No signs of trauma
Guyana’s Independence anniversary celebrated in Qatar with vibrant cultural display
Examiner in 2nd autopsy
Venezuela’s elections for governor of Guyana’s Essequibo region “huge failure” –Jagdeo
PNC promises free tertiary education if elected, despite it already being free Four Points by Sheraton Houston to have 80% Guyanese staff
Azruddin Mohamed slapped with tax fraud charges
Soldier missing after falling overboard during river patrol in Cuyuni High Court dismisses lawsuit against VP Jagdeo filed by Cathy Hughes over “low
2025 elections
led transformation PPP/C ready to win on vision, leadership, global respect – General Secretary
…says Pres Ali, PM Phillips
General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C), Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, has confidently declared that the governing party is entering the 2025 general and regional elections with both momentum and a proven record of delivery.
Speaking just days after President Irfaan Ali announced the election date for September 1, 2025, Jagdeo said the PPP/C is running on a foundation of transformation, competent leadership, and results.
“We’re not afraid of these elections. In fact, we welcome them,” Jagdeo stated. “We’re ready because we have led with vision, substance, and accountability. Our track re-
cord speaks for itself—not just in words but in tangible achievements.”
Jagdeo praised President Ali’s stewardship, asserting that the Head of State has evolved into a respected global figure. “President Ali has grown in stature internationally. He is now recognized as an international statesman. He represents this country with distinction on the global stage, whether it’s climate diplomacy, economic forums, or regional integration,” Jagdeo said.
“He speaks knowledgeably on every sector—from housing to energy, from education to infrastructure.”
Jagdeo also commended Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, describing him as a stable and
dignified leader who, alongside President Ali, is steering Guyana’s transformation with competence and integrity.
According to the PPP General Secretary, the upcoming election is not just about party colours but about safeguarding the trajectory of national development.
“These elections are not about jokes or taking chances. This is about securing the
future of Guyana. And that can only be done by a team that has the experience, the plans, and the proven ability to deliver,” he asserted.
Jagdeo criticized the Opposition – A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) – for lacking both credibility and a coherent agenda. “They have no plan. They haven’t even kept up with basic facts—Norton is
out here promising free university education, but that’s already in place. That tells you everything.”
On this point, he emphasized that while the Opposition resorts to gimmicks and recycled rhetoric, the PPP/C has remained focused on delivering for every sector of society—whether it be police officers, farmers, teachers, or public servants.
“We have restored the
one-month tax-free bonus for the joint services that APNU took away. We’ve created jobs, cut taxes, distributed house lots, expanded education and health care, and turned Guyana into the fastest growing economy in the world,” Jagdeo said.
“We are led by the right person. We have the right team. And we are running on performance, not promises,” Jagdeo declared.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
President Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d), Mark Phillips at Guyana’s 59th Independence flag-raising ceremony in Berbice, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne)
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, May 30 – 03:55h-04:55h and 19:55h-21:25h and Saturday, May 31 – 20:55h-22:25h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Friday, May 30 – 06:05h-07:35h and Saturday, May 31 –06:55h-08:25h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Rain showers with instances of thunder are expected during the day and at night, with sunshine in the early morning and late afternoon. Temperatures are expected to range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.34 metres and 3.59 metres.
High Tide: 06:27h and 19:05h reaching maximum heights of 2.61 metres and 2.37 metres.
Low Tide: 12:35h reaching a minimum height of 0.63 metre.
Riverine farmers to get transport help as Guyana pushes to be food capital of Region ...as
Pres Ali pledges boats, storage & more support for agri sector
President Dr Irfaan Ali has said that it is his goal to position Guyana as the food capital of the Region, adding that his administration will always give support to those in the agriculture sector.
“We will always support farmers. We will support them in Parliament with financial allocations and we will support them by our actions on the ground,” he declared.
The President was at the time meeting with rice and cash crop farmers, along with fisherfolk and sugar workers at the Albion Sports Complex, Corentyne on Thursday.
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha, who was also present at the meeting, noted that President Ali intends to make more investments in the sector during the next five years.
“If you believe that you have seen investment in the agriculture sector over the past five years, you haven’t seen anything yet, because President Ali has a remarkable vision for the next five years,” the Minister told the gathering.
President Ali also announced plans by his Government to provide transportation to riverine communities, to assist farmers to get their produce to markets.
“… We have to help you to reduce your transport costs, the building of farm-to-market access roads, but more importantly, how again do we help you with transport facility in groups?
“Like in the Berbice River and the Demerara River, we are now going to buy boats and give it to the farmers so they can use those boats to bring their produce down to the market. These are the things that we are planning ahead. We want our small farmers to be able to plant smarter,” he added.
The President made the announcements as he outlined plans for Guyana’s agriculture sector over the next five years.
Speaking of some of the plans to assist both rice and cash crop farmers, President Ali said the objective is to re-
duce production costs, add value to their produce, and reduce spoilage.
“To do that, we need modern drying and storage facilities. Facilities that would allow the farmers to store their paddy without infestation for a longer period of time. So if the market collapses in a particular period, we have long-term storage of international standard. That is the first thing: drying and storage facility,” he told the gathering, while noting that it will be one of the commitments of the next government.
Additionally, he advised farmers that they need to increase yield and productivity, along with having more varieties available.
Rice farmers, he said, must look at a system of integrated farms, whereby about 10 per cent of the farm is utilised in cultivating a high-value, high-yielding commodity.
“So 1) we have to co-invest on the storage and dry-
ing facility. Modern storage and drying facility. 2) We have to continue to work with you on increasing yield and productivity. 3) We will be working with you on how to create these integrated farms and identify crops with a technology and the support for you to start up these integrated farms.”
The President said farmers must expand their income portfolio and make agriculture more versatile.
According to the Head of State, he will be putting special mechanisms in place to address the needs of cash crop and rice farmers.
“We are committing to you that we are going to look at the sustainability of industry. In ensuring, as we move forward, in a new term, that we create a mechanism through which farmers have less delay in receiving their payment. Because sometimes farmers are halfway into the second crop and not receiving the payment for the first crop.
“We have approximately 3000 cash crop farmers in this region, and we have about 1370 farmers who farm between one to 30 acres of rice. Because the cash crop farmers farm smaller acreage, it might be more efficient for us to buy the fertiliser and transport it and distribute it for you. If you have 10 acres and you want the cash value of that, that is $80,000. And you have 10 acres, then you tell the Minister of Agriculture, we want the cash value of it.” Government has been assisting farmers to cut the high cost of production by supplying a bag of fertiliser for ever acre of land they have under cultivation.
“We want to invest, especially with women and young people, in hydroponic houses, shade houses, so that we can have resilient agriculture, sustainable agriculture. We have to go into value-added creation, creating our own brand,” the president declared.
President Dr Irfaan Ali at the meeting along with Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh
Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha speaking at the event
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Unlocking a gateway
The University of Guyana’s announcement to briefly reopen its application portal for the 2025/2026 academic year comes in the wake of an unprecedented volume of applications, an outcome that is not coincidental but rather a direct result of a national policy – Government-funded tuition for tertiary education.
For the first time since its founding in 1963, UG has recorded the highest number of applications in a single intake cycle, forcing the institution to reconsider its initial application closure on May 16. The surge has been so significant that many programmes – particularly the most competitive –have been oversubscribed, in some cases by several hundred applicants. The limited reopening, therefore, applies only to select programmes where space remains available.
This sharp uptick in applications represents more than a statistical anomaly. It is the clearest indicator yet of the demand that exists among Guyanese for higher education when financial barriers are removed. The Government of Guyana’s decision to fund university tuition for citizens has unlocked a gateway for individuals who might otherwise have been excluded due to economic constraints. This policy has not merely increased access; it has redefined who can aspire to higher education and has shifted the national narrative from one of exclusion to one of empowerment.
In past decades, many academically-qualified students abandoned the pursuit of a university education because they were unable to afford it. Tuition fees – though modest by international standards – remained a prohibitive obstacle for families already burdened with the costs of living, transportation, and school materials. The promise of free tertiary education is thus more than a financial relief; it is a declaration that the nation’s human capital is worth investing in. The results speak volumes.
This transformation has implications far beyond UG’s campuses at Turkeyen and Tain. A more educated population is a more productive one. The policy will inevitably yield dividends in areas such as healthcare, engineering, education, information technology, and public service. Over time, the country can expect a more skilled workforce capable of meeting the developmental needs of a rapidly modernising Guyana. Additionally, the initiative aligns seamlessly with national efforts to reduce inequality and promote upward social mobility across all regions and demographics.
That UG was compelled to reopen its application portal – albeit briefly – is further evidence that the enthusiasm for higher education is genuine and widespread. The institution’s readiness to accommodate late applicants, despite logistical constraints, is commendable. It reflects a responsiveness to the public’s needs and a recognition that access to education should not be hindered by administrative rigidity.
However, the spike in applications also presents new challenges that must be addressed with urgency. The infrastructure of the university, both physical and administrative, must evolve in tandem with growing student numbers. Classrooms, laboratories, housing, digital platforms, and academic staffing all require scaled investment. Without adequate planning, there is a risk that quality could be compromised in the face of overwhelming demand.
Moreover, the issue of incomplete applications, as highlighted by UG, underscores the need for better outreach and guidance during the application process. Students, particularly those who are first-generation university applicants, may benefit from clearer instructions and more robust support systems during the transition from secondary to tertiary education.
Looking ahead, other public and private tertiary institutions may also experience a similar surge in interest and should prepare accordingly. The Government’s free tuition policy is not limited to UG, and its ripple effects will be felt across the entire education ecosystem. Now is the time for systemic reform, guided by data, inclusivity, and sustainability.
The 2025/2026 academic year will stand as a landmark in Guyana’s educational history because it signals the beginning of a new era. An era where higher education is no longer a privilege, but accessible to all.
Guyana cannot afford to remain divided along racial lines or become distracted
Dear Editor,
Our beautiful Guyana is beaming with oil and gas, awashed with gold and rich in other precious minerals, flourishing in agriculture, overflowing with water and an abundance of fishes all over the country, yet it is still relatively poor. Many if not most of us seem to think or believe that not too far in the distant future, Guyana could become a prosperous country achieving the lushness of Dubai. Some have even contended that Guyana, is blessed with its vast oil and mineral resources and huge forests and could become wealthier than Dubai. Others are of the opinion that it could happen because not too long ago, Dubai was a dry and sandy desert with hardly any oil or natural resources. Jobs were scarce and its people were struggling to survive.
The truth is Dubai did not become rich overnight. Its wealth stems from a combination of factors, including its significant oil and gas reserves, strategic economic diversification, and a thriving tourism and real estate sector. The discovery of oil in Dubai in 1966 provided a substantial income source and allowed its leaders to invest heavily in infrastructure, healthcare, education, human development and public services, thus transforming it into a modern, global economic power. The leaders of Dubai had planned carefully and they
had a vision to make Dubai a truly independent and affluent nation.
And even though Dubai’s total outstanding debt is US$112.4 billion, which is 22% of its GDP and which includes both direct government debt and debt from Government-Related Entities, it is actively working to reduce its debt burden by more than half through a debt sustainability plan. Furthermore, its leaders did not squander the country’s money or build mansions for themselves. They have built roads, bridges, airports, schools and a massive tourist attraction similar to what President Ali’s administration has done and continues to do. Simply put, the leaders of Dubai are smart and insightful in that they had the wisdom and foresight to spread the country’s wealth across many sectors. Today, Dubai is raking in huge sums of money from its oil and gas, tourist attraction and its real estate ventures, among others.
It is the belief of many that Guyana can do the same or even better than Dubai, but it will take strong, discipline, courage and proper leadership and astute, skilful and sensible planning. If we do not heed this advice and spend our oil revenues wisely, the vast majority of the population will remain poor and impoverished despite our enormous resources. Another reason why Dubai has become filthy
rich in such a short span of time is because white collar crimes including corruption, bribes/kickbacks and embezzlement of public funds are dealt with swiftly and severely. The delay in progress in Guyana is due largely to corruption and bribes/ kickbacks which are rampant at almost every level and, in some cases, have become institutionalized with hardly any harsh penalties or severe consequences. It must end immediately.
The nation, especially its youths are tired of corrupt practices, frustrated with cronyism, fed up with bad roads, poor schools, and annoyed with pitiable and mediocre health care services. And while a few are getting rich, a large section of the population has remained poor and are getting poorer. Those in authority have to think carefully, act strategically and embarked on smart farming, clean energy, eco-tourism, and improve and enhance human development, health care and education.
We the people of Guyana cannot afford to remain divided along racial lines or become distracted. We must remain focus and keep our eyes on the prize. Development cannot be achieved with empty speeches, broken promises and unfiltered rhetoric, but with action by our youths who are roughly 65 percent of the total population. We need leaders who will serve the
people, lift up our youths, instil confidence in them, and make every citizen proud to be Guyanese. Our leaders must be committed to good governance, transparency, the perseveration of democracy, equality and an impartial, ethical and virtuous justice system for all. Guyanese must not accept poor management as normal, excuses for excellence and party loyalty for progress. We must develop and build a Guyana in which every citizen, regardless of race, ethnicity, party affiliation or status must have a chance to strive.
The name “Guyana” is derived from an Amerindian language which means land of many waters due to the numerous rivers, creeks, canals and streams that traverse the country, including the Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice rivers. Guyana also has large reserves of oil, gold, fertile lands, huge rain forests all of which make Guyana the envy of the world. Guyana also has a rich culture and brilliant minds and is sitting on a treasure chest, but these alone cannot build a nation like Dubai. What the country needs is unity, and selfless leaders with vision, courage and integrity. We do not need separate groups divided by race and politics, but one people united, free and strong and fighting for one future and one Guyana.
Sincerely, Dr Asquith Rose
Members of Community Forestry Organisations participate in Reduced Impact Logging training under the Sustainable Livelihood Project, implemented by the GFC and WWF (Forestry Training Inc photo)
US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed on $500K bail over Lamborghini tax fraud charges
United States sanctioned-businessman, Azruddin Mohamed, was placed on $500,000 bail for tax evasion and fraudulent declaration charges in relation to the purchase of his luxury vehicle – a Lamborghini Roadster SVJ.
Mohamed appeared before acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty on Thursday morning at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where he answered to the two charges brought by the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), false declaration to the Guyana Revenue Authority and fraudulent tax evasion.
The first charge alleged that the 39-year-old on or about December 7, 2020, caused to be made and subscribed, a false declaration to the GRA when he stated on the GRA’s custom declaration form that the purchased amount for the Lamborghini was US$75,300, instead of the true purchase price of US$695,000.
The second charge accuses Mohamed of, on the same date, fraudulently declaring to the Revenue Authority US$75,300 as the purchase price for the luxury vehicle thus resulting in the sum of $383,383,345 in taxes being
evaded.
Mohamed, who is also currently facing sanctions by the United States Government over gold smuggling and tax evasion allegations, pleaded not guilty to both charges.
His lawyers, Attorneys Damian Da Silva, Siand Dhurjon and Darren Wade, questioned the timing of the charges, noting that the vehicle has been in use since 2020 but GRA only brought up these issues in March 2025.
Attorney Da Silva in a bail application requested that the businessman, a father of five of Houston Estates, Greater Georgetown, be released on his own recognisance, stating that he is not a flight risk and is a public figure who is contesting in the upcoming general and regional elections.
In response, the prosecutor for GRA, Attorney Sanjeev Datadin, requested that bail be set especially since this is a criminal matter and given that the taxes evaded run into millions of dollars. He also counter argued that the GRA is statutorily empowered to investigate and prosecute fraudulent declarations
made to the tax agency.
“The Guyana Revenue Authority is entitled by statute to collect taxes. And if you have declared falsely, and the Revenue Authority has reasons to believe that it is fraudulent, then it is empowered, by statute, to act as it has done,” Datadin outlined.
Nevertheless, the GRA prosecutor indicated to the court that he has no objec-
tions to bail being granted to the businessman once a sum was set.
In determining bail, Magistrate McGusty indicated that while she does not believe the defendant is a flight risk, persons of lesser means have been placed on cash bail. Consequently, bail was granted to the tune of $250,000 for each of the two charges.
The matter will be called
Poverty, unemployment reduction aligns with objectives of Govt’s economic planning
Dear Editor, Economic development aims, among other things, to reduce poverty and unemployment. In 2022, Guyana’s overall unemployment rate was 12.4%, with youth unemployment at 25%, according to the IMF. This sparked discussions on unemployment and poverty. However, since 2022, an increase in the labour force has lowered the unemployment rate.
As of 2019, the country had lost over 30,000 jobs. Between 2020 and 2024 the Government claims to have added more than 60,000 jobs in sectors including construction, oil, transport, mining, and services.
Like the Government, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) notes that the existing unemployment rate among youth is less than 25%. The PSC says that qualitative evidence indicates that there are enough job opportunities for both youth and adults. “There are enough job opportunities for both youth and adults. However, attitudes can limit job choices,” says outgoing PSC Chair Mr. Komal Singh. He emphasizes personal effort and discipline and offers job opportunities or training to
the unemployed or impoverished.
Relative to poverty, the Poverty Reduction Strategy (2015) shows that moderate poverty decreased from 43.2% in 1992 to 30% in 2010. Regions 1, 2, 7, 8, and 9 had the highest poverty rates. More recently, the IMF reported a poverty level of 48.4% in Guyana for 2019, based on a daily threshold of $5.50 per person, per household. In 2023, this daily threshold was updated to $6.85 per person, per household as Guyana is now considered a high-income country with a per capita GDP of $(US) 24,658 (2024). Although households on average might theoretically surpass the poverty threshold of $(G) 156,000 or $(US) 742.86 per month, this figure does not indicate the number of households below the poverty line. Despite the substantial annual increase (174%) in net household disposable income from $(G) 805,000 (or $(US) 3,883) in 2019 to $(G) 2,200,000 (or $(US) 10,476) in 2024 (JC Bhagwandin: 2/1124), pockets of poverty persist in several communities. These include regions 1, 7, 8, and 9 as well as neighbour-
hoods such as Plastic City (Vreed-en-Hoop), parts of Wales, Pigeon Island (ECD), and parts of Georgetown and New Amsterdam. Comprehensive quantitative and qualitative research is necessary to determine poverty levels in these and other vulnerable areas. Targeted programs are being developed to alleviate poverty and unemployment in these neighbourhoods. There are suggestions of a connection between poverty and unemployment. However, the time series data required to investigate this relationship is currently unavailable. It can be hypothesized that extended periods of unemployment may increase the likelihood of an individual falling into or remaining in poverty. Many Guyanese seeking employment lack necessary qualifications. However, many who possess the right attitude are engaging in skills training, while others are less inclined to work. The Minister of Labor, Hon Joseph Hamilton, articulated that the government is committed to providing resources for nationwide educational and skill-training programs. Between
2020 and 2024, the Board of Industrial Training (BIT) trained 12,742 individuals. It is estimated that 75% of trainees have secured meaningful employment.
The Guyana government also offers skills training through the Ministries of Education (MoE) and Human Services and Social Security (MHSSS). MHSSS runs the WIIN (Women Innovation and Investment Network) programme, while MoE oversees TVET (Technical Vocational and Educational Training), graduating over 6,000 students from 2020 to 2024. Both are aligned with labour demands and guided by the ILO’s study on ‘Prospective Occupational and Skills Needs, 2022-2026.’ Other agencies, like the Ministry of Agriculture’s NAREI, also provide technical training.
Qualitative evidence indicates that since 2019, poverty has decreased by at least half, and unemployment has reduced to single digits. This aligns with one of the key objectives of the PPP/C government’s economic planning.
Sincerely,
Dr Tara Singh
again on June 26. It was previously reported that these charges were filed by the GRA after it obtained evidence from the United States Department of Justice (DoJ).
GRA Commissioner, Godfrey Statia, had written the US authorities for information on the purchase of the luxury vehicle.
Earlier this month, the DoJ, under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT), provided the Guyanese Tax collection body with an original invoice for the Lamborghini, which was billed to Azruddin Mohamed himself, to the tune of US$695,000. This was also corroborated by documents obtained by GRA from a local bank that showed wire transfers from Mohamed’s account to the US seller.
The Revenue Authority and Mohamed are currently embroiled in legal proceedings in the High Court. The GRA filed the matter to recover the outstanding taxes owned by the businessman.
In April, GRA officials, backed by police attempted to seize several luxury vehicles — including a Lamborghini Roadster, Ferrari, Rolls Royce, and Land Cruisers — from the Mohamed’s residence in Houston, Greater Georgetown. The operation was aborted after a hostile crowd, reportedly paid by Mohamed, blocked access to the premises.
GRA has said that the vehicles were imported un-
der the re-migrant scheme, but failed to meet key requirements, including residency status and proper declaration of value. The total tax liability in the matter is estimated at nearly $900 million.
Mohamed subsequently obtained a High Court order to block the seizure of the luxury vehicles. Only earlier this month, the Court of Appeal had refused GRA’s application to overturn the High Court ruling that had placed an injunction on the tax agency from seizing the luxury vehicles owned by the Mohamed family.
Meanwhile, the Mohamed family is currently under sanction by the US Government. Back in 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had announced that it sanctioned Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, several of their companies, and a Guyanese Government official, Mae Thomas, for their roles in alleged public corruption in Guyana.
According to a statement from OFAC, this is related to the evasion of taxes on gold exports, noting that between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10 thousand kilograms (kg) of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.
FRIDAY, MAY 30, 2025
US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed was arraigned on tax evasion and fraudulent declaration charges at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday
Page Foundation
Venezuela’s elections for governor of Guyana’s Essequibo region “huge failure” – Jagdeo
Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo has strongly denounced the May 25 Venezuelan elections purporting to install a governor and officials in Guyana’s Essequibo region, branding the process a “huge failure” and condemning associated misinformation campaigns as desperate and blatantly false.
Speaking during his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo said not a single Guyanese crossed the border to vote in the sham elections orchestrated by the Nicolás Maduro regime.
Jagdeo specifically debunked a video circulated by Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez, which claimed to show Guyanese heading to Venezuela to vote. In reality, the video depicted passengers crossing the Demerara River near the Stabroek Market in Georgetown—nowhere near the border.
Calling out the misinformation as "fake and desperate," Jagdeo said the Venezuelan regime is engag-
ing in theatrics to mask internal instability.
“Something that could have easily been debunked, to delude themselves that people were going to cross the border to vote for these corrupt officials. In these elections that purported to elect a governor for executable and other officials at executable. Nobody crossed, nobody crossed. It's a rejection. Nobody wants to be part of Venezuela. This is sovereign Guyanese territory,” the Vice President said.
Jagdeo credited the Guyanese people, especially schoolchildren and communities along the borders for sending a united message.
On this point, he added that while Venezuela may portray the election as a success through its state-controlled narrative, Guyana and the global community know better.
“The people of Guyana, every child, every man, every woman, they know instinctively, genetically, that every bit of the 83,000 square miles of our territory
belong to us. You don't need, as I said before, a PR programme in Guyana to tell us that. And it was demonstrated right across this country from communities and schools in the border with our flags there, all in the border with Venezuela, all the way to Crabwood Creek and to the border with Brazil. Our people, our children came out and they spoke resoundingly with a single voice that every bit of this land belongs to us as
Guyanese,” Jagdeo said.
Back in December 2023, Presidents Irfaan Ali of Guyana and Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela signed the Argyle Declaration in Argyle, St Vincent and the Grenadines. This agreement was facilitated by regional leaders, including Prime Ministers Ralph Gonsalves of St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Roosevelt Skerrit of Dominica, with support from CARICOM, the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC), Brazil, and the United Nations (UN).
Key provisions of the Argyle Declaration include a commitment to non-aggression, the peaceful resolution framework and the establishment of a joint commission comprising Foreign Ministers and technical experts from both countries was to be formed to address mutually agreed matters.
Despite the provisions, Venezuela continues to use aggressive tactics against Guyana, including plans to unlawfully elect a Governor
and legislative council of “Guayana Esequiba State”, which is the name the Spanish-speaking nation has given to Guyana’s Essequibo region. When asked whether India would support Guyana in the event of Venezuelan aggression, the High Commissioner said India’s assistance would be based on an official request from the Guyanese Government.
The Government has reiterated its commitment to safeguarding Guyana’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, while also seeking accountability through diplomatic channels.
Earlier this month, President Dr. Irfaan Ali had reaffirmed that the GDF is mobilised and prepared to defend the nation’s sovereignty and territorial integrity amid ongoing tensions with Venezuela.
The Head of State emphasised that security operations are actively underway, particularly in light of Venezuela’s upcoming unlawful elections and contin-
ued claims over Guyana’s Essequibo region — claims which Guyana has consistently rejected and challenged through international legal avenues.
After years of failed good offices process through the UN, and based on the recommendation of the-then UN Secretary General, Guyana approached the World Court in March 2018, seeking a final and binding settlement of the 1899 Arbitral Award, which determined the land boundary between Guyana and Venezuela.
The case is currently pending before the ICJ, which has already established its jurisdiction to hear the matter. Guyana has already filed two written pleadings on the merits, and Venezuela has filed one, with its second pleading due in August 2025.
Oral hearings are expected in the first half of 2026, following which the Court will deliberate on the case and issue its final judgment on the Merits, which will be binding on the parties.
GECOM approves work plan for Sept 1 elections
After walking out of a statutory meeting on Tuesday last, Opposition Commissioners at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) participated in discussions at another meeting on Thursday, during which the work plan for the hosting of General and Regions Elections on September 1, 2025 was approved.
This was confirmed by Government-nominated GECOM Commissioner, Sase Gunraj.
In a social media post on Thursday evening, Gunraj revealed, “They showed up, discussed, and the work plan for the 1 September 2025 elections has been approved!!!”
Commissioner Gunraj subsequently explained to this newspaper that the work plan is a list of tasks; the period allotted for the execution of those tasks, and the dates for completion prior to the holding of elections, as well as for activities even after the elec-
tions, including as it relates to results.
“The work plan is important because that is basically the Commission’s guidance to the Secretariat to execute. So, the fact that we have that approved, the Secretariat is free to follow it to facilitate the holding of elections,” the GECOM Commissioner related to the Guyana Times on Thursday.
During his address to the nation at the 59th Independence Flag Raising ceremony at Albion, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) on Sunday night, President Dr Irfaan Ali had announced the official date for this year’s General and Regional Elections as September 1, 2025 – a decision taken after consultations with the Chairperson of GECOM, Retired Justice Claudette Singh.
On Tuesday, however, the three Oppositionnominated commissioners on the commission hosted a press conference in which
they claimed that the agency was not in a position to host elections on September 1 – a claim that was firmly debunked by GECOM.
In a statement on Wednesday, GECOM called out the Opposition Commissioners’ attempts to mislead the public.
One such piece of misinformation was the Opposition Commissioners’ claim that they had been discussing a work plan at the level of the commission, with a September 22 date.
According to GECOM in its statement, this was not intended to be a work plan for the conduct of elections but rather it was merely a schedule of activities to give an idea of the time frame for holding elections at the earliest date.
GECOM explained that President Ali called the Chairwoman on May 23, enquiring if elections could be held within three months.
“The schedule of activities was prepared based on a request for the GECOM Secretariat to prepare a schedule indicating what would be the earliest date on which the elections could be held after they become constitutionally due. Brief observations on the schedule of activities were made by a Commissioner during a Commission meeting.”
“Accordingly, an undertaking was given by the Chief Election Officer to consider the observations and amend the schedule if necessary. The schedule of activities was never intended to be used as the work plan for the elections, nor
was it discussed in this context,” GECOM said.
It was also explained that the Chairperson consulted Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, who had already prepared a draft work plan in case there was a need for early elections. Further, this draft plan had placed the earliest possible election date at August 25, 2025.
“Armed with the information provided by the Chief Election Officer, and in consideration of Article 61 of the Constitution that “elections shall be held on such day within three months after every dissolution of Parliament as the President shall appoint by proclamation”, the Chairman advised President Ali that GECOM would be able to hold the elections within three (3) months.”
“Hopefully, the foregoing will dispel the pub-
licized notion that the Chairman acted unilaterally, as was propagated during the above-referenced Press Conference,” the election agency added in Wednesday’s statement.
At a press conference on Tuesday morning, Opposition Commissioners Vincent Alexander and Charles Corbin claimed that GECOM is not in a state of readiness to conduct elections on September 1.
They complained that the last work plan discussed at the Commission level had a September 22 date and that this new work plan would result in shortened deadlines. When asked directly whether the issues they raised are legal breaches, however, Corbin admitted that they are not. He noted that certain timelines are indeed discretionary at the level of GECOM.
Despite expressing con-
cern over GECOM’s readiness and a willingness to address the issues internally, however, it would later emerge on last Tuesday afternoon that the Opposition commissioners walked out of a statutory meeting to deliberate on the September 1 proposed work plan. Prior to that meeting, Commissioner Gunraj had pushed back on the Opposition aligned Commissioners claims, telling reporters that GECOM has sufficient time to prepare for elections on September 1. He noted that GECOM has already begun many of the key statutory tasks that are required ahead of elections and it’s just a matter of completing them. Gunraj also pointed out that everyone, especially political parties, should be aware of the time frame within which elections would be due.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Playing with…
…(political) extremism
Your Eyewitness was always intrigued by the name of one of the US’s most distinguished Jurists – Justice Learned Hand. He was certainly “learned” – but how the heck did he get saddled with that name?? Turned out he was named after his maternal grandfather, Billings Learned and his dad was Samuel Hand!! Pure serendipity!! Anyhow the goodly jurist once pointed out something that’s very apropos to our dear land right now: “…A society so riven that the spirit of moderation is gone, no court can save;…a society where that spirit flourishes, no court need save…” It surely looks like we’ve reached that point. Have you listened to the daily rantings of the PNC and AFC Opposition leadership after Prezzie announced the election date?? You’d think he announced their “Execution Date”!! But who knows more than them whether the two appointments aren’t the same for them!! Your Eyewitness knows Oppositions gotta “oppose”, but this Opposition has forgotten that’s only half of their job: they also gotta “PROPOSE” – especially now that folks gonna be going to the polls looking to vote FOR something!! That is, they’re supposed to propose policies that show how they’d develop the nation better than the PPP’s been doing. All in the hope that they’ll persuade a majority of the electorate to vote them in!! It’s that simple, stupid!!
But it looks like the PNC – actually the AFC’s become just an annoying irrelevance! – has accepted Raphael Trotman’s advice to Desmond Hoyte back in the day before he departed to become Dead Meat!! An Opposition’s goal – trumpeted Trotman – was to “oppose, expose and depose”, the PPP!! That’s right, folks – DEPOSE!! And Hoyte, of course, promptly segued into his “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah” mode that led to four fellas breaking out of Lot 12 Camp Street to lay waste to large swathes of East Coast and sections of the Police Force.
But Trotman wasn’t seen as no “Bad Boy” – proving it ain’t how you SAY things but HOW you say it!! Norton still hasn’t mastered that Middle Class art of crinkling your eyes and smiling like you mean it while sticking the (verbal) knife in the opponent’s back!! So, in the meantime, we’re subjected to weekly truculent harangues by the Opposition Leader – which invariably come out like he’s declaring WWIII against the PPP!! And imagine the fella was attached to the Foreign Service when the PNC was in office. They never sent him to protocol training?!!
And now that the election is nigh upon us and even fellas who just dropped from trees are being promoted as more qualified to lead the Opposition, we can expect the intensity and the decibels of the harangues rising exponentially off the charts!!
Poor sod!!
… extinction
Now it’s usual in any horserace for folks to pick winners and losers – even if they don’t place bets but are looking on simply for the excitement!! You consider things like training regimen; past performance; present form; pedigree and quite importantly the calibre of the competition!! Now, when you come to think about it – horseraces ain’t that different from political races!! So how does your Eyewitness see the political sweepstakes scheduled for Sept 1, turning out??
Well, some are saying a lot can happen in three months and it’s too early to call this race. Your Eyewitness don’t think so!! Take “training regimen”: unlike the PPP, the PNC has not been campaigning day in, day out. And in politics more than anything else, practice makes perfect!! And as for past performances, the PNC only won back in 2015 because they hitched up with an AFC from a different time and a different climate.
That check’s been cashed and nothing has since been deposited!! PPP wins hands down!!
…fire
There’s some talk about the new fella from Lombard Street who threw his hat into the presidential sweepstakes. He doesn’t know what he’s getting into. He’ll learn –“Mischief, thou art afoot, Take thou what course thou wilt!”
Former PNC stalwart, Burnham’s
son-in-law backs Ali for 2nd term
…cites national unity, proven leadership
Former Central Executive Member of the People’s National Congress (PNC) and sonin-law of former president Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, has announced his endorsement of President Dr. Irfaan Ali for a second term in office.
Speaking during a recent social media post Van WestCharles highlighted that the consideration of national unity is very critical at this point in time for Guyanese.
“National unity is very critical, bringing our people together and ensuring that our people have access to different levels of resources for them to be able to create wealth for themselves. So the leadership at this juncture of our country becomes very critical. A leader who
has a vision, a leader who understands the import of national unity, and a leader who can deliver,” he explained.
In this regard, he posited that over the last four and a half years, President Ali has worked assiduously to ensure that there is increasing participation of citizens, based on the resources emanating from the petroleum industry and other industries.
“His plans have been able to deliver. So, as we move now further to deepen the development of the oil and gas industry, we need someone who has proven leadership in the use of the resources in a constructive and equitable manner,” he noted.
He stressed that these are the three characteristics
that in-depth focus should be leaned on. He also stated that over the last four years, the country has been able to witness and palpate the performance of President Ali.
Van West-Charles stressed that President Ali has worked assiduously to ensure that there is increasing participation of our people, based on the resources emanating from the petroleum industry and other industries.
“I have been in politics for more than 35–40 years. I have functioned both nationally and internationally. My association politically, as you all know, has been within the People’s National Congress. I, however, feel at this juncture, the importance of moving forward and, in the continuum of development as a nationalist,
I have no hesitation in underscoring and supporting President Mohamed Irfaan Ali as our next president and next leader of our dear land
of Guyana,” he expressed.
This has not been the first endorsing statement from various officials. In fact, a series of endorsements has been expressed ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Only on Wednesday, Leader of the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), Lenox Shuman, formally declared his party’s endorsement and support for the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and President Dr. Irfaan Ali.
In a video posted on so-
cial media on Wednesday, Shuman reflected on his personal sacrifices and political journey, including relinquishing his Canadian citizenship in 2020 to fully invest in Guyana’s future.
“I did this because I believe in the potential of Guyana and what Guyana can and will be,” he said.
Shuman, who previously served as Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, detailed his long-standing advocacy for Indigenous rights and his tenure as Toshao of Pakuri (St. Cuthbert’s Mission) and Vice Chairman of the National Toshaos Council (NTC). He described first-hand experiences of discrimination and neglect under the APNU+AFC (A Partnership for National Unity and the Alliance For Change) coalition, particularly in relation to Amerindian land titling and rights.
Citing what he described as APNU+AFC’s refusal to support Indigenous advancement, highlighted by an official’s refusal to issue land titles, Shuman argued that the PPP/C had demonstrated real commitment to Indigenous development since regaining office in 2020.
President Dr Irfaan Ali and Dr Richard Van West-Charles
Show the evidence against President Ali –
Jagdeo to US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed
…“ridiculous” - Ali rejects claim he approved a tax waiver
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo has challenged United States-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed to release evidence to support his claim that President Dr Irfaan Ali assisted him in evading taxes associated with the importation of his 2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster.
“Let him release the evidence that President Ali told him to submit a false invoice to the GRA, a fake invoice. Let him release it, because no such thing happened. I spoke with President Ali, he said not at all,” Jagdeo said hours after Mohamed made the accusation.
After appearing at the Magistrates’ Courts on Thursday to answer charges related to fraudulent declarations made to the Guyana Revenue
Authority (GRA) concerning the vehicle’s importation, Mohamed claimed that the President assisted him in the crime.
“I have proof where Irfaan Ali facilitated and assisted with the clearance of the Lamborghini. I am waiting for him to say that is a lie and anytime he say that is a lie, I will show the whole country how dishonourable he is,” he told reporters.
The businessman pleaded not guilty and was placed on $500,000 bail.
Produce the evidence
“Now, I would have hoped that he would have produced this evidence and say to the Magistrate or in the High Court ‘here is the evidence, not the fake invoice that he submitted’ so let him show any evidence,” Jagdeo reiterated.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, President Dr Irfaan Ali rejected claims by Mohamed that he approved a tax waiver for a Lamborghini calling the allegation “ridiculous.”
He clarified, as reported in another section of the media, that only the GRA has the authority to waive taxes, and said he never intervened in any tax matter involving Mohamed. Ali challenged the businessman to provide proof that he ever submitted the vehicle’s true invoice to the Office of the President. He also emphasized that while tax-related concerns are often brought to his atten-
tion, they are always referred to the GRA, which independently handles such investigations.
The businessman recently announced his intention to contest the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
The vice president debunked claims that Mohamed is being attacked because he is running for political office. In fact, he recalled that the entire issue escalated after the businessman posted invoices to Facebook showing that he paid $93M in taxes to import three vehicles
including the Lamborghini.
This led to the GRA contacting the banks, which showed that the cost of the Lamborghini was undervalued.
“[He] Dishonestly puts that in an affidavit before the courts and then GRA went to the bank and saw he transferred US$695,000 to the company, they then asked the US Justice Dept... to get how much he paid abroad… This is a criminal act, a fake invoice is a criminal act, unless we change the law to suit the Mohamed’s,” the vice president explained.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
President Dr Irfaan Ali
US-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed
Four Points by Sheraton Houston to have 80% Guyanese staff
…cultural heritage to take centre stage as hotel nears August launch
The construction of the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel in Houston has been moving swiftly apace, with scores of amenities spanning across dozens of rooms, featuring built-in electrical upgrades, culturally infused designs, and various enhancements aimed at delighting its awaited patrons expected to be within the vicinity of the hotel.
The top-tier amenities being constructed were re-
vealed on Wednesday, following President Dr Irfaan Ali’s visit to the area.
Speaking during the walk through, a representative involved in the project highlighted that the hotel will also be catering to Guyanese.
“The total employment in operation of the hotel will be 100, and 20% of that— including roles such as the country manager, the three main chefs (the head chef, sous chef, and mixologist),
and other managers—will be Guyanese. In total, 80% of the employees will come from Guyana,” he highlighted.
He also added that preparations for staffing are already underway, with a full 100% of the operational staff being recruited.
“We’re already moving to promote the property through various media channels,” he noted. “Next week, we are placing advertisements to reach the local Guyanese population.”
In terms of engineering and construction, he added: “The hotel is set to outfit a whopping 109 standard and king-sized rooms. This hotel will showcase a design that is totally different from anything you’ve seen.”
President Dr Irfaan Ali along with hotel representatives and other officials during the tour
PNC promises free tertiary education if elected, despite it already being free
Ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections set for September 1, the People’s National Congress (PNC) has promised free tertiary education if re-elected to office.
However, the current People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government already made tertiary education free from January 1, 2025.
The PNC, on its website, noted that during its first 100 days in office, there will be “no more university fees with immediate effect.”
But the Dr Irfaan Ali –led administration already made it tuition-free at the University of Guyana (UG) for all new and continuing students for Diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s, and PhD programmes.
Additionally, the PPP administration made it free to study at all government technical and vocational training institutes, the Guyana School of Agriculture and the Carnegie School of Home Economics.
Moreover, through the
Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL), thousands of citizens have the opportunity to pursue higher education, free of cost.
Meanwhile, the PNC has promised that if re-elected into office, it will writeoff all loans for students attending UG – but this is already being done by the current PPP government.
“Loan arrangement for current students will be quashed. Those current students who are paying cash will be reimbursed forthwith. Loans for graduates will be written-off,” the PNC said.
However, in 2024, the Government introduced its Student Loan WriteOff Programme. Under the programme, students are asked to submit applications which are accessible through the Ministry of Finance website: https:// studentloanwriteoff.gov.gy/ apply/new while hard copy submission of application form are also accepted. At the end of last year, over $200 million in loans were written off.
Guyana’s Independence anniversary celebrated in Qatar with vibrant cultural display
The Embassy of Guyana, in Qatar, hosted a grand celebration in honour of Guyana’s 59th Independence anniversary, transforming the skyline of Doha with a radiant display of national pride. The Torch Hotel and the Sheraton Hotel were lit in the colours of the Golden Arrowhead, setting the tone for an evening that showcased the rich cultural tapestry and enduring spirit of Guyana. The commemorative event was attended by
Qatar’s Labour Minister, Dr Ali bin Saeed bin Samikh Al Marri; Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Protocol Department, Ibrahim Yousif Fakhroo, Director of the Americas Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Jassim Al Asmakh, along with members of the diplomatic corps, Qatari nationals, business leaders, and the Guyanese diaspora.
Guyana’s Ambassador to Qatar, Safraaz Ahmad Shadood, welcomed guests and delivered opening re-
marks, describing President Dr Irfaan Ali as a leader deeply connected to the people. Ambassador Shadood then introduced the President, who addressed the gathering via video message. In his remarks, President Ali reflected on the true meaning of independence, emphasizing the importance of unity and shared purpose.
“Independence is building one nation from many backgrounds and forging one purpose from many experiences,” he said. His mes-
sage resonated with attendees, underscoring the values of inclusivity and resilience that have shaped Guyana’s national identity.
The evening featured a vibrant cultural performance by Ivan Rockdrigo Garcia, who portrayed a jaguar in a dynamic acrobatic display, symbolizing strength and agility. A traditional cake-cutting ceremony with dignitaries marked the formal close of the programme.
Guests were treated to a culinary experience featuring traditional Guyanese
dishes, including mauby, sorrel, and the national dish, pepper pot. A live musical performance added to the evening’s festive atmosphere, with the artiste presenting original artworks to representatives of both the Qatari and Guyanese governments in a gesture symbolizing the strong bilateral ties between the two nations.
The Embassy of Guyana in Qatar expressed gratitude to all attendees and supporters and extended warm Independence wishes to Guyanese citizens at
home and abroad.
Event coordinator, Dr Julia Theresa Kanhai, extended appreciation to the Government of Qatar for its hospitality, and to all contributors who helped bring the event to life, including Newton Group of Schools, artists Charlotte Lavelle and Danica Hernandez, graphic designer Hasif Rasheed, the Office of the President, and representatives from the New Guyana Marketing Corporation, and Guyana’s Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Ministry.
Former PNC stalwart...
Shuman listed a sweeping array of PPP/C-led achievements as the basis for his party’s endorsement, including restoration of Indigenous land titling efforts; reinstatement of Community Support Officers (CSOs); nationwide cash grants and scholarships; free education from nursery to PhD; over 50,000 house lots allocated and more than 50,000 jobs created; implementation of the Low Carbon Development Strategy with direct payments to Indigenous communities; infrastructure investments including roads,
housing, and electrification in hinterland areas; and international leadership on climate and territorial sovereignty issues, including Guyana’s ICJ case against Venezuela.
Further highlighting what he called “visionary and dynamic leadership,” he lauded President Irfaan Ali, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, and Prime Minister Mark Phillips for delivering growth, development, and global respect for Guyana.
Also, earlier this week, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) appoint -
ed Regional Chairman of Region Four (DemeraraMahaica), Daniel Seeram, threw his support behind the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) for the upcoming elections.
Shazaam Ally, a founding and executive member of The Citizenship Initiative (TCI), would also be joining the ruling PPP/C, ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections. In a statement, Ally said the decision came after “careful reflection” and years of observing national development under President Dr Irfaan Ali’s leadership.
A section of the gathering at the 59th Independence Anniversary celebrations in Qatar
Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton
UG records highest number of applications since establishment in 1963
…select programmes to reopen on Friday for late applicants
The University of Guyana (UG) has announced that it will briefly reopen its application portal for the 2025/2026 academic year from Friday to midnight on Monday, June 2, following an unprecedented number of applications spurred by the implementation of Government-funded tuition.
According to a press release from the university, this year’s intake has seen the highest volume of applications since its founding in 1963. While the initial application window closed on May 16, 2025, UG has received numerous requests from students and stakeholders to accommodate late applicants.
Due to over-subscription in the most competitive programmes— some by several hundred stu-
dents—the reopening will only apply to specific programmes that still have available space.
Prospective students are encouraged to consult the university’s online portals to view the list of open programmes: Turkeyen Campus: https://turkeyenonline. uog.edu.gy or the Berbice Campus (Tain): https://tainonline.uog.edu.
gy
Applicants who have already submitted their applications are advised that responses will be issued from the second week of June through August 2025. Orientation for the new academic year is scheduled to begin around August 25, 2025.
Given the volume of applications, new students will have a two-week window to accept their admissions offers. UG officials are
Four Points by Sheraton Houston to...
The electrical aspects were also highlighted in his walk through speech, where he made it known that the building is being outfitted with high powered solar panels.
“The utility building includes 900 kilowatts of solar
are working towards an opening date of August 23, 2025.
As you can see outside, we already have solar panels installed, and energy will also be provided by GPL and backup generators.”
The representative also emphasized the hotel’s efforts
as shops, restaurants, and co-working spaces. We are planning for three restaurants—two indoor and one rooftop.”
“With CPL cricket and upcoming conferences, we expect more guests to visit the country,” he added.
panels, plus three generators.
One generator is already in place. In total, we have access to 0.8 megawatts from GPL, with generators providing an additional 0.5 megawatts. The three Caterpillar turbines combine in a central utility building, which manages the entire complex—including the HVAC system and chillers. As things currently stand, all contractors
to capitalize on its conference and event facilities.
“We are running a commercial operation, and while we cannot officially call it a convention center due to Marriott standards, our events hall will accommodate up to 1,000 guests, with a minimum capacity of 600. There is also a commercial retail building intended for hotel-related businesses such
Meanwhile, a section of the hotel will showcase Amerindian influence.
“We have dedicated an entire section of the building to Indigenous arts, culture, and everything Guyanese. For the decorative features, we conducted research and chose to use materials from Santa Aratak, an Arawak village in Guyana. Local women from that village…we are current-
urging both new and continuing students to regularly check their emails and the Student Records Management System (SRMS) accounts to avoid delays in processing. Students should also ensure their applications are fully completed, as UG has reported a significant number of incomplete submissions alongside those fully submitted.
Meanwhile, the application process for continuing students will open on June 16 and close on August 1, 2025. The release stated that CSEC students writing exams this year are also encouraged to apply in advance of their results and request CXC to share those results directly with UG, which may facilitate provisional admissions for some programmes.
ly producing craft items such as baskets and wall decorations for the hotel. This is a key aspect of the design,
blending artistic and indigenous identity. It will even be reflected in the convention area. We wanted to show re-
spect for the first peoples of Guyana. Marriott approved the designs and cultural inclusions on Monday.”
High Court dismisses lawsuit against VP Jagdeo filed by Cathy Hughes over “low life” comment
…orders her to pay over $4M in court costs
The Court High in Georgetown has dismissed a libel suit filed by Opposition Member of Parliament, Cathy Hughes, against Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, ruling that his reference to Hughes as a “low life” was not defamatory but well within the bounds of political discourse.
The ruling was handed down by High Court judge, Justice Priscilla ChandraHanif, on Thursday. She found that the statement made by Jagdeo on November 23, 2023 at a press conference did not meet the legal threshold for defamation and was protected as political speech.
Hughes, a former minister under the previous Coalition Administration and an Executive Member of the Alliance For Change (AFC) opposition party, had filed the lawsuit against Jagdeo, claiming various categories of damages over his alleged slander when he used the words, “…from someone, a low life like Cathy Hughes.”
Further, in her claim for exemplary damages, Hughes stated that the term “low life” refers to criminals and is also of racist origin, deployed in the context of derogatory racial discourse and it was intended to convey a meaning that she was woman of loose moral and indulges in unacceptable sexual
behaviour. She claims that the obvious use of the term was intended to humiliate, ridicule, degrade and damage her reputation without justification. She was seeking in excess of $50M in damages.
However, Jagdeo, through his lawyer –Attorney Sanjeev Datadin, admitted to using the words to describe Hughes but argued that they were not defamatory as being alleged but used in circumstances that can be justified as fair comment. He said his remarks were part of longer statement of his full press conference, and was in response to allegations Hughes made against him two days prior at a public meeting in Linden.
According to Jagdeo, Hughes made false state-
ments about the ongoing Guyana-Venezuela Border Controversy and his response was done to protect the national and territorial interest of Guyana so as to avoid possible dire consequences as it relates to national security. Hence, he considered the words constituted fair comment and were made in good faith without malice on matters of public importance.
Based on the court documents, Hughes had accused Jagdeo, a former President of Guyana, of giving away a channel here to Venezuela – a claim that he has repeatedly rejected.
In response, Jagdeo said at his weekly press conference that, “Cathy Hughes went to the people in Linden. She was upset because she had a public meeting, and three persons turned up. So, that is her saying that I promised them again. This is the rumour-mongering among people who are willing, because they hate the PPP or maybe me so much, that they are prepared to compromise even our border. And from someone, a lowlife like Cathy Hughes who used to award contracts to herself, to her own company in her own ministry, when she was minister. And she would never sue me for that because we have all the evidence of this.”
The Vice President contended that his response
was meant to criticise Hughes for being selfish and making irresponsible and dangerous statements that put Guyana at risk just to scoring political points especially since her remarks were made at a time when tensions had heightened with Venezuela towards the end of 2023.
Jagdeo further maintained that Hughes clearly and falsely accused him of betraying Guyana, and at no time did he mention her race or her gender or social proclivities and as such, the imputation of race, gender and sexual morals are baseless and manipulated to inject meaning into the words about her that he did not mean.
In her decision, Justice Chandra-Hanif asserted that the in light of the social and political theatrics in Guyana and the qualification of the context of the words uttered by Jagdeo, she found that the words complained about are not capable of conveying the meaning alleged by Hughes.
The High Court judge posited that the proper interpretation of the entire sentence uttered by Jagdeo could only reasonably relate to an imputation of dishonourable or criminal behaviour but cannot to the right-thinking members of society be viewed to have any racial imputation nor convey a meaning that she
was a woman of loose morals who indulged in unacceptable sexual behaviour as she claims it does.
“The court finds… that the statement does not bear any defamatory meaning as contended by the Claimant (Hughes). It is not one which would tender to lower the Claimant in the estimation of the right-thinking people of Guyana, based on an objective standard since it is the Defendant’s criticism of an Opposition political party in the context of his right of expression of political views on matters that are in the public domain and on matters of public interest and as such, it was not specifically defamatory of the Claimant,” the judge ruled.
Addressing Hughes contention that Jagdeo’s
words sought to discredit her in the public eyes, Justice Chandra-Hanif noted that uncontradicted evidence shows that it was already in the public domain that Hughes had awarded contracts to her company while she a was a Minister of Government under the Coalition regime.
“The Court has concluded that the comment made by the Defendant was fair and reasonable in the circumstances where the Defendant sought to convey that the Claimant committed misconduct when she awarded a contract to herself while in public office and when she reneged on her cease fire promise in the best interest of the Guyanese,” the judge ruled.
Hughes had admitted in court that as Chairman of the AFC at the time, she had signed onto a Parliamentary Motion in the National Assembly to put aside political differences and stand in one voice against Venezuela’s attempt to claim Guyana’s territory.
In dismissing the libel suit against the Vice President, Justice Chandra-Hanif ordered Hughes to pay $4,099,999 in legal costs to Jagdeo.
However, the Opposition MP’s lawyer, Nigel Hughes, who is also her husband, has since indicated that they would be appealing the High Court’s decision.
“We cannot secure a future if our children are not inspired” – PM Phillips on new environmental storybook launch
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, has strongly championed the cause of securing Guyana’s future, emphasizing that it depends entirely on whether the nation’s children are inspired.
He at the time made this announcement during a speech at the launch of ‘Ollie the Otter’s River Adventures’, a new children’s storybook aimed at promoting environmental awareness and biodiversity conservation among Guyanese youths.
‘Ollie the Otter’s River Adventures’ was developed by Environmental Management Consultants Inc. (EMC). According to the Prime Minister, there is a critical importance in engaging citizens in conservation efforts.
“This storybook is a vital part of that mission. It brings biodiversity into the classroom, the home, the hearts and minds of our young people; because no strategy can succeed if our citizens are not informed. We cannot secure a future if our children are not inspired.”
He also emphasized the transformative power of storytelling in environmental education, describing it as “one of the most powerful tools in education.”
“Incorporating storytelling into sustainability education makes environmental protection personal and reinforces a sense of urgency and importance in even the youngest of minds,” he added.
Also in attendance at the launch were Founder and Director of the EMC Foundation, Mr Shyam Nokta; Toshao of the St Cuthbert’s Mission/Pakuri Village, Alvoro Simon; government officials, and members of the diplomatic community.
Also in May 2025, the EMC Foundation launched a bilingual audio series and audiobook version of “Arya Takes a Swim,” narrated in both English and Arawak.
The initiative aims to promote environmental education and cultural preservation among Guyana’s youth, particularly in Indigenous communities.
The project was supported by the UK’s Sustainable Blue Economy Programme
and is being distributed to schools and communities across the country, with plans for inclusion in the Ministry of Education’s curriculum.
Soldier missing after falling overboard during river patrol in Cuyuni
The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) has launched a search operation for one of its soldiers, Lance Corporal Stefon Tudor, who went missing during a riverain patrol in the Cuyuni River, Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) on Thursday.
According to the GDF, Lance Corporal Tudor reportedly fell into the riv-
er between 14:00h and 15:00h in the vicinity of the Makapa rapids, located near the GuyanaVenezuela border in Region Seven. Troops stationed at Eteringbang and Makapa were engaged in efforts to locate the missing rank on Thursday.
The military has assured that no resources will be spared in the ongo-
ing search operation. The family of Lance Corporal Tudor has been informed of the incident.
In a statement, the GDF reaffirmed its commitment to the operational safety of all officers and ranks. Additionally, a Board of Inquiry has been convened to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Prime Minister Mark Phillips
The PM with officials at the book launch
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Opposition Member of Parliament, Cathy Hughes
Adriana Younge drowning
No signs of trauma – US Medical Examiner in 2nd autopsy
...says body lost forensic value, compromised ...commends pathologists of 1st autopsy
The US, Gwinnet County, Georgia Medical Examiner
Carol A Terry, MD, who conducted the second autopsy on the body of 11-year-old Adriana Younge at the behest of the family, has confirmed there is no sign of trauma on the body, echoing the findings of the first autopsy, which was conducted in Guyana by three internationally-renowned pathologists on April 28.
In addition, the US Medical Examiner commended the first autopsy as being conducted thoroughly and competently.
She did say too that the body at this point, with a second autopsy, had lost forensic value and was compromised. This, she noted, was a result of issues of decomposition and embalming that introduced “artifacts”.
Notwithstanding this however, she reiterated that the first autopsy was competently carried out.
This latest development comes after the final first
post-mortem report prepared by the team of internationally-recognised pathologists, confirmed that 11-year-old Adriana died from drowning, with no signs of foul play or physical assault.
On Monday last, the body of Adriana arrived in the US for the second autopsy, after her remains were flown out of Georgetown via the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA).
The family had sought the second autopsy after rejecting the findings of the three internationally- recognised pathologists – one of whom they themselves had requested and the Government of Guyana flew in at their request.
Adriana, who was last seen by her grandmother around 13:01h on April 23 in the hotel’s swimming pool, was found dead in the same pool the following morning. Her disappearance and delayed recovery led her family to question the circumstances of her death, raising
concerns that she might have been lured, assaulted, drowned elsewhere, and placed back in the pool.
However, the comprehensive autopsy report dismissed those claims, concluding that Adriana drowned and subsequently sank to the bottom of the pool, as is common in warm freshwater environments.
“Drowning in fresh water in a tropical climate with relatively warm temperatures, such as seen in a swimming pool in the Caribbean, usually results in decedents initially sinking to the bottom of the pool. The sinking is usually faster in thin individuals with low body fat when compared to individuals who are obese. A few hours after death has occurred in a submerged body, putrefaction will begin, which will result in the accumulation of gas in the gastrointestinal tract and soft tissues. This accumulation of gas will then cause a decedent to slowly rise to the top of the water and float.
The rate of putrefaction and gas formation will depend on factors such as the water temperature and size of the decedent. The warmer the temperature and larger the individual, the faster putrefaction will occur and, as a result, the sooner the body will begin to rise from the bottom and float,” the report stated.
Toxicology results detected ethanol, but this was attributed to natural postmortem decomposition rather than alcohol ingestion. DNA analysis and sexual assault kit tests returned negative
for any signs of criminal activity.
Due to the passage of time and lack of corroborative evidence, experts were unable to determine Adriana’s exact time of death, though all findings support the account of a drowning incident followed by delayed surfacing due to putrefaction.
Pathologists concluded that “there is no physical evidence on the postmortem examination to indicate that she was physically removed from the pool, harmed in any way, and subsequently
placed back in the pool after she was deceased”.
Public terror What began as calls for justice in April escalated into chaos as protest actions were hijacked by criminal elements, who ignited roadways, looted businesses, and terrorised communities across Georgetown; East Bank Demerara (EBD); West Bank Demerara (WBD); East Coast Demerara (ECD); Berbice and other areas.
Following swift Police operations and nationwide arrests, dozens of accused individuals have appeared before various Magistrates, including Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore, to face indictable charges of terrorism under the Criminal Law (Offences) Act.
According to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), over 100 persons have been arrested in relation to the unrest, and more individuals are likely to be charged in the coming days.
ExxonMobil executive: will be "business as usual" if company loses Guyana arbitration
Though ExxonMobil believes it will win its Guyana-related arbitration against Chevron and Hess, it will be “business as usual” if the company loses its case, an executive for the US supermajor said Thursday.
“You know, we're confident the judges will go in our favour, but if they don't, and Chevron can purchase Hess, Chevron becomes a partner instead of Hess, no change for us. It's no change at all. It's just business as usual,” ExxonMobil senior vice president Neil Chapman said at Berstein’s 41st annual Strategic Decisions Conference.
ExxonMobil, which operates the prolific Stabroek block offshore Guyana with a 45% stake, launched arbitration proceedings last year over Hess’ 30% interest in the field, which is the centre of Chevron’s attempted US$53 billion takeover of Hess. CNOOC International, which owns the remaining 25% stake, also filed an arbitration claim that was eventually merged with ExxonMobil’s case.
ExxonMobil and CNOOC International believe “very,
very strongly that we have the right of first refusal” to the Stabroek stake, Chapman said.
“In other words, we can match a purchase price. That’s typical in the industry. Obviously, Hess and Chevron have a different view.”
Chapman acknowledged that a hearing in front of three judges at the International Chamber of Commerce “has just taken place”, indirectly confirming a Reuters report that the session was held Monday.
However, he said the hearing was akin to a “con-
clusion of a whole series of submissions” that wrapped this week.
“I don't know exactly when they'll come to a decision. All I can tell you is the typical timeline of the arbitration in that court is two to three months,” he said.
Despite the tension, Chapman said Hess has been a “very, very good partner” in Guyana.
“And I would tell you, we have partnerships with Chevron all over the world. There's been no change in terms of how we're working together at all,” he said. (upstreamonline.com)
ExxonMobil Senior Vice President Neil Chapman
Adriana Younge
Regional
Concern raised over online hoax videos Argentina arrests 12 suspects linked
...as B’dos PM falls victim
Misuse of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is hitting home as some prominent Barbadians, including Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley, have fallen victim.
Worldwide, the use and misuse of AI has been a hot topic, and Mottley has been vocal in calling for a regional policy, saying the Caribbean Community needed a unified approach as it could undermine democracy.
“The fact that you can take my voice and my image and pretend that I have made a speech that I did not make, is what will undermine democracy, encourage fake news and cause people conflict, not just at the political level, but think of families, think of relationships, think of workplaces,” she said.
“These are things that we will deal with and must deal with. In the region, we must come up with a common framework, because AI is empowering, but it can be destructive of human civilisation,” she added.
Mottley’s image and voice were used as part of a fake Barbados Stock Exchange (BSE) website on Facebook, which is now defunct. The page featured AI-generated videos of several individuals, including Mottley and former calypso monarch Ian iWeb Webster, who promoted the benefits of using the stock exchange.
Upon closer inspection, it can be determined the images were not quite right, though it was clear who they were trying to portray.
Since then, the BSE, on its legitimate Facebook site, condemned the fake site.
“The BSE has been made aware that there are accounts impersonating the exchange on Facebook and Instagram. We take this matter seriously and are working to resolve it. For legitimate updates and communications, please follow the official social media accounts of the BSE,” it stated.
This is not the only case of fraudulent news.
One of the articles also on Facebook, depicts Minister of Educational Transformation Chad Blackman, who recently won the by-election in St James North, being taken away in handcuffs by blurred white police officers for an undisclosed rea -
son. The image, while fake, is used along with an actual picture of Blackman as an inset displayed on the page.
“That has been circulating from before the by-election, for at least six months. That is fake news. We live in a time of fake news and people oftentimes have too much time on their hands, but I can confirm all those images are fake.
“What we need to do is use the technology for good. The time some spend using it for mischief, if they used that time doing good, things would be a lot better. People have asked me about them, and I can assure the public I have not been arrested,” he said.
A veteran attorney, who asked not to be identified, said there was little that could be done currently as there was no firm legislation dealing with AI misuse. (Source: Nation News)
J’ca: Over 200 firearms, ammo seized by cops
Ahigh-level probe, involving Jamaican and United States law enforcement agencies, is now under way into one of, if not the largest gun find at one of the nation’s ports.
Jamaica Observer sources say more than 200 guns, including high-powered weapons, and thousands of rounds of ammunition were seized by the police at a port in the Corporate Area on Wednesday.
“This could be a record. It is a massive, massive find,” one source told the Observer.
“It has to be some major players in the illegal gun trade involved,” added the source.
Up to press time Wednesday, there was no official word from the Jamaica Constabulary Force with “no comment” greeting every query from our newsroom.
Since late 2024 local law
enforcement agencies have thwarted several attempts to smuggle guns into the country.
Late last December almost 40 guns, firearm accessories, and some 3,000 rounds of ammunition were found in barrels labelled groceries at a wharf in Kingston. In February, 50 handguns, 16 rifles, and more than 4,500 rounds of ammunition were seized by inves-
tigators from the Firearms and Narcotics Investigation Division (FNID) and Jamaica Customs Agency (JCA), after they intercepted a shipment from the United States.
Less than one month later, officers from the JCA and FNID seized 30 firearms and more than 100 rounds of ammunition at another warehouse in the Corporate Area. (Excerpt from Jamaica Observer)
to Tren de Aragua gang
Argentina's security minister said on Thursday that 12 suspects were arrested for criminal acts linked to the Tren de Aragua gang, a group that the country classifies as a terrorist organization.
"It is a highly dangerous gang and today 12 of its members are in prison", Security Minister Patricia
Bullrich said in a press conference in Buenos Aires.
Bullrich also said the group had carried out attacks on supermarkets, butcher shops, hardware stores using firearms and explosives and caused fatalities.
The U.S. State Department designated the Venezuelan gang Tren de
Aragua as a global terrorist organization in February saying it posed a threat to U.S. national security, foreign policy and economic interests.
Meanwhile, Venezuelan government has maintained that the gang, with prison origins, was destroyed during raids in 2023 and no longer exists. (Reuters)
Thousands in Canada’s Manitoba ordered to evacuate in wildfire emergency
More than 17,000 people in Canada’s western Manitoba province were being evacuated on Wednesday as the region experienced its worst start to the wildfire season in years.
“The Manitoba government has declared a province-wide state of emergency due to the wildfire situation,” Manitoba’s premier, Wab Kinew, told a news conference. “This is the largest evacuation Manitoba will have seen in most people’s living memory.”
Kinew said he had asked the prime minister, Mark Carney, to send in the Canadian military to help with the evacuations and firefighting.
Military aircraft, Kinew said, would be deployed “im-
minently” to help move people out of endangered remote northern communities to safety, along with additional firefighting resources.
There are now 134 active
fires across Canada, including in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Half are considered out of control. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
Elon Musk leaves White House, but says Doge will continue
Elon Musk has said he is leaving the Trump administration after helping lead a tumultuous drive to shrink the size of US government that saw thousands of federal jobs axed.
In a post on his social media platform X, the world's richest man thanked Trump for the opportunity to help run the Department of Government Efficiency, known as Doge.
The White House began "offboarding" Musk as a spe-
cial government employee on Wednesday night, the BBC understands.
His role was temporary and his exit is not unexpected, but it comes a day after Musk criticised the legislative centrepiece of Trump's agenda.
The South African-born tech tycoon had been designated as a "special government employee" - allowing him to work a federal job for 130 days each year.
Measured from Trump's
inauguration on 20 January, he would hit that limit towards the end of May.
But his departure comes a day after he said he was "disappointed" with Trump's budget bill, which proposes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and a boost to defence spending.
Musk's time in government overlapped with a significant decline in sales at his electric car company.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
Suriname elections: NDP lead over VHP grows to over 6000 votes
The National Democratic Party (NDP) has further increased its lead over the Progressive Reform Party (VHP). Where there was previously a neck-andneck race, there is now a difference of 6,131 votes.
According to the most recent provisional count by the Ministry of the Interior, published Wednesday evening at 9:00 PM, the NDP currently has 90,432 votes against
84,301 for the VHP.
The other parties are lagging far behind and do not seem to have a chance of winning a seat.
The provisional turnout is 270,861 of the 399,932 registered voters, which amounts to approximately 67.7 percent. Turnout figures have not yet been received from thirteen polling stations, while results from nineteen stations are still
pending. So far, 3,385 votes have been declared invalid, bringing the total number of valid votes cast to 265,131.
President Santokhi (VHP) tops the list with 44,468 votes, followed by Jennifer Simons (NDP) with 40,043 votes, which reduces the difference to 4425. Ronnie Brunswijk (ABOP) currently has 18,756 votes. (Suriname Niews)
Prime Minister Mia Amor Mottley
Smoke rises from a wildfire that prompted an evacuation notice in Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada
Around the World
Oil prices fall as investors assess US court ruling on Trump tariffs
Oil prices fell over 1% on Thursday, retreating from earlier gains, as investors weighed the potential effects of a U.S. court ruling that blocked the most sweeping of President Donald Trump’s tariffs.
The market also watched for potential new U.S. sanctions curbing Russian crude flows and an OPEC+ decision on hiking output in July.
Brent crude futures settled down 75 cents, or 1.2%, to $64.15 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 90 cents, or 1.5%, to $60.94 a barrel.
Prices had earlier risen after a U.S. court on Wednesday ruled that Trump overstepped his authority by imposing across-the-board duties on imports from U.S. trading partners. The court was not asked to address some industry-specific tariffs Trump has issued on automobiles, steel and aluminium using a different statute.
Futures steadily retreated throughout the session, however, as senior Trump administration officials downplayed the impact of the ruling and insisted there are other legal avenues to employ.
Weighing on oil futures on Thursday, IEA Executive Director Fatih Birol said in an interview with Bloomberg that demand for oil was considerably weak in China and developments in Russia and Iran were “question marks” for oil prices.
The U.S. and Iran are holding talks meant to rein in Iranian nuclear activities that have rapidly accelerated since Trump pulled Washington out of a 2015 deal between Iran and major powers that strictly limited those activities.
On the oil supply front, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, together called OPEC+, could agree on Saturday to accelerate oil production hikes in July.
However, there are also concerns about potential new sanctions on Russian crude.
Adding to supply risks, Chevron has terminated its oil production and a number of other activities in Venezuela, after its key license was revoked by the Trump administration in March. (Excerpt from Reuters)
South Korean navy patrol aircraft crashes killing 4 crew
ASouth Korean maritime patrol aircraft crashed soon after takeoff near a military base in the southern city of Pohang on Thursday, killing all four crew members, the navy said.
The P-3 aircraft went down about six minutes after it left the airfield on a training mission at 1:43 p.m. (0443 GMT), the navy said in a statement.
Mother who sold 6-year-old daughter given life term in South Africa
ASouth African woman convicted of kidnapping and trafficking her six-year-old daughter has been sentenced to life in prison, along with her two accomplices.
The jail terms for Racquel “Kelly” Smith, her boyfriend Jacquen Appollis and their friend Steveno van Rhyn come more than a year after Joshlin Smith mysteriously disappeared outside her home in Saldanha Bay, near Cape Town.
Despite a highly publicised search for the girl, who vanished in February 2024, she is yet to be found.
South African prosecutors say she was sold into slavery however this was not definitively proven during the trial.
It is believed that Smith, who was addicted to drugs,
The court heard that on the day Joshlin Smith disappeared she did not go to school because she did not have a clean uniform
needed the money.
Smith, 35, and her accomplices showed no emotion as their sentences were read out in the community centre in Saldanha where the trial was held to allow residents to attend proceedings.
Police said the search for the little girl would con-
tinue, even beyond South Africa’s borders.
During the trial, the court heard testimonies from more than 30 witnesses, who painted a picture of the young girl’s troubled life and subsequent disappearance.
The most explosive came from Lourentia Lombaard,
a friend and neighbour of Smith who turned state witness.
Ms Lombaard alleged that Smith told her she had done “something silly” and sold Joshlin to a traditional healer, known in South Africa as a “sangoma”.
The “person who [allegedly took] Joshlin wanted her for her eyes and skin”, Ms Lombaard told the court.
A local pastor testified that in 2023, he had heard Smith – a mother of three –talk of selling her children for 20,000 rand ($1,100; £850) each, though she had said she was willing to accept a lower figure of $275. It was the testimonies of Ms Lombard and the clergyman that were key to securing a conviction. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Hundreds of starving Palestinians storm Gaza food warehouse in deadly incident, says UN agency
Ahungry crowd of Palestinians broke into a United Nations warehouse in central Gaza on Wednesday, resulting in at least two deaths and multiple injuries as famine conditions worsen in the Strip.
“Hordes of hungry people broke into the WFP’s Al-Ghafari warehouse in Deir Al-Balah, Central Gaza, in search of food supplies that had been pre-positioned for distribution,” the World Food Programme (WFP) said. “Initial reports indicate two people died and several were injured in the tragic incident.”
It is unclear what caused the deaths and in-
juries. WFP said it is working to verify the exact circumstances, but emphasized the tragedy reflects “alarming and deteriorating conditions on the ground” directly linked to
Haribo recalls sweets in the Netherlands after traces of cannabis found
Haribo has recalled its Happy Cola F!ZZ sweets after traces of the drug were found inside.
Several people, including children, suffered “health complaints, such as dizziness” after eating sweets from three 1kg packs, the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) in the Netherlands said, adding that a full recall had been undertaken as a precaution.
Witness video footages aired on YTN television showed the plane banking at low altitude, then a plume of smoke and fire after it crashed.
The remains of the crew members have been recovered and no civilian casualties were reported, the navy said. Operation of the P-3 aircraft has been suspended and an accident investigation has been opened, it said. (Reuters)
“How the cannabis ended up in the sweets is still unknown,” a spokesperson for the authority told the Dutch news agency ANP. “The police are investigating the matter further.”
The authority said the packs concerned were genuine Haribo products.
Dutch police said in a statement that a couple from the Twente region in the east of the country had brought a pack of the cola-bottle-shaped
sweets to their local police station after their young children had become “quite sick” after eating them. Forensic testing established the presence of cannabis.
“We want to know exactly how it got into the candy and, of course, how the bags ended up in the store,” a police spokesperson, Chantal Westerhoff, said.
The sweets are sold in several pack sizes and only those in 1kg bags with a use-by date of January 2026 and a specific product code are affected, Haribo said, adding that a full refund would be paid for all packs returned.
Police said drug smugglers were increasingly using children’s sweets as cover and cited several examples of gangs injecting THC into candy. Copies of Haribo’s popular gummy bears containing THC can also be found online.
(Excerpt from The Guardian)
the aid blockade.
Several videos and photos seen by CNN show hundreds of people inside the warehouse, grabbing whatever food items they can find. A man with a bloodied
face is seen in a photo as he clutches a bag of flour.
Another video showed hundreds of people outside the warehouse, carrying bags of what appears to be flour, as gunfire echoed in the background. The incident at the WFP warehouse underscored the accelerating humanitarian disaster in the besieged enclave. An 11-week Israeli blockade on humanitarian aid has pushed Gaza’s population, of more than 2 million Palestinians, towards famine, with the first resumption of humanitarian aid trickling into the besieged enclave last week. (Excerpt from CNN World)
Drinking water shortage in decade without new reservoirs, UK Minister says
England could face drinking water shortages within a decade unless new reservoirs are built, a minister has claimed.
The warning comes as the government announced it was speeding up the planning process for two reservoir projects.
But overriding local objections can be unpopular and the reservoirs could still be more than a decade away from opening.
Household consumption of water may also need to fall to secure supplies amid rising temperatures and a growing population, scientists warn.
The announcement means that final decisions about the proposed Fens Reservoir in
Cambridgeshire and the Lincolnshire Reservoir will be taken by Environment Secretary Steve Reed, rather than at a local level.
This change amounts to “slashing red tape to make the planning process faster”, according to Water Minister Emma Hardy.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she said: “This is really important because if we don’t build the reservoirs, we’re going to be running out of the drinking water that we need by the mid-2030s.”
The reservoirs in Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire are currently pencilled for completion in 2036 and 2040 respectively. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
The charred debris of the navy plane that crashed on 29 May (The Independent)
Palestinians storm a UN World Food Programme warehouse and carry bags of flour in Central Gaza on Wednesday
Simplify your life. It’s up to you to make needed changes yourself. Waiting for things to fall into place may be the easy way, but following through will get you where you want to go.
You need a diversion that snaps you into action and motivates you to put your attributes to work for you in new and exciting ways. Refuse to let frustration set in. A change will bring back hope for a brighter future.
You can talk your way to a brighter future. Let your charm lead the way. Updating your surroundings will be uplifting and lower your overhead.
Keep moving. Idle time is the enemy. Shared expenses may cause problems. Get what you want in writing. Money and emotions won’t mix and will likely cause trouble if you don’t know what you want.
Size up your current routine and how it affects your life. A balance between work and play is necessary for your vitality and attitude. Pursue the people, places and pastimes that bring you the most purpose in life.
Interaction is in your best interest. Look at all facets of a story or situation, or offer. Don’t waste time building someone else’s dream when you have your heart’s desire to fulfill.
Be creative, step outside your comfort zone and see what’s new and exciting. It’s time to expand your awareness, friendships and direction to satisfy your needs and to build a life you desire.
Refuse to get sucked into something that means more to someone else than it does to you. Ask yourself if you are running toward or away from something or someone.
The sky is the limit. Jump into action; wheel and deal until you are satisfied with the outcome. Domestic improvements will improve your day if you are willing to compromise. Romance is looming.
Take a hard look at what’s working and what isn’t. Start with the basics and prioritize the improvement of your personal life. Emotional stability will result in confidence to progress in other aspects of your life.
Address personal finances, how you earn your living, your overhead and ways to combat excess and ease stress. Put a cap on spending and consider how to use your skills to bring in additional income.
Mingle and network, but refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t need or want. You cannot buy love or let your emotions cost you mentally or financially. Distance yourself from fast talkers.
ARCHIE
Bowlers, Salt shine as RCB march into 1st IPL final since 2016
Royal Challengers
Bengaluru (RCB) waltzed their way into their first Indian Premier League (IPL) final since 2016 as they blew Punjab Kings (PBKS) away for 101 on a surface with seam and extra bounce. Batting did not get any easier in the second innings, but Phil Salt broke the back of the small chase in the powerplay that went for 61 despite a wicket-maiden in it.
The RCB fast bowlers kept bashing the hard lengths as PBKS refused to dial down the aggression on the challenging surface, taking seven wickets between them. The legspinner Suyash Sharma was the beneficiary of some reckless sweeping; the PBKS batters did not pick any of the wrong’uns, losing three wickets to him.
The ball bounced and moved more in the second innings than the first, just the time for Salt to unleash his quickest fifty in the IPL – off just 23 balls – to take RCB home with a whole 10 overs to spare.
RCB quicks all over PBKS
Even before the nature of the pitch made itself apparent to the outside eye, Priyansh Arya failed to keep a drive down. It was not as much failing to keep it down, but not even going up and over.
Prabhsimran Singh, the other part of the dynamic opening partnership, charged Bhuvneshwar Kumar twice and hit two fours. At the third time of asking, Bhuvneshwar shortened the length, the ball seamed, and took the edge. It was when the return -
ing Josh Hazlewood took the ball in the fourth over that it became clear it was a difficult track. Shreyas Iyer, only 25 runs to his name in four innings in New Chandigarh, tried to pull Hazlewood in front of square and edged him to the keeper. Josh Inglis tried a more regulation pull in Hazlewood’s next, and the extra bounce took the top edge.
PBKS don’t tamper their approach
This was the time that PBKS could have perhaps lowered their sights and aimed for 160 or so. In hindsight, when the ball hooped around in the second innings, this seems
Khan confident of...
Keron Sandiford, former National Junior Champion, pledged to do his utmost. “I expect to give my best in every game and adapt to each challenge as it comes. Win or lose, I’ll play with focus, discipline, and respect for every opponent. I’m here to compete seriously and make every match count,” he affirmed.
Junior player Alexander Zhang felt his performance would be of a high standard in the tournament. “After facing all my opponents in this championship, I expect my performance to reflect both
my preparation and adaptability. I’ve prepared thoroughly and analysed my opponents’ styles, so I expect to perform strongly. My goal is to be among the top contenders, and I believe I have what it takes to achieve that,” he said.
Ricardo Narine, reigning National Junior Champion, was moderate in his sentiments. “I expect my performance to reflect both my preparation and growth as a player, and I’m looking forward to creating interesting positions on the board and having some dynamic battles,” he commented.
like the right thing to have done. But when things are happening so quickly in T20 cricket, it can’t be easy to have that kind of foresight.
However, it is easier to watch the ball closely and pick the wrong’un. RCB kept pace on for eight overs for excellent results of 59 for 5. The first sight of spin brought out the reckless side of PBKS. Shashank Singh tried to slog-sweep Suyash, and lost his middle stump to a wrong’un.
Punjab Kings (20 ovs maximum)
Priyansh Arya c Pandya
b Yash Dayal 7
Prabhsimran Singh c †Sharma
b Kumar 18
Josh Inglis † c Kumar b Hazlewood 4
Shreyas Iyer (c) c †Sharma b Hazlewood 2
Nehal Wadhera b Yash Dayal 8
Marcus Stoinis b Suyash Sharma 26
Shashank Singh b Suyash Sharma 3 Musheer Khan lbw
(Azmatullah Omarzai, 14.1 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-0-17-1
FROM PAGE 23
Joshua Gopaul, 2018 National Junior Champion, has made a comeback into the 2025 Nationals with mixed feelings. “As a casual chess player, I don’t really have any sort of expectations regarding my performance against my opponents; I do, however, plan on having some fun over the board playing my style of chess,” he offered.
The predominantly young players, some of whom have already worn other national chess titles, are participating in the closed event which is expected to wrap up by Sunday, June 1, 2025.
A dramatic move to bring in another batter –Kyle Jameison was listed at No 10 – brought naught. Literally. Musheer Khan, playing for the first time all season, failed to pick a wrong’un but survived before getting out lbw to a legbreak. Marcus Stoinis, who looked like in the best touch of all the PBKS batters, again failed to pick the googly and was bowled comprehensively on the slog-sweep.
The ball kept seaming appreciably even when Romario Shepherd came on to bowl the 14th over, hitting Harpreet Brar on the elbow en route to the stumps. Hazlewood came back to mop up the innings.
Salt all the way
It was a brief innings, but Virat Kohli set the tone with an emphatic pulled four first ball. By the time he got out – re -
b Suyash Sharma 0 Azmatullah Omarzai c †Sharma b Hazlewood 18
Harpreet Brar b Shepherd 4
Kyle Jamieson not out 0
Extras (lb 5, nb 1, w 5) 11
Total 14.1 Ov (RR: 7.12) 101
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Priyansh Arya, 1.2 ov), 2-27 (Prabhsimran Singh, 2.6 ov), 3-30 (Shreyas Iyer, 3.4 ov), 4-38 (Josh Inglis, 5.1 ov), 5-50 (Nehal Wadhera, 6.3 ov), 6-60 (Shashank Singh, 8.2 ov), 7-60 (Musheer Khan, 8.5 ov), 8-78 (Marcus Stoinis, 10.3 ov), 9-97 (Harpreet Brar, 13.3 ov), 10-101
prising one of his BorderGavaskar Trophy dismissals – for 12 off 12 balls, RCB had already taken off 30 runs from the already paltry target. However, in that over, Jamieson looked unplayable. He went past Mayank Agarwal’s outside edge in three balls out of four. The average swing for PBKS was 1.7 degrees, for RCB it was 0.7.
Then again, PBKS did not have any total on the board, and needed every good ball to take the edge
and go to hand. That almost never happens. After a string of good balls, the moment they erred, Salt came down on them with great fury. Jamieson’s next over went for 21 runs. It included a ferocious cut, an emphatic pull, and a drilled extra-cover drive. The last of PBKS’ chance to reprise their successful defence of 111 at the same venue gone, Rajat Patidar finished off in style with a massive slog sweep for six.
(ESPNcricinfo)
Royal Challengers Bengaluru stormed into the final
Josh Hazlewood took three wickets
Phil Salt scored 56 off 27 balls
BBethell the headline act as Brook era begins with crushing 238-run win
orn in Barbados but stunning in Birmingham, Jacob Bethell’s devastatingly crisp 82 from 53 deliveries led England to 400 for 8, their second-highest score at Edgbaston, on their way to burying West Indies by 238 runs in this three-match One-Day International (ODI) series.
For Harry Brook’s first assignment as full-time limited-overs captain, it was the perfect start. However one-sided this might have been, the dominance goes some way towards bolstering confidence at the start of a new era. The result alone is a godsend, ending a run of seven consecutive defeats.
Bethell, 21, had only just arrived back from an Indian Premier League (IPL) stint with Royal Challengers Bengaluru. And yet having missed the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe, he clicked through the gears, striking the majority of his eight fours and five sixes at the back end, to remind the world – and his Head Coach, Brendon McCullum – of his unignorable claim for multi-format
aaa
England (50 ovs maximum)
Jamie Smith c King
b Joseph 37
Ben Duckett c Chase
b Greaves 60
Joe Root c †Hope
b Seales 57
Harry Brook (c) c Carty
b Seales 58
Jos Buttler † c Forde
b Seales 37
Jacob Bethell c †Hope
b Seales 82 Will Jacks c †Hope
b Greaves 39
Jamie Overton c Chase
b Joseph 1
Brydon Carse not out 3
Adil Rashid not out 2
Extras (b 4, lb 7, nb 3, w 10) 24
Total 50 Ov (RR: 8.00) 400/8
Fall of wickets: 1-64 (Jamie Smith, 6.6 ov), 2-137 (Ben Duckett, 19.1 ov), 3-188 (Joe Root, 26.6 ov), 4-221 (Harry Brook, 30.6 ov), 5-287 (Jos Buttler, 40.2 ov), 6-385 (Will Jacks, 47.3 ov), 7-391 (Jamie Overton, 48.2 ov), 8-393 (Jacob Bethell, 49.1 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Matthew Forde
Jayden Seales
Alzarri Joseph
berths. This second half-century in the format also reinforced the scale of the talent England have pilfered from the Caribbean. Bethell’s was the lead hand in an innings littered with impressive but unfulfilled starts, including half-centuries for Ben Duckett, Joe Root and Brook. The scoreboard pressure was suffocating enough before Saqib Mahmood – Brummieborn – produced an opening burst of 3 for 32 from his opening seven overs. The last of those three to fall was Shai Hope, stunningly clutched by a back-peddling Brydon Carse about five yards in from the deep-square boundary.
It was an impressive piece of athleticism from Carse, returning to inter-
West Indies (T: 401 runs from 50 ovs)
Brandon King c †Buttler b Carse 10 Justin Greaves c Brook b Mahmood 4
Keacy Carty c Brook
b Mahmood 22
Shai Hope (c)† c Carse b Mahmood 25
Jewel Andrew c Brook
b Bethell 8 Amir Jangoo c Brook b Rashid 14
Roston Chase c Jacks b Overton 9
Matthew Forde c Mahmood b Overton 1
Gudakesh Motie c Brook
b Overton 18
Alzarri Joseph b Rashid 12 Jayden Seales not out 29
Extras (lb 1, w 9) 10
Total 26.2 Ov (RR: 6.15) 162 Fall of wickets: 1-8 (Justin Greaves, 2.3 ov), 2-17 (Brandon King, 3.5 ov), 3-53 (Keacy Carty, 9.2 ov), 4-66 (Shai Hope, 11.3 ov), 5-79 (Jewel Andrew, 14.1 ov), 6-97 (Roston Chase, 17.3
8-0-88-0
9-0-84-4
10-0-69-2
Roston Chase 6-0-41-0
Gudakesh Motie 7-0-39-0
Justin Greaves 10-0-68-2
ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Saqib Mahmood 7-1-32-3 Brydon Carse 6-0-39-1 Jamie Overton 5.2-0-22-3 Jacob Bethell 2.4-0-18-1 Adil Rashid
national duty after a toe injury ended his Champions Trophy campaign prematurely. He looked back to his best with the ball with the dismissal of Brandon King – a Test-match length and nip away finding the edge through to Jos Buttler behind the stumps – and his fielding effort was in keeping with a broader, altogether more energetic performance with Brook leading from the front.
Stationed in the ring, Brook took five catches –having previously managed just three in 26 previous ODIs – level with the record for the most taken by a fielder in format (Jonty Rhodes against West Indies in 1993). It was Brook’s second dalliance with a record after he was one of seven batters to score 30 or more in the same innings – the first time that had been achieved in a one-dayer.
A shellacking of this magnitude was far from Hope’s mind, and the game up at the halfway stage when his side were faced with a record target and already shorn of the explosive Evin Lewis, who damaged his groin in training on Wednesday. But for the final-wicket stand of 38 between Alzarri Joseph and Jayden Seales, whose 29 makes him the seventh No 11 to top-score in an ODI innings, this would have been a record defeat.
The travails of missing the 2023 50-over World Cup and the uncertainty that remains in the air regarding automatic qualification for 2027’s edition was reason enough to insert an experimental-looking England batting line-up on a muggy Thursday afternoon in the midlands. And West Indies, to their credit, stayed afloat for the majority of their time with the ball.
Alas, they were completely blown out of the water in the death overs. Seales’ figures of 4 for 84 from nine overs showed that even the few with rewards bore scars.
The fast bowler, given the nod ahead of Shamar Joseph, suffered his most grotesque punishment in his penultimate over, sent for 19 as part of a bumper 98-run stand for the sixth wicket. Bethell was the aggressor, but Will Jacks, making his first appearance for England since November 2024, played an accomplished hand, bagging 39 off 24 from his first go at number seven in ODIs.
The onus was immediately on a newly-ordered, albeit not new-look, England batting card. The headline act was Jamie Smith, front and centre to face the first ball, after being moved to open for the first time in List A cricket.
His failures at number three during the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champions Trophy suggested more exposure to the new ball would not go down well. But Smith made hay, strumming crisp drives with the odd shuffle down the pitch, backing up McCullum’s view that the Surrey keeper-batter has the wares to cope with the early movement. Alas, having reached 37 in quick time, his 24th delivery – the number of runs he managed in three Champions Trophy knocks –stung the palms of Brandon King at midwicket, who held the catch, putting to shame Seales who had misjudged a far easier opportunity at mid-on the ball before.
Smith’s departure, at the end of the seventh over, with 64 on the board, probably should have been a hint for at least one of the others to bat through. And yet the senior trio of the top order punched their cards without lasting the course.
Duckett looked the best of them, and probably should have set the platform for others to launch after moving through to a breezy half-century from 34 deliveries. But when he was done in at the start of the 20th over –Roston Chase taking a stunning one-handed grab leap-
Brook also made an attacking half-century
ing at backward point – both Root and Brook had to tend to a half-finished foundation.
The Yorkshire duo set about their task well, Root typically calm as Brook targeted Justin Greaves’ medium pace, striking him for two sixes in three deliveries – down the ground, then behind square – for his first boundaries. Then Root, after registering his 59th fifty-plus score in the format, opted for a booming drive to nick Seales through to Hope.
That was Seales’ first of three, the second coming when Brook lazily carved what was ultimately a long hop out to deep point. By then, Buttler was at the crease, stepping back having stepped down, with 4 off 6 to Brook’s 27 off 19 in their brief stand of 33.
The stage looked set for Buttler to return to the pack in blockbuster fashion, as he brought out the classics – charging Greaves for a straight six, then a slapped four before ramping Seales down the line. Alas, a well-disguised cutter from the latter meant a heave to leg landed neatly in the hands of midwicket.
It was at that point that Bethell took over, with 58 balls remaining in the innings. From 26 off 30, Bethell took it upon himself to put the game out of sight. From the 43rd over up to the 47th, Bethell hit a six in each over, before Jacks, who had played the straight man, tagged in for the 47th to blitz a six and four fours off Matthew Forde. That devastating fiveover period brought 86 runs and effectively settled the match given the scale of the mountain West Indies had to climb.
Granted, it could have been far greater. The dismissal of Jacks – wellbumped by Greaves – and another special catch from Chase (this time running over his shoulder from midoff to claim a steepling catch off Jamie Overton) kept the boundaries down to ensure Bethell was off strike for the entirety of the penultimate over. Regaining strike for the final over, a thin slice on a cut through to Hope brought his time to an end.
Just when it seemed West
Indies were going to close out the final two overs without a boundary, and thereby deny England their 400, Seales’ well-directed yorker shot out of the footmarks, nutmegging Carse and flying away to the advertising boards to bring up the landmark from the final ball of the innings.
Once the first six West Indian batters had been seen off in the opening 12 overs, Brook was able to mix up his attack. That worked particularly well for Overton, who was able to finish with career-best figures of 3 for 22 despite having to leave the field during the eighth over after damaging his right hand trying to take a return catch off his second delivery.
Bethell completed Overton’s over, before Mahmood picked back up at the City End to claim two more dismissals. Overton, however, was back on the field to bowl the 16th over, bouncing out both Chase (caught by Jacks at deep square leg) and Forde (caught by Mahmood at fine) before fooling Gudakesh Motie with a slower delivery that was looped to point for Brook’s fifth and final catch. (ESPNcricinfo)
Jacob Bethell played a destructive innings
Harry Brook marked his captaincy debut with five catches
ExxonMobil plugs over $20M in 6th Boys’ and Girls’ U14 tournament
With a $20 million investment this time around, the sixth edition of the ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ Under-14 football competition will ignite the Ministry of Education (MoE) Ground from Saturday, June 14, for five weeks of exhilarating school football action.
In excess of 50 boys’ and girls’ teams from Regions One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven and 10 will compete for a $400,000 grand prize in both competitions.
During the competitions’ official launch on Thursday afternoon at Cara Lodge in Georgetown, Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca spoke of the meticulous planning for the tournament, promising a smooth, exciting event.
Mendonca expressed, “I stand here with immense excitement and pride that I can, today, officially launch the sixth edition of the ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ U14 tournament. As CoDirector with the responsibility for competitions, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside the dedicated team, to elevate this tournament to the remarkable level it has reached. Every detail, from rules to logistics, has been meticulously
planned to ensure a seamless and rewarding experience for all involved.”
“We at Petra, we remain committed to delivering another successful and inspiring tournament. We thank all the stakeholders and ExxonMobil for their dedication and we look forward to witnessing incredible talent and sportsmanship…unfold on the field,” the Petra CoDirector added. In a word from the title sponsors ExxonMobil, Commercial Advisor Okeme Beaton articulated the company’s drive for empowerment through sports.
“It’s been six years now since ExxonMobil has been sponsoring this competition
and every year we see the growth in talent, sportsmanship and vigour, throughout the entire tournament. Supporting empowerment through sports is one of the main focuses of ExxonMobil. Why sports? Why is our company paying so much focus on sports throughout Guyana? We believe that sport is vital towards building of youth and it’s a pillar for their development,” Beaton remarked.
Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle in his time with the mic, not only pledged the National Sports Commission’s and Sport Ministry’s commitment to make the tournament a truly national one, but also pledged to support the introduction of the ‘most promising player’ prize.
Ninvalle advised, “It is heartening to know that this tournament is being run through eight of the 10 administrative regions that Guyana has and I would urge Exxon and the organisers of this tournament to let’s look and see if next year, we can make it a truly national event by having [teams] from Region Nine and Region Eight. I’m saying this because of the fact that the National Sports Commission, and by ex-
Khan confident of
winning 2025 chess title
…other finalists hopeful of impressive performance
Defending National Chess Champion
Taffin Khan is confident of steamrolling his way to win the national chess title for the third consecutive time.
From invited comments given to the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) by all the finalists, Khan was firm on defeating his opponents and retaining the title. “After finishing my games, I hope to get some rating points and win the Championship three times in a row,” he declared.
The GCF-sponsored 2025 National Open Chess Championship began on Saturday, May 24, 2025 at School of the Nations, Georgetown. Nine top players are engaged in fierce overthe-board battles with the defending champion in a single round-robin contest to win the holy grail of local chess.
However, top junior player Kyle Couchman has upped the ante for the title. “I expect to play strong, focused chess and challenge every opponent I face. My goal is to win the title and prove that I’m ready to lead the next generation of Guyanese chess,” he said in a show of confidence.
His junior counterpart, Sachin Pitamber also had high hopes. “I know I’m about to face strong preparation from each player, and after everything, I’m expecting myself to grasp one of the top positions. I’m filled with determination to win this year,” he positively exclaimed.
Championship finalist Rolex Alexander also gave a thumbs up to his own performance. “Having qualified at the bottom of the table, I’m entering this championship with nothing to lose and everything to prove. My goal is to give my best performance, disrupt expectations, and cut down giants—one move at a time. I’m coming for the crown, whether it’s worn by a king or a champion,” he warned. Aditi Joshi, reigning National Women’s Champion and the lone female contender, hoped for more female participation in the national event. “This is my first time qualifying for the open nationals. Seeing the competitors in this tournament, I can only conclude that every match will be a tough one. I hope I can use the experience and
tension, the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, stands ready to provide whatever assistance is necessary to make this a truly national affair.”
The Director of Sport further pledged, “And in saying that, I would want to ask the organisers that, even though they’re having several prizes for MVP and so forth, we would want to ask that there’s special prizes for the most promising players and the NSC will be supporting that cause, both for the males and the females.”
strategies I’ve garnered from my previous tournaments to win my games and play to the best of my ability. I will train as much as possible to place high in the open championships. Subsequently, I hope I can inspire more females to play chess at a competitive level here in Guyana,” she appealed.
Veteran player Ronuel Greenidge feels that chess players have improved and humorously attributed losing to being an addition to a preserved animal trophy collection. “I am privileged to be part of this great chess move, where the quality and level of play is continually on the increase. I am happy to do battle with this generation of players where the will to win is very high and they will happily add you to their taxidermy collection,” he cautioned.
While both boys’ and girls’ champions walk away with $400,000, second place receives $200,000, third place $100,000 and fourth place $75,000, all for a school project of their choosing.
For individual prizes, the Boys’ and Girls’ Most Valuable Players (MVPs) and highest goal scorers will receive a $60,000 school supplies voucher, a trophy and a pair of football shoes while both tournaments’ best goalkeepers receive a similar reward alongside goalkeeping gloves instead of shoes.
Chase’s Academic Foundation’s boys and President’s College’s girls are the tournaments’ defending champions.
“We’ve the effort to compete at the next level” – Lady Jags’ Clarke
By Jemima Holmes
Aspot in the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup awaits Guyana’s national U20 women’s team if they can finish top two in their group at the CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships which kick off today.
Ahead of their opening fixture today against the USA, Guyana have been in rigorous preparation for the all-important tournament, being hosted in Costa Rica.
One of the team’s most experienced players, Heike Clarke expressed hopes to Guyana Times Sport that their preparation will pay off.
“I’m really hoping that with all this extra work we’ve put in over the last couple of months, now bringing everybody together, I hope it transitions well in our first game against the US on Friday (today) and our games against Costa Rica and Puerto Rico,” Clarke shared with this publication.
Clarke, who had a front row seat to Guyana’s storied rivalry with Haiti in this particular competition in 2022, shared how her team’s morale was boosted from that win.
The defender with senior team experience noted, “I think that we went into Haiti, obviously, like the underdogs. They were top of the group at the time as well, and I think what gave us a
bit of edge was our chemistry as a team and that extra bit of fire that we have in us.
So, I think going in, respecting the teams that we’re playing, knowing they’re very good teams and showing that respect, allows us to kind of adjust to that and we know now that we have the ability to respond to that.”
Expounding on the underdog mentality that the Lady Jags will be entering their clash against USA with, Clarke expressed confidence in her team’s ability.
“Obviously, we’re going into that game [against USA] fully respecting our opponent and keeping that in mind, but yeah, I think our chemistry that we’ve been building off these last couple weeks and also, like back in February again, we’re going in not scared but with that confidence that we have the effort to give and to compete at the next level,” the experienced campaigner expressed.
Visibly excited for the challenge ahead, the defender is keen on making Guyana and its football enthusiasts proud.
“I’m super excited. Like two years ago I played with the team as well in the U20 tournament that we fell short in the group stage because of goal differential and that was obviously devastating,” Clarke articulated, “So, when we won in February, it was historic as well, but it was also really exciting for
the team to respond to what had happened two years ago.”
“Everybody is so excited that we’re in the position where we can qualify for the World Cup in Poland, make history and make everybody proud. It’s just kind of in the back of our minds too, it’s just what can we do next to make everybody proud again.”
Guyana is in Group A of the CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships alongside USA, hosts Costa Rica and Puerto Rico.
The Junior Lady Jags will need a top two finish in the group to book a place in the 2026 U20 World Cup and move on to the CONCACAF tournament’s semi-finals, both for the first time in the team’s history. The clash between Guyana and USA’s women is billed to get going at 13:00h today.
The Junior Lady Jags team reads: Goalkeepers – Deena Fredericks, Kymora Chung and Alexis Mars; Defenders – Heike Clarke, Sarah DaSilva Maliyah Gangadin, Jaida Tucker Anaya Joseph, Naomi Benjamin, Shareina Langevine; and Midfielders and Forwards – Liyah Meniler, Sydney Glean, Kimora Edwards, Akeelah Vancooten, Jayda Schoburgh, Nydel Nelson, Nyanne Fernandes, Devi Sookdeo, Allia Henry, Alexis Bayley and Se-Hanna Mars.
Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle
ExxonMobil Guyana Commercial Advisor Okeme Beaton
Guyana’s U20 Lady Jags are eager to make some history in the CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships
The lone female challenger, Aditi Joshi
Challenger Rolex Alexander
The Guyanese pair of Ashley Khalil and Kirsten Gomes had to settle for silver after they were defeated 11-10, 11-5 in their gold-medal match against Paraguay’s Ana Maria Pinto and Giselle Delgado in the women’s doubles event at the South American Senior Squash Championships in Brazil on Thursday evening. The duo went through to the final after defeating Darlyn Sandoval and Tabita Gaitan in a close ly-fought semi-fi nal, 9-11, 11-9, 11-8. Meanwhile, their male counterparts, JasonRay Khalil and Samuel InceCarvalhal fell in the quarter-finals, losing 114, 11-8 to Chile’s Agustín Carranza and Matias Lacroix.
And in the mixed doubles, Michael Alphonso Jr and Gabrielle Fraser also fell in the quarter-finals, as they were defeated by the hometown pair of Murilo Pentea and
Bruna Marchesi, 11-4, 11-1.
In the singles competitions, Gomes, in her first match, triumphed over Paraguay’s Nicole Krauch 11-3, 11-6, 11-7. However, she was defeated in the round of 16 by Brazil’s Juliana Pereira, 11-4, 11-4, 1210. Ashley Khalil, too, enjoyed a winning start, beating Tabita Gaitan of Guatemala 11-7, 8-11, 13-11, 15-13, but she fell in the round of 32, defeated 11-8, 11-9, 11-4 by Argentina’s Antonella Falcione. In the men’s singles event, the Guyanese contingent made early departures. Michael Alphonso Jr lost 11-3, 11-3, 11-4 to Damian Casarino of Paraguay in the round of 32, while Jason-Ray Khalil fell to Argentine Francisco Alfonso 11-8, 4-11, 5-11, 5-11.
The men’s and women’s team matches commenced today.
