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Issue No. 6548
THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
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DDL’s modern dairy farm boosting local milk production, reducing import reliance – Pres Ali
WHAT'S INSIDE:
See story on page 3
Linden Electricity Company seeks P8 immediate generation boost, in talks with supplier …as township faces critical shortfall
Commitment to country, community drove decision to back PPP/C – APNU …says “deceit” within PNC ranks made NDC Councillor decision to switch support easier Page 7
Hydronie Market to get additional sheds, money to be transferred to Region – Pres Ali …says work to start in 6 to 8 weeks
P9
BJ Demerara River Bridge
Heroes Highway slip lanes nearing completion to speed up bridge traffic – Croal See story on page 11
Essequibo Coast bus driver dies after crashing into utility pole Page 14
GDF officer P14 becomes 1st Guyanese graduate of US Army War College programme
New $6.5B Lethem Regional Hospital progressing P10
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DDL’s modern dairy farm boosting local milk production, reducing import reliance – Pres Ali
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Inside DDL’s US$30M dairy farm, where milk production has increased
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s Guyana continues to push agricultural development to ensure the country’s food security, the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) state-of-the-art US$20 million dairy farm is being hailed for not only increasing local milk production but also its role in reducing national dependence on imported dairy. In a social media post on Sunday, President Dr Irfaan Ali lauded DDL for employing agricultural innovation at the facility, which he says is adding to the economic diversification of the country. “The Demerara Distillers Limited’s modern dairy farm at Moblissa is a strong example of the ongoing modernisation of agriculture and diversification of Guyana’s economy,” the Head of State said in a Facebook post. According to President Ali, “Through investments in technology and advanced farming methods, DDL is helping increase local milk production, reduce Guyana’s reliance on imports and enhance food security.” The Guyana Government has been encouraging the use of advanced farming techniques and modern technology to support agricultural development and national food security initiatives. DDL has said that its commercial dairy farm, located at Moblissa on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, it is a strategic pillar in Guyana’s bid to lead the CARICOM 25 by 2025+5 food security initiative. By producing fresh, high-quality
milk locally, the company aims to displace a significant portion of the tens of millions of US dollars currently spent annually on dairy imports. Only back in May, DDL announced the arrival of the first shipment of highyield milking cows via a charter flight from the United States of America. Following strict biosecurity protocols, the 89 pregnant heifers were transferred from the aircraft to a fleet of flatbed trucks and transported to the
DDL’s dairy farm aims to slash national dairy imports
Moblissa farm, where they acclimated in the state-ofthe-art facility designed with modern climate-control amenities to ensure maximum comfort and productivity. Those pregnant heifers, which have since delivered, are now producing milk at commercial scale.
“Game-charger”
DDL’s Executive Chairman, Komal Samaroo, had stated back in May that this US$30 million investment is aimed as positioning the
company as a “game-charger” in the local dairy industry. “We are not just building a farm; we are building a sustainable industry that will transform Guyana’s agribusiness sector and provide long-term food security for the region,” Samaroo had noted. The US multi-million-dollar dairy farm, the first of its kind in the Caribbean, will be supplying both the local and regional markets. TURN TO PAGE 7
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Views Editor: Tusika Martin News Hotline: 231-8063 Editorial: 231-0544, 223-7230, 223-7231, 225-7761 Marketing: 231-8064 Accounts: 225-6707 Mailing address: Queens Atlantic Industrial Estate Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com
India at 80: A Leadership Moment for the Global South
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s India celebrates the 80th anniversary of its independence, it has reached a moment when its importance extends far beyond its own remarkable transformation. The question is no longer simply whether India becomes developed by the centenary of independence in 2047 – “Viksit 2047”. It is what role It can play in shaping the increasingly uncertain world into which the Global South, including Guyana, is being propelled. The international system is entering a period of profound geopolitical competition. The rivalry between the US and China is becoming one of the defining facts of the 21st century. Trade, technology, energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence, military power and access to markets are increasingly being viewed through the lens of strategic competition. For smaller developing countries, the danger is that the Global South once again becomes an arena in which great powers compete rather than a community capable of defining its own interests. And this is where India’s potential importance lies. India possesses something neither of the two protagonists can easily replicate: the credibility of a country that emerged from colonial rule, experienced poverty and underdevelopment on a massive scale, and nevertheless built the foundations of a modern economy and democracy while retaining an independent foreign policy. It is simultaneously a major developing country, an increasingly important economic and technological power, a member of the BRICS and G20, and a country maintaining relationships with both the US and its opponents. India has already recognised the opportunity. Its “Voice of the Global South Summit” brought together 125 countries in 2023, including 29 from Latin America and the Caribbean and 47 from Africa. The initiative explicitly sought to place the concerns of developing countries on the international agenda. Its challenge now is to turn that diplomacy into leadership. Leadership of the Global South should not mean replacing American or Chinese hegemony with Indian hegemony. Nor should developing countries be expected to choose between Washington and Beijing. India’s greatest contribution could instead be to demonstrate that strategic autonomy remains possible: that countries can cooperate with the US without becoming American satellites; engage China without becoming dependent upon Beijing, and pursue their own national interests without being forced into somebody else’s geopolitical camp. For Guyana, this has particular significance as we become an increasingly important energy and resource economy while remaining a small state in a world dominated by much larger powers. Our interests require relationships with the US, China, India and other major economies—but also the ability to ensure that those relationships complement rather than constrain national development. India could be an especially valuable partner because the relationship is not merely commercial. Guyana and India possess a historical connection created by indentureship, culture, and family ties that have survived generations. Yet the future relationship should not be confined to sentiment and Diaspora diplomacy. It can encompass agriculture, pharmaceuticals, information technology, education, digital public infrastructure, renewable energy, technical training, health care, and investment. But India itself must recognise that leadership carries responsibilities. The Global South will not accept another hierarchy merely because its centre has shifted from Washington or Beijing to New Delhi. India must listen as much as it speaks. It must recognise that the priorities of a small Caribbean state such as Guyana are not necessarily identical to those of a billion-plus South Asian country. Leadership will, therefore, have to be based on partnership, not paternalism. The first decades after independence were about establishing India’s sovereignty; the next were about economic transformation. The coming decades could be about using India’s accumulated economic, technological and diplomatic weight to help create a more plural international system. For Guyana and the wider Caribbean, that would be an India worth engaging: not India as another superpower, but India as a major Global South power determined to ensure that the Global South has choices. As India looks toward “Viksit 2047”, therefore, its greatest achievement may not be measured solely by whether it becomes a developed economy. It may be measured by whether, in an increasingly divided world, it helps smaller nations remain free to determine their own futures. That would be a fitting way to give meaning to 80 years of independence.
The 61st international fireworks contest of the Semana Grande, San Sebastián, Spain (Javier Etxezarreta/EPA photo)
AI and the unscripted chaos of live sport By Dr Fazal Ali
U
nscripted chaos in live sport is a hedge against AI disruption. Real-time athletic triumph depends on biological fragility, grit under severe stress, and spontaneous human error that algorithms cannot fake. At the Mondo Classic on March 12, Armand Duplantis, nicknamed “Mondo”, broke his own pole vault world record for the 15th time with a jump of 6.31 metres (20 feet, 8¼ inches). After clearing 5.65m, 5.90m, and 6.08m, “Mondo” asked for the bar to be lifted 23cm to a world-record height, then soared over it. Automated data analysis enhances fan personalisation, but the core product, the jump itself, remains valuable because it cannot be pre-calculated. As AI disrupts media, writing, and digital arts, financial markets and tech investors view real-time unscripted human physical competition as inherently AI-proof. Because physical sports rely on generational communal identity, raw physiological strain, and genuine uncertainty, live sporting events like the FIFA 2026 World Cup command irreplaceable emotional and economic value. The reality premium is what information organisms in the infosphere are craving. No artificially generated pixel-perfect highlight or simulated sporting outcome could have replicated the authentic communal tension of the live stadium event on August 16, 2009, when Usain Bolt ran the 100-metre dash in a blistering 9.58 seconds in Berlin. Live sport is now increasingly viewed by investors
as an “AI-proof” defensive hedge against digital disruption and artificial intelligence. Because synthetic or AIgenerated media is cheap and easy to replicate, real-time human competition offers a unique, unreplicable authenticity that audiences and advertisers crave. Fandom is anchored in community, human history, cultural identity, geography, local tribalism, and generational tradition, rather than purely synthetic entertainment and optimisation. Physical imperfections, strain, human error, and the sheer willpower of athletes remain untranslatable into code. Live sport is increasingly viewed by investors as uniquely “AI-proof” because its value relies on the physical vulnerability of the human athlete, emotional connection with viewers and live spectators, and shared cultural identity. Athletes and live crowds act as co-creators of the culture, ensuring that the core product remains fundamentally human even as avatars and digital clones layer the infosphere. The emotional and economic value is anchored in the physical venue and live event, where spectators extemporaneously burst into a choreographed Norwegian Row. The unscripted tension of Saturday’s qualifying session at the Monaco Grand Prix, and the raw fan accessibility, grassy tailgates, and roaring V8 engines of NASCAR racing are priceless. Live sport is a lucrative investment class. Investors are seeing an “AI-proof” opportunity in live sport. Venture capitalists are certain that these events are
a valuable hedge and are backing their convictions with capital. These events have AI-proof authenticity, brimming with real-time human emotion, unpredictable endings, and physical achievements that cannot be simulated by artificial intelligence pixels or bots. Despite stubborn macroeconomic inflation and cost-of-living pressures, live sports attendance has shown extraordinary economic resilience, frequently breaking attendance records as fans prioritise experiences over discretionary spending cuts. Live sport exhibits recession-defying demand despite rising ticket costs. Franchises feature diverse income streams, including long-term media rights, lucrative streaming deals, live ticketing, and global sponsorships. Private equity heavyweights like Arctos Sports Partners and CVC Capital Partners are pouring billions into passive and controlling stakes in teams. Emerging market instruments, such as planned sports-linked futures and options via groups like CME Group, aim to turn sports outcomes into calculated hedging tools. While AI can easily replicate digital media like movies and music, a pixel-perfect simulation cannot replace the authentic emotional stakes of the Hand of God during a quarter-final match between Argentina and England on June 22, 1986, or the athletic feat during the Paris 2024 Olympics, when Brazilian surfer Gabriel Medina in Teahupo’o, exited a monstrous barrel wave and launched into the air above the ocean mist, hovering perfectly vertical with his
right index finger pointing up toward the sky, completely parallel in mid-air alongside his surfboard, earning the surfer a 9.90 score, the highest single-wave score in Olympic history. Sports like the ten-metre platform dive, where divers hit speeds of up to 55 km/h upon entering the water, and West Indies cricket are steeped in tradition, culture, customs, institutions, and identity that help protect these forms of entertainment from being upended by AI. The outlook is that these cultural institutions, rooted in tradition, identity, and shared human experience, will not just survive the AI revolution but also matter even more. No algorithm can duplicate the unscripted narrative and raw emotional release of a live Quinton de Kock shot for six runs over the boundary at Kensington Oval. Financial backers of technology companies developing AI in Silicon Valley have now joined Wall Street technology venture capitalists and Formula 1 racing aficionados in investing in those qualities of sports that are uniquely shielded from technological replacement. (T&T Guardian) (Dr Fazal Ali completed his Master’s in Philosophy at the University of the West Indies. He was a Commonwealth Scholar who attended the University of Cambridge, Hughes Hall; the Provost of the University of Trinidad and Tobago; the acting President of UTT; and the Chairman of the Teaching Service Commission. He is the President of NIHERST and an external services consultant with the IDB)
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
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News MV Barima tragedy
Online counselling platform for families to launch this week H
uman Services and Social Security Ministry will this week launch EMBRACE, a national online counselling platform, as part of an expanded, long-term psychosocial support effort for families affected by the MV Barima tragedy. Minister Dr Vindhya Persaud made the announcement during an interview on the Starting Point podcast on Sunday. Persaud said EMBRACE will connect affected persons with counsellors and specialists, including Guyanese diaspora volunteers, through confidential audio and video sessions. She further explained that the platform was tested last week. It is expected to go live this week, beginning with survivors and families of the MV Barima disaster before expanding further. “It’s going to be a system where persons can request a time. They will see the list that is available, their specialities, and they can have confidential therapy and counselling from any one of these persons,” the Minister is quoted as saying in a Department of Public Information (DPI) report. She revealed that the Ministry has also formally requested support from the Red Cross and the United Nations,
Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud
among other agencies. The UN Resident Representative’s Office and the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) already responded. On financial support, Persaud said assistance for families who lost a sole breadwinner, covering food, transportation and other immediate needs, is being assessed case by case, and is separate from compensation. “If it’s a breadwinner, we need to make sure they have food support, we need to make sure the children are taken care of, we need to make sure that the parents have that kind of support. The Office of
the First Lady will be directly managing everything to do with children and their parents. The breadwinner-support assistance falls under the HEART (Hope, Empathy, Aid, Resilience and Trust) initiative, President Dr Irfaan Ali’s broad framework for tragedy response launched last month.” Persaud acknowledged that families still awaiting the recovery of loved ones face a distinct and ongoing form of grief and appealed for public empa-
thy amid criticism of the Government’s response, cautioning against the exploitation of families’ grief. The Minister also said the private sector is welcome to support the Government’s efforts to assist those affected by the tragedy. In July, almost two weeks after MV Barima went underwater offshore Guyana, claiming 73 lives, with another 30 persons still missing, three individuals, including the Captain of the vessel, were charged with multiple counts of murder. Charged were 40-year-old Kevin Price, also called “KP”, the boat Captain of Melanie Damishana, East Coast Demerara (ECD); Rondell Dwayne Roberts, 42, Chief Mate of Grove Public Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD); and Delon Granderson, 33, Goods superintendent of Fellowship, West Coast Demerara (WBD). The charges were instituted following recommendations from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to charge the three employees attached to the Transport and Harbour Department (T&HD) with the offence of murder in re-
lation to the tragic deaths of passengers who were on board the MV Barima. The trio appeared before Chief Magistrate Judy Latchman at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where murder charges were read to them and they were remanded to prison. Police stated that on July 18, 2026 at 9.3 nautical miles and a bearing of 040° off the Essequibo Coast, the three men murdered 72 persons. They were not required to plead to the indictable charges and were remanded to prison. The case was transferred to the Charity Magistrate’s Court where it was called earlier this month and was adjourned to September 7. On July 18, the MV Barima departed the Georgetown stelling at about 15:00h on its scheduled voyage to Port Kaituma, North West District, carrying 179 persons, including 18 crew members and cargo. According to officials, the vessel encountered rough sea conditions off the Essequibo Coast near the mouth of the Pomeroon River late that night and capsized. A distress signal transmitted at approximate-
ly 23:01h was received by aviation authorities, triggering a large-scale multi-agency emergency response that continues. However, following the incident, the Captain and a crew member tested positive for cannabis use and were subsequently arrested. Later, the goods Superintendent was arrested. Subsequently, in its initial probe, it was uncovered that more people were aboard the vessel than had been recorded on the original passenger manifest. To date, while 73 bodies were pulled from the wreckage, five remain unidentified. As such, the Health Ministry urged relatives to visit the Suddie Mortuary to assist in identifying the remaining victims. Meanwhile, President Dr Irfaan Ali has named a high-level five-member panel to lead a Commission of Inquiry (CoI). The appointment of this distinguished team of regional and international legal and maritime experts was made in keeping with an earlier commitment by the Guyanese Head of State for an independent probe into the horrific ferry accident.
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 0:00 Sign Off 6:00 Islam for Guyana 6:30 TVG Devotional Hour 7:00 Week-in-Review (RB) 7:30 Cartoons 8:00 Stop Suffering 8:30 HGTV 10:00 Food Network 12:00 Movie - Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) 13:30 Movie - Early Man (2018) 15:00 Cartoons 16:00 KTLT (RB) 16:30 Indian Soaps 17:00 The Young & The Restless 18:00 Documentary: Nat Geo Animals 19:00 The Evening News 20:00 Indigenous Herbal Life Clinic with Sister Lynn 21:00 BBC 23:00 House of Cards
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Foundation ◄
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guyanatimesgy.com
Lines cont’d When more than one line is present, there is a relationship. There are two types of line relationships: lines that intersect (cross) or lines that never intersect. Parallel lines are lines that never intersect because they are always the same distance apart.
Parallel lines are seen in many common 2D shapes. For example, Each side of a square is made of a line segment that is part of a line. The opposite sides of a square are parallel.
By Charles Tomlinson
Not all intersecting lines are perpendicular. If the lines do not meet at a 90-degree angle, they are not perpendicular. Perpendicular lines are seen in many common 2D shapes and are essential for constructing shapes like squares and rectangles. For example, Each side of a square is perpendicular to the adjacent sides (the sides that touch). This is why the corners of a square always form right angles.
Perpendicular lines are lines that intersect to form 90∘ angles (right angles). In diagrams, right angles are often marked with a small square at the point where the two lines intersect. This notation helps us to quickly identify them as perpendicular lines.
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his fossil record shows that many kinds of extinct organisms were very different in form from any now living. It also shows successions of organisms through time, manifesting their transition from one form to another. The fossil record goes back more than 3 billion years. The oldest known fossils are organisms resembling marine cyanobacteria that lived in the waters off western Australia roughly 3.5 billion years ago. The oldest known animal fossils are about 700 million years old; these fossils were largely impressions (molds or casts) of soft-bodied marine animals similar to modern-day jellyfish, soft corals, sea anemones, and annelid worms. Fossils of organisms resembling modern lichens, algae, and seaweed also are among the fossils from this time. The fossil record shows that life forms began to diversify about 541 million years ago, at the start of the Cambrian Period. The earliest evidence of land plants is from fossilized spores and other plant parts that lived between 488 million and 444 million years ago. The earliest vertebrates (animals with backbones) appeared about 400 million years ago, and the first mammals appeared between 251 and 200 million years ago.
The unmoving vault receives their movement voices falling flights niched on the sudden providential hand of air daring to reassume the height that spanned and hemmed until (like light entering amber) they take and hold it and their time its space sustain in a single element the chord of grace. (Source: Poetry [March 1960])
Write a poem about an area you visited for the first time and immediately fell in love with. (Britannica Kids)
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Commitment to country, community drove decision to back PPP/C – APNU NDC Councillor …says “deceit” within PNC ranks made decision to switch support easier
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urrent A P a r t n e r s h i p for National Unity/Neighbourhood Democratic Council (APNU/NDC) Councillor Trevon Chichester said his decision to support the governing People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) was made following what he described as the “revelation of deceit” within the People’s National Congress (PNC). Chichester, in a social media post on Friday, said he was not promised any position or benefit in exchange for his decision and rejected suggestions that his move was motivated by political power or personal
gain. “For the record, I was not promised anything, not even a Beharry Bullet,” Chichester said. “I made a choice, one that was made easy after the revelation of deceit.” He said he had come to the realisation that the “monster” he had been told existed within the Government was, in his view, present within the ranks of the PNC. Chichester said his decision was based on his commitment to his community and country, arguing that if he had been motivated by power or position, he would have remained in the PNC and worked harder within the party. Instead, he
said, he chose to devote his efforts to helping his community and directing residents to Government programmes and services from which they could benefit. “I have chosen to support the PPP/C with vigor and total commitment,” he said. Chichester also criticised opposition politicians who he claimed, publicly condemn the Government while benefiting from opportunities and services available under the current administration. According to Chichester, the Government has been providing opportunities for Guyanese to improve their circumstances, while he acknowledged that such
DDL’s modern dairy...
FROM PAGE 3
Heifers at DDL’s farm, located at Moblissa on the Linden-Soesdyke highway
The facility stemmed from an agreement which was signed in February, 2023 by DDL subsidiary Tropical Orchard Product Company Limited (TOPCO) and the LR Group of Israel. Meanwhile, the Guyana Government has also rolled out a number of initiatives to support the advancement of the local diary industry. Only back in December
2025, the Ministry of Agriculture handed over dairy stock to farmers as part of efforts to strengthen and expand Guyana’s dairy industry. Some 19 farmers had benefitted from that intervention – the first phase of the initiative. Agriculture Minister, Zulfikar Mustapha, at the time had called for livestock farmers to avoid a “tunnel vision” approach
and embrace integrated systems across production. He had noted that more than $110 million has been expended to facilitate some 300 embryo transplants aimed at boosting dairy production and improving genetics nationwide. In addition to the dairy stock, farmers also received soilage to support improved feeding systems and sustainable production.
salt water despite warnings that had been issued more than a month earlier. He claimed he had personally investigated the situation, documented it through photographs and videos and raised concerns at the time.
PPP’s stronger presence in communities
Current APNU NDC Councillor, Trevon Chichester
opportunities do not guarantee immediate wealth. “No, you won’t turn a millionaire overnight. No, you may not get a house plus land right away, but you can get the money and technical support to build a business and run it successfully,” he said. He also compared the record of the PPP/C with that of the APNU+AFC (Alliance For Change) administration between 2015 and 2020, questioning how much of the promises made by both political groupings had been fulfilled. Chichester recalled former President David Granger stating that his administration could not fulfil certain commitments because it did not have the money. He specifically pointed to the absence of free University of Guyana (UG) tuition during the APNU+AFC administration and argued that more could have been done in areas such as road construction. Chichester also raised the issue of flooding at Highdam, saying the area was affected by
In contrast, Chichester said the PPP/C has maintained a stronger presence in communities and has placed greater emphasis on grassroots engagement. He urged Guyanese to take responsibility for their own lives and future while making use of the opportunities available through Government programmes. “Guyanese need to remember one thing: they are responsible for their own lives and future,” he said. Chichester’s comments come days after a group of former and current opposition-aligned figures met with PPP/C General Secretary (GS) and Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo and expressed support for the governing party’s policies and development agenda. Former APNU Member of Parliament (MP), Ricky Ramsaroop said in a social media post on August 12 that he, Ravoldo Birbal and a group of young Guyanese, including Chichester and former PNC and AFC members, had met with Jagdeo. Ramsaroop said those present expressed a desire to work with the Government and contribute to the development of their communities and the country. Also identified as attend-
ing were former PNC members Ewart Nacimento and Damion Dummett, and former AFC members Nicketa Ward, Abigail Rodney and Damion James, among others. Chichester’s latest comments also follow the engagement between former PNCR activist and Georgetown Mayor and City Council (M&CC) Councillor Robert Wayne Maison and Jagdeo. Guyana Times reported on Saturday that Maison had met with Jagdeo and discussed working with the governing party and contributing to the development of Georgetown and Guyana. Maison left the PNCR in September 2025 after decades of involvement with the party but retained his elected position as a councillor for Constituency Seven, Stabroek-Bourda. Neither Chichester nor the other individuals who participated in the August 12 meeting have been identified in the information provided as having formally joined the PPP/C. However, Chichester has now publicly stated that he intends to support the governing party and its policies. In his post he called for greater cooperation among Guyanese, while maintaining that citizens should speak out against injustice and poor representation where they exist. “Greatness is founded by working together,” Chichester said, urging Guyanese to support national development and make use of Government services and programmes available to them.
8 NEWS Linden Electricity Company seeks immediate generation boost, in talks with supplier Evaluating… MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
…as township faces critical shortfall
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esidents and businesses in Linden, Region 10 (Upper Demerara-Berbice) have been complaining about the prolonged power outages and unstable electricity supply -something which the Linden Electricity Company Inc (LECI) says they are actively working to address. In a statement on Sunday, LECI said they are having discussions with the power supplier to secure additional, immediate generation capacity to meet the growing demand of the township. Region 10 receives its power from bauxite company, Bosai Minerals Group, which generates some 14.1 megawatts (MW). However, Linden’s peak demand is over 15 MW, which LECI explained has caused a “critical generation shortfall”. According to LECI, “The company is working diligently to find a solution that mitigates the inconvenience to residents as quickly as possible.” Only Friday, during a press conference, Public Utilities and Aviation Minister Deodat Indar had disclosed that Region 10 is the only region with a generation shortfall in the country. He said Bosai was being engaged to supply an additional three MW of power to bridge the gap. Meanwhile, the Linden Electricity Company in Sunday’s missive, went onto to cite the unprecedented demand surge coupled with hotter-than-normal El Niño conditions for the power outages. “The extreme heat has led to a substantial uptick in the use of cooling equipment, particularly air conditioning units, placing unprecedented strain on the grid,” it said. LECI noted that while its current maximum available generation capacity stands at 14.5 MW, the surge in peak demand has outpace the available supply. It added too that prior to
this weather-driven spike, the Linden community has already been experiencing consistent demand growth due to positive economic development, including the expansion of housing schemes and new business enterprises. “While this growth is welcome news for the community, it has accelerated the timeline for required infrastructure upgrades,” LECI stated. Among those long-term solutions underway is major 15 MW solar Photovoltaic (PV) farm project that is aimed at bolstering Linden’s power supply. The first phase of this solar installation is scheduled for commissioning by the end of 2026, bringing a total of 7 MW of electricity to the township. However, LECI pointed out that the unexpected and sudden demand surge driven by the El Niño weather pattern has arrived ahead of this scheduled deployment, creating a temporary gap between supply and consumption. To prevent a total grid collapse and protect the system’s integrity, LECI said it has been forced to implement scheduled load-shedding (rolling blackouts) during peak demand periods. “These outages are being carefully managed to rotate across the community, ensuring that no single area bears the burden for an extend-
ed period,” the Linden Electricity Company stated. Additionally, the Government had engaged Linden sawmillers to change their operations to off peak hours, between 22:00h to 11:00h daily – something which they operators agreed to. Nevertheless, LECI is appealing for patience and understanding, urging residents and businesses to assist in reducing the strain on the system by conserving electricity as much as possible. Consumers are encouraged to: set air conditioning units to higher, energy-efficient temperatures; turn off lights and appliances when not in use; and limit the use of high-energy appliances during peak daylight hours. “The management of LECI understand the frustration that comes with power interruptions, and we sincerely apologise for the inconvenience. We are in a race against time to bridge this demand gap, and we are committed to keeping the community informed as we, with support from Government, work with our supplier to stabilise the grid,” the Linden Electricity Company stated. Guyana is experiencing hotter-than-normal temperatures brought by strengthened El Niño conditions that will last from August through October 2026, with prolonged dry
spells and up to 80 hot spell days instead of the usual 30 expected as well. These conditions, coupled with a growing customer base, have driven up electricity demand across Guyana, forcing the Government to implement a series of measures to not only enhance power supply but also conserve electricity and stabilise the aged national grid system. During Friday’s press briefing, it was disclosed that peak demand on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) has reached 242.6 MW, compared with 221 MW in 2025, and is projected to reach 266 MW by the end of October. GPL currently has 256 MW of reliable generation capacity. An additional 9.3 MW is expected to become available by today, while generating assets currently undergoing maintenance are expected to return to service by the end of August. Together, these will provide an additional 24 MW of generation, increasing GPL’s reliable generation capacity to 280 MW by the end of August and providing additional reserve as electricity demand continues to grow. In the interim, GPL is encouraging customers to conserve electricity, particularly between 19:00h and 21:00h, which is the peak period for electricity demand.
F
… Fidel’s legacy
idel would’ve turned 100 last Thursday and Cuba marked the occasion with the kinda revolutionary spectacle Fidel had turned into a fine art – speeches, conferences, exhibitions, cultural performances and a gathering of international admirers!! More than 1500 foreign delegates – including one Guyanese ex-President!! – trekked to Havana to celebrate the man who once made the small Caribbean island a world phenomenon!! Your Eyewitness thinks there’s something uniquely Cuban about celebrating the centenary of a revolutionary leader – while the revolution’s economic model’s running out of electricity!! Blackouts can last for 20 hours daily; fuel, food and medicines are scarce; infrastructure has deteriorated; and emigration – now permitted! – has become the main safety valve for young people who’re more interested in leaving than studying the collected thoughts of Fidel Castro!! The question for your Eyewitness ain’t whether Castro accomplished things – of course he did!! His Revolution destroyed the corrupt Batista order; achieved impressive gains in literacy, education and public health!! His internationalism – from Africa to Guyana – gave Cuba an outsized moral and geopolitical reach!! And the American role can’t be airbrushed from the story – their sanctions were hardly calculated to encourage Cuba’s experiment in political pluralism or economic reform!! But that’s where the rose-coloured version of the Castro story begins to blur!! Castro defeated a corrupt and authoritarian order – only to construct a system in which state power coalesced around one leader – Fidel!! His personal control over Government meant that “central planning” was just an extension of his idiosyncrasies!! So, ironically, starting as a man who’d liberate Cuba from one-man dictatorship, he created a political system where political power and his own authority became indistinguishable!! And tragically the revolution proved much better at surviving Fidel than at reforming Fidelism!! While his brother and successor Raúl eventually introduced economic reforms, the political system remained essentially intact!! The promised transition from revolutionary charisma to functioning institutions never quite arrived and Cuba exchanged one Castro for a committee – which aren’t even charismatic!! A 2017 assessment of Cuba’s “coming” transition identified their central dilemma: the revolutionary model had to change if it was gonna survive. Nearly a decade later, that verdict looks less like an observation than an indictment – as Cubans have been voting with their feet!! Now while we can’t ignore the US’s continued pressures, we gotta accept that Cuba’s predicament’s a mixture of external punishment and INTERNAL failure!! But finally, the revolution ironically is borrowing from the system it spent decades denouncing!! But historical inertia is unlikely to be accommodating to its overthrow, so as Pressie’s done – we gotta encourage democratic change!! At 100, Castro remains larger than Cuba –- and the question’s whether it can finally become larger than Castro!! …Barima salvage bids The Government’s receipt of Expressions of Interest for salvaging the MV Barima ain’t gonna end the Opposition’s exploitation of the disaster. In fact, your Eyewitness confidently predicts that WHATEVER the Government does next simply gonna become the next point of attack!! The Opposition had demanded the wreck be recovered urgently; but now Government’s kick-started the process, they complain the process is too slow, too secretive, too bureaucratic – and deviously deliberately designed to thwart the investigation!! And when the wreck’s eventually raised, be assured the political goalposts gonna be moved again: who got the contract – and why; how much was paid and was the recovery conducted properly, etc!! The already-established CoI already hasn’t escaped similar nitpicking!!. Now, your Eyewitness accepts the tragedy demands answers, accountability and respect for the victims. But there’s a difference between demanding those things and converting every stage of the process into a permanent political sideshow!! So, there’s simply never gonna be no government action capable of satisfying them – ‘cause political dissatisfaction, rather than closure for the families, is the Opposition’s point!! …power needs Your Eyewitness has noted – with dismay!! – the call for husbanding AC’s usage since we’ve reached our peak electricity delivery capacity!! That all Europe’s already made that call is of little comfort!! The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance
Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com
NEWS
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Hydronie Market to get additional sheds, money to be transferred to Region – Pre Ali …says work to start in 6 to 8 weeks
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President Dr Irfaan Ali interacting with vendors and shoppers at the Hydronie-Parika Market
resident Dr Irfaan Ali has announced plans to install additional sheds at the Hydronie/Parika Market
heartening to hear the excitement and relief of the Hydronie Sunday Market vendors this morning as they shared how com-
following concerns raised by vendors about the need for greater protection from the elements. Ali said on
fortable they feel in the new market space,” the President said in a social media post. The vendors had previously operat-
Sunday that vendors and shoppers at the market expressed satisfaction with the improvements already made, including the installation of new sheds and drainage works. “It was
ed along the roadway but have since moved into the market space, where they are now able to conduct their businesses in an environment protected from the sun and rain. Ali said
he spent time at the market engaging with vendors and shoppers, listening to their experiences, concerns and suggestions. In a video subsequently posted to social media, the President said the decision was taken to extend the roofing
to sections of the market that remain uncovered. “Today [Sunday], following my interactions with vendors and shoppers at the Hydronie Market, a decision was taken to install additional sheds to cover the remaining sections of the market, providing greater comfort and protection,” Ali said. He explained that vendors were satisfied with the new shed at the back of the market, as well as the shed in the middle and the improved drainage. According to the President, vendors operating in another section requested similar facilities. “The money is going to be transferred to the region, and they’re going to go out for advertisement,” Ali said. He said the works are expected to commence within six to eight weeks, once the necessary processes are completed. “So you’ll have the shed on both sides of the market,” the President said.
10 NEWS
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
2026 arms course New $6.5B Lethem Regional GDF sharpens combat skills Hospital progressing
with regional participation
Ongoing works at the Lethem Regional Hospital, Region Nine
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he construction of the new Lethem Regional Hospital is progressing as the Government moves to expand access to specialised healthcare services for residents of Region Nine. Health Minister Dr Frank Anthony on Sunday said he visited the construction site on Saturday, accompanied by Minister within the Local Government Ministry, Pauline Sukhai; Public Service, Government Efficiency & Implementation Ministry, Zulfikar Ally, Regional Chairperson Vania Albert and Regional Executive Officer (REO) Karl Singh. According to Anthony, the officials reviewed the progress of the project, which is expected to provide a wider range of medical services within the Rupununi, Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo). “Healthcare is rising in the Rupununi,” Anthony said in a social media post. He said the new facility will provide expanded emergency care, surgery, modern diagnostic services, maternal and child healthcare and specialist services, reducing the need for
residents to travel outside the region for treatment. “Distance should never determine the quality of healthcare you receive. The new Lethem Regional Hospital will change that,” Anthony said. The $6.5 billion hospital project was officially launched in October 2024, when President Dr Irfaan Ali turned the sod for the facility. At the time, Ali said the hospital would provide Region Nine residents with healthcare services comparable to those available on the coast and reduce the need for patients to travel out of the region to access specialised treatment. The hospital is planned to include two fully functioning operating theatres and a modern emergency department with a procedure room for minor surgeries. Its diagnostic services are expected to include digital X-ray, portable X-ray, a CT scanner and three ultrasound machines. The facility will also provide laboratory services, specialised outpatient clinics, pharmacy services and two dialysis chairs. Additional features announced for the facility include a digital
health control room, paediatric unit, intensive care unit (ICU) and maternity wing. The project forms part of the Government’s wider investment in strengthening the country’s healthcare infrastructure, particularly in regions where residents have historically had to travel to the coast for specialised services. At the 2024 sod-turning ceremony, Ali also highlighted plans to work with international partners to address the backlog of cardiac surgeries in Guyana, beginning with paediatric cardiac procedures. The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has also been supporting the expansion of Guyana’s healthcare network. IDB Country Representative Lorena Solórzano Salazar, who attended the 2024 ceremony, expressed support for the Government’s healthcare initiatives. The IDB is financing hospital construction and other healthcare infrastructure across Guyana through a US$97 million loan aimed at strengthening the national health network.
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he Guyana Defence Force (GDF) is conducting its Skillat-Arms Course (SAAC) 2026-01 at the Colonel John Clarke Military School (CJCMS), Tacama, with participation from the Antigua and Barbuda Defence Force (ABDF). The six-week course commenced on July 16 and includes 42 Junior and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers from various GDF units, along with one participant from the ABDF. According to the GDF, the programme is aimed at strengthening participants’ proficiency in the
use of small arms and platoon weapons while equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to serve as coaches for Stage 1-5 Battle Shot training. The training includes practical instruction, weapons handling and marksmanship exercises, with participants expected to be able to transfer the skills gained to personnel within their respective units. The GDF said the participation of a member of the ABDF also provides an opportunity for the two forces to exchange knowledge, experience and best practices.
The engagement, according the GDF, is expected to support professional development while strengthening military cooperation between Guyana and Antigua and Barbuda. The Force said the continued development of a proficient and adaptable military remains central to its operational readiness and its ability to fulfil its mandate. It added that SAAC 2026-01 contributes to that objective while advancing interoperability and strengthening professional military relationships with regional partners.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
BJ Demerara River Bridge
Heroes Highway slip lanes nearing completion to speed up bridge traffic – Croal
The slip lanes constructed along the Heroes Highway to facilitate traffic coming off the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge
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orks on the slip lanes that built along the Heroes Highway on the East Bank Demerara (EBD) to facilitate traffic coming from and going onto the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge are almost completed. This is according to Housing Minister Collin Croal, who recently told Guyana Times that the construction phase is completed. The remain-
ing works, he explained, include the installation of the metal barriers along the newly built lane between the bridge roundabout and the Haags Bosch Road also called the Eccles Dumpsite Road. “We near finish with the slip lane. The contractor is now putting in the protective barriers,” Croal stated, adding that these works will take about another week. Already, the metal barriers
have been installed from the Eccles end of the western ‘slip lane’ that runs from the Demerara River Bridge access road to the Haags Bosch Road. When completed this lane will facilitate traffic coming off from the bridge and taking it directly onto the Haags Bosch Road which connects to the East Bank Public Road. On the eastern side of the Heroes Highway, the additional lane has already
been completed and opened up for public use, adding a third lane to accommodate traffic from the Eccles Roundabout to the roundabout at the Demerara River Bridge access road. This road extension project was executed in five construction lots: Lot One – 500 metres, Lot Two – 350 metres, Lot Three – 480 metres, Lot Four – 750 metres, and Lot Five – 710 metres, with each lot being constructed by different contractors. Works under the project included asphalt pavement construction, the building of concrete drainage structures, installation of metal guardrails and road markings. During a site inspection back in February, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Housing Ministry Dr Martin Pertab, had underscored the increasing importance of the highway, particularly with traffic flow from Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara) via the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge. “The Heroes Highway has become one of
Housing Minister Collin Croal
the busiest corridors on the East Bank, and it is critical that traffic, especially vehicles coming from Region Three on the Bharrat Jagdeo River Bridge, moves efficiently” Dr Pertab had noted. The roadway also serves as a key link for commuters travelling along the Ogle to Eccles Highway, which connects the East Coast and East Bank Demerara (EBD) corridors. Since the opening of the new Demerara River Bridge in October 2025, traffic along with Heroes Highway has significantly increased. To minimise
disruption to commuters and unnecessary delays, the Government has been working on establishing a new connector road linking Providence, EBD, to the Ogle–Eccles Highway. This aims to minimise the disruption to commuters and unnecessary delays. “What has been happening at the backlands that people don’t see is that from where the road from Ogles to Eccles was built – it stopped – we are continuing the road to Providence so that there can be a smooth connection from that highway to [Heroes] Highway,” Public Works Minister Juan Edghill had previously explained. He had noted that the technical teams were looking at the alignment from the Ogle-Eccles Highway to come out onto the Heroes Highway, which is about a two-kilometre (km) stretch of road that would have to be built. The Government has engaged Ashoka Buildcon – the Indian company that constructed the Ogle-Eccles bypass road – to build this new access road.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
President Dr Irfaan Ali engagin at the Hydronie-Parika Market
6 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
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ng with vendors and shoppers t on Sunday morning (President Dr Irfaan Ali/Facebook)
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
GDF officer becomes 1st Essequibo Coast bus driver dies Guyanese graduate of US after crashing into utility pole Army War College programme
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ieutenant Colonel John Mohanlall has become the first Guyana Defence Force (GDF) officer to graduate from the United States (US) Army War College Resident Education Programme. The GDF announced the achievement on Sunday, extending congratulations to Lieutenant Colonel Mohanlall on the successful completion of the programme. Upon completion, Mohanlall was awarded a Master of Strategic Studies degree and designated a Senior Service College Graduate. The programme, conducted at Carlisle Barracks in Pennsylvania, provides advanced professional military education at the strategic level and prepares senior military officers, Government officials and international fellows for leadership, command and advisory responsibilities. During the programme, Mohanlall completed graduate-level coursework and strategic research covering national security, military research, defence management, joint operations and international affairs. His studies also fo-
The scene of the accident at Columbia Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region 2
Lieutenant Colonel John Mohanlall
cused on complex national, regional and global security challenges. The GDF said the qualification adds to its pool of officers with advanced strategic expertise and will contribute to the Force’s work in strategic planning, defence management and institutional development. It noted that the knowledge, analytical skills and professional relationships gained through the programme will strengthen the Force’s capacity to address evolving defence and
security challenges. Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS, along with officers and ranks of the GDF, commended Mohanlall for the achievement and extended best wishes for his continued service to the Force. The GDF said the development of strategic expertise remains important as Guyana’s national security environment continues to evolve, with Mohanlall’s qualification strengthening the senior leadership capacity of the Force.
A
63-year-old minibus driver died after the vehicle he was driving crashed into a utility pole on the Columbia Public Road, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) Saturday night. Dead is Felix Thorman of Lot 187 Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast. Police said the fatal accident occurred at about 23:38h on August 15, involving minibus PRR 2323, owned and driven by Thorman. According to police, investigations revealed that Thorman was driving north along the western lane at a fast rate of speed when he lost control of the minibus. The vehicle subsequently collided with a utility pole located on the eastern grass parapet. Thorman was removed from the minibus in an unconscious condition by members of the public and transported to the Lima Regional Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The mini-
bus was taken to the Anna Regina Police Station, where it was lodged for ex-
amination. Police are continuing their investigation.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Govt Service Centre launched in Lethem
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he Government of Guyana has brought essential public services closer to residents of Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), with the establishment
of a Government Service Centre at Lethem. The centre will allow residents to process passports, birth and death certificates, marriage licences, national electronic identification (e-
ID) cards and police clearance certificates, among other services. On Saturday, the facility was officially launched at the Lethem Business Incubator Centre. The
Running dry: T&T warned to rethink how it manages water
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he alarm bells are ringing. They’ve been ringing for some time now, but the closer we get to a water crisis, the louder it sounds. The water issues in Trinidad and Tobago have transcended administrations. The year was 2009. A relentless drought, supercharged by an intense El Niño pattern, decimated the island’s water reserves. Following a disastrously dry rainy season that yielded only a quarter of its typical rainfall, the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA) was forced to implement strict, widespread water rationing across the country. The extreme aridity triggered an unprecedented surge in devastating bush fires that strained emergency resources, while withered crops left farmers facing mounting losses, prompting regional meteorologists to issue urgent drought alerts. Since then, the ebb and flow of this country’s water supply has sometimes made it to the headlines, but the issue won’t go away. This month, Arima residents were the latest to complain about a lack of water. It comes amid a hotter (and dryer) than usual wet season. But if we look outward, the issue of accessible water is both widespread and grimmer the further we look. Last month, Puerto Rico enforced 48-hour water shutoffs. The Philippines was forced to ration water and cut services this month. Roughly 70 per cent of England is experiencing drought conditions affecting 20 million people. Germany, Italy, parts of the United States and the Middle East are all being severely affected. And for T&T and the rest of the world, it is a race to adaptation as there is little sign
things are going to get better anytime soon. “We are definitely not alone in this challenge,” Laurayne Lucky said. She is the executive director of the Caribbean Water and Wastewater Association (CWWA). Lucky said the Caribbean is experiencing the consequences of greater rainfall variability and more frequent and intense dry periods. “Ultimately, this is not simply about managing a drought; it is about building long-term water resilience,” she added. Dr Ronald Roopnarine, who serves as acting dean of the Faculty of Food and Agriculture, told the Sunday Guardian last week that while water stress levels can increase across the country, it may not amount to a drought. He said, “Drought is not measured by just simply rain falling today, but really our water deficit accumulated over time. So, the reality is that the projections indicate that we will be in drought conditions. It’s serious, but it’s also not uniform.” The seriousness of the situation has prompted both experts to warn that action must be taken to stave off the effects of dryer conditions that promise to worsen. Roopnarine said, “Every single model is projecting that the Caribbean will become warmer with consequent higher evaporation rates, a general drying tendency. Trinidad and Tobago projections suggest that the dry season could actually lengthen by about eight per cent by 2050.” It’s a tall task for a country that consumes 420 litres per person per day (reported as average national dry-season consumption in the 2024 Caribbean Sub-Regional
Water Report). That’s more than twice the level reported for several Caribbean countries. However, Dr Roopnarine said, with limited metering and approximately 50 per cent non-revenue water, it is difficult to separate actual consumption from leakage and other system losses. “We cannot manage what we do not accurately measure,” he stated. Roopnarine went further, “Our best available estimate is that approximately half of the water entering the distribution system generates no revenue. Not all of that is physical leakage, but the figure points to major infrastructure, metering and management deficiencies. In a drought, we cannot ask citizens to conserve every drop while the system may be losing or failing to account for roughly one in every two litres produced.” He said authorities must be realistic on the amount of water they are working with and make decisions accordingly. He said, “The reality is a lot of our communities, whether we do it formally or not, have sort of adapted in a way to not having a pipeborne supply of water 24-7. Ultimately, the authorities must move away from reacting to water shortages after they occur and begin managing the system proactively, based on the water we actually have. This requires close coordination with the Water Resources Agency, which should provide the utility with clear, forward-looking assessments of current availability and projected inflows. The utility can then plan supply in advance and make realistic decisions based on the demand it is required to meet.” (T&T Guardian)
event was attended by Minister of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation, Zulfikar Ally; Minister of Health, Dr Frank Anthony, and Minister within the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, Pauline Sukhai, among other Government officials. Delivering brief remarks, Anthony highlighted the significance of the initiative, noting that the establishment of the Service Centre represents an important step forward for Region Nine and will make
Government services more accessible to residents. “Previously, where you had to go to Georgetown to access these services, those services are now coming to you. Under this same roof, you can work on your birth certificate, marriage certificate and your GRA (Guyana Revenue Authority) documents,” Anthony emphasised. He explained that the Centre will provide a cluster of Government services in one convenient location, reducing the need for residents to travel long distances, particularly to Georgetown, to
conduct essential transactions. The Minister noted that the initiative reflects the Government’s continued efforts to decentralise public services and ensure that citizens, regardless of where they live, have easier and more efficient access to Government agencies. The new Service Centre is expected to significantly benefit residents of Lethem and neighbouring communities by saving them both time and the expense associated with travelling to access essential Government services.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
GTA developing more tourism circuits T
he Guyana Tourism Authority (GTA) is now focusing on developing new tourism circuits in Regions One (Barima-Waini); Six (east Berbice-Corentyne) and Eight (Potaro-Siparuni). A tourism circuit is a group of tourism attractions, communities, activities and destinations that are connected and promoted as one travel route or experience. For example, instead of a tourist visiting only
one village in Region One, a tourism circuit could connect several villages and attractions in the Moruca and Mabaruma areas. In a recent interview with the Department of Public Information (DPI), GTA’s Director Kamrul Baksh noted that the agency continues to assist Amerindian communities in developing their tourism products. Baksh said a great deal of time had been spent in com-
GTA Director Kamrul Baksh
munities, particularly in the newer circuits. In Region One, the focus has been on the Moruca and Mabaruma sub-districts, where the GTA partnered with Conservation International to conduct baseline assessments in several communities. He said the Authority also focused heavily on the Region Eight circuit. While in Region Six, teams visited several communities, including Orealla and
Siparuta. So far, more than 60 communities have been supported by the GTA. He noted that support was also given through capacity-building workshops and the launching of several tourism products. More than 18 communities were assisted to launch their tourism products over the last six years. There are plans for the remainder of the year to conduct more community outreach.
Teens who fled Venezuela after deadly quakes caught in another disaster in Colombia
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he earthquake is haunting me,” Deivi Delfín says. The 15-year-old feels like he and his brother, Winder, have been chased by tremors these past few months, having lived through two that struck with devastating effect in Venezuela, only to get caught up in another this week after moving to Colombia. He tells the BBC that he and his brother, 17, no longer felt like children, having witnessed corpses damaged beyond recognition.
After their home in La Guaira - the area of Venezuela hardest hit by the twin quakes on 24 June - was reduced to a pile of rubble, killing three family members including their mother, they moved to Cali, Colombia, where their father works, on Friday. Three days later, they felt the ground shake again. ‘My world came crashing down’ Back at the end of June, the two teenagers had gone to the beach on Venezuela’s Caribbean coastline. Winder
wanted to take their 10-yearold brother Moissés, but he was grounded. “I kept insisting but my mum just wouldn’t budge,” he says. As they were heading home on the evening of the 24th, earthquakes of magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 struck just 39 seconds apart. The brothers hugged and shut their eyes. When they reopened them, everything was covered in dust and debris. When they arrived home, they saw the 12-storey apartment building had colDeivi (left) with Winder and their father Deivid
lapsed, trapping their mother Yusmani, grandmother Carmen and brother under a mountain of concrete. “My world came crashing down,” Winder says. The earthquakes killed more than 6,300 people, according to the Venezuelan government. There is still no clear official figure for the number of people missing. Winder and Deivi joined rescue efforts, but for three days had nowhere to sleep and nothing to eat. Their father, Deivid, who was in Colombia at the time, was unable to find them for three days after returning to Venezuela. When he eventually found his sons, they began a search for their family members that would last nearly a month. ‘I didn’t feel like a child anymore’ Deivid knew that climbing into the rubble would put his sons at risk, but they would not be deterred from searching for their missing family members. As they were still teenagers, they were better able to squeeze through narrow spaces, crawling between concrete slabs lit only by a handheld torch or mobile phone so they could tell rescuers where to dig. “By that point, I didn’t feel like a child anymore,” Deivi recalls . Gradually, they un-
earthed fragments of their family life - Moissés’s shorts, Yusmani’s Bible, and an unfinished shopping list - a sign they were getting closer to what had once been their home. The following day, Deivi spotted a piece of fabric in the rubble and recognised it as his grandmother’s floral skirt. Soon after, firefighters confirmed they had found a woman’s body. Winder was the first to recognise his mother’s body. A plastic bag she had been using to dye her hair when they had left for the beach was still on her head. He got as close to her as he could and stayed with her for a few moments. They still could not immediately recover her body as it had been pinned down by a concrete slab. It was only while they were removing it that they found Moissés. The little boy was still holding onto his mother. At the sight of his son, Deivid collapsed. “When his little head fell into my hands... I broke down,” he says. ‘We’ve been through this before’ After laying their family members to rest, the brothers went to live with their father in a modest, working-class neighbourhood of low-rise houses in the north-eastern outskirts of Cali, Colombia.
They say they hope for a life filled with hard work and study, so their mother would be proud. But having only just settled into their new home, they felt a sensation on Monday that was all too familiar. Colombia had been hit by its strongest earthquake this century - a magnitude 7.4, which killed several hundred across the country, with many more still missing. Cali was, once again, among the hardest-hit areas. Deivi, who was asleep when the tremor began, says that he thought he was dreaming when the movement was gentle. But when it intensified, he got out of bed and ran downstairs. His brother did the same. Outside, they grabbed hold of a metal gate and waited for the shaking to stop. Their father had been out on the street at the time. As soon as he felt the tremor, he thought of his sons and ran back to the house - but when he arrived, they were nowhere to be seen. A neighbour told him she had seen them leave and he kept searching through the streets until he found them outside the barbershop where he worked. His sons tried to reassure him, saying: “Dad, stay calm. We’ve been through this before.” (BBC)
FEATURE
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
HEALTH TIPS Wound care: From simple cuts to chronic wounds tes should not wait several weeks to see whether a foot wound becomes chronic. A new blister, ulcer, break in the skin, infected nail, or unexplained red or swollen area should be assessed early, particularly if there is neuropathy, previous ulceration, or poor circulation. CDC guidance advises people with diabetes not to wait for their next routine appointment when significant foot changes develop.
By Dr Tariq Jagnarine Fam Med
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ost of us will experience a cut, scrape, blister, or small wound at some point. Many heal without difficulty when they are cleaned and protected properly. But not every wound behaves normally. Some wounds remain open, repeatedly break down or slowly become larger. These are often called chronic or hard-to-heal wounds, and they deserve much more attention, particularly in people living with diabetes, poor circulation, or reduced mobility. Chronic wounds commonly occur on the feet and lower legs and may result from diabetes, poor arterial circulation, problems with the leg veins, or prolonged pressure on the skin.
The message for patients is simple: Clean it. Cover it. Check it. And if it isn’t healing, get it assessed.
First: Caring for a new wound
For a small uncomplicated cut or scrape: 1. Stop the bleeding Apply firm pressure with clean gauze or cloth.
Why do chronic wounds keep returning?
2. Clean it Wash your hands and gently rinse the wound with clean water. Remove obvious surface dirt if this can be done safely. 3. Cover it Use a clean dressing or plaster to protect the wound. 4. Check it daily Look for increasing redness, swelling, warmth, pain, discharge or an unpleasant smell. Do not repeatedly disturb a wound that is healing well. And do not assume that every wound requires antibiotics. Antibiotics are used when there is an appropri-
ate clinical indication, particularly when infection is present.
But what if the wound doesn’t heal?
A wound that remains open or fails to progress despite appropriate care may be considered chronic. Definitions vary, but chronic wounds are generally
wounds that have not begun healing appropriately over several weeks. Common chronic wounds include: • Diabetic foot ulcers • Venous leg ulcers, often associated with swollen legs and problems with the veins. • Arterial ulcers, caused by inadequate blood flow. • Pressure injuries or bedsores, particularly in people who spend long periods in bed or in a chair. This distinction matters because a chronic wound is often a sign of an un-
derlying problem. Simply changing the dressing again and again may not be enough.
Diabetes changes the wound-care conversation
If you have diabetes, even a small foot wound deserves attention. Over time, diabetes may damage the nerves in the
feet. This can reduce sensation, meaning that you may develop a blister, cut or sore without feeling much pain. Diabetes can also reduce blood flow to the feet, making wounds more difficult to heal and increasing the risk of infection. This is why a diabetic foot ulcer may look small but become a serious medical problem. Infection in a diabetic foot wound can progress, and ulcers that fail to heal can ultimately threaten the toe, foot or limb. Early detection and treatment greatly reduce the risk of serious complications. If you have diabetes: check your feet every day Look at the top, bottom, sides, heels and between the toes. Look for: • Cuts or cracks • Blisters • Red areas • Swelling • Corns or calluses • Drainage • Colour changes • Warm areas • Any new sore or ulcer If you cannot see underneath your feet, use a mirror or ask someone you trust to help. Daily foot inspection is specifically recommended because diabetic nerve damage may prevent you from feeling an injury.
Don’t wait for a diabetic foot wound to become “chronic”
This is particularly important. A person without major medical problems may observe a small uncomplicated wound for a short period while it heals. A person with diabe-
A wound cannot heal properly if the underlying reason for the wound is never addressed. For example: Diabetic wound: blood glucose control, pressure on the foot, neuropathy, and circulation may all need assessment. Venous leg ulcer: problems returning blood from the legs may contribute to swelling and skin breakdown. Compression can be an important treatment for appropriate venous disease, but it should follow clinical assessment because arterial circulation must also be considered. Arterial wound: poor blood supply may prevent oxygen and nutrients from reaching the tissue adequately. Pressure injury: prolonged pressure must be relieved; simply placing another dressing over the area does not remove the cause. This is why chronic wound management sometimes requires several professionals working together.
Warning signs: get help
Seek medical attention if a wound has: • Increasing redness, swelling or warmth • Increasing pain • Pus or foul-smelling drainage • Black or dying tissue • Fever or feeling unwell • Rapidly increasing size • Persistent bleeding • Exposed deeper tissue • Failed to improve • Repeatedly healed and reopened For someone with diabetes, new foot wounds deserve particularly early assessment, even when
they are painless. Diabetic neuropathy can make significant wounds surprisingly painless.
What about home remedies?
Be careful. Patients sometimes place powders, herbal preparations, alcohol, strong antiseptics, or other substances directly into open wounds. A chronic wound should instead be properly assessed to determine why it is not healing. The appropriate dressing depends on the type of wound, amount of drainage, surrounding skin, circulation, pressure, and whether infection is present. There is no single dressing that is best for every wound. Some of the most serious wounds begin with something that appears insignificant. A patient with diabetes may say: “Doctor, it was only a little blister.” But if that person has reduced sensation and poor circulation, that blister can become an ulcer before they realise how serious the problem is. That is why wound care should not focus only on the wound we can see. We must also ask: Why did this wound develop? Is the blood supply adequate? Is there infection? Is pressure preventing healing? Is diabetes adequately controlled? And what can we do to stop this wound from returning? A dressing covers a wound. Good wound care treats the patient and the cause. For a simple wound: CLEAN IT. COVER IT. CHECK IT. For a wound that is not healing: DON’T JUST KEEP DRESSING IT – FIND OUT WHY. And if you have diabetes: CHECK YOUR FEET EVERY DAY. DON’T IGNORE A CUT, BLISTER OR SORE, even if it doesn’t hurt. Early attention to chronic wounds can prevent infection, hospitalisation, and potentially limb-threatening complications.
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Regional
ECLAC to release economic survey of LAC Brazil: Lula, Bolsonaro return to strongholds to launch runs for President T he Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) Friday announced that it present its Economic Survey of Latin America and the Caribbean 2026 on August 20. It said growth and productivity amid high informality, constraints and challenges in fostering productive formalisation in the region are examined in one of the institution’s flagship annual reports, which examines the evolution of the region’s economies and will present growth projections for 2026 and 2027. ECLAC said that the publication analyses region-
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva speaks during a presidential re-election campaign rally in São Bernardo do Campo, São Paulo state, Brazil, Sunday, August 16, 2026 (AP/Andre Penner photo)
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razil’s two main presidential candidates have inaugurated their campaigns by mustering supporters in their political strongholds ahead of what is expected to be a fierce October election. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva spoke with nostalgia to more than 10,000 supporters on Sunday at the Vila Euclides Stadium outside Sao Paulo – a city where he rose to political fame 47 years ago as a metalworkers’ union leader during the country’s 1964-1985 military dictatorship. The 80-year-old, wearing a hat after a skin cancer diagnosis, insisted Brazil needs more of his policies. Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, age 45 and one of the sons of former President Jair Bolsonaro, gathered with thousands of voters on Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro. His father, under house arrest following his conviction for an attempted coup, did not attend the rally. Lula echoed his own earlier comments denouncing foreign interference in Brazil’s politics. His allies have accused the United States Government of seeking to boost Flavio
Bolsonaro’s bid with measures such as raising tariffs on Brazilian exports and revoking the visa of Brazil’s Ambassador to Washington. Speaking about Brazil’s vast reserves of rare minerals, Lula said, “No one [abroad] will tap our minerals. We are going to tap them for the benefit of the Brazilian people.” Bolsonaro argued that he is “the only one who can sit with the United States, with China, with Israel, with the Middle East, with India and with Argentina to make the best and biggest trade deals for our nation.” His party’s convention was attended by Argentina’s President Javier Milei. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several members of the Trump administration have expressed support for him. Both Lula, who is seeking his fourth non-consecutive term, and right-wing challenger Bolsonaro have used the fight against gender violence to appeal to voters. Brazil registered nearly 400 femicides (the killing of a female because of her gender) in the first quarter of 2026, the highest number for the period since the
country first began tracking the crime 11 years ago, according to Brazil’s Justice and Public Security Ministry’s database. “Men need to learn from childhood that they are no better than women. We need to be equal,” said Lula, as First Lady Rosangela da Silva stood by his side, nodding. She was one of the event’s main speakers in São Bernardo do Campo, where Lula lived for many years. The rally wasn’t the first time the president has confronted this heavily entrenched crisis. During his Workers’ Party convention to launch his re-election bid in early August, Lula had said that men who commit acts of domestic or gender-based violence must choose between supporting him or hitting a woman, declaring that if they choose violence, “they don’t need to vote for me”. Meanwhile, with his mother and wife by his side, Bolsonaro promised his supporters that he would also work to fight violence against women. Brazilians will vote in the presidential election on October 4. (Excerpted from Al Jazeera)
Search teams comb rubble in Colombia nearly a week after quake as aid effort expands
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earch teams worked through the rubble of collapsed buildings in western Colombia on Sunday, nearly a week after a powerful earthquake devastated cities and towns across the country’s west, killing hundreds and leaving many more missing, injured, or homeless. The 7.4-magnitude quake struck last Monday morning in San Jose del Palmar, causing severe damage from the Pacific port of Buenaventura to Colombia’s coffee-growing region and major western cities including Cali and Pereira. Official estimates issued on Sunday put the death
toll at around 290, with more than 140 persons still missing and 4200 injured. More than two-thirds of the deaths were concentrated in Cali and Pereira, where apartment blocks, homes, churches, schools and hospitals were damaged or destroyed. In Cali, Colombia’s third-largest city, emergency workers continued searching unstable piles of concrete and twisted metal on Sunday as rescue efforts increasingly gave way to the recovery of bodies. “Unfortunately, there are no signs of life,” Cali fire department Captain Alberto Hernandez said. “Miracles
can happen, but honestly – as a believer and based on what we have seen – there is no indication that anyone is still alive.” Aftershocks have added to the danger for crews working in damaged neighbourhoods and for residents still unable to return home. “Work has to be done very carefully and methodically... so we do not put rescuers or community members helping at the site at further risk,” Hernandez added. As hopes of finding more survivors dimmed, the relief operation was expanding. (Excerpt from Reuters)
al economic performance in 2025 and the early months of 2026, along with the external and domestic factors that constrain growth prospects. It said that the report addresses topics including the international context, external accounts, economic activity and the evolution of employment, inflation and fiscal and monetary policies in the region, providing updated growth projections for each of Latin America and the Caribbean’s countries and regional statistical annexes. The special subject featured in the latest survey is the close relationship be-
tween growth, labour productivity and informality. It said starting from this analysis, the report also poses the need to promote strategies for productive formalization that, in addition to improving the quality of employment and expanding social protection, would strengthen people’s and businesses’ productive capacities and contribute to increasing the growth capacity of the region’s economies. ECLAC’s Executive Secretary, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, will launch the report using an in-person and virtual format. (CMC)
Experts: Venezuelan gas deal opens new opportunities for T&T
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rinidad and Tobago could gain a fresh lifeline for its energy sector as new Venezuelan gas licences open the possibility of accessing supplies from the Loran field and other regional developments. Energy sector expert Dr Thackwray Driver sees the development as positive for both countries, with bp, ADNOC and UCC Oil and Gas moving into Loran Phase II. For T&T, the potential prize is additional pipeline gas across the maritime border to help keep Atlantic LNG operating into the future. Driver expects most Loran gas could go to Atlantic, freeing other
sources, including Manakin/ Cocuina and Dragon, where NGC has an upstream investment, for Point Lisas. The Loran field forms part of the Loran-Manatee cross-border gas field, estimated to contain 10 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. On the T&T side, Shell is developing Manatee, with first gas expected in the second quarter of 2027. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar described the agreements as a boost to T&T’s energy security and its ambitions as a regional energy hub. Driver also sees longer-term opportunities in the Venezuelan offshore acreage,
including for Trinidad-based service companies. He urged the Government to engage the local service sector so that firms can position themselves for work related to the development and operation of the fields. Economist Dr Jamelia Harris also views the cross-border gas developments as positive, saying they could revive the energy sector and provide a steadier supply of gas to industries that depend on it. She expects spillover benefits for the services sector, alongside higher Government revenues and foreign exchange earnings. (Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
Antigua: Artisans urged to make products that ‘speak’ for CHOGM 2026
Persons at the Ministry of Creative Industries’ Craft and Artisanal Production Workshop
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ocal artisans have been challenged to elevate their craft to world-class standards as the country prepares to welcome thousands of visitors for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November. Chairman of the National CHOGM Task Force, Ambassador Clarence Pilgrim, delivered the feature address at the Ministry of Creative Industries’ Craft and Artisanal Production Workshop last week, describing craft as far more than the making of objects.
“Craft is memory made visible. It is identity given form,” Pilgrim said, adding that the workshop comes at a critical time as the nation looks to showcase its cultural confidence to the Commonwealth and the wider world. Pilgrim said visitors should encounter products that “could unmistakably come from nowhere else,” stressing that the “Made in Antigua and Barbuda” label must represent more than just a tag. “It should present quality, authenticity, imagination, and professional presentation, which is the purpose of this workshop,”
he said, noting that customer service, merchandising, branding, pricing and cultural authenticity all matter. “A beautiful product poorly presented loses value. A culturally significant product without its story loses meaning.” Pilgrim closed his address with a direct charge to the artisans in the room. “Do not make simply things. Make things that speak. Let Antigua and Barbuda speak through you,” he said at the training at the John E St Luce Conference Centre. (Excerpt from Antigua Observer)
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
guyanatimesgy.com
Around the World
OILNEWS OIL NEWS Asian shares mark time as Gulf war keeps oil prices up
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sian shares drifted sideways today while investors kept a wary eye on oil prices, which notched sizeable gains last week as the lack of progress towards ending the Iran war kept inflation risks tilted to the upside. Progress towards peace talks and oil tanker traffic through the strategic Strait of Hormuz remained halted. Iran on Saturday called on the United States to accept defeat, while US President Donald Trump urged Americans to accept higher gasoline prices while the conflict continues. At least 11 persons were killed in Israeli strikes in southern Lebanon on Saturday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said, some of the deadliest in the weeks since the country agreed to a US-mediated peace framework with neighbouring Israel. Brent crude was steady at US$88.50 a barrel after rising six per cent last week, while US crude slipped 0.3 per cent to US$82.12 a barrel, having gained 5.4 per cent last week. “While there is still no resolution to the Iran/Hormuz impasse, our base case remains that oil prices will stay in a US$70-US$100 range with Iran preventing it going lower and the US moving to try and calm things down whenever it gets above US$100,” Shane Oliver, chief economist at AMP, said in a note. “The risk remains that there will be no sustainable peace deal, the flow of oil out of the Middle East remains down 10 per cent-15 per cent on normal levels and that we will have to face higher oil prices as reserves run down.” Today, MSCI’s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan was flat, while Japan’s Nikkei edged 0.4 per cent higher. Australia’s resources-heavy shares slipped 0.3 per cent. All eyes are on the release of China’s activity data for July today after its exports boomed on robust global AI demand to support the world’s second largest economy. Forecasts are centred on a slowdown in industrial output growth to 4.8 per cent, from 5.3 per cent previously, while retail sales likely rose 1.5%. For Europe, EUROSTOXX 50 futures rose 0.2 per cent. S&P 500 futures gained 0.1 per cent, having hit a record last week, while Nasdaq futures firmed 0.2 per cent. The bullish run in stocks has been driven by diminishing risk that the Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates next month, which is now seen as a 69 per cent probability event after a slew of soft data. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Trump envoy Kushner meets Hamas leader to push Gaza peace plan
U
S President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy Jared Kushner has held rare talks with Hamas to discuss the implementation of the US-backed Gaza peace plan. A Palestinian official told the BBC Trump’s sonin-law met a delegation led by Hamas’s new leader Khalil al-Hayya in Egypt on Sunday. Last month, Trump’s Board of Peace said it had reached agreement for the ”complete disarmament” of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza. Last week, Israel rejected Trump’s 15-point plan which also calls for Israeli troops to withdraw and for Gaza to be
A Palestinian woman walks with children along a path lined with piles of rubble in the Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood of Gaza City [Getty Images]
rebuilt under a new civilian Palestinian administration. Eight Muslim countries issued a statement on Sunday condemning Israel’s rejection. Trump leads the Board
of Peace – created as an international organisation originally intended to bring peace to Gaza, but later expanded to include conflicts worldwide. Kushner’s meeting with
Hayya is said to be the first at this level since last year’s agreement of a ceasefire for the Gaza Strip. According to reports, Board of Peace envoys Nickolay Mladenov and United Kingdom ex-Prime Minister Tony Blair were also part of the meeting – alongside representatives of Egypt, Qatar and Turkey, which have mediated in the peace efforts. No official statement has been released of the talks reportedly focusing on concrete actions to decommission Hamas’s weapons – as well as the withdrawal of Israeli troops and humanitarian efforts. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Trump says US military to scale back drills with South Korea after it stayed out of Iran war
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resident Donald Trump has said the United States will ”substantially reduce” joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his ”very good relationship” with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un. He also noted on Truth Social that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the ”denuclearisation” of Iran. ”These exercises are not only costly, with much of the-
se costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile,” Trump posted. Seoul said the drills with the US would proceed ”as scheduled”. Pyongyang has not yet commented. It comes after North Korea this month conducted ballistic missile tests banned by the United Nations. Trump said in his social media post on Sunday that it
was ”too late to cancel”, as the US and South Korea were due to start their annual military exercises today. He added: ”While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, ’No thanks!’” Trump’s announcement came less than 24 hours after he posted an old photograph of himself and Kim from 2018,
writing the two were great friends ”despite the unfriendly look on this particular picture”. Last week, US and South Korean military leaders held a joint press conference announcing Ulchi Freedom Shield. They said the 11-day event would be similar in scale to previous years, with about 18,000 South Korean soldiers participating. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Thousands displaced US-Iran MoU set to expire by deadly Indonesia T earthquake as rescue efforts continue
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round 5000 persons have been displaced by a powerful earthquake in Indonesia that has caused at least 53 fatalities. Rescuers continue to search for survivors of the shallow magnitude 7.7 quake, which struck the island of Flores shortly before 05:00 local time on Saturday (22:00 GMT on Friday). Preliminary reports indicate more than 900 homes and hundreds of other buildings have been severely damaged by the tremor and 341 subsequent aftershocks, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said. The full scale of the disaster is still being uncovered, with news of a second magnitude 6.9 earthquake elsewhere in the country serving as a reminder of why Indonesia is part of the region is called the Ring of Fire. The initial earthquake, which occurred just 15 kilometres below the surface, was the south-east Asian nation’s deadliest sin-
ce 2022, when hundreds of people were killed in West Java. Tremors were reportedly felt by residents as far west as Bima, the BNPB said, but the Manggarai province was among the most affected. Abdul Muhari, deputy for the BNPB, confirmed 25 deaths had been recorded there, as well as 20 fatalities in East Manggarai province, four in Sikka province, two in Ende and at least one person in both the Nagekeo and West Manggarai provinces. A total of 3356 people had been displaced in Sikka, with a further 2078 evacuated in Manggarai, the agency said. Thirty-six people were seriously injured in East Nusa Tenggara province, while 77 suffered minor injuries, Deputy Health Minister Benjamin Paulus Octavianus said. It will take time to assess the full extent of the destruction in the region, which is remote and mountainous. (Excerpt from BBC News)
he Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at ending fighting between the United States and Iran is set to expire today, with little sign that either side is willing to extend the agreement, which both sides have accused the other of violating for weeks. “We have not yet made a decision to restart negotiations with the United States,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a post on Telegram on Saturday. Meanwhile, mediators from Qatar and Pakistan continued to exchange messages with Iran. Araghchi added that Iran was working on a separate agreement with Oman
An anti-US billboard in central Tehran, August 13, 2026 [Abedin Taherkenareh/EPA]
to hash out new shipping routes in the Strait of Hormuz, but emphasised that this was only possible if a political solution was reached.
On the US side, President Donald Trump told supporters in New York on Friday that the US would soon claim the critically important wa-
terway for itself. The agreement, signed on June 17 by Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, followed rare high-level talks hosted by Pakistan. It was meant to bring an end to more than three months of war that had killed thousands and crippled commercial movement in the Gulf, especially oil and gas exports relied on globally. Leaving complex issues such as Iran’s nuclear programme to be dealt with later, the agreement sought not only to find an immediate diplomatic solution to halt the war with Tehran, but also to find an end to conflict in Lebanon. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Russia hits steel plant in new strikes on Ukraine, Kyiv attacks Moscow region
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ussia carried out a wave of a irstrikes on Ukraine overnight, killing two persons at a steel plant, and Kyiv launched a heavy drone attack on the Moscow region that killed one person and set ablaze a warehouse used by Russia’s leading e-commerce retailer. Romania, which borders Ukraine, said an F-18 fighter on a NATO air policing mission had shot down a
drone that breached its airspace during the latest attacks. It did not specify the origin of the drone, which entered from Moldova, but a NATO spokesperson said it appeared to be Russian. Russia struck Ukraine’s largest grain export port on the River Danube near the Romanian border last week after stepping up attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks. Ukraine has also intensified attacks on Russian targets
including oil refineries, and both sides have struck commercial vessels in the Black Sea. In the latest attacks since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Russian forces struck Ukraine’s biggest steel plant overnight in the industrial city of Kryvyi Rih, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s home town. ”As a result of the attack, key production facilities in the power generati-
on and blast furnace sectors have been damaged, and the plant’s production processes have been partially halted,” ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih said on Telegram. A Russian missile strike on Kyiv early on Sunday caused fires in at least two districts of the capital, Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. The city’s military administration said three persons were injured. (Excerpt from Reuters)
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ARCHIE
DAILY HOROSCOPES You have too much to lose if you don’t concentrate on what you want to achieve. The sky’s the limit if you stay focused and are ready to take advantage of whatever comes your way.
(March 21-April 19) Distance yourself from volatile situations. Precision matters, and by eliminating outside interference and dedicating your attention to finishing what you start, you will overcome any unexpected changes that take place.
PICKLES
(April 20-May 20)
(May 21-June 20)
PEANUTS (June 21-July 22)
(July 23-Aug. 22)
CALVIN AND HOBBES
(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
If you take the path that offers insight into interesting pastimes, you’ll connect with someone who can offer insight into new possibilities. Expanding your circle of friends will also change how you spend your time. Put your emotions aside and your mind on what matters. Having discipline and working hard will help you make a difference in how you live. Set your mind on connecting with people who have something to contribute. If you explore creative ideas, you’ll hone your skills. Make up your mind, then follow through with your intentions. Be brave, make the first move and don’t apologize for being true to yourself and your desires. Recap the past in order to assess the present. Don’t change anything until you have a sense of what you want and know what you can achieve. Consider your skills and attributes and how you can put them to the test. Dig in and take pride in what you do. Focus on helping others and schmoozing, using charm and intelligence to lure those who have something you need or want in return.
(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)
SUDOKU
Put your time and effort into learning. What you know will determine how much you achieve. Be willing to go the extra mile to ensure you leave any competition you encounter far behind.
(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)
(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)
Step up and take over. No matter the situation, making yourself available and offering your skills and experience will turn into a platform to promote what you can do. Take a direct route. If you stop to talk or let something or someone sidetrack you, you will fall short. Keep the momentum flowing and your interactions to a minimum.
LAST PUBLSUISH WORD – REAMERS
SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE
(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Direct your attention to legal and medical issues. Focus on health, nutrition, exercise and maintaining good relationships with those you share space, expenses and concerns with.
(Jan. 20-Feb. 19) Consider how you can make your space cost-efficient and conducive to what you want to achieve. Comfort and convenience will lead to a successful outcome. Don’t bypass what matters most.
(Feb. 20-March 20)
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
21
Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund… Bangladesh trump Australia for historic win in Darwin RHTY&SC cricket teams host successful 7th edition of programme after Mehidy 5-for
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The Bangladesh team, led by Najmul Hossain Shanto, and support staff who were part of their first Test win in Australia
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angladesh shook up world cricket with their nine-wicket win against Australia in the Darwin Test. It was their first Test win in Australia in only their third attempt, although they were playing a Test in the country for the first time in 23 years. Bangladesh had beaten Australia in a Test at home nine years ago, too, but this victory was as comprehensive as it gets. The visitors absolutely trounced the much-vaunted number one team in the world. After Australia were bowled out for 284 in the second innings, Bangladesh were set a target of 57 runs on the fourth afternoon. Mominul Haque knocked the winning runs at 2:36pm local time. It left a full day of celebration for the players and support staff, and for the small group of fans, who made enough noise in an almost empty Marrara Oval on a Sunday. The win is a huge moment for Bangladesh, especially in a year when they missed the T20 World Cup for political reasons. They have, however, won significantly since March, culminating in this massive Test win. Hasan Mahmud taking nine wickets in the match and Tanzid Hasan scoring his maiden century were complemented by Mehidy Hasan Miraz’s half-century and five-wicket haul later in the game. Captain Najmul Hossain Shanto starred with the bat, and as a captain too. What made this win so unbelievable was Bangladesh’s form in the lead-up to this match. They crashed to 54 all out in the warm-up fixture against CA XI just the week before,
and they were missing their new pace sensation Nahid Rana in the Test series. Still, Bangladesh bowled out Australia for less than 300 runs in both innings, while their rickety batting line-up stood up ramrod straight in the Test. Bangladesh’s final victory push began on the third afternoon when they went 228 runs ahead of Australia in the first innings. On the fourth morning, when Australia were still trailing by 67 runs and four down, Mehidy tied up his end with plenty of dot balls, before Alex Carey played down the wrong line to be caught behind for 30. That was the opening Bangladesh needed. Mehidy then got one to drift away beautifully from Beau Webster and the ball knocked over his off stump. Pat Cummins fell to the offspinner with an inside edge to short leg, where Shadman Islam took the catch. Taskin Ahmed got
aaa
Mitchell Starc after lunch, before Cameron Green rushed to his third Test century. He batted solidly for his 104, but found little support at the other end. Green kept the visitors at bay by batting for nearly five hours for 201 deliveries that saw only four fours. Soon after Starc’s wicket, Green unleashed a mighty six over midwicket off Taskin, who put down the batter next ball, although off a tough return chance. Shanto brought back Mahmud, who rewarded him with Green’s wicket, though the ball kept low to hit the stumps after taking an under edge. Mahmud finally removed Green when he got the ball to nip back and stay low, taking the inside edge to bowl Australia’s number five. Mehidy got Nathan Lyon lbw to end the innings, which gave him his third five-wicket haul in an overseas Test and 15th overall. (ESPNcricinfo)
SCOREBOARD
Australia 2nd Innings Travis Head b Hasan Mahmud 17 Jake Weatherald b Hasan Mahmud 0 Marnus Labuschagne b Taijul Islam 31 Steven Smith c & b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 44 Cameron Green b Hasan Mahmud 104 Alex Carey † c †Litton Das b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 30 Beau Webster b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 5 Pat Cummins (c) c Shadman Islam b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 8 Mitchell Starc c †Litton Das b Taskin Ahmed 18 Nathan Lyon lbw b Mehidy Hasan Miraz 15 Josh Hazlewood not out 0 Extras (b 1, lb 6, nb 5) 12 Total 95.1 Ov (RR: 2.98) 284 Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Jake Weatherald, 1.3 ov), 2-37 (Travis Head, 10.2 ov), 3-73 (Marnus Labuschagne, 19.6 ov), 4-122 (Steven Smith, 37.2 ov), 5-178 (Alex Carey, 59.3 ov), 6-193 (Beau Webster, 65.6 ov), 7-207 (Pat Cummins, 73.6 ov),
8-250 (Mitchell Starc, 86.5 ov), 9-278 (Cameron Green, 92.5 ov), 10-284 (Nathan Lyon, 95.1 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Taskin Ahmed 18-3-66-1 Hasan Mahmud 19-3-56-3 Ebadot Hossain 8-0-38-0 Taijul Islam 17-1-51-1 Mehidy Hasan Miraz 33.1-6-66-5 Bangladesh 2nd Innings (T: 57 runs) Shadman Islam not out 25 Tanzid Hasan b Hazlewood 0 Mominul Haque not out 30 Extras (lb 2) 2 Total 14.2 Ov (RR: 3.97) 57/1 Did not bat: Najmul Hossain Shanto (c), Mushfiqur Rahim, Litton Das †, Mehidy Hasan Miraz, Taijul Islam, Hasan Mahmud, Taskin Ahmed, Ebadot Hossain Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Tanzid Hasan, 1.5 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Mitchell Starc 4-0-15-0 Josh Hazlewood 3-1-5-1 Nathan Lyon 5-0-23-0 Beau Webster 2.2-0-12-0
he memory of the legendary Basil Fitzpatrick Butcher who died in December 2019 in the United States of America continues to be kept alive by the cricket teams of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC). The teams, over the past two months, have distributed items valued over $5 million to youth, churches, fellow sport clubs and schools across Berbice and the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) under the seventh edition of the RHTY&SC Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund. The Trust Fund was organised with the assistance of numerous friends of the five-time Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Club of the Year awardee and a friend of the family. The teams – Poonai’s Pharmacy Under-12 and Under-13, Farfan and Mendes Under-15, Bakewell Under- 17 and Second Division, Pepsi Under-19 and Intermediate, Metro Females and NAMILCO Thunderbolt Flour Under-21 and First Division – started the Memorial Trust Fund in 2020 with the support and blessings of Butcher’s family, including his wife Pamela and children. Over the years, hundreds of youths have benefited from donations of sport gear, educational materials, uniforms, household items, bicycles, electronic gadgets and food hampers, etc. This year’s edition was organised under the supervision of Club Secretary Hilbert Foster, Organising Secretary Keith Hicks and Cricket Manager Robby Kissoonlall and included the distribution of close to 1000 school bags with educational materials to students at the primary and secondary levels. The materials included hardcover school books, other exercise books, pens, pencils, erasers, sharpeners and rulers. The cricket teams also distributed a total of 22 cycles across Berbice with the main aim of assisting students to attend school or cricket practice. A total of 19 electronic tablets and 11 personal laptop computers were also distributed to youths across the county while the RHTY&SC cricket teams organised several other activities. They included the
A look at five students who received new bicycles
Droupattie Ramsammy Tribute to Students, Heeralall Seenerine Memorial Tribute to Teachers, Tribute to Medical Workers, Tribute to Medical Doctors, Tribute to Fathers, Tribute to Mothers, Francois Crutley Grade 6 Summer Camp and the annual cricket academy. Several churches and schools also benefited from the donation of food hampers, trophies, medals, sport equipment and educational materials including the St Francis Roman Catholic Youth Club, Rose Hall Town Nursery School, Rose Hall Town Primary School, St Agnes Anglican Church, Berbice Cricket Board, Scottsburg Cricket Club, Guyana Fire Service Rose Hall Branch, Port Mourant Public Hospital and the Beyonce Ross Memorial Athletics Committee. The St Francis Xavier Roman Catholic Church received over $200,000 worth of items including a cycle, 30 school bags, educational materials and 10 special gifts for a quiz competition during the Vocational Bible Studies. The Berbice Cricket Board received a collection of trophies while numerous schools received trophies, framed certificates, and medals for their graduation ceremonies. Organising Cricket Manager Kissoonlall stated that the value of all the items distributed under the 2026 edition of the Basil Butcher Memorial Trust Fund was about $5 million. He stated that the Club was privileged to honour Butcher, a close friend to the RHTY&SC for over 20 years. He noted that the legendary West Indies middle-order batsman was a hero and mentor to many members. Butcher, he said, was always available to offer words of wisdom to all the youth in the club. Organising Secretary
Hicks urged the youths and organisations who benefited to take care of the different items, especially the laptop computers, electronic tablets, bicycles, tricycles, school bags, household utensils and sport gear. Butcher, who died at the age of 86, played 44 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 3104 runs at an average of 43.11 with seven centuries and 16 half-centuries between 1958 and 1969. He took five Test wickets and was also a very solid performer for Guyana and Berbice with the bat. Butcher also served as a cricket manager and selector at the West Indies level after his retirement. The RHTY&SC since its formation in 1990 has been one of the leading cricket clubs in Guyana with 134 championship titles while producing 133 players for Berbice, 76 for Guyana, and 13 for the international level. The club wished to express gratitude to all of its donors who made the 2026 Basil Butcher Trust Fund a success especially King’s Jewellery World, National Hardware, Lennox Cush, Jamie McDonald, Beepat’s, Republic Bank, Comfort Sleep, Faizal Jaffarally, NAMILCO, HA Snacks Co Ltd, Ricks and Sari Ltd, Trendsetter Tours, GNNL, Skeldon Energy, Global Visa, Beacon Cafe, Kevin Brijaddor, Jolen Lewis Styles, Trim Construction, Aubrey David, Ministry of Housing, Housing Minister Collin Croal, Junior Sport Minister Steven Jacobs, The National Assembly, Canadian Surplus, GUYBIZ, Premcorp Consultancy Services, Data Technology, Delmur Shipping, Trophy Stall, Panthera Solutions, Bakewell, KSM Investments, ARMCO Construction, Metro Office Supplies, DDL and parliamentarian Zamal Hussain.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
Deo claims overall honours Nuwantha, Jayasuriya Dr at DemLife Golf Tournamaent make an impact, but D India well ahead r Joaan Deo emerged as the overall winner of the DemLife Golf Tournament, following an exciting day of competitive golf at the Lusignan Golf Club (LGC) on Saturday. The tournament attracted 28 players, with golfers taking to the lush, well-manicured fairways of the Club for a day filled with skill, competition, and camaraderie. Deo produced the standout performance of the tournament, carding 84 gross and 70 net. Her impressive performance also saw her
A look at the winners row
both the Nearest to Pin and Best Gross awards.
Prabath Jayasuriya picked up three wickets on a rain-hit day
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eshara Nuwantha gave a much better account of himself on his second day of Test cricket, but India still made their way towards a formidable first-innings total on another rain-hit day. Devdutt Padikkal converted his overnight 131 into 167, Dhruv Jurel scored an inconspicuous little half-century as India reached 460 for 9 in the 43 overs possi-
length, Pant soon holed out to a good catch at wide midoff. While such a shot is not out of character for Pant, it was quite similar to how Shubman Gill got out on the first day, suggesting India did not want to waste time after the good start they had got. The turnaround for Sri Lanka came when they took the second new ball as soon as it became available, sev-
Devdutt Padikkal converted his first Test ton to 150
ble after rain took out the first half of the day. Three of the first four wickets on the second day fell to Nuwantha, who bowled an unbroken 16-over spell, before Prabath Jayasuriya added three to his one wicket overnight. Possibly worried about the time lost already and the forecast during the rest of the Test, India’s batting had a sense of adventure resuming on 288 for 2. Rishabh Pant hit a four off the first ball he faced, but with the pitch progressing towards more turn and Nuwantha holding his
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en overs into the day. They stuck with Nuwantha with the new ball, who found
Dr Joaan Deo was the overall winner at the DemLife Tournament
capture the 13-18 Flight and Longest Drive prizes, making it a particularly successful outing for the accomplished golfer. The competition remained exciting throughout the day, as players battled across the different flights and individual categories. The lush surroundings and challenging layout of the Lusignan course provided the perfect setting for golfers to test their accuracy, distance, and consistency. Mohanlal Dinanauth was among the other standout performers, capturing
In the Senior Flight, Hilbert Shields claimed first place with 91 gross and 72 net, while Bala Vinjimor secured the top spot in the 1928 Flight, finishing with 102 gross and 74 net. Patrick Prashad took first place in the 0-12 Flight, recording 84 gross and 72 net. The tournament provided an entertaining display of golfing talent, with players competing not only for flight honours but also for special prizes that added to the excitement of the event. From the opening tee
Tournament Results
Overall Winner: Dr Joaan Deo 84 Gross/70 Net Longest Drive: Dr Joaan Deo Nearest to Pin: Mohanlal Dinanauth Best Gross: Mohanlal Dinanauth 80 Senior Flight: Hilbert Shields 91 Gross/72 Net 19-28 Flight: Bala Vinjimor 102 Gross/74 Net 13-18 Flight: Dr Joaan Deo 84 Gross/70 Net 0-12 Flight: Patrick Prashad 84 Gross/72 Net
Tucber Park beat Albion to claim BCB Under-19 title CLASSIFIED ADS VACANCY
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Dhananjaya de Silva takes a stunning catch at slip
SCOREBOARD
India 1st Innings Yashasvi Jaiswal run out (Jayasuriya/†Dickwella) 32 KL Rahul c KNM Fernando b Nuwantha 82 Devdutt Padikkal st †Dickwella b Jayasuriya 167 Shubman Gill (c) c Igalagamage b Jayasuriya 16 Rishabh Pant † c Dinusha b Nuwantha 39 Dhruv Jurel c de Silva b Jayasuriya 51 Ravindra Jadeja lbw b Nuwantha 13 Manav Suthar c Igalagamage b Jayasuriya 24 Mohammed Siraj c de Silva b AM Fernando 11 Kuldeep Yadav not out 12 Prasidh Krishna not out 1 Extras (b 4, lb 3, nb 4, w 1) 12
sharp turn and natural variation to go with better accuracy. After Pant, he had KL Rahul, back after cramps paused his innings on day one, caught at bat-pad with a sharp offbreak. For Ravindra Jadeja, the natural variation came in handy as he trapped the all-rounder lbw. Padikkal, meanwhile, continued from where he left off, using the depth of the crease against spin and then brought up his 150 with a nonchalant flick off Asitha Fernando. He looked to dominate Jayasuriya again, but the spinner had his own back with a delivery that held its line and left the batter stranded outside the crease. At 377 for 6, any hopes Sri Lanka had of restricting India were put paid to by a 55-run stand between Jurel and Manav Suthar. Jurel hardly looked like he was there, but you looked up at the scorecard and he was bringing up his fifty with another nudged single. The two disdainful pulls for four
shots to the final scores, the DemLife Golf Tournament showcased the competitive spirit that continues to drive the growth of golf in Guyana. The event also brought together golfers of varying experience and handicaps, creating an atmosphere of sportsmanship and fellowship on and off the course. At the end of the day, it was Deo who stood above the field, with her 70 net earning her the coveted overall championship. The DemLife Golf Tournament was a successful celebration of golf, competition, and community, with the picturesque Lusignan Golf Club once again providing a fitting backdrop for an exciting day on the greens.
Total 116 Ov (RR: 3.96) 460/9 Fall of wickets: 1-47 (Yashasvi Jaiswal, 10.6 ov), 1-197* (KL Rahul, retired not out), 2-236 (Shubman Gill, 61.5 ov), 3-307 (Rishabh Pant, 80.4 ov), 4-319 (KL Rahul, 84.1 ov), 5-357 (Devdutt Padikkal, 91.3 ov), 6-377 (Ravindra Jadeja, 98.1 ov), 7-432 (Dhruv Jurel, 109.1 ov), 8-447 (Mohammed Siraj, 112.6 ov), 9-447 (Manav Suthar, 113.1 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Asitha Fernando 17-1-61-1 Lahiru Kumara 13-1-76-0 Keshara Nuwantha 39-1-175-3 Prabath Jayasuriya 39-6-109-4 Dhananjaya de Silva 4-0-15-0 Sonal Dinusha 4-0-17-0
off Lahru Kumara stood out, though. In a fashion that would have only encouraged India, Jayasuriya got one to turn from leg for a stunning slip catch for Dhananjaya de Silva soon after Jurel brought up his fifty. India then promoted Mohammed Siraj, possibly looking for quick runs, who hit Nuwantha for a big six before falling to a slower ball from Asitha. Suthar immediately hit Jayasuriya straight to long-on in the dying moments of the day. (ESPNcricinfo)
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Tucber Park defeated Albion in their backyard to claim the title
ucber Park went into Albion’s backyard and secured a comfortable 57-run win in the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB)/Guyana Breweries Inc Under-19 final. In the final played Sunday at the Albion Community Centre Ground, Tucber Park took first strike and were bowled out for 150 in 32.2 overs with Thiery Henry top-scoring with 34 and Gilbert Griffith supporting with 27. In reply, Albion were bundled out for 93 in a poor performance in front of
their home supporters. For Tucber, fast bowler Jayhayden Rohlehr bagged 4-14. He displayed skill and serious pace that made the Albion batters uncomfortable. National Under-19 leftarm spinner Griffith was at his very best as he claimed 4-21 in a dominant Tucber Park performance. National Under-19 fast bowler Micah Amsterdam had 1-24 and Shamar Thomas had 1-6. The tournament was deemed a success and the BCB expressed gratitude to the sponsors.
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
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Beharry U19 T20 Tournament… CPL, WCPL announce time start changes to 2 GAW Grimmond steers BEI into final matches on September 6 …Dindyal gives Annandale shot at final
The WCPL and CPL have announced a time change to two fixtures on September 6
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he Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL) and the Limacol Women’s CPL (WCPL) have advised of start time changes to two fixtures involving the Guyana Amazon Warriors on Sunday, September 6. In the Limacol WCPL, the Guyana Amazon Warriors Women will take on the Jamaica Empress from 10:00h at the Kensington Oval in Barbados as opposed to the initially-given time of 14:00h.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors Men will now battle the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots from 15:00h at the Guyana National Stadium instead of the initially-given time of 10:00h. Meanwhile, the men’s CPL match between Barbados Tridents and Saint Lucia Kings, also at Kensington Oval on September 6, is unaffected by these changes and will still start at 19:00h as scheduled.
Junior Jags maul Montserrat 8-1 in CFU opener
Guyana’s U14 goalscorers from left: Aaron Vasconcellos, Cavon Peters, Wayshawn Forde, Lujon Dos Santos and Dane Vancooten
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uyana’s national Under-14 boys enjoyed a dream start to their campaign in the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Under-14 Boys’ Challenge Series on Sunday, with a massive 8-1 thumping of Montserrat in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. Head Coach Jamal Pedro lined up Captain Dylan Kendall, goalkeeper Royston Winter, Daniel Chesney, Teon Francis, Andrew Brown, Gilbert Frank, Cavon Peters, Fabio Kowlessar, Aaron Vasconcelles, Dontay Kowlessar, and Dane Vancooten. Guyana established their dominance early, taking a 2-1 lead at half time, with Peters and Vancooten finding the back of the net to give the young Golden Jaguars the advantage heading into the second half. The Guyanese side shifted into another gear after the break, producing a relentless
attacking display that saw them score six additional goals to complete the impressive 8-1 triumph. Aaron Vasconcellos struck twice and Lujon Dos Santos once, while
as the team continue their campaign in the CFU U14 Challenge Series, following months of preparation under the Guyana Football Federation’s FIFA Talent Development Scheme (TDS). The U14 Boys will return to action today, Monday, August 17, when they face Anguilla in their second match of the competition. Guyana will be looking to build on their strong opening performance and maintain momentum as the Challenge Series continues. In a missive, the GFF congratulated the U14 Boys on their outstanding opening performance and striking victory over Montserrat. “The Federation extends its best wishes to the players, technical staff, and en-
The Junior Jaguars will be back in action today against Anguilla
Wayshawn Forde delivered a hat-trick to cap a dominant team display. The well-deserved victory provides Guyana with an important opening result
tire team as they prepare for their next challenge against Anguilla and continue their campaign in the CFU U14 Challenge Series,” they noted.
Brandon Grimmond is hoisted by his teammates after claiming the tournament’s first hat-trick (Jemima Holmes photo)
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stunning all-round display from Brandon Grimmond, inclusive of a hat-trick, a five-for and 25 runs, was the highlight on Sunday afternoon at the Queen’s College Ground in Georgetown as Berbice Educational Institute (BEI) stormed into the inaugural Beharry Group Under-19 Secondary Schools’ T20 tournament final. Earlier in the day, Ruel Dindyal spurred a late collapse of Covent Garden Secondary with a four-wicket haul to give Annandale Secondary a shot at the final in Wednesday’s Qualifier.
it proved a little too much for the Essequibo lads.
Annandale oust Covent Garden with 46-run triumph
Earlier on Sunday, Annandale Secondary booked their spot in the upcoming
Ruel Dindyal grabbed 4-15 (4 overs) to keep Annandale in the match. He was assisted with the ball by Kevin Singh (3-19 in 4 overs) and Akeem Persaud (2-19 in 4 overs). However, Covent Garden could only muster 81-10 from
Berbice Educational Institute cruise past Abram Zuil into final
In spite of missing a number of their seasoned players to club duties on Sunday, BEI continued their fine form, cruising to 89-4 in 16.5 overs, after stifling rivals Abram Zuil Secondary to 88 all out in the opening innings. For Abram Zuil, leading run-scorer Ravid Fredericks, who hit scores of 91* and 92* in recent games, set the tone with a run-a-ball 30, backed by Otis Roberts’ 17. National all-rounder Grimmond lit up the QC venue with the tournament’s first hat-trick in the 17th over. Grimmond went on to register exceptional returns of 5-10 (3.2 overs) while Ray Ramnauth grabbed 2-26 (3 overs) and Geovani Amsterdam 1-7 (2 overs) to complete a dominant bowling effort. BEI then strolled to their target inside 17 overs after one of the tournament’s leading scorers in Luke Amsterdam hit 33 off 29 alongside the talented Grimmond, who batted sensibly for his gritty 25 from 41 balls. Despite the consistency of the Abram Zuil bowling attack, which saw top performers in Rhonel Nurse (2-10 in 4 overs), Eshwar Tilak (1-17 in 4 overs) and Fredericks (1-25 in 4 overs), trying to keep their side in the game,
Ruel Dindyal claimed a four-wicket haul for Annandale Secondary (Jemima Holmes photo)
Qualifier 2. A string of knocks from Joshua Bollers (29 off 33), Akeem Persaud (27 off 20) and Sanjay Dindyal (24* from 25) kept Annandale in a strong position as they ended on 127-6 off 20 overs, batting first. The trio accounted for the majority of the team’s runs after a brief collapse, consolidating nicely to take their team past the 100-run mark.
17 overs, with Kalpoo coming back to score 24 off 20, apart from Schultz, he was the only batter to reach double digits on the Covent Garden card. Annandale Secondary and Abram Zuil Secondary will clash for the last remaining final spot in Qualifier 2 on Wednesday, August 19. That battle will take centre stage at the Enterprise Community Centre Ground, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
The bowling for Convent Garden was spearheaded by Vinesh Kalpoo (2-8 in 4 overs) and Shane Khan (225 in 4 overs), who took charge with the ball. After a strong start to the chase from Covent Garden, s p e a r headed by Jamele Schultz’ Grimmond returned 33-ball to play a gritty knock 27, evenwith the bat (Jemima tual Man Holmes photo) of the Match
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MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2026
Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business
CPL, WCPL announce Grimmond steers time start changes BEI into final to two GAW matches …Dindyal gives Annandale shot at final on September 6 Beharry U19 T20 Tournament…
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Junior Jags maul Montserrat 8-1 in CFU opener Pg 23
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