More than 90 killed, gunfire at aid centre tells Carter party and supporters
Govt. ramps up wounded by Israeli
WIN Center of attacks on
Robbery suspect shot dead by police
marine patrols in Guyana’s EEZ commissioned New $790M ‘Arau’ tug
“Teachers feel betrayed CJ rules Hicken’s appointment as Top Cop after age 55 legal
after Mark Lyte joins PPP”...GTUPresidentsays
Leader of WINAzruddin Mohamed and members of his party along with representatives of the Carter Centre following a meeting on Tuesday
President of Guyana Teachers Union, Coretta McDonald
Shamar Prince
WIN tells Carter Center of attacks on party and supporters
Leader of the We Invest in Nationhood(WIN)partyAzruddin Mohamed and several of his e x e c u t i v e s m e t w i t h representativesoftheCarterCenter on Tuesday where concerns were raised about victimization and matters related to the September 1 generalandregionalelections.
Mohamed, a businessman, was joined by former Peoples National CongressReform(PNCR)General Secretary Dawn HastingsWilliams, former parliamentarian Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, and Campaign Manager Odessa Primus.
PrimustoldKaieteurNewsthat the victimization of the party’s supporters was high on the list of thingsdiscussed.
“In terms of what has been happeningherelocallytowardsour party and our party supporters and the victimization that they have been met out with. From losing your job right down to being attacked on social media either directly by the government or indirectly by their propaganda outfits… who have been going out their way to attack and to destroy the character and self -esteem of many of our people ” she explained.
Primus pointed to an incident involvingamemberoftheGuyana PoliceForce (GPF) who shook the hands of Mohamed and was
relocatedtoafar-flungcommunity
Asked about the response received from the Carter Center representatives, Primus said that she was told they have been “observing” and following what has been transpiring on social media.
“Theyhavebeenobservingand
sonaturallytheyhaveseenalotof what has been happening. The Linden bus coming down yesterday… where there were a number of buses being stopped for no seemingly good reason at all… was given and these are the things they [Carter Center] hear and are following the social media
platforms. Obviously, they have seenandnotedverymanyofthose concerns already as well,” the campaign manager told Kaieteur News. Meanwhile, Primus said that her party has been unsuccessful in obtainingsupportfromtheGPFbut noted that WIN has been
responding accordingly to the constantattacksviasocialmedia.
“It is not an easy fight in terms of one’s ability to get justice,” she said.
Primus disclosed that justice couldonlybeservedby“gettingthe PPPoutofofficeandthentakeover
Continued on page 10
U.S senator presents Bill to strengthen security cooperation with Guyana, deter Venezuelan aggression
…says Guyana is a key partner in advancing regional security, democracy, and stability, burgeoning oil exporter
United States Senator, Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, has introduced legislation to strengthen U S security cooperation with Guyana and deter Venezuelanaggressionagainstthecountry
InastatementonMonday,itwasoutlined that Guyana is a key partner in advancing regionalsecurity,democracy,andstability,and aburgeoningoilexporterthatsuppliescrudeto Europe – helping the continent reduce its reliance on Russian crude amid Russia’s unprovokedandunjustifiedwaronUkraine
Senator Bennet said, “As Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro continues to threaten Guyana, the United States must workwithGuyanatodetersuchaggression.”
He added, “This bill will force the pentagontoevaluatecurrentcooperationand determine where improvements can be made.”
ItwasexplainedthatBennet’slegislation would require the Secretary of Defense to provide a report to Congress on the state of thecurrentsecuritycooperationbetweenthe United States and Guyana and whether additional U.S. assistance is necessary to deter a potential Venezuelan attack on Guyana.
“Sincetakingofficein2013,Madurohas ramped up threats against Guyana, claiming the country’s Essequibo region as part of
United States Senator Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence
Venezuela despite international law affirming the region’s status as part of Guyana Maduro’s regime has flown Venezuelan air force jets over Guyanese territory and threatened oil facilities in Guyana’s internationally-recognised maritime territory, among other malicious actions,”thestatementsaid.
Further, it was noted that both the Biden and Trump administrations have bolstered security cooperation with Guyana and promised to impose costs on Venezuela if Caracas attacks Guyana. The Bill would augmentthesebipartisanefforts.
Venezuela has long laid claim to more than two-thirds of Guyana’s territory, the resource-rich Essequibo region The Guyana-Venezuela border controversy is currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Despite a December 2023 agreement between President Ali and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro committing to regional peace, on March 1, 2025, a Venezuelan naval vessel entered Guyana’s waters and approached ExxonMobil’s Prosperity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel operating in the oil-rich Stabroek
Block and radioed that the FPSO was operatingindisputedterritory
The Stabroek Block is operated by American oil major ExxonMobil, which holds a 45 percent interest, Hess with 30 percent, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), a Chinese stateownedentity,witha25percentstake.
The Government of Guyana has insisted on the ICJ’s role in providing a conclusive judgmentonthematter,notingthatithasno intention of having direct dialogue with the NicolasMaduroregimeregardingtheborder controversy
Leader of WIN Azruddin Mohamed and members of his party along with representatives of the Carter Center following a meeting on Tuesday.
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456
Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams
Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
People on the move
It is the season of moving, with one political aspirant after another making moves from where they were long established to what they long reviled. Political creatures haveasharpsenseofwhentoswallowtheirpride,andset themselvesupwiththerightpositioningofthemselvesat therightanglesinthehopeofearningaprize. Anybone thrownatthem,regardlessofhowbare,iswelcomed,since where they were has none to offer them. This year's electionshavebeenexceptional,withsomuchmovingand realigning as to make the eyes glaze. It is the way democracy works, with one of its features being the freedom to make a choice, to move. We applaud that standard,butalsoquestionhowmuchthenation'smassive oil wealth contributed to the movements of men and womenfromonepoliticalpartytoanother
Ofconspicuousnoteisthefactthatnoonehasmadea move, or signaled any interest in moving, from the governing PPPC. If there is no moving, it is reasonable that there will be no endorsing of anyone outside of the PPPC. TheyarenotlookingtomoveawayfromthePPPC, theyhavetheirheartssetonmovinguptothehigherlevels of recognition and seniority in the party's structure. The factthatnotonePPPCmemberhasmovedoutoftheparty, and aligned themselves with another team, can be interpreted in one of several ways, maybe all of them comingtogether
ThePPPC,asanorganization,asapoliticalbody,has that amount of control over its members, every one of them. As many Guyanese appreciate, both within the rulingpartyandoutsideofit,there'sthecultofleadership thatisworshippedandfeared. Arguably,itsmemberssell themselvesontheideathattheirpartyandtheirleadersare the cleanest and truest relative to complying with what democracy demands. As commanding as the preceding maybe,thereisapullthatisstillstronger:theintoxicating touchofoilmoney,andabundanceofit.
The touch and seduction of oil money have been so powerful and so consuming explains why so many Guyanese have had to be contented with so little of it channeled to them. It explains also why many of the political figures moving and realigning, endorsing and crossing over, have moved in primarily one direction. MostlyithasbeentothePPPC,andforthatmostancientof humanfactors.
Greed has been around for as long as human beings have existed. For some men and women, the more they get,themoretheywant,themoretheytrytograb. Itisofscantconcerntothemthattheyhavetokickthe weakeroutofcompetingforthenextfatteningdollar,and the next. There are all these reports, and the physical evidence,ofenormousunexplainedwealth,thatcannotbe denied,andcannotbeconcealed. Someofthosewhoare outside of the PPPC machinery look on, weigh their personal prospects (where they are), and then conclude thattheyhavetogowherethemoneyis.
Since PPPC members are stuck inseparably to where they are, there must be much sweet lavishness that glues them there. Outsiders want a piece of that, dream about how they must play their cards to get the best results for themselves. It has been mostly to the PPPC, which has totalcontrolofthenation'spursestrings.
Others have moved from one opposition party to another Theysensethattherulingpartyisvulnerableat the polls, due to rampant corruption, mismanagement of the oil wealth, and severe citizen discontent. In all the movingandendorsing,fewaresountutoredastoleaveout servingcitizensastheprimemotivatorforseparatingfrom onepartyandreattachingtoanother
We question what comes first for those fixing themselvestowhatgivesthemunbeatableodds. Isitthe conditionofthepeopleandthestateofthecountry? Oris it about the power of money operating with its usual magnetisms? There will be winners and losers, and we waittoseewhodidwellforthemselves,whofaredpoorly
Sammy's failed recycling and West Indies embarrassment
DearEditor, Decency is an attribute thatisnotalwaysevidentby somepeople'sbehaviourand yougetasensethatitisvery much absent where West Indian coaches and some players are concerned. In fact, I sincerely wish that I can be proven wrong by Darren Sammy, Floyd Reifer, Roston Chase and Jommel Warrican resigning from their current positions in West Indies cricket with immediateeffect.
Darren Sammy in a classical display of lunacy and ignorance choose to, ratherthanlooktothefuture and invest in young players and leadership, choose to recycle tried and proven test failuressuchasChase,Hope, CampbellandWarrican,who bytheway,hasproventobe the biggest failure of them all.
Braithwaite averaged 3.75 for the two test he played, Captain Roston
Chase averaged 19.0 in the series which is worse than his overall test average of 25.9. Shai Hope averaged 19.6 which is worse that his overall test average of 24.8 andCampbellaveraged17.6 worse than his overall test averageof25.2.
These recycled test failures were selected ahead of Athanaze, Hodge, DaSilva, Imlach, Sinclair and Motie and as a consequence the WI team development has moved backwards by about two (2) years. Imagine Shai Hope is the only person in the West Indies top order who scored more runs than Shamar Josephwhoendedupwith22 wickets and 113 runs in the series.Infact,ifthesocalled top order had scored three timestheamountofrunsthe bowlers scored West Indies would have won the series.
Shamar Joseph and Jayden Seales consistently bowled their hearts out and
outperformed Alzarri Joseph, who as normal, had one or two exceptional bowling performance in the series. Greaves as expected held his own very well and deservestobeontheteam.
No other test team in the world has a batting coach with a test average of 9.6 exceptWestIndies.Noother test playing nation would have selected Sammy, an average test player with a batting average of 21.7 as coachaheadofagreatplayer such as Shivnarine Chanderpaul whose batting average is 51 4 Julian H u n t e , S a m m y ' s countryman,hadamethodto his madness but Sammy's lunacy exceeds proportions andastothedirectorofWest Indies cricket, he is in a league by himself. Not even rd a3 divisioncricketclubcan derive any benefit from his nonsense.
I predicted a trashing from Australia but I did not
foreseeanembarrassmentof such enormous proportions as was dished out at Sabina Park. The recycled batsmen were spineless and the way they were dismissed was identical to their mode of dismissal before they were dropped, so essentially they have learnt noting The decision to recycle them satisfies the requirement of insanity I have consistently predicted that West Indies cricketwouldgetworse,but byGod,howcanpeoplelike Sammy and Reifer still hold on to their positions and accept payment for such services? But then again decency is an attribute not present among some West Indians.
SAMMY, REIFER, CHASE AND WARRICAN CAN CHOOSE TO BE DECENT AND RESIGN WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT
Yourstruly EricWhaul.
David /Me vs Giant / GPL
DearEditor, I disagreed with an additional charge on my monthly bill, which was claimed to be not registered about a year ago. This is apparently a political campaigntoraiseextrafunds on the consumers' backs for theupcomingelection.
So I sent an email to the authority in charge which refusedtoaccept,andcaused me to take it personally to them.
After fussing a lot, and delaying with extra
DearEditor,
investigation on the matter, they finally sent me a letter ofdenial.Ihadelaboratedin my letter some of the consumer rights breach, and even proposed to pay by installments. All in vain. I applied for a subsidy as a pensionerwhichalsohasnot beengrantedsofar I am unable to pay the charge although at a low value.
H o w e v e r, g i a n t companiesdonotlookdown on poor unemployed people andbydenialtheyareclearly
sayingtolikeitorlumpit.
I visited the legal clinic lookingforaso-calledpublic lawyer to make my voice heard by someone Unfortunately,thereisalsoa charge for the use of these professionals who are paid by the state to listen to civilian cases. So who and where should I look out for basicrepresentation?
A light at the end of the tunnelappearswithKaieteur News.Sincetheyarealsoon the giant platform, maybe somematchcanoccur
Atleasttheirpolicytakes much more care of the poor thanGPL.Iwenttotheoffice whereIwasnotpermittedto engagewithanyone,savethe providing on this public email as an only string of contact.Ifsomeonewilltake time to give heed can be anotherstory
However, it is my last hope at the end of the line. Hopingtogetsomefeedback from you soon for further clarifications.
Bestregards, ColinStephenson
Kitty was a Tsunami of red
The PPP launched its campaignattheKittyMarket Square, its traditional launching site, on Sunday, July 13th. It was always expected to be massive. But clearly, this was one of the largest ever election campaign launching events, if not the largest ever, in Guyana.
It was a tsunami of red. We heard the PNC-led APNU describing their approximately 1,200 strong launching on Sunday July 6th as a green wave. We heard the Mohameds describing their party's gathering of about 300 paid supporters in Linden on Saturday July 12th as a blue wave. After witnessing the
PPP's Sunday launch, the green and blue waves look likelittleripplesinthewater following the drop of a pebble.
Clearly, the size of the crowd at the PPP launch musthavesentshiversinthe leadership of the other parties.
Nomatterhowtheytryto downplay the success of the PPP'slaunch,theopposition parties must have had their hopesobliteratedandadeep sense of defeat must have takenafirmhold.Thesizeof therallyonSundayis,onone hand,anexhilaratingfeeling among the PPP leadership and in its support-base. On theotherhand,thesizeofthe red tsunami must be disconcerting to the
opponentsofthePPP
But the size of the PPP rally is only part of the sinking, disconcerting feeling the opposition must be feeling. The diversity of thecrowdmustbeevenmore frightening for the opposition.
The ethnic make-up of the crowd signaled a significant shift away from race-based politics, with the PPP demonstrating that it is the only national party in Guyana.
While all other opposition parties continue to rely on support from a single ethic group, the PPP continues to strengthen its nationalcredentials.
The Kitty Rally crowd confirmed the growing
national flavor of the PPP
There were people of every ethnic and religious group gatheredinKitty
The overwhelming number of youths in the crowdmustbedisheartening for the opposition. Clearly, thePPPhasbecometheparty ofandforyoungpeopleofall racesandreligioninGuyana. That the young people have gravitated to the PPP, regardless of their families' traditional political affiliation, is an enormous milestonehappening. It signals that the PPP is uniting the nation, bringing back Cheddi Jagan's 1953 unity movement. The PPP today is breaking the albatrossofrace-based (Continueonpage6)
The PPP/C's management of the oil industry has been defined by mismanagement and corruption
DearEditor,
On July 13, 2025, the
People's Progressive
Party/Civic (PPP/C) officiallykickedoffits2025 General and Regional campaign in Kitty, Greater Georgetown, filling the venue with supporters transportedbyshuttlebuses. Yet the rally quickly descendedintoaspectacleof falsehoods,propaganda,and incoherentmessaging.
The PPP/C has since
called for a public consultation on Wednesday, July 16, 2025, to begin shapingitsmanifesto.
I tuned in intermittently, listening to remarks from Messrs Mark Phillips,
Bharrat Jagdeo, and Irfaan Ali. It was troubling
that Prime Minister Mark Phillips, the PPPC's prime ministerial candidate, spoke before Jagdeo; a breach of protocol that suggests either a serious oversight or disregard for constitutional norms given hisgovernmentalposition. None of the speakers offered a coherent or actionableplanforeitherthe present crowd or those following via media
Instead, the PPP/C repeatedly claimed that Guyana's political evolution began in May 2015 with the Coalition Government, conveniently ignoring their own 23-year tenure from O c t o b e r 1 9 9 3 t o May 2015—aperiodmarred
by corruption, police brutality, extrajudicial killings, gender-based violence (including the much publicised case of Varshnie Singh), and narcotrafficking. These are not just forgotten footnotes for many informed Guyanese. Theiraccusationsagainstthe Coalition focused, while they are “lagging projects” and “wasted billions,” yet they neglected to mention the stalled GY$8.6 billion Caribbean Green Building Inc. office complex, which has made barely any progress in the last three years.
Ali and his colleagues also asserted that the Coalition introduced “over 200 taxes,” but Minister Dr Ashni Singh was unable to name even one when questioned in the National Assemblyin2023.Areview of PPP/C budget data from 1993–1995 reveals far steeper tax increases during their early years in power
S i m i l a r l y, w h i l e condemning the Coalition for job losses in sugar and bauxite,theyomittedthatthe PPP/C shuttered estates like LBI,Diamond,andEnmore, thus denying severance and benefits to thousands, and failed to protect bauxite workers from mistreatment by Russian firm RUSAL under Jagdeo's watch, with Manzoor Nadir as Labour Minister On social welfare, they
touted subsidies for water and electricity for pensioners, yet admitted not all 70,000+ eligible pensioners have received them Reports confirm numerousexclusions.
They also criticized the Coalition for scrapping the GY$10,000 “Because We Care” payment, an unsustainable measure approvedbyPPP/CCabinet. Meanwhile, the Coalition delivered free nationwide student transportation under its“5B's”policy
They claimed a 46% increase in public-sector pay, but the true cumulative increase from 2021 to 2025 is only about 39.5% (7% + 8%+6.5%+10%+8%),all taxable, far short of their claim.
The Coalition, by comparison, delivered 77%, oftentax-free.
Regarding housing, the PPP/C boasts of distributing “over 50,000 lots” but has failed to address persistent delays in beneficiary calls,
site development, title issuance, and loan access. TheirCOVID-19narrativeis similarly flawed They accused the Coalition of unequipped facilities, ignoring that the Coalition had constructed and dedicated COVID-19 center before oil revenues began flowing.
When the PPP/C took office in August 2020, Guyana had recorded only 21 COVID deaths. Under their tenure marked by
“Sputnik/Shiek” scandals, deathsspiked.
Also conspicuously absent was any mention of rampant corruption among PPP/C ministers, a sanctioned permanent secretary, and senior police o f f i c i a l s W h a t accountability measures do theyproposeforhigh-profile scandals,suchasthemurder ofAdrianaYoungeandmany unresolvedcases?
Therewasnomentionof
investigations into former H o u s i n g C E O Sherwin Greaves, who still receives taxpayer-funded security, businessman Ed Ahmad and others implicated in wrongdoing. They also touted “free education” from nursery to university However, while the constitution still allows free tertiary education introduced by Forbes Burnham, it was dismantled in 1994 under the late Cheddie Jagan. Their claim ismisleadingin2025.
Finally, they ignored constitutional requirements (Article 70) mandating local government elections every twoyears.
The Coalition restored electionsinMarch2016and November 2018 after a 20-year delay Since reclaimingpower,thePPP/C has neglected city maintenance and withheld resourcesfromlocalbodies.
They also failed to acknowledge that Jagdeo's 2007 PPP/C administration
introduceda16%VAT,later reduced to 14% by the Coalitionin2016;arollback the PPP/C has never completed,evenduringtheir oil-fundedterm.
Insum,theCoalitionlaid the groundwork for Guyana's pre-oil progress, while the PPP/C's post-oil era has been defined by mismanagement and corruption.
As we approach the September 1,2025elections, Guyanese should weigh 23 years of PPP/C governance against five years of Coalition leadership; both beforeandafteroil.Haveour lives truly improved materially and ethically between 2020 and 2025? Our decision should rest on performance, not ethnicity The PPP/C is unworthy of our trust or votes beyond September1,2025. It's time to choose a principled,newdirection.
GodblessGuyana.
Yourssincerely,
Annette Ferguson
Govt. ramps up marine patrols in Guyana's EEZ
Head of Guyana's National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA), Colonel Sheldon Howell on Tuesday said that there has been increased maritime patrols in Guyana's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), especially near “our oilexplorations”.
Thiswasrevealedduring an Episode of the Guyana Police Force's weekly podcast “Safeguarding our Nation” that was aired on Facebook. UnitedStatesoil giant ExxonMobil is not only pumping oil but also conducting oil exploration activities in Guyana's EEZmainly in the country's lucrativeStabroekblock. News of ramped-up
maritime patrols near oil exploration activities offshorecomesmonthsafter a Venezuelan warship illegally entered Guyana's territory and threatened ExxonMobil's Floating ProductionStorageOffshore (FPSO's)vessel,operatingin theStabroekblock.‘ Howell, who is also the Chairman of the Guyana Defence Institute made the revelation while answering questions posted by host MarciaHope.
Hope asked, “How does the agency help in protecting the country's patrimony?”
suspicioushappens,thereis no time lost in coordinating the response and these are not just plans, they are happening now,” Howell explained
NISA's Director, Colonel Sheldon Howell
In response, he said that protection of Guyana's patrimony is one of NISA's m
responsibilities.
Hedisclosedthatworkis being done to protect the country's natural resources and among them noted increasedmaritimepatrolsin Guyana'sEEZ.“Also,inour EEZ, especially near our oil explorations, we have increased maritime patrols andourdomainawareness,” Howell said before adding that NISA and all the agenciesinvolvedaredeeply supported by Guyana's international partners including the United States ofAmerica(USA)andother allies. The NISA Director said too that the agency assists by putting intelligencetogether “So, if something
Further,Howellspokeof howcriticalthepublic'shelp is to its operations. “So, if you observe something, whether it is illegal dredging,illegalminingora foreign vessel make a call,” hepleaded.
Illegal mining and logging, especially in Guyana'shinterlandregions, isanareaoffocusforNISA.
“In the jungles, the joint services are working with the Guyana Forestry Commission, and the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission to monitor illegal mining and logging. We use drones, satellite imagery, and most importantly along with community intelligence to provide that information for ustoshutdowntheseillegal operations,”Howellstated.
Last year, several illegal mining operations were dismantled in Regions Seven, Eight and Nine as a result of the collaboration withtheotherstateagencies.
Meanwhile, Howell
revealed too that Guyana's security architecture is also focused on illegal activities at the country's borders, along its rivers, and even seas. “We have been able to intercept many gold smuggling operations and unregulated dredging,
particularly in our border areas,” Howell said while adding, “In this regard we deployed forward operating units to act quickly before anydamageisdone.”
In Guyana's seas, the GuyanaDefenceForce's (Continueonpage16)
Kitty was a Tsunami...
Frompage4 politics. What is clear from the Kitty Rally is that the supportersofthepartyhavea genuine respect and love for their leaders, especially President Irfaan Ali and VP Bharat Jagdeo. The PNC leader,Aubrey Norton, does not even command respect and love even among his own party's supporters Many have exited the PNC and joined the PPP Mohamed from the “blue” party has no way to know how much people respect and love him since the chief motivation so far has been how much money they have beenpaid.Thosewhoexpect to be candidates have been promisedthings-moneyand positions Many have actually signed agreements. Others were paid to be backersandmanyfeelifthey hold up flags and wear blue shirts they would earn more money There is no way for Mohamed to know what reallytoexpectforElections 2025.
The PPP rally featured mostly new and young candidates.Accordingtothe PPP's General Secretary, more than 25 of the PPP's candidates for Elections 2025arebelow25yearsold. Some of them were previously up-and-coming leaders of the PNC whose pathway were stifled and stagnated by the PNC's lack of vision when they insist thatyoungpeoplemustawait their turn, while giving old l e a d e r s u n l i m i t e d opportunities to fail. Others are young people who have been either never in politics or just became involved. Encouragingly, the new candidatesofthePPParenot only young and successful, but they are of every ethnic groupinthepopulation.
The Kitty Rally for Elections 2025 was also notable for its energy The energy was electrifying. It w a s c e l e b r a t o r y Undoubtedly,theenergywas d e r i v e d f r o m t h e youthfulness of the crowd. While the crowd stretched almost the full length of AlexanderStreetandspilled into cross streets into Campbellville, the more remarkable feature was the thunderous energy that was maintained throughout the almostfive-hourslongrally
ThePPP'sKittyRallyfor Campaign 2025 sets a new bar for comparing rallies. It also was a demonstration that the PPP is bigger than everandthatitwouldbevery difficult for the present opposition to separately or together defeat the PPP Twenty-two political parties had submitted symbols to GECOM as notice for their participation. It was always never going to be 22 participants in the elections. After Sunday's PPP rally, clearlysomeofthemdecided not to bother Nominations Daywillshowushowmany of them will be able to contest, even if they would never be able to be competitive.
Regards Dr.LeslieRamsammy
BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT BLUNT
Elections and oil
The elections have not even moved into high gear, and many citizens are already suffering from burnout.
The energy that they should have to focus constantly on oil, and keep it percolating at that state, is either drowned out by the rhetoric of elections or drained away by superior competing interests.
We are right back at elections, which is now seemingly superior to all else that is happening in this country. The cunning politicians know how to keep the voters occupied. Feed the people a steady dose of all the wrongs that the other side did over the years when they were in government, and then sit back and enjoy watching how voters tear into each other, like ferocious dogs over a bone. A spectacle is always guaranteed, and this year is already shaping up to follow the same script.
Who has the time, who cares, to talk about oil? Why waste energy on oil, and lose an opportunity to prove how loyal one is to a leader or group?
By Glenn Lall in his own words days left for your finger 47
The amount of gold, timber, bauxite, and manganese we sitting on in this land could lift not just Guyana, but this whole Caribbean region out of povertywithintwoyears.
T h e n c a m e t h e unprecedentedoildiscovery, thelargesteverfoundinthis hemisphere. Not me said that, that exact phrase came outthemouthoftheoilgiant of this world, ExxonMobil themselves.
“Let me use the word unprecedented…thepaceat whichwearedevelopingina country, that I think you all understand, has very little industrial and major infrastructure…that is truly impressive,” (Routledge, April2022)
Let that sink in your
heads: with just 50% of that oil managed properly, every single one of the ¾ million Guyanese could be living better than the people of Dubai, Norway, or Qatar. But what we living with instead? Blackouts, bad roads, broken hospitals, and belly-grippingbills.
Now let's line up these traitors,theparasites,oneby one,anddealwiththemlike how Guyanese supposed to dealwithsellouts: First in line: The PNC andAFC.
Oil was discovered under their watch. And for five long years, they held power, but not one proper press conference was ever held to inform or update the Guyanesepeopleaboutwhat was discovered and what
wasthereforus,thecitizens. Joseph Harmon had promised to assemble an oil team and address the nation four times at separate press conferences.
ThePNCleftoffice,and nothing came. Now the new Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, in all his grand speeches, has never once held a press conference dedicated to the oil sector Not even a whisper about renegotiating the deal. All you hear from him is when he goes into office he will talktoExxon.
And as for the AFC — hear this joke — the new leader Nigel Hughes, the same man whose law firm helped sign away the oil, is now saying: “When I become president, I will put
an oil team together to manage that oil and stay out.”
NextisthePPP. President Irfaan Ali, when in opposition sat comfortably and told this nation, he will review and renegotiate that oil contract.
Five years in office, and never held a press conference to address this unprecedented oil treasure, discovered in his own country
Not a single press conference Not a single update.Notasingleclausein that contract has changed to benefit Guyanese. You hear that?Nothing.
Then we have the real puppetmaster,PresidentAli man a business, Bharrat Jagdeo.
The man who also promised when in opposition to fix the oil contract. Instead, he made it worseforGuyana. Hegifted Exxon four new oil projects and did not hire any independent oil experts to review those projects costingoverUS$30billion. Gifted those four projects with no taxes, no ringfencing,noproperaudits,no metersatthepumps.
N o p e t r o l e u m commissioninplace,didnot cap the interest rates on that $30 billion, all that he did and collecting the same 2% royalty This man didn't renegotiate. He reinforced the highway robbery on all ofus.
And guess what? He too hasneverfacedthisnationin a press conference to account to us, the rightful ownersofthistrillion-dollar treasure beneath our waters.
When he is asked about thosefewthingsImentioned therejustnow,hewasquick to say, how many times do I have to answer the same questions, I done with that letsmoveon.
So,let'scallitwhatitis:
Theseparasites,fromthe PNC to the PPPto theAFC, are not guardians of Guyana's resources. No, they have become the gatekeepers for the foreign thieves They are the watchmenandwomenofthe looters, the protectors of the plunderers.
Theydon'trepresentyou and me. They represent the companies that bankroll their silence and sponsor theirpower
Not one of them has had the courage, or the decency to stand before this nation and declare: “This is what we discovered. This is what it's worth. And this is how Guyana—me,you,allofus, willbenefit.
Not a single word. Just betrayal, sealed with lies, smilesandhandshakes.
Now, elections are here, and what's the new game? they are tripping over themselvestobribeyouwith crumbs,cashgrant.
One saying $100,000… the other shouting, I will do betterthanthat.Letmebreak that down for the international audience, that
$100,000 is less than $500 US dollars, and it's a onetime cash grant, only for those over 18. Hear that?
That's what these parasites believe Guyanese are worth from the biggest oil d i s c o v e r y i n t h i s hemisphere,lessthanaweek ofgroceries.
That'sthedisrespect,the insult they coming up with now, yes that is what your voteisworthtothem. Ifyou acceptthat,thenyouarenot just being fooled, you are selling your future, your children's future, and your grandchildren's birthright forlessthanagreen,redand yellowteashirt.
So come September 1st, dip this finger — not for a party, not for a promise, but to demand your worth from thatoil.
Dip it for a minimum 25% royalty And if that 25% royalty is not on the ballot paper? Then give them the only finger they trulydeserve—theonenext to this one. Because this is notjustaboutoilanymore— this is about freedom, about dignity, about whether Guyana will remain a rich landfilledwithpoorpeople, or finally rise and become a nationwhereitscitizenscan live a life that matches their wealth and not like beggars. Enough is enough. Let the roarbegin.
Trio in cocaine bust remanded
Three men were on Monday remanded for last week's CustomsAnti Narcotic Unit (CANU)cocainebust.
The defendants, 34-year-old Fawwaz Barakat of Lot 12 Ocean View Drive, RuimzeightGardens,West Coast Demerara (WCD),35-year-oldCollinMooreofLot77 PrinceWilliamStreet,Plaisance,EastCoast Demerara (ECD), and Martin Gomez of Herstelling,EastBankDemerara(EBD),all appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrates' CourtbeforeMagistrateAbigaleGibbs.
The trio who was jointly charged, pleaded not guilty to the charge which alleged that on June 9, 2025 at Movietown, Turkeyen,ECD,theyhadintheirpossession 16.784 Kilograms (kg) of cocaine for the purposeoftrafficking.
Barakat and Moore, who are both
miners, were represented by attorney Bernard Da Silva. Gomez, a joiner by profession was represented by attorney SiandDhurjon.
Theprosecutionhadobjectedtobailfor BarakatandMooreduetotheoffencebeing of a serious nature and that the Venezuelan Gomezisapossibleflightrisk.
ThematterwasadjournedtoAugust19, 2025.
Last Wednesday, five persons were arrestedaftertheywerebustedbyCANUfor 16.784kgofcocaine.
According to a statement from CANU, officers, acting on information intercepted two motor cars in the vicinity of Turkeyen, ECD, where several parcels containing a whitish powdery substance suspected to be cocainewerediscovered.
The trap and the truth
Therearetimesina nation'slifewhen thetaskathandis not to solve every problem but to point a trembling, insistent finger at the cause ofthem.Suchistheseasonin whichAZMOfindshimself.
ThePPPandMr Jagdeo, like old foxes made cynical by years in the henhouse, have set a trap. They want AZMOtoplayapartinarole he never auditioned for
They want to prod him, needle him, cajole him into h o s t i n g a p r e s s conference into standing before the klieg lights of an “intellectual” debate. Why?
Because they think they can expose him. Because they are not interested in his vision,butinridiculinghim. It is not that AZMO's party –WIN – lacks policy—orthatheisunfitto speaktopolicy Buthemust
know this: he is not being invitedtothelecterninorder toenlightenthenation.Heis being baited into a corner where, should he slip on a comma or a clause, the hyenas will descend. The object of the PPP is not a dialogue, but a demolition. Inthis,somemembersofthe media have become complicit,knowinglyornot. They imagine themselves neutral stewards of public
'Doggy' wanted by police for assaulting woman, possession of illegal gun
TheGuyanaPoliceForce (GPF) on Tuesday issued a wanted bulletin for Bradley Sampson, popularly known as 'Doggy' for seven offences.Thesevenoffences are threatening behaviour, contrarytoSection141(a)of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:02, threatening language, contrarytoSection141(a)of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences)Act,Chapter8:02 and obscene language, contrarytoSection141(a)of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:02. Sampson, who was seencampaigningfortheWe Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, is also wanted for questioning in relation to disorderly behaviour, contrarytoSection136(a)of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:02, assault, contrary to Section 21 of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:02, possession of
firearm, without a license, contrary to Section 16(2)(a) of the Firearm Act, Chapter 16:05 and possession of ammunition, without a license, contrary to Section 16(2)(a) of the Firearm Act, Chapter16:05.
Tuesdayafternoon,acell phone recorded video of Sampson and a woman fighting at Square of the Revolution was shared on social media. During the heated confrontation, Sampson was observed whipping a gun out of his pantswaistandpointingitat
thewoman.Hewasalsoseen hitting the woman who also retaliated Meanwhile, LeaderofWIN,businessman Azruddin Mohamed in a shortstatementpostedonhis Facebook distanced himself from Sampson and his actions.
Mohamed said that he was informed of the matter involving Sampson and the woman. “I want to make it clear that the actions of Mr Sampsonarenotinlinewith the values held by me or the WIN party I wish to emphasize in the strongest terms that neither I nor the WINpartycondoneanyform of violence, especially againstwomen.”
The party's presidential candidate apologized to the womanwhowasinvolvedin the fight. “I wish to publicly apologize to the young womaninvolvedandhopeto do so in person as well,” Mohamed said in the statement.
DEM BOYS SEH
Is wah kinda voice yuh vote got?
Demalwaysseh,“Yuhvoteisyuh voice.”Well leh we tell y'all, if da is true, then nuff Guyanese voting in sign language, because after electionsdonecount,demcan'tevenheara whispermuchlessaecho!
Demboysknowpeopledoestekoffdem slippers,walkthroughflood,anddodgepot holes like Olympic hurdles fuh go cast a vote.Bigthing!Democracyinaction.
But soon as ballot box lock up, dem same people voice does vanish like GPL currentduringWorldCupfootballfinal.
If vote is voice, how come when dem market people complain bout pickpocket andcongestion,nobodyhear?
How come dem pensioners voice ain't reachnoearwhendemsehdelilmoneycan't buybreadandbutter?Maybedevoicestuck indeballotbox.Ormaybeitneedamicand amplifierfromChina.
Dem boys seh is like dis: during campaign time, your voice is symphony Sweet sweet promises—more jobs, better roads,cheaperfood.Butafterdeswearing-
information, but a few have confused interrogation with aggression, and curiosity withbias.
In their rush to appear discerning, they have forgotten that a question is notathesis.ForbesBurnham once reminded a young journalistinBarbadosofthis very thing: “When you are asking a question,” he said, “you do not make a judgment on the issue ” Burnham was saying that if you make a judgment, you a r e n o t a s k i n g a question—youarearguinga point.” And that, I believe, wasthelastpressconference he ever gave. This sin of mixing judgment with inquirywasonfulldisplayin the encounter between a reporter and a member of TeamMohammedafterWIN had submitted its list of candidates. The reporter, as if taking on the role of nationaleconomist,disputed that Guyana's economy was not diversified not by posing a question, but by issuing a counterclaim.That is not journalism; it is a debate.
But the wider concern is not the behaviour of journalists, poor as it sometimes is It is this: Should AZMO allow himself to be lured into a conversation that serves the interests of those who fear his very presence on the ballot?That,tome,isthereal question.Theanswerisno.
AZMO must not waste his breath trying to impress the architects of his humiliation He is not
running to be the next philosopher-king. He is not contesting an essay competition.Heisseekingto break the suffocating binary of PPP versus PNCR, a duopoly that has starved Guyanaofunity,growth,and gracefornearlysixdecades. The policies may differ slightly;thepostureremains the same: entitlement, arrogance, and contempt for thepeople,alldressedinthe garbofgovernance.
The campaign of WIN, AZMO's party, is about breaking a spell. It is about showing the electorate that the two dominant parties have failed. Failed to build, failedtounite,failedtolead. After 59 years, we still quarrel over drains and roads, over race and rice. Thatisnotasignofacountry inbloom;itisacountryheld hostagebythepastrivalryof twodiscreditedparties.
People support AZMO not because they think he carries some bound volume of superior policies, or that he is a messiah armed with ten-point plans.They do not support him because of policies. They support him because he is being kicked while down, and they are tired of seeing only the powerful win. They support him because the PPP has madeasportoutofmocking him,andtheyseeinhimthe bruisedfaceoftheGuyanese spirit: stubborn, proud, and unbowed. They support him because he is the underdog. And in politics, as in sport, the underdog has a certain sacredappeal.
There are always those whocheerfortheunderdog.
So let AZMO resist the urgetoexplainhimselfinthe language of the technocrat. Let him resist being drawn into trying to be seen as an intellectual. He is not. He can hire persons to develop his policies if and when the time comes. His mission is, as the name of his party states, to WIN. Win for the ordinary man, win for the downtrodden and win for those who are on the sidelines. Lethimgovillage to village, house to house, voicetovoice,andsaywhat needstobesaid:
The PPP and the PNCR have failed us. They have beenblightsonthisnation.It is time to send them both packing It is time for change; not debate. That shouldbeAZMO'smessage; not about policies. And so AZMO must do one thing, and do it well: mobilise the people. Stir their hope. Call forth their tired souls from the deadening weight of partyloyalty And,aboveall, keep his eyes on the real prize—not a debate stage, butanationreclaimed.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
in ceremony, your voice become background noise Like a mosquito humminginahurricane.
Andtalkaboutecho?Whenlastanybody hearbackanythingfromdempoliticianafter demdonewin?Islikeshoutingdownawell.
Allyuhgetbackissilence—andsometimes adry"Wewilllookintoit."
Demboyssehifvoteistrulyvoice,then Guyanafullofmutes.
Is only one set of voice getting broadcast—and dat is from Parliament whendemfightinglikeschoolchildrenover whositwhereandwhospendwah.
Sodon'tcometellweboutvoteisvoice. Unless dem gon start handing out megaphones with dem ballot paper, dem boys gon continue to whisper and hope breezecarrydemessagetoStateHouse.
Till then, keep yuh voice safe. Might needittohollerwhendemraisedepriceof cookingoilagain.
Dem boys seh, voice sweet… but results?Deafeningsilence. Talkhalf.Leffhalf
Bradley 'Doggy' Sampson
H@RD TRUTHS
Where were the traditional PPP faithful?
Thereshouldhavebeena monster gathering on Sunday KittyMarketshould have overflowed to Bourda Market,skirtedtheAtlantic. Whathappenedtoallthe great many PPPsupporters?
Six thousand or so isn't a multitude, a compelling, breathtakingassemblyofthe faithful.Certainlynotoneof old,whensomanyflockedto theseoccasions.
That was Sunday On Monday, the new fellow showed up, and he was almost swallowed up by his crowd, the biggest by far, dwarfing those of the PPP and PNC. Where have the PPPsupportersgone?
competitors. After all, the PPP has all the money, is in complete control of all the goodies.
Its leaders say how generous they have been to Guyana's poor, those catchingnoendofdailyhell
On Sunday in Kitty, the buses were busy trucking in folks from across Guyana. With money so plenty, clearly the PPP is now a subject of pity, when that is the number that it could summon to Kitty Market. Certainly,therewasadecent mass, but that's not good enough when an explosion of people would have answered all questions,
with a beast called cost of living. One that threatens to devour their children. Why wereallthosepoorsopoorly indisposed to the PPP? Ingratitudeisout,sincethey feel cheated of their oil wealth, and how it was
P
punishing. Indifference is down the drain, because the poor see, and are infuriated bywhogetsandwhodoesn't.
The latter includes their name in capital letters. To m
ke matte
e unpalatable, those who get an abundance of Guyana's newfoundriches,deepenthe wounds of the poor, by inserting loads of stealing intotheiroperations,culture.
Still worse, the leaders they elected to be their government either condone the robberies, or cover them up. Leaders in the PPP kick those who condemn the endless billion-dollar thieveries. Somedon'tcare, so they went to Kitty.Those whodo,whoknowwhatitis to be ignored, insulted, feel pain, sat on their hands. Take those buses and shove them up to where they belong. There are limits to what some people will take. The timing of the flurry of cash and care leaves the distressed feeling tired of beingused.
Why only now? Why not the last four and a half years, especially given all the pleadings, weeping? Too little, too late. And too clever by half, also. That was where the PPP traditionalsupportbasewas.
The PPP has shared out money and favors to some traditional PNC supporters, inclusiveofhouselots,jobs, contracts. No question that many of them came out to KittyMarket,andwhentheir numbersarealmostasmany as those of the PPP faithful, the staggering returns Where are PPP supporters, those who have been the party's backbone? The PPP gained some PNC supporters, but what happenedtotheirown? The
known and the p r o v e n ?
Conclusion:alotof PPP voters are mighty unhappy, and Jagdeo's excitement level showedit.
Dr Jagdeohimselfnoted thatover25onthePPPlistof candidates are under 25 Congratulations! He just added to his already known pool of glazed-eyed, greyfaced, and yellowcomplexioned youngsters.
To put differently, his chessboard of unknowing pawns and unquestioning worshippers expanded. Theywillblindlyanswerany bell, readily charge into any cannon, because of the rewards he promises. Like thePNCcrossovers. Jagdeo isthatkindofdoctor;butstill head and shoulders above the rest. He knows how to play the command-andcontrol game. It is better knownasbigsticksandlittle carrots. Today, his own peoplearetiredofhistricks.
The WIN man furnished a killing for the media becausehehas'noplan.' But whodelvesintothedetailsof their plans at this stage of a campaign? Over a billion American dollars spent already, and Jagdeo cannot share whatever plan that he has for his Wales gas-toenergy project, other than twowords:cheapelectricity
The PPP has another plan and that is to ostracize, demonize, and criminalize MohamedtheYounger The more that Jagdeo does that, the more people turn to Mohamed the Younger and transform him into Mohamed the Contender. Monday's Nomination Day blue wave gave the first confirmationsofthatpoint.
Whenallissaid,politics isaboutnumbers. Whohad manydollarsandhowmany Guyanese got their fair share? When people receive, believe they were fairlytreated,theyreportfor party duty in Kitty from Corentyne to Annandale Callmade;callheard. Those not responding, means that they didn't receive. The number of dollars (oil) provides the energy for citizens to turnout in vast numbers. The PPP didn't provide, so the PPP collide with grim reality Loyalists numbersdwindled.
(Theviewsexpressedin this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)
WINtellsCarterCenterofattacks...
Frompage3
the machinery so that we can have some degreeofdemocracyrestore.”
She noted that justice must be served to all emphasizing that those who are antigovernment ought not be punished for their stanceagainstthecurrentadministration.
WINviaitsFacebookpagereaffirmedits commitmenttotheprinciplesoffreeandfair elections – an essential ingredient for the preservationofdemocracy
“WewouldliketothanktheCarterCenter and other stakeholders for their efforts to listen to the concerns raised by political parties and their commitment to strengtheningtheintegrityandeffectiveness ofourelectoralprocesses,”thepartystated.
Lastmonth,theCarterCenterannounced that it launched an international election
observationmissiontoGuyanainadvanceof the country's general and regional elections scheduledforSeptember1.
TheCentersaiditwasinvitedtoobserve this year's elections by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. A four-person core team of experts has since arrived from the United States,Georgia,andtheUnitedKingdom.
“We look forward to engaging with Guyanese stakeholders across the political spectrum and civil society to provide an independentandimpartialassessmentofthe electoral process. We hope our observation andreportingwillhelptheGuyanesepeople assess the credibility of the elections, while providing useful recommendations for reform and encouraging transparency,” said Carter Center Field Office Director Jason Calder said in a statement following the launch.
The Carter Center's election observation work is conducted in accordancewiththe2005Declarationof Principles for International Election Observation and makes assessments based on relevant parts of national legal frameworks, as well as regional and international obligations for democratic elections. Since 1992, the Center has worked in Guyana to strengthen democracy, support civil society, encouragesustainabledevelopment,and reinforcetheruleoflaw
$4.5B in contracts awarded for phase one of New Parika Modern Port Facility
Minister of
Public Works, Juan Edghill on Tuesday announced that thecontractsforphaseoneof theNewParikaModernPort Facility and Waterfront Development project in Region Three have been awarded with works set to begininthecomingweeks.
The minister made the disclosure during a multistakeholderengagementand consultation meeting with residents, business owners andotherstakeholdersatthe ParikaMarkettarmac.Those presentwereinformedofthe scope of works set to commence in the coming weeks for phase one of the project.
A c c o r d i n g t o information released on the ministry’s Facebook page, phase one includes “land reclamationandseaDefence ontheNorthandSouthsides of the current stelling; and the construction of the main concretestelling,alltotaling under$5billiondollars.”
The three contractors set to execute the first phase of works were introduced during the meeting and they are Gaico Construction, Toolsie Persaud and A&S GeneralContractors.
Kaieteur News had reported that phase one entails three lots and the contractors were among 24 bidders who submitted bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) office in May Information reaching thispublicationrevealedthat
A&S General Contractors wasawardeda$619,707,760 contract, Toolsie Persaud Quarries Inc. was awarded its contract to the tune of $582,828,178, while Gaico Construction was awarded its part for $3,298,636,789. Together, the total cost of phaseoneis$4,501,172,727.
Further, the ministry r e p o r t e d t h a t t h e stakeholders were urged to lendtheirfullsupportduring the relocation process to ensurethesmoothexecution oftheworkstobedone.
After listening to concerns raised and noting thattheywillbeaddressedin a timely manner, Minister Edghill also informed those present that the operation of the ferry and water taxi services will not be interrupted during the constructionphase.
“President Ali and his Cabinet is one of the most responsive government citizens have had and in those sessions of engagements and listening, wecontinuetodeliver What you’re seeing here wasn’t promised to you when we came for your vote in 2020. Wehavenotjustfulfilledour promises,wehaveexceeded whatwesaidwewilldo.And so, President Ali and his cabinet must be allowed to bring more benefits to the people of Regions 2,3 and 7 asaresultofthisportbutwe must also give him an opportunity to remain in office and continue the development that is taking place countrywide. So, let’s
continue to work together and stay the course, much more needs to be done,” he saidduringhisremarks.
Kaieteur News reported that the project, which falls under the ministry’s capital programme for the year, formspartofthe$9.9billion that was budgeted to the agency to improve the c o u n t r y ’ s r i v e r transportationservice.
Speaking about the project during this year’s budget presentation, Senior Minister with the responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, said a portion of the $9.9 billion will cater for the
“Construction of a new Parika Ferry Stelling and Waterfront Development Project effectively transforming the Parika stellingintoamajorregional
Continuedonpage14
The current Parika Stelling in Region Three. (Photo: Ministry of Public Works)
President of the Guyana
Teachers’ Union, Coretta McDonald, has described former president,Dr MarkLyte’sdecision to appear on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) list of candidates as a further betrayaltotheunion.
Shesaidteachersnowfeelthey are“puttingthepiecesofthepuzzle together” regarding the poor treatment they experienced under hisleadership.
According to the PPP/C’s NationalTop-UpList,Lyteislisted as the 54th candidate, with his occupation noted as “minister of religion.” His inclusion on the ruling party’s slate has stirred backlash within the teaching community, especially considering hiscontroversialdecisioninAugust 2024 to sign a multi-year salary agreement with the government without the consent of the GTU’s negotiatingteam.
That agreement, which included a 10 per cent salary increasefor2024,followedby8per centin2025and9percentin2026, was previously rejected by the union. Lyte’s action led to his suspension by the GTU’s general council,astheunionwastheninthe midstofindustrialactionforbetter wagesandworkingconditions.
In an invited comment to Kaieteur News, McDonald acknowledged that Lyte had the democratic right to support or join any political party, but questioned his ethical and moral standing, especiallyinlightofhisformerrole
CPresident of Guyana Teachers Union, Coretta McDonald
as a union leader “Everyone has theirdemocraticrighttobealigned withapartybutwhenitcomeswith conflict with your morals, and the people who choose you to lead them, then that’s when the difficulty starts. While we were goingthroughournegotiations,the teachers always have their suspicions about Mark Lyte,” she said
While McDonald clarified that the GTU’s constitution does not prevent a member from appearing onapoliticalparty’scandidatelist, she took issue with the way Lyte seemingly shifted allegiances “ThereisnoobjectiontoMarkLyte beingonthepoliticalpartylist,but you don’t jump on a bandwagon and then you sacrifice the people whoyouwereelectedtolead,”she said.
McDonald called Lyte’s move
asafurtherbetrayaltotheunion.“It is a betrayal because you know what,thesearethepeoplethatMark Lyte purportedly then stood against. You hear Mark Lyte’s comments on the attitude of the government and what we will do for the union but that is the same Mark Lyte that is now embracing the very oppressors who punished his members. Here is Mark Lyte standing in all glory basking with them and that itself is what is very traitorousandhypocritical.”
McDonald added that teachers have expressed deep anger over Lyte’s political move, with many now feeling they understand why their interests were previously compromised. “The teachers are veryangrybecausetheyaresaying thattheynowrecognisedwhythey were sold out. The pieces of the puzzles are coming together.” she said.
Reflecting on Lyte’s tenure as GTU president, McDonald recounted a period in 2018 when she led protest actions while Lyte remainedinactive.“In2018,Istood there tall when the union was negotiating, I was first and foremost in leading protest actions against the government. Unlike Mark Lyte who sat there in his officewhenhefullywellknewthat he was not doing anything for the benefit of the teachers and as a result coming out of the proposal
wheretheteachersagreedthatthey weregoingtostartoffona39.5per cent and you see where we went down to, 10 per cent. And it’s not onlythe10percentbutthemanner at which that was done, the deceit manner in which it was done,” she said.
McDonaldadded,“Thatspeaks a lot to one’s moral standing, to one’s integrity, to one’s perception of honesty that you’re defined by And that fact there, is what is hurtingteachers.”
Efforts to contact Dr Lyte for commentwereunsuccessful.
MomentumcontinuesatOmaigoldproject
anadian firm, Omai Gold Mines says it has maintained strong momentumthroughthefirsthalf of 2025, with steady progress in resource drilling, permitting, and investor engagementatitsprojectinGuyana
In its latest newsletter, the company saidJunewasespeciallyactive,withthree drill rigs operating, work beginning on an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) and an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), and increased market attention as drill results continue to show promise
The company holds a 100% interest in the past-producing Omai gold project in Guyana, located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) Omai’s project encompasses two orogenic gold deposits: the shearhosted Wenot Deposit and the adjacent intrusive-hostedGiltCreekDeposit.A2024 Mineral Resource Estimate (MRE) for the gold project outlined 2.0 million ounces of gold indicated and 2 3 million ounces inferred.
Omaidisclosedthatdrillinghasreached a record pace this year While assay turnaround times were slower earlier on, Omai said processing improved in June, allowing it to work through a backlog and report results That month, assays were reportedforfivediamonddrillholestotaling 3,189metres.
Thecompanynotedthatits2025drilling effortshavefocusedprimarilyontheWenot deposit,withtheaimofdeterminingthefull scaleofthegoldsystem.
–companysays
In late May, the company also began a deep drill hole north of the adjacent Gilt Creek deposit This hole was designed to test both the gold-bearing Gilt Creek intrusive and the possible down-dip extensionoftheWenotdepositreferredtoas a“bluesky”target. BytheendofJune,theholehadreached a depth of 1,142 metres Omai said it intersected the Gilt Creek intrusive host rockatabout320metresbelowsurfaceand continued for 750 metres through the goldbearing intrusion, exiting its southern contactataround820metresdeep. Moreover,drillingisongoingtowardthe interpreted Wenot depth extension,
targeting a depth of 1,100 metres, which is roughly600metresbelowtheknownextent ofthedeposit
Omai outlined that the orogenic shearhosted gold systems like Wenot often extend at depth, and while technically demanding, the long hole is within the capabilitiesofitsdrillers
Though results are pending, Omai said theareabeingtargetedishighlyprospective andcouldconfirmmeaningfulextensionsof theWenotdeposit
Further, last month, Omai said it engaged P&E Mining Consultants to begin work on an updated MRE for Wenot. This step is intended to support an updated
Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) expected in the fourth quarter of 2025, which Omai said will include both the expandedWenotopenpitandtheGiltCreek undergrounddeposit.
Notably, it was also disclosed that Vice President Jason Brewster visited the site in late June with the independent Qualified Person(QP)toinitiatetheMREprocess
The company said the updated resource estimate is expected in the third quarter of 2025 and will include an additional 30,000 metresdrilledsincethe2024MRE,making it a major milestone for advancing the project’s economics and long-term developmentplans.
Former GTU President, now PPP candidate Dr. Mark Lyte
The $790 million motor tug ‘Arau’ was on Tuesday commissioned at the Kingston GoodsWarf.
Minister of Public Works, Juan Edghill commissionedthenewmotortugwhichisthe second vessel added to the maritime sector since 2020 and forms part of the government’s commitment to ensuring the capacity of the Maritime Administration
Department(MARAD)isexpanded.
In 2023, President Irfaan Ali commissioned a $535 million pilot vessel ‘Arapaima’forthemaritimesector
EdghillsaidtheacquisitionoftheArauis part of the government’s commitment towardstheexpansionandmodernizationof the maritime sector “We are modernizing theirfleetsotheiroperationalefficiencycan
beenhanced,”hesaid.
The minister also disclosed that more vessels are expected soon to address the demandsofthetransportationsector
Meanwhile,theMinistryofPublicWorks in a statement said that the new vessel is a Damen Stan Tug 1606 vessel and carries a crew of six. Its addition to the current fleet willsupportsafertowingofothervessels.
“The dual engine, 800 horse power vessel, the Arau, will also aid in the movementofbargesandlargerboatsaswell asexecutingpilotandsurveyingduties,when necessary,”theagencystated.
Kaieteur News reported that the vessel which arrived in the country last month was built by Dutch Company Damen, and is 16 meterslongandsixmeterswide.
A few images of the artist’s impressions of the new port facility that will be constructed at Parika.
Frompage11 hub for transportation and socioeconomic activities and enhance operational efficiency, prioritise safety and guarantee commuters’ comfort.”
Additionally, the new modern port is aimed at increasingtradeandtourism alongtheEssequiboCoast.
K a i e t e u r N e w s understands that the upgrading of the stelling is alsotofacilitatethearrivalof the new Regional Ferry Servicethatissaidtooperate outofGuyanafromParika.
It was reported that during his address at the opening ceremony of the 46thRegularMeetingofthe Heads of Governments of CARICOM in February 2024, President Irfaan Ali said that Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados will soon launch a ferry service aimed at improving i n t r a - r e g i o n a l transportation.
Additionally, speaking with residents of Hydronie back inApril, he announced that they are looking to start work on the new modern port before July “We are going to launch the first phase of converting Parika Stelling into a port. A port that will ship directly to the region and the first phase of that project, the tenders will beopenedonthe2ndofMay, and we hope that construction in the first phase will commence long beforeJuly,”hementioned.
The head-of-state had announced that the new facility will include the construction of a marina to support the country’s
tourismsector Notably, he said to support the port, they have to invest in some key infrastructure at Parika which would include the construction of a modern Customs and Immigration
office, a modern Fire Service, a modern Coast Guard building, a modern
importantly to support the farmers, they intend to invest in a modern storage facility
but
and
a
The Parika Stelling, whichborderstheEssequibo River, serves not only as a passenger loading
offloadingarea,
alsoas
waterfront where farmers take their produce from the hinterlandtosell.
CJrulesHicken'sappointmentasTopCopafterage55legal
The high court has ruled that the appointment of Clifton Hicken as top cop pasttheretirementageof55 islegal.
Thedecisionwashanded down by Chief Justice (ag), Roxane George on Tuesday. Whilethejudgereservedher reasoning for the decision for a later date, she awarded the $500,000 to be paid by the applicant, Troy Garraway, who challenged theappointment.
The cost is to be paid by August 29, 2025 Mr Garraway had questioned the legality of Hicken's substantive appointment after he reached the retirement age for public servantsin2023.
President Irfaan Ali had relied on the Constitution (prescribed matters) Act to a p p o i n t H i c k e n substantively on December 19, 2024, but Garraway, of the People's National Congress Reform (PNCR) said“thisprovisionrelatesto the extension of a Commissioner of Police alreadyinoffice”.Garraway
hadarguedthatthepresident confirmed Hicken as a substantive top cop after he turned55.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, SC had arguedonbehalfofthestate
that the substantive appointment of Hicken as police commissioner after reaching the retirement age of 55 is possible, although the law is silent on whether ornotthatcanbedone. Nandlall had maintained
Robbery suspect shot dead by police
Top Cop: Clifton Hicken
exceeding sixty years Logically, if an acting commissioner can lawfully serve beyond the age of retirement,hemaycertainly, if there is no provision within any written law prohibiting same, be substantively appointed during his lawful extension inoffice,beforeattainingthe ageof60inaccordancewith
section 2 (b) of the Constitutional (Prescribed Matters)Act”.
Dr Dexter Todd, lawyer for the applicant, had accepted that an acting appointment beyond the age of 55 was permissible, but contended that Hicken's confirmation should have occurred before he turned 55, as there was no legal
provision allowing for a substantive appointment at thatage.
He noted that Mr. Garraway'scontentionisthat no law permitted the appointment of Mr. Hicken aspolicecommissionerafter he became 55 years old. He howeverdidnotpointtoany lawthatprohibitedthisfrom happening.
that the Constitution (Prescribed Matters) Act allows for the extension in office of the Commissioner of Police beyond the age of 55upto60years.Heargued that nothing in the law prohibits a confirmation after the age of 55, and the president's actions were thereforevalid.
He stated “Mr Hicken was by law, permitted to s e r v e a s a c t i n g commissioner until he attained such later age, not
The firearm and ammunition that were recovered
A26-year-old man suspected of robbing 38-year-old Chinese businessman Long Xing, of Mackenzie Linden, was allegedly shotdeadonMondayeveningbypolice.
Dead is Shamar Prince of Wall Street, Amelia'sWard,Linden.
Itwasreportedthattheincidentoccurred at approximately 23:45 hrs.According to a statement from the Guyana Police Force, Prince,wholiveswithhisgirlfriend,22-yearoldWhitneyBrazilio,isatenantinthelower flat of a two-story concrete house facing southandlocatedinapartlyfencedyard.
“As the ranks called at the apartment, Whitney Brazilio opened the western door and spoke to the ranks. Shamar Prince, who was in the apartment at the time, opened the back door (north-western side) and discharged his firearm at one of the ranks, whowasforcedtotakecover,”policesaid.
Prince then reportedly ran out of the apartmentandcontinueddischargingrounds
atthepolicewhotookcoverandreturnedfire in Prince's direction. He then fell to the ground at the side of the yard lying on his back. “The ranks approached Prince, who waslyingonhisbackandclothedinamulticoloredshirtandblackdenimpants.One.38 revolver containing three .38 rounds and three.38spentshells,andoneboxcontaining twenty-five (25) .38 rounds of ammunition were found next to Shamar Prince,” police added.
Additionally, a black shoulder bag was strappedaroundPrince'sshouldercontaining one national ID card, one Blu cellphone, $1,040 cash, one knife and five grams of whitish rock-like substance suspected to be cocaine.
Prince was taken to the Linden Hospital Complexbytheofficers,wherehereportedly diedwhilereceivingtreatment. Fivecircular woundswereseenonhisbody,oneintheleft of his head, three on the left upper shoulder andoneintherightofhischest.
The .38 revolver, rounds, spent shells, and other articles found were sealed and lodgedtobetakentothelabforexamination. ThebodyisattheLindenHospitalComplex Mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination.
Dead: Shamar Prince
WANTED VACANCY
PSC hands over monetary donations, support packages to families of Mahdia fire victims
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), Capt. Gerald Gouveia Jr. recently met with the families of affected by the tragic Mahdia fire to hand over financial donations and support packages.
condolences on behalf of the PSC and its membership, reaffirming the private sector’s compassion and ongoing supportforthoseimpactedby the national tragedy
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From page 6 (GDF)CoastGuard,theGPF's marine wing, the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) and the Customs Anti-NarcoticsUnit(CANU) are all working together to protect the country’s marine resources like its fish stock, Howell stated.
He said the agencies are onthelookoutforillegalfishing vessels, “especially from Venezuela” as well as monitoring illegal drug and arms traffickingroutes.
“We are now using sophisticated, state-of-the-art coastal radars and AIS system to protect and monitor our sea space in real time,” Howellsaid.
Captain Gouveia was accompaniedbyPSCExecutive Director, Nayteram Ramnarine to distribute the items.Thiscomesafteralmost $30millionwhichwasraised to assist families affected by the deadly Mahdia School dormitoryfiretwoyearsago.
During the visit, Captain Gouveia extended heartfelt
The chairman and executive director also spent the day engaging with communitymembersandvisitingthe site of the fire.The PSC extendedsinceregratitudetoits members for their generosity and encouraged the wider communitytocontinueoffering support in any way possible.ThePSChadfacedpublic criticism and questions overtheirreasonforwithhold-
Mangetstwomonthscommunity servicefor11gramsofganja
A construction worker was sentenced to two months of community serviceonTuesdayafterpleading guilty to ganja possession.
ing the funds. The chairman revealed that the sum, which amounted to $$29,941,375, was money pooled by members of the commission and not donated by members of the public.
She disclosed that she was unaware of the fund established by the PSC.
“Ireallydon’tknowwhat to say because I wasn’t aware of this… I am not sure if many of the other families know about it… But if they collecteditforus,whywould they not give it to us. Even if it’s a small sum for each person, it could do something in terms of making our situations better,” she said.
The defendant, identifiedasMarkMajor,31,ofLot 68 Belmont, Mahaica, East CoastDemerara(ECD)also hadtopayafineof$6000for the 11 grams of cannabis. Major appeared at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Allan Wilson. He pleaded guilty after the charge was readtohim.Henowhastodo 60daysofcommunityservice.
Sentenced for 11 grams of ganja, Mark Major
ThePSCcameinforharsh criticism after a Stabroek News article and outspoken attorney Chris Ram, raised questions about the money collected during former PSC Chair, Mr. Komal Singh’s tenure.ThePSCcollectedapproximatelyUS$144,000for the families of the 20 Indigenous children who died in a fireintheschool’sdormitory located in the complex of the secondary school on May 21,2023.KaieteurNewssubsequently contacted Valerie Carter, the mother of two of the dead children. Carter explained that she is still grapplingwiththelossandtrauma of losing her precious twin daughters in the horrific fire.
The fire which engulfed the Mahdia Secondary School’s female dormitory, killed 19 girls between ages 12 and 14 years and a boy, agedsix.
Atthetimeoftheblaze,it wasreportedthat56children werestayinginadormitory–aconcreteandwoodenstructure with five doors and grilled windows. Officials fromtheGuyanaFireService laterrevealedthatthefirehad been“maliciouslyset.”
Differently-abledyouthonForward GuyanaMovement’scandidacylist
Forthefirsttime,adifferently-abled young woman has been nominated to a NationalTop-UpListbyanewly formed political party, the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM).
Twenty-two-year-oldBibi Alisha Feroze of Montrose, East Coast Demerara, is candidate number 16 on the party’s list. She says she is determined to be a voice for persons with disabilities and is ready to step into the politicalarena.
In an interview with Kaieteur News on Tuesday, Feroze opened up about her life’sjourneyandhermotivation to enter politics. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, a condition that affects musclemovement,Ferozeexplained that while her conditionposedchallenges,itnever prevented her from living a fulllife.
“Growing up with a disability when I was small, my parents didn’t really know much about persons having disabilities. My dad was a cane cutter and they tried, tookmetoseveraldoctorsand thoughtitwassomethingthat could have been fixed. But that was not the case. Then I quickly figured that it wasn’t something that could be
cured and since then, I have adapted to getting things donemyway.Idoeverything for myself and since then to now it’s a development process. I constantly work on myself.Ilearndifferentthings to make my life better. I can stand with my walker, I can walk with a walker, however if I am to move off, I would have to restrict my movement.” she said.
Ferozesharedthatherinterest in politics began aroundage16.Shewasdriven to become more involved after noticing how often persons with disabilities are overlooked.”Thereareafew things the government done toimproveourlivesandmake sure we get training but that in itself is not enough,” she said. Feroze added that she was further motivated to run for candidacy because of her own personal experience of not finding a decent job becauseofherdisabilitydespite beingqualified.“IfIfindajob Iamqualifiedfor,mostofthe time,thespacesarealittlebit too tiny for a wheelchair or completely not accessible,” she explained. “I’ve met people with degrees and are still unable to find a job and that is what motivated me to get into politics because if
there is someone there to speak for persons with disabilities, they would ensure thatwewillsurelybeheard,” she said.
Feroze also spoke about the societal stigma that persons with disabilities cannot work or live independently
“We heard in the past and continue hearing that persons with disabilities should becontentwithwhatwehave evenifthat’snothavingajob and that is relying on family
And the thing is that is not seenisthatsomepeopledon’t havefamilytorelyandthatin itselfcanmakelifereallyhard and that is speaking from other persons experiences and my own,” she said.
When asked why she chose the Forward Guyana Movement, Feroze said she was inspired by party leader Amanza Walton-Desir
“When I saw the party being formedandIheardwhatMiss Amanza was about, I was really inspired by her We met before I decided I wanted to be a candidate. She spoke to me about my inspirations on what I would want to see as a candidate going in, and of courseIvoicedtohermyrepresentation of persons with disabilities and we are going tobeworkingwithotherper-
sons.Iwillbetalkingtoother personstohearwhataretheir struggles and how we can makeitbetter,”sheexplained Despitethephysicalchallengesshefaces,Ferozelives a full and independent life. Sheiscurrentlyengaged,enjoyscooking,andlovesreading.
“Mydayusuallyincludes doing household chores, relaxing, reading, and end the day,”shesaid.Ferozecredits her father and fiancé as her biggest supporters. “My dad isreallyproudofme.He’salwaysthere,supportingeverything I do.”
Feroze’scandidacymarks asignificantstepforwardfor inclusion in Guyanese politics, as she aims to amplify the voices of persons with disability
Bibi Alisha Feroze on FGM list of candidates
AFC reveals 3-phase plan for Guyana's education system
TheAlliance for Change (AFC) has revealed a threephaseplanitintendstouseto improveGuyana'seducation system once it takes office. The plan is expected to run for 20 years, with five years foreachphase. Partyleader, Nigel Hughes said the education system in Guyana
is faced with major challenges, including low pass rates in key examinationsanddisparities based on geography, socioeconomic status, ethnicity, andclass.
The AFC, in order to address and mitigate these issues, has proposed a comprehensive education strategy, which aims to develop innovative thinking and adaptability among students, preparing them to thrive in a rapidly changing world influenced by t e c h n o l o g i c a l advancements, climate
change, and other unforeseenfactors.
The plan outlines shortterm(5years),medium-term (10years),andlong-term(20 years) objectives to transform Guyana's educationlandscape.
In the first five years in
AFC Leader Nigel Hughes
phase one, the party intends tocreatesmarterclassrooms which will introduce interactive, digital learning tools, create better exams which will enhance better learning by reducing unnecessary subjects, focusing on essential skills, create data-driven improvements with regular assessments to track and improve student success, createskillstraininginstitute for all regions that will train students in technical and vocational skills. Students willalsoreceivestipendand start-up tools on completion ofthetraining. Thereisalso promise of investment in teachers by increasing salaries, investing in school
Businesswoman
psychologists and social workers.
The second phase of the plan will see an AFC government doubling teachers' salaries, ensuring all teachers are licensed and certified by the highest standards. It will also create a centre for ethnic studies at the University of Guyana to embrace diversity and overhaul the infrastructure by creating digital tools and e-learningforallschools.
In the last phase of the plan, the AFC said it will update the curriculum every fewyearstoremainrelevant with the changing world, c r e a t e g l o b a l competitiveness making sure students are ready for
theworldstage,andcreatea national policy for success which will make Guyana a leader in education and innovation.
“By implementing this comprehensive strategy, the AFC aims to transform Guyana's education system into one that is equitable, innovative, and responsive to the needs of a rapidly changing world This transformation is essential for building a modern Guyana that leads in education and development, ensuringaprosperousfuture for all its citizens,” Hughes said. He said education is pivotal for national development, economic growth, social cohesion, poverty reduction and crime prevention The AFC's fundamental position is that education must be fit for purpose, addressing individual, collective, and societal developmental needs T
sion encompasses creating learningcommunitieswhere allactivitiescontributetothe
development, technical and vocational education, health
gets $50,000 bail for weed possession
A 48-year-old businesswoman was onTuesdayreleasedon$50,000bailfor possessionofnarcotics.
Kaleta Victoria Bristol of Lot 867 Dazzle Housing Scheme, East Coast Demerara (ECD), appeared at the Bartica Magistrates' Court before MagistrateTeriqMohammed.
Bristol pleaded not guilty to the charge, which alleged that on Monday,
Security
July14,shewasfoundwith152gramsof marijuana in a motor pick-up bearing registration number PAH 7995 at the Itaballipolicecheckpoint.
List of political parties with approved symbols
Magistrate Mohammed granted Bristol bail and she is required to report to the Enmore Police Station the last Fridayofeverymonth.
The matter was adjourned toAugust 9,2025.
Accused Kaleta Victoria Bristol (PC: GPF Facebook Page)
guard remanded for $13.1 million robbery at Giftland casino
RakameemNicholas,whowas arrestedlastThursdayforthemultimillion-dollararmedrobberyofthe FantasyGamingLoungeatthe GiftlandMalllastmonth,was remandedonMonday
The 21-year-old security guard of Lot 200West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, stole $13.1 million dollars, property of SylviaThomas.
Nicholas was slapped with simple larceny and two counts of discarding a firearm with intent, when he appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrates' Court beforeMagistrateAbigaleGibbs.
Hepleadednotguiltytothecharges which alleged that on June 22, 2025 at Fantasy Gaming Lounge, Giftland Mall, Turkeyen, East Coast Demerara (ECD), he discharged a loaded firearm atCassieBenjiminandRaywatSankar withintenttoharmordisfigurethem. It is also alleged that on the same dayatthesameaddress,Nicholasstole one 9mm pistol #BFVU468 valued $450,000, 17 matching ammunition valued $3,230 total valued $453,230, propertyofCastleSecurityService. The accused was represented by
andculturalconfidence.
The3-phaseplanisapart of a larger plan which the AFC will use to lift thousands of Guyanese out of poverty, address the high cost-of-living situation, ensure $250,000 becomes the minimum monthly
income, ensure every Guyanesegetshisorherfair share of the oil wealth, deliveressentialservicesata reasonable cost and build a modern, world-class economy grounded in t r a n s p a r e n c y a n d innovation.
attorney Bernard Da Silva. The matter wasadjournedtoAugust19,2025.
Nicholaswhowaswantedwasseen standing at the entrance of KK Villa
approximately 19:00 hrs He was arrested and a search was done on his person, a cell phone and $20,950 cash werefound.
“The wanted man then took the ranks to a room at KK Villa, Room 9, whereasearchwasconducted,andthe securityfirearm(Glock19)thathewas workingwithatthetimeoftherobbery wasfoundinablackhaversack,”police said.
Additionally, the firearm's magazine contained 15 live matching roundsofammunition.Also,apassport and a copy of the security firearm licensefor the said firearmwere found inNicholas'haversack.
Rakameem Nicholas
More than 90 killed, wounded by Israeli gunfire at aid centre
Palestinians inspect the damage after a deadly Israeli air raid on the Gaza Strip [Dawoud
(AL-JAZEERA)Atleast 30 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli fire at an aid centre north of Rafah, in southern Gaza, in the latest attack on starving people desperateforfood.
According to the UN, nearly 900 Palestinians have been killed since the US-Israel-backed GHF group took over food distribution from UN-led effortsinlateMay
More than 5,600 people have been wounded by Israeli army and US contractorgunfire
Since dawn, Israeli attacks throughout Gaza have killed at least 54 peopleincluding42inGaza City, medical sources told AlJazeera
Among the dead, 12 were killed, including at least five children, and 35 otherswoundedafterIsraeli bombardment of the alShatirefugeecamp,westof GazaCity
At least nine people were also killed and 25 others wounded after an Israeli attack on the Shati refugeecamp,westofGaza
City
EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas says Israel
needs to take more “concretesteps”toimprove the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza after making an agreement with thebloclastweek
“The European Union will keep a close watch,” Kallas told reporters after meeting EU foreign ministersinBrussels
Last week, the bloc reachedadealwithIsraelto improve the desperate situation by increasing aid trucksandopeningcrossing points and a specific aid route into the besieged enclave
While Israel has taken some positive steps to increase aid, it has not fully i m p l e m e n t e d t h e agreement, said EU aid chiefHadjaLahbib
In Brussels, foreign ministers discussed potential punitive measures againstIsraelifthedealisn't followed, which include curbing trade ties and imposinganarmsembargo
Atleast875Palestinians
are confirmed killed while attempting to secure food from US-Israel-backed aid distributionsitessinceMay, theUnitedNationssays
“As of 13 July, we have recorded 875 people killed in Gaza while trying to get food; 674 of them were killedinthevicinityofGHF sites,” said Thameen alKheetan, a UN human rightsofficespokesperson
TheGHFistheUS-and Israel-backedgroupthathas b y p a s s e d U N - l e d humanitarianoperations
Al-Kheetan said the latest deadly incident happened on Monday, with reports indicating the Israeli army “shelled and fired towards Palestinians seeking food” at the GHF site in al-Shakoush area, northwesternRafah
“Our teams on the ground have spoken to survivors of these killings, these starving children included, who were shot at while on their way to pick up very little food,” said Juliette Touma, UNRWA's d i r e c t o r o f communications
Mason gets $1 million bail for break and enter and larceny
A31-year-old mason from
Craig was on Monday released on $1 million bail for break and enter and larceny.
The accused, Adam Downes who hails from Craig Old Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD),
Diamond/Golden Grove
before Magistrate Dylon Bess.
Downes pleaded not guilty to the offence which was committed on Andre Crowder at New Migrant Scheme, Providence, EBD onJune11,2025.
He was granted bail and the matter was adjourned to August7,2025.
Downes was arrested on July10,2025.
Abo Alkas/Anadolu]
West Indies seek advice from Lloyd, Richards and Lara after historic collapse Sandy presented with...
(Reuters) - Cricket West Indies will call upon batting royalty Clive Lloyd, Vivian Richards and Brian Lara to helpdissecttheirhumiliating 3-0 series whitewash by Australia, which culminated in one of the most spectacular collapses in cricket history hasing 204 C for victory in the final test, WestIndieswerebowledout for just 27 runs on Monday, recording the second-lowest totalintesthistoryafterNew Zealand's 26 against England in 1955 The carnage prompted CWI
presidentKishoreShallowto summon an emergency meeting of the Cricket Strategy and Officiating Committee, enlisting three of the Caribbean's greatest batterstogivetheirthoughts on the humiliating defeat in Kingston. Tostrengthenthe " discussions,Ihaveextended invitations to three of our greatest batsmen ever: Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, and Brian Lara," Shallow said in a statement onTuesday
The trio, who plundered a combined 27,967 test runs
in their careers, will join former players Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Desmond Haynes and Ian Bradshaw who already serve on the committee.
"This engagement is not ceremonial. These are men who helped define our goldeneras,"Shallowadded.
"Their perspectives will beinvaluableasweshapethe next phase of our cricket development. We intend for this gathering to result in t
nable recommendations."
Shallow acknowledged
that the series result and especially the final match would lead to many "sleepless nights ahead" for fans and players, but urged patience as they continue to rebuildtheteam.
"While disappointment isnatural,wemustnotallow this moment to define our journey,"hesaid.
"We are in a rebuilding phase, steadily investing in the next generation, and reigniting the spirit that has long made West Indies cricketaforceintheworld.
"Theroadaheadwilltest us, but I have faith in the talent and commitment of our players when they apply themselves."
Frompage20
Cycling Coach opined that the GCF's National Championships were the premiere event in your country, but after hearing that clubs had threatened to “…throw out the cyclists from their clubs, I enquired but was informed that the cyclistsweretold,iftheydid ridetheyshouldnotwearthe club'suniform.”
Theveterancoachadded, that when he came for the N a t i o n a l C y c l i n g Championships in June he realisedthatyoungSandyhad been selected to represent Guyana over the past two years,butwasunabletodoso due to matters outside his powers Rutherfordsaidwiththis beingthelastyearforSandy
to be eligible to participate at the Caribbean Junior Cycling Championships,hespokewith Sandy and his parents and advised he participate in the National Championships, to beeligibletorepresentGuyana at the UCI recognised Junior Caribbean Cycling Union organizedmeetinBarbados,at theendofAugust
Thewell-traveledformer national cyclist remarked thataftertheNationalCycling Championshipshenoticedthat thebikeSandywasridingwas not up to standard, and knew thattocompeteattheregional level it meant he had to upgrade, which obviously in talking with the promising junior cyclist he could not afford
The experienced former national coach recalled that he benefitted as a young upcoming cyclist, when the lateChiefExecutiveOfficerof GUYBAUHaslynParris,ata cycling meet bought a new bike for him, because he was unabletopurchaseoneonhis own Rutherfordfurtherstated, that,ifyouaretocompeteyou havetobeequippedlikeyour rivalsfromtheCaribbean,who will be having the best bikes available He said he spoke with people involved in cycling whom he knew over the years, and was able to haveabikemadeavailableto Sandy Arrangements were made for him to travel to Georgetowntotrainwiththe other cyclists ahead of the prestigiousevent.
Alex Newton (Juvenile), Alexander Leung and SidwellSandyarethejunior cyclists selected by the Guyana Cycling Federation to represent Guyana in the Barbados month-end held championships.
Frompage22 ladies however made amends for their male counterparts, having disposed of the Guyanese women by 7 wickets as part oftheladieslegoftheRising Stars Women's U19 championships. The Guyanese women were knocked over for just 77 runs with Cianna Barakoye (24) the only double-digitscorer Sainavi Kambalapalli snared4-22,whileCourtney Brown grabbed 3-11 bowling for the Leewards, who raced to 77-3 in just 8 overs after Kambalapalli returned to spank off 21 (8x4) with Jhazara Claxton (21*) lending ideal support. (C.Ross)
Sandy presented with racing bike to prepare ahead of Caribbean Junior Championships in Barbados
Florida-based long time cycling coach and former national racing cyclist, Victor Rutherford, has engineered for Berbice's junior cyclist, Sidwell
Ezekiel Sandy, to have the use of a modern racing bike
o attend this year's Caribbean Cycling Championship which takes placeonAugust30and31in Barbados.
Sandy performed well when he participated in the G u y a n a C y c l i n g Federation's recent National Championships, held at the SchoonardCircuit.
Those selected by the GCF were Alex Newton (Juvenile),AlexanderLeung and Sidwell Sandy (Juniors) to represent Guyana at the upcoming Caribbean Junior Championships in Barbados August30and31.
Rutherford remarked that he has been following the career of the young Berbice cyclist when the FlyingStarsCycleClubheld their memorial road races duringOctobereachyear
A c c o r d i n g t o Rutherford, “I noticed him and other youths as they are
our future, to see how they areriding.”
Rutherford, coach of manyGuyanacyclingteams including to the Pan American Games and the Summer Olympics said, “I noticedhismother,dad,two siblingsweretherewithhim, whenever he was riding, so there was full family support.”
A c c o r d i n g t o
Rutherford,whonowresides in the United Stares, in Florida, he heard rumours
boycotting the Guyana
National Championships in June, because of the issues between the former GCF secretary and the president oftheFederation.
He related that he contacted the GCF's exsecretary and: “offered my opinion on the situation surrounding the sport, and then I decided to make it public using the GCF facebookpage.”
Rutherford said, “There werelotsofcomments,most being complimentary while afewwerenot.”
TheformerNational (Continueonpage19)
ContractsSignedaheadofAugust9SuperFightatCliffAndersonSportsHall
Ahead of the
h i g h l yanticipated fight card,pugilistsrecentlyinked contractsthuscementingthe spectacle set for August 9th Super Fight, at the Cliff AndersonSportsHall.
Presented by Elton Dharry Promotions and NexGenGlobalPromotions, in association with the Guyana Boxing Board of Control and the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSport,the
event promises an unforgettable experience for fightfansacrossthecountry
Headlining the card will be a much anticipated 10round showdown for the Guyana Cruiserweight National Title as internet sensation Laured Stewart steps into the ring against James Moore in what is expected to be a crowdpleasingwarofstrengthand skill.
Guyanese boxing legend Elton Dharry continues his march toward a world title bout this October with a high-stakes clash against Roger Saldana, a rugged Panamanian known for his durabilityandgrit.
Fan-favorite and rising international contender, KeevinAllicock,willtakeon the biggest challenge of his career when he faces Colombia's Omar Cuello, a seasoned and dangerous opponent with knockout power
Veteran standout Dexter Marques also returns to action, facing off against Colombian warrior Sammy Ramos,inaboutsuretokeep fans on the edge of their seats.
A thrilling amateur undercard will also be presented by the Guyana Boxing Association to lead off the fabulous night of
boxing according to GBA presidentSteveNinvalle.
The August 9th card is
proudly sponsored and promoted internationally by Pine Grove Inn, Long
Island's premier destination forsteakandseafooddining.
undercard matchups and eventdetailsareannounced. Ticketsgoonsalesoon.
2025 CWI Rising Stars U19 Men's 50-Over Championships…
Guyana churn out all-round performance to stun Leewards by 2 wickets
It was a resounding attempttoshaketheirmixed season as Guyana secured a crucial 2-wicket win over Leewards Islands yesterday when Regional U19 action continued at the Conaree SportsClub. Thanks to the efforts of
number 3 batsman/topscorer, De-Antre Drew (42) alongsideopenersDevanand Singh (41) and Kunai Tilokani (38), Leewards posted a respectable 233 all outin47.2overs.
Middle-order batsman Carlton Pluck hit 28 to
anchorthemiddlepassageas the Guyanese trio of captain/seamer Johnny Van Lange (2-49) along with spinners Golcharan Chulai
(3-39) and Rom
o
Ramdehol (3-22) managed tokeepthegameincontrol.
Guyana's chase was led
Rampersaud Ramnauth (49) whocontinuedtosearchfora big score following a few startsinthistournament.
Romeo Deonarain (22), Van Lange (45), who was unfortunately run out before doing most of the heavy
-Guyanese Women suffer 7-wicket loss in CWI U19 Women's tourney
lifting and all-rounderAfraz AliBudhoo(34)managedto come out the blocks before losingtheirways.
Intheend,Guyanagotto their total of 234-8 with Shamar Apple (18), Riyad Latif (12) and Salim Khan (11) playing important
knocks.
Matthew Miller (3-51) Israel Morton (2-38) and Tanez Francis (2-41) did well but failed to stop the Guyanese fromreachingtheirgoal. TheLeewardIslands (Continueonpage20)
Hear Me Out: WhereisSportsinGuyana'sElectionconversation?
By Rawle Toney
As Guyana heads full steam into G e n e r a l Elections on September 1, the streets are once again painted with political colours, the air thick with promises, and the campaign trail buzzing with issues, from oil and gas to healthcare, education, infrastructure,andthecostof living.
But,whereissportsinall ofthis?
Seven political parties are set to contest the upcoming polls, and while nearly every sphere of nationallifehastakencenter stage in stump speeches and social media broadcasts, sports has, once again, been leftonthesidelines.
It's the same tired playbook…vague mentions of “youth empowerment” or a photo-op with a local athlete, then nothing. No boldplans.
No detailed manifestos. No real commitment to the thousands of Guyanese athletes who continue to grind, sweat, and dream, often for little or nothing in return.
For far too long, sports have been a convenient talkingpointduringthegood times and a disposable afterthought during election cycles. We've normalized it. Andthathastostop.
Sportisnotaluxury,itis a legitimate career path, a tool of national pride, a builder of discipline and leadership, and a multibillion-dollar global industry
In Guyana, we've seen how sports can unify
communities, elevate national pride, and even provide an escape from poverty So why is it not treatedwiththeurgencyand investmentitdeserves?
Some will argue, “There aremoreimportantthingsto address right now than sports.” To those people, I sayit'sthatverythinkingthat stunts the growth of sports and limits the potential of ouryouth.
You can't applaud our athletes when they win medals, fly our flag
overseas, or become symbols of hope, only to pretend they don't matter duringelections.
You can't celebrate their success while ignoring the systems needed to support thatsuccess.
And let's not pretend we don'thaveexamples
Since taking office in 2020, the People's
Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has overseen an unprecedented G$21 61 billioninvestmentinsports
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, led by Minister Charles Ramson Jr, grew from a modest $805 3 million budget in 2020 to an all-time high of $8billionin2025
Those numbers are historic. But with that kind of money poured into the sector, the scrutiny must matchthescale
W h a t t a n g i b l e transformation have we seen? Are facilities improving across the regions? Are athletes
receiving sustainable funding?
Has there been a longtermplanto professionalize sportsinGuyana?
Where is the longpromised national sports policy, a critical piece of legislation that was part of the PPP/C's last campaign pledge,yetremainsmissing fiveyearslater?
To be fair, President Irfaan Ali has consistently engaged with sports associations, federations, and athletes, more than manyofhispredecessors
Thoseengagementshave produced real benefits
Athletes and associations have received support Promisesweremade,andin somecases,delivered
But Guyanese sports need more than presidential goodwill,itneedsstructure Itneedspolicy
It needs a system that outlives government terms andpersonalities
Therulingpartywill,and should, be judged on its record
But I'm even more curiousabouttheplansfrom theothersixparties
What do they see for Guyana's sporting future? Are they willing to outline how athletes can make a livable wage? Do they believe in building a sports economy?
Will they invest in coaching, infrastructure, talent identification, and education?
Do they have a clear plan, or is sports just an afterthoughtonpage37ofa manifesto?
We must hold all politiciansaccountable Not just for the goals they
scored,butthechancesthey squandered
Our athletes deserve more than handshakes and hampers They deserve access to funding, worldclass facilities, career
d e v e l o p m e n t , a n d healthcare
They deserve a country thatseestheirworthbeyond medalsandmediaclout
The same way we discuss oil revenues, job
creation, education reform, and public health, we must talkaboutsports
It's time for political parties to explain where theystandontheissue
TheSportsMediashould beaskingcontestingparties, what is your plan for youth and community sports?
H o w w i l l y o u professionalize athletics and support sports as a career? What's the long-
term vision for Guyana on the international sporting stage?
I, for one, am excited at thethought of sports finally entering the political arena, not just as entertainment, but as an essential national issue
Becauseattheendofthe day, athletes are workers too They're fathers, mothers, sons, daughters; citizens chasing the same dream as every sugar worker, oil rig technician, and civil servant, which is to live a life of dignity, purpose, and pride in One Guyana, and let's start treatingthemlikeit.
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MCC's Brian Lara
Sir Clive Lloyd
Captain Johnathan Van Lange starred with bat and ball for Guyana.