“He was a stellar stalwart of our nation's forests”
First Lady reaffirms Guyana’s commitment to disability inclusion at UN
T&T trade mission arrives for over 150 back-toback meetings in Guyana, Suriname
Over 15,000 donors registered with National Blood Bank – Director
Taxi driver accused of forgery in $29M land scam on $700,000 bail
Pregnant woman on $950K bail over $13M land fraud, forgery charges
Structural issue prompts partial demolition of Kwakwani Police Station
The chartered flight from the United States to Guyana carrying deportees
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 11 –03:55h-05:25h and Thursday, June 12 – 03:55h-05:25h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 11 –16:40h-18:10h and Thursday, June 12 – 17:10h-18:40h.
FERRY SCHEDULE
Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.
WEATHER TODAY
Rain showers with instances of thunder are expected during the day and at night, with sunshine in the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to range between 22 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.
Winds: North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.79 metres and 3.58 metres.
High Tide: 16:39h reaching a maximum height of 2.42 metres.
Low Tide: 10:13h and 22:22h reaching minimum heights of 0.64 metre and 0.81 metre.
Seize new era of opportunities – Jagdeo tells GOAL graduates …says
Vzero-interest development bank to boost entrepreneurship
ice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo in his address at Tuesday’s Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) graduation ceremony, urged young professionals to seize emerging opportunities in Guyana’s rapidly evolving economy, particularly in oil
Programmes, and among them is a total of 580 graduates who received master’s degree recipients on Monday.
Reflecting on the fulfillment of a key 2020 manifesto promise, providing 20,000 online scholarships, a number that has already
and gas, finance, environment, and hospitality.
Specifically, as it related to finance, he announced plans for a new development bank offering zero-interest financing to small and medium enterprises, a move designed to encourage entrepreneurship among graduates.
According to Jagdeo, the People's Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government is not only delivering on its promises but is committed to democratising investment and empowering a new generation of Guyanese, who are poised for leadership and delivering high-end services.
“In the financial sector, we've already made it clear that we'll be a big focus in the next term would be financial literacy, financial empowerment, underwriting opportunities in the oil and gas sector and other sectors that would have a guarantee rate of return for small investors. That's underwritten by the state so we can democratise investments across the country, huge opportunities in the financial sector”.
“Why am I mentioning this? This would be a sector that would grow massively. So, if you're trained, you have to think about opportunities that would open up in all of these sectors. Don't think about just coming to work for Government too because we'll be outsourcing a lot of these activities like to create Guyanese companies, locally owned companies that can then supply the services to Government,” the VP encouraged the graduating student at the National Cultural Centre on Tuesday. In total, over 2000 persons graduate from the GOAL Scholarships Programme this year, Postgraduate Diplomas, Bachelor’s Degree, GROW and Certificate
said.
Further, highlighting the transformative impact of the Local Content Law, Jagdeo noted that more than 1,000 Guyanese companies have already accessed over US$700 million in oil and gas procurement.
thousands of new opportunities in the oil and gas sector that you will have to prepare for and the law that we passed would be expanded to include more sectors.”
“You will have tonnes of opportunities to work and
surpassed over 39,000 scholarships, the VP stated that “it’s a gratifying moment. We can go back to the people and say, we promised—and we delivered,” he
With over 10,000 Guyanese now working in the sector, he announced that the law will be expanded to include additional sectors, further multiplying job creation.
“There are going to be
to grow and to live a fruitful life. It depends on you. Everything in life depends on you and the efforts that you make. And so, we can only play a supportive role,” he said.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo speaking at the GOAL graduation ceremony on Tuesday
The global discourse on disability inclusion continues to evolve, and Guyana has emerged as a country taking proactive and meaningful steps toward creating an inclusive and equitable society for all its citizens.
At the 18th Session of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), Guyana’s evolving disability agenda was presented on the global stage. Delivering the national statement at this high-level forum, First Lady Arya Ali highlighted the country’s increasing commitment to advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities. Her address underscored the progress being made through comprehensive national strategies and practical interventions. The CRPD remains the international benchmark for safeguarding the rights of persons with disabilities across all aspects of life – social, economic, cultural, and political. In this context, the First Lady emphasised that Guyana is not only fulfilling its obligations under the Convention, but actively working to go beyond them by embedding disability inclusion into the country’s broader development agenda. Through initiatives anchored in education, empowerment, and engagement, she noted, Guyana is striving to give true meaning to the Convention and ensure that the rights of all persons with disabilities are realised in practical and transformative ways.
Guyana’s national development is increasingly being guided by its Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which notably integrates the rights and needs of persons with disabilities into its broader sustainable development goals. This framework not only acknowledges the intersection between environmental sustainability and social justice, but also commits tangible State resources to ensure that persons with disabilities are not left behind in national progress.
This commitment is reflected in several key Government-led initiatives that span critical areas such as healthcare, education, housing, and employment. Access to free healthcare services and assistive devices, along with lifelong public assistance for persons with permanent disabilities, are not token measures—they are foundational services that help dismantle systemic barriers and empower individuals to lead fuller, more independent lives.
Education remains a central pillar of Guyana’s disability inclusion strategy. The national school system is being made increasingly accessible to students with disabilities, ensuring that early educational intervention is available. Complementing this effort is the Regional Disability Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, which provides early diagnosis and facilitates timely interventions for children with disabilities. By addressing developmental needs at an early stage, Guyana is better positioned to support long-term educational and social outcomes.
In line with the principles of economic empowerment and selfsufficiency, Guyana has also invested in training and employment opportunities tailored for persons with disabilities. Institutions such as the Mahaica Learning Lab, Open Doors Vocational Centre, Business Centre, and the Board of Industrial Training have been instrumental in offering free technical and vocational training. These facilities not only equip individuals with marketable skills but also work to shift societal perceptions by showcasing the capabilities and contributions of the disabled community.
Notably, the launch of the Centre for Equity, Opportunity and Innovation marks a significant advancement. This centre not only employs dozens of persons with disabilities but also serves as a hub for business development and innovation training, reinforcing the importance of inclusive economic growth.
Guyana’s holistic approach extends to the housing sector as well. In recent years, hundreds of house lots have been distributed to persons with disabilities, and under initiatives such as the President’s Men on a Mission programme, homes have been built and construction materials provided to support independent living. These efforts are not merely charitable gestures – they are a recognition of housing as a human right and a step towards restoring dignity and autonomy.
The legislative backbone supporting these initiatives is equally robust. The Prevention of Discrimination Act and the Persons with Disabilities Act collectively prohibit discrimination, mandate rehabilitation services, ensure access to education and healthcare, and promote inclusion in every facet of public life – from employment to culture and recreation. The National Commission on Disability serves as the principal agency tasked with enforcing these provisions and advancing public awareness around disability rights.
Guyana’s evolving disability inclusion framework aligns squarely with the principles enshrined in the CRPD, which remains the international gold standard for the protection and promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities. The emphasis on education, empowerment, and engagement – as articulated by national representatives – underscores a forward-thinking approach that sees persons with disabilities not as passive recipients of aid but as active agents in the national development narrative.
These advancements are more than commendable; they are a clear signal that disability inclusion is not being treated as a peripheral issue, but as a central component of the country’s social, economic, and environmental development strategy.
As the global community continues to evaluate progress on the CRPD, Guyana’s model offers valuable lessons. Its comprehensive approach, grounded in legislation, policy, and on-the-ground action, demonstrates that building an inclusive society is not only possible, but essential for sustainable national development.
A chat on the doorstep is a custom worth preserving in the digital age
By María raMírez
The mayor of a small town in southern Spain felt compelled, a few days ago, to clarify that there is no new municipal ban on older women sitting out on the pavement in their own chairs. He was responding to a furious online backlash directed mostly at the town’s Police after they posted a message on social media urging the residents of Santa Fe to show “civility” by not sitting in the streets in the late hours disturbing neighbours.
This plea for respect for the public space was hardly a draconian law and order crackdown: it was a reasonably worded reminder. “We know that putting chairs or tables outside the door is a tradition in many towns,” it said, “but public spaces are regulated. If the Police ask you to remove them, do so out of respect and in the interests of coexistence.”
Unfortunately for the Police, it was accompanied by a photograph not of 3am revellers or anyone engaging in antisocial behaviour, but six older women sitting outdoors on plastic garden chairs, enjoying what looks like a peaceful chat. The angry reaction (“Go and arrest drug dealers!”, or “All these women want is a quiet moment with their neighbours. Why don’t you take care of real crimes!”) was a reminder that in Spain, the authorities mess with community rituals involving older people at their peril.
Perhaps the reaction also betrayed a sadness that the custom of sitting outdoors chatting, still practised in villages and some small towns, especially in the hottest months, is slowly fading as rural Spain becomes increasingly depopulated.
In cities, you certainly don’t see women or anyone else putting their own chairs on the pavement outside their front doors. But the routine of outdoor conversation and intergenerational use of public space is very much alive.
Sitting and talking in public spaces is a tradition that dates back centuries and is closely intertwined with the history of women’s rights in Spain. Women’s search for independence and common spaces to talk outside the home can be traced to the Middle Ages – from separate bourgeois parlours to artisan work conducted outdoors. And it was not confined to regions with warmer weather.
In León, a province in north-west Spain, people once gathered around the fireplace on bleak midwinter nights for the filandón, a session of storytelling named after the spinners who worked together while exchanging tales. This cherished oral tradition is now being revived in León, with local novelists holding events in nature reserves such as Babia, passing the filandón down to a new generation. In some villages in northern La Rioja, you still see women chatting as they
sew espadrilles outside their shopfronts.
It is only natural in the digital age that such ways of living and communing fade, but there is still a strong appreciation in Spain for the value of a neighbourly gathering, wherever it happens. In cities, it might take place in the lobby of an apartment building, often around the doorman. In mine, I find comfort in seeing the same older women and men, often with a dog in their midst, sitting on a bench by the mailbox almost every day. The daily chatter proved very useful during the recent blackout, as neighbours readily shared tips, food and information. One of the regulars is a retired engineer who once worked for a major power company, and he gave us the clearest explanation of how the outage would be resolved.
In town squares, it’s common to see people of all ages sitting and chatting in the same space. Older women on the public benches, children running around them, teenagers kicking a football, all together and not necessarily drinking, as is often the case elsewhere. Summer heatwaves make late-evening gatherings outdoors a natural form of relief. Stepping outside for no particular purpose is often called tomando el fresco (“taking the breeze”, if you are lucky to catch it).
In the biggest Spanish cities, newly pedestrianised areas offer convivial shared outdoor spaces all year
round. More modest than Barcelona’s superblocks, the newly-refurbished and pedestrianised Olavide Square in central Madrid, for example, has become a model of the ideal public space. It has teenagers playing ping pong, kids and dogs running about, people of all ages reading or scrolling on their phones in deckchairs, occasionally browsing from a public library stand, and of course older women deep in conversation until late. Even in shabbier squares, people of all generations still gather in proximity with ease. What is changing is that Madrid’s conservative local government is increasingly promoting a privatised model of public space, with extended restaurant and bar terraces occupying most of the pavements, leaving little space for people to gather without being obliged to consume something.
Respecting public space, as the Santa Fe Police requested, means keeping it truly public. And that is key to fostering conversation not just with friends, but with neighbours, casual acquaintances and strangers.
Conversation in public, shared spaces has a special power in these polarised, lonely, even dehumanising times. A sense of community requires much more than a few chairs on the pavement, but it is a good place to start.
(The Guardian)
(María Ramírez is a journalist and the deputy managing editor of elDiario.es, a news outlet in Spain)
Honouring the legacy of six courageous Village Chiefs, this mural stands as a visual testimony to the 1998 High Court case for the recognition of Akawaio and Arecuna traditional lands. Each golden feather represents a Chief – Hastings, Thomas, Isaacs, Mendenon, Anselmo, and Henry – with additional feathers paying tribute to the community that stood behind them. Woven with symbols of land, culture, and cosmic tradition, this powerful artwork was created in collaboration with Nigel Butler (NIIX) of the Silent Walls Project and funded by The Greenheart Movement (Kako Village Council photo)
Be careful what you wish for
Dear Editor,
Over the past few years, a handful of PNC & AFC critics along with some “independents” have been ceaselessly attacking the government. Often with wild unsubstantiated accusations and wishing for the government to fall.
One of the favourite charges is that the government discriminates against Afro-Guyanese. Despite the several challenges to provide evidence they fail to produce any. However, Gobels like, they continue to repeat the false charges.
Another group keeps telling us that things are so bad that people are starving. Reading those articles a person unfamiliar with Guyana’s situation may believe that all Guyanese are hungry, ill-housed and illclothed.
The reality is much different. There has not been another five-year period compared to this one where
so much of work has been done. Indeed, the country appears to be a huge construction site. We are now putting in the infrastructure to launch our economy to greater heights. These were all badly needed and essential to our progress.
Unemployment is down to its lowest in living memory. Just ask anyone that has some work to do, example building a small house or a bridge and the first thing you will hear is that “I can’t get people to work.”
The government has made tremendous strides in providing education, health, housing, water facilities to the masses. The electricity situation has improved by leaps and bounds. Yes, we still get a few blackouts, but not because of lack of generation but because of the company planting new poles or due to some accident or another which dislodge a pole or so.
Our agriculture sector
(except sugar) has been growing rapidly.
A few days ago, we heard that we are the only country in the world that can provide and is providing all the food that we need. This is a very high compliment to our hard-working farmers – I salute our agricultural workers on this great achievement.
That is just one of the indicators which shows how far we have come.
The young people of today would be surprised to learn that from the mid 1970s until the beginning of the 1990s Guyanese had to stand up in long lines for several hours to get very basic food items. Guyanese travelling home from Caribbean countries and North America were often laughed at because of what they were buying to bring home. These included such things like bread, sardines, corn beef, potatoes, onions, toilet paper, etc.
Those who complain today about foreign currency have forgotten that in that same period when travelling abroad a Guyanese could only take fifteen US dollars (US $15) with her or him. Moreover, to get that one had to spend a day or more lining up at the Bank of Guyana.
The anti-PPP propagandist seem to have forgotten that our education system was so destroyed that we had the lowest passes in the Caribbean. The University of Guyana at one stage during the 1980s had to close its doors because of the conditions of the toilets on campus.
They have conveniently forgotten that the health situation had deteriorated to such an extent that rats were interfering with patients at our Public Hospitals. It was reported in the press in the early 1990s that a rat had eaten a child’s hand at our main
hospital.
Those who complain about our economy should recall that when the PPP/C assumed office in 1992 the GDP per capita was just around US $300. Shockingly when the PNC came to office in 1964 the figure was almost the same. Our country was stagnant.
The PNC was also very brutal in dealing with opposition protests. They murdered Jagan Ramesar and Bholanaught Parmanand in 1973; Walter Rodney and Ohine Koame (Neville Jacobs) and others who were opposed to the PNC dictatorship. Workers and Trade Unionists were tear gassed, one time while in a cell at Linden and generally harassed. Public meetings by opposition parties were violently broken up by PNC thugs. It is apposite to note that the PNC had a glorious opportunity to correct its past mistakes. It did
not. Instead, they began to blatantly enrich themselves. Recall one of the first acts was to give themselves a 50% increase in salaries and allowances. They were involved in transactions that were outlandish, example the renting of a house in Albouystown to serve as a medical bond to the tune of twelve million dollars per month! In every area we had reversals of progress. It would be no exaggeration to state that over the last five years every aspect of Guyanese lives was enhanced. This generation has come a very far way compared to their parents and grandparents. So I would like to tell those memoryless critics, some of whom are my friends, to be careful what you wish for.
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar Former President
Doc, dem bai nah come in today
Dear Editor, I write in response to an emerging dispute over the level of unemployment in Guyana today. The sad thing about this issue is that most of the people doing the debating are away from Guyana. This means that their arguments are based mostly on lagging data from sources such as the World Bank. The bare-naked truth is that unemployment in Guyana is practically non-existent. That is, for those who want to
work. Everyone here knows that you are quite lucky if you can find workers at all, and even more so if they turn up as scheduled. Those who live here and run a business or are doing home construction, or that need any kind of service, know the pain. I know this personally because I am doing some construction but every week, I get this from the supervisor of ‘dem boys’ – “Doc dem bai nah come-in today.”
The main reason is that a person can leave a job in some fields such as construction, and find another job, probably better paying, in less than a day. Contractors must watch out for those who
want to siphon their staff. Pay has gone up dramatically. A young man who fetches water (literally), now makes more than his father did just a few years ago. A driver can make up
to $300,000 a month, and that is without his gigs on the side. Masons are doing US$70-90 daily. The list goes on and on.
Again, there is plen-
ty of jobs here for anyone who wants to work. Ask the Venezuelans!
Sincerely, Dr Randy Persaud
◄ Page Foundation
Estimating Quotients
When you estimate the quotient of a division problem, you do not round the numbers. Instead you try to find compatible numbers . These are numbers that you can work with easily in your head.
Example:
Estimate 3644 ÷ 5.
Step 1: Look at the first two digits in the dividend – 36. Can you divide that evenly by the divisor 5? No.
Step 2: Think about multiplying by 5. 5 x 6 = 30, 5 x 7 = 35, 5 x 8 = 40. Select the one that is closest to 36. That is 35.
Step 3: Add zeros to the dividend as placeholders. In this example, the dividend has four place values, so you need to add 2 zeros: 3500.
Step 4: Divide by 6. 3500 ÷ 5 = 700
Exercises
By Walt
I celebrate myself, and sing myself, And what I assume you shall assume, For every belonging to me as good belongs to you. I loafe and invite my soul, I lean and loafe at my ease observing a spear of summer grass. My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air, Born here of parents born here from parents the same, and their parents the same, I, now thirty-seven years old in perfect health begin, Hoping to cease not till death. Creeds and schools in abeyance, Retiring back a while sufficed at what they are, but never forgotten, harbor for good or bad, I permit to speak at every hazard, Nature without check with original energy.
Opposition’s call for prisoners to vote poses national security risk – GECOM Commissioner warns
Arecent push by opposition-nominated commissioners at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to allow prisoners to vote in the upcoming 2025 Regional and General Elections has sparked fierce backlash from GECOM Commissioner Clement Rohee, who says the proposal presents grave national security and public safety concerns.
Last week, a GECOM meeting ended with opposing views by the commissioners as a series of voting issues were discussed including the right of prisoners to vote.
While there are no laws disenfranchising persons who are incarcerated, there are also no legal provisions to facilitate prisoners, both convicted persons or those who are on remand, to vote. Opposition Commissioner, Vincent Alexander, contends that prisoners should be allowed to vote and GECOM should facilitate this.
However, the commissioners on the other side disagree.
Speaking during a recent broadcast on his show “Our Democracy”, Rohee revealed that opposition commissioners are now demanding that incarcerated persons across Guyana’s five prison locations be allowed to vote. He warned that the idea, while framed by the opposition as a constitutional matter, fails to consider the full legal and
logistical consequences. In fact, he questioned the feasibility of political parties entering prison compounds to campaign, distribute paraphernalia, and hold political meetings.
“The opposition claims that by denying prisoners the right to vote that it is a violation of the constitutional right. But this is a one-sided argument since it does not take into consideration the rule of law whereby the courts of Guyana following its deliberate judgments either at a lower or higher court denied the freedom of movement of persons either incarcerated or on remand in order to restrict their movement of such persons unless because they may very well endanger the lives of law-abiding citizens thus disturbing the peace and good order in our society”.
“This is the demand that is fraught with serious implications for national security as well as the public safety and security of citizens of this country… The safety and security of citizens is of paramount importance and it remains a troubling concern of many Guyanese. My point is that nothing must be done to jeopardise the safety and security of the citizens of this country nor the country's national security. Simply to accommodate the political opposition's demand for prisoners to have the right to vote,” Rohee stressed.
Rohee took direct aim at opposition commissioner Vincent Alexander, criticising what he viewed as a sudden, politically convenient change of heart.
Additionally, raising logistical red flags, Rohee presented a barrage of questions about the real-world execution of the constitutional policy which governs right to vote, reminding that no such provisions were facilitated under the governance of Former President Forbes Burnham.
“Will each inmate be escorted individually? If so, by whom? Will they be free to roam after they would have voted till the close of poll, that is after six o'clock? Will their freedom on e-day be granted by the court, the director of prisons or the Ministry of Home Affairs? The question now is who
will be held responsible if prisoners do not return to prison?”.
“The rule of law as far as he is concerned is of no consequence in this matter. The rule of law as far as Mr Alexander is concerned in this matter should be disregarded and prisoners should be granted an exception,” Rohee added.
The commissioner noted that implementing this proposal would likely require parliamentary intervention and legal reforms. Further, beyond legal challenges, Rohee warned of potential security compromises, including a significant depletion of both police and prison personnel required to escort and manage prisoners on Election Day. He emphasised that such a move would risk the integrity of the prison system and divert resources from securing polling places across the country.
Aside from the demand
to facilitate prisons at polling stations, GECOM opposition-nominated commissioners have consistently disrupted statutory meetings by staging walkouts.
Sabotage
Last week,
Commissioner on GECOM, Sase Gunraj, condemned the action, which he described as clear attempts to sabotage the electoral planning process.
In a move to prevent further gridlock, GECOM is set to enforce a three-commissioner quorum rule. Under current procedures, the quorum for statutory meetings requires the presence of the Chairperson and at least two commissioners from both the Government and opposition sides.
Nomination Day, withdrawals
Additionally, Nomination Day has already been announced for July 14, 2025, which will
allow for the submission of Lists of Candidates for the upcoming General and Regional Elections. On the designated day, the Chief Election Officer (CEO) will be available to receive the Lists between the hours of 10:00h (10am) and 14:00h (2pm) at the Umana Yana, High Street, Kingston, Georgetown.
Several important deadlines accompany the submission of these lists. The following day, July 15, is reserved for notifying the CEO in writing of any death or withdrawal of a candidate. Also on this day, the CEO will inform representatives and their deputies of any defects found in submitted lists. By July 17, corrected lists must be submitted, and further notification of any withdrawals must also be made. On July 18th, GECOM will issue notifications regarding the approval or non-approval of the candidate lists. Parties dissatisfied with disapprovals may lodge appeals with the High Court by July 20th. On July 21, representatives and their deputies must inform the CEO in writing of any joinder of lists. The entire process culminates on July 23 with the gazetting of the approved lists.
The notice was issued under the hand of GECOM Chairperson, Justice of Appeal (Ret’d) Claudette Singh, and dated June 2nd, 2025.
The 2025 General and Regional Elections is set for September 1.
Opposition-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander
Taxi driver accused of forgery in $29M land scam on $700,000 bail
A30-year-old taxi driver of West Coast Berbice (WCB) has been granted bail after being charged with conspiring to obtain some $29 million by false pretense in two alleged land fraud schemes.
Jomo Campbell of No. 5 Village, Berbice appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where he pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to commit a felony.
The prosecution alleged that between April 1 and
May 22, 2025, Campbell conspired with persons known and unknown to fraudulently obtain $13 million by forging documents related to Parcel 2404, Block 3, Plantation Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The alleged false documents were intended to falsely certify the authorisation to sell the land, resulting in a fraudulent financial transaction.
In the second matter, Campbell is accused of conspiring to obtain $16 million between February 28
and March 19, 2025, under similar circumstances. This charge relates to Parcel 2353, Block 3, also at Plantation Providence, EBD.
Campbell, represented by attorney Yuborn Allicock, denied the allegations and entered a not guilty plea to both charges. His attorney emphasised that Campbell has no prior convictions or pending charges, and is a father of one in a common-law relationship.
Keeping…
…order
There’s some big drama unfolding over in the US of A – probably exceeding ours with our drama queens in the Opposition jockeying to find some permutation or combination that might give them some relevance after the Sept 1 elections!! Norton’s causing quite a stir after he announced he’s looking for a PM candidate. Fellas like that Mahipal guy are anguishedly asking whether “goat bite me?” After another prospective Indian Guyanese frontrunner sashayed over to the PPP, the assumption that an African-Indian slate was the winning combination was thrown overboard!! Norton insisted the PNC lost nothing since she had no support to bring to the polls – so the same could be said for all the other Indos like Mahipal and that Pandit fella. Your Eyewitness has his popcorn ready as that drama unfolds!!
But back to the USA where a lot of eyes are fixed on the spat between Trump and his Trillionaire governmental cost-cutter – richest man in the world! – Elon Musk. But by your Eyewitness’s estimation, that’s really a sideshow brought on by outsized egos and will be sorted out without any effect on the big (political) picture. The drama that WILL have a far-reaching impact on politics going forward is Trump’s decision to bring out the National Guard to deal with protesters against his (draconian) deportation policies.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement –universally known by the very apt acronym “ICE”– had been conducting raids in the garment district of Los Angeles – the City of Angels that has a 48% Latino population. Not surprisingly, protests broke out as many undocumented Latino immigrant workers who provided cheap labour were rounded up! The ICE agents were overwhelmed by the protesters and even the show of force by some 2000 National Guards who joined them didn’t faze the protesters. Adding a new dimension to the drama, the democratic governor of California threatened to sue Trump!!
To show he was “maan”, Trump upped the ante on Monday and sent in 500 Marines “to protect Federal buildings”. The lines are now sharply drawn between what Trump called “order and chaos” – and with it, the possibility of violence between civilians and US armed forces. The situation is eerily reminiscent of the1970 deployment of the National Guard to crack down on antiwar protests at Kent State University, Ohio, after Nixon escalated the Vietnam War into Cambodia. Guardsmen opened fire and killed four students. Protests broke out in other universities and Police shot and killed two students at Jackson State in Mississippi.
For us in Guyana, the Opposition has been encouraging protests on any – or no – excuse and these have degenerated into widespread arson, robberies and violence. Police have stressed arrests.
Let’s see how “order vs free speech” play out in the US!!
…sugar going
As the Government struggles mightily to keep the State-owned sugar industry going, its new CEO has evidently been trying all sorts of innovations to boost the production figures that had never recovered from the body blow of the PNC’s cruel closure of four of the sugar estates and firing some 7000 workers from those estates – as well as from the private cane farmers who’d been playing an increasingly larger role to supply cane to the factories.
This year, he revived the old custom of recognising and rewarding “champion cane cutters”. Never mind the sugar coated term “harvesters” – just like estates are still plantations!! Anyhow, the fella who won the “Most Productive Harvester” title had delivered an astounding 644.81 tonnes of cane in just 54 days – averaging 11.94 tonnes per day!! The second and third spots – all from Uitvlugt – scored 622.45 tonnes and 435.82 tonnes –earning an average day’s pay of $32,000.
Was it “Cut and load” or “Cut and drop”? If the former, it’s unbelievable!!
…to (traitor’s) form
Keeping true to form, St Vincent’s Ralph Gonsalves urged T&T and Venezuela “to resolve their differences peacefully”. How come he didn’t ask the same of Mad Maduro when he sponsored elections for a governor of Essequibo?
Jomo Campbell
“He was a stellar stalwart of our nation's forests” – Pres Ali …pays tribute to former Forestry Commissioner James Singh
Recognising his decades-long contribution to Guyana’s forestry and environmental conservation efforts, President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday paid tribute to former Commissioner of Forests James Singh, who recently passed away. Singh was praised for leaving a lasting impact on the sector through years of dedicated public service.
During his tribute on Tuesday, President Ali paid homage to former Commissioner underscoring the impact he had on Guyana’s environmental and forestry landscape.
The head of state emphasised that Singh was instrumental in laying the groundwork for sustainable forest management in the country, helping to shape key policies that now guide national and regional approaches to environmental stewardship.
He credited Singh’s leadership and vision as being central to the development and implementation of Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), which has positioned the country as a global leader in climate action and green growth. President Ali described Singh’s contributions as not only vital to the forestry sector, but also to Guyana’s broader efforts to transition toward a sustainable and resilient economy.
“He was a stalwart, a stellar stalwart of our nation's forests. A man whose contribution did not simply facilitate routine forestry administration, but helped shape the very foundations upon which our modern low-carbon development strategy was built. Let it be said clearly, in this solemn moment of remembrance, James Singh was instrumental in helping Guyana transform its forests into a globally admired model of sustainability and national prosperity,” President Ali said.
He added, “I repeat James Singh was instrumental in helping Guyana transform its forests into a globally admired model of
sustainability and national prosperity. When today we speak of Guyana cutting millions, earning millions of dollars annually from the sale of jurisdictional carbon credits, we must remember, that system did not spring up overnight. It was built layer by layer through careful planning, rigorous governance, and credible systems.”
The President also spoke about Singh’s role in the Forest Law Enforcement, Governance and Trade (FLEGT) Voluntary Partnership Agreement (VPA) between Guyana and the European Union (EU) which aims to ensure that timber products exported from Guyana to the EU are legally produced, thus preventing illegal logging and promoting sustainable forest management.
“James Singh was a lead
negotiator of that process he guided the complex consultations.
He liaised with international experts. And he did it with calm, poise, and clarity. Because of this partnership, Guyana could say to the world, we are serious about legal, sustainable, and verifiable forest governance.”
“Without James Singh, none of this would have happened as it did, he was the invisible engine behind the visible success and it is for this reason, this foundational role, this enabling leadership, that this country owes James Singh an enormous debt of gratitude.”
Singh passed away on June 6. His passing has drawn tributes from national leaders and institutions, highlighting a life dedicated to sustainable forest management and global climate advocacy.
Former Head of the Guyana Forestry Commission, James Singh
President Dr Irfaan Ali speaking at the funeral service of the late James Singh
T&T trade mission arrives for over 150 back-to-back meetings in Guyana, Suriname
Guyana is hosting the first leg of a trilateral trade mission that will feature 27 companies from Trinidad, who will be exploring opportunities in Guyana and Suriname and holding over 150 back-to-back meetings over the course of a few days. On Monday, a 27 member Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturing Association (TTMA) trade mission arrived in Guyana as part of the trilateral trade mission exploring opportunities between the three countries.
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Guyana (Protocol Office).
Kicking off the Guyana leg of the trade mission on Tuesday at the Pegasus Corporate Centre, SGCC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rahul Lildhar drew comparisons between the trade mission and CARICOM ideals of a single market and economy.
“Over the next few days, more than 27 companies will engage in over 150 targeted back-to-back meetings, spanning industries such as man-
The trade mission is a collaborative effort between the TTMA and the Suriname Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC), with the delegation being welcomed by
ufacturing, logistics, energy, health and even beauty and consumer goods.”
“The chamber would have curated these engagements, not just by chance but really
a deep dive into the data and to who creates the best matches,” Lildhar explained to the room full of attendees.
In his presentation, SGCC Chairman Vishnu Doerga emphasised that there is power in numbers and urged the various parties to come up with ways of collaborating. This is against increasing nationalism around the world, which has seen certain countries practicing isolationism.
“Many of us have a decision to make. Do we want to just say, I want it to be us alone, lets see what we can do for ourselves, which is the trend at the moment. Or do we want to remember that there’s power in numbers?”
Pregnant woman on $950K bail over $13M land fraud, forgery charges
Odessa McDonaldMoses, a 33-year-old pregnant mother of two, was on Tuesday placed on a total of $950,000 bail after appearing before Senior Magistrate Fabyo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court, where five criminal offences, including the forgery of national documents and an alleged $13 million land fraud, were read to hear. She pleaded not guilty to all charges.
According to the case presented by the prosecution, McDonald-Moses is accused of using a false identity and forged official documents in an elaborate scheme that allegedly spanned from April 1 to June 6, 2025, across multiple locations in Georgetown. The charges relate to both attempts to defraud private individuals and the use of forged state-issued identification documents.
It is alleged that between April 1 and May 22, 2025, at South Road, Georgetown McDonald-Moses obtained $13 million from two individuals, Keon Bess and Orlando Prince, by falsely claiming that she was in a position to sell them a parcel of land located at Parcel 2404 Block 3, Plantation Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
The prosecution alleged that she has no legal authority to sell the property and misrepresented her identity and role in the transaction. She denied the charge.
The remaining four charges stem from events alleged to have taken place on June 6 at Croal Street, Georgetown, where
McDonald-Moses is accused of forging multiple official documents under the name Sharmaine Alexis Patterson.
The first forgery charge alleges that she forged a Guyana National Identification Card, reportedly issued by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and presented it as belonging to Sharmaine Alexis Patterson. The second charge involves the same forged identification card being presented to Keon Bess, with the intent to deceive.
The third and fourth forgery charges pertain to a Republic of Guyana passport, allegedly forged in favour of Sharmaine Alexis Patterson and said to have been issued by the Central and Immigration Office. One charge concerns the creation of the passport, while the other relates to its presentation to Keon Bess. McDonald pleaded not guilty to each count.
In arguing against bail,
“We belong to a wider eco-system. And we need to underscore that as Rahul mentioned, if we want to go fast, we could go alone and end up by ourselves as well. We’d end up like an economy that only cares about its own
needs,” Doerga said.
For his part, TTMA Director, Navin Dookeran emphasised that trade must be a two-way street, allowing all parties to benefit and promoted Trinidad as an investment destination. He also lauded the existing trade ties between Trinidad and Guyana and acknowledged the open mindedness of those taking part in the trade mission, in seeking new opportunities.
The Guyana leg of the trade mission will culminate with a Closing Cocktail Reception on June 11, during which Maraj Air Conditioning Limited will have a soft launch. Afterwards, the trilateral trade mission will continue in Suriname on June 13-14, 2025.
The trade mission participants include ARI's - Taste of Passion, Artie's Meats, BriCha Ltd, Camquip ICS Ltd, Cargo Consolidators, Caribbean Corporate Governance Institute, Centaur Construction and Services, CGA Caribbean, Chenseya's Fishing Services, DSB Marketing Ltd and Electrical Industries Group. Also participating include Happi Products Ltd, Indus Merchant Ltd - Joy Brand, Kaleidoscope Paints Ltd, Maraj Air Conditioning Ltd, Mecalfab Ltd, Pepe's Marketing Ltd, Prudecon, Pure Harvest Ltd, RAMPS Logistics, Rissco and Rod Plus. Other participating companies were Sacha Cosmetics, TAPFER Solutions Ltd, Tavaco Enterprise Ltd, TomToms Local Sweets and Wagos Limited.
the prosecution raised concerns that McDonald-Moses, if released, could interfere with witnesses and compromise the ongoing investigation. The court was told that she may still have access to forged identification and could potentially flee or assume another false identity. They also highlighted the seriousness of the offences.
McDonald- Moses’s attorney, Meshonn Persaud, told the court that her client had no prior convictions and is a housewife with no independent income, relying solely on her husband, who is employed by a Government Ministry. Persaud also pointed out that McDonald is pregnant and responsible for two young children, circumstances which, she argued, should weigh in favour of bail.
Magistrate Azore granted bail totaling $950,000.
McDonald-Moses was ordered to return to court on July 16.
Odessa McDonald-Moses
Attendees at the trade mission opening ceremony
SGCC CEO Rahul Lildhar TTMA Director Navin Dookeran
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 11, 2025 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM
Over 15,000 donors registered with National Blood Bank – Director
…says 83% of donors give blood at least twice per year
Director
As more Guyanese become aware of the life-saving impact of voluntary blood donation, the National Blood Bank has seen a significant increase in donor registration, with over 15,000 individuals now listed in its national database. Notably, 83 per cent of these registered donors give blood at least twice a year.
Director of the National Blood Bank and the National Blood Transfusion Services, Dr Pedro Lewis, revealed the figures during a recent interview, as he discussed the agency’s continued push to promote voluntary blood donation across the country.
Dr Lewis over the weekend said that increasing voluntary participation is a key objective for the organisation, as it ensures a more reliable and safe blood supply.
He emphasised that sustained public education and community outreach are central to encouraging regular, life-saving donations from citizens.
“We promote voluntary blood donation which simply means that a person who comes in must not have a relative in the hospital that they're donating for. We want them to come in and donate, because probably it's their birthday, and they feel like giving blood, feel like saving three lives. This is the reason why we educate persons, and we promote voluntary blood donation, so that blood could always be here.”
In this regard, the director emphasised that the organisation’s donor database has grown significantly, now boasting more than 15,000 registered blood donors from across the country. This milestone reflects the success of ongoing efforts to encourage voluntary blood donation and build a reliable pool of donors to meet the nation’s medical needs.
“We encourage persons who never donated before, that's the day to start donating, and I must give thanks. I mean, we have so many donors in our system, more than 15,000 donors. You know, most of them probably might be donated once, but we have regular donors who comes here every two months, you know, most importantly, the voluntary donors.”
He said that this milestone reflects a growing culture of altruism and civic responsibility, as citizens from all walks of life step forward to help save lives. In fact, the director highlighted that an impressive 83 per cent of registered blood donors give blood at least twice a year, demonstrating a strong commitment to supporting the country’s healthcare needs through regular donations.
“You know that our percentage is 100 per cent voluntary donation pool that we have and 83 per cent of those donors comes in to the blood bank not here centrally but regionally also, and they donate at least twice a year, and this is remark-
able. It's probably one of the best data when it comes to donation, Ghana probably have one of the best data as it related to repetitive donors, person come twice, and, you know, because, you know, they consider themselves special.”
The National Blood Bank of Guyana plays a crucial role in the country’s healthcare system by ensuring a safe and adequate supply of blood and blood products for medical treatments across Guyana. Established to meet the growing demand for blood transfusions in hospitals and clinics, the
Blood Bank operates under the Health Ministry.
The Blood Bank is responsible for the collection, testing, processing, storage, and distribution of blood. It adheres to strict safety and quality protocols to minimise the risk of transfusion-transmissible infections such as HIV, hepatitis B and C, and syphilis. To ensure a reliable blood supply, the National Blood Bank promotes voluntary, non-remunerated blood donation through public awareness campaigns and donor recruitment drives. Located in Georgetown, the facility
works closely with regional health facilities to facilitate timely access to blood products, which are essential in emergency cases such as
surgeries, trauma care, maternal health complications, and treatment of chronic illnesses like anemia and sickle cell disease.
of the National Blood Bank and the National Blood Transfusion Services, Dr Pedro Lewis
First Lady reaffirms Guyana’s commitment to disability inclusion at UN
Guyana’s First Lady, Arya Ali, whilst delivering statement at the 18th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), where she highlighted Guyana’s growing commitment to disability inclusion.
The 18th Session of the Conference is being held from 10-12 June 2025, under the theme 'Enhancing public awareness of the rights and contributions of persons with disabilities for social development leading up to the Second World Summit for Social Development'. The Conference of States Parties is held annually, since 2008, at the UN Headquarters, covering a range of themes and issues on the implemen-
tation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
According to the First Lady, Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) serves as a backbone in strengthening this national commitment to persons with disabilities.
“Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy reinforces this commitment, and our Government backs it with practical support. This includes free healthcare and assistive devices, employment and housing opportunities, inclusion in the school system, and lifelong public assistance for everyone with permanent disabilities. A Disability Support Unit was created to ensure inclusion and prevent discrimination,” she stated.
She emphasised that un-
der the One Guyana initiative, youths with disabilities are being provided with the tools and resources to pursue economic opportunities.
The First Lady also shared that Guyana recently launched the Centre for Equity, Opportunity and Innovation, which currently employs scores of persons with disabilities and provides technical, vocational, and business development training.
Additionally, she referenced the collective efforts of the Mahaica Learning Lab, the Board of Industrial Training, the Business Centre, and the Open Doors Vocational Centre, all of which offer free skills training for persons with disabilities.
Guyana is also home to the Regional Disability
Diagnostic and Treatment Centre, which provides early diagnoses for children with disabilities.
Drawing a connection between a society’s character and its treatment of the vulnerable, she remarked that Guyana is proud of its efforts as it pertains to educating vulnerable persons.
“As we believe that the most effective way to give true meaning to the Convention is through education, empowerment, and engagement. These are the pillars upon which we will continue to build a future where the rights of all persons with disabilities are realised.”
She further acknowledged that the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities remains the gold standard for promoting the rights of persons with disabilities in every area of life.
In line with its obligations under the Convention, Guyana has taken decisive steps to protect and uphold these rights.
The Prevention of Discrimination Act and the Persons with Disabilities Act provide a robust legal foundation—prohibiting discrimination in employment, mandating rehabilitation, ensuring access to free education and healthcare, and promoting inclusion in cultural and recreational life.
The National Commission on Disability remains the principal agency responsible for the promotion and protection of these rights.
In closing, the First Lady pointed to the Government’s tangible efforts in recent years: hundreds of persons with disabilities have received house lots, and under the President’s Men on a
Mission (MoM) programme, homes have been built and construction materials provided for persons with disabilities across the country.
The First Lady is leading a four-member delegation which also comprises: Ganesh Singh, Programme Manager, Guyana Council of Organisations for Persons with Disabilities; Dr Ariane Mangar, Director of Disability and Rehabilitation, Ministry of Health; and Ravin Singh, Director of Projects, Policy & Public Affairs, Office of the First Lady. Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett along with Ambassador Trishala Persaud, Deputy Permanent Representative, and Abosede Hazlewood, Second Secretary, comprise the team from Guyana’s Permanent Mission to the UN.
Nigel Hughes admits AFC’s opposition to Norton as presidential candidate sank talks with APNU
…as member signals rift in party leadership over negotiation stance
Amid ongoing talks between Alliance For Change (AFC) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), AFC leader Nigel Hughes has admitted that his party’s opposition to Aubrey Norton as presidential candidate was a major factor in the breakdown of talks between the two parties.
In a statement he released, Hughes responded to claims that his party had demanded the Presidential candidacy in a grand coalition that would contest the upcoming September 1, 2025 General and Regional elections.
Hughes denied this, admitting that while the AFC did not want Opposition Leader Norton as the presidential candidate, they had proposed former Foreign Affairs Minister and Guyana’s agent before the International
Court of Justice (ICJ), Carl Greenidge, as one of their compromise candidates.
In the statement Hughes claimed that at no point has the AFC demanded the presidency, but rather AFC has consistently advocated for a consensus candidate, one who commands broad
national respect and credibility, and who represents a genuine third-party alternative to entrenched political positions. However, none of the AFC’s proposed potential consensus candidates were accepted by APNU.
Hughes hinted heavily that it was the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) who insisted on a specific candidate, Norton, without compromise. According to the AFC leader, this insistence is what led to talks not progressing between the two parties.
“The AFC remains open to continued dialogue and believes that a coalition based on mutual respect and shared values. However, unity must be built on fairness and consensus—not coercion or unilateralism.”
Another sticking point in the talks between the
APNU and the AFC, was the percentage of seat allocation post elections. For instance, AFC had reportedly demanded a 40-60 split of Government positions in APNU’s favour, and the condition that the presidential candidate’s party
should not hold the Leader of the List position.
The Leader of the List is a position that controls parliamentary appointments and removal. APNU had rejected these terms and in April, AFC Chairman David Patterson had announced that the party would contest the 2025 elections alone if it had to.
In a social media post of his own, however, AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Sherod Duncan signaled that there is disagreement among the party’s leadership on how much they should demand during these talks. According to Duncan, who was the lone challenger against Hughes for leadership of the party last year, AFC should have been prepared to accept less in the negotiations.
“I would have agreed to 30 per cent and continue to work to build my party from
inside Government, while giving maximum recognition to the people who actually do the hard work, not who fly off a coconut tree and land on the ground. Better a slice of bread, than no bread at all and starving outside,” Duncan said.
Over the years the AFC has experienced weakened electoral value as its support base dwindled, with some of the party’s members voicing that the AFC was being unreasonable in the negotiations.
On the APNU side, the PNCR, the largest faction in the coalition, has remained firm that PNCR Leader’s presidential candidacy is non-negotiable. In his comments on the opposition’s failure to coalesce, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo had said that the outcome of the negotiations showed that both sides were solely focused on their own gain.
AFC Leader Nigel Hughes
PNCR Leader Aubrey Norton
First Lady Arya Ali speaking at the UN
Ramsammy’s Ruminations
Massive investment transforming access to healthcare technology in Guyana
Since August 2020, under President Irfaan Ali, with transformations becoming routine, one of the transformations that has not gotten much attention is the transformation in health technology.
By June 20th, a new CT will be functional at the New Amsterdam Hospital (NAH). The new CT was acquired at a cost of about $US1M. The people of Berbice will no longer have to travel to Georgetown for high-quality CT in the public sector. As of June 20th, they will have access to the highest-quality CT examinations available in Guyana and the Caribbean right at the NAH. Indeed, one can expect that doctors, particularly cardiologists, neurologists, nephrologists, urologists and oncologists from both the public and private sector will want to send patients for advance-technology CT at the NAH.
The new CT is a 128-slice CT. The more slices a CT can examine simultaneously tells how sensitive and accurate the CT is. The new CT replaces an old, obsolete 2-slice CT which was installed at the NAH in 2017. The old CT was donated to the NAH by an NGO from the US, RadAID. The old CT stopped working since early last year and could not be repaired since parts were no longer available. Representation was made to President Irfaan Ali and he without hesitation agreed to find resources to procure the new CT.
This is not the first 128-slice CT in Guyana or the Caribbean. Trinidad and Tobago acquired a 128-slice CT in 2021 and the Balwant Singh Hospital in Guyana acquired a 128-slice CT in 2022. I had accompanied President Irfaan Ali as he commissioned this CT at the Balwant Singh Hospital in 2022. Several hospitals in Brazil also have 128-slice CT. We should note that GPHC and three private hospitals in Guyana have 64 slice CTs.
The 128-slice CT at the NAH, however, is the most advanced 128-slice CT and the only of its kind at this time in Guyana and in the Caribbean. In fact, even Brazil does not at this time have access to the technology that the new CT at the NAH brings. While offering advanced diagnostic capacity, particularly for the cardiologists, neurologists and oncologists, it lowers radiation doses by 80%. Its advanced AI applications will allow doctors to reconstruct images and will conduct automatic repositioning of patients, and shortening examination times.
The public sector first CT was at GPHC in 2016 and people had to pay a fee for the CT. But CT is free in the public sector since the start of 2024. The new Diamond Hospital which was commissioned on Sunday June 8 has a 64-slice CT, a sister CT to the new one at the New Amsterdam Hospital. Soon the Enmore, Bath, #75, DeKindren and Lima Regional Hospitals will also be commissioned with similar 64-slice CTs as the one at Diamond. This will mean that six more CTs will be available to improve diagnostics for patients along the coast.
But new and upgraded hospitals at West Demerara, Lethem, Moruca, Kamarang, Kato, Bartica and Linden will also have CTs installed, meaning that people in all ten Regions in Guyana will have access to high-quality CTs by 2027. Guyana will be the first developing country which will have free universal access to CT diagnostics. In fact, there is only a handful of developed countries in the world that would be able to say they match Guyana with free universal access to high quality CTs by 2027.
GPHC is investing more than $US10M in significantly adding new technologies to help in expanding and improving diagnostics. Among the new technologies that the GPHC is adding to its rapidly advancing technologies is a new MRI, the first in the public sector. The 1.5 tesla MRI which should be functional at GPHC by October will be the most advanced MRI in Guyana and in CARICOM. This will greatly improve diagnostics for cardiologists, neurologists, oncologists, nephrologists, respiratoryspecialists and other specialist areas.
But the $US10M investment will also add another powerful CT, mammography equipment and new Cath-Lab for cardiology. Already, the radiology department at GPHC has replaced all its old-fashioned analog X-rays with powerful digital X-Ray machines. The Ministry of Health has already also replaced many of the old-fashioned analog X-Ray machines in the country with digital X-Rays. By the end of 2025, all X-Rays in use in the public sector will be digital X-Ray machines.
While there are presently only four mammography machines working in the public sector, two more will be added at GPHC by end of 2025 and it is expected that all public sector hospitals will offer high-quality mammography services by 2030.
Recently, four new panoramic dental X-rays were procured for the public sector. The first panoramic dental x-ray machine was introduced at the Cheddi Jagan Dental Center in 2003. But by 2016 it was out of operation and never replaced. In late 2024 a high-quality digitalized panoramic system was procured for the CJDC in Georgetown and three others were procured for the public sector.
Together with new ultrasound machines in many of the public sector hospitals, a total transformation of radiology and imaging diagnostics has taken place and continues to be strengthened. That all of this has happened in just about five years is a remarkable story and must be told. It is not just that new technology is transforming radiology and imaging diagnostics in Guyana, but that Guyanese has access to better radiology services for free. No other developing country comes close to this achievement. More remarkable is that few, if any, developed country can say the same.
While Ruminations focused the technology transformation in the public health sector on radiology and imaging diagnostics, such health technology is taking place across the sector. The Irfaan Ali, Frank Anthonyled MOH has radically transformed health technology in the public health sector in just five years. And yet the health technology story in Guyana has only just begun.
Durban St man remanded for armed robbery
A22-year-old vendor and construction worker was remanded to prison on Tuesday after appearing before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court to answer a charge of robbery under arms.
Shamar McKoy, of Norton Street, Lodge,
Georgetown, is accused of robbing a man with a dangerous weapon in the company of others. The charge alleged that on June 6 at Durban Street, Georgetown, McKoy while in the company of others and armed with a dangerous weapon, robbed Deon Rodriques of one iPhone 13 Pro Max valued at
$160,000, and a haversack valued at $20,000, a total value of $180,000. McCoy pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution objected to bail, stating that a motorcycle suspected to have been used during the robbery was found parked in the defendant’s yard. Further, the stolen bag and phone were reportedly discovered at the premises shortly after the crime occurred.
McKoy, who was unrepresented, told the court that two persons he knew went to his home shortly before the police arrived. He claimed that he was unaware they had just committed a robbery. According to him, when the police entered the yard, the two individuals dropped the phone and bag and fled the scene, leaving him to be apprehended.
The prosecution also noted inconsistencies in McKoy’s address. He initially provided Albouystown, Georgetown as his address but later told the court he resided at Norton Street, Lodge.
When questioned, McKoy said the Albouystown address was his father’s residence. Regarding the motorcycle in question, McKoy admitted that the bike taken from his home was his and claimed to have purchased it recently.
McKoy also told the Magistrate that while he was already in the police vehicle, someone from across the street brought a cellphone and told police it was his, a claim he denied. He insisted he was never in possession of any stolen property.
When asked by Magistrate Azore if he had any previous matters before the court, McKoy said that he was previously charged in 2024 for robbery, but that matter was dismissed. The investigating officer told the court that McKoy had been positively identified in the current matter. Magistrate Azore refused bail and remanded McKoy to prison. The matter was adjourned to July 16.
Structural issue prompts partial demolition of Kwakwani Police Station
The Kwakwani Police Station
Following reports suggesting that the Kwakwani Police Station is being demolished just one month after a complete renovation, the Home Affairs Ministry, refuted the misleading claims circulating on social media.
The Ministry in a statement assured the public that only a specific section of the building is being ad -
dressed due to unforeseen structural concerns.
Addressing the issue the Ministry explained that after rehabilitation work, including plumbing, carpentry, electrical upgrades, and the installation of new windows and gutters, it was discovered that the rear section of the building was sinking, compromising its structural integrity.
In response, the Ministry has taken action to demolish only the affected area. This will be followed by the construction of a new extension and addition, ensuring that the Kwakwani Police Station is safe and capable of serving the community well into the future.
The Ministry said that it is committed to the responsible management of public resources and the safety of all who use its facilities, adding that the current works are a necessary response to structural challenges that could not have been anticipated prior to renovation.
Taxi driver accused of forgery in $29M...
Allicock further argued that his client is not a flight risk or a danger to society and has cooperated with investigators.
However, the prosecution objected to bail, citing concerns that Campbell may be involved in additional, ongoing investigations of a similar nature. The prosecutor told the court that Campbell conspired with others to forge legal docu-
ments to facilitate the illegal land sales, and warned that such actions cannot be taken lightly.
The Magistrate granted Campbell $350,000 bail on each charge. As a condition for bail, he was required to surrender his passport and report every Friday to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The case has been adjourned to July 16.
Dr Leslie Ramsammy
Shamar McKoy
7 Guyanese deported from US arrive in Guyana on chartered flight
…handed over to CID for questioning, processing
As the United States (US) continues its crackdown on illegal immigrants, seven Guyanese (six men and one woman) arrived at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) via a chartered flight on Tuesday.
While no information about the identities and reason for their deportation available, sources confirmed the seven persons were escorted off the flight by members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) and immigration officials.
However, Guyana Times understands that the reasons for deportation are primarily immigration related including overstaying their visas.
Reports are that the chartered aircraft had made several stops in oth-
er countries before landing in Guyana and it is expected to make a few two other stops before heading back to the US.
The Guyanese deportees were transported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters where they will be processed and subsequently released. This process can take days, according to the source.
Up to late Tuesday evening, the persons were still being questioned.
Back in February, US Ambassador to Guyana, Nicole Theriot, has assured that there will be no mass deportation of Guyanese who might be illegal in the US, noting, however, that routine deportations that have been ongoing for decades will continue.
In January, Vice President (VP) Bharrat Jagdeo assured that any Guyanese deported from the US will be accepted home. His comments had come in response to questions from the media relat-
ing to the plans by the US to step up policing of illegal immigration in cities with significant migrant populations.
“Yes, we will take our people back if they’re deported…if they’re Guyanese, then we don’t have a choice but to take them back,” Jagdeo said during his weekly press conference.
He explained that there will be verification that the persons are indeed Guyanese to avoid other nationalities being deported to Guyana.
US$1.9B in goods exported by Guyana to Trinidad & Tobago – TTMA President
Guyana’s exports to Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) crossed US$1.9 billion last year.
This was revealed by Trinidad and Tobago Manufacturers' Association (TTMA) President Dale Parson who was also optimistic that the collaboration between the two countries will grow stronger.
On Tuesday, the TTMA in collaboration with the Suriname Guyana Chamber of Commerce (SGCC) launched their trilateral trade mission to Guyana. The trade mission comes at a time when, according to TTMA President Dale Parson, Guyana has exported almost US$2 billion worth of products to Trinidad.
“There’s a big trade partnership between Trinidad and Guyana, going on for many many years. Guyana exports over US$1.9 billion worth of products into Trinidad. And Trinidad exports US$600 million, with the growing opportunities in Guyana, there’s a huge gap that needs to be filled. As Doerga [Vishnu] said, out of demand because it’s a fast-growing economy and because it’s an opportunity for all the manufacturers here, to take advantage of that,” Parson said.
Parson expressed hope that both countries can make the utmost effort to unleash their full potential together and strengthen their collab-
oration. He also emphasised that they uphold the premise of equal partnership.
“We also want to determine the business opportunities, foster mutual business relations. To conclude, I want to thank you for being here today and making the effort to work relationships together. This is a very important market. Its growing. There’s a huge demand here.”
“And I hope everyone can take full advantage of this, to bring fruitful business relations together. This year in Trinidad, between the 17th and 19th of July, there will be more than 300 companies exhibiting from 30 different countries. So, I look forward to seeing you there,” the TTMA President said.
Based on the United Nations (UN) COMTRADE
database on international trade, Guyana’s imports from Trinidad and Tobago were dominated by oil, followed by beverages and vinegar, cereal, flour and starch and other products.
One many occasions manufacturers in Guyana have complained of phytosanitary measures which prevented them from exporting to Trinidad. Such measures have resulted in bans against products like peppers, pineapples, poultry meat and honey,
For the period 2018 – 2022, Trinidad and Tobago was a net exporter to Guyana, with trade surpluses being recorded over the period. Guyana has consistently been a top market within CARICOM for Trinidad and Tobago’s non-energy exports.
TTMA President Dale Parson
The chartered plane at CJIA that arrived with the deportees on Tuesday
Caricom unveils draft industrial policy and strategy to strengthen intra-regional trade
As the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) intensifies efforts to strengthen trade and economic ties among its member states, the organisation has unveiled a draft Industrial Policy and Strategy for 2025-2030 to regional leaders.
The updated framework is aimed at enhancing integration and promoting sustainable development across the Caribbean.
On Tuesday the 60th Regular Meeting of the Council for Trade and Economic Development
(COTED) got underway at the CARICOM Secretariat, Georgetown.
The high-level engagement brought together regional leaders from across the Caribbean. The meeting’s agenda was filled with key trade issues, including the proposed implementation of the revised Common External Tariff (CET), updates from the Sectoral Working Group reviewing CARICOM’s Rules of Origin, and reports from the monitoring mechanisms on sugar, cement, and rice.
At the opening ceremony, CARICOM Secretary-
underscored the urgent need for the region to diversify its trade and economic relations. She highlighted that relying heavily on traditional markets and a narrow range of exports poses risks to the region’s economic stability.
“You are meeting against the background of many trade-related challenges facing the region and in a geopolitical environment which is changing very rapidly. The recent tariff shocks are a stark reminder of the need for us to diversify our trade and economic relations. We
must redouble our efforts to deepen existing and explore new markets and develop new partnerships if the region is to advance its goal of economic growth and sustainable development.”
The Secretary-General emphasised that the region must intensify efforts to boost regional production and expand intra-regional trade by modernising policies and practices that support entrepreneurship and simplify trade and business development.
She also called for addressing persistent trade barriers and resolving long-standing issues of non-compliance within the community to foster a more integrated and efficient regional market.
Dr Barnett highlighted that the new Industrial Policy and Strategy for 2025–2030 will be presented to regional leaders at the meeting. She emphasised that this policy will play a crucial role in advancing regional integration and fostering sustainable economic growth across CARICOM member states.
“I am pleased that a re-
port on the regional industrial policy will be presented to you at this session. This policy can become an important aspect of deepening regional integration strategy going forward and I urge you to give focused attention as to how it will be finalised and implemented. Excellencies, the region also needs to more efficiently harness the competencies of our regional institutions and work more effectively together to advance the work of the community.”
Just last year, Senior Economic Advisor to the CARICOM SecretaryGeneral, Dr Wendell Samuel emphasised the necessity of revising the Caribbean Community’s draft Industrial Policy. He noted that the rapidly changing global and domestic economic landscapes require an updated framework to better address emerging challenges and opportunities. According to Dr Samuel, this revision is crucial to ensure that the policy remains relevant and effective in driving sustainable industrial growth and regional economic resilience.
Brazilian contractor to conduct scientific research for new well site in El Paso …as Village Councils to get $3M emergency fund
Residents of El Paso, Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), have been assured that despite previous unsuccessful attempts to sustainable drill a well in their community, there is still hope.
Discussions also highlighted a recently announced initiative to provide each village council with an emergency fund of $3 million to support the most vulnerable citizens.
To further assist the community, donations of sporting gear and a keyboard instrument were also made.
During a community meeting on Monday, Housing and Water Minister Susan Rodrigues informed residents that
plans are in place for rehabilitation work on the existing water system.
The immediate focus is rehabilitating the current system, with work slated to begin today. This crucial short-term measure involves excavating the entire catchment area and installing a larger casing, a practical step aimed at preventing the recurring problem of algae build-up and ensuring more immediate access to potable water.
Acknowledging the challenges of drilling in rocky terrain, Rodrigues announced the engagement of an experienced Brazilian contractor, she also highlighted that what sets this new effort apart is a com -
mitment to scientific rigor.
“He will conduct some testing; we will not give up,” she declared.
She added, “The resistivity logging is to determine the best location for the well,” she explained, emphasizing that future drilling will be informed by thorough scientific research—a stark contrast to previous, less successful efforts.
This shift from trial-and-error to evidence-based development marks a more people-centred approach, ensuring resources are used effectively and directly benefit the community.
Additionally, Minister Rodrigues updated res -
idents on several initiatives aimed at improving their quality of life, includ -
ing the provision of a boat and engine by the Ministry of Local Government, as well as a minibus from the Ministry of Home Affairs.
General Dr Carla Barnett
Minister within the Housing and Water Ministry, Susan Rodrigues, speaking with residents of El Paso, Region 8
Caricom Secretary General Dr Carla Barnett
Regional
Bolsonaro denies orchestrating Brazil coup in Supreme Court testimony
Former Brazilian
President Jair Bolsonaro denied that he led an attempt to overthrow the Government after losing the 2022 election during his trial before the country's Supreme Court on Tuesday, but acknowledged taking part in meetings aimed at reversing the outcome.
Bolsonaro said he and senior aides discussed alternatives to accepting the electoral results, including the possibility of deploying military forces and suspending some civil liberties, but he said those proposals were soon dropped.
"The feeling was that there was nothing else we could do. We had to swallow the election results," the ex-President said.
"I never acted against the Constitution," Bolsonaro added, holding a copy of the country's 1988 charter that re-established democracy after two decades of military rule.
In March, the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case against Bolsonaro and seven other persons, including several military officers, who were charged with plotting a
The charges stem from a two-year Police investigation into the election-denying movement that culminated in riots by Bolsonaro supporters in the capital in early 2023, a week after Lula took office.
Bolsonaro, who was the sixth defendant to testify in the case, spent several minutes of his two hours of testimony defending his Administration's achievements and his criticism of the country's electoral system.
Dozens of witnesses
were previously heard by the court, an indication that the case is moving swiftly and could be concluded by the end of the year, avoiding overlap with campaigning for the 2026 presidential election.
Bolsonaro has insisted he will run in that campaign, despite an electoral court decision barring him from seeking public office until 2030.
On Monday, Bolsonaro attended the trial to watch testimony from Mauro Cid, his former aide turned whistleblower, and then shook his hand.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Argentine top court draws curtain on Cristina Kirchner's political era
Argentina's top court effectively banned two-term former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner from office and upheld a six-year jail sentence, likely drawing a curtain on one of the country's most flamboyant and divisive political careers.
Kirchner, 72, a polarising Opposition figure and leftist president from 2007 to 2015, was convicted by a trial court in 2022 for a fraud scheme that steered public road work projects in the Patagonia to a close ally while she was President.
The ruling scuppers Kirchner's plans to run in
Buenos Aires provincial legislative elections, but could galvanise her divided Peronist Opposition coalition, which has been licking its wounds since being ousted in 2023 by current libertarian President Javier Milei.
The Supreme Court's three Judges rejected Kirchner's appeal and left in effect an appellate court decision that had upheld the guilty verdict. A lower court will decide whether to grant Kirchner house arrest due to her age.
"The complaint is dismissed," the Supreme Court said in a ruling. Kirchner has denied wrongdoing and claims she is a victim of po-
litical persecution.
In Buenos Aires, her supporters blocked roads across the city. Some banged on drums. Others carried banners with the image of Evita Perón, the wife of Juan Perón, the founder of the political movement who was known as a defender of the poor.
"A triumvirate of unpresentables," Kirchner said of the Supreme Court Judges after the ruling, speaking before thousands of supporters who rallied in downtown Buenos Aires outside the headquarters of her Peronist Justicialista party.
(Excerpt from Reuters)
Mexico eases trade ban on Brazilian chicken
Mexico eased a ban on chicken shipments from Brazil, setting the restriction now only to products coming from the Brazilian state of Rio Grande do
Sul, instead of a previous countrywide ban, Brazil's Agriculture Ministry said on Tuesday.
On the other hand, the Ministry said in a statement that Mauritania an-
nounced a countrywide ban on imports of Brazilian chicken, while Oman suspended chicken imports coming from Rio Grande do Sul state.
(Reuters)
Charles: Statesmanship needed to resolve Trinidad and TobagoVenezuela war of words
Former United National Congress (UNC) Member of Parliament (MP) Rodney Charles says statesmanship is required to prevent an escalation of the war of words between Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela over claims by the Venezuelan Government that a group of terrorists passed through T&T to enter its territory.
Charles was a former Ambassador to the UN under the former UNC-led People's Partnership coalition Government from May 2010-September 2015.
Before the April 28 General Election, he was the then Opposition UNC's shadow foreign affairs minister.
At a post-Cabinet news conference at the Red House on June 5, Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar warned any unidentified vessel making an illegal incursion into T&T will be met with deadly force by local security forces.
She dismissed the Venezuelan Government's claims, rejected any attempt to drive a wedge in T&T-US relations and said Government would review its migrant policy.
In a statement on June 8, Charles said he would not pass judgement on whether PersadBissessar's call to arms was prudent or not.
"My purpose here is to offer unsolicited but hope -
fully constructive advice on how we might chart a path forward."
Charles warned this matter is no passing storm.
"The late Dr Eric Williams, in an address to the PNM convention in 1975, explicitly warned of Venezuela’s long-standing territorial ambitions, including historic claims on the islands of Patos, Monos, Chacachacare and Huevos.”
He said, "This is not new. It is not fleeting. It is part of a recurring geopolitical pattern."
T&T's focus, Charles continued, must be on strategic management of these tensions, not partisan finger pointing.
"As a nation, we acknowledge that recurring crises with Venezuela will be a permanent feature of our reality."
On that basis, Charles said, "We must plan accordingly."
He warned in geopol -
itics; there are no permanent friends but only permanent interests.
"The rules based international order – once a pillar of global stability – has unravelled, particularly during the (US President Donald) Trump era.
Charles said Trump's actions since he was elected President last November show he is an unreliable ally in foreign policy matters. "Ask NATO members. Ask Ukraine. Ask disillusioned Venezuelan Diaspora in Florida who once voted for him. Ask Canada. His alliances are transactional, not principled."
Charles said T&T would do well acknowledge that Trump is "reportedly close to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin who is also remarkably close to (Venezuelan President) Nicolás Maduro."
(Excerpt from Trinidad Guardian)
7 killed in wave of bomb, gun attacks across southwest Colombia
Southwest Colombia has been rocked by a series of explosions and gun attacks near Police stations that have left at least seven persons dead, according to Police, an apparent coordinated attack that authorities have blamed on rebel groups.
The attacks hit Cali –the country’s third-largest city – and the nearby towns of Corinto, El Bordo and Jamundi, targeting Police stations and other municipal buildings with car and motorcycle bombs, rifle fire and a suspected drone, Police Chief Carlos Fernando Triana told local radio station La FM on Tuesday.
The bombings came just days after the attempted assassination of presidential hopeful Senator Miguel
Uribe Turbay at a campaign rally in the capital Bogota, allegedly by a 15-year-old hitman, an attack that rattled a nation with a dark past of assassinations.
In Corinto, an AFP jour-
nalist
and
of a
the
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro attends his trial over an alleged coup attempt, in Brasilia, Brazil, June 9, 2025 (Reuters/ Diego Herculano photo)
Former UNC MP Rodney Charles
coup to stop Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva from taking office in January 2023.
witnessed
tangled wreckage
car that had exploded next to a scorched
badly damaged municipal building.
(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Forensic technicians examine the site of a motorcycle explosion in front of a Police station in the Melendez neighbourhood, in Cali, Colombia, on June 10, 2025 [Stringer/Reuters]
Around the World
OIL NEWS
Oil prices hold near 7-week high as market waits for news from US-China trade talks
US Marines arrive in LA on Trump's orders as immigration protests persist
Hundreds of US Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday under orders from President Donald Trump, stirring street protesters and raising alarm among Democratic leaders who warn of authoritarianism.
Oil prices held near a seven-week high on Tuesday as the market awaited direction from trade talks between the United States and China.
Analysts have said a trade deal between the countries with the world's two biggest economies could boost prices by supporting global economic growth and increasing oil demand.
Brent crude futures slid 17 cents, or 0.3 per cent, to settle at US$66.87 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 31 cents, or 0.5 per cent, to settle at US$64.98.
On Monday, Brent settled at its highest since April 22 and WTI at its highest since April 3.
Trade talks between the US and China stretched through a second full day and into the evening in London as the two countries pushed for a breakthrough on duelling export controls that have threatened to unravel a delicate tariff truce.
The World Bank, meanwhile, slashed its global growth forecast for 2025 by four-tenths of a percentage point to 2.3 per cent, saying that higher tariffs and heightened uncertainty posed a "significant headwind" for nearly all economies.
On the supply side, allocations to Chinese refiners showed that Saudi Arabia's State oil company Saudi Aramco will ship about 47 million barrels of oil to China in July, one million barrels less than June's allotted volume, Reuters reported.
The Saudi allocations could be an early sign that the unwinding of Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies such as Russia (OPEC+) production cuts might not result in much additional supply, said Harry Tchilinguirian, group head of research at Onyx Capital.
"The prospect of further hikes in OPEC supply continues to hang over the market," ANZ senior commodity strategist Daniel Hynes said in a note.
OPEC+, which pumps about half of the world's oil, put forward plans for an output increase of 411,000 barrels per day for July as it looks to unwind production cuts for a fourth straight month.
A Reuters survey found OPEC's May increase to oil output was limited, with Iraq, the second biggest OPEC producer behind Saudi Arabia, pumping below target to compensate for earlier overproduction, and Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates making smaller increases than agreed.
Elsewhere, Iran said it would soon make a counterproposal for a nuclear deal in response to a US offer that Tehran deems "unacceptable", while US President Donald Trump made clear that the two sides remained at odds over whether Tehran would be allowed to continue enriching uranium on Iranian soil.
Iran is the third-largest OPEC producer and any easing of US sanctions on Tehran should allow Iran to export more oil, which should reduce crude prices.
Meanwhile, the European Commission proposed an 18th package of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, aimed at Moscow's energy revenues, banks and military industry.
Russia was the world's second biggest crude producer in 2024 behind the U.S., and any increase in sanctions will likely keep more of that oil out of global markets, which could support oil prices.
US oil inventories and exports
The American Petroleum Institute (API) trade group and the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) were due to release US oil inventory data on Tuesday and today, respectively. ,
Analysts forecast energy firms pulled about two million barrels of oil from US stockpiles during the week ended June 6, marking the first time they withdrew oil from storage for three weeks in a row since January.
That compares with an increase of 3.7 million barrels during the same week last year and an average increase of 2.8 million barrels over the past five years (2020-2024). (Excerpt from Reuters)
Trump has also activated 4000 National Guard troops to quell protests in the city despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom that the deployments were unnecessary, illegal and politically motivated.
The city has seen five days of public protests since the Trump Administration launched a series of immigration raids on Friday, with Police moving on downtown Los Angeles protest-
ers again on Tuesday and Mayor Karen Bass considering a curfew for parts of downtown Los Angeles.
Even so, state and local officials have called Trump's response an extreme over-
reaction to mostly peaceful demonstrations.
About 700 Marines were in a staging area in the Seal Beach area about 50 kilometres (30 miles) south of Los Angeles, awaiting deploy-
ment to specific locations, a US official said.
California's two senators, Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla, said in a joint statement that active-duty military personnel should only be mobilised domestically "during the most extreme circumstances, and these are not them."
Trump, who has made the immigration crackdown his signature issue, used a speech honouring soldiers on Tuesday to defend his decision, telling soldiers at the Army base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina: "Generations of Army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness." (Excerpt from Reuters)
Russia launches one of war's largest air attacks on Kyiv
Russia launched one of its largest air strikes on Kyiv in over three
years of war and struck a maternity ward in the southern city of Odesa in attacks that
Death toll rises to 11, 3 days of mourning declared after Austrian school shooting
Ten people have been killed in a school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz, in what is the deadliest gun attack in the country's recent history.
Police said the 21-year-old gunman, a former student, took his own life in a school bathroom shortly after.
The incident took place at Dreierschützengasse secondary school in the north-west of the city.
Six females and three males were killed in the attack, according to Interior Minister Gerhard Karner. A further 12 persons were injured, some seriously, according to police.
Later on Tuesday, local media reported an injured female had died in hospital.
The gunman, who has not yet been named, was a former Dreierschützengasse student who didn't graduate from the school, Karner told a news conference on Tuesday afternoon.
There has been a lot of speculation about the case, Karner noted, adding it is now the job of the criminal office to investigate.
In the same conference, Police said the gunman's motive was still under investigation.
Officers also confirmed the gunman was not known to Police before the attack.
Current information suggests the shooter legally owned the two guns used in the attack and had a firearms licence, Police added.
Local media outlets have reported the suspect used a pistol and a shotgun to carry out the shooting.
He was an Austrian man from the wider Graz region who acted alone, Police said.
Three days of mourning have been declared in Austria, and a nationwide minute's silence will be held today at 10:00 local time in memory of the victims.
(Excerpt from BBC News)
killed at least three persons, officials said on Tuesday.
The overnight strikes followed Russia's biggest drone assault of the war on Ukraine on Monday and were part of intensified bombardments in what Moscow says is retaliation for attacks by Ukrainian forces on Russia.
The Russian attack also damaged Saint Sophia Cathedral, a UNESCO world heritage site located in the historic centre of Kyiv, Ukrainian Culture Minister Mykola Tochytskyi said.
Loud explosions shook Kyiv and blasts and fires lit up the sky in the early hours of Tuesday morning, leaving palls of heavy smoke over the city, Reuters witnesses said. Authorities deployed two firefighting helicopters to douse flames.
One person died in the attack on Kyiv, city authorities said.
At least four persons were treated in hospital after seven of the capital's 10 districts were hit, city officials said. (Excerpt from Reuters)
"The enemy struck at the very heart of our identity again," Tochytskyi wrote on Facebook about the site he called "the soul of all Ukraine".
US, China reach
framework deal to ease export restrictions
United States and Chinese officials agreed on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and resolve China's export restrictions on rare earth minerals and magnets, US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said on Tuesday at the conclusion of two days of intense negotiations in London.
Lutnick told reporters that the framework puts "meat on the bones" of a deal reached last month in Geneva to ease retaliatory tariffs that had faltered over China's curbs on critical minerals exports. The deal also will remove some US export restrictions that were recently put in place, he said.
"We have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between the two Presidents," Lutnick said. "The idea is we're going to go back and speak to President Trump and make sure he approves it. They're going to go back and speak to President Xi and make sure he approves it, and if that is approved, we will then implement the framework."
The top US and Chinese economic officials were pushing for a deal that would ease duelling export controls that had threatened to unravel the Geneva accord that cut tariffs back from triple-digit levels. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Marines stand near vehicles as they prepare to depart for Los Angeles, at an unknown location, June 9 via US Northern Command
There has been a lot of speculation about the case
Stay alert and be aware of what everyone around you is doing and saying. Someone will try to take advantage of you. Take care of your responsibilities and protect your rights. Travel and learning are favored.
Don’t overextend yourself. Stick to the facts, promise what’s doable and walk away from unpredictable situations. Pay attention to money matters. Protect yourself and your assets.
Focusing on what you can afford will help you dodge getting involved with a risky joint venture. Keep an open mind, but refuse to let anyone pressure you into participating in something that isn’t right for you.
Be specific and accommodating if you want to get your point across. Participate in causes that resonate with you, and you’ll connect with someone unique. Romance is favored.
A passionate approach to whatever you pursue will pay off. Stand tall, be proud and make your point heard. A distinctive plan will separate you from any competitor.
Keep to yourself. You’ll gain ground if you play the role of a sounding board -- reflecting and directing without trying to control. Your best results will come from self-improvement projects.
Show respect, and you’ll gain respect. Charm and persuasive tactics can do wonders initially, but you’ll need a backup plan if you want to go the distance. No lazy Libra tactics will suffice; you must deliver the goods.
Set your sights on a financial goal and put a solid plan together. Leave nothing to chance or in someone else’s hands. Do the work and finish what you start; everything else will fall into place.
Keep emotions under control and your mind on what you want to achieve. Expect distractions and false information, and be ready to deal with them. Success is within reach if you finish what you start.
Distance yourself from negativity and people who cause chaos. You have plenty to gain if you maintain a positive attitude and a willingness to compromise. Opportunity knocks, so answer the door.
Take on a challenge and show everyone your capabilities. Your input can lead to a new idea and position you for future opportunities. Be the one to lead the way; a positive change will enrich your life.
Pay more attention to domestic issues. Discipline will be necessary to divert negativity and opposition. Listen to complaints, show compassion and offer solutions. Don’t be afraid to compromise.
ARCHIE
Duckett, Smith lead England to 2nd sweep against West Indies
not be the last this summer.
England completed their white-ball rout of West Indies at the Utilita Bowl, underlining their dominance by securing a 37-run victory in the third T20 International (T20I).
Capping off back-to-back 3-0 series wins for Harry Brook's first assignments as limited-overs Captain –England's first in T20Is since 2021, against Sri Lanka –
inside nine overs.
With the help of a series of cameos, including an eye-catching 36 not out from Jacob Bethell, England were able to post their second-highest score in the format, and highest at home. In turn, West Indies embarked on an unconvincing pursuit of a record chase.
a player who might rank as one of England's best multi-format openers.
That is not too grand a statement. If anything, maybe the "one of" qualifier can be dropped. Duckett's reliability across codes since re-establishing himself in all three formats is remarkable. This year alone – upon returning to the shortest format in India – he has been a
And in keeping with filling his teammates with confidence, the 30-year-old has clearly helped Smith settle in his new role as a limited overs opener, with Smith pocketing maiden half-centuries in both formats in the last seven days.
at that some of West Indies' missing stars would be back soon enough has ended with the brightest seemingly gone for good.
was a vast margin that began with a mammoth 248 for 3, having been put in to bat by Shai Hope. Ben Duckett's 84, which began alongside 60 from Jamie Smith – a maiden half-century in the for-
Hope's presumption at the toss that this pitch would stay consistent throughout did bear out to a point. His side registered 14 sixes to England's 15, four of them from West Indies' former T20 Captain Rovman Powell, who pocketed his
Green shoots of ruthlessness?
There was a stage in Eoin Morgan's captaincy when his England teams had developed such a ruthless streak that he could afford to rest himself from time to time. The biggest flex of this confidence came when he sat out a T20I series decider against South Africa in 2017. Amid a flurry of criticism, England won pretty comfortably. As deep as England's talent was – Alex Hales replaced Morgan in that XI – the machine had learned to win in a variety of situations. Even without their skipper.
banker, offering varying degrees of intent. Though he did miss out on ticking each century box in the space of 10 innings – a sequence beginning with 165 against Australia in the Champions Trophy, along with last month's Test 140 against Zimbabwe – this new career-best T20I score underlined the calibre of batter he has become.
Six deliveries into the match, a reverse-slap-shot over cover off Akeal Hosein set the tone. The number two T20I bowler in the world did not earn that ranking by doubting himself in the powerplay. But in the very next over, the left-arm spinner, having shifted his field to put two square out of the ring to cope with Duckett's orthodox and reverse sweeps, was unpicking those plans as the left-hander adjusted to strike down the ground and either side of the man out of square leg. That included a remarkable strike for six behind square off a delivery seemingly too full and wide of off stump to be worked in that direction with any malice, never mind over the sponge.
Hosein is not the first quality operator to be undone by Duckett's invention or clarity, and he likely will
bested England comprehen sively, Pooran's loss would have felt just as bleak ahead of next year's T20 World Cup. But off the back of these three defeats, it is clear the once kings of this format are losing their domain. The last fortnight has shown West Indies are no longer a progressive T20 outfit. That they out-sixed England 35 to 32 while being dominated
It'll take some time for England to rediscover that, well, arrogance or even re-establish that reputation as an imposing white-ball force. But those seeds that flourished during that 201519 cycle were sown early by doing as England did. With cold, calculating talk from their skipper – "we want to start nailing teams down into the ground," said Brook before the match –- as he revealed an unchanged team, followed by an equally-merciless performance.
In truth, England did not need to be as good as they were to beat this iteration of West Indies. That they ensured they were, right to the very end, suggests they are on the right track. Not necessarily towards world domination, but to making winning second nature.
West Indies need quick turnaround
Has there been a more demoralising 48 hours in West Indian cricket? A series defeat confirmed with a game to spare on Sunday, followed by a one-sided defeat in Southampton that bookends this England tour with eye-watering defeats, after a 238-run pasting in the first One-Day International (ODI).
It was in between these defeats, on Monday, that Nicholas Pooran announced a shock retirement. One of the game's leading lights, and a great hope of Caribbean cricket, calling time at the age of 29. A tour that began with the cave-
format is played. Given the World Cup is only eight months away, starting again is probably not the way to go. But with Pooran no longer around to paper over the cracks, a quick fix is needed.
highlights a shift in how this
Ben Duckett scored 86
England cap back-to-back 3-0 series wins for Harry Brook's first assignments as limited-overs Captain
Jamie Smith scored 60 off 26 balls
Jacob Bethell produced another rampant cameo
MCYS/ANSA McAL June Madness Futsal Championship…
No room for lapses as round of 32 commences on Wednesday night at CASH
Following a pulsating opening round of action which saw 16 teams being eliminated, from tonight the big boys play as the first-round winners will now come up against the top 16 teams from the national futsal championship as the inaugural June Madness Futsal Championship revs on.
Like the first round, there will be no room for lapses as this is a straight knockout competition.
Already with some leg work being put in, the firstround winners will be hoping to bring that momentum into this round as they now challenge the top 16 teams in the “Land of Many Waters”.
Tonight’s opening clash will see Albouystown B tackling Bent Street B, with the winners being the first team to advance to the round of 16. Game Changers, who edged Alexander Village in their opening round clash, 3-2, will have to be much more clinical if they are hoping to dislodge Stabroek Ballers B.
Spaniards, who comfortably got past Unity Ballers 5-2 in first-round play, will tackle Stabroek Ballers with the hope of moving on in the tournament, but will find their opponents a tougher unit to get past.
The fourth match of the night will feature seeded team Espyanol welcoming the challenge that will be presented by
Project Cricket Gear…
More gear for Tagore Memorial Secondary School
Tagore Memorial Secondary School, No 63 Village, Upper Corentyne, Berbice has once again benefited from cricket gear, under the “Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana” initiative.
The school was the recipient of one gear bag, three thigh pads, two pairs of batting gloves, two bats, six balls, one pair of batting pads, four bat rubbers, one box and one mallet.
The gear was donated by Dr Dhar Ramdehal, in honour of his late father, Isardat Ramdehal, who was a teacher at the school.
The donation was coordinated by Derek Kallicharran, a former West Indies B all-rounder and facilitated by the noble initiative done jointly by Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA.
The gear was presented by long-serving cricket administrator Vemen Walter to Ramona Dyal, Head Mistress (ag) in the presence of Basdeo Seenauth of the Physical Education Department and students. Dyal expressed gratitude for the gear and indicated that it would surely enhance the already vibrant cricket section with the aim of producing rounded students.
According to organisers, the initiative will continue to strive to improve the lives of youths in every community. “We are pleased to be part of the development of young cricket-
ers in Guyana. Our aim is to keep them off the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricket in particular,” a missive from the project shared.
Total cricket-related items received/purchased so far: $630,000 in cash, thirteen coloured cricket uniforms, one set of stumps, two trophies, thirty-five pairs of cricket shoes, thirty-eight pairs of batting pads, forty-seven cricket bats, forty-two pairs of batting gloves, twenty-nine thigh pads, three pairs of wicketkeeping pads, six arm guards, two chest pads, two boxes, fourteen gear bags, thirteen bat rubbers, seven helmets, one fibreglass bat, one floppy hat, one pair of inners, sixteen boxes and four of white cricket
balls, thirteen boxes of red cricket balls, one bat cone and twenty-eight footballs.
In addition to the above, gear with the value of over $600,000 was donated by Sheik Mohamed, former national wicketkeeper/batsman. All cash collected is being used to purchase cricket gear requested and not available at the time.
To date 99 players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefited directly from cash, gear bags, trophies, arm guards, bats, helmets, cricket shoes, batting pads, thigh pads, bat grip, batting gloves, wicketkeeping pads, wicketkeeping gloves, and inners.
In addition, clubs in the Pomeroon benefited from
bats, red cricket balls, uniforms, white cricket shirts, batting pads, wicketkeeping gloves, stumps, and bails.
Other beneficiaries are the Essequibo Cricket Board, the town of Lethem, Coach Travis Persaud, male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area. Over the years, cricket-related items, used or new, have been distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana who exhibit high levels of discipline and who are doing well academically. Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to identify same.
Invaders 4-0 in their firstround match. The main attraction of the night pits one of the best seeded teams, Gold is Money against Young Stars, who had edged Broad Street in the first match of this inaugural championship. This time around, it will be a tough ask for Young Stars, but you never know.
Another exciting night of futsal action is anticipated, and fans are encouraged to come out and rep for their respective teams. This championship is powered by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and ANSA McAL, and organised by the Kashif and Shanghai Organisation.
2025 EDGE Series set for
July 12-20 in Guyana
EDGE Sports Management (ESM) will host its 2025 EDGE Series from July 12-July 20 in Georgetown, Guyana.
This multi-sport event will feature 3x3 basketball, table tennis, and criterium cycling, with the goal of highlighting the depth, diversity, and excellence of Guyanese athletic talent.
The EDGE Series was created to provide a dedicated platform for local athletes to perform at home in a professionally run, high-profile setting. Too often, Guyanese athletes go unseen on their own soil. This event aims to change that by giving athletes the stage they deserve and the support they need to grow.
Held in collaboration with the Guyana Basketball Federation, the Guyana Table Tennis Association, and the Kaieteur Attack Racing Cycling Club, the Series brings together Guyana’s top performers across three distinct sports, while also welcoming regional competitors to test their skills against our nation’s best.
The EDGE Series is about more than competition – it’s about building pride, opportunity, and visibility for Guyanese athletes. From juniors to national representatives, this event offers athletes the exposure, challenge, and encouragement needed to move forward in their sporting journeys.
The EDGE Series aims to spotlight Guyanese athletes on a national stage,
providing them with the recognition and competitive opportunities they deserve. It seeks to foster stronger community engagement and build a loyal fan base for local sports, while also creating a clear pathway for athletes to progress toward national and international representation. Additionally, the event promotes collaboration across sports federations to enhance the systems of support available to athletes at every level.
Chelsea Edghill, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EDGE Sports Management, shared: “The EDGE Series is for Guyanese athletes first. We want to celebrate them, challenge them, and most importantly – show them and the country just how valuable their talent is. This is our opportunity to rally behind local sport and move it forward together.”
Events will take place at major venues in Georgetown, including the National Gymnasium and downtown race routes for the night criterium. Full schedules and event details will be available at www.edgesmgy.com.
From left: Basdeo Seenauth, Ramona Dyal and Vemen Walter in the presence of students
A glimpse of what to expect when June Madness continues tonight
