Health Ministry, Police host 3-day empowerment training in Region 2 P16
WHAT'S INSIDE:
"Running a country isn't a boat ride” Ali slams 'Saga Boy' politics
…champions PPP's vision for Guyana's future
Raghoo’s Bar shut down after sexual assault, egged on by DJ
GECOM clears 6 political parties to contest Sept 1 elections
Essequibo duo slapped with separate rape charges
APNU rules out joinder list talks; AFC shops around for allies, mum on PM candidate “Doggie” granted $270,000 bail on firearm, assaultrelated charges
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, July 19 – 23:55h-01:30h and Sunday, July 20 – No closure.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Saturday, July 19 –11:10h-12:40h and Sunday, July 20 – 12:35h-14:05h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Thundery showers are expected during the day, and cloudy skies with late-night showers are expected at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 24 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 3.12 metres.
High Tide: 11:22h and 22:46h reaching maximum heights of 2.3 metres and 2.39 metres.
Low Tide: 17:13h reaching a minimum height of 0.94 metre.
PPP/C “keeps its word” – Jagdeo
...promises continued development, realistic campaigning, at Patentia rally
“We came here in the bad times, we have come in the good times, and we will keep coming to these communities over the next five years to ensure all of our people move forward. We are a responsive party.”
This was the central message from People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) General Secretary (GS) and Vice President (VP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo during a major public meeting held Friday night at the Patentia Market Square, Region Three, as the party intensified its campaign ahead of Guyana’s September 1, 2025 General and Regional Elections.
With election day approaching, the PPP/C has signalled its intent to run a campaign focused on performance, continuity and development – promising to be, in Jagdeo’s words, a party that “keeps its word.”
Addressing a large
have since been rehired. He explained to the gathered residents that similar plans to restore Wales were stalled due to the dismantling of critical infrastructure.
“They had already given away the lands, sold out the houses, and sold out the factory as scrap metal,” he explained.
Achievements
GS Jagdeo painted a broader picture of the party’s economic and social achievements since returning to office in 2020, including job creation, the return of subsidies for pensioners, and expanded healthcare access.
crowd, gathered despite a competing night of cricket, Dr Jagdeo emphasised that the PPP/C is committed to building on the gains made over the past five years, and campaigning with substance. “When we campaign, we campaign on real things,” he told the crowd. “Some parties promise things without regard to their sustainability… It’s not the money, it’s about how you use the money and your capabilities.”
Jagdeo also recalled the hardships experienced by residents of Patentia and nearby communities following the 2016 closure of the Wales Sugar Estate under the previous A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Administration.
He said the decision devastated thousands of families, stripping workers of their livelihoods and cane farmers of their economic base. The meeting was held just a short distance from the now-defunct estate. He reaffirmed the PPP/C’s commitment to the sugar industry, noting that 4,000 of the 7,000 laid-off sugar workers
“60,000 more people are working now than in 2020,” he said, highlighting job creation as a key pillar of the Government’s success.
He also announced several major infrastructural projects for Region Three, including commercial development across the West Bank, waterfront tourism facilities, and the $300 million port development at Vreed-en-Hoop that is expected to significantly expand Guyana’s shipping capabilities and create thousands of jobs.
The toll on the Demerara Harbour Bridge will also be removed starting August 1, and the new bridge is expected to be completed in the coming months.
Healthcare infrastructure is also set for upgrades, including plans to demolish and rebuild the West Demerara Regional Hospital (WDRH).
The community of Patentia at the public meeting held Friday night at the Patentia Market Square
The incident at Raghoo’s Bar at Soesdyke Junction represents far more than a singular act of criminal depravity; it is an alarming indictment of a society increasingly numbed to violence and stripped of its moral compass. The sexual assault of a young woman in full public view, not only witnessed but recorded and shared across social media, is a chilling display of the breakdown in both law and community values.
The imagery circulating online is both disturbing and shameful. It reveals a crowd of bystanders, men and women, who chose spectacle over decency, clicks over conscience. It is not only the crime that shocks the conscience, but the indifference and complicity of those who stood by, cameras aloft, while a woman was being degraded and dehumanised.
What occurred was not an attack, it was a collective failure - a stain on the very fabric of public responsibility. Bystander apathy has always existed, but in this instance, it evolved into active participation through the act of filming and disseminating footage of the assault. That such an act could be met with jeering, cheering, and digital sharing rather than outrage and intervention is a sobering reality of the society now being cultivated.
Lawlessness is not only defined by the act of committing a crime but also by the willingness of a society to turn a blind eye or, worse, to amplify harm through public platforms. The digital age has fostered an alarming new form of detachment. The phone, once a potential tool for reporting crimes, has instead become a weapon of voyeurism and desensitisation. When recording takes precedence over rescuing, society veers dangerously close to moral collapse.
The role of the DJ in this incident, reportedly encouraging the perpetrator during the assault, represents a further descent into societal disregard for human dignity. In any civilised community, entertainment must never be confused with abuse. Encouragement of criminal behaviour, especially from someone in a position of influence in a social setting, is irresponsible and inhumane.
The swift closure of Raghoo’s Bar, the launch of a police investigation, and public statements from both the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security and the Ministry of Home Affairs are necessary first steps. But these measures must not be viewed in isolation. They must be part of a broader commitment to addressing the underlying culture that allows such behaviour to occur and to be applauded in the first place.
Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud, was unambiguous in her condemnation of the incident.
Her call for members of the public to act with compassion rather than cowardice is both timely and necessary. It is a reminder that justice is not solely the burden of law enforcement. It is a societal obligation - each individual must choose to uphold or abandon.
As the investigation continues, there must be accountability, not only for the perpetrator but for any individuals found to have encouraged, recorded, or distributed footage of the crime. The law must be enforced, and examples must be made if similar incidents are to be prevented. The violation of a person’s body is not entertainment, and sharing such footage is a secondary assault.
Additionally, this moment demands reflection. What values are being passed to the next generation when a woman’s suffering becomes content, when empathy is eclipsed by entertainment? The education system, religious institutions, community organisations, and media must each take part in rebuilding a sense of shared responsibility and decency.
There is also a pressing need for expanded public education on the legal and ethical implications of sharing content depicting abuse. Distribution of such videos is not only morally reprehensible; it is legally punishable. Further, it retraumatises victims and reinforces a culture of humiliation.
What happened at Soesdyke should never be allowed to happen again.
Why is it so hard for the authorities to win public trust? Maybe because they keep lying to us
By GaBy Hinsliff
If you were to invent a scandal expressly to convince conspiracy theorists they were right all along, the story of the Afghan super injunction would be hard to beat.
A secret back door into Britain through which thousands of immigrants were brought, under cover of a draconian legal gagging order that helpfully also concealed an act of gross incompetence by the British state? It’s a right-wing agitator’s dream.
“The real disinformation”, wrote Dominic Cummings on X, a platform notably awash with real disinformation, “is the regime media.” Yes, that Dominic Cummings.
It was hard enough already to counter paranoia about alleged grooming gang cover-ups, policing of immigrant communities or imaginary supposed plots to flood the country with refugees just so they can vote Labour. Now, like stopped clocks fleetingly getting the time right twice a day, the usual suspects will pounce: see, the deep state does lie to you! Meanwhile fantasists of all political stripes and none, whose go-to explanation for why the hated mainstream media mysteriously isn’t covering their pet theory is invariably “there must be a super injunction”, will have a field day.
But you don’t have to wear a tinfoil hat to find this particular cover-up unnerving. In parliament, the Conservative MP Mark Pritchard asked the defence secretary, John Healey, how anyone could be sure there were no other Government super injunctions active. If there were, he added, presumably Healey couldn’t tell him anyway.
How does anyone know who to trust in an era when excess naivety and unwarranted suspicion can both have demonstrably terrible consequences? It’s not just a political question.
This week, Constance Marten and Mark Gordon
were convicted of the gross negligence manslaughter of their new-born daughter Victoria, who died sleeping in a tent on a freezing January night while her parents were on the run from social workers, their families, and authority in general. The couple, whose first four children were already in care, were probably right to fear her being taken from them. But at least she could have lived if they’d trusted social services enough to engage.
The week before, it emerged that a child had died in Liverpool of measles, a completely preventable disease of which there have been continuing outbreaks thanks to a complex mix of complex factors, including vaccine scepticism and mistrust of the medical establishment. (Though it’s not known if this poor child was vaccinated – measles can be dangerous for people with compromised immune systems even if they’ve had the jab – the point of keeping vaccine uptake high is to protect the vulnerable by preventing outbreaks such as the one currently active in the northwest.)
In the US, meanwhile, Donald Trump has enraged his own fanbase by insisting that only “stupid people” believe there was a Government cover-up over the death of the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein – a cherished MAGA belief Trump seemed happy to stoke back when the idea of a plot to protect some wicked liberal elite suited him. There would be more schadenfreude in seeing the president hoist by his own post-truth petard if his followers didn’t have a proven capacity for violence when angered.
What ties these very different stories together is a creeping crisis of faith in institutions from medicine to the law and politics to policing, which has begun to feel actively dangerous. Yet knowing that doesn’t make reversing it any easier.
I’ve been thinking about
this on and off for months, since joining a think tank roundtable on restoring public trust that posed some difficult practical questions. My tuppence worth was on rock-bottom levels of trust in the media. But would a return to believing everything you read or heard be healthy? I can’t in all conscience say so: not when there are so many underregulated new platforms I wouldn’t trust to tell the time of day, and AI fakes are getting so sophisticated. Trusting the media less is logical, maybe even necessary, in the circumstances. Yet rational scepticism can all too quickly spiral into blanket suspicion of everything and everyone, justified or not. No society can function like that.
One answer is that where trust is no longer automatic, powerful institutions can earn it back by submitting to clear checks and balances. And that’s exactly what didn’t happen with the Ministry of Defence super injunction.
Faced with a catastrophic leak – a soldier emailing a spreadsheet of names that put up to 100,000 Afghans potentially at risk – the then Conservative Government had a moral duty to protect those endangered. Though it’s likely many were already identifiable as Taliban targets via other means, it wasn’t unreasonable to seek a brief temporary news blackout while organising an evacuation, followed by full public disclosure at the earliest safe opportunity.
But it should have been brief – nothing like a 600-day injunction – and crucially, parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC) should have been brought into the loop to ensure it was. Invented to provide democratic oversight in sensitive situations when briefing every last gossipy backbencher is impractical, the ISC could have acted as guarantors of the public’s right to know. Instead, it was left to an incoming Labour defence secretary to question
whether spending billions on secretively righting past wrongs was the best use of public money, prompting a review that collapsed the whole house of cards.
Trust in the British state, at home and abroad, will inevitably be the casualty. While about 24,000 of those named in the leak are already in Britain or on the way, the rest are being expected simply to accept the revised view that they’re safe where they are. Amid the chaos, as the former veterans minister Johnny Mercer points out, it’s likely some with frankly tenuous connections to the UK gained sanctuary essentially for being victims of British ineptitude, while some Afghan special forces soldiers who bravely fought the Taliban alongside the British (and were promised they’d be looked after as a result) have been puzzlingly left behind. That is the kind of injustice that echoes down generations.
Back home, meanwhile, ministers must now brace for far-right attempts to exploit this scandal and for some uncomfortable questions.
Was the super injunction really about saving lives, sparing political blushes, avoiding inflaming already high tensions over immigration or all of the above? And when exactly would the MoD have voluntarily confessed if a handful of journalists – the same old legacy media that apparently nobody trusts –hadn’t got wind of what happened?
For that’s the paradox, right there: sometimes the alternatives to putting your faith in an institution which has previously failed you –be it social services, doctors, journalists or conventional politics – are even worse. Trust everybody, and you might get taken for a fool. Trust nobody, and you become the fool. Unfortunately, there’s no easy way round that. (The Guardian) Gaby Hinsliff is a Guardian columnist.
French cavalry arrive at the annual Bastille Day military parade in Paris, France, July 14, 2025. Nationwide festivities commemorate the 1789 storming of the Bastille prison, a pivotal moment in the French Revolution (Al Jazeera)
Banking services, ATMs, passport & drivers license kiosks, cheaper electricity for Reg. 8 – Pres Ali at Mahdia meeting
Residents of Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) will soon benefit from direct access to banking services and key Government services like renewal of drivers licences and passport, among a host of other initiatives aimed at enhancing the lives of persons there. This was announced by President Irfaan Ali at a People’s Progressive Party(PPP) public meeting held in Mahdia on Friday evening.
According to Ali, for two days per week, at least one of the commercial banks will be there to serve residents of Mahdia and surrounding communities.
He further revealed that residents can also expect ATMs set up in township.
“You don’t have any banks or branches here. That is why we’re speaking now to the private sector, and they have promised us... in the coming weeks, [to bring] representative offices here in Mahdia,” he announced.
“We’ve already heard from another provider that they’re going to put in ATMs here in Mahdia and surrounding communities, so that we can bring financial services to you here,” the President stated. Under a
new PPP/C Administration, Region Eight residents can also expect Government services like renewal of drivers licences and passports coming to them, removing the burden of having to travel to access these key services.
“Our investment would see right here in this region – you will walk to a kiosk and renew your driver’s licence without leaving here...so that we make life more comfortable. We’ll create the infrastructure here so that you can renew your passport, you can get your new passport, you can get your re-
Mocha businesswoman gunned down during alleged robbery
– Suspects escape on motorcycle after fatal attack
Aboutique owner was shot dead on Friday afternoon during what police believe was a robbery at her place of business in Mocha, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The victim has been identified as 51-year-old Desiree Hyman, a mother of six and longtime clothes vendor.
The shooting occurred around 14:30h at Lot 297 Mocha, where Hyman operated a small boutique. Investigators say she was attacked by two masked men who arrived at the shop on a motorcycle. One of the suspects was armed with a handgun.
Commander of Regional Division 4B EBD, Superintendent Wayne DeHeart, who led the response to the scene, said Hyman was confronted by the men, who reportedly attempted to rob her. During the encounter, she resisted, and one of the suspects opened fire. Hyman was shot six times, three bullets struck the left side of her lower abdomen, two hit the right side, and another was lodged under her right breast. After the shooting, the suspects fled the scene on the motorcycle, heading in a northern
direction.
Police later recovered two 9mm spent shells and one suspected projectile about three feet away from her body. Emergency Medical Technicians (EMT) from the Eccles Fire Station responded, and a doctor from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) pronounced her dead at approximately 16:40 hrs.
Her body was taken to the Memorial Gardens Mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination. Several CCTV cameras were spotted around the area, and police say footage is being reviewed as part of the investigation.
Hyman, who lived at Lot 625 Mocha, had been selling clothes in the area for years. Her killing, according to her family, is a shock. Residents in the community also say crime has been increasing. Her husband, Mark Hyman, with whom she shared more than 30 years of marriage and six children, told reporters that he had only just spoken to her moments before the incident.
“I bought a Vitamalt and I bring it and give her this afternoon. She asked me if I was going home, and I told her no I am going and finish off a job. When I reach back to work, somebody
called me and told me come now that my wife died”, he said. “When I come, I see a lot of people out here and a guy told me that he followed them… it was two guys on a motorcycle, but he lost track of them…”
He described her as a hardworking woman, someone who would give even her last to help others. Her generosity, he said, extended beyond family, to customers and strangers alike.
“My wife is hardworking. She would get up in the morning and sometimes she would cook, sometimes she wouldn’t cook, and she would come out here and work… she is always outgoing to everybody… she is always willing to assist people in the community. Everybody knows Desiree. She has been selling here for a while… This must hurt, we have been together for almost 40 years”, her husband said. Their daughter, visibly shaken, said her mother lived a quiet life and was not known to carry large sums of money.
“At around 2:30h, somebody called me and told me if anybody tell me somebody shot my mom. I just hurry and come… when I come in, my brother that was in there say that mommy dead. She didn’t have nothing here for them to rob she. She don’t come here with no kind of money. All she had was she two piece of ring and she chain… why they had to kill
she like that…?” the woman cried.
Hyman’s sister Karen also described her as a determined woman who was always working to provide for her children.
“She is very hardworking… she works hard for everything… she didn’t deserve this”, the woman said.
This is the second reported robbery along the same street in the last two weeks, residents said. While the previous incident ended without casualties, Friday’s attack has left the community fearful.
Several vendors and shop owners in the area said they are now worried for their safety, noting that the violence appears to be escalating.
One vendor said: “We need protection, just two weeks ago they robbed another vendor up the street. But they gave them what they want and they didn’t do them anything. But look how they killed this woman that was just trying to make an honest dollar. We are now very fearful for our lives. This is very sad... this woman works very hard for her money and somebody out of nowhere came and killed her for it.”
Police urge anyone with information about the suspects or the motorcycle used in the crime, to come forward. The investigation is ongoing, as the family calls for justice.
placement birth certificate, you can get your marriage certifi
cate; you can have all of those facilities right here in Region Eight, because we believe that every single region must benefit from a minimum level of service, and these are the minimum level of services that we’re going to invest in. These are not small things. These are the things that will bring dignity to citizens,” Ali declared.
The President, who is seeking a second term in office alongside his running mate Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, went on to remind citizens that the PPP/C is not only now promising benefits to them but has been working over the past five years to ensure they have a better quality of life and access to similar critical Government services.
Already, Region Eight is benefitting from a new Magistrate Court as well as a Deeds and Commercial Registry, making it easier for residents to register their businesses, transfer property and access critical legal services.
Billions of dollars have also been invested in key sectors like education, healthcare, tourism and welfare services under the Human Services and Social Security Ministry as well as the Amerindian Affairs Ministry.
Ali told residents that they can look forward to similar developments in these and other sectors over the next five years.
Recognising the challenges residents face for basic utility services like water and elec-
tricity, the President revealed that efforts are underway to deliver a sustainable water supply and cheaper, more reliable electricity.
“All of these are projects that are currently underway... By the first of August, you will have more generating capacity and by the time we get up to the end of August, the solar farm will be properly integrated into electricity system. We have invested also in bringing more technical resources, because we are not a party that walks away from challenges, and I want to assure you that in the coming weeks and the coming months, we are working towards reducing your cost of electricity here in Mahdia so you can save more and put more money back in your pockets,” Ali assured.
Moreover, Ali spoke about work the Government is doing in the housing sector, including the building out of new housing areas. Additionally, he disclosed that his Government is currently working on a strategic plan to regularise persons who have been living in Mahdia and other surrounding areas for 10 years and up. These persons will be getting leases for their lands so that they can have formal ownership of their lands.
“Those are the things that we are working on... Because we know when Mahdia rises, Region Eight rises...and when Region Eight rises, Guyana rises. That is why we know that investing in Region Eight is investing in Guyana,” Ali posited.
SATURDAY, JULY 19, 2025
President Irfaan Ali speaking at a PPP public meeting in Mahdia on Friday
Dead: Desiree Hyman
The dead woman’s sister, Karen
The scene where the murder occurred
-
Exponents
Remember you can add and subtract numbers with exponents.
Example:
35 - 42
Step 1: Find the value of the first exponential expression: 35 = 3 x 3 x 3 x 3 x3 = 243
Step 2: Find the value of the second exponential expression: 42 = 4 x 4 = 16
Step 3: Calculate 243 – 16 = 227
Exercises: Find the value
By Ralph BeRgengRen
When the earth is turned in spring
Supplies
• Outdoor thermometer
• notebook
Get kids thinking
Talk about climate and the climate where you live. Climate, or the average weather patterns over the years, is different from weather, which is the state or condition of the atmosphere. Head outside and place the thermometer in a sunny location. What happened? While waiting to register the temperature, stand in the sun and notice how it feels. Note the temperature, then move to a shady spot to take another temperature reading and notice how it feels. Record temperatures and your observations in a notebook. Compare temperatures in other locations such as spots with plentiful trees, plants, or grass and in areas with concrete, bricks, or asphalt.
Discuss. (Adapted from startwithabook. org)
The worms are fat as anything. And birds come flying all around To eat the worms right off the ground. They like the worms just as much as I Like bread and milk and apple pie. And once, when I was very young, I put a worm right on my tongue. I didn’t like the taste a bit, And so I didn’t swallow it. But oh, it makes my Mother squirm Because she thinks I ate that worm!
Source: The Random House Book of Poetry for Children (1983)
Truth or Dare
Write a scene or story that includes a character either taking a dare or revealing a secret about themselves.
WORD SEARCH:
"Running a country isn't a boat ride" Ali slams 'Saga Boy' politics
…champions PPP's vision for Guyana's future
Head of State Irfaan Ali, on Thursday, said running a country is a more complex issue than some may think. He said too that some are of the view that a Government can be run without carefully thought-out plans and policies.
“You can't be a sailor and run this country. You can't have no idea about what policy making is. You can't wake up one morning and have a good dream that you are president and believe that that will allow you to be president,” he asserted while addressing residents at Kuru Kururu, SoesdykeLinden Highway in Region Four (Demerara-Mahaica) during a public meeting hosted by the Peoples Progressive Party (PPP).
He said the presiden-
cy and the Government of Guyana are far more complex than the activities some have been focusing on.
“It is far more complex than taking a boat ride with all kinds of fantasies inside, up and down the river. It is far more complex than operating like a saga boy. That is not how a country is run,” President Ali pointed out.
A country, he continued, is run by integrity, capability, experience, and competence.
“And that is what the People's Progressive Party/ Civic offers. A country is not run by a group of people who believe they can pave their way to success.”
President Ali also stated that his party has been working on a plan and has implemented policies for the
betterment of the country.
He alluded to the massive development currently taking place in Guyana.
“Today, we have a Government that is leading a country that is the fastest-growing economy in the world. Today, we have a country that is moving towards one of the best healthcare systems existing in the world. Today, we have a country right here on the highway in which a new city is being built. Today, we have a country with more than 15 new hotels under construction – that are completed. Today, right here on the highway, you have new housing developments and new resorts; new industries and factories are being constructed right here on the highway. Where five years ago, development and prog-
ress came to a halt on this highway,” Ali told the community of Kuru Kururu, situated on the SoesdykeLinden Highway, about 38 kilometres south of Georgetown.
He urged the community, sometimes referred to as Newtown Settlement, not to take the development for granted, even as we advance as a people.
Noting that sometimes people take development that is taking place for granted, President Ali pointed out that such development calls for careful planning, deliberate policies, the development of ideas and programmes that would help to create the environment for investment and the forward mobility of our people.
“These things are not ac-
cidental,” he said.
On that note, President Ali urged people to have dignity as they think of their future and not to sell their vote.
“Any person who believes that your vote is for sale also believes that your dignity is for sale because your vote is about your children, your family, and your
community. And your children and your family are part of your dignity. Anyone who believes that they can give you some money and take your vote believes that your dignity can be bought and sold.”
Such forces, President Ali said, are not worthy even to be considered for anyone’s vote.
GECOM clears 6 political parties to contest Sept 1 elections
Six political parties have had their Candidates Lists approved by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), effectively paving the way for them to contest the upcoming General and Regional Elections on September 1.
The approved parties are A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Peoples Progressive Party / Civic (PPP/C), Alliance for Change (AFC), Assembly of Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), and We Invest in Nationhood (WIN). On Nomination Day held on Monday last, GECOM’s Chief Election Officer (CEO) Vishnu Persaud, received Lists of Candidates from seven political parties – APNU, PPP, AFC, ALP, FGM, WIN, and Horizon and Star.
According to GECOM, the seven-member Elections Commission on Friday held a special meeting to approve the parties’ lists in keeping with the legal requirements and within the statutory timelines post Nomination Day.
Prior to the Commission’s approval, however, each parties’ lists had undergone careful examination and processing to ensure that they confirm to the legal requirements. During that process, the Election Secretariat had found defects in the list of five parties. Those political parties whose lists’ contained defects were notified by the CEO by July 15. They were required to make the corrections and resubmit their lists by July 17.
“The resubmissions were received within the required timeline and processed; thereby allowing GECOM to approve the respec-
tive Lists of Candidates on the 18th July, 2025,” GECOM said on Friday.
The PPP and APNU were the only two parties with no defects on their lists. Meanwhile, Horizon and Star, led by Dr Hubert Maloney, had only submitted one candidate and therefore, did not meet any of the requirements to be qualified to contest the upcoming polls. However, that while all six approved parties will contest in the General Elections, only four of them will contest all 10 electoral districts (Administrative Regions) in the Regional Elections.
These are the PPP/C, which is seeking re-election for a second term with President Dr Irfaan Ali and Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips returning as the party’s frontrunners; APNU led by Presidential Candidate Aubrey Norton and Prime Ministerial Candidate Juretha Fernandes; AFC with Nigel Hughes as the Presidential Candidate and no Prime Ministerial Candidate selected to date, and WIN led by United States (US)-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed, who is also yet to name his running mate.
On the other hand, the ALP, led by former Minister under the previous APNU+AFC Coalition regime Simona Broomes, will only be contesting in districts three, four, five, six, seven and 10 in the Regional Elections. Additionally, FGM, with Presidential Candidate Amanza Walton Desire – a former APNU+AFC Member of Parliament (MP) will be contesting in the Regional Elections in districts one, two, three, four, five, six and 10. These regional lists of candidates were also approved by the Commission on Friday. Notwithstanding the Commission’s approvals, however, the Representatives and Deputy Representatives of Lists for each party have until July 21, 2025 to notify the CEO in writing of any joinder of lists. Thereafter, the CEO will gazette and publish the approved lists of candidates on July 23, 2025, officially declaring the political parties that will appear on the September 1 ballot paper for the
General and Regional Elections. CEO Persaud had told reporters on the sidelines of Monday’s Nomination Day that once final approval is given for the political parties’ lists, the next step would be designing the ballot paper, which will be sent overseas to be printed along with the tally sheets and Statements of Poll by Ottawa-based Canadian Bank Note Company Limited. In the meantime, the Elections Secretariat will continue logistical work in preparation for the upcoming polls.
“[When] the ballots come back, we do extraction for the conduct of Discipline Services’ balloting and then we pack ballot boxes for elections day – September 1,” Persaud had explained.
Since police officers are required to be out on duty on elections day, and the other Discipline Services on standby, the members of these agencies customarily vote before civilians. These ranks are expected to cast their votes on August 22 – 10 days before the September 1 polling day.
According to the CEO, there are currently a draft of 2785 polling stations across the country – an increase from the last elections held in 2020. This growth, he explained, was as a result of the numbers of voters per polling stations being restricted now to 400 from the previous 450.
Nevertheless, Persaud further assured that there is adequate security measures introduced to ensure that, unlike 2020, the tabulation of votes at this year’s election is done in a transparent manner and in compliance with the new laws that were put in place to strengthen the electoral procedures.
The CEO is also confident that the GECOM staff are fully trained and familiarised with these amended laws to ensure a smooth flow of the electoral activities. He also noted that with Statements of Poll (SoPs) now being required to be published immediately, the election results can be known as early as the “night of the day after elections. An official national declaration from GECOM, barring no requests for re-
counts could be made by the second day after elections, Persaud had noted.
After nearly a smooth polling day on March 2, 2020, chaos erupted during the tabulation of the results at the last elections after former embattled Returning Officer for Region Four – Guyana’s largest voting district, Clairmont Mingo, sought to declare inflated numbers in favour of the then APNU+AFC Coalition regime.
That attempt to rig the 2020 elections saw Guyana being plunged into a five-month political and electoral deadlock. However, with push back from the opposition parties at the time coupled with support from the international community including overseas observers and after a series of litigation, a national recount was held and confirmed that the PPP/C won.
Mingo, along with former CEO Keith Lowenfield and other GECOM staffers as well as PNC party activists are currently before the courts facing several electoral fraud charges.
President Ali speaking at the Kuru Kururu public meeting
W…on voting
ith us heading towards elections in some six weeks, we’ve seen the PPP – running the incumbent Government – first off the blocks with their manifesto they hope gonna knock the socks off the electorate. They assume, of course, that the said electorate think logically to compare and contrast the manifestos of the seven parties – even the Know Nothing one! – and put their Xs on the one they think gonna do the best job!! There’s also the rational criteria of considering the history of those doing the promising – on how well they’ve kept previous promises!
Sadly, history – and empirical studies – have consistently shown that most voters don’t give a hoot about voting rationally based on programs or history!! The few that do are called “floating voters” or a “swing vote” – since their shifting choices give any of the competing parties an opportunity to get into office – if they’re a large enough block, of course!!
Your Eyewitness most shocking example of non-rational voting was the results of the 1992 free and fair elections –after twenty-eight years of the PNC dictatorship. The PNC had kept none of their promises – even the ones to provide the bare necessities of life in housing, food and clothing!! And yet they received the same 42% of the vote they’d received in 1964 – when no one knew their real nature!!
But if it’s one thing all of us humans would agree on, it’s that we live in hope. So when it comes to voting, we hope that more folks would vote rationally and select governments based on their objective assessments. That is the party with the best programme and best qualified to execute the said programme.
But you, Dear Reader, would know that your Eyewitness has been pushing another yardstick to pick our parties –their philosophy on development. Now you might’ve done a double take when you heard the word “philosophy” mentioned in the same sentence as you!! But don’t get worried. All of us have some basic gut feelings on what it takes to promote development. This is your “philosophy” on the subject!!
In Guyana it boils down to two approaches – those who think they should be handed the good life on a platter and those who think they should simply be given the OPPORTUNITY to work for the good life. The approaches are described broadly by the fancy terms “equality of results” and “equality of opportunity”. While it sounds nice that everybody should all have the same good life, it offends your Eyewitness’ sense of equity, fairness and justice – that even if a person is unwilling to work as hard as the next fellow, he ends up with the same “goods”!!
So don’t just look at the promises – consider what they’re based on!
…on development finance
Now, if you’re rational, you’re gonna wanna ensure you don’t get caught by those politicians who’ll promise you everything and anything!! The sun, the moon AND the stars!! The least you gotta ask is, “Where will they get the money??” After all, we know that nothing gets done without moolah and ENOUGH moolah to make the promise become real. Well, the PPP’s GS announced that they’ll be introducing a “Development Bank” – which will be funded from our own burgeoning oil revenues!!
Back in the day after “independence” – when we didn’t have two cents to rub – thanks to the Brits shipping it back to Old Blighty by the shiploads! – the Yanks and the West had established a World Bank that was supposed to fund our development projects. Trouble was, their interest and the other “conditionalities” ensured that they’d ended up with more money from us that we from them!!
Our self-funded development bank will ensure that we the people will at long last keep our business profits!!
…on solid data
We can get an idea of how much the World Bank has our back from the fact they were using 2019 data to tell the world – and the opposition – that our PRESENT poverty rate is 48%, not 20%!!
“Doggie” granted $270,000 bail on firearm and assault-related charges
Bradley Sampson, a 36-yearold Georgetown businessman popularly known as “Doggie,” was granted bail totalling $270,000 on Friday, after he was brought before Principal Magistrate Faith McGusty to face a string of charges linked to a chaotic confrontation at the Square of the Revolution earlier this week.
The incident allegedly stemmed from a dispute over payments to individuals mobilised to participate in a political march hosted by We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), a movement spearheaded by United States (US)-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed. Sampson of Lot 52 South Alley, Lodge, Georgetown, who is also a father of 14, turned himself in to the police on Thursday in the company of his attorney, Jevon Cox, after a wanted bulletin had been issued for him in relation to the confrontation. The alleged victim, identified as Genista Fordyce, claimed that she was assaulted by Sampson with a firearm during a heated argument over underpayment for mobilisation work. That incident was
partially captured on video and circulated widely on social media, showing an aggressive exchange between Sampson and the woman in the vicinity of Cuffy Square. In court, Sampson was slapped with six charges in total: possession of a firearm without a licence, for which bail was set at $150,000; unlawful carrying of a firearm in a public place, which attracted a bail sum of $50,000; unlawful wounding of Genista Fordyce, for which the Magistrate imposed bail in the amount of $30,000; threatening behaviour, for which bail was fixed at $20,000; disorderly behaviour, which the Magistrate set bail at $10,000; and obscene language, for which he was granted $10,000 bail. During the bail application, attorney Cox argued that his client had been treated unfairly by the police. He stated that when Sampson initially turned himself in, only three charges were put to him: unlawful wounding, disorderly behaviour, and unlawful carrying of a firearm.
According to Cox, it was only later, while Sampson was in transit with law enforcement, that the
remaining three charges were relayed to him. He emphasised that no questions were asked of his client regarding these new allegations and the police’s approach appeared inconsistent and improper.
Cox further contended that no firearm was recovered at the scene of the incident or during subsequent police operations. He told the court that for any object to be legally classified as a firearm, ballistic testing must be conducted by a specialist.
In Sampson’s case, no such testing allegedly had been done, and no expert was presented to testify whether the object seen in a circulated video was indeed a firearm. According to the lawyer, law enforcement was relying entirely on social media videos and photographs, which, he argued, are insufficient to confirm the presence of a weapon under the law.
Sampson also confirmed that his home had been searched by police and that he was tested for gunshot residue, tests that yielded no evidence implicating him.
Bradley Sampson, known as “Doggie”
APNU rules out joinder list talks; AFC shops around for allies, mum on PM candidate
While A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has shut down possibilities of forming a joinder list with any of the other political parties contesting the September 1 General and Regional Elections, the Alliance For Change (AFC) is shopping around to join up with anyone that will take them. Representatives for the two parties spoke about the issue at separate weekly press conferences on Friday. Presidential candidate for APNU, Aubrey Norton, made it clear that the APNU is okay with going to the polls on their own strength. Norton said that the party has not initiated any discussions with any of the other parties and does not foresee any discussions commencing at this point, with just three days to go until the Monday deadline to submit a joinder list.
“As relates to joinder we have not been involved in any joinder at least not up to this stage with anyone,” Norton affirmed.
Under Guyana’s proportional representation (PR) electoral system a joinder list is when two or more parties
agree in advance of the election to pool their votes together for the purpose of seat allocation after the election. The parties remain independent during the campaign, and voters vote for each party separately, but when seats in the National Assembly are calculated, their votes are combined as one.
A total of six parties have been approved by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to contest in the upcoming elections. Speaking at their press conference, AFC
Chairman David Patterson expressed his party’s willingness to join with just about any of the other contesting parties, except the PPP. “We are looking at all possibilities and all avenues… if our analysis says that is a viable route we will take it. If you are going to ask who, the plain and simple answer is any other party other than the PPP,” AFC Chairman David Patterson informed.
According to Patterson, due to the party’s limited resources, the party is willing to work along with any other party that is willing to lend a helping hand, whether that be
to combine each other’s votes or to collaborate on monitoring the over 2500 polling stations that the GECOM will be establishing across the country for voting.
Patterson said the party will continue knocking on doors until the eleventh hour.
“Discussions on various forms of collaboration between the partiers has always been ongoing and never ceased. We will continue to discuss until the final decision is made. Not just on a joinder system. To man all 3000 odd polling stations in all areas may be difficult for all parties so discussions are ongoing with all parties. All parties except the PPP,” Patterson explained. The AFC was previously in talks with the APNU to go to the polls with a united front as a coalition, however the two sides remained at loggerheads on key issues of power sharing and the potential presidential candidate. Leader of the AFC, Attorney Nigel Hughes is the presidential candidate for his party.
The APNU and AFC had previously joined forces to contest the 2015 elections as a coalition, and won that elec-
tions by a slim margin, their party joined together again to contest the 2020 elections but with reduced concessions to the AFC. Over the years, the AFC has been experiencing declining electoral value during poor showings in the Local Government Elections in 2018 and 2023.
AFC remains mum on Prime Ministerial candidate
In addition, the AFC continues to delay naming its Prime Ministerial Candidate, with Chairman David Patterson only confirming on Friday that he is not in the running, while offering little
clarity on when a decision will be made.
Speaking at the party’s weekly press conference, Patterson attempted to downplay the delay, saying the announcement will come “next week,” despite earlier promises from the party’s presidential candidate, Nigel Hughes, that the name would be revealed this week. Hughes was absent from Friday’s briefing.
“It will be next week when we have everyone together,” Patterson said. “We’re doing some internal party work – unrelated to the PM selection. We have some excellent candidates. It’s a process, in-
ternal consultations and all that. It’ll be a youthful, vibrant team. You’ll know very shortly.”
Speculation over the AFC’s running mate has intensified since in April when coalition talks between the AFC and APNU collapsed, and the AFC announced that the party would be going to the polls solo. With just weeks to go before the September 1 General and Regional Elections, the party remains tight-lipped.
Pressed on whether the delay might give the impression of disorganisation or unpreparedness, Patterson dismissed concerns.
“We’re not worried. Absolutely not worried at all. We have great contenders who will be revealed. We have a team we’re launching a team around our presidential candidate and we have no worry at all about appearing unprepared or so forth,” he said.
“We have a comprehensive approach to it. We have launched a manifesto. We are working with the programme that we have… and it's working well so far,” he added.
APNU leader Aubrey Norton
AFC Chairman David Patterson
Raghoo’s Bar shut down after sexual assault, egged on by DJ
Abar located at the Soesdyke Junction, East Bank of Demerara (EBD) has been shut down by Police following a disturbing incident involving the sexual assault of a young woman, which was captured on video and widely circulated on social media.
The video, which surfaced Thursday evening, sparked outrage after it showed a female, reportedly of Amerindian descent, being violated in full view of several onlookers. Individuals were seen filming the assault instead of intervening, while the DJ reportedly encouraged the perpetrator to continue the lewd acts.
Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud, condemned the incident in a public statement on Friday, calling the footage “most reprehensible.”
“It was most reprehensible to see persons filming the incident rather than helping this woman, and the DJ encouraging the perpetrator to perform lewd acts on the victim,” Dr Persaud stated.
“I immediately alerted the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Human Services has been
collaborating with them to address this reprehensible incident.”
The Ministry of Human Services has since pledged full support to the victim, while also urging members of the public not to share the video, citing that doing so would further violate the victim’s rights.
Meanwhile, the Home Affairs Ministry also issued a statement expressing deep concern over the circulating videos and confirmed that the GPF has launched a formal investigation into the incident. Officers from Regional Division 4B are leading the probe. The bar, identified as Raghoo’s Bar, has been closed indefinitely as investigations continue. The owner, Omesh Raghoo, is currently assisting police with their inquiries.
“The Guyana Police
Force takes incidents of this nature very seriously and remains committed to ensuring justice is served under the law,” the police said in a statement.
Police have appealed to members of the public to refrain from spreading the video and instead share any relevant information with law enforcement. Witnesses are encouraged to contact the 4B Divisional Headquarters at Diamond, EBD or report to the nearest police station.
Dr Persaud also issued a call urging that “I call on citizens to be public-spirited and not just record these things on their phones, but offer help and report these serious incidents. We continue to work and collaborate to address this heinous act.”
An investigation has been launched.
“Doggie” granted $270,000 bail... FROM PAGE 9
Cox further noted that the virtual complainant, Genista Fordyce, had not attended court, and that no medical certificate had been produced to support the unlawful wounding charge.
He stated that Fordyce had reportedly informed police that she no longer wished to proceed with the matter, yet the charges were still pursued. He urged the Magistrate to take that into consideration.
Referring to the video, Cox argued that it was Fordyce who had acted aggressively toward his client. He said she armed herself with a broken glass bottle and could be seen approaching Sampson in a threatening manner.
Cox also claimed that before the confrontation escalated, Fordyce had unlawfully entered Sampson’s vehicle and removed his car keys. He pointed out that in the video, Sampson could be heard demanding that his keys be returned.
The attorney maintained that whatever actions his client took afterward were in self-defence, and not driven by criminal intent.
Despite the defence’s arguments, the prosecution objected to bail, contending that Fordyce was afraid for her life and had initially hesitated to make a formal complaint because of alleged connections between Sampson and members of the police force.
The prosecutor also told
the court that the woman had gone to a hospital and was examined by a doctor, but admitted that no medical document had been submitted to support the claim that she was wounded.
Magistrate McGusty, after listening to both sides, questioned the credibility of the firearm allegation. She noted that no weapon was ever recovered, no ballistics tests were conducted, and no specialist was present to confirm the nature of the item shown in the video.
She further highlighted the absence of medical proof in the unlawful wounding charge and questioned the reliance on videos and photographs alone, without proper verification.
After weighing the sub-
missions of both the prosecution and the defence, the Magistrate granted bail totalling $270,000, and Sampson was ordered to return to court on August 15, when the matter will continue.
Only a month ago, Sampson was among four individuals charged over another widely viewed brawl at the Square of the Revolution. He was charged alongside Malika “Farren Dolly” Lewis, Rahyana “Fatta” Goring, and Shanella Holder. The charges allege that Sampson and Goring incited Holder and Lewis to fight over a social media feud, with online videos showing Sampson offering a $200,000 reward. He was later placed on bail.
MOH launches emergency medical skills training in Berbice
The Ministry of Health (MOH) has officially launched its Basic Emergency Medicine Skills and Preparedness Training programme in Berbice, reinforcing the Government’s commitment to strengthening emergency response across the country.
According to a MOH press release, Minister of Health, Hon. Dr Frank Anthony, speaking at the
launch underscored the importance of continuous training for medical professionals as Guyana modernises its healthcare system.
“The quality of medicine we practise will depend on the quality of people in the system,” the Minister noted.
He explained that upskilling healthcare workers is a top priority of the
PPP/C “keeps its word”...
FROM PAGE 3
In education and family welfare, Jagdeo promised the expansion of the school feeding programme and transport grants for children.
He urged supporters to remain vigilant and engaged over the final six weeks of campaigning.
“Don’t be distracted… spend time every day to prepare every home to come out on election day. Because likes on Facebook don’t win elections,” he cautioned. “We have no room for complacency.”
Joining Mr Jagdeo on stage were several prominent figures from the PPP/C, including University of Guyana (UG) lecturer Dr Kofi Dalrymple; Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar; Region Three Chairman, Ayube Inshan; Chief Executive Officer of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), Paul Cheong; Head of Cardiology at the Georgetown Public Hospital, Dr Mahendra Carpen; and Member of Parliament, Dr Tandika Smith.
Former APNU+AFC member Thandi McAllister, now aligned with the PPP/C, said she has no regrets about her political shift. “The PPP/C is my home,” she told the crowd. “It is the PPP/C that fought for democracy and restored it when the party I came from tried to deny you your votes.”
Indar, in his address, echoed Jagdeo’s criticisms of the opposition: “Don’t let them come and lie to you again. You are in the right hands, strong hands… This is the Government of increase – increasing jobs, increasing development.”
Sugar industry revival was a key theme of the evening, with GuySuCo CEO Paul Cheong declaring, “Today sugar is breathing again and we can look forward to a vibrant sugar industry in the future. We cannot turn our backs on it now.”
Dr Jagdeo closed by emphasising the PPP/C’s longterm vision. “We are trying to build the next generation that will lead this party into a glorious future,” he said
Administration in order to ensure they are equipped to deliver fast, efficient, and high-quality care, especially in emergencies.
This training initiative forms part of a broader transformation in the health sector, which includes the construction and operationalisa-
tion of six new modern hospitals, two of which are already open.
Each facility is designed to have fully equipped Accident & Emergency de-
partments staffed with four to six doctors, significantly improving critical care capacity in regions like Region Five and Region Six, the release noted.
APNU’s rent-to-own housing plan hinges on public trust – Norton
Presidential candidate for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton, on Friday admitted that the success of his party’s proposal for a rent-to-own housing programme rests heavily on optimism, public trust and the payment discipline of future homeowners.
Pressed during his weekly virtual press conference for key details about the programme such as the projected cost of the homes, repayment periods, the consequences of payment default and whether the Government would bear the burden of legal enforcement, Norton offered vague responses.
Rather than outlining a specific framework, Norton
is leaning on the hope that mechanisms would be “put in place” to ensure affordability and consistent payment.
“I am optimistic we will put mechanisms in place to ensure that the people who obtain those houses can afford to pay for them,” Norton rationalised.
“We are also saying very clearly that we want to house people and therefore, there should be no real concern about people paying for those houses. They will be able to [pay] because our main aim is to improve the lives of the people, put money in their pockets and allow them the opportunities to live a better-quality life than they are living now. We shall pursue that and
Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton
achieve success.”
According to Norton, given that the rent-to-own schemes are not new to Guyana, that’s enough to forecast the success of the programme. All-inclusive resorts
“Rent-to-own is not new,” Norton said. “Some people might be too young to remember, but in some regards South Ruimveldt was a form of this. The Governmentbuilt houses, people paid and when they were done, the houses became theirs.”
Presented as a cornerstone of the party’s “Poverty Reduction Strategy” programme, the rent-to-own strategy entails Government-constructed homes being rented out to citizens under terms that
mimic mortgage payments. Once the total cost is paid, the occupant would own the home outright.
However, the absence of detailed financial modeling, legal safeguards, or administrative logistics has left some observers questioning whether the plan is fully developed. Concerns include how defaults will be handled, whether the Government has the capacity to act as landlord and whether public funds might be at risk if widespread non-payment occurs.
Nonetheless, Norton remained confident that with trust in citizens, the initiative could succeed.
“We shall pursue that and achieve success,” he declared.
Guyana hoping to continue “good relations” with new Surinamese Govt
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo says that Guyana is ready to continue the already strong bilateral ties with the new Surinamese Government, with a focus on building economic collaborations and enhancing the welfare of citizens from both countries.
Suriname has elected its first female president, Jennifer GeerlingsSimons, who officially took office on Wednesday, July 16. President GeerlingsSimons’ election came after a coalition deal was struck in the National Assembly to appoint her in office to replace former President Chandrikapersad Santokhi following the country’s May 2025 polls.
Guyana’s Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, had attended President GeerlingsSimons’ inauguration ceremony on Wednesday. On the side-lines of the historic inauguration, PM Phillips met with the new president in Paramaribo.
Asked about the Guyana Government’s engagement with the new Surinamese administration, VP Jagdeo told the Guyana Times at a press conference on Thursday last that they were awaiting a briefing from the prime minister on this meeting with President Geerlings-Simons but assured that Guyana is ready to continue the good relations that the two South American neighbours share.
“I hope that we will have good relations with
the [new] Government of Suriname because we’re neighbours and there are many things we can do together to enhance the welfare of our people and to expand economic opportunities for people of both countries, and we’re hoping to pursue a collaboration with Suriname,” the vice president noted.
In a social media post following his meeting with the new Surinamese leader, PM Phillips reaffirmed Guyana’s commitment to strengthening bilateral ties, with particular emphasis on advancing economic and social co-operation between the two neighbouring states.
He emphasised that Guyana and Suriname are “one people”, bound by shared history, values, and aspirations, and identified several key areas for continued collaboration—including energy cooperation with Brazil, agriculture, and fisheries.
The Surinamese Head of State expressed her intention to work closely with the Government of Guyana on bilateral matters of mutual interest. She noted the importance of transparency and cooperation in fostering fruitful relations and affirmed her Government’s readiness to engage in joint projects that will benefit both countries.
Prime Minister Phillips also informed President Geerlings-Simons that the Co-operative Republic of Guyana will hold General and Regional Elections on 1st September 2025 and re-
iterated the Government’s commitment to a process that is free, fair, and democratic. He also noted that President Ali looks forward to engaging with her on matters of mutual importance for Guyana and Suriname.
Collaborations
The Co-operative Republic of Guyana and the Republic of Suriname, which established diplomatic relations in 1975, share longstanding bonds of friendship, mutual respect, and cooperation.
One of the major projects pending between the two neighbouring nations is the construction of the highly anticipated Corentyne River Bridge that will link Guyana and Suriname.
Only last month, Senior Minister with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, indicated that Guyana was waiting to continue discussions, which are already in ad-
vanced stages, with the new Government of the Dutchspeaking nation.
While in Guyana in May, former President Santokhi had announced that the sod-turning ceremony for the new Corentyne River Bridge will be held in a few weeks.
The high-span Corentyne River bridge will run approximately 3.1 kilometres (km), connecting Moleson Creek in Guyana to South Drain in Suriname with a landing on Long Island in the Corentyne River, where a commercial hub and tourist destination will be established. That free zone will see major infrastructural development such as hotels, recreational parks, entertainment spots, tourist attractions, malls, and farmers’ markets.
The bridge project is one of the first agreements between Presidents Ali and Santokhi in 2020, with both heads previously underscoring the critical role the
bridge across the Corentyne River would play in advancing cooperation, creating more opportunities for development for both countries.
Guyana and Suriname have settled on the Chinese construction company, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC), as the preferred contractor to build the new bridge. However, it is unclear whether the contract has been signed. Both Guyana and Suriname had written to the Government of China for financing of the bridge project.
Meanwhile, Suriname is now forging ahead with its first offshore petroleum development project, with first oil expected in mid-2028, and Guyana has already
committed to collaborating with the Dutch-speaking nation.
VP Jagdeo had previously noted that while Suriname’s offshore project will focus mainly on developing the oil resources, it nevertheless opens up the possibilities for the two countries to jointly explore developing their shared gas resources.
On the side-lines of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo held in Georgetown back in February, VP Jagdeo and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat met with Managing Director of Staatsolie – Suriname’s state-owned oil company, Annand Jagesar, to discuss that potential collaboration.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips with the new President of Suriname, Jennifer Geerlings-Simons, on Wednesday in Paramaribo
AFC unveils ‘education policy’ echoing some of PPP/C’s achievements
…uses photo from Education Ministry’s smart-classroom launching to promise smart classrooms
The Alliance for Change (AFC) has released its education policy, which it hopes to implement should it win the upcoming elections.
But the policy includes objectives that incorporate existing education programmes under the current People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government.
Though the party touted the 12-page document as a “comprehensive education strategy”, the policy included only broad-based generic goals with no specifics on programmes or how they plan to implement any of the objectives.
The plan includes promises to “reduce unnecessary subjects and focus on essential skills”, implement “digital literacy, AI, and coding as core subjects”, “introduce interactive, digital learning tools”, and promises to “double teacher salaries”.
It also proposes introducing technical and vocational skills training institutes in each region of Guyana and ensuring “every teacher is licensed and certified”.
The plan also includes a promise of implementing smart classrooms.
However, it is under the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government that smart classrooms were established in all regions across the country.
Meanwhile, it is also under the current Government that the intake at the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE) was increased from a maximum of 500 students to almost 2000 teachers per year, with a goal of achieving 100 per cent certified teachers in all public schools.
In the area of technical and vocational education over the past few years, the PPP/C Government has also been making major investments and progress. Between 2021 and mid 2025, the Education Ministry opened or refurbished at least five major technical/vocational training facilities, three refurbished, and two new PICs, covering a capacity of approximately 2000 students.
Facilities included the
commissioning of the rebuilding of the North West Secondary School Practical Instruction Department in Region One (BarimaWaini); the refurbishing of the Fellowship Practical Instruction Centre in Region Three; the rehabilitation and expansion of the Beterverwagting Practical Instruction Centre in Region 4; the commissioning of the Hopetown Practical Instructional Centre in Region 5; and the building of the St Ignatius Practical Instruction Centre in Region Nine (Upper Takatu-Upper Essequibo). A new PIC in Bartica, Region Seven, was also recently commissioned.
The current Government has also placed heavy focus on developing digital literacy, with the launching of the Guyana Digital School earlier this year, Guyana’s first “digitally driven” school for primary and secondary education. Within its first week, approximately 2400 students, teachers, and parents had signed up to use it.
Essequibo duo slapped with separate rape charges
Two Essequibo Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam) residents were recently charged and granted bail on separate sexual assault charges.
In the first instance, 25-year-old Leon Green, a miner of Pitman Street, Dartmouth, Essequibo Coast was charged for sexually assaulting a 27-year-old woman.
During the court hearing at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court, the Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was applied by Magistrate Tariq
the charge. As such, bail was grant-
ed in the
of
Labourer gets 1 year for unlawful wounding, woman granted bail on similar charge
Trisha Nichols,26, of Charity Extension Scheme Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) was on Monday last granted bail by Magistrate Tamieka Clark on an unlawful wounding charge.
Police stated that the accused unlawfully wounded Dianne Stoll,34, of Grant New Port, Upper Pomeroon River on Saturday, July 7, 2025 at Charity Back Street Essequibo Coast.
tual complainant (VC) pending trial. The matter was adjourned until July 22.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Aryan Gafoor,22, a boat captain of Spring Garden, Essequibo Coast was charged with raping a secondary school girl under the age of 16.
The incident reportedly occurred on January 4, 2025 at Supenaam, Essequibo Coast but the accused only appeared before Magistrate Mohammed on Thursday last at Suddie Magistrate's Court.
He was not required to plea to the indictable charge but was granted $300,000. He will make his next court appearance on July 31, 2025.
She was arrested, charged and subsequently made her appearance at the Charity Magistrate's Court but pleaded not guilty. Bail was granted in the sum of $30,000 and the defendant was placed on a bond to keep the peace for six months.
The matter was adjourned to July 28.
In a separate mat-
ter, 56-year-old Leroy Gouveia, a laborer of Supenaam, Essequibo Coast was arraigned on Friday with wounding Sevroy Richards,25, on Tuesday, July 15, 2025 at Good Hope Sand Road Essequibo Coast.
He appeared at the Suddie Magistrate's Court before Magistrate Tariq Mohamed and pleaded guilty to the charge after the Administration of Justice Act (AJA) was applied. As such, he was sentence to one year imprisonment.
AFC education policy which shows a smart classroom launched by the Education Ministry and used by the World Bank in its 2024 report
Mohammed after which Green pleaded not guilty to
sum
$100,000, on condition that the defendant has no contact with the vir-
Mohamed Aryan Gafoor
Charged, Leon Green
Jailed, Leroy Gouveia
Charged, Trisha Nichols
Health Ministry, Police hosts 3-day empowerment training in Region 2
Athree-day Empowerment Training Programme targeting youths from Region Two’s Police Youth Groups was recently held to raise awareness on sexual and reproductive health, as well as other key social issues. The initiative, hosted by the Health Ministry, aimed to provide participants with the knowledge and tools to make informed, responsible decisions.
Held from July 15 to July 17, the sessions took place in the conference room of the Regional Police Division Two Headquarters, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).
The police stated that the initiative, which formed part of the
Some of the youths who participated in the three-day Empowerment Training Programme portance of accessing reliable information and health services.
ing sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and Diseases (STDs); consent in sexual activity; safe sex practices and condom use; sexual assault and abuse;
Participants were engaged through PowerPoint presentations and educational videos designed to reinforce the importance of personal responsibility,
Ministry’s ongoing efforts to improve adolescent health awareness, targeted young people with the goal of empowering them to make informed decisions.
A total of 40 youths participated in the programme, which covered a wide range of topics, includ -
sexual exploitation; alcohol and drug use; adolescent pregnancy; hormonal and surgical contraceptive methods; sexual and reproductive health and rights; internal and external reproductive organs and socio-economic impacts of early pregnancy and unsafe sex.
healthy choices, and peer support in tackling issues affecting youth.
Health officials leading the sessions emphasised the significance of understanding consent, recognising abuse and avoiding risky behaviours. They also promoted positive lifestyle choices and the im -
Unemployed woman charged with narcotics possession
Twenty-eight-year-old
Anasha Garraway of Henrietta Back Street, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), was on Friday granted bail by Magistrate Tariq Mohammed on a narcotics trafficking charge.
Police stated that on July 15, 2025, the unemployed woman had a quantity of narcotics in her possession for the purpose of trafficking.
Upon her appearance at the Suddie Magistrate's Court on Friday, Garraway, who was represented by attorney Bernard DeSilva, pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. As such, she was grant-
ed $80,000 bail and was instructed to return to court on August 6, 2025.
This initiative marks another step in the Ministry’s broader strategy to strengthen youth health education at the community level, particularly through partnerships with local institutions like the Guyana Police Force.
Meanwhile, the Ministry has indicated that similar training programmes will continue in other regions as part of its national youth outreach efforts.
Essequibo duo remanded to prison for armed robbery, theft
A21-year-old labourer of Onderneeming Sandpit, Essequibo Coast, Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam), was on Friday remanded to prison after he was slapped with two counts of armed robbery.
Tyrone Tyrese Tyrell was accused of robbing Ereena Thomas, a businesswoman, and Patricia Sim, a teacher, both of Windsor Castle, Essequibo Coast, on Saturday, October 4, 2024.
The accused appeared before Tariq Mohammed at the Suddie Magistrate's Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges af-
Justice Act (AJA) was applied.
However, bail was objected to by the prosecutor,
ter the Administration of
and Tyrell was remanded
to prison until August 6, 2025.
Also appearing before Magistrate Mohammed was 57-year-old Mark De Amil, charged with the offence of simple larceny committed on Hilton Benjamin, a police sergeant of Queenstown Essequibo Coast.
Police reported that the incident occurred on Tuesday, July 15, 2025, at Supenaam Water Front.
The accused, nevertheless, made his court appearance on Friday at the Suddie Magistrate's Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge when it was read to him. He was remanded to prison until August 7, 2025.
Anew era of retail convenience follows the implementation of Guyana’s first-ever cashless vending machines.
Following the official implementation by Be! Payments (Be!), a Guyanabased fintech company, these smart vending machines are geared towards serving the needs of both small businesses and corporate clients in a rapidly modernising economy.
Be! Payments is a financial technology company that was established in Guyana in June 2024 and is licensed by the Bank of Guyana as a payment service provider.
The company is launching a diverse range of vending machines capable of offering coffee, hot meals, fresh flowers, over-thecounter medications, and even alcohol – each specifically designed to streamline access and provide modern-day convenience to the average consumer.
This publication caught up with Chief Communications Officer Sadiya Yahya of Be! in a recent telephone interview, who explained that the company is offering more than just a new product but also a franchise opportunity.
She detailed the process in which entities can make purchases for the item.
“Simply put, persons pay US$3,000, and that covers the cost for us providing the machine. It covers brand-
ing, it covers payment processing, and it covers all the configuration that's needed,” Yahya stated.
Be! will handle the full configuration, branding, and payment processing system.
Meanwhile, the franchise buyer will only be responsible for finding a location to place the machine, as well as covering any rent for that space and utilities such as Wi-Fi and electricity.
According to Yahya, the machines will be fully cashless – only accepting cards and digital wallets. “It accepts all cards – MasterCard, Visa, American Express, you name it. There will also be integration with UPI, Pix, and even MMG. So yes, persons can purchase something from the vending machine using MMG as well.”
She encouraged interested individuals to email Be! at info@hellobee.com, where the team will provide full details. “It should be noted that the machines are based on pre-order, so the earlier you get to us, the better.”
Delving deeper into the initiative, Yahya shared her thoughts on what it means for Be! to pioneer such a ground-breaking develop-
ment in Guyana.
“I think it is a step forward into the future. What we have to offer is something that really needs to be done. And as much as it’s cashless, it’s still going to be easy and accessible for everyone.”
Meanwhile, as it pertains to educational institutions, Yahya confirmed that, “Yes, we intend to roll out to schools, high schools,
universities, hospitals, stadiums, malls – you name it. Army base, police station, police training school, offices. On the streets as well.”
Meanwhile, it was highlighted by Be! that they will be soon rolling out their driver’s license renewal machine.
“We will soon be releasing a machine which can renew driver’s licenses,” Yahya shared. “You scan or take a picture of your current driver’s license. That checks the database; that connects the database with
GRA – GRA ‘tells’ the machine if this person is eligible to renew their driver’s licence. If they are, you pay for it, and it prints it right there and then; you don’t have to line up. We expect it in about a month. It should be ready.”
Only in February of this year, Be! revealed that some 100 new automated teller machines (ATMs) would be rolled out countrywide, allowing holders of cards under brands such as Visa and MasterCard a convenient way of accessing cash.
Ed Ministry commissions Bartica nursery school
Abrand-new nursery school has opened its doors in Dagg Point, Bartica, bringing quality early childhood education closer to home for dozens of young learners.
The Little Achievers Nursery School in Dagg Point, Bartica, Region Seven, was officially commissioned on Wednesday by Minister of Education Priya Manickchand. The facility will provide a safe and friendly learning environment for the children of the community. It boasts indoor and outdoor play areas and colourful teaching aids to create an atmosphere conducive to learning.
While speaking at the launch, the Education Minister emphasised that the school was established to enhance access to early childhood education in the community, thereby reducing the need for young children to travel long distances to attend school.
“We’re not only concerned with the physical aspect of your children’s education. This school currently has 65 children and five teachers. That’s about 13 children per teacher, while the national standard is 20 students per teacher,” the Minister explained. She added that this means that they are already a step ahead of other schools, because fewer children per teacher allow for better at-
tention and care. She also revealed that two of the school’s teachers are trained, and the other three are currently undergoing training.
Minister Manickchand also reiterated that the school will operate under the newly revised nursery curriculum, which moves away from traditional book-based learning. Instead, it focuses on handson, physically engaging activities that help young learners meet key developmental benchmarks.
“Your children will now be learning in a new way— less through books and more through physical, interactive activities. This approach supports their development in
literacy, numeracy, and other essential skills that will prepare them for primary school. It’s truly exciting to see this come to life,” she said.
She also noted that Government initiatives are in place to ensure that schools have the necessary resources, stating that they have given teachers resource grants so they no longer have to ask parents for items like Dettol, bleach, soap, or Play-Doh.
She said too that the funds are now sent directly to the schools, allowing them to make those purchases.
The Minister also noted that the Ministry of Education had recorded an increase in the pass rate for the National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA), rising from 49 per cent to 64 per
cent. This, he suggested, reflects broader improvements in the education sector resulting from comprehensive investments.
“For us, it’s about improving access by building schools, enhancing the quality of education, and supporting families—through the Because We Care cash grant, school breakfasts, free textbooks, and now the teachers’ resource grant,” she said.
“That’s what we’re striving to achieve, and I believe we’ve done a great job showing that when we make promises, we deliver. So, this morning, it gives me great pleasure to officially commission the Little Achievers Nursery School here at Dagg Point, Bartica,” she concluded.
Chief Communications Officer, Sadiya Yahya
Education Minister, Priya Manickchand
One of the students interacts with a teaching aid at the newly commissioned school
Minister Manickchand engages with students at the school
The vending machines
T&T state of emergency declared amid national security threat
The Government of Trinidad and Tobago has declared a state of emergency following confirmation of a coordinated and dangerous criminal network operating from within the nation’s prison system.
The move follows a formal recommendation from Commissioner of Police Allister Guevarro, who cited credible intelligence that incarcerated individuals are leveraging internal and external connections to orchestrate attacks on senior police officers, judicial figures, personnel within the Office of the Director of Public
Prosecutions, and prison officers.
Officials say the campaign is structured and involves multiple criminal elements working in concert, with a level of planning and execution that surpasses the capability of conventional law enforcement responses. A key enabler of the threat has been the illegal trafficking of mobile phones into prisons by compromised insiders, allowing encrypted communications between inmates and outside operatives.
The funding for these operations has reportedly come from a range of vio -
lent and organised crimes, including high-value robberies, armed home invasions, kidnapping, extortion, and the exploitation of state-funded programmes and contracts.
Given the severity of the threat, the State of Emergency will empower law enforcement agencies to immediately contain the situation, boost inter-agency coordination, and access the necessary resources and authority to disrupt and neutralise the criminal network. However, no curfew has been imposed at this time.
(Excerpt from Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)
Brazil court orders raids, restraints on Bolsonaro for Trump collusion
Brazil's Supreme Court issued search warrants and restraining orders against former President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday, banning him from contacting foreign officials, over allegations he had courted the interference of US President Donald Trump.
Federal police raided Bolsonaro's home and put an ankle monitor on him; an escalation in the legal pressure he is already facing and that Trump has tried to relieve with a steep tariff on Brazilian goods. Bolsonaro told Reuters that he believed the court orders were a reaction to Trump's criticism of his trial before the Supreme Court.
The court's crackdown on Bolsonaro added to evidence that Trump's tactics are backfiring in Brazil, compounding trouble for his ideological ally and rallying public support behind a defiant leftist Government.
Bolsonaro was banned from contacting foreign officials, using social media or approaching embassies, according to the
Antigua
decision issued by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, who cited a "concrete possibility" of him fleeing the country.
Bolsonaro denied any plans to leave the country but said he would meet with Trump if he could get access to his passport, which police seized last year. He also said he had sought out the top US diplomat in Brazil to discuss Trump's tariff threat.
In his decision, Moraes
said the restrictions against Bolsonaro were due to accusations that the former president was making efforts to get the "head of state of a foreign nation" to interfere in Brazilian courts, which the judge cast as an attack on national sovereignty.
A five-judge panel of Supreme Court judges reviewed and upheld Moraes' decision on Friday afternoon. (Excerpt from Reuters)
PM slams banks
over poor customer service
Prime Minister Gaston Browne has criticised banks in Antigua and Barbuda for what he described as persistently poor customer service, calling for urgent improvements across the sector.
Speaking at the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) chairmanship handover ceremony, Mr Browne said some financial institutions operating in Antigua and Barbuda consistent-
ly fail to meet basic service standards.
He cited an incident where customers were left standing in the sun for hours, with no tents or shelter provided.
“It’s unacceptable,” he said. “Good service is good business.”
The Prime Minister, who also serves as finance minister, accused some banking staff of prioritising position over public service
and announced plans to fast-track the creation of an Office of Financial Conduct and Inclusion to monitor behaviour in the financial sector.
In a strong message to the industry, Mr Browne said poor service undermines business activity and regional development, warning banks to reassess their operations amid growing global competition. (Excerpt from Antigua News Room)
El Salvador to send detained
Venezuelans
to Caracas in prison swap for Americans, say sources
El Salvador's Government will send detained Venezuelans to Caracas in exchange for Americans held in Venezuela, two US Government officials told Reuters on Friday.
One of the officials said El Salvador would send 238 Venezuelans held in its maximum security CECOT prison to Caracas and that the Venezuelan Government would release five US citi-
zens and five US permanent residents to American custody.
The second official confirmed the exchange was taking place and said the figures appeared to be close to what was expected.
Venezuela's Communications Ministry and El Salvador's presidency did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The US State Department declined to comment. The
White House and the US Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The Venezuelans were sent to El Salvador in March after President Donald Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to swiftly deport alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang without going through normal immigration procedures. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Colombian gold miners rescued after about 18 hours trapped underground
Eighteen workers trapped for about 18 hours in a gold mine in north-western Colombia have been rescued by emergency crews, the country's Government has said.
The miners became stuck on Thursday in the El Minón mine, in Colombia's Antioquia region, after equipment failure, according to AFP news agency.
After a 12-hour-long rescue operation, all the workers are in good health, Colombia's National Mining Agency (ANM) said.
In a letter sent to the Government, the local mayor in Remedios said the mine was apparently unlicensed.
The operation to free the miners finished at just after 03:00 local time (09:00 BST) on Friday, according to Colombia's energy minister.
Video of the rescue showed the miners' colleagues clapping and cheering as they climbed out of the mine shaft.
Yarley Erasmo Marin, a representative of a local miners' association, told the AFP news agency that a mechanical failure caused the
collapse of a structure designed to prevent landslides, blocking the mine's main exit.
Oxygen had to be given to the trapped miners through hoses while they waited to be rescued, local radio station ABC reported. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Mexico City unveils plan to tackle gentrification after mass protests
Mexico City officials have announced a 14-point plan to address the capital’s housing and gentrification problems, which sparked large and sometimes violent protests earlier this month.
Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada said officials will propose a law to regulate rental prices, strike a balance between the rights and obligations of landlords and tenants, prevent people from being displaced and regulate short-term rental properties.
Many residents say they’ve been priced out of their neighbourhoods, in part because of over-tourism, short-term home rentals and an influx of people and businesses with higher purchasing power.
Brugada said on Wednesday that an “objective and rigorous methodology” will be worked out to regulate temporary housing
rentals to prevent residents from being displaced and avoid “the loss of the community’s roots and identity”.
The city Government will also set up an agency to enforce the rent law and penalise offenders.
Brugada said living in Mexico City should not be a privilege for a few but rather a guaranteed right for all its residents.
The proposal comes days after residents demonstrated on July 4 against gentrifi-
cation and the rising cost of living in the Mexican capital, which some have blamed on an influx of foreigners from the United States and Europe.
Housing costs in the country have soared to 286% since 2005, while real wages have gone down by 33%, according to spokesperson Yessica Morales, citing data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography and the Federal Mortgage Society. (Excerpt from CNN)
Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes
A protestor lights an aerosol can during a protest against gentrification in Mexico City on July 4, 2025
Miners working on the search operations after an accident at the “El Miñon” mine in a rural area of Remedios, Antiquia department, Colombia, on July 17, 2025 (Colombian National Mining Agency photo)
Around the World
COIL NEWS
Chevron closes Hess acquisition after winning Exxon legal battle
hevron closed its US$55 billion acquisition of Hess on Friday after winning a landmark legal battle against larger rival Exxon Mobil to gain access to the largest oil discovery in decades.
Chevron CEO Mike Wirth’s strategy to turn around his company’s lagging performance hinged on the acquisition, one of the largest energy deals in the past decade.
The prize is a stake in the prolific Stabroek Block off the coast of Guyana that holds more than 11 billion barrels of oil and is one of the fastest-growing oil provinces in the world.
Exxon and the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), Hess’ partners in Guyana, had filed arbitration disputes that claimed they held a pre-emptive right to purchase Hess’ stake, which delayed Chevron’s closure of the Hess acquisition for over a year.
“We disagree with the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) panel’s interpretation but respect the arbitration and dispute resolution process,” Exxon said in a statement.
“Given the significant value we’ve created in the development of the Guyana resource, we believed we had a clear duty to our investors to consider our pre-emption rights to protect the value we created through our innovation and hard work at a time when no one knew just how successful this venture would become,” the company added.
CNOOC said it was also disappointed with the ruling.
There is no appeals process at the International Chamber of Commerce, the court that oversaw the arbitration case.
The claims from Exxon and CNOOC had kicked off a lengthy legal battle that captured the attention of the global oil industry, shareholders, and attorneys who craft joint operating agreements that govern oil partnerships around the world.
The case illustrates the value of the Stabroek Block, which drove profits for the Exxon-led consortium that controls all of its oil output, transformed Guyana into one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and still has potential for further oil discoveries.
The dispute centred on the interpretation of just several words in the confidential joint operating agreement between Exxon, Hess and CNOOC, experts have told Reuters.
CNBC, which first reported the news of Chevron’s win, cited an interview with Exxon CEO Darren Woods, who said the company was examining the ruling to determine whether to make provisions in contracts to ensure they prevail in future disputes. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein report
Donald Trump has sued Rupert Murdoch and two Wall Street Journal newspaper reporters for libel and slander over claims that he sent the sex offender Jeffrey Epstein a lewd letter and sketch of a naked woman.
Trump’s lawsuit on Friday, which also targets Dow Jones and News Corp, was filed in the southern district of Florida federal court in Miami.
It came after the Journal reported on a 50th birthday greeting that Trump allegedly sent to Epstein in 2003 that included a sexually suggestive drawing and reference to secrets they shared.
It was reportedly a contribution to a birthday album compiled by Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence in Florida after being found guilty of sex-trafficking and other charges in 2021.
“A pair of small arcs denotes the woman’s breasts, and the future president’s signature is a squiggly ‘Donald’ below her waist, mimicking pubic hair,” the Journal reported of the alleged drawing. The letter allegedly concluded: “Happy Birthday – and may every day be another wonderful secret.”
Trump vehemently denied the Journal report and claimed the letter was fake.
He said on Truth Social that he warned Murdoch, the founder of News Corp, the newspaper’s parent company, that he planned to sue.
The president posted: “Mr Murdoch stated that he would take care of it but obviously did not have the power to do so. Instead they are going with a false, malicious, defamatory story anyway. President Trump will be suing the Wall Street Journal, News Corp and Mr Murdoch shortly.”
On Friday, in another effort to dampen the outrage about an alleged government cover-up, Trump ordered his attorney general, Pam Bondi, to seek the unsealing of grand jury testi-
mony from the prosecution against the disgraced financier.
In a filing in New York, Bondi cited “extensive public interest” for the unusual request to release what is typically secret testimony.
Trump said earlier his Truth Social platform that he had authorised the justice department to seek the public release of the materials, which are under seal, citing “the ridiculous amount of publicity given to Jeffrey Epstein”.
He did not say he had authorised the release of files on Epstein held by the justice department and the FBI. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
Libyan war crimes suspect arrested in Germany under ICC warrant
ALibyan man suspected of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity has been arrested in Germany on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, commonly known as "Al-Buti", is alleged to have been one of the most senior officials at the Mitiga Prison complex in the capital, Tripoli, where thousands of people were detained.
He is suspected of having committed, ordered or overseen crimes including murder, torture and rape.
The atrocities were allegedly committed in the detention unit near Tripoli in the five years from 2015. There is no record of
him commenting on the allegations.
The ICC has issued 11
arrest warrants in connection with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Libya since the ousting and killing of the country's long-time leader, Muammar Gaddafi, which plunged Libya into civil war.
Since the overthrow of Gaddafi, after six decades in power, Libya has been split into areas controlled by various militias and is currently divided between two rival governments. Eight other public ICC arrest warrants are still pending in connection with the violence that followed the fall of Gaddafi. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Netanyahu speaks to Pope after three killed in Israeli strike on Gaza church UK ‘Gangster granny’ jailed for leading family gang dealing drugs worth £80m
The Vatican said Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu initiated his call with Pope Leo on Friday, the day after Israeli fire on the Holy Family Church in Gaza City killed three people and provoked international condemnation, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reports.
The Vatican said in a statement that Leo was at his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.
The statement said: During the conversation, the Holy Father renewed his appeal to revive negotiations and reach a ceasefire and the end of the war.
He once again expressed his concern for the dramatic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose heartbreaking toll is borne particularly by children, the elderly and the sick.
Finally, the Holy Father reiterated the urgency of pro-
tecting places of worship and especially the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel.
Netanyahu has said Israel “deeply regrets” the strike, and blamed a “stray round”.
He repeated this regret in the conversation with the pope, which was “friendly”, a spokesperson for Netanyahu told AFP, adding that the two men agreed to meet soon.
Israel has since granted two senior Christian leaders rare access to Gaza after the Israeli strike on the Palestinian territory’s only Roman Catholic church killed three people.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Catholic Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, and his Greek Orthodox counterpart, Theophilos III, led a delegation on Friday to the Holy Family Church, whose shelling the day before sparked international condemnation.
(Source: The Guardian)
Afamily-run organised crime group, orchestrated by a 65-year-old described by police as a “gangster granny”, has been sentenced for dealing drugs with a street value of £80m across the UK.
Deborah Mason, who had the moniker “Queen Bee”, and seven other members of the gang, were sentenced at Woolwich crown court in London on Friday for their involvement in supplying nearly a tonne of cocaine over seven months.
A group of couriers collected packages of imported cocaine and drove them across London as well as Bradford, Leicester, Birmingham, Bristol and Cardiff, between April and
November 2023, the court heard.
The drugs had an estimated wholesale value of between £23m and £35m
and a street value of £80m.
The ringleader spent her profits on designer goods and was looking to travel to Turkey to have cosmetic surgery, while young mothers who were part of the gang took their young children to pick-ups.
The court also heard she was in receipt of in excess of £50,000 a year in benefit income during the conspiracy period, while acting as ringleader and spending lavishly on luxuries.
Mason, who directed other members of the gang and was in contact with an upstream supplier called Bugsy, was found guilty of conspiracy to supply class A drugs and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Earlier, prosecu-
tor Charlotte Hole said: “Everyone involved had an expectation of significant financial advantage, at least £1,000 per trip, and it is one of the most significant parts of the motivation of the conspiracy.
“They all had an awareness of the scale of the operation.”
Hole added: “She [Mason] recruited both her family members – her sister and her children – as well as partners and friends of her children, to a network of at least 10 individuals.”
DC Jack Kraushaar, who led the investigation, said: “This was a sophisticated operation which was extremely profitable for those involved.” (Excerpt from The Guardian)
Deborah Mason spent her profits from drug dealing on designer goods and was looking to travel to Turkey to have cosmetic surgery
SUDOKU
Keep as many options open as possible. Scrutinize what's unfolding around you. Look for more affordable ways to achieve what you want. Keep an open mind, make suggestions and prepare to implement positive change.
Put your emotions aside when dealing with shared expenses or joint ventures. Do what's right, not what you think someone else wants you to do. Take nothing and no one for granted.
Follow your instincts and use your voice to bring positive change at home and work. Show your diversity, and you'll capture the attention of someone willing to help you further your goals.
Participate in something that concerns and motivates you. Be part of the solution and help eliminate the problems that irk you. Push for positive change and a healthier lifestyle.
Sharing your thoughts and feelings can help you alleviate tension and foster healthier relationships. Make plans to travel and visit people you enjoy spending time with.
Protect yourself against illness and injury. Rely on intelligence and charm to defuse potential conflicts. Prioritize having fun, being active and nurturing your emotional well-being.
Go on a learning spree. Stop ignoring what needs updating or replacing, and start living according to your needs. Choose equality, not dominance, in relationships.
The tension between what you want to do and what others expect of you will cause distress. Strive to strike a balance between pleasing others and prioritizing your own needs.
Talks will lead to encounters and new beginnings. Love will play a role in your choices, and spending more time working toward a common goal with someone special will be beneficial.
Home improvement projects can often turn out better than anticipated and enhance your lifestyle. An opportunity to expand your circle of friends will lead to someone who intrigues you.
A change will be uplifting. Home improvements that enhance comfort and convenience will help you relax, enjoy and appreciate what you have. Love and romance are in the stars.
Do the research, take the initiative and start something that pumps you up and brings you joy. Social interaction and engaging in activities you love will lead to friendships with people who share your enthusiasm.
ARCHIE
New Zealand took the lead in the Zimbabwe T20I tri-series points table after a second successive win, this time over the hosts. After New Zealand’s bowling attack kept Zimbabwe to 120, the lowest first-innings total of the tournament so far, their batters polished off the required runs inside 14 overs, which helped their net run rate balloon to 1.919.
A clinical all-round performance helped New Zealand notch up their second straight win in the T20I tri-series, easing past Zimbabwe by eight wickets in Harare on Friday (July 18). Matt Henry’s 3 for 26, backed by a tight spell from the spinners, saw Zimbabwe restricted to 120/7 after New Zealand opted to bowl. Devon Conway then led the chase with a composed 59 not out off 40 and was involved in half-century stands with Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell as New Zealand got over the finish line inside 14 overs.
New Zealand had a lucky break early in the chase as Blessing Muzarabani put down a simple catch offered by Devon Conway off Richard Ngarava in the opening over. But he made up for it in the next over as he dismissed the dangerous Tim Seifert. Zimbabwe kept it disciplined, with Ravindra’s four off Ngarava in the fourth over being the first of the innings. New
Zealand finally picked up pace as Ravindra struck a hat-trick of fours in the fifth over off Trevor Gwandu, followed by a four and a boundary for Conway and a maximum for Ravindra off Muzarabani as New Zealand got to 43/1 after six overs.
The second wicket pair continued steadily as they raised a fifty-run stand, but it came to an end as a short ball from Tinotenda Maposa and a diving catch from Muzarabani re- sulted in Ravindra getting out for a 19- ball 30. Conway, who was on 29 off 27 at that stage, stepped on the accelerator as he struck sixes off Ngarava and Sikandar Raza en route to a 34-ball fifty. New Zealand crossed the 100-run mark in the 13th over, and a six from Mitchell off Gwandu brought the equation down to single digits. The partner-
ship also crossed fifty before Conway sealed the chase with a boundary in the 14th over.
Earlier, Wessly Madhevere’s two fours off Henry in the opening over and Brian Bennett’s six off Adam Milne in the third were promising signs for Zimbabwe. But they slowed down in the second half of the powerplay and also lost Bennett to a short ball from Henry as they finished with 39/1 in the first six overs.
New Zealand’s spinners then came on and kept the boundaries to a minimum, although Clive Madande got a reprieve as Mitchell Santner put down a tough return catch. But his stay was cut short as Ravindra had him stumped in the next over, with Zimbabwe only managing 61/2 in the first 10 overs.
Madhevere tried to accelerate, but he was
bowled for a 32-ball 36 by Milne, with Ryan Burl following soon after, falling to Michael Bracewell off a reverse sweep.
The regular wickets meant Zimbabwe’s innings was sapped of momentum,
with more setbacks following for the hosts.
Raza got a leading edge
off Santner, while Henry got Tashinga Musekiwa with a short ball, reducing Zimbabwe to 98/6 in the 17th over. Tony Munyonga chipped in with a handy 13, adding 22 with Maposa to help Zimbabwe post a fighting total – one that ultimately proved insufficient.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 120/7 in 20 overs (Wessly Madhevere 36, Brian Bennett 21; Matt Henry 3-26, Rachin Ravindra 1-10) lost to New Zealand 122/2 in 13.5 overs (Devon Conway 59*, Rachin Ravindra 30; Blessing Muzarabani 1-27) by 8 wickets. (Cricbuzz)
Wessly Madhevere looked steady against the New Zealand Pacers (Zimbabwe Cricket photo)
Devon Conway and Rachin Ravindra put on 59 for the second wicket (Zimbabwe Cricket photo)
Rachin Ravindra’s deception had Clive Madande stumped (Zimbabwe Cricket photo)
The Guyana Under-21 National Women’s Hockey team departed for Trinidad and Tobago on Friday, where they will participate in a series of training matches against the Trinidad and Tobago National Women’s Team.
This important training tour forms part of the team’s final preparations for the upcoming Junior Pan American Games, scheduled to take place in Asuncion, Paraguay, this August. With limited access to proper training facilities in Guyana – especially an artificial turf field – and recent disruptions caused by inclement weather, the team’s match-readiness had be -
come a pressing concern.
This training series offers a critical opportuni -
ty for the players to refine their skills and improve team cohesion ahead of the
international competition. Guyana secured its spot at the Junior Pan Am
Games after an impressive third-place finish at the qualification tournament
Horsemen eager to go after three-month hiatus
After a three-month hiatus, competitive horse racing will return tomorrow, Sunday, July 20, at the Bush Lot United Turf Club, West Coast Berbice.
Despite the rainy conditions in Guyana, jockeys and trainers have been putting in the hard yards, keeping one eye locked on next month’s Guyana Cup.
Promising jockey Kishawn Pereira, seasoned jockey Yovin Kissoonchand and trainer Sherwin Wills are upbeat ahead of the Summer Stakes.
Pereira, in an interview with the Guyana Times, stated, “I have been running, waking up early and exercising horses. I have been eating light as well.”
“I want the fans to come out and support; I will put out my best at Summer
Stakes.” Perreira noted. Jockey Kissoonchand, on the other hand, has
been having a solid season in 2025. He shared similar sentiments, and he is hoping to extend his good run of form at the summer stakes.
However, trainer Wills said preparation has been going smoothly for his horse, Irish Eyes, despite the challenging weather.
Irish Eyes is the champion two-year-old Guyanabred horse for last season, and she is aiming to maintain her dominance at the Summer Stakes.
“Preparation was going well, no complaints. Irish Eyes is more of a stayer; she normally comes from behind, so she would have a better chance,” Wills said.
Eight races are on the one-day racing programme.
The feature event, which is the summer stakes, will be running for one mile, and the top horse will be awarded GY$1.5 million. Other races on the card include the open sprint, the three-year-old Guyana and West Indian-bred, the F Class and Lower, the H Class and Lower, the K Class and Lower and the L Class maidens.
In addition to the Summer Stakes, horse racing will head to the Kennard’s Memorial Turf Club, Bush Lot, East Berbice, on Sunday, July 27.
The marquee horse racing event in Guyana is the Guyana Cup, which will run off on August 17 at the Rising Sun Turf Club.
held in Barbados in March this year.
The squad remains largely unchanged from the qualifiers, with the sole adjustment being the inclusion of Hannah Percival, who replaces Georgianna Fernandes following an injury sustained during the Barbados tournament.
The Guyana Hockey Board expresses gratitude to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), whose support has made the team’s participation at the Games possible.
The Board also extends thanks to the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, and generous corporate partners who supported the team’s qualification efforts: Sabor Restaurant, C&V Caribbean Shipping Ltd., King Ocean Services, Kestrel Guyana Inc., ACADO Inc. under the Moo! brand, and John Fernandes Ltd.
The Board commends the dedication and resilience of the athletes and coaching staff and looks forward to the team’s continued growth and strong representation of Guyana on the international stage.
Guyana Under 19 registered a comfortable nine-wicket win against the United States of America (USA) as the Cricket West Indies Rising Stars Men’s Under-19 Championship continued at the St Mary’s Park in Cayon.
The USA won the toss and decided to bat first. Ansh Bhoje and Jeremy Samuel gave the USA a solid start with a 53-run opening partnership. Nityanand Mathura ultimately broke the partnership as he got the wicket of Bhoje for 32.
Guyana picked up wickets at regular intervals throughout the innings. Guyanese leg spinner Riyad Latiff took 6 for 23 in his 8 overs.
However, Nityanand Mathura played a key supporting role as he picked up four wickets during his spell. Rahul Basu remained not out on 45 as USA was bowled out for 180 in 45 overs.
In response, Romeo Deonarine knocked an outstanding century to lead the Guyanese team to victory.
Deonarine and Rampersaud Ramnauth made a match-winning 122-run opening partnership before
Rahul Basu trapped Ramnauth Leg Before Wicket (LBW) for 38.
At the end of the match, Deonarine remained not out on 102 from 112 balls, comprising 11 fours and one six. Shamar Apple was also not out on 18 from 30 balls. The Guyanese team marched to victory in 32.4 overs with the loss of just one wicket.
Guyana will come up against Trinidad and Tobago on Monday.
The Cricket West Indies (CWI) Rising Stars Women’s Under 19 Championships will culminate on Saturday, and the Guyana Under 19 team will be very disappointed with their performances throughout this tournament.
In five games played, Guyana suffered four defeats and one win throughout the tournament.
Thus far, the top three run scorers in the tournament are Sainavi Kambalapalli with 167 runs, Asabi Callender with 83, and Abigail Bryce with 68. The top three wicket takers are Naijanni Cumberbatch with 14 wickets, with Sainavi Kambalapalli and Guyanese Danielle Manns sharing 11 each.
Today, July 19, the final round of matches will be played. At the St Augustine ground, Trinidad & Tobago will play Jamaica for third place, while the Windward Islands will meet Guyana for fifth place.
Later in the day, Barbados and the Leeward Islands will clash in the final at the Diego Martin Ground in Trinidad.
The points tables show the
Barbadian team leading with 16 points, followed by Leeward Island with 12, Trinidad and Tobago with 12, Jamaica with 10, Windwards Island with 6 and Guyana at the bottom of the table with 4.
Century maker Romeo Deonarine Jockey Kishawn Pereira will be among the young jockeys in action at Sunday’s Summer Stakes
The Guyana Under-21 National Women’s Hockey Team
Danielle Manns has 11 wickets thus far
A record, 12,164, capacity crowd at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence turned up to support hosts Guyana Amazon Warriors as the franchise romped to a 32-run victory in the second edition of the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League.
Pandemonium broke out in each of the Guyana National Stadium’s stands; screams of delight, whistles of approval, flags waving at top speed, blaring horns and, in some cases, tears of joy flowed as the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) lifted their first ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) trophy in the tournament’s second edition.
The Amazon Warriors set up the 32-run victory at Providence after posting a mammoth 196 and going on to rout their opponents and defending champions, the Rangpur Riders, for 164 in 19.5 overs.
The thrilling tale began with the Amazon Warriors winning the toss and opting to bat first. Thereafter, the hosts posted the highest score in ExxonMobil Guyana GSL history – quite the remarkable feat – in a batting innings that
was a testament to their unprecedented growth over the course of this year’s tournament.
Johnson Charles, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Romario Shepherd were amongst the key pieces that got the Amazon Warriors up to an imposing 190+ total.
A crowd reminiscent of those that turn out to watch the age-old rivalry between the Guyana Amazon Warriors and Trinbago Knight Risers yearly in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) filled the Guyana National Stadium to capacity on Friday night. But their brewing anticipation was quieted very early when, after struggling to connect for three balls, Evin Lewis
Joining Charles was Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who appeared intent on compensating for two low scores in his last two outings.
Charles truly announced himself with a helmet trick of fours in the 6th over off Azmatullah Onarzai’s bowling, and there was no turning back from there. The Amazon Warriors’ duo piled on the runs in a 121-run second-wicket partnership that spanned 11 overs.
The partnership was, of course, decorated with the boisterous cheers of the ‘Warrior Nation’, who were thrilled out of their minds every time the duo exceeded the boundary. The fanfare came to an end, though, when Charles, who had already been avoiding running the twos that an agile Gurbaz so loved, was forced to retire hurt.
the review upstairs, but a smidge of the batsman’s boot saved his wicket, but not for long.
His panting retreat to the dressing room was not the ideal situation for the local franchise, evidenced by Shimron Hetmyer’s ensuing, swift departure for a duck and Gurbaz’s wicket, all in consecutive overs.
‘threw his bat out’, finding the safe hands of Saif Hassan, for just 5 runs.
Prior to his wicket, though, Johnson Charles had found the boundary on several occasions, getting more and more comfortable at the crease.
At 148-4 in the 17th over, however, it was the perfect situation for the host’s hard-hitters to be out in the middle. Romario Shepherd was the first to launch one into the stands in the 18th, and by the 19th over, Sherfane Rutherford had joined the party.
Shepherd slammed 3 sixes and 1 four in his 28 from 9, while Rutherford had 1 six and 1 four in his 19. Together, the two piled on an unbeaten 48 runs in no time to propel the hosts to 196-4 in their 20 overs.
Kaled Ahmed, Tabraiz Shamsi and Iftikhar Ahmed all pick up one wicket each.
Bowlers with nerves of steel
Similarly to their prior three games, the Amazon Warriors had a roaring start to their time with the ball. The Warriors fans first attempt at celebratory cheers came in the very first over, served up by West Indies international Akeal Hosein. Screams for a stumping by Rahmanullah Gurbaz sent
Ibrahim Zadran was given his marching orders in the following over when a masterful take and throw from Captain Imran Tahir to Gurbaz found the batsman short of his crease. There was more to cheer about two overs later when Gudakesh Motie raced from his spot in the boundary at deep extra cover to scoop up an airborne shot off Soumya Sarkar’s bat. The dangerous Kyle Mayers was the next to go, brilliantly castled by Moeen Ali.
The Amazon Warriors would’ve had their fourth in the 7th over, following another stumping combination between Hosein and Gurbaz, but again, the third umpire decided that the batsman had some boot behind the line, giving Iftikhar another life.
That lifeline proved to be valuable to the defending champions as Iftikhar and Saif Hassan went on to pile on 73 runs, visibly frustrating the Guyanese bowlers.
prematurely signalled six, and when the third umpire decided upon awarding the runs without a thorough look at Hetmyer’s take, several Amazon Warriors players flew into a rage, demanding a second look. Though a second check showed that Hetmyer may have come into contact with the advertising ropes, the hosts soon had their revenge.
An instance of ball-watching, hastiness and reckless running between Iftikhar and Hassan saw the latter de -
The South African pacer accounted for the danger man, Iftikhar, for 46, trapping him lbw, but had to wait a few moments after the reviewed decision was perused by the third umpire. The pacer was motivated to thump his chest once again when Azmatullah Omarzai holed out Sherfane Rutherford to depart for six. Unusually, for the first time that night, Imran Tahir took off sprinting towards the ‘green stand’ after accounting for his opposite number, Nurul Hasan, caught and bowled. Down and out and all out of motivation by that point, Khaled Ahmed gave Tahir another reason to take off two balls later after attempting to play a big shot but having his attempt taken at deep mid-wicket by Shamar Springer.
128-8 after 17, and it was all but over now; Warrior Nation waited with bated breath for the moment they could burst out in celebration.
It all came to a boiling point in the 13th over when Tahir’s bowling was sent down to long on, where Hetmyer was on the ropes, ready to collect. Believing that he touched the ropes before he passed off the catch to Sherfane Rutherford, Hetmyer
parting for 26, on the back of a super throw from Evin Lewis near deep mid-wicket. By the 15th over, eyes in the crowd widened with anticipation and hope as Pretorius brought a double whammy of wickets.
Interestingly enough, the contest went all the way down to the last over being served up by a son of the soil, Motie. The Guyanese spinner wasted no time in taking care of Mahidul Ankon and Kamrul Islam; the more entertaining of the two being Hetmyer, who took a catch lying on his back to dismiss Ankon. While Pretorius picked three scalps, Tahir and Motie both claimed two, finishing the job in style.
Ecstatic with cheers of delight, Warrior Nation were rewarded after a week of devoted support with the ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League trophy.
Captain Imran Tahir was adjudged the player of the tournament
Dwaine Pretorius picked 3 wickets in the final
Rahmanullah Gurbaz played a man-of-the-match worthy knock
Johnson Charles was in red – got form before retiring hurt
