Apple buys $313M worth of carbon credits from Guyana
Guyana’s Judiciary hails Justice Saunders as “guiding force” at CCJ retirement sitting
Urgent river dredging, security upgrades & modern facilities for Goed Fortuin fisherfolk Police probing late-night shooting in South Ruimveldt Buxton man jailed for 12 years for strangling woman, dumping body near mining camp
Urgent river dredging, security upgrades & modern facilities for Goed Fortuin fisherfolk
President Dr Irfaan Ali on Tuesday morning met with fisherfolks at Goed Fortuin Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD), where he ordered the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA) to commence dredging of the river channel to better accommodate the fishing boats.
According to one of the fishermen, there are approximately 42 boats operating in the area. The fishermen raised concerns
about the environment in which they work, security issues at night, and the lack of proper facilities to dock their boats.
To this, the Head of State indicated that the Government will commence work to not only dredge the river closer to the banks but also erect lights in the area, and build “proper” walkways and wharf facilities for the fisherfolks.
“We want to ensure people work in a good environment,” Ali said, adding that
“we have to create a healthy space so that you can retail and wholesale from the same location – that’s the objective, so people can drive up here and [purchase].”
The President was accompanied by the Head of the NDIA, Lionel Wordsworth, whom he instructed to commence drainage and irrigation works, and Assistant Superintendent Maniram Jagnandan, who was asked to address the security concerns.
“The first thing I want to do here is clean up on both sides and put in two concrete walkways, for security problems in the nights, we can work out and get a
patrol here,” the President indicated. In the long run, Dr Ali also noted that the Government will be working on storage and packaging facilities for fisherfolks across the country. He noted that value-added products are a more lucrative business, which can elevate the lives of fishermen, to which the men were open to learn about. “Once the PPP in Government, fishermen gon get help. I want us to identify land to do prawns, swamp shrimp production, crab production…we are bringing in the people from
the Philippines, but it is not just giving you that, it is building right here a processing facility so they can take the crab and get the crab meat and package it. You don’t have to invest in that, the Government will invest in the storage and all of these things,” he explained.
The President was also accompanied by Agriculture Ministry, Zulfikar Mustapha, who will soon commence work with the Guyana Marketing Corporation (GMC) to work on the packaging facilities.
President Dr Irfaan Ali meeting with fisherfolk at Goed Fortuin Village, West Bank Demerara (WBD) on Tuesday morning
BRIDGE OPENINGS
The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 4 –00:15h-01:45h and Thursday, June 5 – 00:55h-02:25h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Wednesday, June 4 –10:50h-12:20h and Thursday, June 5 – 12:00h-13:30h.
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. Temperatures are expected to range between 22 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.
Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly between 1.79 metres and 4.02 metres.
High Tide: 11:24h and 23:57h reaching maximum heights of 2.17 metres and 2.20 metres.
Low Tide: 17:24h reaching a minimum height of 1.02 metres.
Apple buys $313M worth of carbon credits from Guyana
International tech company, Apple Incorporated, well known for its signature iPhone, has purchased 100,000 of Guyana’s carbon credits at a cost of almost GYD314 million and retired them, in furtherance of its environmental sustainability efforts.
According to Apple in its 2025 Environmental Progress Report, it bought and then retired 100,000 of Guyana’s carbon credits, meaning they can no longer be traded.
The tech company has become the second major company to purchase carbon credits from Guyana, after Hess Corporation concluded a deal to purchase US$750 million worth of Guyana’s carbon credits in December 2022.
The Senior Director for Climate and Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+), Dr Pradeepa Bholanauth, confirmed to this publication that the credits were purchased by Apple at a rate of US$15 per credit, bringing the total purchase price to almost GYD314 mil-
ing low-carbon development priorities,” the company also said.
Apple has a record of purchasing carbon credits and retiring them, as it has also purchased and retired credits from countries like Colombia and Kenya. The company has by its own admission also been carbon neutral as of April 2020.
Guyana earned US$237.5 million from carbon credits sales between 2022-2024, from the multi-year agreement with United States (US) energy-major Hess Corporation. For the period 2021 to 2025 in the Hess deal, Guyana’s carbon credits would be sold for US$20 per tonne, thus earning the country another US$250 million. Additionally, another US$312 million is expected during the 2025-2030 period when the credits would be sold at US$25 per tonne.
A carbon credit is a tradable permit or certificate that allows countries or companies to emit a limited amount of carbon dioxide or its equivalent in other greenhouse gas-
es. In Guyana’s case, these credits are generated by preserving its vast rainforest — a critical carbon sink in the global effort to combat climate change. This pioneering approach has garnered international recognition and positioned Guyana as a leader in sustainable development.
The first payment of US$150 million was received in 2023, and US$22.5 million thereof was disbursed to Amerindian, hinterland, rural and riverine communities and villages. Population size was a key determining factor in Government’s methodology for the distribution of mon-
lion (Guyana dollars). The carbon credits acquired by Apple pertain to the year 2019, meaning the company purchased legacy carbon from the period 2016 to 2020. According to Apple’s report, Guyana’s carbon credit programme covers approximately 18 million hectares of forest — equivalent to around 85 per cent of the country’s landmass.
“Guyana’s Jurisdictional Forest Carbon Credit Programme generates REDD+ carbon credits at a nationwide scale within the Amazon basin of South America, a critical watershed and hotspot of biodiversity. ART (Architecture for REDD+Transactions) has issued 33.47 million TREES credits to Guyana for the five-year period from 2016 to 2020, which are available to buyers on the global carbon market for use toward voluntary corporate climate commitments.”
“The jurisdictional programme includes all 18 million hectares of forest in Guyana — about 85 per cent of the landmass — and enables the country to benefit from its historically low deforestation rate, while fund-
ey earned from this sale of carbon credits, and as result, funds disbursed to recipient communities ranged from $10 million to $35 million. The Guyana Government also distributed a historic GYD$4.778 billion in carbon credit funding for the development of Indigenous communities in 2024, in an initiative spearheaded by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs with the aim of benefitting 242 communities, including riverine and remote villages. This funding, part of Guyana’s growing involvement in the global carbon market, served the dual purposes of addressing local development needs and furthering climate change mitigation efforts. The funds are disbursed through a Village Council system. As per the system, the funds for each village were deposited into a special bank account owned by that village, and the Community Council oversees how the funds are spent. Spending is done in accordance with a sustainable development plan established through local consultations. The funds are spent based on collective decisions made by the village, with a Financial Oversight Committee ensuring proper usage of the funds.
At the 2022 signing of the carbon credit deal with Hess Corporation
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Guyana’s carbon credits & win for climate action
In a move that underscores the rising global importance of carbon markets, global technology giant Apple Inc has purchased and retired 100,000 carbon credits from Guyana. The credits, bought at a rate of US$15 per tonne, amount to a total of GYD$313 million. This transaction represents both a financial gain for Guyana but also a strategic step forward for global climate mitigation efforts.
Apple’s acquisition of the carbon credits, specifically legacy credits from the year 2019, places it among a growing list of multinational corporations seeking to reduce their environmental footprints by supporting credible, jurisdictional carbon offset programmes. It also marks Apple as the second major company to purchase carbon credits from Guyana, following the groundbreaking agreement with Hess Corporation in December 2022, in which US$750 million worth of credits were sold.
The credits purchased by Apple are part of Guyana’s jurisdictional REDD+ programme, which covers the nation’s entire forest expanse of 18 million hectares, accounting for approximately 85 per cent of the country’s landmass. This initiative not only rewards Guyana for maintaining one of the world’s lowest deforestation rates but also channels critical funding towards its low-carbon development goals.
Carbon credits operate as part of a global mechanism to combat climate change. Under this system, countries or corporations that emit greenhouse gases beyond their allotted limits can offset their excess emissions by purchasing credits from nations with lower emissions. For nations like Guyana, this provides a sustainable avenue to monetise environmental stewardship without compromising economic growth.
The impact of such purchases is multifaceted. For Guyana, the financial inflow supports the Government’s efforts in climate adaptation, forest conservation, and the enhancement of community livelihoods, particularly in Indigenous and forest-dependent regions. These funds can also be directed towards clean energy initiatives, green infrastructure, and sustainable agriculture – all vital sectors in the pursuit of climate resilience and economic diversification.
From a global perspective, Apple’s move to retire the credits rather than use them for offsetting alone reflects a forward-thinking approach. It reduces the total number of available credits in the market, thereby increasing their environmental value and reinforcing the urgency for direct emissions reduction across industries. Apple’s action sets a precedent for corporate responsibility and demonstrates how the Private Sector can align its operations with international climate commitments, including the goals of the Paris Agreement.
It is important to note that Apple has been carbon neutral across its global corporate operations since April 2020 and has made similar purchases in countries like Colombia and Kenya. Its latest investment in Guyana adds credibility to Guyana’s forest-based carbon credit system and signals growing market confidence in the country's Environmental Protection Agency and climate governance frameworks.
Between 2022 and 2024, Guyana earned US$237.5 million from the Hess Corporation agreement alone. For the 2021–2025 period, credits under this agreement are priced at US$20 per tonne, while the 2025–2030 tranche is expected to fetch US$25 per tonne – projecting another US$562 million in future earnings. These figures reflect the increasing value of forest conservation in international climate finance and Guyana’s strong position as a pioneer in market-based environmental solutions.
As global temperatures rise and climate risks intensify, the international community must turn to models that deliver both environmental integrity and economic opportunity. Guyana's REDD+ framework, validated by reputable institutions and now backed by major Private Sector actors, provides such a model. The successful monetisation of forest assets through transparent carbon credit systems enables nations like Guyana to contribute meaningfully to global emissions reductions while advancing their own sustainable development agendas.
Apple’s decision to purchase and retire carbon credits from Guyana is not merely a transaction, it is a signal of confidence in nature-based solutions, an endorsement of robust carbon accounting systems, and a contribution to the collective climate effort. It serves as a reminder that the path to a sustainable future will be built not only through State action but through public-private collaboration rooted in science, transparency, and shared responsibility.
Guyana stands as both a steward of natural capital and a leader in climate diplomacy, showcasing how environmental integrity can be harmonised with national development. The partnership with Apple affirms this trajectory and reinforces the global case for investing in forest nations as vital allies in the fight against climate change.
AI is ushering in a new age of violence against women
By Laura Bates
Society is sleepwalking into a nightmare.
The rate of global investment in AI is rocketing, as companies and countries invest in what has been described as a new arms race. The Californian company Nvidia, which dominates the market in the chips needed for AI, has become the most valuable in the world. The trend has been dubbed an “AI frenzy”, with the components described by analysts as the “new gold or oil”.
Everyone is getting in on the act, and politicians are desperate to stake their countries’ claim as global leaders in AI development. Safeguards, equitable access and sustainability are falling by the wayside: when countries gathered for the Paris AI summit in February 2025 and produced an international agreement pledging an “open”, “inclusive” and “ethical” approach to AI, the US and the UK refused to sign it.
It is worth asking who is benefiting from this headlong rush, and at whose expense. One developer, who only goes by the name Lore in their communications with the media, described the open-source release of the large language model (LLM) Llama as creating a “gold rush-type of scenario”. He used Llama to build Chub AI, a website where users can chat with AI bots and roleplay violent and illegal acts. For as little as $5 a month, users can access a “brothel” staffed by girls below the age of 15, described on the site as a “world without feminism”. Or they can “chat” with a range of characters, including Olivia, a 13-year-old girl with pigtails wearing a hospital gown, or Reiko, “your clumsy older sister” who is described as “constantly having sexual accidents with her younger brother”.
This million-dollar mon-
ey generator is just one of thousands of applications of this new technology that are re-embedding misogyny deep into the foundations of our future. On other sites men can create, share and weaponise fake intimate images to terrorise women and girls. Sex robots are being developed at breakneck speed. Already, you can buy a self-warming, self-lubricating or “sucking” model: some manufacturers have dreamed up a “frigid” setting that would allow their users to simulate rape. Millions of men are already using AI “companions” – virtual girlfriends, available and subservient 24/7, whose breast size and personality they can customise and manipulate.
Meanwhile, generative AI, which has exploded in popularity, has been proven to regurgitate and amplify misogyny and racism. This becomes significantly more of a concern when you realise just how much online content will soon be created by this new tool.
Women are at risk of being dragged back to the dark ages by precisely the same technology that promises to catapult men into a shiny new future. This has all happened before. Very recently, in fact. Cast your mind back to the early days of social media. It started out the same way: a new idea harnessed by privileged white men, its origins in the patriarchal objectification of women. (Mark Zuckerberg started out with a website called FaceMash, which allowed users to rank the attractiveness of female Harvard students … a concept he now says had nothing to do with the origins of Facebook.)
Women, particularly women of colour, raised their voices in concern: some of the earliest objections to FaceMash came from Harvard’s Fuerza Latina and Association of Harvard Black
Women societies. They were ignored, Facebook was born and the rest is history.
Social media was rolled out at great speed. Back then, Zuckerberg’s famous catchphrase was “Move fast and break things”. The things that got broken were societal cohesion, democracy and the mental health, in particular, of girls.
By the time people started pointing out that online abuse was endemic to social platforms, those platforms were too well established and profitable for their owners to be prepared to make sweeping changes. Politicians seemed too enamoured with the powerful tech lobby to be prepared to stand up to them.
The results have been devastating. Young women have taken their own lives after experiencing sexualised cyberbullying. An alarming number of female parliamentarians have stepped down from office after experiencing intolerable levels of online abuse. Millions of women have been subject to rape and death threats, doxing, online stalking and racist and misogynistic abuse.
We failed to prevent this crisis when we didn’t heed the warning calls in the early days of social media. We now risk squandering a similar opportunity. Without urgent action, we will be doomed to repeat the same mistakes with AI, only this time on a far larger scale. “One of the reasons many of us do have concerns about the rollout of AI is because over the past 40 years as a society we’ve basically given up on actually regulating technology,” Peter Wang, co-founder of data science platform Anaconda, recently told the Guardian. “Social media was our first encounter with dumb AI and we utterly failed that encounter.”
If women and marginalised communities have al-
ready learned from their frequent mistreatment on social media to self-censor, to disguise their real names and to mute their voices, these coping mechanisms and restrictive norms will follow them when they step into new technological environments. Nearly nine in ten women polled in a 2020 Economist study said they restricted their online activity in some way as a result of cyber-harassment, hacking, online stalking and doxing. This helps to explain the disparity between men’s and women’s use of AI; 71 per cent of men aged 18 to 24 say they use AI weekly, while only 59 per cent of women in the same age range do so. So long as men remain the main users of AI, the technology will be designed to cater to their preferences.
The answer isn’t to reject new technology, or ignore the enormous potential of AI. Instead, we should ensure regulations and safeguards are implemented when AI is designed, before products are rolled out to the public, in much the same way that they are within other industries.
“I thought people should be aware,” said Leyla R Bravo, then President of Fuerza Latina, when she tried to raise the alarm at Harvard over the nascent FaceMash website back in 2003. This time, might someone listen? It isn’t too late for political leaders to stand up to big tech. The harms of this technology aren’t rooted in a future dystopia where robots take over the world. AI is already devastating the lives of women and girls, right now. If people realised this, they might desire to do things differently. (The Guardian) (Laura Bates is the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project and author of The New Age of Sexism: How the AI Revolution is Reinventing Misogyny)
President Dr Irfaan Ali met with delegates from several European countries at State House, accompanied by EU Ambassador to Guyana, René Van Nes, and Spain’s Ambassador to Guyana, María Cristina Pérez Gutiérrez. Also present was Health Minister, Dr Frank Anthony. The delegates are in Guyana as part of an EU Investment Mission, hosted by the EU Global Gateway and the EU Delegation in Guyana, in collaboration with the Health Ministry and the EU Chamber of Commerce. The mission aims to connect European health and pharmaceutical companies with local stakeholders to explore investment opportunities in Guyana’s healthcare sector (Office of the President photo)
Police probing late-night shooting in South Ruimveldt
Police are investigating an alleged shooting incident that occurred around 23:30 hrs on Sunday night at Toucan Drive, South Ruimveldt.
According to a police report, the incident took place at the residence of a 34-yearold gold miner, who lives at the address in a two-storey wooden and concrete house
with his wife and stepdaughter.
The miner told investigators that he had returned from the interior earlier that day, at approximately 11:00h. He reported that later that night, while he and his reputed wife were asleep, they were jolted awake by two loud explosions, believed to be gunshots.
Upon inspection, he said he noticed that a glass window in the house had been shattered. He also found two metal fragments on the floor of the bedroom, which are suspected to be parts of discharged ammunition. He said he looked outside immediately after the noise but did not see anyone in the vicinity.
Crime scene detectives later processed the scene and confirmed the presence of the two metal fragments in the bedroom. Several residents in the area were questioned, but no useful information was obtained, police said.
No injuries were reported, and investigations into the incident are ongoing.
Hypocrisy – People responsible for onesided Exxon PSA refuse to apologise
Dear Editor,
As Elections 2025 gets closer, one thing remains the same – there is agreement, consensus we all agree that it was a one-sided contract. We do not all agree on the way forward.
One-sided or not, Guyana has made social and economic progress, growing by leaps and bounds. The development, both socially and economically, has been acknowledged. Guyana’s infrastructure is beginning to aligned more with high-middle-income country status. Even though its just at the beginning stages, benefits have been accruing to the masses.
One thing is for certain; we cannot go back. Any move on our part that will result in production reduction and bring uncertainty for investors will bring our growing economy and our improved social and economic benefits to a screeching halt.
The people who are entirely responsible for negotiating and signing the
EXXON PSA are all now demanding that President Ali and the PPP renegotiate the EXXON contract. Yet none of them has apologized for what they did; none of them has taken responsibility for hanging the albatross around the neck of Guyana. There is sheer dishonesty and hypocrisy for those who were directly and indirectly responsible for the one-sided contract to demand renegotiation when none of them have taken responsibility and none of them has apologized. While some were directly involved, Cabinet had to approve the contract. All who served in cabinet are equally responsible. But the coalition was made up of several political parties, including the PNC, the AFC, the WPA and several other one-man, one-woman parties. The leadership of all political parties must take responsibility.
Other than now seeing them demanding renegotiation, I am yet to see them take responsibility and I am yet to see anyone apologiz-
ing to the Guyanese people. Ever since the secret contract was exposed, we knew that it was a one-sided contract. The same hypocrites who now demand that their handiwork must be renegotiated defended the contract. Now that they are in Opposition, they wring their hands with feigned disgust. But it is all a show.
Is it a case of stupidity while in government and now clear-sightedness in Opposition? It is unequivo-
cal dishonesty. Then there are the commentators and opposition surrogates. Most if not all of them were either praising the contract or were silent when the contract was revealed. Their apprehension and disgust only became apparent when the PNCled APNU/AFC were defeated and the PPP became government in 2020. Were these commentators who now demand renegotiation slow in recognizing the defi-
ciencies of the EXXON PSA or are they being dishonest and hypocritical?
Yours sincerely, Dr Leslie Ramsammy
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 4, 2025
Page Foundation
2025 Regional and General Elections GECOM enforces emergency quorum after another Opposition walkout
… “sabotage is now clear” – Gunraj
Commissioner on the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Sase Gunraj, has condemned what he describes as clear attempts to sabotage the electoral planning process, follow-
gered the collapse of a statutory meeting, jeopardising critical decisions required for election readiness.
“As a consequence, the meeting lost the quorum and we were unable to have that statutory meet-
of the Chairperson and any three commissioners, has been invoked under constitutional provisions to allow GECOM’s work to continue. This rule, he said, though rarely used, is now GECOM’s key mechanism
ing another walkout by opposition-nominated commissioners that disrupted a statutory meeting on Tuesday.
Last week, GECOM’s statutory meeting was halted when the three opposition-nominated commissioners, Vincent Alexander, Desmond Trotman, and Charles Corbin, staged a walkout, preventing the quorum needed for the meeting to proceed. At this week’s meeting on Tuesday, three Governmentnominated commissioners, Gunraj, Clement Rohee, and Manoj Narayan were present, along with two opposition-nominated members, Trotman and Alexander. However, shortly after the meeting was called to order, Trotman reportedly walked out, allegedly indicating that he does not wish to proceed in the absence of the commissions ability to deal with previous matters.
“The sabotage is now clear,” Gunraj stated in a social media post following the incident. Meanwhile, speaking with reporters virtually on Tuesday, Gunraj confirmed that the Opposition walkout trig-
ing as planned. So not only were we not able to have any discussion on the matters that were not placed on the agenda item, but we were not also able to discuss matters that are related to the holding of elections…the chairman has already sent a notice for a meeting on Thursday and as provided for by the constitution, on Thursday, the quorum is a bit different. Because it's an adjourned, a meeting adjourned on account of the lack of quorum or losing quorum, the chairman and any three commissioners who are present on Thursday constitutes a quorum,” Gunraj explained.
Emergency quorum rule
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.
However, Gunraj revealed that a revised quorum structure, consisting
for bypassing what he described as “deliberate stalling.”
So far, he said, GECOM’s approved work plan remains achievable, and preparations continue at pace. The continuous registration process concluded on May 30 and claims and objections will begin later this month.
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 depu-
ties 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.
Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Commissioner Sase Gunraj
Buxton man jailed for 12 years for strangling woman, dumping body near mining camp
A27-year-old man who confessed to strangling a woman and disposing of her body near a mining camp in the interior, was on Monday sentenced to 12 years behind bars by Justice Navindra Singh at the High Court in Essequibo.
Keron Hope, also known as “Blacka,” of Lot 5 Middle Street, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD), was indicted for the murder of 26-yearold Mariam Edwards, called “Mary.” He pleaded guilty to the lesser count of manslaughter and was represented by Defence Attorney Latchmi Dindayal.
The killing occurred be-
tween June 8 and 9, 2022, at Kumung Kumung, Puruni River, Region Seven, where both Hope and Edwards were working in the gold mining industry.
According to the prosecution, led by State Counsel Caressa Henry, police received reports on June 9, 2022, that a woman had gone missing under suspicious circumstances. When ranks arrived at Kumung Kumung Backdam, they found Hope tied to a post with visible signs of violence on his body. During questioning, he initially admitted to killing Edwards and led investigators to where he had dumped her
body near a tailings pond.
In his first statement, Hope reportedly told police: “I went to the camp where Mariam was cooking. I was aware that she
was alone and I choke her and she get blackout. I then take 21 pennyweights of gold from her and then I carried her body to a nearby tailing pont and left her body.”
However, a more detailed version of events was provided the following day. Hope told detectives that on the morning of June 8, around 10:00h, he had chartered a boat to return to his work location near the camp where Edwards stayed. The two later engaged in sexual intercourse, but afterward, Edwards told him she wanted to end the affair, claiming her boyfriend, Andrcio Chappelle, had discovered what had been going on. Hope said he became enraged, and an argument ensued. Edwards allegedly slapped him during the confrontation, and in response, he choked her until she lost consciousness. He then dragged her half-naked body to the river’s edge and left it there before returning to the camp to steal her purse containing 21 pennyweights of gold, which he later sold.
That same day, a shop owner, Adrian DeSouza Silva, returned to the area and noticed Edwards was missing. He contacted Chappelle, and the two began searching for her. When they questioned Hope, he claimed he had travelled to the landing. However, other persons reported that Edwards had last been seen with him. As the search intensified, Hope attempted to flee but was found hiding in nearby bushes and restrained.
Upon arrival, police interviewed him again, during which he confessed and directed them to Edwards’ body. A subsequent post-mortem revealed she died from manual strangulation, with compression injuries to the neck and blunt trauma to the head.
During the sentencing hearing, Hope’s attorney asked the court to consider his early plea, cooperation with the police, his clean criminal record, his age, and his remorse. But State Counsel Henry pointed out the horrific nature of the killing, the pain it brought to Edwards’ loved ones, and Hope’s initial effort to evade responsibility. She urged the court to hand down a sentence that would reflect the gravity of the crime and send a clear message.
Justice Singh started with a baseline sentence of 30 years. He then deducted 10 years for Hope’s guilty plea, five years based on positive probation and prison conduct reports, and another five years for remorse.
However, he added two years in light of the severe emotional damage inflicted on the victim’s family.
Hope was ultimately sentenced to serve 12 years in prison, with time already spent on remand to be subtracted from the final term.
Language… …and politics
Another one crosses the floor…and another one gone, another one gone, another one bites the dust!! Read – and sing if you can, along with the PPP! – to the tune of Queen’s 1980 super mega hit “Another one bites the dust” – yeah!! That, of course, was the same year Burnham had Rodney assassinated and PNC-ites made that number THEIR anthem!!
The above stream of consciousness was precipitated by the news that former PNC Executive – and former Magistrate Geeta Chandan-Edmond, made a dramatic announcement in the National Assembly – from the Opposition Benches – that she was supporting President Ali’s bid for a second term!! “Let the record reflect tonight that I stand proudly with President Irfaan Ali, I stand with his leadership, I stand with his vision and I stand with his steadfast commitment to this country – Because when the choices between progress and happiness, between development and dysfunction, between loudness and leadership, I will always choose Guyana.”
Your Eyewitness fully expected plaintive wails of “No, Geeta…no!!” from her fellow PNC MPs – but this time PNC Chief Whip Christopher Jones futilely tried to stop her from speaking!! This must’ve riled her up even further since a big part of her reason for crossing over was because she’d complained she was being “silenced”!! She noted: “Not one voice, not a single voice rose in condemnation when I was attacked with vile, racist and derogatory words, simply because I stood for what I believe in.”
She was clearly referring to the response of the WPA’s spokesman to her rejection of being dubbed a “slave catcher” when she confronted a WPA supporter over her derogatory description of Indian Guyanese. It seems with Norton deciding to coalesce with the WPA’s three members, he’s endorsing the latter’s position that non-Africans in the PNC should not criticise African members since that would be tantamount to selling them out to the PPP. Making them equivalent to the African “slave catchers” who’d sold their brothers and sisters to the White Man!!
But another reason Chandan-Edmond gave for her decision really resonated with your Eyewitness: her disagreement with Norton for walking out on the resolution supporting the Government’s declaration that the 1899 Arbitral Award on the Essequibo Border was valid. “That was a moment of national reckoning. A moment when every one of the 65 elected members of this House should have stood together. And what did the Opposition do? I was part of it. We chose silence, we walked out, we chose politics over patriotism. It was not only disappointing, it was also disgraceful. It was, in every sense, a betrayal of our sacred duty.”
While your Eyewitness ain’t no fan of Chandan-Edmond, he must say, this was her finest hour!!
…and nationalism
With Mad Maduro inexorably pursuing the takeover of Essequibo, we gotta look at the variables on the Border Controversy from every angle. The news that an indeterminate number of Warraus from Venezuela are occupying the entire Kumaka Amerindian Hostel made him stand up straight!! Are these folks part of the 100,000 refugees who’ve poured in across the very porous border?? Have they been processed and debriefed and vetted to discover whether they’re part of Mad Maduro’s plan to take over Essequibo through “occupation” by Venezuelans to actualize his paper annexation?
In this matter, while we must have compassion and all that for refugees, we gotta err on the side of caution – if no borderline paranoia – because of the chess game Mad Maduro’s playing with us using Essequibo as the Queen. Who woulda thought that Tren de Argua gang members would blow up a Police Outpost and a GPL substation in our capital??
With Trump deporting more gang members, we gotta expect Mad Maduro to deploy them here,
…and borders
Caribbean Beat – a magazine promoting itself as representing “The Caribbean” to Caribbean Airlines passengers – claims not to realise our map includes the New River Triangle, and Suriname’s doesn’t! We must publicise both our border issues more effectively!!
Keron Hope Miriam Edwards
AFC’s Region 7 Chairman backs Pres Ali's 2nd term
…says PPP revitalised mining sector; AFC disconnected from grassroots
Ahead of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, Alliance For Change (AFC) Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni) Chairman David Daniels, who is also the chairman and founder of the Small Miners Association, has parted ways with the AFC endorsing the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and
President Dr Irfaan Ali for a second term. On Tuesday, Daniel’s resignation was made public by leader of the AFC Nigel Hughes via his Facebook page. In the letter written to the party leader Daniel’s stated, “I write to formally tender my resignation from the Alliance for Change, effective immediately.”
He revealed that the de-
cision was driven by the AFC’s failure to align with his values and its growing detachment from the concerns of grassroots stakeholders, particularly small mining communities in Region Seven and beyond. Daniels also criticised the party’s direction, saying it no longer reflects the realities on the ground, making it “impossible to continue in
good conscience.”
Local mining sector
In a telephone interview with Guyana Times on Tuesday Daniels revealed that he will be supporting the PPP/C Administration at the 2025 polls.
“Well, I'll be supporting President Ali because President Ali has shown that he wants to do what
is best for mining. The small miners in the industry that we represent, that our mandate represents, basically. And I will support President Ali because he has been receptive to the issues that I have raised with him. Yes, he's been receptive to the concern of the miners and to the mining industry and he understands that a lot more work needs to be done.”
On this point, Daniels highlighted the significant impact of President Ali’s strategic leadership on the local mining sector, revealing that under his guidance, the industry has experienced a notable revitalisation.
He emphasised that targeted policies and focused Government initiatives have reenergised mining activities, fostering growth and renewed investment in the sector, which plays a crucial role in the region’s economy and the livelihoods of many small-scale miners.
“I think that everybody got to look into what is transpiring in our coun-
try and they got to see for themselves and choose for themselves that what they think is the best fit for Guyana and currently, I think President Ali and his Government is the best fit for Guyana. You know, you can't convince everybody who to follow, who to join but at the said time, I didn't need much convincing.”
He added, “I was there I got the support from the Government, from the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Honourable Vickram Bharrat, and the stakeholders and I see that this is a direction that has helped propel back the mining industry to what it once was the employment has boosted. Miners are going back into the industry, creating jobs and at the same time, being able to ensure that the livelihood of their family are protected.”
This resurgence, he noted, marks a positive shift from previous stagnation and reflects the administration’s commitment to sustainable development within the industry.
AFC’s Region 7 Chairman, David Daniels
CDC launches emergency response to communities affected by Monday’s high winds
The Civil Defence Commission (CDC) has launched a coordinated emergency response and damage assessment following a high wind event that affected multiple communities across Guyana on June 2, 2025.
In a press release the CDC noted that preliminary reports indicate that several areas experienced significant wind gusts, leading to structural damage to homes, schools, and other public infrastructure.
The CDC has deployed rapid assessment teams in collaboration with regional authorities. Their immediate focus is on assessing the needs of displaced individuals, evaluating damage to critical in-
frastructure, and identifying requirements for emergency relief efforts.
In Kaneville, East Bank Demerara (EBD), CDC officers and representatives of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC)
visited the area Tuesday morning, to distribute essential relief items to residents whose homes were affected by the high winds and heavy rains. Several households reported structural damage,
Benn condemns Opposition’s attempts to malign Police Force
Minister of Home Affairs Robeson Benn on Monday condemned the political opposition for attempting to malign the reputation of the Guyana Police Force (GPF).
He was at the time contributing to the debate on the Regional Security System Bill.
Minister Benn admitted that the GPF is not perfect but he contended that the political opposition’s criticism of the organisation, especial-
ly in relation to the Adrianna Younge case, is uncalled for.
“There is talk about the police misleading the public…the police gave information about a lead that they had, perhaps that the child did leave or was taken out of the place. It turned out to be a false lead. Leads are normal in police investigation work. You look at a number of leads and you discard them as they turn out to be not true or not helpful or not factual…,” he said.
Minister Benn contended that persons are making “political capital” and “monetary capital” out of the death of the 11-year-old, pointing out that even the international assistance provided in the case was not good enough for some sections of society.
Younge was found dead in the pool of the now-gutted Double Day Hotel, Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) on April 24, almost 24 hours after she was reported missing.
Three international pathologists and a retired officer of the Royal Canadian
Mounted Police (RCMP) were brought in by the Guyana Government to assist the GPF with the investigation. The autopsy and investigation have concluded that the child drowned and that there was no foul play involved.
There were concerns about the conduct of the police in responding to the report of the missing child, including the dissemination of information that the girl was seen leaving the hotel in a car. The person responsible for the dissemination of the inaccurate information has since faced consequences.
Minister Benn explained that misconduct and mistakes by police officers are not unique to the GPF.
But at the end of the day, he contended that the GPF is the legal entity to address criminal matters in the country.
He highlighted, “If something happens at your house or your street…or in your family, who do you call? Ghostbusters? Who will you call?”
prompting a swift response from the national agency. Simultaneously, CDC assessment teams were dispatched to Uitvlugt, West Coast Demerara (WCD), where homes and public buildings were impacted by the high winds and heavy rainfall on Sunday night and Monday morning.
These assessments will determine the urgent needs of displaced individuals, evaluate damage to critical infrastructure, and identify requirements for emergency relief efforts.
The CDC is actively conducting damage assessments and coordinating relief in other communities affected by high winds across Regions Three, Four, and Five. These include Hope, Melanie, Cane Grove, Mahaicony, and Bare Root.
As part of its ongoing disaster response strategy, the CDC remains engaged in damage verification, relief distribution, and coordination with national and regional stakeholders to ensure timely support to all affected communities. For more information or to report on any impact to your home or community, contact the Civil Defence Commission: Tel: +592 600-7500 | +592 226-1027 | Email: info@cdc. gy | Facebook: @CDCGuyana
Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn
Essential relief items were also distributed to residents in communities impacted by the storm
The CDC carried out assessments of structural damage to affected homes
Exxon earns $1.2 trillion profit in 2024, but costs yet to be recovered
…Guyana poised for $2 trillion annual oil windfall by decade’s end
It was revealed on Tuesday that ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) recorded GYD$1.255 trillion in profit before tax in 2024, and that by the end of the decade, Guyana’s take home from profit oil and royalty will be as much as US$10 billion (GYD$2 trillion) per year. This was according to EMGL Vice President (VP) and Business Services Manager, John Colling, in his first local media briefing since being appointed to replace Phillip Reitema. Despite Exxon’s profits, however, Colling emphasised that the company was still in the red.
ners and the Government of Guyana, we expect by the end of the decade, that the Government of Guyana will be receiving US$10 billion per year in profit oil and royalty. Which is equivalent to GYD$2 trillion,” he said.
According to the financials shared with the media, Exxon’s total operating expenditures were GYD477.6 billion last year, with total royalty paid, GYD34.1 billion. Depreciation and amortisation were meanwhile the largest single sources of operating expenses, recorded at GYD$301.8 billion last year as against
production volumes. And you will see similarly, net income of G$995 billion driven by, primarily the Prosperity FPSO,” Colling further explained.
Under the terms of the 2016 PSA, ExxonMobil is allowed to recover its investment in the Stabroek Block, via cost recovery. Specifically, no more than 75 per cent of revenue from ExxonMobil’s share of oil lifts goes towards cost recovery.
However, it has been pointed out by some, including VP Bharrat Jagdeo, that Guyana’s share can increase dramatically, ahead of schedule, once amortisation is completed. This is because the cost bank and the contractual requirement for oil giant ExxonMobil to recover its investment is one of the primary reasons Guyana’s current take of the profits from the Stabroek Block is 14.5 per cent.
Since taking office, the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Government has also produced an improved model PSA that, among other things, reduces the cost recovery ceiling from 75 per cent to 65 per cent. This ensures that from the initial investment, more revenue from oil production comes to Guyana.
Other features in the
That being said, however, Colling noted that Guyana could stand to benefit from as much as US$10 billion per year by the end of the decade… once cost oil has been recovered, as per its 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA).
“ExxonMobil Guyana and its partners have invested US$40 billion to date. And have only recovered US$33 billion. So, there is a cost recovery ongoing. In the future, once all of those costs have been recovered, a larger component of the revenue will be available from profit oil.”
“From splitting between EMGL and its part -
GYD182.4 billion in 2023.
The operating expense also includes GYD22.7 billion in exploration costs, a reduction compared to 2023, and GYD61.2 billion in production costs, an increase compared to 2023 that is due to the operationalisation and ramping up of production on the Prosperity Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) vessel.
“In 2024, ExxonMobil Guyana Limited generated G$1.7 trillion in revenue, which is up about 60 per cent from the prior year, and that’s really driven by the Prosperity FPSO coming online and higher
PSA under the new fiscal terms include signing bonuses as high as US$20 million signature for companies that secure deep-water blocks, and US$10 million for the shallow-water blocks.
Additionally, all future PSAs would include the retention of the 50-50 profit-sharing after cost recovery; the increase of the royalty from a mere two per cent to a fixed rate of 10 per cent and the imposition of a 10 per cent corporate tax.
This model PSA is being applied to future oil contracts.
EMGL Vice President and Business Services Manager John Colling
The Liza Destiny, the first FPSO to operate in Guyana’s waters
Disputed oil costs ExxonMobil still in “sole expert” phase with Govt over US$214M from 1999-2017 audit
Exxon Mobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is currently in the sole expert phase of attempting to resolve the dispute it has with the government over the US$214 million that was flagged by the first cost oil audit of its expenses between 1999-2017.
On Tuesday, Exxon Mobil Guyana Vice President John Colling, in his first local media briefing, was asked about the status of the cost oil audits into the company’s expenses. British company IHS Markit had audited Exxon and its co-venturers for the period 1999 to 2017,
and had flagged US$214 million in cost oil expenses as disputable.
The 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed by the former A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) government had provided for a sole expert to be given a chance to resolve the controversy. According to Colling, they are still in that phase.
“That is one of the provisions. And I think that has been made public. And we work through that process, co-operatively, with the government. As prescribed under the petroleum agreement,” Colling explained.
The executive also noted that they remain in constant communication with the government on the issues raised in the audits. This includes submitting whatever additional information is being requested by local authorities.
“So, the audits; it’s a common process under our petroleum agreements all around the world. We’re working very closely with the government and our consultants on all three audits. It’s very common, as part of that
process, for exceptions and questions to be raised. That first audit covers a very long period of time. From 1999 to 2017. So, there’s actually a lot of information that we need to go through with the government. And it’s a lot of back and forth that occurs, under a process that is prescribed under the Petroleum Agreement.”
“So it is, from my perspective, something that’s worth taking the time to go back and forth with the government, to find a resolution that is acceptable for everyone. And that’s precisely what we’re doing, and we’re following the process under the Petroleum Agreement. Working co-operatively with the government to come to a resolution,” Colling added.
ExxonMobil has been present in Guyana since 1999, and initiated exploration activities in 2008. According to the provisions of the 2016 PSA, 75 per cent of gross revenue goes to cost oil, while Guyana receives a total of 14.5 per cent from the remaining revenue and royalty, and Exxon earns 10.5 per cent.
EMGL Vice President John Colling
Work begins this week on modern TAJ Diamond urban community at Buzz Bee Dam
Work officially begins this week on TAJ Diamond, a bold new vision for modern urban living in Georgetown’s thriving Diamond district. The project, spearheaded by Coastal Rim Properties Incorporated (CRP Inc) marks a significant milestone in Guyana’s real estate evolution, promising to deliver a master-planned community,
blending luxury, safety, and investment opportunity in one of the country’s most strategic locations like the intersection of Buzz Bee Dam and Heroes Highway, along East Bank corridor.
With over five decades of global development experience, United States (US) based Coastal Rim Properties is partnering with local firms G-Realty and ACE Consulting
Group to ensure that TAJ Diamond brings international quality with deep-rooted local insight. The first residential units are expected to be delivered by Q4 2025.
In release issued on Tuesday, the US property management company revealed that, designed as a fully gated, family-oriented community, TAJ Diamond will feature 253 architecturally re-
fined three-story single-family homes, each with configurable 2 to 5-bedroom floor plans and a two-car garage, tailored for the needs of modern families.
Other amenities include over 40,000 square feet of
Class A retail space, anchored by the internationally acclaimed Morton’s The Steakhouse, a flagship brand under billionaire Tilman Fertitta’s Landry’s, Inc. — his first major hospitality investment in the Caribbean region – as well as round-the-clock 24/7-armed security patrols, gated access points, and controlled visitor management systems to ensure peace of mind. With a starting price of US$250,000 (GYD $52 million), residents will also enjoy resort-style amenities, including a luxury pool and clubhouse, state-of-the-art fitness centre, a private movie theatre and landscaped parks
and family-friendly community gathering space.
Further, a unique highlight of TAJ Diamond is its 14 per cent Guaranteed Yield Leaseback Programme. Under this offering select buyers may opt into a 3 to 5-year leaseback agreement with the developer, investors receive a guaranteed 14 per cent annual return and the programme is fully turnkey, with no property management or leasing duties required.
According to Coastal Rim Properties Incorporated, this model not only positions TAJ Diamond as a residential haven, but also as one of the most attractive real estate in-
vestments in the Caribbean — particularly as Guyana continues to lead the world in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth, fuelled by expanding energy, infrastructure, and consumer sectors. Situated at the heart of the Buzz Bee Dam and Heroes Highway junction, the development enjoys unmatched connectivity and high visibility in a district undergoing explosive commercial and residential growth. As more professionals, returnees, and international investors flock to Guyana, demand for secure, upscale, well-located communities like TAJ Diamond is surging.
ExxonMobil still in “sole expert” phase...
In order to ensure value for money, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government has been auditing Exxon’s cost oil expenses, to ensure that only valid expenses go into the cost bank.
In 2019, British firm, IHS Markit, conducted an audit of EMGL’s cost oil expenses incurred between
1999 and 2017 from its operations in Guyana, and flagged US$214.4 million as questionable costs.
At present, the two sides are expected to head into arbitration.
Meanwhile, there are two more oil audits of Exxon’s expenses in Guyana.
In the second audit, done by a consortium of local and international firms, VHE Consulting, for the period 2018 to 2020, Exxon has responded to the audit findings.
According to Natural
Resources Ministry in one of its updates on the matter, VHE is responsible for reviewing this response, as part of its contractual obligations, and that process was ongoing. Moreover, VHE Consulting also won the contract to conduct the third cost oil audit for 2021 to 2023.
Meanwhile, under the new conditions of the model PSA that the PPP/C Government has implemented, the cost recovery ceiling has been lowered from 75 per cent to 65 per cent. This
is in addition to including terms for all future PSAs to feature the retention of the 50-50 profit-sharing after cost recovery; the increase of the royalty from a mere two per cent to a fixed rate of 10 per cent, and the imposition of a 10 per cent corporate tax.
Additionally, Guyana stands to benefit from as high as US$20 million signature bonuses for the deep-water blocks, and US$10 million for the shallow-water blocks, based on the model PSA.
TAJ Diamond will feature 253 architecturally refined-three-storey single-family homes
With a starting price of US$250,000 (GYD 52 million), residents will also enjoy resort-style amenities
Woman to stand trial for 2018 killing of common-law husband
Melissa Cylus is expected to stand trial on June 5 before Justice Sherdel IsaacsMarcus at the Georgetown High Courts, for the 2018 killing of her common-law husband, Julian Anthony Reberio. Cylus, who is charged with manslaughter, has entered a not-guilty plea.
On May 29, 2018, Cylus, then 28 years old, had appeared before City Magistrate Daly, where she was not required to plead to the indictable charge, and was granted bail in the sum of GY$200,000. The charge against her alleges that
on May 13, 2018, at about 3:00h., she unlawfully killed 32-year-old Reberio at their residence at Soesdyke Back Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
According to the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Cylus initially claimed that her reputed husband had returned home intoxicated and had fallen in the house.
She told investigators that she rushed him to the Diamond Diagnostic Centre, where he was pronounced dead. In another statement, she said she had tried to wake him, but he was unresponsive. However, the findings of a
post-mortem conducted by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh, revealed that Reberio died from asphyxiation due to compression injuries to the neck, indicating death by strangulation. There was no evidence of any head injuries listed in the autopsy report. Cylus was arrested on May 25, 2018, and, following hours of interrogation at the Timehri Police Station, she allegedly admitted that she and Reberio had gotten into an argument and, in a moment of anger, she strangled him.
When the matter was recalled before Chief
Magistrate Ann McLennan in June 2018, it was disclosed by Police Prosecutor Inspector Neville Jeffers that the post-mortem report was still outstanding. He requested a three-week adjournment, and the matter was postponed until July 4, 2018. At that hearing, the Chief Magistrate ordered that Cylus undergo counselling for anxiety disorder, and assigned her to a probation officer. Cylus, who was six months pregnant at the time of her arraignment, has remained out on bail pending the outcome of the case that begins Wednesday.
Annandale man granted bail over alleged role in acts of terror
Jason Jacobis, a resident of Annandale, East Coast Demerara (ECD) was released on bail after being charged with two counts of facilitating terrorist activities allegedly carried out mid-May in Georgetown. Thirty-threeyear-old Jacobis appeared before Senior Magistrate Fabayo Azore at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, where he was not required to enter a plea to the indictable charges.
Prosecutors allege that between May 15 and May 17, 2025, he played a role in orchestrating explosions at two key public facilities: the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) substation and the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost. Both incidents caused significant structural damage and heightened public fear.
According to the prosecution, Jacobis is the registered owner of a white Honda Vezel, bearing registration number PZZ 3501, which was reportedly used in the execution of both attacks. Surveillance footage reviewed by police investigators allegedly captured the vehicle in the vicinity of the affected locations during the time of the bombings. The prosecutor said the video evidence helped link the vehicle directly to the acts in question.
Police later arrested Jacobis and conducted a recorded interview. In his statement, Jacobis denied any involvement in the incidents, claiming that he had sold the vehicle to a Venezuelan national known only as “Boulevard.” He reportedly told investigators he had text messages to support this transaction. However, authorities contend that no such messages were found on his device, and Jacobis failed to produce a receipt or formal agreement to verify the sale. The prosecution argued against bail, citing both the serious nature of the offence and its broader implica-
tions for national security. “These are acts that could dismantle the very fabric of our society,” the prosecutor said, while emphasising that the absence of concrete evidence validating the transfer of vehicle ownership was deeply concerning. Jacobis was represented by an attorney who presented a different side of the story. The court was told that on May 29, Jacobis learned via social media that his mother, Anita Jacobis, had been taken into custody in connection with the same bombings.
In response, he began searching online and said he recognised one of the wanted men as the individual to whom he had sold the vehicle. According to his lawyer, Jacobis immediately reached out and expressed a willingness to speak with law enforcement in order to clear his name. His attorney said contact was made with a senior police officer, Superintendent Singh, who directed them to the Ruimveldt Police Station. There, around 20:00h that evening, they met with Sergeant Higgins, who suggested a video-recorded interview be conducted the following Friday.
However, Jacobis’ lawyer complained to the court that before the scheduled interview, Higgins approached Jacobis alone and showed him CCTV footage allegedly linked to the investigation. The defence
insisted that Jacobis was not seen in any of the recordings. The lawyer also argued that his client had been detained for more than 72 hours, in violation of his constitutional rights, before being released on $500,000 station bail. He emphasised that Jacobis had been cooperative throughout, voluntarily turning himself in, and that a wanted bulletin was never issued for his arrest. He added that Jacobis had a fixed residence, no prior criminal history, and was the sole provider for his household.
The attorney further claimed that evidence exists showing his client had offered the vehicle to other individuals around the time in question, and reiterated that the allegations were not enough to establish guilt. He pleaded with the court to grant his client bail, highlighting that the charge, though grave, is bailable by law.
After reviewing the arguments, Magistrate Azore ruled that she was satisfied with Jacobis’ conduct thus far and believed he was not a flight risk. She granted him bail in the amount of $500,000 on each of the two charges. As part of the bail conditions, Jacobis is required to surrender his passport, which was revealed to be expired, and report to the Ruimveldt Police Station every second Friday starting June 13. He is to report directly to Sergeant Higgins or the officer in charge at the time. Magistrate Azore also noted that Jacobis must seek the court’s approval should he wish to leave the jurisdiction. The case was adjourned until July 2, when it is expected to come up again for further proceedings. Only about a week ago, Seon Carmichael, a 35-year-old minibus driver from Land of Canaan, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was charged with facilitating two acts of terrorism in connection with the same May 17 bombings at the East Ruimveldt Police Outpost and the GPL sub-
station. He appeared before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court. According to investigators, Carmichael rented rooms at the Stevedore Housing Scheme and allegedly purchased materials believed to have been used in constructing explosive devices.
The prosecution claimed that he transported the suspects, and played a key logistical role in the attacks, though he was not seen on surveillance footage at the
actual scenes. Carmichael reportedly told police he was acting under duress after being threatened by Venezuelan nationals, one of whom is allegedly related to him by marriage. He said he was initially misled into thinking he was helping with mechanical work, but later feared for the safety of his wife and children.
His attorney, Everton Lammy Singh, told the court that Carmichael had no prior convictions, cooperated with the inves-
tigation, and voluntarily provided both oral and written statements to police. Despite the defence’s plea for reasonable bail, Magistrate McGusty denied the application and remanded Carmichael to prison. He is scheduled to return to court on June 18. Police have since issued wanted bulletins for three foreign nationals believed to have orchestrated the bombings. Investigations remain ongoing.
Jason Jacobis
Dead: Julian Anthony Reberio
Melissa Cylus
Guyana’s Judiciary hails Justice Saunders as “guiding force” at CCJ retirement sitting
been a guiding force for Guyana's judiciary, making himself available to attend our judicial conferences and court ceremonies. A respectful, kind, warm, and engaging person, I regard Justice Saunders as a mentor, from whom I have learned so much since 2011, when he welcomed me as a member of the Management Committee of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers,” Justice George said.
Justice Adrian Saunders, a respected jurist in regional jurisprudence and a longtime member of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ), has been praised by Guyana’s judiciary for his pivotal role in strengthening the country’s legal framework.
On Tuesday, the CCJ convened a special sitting to commemorate Justice Adrian Saunders’ retirement from office as CCJ President.
Held at Queen’s Hall in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the event brought together senior judicial figures from across the Caribbean to honour and show their support for the outgoing President. Speaking at the special sitting was Chief Justice of Guyana, Justice Roxane George, who referred Justice Saunders as a “guiding force” in Guyana’s judicial development.
“Justice Saunders has
She added, “he leaves an indelible repository of jurisprudence on the legal landscape of the Caribbean, and indeed the Commonwealth, and is a demonstration of why we must not be afraid to embrace our own.”
Also present at the event was Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards, who echoed widespread praise by commending the legal dignitary for his role in overseeing several significant local cases.
“I must express deep gratitude to his honour for his service to Guyana, particularly exemplified in numerous cases coming from our country in which he presided and gave rich judicial guidance and settled the law in a number of areas. A number of cases from our jurisdiction adorn the Court's websites, perhaps outnumbering those of the other jurisdictions which are members of this Court. Some of
them reference have been made already but cases on criminal law, electoral law, land law, human rights law, constitutional and administrative law saw a progressive and somewhat liberal elucidation and interpretation of the law.”
Development of Judiciary
She also highlighted his commitment to mentoring members of the local legal fraternity, emphasising the lasting impact of his guidance on the development of Guyana’s judiciary. “Sir, you took the time to come to Guyana, not only for the itinerant sitting of the court, but also to provide mentorship, training, and support to us.”
Moreover, Justice Winston Anderson, the designated President of the CCJ, expressed his gratitude to the outgoing President for
his numerous contributions in strengthening the CCJ as the premier judicial authority in the Caribbean region.
“My brother and colleague, the Honourable Mr Justice Adrian Dudley Saunders, has provided this region with 48 years of substantial and impactful legal service. Through his work, he has shown an unwavering commitment to justice, promoted the rule of law and championed judicial reform and education, while remaining deeply committed to the intellectual and legal growth of the Caribbean people.”
Justice Anderson added, “The reality is that under President Saunders' leadership, the CCJ has remained a beacon for judiciaries across the region and internationally. As President, he has faced his share of obstacles. For example, in 2020, when the world was impacted by the ravages of COVID-19, President Saunders kept the CCJ ship steady. The court was able to function effectively when many courts across the world were caught off guard. Virtual hearings continued without interruption. There was no disruption in the operations or filings of cases before the court.”
Strength and integrity
Meanwhile during his address at the event, Justice Saunders conveyed his strong confidence that the
current members of the CCJ will diligently uphold and build upon the legacy he has worked to establish, ensuring the continued strength and integrity of the court.
“I demit office convinced that the CCJ ship is in fine shape and good hands the court has grown tremendously from a mere idea to a formidable institution recognised internationally for its commitment to excellence.”
Justice Adrian Saunders, a national of St Vincent and the Grenadines, attained a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the West Indies (Cave Hill) in 1975 and a Legal Education Certificate from the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad & Tobago in 1977. He began his legal career as a barrister and solicitor in private practice in his home country.
In 1990, he established the firm of Saunders & Huggins before being invited to join the Eastern Caribbean Supreme Court (ECSC) High Court Bench in 1996. On 1st May 2003, Justice Saunders was appointed to the ECSC’s Court of Appeal and served as acting Chief Justice between 2004 and 2005.
In 2005, Justice Saunders was among the first cohort of judges to join the CCJ bench. From 2018 he served as its third President following Michael de la Bastide and Dennis Byron.
Justice Saunders has contributed greatly to regional judicial outreach and judicial education efforts. He is a founding member of the Caribbean Association of Judicial Officers (CAJO) and has served as the organisation’s Chairman since its inception in 2009.
UG, Jamaica Stock Exchange launch youth financial literacy workshop
: Scores of persons present at the event
From learning about investing in the stock market to trading with cryptocurrency, youths across the region are being trained in financial literacy during a week-long event organised by the University of Guyana (UG) and the Jamaica Stock Exchange.
The two institutions have collaborated to host an initiative called Money Week, taking place from June 3–5 under the theme “Build Your
Financial Future Dollar by Dollar.” Held at UG’s Turkeyen Campus and accessible to regional participants via Zoom, the event features in-depth sessions focused on the stock market and cryptocurrency. The initiative was officially launched on Tuesday at the George Walcott Lecture Theatre, Turkeyen Campus. During the opening ceremony, Vice-Chancellor of UG, Professor Paloma Mohamed-
Martin, highlighted how accessible the Guyana Stock Market is for everyday citizens. “We also would like to thank George Edwards and the team from the Guyana Stock Exchange, because many people still don't know that Guyana has a stock exchange, and that there are many great Guyanese companies listed on it. You don’t need a huge amount of money to actually invest—you can start with as little as five
or ten thousand dollars,” she said. “Some companies even manage brokerage services for investors.”
Professor MohamedMartin noted that this accessibility often comes as a surprise to people, and emphasised the importance of public education on the topic.
She further revealed that representatives from the Guyana Stock Exchange, as well as local brokers, would be conducting their own sessions during the week.
Additionally, the event features several panel discussions with business icons from across the country. “One of the things that happens is that a lot of our young people and business-minded individuals think that when they see a big name on a building, it happened overnight,” she explained. “But many of these companies— like Gafoors Industries, who donated the building we’re in—started as family businesses decades ago. We want young people to hear these origin stories and understand the journey.” As the week progresses, special attention will also be paid to cryptocurrency and Bitcoin.
“We also have some films on topics like Bitcoin and cryptocurrency—how they really work and how we need to prepare as a nation
for these futuristic yet very present realities,” the ViceChancellor said.
The Vice Chancellor also sought to touch on the importance of attaining money through independent ways.
“There are many things. You have high-level keynotes, you have workshops, you have films, you have discussions. But most of all, we hope that you have fun, because anybody can tell you, while spending money is fun, take it from me, making money in a proper, honest, transparent, and accountable way, making your own money, is much, much, much more fun.”
Meanwhile, Guyana’s
Chief Investment Officer, Dr Peter Ramsaroop, also addressed attendees during the launch, stressing that the development of the local stock market requires collective participation.
“When you look at our market, it's not just the million or so people in Guyana— the market is the region. That’s where your money is, and that’s where you can make money,” he stated. “If you study where Guyana is going, find where you fit, follow public policy and tie it to private sector initiatives, we’ll have a great country. The 1GY stock market will continue to grow—if we are all part of it.”
UG Vice Chancellor, Dr Mohamed Martin
Justice Adrian Saunders
Acting Chief Justice of Guyana, Madam Justice Roxane George
Acting Chancellor of the Judiciary, Justice Yonette Cummings-Edwards
New Caribbean Court of Justice President, Justice Winston Anderson
Chief Investment Officer highlights manufacturing, logistics key to Guyana’s economic future
It is crucial that people in Guyana recognise the emergence of two growing sectors—manufacturing and logistics.
Those were the remarks made by Chief Investment Officer Dr Peter Ramsaroop during the launch of Money Week, an initiative hosted by the University of Guyana (UG) and the Jamaica Stock Exchange. According to Ramsaroop, these industries are poised to play a key role in Guyana’s economic development, and must be actively supported.
“The next sector I want to tell you about that is growing is the logistics sector… We're about to move into a whole new set of industries. Another sector set to grow is manufacturing. Why?
Because of the decline in energy costs. So, manufacturing is a major next step for Guyana. What you need to do is think about where you fit in the manufacturing world—and that could include agro-processing as well,” Ramsaroop said, drawing reference to the soon emergence of the Gas to shore project. He also encouraged citizens to pursue opportunities in high-growth sectors, urging them to “go where the money is.”
“There are many, many concepts that, if you're an economics student or an entrepreneur, you must understand. You've got to follow the money. If you follow the money, you will make money. That means
studying the national budget, listening to the Government’s vision and strategy. We have a stable macroeconomic environment, and we’re not going anywhere. This is what will allow us to continue leading the region.”
“We will continue to grow with the developed world. Guyana will always have a seat at the table— when it comes to energy, food security, climate resilience, and biodiversity. We will be there. The question is: how do you get to that table and make money? That’s what I hope this conference helps you discover over the next few days.”
Meanwhile, President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Kathy Smith, reaffirmed the Chamber’s commitment to the forum, stating that initiatives like these play a vital role in driving Guyana’s development.
“I represent a community of entrepreneurs, employers, investors, and dreamers. And if there’s one thing we all understand, it’s this—money is not just currency. It’s a tool. A tool for empowerment, for growth, for change. Yet too many of our people—especially youth and small business owners are left navigating a financial world without a map. They face hard choices with little guidance.”
She emphasised that this year’s theme, "Build Your Financial Future Dollar by Dollar," is not just a slogan but a call to action. “It’s a reminder that wealth, stability, and progress are not built overnight. They are built step by step, decision by decision, dollar by dollar.”
Smith also pointed out that the conversation is not just about money, but about generational wealth.
“Money matters because it equips people with
the skills, knowledge, and mindset to take control of their financial destiny. That’s why the Georgetown Chamber stands firmly behind this initiative. We know that when individuals are financially empowered, businesses grow, communities develop, economies flourish, and nations transform.” She added that Guyana must begin to normalise conversations around budgeting, saving,
investing, and credit.
“We must talk about these things not just in boardrooms or banks, but in classrooms, community centres, and around the dinner table. And we must also build financial systems that are inclusive.” In closing, Smith urged participants to think beyond the event. “What are we doing to make financial literacy part of our culture? How are we using innovation to
break down barriers? Are we preparing the next generation not just to make money—but to manage it wisely?”
“Let this not be just a week of speeches, but a week of sparks—sparks that ignite new habits, new partnerships, and new mindsets. The road to financial success is not paved in gold. It is paved in discipline, knowledge, courage – and yes, dollar by dollar.”
Persons who violently resist law enforcement will be tased – Police
In light of the increase in violent assaults and physical violence being inflicted on policemen engaged in the execution of their official duties across the country, Traffic Chief Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Singh has issued a warning to offenders.
“I want to re-emphasise that this type of behaviour by our citizens will not be condoned by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), more so the Department. Anyone found committing any traffic offence in this country and when challenge by our traffic officers resort to violently resisting and assaulting them will be met with the full force of the law,” said the Traffic Chief.
“I have given instructions to all traffic officers throughout the country to continue enforcing the laws as mandated by the Police Act Chapter 16:01 and be prepared to deal condignly with violators who would attempt to resist them violently,” he added.
With the recent social media posts of members
of the public violently assaulting and resisting police ranks in uniform with impunity and feels that its business as usual, the GPF has undertaken training ranks in the use of lessthan-lethal and non-lethal force.
The Traffic Chief says traffic ranks will now be issued with taser guns to protect themselves and to properly subdue offenders in the process of enforcing the laws and bringing them to justice.
“No longer will members of the public be allowed to violently assault members of the Force with impunity when enforcing the laws. All offenders are forewarned that whoever commits traffic violations and do not cooperate with the Police as is mandated by the Constitution of Guyana will be dealt with as provided for by law,” the Traffic Chief disclosed. He said offenders who are willing to attack law enforcement officers, especially traffic policemen, will be tased with the use of taser guns, arrested and brought to justice.
Chief Investment Officer Peter Ramsaroop
Traffic Chief Assistant Commissioner Mahendra Singh
J’ca cops bag 3900 rounds of ammo, exotic animals, cigarettes
The Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF) has seized more than 3,900 rounds of ammunition, 19 exotic animals, and illegal cigarettes along the shores of Whitehouse, Westmoreland on Monday.
The seizure was made during an intelligence-driven operation by the CounterTerrorism and Organised Crime Investigation Branch (C-TOC) along the Camp Hope and San San beaches in Westmoreland.
Reports are that about 5am, investigators from C-TOC’s Special Operations Unit went to the location.
Two men were observed
removing items from the shoreline and on the approach of the police, they fled, leaving behind two knitted bags containing more than 3,900 rounds of ammunition, two makeshift cages containing 10 live and nine dead exotic parrots, along with two squirrels.
Several other items were seized, including tools and more than 20 packs of illegally imported cigarettes.
The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) was immediately contacted, and the animals were taken into their care.
Superintendent of Police Victor Barrett laud -
ed the efforts of the police, noting that the illegal importation of exotic animals can pose a significant risk to the local environment.
“The illegal trade of exotic animals is a clear and present danger to our public safety, national security and environmental well-being. The JCF is aware of the threat posed by this trade and are pursuing those who are engaged in the act,” said Barrett.
The two men who were involved in the illicit operation are still at large and are being sought by the police. (Source: Loop Caribbean News)
T&T’s Kamla Persad-Bissessar wins People's Choice at Caribbean Global Awards
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar has been named the 2025 People's Choice winner at the Caribbean Global Awards (CGA), following a public vote that saw her secure 3,850 votes—more than any other nominee in a field of 58 regional leaders.
The award, the only CGA category determined entirely by public vote, was the subject of an active campaign by members of Persad-Bissessar’s United National Congress (UNC).
In the final week of voting, UNC public relations officer Dr Kirk Meighoo urged the public to support her bid, noting in a May 25 Facebook post that she was trailing in fifth place behind St Vincent and the Grenadines Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley, Guyana President Irfaan Ali, and Jamaica Prime Minister Andrew Holness.
The result was audited and validated by an independent panel of 15 judges and observers from across the Caribbean and internationally. Organisers said the panel spent over five hours reviewing the process to ensure accuracy and transparency.
The Caribbean Global Awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on September 27
Top Cuban official accuses US of escalating tensions, raises concerns of conflict
Avisiting senior Cuban official on Tuesday accused the Trump administration of ratcheting up tensions between Washington and Havana and expressed concerns that the U.S. was trying to provoke a military confrontation.
Speaking to reporters at the Cuban Embassy in Washington, Johana Tablada, deputy director for U.S. affairs in Cuba's foreign ministry, said an armed clash between the two old Cold War rivals was
"not a good idea" and that the Cuban government was trying to ease the situation but that the U.S. appeared determined to further damage relations.
Tablada said new Trump administration measures targeting Communist-ruled Cuba intend to "dynamite our relation(ship) to really provoke a rupture of relation, and even to create conditions, in my opinion, for, if necessary, a military confrontation."
Republican U.S. President Donald Trump
and his top officials have taken a hardline approach to Cuba since he took office in January, returning longtime foe Cuba to a U.S. list of State Sponsors of Terrorism, tightening rules on remittances, and shutting off migration programs that allowed some Cubans to work in the U.S. legally.
Trump officials have not publicly threatened any military action. The U.S. State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. (Excerpt from Reuters)
Caribbean beaches blighted by record masses of stinking seaweed
Arecord amount of sargassum has piled up across the Caribbean and nearby areas in May, and more is expected this month, according to a new study.
The brown prickly algae is suffocating shorelines from Puerto Rico to Guyana and beyond, disrupting tourism, killing wildlife and even releasing toxic gases that forced one school in the French Caribbean island of Martinique to temporarily close.
The amount – 38m tonnes – is the biggest quantity of algae observed across the Caribbean Sea, the western and eastern Atlantic, and the Gulf of Mexico since scientists began studying the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt in 2011, said Brian Barnes, an assistant research professor at the University of South Florida who worked on the new report from the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab.
The previous record was set in June 2022, with some 22m tonnes.
“The peaks just seem to keep getting bigger and bigger year after year,” he said.
But scientists don’t know why yet.
“It’s the million-dollar question,” he said. “I don’t have a supremely satisfying answer.”
Experts have also said that agricultural runoff, warming waters and changes in wind, current and rain could have an effect.
The new record is likely to be broken – experts said they expect even more sargassum for June. (Excerpt from The Guardian UK)
Musk calls Trump's tax and spending bill an 'abomination'
Elon Musk hit out at President Donald Trump's "big, beautiful" tax and spending bill, posting on X that he "can't stand" the legislation and describing it as a "disgusting abomination".
The bill – which includes multi-trillion dollar tax breaks and increased defence spending while also allowing the US government to borrow more money –was passed by the House of Representatives in May.
On X, Musk said those who voted to pass the bill are "wrong".
Musk had previously said the bill, one of Trump's signature policies, was "disappointing" because he believed it undermined the cost-cutting work of the team he headed until recently, known as Doge.
Doge stands for Department of Government Efficiency, even though the team is not a cabinet-level agency.
In a series of posts on X on Tuesday, Musk said that the "outrageous, pork-filled" spending bill will "massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden America [sic] citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt."
In American politics "pork" refers to spending measures that lawmakers tack onto legislation to narrowly benefit their constituencies.
Asked about Musk's comments soon after the first post, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that "the President already knows where Elon Musk stood on this bill".
"This is one, big, beautiful bill," she added. "And he's sticking to it."
The comments from Musk reflect wider tensions among Republicans over the plan, which faced stiff opposition from different wings of the party as it worked its way through the House. The Senate has now taken it up, and divisions already emerging in the Republicancontrolled chamber.
Trump and Republicans in Congress have set a deadline of 4 July to get the "big, beautiful bill" passed and signed into law.
Musk's posts on the platform he owns also suggest he shares a rift with Trump, whom he helped get elected in last year's November election with donations of more than $250m. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Mexican President hails ‘complete success’ after just 13% vote in judicial elections
Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum has defended the country’s unprecedented judicial elections after just 13% of Mexicans turned out to vote, a record low in a federal election.
Roughly 2,600 posts, from local magistrates to supreme court justices, were up for grabs on Sunday, as an entire judicial system was put to the vote for the first time in the world.
Despite the low turnout, Sheinbaum described the process as “a complete success”, adding: “Mexico is the most democratic country in the world.”
The vote was the result of
a radical reform by the governing Morena party, which said it would reduce corruption and impunity in the judicial system by making it more responsive to popular opinion.
But the concept was challenged by critics who said it would bulldoze the separation of powers and could flood the judicial system with candidates who were underqualified and aligned with political interests.
Given the sheer number of positions and candidates involved, critics had warned that a low turnout was likely. Parts of the opposition also called for a boycott.
Still, the estimated 13%
turnout is far below the more than 60% that tends to turn out for presidential elections, and also lower than any other federal vote in Mexico’s democratic history.
“As we said from the beginning: the election of the judiciary was an absolute failure,” said Ricardo Anaya, a former presidential candidate from the conservative Pan party.
“What we saw was a simulation, a fraud and a mess. Empty ballot boxes, ballots marked prematurely, and citizens who did not even know who they were voting for. This is not democracy. It is an insult.”
(Excerpt from The Guardian)
T&T’s Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar
Piles of sargassum stretch across the shore in Playa Lucía, Yabucoa, Puerto Rico, on Monday
Around the World OIL NEWS
Oil prices climb 2% to 2-week high on geopolitical tension concerns
Oil prices climbed about 2% on Tuesday to a two-week high, as persistent geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine and the U.S. and Iran looked set to keep sanctions on both Russia and Iran in place for longer.
Brent crude futures rose $1.11, or 1.7%, to $65.74 a barrel at 11:21 a.m. EDT (1521 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose $1.17, or 1.9%, to $63.69.
That puts Brent on track for its highest close since May 14 and WTI on track for its highest close since May 13.
"Risk premia have filtered back into the oil price following deep Ukraine strikes on Russia over the weekend," said analyst Harry Tchilinguirian of Onyx Capital Group.
Russia is a member of the OPEC+ group of countries and was the world's second biggest producer of crude in 2024 behind only the U.S.,
according to U.S. energy data.
OPEC+ includes the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies like Russia.
"More importantly for the barrel count, there is the to and fro between the U.S. and Iran regarding uranium enrichment," Onyx Capital's Tchilinguirian said.
Iran was set to reject a U.S. nuclear deal proposal that would be key to easing sanctions on the major oil producer.
Iran was the third biggest producer of crude in OPEC behind Saudi Arabia and Iraq in 2024, according to U.S. energy data.
In Canada, wildfires burning in Alberta have affected more than 344,000 barrels per day of oil sands production, or about 7% of the country's overall crude output, according to Reuters calculations. Excerpt from (Reuters)
South Korea: Liberal Opposition
candidate Lee Jae-myung wins snap presidential election
The Democratic Party's Lee Jae-myung has won South Korea's snap presidential election –six months after the country was briefly thrown into martial law. At a news conference before the official result was declared, Mr Lee said he would seek to unite the country. With around 95% of ballots counted, Mr Lee led with 48.86% of votes to Mr Kim's 41.98%.
Earlier, an exit poll from
three of South Korea's broadcasters put the Democratic Party leader on 51.7% and Mr Kim on 39.3% It caps off a tumultuous six months for South Korea, with the country plunged into crisis after former president Yoon Suk Yeol briefly declared martial law on 3 December.
Mr Lee, a former human rights lawyer, will be sworn in as president immediately for a single full term of five years without the usual twomonth transition period.
Five members of a United Nations convoy carrying aid to the war-torn Sudanese city of el-Fasher have been killed in an attack, UN agencies have said.
Several people were also injured and multiple trucks burnt in Monday night's assault, which took place near el-Koma in the state of North Darfur, they added.
The two sides in Sudan's gruelling civil war – the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and the regular army – have accused each other of striking the UN convoy with drones.
The UN did not say how the attack happened, but called for an urgent investigation and for the perpetra-
tors to be held to account.
The convoy was made up
of 15 trucks from the UN's food and children's agen-
More than 200 inmates have escaped from a prison in Pakistan after they were moved from their cells for safety amid earthquake tremors, officials have said.
Several dozen of the prisoners that broke out of the jail in Karachi were quickly recaptured, police said on Tuesday, but at least 130 are
understood to remain unaccounted for. Authorities added that raids are under way to apprehend those still at large.
Of the 216 prisoners who had fled from Malir prison during the night, 78 had been recaptured, Kashif Abbasi, a senior police official, told the AP news agency. He stressed that none of the escaped pris-
oners were convicted fighters. One prisoner was killed and three security officials were wounded in a shootout that developed amid a bid to put one of the escapees back into custody.
Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar, home minister for Sindh province, said the jailbreak happened while prisoners
cies, who said it was "devastating" that the aid did not reach "famine-stricken" el-Fasher.
The convoy was attempting to reach children and families in the city with life-saving food and nutrition supplies when it was attacked, said the joint statement from the World Food Programme (WFP) and the UN children's agency Unicef.
Following the attack, the el-Koma Emergency Room, a group of local volunteer responders, posted a video of a burnt out truck loaded with sacks of supplies on Facebook. The group blamed the attack on the Sudanese army. (BBC News)
5 killed in attack on UN aid convoy in Sudan Earthquake sparks escape of 216 inmates from Pakistan prison
were removed from their cells for safety during the tremors. Once outside their cells, a group of inmates attacked guards, seized their weapons and opened fire. In comments carried live on local TV news channels, Lanjar said the prison break was one of the largest ever in Pakistan, the Reuters news agency reported. (Al Jazeera)
Russia, Ukraine agree to swap dead, wounded troops, but report no progress on ending war
Representatives from Russia and Ukraine met on Monday for their second round of direct peace talks in just over two weeks, but aside from agreeing to swap thousands of their dead and seriously wounded troops, they made no progress toward ending the threeyear-old war, officials said.
The talks unfolded a day after a string of stunning long-range attacks by both sides, with Ukraine launching a devastating drone assault on Russian air bases and Russia hurling its largest drone attack of the war against Ukraine.
At the negotiating table, Russia presented a
memorandum setting out the Kremlin's terms for ending hostilities, the Ukrainian delegation said.
Ukrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, told reporters that Kyiv officials would need a week to review the document and decide on a response.
Ukraine proposed further talks on a date between June 20 and June 30, he said.
The delegations agreed to swap 6,000 bodies of soldiers killed in action and to set up a commission to exchange seriously wounded troops. (Excerpt from CBC News)
Dutch Government collapses over Wilders’s migration demands
Geert Wilders has toppled the Dutch government after pulling out of the governing coalition because it would not back his plans for tougher migration rules.
The Dutch hard-Right leader withdrew his Party for Freedom (PVV) from the Right-wing alliance, formed eight months after his victory in the November 2023 general
election.
He vowed he would become prime minister after triggering a snap election less than a year after the warring coalition took office.
“In fact, I am going to become prime minister of the Netherlands next time and ensure that the PVV becomes bigger than ever in the next elections,” he said.
After a two-hour emer -
gency meeting of his cabinet, Dick Schoof, the prime minister, announced the collapse of the government, which will continue in a caretaker capacity until after new elections.
He said Mr Wilders’s decision to quit the government was “irresponsible and unnecessary”.
Mr Wilders had demanded his three coalition partners agree to a new 10-point migration plan,
which included using the army to close land borders, the deportation of Syrian asylum seekers and an end to family reunification, without prior consultation.
But after the allies refused to back the plan on Monday morning, the divisive anti-Islam firebrand wrote on X: “No signature for our asylum plans... PVV leaves the coalition.” (Excerpt from The Telegraph)
The UN convoy was heading to El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, which has been besieged by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) for more than a year (The Guardian)
Lee Jae-myung greets supporters
SUDOKU
Refrain from discussing personal issues. Give yourself time to think things through and figure out what you want before you engage in talks. Pick your battles wisely.
A direction, position or routine change will motivate you. Don't wait for someone else to make the first move. Do your thing, be direct and follow through on your promises.
Don't sign up for more than you can handle physically, financially or emotionally. Put your energy into personal improvement instead of trying to change others. Indulgent behavior will hurt your reputation.
Exaggeration will lead to emotional drama that isolates you from situations and people you care about. Rethink your steps and be receptive to the help and suggestions you receive.
Avoid double booking yourself. Consider what you can do and set a strict schedule to meet your demands. Anger wastes time and energy best used to help, not hinder. Choose peace over discord.
Plan your actions with care. Rushing into something with little knowledge will lead to uncomfortable consequences. Consider what will benefit you most and move toward your goal slowly.
Embrace change and discuss longterm plans with someone you love. Expand your skills, knowledge and connections to amplify your ability to take advantage of trends. Get in tiptop shape.
You'll change your tune once you gather the facts and address issues face-to-face. Use common sense, proceed with patience and understanding, and make a positive difference.
Take care of personal matters. Home improvements that make your life easier or more cost-efficient will allow you to chase your dreams. Socializing and networking will enhance your chance to advance.
Put your energy where it will do the most good. How you present, promote and execute what you want to achieve will determine the outcome. Consider the cost before signing up for an adventure.
Set priorities, a budget and a goal. Use your skills to turn something you enjoy doing into a lucrative pastime. Contracts, investments and emotional highs are apparent.
Be cognizant of what others do, say and want. A little guidance and thoughtfulness will make a difference and help you gain respect and support when you need a favor.
ARCHIE
Kohli and RCB are finally IPL champions
Eighteen years spent in the belief that ee sala cup namde (this year the cup is ours), 17 of them ending in wretched disappointment for one of the IPL's biggest and most passionate fan bases, three of them ending with defeat at the final hurdle.
Eighteen seasons in, Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) are finally IPL champions. Their victory in their fourth final came at the expense of another trophy-less team that had put together a heartwarming IPL 2025 campaign; it wasn't to be for Punjab Kings (PBKS), but their time will surely come too.
It's a sign of how far T20 has come that 190 beating 184 was a bowler-dominated game. PBKS did brilliantly to restrict RCB to 190 after sending them in, but RCB's bowlers did even better, with Krunal Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Yash Dayal – who have all won IPL titles at other teams – bringing their experience and nous to play on an unusual Ahmedabad surface.
The margin of victory was narrow – six runs – and while it showed how closely matched these two teams have been over the season, it was also deceptive. Shashank Singh, who finished on an unbeaten 30-ball 61, hit Josh Hazlewood for 6, 4, 6, 6 to end the match and the season. But those hits came just a touch too late; PBKS went into the final over needing 29, and Hazlewood had started with a pair of dots that all but ended the contest mathematically.
18th time lucky for No 18
At the end of it, all eyes were on one man, the man with 18 on his back. Like his innings in last year's T20 World Cup final, Virat Kohli's 43 in this game seemed at various points like it belonged to another era, too risk-averse, and likely to set his team a below-par total. But there were clues throughout his knock that this wasn't the sort of pitch that Ahmedabad has rolled out routinely this season, where 196 had been the smallest first-innings total in eight games. He had struggled especially to generate power with his pull shot, with the PBKS seamers generating tennis-ball bounce when they bowled into the pitch.
A target of 191, for all that, seemed too small for a PBKS line-up that had gunned down 204 with an over to spare at the same ground two days previously. But this pitch was dif-
ferent, and it didn't necessarily ease up through the second innings. Between them, two of PBKS' brightest batting talents outdid Kohli's struggles: where Kohli scored 43 off 35 balls, Prabhsimran Singh and Nehal Wadhera scored 41 off 40 between them.
Iyer and Inglis fall at the wrong times for PBKS
Go back to November 19, 2023. Shreyas Iyer had been in red-hot form through that One-Day International (ODI) World Cup, and had played the innings of India's semi-fi-
Krunal bends another final to his will
Krunal has won three IPL titles with Mumbai Indians (MI), and was Player of the Match in one of them. That was for what he did with the bat, on a day when he didn't bowl at all.
This time, he came in to bat in the 18th over and holed out for four off five. This time, he turned the match with the ball.
The final was on a knife edge when he came on. PBKS were 52 for 1 at the end of their powerplay; RCB had been 55 for 1 at the same stage.
Krunal's first over contained most of the ingredients that made him so difficult to hit on this pitch, which had just enough natural variation of pace and turn to make him hard to line up. He bowled fast and into the pitch, either angling the ball into the right-handers' leg stump and cramping them for room or firing it wide of off stump to offer a single to sweeper cover that they didn't particularly want. Only three runs came off this over.
His next over brought in another dimension: the ability to spot the batter's intentions and change his pace at the last moment. Seeing the struggling Prabhsimran charge at him, Krunal - whose usual pace hovers in the 98101 kilometres per hour (kph) range – dangled an 80kph ball outside his eyeline. Wrenched out of shape, Prabhsimran skewed a catch to point.
nal win. Then, in the final, he had fallen early, caught behind off a back-of-a-length delivery.
The same script played out all over again now, more or less. Where he had poked uncertainly at Pat Cummins two years ago, he top-edged an attempted slash through point, off Romario Shepherd. It was a massive inflection point in this game, leaving PBKS needing 112 off 62 balls.
sixes.
At 39, however, he looked to step out and launch Krunal over long-on, and didn't quite find either the power or elevation to do so. At that point, with PBKS needing 93 off 47, it seemed all but over.
Too late for a Shashank
Redemption
Shashank had started his season at the same ground, and hit five fours in a now iconic final over, leaving his captain, on 97, without the strike.
He ended it with another burst of brilliance, keeping PBKS hanging on by their fingernails even as the required rate kept climbing. He hit Hazlewood for two sixes in the 16th over, and kept the equation within the bounds of possibility: 55 off 24. Then, with the rest of PBKS' batters and genuine all-rounders back in the hut, he refused singles and kept the strike all through the 19th over, hitting Bhuvneshwar for a six and a four to bring it to 29 off the last six balls.
It wasn't to be, but the explosion at the finish, when the match was done, showed how much closer PBKS could have come if things had gone just a little differently.
Jitesh plays a crucial hand
Through most of RCB's innings, it felt difficult to pin down whether they were going a touch too slow on a flat
They were still in with more than a shout, though, because of their batting depth, and because Josh Inglis was playing a blinder. On this pitch where the short or shortish ball wasn't coming onto the bat at anything like a predictable pace or height, he was playing the pull like a man in a dream. He scored 33 off 10 pulls, against pace and spin, hitting one four and four
pitch or laying a strong platform on a slow one. While Kohli did his thing at one end, his top-order colleagues kept falling just when they were looking threatening, with Phil Salt, Rajat Patidar and Liam Livingstone scoring 66 off 43 between them. All three fell to Kyle Jamieson, who used the slower legcutter to telling effect, either getting it to die on the batter from shorter
lengths or dip disconcertingly when he went full.
Jamieson, Azmatullah Omarzai and Vijaykumar Vyshak all hammered away on a hard length, and RCB couldn't quite find a way to attack that length until Jitesh Sharma walked in. His 24 off 10 balls was a crucial little cameo in the end, featuring a flat-batted six over cover when he exposed all his stumps to create room, and a scooped six over his head, hit while chest-on to the bowler, Jamieson.
Jitesh's innings threatened to take RCB past 200, but their ambitions were nipped
Royal Challengers Bengaluru (20 ovs maximum)
Phil Salt c Iyer b Jamieson 16
Virat Kohli c & b Azmatullah Omarzai 43
Mayank Agarwal c Arshdeep Singh
b Chahal 24 Rajat Patidar (c) lbw b Jamieson 26
Liam Livingstone lbw
b Jamieson 25
Jitesh Sharma †
b Vyshak 24
Romario Shepherd lbw
b Arshdeep Singh 17
Krunal Pandya c Iyer
b Arshdeep Singh 4
Bhuvneshwar Kumar c Arya
b Arshdeep Singh 1
Yash Dayal not out 1
Extras (w 9) 9
Total 20 Ov (RR: 9.50) 190/9
Fall of wickets: 1-18 (Phil Salt, 1.4 ov), 2-56 (Mayank Agarwal, 6.2 ov), 3-96 (Rajat Patidar, 10.5 ov), 4-131 (Virat Kohli, 14.5 ov), 5-167 (Liam Livingstone, 16.5 ov), 6-171 (Jitesh Sharma, 17.4 ov), 7-188 (Romario Shepherd, 19.2 ov), 8-189 (Krunal Pandya, 19.4 ov), 9-190 (Bhuvneshwar Kumar, 19.6 ov)
Bowling O-M-R-W
Arshdeep Singh 4-0-40-3
Kyle Jamieson 4-0-48-3
Azmatullah Omarzai 4-0-35-1
and attack the
in a three-wicket final over that cost PBKS just five runs. (ESPNcricinfo)
Vijaykumar Vyshak 4-0-30-1 Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-37-1 Punjab Kings
(T:
Priyansh Arya c Salt b Hazlewood 24
Prabhsimran Singh c Kumar b Pandya 26
(c)
Shashank Singh not out 61 Marcus Stoinis c Yash Dayal b Kumar 6 Azmatullah
191 runs from 20 ovs)
in the bud by Vyshak, who dismissed Jitesh while conceding just five runs in the 18th over, and Arshdeep Singh, who found the reverse-swing that allowed him to go full
stumps
Celebrations
Royal Challengers Bengaluru crowned champions
18th time lucky for No 18
Rutherford, Motie half-centuries in vain
as England rush to 3-0 series win
England were held up by the late arrival of the West Indies team bus at the Kia Oval, then charged to victory like a team determined to beat the traffic. Jamie Smith's 25ball half-century, his first in One-Day Internationals (ODIs), led them to 100 for 1 in a reduced eight-over powerplay, and they cruised to a Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS)-adjusted target of 246 with 10.2 overs to spare. It meant a perfect start
to captaincy for Harry Brook, sweeping his first series in permanent charge three-nil to draw a line under England's wretched white-ball results earlier this year.
This was England's first ODI series win since September 2023, and their first series clean sweep since a three-nil win in the Netherlands which marked the end of Eoin Morgan's tenure. The result also eases their concerns about au-
tomatic qualification for the 2027 World Cup, and leaves West Indies looking nervously over their shoulders at 10th-ranked Bangladesh.
West Indies' four-mile journey from their Chelsea hotel to Kennington took nearly two hours due to road closures and heavy congestion, and their delayed innings was further interrupted by rain. Sherfane Rutherford, returning from the Indian Premier League (IPL), hit 70 to hold their innings together, but they were reeling at 154 for 7 when he fell to a sharp catch by Brook at mid-on.
It took a counter-attacking eighth-wicket partnership worth 91 off 68 balls between Gudakesh Motie and Alzarri Joseph to take West Indies to 251. Motie walked in at number eight after wickets off consecutive deliveries, but smeared Adil Rashid's hat-trick ball over midwicket for six; he hit five fours and two further sixes on his way to his highest ODI score.
But Smith's powerful innings made England's target look puny: he cracked 10 fours and three sixes on his way to 64 off 28, dominating an opening stand of 93 in seven overs. Ben Duckett took on the baton with 58 off 46, Joe Root added a fluent 44 and Jos Buttler finished the rout in style, pulling the winning six after a lively, boundary-laden cameo.
England stuck with the side that snuck over the line in Cardiff and struck three early blows after choosing to bowl. Evin Lewis, returning from a niggle, pulled Brydon Carse to Smith at short midwicket; Brandon King sliced a drive to Jacob Bethell at point off Matthew Potts; and Shai Hope was bounced out by Saqib Mahmood for the second time in the se-
wicket as they enjoyed the value for shots afforded by Brook's attacking fields. But their rhythm was thrown off by a 97-minute rain delay at the drinks break, after which Carty dragged a wide, 43 miles per hour (mph) legbreak from Rashid onto his off stump.
Rutherford's excellent IPL season for Gujarat Titans ended in Saturday's Eliminator, and his seventh 50-plus score in his first 11 ODI innings was a reminder of what West Indies had missed. He slotted seamlessly into the tempo of a one-day innings, scoring heavily both sides of the wicket, and punched sweetly through straight midon when Mahmood overpitched.
He looked like the last hope after Rashid had Justin Greaves caught at short midwicket and Roston Chase edging to slip, but
Motie was occasionally streaky, swip ing hard over midwicket and midoff, but Joseph's hitting was pure and crisp: he swung Will Jacks back over his head and into the members' pavil ion, and launched Mahmood over deep midwicket. He made 41, his second-highest ODI score, before edg ing to slip; Potts then ended the innings by cleaning up Motie with a slower ball.
West Indies came out hunting early wickets, but Jayden Seales and the returning Shamar Joseph bowled wayward first spells: Smith whipped several ear-
Motie and Joseph made hay. Their stand highlighted the predictability of England's plans to the lower order,
ly freebies off his pads then imposed himself on Seales with a flurry of pulls. He was dropped by Greaves off
ries, caught at long leg.
Keacy Carty and Rutherford led the recovery, adding 62 for the fourth
with both batters camping on the back foot in anticipation of a short-ball barrage that duly arrived.
slashing to cover off Chase, who then put Brook down early on off a disheartened Seales. Root's dismissal was inconsequential, as Buttler's 41 not out off 20 gave his successor a winning start. (ESPNcricinfo)
Motie's first ball, then hit the next four for 4, 6, 4, 6; he was bowled by the sixth, but the damage was done.
Duckett had twice topedged Alzarri Joseph over long leg for six, and was then dropped by Rutherford in the same spot. He cut and swept Motie for three consecutive boundaries before
Gudakesh Motie slammed a career-best ODI score
Adil Rashid bagged Roston Chase for a first-ball duck
England clinched 3-0 series win
Sherfane Rutherford drives through the covers
Demerara Mutual Insurance to cover players in future Petra Tournaments
In a massive step to-
wards ensuring the safety of players and personnel in not only the upcoming ExxonMobil Under-14 Boys’ and Girls’ Football competition, but all their future competitions for 2025, the Petra Organisation on Tuesday unveiled Demerara Mutual Fire, Life and General Insurance as a sponsor.
A component of their intended child safeguarding efforts, Demerara Mutual will provide coverage for players and Petra Organisation staff during the tournaments.
This was revealed during a simple ceremony at the company’s Avenue of the Republic headquarters, where Sales and Marketing Coordinator Oceola Van Doimen gave
more insight into the company’s sponsorship.
“While this marks our first time as sponsors of this prestigious tournament, we couldn’t be more excit-
watched this tournament grow over the years and are thrilled that our company can now be part of this continued success through our partnership with Petra on what we
ed to support youth football in our community. We have
consider a brighter community building initiative,” Van
One Guyana King and Queen of the Sand Football…
LA Ballers wallop Fearless by largest margin of victory so far 13-1
On a pulsating third night of the One Guyana King and Queen of the Sand Football competition contested at the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) Linden office ground, LA Ballers dismantled the challenge of Fearless by the largest margin of victory in the competition so far.
Playing in the King segment, led by a hat-trick of goals from Marcus Tudor (3rd, 9th, 24th) and Zidane Ramdholl (11th, 16th, 30th), LA Ballers were virtually unstoppable as they ran riot on the Fearless goal, 13-1.
Complementing Tudor and Ramdholl were Jashaw Moore (18th, 29th) and Nicholas Gentle (18th, 20th) with two goals apiece and one each to Tyric McAllister, Nickel Jeffers and Andre Myers. Fearless’ lone response came from Nicholas Walker in the 17th minute.
Rockstone, led by a Danile Adolph (3rd, 19th) brace edged Goal IQ 2-1, Nathenial Isaacs hitting in their lone strike in the fifth minute.
Swan FC, which lost their opening match on Independence night, rebounded in style when they trounced Speightland 4-0, led by a double off the boots of Mark Loncke with one each from Christoff Roberts (12th) and Devon Lonke, one
minute later.
Avacado Ballers got the better of One Syde 3-1, thanks to goals from Carlos Escabor (3rd), Johanna Mendosa (8th) and Angel Hinds (18th). One Syde’s lone response came from Dexter Milo in the 12th minute.
The other male encounter saw Spaniards making light work of Foundation Family, 4-1, thanks to a double from Shem James (19th, 22nd), Brandon Solomon (21st) and Terry Burnette (29th). Kevin Dornick was the lone scorer for Foundation Family in the 24th minute.
Two matches in the Queen segment of the competition were also played and resulted in wins for
Doimen remarked. She went on to clarify, “As an Insurance company, the Demerara Mutual Life group believes in protecting what matters most. That’s why we’re proud to provide group personal accident coverage for all tournament participants, giving players, parents and coaches peace of mind so everyone can focus on enjoying the beautiful game.”
On the other hand, Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca spoke to the value of Demerara Mutual’s support.
Mendonca shared, “As coordinators of school football tournaments, we are delighted by this remarkable development, which will not only enhance the quality of our tournament but also improve welfare of our players.
This sponsorship is a testament to the value of youth sports and the effort to ensure that our players, who are the future of football, can play with confidence and peace of mind.”
“The insurance coverage is a crucial aspect of safeguarding of their health and well-being, which you know we are embarking on, allow-
ing them to focus entirely on what they love most, which is the
Project Cricket Gear: Apple benefits once again
Pugnacious left-handed national youth cricketer Shamar Apple, a young and talented player has benefited again from “Project Cricket Gear for young and promising cricketers in Guyana”, a noble initiative done jointly by Anil Beharry of Guyana and Kishan Das of the USA.
The 16-year-old wicketkeeper-batsman has already represented Guyana at the Under-15 level and is in the Under-17 team for this year’s championship. He was also recently selected to the national Under-19 squad for the 2025 tournament, a unique feat. Apple attends St Winefride’s Secondary School and plays at all levels for the Transport and General Sports Club. He was the recipient of a pair of batting gloves.
According to the programme’s organisers, Apple was very thankful for the pair of batting gloves and promised to continue to work hard on his game. They noted that the project was pleased to be part of the development of this special talent and promised to continue to support him as his career grows.
GDF and Iconic Strikers. GDF sailed to a huge 7-1 win over Avacado thanks to a helmet-trick from Glendy Lewis (13th, 19th, 20th, 21st); a double from Glengy Lewis (5th, 18th) and one from Jalade Trim in the 11th minute. Alejandro Mathura’s seventh minute strike was the only bright moment for the losers.
And, Iconic Strikers were again unstoppable as they recorded their second win in as many matches; this time they brushed aside Fearless 6-1. Tiandi Smith (3rd, 8th, 10th) led the victors with a hat-trick, complemented by a goal each from Amanda McKenzie (5th), Janelle Edmonson (20th) and Shontell Greene (24th).
The initiative will continue to strive to make every community a safer and better place. The facilitators noted that they are pleased to be part of the development of young cricketers in Guyana; “our aim is to keep them off the streets and get them actively involved in sports, cricket in particular”.
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, ninety-nine players, male and female, from all three counties of Guyana have benefited directly from cash, eight gear bags, two trophies, four arm guards, thirty-five bats, four boxes, six helmets, thirty- seven pairs of cricket shoes, twenty-one pairs of batting pads, twenty-five thigh pads, one bat grip, thirty-nine pairs of batting gloves, one pair of wicketkeeping pads and four pairs of wicketkeeping gloves with one pair of inners. Many others benefited indirectly. In addition, two clubs in the Pomeroon area benefited from two used bats. The Pomeroon, Leguan and Wakenaam Cricket Committees and Cotton Tree Die Hard also received one box of red cricket balls each; Cold Fusion Cricket Club thirteen coloured uniforms while RHCCCC received six boxes of balls, fifteen white cricket shirts, one pair of junior batting pads, one pair of wicket-keeping gloves, two sets of stumps and bails. Other beneficiaries are the Essequibo Cricket Board; the town of Lethem; Youth Coach Travis Persaud (one box of red cricket balls); male and female teams playing the traditional hardball and softball in the Upper Corentyne area; No 65 Young Titans (30 T-shirts), youths of Just Try Cricket Club; Wakenaam Cricket Academy
(one box of white balls); Shamar Joseph; Nehemiah Hohenkirk; Leguan Cricket Committee, Tucber Park Cricket Club, and Malteenoes Sports Club (nine cricket balls each); Kendall’s Union cricket club (twelve red balls); Lower Corentyne, Corentyne Comprehensive and JC Chandisingh Secondary Schools (twelve red balls each); Thaddeus Lovell (one pair of cricket shoes); GCC (two boxes of white cricket balls); Bush Lot United Sports Club (one box of red balls); West Demerara Cricket Association (one box of white balls) and Blairmont Cricket Club (one pair of batting pads, one cricket bat, one helmet and cricket balls). Cricket-related items, used or new, are distributed free of cost to young and promising cricketers in Guyana. Skill, discipline and education are important characteristics of the recipients. Talent spotting is being done across the country and club leaders also assist to identify same. Progressive and well-managed cricket clubs with a youth programme also benefit.
Shamar Apple displays his new pair of gloves
The players rocking the nets for LA Ballers
Demerara Mutual will provide Insurance coverage for players in Petraorganised tournaments this year, starting with the ExxonMobil U14
Demerara Mutual Sales and Marketing Coordinator Oceola Van Doimen
Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca
sport,” Mendonca continued.
The sixth ExxonMobil Boys’ and Girls’ U14 tournament is set to kick off next Saturday, June 14 with in excess of 50 teams from around the country competing for a $400,000 grand prize in both boys’ and girls’ competitions.
Guyana bow out of Women’s U20 Championships with 3rd loss
It was a disappointing end to their CONCACAF Women’s U20 Championships run for Guyana’s Under-20 Lady Jags, who signed off their 2025 campaign with a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Puerto Rico’s Women.
Several changes to the starting XI saw Captain Heike Clarke, goalkeeper Alexis Mars, Naomi Benjamin, Shareina Langevine, Jaida Tucker, Maliyah Gangadin, Sydney Glean, Liyah Menilek, Myanne Fernandes, Jayda Schoburgh and Se-Hanna Mars, taking first kick at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Costa Rica.
Ashley McMahon got the scoring started for Puerto Rico with a shot from 24 yards out in the fifth minute, escaping the grasp of Guyana’s keeper Mars. Just four minutes later, Estefania Gonzalez made
it a 2-0 affair, with a perfectly-placed header off a set piece from the corner.
In the 34th minute, Susana Roberts approached the goal with Mars off her line. Beating the keeper, Roberts took the
right- footed shot into the opposing corner of the net to give Puerto Rico a 3-0 lead at the half.
Gabriella Garnett gave the Guyanese side an unceremonious welcome to the second half with a rocket of a shot into the top of the net from some 30 yards out. Nine minutes later, Garnett followed up with a flat shot from a similar distance to complete her brace.
Guyana’s defences managed to hold on for some 15 minutes or so, but Puerto Rico resumed their relentless hunt in the dying minutes of the game. McMahon returned in the 85th minute to complete her brace with a shot from the edge of the six-yard box while Roberts brought up her second in the 90th+3 when her low shot seemed to be redirected away from the Guyanese goalkeeper.
As a result of the loss, Guyana’s U20 Lady Jags finished at the bottom of Group A in the Championships, not being able to secure any points while being burdened by a goal difference of -24. The top two finishers in the group will move on to the semi-finals and secure a spot in the FIFA 2026 Women’s U20 World Cup in Poland.
are finally IPL champions
Guyana’s U20 Lady Jags starting line-up on Tuesday