali told him to submit a false invoice to the GRA…(Itis)afakeinvoice, because no such thing happened.” PresidentAli, in a comment to News Room, denied the claims made by
Mohamed.
“The authority to waive taxes rests with the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and its Commissioner General. At no time have I instructed the GRA on any tax matter regarding Mr Mohamed,” News Room quoted the President as saying.
“Iwoulddefinitelylike Mr. Mohamed to share any information in which he presented to me the true invoiceof thevehiclewhich isnowavailabletoGRA.Itis ridiculousforMr.Mohamed tosuggestotherwise.”
According to News Room,Alisaidthatwhiletax matters are frequently brought to the attention of the presidency, they are appropriately referred to the GRA, which operates independently in such matters.
Businessman Azruddin Mohamed onThursday made it clear that he will not be teaming up with any of the Oppositionpartiesaheadofthe September 1, 2025 elections, as he is confident in his abilitytowinonhisown.
Mohamed was speaking with reporters at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court where he appeared to answer to two charges of tax evasion on one of his luxury vehicles.Onhisexitfromthe Courtroom,thebusinessman said the name of his party will soon be disclosed Mohamed,whoisaccusedof tax evasion by the United States government has been sanctioned and is currently facing other charges locally for allegedly making false declarations to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) on the value of several luxury vehicles purchased bythefamily
On Monday evening, Mohamed announced that he will be entering the political race for Presidency Although heisyettoannouncethename of his political party, the businessman revealed that he is discussion with members of all three major political parties - the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP), theAPartnership for
National Unity and the AllianceForChange(AFC).
According to him, “We have a lot of candidates now fromthePPP,APNUandAFC All parties want to come on board Very soon we will put outallthisinthepublic.”
Whenaskedifheintendsto coalesce with any of the Opposition parties, the young Mohamed responded in the negative Hemadeitclear,“We have the strength to win the electionsonourown Wedid a sample of about 80,000 persons throughout this country, we sampled and we got65%ofthevotesandthat's why they (the government) are behaving like this...sheer politicalpersecution.”
Post elections, the new
political candidate said he is willing to partner with any of thepoliticalpartiesinthebest interestofthecountry “When it comes to making right decisions for the benefit of the country, when it comes down that road, we will decidebutrightnow,wewill not coalesce going into the e
n Mohamedexplained.
Similarly, he said he is willingtopartnerwiththePPP, APNUorAFCintheNational Assembly on decisions to benefit the country Asked whetherheiswillingtomake amends with the ruling party, Azruddin Mohamed maintained, “Only for the upliftment and benefit of the Guyanesepeople.”
“Anymatterinrelationto taxes – and many such matters are raised with the president – are sent to the GRA. In this instance, the GRA made it very clear to Mr Mohamedthattheywere investigating the true value of the vehicle and in the course of that investigation, the true value of the vehicle is now established,” he added.
When Mohamed was asked to comment on whether he and his father, NazarMohamed,evadedthe taxesforgold,hedeniedthe allegations.
He said, “If someone smuggled 10,000 kilograms of gold out of Guyana, 10,000 kilograms of gold, right?
You think it's easy to smuggle all this gold out of this country. Someone, senior Government officials have to know about these things ” In an earlier
Former Legal Officer of GECOM,KurtDaSilva,has madegoodonhispromiseto file a defamation claim againsttheGuyanaElections Commission(GECOM).
According to the Statement of Claim (SoC) filed in the High Court, Da Silva is seeking damages, including aggravated and/or exemplary damages, for libel in respect of words published or caused or authorised to be published by GECOM and the Chief Executive Officer, Vishnu Persaud, in a press release titled the 'Non-Renewal of theEmploymentContractof GECOM'sLegalOfficer'.
In the court document, Da Silva noted that the release was published on 20th March 2025, on GECOM's website, Facebook page, and Facebook pages of Mohabir Anil Nandlall, the Attorney GeneralofGuyana.
Among the orders being sought, Mr Da Silva is asking the Court to grant an
order for formal and official retractionsofthereleaseand statements published by GECOM and the CEO and that they publish such retractions in the same manner as they were published and on the front pageoftheGuyanaNational NewspapersLimited.
Additionally, the claimantwantsacourtorder that mandates GECOM and the CEO to issue formal apologies to him for the false, malicious and defamatory statements impugninghischaracterand reputation and that they publishsuchapologiesinthe same manner as the press release and press statement were published and on the front page of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.
Inadocumenttosupport his case, Mr Da Silva noted that he served as GECOM's legalofficeruntil31stMarch 2025.Priortoacceptingthat appointment, the Claimant said that he served both the
High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana(HighCourt),asthe first Judicial Research AssistanttoalloftheJudges of that Court, and the Caribbean Court of Justice (also known as CCJ) as a JudicialCounsel.
FollowingtheClaimant's serviceinthosepositions,he received “glowing recommendations from the Judges of those Courts, includingfromthePresident oftheCCJ,”whenheapplied for the position of Legal O
Defendant.
Atallmaterialtimes,the Claimantwasthesoleholder oftheofficeofLegalOfficer of the First Defendant, and references to “the Legal Officer” in the publications complained of herein were understoodbythepublicand all persons acquainted with thecircumstancestoreferto theClaimant.
Da Silva had demanded that GECOM's Chairperson and Chief Elections Officer
(CEO) issue a public apology and retraction for “false allegations” made about him in two press releases or be prepared to facelegalaction.
In letters datedApril 14, 2025 and addressed to the GECOM Chair, Justice (Ret'd)ClaudetteSingh,and the CEO, Vishnu Persaud, Da Silva outlined the “ f a l s e h o o d s a n d mischa
acterisations” perpetuated against him and theirdamagingeffectsonhis professionalconduct.
In a detailed letter to Justice Singh, Da Silva expressed his deep regret and concern regarding the press release issued by GECOM on 9 April 2025 titled 'Non-Renewal of the Employment Contract of GECOM'sLegalOfficer'.
DaSilva served as the Commission's legal officer for the past three years. His contractwasupforrenewal, and according to him, he received an exemplary performance appraisal from the Chairperson and an a c c o m p a n y i n g recommendation for his contract'srenewal.
The governmentnominated commissioners voted against the renewal of DaSilva'scontract,andtheir position was supported by the Chairperson The
GECOM Chair and government commissioners posited that his submissions in the Carol Smith-Joseph v AG, Commissioner of Registration & GECOM case were contrary to instructions.
However, the attorney madeitclearthathiswritten submissions in the said case were submitted and c i r c
t h e Chairperson, CEO and all commissioners In his lengthylettertotheGECOM Chair,DaSilvamadeitclear that the press release issued by GECOM was “replete with false and misleading statements” about his professional conduct and legalsubmissions.
“I was especially surprised and disheartened to see such inaccuracies published with the apparent a u
h e Commission. You, more thananyone,areawareofthe actual sequence of events andthelackofveracityinthe allegations made. In fact, upon reading the press release, I reached out to you immediately to inquire if it originated from your office and to urge that it be retracted. I implored that it bereplacedwithastatement acknowledgingthefalsityof itscontents.Youevensaidto me that you would tell them t o t a k e i t d o w n Unfortunately, no corrective action has been taken,” Da Silva said in his letter to JusticeSingh.
As a consequence, the GECOMofficersaidthathe wasleftwithnochoicebutto address the matter formally through his letter, to set the recordstraight.
After initially rejecting the proposed date for Guyana's General and Regional Elections, opposition-nominated commissioners are now in agreement with the September1timeline.
This was revealed on Thursday by Commissioner Vincent Alexander, followinganearlyfour-hourlong meeting at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) headquarters in Kingston,Georgetown.
Speaking to Kaieteur News after the meeting, Alexander confirmed, “Thereisnochangeinterms of the September 1 projection. In the meeting, we went through a work plan, saw some clarity and haveagreedonthenumberof various actions that have to be taken, which is not explicit.”
Despite the progress, Alexander pointed out that several key issues critical to
Guyana Elections Commission
ensuring free and fair electionsremainunresolved.
“The issues which were outstanding were stamping of the ballot, the number of dead persons on the list… and those matters I contended are critical to a free and fair election, which havenotbeenconcluded,”he said.
He added that these matters, which were not included in the current plan butflaggedbytheopposition as essential, will be
addressed in an upcoming meeting. “All the things that were not in the plan that the opposition had contended are critical to a free and fair electionwillbediscussedon Tuesday,”Alexandernoted. The update comes two days after Commissioners Alexander, Desmond Trotman,andCharlesCorbin held a press conference criticising the September 1 election date announced by PresidentIrfaanAli.They (Continue on page 22)
The stage is set for what promisestobeoneofthe most spectacular cultural celebrations of the year as the Miss Guyana Culture Queen 2025 Pageant has been officially scheduledforSaturday,June21stat the National Cultural Center at 7PM.
The highly anticipated coronation night will see seven remarkable young women from across Guyana compete for the coveted crown, with the winner earningtheprestigiousopportunity torepresentthecountryattheMiss Caribbean Culture Queen Pageant inSt.Kittslaterthisyear
The stakes couldn't be higher forthisyear'scompetition.Guyana hasdominatedtheregionalpageant stage with back-to-back victories, making history with Shemina Peroune's groundbreaking win in 2023asthefirstGuyanesetoclaim the title, followed by Shequana Holder's triumphant victory in 2024. Now, the nation holds its breath as these seven cultural ambassadors prepare to compete for the chance to secure an unprecedented third consecutive internationalcrown.
"This pageant represents more than just a competition, it's a celebration of everything that makes Guyana unique in the Caribbean," said Randy Madray, franchise holder for Miss Guyana Culture Queen. "These contestants embody our nation's rich cultural diversity, and June 21st will showcase that heritage on the grandeststage."
The contestants, who were officially sashed at the exclusive "Brunch in Paradise" event at Scotty's Smoke House on May 18th, represent communities from across the country From the indigenous community of Kwebana to the mining town of Linden,fromcoastalsettlementsto agricultural areas, the diverse lineuptrulyreflectsGuyana'sstatus astheCaribbean'smeltingpot.
The seven confirmed contestants who will compete on June21stare:
● Contestant #1: Nikeesha Baksh(Paradise,ECD)
● Contestant #2: Donelle Harvey(Tuschen)
● Contestant #3: Akeisha Dalton(LandofCanaan)
● Contestant #4: Destiny Etienne(Linden)
●Contestant#5:KelisJohnson (Linden)
● Contestant #6: Arinna Williams(Kwebana)
● Contestant #7: Shadiamond Assanah(Melanie) Madray said the National Cultural Center provides the perfect backdrop for this cultural extravaganza.
“The venue has hosted
c o u n t l e s s m e m o r a b l e performances and celebrations throughout Guyana's history, and June 21st promises to add another
unforgettablechaptertoitslegacy,” hesaid.
Over the next three weeks, these cultural ambassadors will undergo intensive preparation, honing their skills in public speaking, cultural knowledge, runway presentation, and talent performance, trained by renowned pageant expert, Alicia BessAnderson, owner of Prestige
PageantManagementandstyledby Miguel Ram of Miguel's Beauty Creations. Each contestant brings her own unique story and perspective, representing the diverse communities that make up modernGuyana.
The evening promises to be a feast for the senses, featuring traditional and contemporary elements that showcase Guyana's
cultural evolution. From stunning eveninggownstoculturalwearthat celebrates our heritage, from eloquent speeches to captivating talentperformances,thecoronation will offer something for every patron.
The Miss Guyana Culture Queen franchise has transformed under Madray's leadership since 2019, evolving from a national competition to an internationally recognizedplatform.Thepageant's success on the regional stage has broughtunprecedentedattentionto Guyana's cultural richness and the exceptional quality of its young women.
As excitement builds toward June21st,onequestionremainson everyone's mind: which of these remarkablecontestantswilljointhe exclusive ranks of Guyanese Miss CaribbeanCultureQueenwinners?
Theanswerliesjustweeksawayon
an unforgettable night of cultural celebration.
Ticket information and further details about the Miss Guyana Culture Queen 2025 coronation willbeannouncedsoon.
ThecountdowntoJune21sthas officially begun Will Guyana make history with a third consecutive regional crown? The answer awaits at the National CulturalCenter
(BBC NEWS) Founded in 1600 as a trading enterprise, the English East India Company gradually transformed into a colonialpower
Bythelate18thCentury,asittightened its grip on India, Company officials began commissioning Indian artists - many formerly employed by the Mughals - to createstrikingvisualrecordsofthelandthey werenowruling.
A Treasury of Life: Indian Company Paintings,c.1790to1835,anongoingshow in the Indian capital put together by DAG, an art gallery in Delhi, features over 200 works that once lay on the margins of mainstream art history. It is India's largest exhibition of Company paintings, highlightingtheirrichdiversityandtheskill ofIndianartists.
Paintedbylargelyunnamedartists,these paintings covered a wide range of subjects, butmainlyfallintothreecategories:natural history, like botanical studies; architecture, including monuments and scenic views of towns and landscapes; and Indian manners and customs. "The focus on these three subject areas reflects European engagementswiththeirIndianenvironment in an attempt to come to terms with all that wasunfamiliartoWesterneyes,"saysGiles TillotsonofDAG,whocuratedtheshow "Europeans living in India were delighted to encounter flora and fauna that were new to them, and ancient buildings in exoticstyles.Theymet–oratleastobserved – multitudes of people whose dress and habits were strange but – as they began to discern–werelinkedtostreamofreligious
beliefandsocialpractice."
Beyond natural history, India's architectural heritage captivated European visitors Before photography, paintings werethebestwaytodocumenttravels,and iconic Mughal monuments became prime subjects.Patronssoonturnedtoskilledlocal artists. Beyond the Taj Mahal, popular subjects included Agra Fort, Jama Masjid, Buland Darwaza, Sheikh Salim Chishti's tombatFatehpurSikri(above),andDelhi's QutubMinarandHumayun'sTomb.
The once-obscure and long-anonymous Indian artist Sita Ram, who painted the tomb, was one of them. From June 1814 to early October 1815, Sita Ram travelled extensively with Francis Rawdon, also known as the Marquess of Hastings, who hadbeenappointedasthegovernorgeneral in India in 1813 and held the position for a decade. (He is not to be confused with WarrenHastings,whoservedasIndia'sfirst governorgeneralmuchearlier.)
The largest group in this collection is a
set of botanical watercolours, likely from Murshidabad or Maidapur (in present-day West Bengal). While Murshidabad was the Nawab of Bengal's capital, the East India Company operated there. In the late 18th century,nearbyMaidapurbrieflyservedasa BritishbasebeforeCalcutta's(nowKolkata) riseeclipsedit.
Originally part of the Louisa Parlby Album-namedaftertheBritishwomanwho compiled it while her husband, Colonel James Parlby, served in Bengal - the works likely date to the late 18th Century, before Louisa's return to Britain in 1801. "The plantsrepresentedinthepaintingsarelikely quite illustrative of what could be found growinginboththewell-appointedgardens as well as the more marginal spaces of common greens, waysides and fields in the Murshidabadareaduringthelateeighteenth century," writes Nicolas Roth of Harvard University
"Thesearefamiliarplants,domesticand domesticated,whichhelpedconstitutelocal lifeworldsandsystemsofmeaning,evenas European patrons may have seen them mainly as exotica to be collected."Another painting from the collection is of a temple procession showing a Shiva statue on an ornate platform carried by men, flanked by Brahmins and trumpeters. At the front, dancers with sticks perform under a temporary gateway, while holy water is poured on them from above. Labeled Ouricaty Tirounal, it depicts a ritual from Thirunallar temple in Karaikal in southern India,capturingararemomentfroma200year-oldtradition.
Something magical happened during Genesis Independence Weekend 2025, and it wasn't just the spectacular performances or sold-outvenues.Onebyone, as Caribbean superstars took to stages, a common theme emerged that has positioned Guyana as the region's most beloved performance destination.
"Guyana is my favourite country to perform in," declared Trinidad's soca sensation Kes during his electrifying set at El Dorado Stingingnettles.Buthewasn't alone in this sentiment Dancehall Queen Spice echoed the same feelings, tellingaudiencesthatGuyana holds a special place in her heart as a performer.
Jamaica's rising star Malie
Donn made similar declarations during the
When Kes performed his biggest hits, the entire venue sang along word-for-word. When Kartel launched into his classic anthems, thousandsofvoicesjoinedin perfectharmony WhenSpice commanded the crowd, they respondedwithanenergythat matched her own legendary stagepresence.
This isn't coincidental appreciation, it's deep, authentic fandom. Guyanese audiences don't just attend shows; they participate in experiences They know everylyric,understandevery reference, and respond to every cue with the kind of enthusiasmthatmakesartists feeltrulyappreciated.
Caribbean artists have performedallovertheworld, from major venues in North America to festival stages
Kabisa Kool Out beach finale, while the legendary Vybz Kartel himself expressed his genuine love for Guyana and its people duringhismarathon2+hours
Magnum Baderation performancewiththeGolden Arrowhead tied around his head.
Even the surprise guest Artist/Producer, Russian from Jamaica, took his appreciation to the next level by wearing a custom t-shirt emblazoned with "I Love Guyanese Girls" during his unexpectedstageappearance. The gesture sent the crowd into absolute euphoria and becameoneoftheweekend's mosttalked-aboutmoments.
What makes Guyana so special to these international artists? The answer lies in something that cannot be manufactured or replicated, the genuine love and knowledge that Guyanese audiences bring to every performance.
Trinidad's Soca Sensation, Kes
across the Caribbean. Yet consistently, they find themselves drawn back to Guyana not just for the business opportunities, but for the emotional connection they experience with local audiences.
T h e G e n e s i s Independence Weekend perfectly showcased this unique relationship. Venue after venue was packed to capacity, with patrons traveling from across the region specifically to e x p e r i e n c e t h e s e performancesinGuyana.
This phenomenon extends beyond individual artists or single events. Over recent years, Guyana has consistentlyattractedtop-tier Caribbean talent, and the feedbackremainsremarkably consistent From soca to dancehall, from established legendstoemergingstars,the message is clear: performing inGuyanaisspecial.
ByFrancwaFortune
Businessman Azruddin Mohamed was placed on $500,000 bail on Thursday when he appeared at the Georgetown Magistrates' Court to answer to false declaration and tax evasion charges.
Mohamed, who on Monday evening declared his candidacy for the upcoming general and regional elections, appeared before Acting Chief
Magistrate Faith McGusty, where he pleaded not guilty tothecharges.
It is alleged that on or about December 7, 2020, at Lot 200-201 Camp Street, Georgetown, Mohamed falsely declared that he purchased one Lamborghini Roadster SVJ for USD$ 75,300 instead of its initial costUSD$695,000.
It is also alleged that on
the same day at the said address, he fraudulently declared the amount for the said Lamborghini to USD$ 75,300, instead of USD$ 695,000, which resulted in taxes in the sum of G$383 millionbeingevaded.
The businessman was represented by attorneys Damien Da Silva, Siand Dhujon and Darren Wade Da Silva told the court that the charges all stem from an importation of a luxury vehicle by his client He added that the vehicle was dulyimported,dulyentered, duly cleared and duly registered, all done to the satisfaction of the Guyana RevenueAuthority(GRA)in December2020.
“ A n d s i n c e t h e importation of this vehicle, madam, Mr Mohamed has been freely enjoying the use and benefit of his property, free from any interference
until March of this year, when he received a written correspondence from GRA
investigation was launched todeterminewhetherhehad fraudulently under declared the value of the said vehicle to avoid paying the correct taxes,”DaSilvasaid.
The attorney said that from that correspondence, his client was also informed
concluded that he underdeclared the value of the vehicle and that he is now liabletopayadditionaltaxes.
As a result, Mohamed's attorneys immediately requested in writing that the Revenue Authority disclose thereasonforitsdecisionas well as all the facts, evidence, and material to supportitsfindings,inorder to be able to respond in any meaningful way to the allegations.
Da Silva said that in an affront to fair and good administration, the Revenue Authority responded to his client'srequestforbetterand sufficient particulars by further demanding the payment of the additional taxes without satisfying his request.
He added that the investigat
subsequent decision by the GRA were done without affording Mohamed an opportunity to be heard beforeadecision/sismadeto impose an additional tax amount.
Thelawyeralsorevealed that there was a total disregard for the principles ofNaturalJusticeonthepart of the Revenue Authority, which ultimately led to his c l i e n t i n s t i t u t i n g proceedings in the High Court for a declaration that the decision/action taken by GRAwasandisillegal.
client will be present on his nextcourtdate.Theattorney noted that his client is a popular figure and even more now since he recurrently announced his presidential candidacy and hasstartedhiscampaign.
Healsoaskedthecourtto injunct the Revenue Authority from seizing the v e h i c l e u n t i l t h e determination of the substantive matter, which was then followed by the criminalchargeshisclientis facing.
Da Silva, in closing, requested that Mohamed be releasedonself-bailsincehe is not a flight risk, and he reassured the court that his
However, GRA's attorney, Sanjeev Datadin, told the court that the Authority was conducting a reassessment of the Lamborghini that was i m p o r t e d b y t h e businessman, and it was discovered that the cost reflectedalowervalue.
Datadin stated that as a result of the findings, GRA wrote and instructed the accusedtorespondwithin14 days.Theattorneyaddedthat
Mohamed failed to provide GRA with the necessary documents but requested additionalinformation.
Moreover, he mentioned that there is a process that needstobefollowed.
“The Privy Council and the Caribbean Court of Justice ruled that criminal court is precedent in any dispute or matter, and that the criminal jurisdiction applies that whatever defence you wish to raise, you can't divide into other jurisdictions It must be raisedinthiscourt,”Datadin said Magistrate McGusty granted Mohamed $250,000 bail for each charge The matterwasadjournedtoJune 26,2025.
A39-year-oldCubanmanwasremanded toprison,onThursday,forthemurderofhis stepdaughter when he appeared at the GeorgetownMagistrates'Court.
Luis PoeyAlfonso of Lot 56 Pike Street, Kitty, Georgetown, is accused of stabbing to death 21-year-old Dabelis Miranda Morales onMay23,2025,atthesaidaddress.
Alfonso appeared unrepresented before ActingChiefMagistrateFaithMcGusty,who readtheindictablechargetohim.Hewasnot requiredtoenterapleaandwassubsequently remandedtoprison.
The prosecution requested a six-week adjournment, citing ongoing investigations and the trauma experienced by the victim's relatives.Theprosecutorstated,“Themother, whoishospitalized,isstilltraumatized.”
ThematterwasadjournedtoJuly9,2025, forfurtherproceedings.
According to reports, Alfonso allegedly stabbed Morales and his partner (Morales' mother), with a chopper knife. It is believed that the incident stemmed from a dispute between Alfonso and the mother Police reportsindicatethatAlfonsowalkedintothe KittyPoliceStationwiththechopperinhand, which had what appeared to be blood stains.
( J A M A I C A
OBSERVER) On Sunday when dancehall artiste Elephant Man learnt that Whine Up, a 2007 collaboration that he was featuredonwithAmerican singer Kat Deluna, made Rolling Stone Magazine's 50 Best One-Hit Wonders ofthe2000slist,thedeejay gotecstatic.
The list, which was releasedonMay22,captures the songs that made the allgenreBillboardHot100.
Whine Up ranks at #37 onthelist.
The song, which was certified gold in 2008, is the biggest hit on the Billboard Hot100forKatDeluna,who is of Dominican heritage
The song was not only a hit stateside, reaching as far as #1 on Billboard's Dance MusicClubPlay,#29onthe Hot 100, and #14 on Pop Airplay charts, but it also madethetop10inRomania, France,andBelgium.
“This is a big win for dancehall music, and we giveGodthankseverydayfi di blessings and fi di talent weh him give wi. We just keep on representing dancehall to the fullest, because Rolling Stone Magazine is a respected media entity, and to be on their list is just good news,” Elephant Man told the JamaicaObserver
He explained how the career-defining hit came about and how its success changed his life. “Red One [Lady Gaga's producer] reachedouttomeandsaidhe wantedmetobeonthesong, so he and his team flew to Jamaica and they stayed at the Hilton hotel in New Kingston.Webookedstudio time around Daseca studio on Red Hills Road, and we did the song. A few weeks later, they flew me to Manhattan,wherewedidthe musicvideo,”ElephantMan recalled.
The video for Whine Up wasdirectedbyGilGreen,a respected force in the music video industry at the time, whoalsodirectedvisualsfor SeanPaulandseveralothers. Thevideohastodateracked up more than 200 million viewsonYouTube
“Recordingthesongwas just crazy vibe in the studio. The place did a mash-up with nuff energy and mi can tell yuh say from that momentIknewthesongwas going to be a hit. Red One said he was pleased with howthesongturnedout,and he even pointed out that dancehall is one of his favourite genres of music,” ElephantMandisclosed.The self-styledEnergyGodsaid, uponmeetingKatDeluna— who was signed to Sony Music Entertainment's Epic
Records at the time — he found out that she was a fan ofhismusic.
“She is a very down-toearth person, no attitude or anything, and she even said shelovedmysongs.Weeven went to Canada to perform the song on Much Music on theirvideocountdownshow and even on TRL on MTV Thissongismybiggestsong internationally,” Elephant Manshared.Hesaidthesong was a boost to his career, whileintroducinghimtothe Latinmarket.
“A lot of doors opened formeandalotofAmerican artistes began to reach out wanting to collaborate. The songgavemeadifferentfan base, exposed my talent to a different crowd, and specifically the Latino market.Itwasagreattime,” he said Also making the Rolling Stone list is the remixofTurnMeOnbysoca artisteKevinLyttlefeaturing Spragga Benz It ranks at #23.
Turn Me On was first recorded in 2003 but its remixed version, which features Spragga Benz, took off the following year reaching#4ontheBillboard Hot 100, while making the top 10 in 16 countries, including #1 in Denmark. It has been certified 2x platinum in the United Kingdom, as well as gold in
the United States, Norway, Germany, Denmark, and Switzerland.
Move Ya Body by twin sister duo Nina Sky, which rode producer Cordel “Skatta” Burrell's Coolie Dancerhythm,is#16onthe list.Thesong,whichmadeit to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100inAugust2004,hasbeen certified gold in the United States and in the United Kingdom, while copping a platinum certification in NewZealand.
Move Ya Body made the top10in11countries.
Who Let the Dogs Out, by The Baha Men from the Bahamas, was a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2000. However, it was first recorded by Trinidadian Anslem Douglas two years earlier. The Baha Men's version, which won a Grammy award in 2001 for Best Dance Recording, is #12ontheRollingStonelist. Thesongmadethetoptenin 12 countries, including the United Kingdom, where it roseashighas#2.
Who Let the Dogs Out has been certified gold in Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands, while earning platinum certifications in Australia, New Zealand, the UK,andSweden.
New York's Lumidee makes the Rolling Stone list at#9withhersolehit Never
(CNN) No doubt that had there been a wedding reception for these fathers to speak at the speeches would have been pretty funny EddieMurphyhasrevealedthathissonErichas marriedMartinLawrence'sdaughter,Jasmin The “Beverly Hills Cop” star shared the news Thursday in an episode of “The Jennifer HudsonShow.”
“They got married like two weeks ago,” Murphy said. “They went off…everyone was makingthebigweddingtheplansandthenthey decidedtheywantedtodosomethingquiet,just the two of them.” He also joked about the economic relief that the elopement provided Lawrence.
“Yeah, we're in-laws,” Murphy said. “He don'thavetopayforthebigweddingnow.”The couple announced their engagement in November
Murphy said the plan is to instead have a partytocelebratethenuptials.TheelderMurphy and Lawrence are longtime friends who costarred in the 1992 film “Boomerang” and 1999's “Life.” Murphy told Hudson he and Lawrencehaveseveralideasforreunitingonthe big screen, including a dream of Murphy's to remakethe1963comedy“It'saMad,Mad,Mad, MadWorld.”
Leave You (Uh Ooh, Uh Ooh) The song, which was recorded on the popular Diwalirhythm,peakedat#3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 2003.
Other well-known songs that made the list include
Bad Day by Daniel Powter (#50),ThisisWhyI'mHotby
, Oops Oh My by Tweet featuring Missy Elliott (#14), Addictive by Truth HurtsfeaturingRakim(#11), and My Neck, My Back by Khia (#42). The song topping the list at #1 is Te e n a g e D i r t b a g by Wheatus.
President Irfaan Ali on Wednesday urged foreign investors who are operating in Guyana to utilise the services of local truckers, saying there is no need to expend their capital resourcesontrucking.
The Head-of-State made the statement during the inaugural ceremony of Drominc Asphalt Plant, the
first Colombian industrial company to Guyana which opened its operation along
the Linden/ Soesdyke Highway
While speaking of a large-scale boom of the infrastructure industry
“But we want investors whoarecomingintolookat thecapacitywe'vebeenable to build up here in Guyana and MACORP should help in this, because MACORP
should be able to tell investorswhoarecomingin that there is no need for you to expend capital resources on trucking, because the Guyanese investors, they're
taking place in Guyana and thatthereisalotofbusiness opportunities being created, the President noted to investorscominginandthat the country has been building up its capacity to provideservices.
ExxonMobil says will be 'business as usual' if company loses Guyana arbitration
(REUTERS) Though ExxonMobil believes it will win its Guyana-related arbitration against Chevron andHess,itwillbe“business as usual” if the company loses its case, an executive for the US supermajor said Thursday
“You know, we're confident the judges will go in our favour, but if they don't, and Chevron can purchase Hess, Chevron becomes a partner instead of Hess,nochangeforus.It'sno change at all It's just business as usual, ” ExxonMobil senior vice presidentNeilChapmansaid at Berstein's 41st annual Strategic Decisions Conference.
ExxonMobil, which operatestheprolificStabroek blockoffshoreGuyanawitha 45% stake, launched arbitration proceedings last year over Hess' 30% interest in the field, which is the centre of Chevron's attempted US$53 billion takeover of Hess. CNOOC International, which owns the remaining 25% stake, alsofiledanarbitrationclaim that was eventually merged withExxonMobil'scase. ExxonMobil an
believe “very, very strongly thatwehavetherightoffirst refusal” to the Stabroek stake, Chapman said. “In other words, we can match a purchaseprice.That'stypical in the industry Obviously, Hess and Chevron have a differentview.”
Chapman acknowledged thatahearinginfrontofthree judges at the International Chamber of Commerce “has just taken place”, indirectly confirming a Reuters report that the session was held Monday However, he said the hearing was akin to a “conclusionofawholeseries of submissions” that wrapped this week. “I don't know exactly when they'll come to a decision.All I can tellyouisthetypicaltimeline ofthearbitrationinthatcourt is two to three months,” he said. Despite the tension, ChapmansaidHesshasbeen a“very,verygoodpartner”in Guyana. “And I would tell you, we have partnerships with Chevron all over the world There's been no changeintermsofhowwe're working together at all,” he said.
buyingtrucksaspartoftheir own self-development,” he explained.
He further told the foreign investors, that there arealotofservicesthatthey will be able to outsource, “reducing your capital and operation costs, and at the same time supporting the trucking, logistics and
(Continuedonpage22)
One office Clerk/ Cashier needed @ Mon Repos ECD. Send all applications to leonardjettoo@gmail.com / Call: 711-0059/ 220-3459.
Domestic (Live in option available), female Cook and male & female Workers for the interior: 660-9093 / 6749999 / 661-5992.
Wanted One driver to work at Anita's Auto Paint &Motor Spares in Grove. Age 3040. Contact: 226-1287/2261270
Job openings: Truck drivers, AC Technician & Health & safety officer. Apply via Whatsapp : 689-1111 / 6082114.
One cook needed to work in bar, 11 am - 7 pm. Call : 6253037 / 640-8089.
Security Guard (12 HRS shift) wanted. contact : 684-4178
One Unregistered Nissan X-Trail 2016 model, Mode Premiere. For more information Call : 649-0956.
1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage PUTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.
VISA Application for USA, Canada, UK, ETA, ETC. Natrualisation guidance + application filling, ECT. Tel: 626-7040.
For low cost repairs for AC units, refrigerators, freezers, gas stoves, washing machine, dryers, etc. Call: 6294946, 225-4822.
Elevate your brand with our professional Graphic design services. Call: 619-0007, 6295526.
Reliable pick up to transport goods, cargo, out of town included. Call: 667-7602.
Mix German Shepherd pups for sale. Call / Whatsapp: 648-0111.
Cane corso pups for sale 9 weeks old Call 680 1828 / 632 9022.
A/C Space to rent, can be used for workshops, seminars, private tutoring, Counseling & meetings. Call: 2271028 / 652-2344.
Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hiring Factory Workers. Tel# 226-2621.
Hiring Sales girl aged 18-35 years old at Christine's Variety. Contact : 626-8003.
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Male counter clerk, must have a sound secondary education and a good hand writing. Apply to bentleysagency @yahoo.com
Experienced Accounts Clerk to assist in all administrative function of the company. Call: 226-9492
Experienced Farmer/ Worker to live and work at Hog Island. Call: 226-9492.
Handyman to work in Peters Hall area. Call: 226-9492.
2 Cooks $35,000, 2 Kitchen Assistants $25,000, 1 food server. Mon- Sat 6:30 am2:30 pm. Call: 681-3203.
One clerk for TSI Eccles office English 1, Maths 2 call 615-9132 or email application to techserigy@yahoo.com
Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence Call 615-9132.
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Vacancy for one Sales person at Bourda Market $35,000 per week. 8am-5pm. Contact : 669-9258.
Needed dredge men to work in the interior. Call : 700-1196.
The Guyana Defence Force, in a state ment late Thursday, said that one of its soldiers, Lance Corporal Stefon Tudor, went missing after falling into the Cuyuni River at Makapa, Region Seven.
He was reportedly part of a patrol in the river when tragedy struck, between 14:00 and 15:00 hrs.
“The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) troops stationed at Eteringbang and Makapa on the GuyanaVenezuela Border are currently engaged in efforts to locate him”, the GDF said, before adding that “A Board of Inquiry has been convened to investigate the circumstances surrounding this incident”.
The Cuyuni River
Bill Express, a lead ing regional bill payment service provider, has announced a strategic partnership with the New Building Society Limited (NBS), to offer mortgage customers an expanded range of convenient payment options.
According to press release issued by NBS, the collaboration aims to simplify the mortgage payment process for NBS clients by leveraging Bill Express’s extensive network of over 50 agent locations across Guyana.
“We are thrilled to partner with NBS to enhance the convenience and accessibility of
mortgage payments for our customers across Guyana,” said Troy Williams, Country Manager for Grace Kennedy Money Services (GKMS) in Guyana. “This collaboration underscores our commitment to providing secure, reliable, and customer-centric payment solutions that empower individuals and strengthen communities,” the release said. According to NBS, key benefits of the partnership are enhanced accessibility with Bill Express’s extensive network of agent locations across Guyana, NBS mortgage customers can now make payments at numerous conve-
nient locations. Added to this, Bill Express agent have locations that offer extended operating hours, including weekends, accommodating customers with diverse schedules, the agency also ensures secure and timely processing of payments, providing customers with peace of mind.
To make a mortgage payment via Bill Express, locate a Bill Express Agent: Visit gkmsonline.com to find the nearest agent location; provide payment details; inform the agent that you wish to make a mortgage payment to the New Building Society;
provide your mortgage account number and the payment amount. To complete the transaction, the customer may choose your preferred payment method and complete the transaction and retain the receipt for your records. NBS is a premier mortgage institution in Guyana, committed to providing accessible and affordable home financing solutions to its customers.
With a focus on customer satisfaction and community development, NBS continues to be a trusted partner in homeownership across the nation.
From page 14
argued that the decision was made unilaterally and did not align with GECOM’s internal planning. They further argued that GECOM would not be ready to hold elections on that date.
Alexander stated that at a previous meeting held on May 20, CEO Persaud had submitted a “revised work plan” projecting September 22, 2025, as the earliest feasible date for elections.
However, GECOM, in a statement on Wednesday, refuted this, stating that
Chief Election Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud confirmed the readiness of the commission, following claims from oppositionnominated commissioners that GECOM Chairperson, Justice (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, provided misleading advice to President Irfaan Ali.
The electoral body also stated that the revised plan mentioned by the commissioners had not been adopted.
According to the commission, “The plan cited by the opposition was only a working document and not
finalised.
Brief observations on the schedule of activities were made by a commissioner during a commission meeting. Accordingly, an undertaking was given by the chief election officer to consider the observations and amend the schedule, if necessary.”
GECOM explained that CEO Persaud had informed Chairperson Singh that starting from June 1, 2025, elections could be conducted by August 25, 2025—well within the constitutionally mandated three-month window.
“Armed with the information provided by the Chief Election Officer, and in consideration of Article 61 of the Constitution that elections shall be held within three (3) months after the dissolution of Parliament, the Chairperson advised President Ali that GECOM would be able to hold the elections within three months,” GECOM stated.
When asked on Thursday about the initial objections to the September 1 date, Alexander confirmed, “All of that was discussed today.”
From page 21 transport industry that is being created locally.”
In recognizing these local services, the President said they want Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest) to be not only a facilitator for investment, but a constructive partner in investment.
“So that when these investments are coming in, we can direct you not only to the efficient delivery of your infrastructure, but we can help you to find local partners that bring synergy to your busi-
ness and that is important, that is key,” he stated.
Meanwhile, speaking about utilizing the services of local truckers during his press conference, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo on Thursday said he has given the directive that the movement of materials from stockpile areas relating to government contracts should only use local trucking services.
“I committed that all the government contracts … like in Linden, now we have a stockpile. There we are soon
gonna award billions of dollars of road contracts in Linden that those moving from the stockpile…I talked to Edghill (Minister of Public Works), to the contractors that they only use local trucks,” he explained.
The VP said he made the commitment after recently engaging local truckers who are operating out of Linden that have raised their concerns. Kaieteur News had reported last week, that truck drivers staged two days of protests in the mining town
of Linden and at the Soesdyke Junction over an alleged foreign takeover of the trucking and businesses in Guyana and that locals are being unable to get ‘a bite’. It was reported that drivers claimed that Chinese companies are taking bread out of their mouth and accused the government of allowing foreign nationals to put them out of work.
At the time, they had called on the government to intervene and that they must give priority to the locals.
ByShaniaWilliams ChiefMedicalExaminer ofGwinnett
County,Atlanta, Georgia, Dr Carol Terry, says that only a thorough investigation will determine whether11-year-oldAdriana Younge was murdered or diedfromdrowning.
The pathologist stated
that circumstances surrounding Adriana’s case are “highly suspicious” and cannot be conclusively attributedtodrowningatthis time Dr Terry, who performed a second autopsy on Adriana’s body on Thursday, shared her preliminaryfindingsinalive interview with journalist TravisChase.
Intheliveinterview,Dr Terrystatedthatanautopsy cannot definitively determinedrowning
“At this point in time, I would not come to that conclusion
Ithinkthatthere’salot of information that needs to be gained, a lot of investigation that needs to bedone
D r o w n i n g i s a diagnosis of exclusion
And by that, it means that you have to exclude other potential causes of death
And oftentimes when a body is found in water, the assumption is that the person has drowned,” she said
She further explained that drowning cannot be immediately determined upon opening the body for examination, “There is nothing in an autopsy that is diagnostic of drowning Therearecertainthingswe can see that would be supportive of drowning, but they are not uniform People talk about fluid in thelungs
You may or may not have that People will talk about fluid in the sphenoid sinus, which is a sinus that’s at the base of the skull. Again, you may or may not have that with drowning.”
Further, Dr Terry revealed that based on the information she received regarding the circumstances of Adriana’s death, she deemed the case highly suspicious and urged that thorough investigatio
conducted to fu
d e t e r m i n e w h a happened “What I have been told regarding the circumstances are so suspicious that I reallythinkthatthere needs to be a very t h o r o u g h investigation.”
Among those concerns was th discovery of Adrian bodyinahotelpoolthat alreadybeensearched.
Dr Terry revealed that Adriana’s body had lost significant forensic value and that the second autopsy wascompromised. “ T h
“That is disturbing becauseIdon’tthinkyoucan simply write it off as this childdrowned.You’vegotto be concerned. Did she die sometime earlier, and then was placed in the pool? Becausethere’snotgoingto be any good way to discern whether or not that happened.”
However, Dr Terry noted that she has not yet received the results of the toxicology report or any additional testing conducted during the first autopsy, and emphasised that these findings will be critical to forming a more accurate conclusion. Sofar,basedon the circumstances shared with her, she expressed reluctance to conclude that Adriana drowned, stating, “Yes, I would. Based on the circumstances that are reportedtome,Iwould.”
As such, Dr Terry emphasised the need to examine toxicology reports, potential drug findings, and signs of sexual assault, stating, “Things like this need to be considered and looked at, given the circumstances reported to me.”
SECOND AUTOPSY WAS COMPROMISED
During her examination,
e exami nati onthatIhadtheopportunity todo is compromisedatthis pointbecause,again,thisisa second autopsy,” Dr Terry explained. “We have issues ofartefactsintroducedbythe first autopsy, decomposition that has taken place, and embalming that has occurred.Allofthesefactors introduce artefacts to the body and compromise the examination to some extent.”
However, Dr. Terry did noteapotentiallysignificant detail, she observed that parts of Adriana’s neck tissues were still soft, suggestingthatthisareamay not have been fully examined during the first autopsy
“Looking at the structuresoftheneck…they still had a good bit of soft tissue… I wanted to expose themmoresothatthere’sno question these structures werenotbroken,”shesaid.
The doctor said too that there was no evidence of trauma on the body, but stated that doesn’t rule out murder
“Just because I don’t see any physical manifestation of trauma doesn’t mean that someone was not murdered.
Therearewaysinwhichyou can kill someone and not leave any demonstrable trauma on the body Basically, you just have to interferewiththeirabilityto breathe.
And in some cases, it may involve somehow constricting their chest or maybe putting pressure on their neck.Andyoudon’t always wind up breakingstructures in the neck or bruising structures in the neck So sometimes you can have asphyxial type deathsordeathswhere equate blood flow oxygen doesn’t get to brain and not leave any traumatothebody.”
Dr Terrynotedhowever, thatsheisstillintheprocess of collecting specimens in case additional testing is required.
“Again, realizing the optimal specimens are from thefirstexamination,butI’m conducting this examination keepinginmindthatI’mnot goingtohaveachancetogo back. So anything I need to do, I need to do at this point in time. I think I may have over-collected, but again, I don’tgetasecondchanceto bethorough,”sheexplained.
S h e f u r t h e r acknowledged that the first autopsy, conducted by a team of three pathologists, appeared to have been performedverythoroughly
“By the time I do a second autopsy, artefacts have already been introduced from the first autopsy,andinthiscase,also from embalming,” Dr Terry said.
Chief Medical examiner of the Gwinnett County office of Atlanta, Georgia, United States, Carol Terry
“But in doing this examination, I first wanted to ensure that the initial autopsy was done correctly and thoroughly — and it appeared that it was. There are some minor differences indissectiontechniques,but I believe the first examination was conducted thoroughly.”
LOOKINGAHEAD
Lookingahead,Dr Terry statedthathernextstepisto complete her report and review the results from the firstautopsy
“Iwilllookatslidesfrom the tissue under the microscope. These, I don’t think,aregoingtobehelpful i n a d v a n c i n g t h e investigation, ” she explained.“Forme,themore critical information will come from the results of the first examination and any testing that was done in connectionwithit.”
Dr Terryemphasisedthe importance of the initial autopsyfindings,“AsIsaid, myroleherewasessentially performing a quality control check through the second autopsy From what I observed, the first examinationwastechnically done very competently and thoroughly.Iwouldnowlike to see what those results are.”
GUYANA POLICE
Despite Dr Terry’s call for further inquiry, the Guyana Police Force recently released a report stating there was no evidence of foul play. Accordingtopolice,thefirst autopsyconductedbyateam of three international pathologists concluded that Adriana’s death was consistent with drowning, and there were no signs of trauma, assault, or criminal activity
The police said too that the findings support an earlier report submitted by Mr Leonard McCoshan, a (retired) Royal Canadian MountedPoliceinvestigator, whichconcludedthatthereis “noevidenceoffoulplayby persons named or unnamed duringtheinvestigation.”
According to the police, a c o m p r e h e n s i v e postmortem examination, including toxicology and DNA testing, was carried out.Keyfindingsinclude:
• No acute injuries or trauma.
•Ethanol levels consistent with postmortem decomposition.
•Negativesexualassault kitandDNAanalysis.
•Skin and airway changes aligned with prolongedsubmersion.
•No evidence of restraint, struggle, or body relocation.
P o l i c e s a y t h e pathologists concluded Adriana likely sank and surfaced later due to natural decomposition processes in tropicalconditions.
Adriana Younge’s body was discovered onApril 24, 2025,inaswimmingpoolat t h e D o u b l e D a y InternationalHotel. Her remains were later flowntotheUnitedStatesfor a second independent autopsy after her family rejected the findings of the initialexamination.
According to Gaza’ s civil defence, 23 people were killed in an attack on the Bureij refugee camp.
Aljazeera - Israeli attackshavekilledatleast64 people across Gaza, the Health Ministry says, as starving Palestinians struggletoaccessthelimited amount of aid supplies that have entered the coastal enclave. At least 23 people werekilledonThursdayina series of Israeli attacks on residential buildings in the Bureijrefugeecamp,central Gaza, according to Gaza’s civildefence.
Reporting from Deir elBalah,AlJazeera’sTareqAbu Azzoumsaidcasualtiesfrom the Bureij attack were transported to al-Awda Hospital and Al-Aqsa Hospital “There has been a stateofalertintheemergency department as emergency services said they spent at least 30 minutes recovering casualtiesfromthesiteofthe strike,”Azzoumsaid
At least seven people were killed in strikes on a kindergarten and a home belonging to the Azzam
family in Jabalia, northern Gaza,theofficialPalestinian newsagencyWafareported.
BLASTS AT AID DISTRIBUTION SITE
Later on Thursday, multiple explosions were reported near a newly opened aid distribution point, run by the previously unknown United Statesbacked Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), at the NetzarimCorridorincentral G a z a I t w a s n o t immediately clear what caused the blasts and there were no immediate reports ofcasualties. The explosions came after 10 people were killed when Israeli forces shot at Palestinians seeking aid at anotherGHFsiteinsouthern Gazainseparateincidentson Tuesday and Wednesday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said Dozens of people were injured when thousands of hungry PalestiniansrushedtheGHF site in the first incident on
Tuesday TheGHFhasbeen accused of helping Israel fulfil its military objectives, w h i l e e x c l u d i n g Palestinians, bypassing the United Nations system and failing to adhere to humanitarianprinciples.
‘SURVEILLANCE-BASED RATIONING’
The UN and other international aid groups have boycotted the foundation, which they said undermines the principle thathumanitarianaidshould bedistributedindependently of the parties to a conflict andbasedonneed.
“This new scheme is surveillance-based rationing that legitimises a policy of deprivation by design,” seniorUNaidofficialforthe occupied Palestinian territory, Jonathan Whittall, toldreportersinJerusalem.
“The UN has refused to participate in this scheme, warningthatitislogistically unworkable and violates humanitarian principles by
usingaidasatoolinIsrael’s broadereffortstodepopulate areasofGaza,”hesaid. Israel’s ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the Security Council on WednesdaythatIsraelwould allow aid deliveries “for the immediate future” via both theUNandtheGHF Danon said the UN should “put their ego aside and cooperate with the new mechanism”.
According to the foundation,ithandedoutthe equivalentof840,262meals onTuesdayandWednesday
‘HORDES OF HUNGRY PEOPLE’
In a separate incident on Wednesday, the World Food Programme said “hordes of hungry people” broke into the al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir elBalah, central Gaza, lookingforfoodsupplies
“Initial reports indicate two people died and several were injured in the tragic incident,” WFP said in a statement on X, adding that it was still confirming details. After ending an 11week blockade last week
internationalpressure,Israel has a
humanitarian supplies to be delivered, but aid groups havewarnedthattheamount isnotnearlyenough.
Sigrid Kaag, the UN’s special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, told the Security Council that the amount of aid Israel hadsofarallowedtheUNto deliverwas“comparabletoa lifeboat after the ship has sunk” when everyone in Gaza was facing the risk of famine.
WASHINGTON (AP)Elon Musk is leaving his government role as a top adviser to President Donald Trump after spearheading efforts to reduce and overhaul the federal bureaucracy
H i s d e p a r t u r e , announced Wednesday evening, marks the end of a turbulent chapter that included thousands of layoffs, the evisceration of government agencies and reamsoflitigation.
Despite the upheaval, the billionaire entrepreneur struggled in the unfamiliar environmentofWashington, andheaccomplishedfarless thanhehoped.
He dramatically reduced his target for cutting spending — from $2 trillion to $1 trillion to $150 billion
and increasingly expressed frustration about resistance to his goals Sometimes he clashed with other top members of Trump’sadministration,who
chafed at the newcomer’s efforts to reshape their departments, and he faced fiercepoliticalblowbackfor hisefforts.
Musk’s role working for Trump was always intended to be temporary, and he had recently signaled that he would be shifting his attention back to running his businesses, such as the electric automaker Tesla and therocketcompanySpaceX
But administration officials were often vague about when Musk would step back from his position s p e a r h e a d i n g t h e Department of Government Efficiency, known as DOGE, and he abruptly revealedthathewasleaving in a post on X, his social mediawebsite.
“As my scheduled time as a Special Government Employeecomestoanend,I wouldliketothankPresident @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,” he
wrote “The @DOGE missionwillonlystrengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government ” A White House official, who requested anonymity to talk aboutthechange,confirmed Musk’sdeparture.
Musk announced his decision one day after CBS releasedpartofaninterview in which he criticized the centerpiece of Trump’s legislativeagendabysaying he was “disappointed” by what the president calls his “bigbeautifulbill.”
The legislation includes a mix of tax cuts and enhanced immigration enforcement Musk described it as a “massivespendingbill”that increases the federal deficit and “undermines the work” of his Department of Government Efficiency, knownasDOGE.
“Ithinkabillcanbebigor it could be beautiful,” Musk said “But I don’t know if it could be both.” Trump,
speakingintheOvalOfficeon Wednesday, defended his agenda by talking about the delicate politics involved with negotiating the legislation. “I’m not happy aboutcertainaspectsofit,but I’mthrilledbyotheraspectsof it,” he said Trump also suggestedthatmorechanges couldbemade.“We’regoing to see what happens,” he said.“It’sgotawaytogo.”
Republicans recently pushed the measure through the House and are debating it intheSenate
Musk’s concerns are shared by some Republican lawmakers. “I sympathize w i t h E l o n b e i n g discouraged,”saidWisconsin Sen Ron Johnson Speaking at a Milwaukee Press Club event on Wednesday, Johnson added that he was “prettyconfident”therewas enough opposition “to slow this process down until the president, our leadership, getsserious”aboutreducing spending.
He said there was no amount of pressure Trump could put on him to change hisposition.
Speaker Mike Johnson hasaskedsenatorstomakeas fewchangestothelegislation aspossible,sayingthatHouse Republicans reached a “very delicate balance” that could be upended with major changes The narrowly divided House will have to vote again on final passage oncetheSenatealtersthebill On Wednesday, Johnson thanked Musk for his work andpromisedtopursuemore spending cuts in the future, saying “the House is eager and ready to act on DOGE’s findings” The White House is sending some proposed rescissions, a mechanism used to cancel previously authorized spending, to CapitolHilltosolidifysome of DOGE’s cuts A spokesperson for the Office of Management and Budget saidthepackagewillinclude $1 1 billion from the
Corporation of Public Broadcasting, which funds NPR and PBS, and $8.3 billion in foreign assistance. Musk occasionally seemed chastened by his experience workingingovernment.
“Thefederalbureaucracy situationismuchworsethanI realized,” he told The Washington Post “I thought there were problems, but it sureisanuphillbattletrying toimprovethingsinD.C.,to saytheleast.”
Healsorecentlysaidthat he’ll reduce his political spending, because “I think I’vedoneenough” Musk had previously been energized by the opportunity to reshape Washington.Afterputtingat least $250 million behind Trump’s candidacy, he wore campaign hats in the White House, held his own campaign rallies, and talked about excessive spending as anexistentialcrisis.Heoften tended to be effusive in his praiseofTrump.
SportsMax - After two solid batting performances to close their recent series against Ireland, West Indies were brought back down to earth, as they suffered a humbling238-rundefeattoa ruthless England side in a lopsided opening ODI encounter at Edgbaston on Thursday
Chasinganeye-watering 401 to win — England’s second-highest total at the groundandtheirbiggestever at home against the West Indies the Caribbean
outfit crumbled under scoreboardpressure,bowled outfor162injust26.2overs. The result marks England’s second-largest victory margin in ODI history and a sobering reminder of the WestIndies’battingfrailties, especially against formidableopponents.
After captain Shai Hope won the toss and elected to bowl on a muggy Midlands afternoon, early inroads never materialized for the West Indies, and the death oversspiraledoutofcontrol.
It was a day of milestones and muscle from England, withsevenbattersscoring30 or more, though none of them got to a century, in a team-orientedmaulingofthe WestIndiesbowling.
England’sopenersJamie SmithandBenDuckettgave the innings early thrust with abrisk64-runopeningstand beforeAlzarriJosephgotthe breakthrough when he had Smith caught by Brandon Kingfor37.
Duckett, who had six foursandasixinafluid48-
ball 60, added another 73 runs for the second wicket with Joe Root, who contributedacomposed57. Justin Greaves had Duckettbrilliantlycaughtby Roston Chase, and Root, who had five boundaries in his 65-ball knock, later edged one from Jayden Seales and was caught behind after he and new captain Harry Brook reinforced the platform with another 51-run stand. Brook smashedfivefoursandthree sixes in his 58 off 45 balls before he became Seales’ secondscalp.
However, England remainedlargeandincharge asJosButtleraddeda32-ball 37 before being removed by Seales, and Barbados-born
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
You're likely to experience a day of thoughtfulness and reflection,Aries.Yourstateof mind will resemble that of a person who has just rebelled againsteverythingandisnow insearchofanewvehiclefor self-fulfillment.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
The day may give you great insight into the decisions you face concerning your future. Now is the time to decide on yourpriorities.Doyouwanta career right away or would you prefer to continue your studies?
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Prepare for a somewhat stressful day, Gemini. Your family life may be marred by some disagreements. There's some likelihood you will feel as though your territory is beinginvadedandyourrange ofactionlimited.
CANCER(June21–July22)
You may have planned to isolateyourselfinordertoget thingsdone,butthatwon'tbe possible. It's like a force is destabilizing your professionallife.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Peopleseemfussyaboutyour way of doing things today, Leo. Try as you might, it seems there's no pleasing the authorities. You, one of the world'sgreatescapeartists.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Your characteristic independencemayplaysome tricks on you today, Virgo. What you say won't be approvedofaseasilyasusual. Eventhoughyouhavequitea bitoffreedom,.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Here is a day that may make youthinkyouaren'texactlyin the right place in your profession, Libra. Could it be thatyourcurrentpositionistoo traditional? You're someone whowantstoexpandonallthe ideas.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)
Some past stories may come back to haunt you today, Scorpio. If you once held a governmentpost,forexample, a journalist could undercover someerrorthatyoumadeyears ago and publish it in today's newspaper!
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)
You may be taking stock of your professional life, Sagittarius. If this is so, be careful to balance strategy with personal objectives. If you'reajournalist,thinkabout writing for yourself as well as thepaper
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Something strange may happen today Someone in yourfamilymayreproachyou for having chosen your profession.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Authorities who have been your guides up to now may confrontyou.Thehourishere tosetasideyourfearsandlead yourself along your path.This is undoubtedly a very positive stateofaffairs.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)
The day is likely to be confrontational The latest developments in your career have offered you so little encouragement that you're tempted to cut back on your efforts,
53 deliveries to drive home England’s dominance and perhaps deepen the scars of theCaribbeanside.
The 21-year-old, once a product of Caribbean cricket, unleashed an innings of fierce flair, marked by eight fours and five sixes, as England went rampantinthefinal10overs, aphaseinwhichtheyadded 113 runs. Bethell partnered withWillJacks,whohimself belted 39 from 24, as they ensured the final score was less a target and more a warningshot.
Seales returned 4-84, while Joseph had 2-68 and Greaves2-69
JacobBethell,thestarofthe innings, cracked 82 off just
West Indies’reply never found traction as wickets tumbled early Brandon King (10), Justin Greaves (four),andKeacyCarty(22)
all fell before the 10-over mark — and though Hope (25) and Amir Jangoo (14), threatened briefly, the chase was over before it began. In fact,itwasSeales,battingat number 11, who topscored withaspirited29notout.
Jamie Overton (3-22), Saqib Mahmood (3-32), andAdil Rashid (2-50) did thedamageforEngland
It was a dismal outing across departments for the WestIndies,asthebowling was toothless at the death
The fielding was, at times, sloppy, and the batting, bereftofbackbone.
Scores: England 400 for 8 (Bethell 82, Duckett 60, Brook 58, Root 57, Seales 4-84) beat West Indies 162 (Overton 3-22, Mahmood 3-32) by 238 runs
Frompage30 to compete seriously and makeeverymatchcount,”he affirmed.
Junior player Alexander Zhang felt his performance would be of a high standard in the tournament. “After facing all my opponents in this championship, I expect my performance to reflect both my preparation and adaptability I’ve prepared thoroughlyandanalysedmy opponents’styles,soIexpect toperformstrongly
My goal is to be among the top contenders, and I believe I have what it takes to achieve that, ” he concluded.
RicardoNarine,reigning National Junior Champion wasmoderateinhis sentiments.“Iexpectmy performance to reflect both my preparation and growth as a player, and I’m looking forward to creating interesting positions on the board and having some dynamic battles, ” he commented.
Joshua Gopaul, 2018 National Junior Champion has made a comeback into the 2025 Nationals with mixedfeelings.“Asacasual chess player, I don’t really haveanysortofexpectations regarding my performance against my opponents; I do however, plan on having some fun over the board playing my style of chess,” heoffered.
The predominantly young players, some of whom have already won other national chess titles, are
participating in the closed event which is expected to wrap up by Sunday June 1, 2025.
BBC Sport - Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz overcame a blip in form to beat Fabian Marozsan and reach the French Open third round - but former finalists Stefanos Tsitsipas and CasperRuudareout.
Spaniard Alcaraz started strongly but dropped the secondsetbeforerecovering towrapupa6-14-66-16-2 win over his Hungarian opponent.
But there was no such fortune for Greek 20th seed Tsitsipas, who was stunned byworldnumber167Matteo Gigante of Italy, losing 6-4 5-76-26-4.
Ruud, twice a runner-up in Paris, struggled with injury during the closing stages of his four-set loss to NunoBorgesofPortugal.
Victory was Alcaraz’s 17th in 18 matches on clay
this year as he looks to become the first man since compatriot Rafael Nadal in 2020 to retain the Roland Garrostitle.
“In the second set, he started to play much better andhewasreallyaggressive. Hedidn’tmissatallsoitwas a little difficult to deal with his game in the second set,” saidthe22-year-old.
“But I’m really happy I stayed strong and refreshed myself. I started to play better and better which helpedmehaveareallygood lasttwosets.”
Alcaraz won titles in Monte Carlo and Rome in the build-up to the French Openandmirroredthatform at the start as he broke three times to win the first set inside28minutes.
Marozsan, looking to reach the third round at
Roland Garros for the first time, broke early in a scrappy second set before fending off the second seed tolevel.
ButAlcaraz-afour-time Grand Slam championresponded well to breeze throughtherestofthematch.
He will face unseeded Damir Dzumhur in the third roundaftertheBosnian’s7-6 (7-4) 6-3 4-6 6-4 win over France’s 31st seed Giovanni MpetshiPerricard.
Tsitsipas suffers another earlyGrandSlamexit
It was another early Grand Slam exit for Tsitsipas, who lost in the 2021 final to Novak Djokovic in an epic fivesetter
The26-year-oldhasnow failed to make it past the secondroundinhispastfour appearances at a major,
while it is his earliest defeat atRolandGarrossince2018.
The defeat means Tsitsipas is set to drop outsideoftheworld’stop20 for the first time since August2018.
By claiming the biggest win of his career, Gigantewho is making his debut at the French Open after going through qualifying - is rewarded with a third-round meetingwithAmerican13th seedBenShelton.
Elsewhere, American duo Tommy Paul and Frances Tiafoe made it through to the last 32 in differingcircumstances.
Paul, the 12th seed, pulled off an impressive comeback after being two setsdowntobeatHungary’s MartonFucsovics4-62-6637-56-4.
Paul will face Russian
Carlos Alcaraz is a four-time Grand Slam winner. [Getty Images]
24thseedKarenKhachanov, who booked his place in roundthreewitha7-53-675 4-6 6-2 win against Austria’sSebastianOfner Tiafoe, the 15th seed, was a 6-4 6-3 6-1 winner againstPabloCarrenoBusta ofSpain.
Meanwhile, Lorenzo Musetti, the Italian eighth seed, went through to the third round with a 6-4 6-0 6 - 4 w i n a g a i n s t
Colombia’sDanielGalan In the men’s doubles competition, Jacob Fearnley, who won his
first French Open singles match on Monday, safely cruised into the second round alongside Canadian GabrielDiallowitha6-06-2 win over Nicolas Barrientos and Rithvik Bollipalli of Colombia and India respectively
Briton Luke Johnson reached the second round of a Grand Slam for just the third time as he and his Dutch partner Sander Arends beat Marcelo Demoliner and Nicolas Jarry 3-6 6-3 7-6 (10-6)
The stage is set for what promises to be a thrilling evening of competition and camaraderie as the Clash of Champions Eight-Ball Pool Championship breaks off tomorrow (Saturday) at the Boathouse bar, located on the Land of Canaan Public Road.
With a whopping
$240,000 in total prizes up for grabs, some of Guyana’s finest cue artists are expectedtochalktheirsticks and battle for supremacy on thefeltinavenueknownfor its relaxed, fun-loving atmosphere.
The tournament, slated for Saturday, May 31, is already being hailed as one of the most lucrative singleday pool events in the country.Competitionisopen to all, with an entry fee of $5,000,givingplayersashot at the grand prize of $150,000incash.
In a move to reward excellence throughout the
field, organisers have introduced cash prizes for the top four finishers. The second-place winner will pocket $50,000, third place earns $30,000, and the fourth-place finisher will walkawaywith$10,000. As anticipation builds, interest has surged from players across the region, with registration numbers already reflecting a competitive and diverse field. The event not only highlights the growing popularity of Pool in Guyana, but also its unique abilitytobringtogetherboth young and seasoned players inspiritedcompetition.
First break is scheduled for5:00p.m.,andlatecomers should note that registration closespromptlyat8:00p.m. Whether you’re aiming for glory or just soaking in the action, the Clash of Champions is shaping up to be a must-see event on the localsportscalendar
Th e P e t r a
Organisation
o f f i c i a l l y
launchedthesixtheditionof its flagship event, ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ Under-14 Football Championship on Thursday at the Cara Lodge Hotel, in partnership with title sponsorExxonMobil.
Among the attendees were Director of Sports
S t e v e N i n v a l l e , ExxonMobil’s Commercial Advisor Okeme Beaton, HeadoftheAlliedArtsUnit within the Ministry of Education Nicholas Fraser, andPetraCo-DirectorsTroy MendoncaandMarlanCole.
This year’s tournament promises to be the biggest yet, featuring a record 52 teams;32boys’and24girls’ sides with over 850 studentathletes expected to compete Now firmly established as Guyana’s premierU-14footballevent, the championship continues to provide a platform for young players to showcase
The
Troy Mendonca, Director of Petra Organisation recommits to hosting another successful U14 Football Championship during yesterday’s launch.
their skills in a structured and professionally managed environment.
In his keynote address, Petra Co-Director Troy Mendoncasaid,“Istandhere withimmenseexcitementas we officially launch this sixth edition of the ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ Under-14 Football Tournament Working alongside the ExxonMobil team, we’ve raised the
standard of this tournament to ensure a seamless and rewarding experience for everyoneinvolved.”
E x x o n M o b i l ’ s
CommercialAdvisorOkeme
Beaton praised the partnershipanditsimpacton youth development through sport.
“We’re proud to support this tournament once again. Over the past six years, w e ’ v e w i t n e s s e d
- 32 boys’ and 24 girls to compete for 2025
Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle yesterday at Petra’s U14 Football launch.
tremendousgrowthintalent, sportsmanship, and vigor
Empowering young women throughsportremainsoneof our core focuses. Beyond thistournament,we’vemade significant investments in upgrading community grounds, supporting school and regional competitions, a n d e v e n a i d i n g international tournaments,” Beatonsaid.
He further emphasized
ExxonMobil’s commitment to youth development: “We believe sport is a pillar of youth development and nation-building. Balancing academics and athletics is tough, but it’s been done before,andit’salwaysworth the effort. We encourage young players to chase their dreams.”
Looking ahead, Petra aims to expand the tournament into a
nationwide U-14 schools competition by 2026, reaching more communities acrossGuyana.Inamoveto
individual excellence, Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle announced the additionofaMostPromising Player award for both boys andgirls.
At the launch, it was
championship-winning s
$400,000 in funding toward a school project of their c
$200,000, third place
$100,000, and fourth place
$75,000. Individual awards include cash vouchers of $60,000 and gear (football boots and gloves) for the tournament’s Most Valuable Player,HighestGoalScorer, andBestGoalkeeper
The tournament is expected to kick off on Saturday, June 14, at the Ministry of Education Ground.
‘One Guyana’ King and Queen of the Sand Football
Following a very colourful official o p e n i n g ceremony and march past where Hon Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Anthony Phillips declared open this t h i r d e d i t i o n o n Independence night, battles in the group stages of the ‘One Guyana’ King and Queen of the Sand Football championshipswillcontinue today,Fridayandtomorrow, Saturday night at
he People’s Progressive Party Civic(PPP-C)Lindenoffice ground.
Racking up full points ontheopeningnightwere Iconic Strikers in the queens segment, with Avacado Ball
match,Rockstonelosing
I n t h e k i n g s competition, there was four winners from the four matches, Bomberz, HH Ballers, Rockstone
Action in the ‘One Guyana’ King and Queen of the Sand Football championships will continue tonight and tomorrow night at the PPP Office ground in Linden.
tackling L
Rockstone will match skills with Bomberz from 20:30hrs; One Syde will then come up against Turf President from 21:20hrs, Sepightland will faceTeam Mineral in the penultimate clash of the night with the main event between Young GunnersandUDKVictors. T
, sevenmorematcheswould beplayed.
Queens action from 18:00hrs features Iconic
Kings play will see Avocado Ballers playing
, Sw
n FC tackling Speightland, Goal IQ will square off against Rockstone,LABallerswill engage Fearless with the main attraction between Spaniards and Foundation Family
Defending National Chess Champion Taffin Khan is confident of steamrolling his way to win the National Chess Title for the third consecutive time. From invited comments given to the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) by all the finalists, Khan was firm on defeating his opponents and retaining the title. “After finishing my games, I hope togetsomeratingpointsand win the Championship three timesinarow,”hedeclared.
The GCF sponsored 2025 National Open Chess Championship began on Saturday May 24, 2025 at School of the Nations, Georgetown Nine top playersareengagedinfierce over-the-board battles with thedefendingchampionina singleround-robincontestto win the holy grail of local
chess. However, top Junior player Kyle Couchman has uppedtheanteforthetitle.“I expect to play strong, focused chess and challenge every opponent I face. My goal is to win the title and prove that I’m ready to lead the next generation of Guyanesechess,”hesaidina showofconfidence.
His Junior counterpart, Sachin Pitamber also had high hopes. “I know I’m about to face strong preparation from each player, and after everything, I’m expecting myself to grasp one of the top positions. I’m filled with determination to win this year,” he positively exclaimed.
Championship finalist
RolexAlexanderalsogavea thumbs up to his own performance “Having qualifiedatthebottomofthe table, I’m entering this championship with nothing
to lose and everything to prove.Mygoalistogivemy best performance, disrupt expectations, and cut down giants—one move at a time. I’m coming for the crown, whether it’s worn by a king orachampion,”hewarned.
Aditi Joshi, reigning National Women’s Champion, and lone female contender hoped for more female participation in the Nationals. “This is my first time qualifying for the open nationals Seeing the competitors in this tournament, I can only conclude that every match will be a tough one. I hope I can use the experience and strategiesI’vegarneredfrom my previous tournaments to win my games and play to the best of my ability I will train as much as possible to place high in the open
c h a m p i o n s h i p s
Subsequently, I hope I can inspiremorefemalestoplay
chess at a competitive level here in Guyana,” she appealed.
Veteran player Ronuel Greenidge feels that chess players have improved and humorouslyattributedlosing to being an addition to a preserved animal trophy collection. “I am privileged to be part of this great chess move,wherethequalityand level of play is continually on the increase. I am happy to do battle with this generation of players where the will to win is very high and they will happily add you to their taxidermy collection,”hecautioned.
KeronSandiford,former National Junior Champion pledged to do his utmost. “I expect to give my best in everygameandadapttoeach challengeasitcomes.
Winorlose,I’llplaywith focus,discipline,andrespect foreveryopponent.I’mhere
(Continuedonpage27)
Frompage31 immediately be meticulously organized, coached and collated girls’ games at high school level, preferably even at primary school level, in all Caribbean countries. There are no short-cuts to producing skillful players.
That had been done for young WI men. Michael Holding, Hiliary “Larry” Gomes, Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Desmond Haynes, Brian Lara and Shiv Chanderpaul are examples who had graduated from such screenings, some even earmarked early for senior WI Men’s teams. The USA
school/college programmes must be copied. Nowadays,scoutsinvestigatetalentedyoung womenandyoungmeneveninprepschools in USA, for sports like tennis, gymnastics, athletics, softball, baseball, lacrosse, Americanfootballandaquatics.
For WI Women’s cricket’s future, 100 + young women from each country must be made properly ready to produce at proper regionalage-grouptournaments,withaview for future senior WI Women candidature. Drastic changes must occur immediately, if notsooner,orWestIndiesWomenwillfalter muchfurther Cheers. Enjoy!
ByColinE.Croft–FormerGuyana,Lancashire
CCC&WestIndies
InternationalCricketer
Wednesday21May2025 was personally bad sportswise It included West Indies Women failing miserably, embarrassingly so, to overcome fresh-look England Women, losing the first of three W-T-20-Is to EnglandWomen. Indeed,no result was close as WI-W, former ICC 2016 W-T-20-I champions, were eventually obliterated3-0!
Manchester United FC also lost; 1-0; to Tottenham Hotspur FC in Europa League 2025 Final. That resultcostMUFCUS$120m butallowedTHFCaccessto thatnoblesum.
Thoselossesaccentuated earlier stresses, when, contrarytoexpectations,WI Men lost to Ireland Men, in ODI No. 1, by 124 runs, at Dublin. Not even the Irish, as optimistic and as enthusiastic as they are, expectedthatresult.
WI Men corrected that seriously dark mirage, winning ODI No. 3 by a massive 197 runs, after WI Men had made their 2nd highest ODI score: 387-7. RainhadspoiledODINo.2. ICC ODI 9th rated WI
M e n c o u l d o n l y, disappointingly, draw the 3ODI series; 1-1; with 12th ranked Ireland Men. WI
Men must improve
considerably to beat England Men; ICC ranked
No.8;intheongoing3-ODI series.
So, what is wrong with WI Women’s Cricket team anyway? They just seem to turn up, play whenever s c h e d u l e d , l o o k discombobulated, huff and puff in imaginative nothingness,thenlose. This hasbeengoingonthesepast months.
Doesanyonereallycare? Why have changes not been made to team personnel and especially to team coaching structure? Where is CWI’s Director of Cricket in all this?
WIWOMEN’S CAPTAINHAYLEY
MATTHEWS–WI
SUPERWOMAN
WI-W captain Hayley
Matthews has been singularly magnificent, fighting wars, like Ancient Britain’s Queen Boudica or France’sJoanofArc,against othernations’womencricket teams Unfortunately, whilepersonallyremarkably successful, Hayley Matthewsmusthavealready realizedthatnoonepersonis a team, not even in “individual” sports like pugilism.
Hayley Matthews is just past her 27th birthday but seems to have been around forever; Pisces, born 19 March; smart enough to arrive under that wonderful Zodiac sign From my sporting experiences, I can attest that her sporting life could still hit snags and
challenges.
The WI Women’s captain debuted in W-T-20I’s, v New Zealand Women in September 2014, and in W-ODIs, v Australia in November 2014 She already has ten + years at internationallevel. Withher unbelievable production, andfantasticfitness,shecan continue to play for another tenyearsforWIWomenand even play for her franchise teamsaroundtheworld.
Her statistics are incredible; hard to believe; muchlesstoappreciate Sheis presently career-best ICC rated No 1 Women’s T-20-I All-Rounder,career-bestrated No 2 batter in ICC W-T-20I’s, No 4 rated ICC batter in W-ODI’s and No 9 rated bowler in W-ODI’s by ICC Simply, Hayley Matthews is WI Women’s Super Woman For her and the Caribbean, though, she is only a very fruitfuloasisinavastdesertof WI-W pathetic nonproductivity AgainstEnglandWomen inthejustcompleted3-game
W-T-20-I series, she made 177 runs; 3 innings, avg 88.50; took three wickets; had100no.inatotalof146such dominance and singularity almost unheard of; won “Player of the Match” in W-T-20-I Nos. 1 and 3; capped it all by winning “Player of the Series.” Yet WI-W lost all three W-T-20-Is to England Women!
With such phenomenal personal successes, Hayley Matthews desperately needs much better all-around supports,playerstoaugment herefforts,ifWIWomenare to quickly return to being successful and back to winning ICC Women’s tournaments.
Last April; ICC WCWC 2025QualifierinPakistan;WI Women failed to progress, when given a second chance, afternotfeaturinginthetopsix
– Australia, India, New Zealand, England, South Africa, Sri Lanka - to get to ICC WCWC 2025 India, in September That tournament willbeworthUS$8millionto allparticipatingteams Whata greatmissforWI-WandCWI!
In that ICC 2025 WCWC Qualifier, won by Pakistan Women, WI-W were 3rd, behindBangladeshby0.003 NRR. The real problems were that WI-W lost to Scotlandand Pakistan. WIWcaptainHayleyMatthews topped the wicket-taking tally; 13 wickets; 5 games; 15.83 avg., while WI-W’s medium-pacer Aaliyah
Alleyne had 12 wickets; 13.66avg. IMMEDIATECHANGES NEEDEDINWI WOMEN’SSQUADS
Immediately after that abject failure in Pakistan, mostly against Associate teams, WI Women’s selectors should have rung many meaningful changes fortheEnglandtour,indeed, ashadrecentlybeendoneby E n g l a n d W o m e n themselves This perseverance with nonproductive WI-W players are reminiscent of happenings to WI Men’s teamsin1990s/2000s.
Not only did England Women change their Head Coach after their “Ashes” drubbing suffered earlier, v
Australia, losing every matchinthattour;7-0(3WODIs, 3 W-T-20-Is, one-off W-Test); England Women’s team now has a new captain too, effecting a restart and new era. At least four, arguably more, WI-W players now in England, are way past their “used by date.” Their contributions have become very negligible, with no continuity of even average fitness either This increasing ultra-dependency on Hayley Matthews is d o w n r i g h t d u m b ! Everything starts at the beginning. Go back to the tried and tested methods. For future successes for WI Women’scricket,theremust (Continuedonpage 30)
The 2025 National Sports Commission (NSC) Independence TableTennisTournament teedoffonMondayatthe National Gymnasium, with a string of top performances from the competingyoungsters. Those categories featured the Novices Boys and Girls, 9 years andunderboysandgirls, 13 years and under boys andgirls,andtheCClass opencategories. From these events, Aria Johnson, Fabianna John, Masih Longe, and Rainia Belfield emerged victorious in their respectivecategories In the 9 years and
undergirls’singlesfinal, Aria Johnson defeated FabiannaJohn3-2.
Novice Girls round robin finals Fabianna John defeated Aria Johnson, Mia Barron, and Peyton Singh
Second place went to Johnson,thirdtoBarron, andSinghfinishedatthe bottomofthetable
Novice Boys round robin playoff, Masih Longe defeated Rudra Chinapen, Didwaan Wilson,andEtanMarks, 2nd place went to Chinapen, 3rd place to Wilson, and Marks finished4th
“C” Class Open reached the last 16, with
seeding #1 to #4 getting byes into the quarterfinals
Playersthatcameout oftheirrespectivegroups were Kayden Meusa, Alex Garraway, Tyler Bhojedat, Ransford Belfield, Jaden Trotman, Morven Barron, Obinna Utoh, Akeem Hall, TravisLyken,ZukHanif, Owan Wills, and ShackecyDamon. Four players who received byes and went through to the quarterfinals were Meusa, Bhojedat, Trotman, and Utoh.
Meanwhile, action in the “C” Class continues todayfrom16:00h.
SportsMax - Grenada has officially been named host of the 2026 CARIFTA
G a m e s , f o l l o w i n g Thursday’s announcement by the Grenada Athletics
Association (GAA) confirming government approval The prestigious juniorathleticsmeetissetto take place from April 4–6, 2026, at the Kirani James Athletics Stadium in St George’s.
Shortly after the official announcement was made, Sportsmax.TV spoke with GAA President Conrad Francis, who is currently overseas, about the significance of the moment and what it means for Grenadianathletics.
“We’re so happy and elated,” Francis said. “We gotthegreenlighttoproceed with the organising of the Games, and this could not have happened without governmentsupport.Infact, with NACAC, one of the requirementsisthatwemust havegovernmentbacking.”
He was quick to clarify thatwhileGrenadahasfaced fundingchallengeswithpast events like the Grenada Invitational, CARIFTA represents a different propositionentirely “That Grand Prix was a private venture that had governmentsupportbutwas not organised by the association. The CARIFTA Gamesisadifferentkettleof
fish. This is a regional c o m p e t i t i o n , a n d governments across the region have always supported it, along with the corporatesector,”hesaid.
AccordingtoFrancis,the governmentwillserveasthe main financier for the 2026 edition,withtheGAAtasked with mobilising additional corporate sponsorship Despitethelimitationsofthe local business landscape, Francisisoptimistic.
“We’ve been working behind the scenes even before the announcement was made,” he revealed “We’re very optimistic we will get the support. Our corporatesectorissmall,but we think they’ll come on board.”
The GAA also issued a public appeal on Thursday, calling on businesses to join aspartners:
“We now extend a clarion call to Corporate Grenada: Come onboard as proud partners of this prestigiousevent.Let’swork together to deliver the best CARIFTA Games ever and continuetheproudlegacy.”
Grenada’s 2025 CARIFTA team returned home with 13 medals—2 gold, 6 silver, and 5 bronze and Francis believesthathostingthenext edition provides the perfect platform to push the country’s young talent even further
“We saw it as an opportunitytoshowcaseour athletes, ” he told Sportsmax.TV “We’vebeen buildinggradually Wethink we can reach a new level nextyearbecausewehavea good group of athletes, and we’ve already started the process.”
He confirmed that Grenada will, for the first time, be sending a full team to the upcoming ECG Championships an important stepping stone in the development pipeline from grassroots to elite juniorcompetition.
Francis also pointed to the growing national pride and support surrounding Grenadian athletes, many of
whom now enjoy strong backingbothathomeandin the diaspora Yet, he admitted with a laugh that not everyone is thrilled the Games are coming to St George’s.
“Idon’tknowifyouwere in Trinidad for the last Games,”hesaid,“butwe’ve begun to build a strong regional following In Trinidad,wehadaverylarge turnoutsupportingus.Some people in Grenada are actually upset that we’re h o s t i n g t h e Games because they wanted to travel! They enjoyed the experience so much.”Tobolsterpromotion and public engagement, the GAA plans to involve Grenada’s most iconic track
Ea n d f i e l d ambassadors decathlon star Lindon Victor and Olympic 400m champion KiraniJames.
“We intend to use all the resources we have to help promote the Games,” Francis said “And definitely, we’ll see how we can factor them into our efforts. That is definitely on thecards.”
With support from the government, optimism within the corporate sector, and a rising generation of athletes hungry for success, Francis believes the path is clear for Grenada to stage a trulyhistoricevent.
“Let’smakehistory,”the officialGAAstatementread. “Let’smakeitthebestever.”
is the latest to benefit from
Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana” in
mmanuel Lewis, national under17 allrounder, is the latest to benefit from this noble initiative done jointly by Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan DasoftheUSA.
The sixteen-year prolific
batsman who also bowls medium pace and leg spin, was the recipient of a pair of cricket shoesandonecricketbat.
Lewis, a student of Carmel
Secondary School and represents Transport and GeneralSportsClubatalllevels, wasthankfulforthecricketgear andpromisedtoworkhardonhis game with his aim set on representing the West Indies in thefuture.Hehasthedistinction
of scoring a double hundred at theInterAssociationlevel.
This project is pleased to be part of the development of this special talent and promised to continue to support him as his career grows. initiative and the amountofassistanceithasgiven toyoungcricketersinGuyana.
This initiative will continue to strive to make every community a safer and better place. We are pleased to be part of the development of young cricketersinGuyana.Ouraimis to keep them off the streets and get them actively involved in sports,cricketinparticular
Total cricket related items received/purchased so far: $630,000 in cash, thirteen
coloredcricketuniforms,oneset of stumps, two trophies, thirty fivepairsofcricketshoes,thirty eight pairs of batting pads, forty seven cricket bats, forty two pairs of batting gloves, twenty nine thigh pads, three pairs of wicket keeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, fourteen gear bags, thirteen bat rubbers, seven helmets, one fiber glass bat, one pair of floppy hat, one pair of inners, sixteen boxes and four of whitecricketballs,thirteenboxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone and twenty eight footballs In addition to the above, gear with value of over $600,000 was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former Nationa
keeper/batsman All cash collected is being used to purchase cricket gear requested andnotavailableatthetime
Cricketrelateditems,usedor new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana Skills, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to identify same. Progressive and wellmanagedcricketclubswith a youth program, will also benefit. Anyon
o contribute can contact Anil Beharry on 623 6875 or Kishan Dason17186640896.
Emmanuel Lewis poses with his tokens.
Akil Haynes and P r i y a n n a R a m d h a n i defended their Mixed Doubles title while bagging top spots in Men’s Doubles and Women’s Doubles as action in the Guyana Badminton Association (GBA) GUMDAC Easter Badminton tournament Competition spiked off this pastweekendwithanumber of huge performances by
some of Guyana’s premier Badminton players, both juniorandsenior
T
featured a Round of 32 (Men’s Doubles), Round of 16 (Mixed), and Round Robin (Women’s), which in the end saw some tough battles for the respective firstplacepositions.
The thrilling Men’s Doubles final saw Haynes and Tyresey Jeffrey edging
past the talented duo of Nkosi Beaton and Wen Yuan Chen to seal the first placespot
In the Mixed Doubles c
Beharry, tried before falling to Ramdhani and Haynes, thus settling for thesecondspot
Ramdhani and Beharry thenteameduptodominate
the Women’s Doubles as they ended in first place, leaving Shivannie Persaud and Anna Perreira to settle for the second spot
tournamentahugesuccess
Men Doubles
1st - Akili Haynes & TyreseJeffrey
2nd - Nkosi Beaton & WenYuanChen
3rd - Chet Bowling & DanTan
3rd - Frank Waddell & JoanathanDebidin
WomenDoubles
1st -PriyannaRamdhani &MishkaBeharry
2nd - Shivannie Persaud &AnnaPerreira
3rd -Asiyah Eastman & LeshaunteBerkley
3 r d - H a r s h i n i Muralidharan & Gabrielle
Felix
MixedDoubles
1st - Akili Haynes & PriyannaRamdhani
2nd - Nkosi Beaton & MishkaBeharry
3rd - WenYuan Chen & AsiyahEastman
support in making the
Meanwhile, the GBA hailed the tournament as a fantastic showcase of talent and passion for badminton in Guyana,
3rd -GavinCao&Zhou Fenglian (CR)
Seales celebrates after dismissing Joe Root. (Andy Kearns/Getty Images)
