The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Sunday, July 20 – No closure and Monday, July 21 – 00:55h-02:25h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Sunday, July 20 – 12:35h-14:05h and Monday, July 21 – 13:50h-15:20h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times –05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily
Duty-free ATVs & boat engines, home improvement subsidies, cargo boats for Reg 1 – Pres Ali – higher salaries for CSOs, 1000 new healthcare jobs to come
From duty-free taxes on All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) and outboard engines, to home improvement subsidies and 1,000 new jobs, residents of Region One (Barima-Waini) can expect continued benefits and transformative development over the next five years under the People Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
These and other initiatives were outlined by President Dr Irfaan Ali in his bid for a second term in office. He told thousands of supporters at a PPP/C public meeting in the Moruca Subdistrict on Saturday that the
ry. “We’ve already paid down last week for a second ferry to come here in Region One because we’ve seen the impact of the first ferry already. Right here, we’ve [also] awarded the contract for a cargo boat to take your goods to Charity. And that boat will be brought here within the next three months,” Ali told residents of Region One on Saturday.
24-hour electricity
According to Ali, the next five years will be an exciting time for the transformation of the landscape across Region One, with new road
party is committed to continue enhancing every aspect of their lives. As such, he announced interventions aimed at easing the high cost of travel in hinterland regions. For persons buying boat engines up to 150 hp, Ali declared “…we’ll remove the duty for hinterland and riverine communities.”
“We’re going to remove the taxes on duties on ATVs so that you can have ATVs VAT-free and tax free for the hinterland and riverine areas.”
Similarly, the President added that there will also be special tax incentives on fourdoor, four-wheel vehicles for persons living and working in the hinterland and riverine areas. Ali reminded that the current PPP/C Administration removed the VAT that the previous APNU+AFC regime had imposed on travel. Despite this, he recognised that transport still remains expensive and he has committed to making the necessary investments to bring down costs of air travel, air freight, riverine travel and transport within hinterland communities.
“We’re going to find innovative ways in which we give your communities support and grants to help with your transportation costs,” the President assured.
Back in 2023, the Ali-led PPP/C Government operationalised an ocean-going ferry, MV MA Lisha, to service the Georgetown to Region One route. Plans are now underway for a second fer-
projects, schools, hospitals, enhanced utility services, and facilities to boost commercial activities.
“Every single village that is on the riverfront, we are going to build a proper landing facility so that your farmers, children and residents can have access to proper boating and landing facilities. In the coming months and years, we’re going to expand your electricity sup-
ply so you can have 24-hour supply here and we can extend the service to other villages here within the subregion,” the President noted. With plans to construct concrete roads in several communities, Ali said residents there will be given the tools and equipment to build these roads themselves so that the money can remain in the community.
He went on to talk about plans for the agriculture sector in the Barima-Waini region which includes a multi-purpose facility, support for large scale coffee and cocoa cultivation, financing and technical support, market access, agro-processing hub and cold storage facilities in every sub-district to support farmers and other producers like poultry.
Bottling plant for coconut water
In fact, the President detailed plans to expand the livestock industry in Region One by ten-fold, as well as co-invest opportunities in aquaculture facilities to position the region as a major
supplier in the seafood market.
He further recognised that many persons have returned to coconut production and as a result, he revealed that the Government will invest in a coconut water bottling plant in Region One with opportunities for export to Caribbean via the new wharf being constructed at Charity. He also assured farmers of continued support from the PPP/C Government with equipment, subsidies and fertilisers. Moreover, he outlined similar support for forestry groups in communities and small loggers, who will benefit from equipment and financing.
The President further noted that the new administration plans to create tourism hubs in Moruca, co-investing with young people there. The aim, he added, is to market the region as a tourism hub and create jobs. He further promised more allowances and higher salaries for doctors, nurses and teachers.
President Irfaan Ali at the PPP/C’s public meeting at Moruca, Region One on Saturday
Supporters at the PPP/C’s public meeting on Saturday at the Region One Sub-district of Moruca
With Guyana in the throes of our Sept 1st elections campaign, our populace is being bombarded by exhortations from the six parties vying for the prize of Government. They are in dire need of some wisdom to guide them. We select a quotation from Hillel the Elder, one of the early Jewish rabbis: “If I am not for myself, who is for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?”
To evaluate all the manifesto promises or pledges, the elector must begin with himself or herself: “If I am not for myself, who is for me?” There is nothing selfish about this. Before every flight takes off, passengers are instructed that in the event of a mishap, they should FIRST put on their own oxygen mask before doing the same for even their child. If you do not take care of yourself, then you cannot help yourself and become a burden on society. Analogously, on the campaign promises, one should question what the various parties would do to fulfil your desire to live the good life. Being careful, of course, to discern whether the promises are not “pie in the sky” but grounded in realistic plans with the promisor having a track record of keeping their word.
But the second question – “And if I am only for myself, what am I?” – tells you that “no man is an island”. We are all connected and have a simultaneous responsibility to all others in our society. This second exhortation is one that most of us ignore, locked as we are in the solipsistic notion that we are all that matters rather than we are what we are because of others and that our destinies are intertwined. In Guyana, we have fallen into the rut of making decisions of wider import where we only think of our ethnic group while ignoring the reality that this position has not taken us forward. Just as there is nothing wrong about thinking about oneself, there is nothing wrong about thinking of one’s group – by whatever criteria one chooses to define one’s group. But at every level of abstraction, one has to factor in the impact on others at that level.
We have to become our brothers’ keepers – for our own well-being. The reality is that our society is like an ocean in which all individual citizens (and the groups they chose to identify with) are swimming. If the ocean is poisoned by actions that keep some of us in thraldom, then we will eventually all suffer, if not perish. It behoves us, therefore, to insist that the parties vying for office present and practise a programme of equality of opportunity in all areas of their manifestos.
During the election campaign, therefore, we have to look at which party has demonstrated in its actions over time a concern for ALL groups in the society. If we are objective, this is the explicit stance of only the PPP/C in its pursuit of creating what it calls “One Guyana”. Sadly, the major opposition party – the PNC/APNU – has become embroiled in the machinations of one of its paper coalition partners – the WPA – pushing the insidious and ironic proposition that African Guyanese are their property. And if members of this group join other parties – especially the PPP – they are “slave catchers” and “ass lickers”.
Hillel’s last question was “And if not now, when?”
Meaning that we cannot remain locked in a Hamletlike internal debate on “To be or not to be”. In terms of selecting which party can best be entrusted to take our country forward for the next five years, we will have to decide now where we will place our “X” on the ballots. As far as this paper is concerned, we do believe that the choice is a “no-brainer”.
The People’s Progressive Party Civic has demonstrated that it has the plans and the personnel to continue developing Guyana for the next five years.
Voting is a personal decision
At the end of the day, voting in any election is a personal decision.
This decision can be influenced by many factors. Loyalty to a political party looms very high on the list. In Jamaica’s tribal political culture, the main political parties can always depend on their diehard adherents for support. Come rain or sunshine, they will brave the elements to lend their support to their tribe. Many of them in this political tribal amphictyony would have benefited from the scraps that the party hands down to them from time to time, especially when elections roll around and handouts are aplenty.
Then there are those who decide to withdraw from the political process. They are sometimes called the “undecided”, but this is not necessarily a true description of who they are. They have certainly made a decision not to participate, and, for many, this position has been entrenched for a number of years.
This group is not beholden to any political party. And it does not mean they will not come down from the fence occasionally to vote, but, by and large, they have become disaffected with how the politics is conducted.
Some hold the strong position that given our broken Westminster system of governance, any vote for either party is a wasted vote. They would rather stay home than dirty their fingers in any political ink.
There are those who stay home simply because they have come to the conclusion that they do not see how their lives can be bettered if they do go out and vote. They are not necessarily apathetic but are in revolt against a system that they believe has not delivered for them.
Then there are those who, in my estimation, are few in number, who refuse to vote because of their belief that serious and radical constitutional changes to how we govern ourselves ought to become a reality. To vote in any election is to support the continuance of a system that has not served the country well and is in urgent need of revamping. They will not indulge the hypocrisy of voting in a system with which they have a visceral and intellectual disagreement. Withholding their votes is not just a sign of protest but a demonstration of a philosophical position to which they are deeply committed.
I find sympathy with this group, with a caveat. While I detest the present system, I take the practical approach that the mechanism of Government,
though not the best, is what we have. Not voting in an election will only allow oneself to be governed by the choice of a few and dwindling lumpen elements on either side of the political divide. I am conscious that presently the mechanism of Government calls for 63 parliamentarians to be elected to Parliament, with senators to be appointed later and a prime minister installed. None of this will change anytime soon.
While we must agitate vigorously for constitutional change, the business of Government has to go on. I, therefore, take what I believe to be the pragmatic course of assessing the history of the performance of each tribe while in office. As elections draw near, I am paying keen attention to their policy pronouncements and their posturing on the political stage to determine which Channelstar, which side is best able to lead the country at this time. In a later piece, after the election date has been announced, I will give a fuller appraisal of which side I have decided should lead at this time.
However much I despise the present system and want to see radical constitutional change, I cannot abide the idea that I can sit idly by while a tribal group determines my future. As it is now, and as trends suggest, the tribal
arrangement on either side will prevail. Over the past three general elections, we have seen a steady decline of people going to the polls. The last election in 2020 saw over 703,000 electors voting out of 1,913,410 who were registered to do so. The JLP finally won with 49 seats, and the PNP 14. This represented a 37 per cent turnout, falling from 48.37 per cent in the 2016 election. This is not a state of affairs to be happy with, but despite the odds, I will go out and vote for the side I believe will do a better job at running the country. I want to have some stake in the game, to be a strong participant in the process, to have a seat at the table rather than being part of the menu. If I do not vote, I will be governed by the choices of those who do. In the end, my vote might not change anything in my favour, but I am not going down without a fight. And that would have been my personal decision. (Jamaica Observer) Dr Raulston Nembhard is a priest, social commentator, and author of the books Finding Peace in the Midst of Life’s Storms; Your Self-Esteem Guide to a Better Life; and Beyond Petulance: Republican Politics and the Future of America. He also hosts a podcast – Mango Tree Dialogues – on his YouTube channel.
The Mainstay/Whyaka community on Saturday launched its opening of Lake View Cabins to enhance tourism in Region Two. Tourism Minister Oneidge Waldron and community officials attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the occasion
Shortly, soon, very soon!
Dear Editor,
Running for President is serious business. While the two historically dominant parties, the PPP and PNC (later PPP/C and PNCR), have maintained great consistency since the 1950s, few other parties have managed to do the same. The UF were there in the 1960s, but Burnham orchestrated their exit.
The WPA, once a major force, has not functioned as a regular political par-
Mark
ty. Walter Rodney, notwithstanding, the WPA has had a weird existence with things like a co-leader and with claims that it is not an electoral-type party. Right now it exists in the name of a man who lives in Arizona, with a few locals tagging along.
Others, like the DLM under Paul Tennassee, made some useful contributions but then moved on.
The AFC entered in 2006 and managed to function as
a viable entity till now. We may, however, have seen its ignominious exit in this election cycle.
Through all these decades, coalitions have also risen in ‘quick time’ from out of the bowels of the earth, only to be buried even faster and deeper from whence they came.
The latest iteration is the WIN organisation. I hesitate to use the standard label because it has none of the institutional trap-
Lyte did much for teachers’
Dear Editor,
I noticed there have been some comments on Dr Mark Lyte, former head of the Guyana Teachers Union, appearing on the candidates list of the PPP. There is the accusation this is a betrayal of teachers, from a union that
tried to expel him after he signed the agreement to end the strike.
To be clear, under Lyte’s presidency, the GTU strike was probably the longest teachers’ strike against the government. Over the years, teachers have gained and enjoyed benefits that
pings of a conventional political party. WIN is a oneman show that rose up due to specific circumstances involving the ‘Shell’ family and, specifically, Azruddin Mohamed.
WIN has no elected party officers, no established public headquarters, no recognisable secretariat with a staff, no issue area specialists, no policy-making process, and, in fact, no declared policies. To date, many associated with WIN have
absconded or have been unceremoniously kicked out. Some, such as “Doggie”, have gone ‘wild’ against their erstwhile paymaster. Further, unlike any other President ial candidate since the 1950s that is on the ballot, the WIN Presidential candidate, Azruddin Mohamed, is unable to answer basic questions. One would think that even a modest attempt would suffice. But even that seems to be beyond this
poor fella, whose only answers to date are “shortly”, “soon”, and very shortly”… Mr Azruddin Mohamed is the only Presidential candidate who is actively sanctioned for matters with criminal implications, going into an election in the history of this country. As to how things will turn out – all I can say is wait, because you will know soon, very soon.
Yours Sincerely, Dr Randy Persaud
interests, being free to support any party
not even American teachers get. The agreement to 10 per cent and 8 per cent came after the strike had gone on for too long and students’ education was at serious risk. A strike cannot go on forever; there has to be compromise. So, if Ms McDonald is questi-
oning why Dr Lyte agreed to the terms that ended the strike and implies that it was because Lyte was a secret PPP, would it be fair to also deduce that Ms McDonald wanted the strike to continue because she was a PNC member of parliament? We probably can-
Where are we heading? Don’t downplay development
Dear Editor,
Recently there was a video circulating of a WIN’s party supporter brandishing a gun and assaulting another supporter of the same party. Subsequently, police issued a wanted bulletin which circulated amongst the various news outlets, saying the individual in question is not a licensed firearm holder. Thereafter, it is alleged that the wanted man turned himself into police custody, was promptly charged and appeared in court and, interestingly, was placed on bail. Immediately it raises suspicion as to why someone with so many serious allegations was placed on bail when there are many people with way fewer offences being remanded, like Charles Rawlins being remanded to prison for narcotics possession on the same day. After the secret recordings surface, it only tells me that the justice system is very corrupt and your fate lies in the hands of corruption in Guyana.
Editor, over the past few days, Guyana witnessed the assassination of two men in Buxton, another in Linden, the brutal sexual assault on a young lady at a bar, the senseless murder of a clothes vendor and quite a few other issues that have caused concern.
Interestingly, the various political leaders seem to ignore these issues, using the press time to desecrate one another and making vile promises should they be elected. Their actions seem to motivate culprits to continue committing heinous acts on Guyanese, because they are not inte-
rested in making life better for Guyanese but in retaining power and squandering the money. The PPP/C being in power for so many years chose not to review the laws of Guyana to give the citizens adequate protection, especially the women. In more than one incident I’ve heard the PPP/C Government complaining of the laws of Guyana, but ironically only do so when it’s not in their favour.
Finally, Editor, in 2013, allegations surface that the then Minister of Transport and Hydraulics, Robson Benn, invaded the NCN studio.
after hearing the lyrics of reigning Calypso Monarch Lester ‘De Professor’ Charles’ winning rendition, “God Don’t Sleep”, and banned it from playing in the air. Now, we’ve a lot of local so-called ‘influencers’ carrying on with a lot of vulgarity on social media, some even singing songs using the most disgusting expletives and no one saying anything, and the Guyana Police Force are allowing them to perform at shows/ dances, etc. The popularity of these atrocious songs reached the smallest child’s ears, and they could be heard singing along loudly when these songs were being played or singing independently. Quite a few people are disgusted at this new trend and wondering why it hasn’t interested the government’s concern. Are they comfortable with the lawlessness that’s happening in society today?
Yours Sincerely, Sahadeo Bates
Dear Editor, I write with reference to a letter penned by Antonio Dey, dated July 14, 2025 – “Our Youths Must be Sensitised on the Genesis of Free Tertiary Education” (Kaieteur News).
Dey’s disdain for the PPP/C Administration is palpable and shocking to me as a young professional. I am disappointed and flabbergasted that the above-mentioned author is downplaying the significance of the Government initiative to eliminate tuition fees for all tertiary institutions.
In an attempt to beef up his shallow argument, Dey shamelessly quoted the Constitution of Guyana as giving citizens the right to free nursery to tertiary education. I fear that if this level of ineptitude is left to fester, it might become contagious.
Editor, Dey fails to acknowledge that the PPP/ C’s policy to remove tuition fees at this time paves the way for hundreds, if not thousands, of young peop-
le like myself to pursue a post-secondary education and to give myself an edge in one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. Contrary to what Dey says, there is nothing cavalier about President Irfaan Ali’s policy to remove fees. It is based on a solid plan that is anchored in a visionary economic policy. They should celebrate the initiative, not hold it with contempt.
As a young Guyanese, I would have liked to see a robust debate about Government policies and initiatives as they relate to our society and economy and not half-baked truths or what the American sociologist Dashanne Stokes described as “truth without context is distortion”.
The University of Guyana is free once again at a time when our country is thriving, resilient in a sustainable economy, thanks to the People’s Progressive Party/Civic.
Yours Respectfully,
Neron Cyrus
not say that. I am against a union leader concurrently being an MP for a party. You cannot serve two masters. So GTU and GAWU have that problem, and members should decide if they want that system to continue. We need a new unionism in the education sector that can work along with the Government of the day, not pollute everything with rancour and ill will. Education requires cooperation, not ongoing conflict and impasse. A new, progressive unionism is needed. If GTU continues its approach of confrontation, not collaboration, then maybe a new union will be needed.
I have worked with Dr Lyte on a committee, and he always brings good insights and energy in contributing to products and outputs of that committee. He is a reasonable person to deal with because of his strong moral and spiritual underpinnings. His deme-
anour is not that of a bully, as some politicos tend to be. It seems as if Dr Lyte has considered all options and decided that he can contribute to the vision of the PPP as regards education. Dr Lyte is quite experienced and can contribute much to education administration in Guyana. It is his right to choose which party he will support, and I am sure he will serve well if he is available to continue to contribute to education reform. There are many teacher factors contributing to educational outcomes and changes in how we operate, and union support is critical for us to advance in achieving even higher educational outcomes.
The education system is on the brink of 21st-century reform, and we need all available, incompetent people to lead those reforms.
Yours Sincerely, Dr Jerry Jailall
Sign Off 06:00 Cartoons
Evening News (RB) 08:00 Indian Movie - Maidaan (2024) 11:00 David Persaud Religious Program 11:30 Indian Movie - Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya (2002) 14:30 The Healing Touch 15:00 PPP/C Albion Rally 18:30 Week-in-Review 19:00 AEMG Episode 37 19:10 Supergirl S3 E19 20:00 The Flash S1 E5 21:00 Shadowhunters S2 E5 22:00 Movie - Feel the Beat (2020)
SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2025
Page Foundation
The deep ocean is the part of the ocean that goes from 200 metres below the surface to more than 10,000 metres deep and covers two-thirds of the Earth’s surface. The deep ocean is important for many reasons. It provides food for people to eat; it supports plankton, which produce the oxygen that we breathe; it balances Earth’s climate; and it is a wild, unknown space for people to enjoy and explore.
The deep ocean is full of amazing life that researchers are just starting to discover and learn about, like mussels that live off the super-hot, chemical-rich waters of hydrothermal vents, bioluminescent animals that glow in the dark, and bacteria that can protect sponges from pollution. The seafloor is a very active environment where scientists find and study volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, and other hazards that can impact ocean inhabitants and people on land. The deep sea also holds many historical and cultural artefacts, such as shipwrecks, which hold clues to human history.
Even though the deep ocean is very important, this huge volume of water is the least explored space on our planet because it is very difficult and expensive to study. Some of the challenges with studying the deep seafloor are:
• The deep sea is, of course, deep! The force of water can crush anything that goes down to great depths.
• Sunlight cannot travel beyond about 200 metres of water, so it is very dark in the deep ocean. Researchers need to bring lights down to illuminate the seafloor. Even then, they cannot see very far.
• Most of the water at the bottom of the ocean is nearly freezing (around 4°C), but some can be hundreds of degrees, like the water near volcanoes and hydrothermal vents. Scientists must use special materials so their tools do not freeze, burn, or melt.
• The ocean is very big. Many research vessels can only travel 17.7–22.5 km/h, slower than driving in a neighbourhood. It takes a long time to travel to and from remote areas.
• Ocean water contains salt and other minerals that can make some metals rust.
• The tools needed to explore and study the deep seafloor can cost a lot – even millions of dollars.
Many scientists cannot afford to buy and maintain these tools.
Gathering Data From the Deep Ocean
When preparing to explore a new part of the ocean, oceanographers must gather as much information as they can about that place. First, they go to the library or use the internet to find and read as much as possible about the area and learn if any work has been done there before. This can include reading publications, talking to people who live in the area, finding maps, or learning about local weather patterns. They also research the best types of tools to use in the area and depth they plan to explore. Once they have gathered all the information possible, they meet the ship and head out to sea.
Seafloor Mapping
The next step is to make a good map of the new area. The best tool oceanographers have today is a multibeam echo sounder, which is attached to the bottom of a ship or underwater vehicle and uses sound to measure the seafloor’s depth. A multibeam echosounder sends a line of signals, or “pings”, through the water. We record the time it takes for the signals to bounce off the seafloor and return to the echo sounder, then we calculate the depth of the water using that time and the speed of sound in water (1,500 m/s). By sending a line of pings as the ship or vehicle travels through the water, we can create a bathymetric seafloor map. Some multibeam echosounders can also tell if the seafloor is soft or hard or if bubbles (or even fish!) are in the water. All of this information helps scientists understand more
about a new area, and it helps them plan what they want to do next. For example, if multibeam echo-sounder data show that the seafloor is shaped like a cone, has hard sides, and has bubbles coming up in the middle, it might be a new underwater volcano discovery! But we need other tools to directly observe what we think is there.
Tools for Visual Observations
To check their new maps and make direct observations of the seafloor, oceanographers can use different types of deep submergence vehicles (DSVs). Some of these tools include:
• Landers: landers are underwater vehicles that are dropped to the seafloor, collect information, and rise back up to the surface. Landers can be small, inexpensive, and easy to deploy but can only “see” one point on the seafloor at a time.
• Drifters and gliders: these underwater vehicles can drift or glide a certain distance above the seafloor. Drifters collect data for a certain amount of time or over a certain distance, then rise back up to the surface for a scientist to collect it. Drifters can be small or large, and they are more expensive to buy and use than landers, but they can “see” more of the seafloor.
• Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs): ROVs are robotic vehicles with a cable (also called a tether) connecting them to the surface. They are driven or “flown” by ROV pilots on a ship. The people on the ship can see the data in “realtime” – while the information is being collected by the ROV. Deep-sea ROVs need a large ship to deploy them, and they are expensive to buy and operate. Since people are not inside the ROV and it is powered by the ship, it can stay on the seafloor for days.
• Autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs): AUVs are robotic vehicles programmed to carry out a mission over a certain area. AUVs do not have a tether to the ship, so they can cover more area than other types of vehicles, but scientists cannot see the data in real-time. Deep-sea AUVs can be deployed from a ship or from shore, and they can operate for days. Large AUVs can be expensive to buy and operate.
• Human-occupied vehicles (HOVs): HOVs are submarines with one to three scientists and engineers inside, and they do not have a tether to the ship. Because they have humans onboard, HOV missions are no longer than a few hours. HOVs need a large ship to deploy them, and they are very expensive to buy and operate.
All types of DSVs can have various sensors to collect different types of data or information about the environment. The most common data types collected on the seafloor are videos and photos, as well as measurements of depth, temperature, and
things from the seafloor.
Discoveries in the Deep Sea
The data collected by ships and underwater vehicles are then used to make new discoveries about Earth’s ocean. For example, more than 5,000 new deep-sea species were discovered in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, which stretches 4,500 miles from south of Hawai’i almost to Mexico in the Pacific Ocean. These animals could be under threat from deepsea mining. Another example is the famous HMS Endurance, discovered in 2022 in the freezing seas of Antarctica. The ship was trapped and crushed by sea ice (incredibly, all crew survived!), and it is an important story in the history of polar exploration. Yet another deep-sea discovery involved finding a new habitat created by a landslide on the slope of the Kick’em Jenny underwater volcano, off the coast of Grenada in the southeast Caribbean Sea. This habitat contained the world’s largest known mussels that live off the chemical-rich water being squeezed out of the seafloor.
Future of Deep-Sea Exploration
Because of the vast size of the deep ocean, its many challenges, and the high cost of deep-sea exploration, oceanographers have explored less than 0.002 per cent of the deep seafloor in the last 60 years. If we keep going at that rate, it will take more than a million years to see the entire deep seafloor! The world needs inventors and explorers to help build more tools that can cover more area, are easier to use, and are less expensive, so scientists can more quickly discover and protect the deep sea’s amazing mysteries.
Glossary
Hydrothermal Vents: Places where water comes up through cracks in the seafloor after it has been heated and enriched in metals and other chemicals by magma under the seabed.
Bioluminescent: The word to describe living creatures that emit light.
Oceanographers: Scientists who study the ocean.
Multibeam Echo Sounder: An instrument that uses multiple beams of sound to determine the water depth below the surface using sound waves.
Bathymetric: “Bathy” means deep, and “metric” means measure, so this term means the measurement of the seafloor’s depth.
Deep Submergence Vehicles: Robotic underwater vehicles that are used to explore and study the ocean.
Sensors: Devices that are used to measure and record information about the environment, such as temperature or depth.
salinity (saltiness). ROVs and HOVs can also have robotic arms to collect samples of rocks or living
“If you want development, vote PPP/C” – PM tells Moruca
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d)
Mark Phillips, has urged residents of Region One (Barima-Waini) to support the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) for a continuation of the unprecedented development taking place.
“There’s a reason why we have to vote for PPP/C… If you want development in Guyana, you have to vote PPP/C,” Phillips told thousands of supporters at the party’s public meeting held at the Moruca Sub-district on Saturday.
Phillips is returning on the PPP ticket alongside President Irfaan Ali as they seek a second term in office at the upcoming September 1 General and Regional Elections.
The Prime Minister told
future of today, and it could only get brighter under the PPP/C Government… That is what we promise you: development and growth.
Every Guyanese, every community, every race… must be part and parcel of this development… Don’t let anybody come and confuse your mind and keep you away from participating and benefitting from the development,” the PM declared.
Under the PPP/C’s leadership, Phillips noted that there is no division in development. He said over the past five years, his Government has been working to break down all the divides that prevented hinterland regions like the Barima-Waini from benefitting from the same develop-
residents that Moruca and the rest of Region One have undergone a complete transformation over the past five years, and this can only continue under the PPP.
“We have catapulted you from the dark ages of 2020 to the bright and sparkling
ment as the coastland.
He pointed out that the region has seen internet connectivity being bolstered through investments like the Starlink network – the satellite internet service operated by United Statesbased Tesla and 'X' owner
The Prime Minister, who has responsibility for telecommunications and energy, also spoke about the many solar farms that were installed in communities across the region to bring reliable power to supply to residents.
According to Phillips, the current PPP/C Government has effectively delivered to the people all across Guyana on all of its 2020 manifesto promises and is committed to doing the same in the next term.
“We made a lot of promises, and we delivered on those promises. And what we’re going to do is make more promises… And in the next five years, we’re going to deliver on those promises.”
We do what we say
Similar sentiments were expressed by Housing and Water Minister Collin Croal during Saturday’s meeting at Moruca. He told residents to ensure they elect leaders who listen and will implement programmes
that fix their problems.
“We’re a different party… What we say, we will do for you,” Croal stated, adding, “We’re about showing what we can do for you.”
“When you go and vote on September 1… we want you to vote for the party that you know has always had the hinterland and Amerindian brothers and sisters at heart… a party that has always been consistent in its message,” the Minister noted.
Contending that the PPP/C deserves a second term in office, Croal also highlighted that the party has fulfilled all of the promises it made to the electorate five years ago and then some.
He pointed to a number of issues raised by residents of the region over the years that have been addressed by the Ali-led administration, including issues related to pensions, roads, access to water, education and transportation.
One example he provided was the complaint that the Santa Rosa Secondary
Duty-free ATVs & boat engines, home...
FROM PAGE 3
Job creation & CSOs
According to Ali, with a new modern state-ofthe-art hospital being constructed at Moruca, this opens up employment opportunities for some 1000 residents there. “We’re looking to train all the persons that we will need to work in that hospital from right within your community. The nurses, the dentists, the pharmacists, the doctors, the medical technicians, the lab technicians –we will invest to train your young people so they can work at that hospital, creating more than 1000 new jobs in health sector alone,” the President stated.
Also on jobs, he announced pay increases for Community Service Officers (CSOs). “We’re going to increase the salaries of our CSOs and ensure they’re
paid monthly. But we’re also going to open up more opportunities for our CSOs because we want our CSOs to graduate to better jobs, to higher-paying jobs. We want to invest in our CSOs and our young people so that they can upskill themselves,” Ali stressed.
Just last year, CSOs received a stipend increase in line with the wages paid to workers under the Government’s part-time jobs initiative. The adjustment raised the stipend from $30,000 to $40,000,
The CSO programme is a youth empowerment initiative, specifically targeting Amerindian communities and those in riverine and remote areas. It provides employment and opportunities for personal development through training in various fields, includ-
ing tourism and information and communications technology (ICT). Under the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) regime, some 2000 CSOs were fired and had to be rehired by the current PPP/C Administration.
Home improvement subsidy
Meanwhile, the President also disclosed that a special land titling programme will be rolled out in Region One in the next term, coupled with other activities in the housing sector like a special home improvement.
“All of you will benefit from a special subsidy to improve your homes, to build stronger homes because we believe in the family. We believe that strong homes, good infrastructure, good recreational facilities all help in developing stronger families. Good educational facility, good healthcare facility – all of these help in building stronger families,” he stated.
According to Ali, these investments will not only create opportunities to residents of the Barima-Waini region but also bridge the gap with rest of country. This, he pointed, is a priority for the PPP/C.
These are just some of the many commitments that the PPP/C have outlined for the new term in office. The party’s full agenda will be laid out in its 2025 manifesto that will be launched later this month ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections.
in Moruca had outgrown the student population.
The Government made interventions, Croal said, and now the Waramuri Secondary School will open in September, while the Kwebanna Secondary School will open by January.
The Minister also highlighted that the residents of Santa Rosa complained about only having six hours of electricity a day, but through Government intervention, they are now getting 16-17 hours of power per day.
“You know you have a listening Government,” Croal declared.
Don’t waste your vote
Meanwhile, residents of Moruca were encouraged not to waste their votes and take chances that can put the community’s or region’s development at risk.
Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, said that some persons in the region have indicated that they are “taking a chance” by supporting other political parties.
But she was quick to remind of 2015 when persons took a chance with the APNU+AFC Coalition and faced five years of broken promises, hardships and stagnant development.
“We saw how much decline can take place in five years. And you know how much progress can take place in five years because we’ve seen it from 2020 to 2025 under the leadership
of Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali.”
“Be careful not to take a risk or to take a chance that can set your community decades back… We are going forward together with President Irfaan Ali and with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic. We can’t afford, at this critical point in this country’s history, to reverse the progress. We have to build on progress we’ve seen already,” Rodrigues declared.
Similarly, Parliamentary Secretary Sarah Browne urged Region One residents, “Don’t waste your vote behind a sanctioned man.” Browne pointed to the progress made in a range of sectors, urging residents to reflect on how their lives have improved under the Ali-led Government. Noting that President Ali has proven himself as a good leader, she encouraged residents to vote for the cup on September 1.
Among the other speakers at the PPP’s public meeting on Saturday who testified to the massive progress across Barima-Waini in the last five years was Region One Chairman Brentnol Ashley.
“There isn’t a village across Region One that has not seen or witnessed any transformation or development… Every single village now is being transformed and is on the path to prosperity,” Ashley said. He added, “Let us continue on this path; let us continue the work that has started.”
Elon Musk.
Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, at Saturday’s public meeting in Moruca
President Irfaan Ali with Housing and Water Ministers Collin Croal and Susan Rodrigues along with Region One Chairman Brentnol Ashley at the Moruca meeting on Saturday
Scores of supporters at the PPP public meeting on Saturday at Moruca, Region One
Bartender, others arrested over rape of 20-yr-old at Soesdyke bar
– APA calls for permanent closure of bar, justice for victim
The Guyana Police Force (GPF) on Saturday stated that several arrests were made in connection with the alleged drugging and rape of a 20-year-old woman at Raghoo’s Sports Bar in Soesdyke.
The incident reportedly
occurred during a party at the venue, in full view of patrons. Disturbingly, instead of intervening, many attendees recorded the assault on their phones, while others appeared to encourage the act. Footage of the incident has since circulated widely
on social media.
According to an issued police statement, the young woman was taken to the Timehri Police Station to file a report by Indigenous rights advocate and Alliance For Change (AFC) member, Laura George.
The victim alleged that she was drugged and sexually assaulted by three men at the bar. Police have since confirmed the arrest of the bartender and several other individuals of interest, while the law enforcement officers are also working to locate additional suspects and witnesses who were identified in the video.
In light of this incident, the bar was shut down by the authorities, with the Human Services and Social Security Ministry stating that it should remain permanently closed. Meanwhile, the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA) has expressed deep concern and outrage regarding the “horrific video” currently circulating on social media, which depicts the brutal rape of a young Indigenous woman in-
side a public bar. According to the group, “this act is not only a vile crime but a blatant violation of human dignity and a chilling reminder of the systemic violence faced by Indigenous women in Guyana”.
In a statement issued, APA demanded that the perpetrators of this “abhorrent crime face the full extent of the law without any delay or leniency”, noting that justice must be swift, uncompromising, and complete.
In addition, acknowledging the immediate response by the GPF, the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, APA called on the Government of Guyana to “ensure that the bar where this crime occurred is shut down permanently and urge the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) to immediately revoke all licences held by the owner. Such an establishment has no place in our society, and allowing it to continue operations would be an insult to all women across the country.”
Looking on...
…at Big Oil roil
Now that we’re an oil-producing nation, we better get used to knowing a tad better these oil companies who are – and will be – getting our oil out from under the Atlantic. We know that the US-based Exxon (45 per cent), Hess (30 per cent), and the Chinese governmentowned China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) (25 per cent) made the first big strike in our Stabroek Block – and have been pumping out the black gold since the end of 2019!! They started out with 200,000 bpd and are heading to 1 million bpd by next year!!
Now, few remember that UK-based Shell was an original partner with Exxon back in 1999 when Janet signed the exploration agreement. So what happened to them?? At that time the contract was more of a pre-emptive move against Chavez in Venezuela and their border controversy, even though an American geological survey had indicated there was oil under our muddy Atlantic waters!! Shell, however, pulled out after the initial wells came up dry!! That was when a small US/Texas oil company, Hess, and a Canadian company, Nexen, acquired 30 per cent and 25 per cent of the operation. So how did CNOOC get in? They acquired Nexen in 2013, and – even though the Guyana operations weren’t considered worthy of even a mention in the acquisitions – we arrived at the present setup. Which is, we’re now one of the largest offshore strikes in the world!! So while the US is jumping up and down like a fowl cock about “China’s Challenge” – and looking askance at our dealings with that country – we should remember that CNOOC was given explicit approval by both the US and Canada for the acquisition!!
So we (finally) arrive at the news that prompted this long meditation – that US-owned Chevron just won an arbitration to acquire Hess’ share of our Stabroek Field. This was after they’d already acquired the entire Hess corporation – with interests in several other oil plays in the US and elsewhere. But Exxon and CNOOC claimed they should have first dibs on Hess’ Guyana assets since they’d been there when all the heavy lifting (literally and figuratively!!) had been done to get the operation going!! The international arbitrators didn’t agree, and now Chevron – capitalised at US$260B – is here, along with Exxon – US$464B and CNOOC – US$116B!! For comparison, our entire GDP is US$17B – but if we take out the oil revenues – which don’t remain here – it’s really just about US$8 billion!!
So let’s get used to the power of these entities and be realistic in what we can – and can’t – do without getting squeezed. Remember all this global “overthrowing of government business” started in 1951 when Iran’s PM was ousted to control their oil. Without dropping bunkerbusting bombs!!
The more things change…!!
…at old revolutionaries
Today is Frantz Fanon’s 100th birth anniversary!! And your Eyewitness wants to talk about why so many of you dear readers – and probably 100 per cent of those under thirty! – exclaimed, “Who the heck is Franz Fanon??!!” It’s such a source of sadness that the psychiatrist from Martinique – who did more than anyone else in the world to alert us to the damage that was done to our minds and psyches by European colonial rule – isn’t known by one and all!
Remember us carrying on as to how the Brits convinced us they were so much better than us, and after they decamped, their “mixed” descendants assumed the same attitude? Their 1 per cent of white blood – leading to the Fanonian “Black Skin; White Mask” – gave them that legitimacy!! And so many of us went along. Isn’t this why our “coloured elite” still insist they’re more qualified to run the country!!
Fanon did talk about the catharsis of violence – but your Eyewitness ain’t going down that road!!
…at politics
The American humourist Mark Twain once remarked, “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” He showed that “all skin teeth na laff” because we’ve seen so many politicians with “credentials” behaving like asses during this silly season!!
The bar in which the incident occurred. It has since been shut down by authorities
Jermaine Figueira endorses President Ali’s reelection, urges citizens to reflect on progress
...says “Be guided by what you would have seen”
Former A Partnership for National Unity/ Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Member of Parliament (MP) and Executive Member of PNC/R, Jermaine Figueira, is calling on citizens to reflect on the current PPP/C Administration’s track record and to vote based on vision, performance, and national interest – not party loyalties – he openly backs the re-election of President Irfaan Ali, citing tangible development under his leadership.
Figueira, who recently resigned from the People’s National Congress (PNC) and as an APNU/AFC Member of Parliament, ended weeks of political silence to announce his support for President Ali’s leadership on Saturday.
“September 1st is what could be considered one of the most consequential elections in our history. It’s very important. It will determine the trajectory of Guyana and more so how the people of this country are going to benefit, and therefore the voting experience – the
voting exercise of all of the persons who are going to be participating in the process should be one that is guided by what they would have seen and what they would have experienced and not be based on political loyalty or personality because Guyana is at a place where significant transformation is happening,” he advised.
“It is from those observations and my own analysis of the politics of Guyana and where I would like to see my country go forward. I believe President Irfaan Ali – with some of his imperfections, like all leaders; there is no leader in this country who hasn’t erred, and President Irfaan Ali is no exception – but I believe his leadership far outweighs his imperfections. I believe he is committed to the development of this country, and honestly, I believe he wants to see the unification of our people, and therefore I would say right here and now... quite frankly, that I believe Irfaan Ali deserves to be given another chance to be elected to office,” the former MP said.
Figueira, who served 10 years in Parliament and chaired the Public Accounts Committee, has also urged voters to think critically and act responsibly, emphasising the need to “vote with intelligence”, placing country above partisan politics. Against this backdrop, he offered his full endorsement and active support to
President Ali’s re-election campaign.
“My endorsement of him goes beyond rhetoric. I’m going to actively involve myself in his re-election campaign because I think he deserves another opportunity to lead his country. I know it’s a lengthy response, but I think it needed to be said because, like I
said, this is a very important election, and therefore people must engage in this process intelligently, and I hope I can offer some of that in my responses to help them make their decision,” he added.
Figueira now joins a growing group of politicians who have thrown their support behind President Ali for a 2nd term in office.
Among those persons who have recently come forward to endorse the PPP are former PNC General Secretary and Opposition Parliamentarian Geeta Chandan-Edmond; Alliance For Change (AFC) Regional Councillor Ismail Muhammad-Al-Cush; and Chairman of the Region Seven division of the AFC, David Daniels.
Additionally, Regional Vice Chairman for Region Four and member of the PNC, Samuel Sandy, has endorsed the PPP. He joined the Executive Member of the PNCR and Region Four Chairman Daniel Seeram, who also endorsed President Ali for a second term.
Former PNCR Central
Executive member, Dr Richard Van West-Charles, said he believed that President Ali was the leader Guyana needed now. Dr Van West-Charles is the son-inlaw of former President and founder of the PNC, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham. In April, former PNC member Thandi McAllister also threw her support behind the PPP.
In 2023, Lance Smith, former General Secretary of the Guyana Youth and Student Movement (GYSM), the youth arm of the PNCR, and former Georgetown Mayor and longstanding PNC member Patricia Chase-Green broke ties with the PNC and joined the PPP to contest the local Government elections.
Additionally, leaders of smaller parties –The Citizenship Initiative (TCI) – Shaz Ally; The New Movement (TNM) –Dr Asha Kissoon; and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP) – Lenox Shuman –have also joined the PPP/C ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections.
Former APNU MP Jermaine Figueira
PNC’s Totalitarian Legacy
In his recent piece, “Hannah Arendt on the Identification of Totalitarianism”, Dr Bertrand Ramcharran cited increased interest in Arendt’s work in light of what he sees to be “growing manifestations of totalitarianism across the globe”. He also mentioned “Seyla Ben Habib, Professor at Columbia University, who identified six elements of totalitarianism”. I found it rather anomalous, however, that he chose to ignore our own experience with totalitarianism in Guyana under the rule of Forbes Burnham between 1968 and 1985, which had been noted by Dr Walter Rodney in his 1979 “People’s Power; No Dictator”. Especially so, since in light of the inevitable systemic continuities, there are the present PNC leaders’ and their recent coalition partner WPA’s David Hinds’ vow to fulfil Burnham’s “legacy”.
Contemporary European-origin political scientists of Arendt, Profs Carl Friedrich and Zbigniew Brzezinski, had long pre-empted Ben Habib to extract six characteristics of totalitarian regimes drawn from the experiences of Stalinist Russia, Hitler’s Germany and Mussolini’s Italy. I had cited these repeatedly since 1988, starting with my paper “On the PNC dictatorship”. They are contextualised below:
A single mass party, led by a dictator. While Burnham permitted other parties existence, his electoral rigging eviscerated them so they couldn’t threaten the PNC’s rule. Guyana was effectively a oneparty state. If they managed to pose a real threat to the regime, as the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) did briefly by 1979, the totalitarian “sharper steel”, in the words of Burnham, was bared. In 1980 (not coincidentally, when Rodney was assassinated), a new constitution “legally” sanctioned Burnham’s absolute control over Guyana.
A near-monopoly control over the “coercive” apparatus of the state. The Guyana Disciplined Forces – Army, Police Force, Fire Service, National Service, People’s Militia and National Guard Service – were expanded exponentially and staffed with a ninety per cent African membership. Their top brass swore personal loyalty to Burnham at PNC Congresses, while Major David Granger was in charge of their ideological training. While the GDF has commendably remained neutral, the GPF has proven more nettlesome.
A system of terroristic control. The House of Israel; “Kick down the door” bandits; arbitrary search and seizures by the police; ubiquitous police informers; assassinations; ostentatious marches by the army through opposition strongholds, etc., kept the opposition under control and their supporters in terror. Indians responded to the pressure by mass migration, joined in lesser numbers by other groups as the economy imploded. Soon more than half the country were abroad. For those who remained, corruption became institutionalised, and “lines” became the avenue of relating to, and dealing with, the regime. Corruption was power, and absolute corruption became absolute power, especially in state institutions and state operations. Corruption remains a major problem.
A near-monopoly control over mass communication and education. The Government’s nationalisation of, and PNC control over, the media (radio and newspapers; television was not permitted) and establishment of the GPSA in tandem with a programme of harassment of the opposition newspapers through libel suits and bans on newsprint consummated this imperative. The Government decided what the people should know. Private schools were all nationalised, and mass games were introduced from N. Korea for schoolchildren to feed Burnham’s megalomania. Denationalisation has resolved this challenge and the one following.
The central control and direction of the economy. Burnham boasted he had nationalised 80% of the economy – including banks – by 1976, affording sinecures to middle-class supporters. PNC membership and support for the party’s position became prerequisites for getting and keeping jobs. The Ujama-inspired cooperative, supposedly the cornerstone of the economy, was to make the African Guyanese “small man” into the “real man”. Profits were sucked from the Indian-dominated rice, sugar and retailing industries to develop other sectors.
A near-monopoly over all civil organisations. Trade unions, religious organisations, schools, cultural organisations, and social bodies were all either subverted or controlled by PNC intimidation through buying off compliant leadership (like the Maha Sabha) or creating paper organisations that were given official recognition and a place at the Government’s trough.
An official ideology. The PNC announced in 1974 it was a Marxist-Leninist party and was reorganised as the “vanguard of the masses” with paramountcy over the state. While there have been interminable discussions as to the “sincerity” of Burnham’s avowal, at a minimum, Marxism-Leninism gave the PNC a vocabulary and methodical postulate for its experiments and excesses. While both the PPP and PNC have abandoned their old “socialist” cant, stubborn behavioural traits remain. Will the present PNC leadership fulfil this legacy?
PM candidate “not essential”; just “window dressing” – WIN Executive
Executive of the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party, Odessa Primus, has dismissed growing public concern over her party’s delay in naming a Prime Ministerial (PM) Candidate for the upcoming September 1 General and Regional Elections, claiming that naming a candidate for the role is not essential and amounts to mere “window dressing.”
In a candid telephone interview with the Guyana Times on Saturday, Primus expressed confidence that WIN, which is led by United States (US)-sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohammed, is poised to win the elections in a landslide. However, she pushed back against criticisms of the party’s readiness, particularly surrounding the vacant Prime Ministerial spot on their ticket. “We don’t have a deadline, but we are going to be coming to a conclusion on this very soon. The PM candidate is not something that
needs to be stated by law; it’s just window dressing, as you would know,” Primus stated. She went further to question the political weight traditionally ascribed to the PM’s office in Guyana’s governance structure.
“In a Government, there’s no Minister who is more important than the other, whether it is Prime Minister or otherwise. So I am saying that it is not something that is essential to put out there,” she said, adding that: “We want to ensure that our candidate makes a difference, so we more or less don’t have a white elephant sitting there. We don’t plan to make that mistake.”
While Guyana’s Constitution, under Article 101, mandates that a PM be appointed by the President from among elected members of the National Assembly, it does not require parties to publicly name their intended candidates before elections. However, it has become customary for parties to do so as
a show of transparency and preparedness, signalling to voters the makeup of the potential executive leadership.
Failure to disclose a PM candidate creates questions of trust, governance, and internal party coherence, with the omission of such critical information limits voters’ ability to assess a party’s full leadership team before heading to the polls.
However WIN is the only party contesting the polls that is yet to name a running mate. Several other contesting parties, including the Alliance for Change (AFC), Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), and the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP), have also not yet announced their Prime Ministerial picks.
By contrast, both major political forces, President Irfaan Ali’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and Aubrey Norton’s A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) have already made their choices pub-
lic. The PPP/C has retained Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips as its candidate for PM, while APNU has named Juretha Fernandes to the role.
Despite the growing scrutiny, Primus maintained a confident posture about WIN’s momentum, and is even predicting victory by a landslide.
“Things are going fantastic over here. We are going to be winning the next elections, so we’re at a place where we are preparing for the new Government to take over at this juncture,” she said.
“As relates to campaigning, we will continue to campaign because we want to win on a majority, but our hearts and focus have now shifted to preparing for taking over the Government.” As election day nears, pressure is expected to mount on parties yet to name a PM candidate, with voters likely to demand clearer signals about the leadership teams they are being asked to support.
FGM says not looking for joinder, WIN says willing, able and searching
With just one day left to submit joinder list intentions to the Guyana Elections Commission, options are narrowing with the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) having ruled out any partnership, while We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) says it will continue discussions until the last possible moment.
Speaking with the Sunday Times on Saturday, FGM presidential candidate Amanza Walton-Desir cheerfully noted that her party has had no discussions with any of the other political parties about a possible joinder list and does not expect any to begin.
Meanwhile, in a separate telephone interview, WIN Deputy Representative Odessa Primus confirmed that the party is currently in discussions with other political parties about the submission of a joinder list.
“We are open to a joinder list,” Primus affirmed. “We’ve had discussions about it but nothing solid. But the discussions are ongoing.”
Primus noted that she did not want to name which party or parties WIN is in negotiations with about the joinder but noted that WIN feels confident about contesting the elections whether it joins with another party or not.
“We prefer to take it down to the minute if need be. If we come to a consensus before then, great, but if not, then we are great either way,” Primus noted.
Under Guyana’s proportional representation (PR) electoral system, a joinder list allows for two or more parties agreeing 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 par-
ties have been approved by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to contest in the upcoming elections, which also includes the Alliance for Change (AFC), the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP).
Last Friday, the presidential candidate for APNU indicated that his party was not in any discussion for a joinder list; however, the AFC are shopping around to join up with anyone that will take them.
A representative for the ALP party could not be reached.
Ravi Dev
One political party should be taken seriously going into general elections – Minister Rodrigues
Even though 24 political parties indicated their desire of contesting in the upcoming General and Regional Elections by submitting their party's symbols to the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) for approval to contest the elections, on Nomination Day only seven showed up and on Friday, GECOM approved Lists of Candidates for six (6) political parties. However, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues is of the view that only one of the six remaining parties should be taken seriously. Speaking on the television programme, ‘Guyana Decides’, Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water Susan Rodrigues says while there may be seven parties competing, it is important that Guyanese consider who has their best interests, that of their children and that of the country's future.
“I have been serving in the Government for the last five years and I believe that the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) is the only party that can take this country into a future where everyone can experience the prosperity that we speak about in our country. While there may be seven parties competing it's important that Guyanese really consider who has the best interests, their best interests, that of their children and that of the country's future,”
she asserted.
Minister Rodrigues pointed out that recently there has been what she referred to as fly-by-night parties, they are not new as they are persons who would have broken away from parties they traditionally supported and formed their own parties.
“And that speaks volumes, because a lot of those who are competing ...it's not about ensuring that the lives of Guyanese are improved but when negotiations fall through, people break away when they don't get positions that they feel that they deserve. They go ahead and form a new political party and then compete in the elections. So I believe that is very indicative of people's intentions when they compete in an election. In the People's Progressive Party/ Civic, we don't have that issue,” Minister Rodrigues
stated.
She added that the political party she is representing strives to ensure that it keeps its commitments. This is why, she said, the party carefully studies what its policies would be.
“We don't just make them up as we go along. A lot of the opposition parties, including the main opposition, the APNU (A Partnership for National Unity), they have a number of people who will go on a platform or go on a television programme and just make wild, reckless promises to people. But that doesn't reflect the position of the party. We don't operate like that in the PPP/C. We are in discussions about our policies going forward.”
Addressing the issue of the party’s plans should it be elected to Government to serve for the next five years, Minister Rodrigues said there would be more
benefits for the Guyanese people, as she made mention of several initiatives implemented by the PPP/C Administration over the past five years including those in the Housing Ministry.
“If people want this programme to continue, if they want all of the progress that they have seen in the last five years to continue, then
they know what they have to do: on September 1, you have to support President Ali because you know that you will have continuity, you know that there will be new and better initiatives and we are not a party that takes away benefits from people, so if you are already receiving something whether it's a subsidy whether
it's a policy that you benefit from like a free school like free scholarships and house lots and so on, then you can expect more of that and if it is a monetary value that you're receiving, you can expect an increase in that. We don't reduce any benefit we only increase and better any policy that we had before.”
MODEC launches Guyana office, creating 160+ jobs in expanding oil sector
Guyana’s rapidly expanding oil and gas sector is set to benefit from over 160 sustained local jobs with the official opening of a Mitsui Ocean Development & Engineering Company Inc. (MODEC) office in Georgetown.
According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) report, the Japanese offshore engineering giant’s investment not only strengthens the country’s energy sector but also brings meaningful employment and training opportunities for Guyanese.
MODEC’s local operations align with the Government’s local content push to ensure that the nation’s energy wealth creates direct economic opportunities for its people.
The company, a global leader in floating offshore production systems for over 55 years, marked its official entry at a ceremony on Friday at Pegasus Corporate Suites.
Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Oneidge Walrond, delivering remarks on behalf of President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, described MODEC’s presence as a serious and meaningful commitment to Guyana’s development.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Walrond said MODEC’s arrival in Guyana signals a serious and meaningful commitment on their part, the report noted.
“This is not a company dipping its toes in the water. MODEC has come with purpose, promise and proven performance,” she said.
Minister Walrond emphasised that MODEC’s investment goes beyond oil production; it also opens doors for
Guyanese employment and development.
“MODEC operations will generate hundreds of jobs during the start-up phase alone, and when production begins, more than 160 jobs will be sustained, and many of those will be Guyanese,” the Minister noted. “That is why we welcome MODEC, not just as a contractor, but as a partner in nation building.”
She also highlighted the impact of Guyana’s local content legislation, calling it “ground-breaking”. Since its implementation, over $1.5 billion in contracts have been secured, with more than 1100 companies actively participating in the oil and gas sector. They span a wide range of industries, including logistics, security, transportation, accommodation, catering, waste management, construction, and technical services.
MODEC Group President and CEO Hirohiko Miyata reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to Guyana’s development.
“I am 100 per cent confident and committed to the rapid growth of Guyana through local content development because we see Guyana’s human capital as an asset,” said Mr Miyata.
Earlier this year, MODEC was awarded a significant contract by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited to construct a Floating Production, Storage, and Offloading (FPSO) vessel for the Hammerhead project. This will be MODEC’s second FPSO destined for Guyana, following the Errea Wittu, which is currently under construction for Exxon’s Uaru project.
The vessel will be the most advanced and largest FPSO ever deployed in Guyana, featuring state-ofthe-art systems that enhance efficiency and reduce environmental impact.
Alistair Routledge, President and General Manager of ExxonMobil Guyana, described it as “a majestic and impressive vessel equipped with the very latest technologies, including combined cycle gas turbines, which support our commitment to developing this resource with minimal environmental impact.”
The Hammerhead FPSO will be capable of producing 150,000 barrels of oil per day and handling associated gas and water. It will be moored in waters approximately 1025 metres deep using a SOFEC Spread Mooring System.
Bartender, others arrested...
On Friday, Human Services and Social Security Minister, Dr Vindhya Persaud, condemned the incident in a public statement 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 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 circulat-
ing videos and confirmed that the GPF has launched a formal investigation into the incident. Officers from Regional Division 4B are leading the probe. Police have also 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, East Bank Demerara (EBD) or report to the nearest police station.
Minister within the Ministry of Housing and Water, Susan Rodrigues
MODEC Group President and CEO, Hirohiko Miyata
“Just because I haven’t done it before, doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it.”
Those were the words of Keba Evelyn – an 18-yearold talent who took her first leap into the world of spoken word poetry and made a resounding impact as she emerged winner of the Guyana National Poetry Slam 2025 competition.
Though small in stature, this powerful talent has the ability to rivet crowds with her performance, which focused on the emotional weight of the struggles faced by those forced to grow up without a father or father figure in their lives.
Though new to slam poetry, she is no stranger to the power of similes, metaphors, and personification – she is a true poet at heart as she has taken to the Mashramani stage to perform dramatic styled poetry.
Speaking to this newspaper, Evelyn shared her preparation process for the competition and the joy of copping the grand firstplace prize.
“I’ve never done spoken word poetry before,”
she admitted. “I usually do dramatic poetry. But I find myself always drawn to poetry – doesn’t matter if it’s spoken word or dramatic. I never had the opportunity to participate in a slam before, but I would always be watching, always interested… so this was the perfect opportunity.”
According to Keba, her journey with spoken word poetry just started, but even then, it wasn’t a solo pursuit. She had assistance from her sisters who chimed in with their views, helping
her along the way.
“We sit and put ideas together – it’s never like a oneman thing.”
That collaborative spirit was instrumental in shaping her competition piece –a hard-hitting reflection on absent fathers. The topic was personal, deeply rooted in lived experience.
“I’ve been involved in social issues, you know. Absent fathers is something I’ve been dealing with for the past 18 years. That’s what really drew me to the topic. I had a connection to it,
because I’m living it – that’s my lifestyle right now, growing up without a father.”
Her message to fathers who have walked away from their children was direct. She stated that they might think what they’re doing is best for their children –however, it’s not. She urged them to wake up and take their rightful place in their children’s lives because they are needed.
“You being absent causes so much damage to one child… There’s a void that no one else can fill. And no child deserves to grow without a father.”
Keba revealed that the writing process took about two days. But emotionally, it was a mountain to climb.
“It was kind of hard, because no child wants to write about growing up without a father. It wasn’t easy preparing for this, but I knew it was a message that need-
stood among other young poets – many of them more experienced in slam poetry. But despite the nerves, she remained focused.
“I was a bit nervous. I know a lot of the other children probably did this before, so I was wondering –‘am I going to do this right?’
But I told myself, just because I haven’t done it before doesn’t mean I don’t know how to do it.”
While the slam format was new, facing a crowd was not.
“That wasn’t hard. I’ve been doing competitions, so that part wasn’t new. I just reminded myself I’ve got this.”
And she did just that!
Asked how she memorised her five-minute piece, Keba explained her simple but effective process.
“I would read a paragraph over and over, then do
like I’m already on stage. That helps me a lot. It’s become easy now – since primary school I’ve been doing this. It’s like second nature.”
And finally, when the results were called, Keba stood in disbelief as her name rang out.
According to her, it was as if she was reliving all those moments again.
“My name being called… it felt like I was doing this again. It was such a great feeling. It reminded me that I haven’t lost the spark in me. I haven’t lost the touch for poems.”
It was a moment of reflection, triumph and pride. And if her debut is anything to go by, Keba Evelyn is a name we’ll be hearing much more from in the world of poetry.
Keba Evelyn
GPHC embarks on collaborative efforts to advance health care services
The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) recently hosted Professor Kurt McCammon of Eastern Virginia Medical School – a world-renowned leader in reconstructive urology – along with world-renowned corneal surgeon Dr Lloyd Williams from Duke University in North Carolina, USA, in efforts to improve access to advanced health care in Guyana through training with well-known medical practitioners.
According to the GPHC, Dr Williams arrived in the country on July 13, 2025, and worked closely with GPHC’s Dr Celeste Hinds and other local team members in the Department of Ophthalmology during a packed three-day medical mission.
ies and provided hands-on training for our local eye doctors.
GPHC first introduced
Together, they performed 14 corneal transplant surger-
back in 2016 through a partnership with the George Subraj Foundation. That effort helped 99 patients regain their sight by 2021. It also made it possible for people to get this surgery in Guyana instead of having to travel overseas.
Like many other services, this programme was delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but, the GPHC noted, it is now back on track and pushing forward with the goal to rebuild a strong, ongoing corneal transplant programme and to work toward setting up a local eye bank here in Guyana.
The new partnership with Duke Global Ophthalmology is a major step in that direction and won’t be a one-time visit, it assured, adding that this is the start of a longterm collaboration to build local skills, improve patient care, and make sure more Guyanese have access to the gift of sight.
For the first time in
Guyana, a special type of surgery called DMEK (Descemet Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty) was done at GPHC.
According to the GPHC, it’s a more advanced and delicate type of corneal transplant that only replaces the damaged layer of the cornea, helping to speed up recovery and improve results.
Similarly, during the surgical urology workshop with Professor McCammon, several patients benefitted from complex, life-changing procedures.
Just as importantly, the GPHC local team of urological surgeons and trainees gained invaluable hands-on experience, learning directly from a global expert in the field.
Dr Rajendra Sukhraj, Head of the Urology Section, expressed heartfelt gratitude to Professor McCammon for his continued humanitarian efforts and dedication to surgical education in the Caribbean.
Charlestown mechanic remanded on trafficking charge; South Ruimveldt man gets bail for threats
Two Georgetown men faced separate charges before the courts on Friday, one for narcotics trafficking and the other for threatening language. One was granted bail, the other was remanded to prison.
Charles Rawlins, a mechanic of Charlestown, was remanded to prison after being charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking. Rawlins appeared before
Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded not guilty to the charge.
It is alleged that on July 17, Rawlins was found with 98.4 grams of cannabis at Water Street, Stabroek Market. His attorney, Clevaun Humphrey, told the court that Rawlins is a mechanic and part-time vendor at the market. While acknowledging that his client had a prior robbery charge, Humphrey stressed that the incidents were unrelated. He argued that the cannabis was not found directly in Rawlins’ possession but in a bag that did not belong to him.
The attorney emphasised the busy market setting, claiming multiple persons were nearby at the time of the discovery. He also noted that Rawlins made no confession to ownership and requested that bail be granted.
However, the prosecutor objected to bail, informing the court that during questioning, Rawlins pointed to a small parcel containing the cannabis and reportedly said, “Y’all gon fight me down for this little thing?” The court also heard that the entire arrest was captured on video.
Magistrate McGusty denied bail and remanded Rawlins to prison. The matter
was adjourned to August 22.
In a separate matter, Christopher Fraser, of South Ruimveldt, was charged with threatening language towards Clarissa Phillips.
The incident allegedly oc-
curred on June 23, at South Ruimveldt. Fraser also appeared before Magistrate McGusty and pleaded not guilty.
When questioned about his absence from earlier court dates, Fraser said he
was unaware of the proceedings and further told the court, “My leg is broke at the moment and I just got upset on that day.”
He was granted $10,000 bail, and the case was adjourned to August 8.
Venezuelan teen remanded on drug trafficking charge
Eighteen-year-old Venezuelan national Javier Vasquez, a construction worker of Helena #2, Mahaica, East Coast Demerara (ECD) and of Barrancas Del Orinoco, Venezuela, was remanded to prison after being charged with Possession of Narcotics for the Purpose of Trafficking. The charge alleges that on July 16, 2025, Vasquez was found in possession of 14 grams (g) of cocaine at Helena #2, Mahaica. According to reports, police ranks from the Mahaica Police Station were conducting motorcycle patrols when they observed the teen standing on a
bridge with a black one-strap bag around his neck. Upon searching his person and belongings, officers discovered 11g of suspected cocaine inside the bag. He was arrested the same day and officially charged on Friday, under Section 5(1)(a) (i) of the Act. Vasquez appeared before His Worship Magistrate Allan Wilson at the Mahaicony Magistrate’s Courts, where the charge was read to him. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded. The matter was adjourned to August 29, for continuation.
corneal transplant surgery
The GPHC stated that it is investing in training local doctors, bringing in global experts, and creating more opportunities for people to receive life-changing treatments in Guyana.
Dr Williams leads the Duke Global Ophthalmology (Duke GO) Programme, which is focused on giving people around the world access to sight-saving surgeries and training young eye specialists to deliver quality care
The GPHC says that it is investing in training local doctors, bringing in global experts, and creating more opportunities for Guyanese to receive life-changing treatments
Health Minister Frank Anthony, along with Dr Williams and others, in front of the Vision Centre at GPHC
The collaboration aims to improve access to advanced urological care for Guyanese
Eighteen-year-old Venezuelan national Javier Vasquez
Christopher Fraser
Remanded: Charles Rawlins
50 years soaring the skies
– Air Corps celebrates 50 years of Service by aviation legend
After 50 years of traversing the clouds, a legacy was grounded in gratitude on Friday as the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Air Corps came together in a heartfelt tribute to Lt Col (Ret’d) Mohamad Aziz Nezamudeen, honouring a half-century of distinguished service and unwavering dedication to aviation.
In attendance were Director of Public Prosecutions Shalimar AliHack, Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS, senior officers of the GDF, Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) Lt Col (Ret’d) Egbert Fields, former and current commanders of the Air Corps, and a cadre of pilots – both seasoned and newly minted – who have flown with or been mentored by Lt Col Nezamudeen. Also present were close relatives, lifelong friends, and colleagues who have shared in his extraordinary journey.
The event was more than a ceremony – it was a heart-
professionalism and commitment.
Notably, his service has not ended. Lt Col Nezamudeen remains active in the cockpit, continuing to fly and guide the next generation of aviators.
According to the GDF, Capt Nezamudeen’s earliest days were marked by a rare passion for flight. It began at age 10, watching pilots walk the tarmac at Atkinson Field, dreaming of the day he too would don the gold bars and flight bag. That dream became reality, and his journey would go on to influence generations.
Flight Operations
palm of his hand.
“He has done so much for Guyana and for the Air Corps. We salute not just his service but the strength of that service and the depth of his character,” Ramjag said. Meanwhile, Director General Egbert Fields hailed him as a true legend, stating: “You are not just a pilot. You are a great aviator and a wonderful human being worthy of commendation.”
He encouraged Lt Col Nezamudeen not to sail off into the sunset, but to continue mentoring the next generation of aviators –words that ring true, as
felt celebration of a life devoted to the skies. Lt Col Nezamudeen’s aviation journey began in 1975 and has since soared across borders and decades. With over 26,000 accident-free flying hours, he has earned a reputation not only for exceptional skill but for unmatched
Manager Lt Col Mohinder Ramjag, who flew alongside him for 15 years, described him as a career pilot on a different level, recalling with admiration how he seemed to know every river, mountain, and trail in Guyana as if they were etched into the
his flight log continues to grow. Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan, MSS, in his remarks, noted that Lt Col Nezamudeen’s loyalty to the GDF is a mark of honour.
“You could have flown anywhere, but you chose
Lt Col (Ret’d) Nezamudeen
here. And in the GDF, service means more than bravery – it means getting the mission done. After 50 years, you don’t just say you were a pilot. You say you are a GDF pilot, and we are proud of that.” Brigadier Khan also conveyed warm sentiments on behalf of His Excellency Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali, President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, who extended appreciation and congratulations to Lt Col Nezamudeen for his unwavering service to the nation, both in the military and civil aviation spheres.
Throughout the afternoon, the emotional weight of the moment was palpable. Young officers, many of whom were personally trained or guided by Lt Col Nezamudeen, shared their tributes – embodying the very mentorship he has come to represent.
The ceremony reached its most touching point when Lt Col Nezamudeen took
to the podium. With humility and grace, he reflected on his journey and the people who helped shape it. He expressed gratitude to the GDF for allowing him to serve with purpose, to his late parents for their foundational guidance, and to his wife Neisha for her steadfast presence throughout the years. Above all, he gave thanks to the Almighty for being the captain of his life’s journey.
“The commemorative plaques and gifts are more than tokens,” he said. “They are symbols of shared history – of missions flown, lives touched and memories made.”
Following the ceremony, a reception was held in his honour, where guests shared warm conversations, exchanged stories and continued to express appreciation for his lifelong contributions to aviation and national service. It was a fitting close to an afternoon marked by deep respect and heartfelt gratitude.
New Technam P2012 aircraft launched by Roraima Airways
On Saturday, Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill, delivered the featured remarks at the official launch of two new twin-engine Technam P2012 aircraft from Italy by Roraima Airways.
On his Ministry’s social media page, Minister Edghill, who has responsi-
bility for the aviation sector, lauded the addition, emphasising that it aligns with President Irfaan Ali’s goal of ensuring Guyana’s aviation capacity is the best within the region, while promoting safety and meeting international competitiveness in comfort.
He added that the Government is simulta-
neously building out the necessary infrastructure within the hinterland to accommodate more aircraft like the Technam P2012 and helicopters. This expansion also includes improved policies.
“So it’s legislation, capacity building, it is the acquisition of new aircraft, and it is advancing safety
and security,” he emphasised, via his post.
Captain Gerry Gouveia Jr. highlighted the investment as Roraima Airways’ belief in the direction Guyana is going and the goal of redefining the passenger experience.
The EU Ambassador to Guyana, René Van Nes, Director General of the
Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. Egbert Field, and Chief Investment Officer at the Guyana Office for Investment (GO-Invest), Dr. Peter Ramsaroop, all lauded the addition of the new aircraft, dubbed as the beginning of the advancement of the local aviation landscape.
The new Technam P2012 aircraft’s navigational systems and highspeed twin engines allow it to pilot the various terrains and conditions in the hinterland.
Since January 2021 to date, the aviation industry and registry have recorded the addition of 13 new aircraft.
Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan
Lt Col (Ret’d) Mohamad Aziz Nezamudeen
Lt Col (Ret’d) Nezamudeen surrounded by appreciative members of the GDF at the occasion
Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill delivering the feature address at the launch
Captain Gerry Gouveia Jr. speaking at the event
The new Technam P2012
APNU says manifesto completed, but mum on details
Presidential candidate for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton, on Friday declared that the party has completed its manifesto for the 2025 General and Regional Elections but remained mum on the contents and the release date for the document.
Speaking at his party’s weekly virtual press conference on Friday, Norton said that the document was compiled following four years of engagement with the Guyanese people and professionals.
“In preparing our manifesto, time was invested in discussing and integrating the various positions of the collision partners. Additionally, our manifesto has also benefited from the advice of experts,” Norton said.
Norton was also reluctant to reveal when the party would launch the manifesto and have the document be released to the public.
Norton deflected from saying whether the manifesto will include a “100 days plan” similar to what was first included in the party’s manifesto when it campaigned jointly with the AFC in 2015.
“When the manifesto is out, all that is in the man-
ifesto will be seen,” was all that Norton would offer.
The “100 Days Programme” has become a point of contention in the APNU manifesto after the party was overzealous and failed to implement several of the promises laid out in its 2015 manifesto.
The manifesto included a 21-point “Action Programme for the First 100 Days” of the APNU+AFC Government, with promises including “liberalisation of the telecommunications and ICT sectors”, reduction of value added tax, significant increase to the value added tax (VAT), significant increases to old age pensions, and establishment of a Public Procurement Commission (PPC).
Some of the promises, though not accomplished in the first 100 days, were eventually realised months or years later, while in other cases the party never accomplished some of the promises.
Berbice teen allegedly beaten to death
Autopsy suggests vehicular accident,
DPP advises
inquest
into
death
…as several arrested for allegedly tampering with autopsy report to indicate ‘stab wounds’
An autopsy performed on the body of 16-year-old Justin Smith of Number 47 Village, Corentyne, found that the injuries on the body were consistent with that of a vehicular accident. The autopsy, which was conducted by Government
“We lock up in fear” - Timehri residents fearful of bee infestation
Residents of Alliance Road in Timehri are pleading for help as they are claiming to have had enough of an ongoing bee infestation that has plagued their community for over 16 years, and it’s currently still ongoing.
According to one resident, who chose to remain anonymous, the situation has now escalated to the point where children are being chased off the road, homes are being locked down in fear, and families are left vulnerable to both bee stings and chemical treatments used nearby.
Speaking with this news publication in a recent telephone interview, the resident relayed that the situation is only getting worse, putting the safety of persons in jeopardy.
“It just keeps getting worse, they would come dressed in full gear, do their thing with the bees, then leave – and the bees would
still be flying all around the place. It’s dangerous.”
The land across from the resident’s home, she explained, is being used for a long-standing, honey-harvesting, business-like operation.
And while the business may be legal, she stressed that its impact on the community is not being properly regulated.
“You can’t even pass sometimes. Bees are swarming the road. Schoolchildren have to detour through the neighbourhood just to get home safely,” she said. “I have videos in my phone –this morning they were out there again, and the bees were all over.”
She added, “We don’t even know what chemicals they’re burning; I had to run inside and lock up with the baby. Even one of the beekeepers had to run into his vehicle after getting stung –so imagine us without pro-
tective suits.”
She recalled a particularly troubling incident when her young daughter, while being taken to the police station, was stung multiple times in the head. “Her whole head got bite up. It was terrifying,” she worryingly stated.
Despite repeated reports to the police, the national emergency hotline (911), and efforts to contact the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI) and other relevant authorities, residents claim that no concrete action has been taken.
“I even posted on Facebook begging for help, people just keep saying
they’ll call back, but no one ever does. My neighbour’s kids have summer classes; they had to walk upstairs and lock themselves in because the bees were swarming the street.”
Frustrated and fearful, other residents are pleading for urgent intervention – either by the Environmental Protection Agency, the Ministry of Agriculture, or relevant authorities – to find a solution that ensures community safety while respecting business rights.
“We understand it’s a business, but this is a residential area. Our children and elderly are exposed daily. We can’t live like this anymore,” she implored.
Pathologist Dr Vivekanand Bridgemohan, gave the cause of death as due to shock and haemorrhage as a result of multiple injuries consistent with a vehicular accident.
The incident occurred on July 13, at Number 46 Village. It had been reported that it was a road accident involving the teenager's motorcycle alone.
However, the teen's mother Dhanraji Seenauth called Anita, claims that her son was beaten by three young men from the same village.
Making mention of three wounds to his body, Seenauth told this publication that there was a hole at the back of her son's head which she believes was caused when he was struck off the motorcycle he was riding.
The woman added that there was what appeared to be a defensive chop wound to his hand and another chop wound to his back.
Police however, say that initial investigations reveal that the victim’s mother claimed she received information that her son Justin had fallen off a motorcycle and was in a critical condition on the Number 46 Public Road.
Further investigations were conducted the day after the incident by the police, who revealed that several persons claimed that Smith was consuming alcoholic beverages at a Chinese Supermarket and left alone on a motorcycle.
According to the police, CCTV footage showed that the motorcyclist was speeding and had overtaken a motor vehicle proceeding in the said direction before veering off and crashing on the southern grass parapet where a red “row plough” was parked.
“The row plough had several scratches, fabric rem-
nants, sponge (from the motorcycle seat), leather, and a black wristband,” police noted in a release.
However, following the teen’s death, the grieving mother insists that her son was beaten to death by villagers. She claimed that there was an ongoing feud between her son and a young village gang. The woman also mentioned that her late husband fell victim to the gang when he once approached them in relation to alleged injuries Smith received.
The matter between her husband and gang members received the attention of the court. Following the demise of Smith police arrested three persons who were subsequently released.
In its release the police said they were able to obtain statements from those arrested.
It noted that a 23-year-old male stated that he, ‘Andy’ and another man were drinking when Smith approached on his motorcycle. ‘Andy’ raised his hand in a 'gesticulating' manner.
The other man told police that he was present, heard the crash and saw Smith’s motorcycle collide with a plough on the northern parapet. He, however, denied raising his hand in a pelting gesture but claimed he left to get help and returned to find others assisting. The police subsequently sought legal advice and the Director of Public Prosecution has recommended that an Inquest to be carried out in relation to the death of Justin Smith. Meanwhile, in a further twist, several persons have reportedly been taken into custody after the report issued by the pathologist was allegedly tampered with and the words ‘stab wound’ inserted.
Presidential candidate for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton
The bee workers with numerous extracted hives
Some of the workers preparing to visit the bee hives in Timehri
Deceased: Justin Smith
The row plough which it is alleged the teen crashed into
The wounds on his back that the teen’s mother believes are chop wounds and not from the plough
Woodworking facility opens at Hauraruni
– as returning Guyanese invest in Guyana’s future
OM Custom Woodworking opened Saturday at Hauraruni, SoesdykeLinden Highway, under the auspices of Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy, who described the occasion as “a proud moment for Hauraruni community, for this region – the Soesdyke Linden Highway and indeed for our country.” With some 30 persons employed at the facility, a new phase of value-added production, cabinetry, kitchens, vanities and other wood products means
adding more jobs, McCoy stated.
“Introducing innovation through a state-of-theart vacuum wood drying kiln, the first of its kind in Guyana – a facility that allows us to dry local wood to international standards and to build products right here in Guyana that can compete anywhere in the world, and that is exactly the kind of transformation this Government is encouraging, promoting and delivering,” he added.
McCoy went on to commend Dr Leroy Benons,
Omande Marks, Gavin Agard and the team behind the investment for returning to Guyana.
“You didn’t critique from a distance, but you decided that you wanted to contribute with your presence, your capital, your sweat and faith in the future of this country,” he said.
“Today’s opening is a symbol that the promises made are being kept, that Guyana is on the rise, that our stewardship is one of clarity and courage, and that under this Government, we are not slowing down, we
are not looking back, we are not handing this country to those who have no plan, no record, no credibility; we are pressing forward with strength, with purpose, and with pride.
Congratulations to OM Custom Woodworking. We are proud of you, we support you, and we look forward to seeing this investment grow from strength to strength as Guyana continues to move full speed ahead,” McCoy stated.
He described the highway as no longer a sleepy stretch of road linking Georgetown to Linden, but now a launch-
pad for agriculture, housing, tourism, manufacturing, logistics, health and education, all moving together, all feeding into one unstoppable national vision, all powered by our Government that believes development must felt in every community.
“Make no mistake. This type of investment is the outcome of sound economic policy, investor confidence, infrastructural expansion and a political party with a sound track record of responsible growth; that does not sit back and wait for development to fall into our laps but goes out and builds
it, drives it, funds it, and empowers the private sector to be part of it,” he said. McCoy pointed out that the Soesdyke-Linden Highway is becoming a zone of momentum, a hub of new possibilities, and with every new factory, every new home, every new business, there will be demand for transport, supplies, services, warehousing, construction, skilled labour, and Government is making sure people are ready to meet that demand, through education, through training, through grants, and through partnerships.
From Tree Pulp to Pride
Who knew something as simple as toilet paper could make history? Well, Nova High Technology has become the first and only tissue manufacturer in Guyana to receive the prestigious ‘Made in Guyana’ Certification Mark from the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS).
The exciting milestone highlights the fact that locally made products like toilet paper and table napkins can meet established requirements while supporting na-
tional pride, self-reliance, and economic growth.
Nova High Technology has made significant strides since its establishment in October 2023. The decision to add the Made in Guyana Certification to its products is set to widen the company’s market share for local hygiene products through increased trust in homegrown alternatives in an industry largely dominated by imports.
Serving customers in every part of Guyana, Nova’s facility proudly produces toi-
let paper, table napkins, facial tissues, and kitchen rolls – meeting the everyday needs of Guyanese. The company’s commitment to maintaining high production standards, using state-of-the-art machinery, quality materials, and attractive packaging has earned growing praise from consumers across the country.
As with many businesses today, the road to success for Nova High Technology demanded committed efforts. Establishing the facility required critical steps such as
ensuring compliance in production, building a strong brand image, and preparing for export opportunities. Meanwhile, the addition of the Made in Guyana Certification is expected to further strengthen consumer trust in the quality of its products.
“Being certified under the Made in Guyana programme is a great achievement,” the company shared. “It shows our consumers that we are meeting national requirements, and it gives them confidence in the quality and origin of our products.”
“The Made in Guyana certificate puts our facility on the safe side of operating and distributing,” the Nova team added, noting that it offers assurance of the company’s reliability, consistency, and compliance.
No doubt, Nova’s story is one of innovation and commitment. As the Government continues to push for more local production, small businesses are showing what is possible and proving that local manufacturing can become competitive.
GNBS encourages more businesses to work to-
wards attaining the Made in Guyana Certification for their products. The application form, along with detailed requirements of the programme and the process of acquiring the Made in Guyana Standards Mark, can be found on the GNBS website: https://gnbsgy.org/ certification/made-in-guyana-certification/ For further information, interested persons can contact GNBS on telephone numbers 219-0064-66 or WhatsApp 692-4627, or visit the GNBS website: www. gnbsgy.com.
General Manager of Nova High Technology, Yuram Narine, receives the GNBS ‘Made in Guyana’ Certificate from GNBS Technical Officer Rosmarie Liliah
Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy makes his opening remarks at the new facility
The ribbon is cut for the official opening
GOAL, Arka Jain PhD partnership to significantly boost Guyana’s doctoral candidates
– 202 students enrolled in various disciplines
In a historic leap toward expanding higher education in Guyana, 202 Guyanese students have officially embarked on their PhD journeys through a strategic partnership between the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) and ARKA JAIN University of India. This milestone represents one of the largest cohorts of doctoral candidates in Guyana’s history, and underscores the Government’s commitment to nurturing a highly skilled, research-oriented workforce.
Speaking at the official launch ceremony held Friday morning, Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance and the Public Service, Dr Ashni Singh explained that the initiative is part of the Government of Guyana’s ongoing efforts to strengthen skills and knowledge across the country, helping to prepare future leaders, pro-
fessionals and researchers to support national development. It also adds to the growing number of doctoral opportunities available through GOAL, including PhD programmes currently offered in partnership with UNICAF University.
Meanwhile, Professor Jacob Opadeyi, Director of GOAL, assured students that ARKA JAIN was selected based on rigorous academic standards and institutional quality. He encouraged scholars to stay committed, reminding them that doctoral studies are demanding but ultimately rewarding.
The three-year PhD programmes span a broad range of disciplines, including Education and Psychology, which covers Early Childhood Education Management, Educational Policy, Secondary Education Leadership, Educational Psychology, Human Resource Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and
Social Psychology; Science and Technology, which covers Biotechnology, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Information Systems Management, and Pharmacy; Public Service and Communication, which cover Public Administration and Management, Journalism and Mass Communication, and Higher Education Governance and Business & Management, which covers Strategic Management, Marketing Management, International Business, Operations Management, Financial Management, Project
Management, Human Resources Management, Commerce, and Business Ethics.
GOAL scholarship
A total of 2000 persons graduated from the GOAL Scholarships Programme this year, Postgraduate Diplomas, Bachelor’s Degree, GROW and Certificate Programmes, and among them is a total of 580 graduates who received their master’s degree. In its 2020 manifesto, the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration had promised to provide
Guyanese with 20,000 online scholarships. To date, that number has already surpassed 39,000 scholarships.
Of the 39,000 graduates, some 5,602 Guyanese, including teachers, have achieved master’s degrees and 378 have earned PhDs through the GOAL initiative, marking a major milestone in the professional development of educators and the enhancement of the nation’s professional workforce.
Back in January, Education Minister Priya Manickchand during the Ministry’s End- of- Year press conference stated that “814 from Region One who otherwise could not have access to a foreign university to be able to study for their degrees and master’s and PhDs. 2,702 from Region Two, 4,431 from Region Three, 13,002 from Regions Four and One. 842 from Region Five, Two,983 from Region Six, 918 from
Region Seven, 605 from Region Eight, 700 from Region Nine and 1,761 from region 10…. We are not people who find reasons why things can’t happen. We try to make sure we give opportunities and, of course, people have to avail themselves of those opportunities,” she went on to state.
Based on statistics provided by GOAL, scholarships to individuals from the ten administrative regions continues to increase yearly, with 6,280 scholarships awarded in 2021, 7,410 in 2022, 7,752 in 2023 and a massive 8,316 in 2024. Notably, 5,602 earned SCQF Level 6 certificates, 1,312 copped General Educational Development (GEDs), 191 earned Foundation Diplomas, 3 for Undergraduate Certificate, 856 for Associate Degrees, 6,571 copped Bachelor’s, four for Postgraduate Certificate and 920 persons earned Postgraduate Diplomas.
Motorists who think the recently erected speed cameras are only tracking how fast they drive are in for a wakeup call. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) warn that the electronic enforcement systems now active along Guyana’s roadways are capable of detecting multiple violations, and drivers will be ticketed automatically, even without a police officer present.
In addition to monitoring speeding, the cameras can identify drivers not wearing seat belts, vehicles with illegal front tints, and those displaying non-standard license plates, according to senior road safety and police officials.
“It’s not just for speeding alone,” Chairman of the National Road Safety Council, Earl Lambert, said during a recent road safety program. “Off-screwed ID mark, tint on the front screen, seat belt, and speeding — those are offences that can be covered with the speed camera.”
The rollout is part of the government’s broader “Safe System” initiative, which aims to reduce road deaths and improve compliance through the use of technology. But public knowledge about how the system works remains limited, prompting authorities to educate drivers on the expanded capabilities of roadside surveillance.
One area of particular concern is the increasing use of unauthorised or stylised license plates, especially reflective or silver designs that make it difficult for the human eye, and even cameras, to read, Inspector K. Boodlal who oversees traffic enforcement at the Den Amstel Police station on the West Coast of Demerara (WCD), confirmed.
“The number plate must be visible… bold… not cursive,” the officer emphasised. “It must be white writing, black background. And there’s a charge for that; it’s an offence.”
Explaining why improperly displayed plates are
taken so seriously, Romana Doorgen, coordinator of the Guyana Road Safety Council, stressed their role in public safety.
“If you knock down somebody or you just do something wrong, nobody can look quickly at that number plate,” one official said. “It might be for your own good, it might be somebody stealing a car, hijacking a car, and nobody can pick up your number plate because it’s not properly visible.”
Even tinted windshields, often believed to protect drivers from detection, are no match for the updated technology. The cameras have proven capable of capturing clear images inside the vehicle, even through factory or aftermarket tint.
“I want the viewers to know that the camera will still see you if you’re not wearing a seat belt — even though you are wearing the front screen tint,” Inspector Boodlall said.
In one case, Lambert shared on the program, a driver in the United States
attempted to deny receiving a ticket, only to be confronted by photographic evidence of herself in the car, clearly committing the offence.
“The technology is so improved… the camera just pick up. When the thing came, it showed her,” the official recalled. “She told him she didn’t want to let him know that she went there… so she feel like she could have lied and get through”, he said.
With speed cameras now deployed in corridors like Schoonord to Zeelugt, WCD, drivers often try to outsmart the system, slowing down near visible cameras and accelerating afterward, police said. But officials say more installations and unpredictable camera angles are being rolled out to counter that behaviour.
“Drivers got to be very careful when they think that they might be beating the system,” Doorgen
cautioned. “The only time you’re going to be shocked is when you get the beep come on your phone saying you get it [a ticket].”
Alongside the cameras, Guyana’s e-ticketing system has eliminated paper tickets in most regions, with offenders receiving digital citations, complete with photos, via email or direct delivery.
The police said the goal of the enhanced surveillance is not simply punishment, but safety and deterrence, especially as road fatalities continue to be a concern.
“These things are not there because we want to catch you,” Doorgen emphasised. “It’s because we want to protect you.”
Only a few days ago the GPF announced that over 6,000 speeding tickets were handed out in just three months.
According to Traffic Chief Assistant Commissioner, Mahendra Singh, the im-
plementation of remote traffic management through advanced and modernised camera systems has led to the discovery of over 4,340 electronic speeding tickets between April 7 and July 15 2025.
He said that during the same period, traditional radar guns used by traffic ranks accounted for more than 2,000 cases, bringing total speeding offences to over 6,000 in just three months.
The traffic chief said lawbreakers are recorded automatically without the need for a physical police presence on the road.
He explained that the system ultimately eliminates the possibility of human bias between drivers and law enforcement officers, ensuring that there is objectivity and consistency when monitoring road users.
Officials during the recent road safety program
The Jamaican Govt wants clarification on reports Jamaican national deported to Eswatini
The Jamaican Government says it is seeking clarification from the United States over international media reports that five migrants, including a Jamaican national, had been deported to the African country of Eswatini earlier.
The US Department of Homeland Security, in confirming the deportation, described those sent to the African country as “barbaric” criminals.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said the five men sent to Eswatini are citizens of Vietnam, Jamaica, Cuba, Yemen and Laos and that they had arrived on a plane without providing further details.
She said they were all
convicted criminals and “individuals so uniquely barbaric that their home countries refused to take them back” and that the men “have been terrorising American communities” but were now “off of American soil”.
But in a post on X, formerly Twitter, Jamaican Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade Minister Kamina Johnson Smith confirmed that Kingston was seeking clarification from Washington with regards to the deportation of the Jamaican national to the African country under President Donald Trump’s mass deportation program.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade is aware of reports in the public domain of the trans-
fer of individuals purportedly including a Jamaican national to Eswatini. The ministry has initiated enquiries with the US authorities to ascertain the veracity of the reported inclusion of a Jamaican in the transfer,” Johnson Smith said.
“The Government has not refused the return of any of our nationals to Jamaica, and accordingly, if the reports are confirmed, will continue its engagements with the US on the arrangements necessary to facilitate the individual’s return to Jamaica.
“We will keep the public updated as soon as further verified information is obtained,” she wrote.
(Source: Caribbean Today)
Tensions rise as Lula blasts US over visa sanctions tied to Bolsonaro trial
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called a US decision to impose visa bans on officials involved in former President Jair Bolsonaro’s trial “arbitrary” and “baseless” and said foreign interference in the judiciary was “unacceptable”.
In a statement on Saturday, the leftist leader said the action violated fundamental principles of respect and sovereignty between nations.
In an escalation of tensions between US President Donald Trump and the Government of Latin America’s largest economy, Washington imposed visa restrictions on Friday on Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, his family and other unnamed court officials.
The visa bans were a
response to the Supreme Court’s decision to issue search warrants and restraining orders targeting Trump ally Bolsonaro, who is accused of plotting a coup to overturn the results of a 2022 election he lost.
“I am certain that no form of intimidation or threat, from anyone, will compromise the most important mission of Brazil’s powers and institutions, which is to permanently defend and uphold the democratic rule of law,” said Lula.
Solicitor General Jorge Messias, the top judicial official for Lula’s executive branch, said in a statement posted on X late Friday that Prosecutor General Paulo Gonet was also targeted by the ban.
Messias said no “improper manoeuvre” or “sordid conspiratorial act”
would intimidate the judiciary in carrying out its duties with independence, as he condemned what he also described as arbitrary US visa revocations targeting Brazilian officials for fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities.
In addition to Moraes, seven other justices from Brazil’s 11-member Supreme Court were also hit by the US visa restrictions, Government Institutional Relations Minister Gleisi Hoffmann said on Friday. They include justices Luis Roberto Barroso, Dias Toffoli, Cristiano Zanin, Flavio Dino, Carmen Lucia, Edson Fachin, and Gilmar Mendes.
The Prosecutor General’s Office and the Supreme Court did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Bermuda imposes visa regime on T&T
Effective July 17, the Government of Bermuda now requires T&T passport holders to have a valid Canadian, UK or US visa to enter the country. On July 16, Bermuda’s Ministry of Economy and Labour revoked the Bermuda Immigration and Protection (Prohibition of Entry) Order 2025 and replaced it with the Bermuda Immigration and Protection (Prohibition of Entry) (No 2) Order 2025.
Under the new regulations, T&T nationals can enter Bermuda two ways:
Possess valid travel authorisation to enter and re-enter Canada, the United Kingdom, or the United States, with such authorisation valid for at least 45 days from their intended departure from Bermuda; OR Produce a current letter from the Government confirming that they are a spouse of a Bermudian or that they
belong to Bermuda under section 11(5) of the Bermuda Constitution Order 1968.
The ministry said the order “reflects ongoing immigration policy reviews and adjustments”. It came into effect on July 17.
Bermuda is a British Overseas Territory with a self-governing parliamentary democracy and a bicameral parliament located in the capital, Hamilton. The premier is the head of Government and is formally appointed by the governor, who is nominated by the British Government as the representative of the King.
On March 12 the United Kingdom announced it was making changes to its visa policy—requiring with immediate effect that all T&T nationals obtain a visa before travelling. Ireland implemented a similar policy on May 9. Minister of State for Migration Colm Brophy at the time stated the decision
was made to “bring Ireland into closer alignment with the United Kingdom”.
Foreign and Caricom Affairs Minister Sean Sobers was expected to meet with UK officials yesterday to discuss the visa policy. Guardian Media reached out to Sobers for an update, and we await his response.
At last week’s Thursday post-Cabinet news conference, Sobers said the main reason for the UK imposing the visa requirement on T&T passport holders was the absence of legislation to notify UK authorities in advance of travellers departing this country for Britain.
“They (the previous administration) were told well in advance of the March deadline that they needed to address certain issues. One of the things requested was an amendment to a specific piece of legislation.” (Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)
St Kitts & Nevis opens bids for geothermal project as part of OECS renewable energy thrust
The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission has announced a key advancement in the region’s renewable energy efforts: the commencement of the bidding process for the exploration drilling phase of the geothermal power project in St Kitts and Nevis.
According to an OECS Commission report, five bids from globally renowned companies have reportedly been submitted for this initiative on Nevis, which is a vital component of the Federation’s Sustainable Island State Agenda (SISA).
“The five companies that submitted bids are Iceland Drilling Company from Iceland, Marriott Drilling and Consortium Drilling of the United Kingdom, and Ormat Technologies Inc. and IPSUSA from the United States,” specified the statement.
This development represents a major stride toward achieving energy independence, enhancing resilience, and fostering a greener future for an OECS member state,
says the statement.
Drilling activities to tap into geothermal resources and operate an electric turbine at Hamilton Estate are scheduled to start in early 2026, pending the selection and awarding of the contract to the successful bidder.
The Commission said that this geothermal initiative serves as a flagship for the OECS GEOBUILD Programme, which aims to harness geothermal resources across five member states, decreasing reliance on fossil fu-
els and encouraging sustainable economic development. St. Kitts and Nevis will join as the third OECS nation and the second within CARICOM to establish a geothermal energy facility, after Dominica’s scheduled launch of a 10-megawatt plant in the Roseau Valley around Christmas 2025. Meanwhile, Guadeloupe has been generating roughly 5% of its electricity from geothermal energy since 1986. (Excerpt from Dominica News Online)
6th person involved in attack on Columbia senator surrenders
On the afternoon of Friday, July 18, it was learnt that a sixth person, apparently involved in the attack on Senator and presidential candidate Miguel Uribe Turbay, surrendered to authorities. The man allegedly participated in the logistics of the attack while riding a motorcycle.
According to information provided by the Attorney General’s Office, agents from the Technical Investigation Unit (CTI) conducted a search warrant at a persevering home south of Bogotá, where they seized Rodolfo
seized evidence that could link him to the investigation.
The man turned himself in.
As part of the criminal plot, according to the investigative body, the man was supposed to remove the 15-year-old minor from El Golfito Park after attacking Senator Uribe Turbay.
The Prosecutor’s Office will present him before a magistrate and request a preventive detention measure for this individual. He will be charged with alleged responsibility for the crimes of attempted aggravated homicide, conspiracy to commit
a crime, and the manufacture, trafficking, carrying, or possession of firearms, accessories, parts, or ammunition. The four adults arrested so far and accused of participating in the attack on Senator Uribe Turbay have been charged with attempted aggravated homicide, illegal possession of weapons, and the use of minors in the commission of crimes. None of them have accepted charges, and all remain under preventive detention in the prosecutor’s office bunker. (Excerpt from El Espectador)
Delegates at the GSIS Nevis geothermal forum visit the site earmarked for development into a 30-megawatt geothermal power plant (Photo: OECS)
KMIII International Airport in Eswatini (BBC photo)
OIL NEWS
Chevron entry to Guyana oilfields solves company's top challenge
Chevron’s imminent entry into Guyana’s rich offshore oilfields solves one of the biggest problems dogging the US major: where its growth will come from beyond the next few years.
On Friday, the US oil producer closed its $55 billion acquisition of Hess – among the largest ever oil and gas deals – and gained the latter's stake in Guyana's Stabroek Block after prevailing in a legal fight against larger rival Exxon Mobil.
Before the deal closed, concerns had been rising about Chevron's financial and production growth prospects, with its reserves of oil and gas dropping to the lowest in at least a decade.
The Stabroek Block holds at least 11 billion barrels of oil equivalent and is one of the most significant oil discoveries in decades.
"The combination enhances and extends our growth profile well into the next decade," Chevron CEO Mike Wirth said about closing the Hess acquisition.
Some investors cheered the development as boosting the company's long-term prospects.
"The acquisition plugs a free cash flow hole that Chevron had looming at the end of this decade into the 2030s," said David Byrns, a portfolio manager at American Century Investments, which has a $351 million position in Chevron, according to LSEG data.
Without Hess, it was unclear how Chevron could maintain free cash flow, he said, adding the acquisition is also expected to help Chevron sustain its dividend into the 2030s.
Stephanie Link, chief investment strategist at advisory firm Hightower Advisors, said she is considering adding Chevron to her portfolio as its shares are down over the past year and carry a 4.5 per cent dividend yield.
"The key is that Chevron now gains access to one of the world's fastest-growing and lowest-cost oil developments," she said.
The closure is a much-needed win for Chevron after several tough months during which it announced global layoffs, faced rising safety issues, and lost exports from Venezuela. Its shares have fallen 7.5 per cent over the past year. On Friday, they declined 1.6 per cent in afternoon trading.
Chevron's oil and gas reserves, or the amount it can potentially extract from its oil and gas fields, fell to 9.8 billion boe at the end of 2024, the lowest point in at least a decade.
Chevron production volumes after combining with Hess could reach 4.31 million boe/d in 2030, significantly higher than what Chevron would produce as a standalone company, said John Gerdes, president of Gerdes Energy Research.
Chevron produced 3.3 million boe/d in 2024.
Exxon, which operates the Stabroek Block, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), the other minority partner in the field, filed arbitration claims against Hess last year, arguing they had a contractual right of first refusal to purchase Hess' stake. (Reuters)
Dozens dead after tourist boat capsizes in Vietnam’s Halong Bay
At least 27 people were killed after a tourist boat capsized in stormy weather in Vietnam‘s Halong Bay.
The boat carrying 53 people tipped over around 2pm local time (07:00 GMT) on Saturday as Storm Wipha approached the country across the South China Sea. Strong winds, heavy rainfall and lightning were reported in the area.
Rescue teams found 11 survivors and recovered 27 bodies, eight of them children, the state-run Vietnam News Agency reported, citing local authorities.
There has been no official announcement on the nationalities of the tourists. Most of those on board were families visiting from the capital, Hanoi, with more than 20 children among the passengers, the news outlet VNExpress said.
One of the rescued children, a 10-year-old boy, told state-run VietnamNet: “I took a deep breath, swam through a gap, dived, then swam up. I even shouted for help, and then I was pulled up by a boat with soldiers.”
Rescue efforts continued into the night to find people still missing. (Al Jazeera)
Around
Masked rioters attack highway, clash with police in France
Dozens of masked assailants wielding metal bars, mortars and Molotov cocktails attacked cars on a highway and clashed with police early on Saturday in the city of Limoges in central France, officials said.
The overnight clashes left nine police wounded, according to authorities, who said they suspected a gang turf war.
The unrest came in the middle of France’s summer tourism season.
The armed attackers descended on the RN141 throughway and tried to
block it during a battle with police, according to officials.
“There were between 100 and 150 masked individuals, armed with Molotov cocktails, fireworks, stones, iron bars and baseball bats,” local police union leader Laurent Nadeau told AFP.
Police responded with teargas and crowd-control munitions.
Mayor Émile-Roger Lombertie called the rioters an “urban guerrilla group”.
“They’re organised, structured, and there’s a plan and weapons,” he
said. “This was not a spontaneous protest to complain about something. No pretext, nothing. It’s about destroying things and showing the territory belongs to you.”
Prosecutors said vehicles, some with families and children, were attacked, but there were no immediate reports of wounded drivers. “None of the motorists were physically assaulted. However, several are particularly shocked,” prosecutors said in a statement.
Unrest had erupted nearby, in Val de l’Aurence,
on the night of 14 July, France’s national day. Lombertie said this “very poor neighbourhood, with young people from immigrant backgrounds” had become a “lawless zone”. The Limoges prosecutor, Émilie Abrantes, said that although the neighbourhood was “known” for drug trafficking, there was no evidence linking the unrest to recent investigations into drug trafficking.
France’s interior ministry announced on Saturday plans to deploy a special security force to the city.
(Guardian UK)
Air India cockpit recording suggests captain cut fuel to engines before crash, source says
Acockpit recording of dialogue between the two pilots of the Air India flight that crashed last month supports the view that the captain cut the flow of fuel to the plane's engines, said a source briefed on US officials' early assessment of evidence.
The first officer was at the controls of the Boeing 787 and asked the captain why he moved the fuel switches into a position
that starved the engines of fuel and requested that he restore the fuel flow, the source told Reuters on condition of anonymity because the matter remains under investigation.
The US assessment is not contained in a formal document, said the source, who emphasised the cause of the June 12 crash in Ahmedabad, India, that killed 260 people remains under investigation.
There was no cockpit video recording definitively showing which pilot flipped the switches, but the weight of evidence from the conversation points to the captain, according to the early assessment.
The Wall Street Journal first reported similar information on Wednesday about the world's deadliest aviation accident in a decade.
India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), which is leading the investigation into the crash, said in a statement on Thursday that "certain sections of the international media are repeatedly attempting to draw conclusions through selective and unverified reporting." It added the investigation was ongoing and it remained too early to draw definitive conclusions. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Israel levelling thousands of Gaza civilian buildings in controlled demolitions
Israel has demolished thousands of buildings across Gaza since it withdrew from a ceasefire with Hamas in March, with entire towns and suburbs –once home to tens of thousands of people – levelled in the past few weeks.
Satellite images show massive amounts of destruction in several areas which Israel's military command claims to have under "operational control".
Large swathes of it have been caused by planned demolitions, both to already damaged buildings and ones that appeared largely intact.
Verified footage shows large explosions unleashing plumes of dust and debris as Israeli forces carry out controlled demolitions on tower blocks, schools and other infrastructure.
Multiple legal experts told BBC Verify that Israel may have committed war crimes under the Geneva Convention, which largely prohibits the destruction of infrastructure by an occupy-
Tel al-Sultan was one of Rafah city's most vibrant neighbourhoods
ing power.
An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson said it operated in accordance with international law, that Hamas concealed "military assets" in civilian areas, and that the "destruction of property is only performed when an imperative military necessity is demanded".
In July, Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz outlined plans to establish what he called a "humanitarian city" over the ruins of Rafah, with an initial 600,000 Palestinians being
confined there.
The plan has been widely condemned. Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told the BBC that the proposal would be "interpreted as being akin to a concentration camp".
Tel al-Sultan was one of Rafah city's most vibrant neighbourhoods. Its densely packed streets were home to Rafah's only specialised maternity hospital and a centre caring for orphaned and abandoned children.
Satellite images showed that much of the area had already been heavily dam-
aged by Israeli bombing and artillery fire, but dozens of buildings had withstood the barrage.
But by 13 July the destruction had escalated, with even the shells of damaged buildings swept away and entire blocks torn to the ground. The hospital is one of a handful of buildings left standing.
Similarly, demolitions are now under way in the adjacent Saudi neighbourhood – once home to the city's largest mosque and several schools. (Excerpt from BBC News)
(March 21April 19)
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
GEMINI (MAY 21June 20)
Articulate, pontificate, and make yourself heard. Taking a proactive stance will help you deal with situations more effectively. Don’t hesitate to take an opportunity to speak your mind at a public forum. It’s in your best interest to do your part. It’s best to distance yourself from domestic problems you cannot change.
Gather information and facts to convince others to see things your way. Armed with knowledge, not force or a stubborn attitude, will help you more than pressure tactics. Open discussions and willingness to change what requires the Midas touch will help you gain both respect and recognition.
If you change, others will follow. Set the pace and lead the way. Give your all, but don’t jeopardize your health or physical well-being. Home improvements will be uplifting and save you time and money. A question for knowledge will take you on a worthwhile journey that points you in a promising direction
Handling contracts and medical and financial issues yourself will help you gain insight into your options and encourage you to get the best outcome possible. Knowledge is priceless and crucial in decisions that have a lasting impact. Explain your intentions and offer incentives when dealing with opposition. Live by your word and honor your promises.
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22)
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)
Research and make a change that will enhance your life, meaningful relationships, and how you extend a helping hand to a matter that concerns you. Be part of the solution and do what’s best for you. It’s up to you to protect your rights and create opportunities. Choose charm over intimidation.
A tactful approach to whatever you do will ward off opposition. Refuse to let your emotions swing or jealousy set in if someone rivals you. Stand tall and face competitive situations with intelligence, a positive attitude, and plenty of enthusiasm. Avoid situations that could compromise your health and well-being. Don’t share your secrets.
Jump into action, take control, and make things happen. Use your flair, enthusiasm, and connections to spread the word and to make a difference. Learn as you go, keep things in perspective, and take pride in checking facts and honoring the truth. Romance is favored, but injury and health risks prevail. Proceed with caution.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
Explore the possibilities, travel, attend venues that interest you, expand your mind, and try new things. It’s up to you to embrace life instead of waiting for things to come to you. Take the initiative, be a good listener, and test the information you receive for yourself before incorporating something new into your routine.
SAGITTARIUS
(Nov. 23Dec. 21)
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19) LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
PISCES
(Feb. 20Mar. 20)
The choices you encounter will confuse you. Consider what you want to do and what you must do, and plan a schedule that helps you manage your responsibilities so you can move on to more enjoyable pastimes. A positive attitude will draw attention and help you gain the support required to achieve your goal.
Look for financial opportunities but be leery of joint ventures or shared expenses. Develop a strategy that fosters better relationships and transparency, and you’ll ease your mind while gaining respect and trust from those you interact with today. Don’t feel you must pay for someone else’s mistake or try to buy love.
Hosting an event or accepting an invitation will lead to interesting encounters and consideration regarding something that will encourage you to do something that makes you look and feel good about yourself, your life, and your direction. Embrace the possibilities and enjoy the people you meet along the way. Romance is favored.
Look at and consider everything you encounter that interests you, but refuse to commit until you can verify the facts and figures. Immerse yourself in the possibilities and consider what you expect to gain from whatever you sign up for. Keep in mind, your happiness is your responsibility.
Peanuts
Calvin and Hobbes
Pickles AQUARIUS CANCER
England’s spinners assured their side of a manageable target before Amy Jones took them across the line in a rain-hit second ODI at Lord’s to level the series with India at 1-1.
After a four-hour rain delay reduced the match to 29 overs per side, England’s three-pronged spin attack restricted India to 143 for 8, sharing six wickets between them as Sophie Ecclestone led the way with 3 for 27. Linsey Smith took two and Charlie Dean took one.
Another heavy downpour in the evening sent players running for cover with England 102 for 1 after 18.4 overs chasing 144, and, after a delay of about 20 minutes, their target was reduced to 115 in 24 overs, giving them 5.2 overs in which to score 13 runs.
couldn’t relax, however, Deepti pulling out of her delivery stride in her next over. Beaumont, the non-striker, recovered her ground with relative ease.
England had been 37 without loss after a truncated six-over powerplay, compared to India’s 25 for 1 at the corresponding point in their innings, but India got their first wicket in the 11th when Sneh Rana got one to keep low as it slid under Beaumont’s attempted reverse and hit her in line. Beaumont reviewed, but ball-tracking predicted it to hit leg
Jones and Sciver-Brunt had put on an unbroken stand of 48 off 50 balls for the second wicket when the rain returned, eight balls shy of the 20 overs required to constitute a match. Earlier, the sun was
blazing as seamer Em Arlott celebrated removing Pratika Rawal with just her fourth delivery, a gem of a yorker on the base of off stump.
The hosts introduced spin in the ninth over, with Dean conceding nine before Ecclestone struck with a return catch off the second ball of the 10th to remove Harleen Deol.
After seeing a couple of half-chances missed off her bowling, Ecclestone took matters into her own hands again in her second over, pushing a faster ball through Harmanpreet Kaur’s attempt to cut and hitting the top of off stump.
Harmanpreet’s dismissal for just 7 continued a lean tour for her, in which she has scored 89 runs all up from six innings across formats with a highest score of 26.
India’s woes deepened through Dean’s caughtand-bowled dismissal of Rodrigues to make it 69 for 4 for the tourists in the 15th over. It should have been five down two balls later, but Dean spilt a more straightforward chance off Ghosh.
Ecclestone ensured the mistake wasn’t too costly, however, when she trapped Ghosh lbw in the next over.
That brought Deepti to the crease, and as she faced Dean, there was a murmur of reminiscence from the crowd. Dean beat the bat with her first two deliveries before Deepti got off strike with a cut through point.
Smith almost did herself a mischief when she dived after a firm drive through the covers off
Mandhana and face-planted on the turf at the edge of the square, but she bounced back to combine with Dean in Mandhana’s downfall.
After watching Mandhana’s perfectly placed sweep pierce deep backward square and deep midwicket to reach the boundary, Smith drew a top edge that sailed towards cover, where Dean took a tumbling catch, drop-kicking the ball away in celebration.
Smith claimed her second when she pinned Arundhati Reddy lbw, and Arlott finished as she began, knocking back Rana’s off stump.
The teams meet again in the final match of India’s tour at Durham on Tuesday. (ESPNcricinfo)
Tammy Beaumont was underway quickly
Amy Jones tonks one over Deepti Sharma’s head
India collapsed around Smriti Mandhana
Sophie Ecclestone is pumped up after getting rid of Harmanpreet Kaur
Professional basketball star Joy Adams and the highly touted Ramlall sisters, Amisha, Ashna, and Arshia, have been named in Coach Willon Cameron’s final ros-
ter for the highly anticipated Georgetown Women’s Basketball Classic against Suriname, scheduled for August 10–11 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
The international match-
up, hosted by the Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF), is being seen as a major step in revitalizing women’s basketball in Guyana and across the region.
According to GBF pres-
ident Michael Singh, the event marks the tip-off of Guyana’s commitment to re turning to the regional court in a big way.
“This series is extreme ly important for the growth of women’s basketball in Guyana,” Singh said. “We recently met with President Irfaan Ali, who has pledged full support as we look to bounce the women’s pro gramme back into action.”
Making her long-await ed debut on home court, Adams, who hails from Amelia’s Ward, Linden, has played professionally in Europe, is no stranger to in ternational basketball.
She previously suited up for Guyana at the inaugural FIBA 3x3 AmeriCup in Miami, where she delivered an impressive performance. However, this will mark her first time representing Guyana in the traditional 5-on-5 format.
Equally exciting for fans will be the debut of the Ramlall sisters, Amisha, Ashna, and Arshia, all standout players at Rosemount High School in Minnesota, USA. Their inclusion brings international flair and youthful energy to the roster.
“I’m excited to finally see Joy Adams suit up in Guyana…it’s long overdue,” Singh added. “And having the Ramlall sisters join the squad is something special. They are the future of Guyanese basketball.”
According to Singh, “This series will be a great test to see how well the girls gel as a unit. It’s the first of many
Cameron’s assistant coach will be Alisande Jaiserrisingh, who recently represented Guyana at the FIBA Americas Adelante Forum. Warren Wilson, head coach of the University of Guyana Trojans, will serve as the team’s manager.
“I’m eager to see how our senior women stack up against Suriname. This is a great opportunity to test our competitive level and start building chemistry as we look ahead to more international competition,” Coach Cameron said.
The GBF, in a release, said the Georgetown Women’s Classic promises two action-packed days of hoops and high expectations, as Guyana’s women aim to make a statement on their home court.
West Indies Women’s cricketer gives back to home club
Guyana and West Indies senior female cricketer
Shemaine Campbelle returned to her home cricket club, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sport Club to give back to the youths.
Campbelle, who is Guyana’s senior women’s team captain and the vicecaptain of the West Indies Women’s team, handed over several cricket equipment to young members.
In addition to equipment, Campbelle excited the youths further when she presented some of her international uniforms.
Campbelle, who is a designated wicketkeeper, also made a special presentation to promising Rose Hall Town youth wicket-keeper, Akaiel Fraser. She presented Fraser a pair of wicket-keeping gloves. Furthermore, some of the cricket equipment Campbelle donated were
also gift for the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sport Club cricket academy.
Club Secretary Hilbert Foster hailed Campbelle as an outstanding role model,
who always remembers her roots. He describes her as a true champion who always gives back.
Campbelle is a 32-yearold cricketer who was
born on October 14, 1992.
In addition to the West Indies and Guyana senior team, she represents the Guyana Amazon Warriors in Women’s Caribbean Premier
League. She has represented West Indies in 131 One Day Internationals and 147 T20 Internationals.
Campbelle has a highest score of 105 in international cricket, with 1928 runs in the 50-over format.
In the shorter format, Campbelle has 1475 runs with a total of 101 catches in international cricket. She has 36 stumpings with the gloves for West Indies. In February 2013, Campbelle scored her maiden ODI hundred, and she became the first woman to score a century batting at number seven or lower.
Campbelle is a World Cup winner, as she was a member of the West Indies team that won the 2016 World Cup.
As of 2024, she was the most capped woman in T20Is for West Indies and one of only four women to play 100 internationals in both ODIs and T20Is.
Shemaine Campbelle with some youths at the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club
(L-R), the Ramlall siblings, Ashna, Arshia and Amisha
Adams
“ I’m really grateful to every Guyanese, wherever they are; it’s purely for them.”
Those were the sentiments expressed by a visibly emotional Imran Tahir, captain of the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW),
after his team romped to a thrilling 32-run victory that would secure them their first ExxonMobil Guyana Global Super League (GSL) T20 title.
In the height of the emotions on Friday night after dethroning the Rangpur Riders at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, Tahir described the local franchise’s win as a ‘beautiful thing’.
Tahir expressed, “It’s a beautiful thing to think about it, you know, when you win such a big game. They beat us twice last year and now, so I think we had to win this one, and it was a perfect game to win.”
Quizzed about their performance in this year’s tournament, the GAW
skipper was elated that his team was able to pull it all together in the final dance.
“Look, I know we didn’t have a good start this year, but I had to believe in the team we had, and it’s just about how they turn up, and I think today it was a
thing over 170, 18 runs. To be honest with you, I think we should have finished with 200, but I think it was two or three good overs from them and then a little bit of relaxed batting from us in the 16th and 17th overs, where we only
“Going forward to CPL, to be honest with you, it’s a big boost to the franchise and the play-
perfect show. That’s what we were looking for, some-
…rolls out incentives for players on the sale of personalised jerseys
Slingerz Football Club, the current leaders and only undefeated team in the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League, has officially launched its new football kit for the 2025/2026 season.
In a bold move to redefine the football apparel landscape in Guyana, Slingerz FC partnered with Miami-based sportswear suppliers SQ Apparel to create a unique and professional design that reflects the club’s ambition, heritage, and dominance on the field.
The newly unveiled kit comes in both home and away colours and proudly displays the logos of the club’s main sponsors, ShiOil, Golden Arrow Milk, Kabisa, AdNation, and Service Guyana.
The design blends modern aesthetics with cultural inspiration, offering fans a jersey that is both fashionable and symbolic of the club’s identity.
Meanwhile, Slingerz FC also announced an innovative incentive-based programme tied to the sale of personalised jerseys.
The regular replica jersey will retail for GY$10,000, while fans can purchase customised versions featuring their favourite players’ names and numbers for GY$12,000.
Notably, 20 per cent of the revenue from each personalised jersey will go directly to the player featured on the shirt.
“Let’s say someone pur-
chases a Kelsey Benjamin or Darron Niles shirt; 20 per cent of the sales from those shirts will go to that particular player,” said Rawle Toney, Vice President of Slingerz FC. “It’s a way to market and promote our players while also incentivising the use of their name, image, and likeness by our club.”
Local fans can place their orders by messaging via WhatsApp/Text/Call (7413267) or by simply reaching out to the club’s various social media platforms.
Fans living overseas can conveniently order online via SQ Apparel’s official website (https://www.sqapparel.com/slingerz).
As the second half of
the GFF Elite League kicks off, Slingerz FC is calling on fans nationwide to show their support by wearing their colours proudly.
“We want to flood the football spotlight with Slingerz FC shirts all across Guyana,” said the club in a statement. “Our goal is to become a household name in Guyanese football, and this kit launch is just the beginning.”
With nine wins from nine games, Slingerz FC remains the only team with a perfect record in the Elite League.
The club returns to action on August 3 with a highly anticipated clash against Western Tigers at the National Track and Field Centre.
picked up 10-11 runs,” he explained.
Tahir added, “Again, when you have a team like that, you have to have belief that they’re going to come right on the day, especially the batting department, which has been struggling. I’m just so glad that they came out on a perfect day.”
The skipper did admit that the ExxonMobil Guyana GSL win would be a major boost to morale and performance, less than a month away from the Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
ers. You know, we have some local players; I’m sure they’ve been watching that, and they’ll be very proud to be part of this franchise like I am,” Tahir noted.
“It’s been an honour, absolutely, leading the franchise where fans from all over the world support you wherever you go, and that, I think, is a big positive for us and a big favour from the crowd. I’m just really grateful to them, and I’m sure they deserve more than what we deserve,” Tahir later said about their win, dedicating it to the
Four secondary school football teams will butt heads tomorrow afternoon in pursuit of bragging rights when the ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ U14 football tournament final is staged.
Chase’s Academic Foundation will have the opportunity to become the second school to claim the double title, while the town of Bartica has a similar chance, with two schools from their district
Guyanese populace.
Meanwhile, similar sentiments of dedicating the victory to the Guyanese people also came from the final’s player of the match, Rahmanullah Gurbaz.
“Congratulations to all the Guyanese people around the world; I think it’s an ice moment for them as well, not only for us,” the opening batsman shared.
Regarding his thoughts on winning the GSL this time around, Gurbaz described it as ‘special’.
“Always feel great. Last CPL we were in the final, but unfortunately, we lost. It was a really bad feeling for me when you come from that far and go with the runner-up; that always feels uncomfortable, but for me, this trophy was more than something else. It came with some struggling performances; I was struggling with my bat, and at the end I did something for my team to win the trophy for them. That’s something very special for me,” the Afghanistan international told media operatives.
also competing.
The girls’ final is up first and will see Bartica Secondary taking on Chase’s girls from 16:00 hrs. Then, defending champions Chase’s boys will do battle with Three Miles Secondary from 17:00 hrs.
Meanwhile, the girls’ third-place playoff between Marian Academy and Waramuri Secondary is set for 14:00 hrs, and the boys’ version of that event, featuring West Ruimveldt
and Waramuri Secondary, is up at 15:00 hrs.
The top teams will be competing for a $400,000 grand prize, while the second, third and fourth place finishers will have to settle for $200,000, $100,000 and $75,000, respectively.
The day’s action at the Ministry of Education Ground, Carifesta Avenue, will kick off at 12:00 hrs with the placement games being contested first.
Chase’s Academy’s Nyron Barrow and Three Miles Secondary’s Aaron King take a photo opportunity with the ExxonMobil U14 Championship trophy
Romaine Brackenridge, Darron Niles and Jobe Caesar
The Guyana Amazon Warriors lifted their first ExxonMobil Guyana GSL trophy on Friday night
Rahmanullah Gurbaz
GAW Captain Imran Tahir was the player of the tournament, dedicating the win to Guyanese people
Chase’s Academy’s Deandra Henrito (L) and Bartica Secondary’s Nerismar Williams take a photo opportunity with the ExxonMobil U14 Championship trophy
