GRA seizes suspected counterfeit US$ at CJIA cargo
Parish Priest, The Very Rev'd Monsell Alves praying at the Maundy Thursday (Holy Thursday) service at St Sidwell's Anglican Church. Today, the Christian community in Guyana joins the rest of the world in observing Good Friday (Tusika Martin photo)
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, April 18 – 06:00h-08:00h, Saturday, April 19 – 21:00h-22:30h and Sunday, April 20 – 22:30h-00:00h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, April 18 – 06:40h-08:10h, Saturday, April 19 – 07:20h-08:50h and Sunday, April 20 – 08:40h-10:10h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER
Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly between 2.68 metres and 5.36 metres.
High Tide: 07:12h and 19:47h reaching maximum heights of 2.47 metres and 2.27 metres.
Low Tide: 13:18h reaching a minimum height of 0.76 metre.
Venezuela border controversy China’s call for “friendly” negotiations improper,
out of
place – Jagdeo
…as Govt notes China’s silence on Venezuela’s planned illegal elections in Essequibo
The Guyana Government has rejected recent calls by a senior official at the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown, for there to be friendly negotiations between Guyana and Venezuela to settle the decades-old border controversy between the two countries.
In fact, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo pointed out that Guyana has already made its position on this matter pellucidly clear – that it would not engage its Spanish-speaking neighbour, but rather have this matter resolved through the process currently before the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
“We’ve said it to the world, to everyone, that we are part of the ICJ process and we’re not going back to bilateral negotiations and discussions on this matter…
We believe that the matter would be resolved definitively at the ICJ; and for the Chargé d’Affaires to now say we have to go back to bilateral discussions is improper and out of place... because it is not respectful for our national position,” Jagdeo told reporters at his weekly press briefing on Thursday.
During a press conference on Wednesday in Georgetown, Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy, Huang Rui, had said that while China does not intervene in other nations’ internal affairs and respects all nations’ sovereignty and territorial integrity, he believes that Guyana and Venezuela should engage in “friendly consultations and negotiations” to settle the decades old-border issue between the two South American neighbours.
These remarks by the Chinese Deputy Chief of Mission had sparked widespread outrage among Guyanese on social media, including several politicians.
The Foreign Ministry also rejected the call for friendly talks, and in a statement on Thursday, reminded that the matter was currently before the ICJ, based
on a recommendation by the former United Nations Secretary General, after years of failed talks between Guyana and Venezuela, in accordance with the parties’ 1966 Geneva Agreement on settlement of the controversy.
Moreover, it was further noted that Guyana’s pellucid commitment to this legal process before the World Court was also recognised in the December 2023 Argyle Declaration – an agreement between President Dr Irfaan Ali and his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolás Maduro, to maintain the Caribbean and Latin America as a zone of peace.
The historic December 14, 2023 Argyle Declaration acknowledges, “Guyana’s assertion that it is committed to the process and procedures of the International Court of Justice for the resolution of the border controversy...”.
According to the Ministry, “To that end, and in order not to undermine the jurisdiction or authority of the Court as the appropriate forum for the resolution of this controversy, Guyana will not engage in discussion of any matter that has been brought before the Court…”
“The principles of international law and mutual respect will continue to guide the actions of the Government of Guyana in its interactions with all member states of the international community,” it added.
China’s silence
Meanwhile, the Guyana Government also used the opportunity to call out China over its glaring silence regarding Venezuela’s plans to host illegal elections in the Essequibo region, which is two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass.
China, which shares strong economic ties with
both Guyana and Venezuela, had rarely been vocal against the Spanish-speaking nation’s heightened aggression against Guyana – something which the Guyanese Government has noticed.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has taken note that there has been no comment from the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the blatant announcement by the Government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela that it intends to conduct elections on 25 May 2025 for a governor and legislative council of “Guayana Esequiba State”, which is the name Venezuela has given to Guyana’s Essequibo region. This is a clear violation of Guyana’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the Thursday missive detailed.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown, Huang Rui
Across the country, scenes of cultural festivity mark the onset of the Easter weekend. Children take to open fields with brightly-coloured kites dancing in the sky; families prepare to indulge in sweet treats and long-awaited getaways, and communities prepare to indulge in light-hearted tradition. Yet, amidst the excitement, it is imperative to pause and acknowledge the true essence of this sacred period — Good Friday, and the message of Easter it heralds.
Easter remains the oldest and most significant observance in the Christian calendar. At its heart lies the story of Jesus Christ, whose crucifixion on Good Friday and resurrection on Easter Sunday are more than historical or religious events; they embody a profound spiritual truth and moral compass that resonates beyond creed or denomination. Good Friday is not simply a day of remembrance; it is a moment for deep reflection.
It represents the ultimate act of sacrifice, wherein a man without blame took on the burden of humanity’s transgressions. It underscores a promise of redemption, the triumph of good over evil, and the hope of eternal life through faith and righteous living. This cornerstone of Christian belief offers a message as relevant today as it was two thousand years ago. In the face of modern-day despair, disillusionment, and decay in public morality, Easter’s message of hope and renewal stands as a timeless guide.
Today’s society grapples with an ever-worsening erosion of values. The increase in violence, intolerance, and social disintegration is a cause for concern. In homes, on the streets, in schools, and even within the walls of Parliament, there is too often a glaring absence of the values that promote mutual respect, integrity, and compassion. This spiritual and moral vacuum calls for a rededication to principles long upheld in the teachings of Christ —principles that advocate love for one’s neighbour, forgiveness, humility, and accountability.
Good Friday offers an apt occasion for this rededication. The symbolic choice of Barabbas, a known rogue and criminal, over Jesus Christ, a man whom the Roman Governor himself had declared innocent, is an enduring lesson on the human tendency to favour what is easy and popular over what is right and principled. This cautionary tale is especially relevant to national leadership and all those entrusted with the power to shape society. In the halls of governance and leadership, decorum, civility, and statesmanship must prevail. The language of public officials, the decisions of policymakers, and the conduct of those in high office serve as a mirror for society. When those in power descend into pettiness and hostility, the ripple effects are seen in the attitudes and behaviours of ordinary citizens. Leaders must lead by example —especially in seasons that call for introspection, humility, and a renewal of purpose.
Beyond religious observance, Good Friday and Easter offer a broader societal appeal. They present an opportunity to reset. The enduring message of Easter — of death giving way to new life, of darkness yielding to light — is one that all can embrace. It is a message of resilience, perseverance, and the possibility of change. For a society facing economic uncertainty, rising crime, and cultural fragmentation, the Christian doctrines of love, mercy, and hope can serve as a moral roadmap out of the current crisis.
As this holy weekend unfolds, the kite flying, road trips, and celebrations can certainly continue. But these activities should not obscure the deeper meaning of the season. Rather, they should complement a collective acknowledgement of the need for personal and national renewal.
Good Friday must not be relegated to a mere prelude to Easter festivities, but must be recognised as a solemn milestone in a larger narrative of faith and redemption. A society that fails to grasp the importance of this day risks missing an opportunity for much-needed moral reflection.
Let this be a time for every citizen — regardless of faith — to examine not just the history behind Easter, but the spirit of it. In doing so, there is hope that the enduring message of Easter can once again rise — not only in churches and places of worship — but in homes, communities, and the national conscience.
Alexander is part of the problem; was never part of the solution!
Dear Editor,
I wish to clarify that Vincent Alexander does not speak for me or most African Guyanese, and that the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G) has done nothing to fast-track my development, whether socioeconomically or politically, in this country.
I am not sure what representation Alexander or IDPADA-G has made on behalf of the African Guyanese community here, but it is really not getting to the root causes of issues related to land ownership, crime, health, business, or empowerment.
I am not sure that hosting conferences and workshops equate to a real grassroots approach of seeking to deal with the cultural, socioeconomic, and other challenges African Guyanese face in this country.
Let’s be clear: In less than half of their term, this PPP/C Government has done three times as much as the last APNUAFC Government for young African Guyanese in homeownership, business empowerment, cultural industries, education, and health, to name a few areas.
Africans who are Guyanese have an equal and equitable opportunity to change their lives, as they are afforded the same opportunities as any other race or people.
African Guyanese communities are better off than ever before un-
der this Government. Only those blinded by race, loyalty, and the hateful politics of the PNC-APNU/AFC Opposition would say the opposite.
I reject the notion that the African Guyanese community, descendants of the enslaved, have been systematically marginalised and remain disproportionately at the bottom of the economic and social order.
Alexander's remarks are hurtful and disingenuous to every single race, because they know that those remarks are not true. African Guyanese, as a group, are thriving economically and socially. The number of Black-owned Guyanese businesses has increased over the last four years. Home and land ownership by Guyanese of African ancestry has tripled now, compared to the last five years, when the opposition APNU-AFC was in power.
When African Guyanese communities try to pull themselves out of the less favourable conditions that exist here, they are faced with vitriol at the hands of IDPADA-G and the Opposition elements. I have seen African Guyanese being tortured by the onslaught of verbal, emotional, physical, and psychological attacks by their own for accepting things and opportunities that are offered to them by this Government. They have been called sellouts, house slaves, slave catchers, and other despicable names because they
dared to think differently and objectively in making the right changes for their lives, and choosing the PPP Government. Which world is Alexander living in, and which did he seek to describe to the UN? Not this Guyana in which I am living now.
Alexander, a bitter politician and sore to Guyana’s future development, must know that Guyana is governed by law, and no group is above the law. Ancestral lands must be subjected to the laws and regulations of the state. So, if they are seized by the state for development, there is always adequate compensation involved. There is no institutional or legal manipulation involved. It is unfortunate that IDPADA-G and Alexander feel this way, but this is not a fact. I sat in horror as Alexander told the UN that Guyana’s school curriculum continues to omit the history and contributions of Guyanese of African descent. This is a barefaced lie. Alexander knows that there have been attempts at revision of the school’s curriculum to make more facets of Guyana’s rich history integrated in the education system, inclusive of the African Guyanese slave history, contributions and experiences. What I fear Alexander did not say is that he wants to tell history as he sees it, and not as it occurred. What Alexander and IDPADA-G failed to do was
to go to the UN for more resources to bolster the support given to African Guyanese communities here by the Government. What he failed to do was to state the number of African Guyanese communities that were created and are thriving economically in homeownership and business here. What he failed to do was to state that Government is making significant strides in reducing the poverty that exists here, particularly in African Guyanese communities. What he failed to state was that IDPADA-G is being hijacked by Opposition sympathisers who hide and shield their dirty acts of preaching discrimination and racism to the African Guyanese community. Alexander knows too well that the middle class of African Guyanese is growing. They are wary of his opportunistic politics disguised as ‘non-governmentalism and activism’. He doesn’t represent the views of African Guyanese who love that Guyana is advancing steadily. I know we have to move to correct the wrong that took place for hundreds of years during slavery, and the Guyana Government is at the forefront of this effort, calling for reparations for the Caribbean region from those countries that benefitted from the spoils of countries like ours. Slavery is wrong, and we will continue the struggle for reparation.
Holy Thursday service at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church. Part of Holy Thursday service in the Catholic church includes the foot washing ceremony, which is said to follow Christ’s call to serve others in the spirit of humility.
Bitter Betrayal – How APNU/ AFC engineered the collapse of Guyana’s sugar industry
Dear Editor,
In a move that history may well remember as one of Guyana’s most devastating policy failures, the APNU/ AFC government presided over the near-collapse of the country’s sugar industry, once the lifeblood of our economy and a proud symbol of national identity.
Between 2015 and 2020, the coalition government made a series of reckless, short-sighted, politically-driven decisions that shattered thousands of lives and brought an entire sector to its knees. This wasn’t misfortune, it was mismanagement of the highest order. Let’s talk a bit about the mass layoffs, one of the many "cold and calculated" moves made by APNU.
It was under the guise of “restructuring" that APNU/ AFC shuttered four major sugar estates: Wales, Enmore, Rose Hall, and Skeldon. The result? Over 7,000 sugar workers were thrown on the breadline, and communities that had revolved around the sugar belt for generations were decimated almost overnight.
And it didn’t stop at workers. These closures impacted an estimated 28,000 people when you include the families, local businesses, and service providers who depended on sugar estates for their livelihood.
Towns were turned into
ghost villages, and hope was turned into hunger.
Severance payments were delayed, and promises of retraining and new opportunities were empty words. Former employees marched, protested, and pleaded, but were met with silence or spin.
Which brings me to my next point. By 2015, sugar production was already struggling, but there was still a chance to turn things around; instead, APNU/ AFC accelerated the decline. In just four years, output crashed from 231,000 tonnes in 2015 to a humiliating 92,000 tonnes in 2019: a catastrophic 60% decline.
So what is different this time around? Ask yourselves if the new punchline of reviving the sugar industry by the present Opposition is really genuine, or is another political ploy to toy with the people of this nation.
You could not have missed when sugar exports, which were a dependable source of foreign exchange, shrivelled. Revenue from sugar plunged from US$123 million in 2011 to just US$27.7 million in 2019. The message to the international market was clear: Guyana had given up on sugar.
GuySuCo, the stateowned sugar corporation, didn’t just fail; it was gutted. In a damning revelation by the GuySuCo CEO, it was made known that the value
of the company’s field and factory equipment collapsed by G$43 billion - from G$62 billion in 2016 to G$19 billion by 2019. Machinery rusted and canals were clogged even as infrastructure crumbled. Where was the interest then?
A G$30 billion bond was raised supposedly to revive sugar; yet, to this day, Guyanese are still asking, “Where did the money go?” It did not go to the workers. It did not go to the fields. It did not go to the future.
A government Commission of Inquiry even warned against mass closures, calling instead for phased restructuring and community protection. APNU/AFC ignored the call and chose a slash-and-burn approach, literally abandoning communities to fend for themselves.
And what happened to the assets of closed estates? They were sold off with minimal transparency. Some were leased and some were sold, but many were left idle, with no strategic diversification plan or meaningful attempt to reintegrate workers.
It begs the question, was this political vengeance? What is different this time around? The same visionless individuals are today sitting in the Opposition, making promises to you as the elections draw near.
It’s no secret that sug-
ar workers largely reside in PPP/C strongholds. The APNU/AFC’s decisions seemed less about economics and more about punishing a voting bloc. What else explains the brutal precision with which sugar belt communities were targeted, stripped of income, and silenced?
This wasn’t just poor governance; this was political vindictiveness with real-world casualties. The verdict? The then Government failed the people, and will fail the people again if allowed the opportunity.
We cannot gamble with the future of this country. The sugar industry did not die a natural death; it was sabotaged, methodically, carelessly, and with devastating consequences. APNU/ AFC’s tenure will be remembered, not for reform, but for betrayal – betrayal of the working class, of rural communities, and of the national economy.
As the current administration forges ahead to revive the sector, the wreckage left behind serves as a painful reminder that when governments turn their backs on their people. It’s the people who bleed, and the APNU/ AFC government then did just that.
Sincerely, Compton
Reid A Guyanese Citizen
Alexander is part of the problem...
Similarly, I loathe leaders like Alexander and IDPADA-G, because they are doing more harm than good to the African Guyanese community by seeking to manufacture controversies and issues which simply do not exist. They are busy complaining to international organisations when the problem begins with them, because these very leaders do not seek to empower the African Guyanese community to take advantage of the very same Government systems that they condemn. They are guilty of swindling away donor funds on a programme not designed to help the local African Guyanese community practically and simply. They are part of the problem, but are never part of the solutions that could help many Guyanese of African descent.
It is hurtful that Alexander seeks to present his views and the views of his organisation as the views of hundreds of thousands of Afro-Guyanese
living comfortably here. I don’t view my past merely and only as a disadvantage to my forward movement; my past is riddled with stories of perseverance, triumph and dignity. I believe that I should take every opportunity that presents itself for me to have a better quality of life.
African Guyanese have been taking the opportunities that exist both in politics and Government. Their sociocultural wellbeing and prosperity are not dependent on how equal the playing field is, or how equitably the resources are distributed, but on whether they seize those opportunities. That is the bottom line. Can Alexander honestly say there are no opportunities available for Guyanese of African ancestry to thrive here culturally, economically, socially and politically in the meantime? Why should he lie so unashamedly at the 4th UN Forum on the International Decade of People of African Descent Assembly? Oh yes! Politics
is in the air!
I repeat: the views expressed by IDPADA-G and Alexander come from a dark place and are not the views of the people of African ancestry living peacefully in modern and free Guyana. Africans do not subscribe to the victim-
Government of Guyana, MOA planting the right seeds
Dear Editor, It is truly refreshing and deeply inspiring to see agriculture being not only revitalised, but made exciting and meaningful for our young people.
Just recently, students of the Corentyne Comprehensive Secondary School cultivated beets, and the result was a humble yet powerful symbol of what can happen when the right seeds are planted, both in soil and in minds.
This seemingly simple act reflects something greater: a quiet but powerful agricultural renaissance in Guyana, driven by strategic inspiration and investment from the current Government and the Ministry of Agriculture.
By providing resources, training and encouragement to schools and communities, Government and the Ministry of Agriculture are laying the foundation for a generation that sees agriculture not as outdated labour, but as a path of innovation, pride and sustainability.
The significance of youths engaging in agriculture from an early age cannot be overstated. It teaches
responsibility, patience, and the value of hard work. But more than that, it gives them a tangible connection to their land, and the ability to imagine futures rooted in self-sufficiency and national pride. When children grow food, they grow confidence and possibility. This is the kind of development that must be recognised and supported.
As we look towards future elections, Guyanese must reflect on these ground-level achievements. It is easy to be swayed by rhetoric, but the real measure of leadership lies in long-term vision and grassroots empowerment. This Government has made agriculture accessible and attractive to our youths, and that should matter when we cast our votes.
Let us not be distracted by political noise. Let us instead celebrate and support the policies that are planting hope in our schools, our children, and our fields. Agriculture is more than food; it’s a future, and the seeds being sown today are already bearing fruit.
Yours sincerely, Sean Cadogan
Yours truly, Michael Younge FROM PAGE 4
hood mentality, and should not be treated as such. Alexander must not be allowed to use Africans for his vengeful politics against this Government. We have been used enough!
Page Foundation
3. The president of the students' association never mentioned the treasurer's integrity (A) skill (B) loyalty (C) inability (D) dishonesty
Day 2
Things to do today
• Look through past papers and analyse the types of questions that normally appear
• Make sure you are clear about the divisions for the exams
• Check and double-check the exam timetable – Put copies of it everywhere you can
• Divide the material you need to study into eight sections (use your syllabus, study notes and texts to help you do this
How your learning style can help you:
For questions 1 to 4, choose the opposite of the underlined word:
1. Many parents and even some teenagers do not approve of the amount of permissiveness in today's society. (A) restrictiveness (B) competitiveness (C) progressiveness (D) broadmindedness
2. Every effort was made to avert the chance of failure. (A) ensure (B) exclude (C) examine (D) overcome
4. She seems to be sensitive to the feelings of others. (A) unaware of (B) unaffected by (C) uninterested in (D) undecided about
1. (a) The diagram below shows two pentagons, P and Q, drawn on a grid made up of squares.
(i) Select the correct word from the following list to complete the statement below
Pentagon P is .................................................. to Pentagon Q.
(ii) Give the reason for your choice in (a) (i).
(b) The diagram below, not drawn to scale, shows the pentagon VWXYZ. In the pentagon, YZ is parallel to XW and YX is parallel to VW. Angle XYZ = 114° while angle VZY = 98°.
Determine the value of:
(i) angle WXY (ii) angle ZVW.
By John Donne
Let mans Soule be a Spheare, and then, in this, The intelligence that moves, devotion is, And as the other Spheares, by being growne
Subject to forraigne motion, lose their owne, And being by others hurried every day, Scarce in a yeare their naturall forme obey: Pleasure or businesse, so, our Soules admit For their first mover, and are whirld by it. Hence is’t, that I am carryed towards the West This day, when my Soules forme bends toward the East. There I should see a Sunne, by rising set, And by that setting endlesse day beget; But that Christ on this Crosse, did rise and fall, Sinne had eternally benighted all. Yet dare I’almost be glad, I do not see That spectacle of too much weight for mee. Who sees Gods face, that is selfe life, must dye; What a death were it then to see God dye? It made his owne Lieutenant Nature shrinke, It made his footstoole crack, and the Sunne winke. Could I behold those hands which span the Poles, And tune all spheares at once peirc’d with those holes? Could I behold that endlesse height which is Zenith to us, and our Antipodes, Humbled below us? or that blood which is The seat of all our Soules, if not of his, Made durt of dust, or that flesh which was worne By God, for his apparell, rag’d, and torne?
If on these things I durst not looke, durst I Upon his miserable mother cast mine eye, Who was Gods partner here, and furnish’d thus Halfe of that Sacrifice, which ransom’d us?
Though these things, as I ride, be from mine eye, They’are present yet unto my memory, For that looks towards them; and thou look’st towards mee, O Saviour, as thou hang’st upon the tree; I turne my backe to thee, but to receive Corrections, till thy mercies bid thee leave. O thinke mee worth thine anger, punish mee, Burne off my rusts, and my deformity, Restore thine Image, so much, by thy grace, That thou may’st know mee, and I’ll turne my face.
Questions
1. Summarise the poem
2. What type of poem is it?
3. Describe the tone, mood, atmosphere, and persona
4. List two examples of imagery, metaphor/simile and all the figures of speech found in the poem
5. Describe how the poem makes you feel
6. Suggest an alternative title for the poem and state why it is appropriate
APNU-AFC talks break down
– AFC to go it alone for 2025 elections
Alliance For
Change (AFC) Chairman David Patterson announced Thursday that it would be contesting the 2025 elections alone.
The announcement at the party’s weekly virtual press conference marks the end of months of turbulent negotiations between the AFC and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Opposition parties.
“Despite the best effort of our negotiation team, we have not been able to arrive at a mutually-beneficial arrangement with APNU. We've communicated our decision regrettably to APNU and we've also communicated to them that we will proceed with our campaign as Alliance For Change since time is of the essence,” Patterson said.
He did, however, note that the “door is always” open for a change of this position before Nomination Day. Patterson’s declaration confirmed what has been suspected for months as the two sides, which previously coalesced for the 2015 and 2020 elections, remained deadlocked on key terms and conditions of a partnership agreement, chief among them an agreement on who would be the presidential candidate for the united slate.
The AFC had demanded the presidential candidacy for their leader, Nigel Hughes, while also demanding a 40-60 split of Government positions in APNU’s favour, and the condition that the presidential candidate’s party should not hold the Leader of the List position, which controls parliamentary appointments and removal.
Patterson sidestepped questions on if the party believed the collapse was as a result of the AFC’s demands being too exorbitant.
“Regrettably and unfortunately, we were unable to reach a mutually-beneficial agreement,” Patterson offered.
Over the years, the AFC has experienced weakened electoral value as its support base dwindled, with some of the party’s members voicing that the AFC was being unreasonable in the negotiations.
On the APNU side, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest faction in the coalition, has remained firm that PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton’s presidential candidacy was non-negotiable.
Speaking on the matter, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has said that regardless of who leads an APNU/AFC coalition, the coalition could not distract
from its track record.
“Regardless of the candidate who leads your campaign you have to contend with two things when you face the electorate, 1) your track record and 2) your plans for the future,” Jagdeo noted.
“[They] made so many promises in 2015 and failed to implement them. So [they] have not only a competence gap here – because [they] can’t put together a proper plan – but [they] also have a credibility gap – because even if [they] make a promise, nobody believes [they] will implement it based on [their] track record.”
He projected that the AFC may eventually run back to APNU when it realises its lack of support from the electorate.
“When the AFC goes on the ground and they realise nobody is listening to them, they will try to crawl back into the APNU fold,” he said.
As the country readies for the 2025 elections, last year, the two sides began talks about a possible coalition. In January, they set March 31 as the deadline for negotiations on a partnership, However, as the deadline passed, disagreements persisted.
In a speech to his party members, Norton had
China’s call for “friendly”...
While China has traditionally refrained from commenting on the border controversy, it had previously called for peace to prevail between Guyana and Venezuela back in 2023.
At a December 6, 2023 press conference in Beijing, China’s former Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, was asked by French news agency AFP about the Guyana-Venezuela border issue.
The former spokesman was asked whether China, a “firm” ally of Venezuela while also maintaining friendly relations with Guyana, supported Venezuela’s unjust claims on Guyana’s territory, and whether the country was worried about a possible invasion.
In response, he had said, “Venezuela and
Guyana are both China’s good friends. China always respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries. China always supports the two countries in properly settling the issue of demarcation of their boundary through friendly consultation. This is in the interests of the people of both countries, and conducive to the stability, cooperation and development of Latin America and the Caribbean.”
Only recently, President Ali ruled out talks with his Venezuelan counterpart, after Caracas announced plans earlier this year to hold elections in Guyana’s Essequibo region and the subsequent incursion of a Venezuelan naval vessel into Guyana’s waters on March 1, 2025 – actions that have been widely criticised by the international community.
declared that the PNCR carried “the burden of the work”, and he would always put his party members first, describing the coalition demands as disrespectful.
However, following the AFC’s announcement on the breakdown of the negotiations, the PNCR/APNU issued a statement noting that they would be open to discussions if the AFC indicated it wanted to resume talks.
“Should the AFC wish to re-engage APNU in coalition talks or in any joint endeavour, we stand willing and ready,” the statement said.
FROM PAGE 3
Venezuela is claiming two-thirds of Guyana’s landmass – the entire Essequibo region – and a portion of its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) offshore, where more than 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent (boe) have been discovered in the prolific Stabroek Block.
Chinese state-owned oil company, China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), is one of the partners operating in the oil-rich Stabroek Block with a 25 per cent working interest.
During Wednesday’s press conference at the Chinese Embassy, the Chinese diplomat was responding to questions specifically about Venezuela’s recent incursion into Guyana’s water, where it threatened vessels being operated by the Stabroek Block partners.
Focus on selfish gains broke down APNU-AFC talks, says Jagdeo
On Thursday, VP Jagdeo, who is also the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), said the breakdown of partnership talks between AFC and APNU was inevitable, as both parties prioritised selfish interests over collaboration for the country's benefit.
Jagdeo commented on the situation at his weekly press conference, moments after the AFC confirmed that the party had officially communicated to APNU that it would not be coalescing for the imminent
2025 General and Regional Elections.
He said the outcome of the negotiations showed that both sides were solely focused on their own gain.
“They see the government as an opportunity to share spoils. That's why it was bound to fail. If you are talking about sharing spoils, then you are looking at your own selfish, corrupt interest in the future. Not about what's good for the country and getting the best person to do the job, they are all about ‘what do we get out of this’. This was their entire philosophy for the talks,” VP Jagdeo noted.
PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton and AFC Leader Nigel Hughes
GRA seizes suspected counterfeit US$ at CJIA cargo bond
Customs officers of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) have recently seized a quantity of suspected imitation US currency that was in an incoming package at a well-known cargo bond at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA), Timehri.
In a press release, the GRA disclosed that the package contained 500 pieces of replica US$100 bills, sus-
pected to be imitation currency. The bills had all the trademarks of the US$100 bill, but there were some additional markings.
Law enforcement officers are attempting to locate the consignee to assist with the investigations.
The relevant authorities both in Guyana and overseas have been notified in order that further investigations might be under-
taken in keeping with the provisions of the Customs and Anti-Money Laundering Acts, and investigations are ongoing.
The release added that the GRA continues to note the alarming trend in the efforts to smuggle items, including gold, monetary instruments, arms, and narcotics, through ports in Guyana.
The Second Schedule Part II of the Customs Act, Chapter 82:01 restricts goods which bear a design in imitation of any currency or bank notes or coin in common use in Guyana or elsewhere,
unless with the approval of the Commissioner-General.
The GRA has reiterated that all such persons dealing in, or contemplating engaging in, such illegal activities must cease and desist therefrom, or face the consequences of their actions.
The Guyana Revenue Authority is entreating the general public to report any illicit, unlawful or smuggling activities on telephone number 227-6060, Extensions 3201, 3204, 3205, 3206, 3211, 3212, or 3408. All information provided would be dealt with strict confidentiality.
Duo on bail for separate charges
Forty-year-old Darion Witter, a carpenter of Miller Street Triumph, ECD, and Marlon Otto, a 51-year-old construction worker of Granville Park Beterverwagting, ECD, were on Wednesday arraigned before Sparendaam Magistrate Abigail Gibbs on separate charges that resulted from an incident that occurred between them on March 18.
Charged with unlawful wounding committed on Otto, Witter has been placed on $150,000 bail, even as Otto has been placed on $700,000 bail
on a charge of attempting to commit murder on Witter. In their arraignment, Witter pleaded not guilty as charged, while Otto was not required to enter a plea.
They have both been placed on bail, with the condition that they lodge their respective passports with, and report to, police authorities at the Beterverwagting Station on the first Friday of each month. Their matters have been adjourned to June 9, 2025.
Playing…
…both sides
Asked to comment on the Venezuela border controversy that’s been boiling over for the last three years – as Mad Maduro exploits Venezuela’s claim that Essequibo is theirs – China’s Chargé d’ Affaires smarmily signalled that “Beijing respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries”!!
How ridiculous can they get?? So, how come his government denounced Pres Trump’s announcement that the US wants Greenland??
Guyana’s never threatened the “territorial integrity” of Venezuela; it’s been Venezuela that’s been violating ours!!
What the heck is this?? So, if a person is raped, we gotta also look at what made the rapist do what he did?? It basically means that China’s manoeuvring alternative positions on the controversy – ignoring the merits and the facts in order to win brownie points from both sides, no matter what the outcome for us!! Another expression that describes their stance even more starkly is “running with the hares and hunting with the hounds”.
That invokes the war Mad Maduro’s presently waging against us, and China refuses to pronounce on that war in an objective manner. Even if it doesn’t want to pronounce on the substantive issues in the controversy, hasn’t China been promoting itself as a champion of multilateralism in world affairs?? Shouldn’t it then support Guyana’s use of the Geneva Agreement – signed by Venezuela – to place the controversy in the hands of the UN Secty General if we couldn’t reach agreement?? And didn’t the UN Secty General – as per the terms of the Geneva Agreement –place the controversy in the hands of the ICJ?? Isn’t that furthering the cause of multilateralism?? How can Mad Maduro’s unilateralism to annex Essequibo and elect a Governor trump this?
China’s speaking from both sides of its mouth, and the incoherence – not to mention the cynicism – is palpable!! But when we look at China’s own position on annexation of other people’s territories, based on unilateralism, the picture becomes clearer. We should never forget that China invaded Tibet with 100,000 troops in late 1949, and, in 1951, formally annexed the entire country!! The Tibetans aren’t Chinese, and apart from the historical record, Tibet had been independent in the modern state system since 1912!!
From the other side of the fence, so to speak, the Chinese have forcibly denied the Muslim Uyghurs of Turkic origin, from Xinjiang, their right to self-determination, as defined by the UN’s Charter!!
The Chinese have gotta be told very firmly that they gotta “sh*t or get off the pot”!! We might be a small nation, but we got options we can chose in the present world dispensation. As an oil producer heading towards1M+ bpd – and strategically positioned next to Venezuela and Brazil –a resurgent America under Trump comes to mind?!!
…with speed
The President pointed out that, among our extraordinarily high road fatalities, motorcyclists amount to an even more extraordinary 43% this past year!! Imagine, THIS year, between Jan 1 and March 3 – a mere two months – there have been 26 fatalities!! In the US, motorcyclists are 28 times more likely to die in a crash than occupants of passenger vehicles; and we’re no different!! And while the numbers aren’t available, from your Eyewitness’s experience driving all over Guyana – from Charity to Crabwood Creek and then to Lethem and in-between -- motorcycles amount to at most 10% of vehicles on our roads!!
Many of these motorcyclists don’t even follow the basic rule of riding with helmets, and from the way they pop in and out between vehicles, they clearly think the rules of the road don’t apply to them!! Not a day goes by without reports of motorcycle accidents – which, thank God, don’t all result in fatalities.
But they certainly keep the orthopaedic surgeons at the hospitals busy!!
…with fire
Here goes Mad Maduro again!! He’s objected to the new Exxon/Hess/CNOOC FPSO “One Guyana” arriving into our waters. He’s obviously deliberately provoking Pres Trump and Secty of State Mario Rubio. He should remember that “knock got knock back”!!
Suspected imitation currency seized at the CJIA
Marlon Otto Darion Witter
VP slams Alexander’s marginalisation comments
– says narrative fails to acknowledge historical
Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has slammed recent statements made by Vincent Alexander, Chairman of the International Decade for People of African Descent Assembly – Guyana (IDPADA-G), describing them as “misleading and dishonest.”
Alexander, while speaking at the 4th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent, claimed that AfroGuyanese continue to face systemic marginalisation, including land dispossession and economic exclusion.
Responding to these allegations during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo said Alexander’s narrative failed to acknowledge both historical facts and the performance of his own political affiliates.
“The PNC (People’s National Congress) had absolute control over the state for 28 years. every arm of Government: the Judiciary, the Parliament, the Executive. And yet, after all that time, the school curriculum still didn’t reflect the contributions of AfroGuyanese? What did they do with that power? Nothing,” he remarked.
Additionally, the Vice President criticised Alexander for conveniently
ignoring the period between 2015 and 2020, when the APNU/AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change) coalition government — with which Alexander was closely associated — held office.
“They not only discriminated against IndoGuyanese and Amerindians,” Jagdeo said. “They took AfroGuyanese for granted too. They built no homes, created no real opportunities; everybody was poor under APNU/ AFC.”
Meanwhile, addressing the operations of IDPADA-G, Jagdeo accused Alexander and his colleagues of misusing state funds meant for Afro-Guyanese development.
“They were receiving $100 million per year,” he noted, “yet no real empowerment projects were ever
delivered. The bulk of the money went toward salaries and rent —including renting premises from the brother of a former PNC leader.”
He further accused the organisation of functioning as a “PNC arm”, rather than a genuine vehicle for AfroGuyanese advancement, saying, “They talked a lot about
facts, performance of own political affiliates
empowerment, but did nothing about it. Instead, they created a victimhood narrative to blame the PPP for their own failures.”
Jagdeo also rebutted Alexander’s claim that AfroGuyanese are demeaned by public officials. “That is a blatant lie. No PPP official has ever said Afro-Guyanese are
lazy or unworthy,” he said. “But let’s not forget: Amanza Walton said Indo-Guyanese are mentally lazy; and that came from their side.”
He added that the PPP’s criticism of the PNC has never been racial, but political. “We’ve always said the PNC excludes young, talented Afro-Guyanese from lead-
ership. That’s not about race; it’s about the PNC’s own internal dysfunction.
Anyone who speaks out — like Natasha Singh-Lewis or Sean Smith — is called a house slave or traitor. They are vilified. Yet Alexander and IDPADA-G have never once condemned that behaviour.”
Businessman shot dead, suspect arrested
Abusinessman from East Bank Berbice
(Region Six: East Berbice-Corentyne) was shot and killed in his home by a lone gunman on Thursday at about 10:30hrs; and a suspect has since been arrested in connection with the murder and robbery.
Dead is Hemchan Utam, called ‘Jetto’, 54, of Edinburgh Village, EBB, who operated a store selling construction materials and also operated Jetto Trucking Service.
Reports are that at the time of the incident, Hardat Joseph, a neighbour and employee, was in the shop with the businessman while his wife and daughter were in the upper flat of the building, where they reside.
Jetto and his worker were conducting business
when the lone unmasked gunman approached them.
“Was me and he standing there, and we see this man coming in and we thought was a customer. He had a black bag on his back and he had on a helmet, and he walk up to us and take out a gun and shoot Jetto, and then say, ‘Give me the money!’ He hold on to Jetto
and take off the rings from his finger,” Joseph recalled.
Joseph said that despite being shot, Jetto fought to disarm the gunman. He said the bandit pointed the gun at him as he also tried to disarm the gunman.
According to Joseph, the businessman's wife then shouted from upstairs for him to give the bandit whatever he wanted.
“Jetto call pon she to bring down the money…He just collect the ring dem, and he get the money and he gone,” Joseph related.
The suspect fled the scene with a quantity of jewellery and money.
Jetto was rushed to the New Amsterdam Hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment.
There are reports that a car was spotted in the
community shortly before the incident. Reports also indicate that after the gunshot was fired, the car left the community.
Police have said a suspect is in custody, assisting with their investigations. A motorcar which is suspected to be the getaway vehicle has also been lodged.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Dead: Hemchan Utam, called "Jetto"
Hardat Joseph, who also fought with the armed bandit
Guyana hopes to negotiate end to US reciprocal tariff
– VP Jagdeo says country optimistic about 90-day reprieve and ongoing discussions
Guyana is hopeful that the United States will agree to remove a recently-imposed reciprocal tariff, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo announced during a press briefing, emphasising the Government’s commitment to protecting local exporters and maintaining the country’s competitiveness in global trade.
The tariff, calculated based on Guyana’s growing trade surplus with the US, particularly due to oil exports, had raised concerns about its potential impact on Guyanese exports. However, Jagdeo reminded that Guyana has a 90-day reprieve on the 38 per cent reciprocal tariff, offering critical breathing room for negotiations.
“We’re very pleased that President Trump has announced the US is prepared to engage with countries on this matter,” the Vice President stated. “We have already signalled to the US Government our interest in holding discussions, and we are optimistic about emerging from these talks in a better position.”
Jagdeo further explained the distinction between two separate tariffs currently in play. A 10 per cent general tariff is now in force on all goods entering the United States, affecting all trading partners equally. “That does not put our exporters at a disadvantage,” he noted. “If the Dominican Republic exports bananas and we export bananas, both pay 10 per
cent. So, it cancels out the competitive gap.”
However, he warned that had Guyana been subject to the 38 percent reciprocal tariff – while others paid only 10 per cent – it would have created a severe imbalance. “This is why the 90-day reprieve is so important,” he said, stressing that the Government is working to ensure a favourable outcome.
While expressing optimism, Jagdeo acknowledged that the outcome of the negotiations remains uncertain. “Our surplus with the US is largely driven by oil exports from American-based companies. That’s why we believe we have a strong case and are hopeful about the talks.”
In parallel, the Government is engaging with local exporters to explore possible measures to cushion any adverse effects from the tariff, should it remain in place. “We’ve discussed using the tax system to support exporters, and we’ll continue those consultations. The Government is taking this matter seriously and remains committed to safeguarding the interests of the export sector,” Jagdeo added.
On Monday, the Government of Guyana engaged local Private Sector exporters, with the Vice President leading the high-level talks aimed at preserving the country’s export competitiveness in the American market.
The meeting included representation from the Private Sector Commission (PSC); the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA).
Additionally, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with responsibility for Finance and Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh and Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha were in attendance, underlining the cross-sectoral approach being taken to mitigate potential impacts on trade, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Guyana is one of the hardest-hit Caribbean nations under the new US tariff structure, facing a reciprocal tariff rate of 38 per cent—a figure reportedly linked to discrepancies in trade data between the two nations.
The US’s reciprocal tariff carries exemptions on certain products including the
top three commodities that Guyana exports to the North American nation.
Based on an Annex to the Executive Order signed by US President Donald Trump, instituting various percentages of tariffs for countries around the world, petroleum crude, aluminium ore and gold are exempted.
According to Vice President Jagdeo, these are the top exports to the US, with figures from 2024 showing that crude exports totalled US$3.1 billion, aluminium US$36.9 million and gold US$16.6 million.
Other major exports to the North American country include fish at US$19 million; molasses, sugar and honey at US$8.7 million; alcoholic beverages at US$6.5 million and measuring/checking instruments at US$5 million.
In 2024, Guyana reported that it exported US$3.3 billion in products to the US while importing US$2.56 billion, leading to a surplus of US$799 million. But the US report to UN Comtrade shows that Guyana exported US$5.5 billion in products to the US and imported only US$1.3 billion, leading to a surplus of over US$4 billion.
Based on calculations, the excessive trade surplus, which had only happened in recent years, was used to calculate the tariffs.
“Clearly, there is room for us to work with the US partners to clarify this information… We want to point out to the United States of America, because we have good import data, that we are importing much more from the [US] than what is reported by the US to the UN Comtrade system,” Jagdeo said.
The Vice President noted that a revision of these figures could lead to a “significant reduction” in the trade surplus. This could potentially see a reduction of the 38 per cent tariff instituted on Guyana’s exports to the US.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Chinese supermarket robberies
“We encourage but can’t
force them” –Chinese Embassy official on safety measures
In light of the growing attacks on Chinese-owned businesses, particularly supermarkets, Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown, Huang Rui, says that as much as they encourage those setting up businesses here to install adequate safety measures to protect themselves, the onus is on these businesses to actually do so.
There has been an increase in robberies at Chinese supermarkets in most communities across Guyana –many without proper security, making them easy targets for criminals. In fact, there has been an increase in the spate of such robberies, with some being fatal.
Speaking with report-
ers at a press conference on Wednesday, the Deputy Chief of Mission noted that the Chinese Embassy has always encouraged its nationals setting up businesses in Guyana to ensure they abide by local laws and practices, including protecting themselves.
“It is our responsibility to make sure that our citizens here are protected well [and] are safe,” he stated. To this end, last year, the Chinese Embassy here facilitated a seminar where a Deputy Commissioner of the Guyana Police Force outlined to a gathering of Chinese entrepreneurs, various safety measures they can adopt to ensure their safety. These include hiring armed security guards and installing bars or
cages at the cashier counters.
“Those safety measures are highly recommended by the Guyana Police Force because they know how easily those supermarkets can be robbed… [The Police recommended] that they should install some protective measures or bars or windows to make sure that the cashier is not easily robbed,” the Chinese official noted.
However, he pointed out that there were still some small Chinese enterprises that fail to take the necessary measures to protect themselves.
“It is our suggestion. We encourage them, but we cannot force them, because they have a full responsibility to open up a business here… So,
for those small store owners, I think we will continue to encourage them to do that for their safety and interest. But how they can put that into specific action is completely their responsibility or their freedom.
“According to my understanding, some of them are small and cannot afford security guards… It’s good thing to do to ensure their safety,” Huang contended.
The importance of these safety measures such as security guards came to the fore just last week when two bandits were fatally shot while attempting to rob Jia Jia Chinese Supermarket, on Hadfield Street in Georgetown.
Orwin Garraway and
Tyrese Adams, both of East Ruimveldt, Georgetown, were shot dead by an armed licensed security guard on duty.
While describing that as an “isolated” incident, the Deputy Chief of Mission nevertheless stated their confidence in Guyanese law enforcement.
Just earlier this week, two men, including a juvenile, admitted to robbing a Chinese supermarket on the West Coast of Berbice (WCB). They were charged and are awaiting sentencing.
Last month, Police had arrested two suspects in an armed robbery at a Chinese supermarket on the East Coast of Demerara and also recovered some of the cash
stolen.
Former Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Guo Haiyan, had sounded calls last year for increased safety precautions, after a Chinese national was killed and his wife injured during a robbery at a supermarket in Eteringbang Landing, Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni).
Then later that year in October, another Chinese national was shot and injured during a robbery at his restaurant at Reliance on the Essequibo Coast.
This was followed by another armed robbery last December, during which Zhao Peiming was shot to his right leg by a bandit who had robbed a Regent Street, Georgetown store.
400 jobs created as call centre opens at Enmore
– to train individuals to provide back-office support for hospitals across Guyana
Approximately 400 persons from Enmore and surrounding communities on the East Coast of Demerara are set to gain employment in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, following the opening of the new VChart call centre at Enmore Pasture, Estate Road.
The centre will train individuals to provide back-office support for hospitals across Guyana.
Based in India, VChart caters to a wide range of clients, with a strong focus on Durable Medical Equipment (DME) billing, providing cost-effective and high-quality services to help clients remain competitive.
Speaking at the opening of the facility on Thursday, Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony noted that the company would be able to support the back-end operations of hospitals across Guyana, especially as the Government
moves to digitise the public health sector.
“One of the things that we want to see in this community, is to make sure that we develop facilities that can benefit the entire East Coast. Again, not very far from here, you would see that a new hospital is being developed (Enmore Hospital). And I think there are some synergies between what’s going to happen here and what we will be doing at the new hospital, because what we are accustomed to in our hospitals has been things like open wards and paper charts and everything – we’ve got to write down and so forth. We are changing all of that, and everything will be quite digital,” Dr Anthony said.
He added that there were lots of connections between what the Health Ministry is doing right now in the health sector and what would happen in this facility.
He also pointed out that VChart would be focusing on
overseas clients.
“..but I think the skillset that you will gain, the knowledge that you will gain, apart from working in this institution, can have other applications as you grow and develop,” he noted.
In October 2020, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Administration liberalised the telecommunications sector, resulting in increased investments in the industry.
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, speaking at the event, highlighted that since the liberalisation of the sector, the cost of bandwidth today is one-tenth of what it was in August 2020. This reduction, he noted, has made it possible for companies like VChart to invest in Guyana.
“That one act has resulted in Guyana being a more competitive and attractive place for information and communications technology-based com-
ponents to operate. You would have a thousand persons working at the hospital and another 400 persons working here—that’s 1500 persons working here alone. I want to ask all of you to get the word out there that jobs are available here in Enmore, and anybody who’s interested in a job, sure, here – and you’re very active amongst young people –get the word out there.”
Recounting the progress that VChart has made over the years in Guyana, Chief Executive Officer for VChart, Vinyal Shankar gave an overview of when the company first landed in Guyana and how it has grown.
“The journey started maybe in 2001 when we first came
and trained a few people in Guyana, and that’s when, you know, we’ve always felt that Guyana can deliver to the US what is required by the back-office services. And thanks to, you know, Mr Peter Ramsaroop –when we met initially, he encouraged us to come here and start off, and within a couple of months he ensured that we could start this process. We set up one pilot and it went on to another one, and now it’s the third one.”
He added that initiatives like these were part of its mission to allow Guyana to reach into the dominant world record market.
“We were very cautious, because the clients in the US
are very, very demanding, and we wanted to see how it can work out for them and for us. But we have been able to prove it, and we want to make Guyana part of the world map for back-office services. We need to beat, you know, Ireland, the Philippines, India for that matter – and I think, you know, we have it to show them.”
At the new call centre, persons would be hired in batches of 30. Applicants also have the opportunity to move up in the ranks to become team lead, supervisors, country managers, and much more.
V-Chart currently employs 162 Guyanese at its other locations at Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo and Georgetown.
Inside of the facility
Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony; Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh and Dr Peter Ramsaroop, Chief Investment Officer of the Government of Guyana and Agency Head of the Guyana Office for Investment, among others, at the opening
PPP invites public to recommend initiatives for 2025 Manifesto
General Secretary of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Bharrat Jagdeo, is inviting members of the public to suggest initiatives that they would like to see implemented in the new term.
Speaking at his weekly press conference on Thursday at the party’s Freedom House headquarters, the VP explained that public feedback is important as the party prepares its Manifesto ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
“So, if you have any idea, whatever the idea is, and you think it should be included in the future… [for] the next five years, you submit the idea [and] we’ll give it serious consideration. I can’t promise that everything will be in the plan…but I can tell you that your ideas will be given serious consideration,” Jagdeo declared.
The PPP General Secretary further encouraged members of the public to share their thoughts and plans with the party.
“You can easily take
Climate change mitigation...
Hope
Canal
Berbice
any idea you have; no idea is too silly to look at. We look at everything whilst we’re crafting [the manifesto]. We have a ton-load ourselves, and we’re trying to sort all of this through, because we can’t do everything,” he noted.
Recommendations can be made via WhatsApp at 741-2575, or drop in mail at Freedom House on Robb Street, Georgetown or at PPP offices in the various regions across the country.
Jagdeo, who currently serves as Vice President in the ruling PPP/C
replica under construction; 2 outfall structures being built – Dr Singh
In keeping with the Government of Guyana’s promise, the outfalls for the Hope Canal replica being built in Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) are well under construction – a process which Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh has assured will be replicated in other regions, including Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice).
One of the key climate adaptation projects being pursued in Guyana are replicas of the Hope Canal, a high-level discharge drainage system. Replicas of the Hope Canal, located at Hope Village/ Dochfour on the East Coast of Demerara, are being built in Regions Three (Essequibo Islands-West Demerara), Five, and Six.
During a public meeting at Mibicuri, Dr Singh cited the work being done on these canals, as just one example of the Government fulfilling its promises.
“We said we’re going to implement lasting solutions for the traditional problems with flooding and with irrigation. And the Hope-like canals are already under construction. Two outfall structures and an embankment along the Canje creek. And a network, within that configuration – already
under construction. We’re doing the same in Region Five,” the Finance Minister said.
It was only last week that bids from as many as 60 companies interested in constructing a Hope canal replica in Region Three were opened at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB).
Among the bidders were BK International Inc, Adamantium Holdings, A&S General Store, STP Investments Inc, A&E Construction, SP Engineering & Construction Services, S Jagmohan Construction & General Supplies Inc and R&N Construction Services.
Other companies were Two Brothers Construction & Logistics Inc, Gaico Construction & General Services Inc, S Caimraj Construction Service, Applied Services, S Triple J’s Enterprise, J&R General Construction Services, K&S Peetum Construction, JJ Mining & Construction and Crown Road Drainage Contractors.
The Hope Canal, or Northern Relief Channel, is a multi-component channel that allows excess water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy (EDWC)
Administration, pointed out that it was through similar consultations and feedback that the PPP were able to craft the 2020 Manifesto, and deliver on promises such as tax reduction on overtime and second salaries, which were recommendations that were made back then.
The current Dr Irfaan Ali-led Government has fulfilled and even gone beyond most of the promises made at the last elections; and as the PPP/C heads towards the 2025 elections, the party aims to build on these successes, pushing forward with more ambitious projects to improve the lives of Guyanese citizens and secure the country’s future in an increasingly globalised economy.
A significant aspect of the PPP’s plan is to create new “investment vehicles” aimed at allowing more Guyanese, particularly the youths and ordinary folks, to have a stake in nation -
al projects. The party believes these vehicles would offer better returns on investments than traditional banking options, providing citizens with guaranteed returns while also fuelling national growth.
It was previously explained that these types of investments would attract widespread interest, since they would be Government-backed financial products, such as shares and bonds that would allow guaranteed returns. Only earlier this month, Jagdeo noted that they have already identified three big business opportunities in the oil and gas sector that can be tailored to facilitate investments for the small man such as the farmer, the teacher and the public servant.
In fact, the current PPP/C Administration has been floating the idea of a fertilizer plant which
would use natural gas from offshore as one the projects for ordinary Guyanese to invest in, so that they too can earn from the country’s petroleum industry.
Apart from these wealth-generation ventures, the PPP would also be focusing on further enhancing Government services by making them digitized, and would be improving the quality of healthcare in Guyana.
Meanwhile, in addition to the invitation for recommendations, the PPP General Secretary revealed that the party also intends to put out several position papers on various topics in order to get broad feedback from the public.
“We expect those two [exercises] will generate a lot of discussion before we conclude what our manifesto will be,” he noted. Elections which are constitutionally due in 2025 are expected to be held later this year.
President Ali to spearhead re-evaluation of “unusually low” speed limits
President Dr Irfaan Ali is expected to spearhead a national re-evaluation of current speed limits, particularly on highways where they have been deemed “unusually low”. This follows mounting public concerns and a wave of e-ticketing violations.
against swinging the pendulum too far in the other direction, given that lives have been lost to reckless speeding.
Further, Jagdeo stressed that the final decision must strike a careful balance between ensuring public safety and maintaining fair enforcement standards.
“That is not a safe practice,” Singh cautioned. “If anyone wishes to test athletic skills, do it on a field or track designed for that purpose. These radar signs are not meant for such use.”
to be drained into the Atlantic Ocean via an eight-door sluice, so as to avoid overflowing and possible flooding.
That canal, which cost some $3.6 billion, was conceptualised under the then Bharrat Jagdeo-led People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Government, and was constructed following the 2005 floods.
At the time, excessive rainfall, compounded by a breach in the embankment, had resulted in Regions Four (Demerara-Mahaica) and Five experiencing massive flooding, causing significant damage to agricultural and residential areas.
After several delays, the Hope Canal project became operational in 2016.
Noting its climate mitigation benefits, the Government wants the project replicated in other regions. As far back as 2021, President Ali had said the Hope Canal was instrumental in preventing massive flooding along the East Coast of Demerara during the unprecedented May-June floods that year.
Moreover, he had announced that similar infrastructure would be constructed in other regions to curb devastating floods.
Speaking on the issue, Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo emphasised the need for a balanced and data-driven approach. “It is not just a technical exercise; it requires consideration of many factors,” he stated, adding that road size, surface conditions, and accident history must all be reviewed before any new speed limit is recommended.
During his weekly press conference on Thursday, Dr. Jagdeo confirmed that the re-evaluation is being addressed at the highest level of Government, with President Ali being personally engaged in consultations alongside the Traffic Department and other relevant stakeholders.
“The President has been very concerned about this issue,” he said, noting that Ali has been working closely with the team managing the electronic ticketing system, which has significantly reduced speeding infractions.
The Vice President acknowledged that some existing limits are so low that drivers are routinely penalised for travelling at otherwise safe and reasonable speeds.
“You don’t want to set limits that are so cumbersome people get charged for just driving,” Jagdeo said.
However, he warned
“There will always be debate — some will say the new limits are too high, others too low. But that is why this must be driven by evidence and expert analysis, not politics,” he added.
This renewed focus on speed limits comes in the context of Guyana’s broader road safety campaign, including the successful implementation of the electronic ticketing system which has already contributed to a significant reduction in speeding incidents and road fatalities.
On Wednesday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali issued a strong appeal to all road users, especially motorcyclists, to exercise extreme caution on the nation’s roadways. He revealed that 43 percent of road deaths recorded thus far in 2025 involved motorcyclists, with 72 percent of those fatalities involving riders not wearing helmets.
Meanwhile, the Traffic Chief, Assistant Police Commissioner Mahendra Singh, has issued a separate advisory, urging citizens to desist from a dangerous new local social media trend involving individuals running in front of roadside speed radar signs to test their sprinting speed – a trend which has been copied from overseas social media videos.
Earlier this month, the Government, in collaboration with the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the National Data Management Authority (NDMA), launched the e-ticketing system, a key element of the Safe Road Intelligent System (SRIS) Project, which is now being used for this trend.
On Monday, President Dr. Irfaan Ali announced the system has already led to a dramatic reduction in speeding incidents, crediting the system’s success as a step towards safer roads and more accountable driving behaviours across Guyana.
The Guyanese Leader reminded that within the first 12 hours of the system’s launch, a total of 259 violations for speeding, 29 breaches for driving without a seatbelt, and one for driving while using a mobile hand-held device, were detected. According to the President, that number has now dropped to an average of 98 violations per day, demonstrating the immediate impact of technology in promoting road discipline and saving lives.
In an effort to increase transparency and accountability among road users, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) has also launched a new feature on its website for members of the public to track their tickets for road traffic violations.
The Hope Canal at Hope/Dochfour
OOIL NEWS
Oil posts weekly gain on trade deal hopes, new Iran sanctions
il prices settled more than 3% higher on Thursday, supported by hopes for a trade deal between the United States and the European Union and new U.S. sanctions to curb Iranian oil exports, which continued to elevate supply concerns.
Brent crude futures settled $2.11, or 3.2%, higher to $67.96 a barrel, and U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained $2.21, or 3.54%, at $64.68 a barrel.
For the week, both Brent and WTI gained about 5%, their first weekly gain in three weeks. Thursday is the last settlement day of the week ahead of the Easter holidays and trade volumes were thin.
U.S. President Donald Trump and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni met in Washington and expressed optimism about resolving trade tensions that have strained U.S.European relations.
Reaching a trade deal with the EU could potentially limit oil demand destruction from Trump's tariffs, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.
Sanctions issued by Trump's administration on Wednesday, including against a China-based "teapot" oil refinery, ramp up pressure on Tehran amid talks on the country's nuclear programme. "Teapot" is an industry term for small, independent and simple oil refiners.
"These are far-ranging sanctions, focusing on the Chinese teapot refineries," said John Kilduff, partner with Again Capital. "It's a potential supply loss to the market."
Washington also issued additional sanctions on several companies and vessels it said were responsible for facilitating Iranian oil shipments to China as part of Iran's shadow fleet.
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) said on Wednesday it had received updated plans for Iraq, Kazakhstan and other countries to make further output cuts to compensate for pumping above quotas.
However, OPEC, the International Energy Agency and several banks, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, cut forecasts on oil prices and demand growth this week as U.S. tariffs and retaliation from other countries threw global trade into disarray. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Colombia declares health emergency after dozens die of yellow fever
Colombia has declared a nationwide health emergency after at least 34 people died of yellow fever, according to official figures.
Yellow fever is caused by a virus transmitted to humans by infected mosquitoes. It can be prevented by a vaccine which in most cases provides lifelong protection. The government has urged people to get vaccinated ahead of the Easter weekend, a time when many Colombians travel to warmer areas where the mosquitoes that spread the disease are more prevalent.
Health Minister Guillermo Alfonso Jaramillo said those going to high-risk areas would be required to show proof of vaccination.
The health minister said that there had been 74 confirmed cases of yellow fever in Colombia so far during this outbreak and urged people to get the vaccine, which in Colombia is free of
Hamas ready to release all remaining hostages for end to Gaza war, Hamas' Gaza chief says
Hamas' Gaza chief said the group was ready to immediately negotiate a deal to swap all hostages for an agreed number of Palestinians jailed by Israel, as part of a broader deal to end the war in the enclave.
In a televised speech, Khalil Al-Hayya, who leads the Hamas negotiating team for indirect talks with Israel, said the group refused an interim truce deal.
"Netanyahu and his government use partial agreements as a cover for their political agenda, which is based on continuing the war of extermination and starvation, even if the price is sacrificing all his prisoners (hostages). We will not be part of passing this policy," said Hayya, referring to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Egyptian mediators have been working to revive the
US, Ukraine, European
January ceasefire agreement that halted fighting in Gaza before breaking down last month, but there has been little sign of progress with both Israel and Hamas blaming each other for the lack of a deal.
The latest round of talks on Monday in Cairo to restore the ceasefire and free Israeli hostages ended with no apparent breakthrough, Palestinian and Egyptian sources said.
Hayya said that Hamas accepted a proposal by the mediators, Qatar and Egypt, to release some hostages in return for Palestinians jailed by Israel and begin talks on implementing the second phase of the ceasefire agreement that includes ending the war and Israeli forces' withdrawal from Gaza. He accused Israel of offering a counterproposal with "impossible conditions."
(Excerpt from Reuters)
officials hold
‘excellent exchange’; highest
level talks in weeks
US Secretary of
State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s international envoy, held high level talks with Ukrainian and European officials in Paris at a summit Thursday, aimed at bolstering Ukraine’s defenses against Russia’s unrelenting invasion.
Ukrainian and US officials had an “excellent exchange” with their British, French and German counterparts, an Elysée source said following the talks, with the meetings in Paris providing “a very strong strategic opportunity.”
Ukraine and the three European countries stressed their shared support for Trump’s efforts to bring about a rapid end to
the war, according to the source.
More meetings will take place next week in London in the same format, the source added. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce would not
say whether Rubio would attend the discussions.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday’s talks marked “a day of diplomatic mobilisation,” in a post on social media.
“Today, we engaged in a positive and constructive discussion on how to achieve both a ceasefire and a comprehensive, lasting peace,” Macron said.
Zelensky thanked Macron for his leadership and for the work in Paris by representatives from the attending countries, in a post on social media.
“It is important that we hear each other, refine and clarify our positions, and work for the sake of real security of Ukraine and all (of) our Europe,” he said.
Elsewhere, Trump told reporters Thursday that the United States would be “hearing” from Russia “this week” on the US proposal for a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. (Excerpt from CNN)
Supreme Court to hear arguments in May in challenge to Trump’s plan to end birthright citizenship
Tcharge.
The number of cases reported is much higher than in recent years.
In 2023, there were only two cases, and there were none from 2019 to 2022, according to figures published by the ministry of health.
Mr Jaramillo told Colombian radio station RCN that the current outbreak had been particularly lethal "with a mortality rate of nearly 50% among those infected".
Many of the yellow fever cases were clustered in the eastern part of Tolima province.
The area is known for its coffee plantations and beautiful landscapes and is popular with both national and international tourists.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro warned on social media that "people who have not been vaccinated should not go to high-risk areas during Easter: for now the coffee area". (Excerpt from BBC News)
he Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear oral arguments over President Donald Trump’s request to enforce a plan to end birthright citizenship against all but a handful of individuals, though it deferred a request from the administration that would have allowed it to implement its plan immediately.
The high court will hear arguments in the case on May 15.
Though Trump was raising what the administration described as a “modest” request to limit lower court orders against his plans, the court’s decision to hear arguments in the case was nevertheless remarkable and historic. A win for Trump would allow him to enforce a policy that a lower court described as “blatantly unconstitutional” throughout most of the nation.
The court did not explain its reasoning and there were no noted dissents.
While presidents of both parties have complained
about lower court temporary orders for years, Trump has been a particularly vocal critic since beginning his second term as he has been pummelled with a series of adverse rulings that have slowed his agenda.
“The Trump administration is trying to use a procedural issue to get the Supreme Court to put its birthright citizenship policy into effect across 99% of the country without actually having to decide if the policy is constitutional,” said Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at Georgetown University Law Center.
The main issue the government has asked the justices to decide is whether it’s appropriate for district courts to issue nationwide injunctions, an issue the justices have already had multiple opportunities to take up in cases with far less fraught politics, Vladeck said.
“It would be a stunning development if the justices used these cases, specifically, to resolve that issue –
since it would have the effect of allowing a policy that just about everyone thinks is unconstitutional to nevertheless go into effect on a near-universal basis.”
Trump made ending birthright citizenship part of his campaign for re-election, even though past presidents and courts for more than a century have read the 14th Amendment to guarantee citizenship to anyone “born or naturalized in the United States.”
He signed an executive order on his first day back in the White House that would have barred the government from issuing or accepting documents recognizing cit-
izenship for people born in the US to foreign parents. The move drew a series of swift lawsuits and lower courts issued sweeping injunctions requiring Trump to halt implementation of his birthright citizenship order. That is likely why Trump focused his appeal not on birthright citizenship, per se, but rather framed it as a “modest” request to limit the scope of the lower court orders. While that was technically a modest legal request that, in another context, might have found bipartisan support, it is a potentially explosive one practically. (Excerpt from CNN)
French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and special envoy Steve Witkoff at the Elysee presidential palace in Paris on Thursday
Position yourself for advancement. Participate in events that encourage networking, build your brand and influence others to follow your example. Follow your instincts and excel.
Learning something that offers insight into what’s possible and how you can diversify your skills to accommodate today’s market will pay off. Home improvements or lifestyle changes will enhance your outlook.
Emotional spending, poor investments and scams are on the rise. Listen, learn and walk away from suspicious offers. Set boundaries and know your limitations.
Advancement or an investment looks promising. Put more credence into work-related matters. Take care of responsibilities diligently and punctually to avoid criticism.
Question information, offers and people with whom you engage in serious conversations. Verify whatever you hear, and when in doubt, sit tight. Prioritize peace and love.
Slow down. Say no to anyone making ultimatums or trying to talk you into something you don’t need or want. Steer clear of excessive people and indulgent behavior.
Stay in touch with people who lift you up. Taking short trips or classes and applying your energy and input to matters that can help you succeed look promising. Misunderstandings are apparent.
Pay attention to where your money goes. Refrain from overspending on entertainment or donations. Avoid impulsive actions, indecisiveness and trying to please too many people.
Keep tabs on your money, possessions and conversations with people close to you. Don’t make promises that you can’t keep or give in to anyone using emotional blackmail.
Pay attention. Refuse to believe everything you hear. It’s a take-charge moment and a time to enforce your rights. Head in a direction that gives you the choice and freedom to live life your way.
Keep your finger on the pulse and your eye on where your money goes. Hit the reset button and put a budget in place that helps you save for something you want to pursue.
Put your emotions and ego on the sidelines. Clear your head, focus on what matters and where you can positively impact the outcome, and avoid dicey situations that can lead to personal or domestic setbacks.
ARCHIE
Mumbai Indians beat Sunrisers Hyderabad for third win in IPL 2025
-bowling tricks on slow pitch earn them second straight win
Mumbai Indians (MI) won an important toss, got the best of the conditions, and made excellent use of them to run away to their third win of IPL 2025, beating Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) by four wickets.
They sent SRH in on an unusually sluggish pitch at the Wankhede Stadium, and restricted them to 162 for 5. They then hunted down their target with 11 balls to spare -- with a bit of help from the dew, though not enough to force a ball change.
MI’s biggest match-winner on the day was Will Jacks, who had made a quiet start to the season, but showed all his value in his sixth match with his new team. His 26-ball 36 was an important innings, but he made an even bigger impact with his offspin, bossing his match-up against SRH’s entirely left-handed top three, and finishing with 2 for 14 in three overs.
Jacks’s three overs allowed MI to delay the use of their Impact Player, even though they lost legspinner Karn Sharma - Player of the Match in their last game against Delhi Capitals - to an injury before he could bowl a ball.
Not being forced to bring on a bowler as his replacement allowed MI to sub in Rohit Sharma at the start of their chase, and he gave them impetus with an early cameo. With Ryan Rickelton, Suryakumar Yadav, Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya also contributing handily, MI never allowed the SRH bowlers to even sniff a breakthrough.
For all that, though, this was a match won by MI’s
Pat Cummins hit the only five sixes of their innings.
Plenty of luck, but no fluency for SRH
The first over of the match was an ominous one for MI. Deepak Chahar found Abhishek’s edge with the first ball, only for the overhead chance to burst through Jacks’s hands at slip. Then Head flicked uppishly, only for the ball to fall short of the diving Karn at midwicket.
The latter event happened in the third over as well, this time off Abhishek’s bat, and this time Karn’s futile dive also gave him a split webbing. He left the field, and didn’t return to bowl.
Fortune smiled on SRH again in the 10th over, when Head was caught on the square-leg boundary off a noball from Hardik.
The bigger story, however, was that Head was batting on 24 off 24 at that point, and he was struggling to time the ball on a pitch on which the ball simply wouldn’t come on to the bat.
Abhishek had looked a little more fluent, scoring 40 off 27 before being caught on the point boundary off Hardik in the eighth over. That wicket had come right after another ominous moment for MI, when Hardik had pulled up in his follow-through with what seemed like an injury to his left shin or ankle. He even seemed to gesture to his dugout to call for a substitute; but, in the end, he dusted himself off and continued bowling.
Jacks attacks his match-up SRH scored only 46 in the powerplay, despite not losing a wicket; and while the
the eighth over, Jacks struck his first blow in the ninth, turning an offbreak sharply past the flailing bat of the charging Ishan Kishan to have him stumped.
Then, changing ends to bowl the 12th over, Jacks ended Head’s miserable stay by having him caught at longoff for 28 off 29 balls.
Klaasen, Aniket provide strong finish Head’s dismissal - a failure to clear the straight boundary - was a theme of the SRH innings, with all their batters struggling for power down the ground. Only four fours came in the spell from the eighth to the 15th overs, and all four were hit behind the wicket. Klaasen and Nitish Kumar Reddy batted through most of this period, putting on 31 off 33 balls.
A three-run 17th over from Trent Boult, which included the wicket of Reddycaught at long-on - left SRH at 115 for 4, with 140 looking
seven full-tosses in all in the last three overs, suggesting that dew may have already started setting in. One of those full-tosses, however, came from Bumrah, who bowls the most unhittable full-tosses in world cricket, and Klaasen was bowled as he attempted to make room.
The 19th over, bowled by Bumrah, went for only four runs, but it was sandwiched between expensive overs from Deepak Chahar and Hardik.
MI get home without major hiccups
Impact Sub Rohit took his chances early on, and enjoyed a bit of luck, including an edged six over deep third. He hit a couple of his trademark pulled sixes off his hip to give MI early impetus.
Rickelton struggled early on, got going with three successive fours off Eshan Malinga, and enjoyed a strange stroke of luck when he was caught in the covers off Zeeshan Ansari, only for an umpire’s review to confirm that keeper Klaasen’s gloves had encroached in front of the stumps before the batter had
hit the ball, thus it was a noball.
Rickelton miscued a Harshal Patel slower ball to backward point soon after, and was out; but between those deliveries, the openers had shaved 57 runs off the MI target.
Then Jacks and Suryakumar combined for the decisive partnership of the match, putting on 52 for the third wicket in just 29 balls. In three overs, they hit four sixes and a four from legspinners Ansari and Rahul Chahar - who came on as Impact Sub, replacing
Sunrisers Hyderabad (20 ovs maximum) Abhishek Sharma c sub (RA Bawa) b Pandya 40 Travis Head c Santner b Jacks 28
Ishan Kishan st Rickelton b Jacks 2 Nitish Kumar Reddy c Tilak Varma b Boult 19 Heinrich Klaasen b Bumrah 37
Aniket Verma not out 18
Pat Cummins (c) not out 8
Extras (b 1, nb 1, w 8) 10
Total 20 Ov (RR: 8.10) 162/5
Did not bat: Harshal Patel, Mohammed Shami, Zeeshan Ansari, Eshan Malinga Fall of wickets: 1-59 (Abhishek Sharma, 7.3 ov), 2-68 (Ishan Kishan, 8.4 ov), 3-82 (Travis Head, 11.1 ov), 4-113 (Nitish Kumar Reddy, 16.4 ov), 5-136 (Heinrich Klaasen, 18.1 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Deepak Chahar 4-0-47-0 Trent Boult 4-0-29-1
Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-21-1 Will Jacks 3-0-14-2
Mohammed Shami, who still had an over of his quota remaining. These bowlers were still finding grip off this surface, but, ever so often, they erred in line or length.
By the time Cummins broke this stand, MI needed 42 at less than a run a ball. Hardik hurried them towards victory, hitting a six and three fours - including a glorious back-foot punch through wide long-on off Cummins - and they finally got home at the start of the 19th over, after a bizarre 18th that brought Malinga two wickets for just one run. (ESPNcricinfo)
Pat Cummins finished with 3 for 26
Hardik Pandya’s 9-ball 21 took Mumbai Indians to parity
Abhishek Sharma attacked from the first ball
Suryakumar Yadav and Will Jacks brought the equation into MI’s favour
2025
CWI Rising Stars Regional U15 Championship
2025…
Guyana suffer first loss of tournament in defeat to Jamaica
Having made a positive start to the Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Under-15 Championship, being played at the Antigua Recreation Ground in St John’s, the Guyana Under-15s have suffered their first defeat: at the hands of their Jamaica counterparts.
Jamaica Under-15s won the toss and elected to field first, and Guyana got off to a strong start, registering 65 for 2 in the 12th over; but a batting collapse saw the Guyana team being all out for a disappointing total of 104 runs made in 28.1 overs.
Arif Bacchus top-scored with a patient 22 off 47 balls, which included 4 fours. Reyaz
Latif contributed 17, and wicket-keeping/batsman Justin Dowlin made 15.
Impressive Jamaican off-spinner Andrew Lloyd took 4 wickets for 14 runs in his spell; and Eckoney Robinson and Dondre Peters each took 2 wickets to help dismantle the Guyana batting lineup.
Despite Richard Ramdehol’s good bowling performance of 2 for 7 in the second innings, the Guyanese were never in the contest. Jayden Shaw’s responsible innings of 38 runs from 70 balls enabled the Jamaicans to chase down the runs in 29 overs. Tesfah Ward, with 25, and Luwain Pryce, with 19, ensured the Jamaica win by 7 wickets.
Trinidad defeat Windward Islands Trinidad and Tobago defeated the Windward Islands by 7 wickets. The Windward Islands were bowled out for
a paltry 123, with Jorden Charles top-scoring with 55. Rylee Gangoo and Samuel Stewart each took 3 wickets. Zion Phillip, with 36, and
Windies stay alive in Qualifier race with thrilling win over Bangladesh
Resilient West Indies overcame Bangladesh by three wickets in a tight contest in Lahore to keep their ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2025 dreams alive.
Chasing 228 for a win, an unbeaten half-century from Chinelle Henry (51*) pulled off the job for West Indies, after Bangladesh had looked all set to rack up their fourth straight win and punch their ticket to the Women’s ICC event in India this year.
Opting to bat first in Lahore, Bangladesh were dealt an early blow when Chinelle Henry struck to remove Sobhana Mostary
Sharmin Akhter and Fargana Hoque steadied the ship with a solid 118-run stand, before the latter was caught-&-bowled by Aaliyah Alleyne.
The pacer struck again two balls later with a peach of a delivery ripping through Sharmin Akhter’s stumps to put an end to her 79-ball 67run knock. The right-handed batter’s knock included 10 fours that kept the scorecard ticking for Bangladesh.
Akhter’s wicket sparked a flare, and West Indies kept striking at regular intervals thereafter, with skipper Hayley Matthews (2-42) and Afy Fletcher (2-43) each taking two wickets.
Nahida Akter (25) and Rabeya Khan (23*) came up with useful runs towards the end. They produced a big final over that included four boundaries as Bangladesh ended their 50-over quota at 227/9.
Aaliyah Alleyne was the star bowler for the Windies, amassing figures of 4-39 that dismantled the Bangladesh top-order.
from 26/0, with Qiana Joseph (31), Shemaine Campbelle (24) and Zaida James (9) starting off well but being unable find the rhythm to surge ahead, thanks to the Bangladesh spinners.
Skipper Hayley Matthews and Stafanie Taylor joined hands and added a resilient 66-run stand for the fourth wicket to bring the Windies back into the contest.
Marufa Akhter struck big to dismiss both batters in consecutive overs, and West Indies again found themselves in troubled waters.
But
Chinellle Henry and Shabika Gajnabi (20) forged a strong 50-run partnership to put them back in the chase.
Then drama again unfolded as Ritu Moni struck to get rid of Gajnabi. However, Henry picked up the pace with her big hitting, and finished the job in resilient fashion with four overs to spare.
Kaiden Pollard, with 24, helped Trinidad reach 124 for 3 in 23.1 overs.
Barbados defeat Leeward Islands Barbados defeated the Leeward Islands by 170 runs, thanks to a strong 86 from Kelani Clarke and 55 from Seth Smith.
Clayvaunte Powell scored 64 for the Leeward Islands, but Justin Parris’s 4 for 13 reduced them to 105 all out.
Guyana’s next game Guyana will come up against Windward Islands on Saturday, April 19, from 09:30hrs.
GCB Women’s U19 Inter-County T20 tournament 2025…
Berbice crush Demerara in opening round
The Berbice Under-19
Women’s squad easily won a match played against their Demerara counterparts at the LBI Ground on the East Coast of Demerara, owing to an outstanding batting performance from Jada Fraser.
When the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Women’s U19 Inter-County T20 Tournament got underway on April 15, 2025, Berbice U19 Women opted to bat, and proceeded to post a very good total of 149 for 3 in their allotted 20 overs.
Captain Crystal Durant fell early, but her opening partner Jada Fraser held the innings together with 61 from 57 balls, which consisted of 10 fours. Daniela Hicks supported with 30, and Tiea Isaacs made 19 in the Berbice total.
Karishma Ramharack
Ashmini Munisar
8-1-34-0
Chasing 228 to stay alive in the Qualifier, West Indies started off well, but quickly found themselves at 74/3
West Indies face Thailand next in their final Qualifying clash on Saturday, 19 April, whereas Bangladesh take on hosts Pakistan in their final game on the same day. (ICC)
Rebekah Cleto took 2 wickets and Shanaya Mackay took 1. In reply, Demerara batted their 20 overs without threatening the target score. Mahadevi Dass with 19 was the only Demerara player to reach double figures. Danielle Manns had
figures of 2 for 7 in 3 overs as Berbice won by 82 runs.
Aaliyah Alleyne claimed a 4-wicket haul
Chinelle Henry hit an unbeaten 50
Jamaica defeated Guyana by 7 wickets (Newsroom Photo)
Jada Fraser receiving the “player of the match” award
The Rise of Tevin Imlach
– Leading Guyana to a second straight title with purpose and integrity
Guyana have claimed their fifteenth West Indies Championship title, clinching first innings’ honours in their drawn final-round encounter against Trinidad & Tobago Red Force at Queen’s Park Oval.
Credit must deservingly be given to Tevin Imlach, who has emerged as the new generation leader for Guyana, after taking over from Leon Johnson; which was a daunting proposition, given Johnson’s legacy of six titles, including five in succession from 2015 to 2019.
Born and raised in Georgetown, Imlach has already carved his own space in the pantheon of Guyanese cricket captains. Having guided his country to back-to-back titles, he joins the ranks of Sir Clive Lloyd, Carl Hooper, and Roger Harper, each of whom has led Guyana to two regional four-day crowns.
Amid the celebration of this outstanding achievement, a moment of gloom crept into the Harpy Eagles’ parade when two players were heavily
fined for altering the condition of the ball. It has been a rare stain on what was otherwise a dominant and disciplined campaign, and for captain Tevin Imlach, the disappointment was deep and personal.
“Obviously, it is very disappointing, because we played six rounds of good cricket, no issues, and you come into the final game in a very good position, and for something like that to come up is very disappointing; not only for me, but for the team in general,” he expressed. “It would’ve clouded everything, cast a shadow over everything we did prior to the final encounter, everything we achieved and worked for in the tournament.”
He continued, “This is not something you want to see, and with the options available to the players, they chose to accept it with the aim of moving forward.”
In distancing himself from the incident, the 28-yearold skipper added, “I’ve built my entire career through hard work, dedication, and a commitment to playing the game
the right way. Cricket has always meant more to me than just winning; it’s about integrity, discipline, and respect for the sport.”
Imlach’s words not only represented his personal ethos, but also served as a reminder of the spirit in which the game should be played. His words represent a conviction that has come to define his leadership.
Hailed as “Captain Fantastic” by teammates,
West Indies “A” to host South Africa “A” in free-entry series
Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Wednesday announced the upcoming Men’s “A” Team home series, as West Indies “A” take on South Africa “A” from 21 May to 11 June 2025.
The tour will feature three 50-over matches and two four-day firstclass matches, all hosted at the Daren Sammy Cricket Ground in Saint Lucia.
As part of CWI’s ongoing commitment to bringing international cricket to all corners of the Caribbean, all matches in this series will be free to the public. Saint Lucians are strongly encouraged to come out in their numbers to support the West Indies team, take in the live action, and enjoy a unique opportunity to see the region’s brightest talent compete at a high level.
This series reflects CWI’s broader strategy to ensure international cricket is always shared equitably across the territories, strengthening regional ties and fan engagement at every level. The mix of whiteball and red-ball formats also means there’s something for everyone — whether you’re a lifelong cricket fan or just discovering the game.
CWI CEO Chris Dehring, in reinforcing the significance of the series and its role in energizing the region, has said, “The upcoming ‘A’ Series provides an excellent
opportunity for our players and teams to prepare for international commitments. The international schedule is getting busier by the season, and therefore it is very important for the cricketers to keep themselves ready through good competitive cricket. Having the opportunity to stage matches across the region strengthens our relationship with each territory, and allows for consistent engagement with our passionate fans.”
The West Indies “A” team is set to welcome their South African counterparts in what is expected to be a hotly contested series — a continuation of the rivalry that began with the West Indies “A” tour of South Africa in 2023. With Saint Lucia now playing host, home support will be a crucial advantage.
Director of Cricket, Miles Bascombe, has added, “This is a critical part of the development of our players
while creating a pathway towards full international selection. Following an encouraging first-class season, this series comes at the perfect time, especially with the new World Test Championship cycle only a couple months away.”
This series also serves as the perfect curtain-raiser for the highly anticipated “Full Ah Energy” West Indies Home Series, which bowls off in Barbados on June 25, 2025.
Fans across the region can look forward to a full summer of top-tier international cricket, starting with this exciting “A” team clash.
The West Indies “A” squad will be announced shortly, while South Africa “A” is scheduled to arrive in Saint Lucia on May 16. With free admission, local pride on the line, and future stars in action, this is cricket that no fan would want to miss.
Imlach had missed the opening round due to West Indies duties in Pakistan. Upon his return, he lit up the tournament with 538 runs at an average of 68.25.
He scored three centuries, two of those coming in moments of crisis. One was notably against the Leeward Islands Hurricanes, where his crucial 123 helped secure a draw and keep the Harpy Eagles atop the points table going into the final round.
Behind the stumps, he
was equally impressive in recording 20 dismissals — 16 catches and four stumpings — in a tidy display of wicketkeeping.
Over time, the victories have become sweeter for the 2016 U-19 World Cup winner, and 2025’s result is no exception.
“This title ranks very high for me; because to win a fourday title is not an easy job, and to actually come out and win this once again, it is special,” he shared. “We are getting ac-
customed to winning them, but every year gives a different challenge, something new and a better feeling once we win.”
Imlach fulfilled a childhood dream in Multan when he became the 341st player to represent the West Indies in Test cricket. Now he offers himself as a role model to aspiring wicketkeeper-batters throughout the Caribbean.
“Enjoy cricket. Enjoy the game. Enjoy practice. Enjoy the process of getting to a higher level; and enjoying the journey and what it entails, and not just the destination,” he explained.
“It’s not just about playing Test cricket; it is about the work you do to get there. And if you can find joy in practice and getting better every single day, it makes the moment even more special when you get to the ultimate prize,” he explained.
With a deep reservoir of self-belief and a clear vision of cricket’s greater values, Tevin Imlach is not just winning titles; he’s building a legacy. (Adapted from CWI)
Prior to their departure for Trinidad and Tobago, President Dr. Irfaan Ali on Wednesday met with Guyana’s 42-member CARIFTA Track and Field Championships team, who are set to represent the Golden Arrowhead this weekend.
Wednesday’s meeting took place at the Office of the President in Georgetown; where, according to a social media post, President Ali “took the opportunity to extend his best wishes to the talented athletes and to commend them for their unwavering dedication, discipline, and determination.”
It has also been reported that the Head of State assured this large group of the full support of the Government and people of Guyana.
President Ali has also been presented with one of the team’s jerseys; a product of the Athletics Association of Guyana’s (AAG) recent multimillion deal with Adidas.
The CARIFTA team was reportedly scheduled to depart Guyana on Thursday for Trinidad, where they will swing into action from Saturday, April 19th to Monday, April 21st.
Jaden Sutherland, Bryson Anderson, Jennifer Byass, Ethan Cort and Adessa Albert. The team is accompanied by the following officials: Kenisha Headley, Dwayne Carter, Kariem Aaron, Aretha Legal, Timothy Sealey, Johnny Gravesande, Twana McCalmont, Vanessa Wickham, Sheryl Hermonstine and James Cole.
President Ali meeting with Guyana’s CARIFTA Games team
Tevin Imlach has now won backto-back titles as Captain during his first two years in the role
West Indies ‘A’ will host South Africa ‘A’ in St Lucia next month
