Guyana Times -Thursday, October 5, 2023.pdf

Liza 1 Project “flaring”

case

Evidence was “confusingly expressed”; applicants cherry-picked clauses – CJ

Acting Chief Justice Roxane George, SC, on Tuesday dismissed the case brought by Sinikka Henry, Sherlina Nageer and Andriska Thorington (the applicants) in which they claimed the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) broke the law when it decided to change the environmental permit issued for the Liza 1 Petroleum Development Project.

That permit was issued on May 15, 2021 to ExxonMobil (Guyana) Limited.

Additionally, they claimed the EPA's decision to impose a fee of US$30 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalents released as specified in the amended permit violated the polluter pays principle.

In responding to the claims, the EPA had maintained that its decision to modify the permit was made because the unmodified Liza 1 permit had only prohibited routine flaring. In that form, it did not go further to consider or regulate flaring, which was not routine, EPA submitted. Recognising this gap, the EPA said, it decided to modify the permit in order to clearly set out the conditions that would govern flaring that was not routine.

Further to this, the EPA put forward that it had moved to apply the polluter pays principle in order to re-

quire ExxonMobil (Guyana) to bear the cost of ensuring that the environment remained in an acceptable state, in keeping with section 4(4)(a) of the Environmental Protection Act, Cap 20:05 (EP Act).

The applicants, however, argued that the EPA’s decision was out of step with the Act, and would effectively “give rise to additional adverse effects”.

They therefore asked that the EPA’s decision to issue the modified permit be quashed, and that the modified permit be replaced with its previous version.

Lack of evidence

In dismissing the applicants’ case, Justice George, among other things, said the evidence they presented was

“confusingly expressed”, and consisted of a lot of opinions either advanced by them or stated to have been advised by their lawyers, Melinda Janki, Seenath Jairam SC, and Ronald Burch-Smith.

According to her, the applicants cherry-picked what they wanted to rely on to support their case, identifying and relying on clauses or parts in isolation.

“The documents have to be read holistically, and not by focusing on paragraphs that either modified or explained what was meant to be the standard,” noted the Chief Justice in her ruling.

In reviewing the facts and the evidence before her, Justice George recalled that during the course of the proceedings, the applicants abandoned several requested reliefs for lack of evidential bases. The Chief Justice also took note of the fact that, for the remaining reliefs requested, the applicants had adduced no evidence to substantiate same.

For instance, in paragraph 27 of her judgement, she noted, “There is no evidence that the modified EP [Environmental Permit] will cause additional adverse effects outside of the first applicant’s opinion in this regard”.

Moreover, at paragraph 48, the court clarified that “[t]he fact is that the EP [Environmental Protection]

Act provides for the polluter pays principle. This indicates that there is a recognition that there will be some adverse environmental effects which must be paid for…”

Consequently, the Chief Justice made the following conclusions: That the EPA’s act of issuing the modified environmental permit has not breached the Environmental Protection Act and the Regulations, nor has it been proven that the issuance of the said permit gave rise to, or has given rise to, an additional adverse effect on the environment.

That there is nothing in the law that prevents the issuance of a modified environmental permit; and that in this case, nothing on the facts rendered the issuance of the modified permit unlawful.

She also held that EPA’s implementation of the polluter pays principle in the modified environmental permit is in compliance with Section 4 (4) (a) of the Environmental Protection Act.

As such, the applica-

tion was dismissed, and the applicants have been ordered to pay $150,000 in costs to the EPA on or before November 3. No order as to costs was made in favour of ExxonMobil (Guyana), in keeping with the terms of the order that permitted the company to be added as a party.

Given her findings, the Chief Justice noted that this application should have been dismissed when it became clear that the applicants were not pursuing most of their claims, and/or had no evidential basis to support them all in relation to a purely academic point.

The EPA’s in-house attorneys, Frances Carryl, Shareefah Parks, and Niomi Alsopp, represented the EPA.

Edward Luckhoo, SC; Andrew Pollard, SC, and Gina Macedo-Singh represented the oil company.

EPA commits

Reacting to the court’s ruling, the EPA expressed, “As the EPA commits to

continue lawfully carrying out its functions, members of the public are encouraged to participate by making meaningful and intelligent contributions, in good faith, to its decision-making processes. In this way, the EPA is able to judiciously meet its mandate of ensuring the effective management of Guyana’s environment, as well as the sustainable use of its natural resources.”

The Liza Phase 1 development is approximately 190 kilometres offshore Guyana in water depths of 1,500 – 1,900 metres. The project includes a floating, production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel, which is currently producing more than 120,000 barrels of oil per day, with a storage capacity of up to 1.6 million barrels.

There are four drill centres, with 17 wells in total; eight oil-producing wells, six water injection wells, and three gas reinjection wells. (G1)

…ordered to pay EPA $150,000 in costs

Chief Justice (ag) Roxane George, SC

The Liza Destiny FPSO

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Thursday, October 5 –09:30h-10:30h and Friday, October 6 –22:00h-23:30h.

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:

Thursday, October 5 –08:25h-09:55h and Friday, October 6 – 09:45h-11:15h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

WEATHER TODAY

Sunny conditions are expected throughout the day, interrupted by mid-morning to lateafternoon thundery showers. Partly cloudy skies are expected at night. Temperatures should range between 25 degrees Celsius and 33 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to East South-Easterly between 1.78 metres and 4.47 metres.

High Tide: 08:08h and 20:17h reaching maximum heights of 2.25 metres and 2.29 metres.

Low Tide: 13:50h reaching a minimum height of 1.03 metres.

Costa Rica to provide technical support for Guyana’s coffee industry

…as Pres Ali given tour of Costa Rican coffee production, IICA HQ

food security, and support for building resilient economies in a sustainable manner in Guyana and the Caribbean.

Tour President Ali was also given a guided tour of the IICA Headquarters facilities in Costa Rica, where he witnessed innovative uses of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), when it is used for the agriculture sector to advance work and innovate technology.

LOTTERY NUMBERS

Costa Rica, which is currently hosting an official visit from President Dr. Irfaan Ali and his delegation, is expected to provide technical support to Guyana as it looks to grow its coffee industry and reach regional standards of quality and production.

This was one of several issues that President Ali discussed while in Costa Rica. The President also used the occasion to tour the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (ICAFE) in San José, where he was given a front row seat to the various processes that go into producing coffee blends, from cultivation to mixing.

“During his engagement with officials there, President Ali spoke of efforts to revitalise the local coffee industry, and said that Guyana will look to Costa Rica for support, especially through technical expertise,” a statement from the Office of the President said.

Government had also an-

nounced earlier this year that it would be partnering with both Brazil and India to establish nurseries across the country to revitalise the local coffee industry. Around the same time, the Government had also announced plans to attract investors to enhance the production of a number of high-value products in the Pomeroon region, including coffee.

Back in August 2022, it was reported that the Agriculture Ministry, in collaboration with the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), was set to restart coffee cultivation in the Pomeroon Region Two area. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha had explained that the goal was to supply the local coffee market within three years.

In fact, IICA is the very reason President Ali travelled to Costa Rica, where he flew to receive an award from the institute for his leadership in agricultural transformation,

Meanwhile, President Ali used the opportunity to invite the agency to participate in the upcoming Agri Investment Forum and Expo, slated for October 20 to 22. IICA’s Director General Manuel Otero gave President Ali the agency’s commitment to working with Guyana and the Caribbean region to elevate agriculture and food production.

The 2023 Agri Investment Forum and Expo is slated to

be held at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre. It will be celebrated under the theme “Achieving Vision 25 by 2025.” The expo is expected to see over 100 exhibitors, both local and international, showcasing their various agricultural products, equipment, and other services.

It is also expected that there will be strong participation from fellow Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Member States and organizations, foreign countries, and international agricultural organizations.

COP28

The upcoming 28th Conference of the Parties

to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) was also a topic of discussion when President Ali met with Costa Rica President Rodrigo Chaves Robles at the Presidential Palace in San José.

President Dr Irfaan Ali during his bilateral talks with Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles at the Presidential Palace in San José

The tour also took President Ali to the Coffee Institute of Costa Rica (ICAFE) in San José

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Email: news@guyanatimesgy.com, marketing@guyanatimesgy.com

October 5 synonymous with democracy

October 5th – a date synonymous with the “return of free and fair elections” to Guyana after the 28-year-long darkness of dictatorship through rigged elections by the People’s National Congress (PNC). It culminated a long struggle waged by Guyanese here and abroad, in which the international community was lobbied to help Guyanese to have their fundamental right to choose their government returned. The PNC fought these efforts tooth and nail, often through brutal means that included murder and assassination. While the world is aware about Dr Walter Rodney’s assassination because of his fame as a historian and his activism, he was only one of several killed among hundreds imprisoned and tortured.

But, so many years later in 2020, we were once again in the throes of fighting for democracy’s survival in our land, as the PNC remains hell-bent on refusing to accept the fundamental rule of democracy. To wit, that each vote should count, and that an agglomeration of the majority of votes of the populace confers the legitimacy for the winning party to govern on behalf of all the people. It blatantly attempted to rig the March 2, 2020 elections literally in front of the world – not via news reports, but directly by the representatives/observers of Caricom, the Commonwealth, the OAS, EU, US and other countries like India. They scrutinised both the count and recount that went to the Caribbean Court of Justice, but the PNC still insisted it won and the PPP was “illegally installed”.

Today is the 31st anniversary of the first free and fair general election in Guyana.

That day, October 5, 1992, under the scrutiny of international observers, led by former President of the United States of America, Jimmy Carter, a once-unimaginable change in government was effected through a democratic process. The significance of that day in the context of Guyana’s subsequent development must not be allowed to be diminished.

The end of an oppressive regime was realised on that day much to the delight of a wary nation and its beaten but not broken people.

What followed that date is historic as the nation subsequently experienced unprecedented development.

As the local landscape was being transformed, international respectability was restored and the nation reclaimed its place within that community. Its voice was heard; so were the voices of Guyanese. It was liberated following the political change that that October 5 precipitated, so much so that public criticism of government became routine; reflective of a democracy. With a newfound voice, a renewed mindset aided by the creation of enabling environments, poverty began to be reduced through job creation and eventually prosperity and self-empowerment were infused.

The have-nots got, as exemplified by the realisation of another dream; owning a home. Something as fundamental as a self-owned abode was beyond the reach of the masses prior to that historic October 5.

Guyanese from all strata of society were able to benefit as their once-broken nation was being rebuilt.

Phones were no longer for the ‘appeared privileged’ and public transportation was no longer a burden in the context of availability of the requisite vehicles.

A plethora of media outfits were established, predominantly electronic, and sales for appliances boomed. No longer could information be withheld aided by the Internet, Guyana comfortably slipped into the global village as real-time communication was achieved within that transformative period. Those who lived through both eras, 1964-1992 and post, would not only be in the best position to compare, but to best value what October 5, 1992 signifies.

Teenagers today have grown up in a society far more advanced than what their parents would have experienced. It is common knowledge that parents toil and make untold sacrifices to give their children a better life, but that can be rendered almost impossible in an era of oppression, shortages, and despondency. Whilst there was more to be done, the enabling environments created as a result of October 5, 1992, allowed Guyanese to not only realise dreams, but to dream bigger.

Every country has various dates of significance. For Guyana, May 26, 1966, was when the shackles of colonialism were unchained; February 23, 1970 heralded a republic. What is significant of October 5, 1992? It returned freedom and dignity, restored respect and self-worth and made the unachievable achievable.

Power-generation budgetary allocation/ capital expenditure (2011-2023)

Dear Editor,

The energy sector is under severe constraints, owing to the lack of capital investments over the years coupled with strong growing demand. Consequently, the country is experiencing a spate of power outages. The Government understands that it is critical that the necessary intervention is made with alacrity, focusing on short-term remedy while pursuing the longer-term energy transformation agenda; inter alia, the gas-to-energy project, hydropower (Amaila), and investment in other renewable energy sources over the medium-to-long term.

However, it is important for the nation to be aware of the background that led to the situation the sector is in today. Indeed, it is not just the lack of timely investments in the sector over the years. One would recall that the incumbent Government, in its previous term (pre2015), proposed the Amaila Falls Hydro Power project in 2011 (twelve years ago), aimed at increasing the power-generation capacity as well as reduction in the cost of energy. Unfortunately, the Government at that time was a minority Government, whereas the combined political Opposition controlled the National Assembly by way of a one-seat majority. Notably, the challenges experienced under this political dispensation led to snap elections in 2015.

For the years 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 & 2015, the original budgetary allocations for

capital expenditure were as follows:

• FY 2011 - $11.1 billion,

FY 2012 - $18.5 billion,

FY 2013 - $27.7 billion,

FY 2014 - $21 billion, and

FY 2015 - $2.3 billion.

These allocations were then reduced via cuts imposed by the political Opposition to the following:

FY 2011 - $8 billion,

FY 2012 - $6.8 billion,

FY 2013 - $6.7 billion,

FY 2014 - $4.2 billion, and

FY 2015 - $732 million.

Altogether, the budgetary cuts amounted to $52.6

billion to the capital budget towards power generation for the period 20112015. Those cuts were made by the combined political Opposition using their oneseat majority in the National Assembly. These allocations were largely associated with the proposed Amaila Falls Hydro Power project that was introduced in 2011.

Following the snap elections in 2015, which resulted in a change of Government, that Government that was responsible for the imposition of budgetary cuts for the period 2011-2015, as the political opposition, also failed to make any major capital investment in the energy sector. To this end, the capital budgets for the period 2016 – 2019 were as follows:

FY 2016 - $3.3 billion, FY 2017 - $3.4 billion,

FY 2018 - $2.9 bil-

lion, and • FY 2019 - $4.3 billion.

In 2020, the capital budget by the incumbent administration towards the sector amounted to $12.6 billion, nearly three times the 2019 budget; and in 2022 and 2023, the capital allocation amounted to $24.3 billion and $50.6 billion respectively. These allocations were largely in relation to the transformational gas-to-energy project, the longer-term investment which is projected to be completed by 2025.

Evidently, the entire country is now suffering the adverse effects of the irresponsible actions of the combined political Opposition over the last 12 years, including when they were in Government during this period for five years.

Yours respectfully, Joel

Bhagwandin

Guyana’s First Lady, Arya Ali was hosted by First Lady of Costa Rica, Signe Zeikate, for coffee at the Museo de Arte Costarricense (Museum of Costa Rican Art). First son Zayd Ali accompanied his mother (Office of the First Lady photo)

The chart above illustrates the capital expenditure and budgetary allocation for power generation for the period 2011-2023 [Source: Author/Budget Estimates/Speeches]

NPTAB explains process of awarding contract to Tepui

Dear Editor, The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) wishes to explain again that it follows the systems, processes and procedures enshrined in the Procurement Act and its regulations in the awarding of contracts. These include, inter alia, the following:

* Public advertisement of all tenders, public opening of bids (in fact, NPTAB is singular in that it opens and reads all bids in full view of bidders and the public at large, both in-person and virtually), and the evaluation of bids by a three-person independent evaluation team. The bidding documents contain the criteria to be used for the assessment of the win-

ning bidder (which does not prescribe any role for the gender, race, religion, or political persuasion of the bidder). The evaluators are required to apply the evaluation criteria, and that alone, as the basis for its recommendation to the Board, and the Board’s award is subject to a no-objection of Cabinet, if the value of the award is above G$15 million.

* In any bid, there are administrative, technical and financial criteria to be followed, which are assessed by the Evaluation Committee in making its recommendation to NPTAB. These criteria are all fully enshrined in the specific tender documents applicable to the specific procurement, whether for goods, works or services.

* For clarity, administrative compliance includes provision of a valid business registration, valid Guyana Revenue Authority and National Insurance Scheme compliances, applicable bid security, signed bid form by the authorized representative of the firm, and any other document required by the bid document. Noncompliance with any of these would result in the bid not being considered for further evaluation.

* Arithmetic check is then conducted to correct any discrepancy. This may result in the actual bid price being different from what was called at the opening of the bid.

* A key aspect of the evaluation process entails assessing technical and fi-

nancial capacity. This includes that the bidder demonstrates specific construction experience and evidence of financial capacity.

* Additionally, bidders must meet the stated equipment and human resources requirements in the bid document.

* Finally, bidders who have three (3) or more outstanding contracts from any public sector agency will not be considered for award. An outstanding contract is one where more than 20% of the value of the contract is not completed as per original contract deadline for final completion.

Specifically, with regards to the construction of the Belle Vue Pump Station project, twenty-six

Speaker used and then refused

Dear Editor,

After 15 rounds of voting, and in less than a year, Speaker Kevin McCarthy has been booted in an unprecedented revolt, even supported by that side of the House he struck a deal with to avoid a Government shutdown. Politics is strange.

The minority side of the House refused to res-

cue him, even though the former Speaker assisted the Government in avoiding the ignominy of a shutdown. Was it a case of the speaker being used to achieve an end and then cast aside? Hell hath no fury like a speaker scorned!

The lessons from this ordeal are many. Chief among them are: the minority side aided the gar-

nering of votes needed to oust the speaker. He was used and then refused.

Secondly, the invoking of a compromise to gain the speakership back in January came back to haunt. Be careful of promises made to gain office.

Thirdly, no one is indispensable. You are put there to serve; to do otherwise would be detrimental.

Over here, the side that recently sojourned to Washington should take note of the ingratitude meted out to the former speaker by the minority, as it collaborated and used its minority-majority to ensure he was voted out of the office of speaker.

Sincerely, Shamshun

Mohamed

(26) companies tendered for that project. Thirteen (13) bids were deemed non-responsive, and were therefore not considered for award. Of the thirteen (13) substantially responsive and compliant bids, the lowest-priced responsive bid was awarded the Meeten-Meer- Zorg Pump Station, while the second lowest responsive bid was awarded the Jimbo/Grove Pump Station. Tepui was the third lowest-priced responsive bidder, and was awarded the Belle Vue Pump Station.

Clearly, therefore, merely looking at the bid price announced at the opening of the bid cannot be used to adjudge the winning bidder; and, worst yet, be used to impugn the integrity of the evaluation process and subsequent award of the contract.

As such, the views expressed by Mr. Mahipaul in his recent letter to the Kaieteur News, and the views expressed by the subsequent Editorial of the said Kaieteur News, are without merit and are not based on any fact. They are whimsical and apparently fanciful political gimmickry. Both views contradict themselves in that they both acknowledge that the rules governing an award are not nec-

essarily an award to the lowest priced bid, yet they queried the award to a bid that was not the lowest priced bid without any recourse to the detailed evaluation process. In accordance with the standard procedure, an award is made to the lowest priced RESPONSIVE bid.

Responsiveness in this regard is subject to the stated criteria in the bidding document. Nothing else!!!

It is farfetched and indeed malicious for both views to cast aspersions on the integrity of the evaluation process or NPTAB, when clearly no evidence is forthcoming of any mis-procurement.

Subject to the award of any contract, and in accord with provisions in the Procurement Act, any bidder can appeal an award, subject to it being done in the specified form and manner. NPTAB is not in receipt of any appeal to its award from any bidder. And were there to be an appeal, it would be dealt with in the prescribed manner consistent with the law.

Sincerely, National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)

Test Questions

a) Jai bought 4 different items from the list shown below. Two of the items cost the same amount. He paid with $200.00.

Wednesday’s answers

1a) 3 x ÷ 1

First, do the multiplication part of the problem:

3 x

Step 1: Convert the mixed number to an improper fraction:

3 x = x

Step 2: Multiply the numerators of the fractions to get the new numerator, and multiply the denominators of the fractions to get the new denominator:

x = =

Step 3: Set up the division part of the sum:

3 x ÷ 1 = ÷ 1 (since the result of 3 x = )

First, convert the mixed number to an improper fraction:

÷ Step 4: To divide any fraction by a fraction, multiply the first fraction by the reciprocal of the second fraction:

If Jai received $23.60 change, what four items did he buy?

a) Mia received some pocket money. She spent of it on food and of the remaining amount on stationery. She saved the rest of the money.

i) What fraction of her money did Mia spend on stationery?

ii) If Mia saved $28.00, how much pocket money did she receive?

Animals hide and use camouflage as an important tactic to survive and avoid predators. In this fun and easy animal science experiment, we are going to demonstrate the effectiveness of camouflage and hopefully provide some understanding into how it helps animals hide.

Materials:

8 sheets of construction paper, 2 apiece of 4 different colours Scissors

A friend

Instructions:

Take one sheet of each colour of construction paper. Cut each sheet into 2-inch-by-2-inch square pieces. Ask your friend to come over and have them close their eyes. Place the coloured squares onto one of the large sheets of construction paper. Have your friend open their eyes.

Specify a colour that is not the colour of the big piece of construction paper and give them five seconds to pick out as many squares as they can in the allotted

÷ = x = =

Step 5: Simplify the resulting fraction if necessary: = 1 = 1

bi)

$90.75 = 75% of original price

75% = Original price = $90.75 ÷ 75 x 100 = $121

bii) Paul buys 10 books @ $90.75 each

So, the total cost of the books = $90.75 x 10 = $907.5

VAT = 16%

16% = = 0.16

Total amount paid = cost of books + VAT ( which is 16% of cost of books)

= $907.5 + ($907.5 x 0.16)

= $907.5 + ($145.2) = $1052.7

time. Now try again, this time give them five seconds, but choose the colour that matches the large piece of construction paper.

How it works:

Camouflage is a tactic animals use to blend in with their surroundings. This animal science experiment is designed to demonstrate the difference in identifying items that do not blend in with their surroundings, as opposed to those that do blend in with their surroundings.

Make this a science project: Use some white animal bedding for hamster cages and hide several cotton balls inside. Add some coloured pompoms and other similar sized and coloured items to the bedding. Give a friend an allotted amount of time to recover items from the bedding. Keep a record of the amount and type of items found. Now try again, but this time tell your friend to only search for cotton balls. Does this affect the number of cotton balls recovered? (sciencefun.org)

BY HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW

I stood on the bridge at midnight, As the clocks were striking the hour, And the moon rose o’er the city, Behind the dark church-tower.

I saw her bright reflection In the waters under me, Like a golden goblet falling And sinking into the sea.

And far in the hazy distance Of that lovely night in June, The blaze of the flaming furnace Gleamed redder than the moon.

Among the long, black rafters The wavering shadows lay, And the current that came from the ocean Seemed to lift and bear them away; As, sweeping and eddying through them, Rose the belated tide, And, streaming into the moonlight, The seaweed floated wide.

And like those waters rushing Among the wooden piers, A flood of thoughts came o’er me That filled my eyes with tears.

How often, O, how often, In the days that had gone by, I had stood on that bridge at midnight And gazed on that wave and sky!

How often, O, how often, I had wished that the ebbing tide Would bear me away on its bosom O’er the ocean wild and wide!

WORD SEARCH

Legislation to deal with honey roadblock before T&T Parliament – diplomat

…says trade to be resolved by year end

Years of battling with hinderances to the transshipment of certain products, such as honey, into Trinidad and Tobago could soon come to an end with the relevant legislation currently before the Parliament of the twin-island Republic to resolve the decade-old issue.

The Guyanese private sector has for years been lamenting about the various trade barriers in place by Trinidad, which serves to block Guyanese exports to that market, and which are not being adequately addressed by the Caribbean Community’s (Caricom’s) Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED).

Currently, Trinidad and Tobago’s honey and bee products are guided by the country’s archaic Food and Drug Act of 1960 and Beekeeping and Bee Products Act of 1935. According to the Beekeeping and Bee Products Act, only

honey from the Windward and Leeward Islands can be transshipped to the twin-island Republic – something which CARICOM Member States Guyana and Grenada have long been arguing goes against the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas.

However, Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Conrad Enil, has underscored the need for the regional bloc to effectively deal with non-tariff barriers that impede trade among member states, noting that his country is already taking a step in this direction by moving to resolve the honey issue.

“The legislation to deal with the honey issue is now before the Parliament, so that issue should be dealt with before the end of this year,” Enil said on Wednesday at a seminar hosted for a visiting trade mission from Trinidad and Tobago.

The Trinidadian dip-

lomat made this remark in response to comments made by Guyana’s Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud. Addressing the seminar, Persaud noted that Guyana has always been pushing for unhindered market access within Trinidad and Tobago. He pointed out that while Guyana has been working on addressing these challenges, and has made some progress, there are still outstanding issues in terms of accessing the array of the Trinidad and Tobago market.

“…our exporters complain about. Take, for instance, we’ve had the issue since 2013 of honey being exported [to Trinidad from Guyana being hindered]. We’ve had outstanding issues of pharmaceutical, where things are a bit vague and you’re not clear as to how it is that our pharmaceutical procurers can access Trinidad and Tobago markets,” Persaud said.

“But there are a few people in this room who will tell you that they have difficulties in exporting their products and produce from Guyana. And we’ve always been consistent, we’ve always been fully committed under the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas, and in our commitment in terms of having an area in which we can have not only free movement [of people], but also free movement of goods and services within our Caricom space,” Persaud stated.

As recently as in June, President Dr Irfaan Ali had reassured that the issues of honey trade between Guyana and Trinidad would be resolved.

“This is the challenge of being in the region, you can’t give up. We have to have hope that it will change. I think there is a mood now, my own opinion is that there is a mood in the region now to have these trade barriers and these challenges addressed, and I am very confident that that mood could bring us results,” the Head of State had told reporters on the sidelines of a high-level regional Agriculture Ministerial meeting held in Georgetown.

The Guyanese Leader had noted that he even had discussions on this matter, and his Trinidadian counterpart, Prime Minister Keith Rowley, had committed to having it addressed.

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Persaud went on to highlight, during Wednesday’s seminar, the “alarming” widening of trade deficits between

Guyana and Trinidad, especially as it relates to manufactured goods. While exports from Trinidad have increased by as much as US$100 million per annum in recent years, exports from Guyana to the island is just about US$100 million for the 2020-2022 period.

Nevertheless, Persaud outlined the scope in Guyana for the two nations to partner, especially in the area of manufacturing.

“We know that Trinidad and Tobago has a very thriving and a very mature manufacturing sector… We want Trinidad and Tobago manufacturers to look at Guyana as a place in which they should establish their

industries, their manufacturing facilities, to not only supply the Guyanese market, but also the huge market that exists within South America… and that tremendous growing, opening market in Northern Brazil that exists,” he said.

“So, I want to encourage and to implore that the time is right, and the time has now come for us to see less exports from Trinidad and Tobago to Guyana by manufacturers, but rather see manufacturers coming and establishing partnerships, basing their facilities here, particularly in the area of food production and the other range [of industries],” the Foreign Secretary posited. (G8)

Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud

Trinidad and Tobago’s High Commissioner to Guyana, Conrad Enil

Mahaica man remanded over Nabaclis fatal accident

Days after an 18-year-old man died after the car in which he was travelling became involved in an accident at Nabaclis, East Coast Demerara (ECD), the driver of that vehicle has been charged.

At the Cove and John Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, Muniram Rajnarine, 28, of Lot 89 Belmonte Mahaica ECD, was read a charge alleging that, on October 1, he drove motorcar PAC 3435 in a manner dangerous to the public, thereby causing the death of Ganesh Mahabal.

The accused has been remanded to prison until November 14.

According to information received, the accident occurred at about 02:04h on Sunday last, when the car driven by Rajnarine

collided with a light pole along the Nabaclis Public Road.

Reports are that the car was heading east along the northern driving lane of the road, and while ne-

gotiating a right turn, the driver lost control, resulting in a collision with the light pole on the northern parapet.

The impact of that accident caused the driver and front seat passenger to be ejected from the vehicle even as the vehicle toppled into a drain on the northern parapet, trapping the three other passengers in the back seat.

Those three are Mahendra Ramnarine, 17, of Supply, Mahaica; Mark Thomas, 18, also of Supply, Mahaica; and Vickey Seeram, 32, of Chelsea Park, Mahaica.

With the help of public-spirited citizens, the motor car was extracted from the drain and placed on the northern parapet. Emergency services arrived, and all five individuals were placed

Remember… …Oct 5?

Today’s the 31st anniversary of the day Guyana moved from the darkness of a dictatorship into the light of democracy. It’s a day no Guyanese should ever forget - nor take for granted. While there is always a multiplicity of factors that shape a country’s history, we know, to our cost, that ours was primarily due to a confluence of the ambitions of one Guyanese leader and the arrogance of one superpower leader that plunged us over the precipice. The Guyanese leader was Forbes Burnham; the superpower leader was the USA’s John F. Kennedy, and the context was the Cold War between the USA and the USSR.

in an ambulance and rushed to Georgetown Public Hospital (GPHC), where Mahabal, of Lot 1 Belmont, Mahaica, was pronounced dead on arrival. (G1)

Today we’re beyond the cusp of a new Cold War – this time between the USA and China. So maybe we can learn a thing or two from our first tango?? We were moseying along very well, thank you - weaseling our way into independence from the Brits to wend our way in the world on our own. Up came Castro, who embarrassed the newly-elected JFK by repelling a US-backed invasion to overthrow him for his communist proclivities. Now, JFK had been accused by the anti-communist Nixon of being “soft on commies” - so when Jagan didn’t clearly declare that he wasn’t a “fellow traveller”, everyone but him knew his goose was cooked!

The Yanks had read the ambitious Burnham - who’d already tried three times to replace Jagan as the PPP leader – as willing to “tack and turn” with every breeze that could fill his sail. And so it was, when Burnham went up to Washington, he told the Americans what they wanted to hear (“I’ll do whatever you want, boss”!!); a few riots were fomented by the CIA in Georgetown, some money was passed to build up the PNC, and Burnham was in!! From there on, he took matters into his own hands, and found ways to rig elections until he croaked!!

Now, in this new Cold War, America’s already fired some salvos at the Chinese – not missiles, but sanctions, this time around!! – and Guyana, with its newly discovered oil, is again on the Americans’ radar!! Thing is, the PNC was in office when the oil was discovered, they gave the US oil giant Exxon the sweetheart deal of an oil contract for the millennium – but yet they were voted out!! Your Eyewitness thinks it’s because they tried Burnham’s rig manoeuvre without the Americans’ approval – but this time, commie Jagan wasn’t the alternative!! This PPP wasn’t shy about signalling they knew which side their bread was buttered!!

And the PNC’s goose was cooked!! They cussed out the Yanks for “installing” the PPP – but yet went up to Washington last week to install THEM!

Go figure!!

…our food future

Today, Pres Ali’s receiving an award from the InterAmerican Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) conference in Costa Rica - for “Leadership in Food Security and Sustainable Development”. Now, while of course it’s a personal award for the President’s indefatigable efforts to push the boundaries of our agro-potential within our region, it’s also a recognition of our country’s capability to go far beyond the Caribbean to help feed a world in which “food insecurity” is unfortunately becoming an everyday expression.

While we have a vast landmass of 83,000 square miles, 90% of our population live on the narrow coast that was carved out from mangrove swamps by the Dutch two centuries ago. These lands remain uniquely fertile, but in our interior are vast savannahs in which massive amounts of food can be produced with the appropriate treatment –which we can now afford, due to our oil revenues.

Even our highland regions have the potential to produce crops that demand cooler climes. The sky’s literally the limit for our food potential!!

…March 2, 2020

On this day that we celebrate the return of democracy, let’s remember that the PNC and their enablers are fully prepared to drag us back into the dark ages of election rigging. Beware the riggers!!

Remanded: Muniram Rajnarine

Dead: Ganesh Mahabal

3 students brutally attacked, 2 robbed, 2 stabbed

In two separate incidents this week, three students became victims of brutal violence, leaving their families in distress.

On Tuesday, about 19:45h on Diamond Access Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD), two teenagers aged 15 and 16 were assaulted and robbed by five men.

The 16-year-old bore the brunt of the aggression since he was punched and stabbed multiple times with an ice pick while the suspects snatched his Samsung S21 valued at $85,000. Simultaneously, the 15-year-old fell victim to the attackers, losing his iPhone 7 worth $68,000, his backpack, and $200. Reports are that the teenagers had just finished lessons and were walking

One of the students who were attacked

along the Diamond Access Road when they were confronted by five male juveniles.

The victims, shaken and injured, promptly in -

formed their parents and later reported the incident at the Golden GroveDiamond Police Station about 20:45h.

In another inci -

Essequibo Coast businessman accused of child rape surrenders

submitted for legal advice in preparation for the next steps in the legal process.

Authorities have underscored the seriousness of the charges by highlighting the maximum penalty for child rape – life imprisonment – as they emphasised the severe consequences awaiting the accused if proven guilty.

dent that unfolded on Wednesday at the Route 45 Bus Park, Stabroek, a student from Richard Ishmael Secondary School fell victim to a merciless attack, enduring multiple stabbings with a pair of scissors.

The suspect's identity and motive remain unknown. The victim's mother, after the incident, said she was very angry about the situation and demanded decisive action. She called on the Guyana Police Force to apprehend the attacker and emphasised the need for charges.

(G9)

A60-year-old businessman accused of engaging in sexual activity with a 13-yearold family member from the Essequibo Coast, Region Two (PomeroonSupenaam), surrendered himself to the Police in that Regional Division on Wednesday.

Accompanied by legal representation, the suspect

223-7230-1

(Ext 55)

presented himself to the Police around 11:37h on Wednesday.

Having completed all other aspects of the investigation, the Police said they would now finalise the case file, which would be

While the accused's surrender is a significant step forward in the ongoing investigation, law enforcement officers are ensuring every detail is documented. Investigations are ongoing. (G9)

3 Judges assigned to hear 277 cases

Members of the Guyanese Judiciary, including the Chief Justice and the legal fraternity, dressed in their court attire on Tuesday and walked within the precinct of the High Court in Demerara for the ceremonial opening of the Criminal Assizes for October.

Assizes are courts that sit at intervals in each county to administer criminal law.

The assizes ceremony has been a European custom since medieval times.

The judiciary and legal community in Guyana have upheld the tradition, which was brought from the United Kingdom to its col-

onies throughout the 17th century. There are four assizes for the year in the county of Demerara. For the October session, 277 matters, the majority of which are for sexual offences, have been listed for trial before three Judges: Justices Jo-Ann Barlow, Navindra Singh and Simone Morris-Ramlall. Two of the three Judges will do regular criminal matters, while one of them has been assigned exclusively to the Sexual Offences Court.

The ceremonial march past was done by ranks of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), and Justice Barlow inspected the Guard of Honour to mark the commencement of

the new session.

Demerara usually has more cases than the other counties because it covers a larger geographical and populated area. Demerara includes Georgetown, East Coast of Demerara, East Bank of Demerara, West Coast of Demerara, West Bank of Demerara, Linden, Rupununi, and North West Magisterial districts.

During an interview shortly after the opening, Registrar of the Supreme Court of Judicature, Sueanna Lovell, explained that the ceremony signifies that the criminal court is “open for business”, and that everybody who has found themselves in conflict with

the law would have their cases heard in a timely manner by competent judicial officers.

Lovell, a former Magistrate.

She added, “And so it is important to the judiciary to complete matters in

“alacrity” the appointment of judicial officers. There are also cases for murder, attempt to commit

“We try as far as possible to get as many cases heard in each session as we possibly can. Admittedly, on our criminal side, we have a bit of a backlog because of the paucity of resources in terms of human resources. Our Judges are not many, and criminal matters do not stop coming because we don’t have Judges,” said

an efficient and timely manner. Every time we open the assizes, it is a signal to the public that we are working to try to get ahead of the criminal matters that we have on our roster.”

Lovell revealed that the members of the recently appointed Judicial Service Commission (JSC) are meeting and considering with

murder, and manslaughter. There are also a few more cases for wounding with intent, abduction with intent to hold for ransom, robbery under arms, trafficking in narcotics, obtaining money by false pretence, conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit murder, and accessory after the fact to murder. (G1)

…“We have a bit of a backlog because of the paucity of human resources” – Registrar

Scenes from Tuesday’s ceremonial opening of the Demerara October Criminal Assizes

Student strangled until unconscious at Friendship Secondary

Adistressing incident that unfolded on Tuesday at the Friendship Secondary School on the East Bank of Demerara (EBD), when a student was strangled into unconsciousness with a rope during a school sports activity, has sparked widespread outrage and raised serious concerns about student safety within that school’s premises.

In an interview with this publication on Wednesday, the child’s father, Sheik Bacchus, expressed dismay that his 13-year-old son had been choked into unconsciousness. He said the teachers and fellow students seemed oblivious to the incident.

“Your child goes to school and comes home like this, and the teachers and students didn’t see how or who choked him with a rope until he fainted. He was standing under a shed with other students and teachers,

and he said all he felt was something around his neck choking him,” Bacchus related.

“After he fainted, the school called his grandmother, who then informed me. They took him to Diamond Diagnostic Hospital. When I started to inquire, the students and teachers claimed they didn’t know. But I believe someone is hiding something or covering for somebody, because how can so many children and teachers be there and not notice a child being strangled?” he asked.

“They found the rope on the ground afterward…I believe it had to be a bigger student. He even told me he had no problem with anyone in the school,” this father related.

Guyana Times has learnt that the matter has been reported to the Education Ministry and the Child Protection Agency.

The child’s parents told this publication that they are anxiously awaiting the results of the investigation, and are demanding swift action to identify the assailant and ensure the safety of all students.

This incident has triggered anger and demands for accountability within the school administration. Concerned parents are urging the school and relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation, take decisive action against the perpetrator, and implement stringent measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Over the past few months, there has been a surge in school bullying incidents in Guyana. Recently, a 14-year-old male student of the Campbellville Secondary School was caught on camera being brutally attacked by another student from the same school. That at-

3 accused deny killing elderly EBE couple

The child’s neck after being strangled at school

tacker repeatedly kicked and stomped on the victim’s head and body in a display of violence.

Prior to this incident, a video was circulated on social media showing a female student of the same school being physically assaulted by her classmate on September 9, 2023.

In response, the

Education Ministry issued a statement emphasizing that students found in breach of the Ministry of Education’s Policy on the Maintenance of Order and Discipline in schools would face sanctions, including expulsion, suspension, and mandatory psychosocial counselling.

“The Ministry of Education will not condone

any form of violence in our schools. The Ministry remains committed to ensuring that students can be in a safe and conducive learning environment. Additionally, the Ministry will continue its sensitisation campaigns in schools on issues relating to bullying and other (undisciplined) behaviours,” the statement said. (G9)

Three men accused of killing an elderly rice-farming couple on the East Bank Essequibo (EBE) in 2016 have been arraigned before Justice JoAnn Barlow at the Demerara High Court on Wednesday, October 4, 2023.

Joel Blair; Shamudeen Mohamed, also known as “Milo”; and Jason Howard, also known as “Smelly”, are accused of murdering Mohamed Munir and his wife Bibi Munir on April 17, 2016 at Good Hope, EBE during the course of an arson in relation to a dwelling house.

After the joint murder charge was read to them, each of these defendants entered a not-guilty plea. Their trial commenced on Wednesday morning with a voir dire.

These three accused are being defended by a group of attorneys under the direction of Nigel Hughes. Senior State Counsel Nafeeza Baig and other State counsel are the prosecutors.

Former well-known rice growers Mohamed Munir (75) and his wife Bibi Munir

(69) were locked in their bedroom when a break-in attempt was made on their heavily-grilled house on

cylinder into the house, and that caused a huge explosion that set the house on fire, even as they then made good

April 17, 2026. The elderly couple, who were reportedly asleep, were awakened by noises, and were later ordered out of their bedroom by several males.

However, after the couple failed to comply with those orders, the perpetrators set a sofa in the home alight after tossing a fuel

their escape.

Attempts by neighbours to rescue the couple, who were heard and seen screaming for help from a grilled window of their home, proved futile. Their charred remains were discovered together after the blaze was doused.

(G1)

Dead: Mohamed Munir and his wife Bibi Munir

From L-R: Jason Howard, Shamudeen Mohamed, and Joel Blair

Mahdia CoI

Lack of equipment, trained personnel hindered Mahdia Fire Station’s response

…no fire alarm, no exit signs, no smoke detectors – fire inspection report

The public hearings of the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the fatal Mahdia dormitory fire continued on Wednesday, with Officerin-Charge of the Mahdia Fire Station, Ryan Scott revealing a number of deficiencies within the Fire Station’s operations.

As he recounted the events of the fateful day – May 21, 2023, Scott explained that there were only three trained firefighters working at the Fire Station, as opposed to the required complement of five.

This team of three was instead supplemented by a number of auxiliary firefighters, who are persons trained by the Guyana

Fire Service (GFS) to aid in responding to fires, as well as off-duty firefighters.

Prepared shortly after the tragic fire, Scott’s After-Action Report had further identified several challenges encountered while responding to the fire, noting concerns with the 11-year-old fire truck and a lack of water bowsers – water carriers of 2500-3000 gallons; breathing apparatus and breaking-in tools.

Despite putting in requests to receive these additional tools and to rectify issues with the truck, the Mahdia Fire Station has remained largely underequipped while the truck has seen only a select few im -

provements.

Scott explained that the responding team and civilians had to use a tree branch to create an opening in the dormitory and established a rescue path by using a water jet, thereby initially saving between 26 and 28 persons.

After three minutes of use within this operation, however, the water tank containing 450 gallons of water had been emptied, forcing Scott to find alternative water sources.

“There was a mobile pump on the fire truck. I took it off and gave it to the auxiliary personnel and off-duty firefighters to proceed to a trench that was probably about 600 feet away from the fire

scene and I then took a fire truck and went about two miles away to shuttle water to continue the firefighting operation,” Scott said.

Having returned with another 450 gallons of water, the team sought to establish a cut-off point, so as to prevent further spread of the fire.

The fire was completely extinguished around 03:00h the following day, with the nearby drain being the main source of water as the team used the mobile pump and a number of delivery hoses accordingly.

Yet, despite these challenges, when asked if the Fire Station was in a position to effectively respond to the fire, Scott maintained that they were, and that their response was more so hindered as they were informed of the fire 15 minutes after it began.

The Officer-in-Charge, however, agreed that the Fire Station’s response could have been better if the team had received equipment, including breaking-in tools and water bowsers, which he was reminded was included in his After-Action Report.

Wednesday’s proceedings had also revealed that the Mahdia Fire Station did not have a designated phone number and persons in need are instead directed to call Scott’s cellphone or 912 where they would be routed to Fire Services in Georgetown, who would subsequently inform their Mahdia counterparts.

Since the tragic fire, there are now two numbers specifically assigned to the Station– 510-9950 and 510-9951.

Meanwhile, the Mahdia Fire Station is now

equipped with breaking-in tools, including a sledge hammer and an axe, and work continues on the fire truck to boost its operation.

Additionally, nine persons are currently being trained to effectively respond to fires in Mahdia.

Fire inspection report

Months prior to the tragic fire, Scott had also prepared a fire inspection report, upon the request of the Georgetown Divisional Officer, Clive McDonald, where he indicated a lack of fire prevention measures within the building.

“No fire alarm systems were provided for the buildings, no fire detection systems were provided for the building, grilles were seen on all windows, no exit signs were provided, three fire extinguishers were provided for the building, no smoke detectors were provided for the building,” Counsel Keoma Griffith said, reading Scott’s report.

“You observed that the absence of all of these things was a threat to life and safety,” Griffith confirmed with Scott.

Despite submitting this report to Divisional Officer McDonald and Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wicham as well as the Regional Education Department Officer, Scott noted that no changes were made to improve the dormitory’s fire prevention practices.

However, Scott stated that he conducted a training session on the use of the fire extinguishers using the PASS (Pull, Aim, Squeeze, and Sweep) method at the Mahdia Secondary School for students and teachers. (G13)

Officer-in-Charge at the Mahdia Fire Station, Ryan Scott indicating steps taken to respond to the fatal dorm fire

Guyana’s investment climate an exciting one – Jamaican Stock Exchange official

…lauds Guyana’s commitment to regional integration

Guyana came in for high praise on Tuesday, during day one of the capital markets and investment conference, with Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, Dr. Marlene Street-Forrest, noting the “exciting times” in Guyana, as well as its commitment to regional integration.

The first Regional Investments and Capital Markets Conference was held at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre on October 3 and 4. It focused on themes such as wealth creation and retention, and featured a number of speakers, including experts and investors.

The Jamaica Stock Exchange, which was integrally involved in organizing the conference, was

represented by StreetForrest, who noted the important role Guyana is playing at a regional level (Caribbean Community) and at an international level (United Nations). She noted that when one considers Guyana’s present and past, it bodes well for the future.

“There’s no doubt that Guyana is going through an exciting time, an exciting time that promises to be fulfilling and fruitful for those involved. But the future alone is not what makes me feel positive and confident about Guyana’s plans and development. Rather, it is the past, because the past reveals the future,” she said.

“When we look at Guyana’s past, we see a history of commitment to

cooperation and teamwork across the region and the globe, from Caricom to UN development programmes. We know Guyana has a strong commitment for regional integration and in-

Costa Rica to provide technical...

During the meeting, they discussed their mutual interest in tourism, energy security, and food security. Further, President Ali expressed his government's commitment to collaborate with Costa Rica to enhance Guyana's eco-tourism industry.

“Dr Ali also plans to work closely with President Robles on forests, environmental conservation and climate issues at COP 28,” the release from the Office of the President laid out.

To be held from November 30 to December 12, COP28 will provide a platform for world leaders, ministers and negotiators to develop solutions to ad-

President Ali during the tour of IICA HQ

dress climate change. At the previous COP27, which was held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt in December of last year, one outcome was the

setting up of a climate fund for poorer and more vulnerable countries, which would constitute “loss and damage” funding. (G3)

ternational cooperation. This is the trait for success in any capital market,” Street-Forrest said.

The Managing Director further noted Guyana’s long-standing relations with Jamaica, and the various causes the two countries have collaborated on. According to her, however, Guyana and Jamaica now have another reason to collaborate, this time to ensure the development of Guyana’s capital market.

“Through Caricom, we have jointly addressed regional issues such as trade agreements, econom-

ic development and regional security. Through the Commonwealth, we have met on various initiatives regarding democracy, human rights and sustainable development; and through various diplomatic forums, we have collaborated on borders, shared interests and concerns,” she said.

During the investments and capital markets conference, business leaders and Jamaican financial experts shared their insights on investing. The conference this year was hosted by Guyana, in association with the Jamaica Stock Exchange, and is notably the first regional conference held outside of Jamaica.

It provided a platform for key participants of the financial services industry to discuss and present ideas on issues pertinent to the development of the sector. It is also envisioned as helping to create partnerships and improved understanding between financial institutions, to allow for the generation of investment opportunity.

The Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) has been in operation since 1969, starting out at the Bank of Jamaica (BOJ) building before moving to its present office at 40 Harbour Street

in 1998. It has over 90 listed companies, with a mandate of mobilisation of capital to facilitate the growth and development of these companies, and by extension the economy.

Locally, the Guyana Association of Securities Companies and Intermediaries (GASCI) is the recognized stock exchange in Guyana. It is a self-regulatory organisation registered with the Guyana Securities Council to carry on business as a stock exchange and an association of securities companies and intermediaries.

GASCI consists of four member firms which provide broker services for customers who wish to buy and sell shares on the stock market, and these are Trust Company (Guyana) Ltd, Guyana Americas Merchant Bank Inc, Beharry Stockbrokers Ltd, and Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation Inc (formerly GNCB Trust Corporation Inc). Trust Company (Guyana) Ltd, Beharry Stockbrokers Ltd and Hand-in-Hand Trust Corporation Inc are also represented on the Board of Directors of GASCI.

The member firms of GASCI are registered as brokers with the Guyana Securities Council. (G3)

Fire guts Charlestown 3-storey building

three ambulances from the Central, Alberttown, and West Ruimveldt Fire Stations responded to the scene.

According to the Fire Service, the fire was completely extinguished about 20:20h.

Afire of unknown origin on Wednesday evening leave 10 persons homeless and millions in losses for a Howes Street, Charlestown, Georgetown family.

Reports are that the fire at the three-storey wooden and concrete house started at about 18:45h.

As a result of the fire, one person received burns and was transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital while several dogs died and a CRV vehicle was burnt.

The building is owned by a Guyanese residing in Barbados.

When Guyana Times arrived at the scene, the Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was already in action; however, residents expressed

dismay at the lack of availability of water.

The GFS in a statement on the fire said that it received the call at

Fire hydrants in the area were pressurized and used to extinguish the blaze; however, the building and its contents were destroyed, the Fire Service said, adding that investigations were underway.

Home Affairs Minister Robeson Benn, Chief Fire Officer Gregory Wickham,

18:45h and seven officers; 15 firefighters; six EMTs, three water tenders, and

Police Force were on the scene at the fire.

Managing Director of the Jamaica Stock Exchange, Dr Marlene Street-Forrest

and ranks of the Guyana

The vehicle that was damaged

World Teacher's Day

Some schools get Managers' Holiday today

In observance of World Teachers’ Day today, the Education Ministry has granted a Managers’ Holiday to a number of schools across the country.

A public notice from the Ministry’s Georgetown Department on Wednesday states, “in honour of our Teachers the Department of Education has granted a Managers Holiday on Thursday October 5th, 2023 in observance of World Teachers’ Day…”

According to the Education Ministry, this concession has been granted only to those schools that have applied for the Managers’ Holiday.

“On this day, the schools [mentioned below] will remain closed, and there will be no regular classes or school activities. We kindly request parents and guardians to make suitable arrangements for their children on this day. We appreciate your understanding and support in our efforts to embrace teachers as they celebrate World Teachers’ Day,” the notice detailed.

An official from the Education Ministry explained to this newspaper that once a school made the request for the holiday, it was granted.

The official noted that all the regions knew of the availability of the holiday and “quite a lot” of schools across the country were granted permission for the day off.

Among the nursery schools listed in the public notice are: Agricola, Albouystown, Alexander Village, Ascension, Bel Air, Carmelita, ‘C’ Field, Cummings Park, East

Street, Gacestock, Happy Heart, Houston, JE Burnham, Liana, Lodge, Polly, Precious Jewels, Roxanne Burnham, Selman Fraser, Sophia, South Ruimveldt, Starters, St Christopher, Smyth Street, Headstart, Enterprise, Stella Maris and Turkeyen Nurseries.

Meanwhile, the primary schools are: Bel Air, Comenius, David Rose Special School, Enterprise, FE Pollard, JE Burnham, Ketley, North Georgetown, Smith Memorial, Sophia, South Ruimveldt, Stella Maris, St Ambrose, St Gabriel’s, St Pius, West Ruimveldt, Winfer Gardens, St Stephen’s, St Anne's, Graham's Hall, Rama Krishna, Redeemer, St Agnes, St Angela's, St Margaret's, St Sidwell’s, St Thomas Moore and Tucville Primaries.

For secondary schools, those granted the Managers’ Holiday are: Houston, North Ruimveldt, East Ruimveldt, Dolphin, Freeburg, Carmel, St Barnabas Special, Tucville, South Ruimveldt, Cummings Lodge, North Georgetown, The New Central High, Kingston, St

Winefride's, Charlestown and Richard Ishmael Secondaries as well as Kingston PIC, Sophia Special School and the Unit for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

Only earlier this week, President Dr Irfaan Ali commenced consultations with teachers ahead of today’s observation of World Teachers’ Day.

He met with Head Teachers, Deputy Head Teachers, and education officials who travelled from across the country, on Monday at State House, where he listened to their suggestions about how the Government improve their welfare. Among the suggestions that came up for consideration were housing solutions specifically for teachers and tax-free allowances.

Teachers’ salaries were a significant concern, with one Head Mistress urging the Government to consider taxfree allowances.

President Ali announced that more than $700 million would be paid out to those teachers who are below the minimum of their applicable scale.

“I had committed to ensure that the issue of anomaly that existed in the minimum wage applicable for different teachers in the system be corrected, retroactively from September 1, 2020 when the responsibility was given to me as President,” the Head of State said.

“This correction would require an investment of $700 million and I am committing to you that this will be, this $700-plus million, will be incorporated in the salaries of

those teachers in October.”

Meanwhile, several teachers from hinterland villages also spoke about challenges facing them and their students, including transportation and online access as well as shortage of teachers.

The President reminded that he gave instructions that once there are qualified persons for the teaching profession, they should be trained especially in hinterland communities.

In response to other que-

ries, President Ali also proposed that the Government come up with housing solutions for teachers. He said the Government could make interventions to help teachers who already have an allocation but are struggling to secure loans/financing to pursue the development of their properties.

Additionally, the Guyanese Leader noted the Government could explore solutions for teachers who have applications in the system prior to 2019. (G8)

Explore local investment opportunities – Finance Minister to Jamaicans

that we can maintain nine per cent every year, but it’s our studied objective to maintain strong real nonoil economic growth,” the Finance Minister further said.

2021, Itel acquired Emerge BPO’s local operations, going on to add hundreds of new positions and make sweeping changes to the business’s operations.

With financial experts from Jamaica in Guyana for the capital markets and investment conference, Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh has urged these experts to not just share their financial expertise and best practices with Guyana, but also to explore local investment opportunities.

Guyana hosted the capital markets and investment conference on October 3 to 4, in association with the Jamaica Stock Exchange. In his welcoming remarks at the opening of the conference on Tuesday, Dr Singh provided the attendees with an overview of Guyana’s macro-economic status.

He revealed that between 2023 and 2026, Guyana is expected to average more than 25 per cent annually in real economic growth. According to Dr Singh, the Government remains committed to ensuring the continued growth of the non-oil sector.

“We, as a matter of deliberate policy objective, have committed ourselves to ensuring that we achieve and maintain high rates of economic growth in the non-oil economy. Hence, the achievement of the first half of this year of real expansion in the nonoil economy of more than 12 per cent and projected expansion of more than nine per cent.”

“As a matter of government policy, we intend to endeavour to maintain, going forward in the medium term, not necessarily sure

Further, Dr Singh urged the attendees to explore investment opportunities in Guyana, as well as for the experts to share their financial best practices with Guyana. The Finance Minister encouraged the experts to present not just a single model, but multiple models whose examples Guyana could learn from.

“It would be remiss of me not to urge an audience such as yours, to take advantage of your presence in Guyana, not only to speak about the things that need to be done to promote capital market development, but also to reflect very seriously on the investment opportunities that exist in Guyana,” he said.

“I urge you to take advantage of this opportunity. The opportunity presented by this conference. Perhaps to share experiences, how others have done it, what worked elsewhere, what did not work elsewhere, including in the regions. We mustn’t be shy about speaking about the pitfalls that befell ourselves. We’ve all fallen into pitfalls once or twice, otherwise we haven’t been traversing a journey at all.”

He also made reference to Itel BPO, a Jamaican call centre currently operating in Guyana, and its plans to expand. Back in

“We could speak about services, including Business Process Outsourcing, which has created in the last three years more than 1500 jobs, including with the support and involvement of Jamaican investors,” Minister Singh said.

“Because there’s at least one Jamaican BPO, a fairly large Jamaican BPO, that has a very significant presence in Guyana and is the second or third largest BPO operating in Guyana, with plans to grow and expand. We have the world’s largest BPO also in Guyana, with plans to expand and open a second location. We see the BPO sector growing and creating new types of jobs.”

During the conference, business leaders and Jamaican financial experts shared their insights on investing. The conference this year was hosted by Guyana and is notably the first regional conference held outside of Jamaica.

It provided a platform for key participants of the financial services industry to discuss and present ideas on issues pertinent to the development of the sector. It is also envisioned as helping to create partnerships and improved understanding between financial institutions to allow for the generation of investment opportunities. (G3)

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh

97 speeding cases among 346 traffic violations on Tuesday

As the Guyana Police Force (GPF) continues its crackdown on traffic violations, the traffic department recorded a total of 346 cases on Tuesday.

The majority of these cases, a staggering 97, were attributed to speeding, with an additional incident involving driving under the influence (DUI).

Comparatively, the previous day, saw a total of 383 recorded cases. Out of these, 72 were related to speeding and five involved DUIs.

Efforts to curb these violations have been bolstered by sustained education programmes. These initiatives encompass lectures delivered in schools, and for drivers, bar owners, and individuals frequenting entertainment venues throughout the country.

The objective behind these educational cam-

paigns, according to the Police Force, is to foster greater compliance with traffic laws and instil a culture of respect for roads and all road users.

Senior Superintendent Mahendra Singh, the Traffic Chief, emphasised, "Speeding is not the answer, and driving under the influence is not an op -

Programme launched to boost male students’ performance in schools

tion." He urged drivers to be mindful of these critical factors while on the roads.

The Police continues to urge citizens to respect road rules and prioritize safety, reinforcing the message that responsible driving is a collective responsibility.

Just two days ago, the

GPF announced that 494 traffic cases were recorded across all regional Police Divisions in Guyana in a single day.

Among those cases, 120 were for speeding violations, and 10 drivers were apprehended for DUI.

The Police Force has also announced that it

has implemented suggestion boxes, and collaboration with members of the Regional Road Safety Councils and other partners is ongoing. These initiatives are all aimed at fostering a positive shift in the mindset of motorists and enhancing public safety on the roadways.

The impact of the El Niño phenomenon is making life tough for some West Berbice, Region Five (Mahaica-Berbice) farmers.

Canals have dried up leaving cattle, sheep and goats without water as they are forced to eat dry grass.

Fruit and cash crop farmers are no better off.

The Education Ministry’s National Literacy Department on Wednesday launched the Male Achievement in Education Programme to aid male learners who failed to achieve a passing grade at the recent National Grade Six Assessment (NGSA).

This pilot programme is being rolled out in collaboration with the Ministry’s Secondary Sector; its Health and Family Life Education (HFLE) Unit; Loyola University, Chicago and the Guyana Defence Force (GDF).

Professor at Loyola University, Dr Tavis Jules explained that the programme seeks to capture male students who exhibit behavioural problems and will help them to achieve the competent reading level by the time they reach Grade Nine.

Using the HFLE curriculum, the students will benefit from a programme that not only targets litera-

cy but also aids in their development of interpersonal skills.

Dr Jules explained that male underachievement was a crisis that was not recognised early because significant investment was made in the education of girls.

“What we have seen now is that because we’ve spent the last decade focused on getting girls in school, we

have neglected the boys,” Dr Jules said, during the programme’s launch at the National Centre for Educational Resource Development (NCERD).

“Because we’ve neglected the boys, everything from absenteeism to traumatic incidents whether they are at home or school, are now causing a distinctive set of behavioural problems. Those behavioural problems are ultimately impacting their academic achievement,” he noted.

The programme will initially target five schools, with participants expected to receive mentorship from Lieutenant Colonel Matthew Chichester and team.

Education Officer within the Secondary Sector, Sheldon Granville expressed the Unit’s support of the programme, noting that it was a matter of national importance to address the issue since every child could contribute to the development of Guyana.

The situation at a pasture at Leitchfield, which is home to hundreds of cattle and small ruminants, is one example of how animals are being affected.

Eon Archibald, who has 15 head of cattle, told <<<Guyana Times>>> that he has to take the animals to a canal, which is also drying up to get water.

He said he was eagerly looking forward to rice farmers completing harvesting of their rice, explaining that the animals would be able to graze in the rice fields for a brief while.

Seventy-nine-year-old Herman Nicholson, who has about 120 head of sheep, told this newspaper that he has to take the animals where water and grass are available.

This, he pointed out, poses other problems as drivers would often times hit some of them as they are on the road shoulder eating grass.

“They driving with too much speed. Corentyne drivers would hit them and carry them away. That is another

problem that we get. If you go on the road in the afternoon, you would see me looking after the sheep,” he related.

“Because they can’t graze here and there is no water here, so that is why they does go out to the road where they can get water.”

Desmond Jacobs, a cash crop and fruit farmer, is unsure of the future.

“It tight; I can’t water any of these plants, I would normally water them two times a day, but I had to start watering them every other day, but yesterday (Tuesday) was the last bit of water from the

canal and just give them a trough of water just to revive them, but I don’t know what will happen now,” he said.

“We would normally pump water from the canal, but right now there is no water in the canal,” the cash crop farmer related.

The current El Niño conditions have been forecast to last between nine to 12 months.

Currently, Guyana is observing Agriculture Month under the theme “Accelerating Vision 25 by 2025: Investing in AgriBusiness and Food Security”. (G4)

Professor at Loyola University, Dr Tavis Jules

The pilot programme is being rolled out in collaboration with the Ministry’s Secondary Sector; its Health and Family Life Education Unit; Loyola University, Chicago and the Guyana Defence Force

Traffic ranks conducting a traffic enforcement exercise

No water for animals, cash crops drying up as El Niño grips West Berbice

Desmond Jacobs pointing to the canal that has dried up

Regional Colombian army apologises for killing civilians

The Colombian army has apologised for killing thousands of civilians and falsely passing them off as left-wing guerrillas to boost its kill rate during the country's armed conflict.

An inquiry found that 6402 civilians were murdered by the military between 2002 and 2008 and passed off as rebels in a practice dubbed "false positives".

In an event attended by mothers of some of the victims, Colombian Defence Minister Iván Velásquez called the killings "shameful".

"They were not rebels," he added.

The commander of the Colombian army, Luis Ospina, said that "painful acts were committed by members of the national army that should never have happened".

Victims were young men mainly from poor neigh-

bourhoods in and around the capital, Bogotá.

They were lured with promises of work to rural parts of Colombia, where soldiers executed them. They were then dressed in guerrilla fatigues or had weapons placed in their hands.

The army's aim was to give the impression that it was winning its fight against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) guerrilla group.

Nicaraguan Indigenous party says Government has barred it ahead of local elections

Nicaraguan electoral authorities barred an Indigenous party that has in the past clashed with President Daniel Ortega, a party official said on Wednesday, leaving the ruling Sandinistas with no opposition in upcoming local elections in two regions.

The official, Sammy Allen Cubero, wrote in a Facebook post that the Yatama party had been disqualified from participating in all future elections, including a local vote scheduled for March.

Soldiers have testified that they were pressured by their superiors to drive up their "kill rate" and how they would be rewarded by being given promotions or extra days off.

For years, the relatives of the victims fought to have the truth about their loved ones known.

On Tuesday, in an event held in Bogotá's main square, Minister Velásquez apologised to them.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Haiti's displaced hope UNbacked force will bring security

"We are obliged to accept it," said Charles Adison in one of the many schools that have been converted into makeshift refugee camps in Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, speaking about a United Nations resolution this week that will see foreign forces entering the country to help Police restore order.

The UN estimates some 200,000 Haitians have been displaced amid escalating violence, with armed gangs carrying out indiscriminate killings, kidnappings, gang rapes and burning down people's homes.

A year ago, Haiti's unelected government requested urgent help from foreign armed forces, but it was not until July that Kenya became the first country to propose leading such a force, and on Monday it was authorised by the UN Security Council.

"If they do the job according to what they say, it could be very good for us, we could go home," said Neptune Dieudonne, who has been staying in a makeshift camp at the downtown Rex Theatre.

"If they want to rebuild my house which was burned down, I will accept it."

Jean Remy Renald, staying in a camp at Colbert Lochard school, said he backed the force if it had a good roadmap, but was cautious about a lack of transparency from Haiti's leaders and following abuses by previous UN missions.

"When the military is in the country they rape women, they play with our precariousness," he said. "When the military leaves, they leave many children behind and give us cholera."

A UN 2004-17 mission to Haiti left behind a sexual abuse scandal and cholera outbreak that killed nearly 10,000. (Reuters)

In Argentina, election fight brews over women's rights and abortion

Argentina's presidential election race is putting abortion access and women's rights in the spotlight, sparking fierce debate in a country that has been a pioneer in expanding reproductive rights in Latin America.

The election frontrunner, economist Javier Milei, opposes abortion and wants to hold a referendum on whether the 2020 legalisation of abortion before the 14th week of pregnancy should be repealed. He also wants to shut the Ministry of Women, Gender and Diversity, which he has called a type of "affirmative action" that is de-

grading towards women.

His closest contenders are Economy Minister Sergio Massa for the incumbent Peronists and conservative ex-Security Minister Patricia Bullrich, the most high-profile female candidate. She would leave abortion laws unchanged, though also close the Women's Ministry.

Milei's stance has caused fears among feminists of a risk of backtracking on gains in women's rights in recent years, but has helped him win votes among young Argentine men who feel disenfranchised, as well as conservative female voters.

Cubero, a Yatama youth leader, did not say why authorities had cancelled the party's legal status.

Police have also arrested and jailed two party leaders, Yatama said in statement on Monday, calling the detentions baseless and demanding the release of the two.

Ortega's press office did not respond to requests for comment on the Yatama allegations. Local media reported that the electoral council had accused the party of inciting foreign interference and treason.

Yatama, short for Yapti Tasba Masraka Nanih Aslatakanka, has roots in Nicaragua's largest Indigenous community, the Miskitos. The party had been planning to compete for votes in the regions of Costa Caribe and Costa Caribe Norte, both located along Nicaragua's Caribbean coast.

In its statement, Yatama also said the Government had confiscated a pair of local radio stations that served as a platform for Yatama leaders. The two radio stations

have passed into State hands because they were transmitting in the cities of Bilwi and Waspan without proper permits, according to a letter from Nicaragua's telecommunications regulator sent to the party.

Many critics of Ortega's government in recent years have had their properties confiscated or have been expelled from the country and stripped of their citizenship, accused of crimes including treason. The crackdown has also included the Catholic Church. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Ex-Finance Secretary: Tobago's development must get back on track

Former Secretary of Finance in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) Joel Jack is of the view that Tobago now needs to put its development trajectory back on sound footing.

Jack was speaking on the heels of the island TT$2.585 billion allocation in the 2024 national budget. On Monday, Finance Minister Colm Imbert made the presentation in the House of Representatives. For

Tobago, Imbert said TT$2.298 million has been allocated for recurrent expenditure, TT$260 million for the development programme and TT$18 million for the Unemployment Relief Programme. He said the allocation was TT$64.2 million more than last year's. In June, the THA requested TT$4.54 billion.

Speaking on the Minority Report aired on Tobago Updates Television on Tuesday, Jack said what is happening in the

Tobago space is troubling.

“When you compare what is happening nationally to what is happening in Tobago, I think we all have a reason to be concerned and very much so.”

He said he sat in the Parliament during the presentation, and he questioned whether Tobagonians understood where the country was going and what was happening in the Tobago space.

(Excerpt from Trinidad Newsday)

Guatemala restarts presidential transition with President-elect's team

Guatemala's Government restarted its presidential transition

with representatives of President-elect Bernardo Arevalo, who won a landslide victory in an August

run-off election, according to a Government statement made public on Wednesday.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

"The Milei phenomenon is not just an ultra-right movement. It is a patriarchal reaction against all the advances women in Argentina have had," leftist presidential candidate Myriam Bregman, who polls less than five per cent, told Reuters.

Milei, the surprise winner of an August open primary, is riding high on backing from voters angry at 124 per cent inflation, a painful cost of living crisis, and rising poverty. He has talked of waging a "cultural battle" against socialism and feminism. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Mexico declares country free of H5N1 bird flu

Mexican authorities declared the country free of H5N1 avian influenza almost a year after starting a bird vaccination campaign in high-risk areas to prevent its spread, according to an agreement published in the Official Gazette on Wednesday.

The decision will facilitate the sale of live poultry, as well as poultry products and by-products originating from Mexico, the gazette said.

In October 2022, the Ministry of Agriculture reported it had detected the virus in a 60,000-bird commercial farm in the state of Nuevo Leon, bordering the United States, a few days after notifying the World Organisation for Animal Health (OMSA) of a first case of the serious strain.

To guarantee Mexico remains free of the disease, the country will maintain in place epidemiological surveillance, traceability, control of movement and other

strict safety procedures, according to the document.

The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly called bird flu, has killed poultry flocks in the United States and Europe since last year.

In South America, Brazil decreed a 180-day animal health emergency in May after detecting several cases, and Ecuador confirmed the presence of the virus in some birds in the Galapagos Islands in September. (Reuters)

Relatives of 19 of the victims were present at the ceremony in Bogotá

Indigenous Miskito men use a boat to cross a road flooded by the Wawa Boom River due to heavy rain caused by Hurricane Iota as it passed through the Caribbean coast in Bilwi, Nicaragua, November 18, 2020 (Reuters/Oswaldo Rivas photo)

Around The World OIL NEWS

Migrant crisis: Sunak to urge “Europewide solutions” at summit in Granada

United Kingdom

Prime Minister

Oil settles down more than US$5 as data shows weak demand for gasoline

Oil prices settled down more than US$5 on Wednesday as fuel demand destruction and a bleaker macroeconomic picture took centre stage in the day's trade.

Brent crude oil futures settled down 5.11, or 5.6 per cent, to US$85.81 a barrel while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell US$5.01, or 5.6 per cent, to US$84.22.

At their session lows, both benchmarks were down by more than US$5, and heating oil and gasoline futures also fell by more than five per cent. Crude oil prices have fallen by about US$10 since last week's settlement.

Finished motor gasoline supplied, a proxy for demand, fell last week to about eight million barrels per day (bpd), its lowest since the start of this year, the US Energy Information Administration (EIA) reported Wednesday.

Some of that demand destruction could be due to torrential rains which brought flooding to New York last Friday and post-tropical storm Ophelia, which doused the Northeast with torrential downpours in late September, said Bob Yawger, director of energy futures at Mizuho.

Seasonally, US gasoline consumption is at the lowest level in 22 years, according to commodity analysts at JP Morgan.

A 30 per cent spike in fuel prices in the third quarter of this year depressed demand, resulting in a counter seasonal plunge of 223,000 barrels per day, the analysts wrote in a Wednesday note.

Gasoline stocks rose by 6.5 million barrels, far exceeding expectations of a 200,000-barrel rise.

US nationwide crude stocks fell by 2.2 million barrels to 414.1 million barrels in the week to September 29, but stocks at Cushing, Oklahoma, the WTI delivery hub, rose for the first time in eight weeks.

Saudi Arabia's Energy Ministry confirmed it would continue its voluntary one million bpd crude supply cut until year end, while Russia said it will continue its 300,000 bpd crude export cuts, and in November will review its voluntary 500,000 bpd output cut set in April.

But crack spreads , a proxy for refining margins, fell below US$20 a barrel on Wednesday to the lowest level in about 1.5 years.

This margin "freefall" indicates high prices and interest rates are curtailing crude inventory purchases and increasing odds of a recession, said Jim Ritterbusch, President of Ritterbusch and Associates in Galena, Illinois.

"This could force further demand weakness that the Saudis and Russia may be unable to counter via additional production cuts," Ritterbusch said.

Economic news also pressured oil prices. Growth in the US services sector slowed in September, data showed.

The daily Kommersant reported that Russia could be ready to ease its diesel ban in coming days, citing unidentified sources.

The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee (JMMC) online meeting kept the group's output policy unchanged.

Oil markets are heading in the "right direction" by balancing supply and demand, Kuwait's Oil Minister Saad Al Barrak said, according to State media agency KUNA.

Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said the Saudi and Russian cuts have helped to balance oil markets, and said the domestic market benefited from the Kremlin's diesel and gasoline export ban. (Reuters)

Rishi Sunak will call today for more coordinated European action to tackle the rising numbers of irregular migrants arriving on the continent's borders.

At a special summit of European leaders in Spain, the Prime Minister will say the situation is "immoral and unsustainable".

He will demand "creative Europe-wide solutions" to the continent's migration crisis, which for him means tackling people smugglers and tightening borders.

Sunak will co-chair a leaders' meeting with Georgia Meloni, the Prime Minister of Italy, which has already seen more than 100,000 migrants land on its shores this year – five times as much as the UK.

And he will agree deals with the leaders of Belgium, Bulgaria and Serbia to disrupt criminal networks by sharing more intelligence and cooperating more at an operational level. Serbia in particular is a key transit country for many migrants entering Europe.

The summit of 47 EU

Rishi Sunak

and non-EU leaders is a gathering of what's called the European Political

Community, a new body set up last year in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Its chief focus is to discuss the war but it is also an opportunity for leaders to have wider, more informal discussions.

Although Sunak used his party conference speech to argue against Britain aligning more closely with the European Union, he does appear more willing to cooperate with broader European partners on immigration, one of his key electoral priorities.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

US sends seized Iranian ammunition to Ukraine

The United States has sent Ukraine more than one million rounds of Iranian ammunition that had been seized last year, the US military said on Wednesday.

US naval forces for years have been seizing weapons believed to be from Iran bound for Iran-backed fighters in Yemen, usually transported by fishing vessels.

US Central Command, which is responsible for military operations in the

Middle East, said about 1.1 million 7.62 mm rounds were sent to Ukraine.

They were originally seized by US naval forces in December 2022 and being transferred from Iran's Revolutionary Guards to Houthi forces in Yemen.

"The US is committed to working with our allies and partners to counter the flow of Iranian lethal aid in the region by all lawful means including US and UN sanctions and through

Egyptian Opposition claims endorsements for President are being blocked

Opposition parties in Egypt have said individuals seeking to support candidates to stand against President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi have been obstructed from doing so.

During a press conference on Wednesday, members of the Civil Democratic Movement (CDM) presented individuals who recounted being blocked in various ways from supporting candidates. Egypt’s National Election Authority has said it has investigated complaints and that such allegations are baseless.

Under Egypt’s election system, candidates must secure the backing of at least 25,000 members of the public from 15 different governorates, or 20 Members of Parliament, and register their candidacy by October 14.

Rania el-Sheik said she was trying to register to support former Member of parliament Ahmed Altantawy when a scuffle she said was provoked by “thugs” broke out at the notary’s office. Altantawy is currently the most prominent individual planning to stand against el-Sisi.(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Divided Republicans seek to unite behind new leader after McCarthy unseated

Thestunning removal of Kevin McCarthy as United States House of Representatives speaker on Tuesday has left the chamber adrift, as Republicans struggle to bring order to their fractured majority and begin the difficult and potentially prolonged process of uniting around a new leader.

The House convened briefly on Wednesday and then went into recess, with North Carolina’s Republican Patrick McHenry, the caretaker speaker, serving in the job with very little power for the foreseeable future.

The House will try to elect a Speaker as soon as next week. The timing is nowhere near certain as

interdictions," the Central Command statement said.

The ammunition is unlikely to make a major difference on the battlefield at a time when long-range weapons and air defence systems are on top of Ukraine's wish list.

The seized ammunition being transferred are also unlikely to ease concerns about the continued flow of Western weapons to Kyiv.

Congress included no new money for Ukraine in

the stopgap US spending bill it passed on Saturday to keep the federal Government open, highlighting the increasing reluctance of some Republicans to provide funds for Kyiv.

Last year, Britain's Royal Navy said one of its warships had seized Iranian weapons, including surfaceto-air-missiles and engines for cruise missiles, from smugglers in international waters south of Iran.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Venice bus crash: Victims still unidentified almost 24 hours on

Italian authorities are still trying to identify all of the 21 victims of Tuesday's deadly bus crash in Venice.

The electric bus crashed through a bridge barrier, and plunged almost 15 metres (50ft) in the mainland borough of Mestre, before bursting into flames.

er bus before toppling off the carriageway.

One rescuer spoke of a "tragedy of young people, if not very young people, except for a few adults".

Republicans line up for their chance at the gavel amid the bitter divisions that sparked the chaos.

The House majority leader, Republican Steve Scalise, is in line for the post, but he faced an immediate challenge from Republican Jim Jordan, the Judiciary Committee Chairman and a favourite of conservatives, who quickly announced his own candidacy. Others are expected to emerge.

Many doubt that anyone can get the 218 votes needed to become Speaker. Voting for McCarthy in January took 15 excruciating rounds even though he was the consensus choice of the Republican conference.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

DNA samples are being used to confirm the identities of those who were not carrying personal documents, prosecutor Bruno Cherchi said.

Three children including a baby were among the dead, according to officials.

The bus was carrying 39 tourists from the centre of Venice to a campsite. On Wednesday evening, relatives began arriving in Italy from other countries to identify the dead.

Mayor Luigi Brugnaro said a huge tragedy had taken place. "An apocalyptic scene, there are no words," he said on social media.

CCTV footage showed the vehicle driving past anoth-

Nine Ukrainians, three Germans, four Romanians, two Portuguese, a South African national and the Italian driver were among those killed, a spokesperson for Venice's Mayor said.

Fifteen people are known to have been injured, five of them seriously – including Ukrainians, Austrians, Spaniards and other foreign tourists, according to officials.

Among the injured were two 16-year-olds and two younger children, the local governor said.

Two German brothers, aged seven and 13, were being treated for broken bones in hospital in nearby Treviso. Their parents were killed in the accident and the boys were being given counselling.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

United Kingdom Prime Minister

DNA samples are being used to confirm the identities of those who were not carrying personal documents

DAILY HOROSCOPES

Stay calm, relax and refuse to get all worked up over nothing. Concentrate on what you want to do. Let your accomplishments be calling card, not what you say you are going to pursue.

(March 21-April 19)

Organize everything and present your best offer. Communicate with people who can offer sound advice or participate in your venture. Don’t take risks with your health.

(April 20-May 20)

PEANUTS

(May 21-June 20)

Follow your intuition and do what makes you happy. Engage in events conducive to networking, and find a way to win over a crowd. Honesty is critical. Don’t hide your agenda.

Question every move you make. How others respond to your actions will be indicative of what’s to come. Emotions will surface if you disappoint people close to you. Work to make a difference.

(June 21-July 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES

(July 23-Aug. 22)

Don’t feel pressured to act if you aren’t prepared. Do your research, talk to experts and set a budget to help you reach your goal on time. A physical challenge will boost your confidence.

Open your mind to new information, then determine what you can use. Take charge of your life. A change will motivate you to incorporate the things you enjoy doing most into your everyday routine.

(Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

Emotions will surface. Get what you want to share out in the open. Express your concerns and desires. Anger isn’t the answer, but a well-thought-out plan will attract attention.

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

Take better care of your reputation and health. Set boundaries and take the initiative to control any changes you face. It’s up to you to point yourself in a suitable direction.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Keep your emotions out of big decisions that could influence your educational pursuits and job prospects. You’ll be given false information or led astray by a master of manipulation.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

SOLUTION

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Make changes at home that will help you avoid turmoil. Someone is likely to use emotional manipulation to upset your world. Look for a unique way to stabilize your life.

Stop, think and assess what others expect of you. Address what you aren’t willing to put up with and focus on what helps you get ahead and save money. Someone will push your buttons; keep cool.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

Change how you handle your money, job prospects and domestic affairs. An aggressive move on your part will unnerve someone who likes to interfere. Make your position clear.

(Feb. 20-March 20)

England and New Zealand meet again in ICC 50-Over World Cup

…Super Over(s) from 2019 on many minds

The big picture: … and so it goes on

So, where were we?

July 14, 2019, that’s

where. At 7.35pm on a bright summer’s evening at Lord’s. Jofra Archer to Martin Guptill…Guptill to Jason

Roy…Roy to Jos Buttler…

Buttler to the stumps and English glory in a finish too excruciatingly tight to create any scoreline separation across 102 overs all told.

Somewhere in a parallel universe that epic contest has perhaps still not reached a definitive conclusion. The playing conditions for the 2023 event stipulate that, in the event of a tie this time around, the two teams will contest as many Super Overs as it takes to separate the sides…which will be of scant consolation to New Zealand’s 2019 veterans, at least six of whom are likely to line up in Ahmedabad on Thursday; but at least it will be hard for the fates to be quite so cruel again.

And so here we are, four years later, with the 50-Over World Cup picking up with a contest that, to all intents and purposes, never quite ended. Winner-takes-all it is not; but winner-takes-a-huge-stridetowards-their-endgame it most certainly is.

As England discovered in their error-strewn journey through the group stage in 2019, early losses in this round-robin format can crank up the jeopardy further down the line, especially if you give a leg-up to one of your likeliest rivals for a top-four finish.

Either way, it’s entirely fitting to begin the 2023 World Cup with this showdown, because much like that Lord’s scoreline, the ODI narrative has been stuck in a stalemate since that momentous day.

Does 50-over cricket even have a place in the modern world? The new president of cricket’s ancient regime believes this stage is the only place for it, and amid the T20 zeitgeist, the optional approach that many of the game’s biggest stars have taken to the format in recent years (Ben Stokes and Trent Boult foremost among them) would appear to back up that assertion.

But it is still one hell of a stage - the biggest stage, quite literally, in the case of this curtain-raising contest at the Narendra Modi Stadium, where upwards of 120,000 people could yet cram in to watch the action unfold - although to judge by the current air of mild indifference permeating the tournament build-up, we might have to

wait until October 14 to witness the venue in full flow.

Remarkably, it’s not the first time that these two teams have opened a World Cup in Ahmedabad. Way back in 1996, amid the earliest flexes of the BCCI’s administrative muscle, Mike Atherton’s England took on Lee Germon’s New Zealand at the down-at-heel Sardar Patel Stadium (as it was known before its gigantic refit) in a contest that would retrospectively epitomise the sea-change that was slamming towards the sport.

For the record, New Zealand won by 11 runs, thanks to a Nathan Astle

final to have been staged in India - the infamous 2016 showdown with West Indies in Kolkata, where Carlos Brathwaite took down Stokes with four consecutive sixes to deny his team early reward for their new risk-embracing approach.

But despite some inevitable evolution along the way, last winter’s T20 World Cup win in Australia has ensured that even the newcomers to England’s squad have been soused in that winning mentality - Gus Atkinson and the luckless Reece Topley (withdrawn from the 2022 T20 World Cup squad after a freak injury) are the only two mem-

New Zealand are arguably even further down the “golden generation” road - they were blazing a trail to their first final way back in 2015, even while England were still working out that “setting a strong base” was too 1990s to function.

he scorched his way into the starting XI with a haul of 277 runs in three innings against these same opponents, displacing the heartbeat of that 2019 team, Jason Roy, in the process, as he became the joint-fastest England batter to 1000 ODI runs.

erwise be lacking.

century, but were soundly thrashed by every other major team they faced, including by Australia in the quarter-finals. As for England, the less said the better. Not even their dismal display in 2015 ranks lower in their annals of World Cup misery.

Four years earlier, they had reached the final in Melbourne with a pioneering style of play that briefly made them the most progressive white-ball team in the world. However, a complacent failure to evolve thereafter left them miles off the pace at the follow-up event. An omen of indignities to come? We can but wait and see.

This time out, at least England’s lack of evolution comes with a distinct and entirely justifiable caveat. This is the last dance of their golden generation; the squad of world-beaters that came together after 2015 to tear up the timid script that had caused them to bomb on the world stage for six consecutive campaigns.

Eight years later, these players are clearly getting onthere could yet be eight survivors from that 2019 campaign in England’s XI on Thursday, and a further six who played in the most recent ICC world

bers of their 15 to have so far missed out on holding a global trophy aloft.

None of that means there’s anything inevitable about England’s progress this time out, of course. Even allowing for the manner in which they’ve ignored 50-over cricket since 2019 and doubled down on visualisation to fill the competitive void, there are more questions about their readiness than they might have bargained for at this late stage of the build-up.

Will Stokes be fit enough to last the course? His troublesome knee has already kiboshed his allrounder status, and now he’s a major doubt for this opener with a sore hip. Will Joe Root find his mojo after a troublingly fallow run of 50-over form (which stems, dare one say it, from his agonising 7 from 30 in the 2019 final)? Can Adil Rashid’s myriad niggles be kept at bay? And can the stable of fast-bowlers cope with an arduous itinerary that could involve up to 14 internal flights if they can reach their ultimate destination?

And if England think that big-game experience is the be-all-and-end-all, their opponents are scarcely lacking in that department either.

Though they’ve fallen at the last in each of their three ICC white-ball finals of this era, New Zealand’s overall World Cup pedigree (eight semi-finals or better in 12 attempts) precludes the need for any caveats about the threat they pose. Anyone who doubts their readiness for another deep run needs only to re-

At 36, Malan is the second-oldest member of a squad that has already attracted a few “Dad’s Army” jibes, and unlike the senior pro Moeen Ali, he’s the latest of latecomers to England’s inner sanctum. There may be an enduring sense that Malan’s methods don’t wholly chime with the ego-free ethos that

Trent Boult admitted to feeling a little bit triggered down at Southampton during New Zealand’s ODI series in England last month, when the ground’s giant replay screen chose to fill the dead hours of a rain delay with extended highlights of the 2019 final. And little wonder. With the possible exception of New Zealand’s Super Over fallguy Martin Guptill, no player would have had to relive more “what ifs” from that crazy day than Boult - from his stepping on the rope to reprieve Ben Stokes in the penultimate over, to his marshalling of that final-over mayhem, including of course the infamous ball that Stokes deflected through deep third for six priceless overthrows.

Less well remembered, however, is the one that got away from Boult’s very first ball of England’s chase; a wicked, jagging inswinger to Jason Roy that resulted in one of the most plumb not-out lbws in the history of DRS.

watch that Super Over and feel their pulse racing all over again.

In the spotlight: Dawid Malan and Trent Boult

After a disjointed buildup in which their rain-affected warm-ups in Guwahati were a microcosm of their entire World Cup cycle, England are entering this campaign on a cocktail of vibes, laced with the comforting knowledge of past glories, while hoping to create the not-unrealistic belief that it will all come together on the night.

For Dawid Malan, however, his tournament impetus derives from a wholly different source. Last month,

Eoin Morgan instilled in the squad post-2015, and which Jos Buttler has since carried on; but if that’s the case, then he’s turned his solipsism into his superpower. At a time when attention to the ODI format has been drifting, no one in the world game has made it more of their mission to master 50-over batting in the past four years, and Malan’s haul of five centuries at 61.52 in 21 innings is world-class by any definition.

Quite apart from the confidence he will project at the top of England’s order, the hunger in his game right now is palpable. It might yet prove to be an ingredient that the golden generation would oth-

Roy’s on-field reprieve was upheld by the width of a seam, but that single delivery set the tone for a deeply anxious England display. And as if any reminder was needed of Boult’s enduring class, he served it up on his return to England last month. He’d not played for New Zealand since the T20 World Cup in November, having turned down a central contract in favour of the T20 freelance circuit, but up he popped with eight wickets in two outings, including 5 for 51 at The Oval, even while Stokes was going loco once more in his career-best 182. His presence is a stamp of class that authenticates New Zealand’s right to be taken incredibly seriously once more.

(ESPNCricinfo)

Eyes on Ben Stokes - will he be fit, or won’t he?

Kane Williamson gave his fans reason to be optimistic in the warm-ups, but is not yet fully fit to go

Trent Boult was at his lethal best against England last month

Bush fire creates concerns for Rising Sun track

…Racing returns next month

Abush fire that erupted at Plantation Rising Sun on the West Coast of Berbice (Region 5) on Monday night has fuelled fear and serious safety concerns among members of the Rising Sun community, and the horse racing fraternity has thus been affected.

Shortly after 6pm (18h) on Monday, October 2, a grassy area where a new car park has been developed aback the race track suddenly erupted in fire. A video of this fire went viral on social media, but the exact location of the fire could not be identified from the video. Speculation became rife that the Grandstand of the 49-year-old Rising Sun Turf Club (RSTC) was on fire, while others believed that the paddock area where the horses are stabled was on fire.

This development has raised concerns about the welfare and safety of the 20plus horses stabled in the

paddock area, which is closer to the main road.

Fazal Habibulla, who inherited the racetrack from his dad Sonny Habibula, who died one year ago, was asked how the fire started. He said: “The turf club wasn’t threatened. The fire was about 300 yards from the fence to the race track’s grandstand. It could have been the heat from the weather, or somebody lit the fire. It could have caused damage to homes in the area, but not the race track. Kalpoo’s place was in most danger, it was at the back of his place.”

Habibulla, also known as “Uncle Fazal” and “the Major” in the horse racing fraternity and in the Rising Sun district, was asked how the fire was brought under control. He declared, “The Fire Service came and extinguished the fire. I am thankful that no one was hurt or their home was destroyed. I thank all those who shared

their concerns about the danger the fire posed to the race track. This race track is really the people of Guyana race track, and it was heartening to hear everyone sharing their concern on the night of the fire. It was overwhelming. Fortunately, the race track wasn’t in any danger, and we were happy for that result. Good work by the fire tender brought the fire under control.”

2030 World Cup tournament to be held across 6 countries in 3 continents

the centenary and the FIFA World Cup.”

Montevideo in Uruguay, the city which hosted the first World Cup match, in 1930, is poised to stage the opening game in 2030, with matches in Argentina and Paraguay to follow. The rest of the 48-team tournament will then move to North Africa and Europe.

Uncle Fazal, in a fiery retort, had this to say: “The only time this track will be on fire is when Ariana’s Vision beat them big horses that come down recently!”

Asked when that fiery showdown would take place, and when is the next race day at RSTC, Fazal responded, “We wanted to have on 5th November, but that date is car racing. Then we spoke of the 12th November, and

that is Divali. We are now looking at the 19th or 26th November, 2023.

“Ariana’s Vision will not be ready for that date. We are putting together a Guyana-bred race for all horses born in Guyana. The purse in this race will be a record. Owners of Guyanabred horse who have been complaining of the purses for those horses will be silenced when they see the purse for that race. It could be a Guyana Cup Day for Guyana-bred horses. Remember, this is a fact; not fake news,” Fazal added.

Murray exits Shanghai Masters in opening round

The 2030 World Cup will be held across six countries in three continents, FIFA has confirmed. Spain, Portugal and Morocco have been named as the co-hosts, with the opening three matches taking place in Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay.

The opening matches in South America are to mark the World Cup’s centenary, as it will be 100 years since the inaugural tournament was held in Montevideo. The decision is set to be rati fied at a FIFA congress next year.

FIFA also confirmed that only bids from coun tries from the Asian Football Confederation and the Oceania Football Confederation would be con sidered for the 2034 finals. Following that decision, Saudi Arabia announced it would be bidding to host the tournament for the first time in 2034.

FIFA’s decision to host the tournament across mul tiple continents has drawn criticism, with one support er’s body accusing football’s world governing body of en gaging in a “cycle of destruc tion against the greatest tournament on Earth”.

“[It’s] horrendous for

supporters, disregards the environment and rolls the red carpet out to a host for 2034 with an appalling human rights record. It’s the end of the World Cup as we know it,” said Football Supporters Europe.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said: “In a divided world, FIFA and football are uniting. The FIFA Council, representing the entire world of football, unanimously agreed to celebrate the centenary of the FIFA

The change of hemispheres means World Cup teams could find themselves playing in two different seasons at the same tournament. If the 2030 proposal is approved, Morocco would become only the second African nation to host a World Cup, after South Africa in 2010.

Spain has been named as joint-host weeks after former football federation chief Luis Rubiales resigned following criticism for kissing Jenni Hermoso at the Women’s World Cup. Appearing in court, Rubiales was given a restraining order by a Spanish judge, but denied sexually assaulting Hermoso.

Spain last hosted the World Cup in 1982, with Italy winning the tournament for the third time.

Portugal has never hosted the tour-held

As in previous World Cups, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Spain, Portugal and Morocco will all qualify automatically as co-hosts

Britain’s Andy Murray has suffered another early exit in the Chinese hard-court swing, after losing to Roman Safiullin in the Shanghai Masters first round.

Former world number one Murray was beaten 6-3 6-2 in a dominant display from Chengdu finalist Safiullin.

The Russian secured early breaks in each set, with 36-year-old Murray becoming increasingly frustrated.

It is Murray’s second consecutive first-round defeat, after losing at the China Open last week. Murray, who is ranked 40th in the world, lost to Australia’s Alex de Minaur in Beijing, and in the previous week was knocked out in the second round of the Zhuhai Championships by Russia’s Aslan Karatsev.

In Beijing, Italy’s Jannik Sinner won the ATP title at the China Open by ending his losing run against Russia’s Daniil Medvedev.

World number three Medvedev had won all six of their previous match-

es, but 22-year-old Sinner, who beat Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz in the semi-finals on Tuesday, ended the streak with a 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-2) victory. Sinner will rise to a career-high of fourth in the world, after securing his third title of the season.

“Daniil, thanks for letting me win at least one match,” Sinner joked afterwards. “We have had some very tough battles, especially this year. Thanks for making me a much better player. I have been training a lot to beat you.”

While the men’s singles have now concluded in Beijing, the women’s event is still ongoing, with a number of third-round matches being held on Wednesday.

Four-time major champion Iga Swiatek, who was replaced as world number one by Aryna Sabalenka at last month’s US Open, reached the quarter-finals with a 6-1 6-1 win over fellow Polish player Magda Linette. It was Swiatek’s 60th match win of the season, making her the first WTA player since Agnieszka Radwanska in

2013 to reach that tally. American world number four Jessica Pegula was beaten 6-4 6-2 by Latvia’s Jelena Ostapenko, while Kazakh world number five Elena Rybakina fought back to beat Russian teenage sensation Mirra Andreeva 2-6 6-4 6-1. (BCB Sport)

The Rising Sun Turf Club is an integral part of Guyana’s horse-racing activities

Andy Murray is a three-time champion at the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai

Lionel Messi’s Argentina are the current world champions

Matthews expects Australia to adapt in T20 decider

…But backs her 360 game

Hayley Matthews expects Australia’s bowlers to change their plans - and fields - but the West Indies skipper reckons she’s in good enough form to counter them as a historic series victory beckons.

Thursday’s third T20I in Brisbane will centre on how the hosts handle inform opener Matthews, who clubbed 132 off 64 balls in a record run chase to level the series on Monday night. She also made 99 not out in a game-one loss, and has been adjudged ‘player of the match’ in an incredible seven straight games.

Australia captain Alyssa Healy persevered with fielders inside the ring on the offside on Monday, but her bowlers were unable to keep to the straighter line required on the tiny North Sydney Oval. Matthews obliged, flaying 11 fours and

three sixes between backward point and cover.

“A job of a captain is hard,” Matthews said when asked what she expects on Thursday night at Allan Border Field. “I’m pretty sure Alyssa would have had conversations with her bowlers; pretty sure, from being captain myself, the plan was to bowl straighter.

But I know how tough it can be as a captain when bowlers don’t hit where they need to. I’m pretty sure they’re going to go back and look pretty hard at the footage and at what happened, and definitely have some different game plans.”

The bigger square boundaries will add another element of intrigue to the contest, as West Indies seek their first series win over the champion side.

“I’ve been striking them really well, no matter what

part of the ground I’ve been trying to access,” Matthews said. “Have it be that a different area of the field opens up, I [am confident] I can access right around, 360 [de-

grees].”

Monday’s loss marked Australia’s third defeat in their last four T20s, having previously enjoyed a 12-match winning streak be-

fore being shocked twice by England in this year’s Ashes.

Matthews said increased investment from rival nations in their women’s programmes was starting to

reap rewards. Sri Lanka recently beat England in a T20 series, while Pakistan overcame South Africa.

“That’s what is going to close the gap,” she said. “Australia just got way ahead of the game because their board made a big early investment, and we saw them go from strength to strength.

We’re going to see that gap closing. It’s going to take some time for other teams to catch up, but it’s good we’re seeing results thrown up around the world.

“For us, we didn’t want to play with any fear at all, even before we won a game. We know the quality they have; we try not to be afraid of that, and like I keep saying, be up for the challenge.” Australia have not lost a T20I series at home since facing England in 2017-18.

The sides will also contest a three-match 50-over series, beginning in Brisbane on Sunday. (ESPNCricinfo)

GFF’s NTC to soon be lit

According to a social media post by the Federation, work has begun at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) National Training Center (NTC), East Bank Demerara (EBD), to install FIFA standard floodlights at the astro-turf facility.

Back in May, it was first revealed that the project would be rolled out over the subsequent 6 months to the tune of US$1.1M, fully funded by the FIFA Forward project.

Fast forward five months and the four poles for the game- changing project have been offloaded at the NTC venue at Providence this week.

The project will be executed by US-based lighting company ‘Musco Sport Lighting’, and is expected to

include an energy-efficient floodlighting structure designed to produce the appropriate lighting quality

and standards for international matches, and to withstand a wind speed of 85 mph.

Another part of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Forward project, the astroturf facility, was first commissioned back in 2019, and has been utilised by the local Federation for trainings, tournaments, youth team camps, and hosting foreign youth teams. Most recently, the facility was utilised, with artificial lighting, to host the GFF/KFC Elite League season five, when the rainy season had inundated other grounds around the country. While the artificial lighting had posed initial challenges, the soon-to-be-introduced FIFA Standard floodlights are expected to maximise the use of the Providence facility, especially in the rainy May/June and December seasons.

Cavendish delays retirement to target Tour record

Britain’s Mark Cavendish has delayed plans to retire, and will race in next year’s Tour de France.

The 38-year-old sprinter, who announced his retirement in May, has signed a new one-year contract with his Astana-Qazaqstan team, and will have the chance to break the record of 34 Tour stage wins which he shares with legend Eddy Merckx.

“I love riding my bike,” Cavendish said. “I spoke to the kids, they said, ‘Carry on’.” He added in a video on his team’s social media: “So here we are - just one more year.”

The Tour begins in Florence, Italy on 29 June, but Cavendish will race the whole season for Astana. He was forced out of this year’s

Tour on stage eight by a crash in which he sustained a broken collarbone.

“Obviously, it wasn’t the finish I hoped for, crashing at the Tour de France, but it is what it is,” he said. “We grew incredibly as a team at Astana - it felt like a real family. So much so (that) the first thing Vino (Astana general manager Alexander Vinokourov) said when I crashed was, ‘Why don’t you do another year?’

“[I said] ‘No, no.’ [It was not just] coming back from a collarbone, but coming back from another injury… I was ready [to retire].

“I was at peace, but the more I’ve ridden this summer… I just love riding my bike.”

<’A true champion should not end his career that way’>

Cavendish returned to form following a difficult period from 2017 to 2020 in which he suffered from injury and illness. He nearly quit the sport as he struggled with his mental health, but in 2021, at an age when many riders would have chosen to retire, he returned to the Belgian Quick Step team to win four stages at that year’s Tour.

He equalled Merckx’s record and came within a couple of feet of breaking it on the blue riband final sprint stage on the Champs Elysees in Paris. But after being left out of the 2022 Tour and seemingly out of contract at the end of that year - after a French team he had planned to join folded - he joined Kazakhstan’s Astana at the last minute for 2023, and

Hetmyer injects $1.5M into BCB Trust Fund

won brilliantly on the final stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia in Rome.

Vinokourov said: “There is no secret that the Tour de France and a stage win there was the main goal for Mark. And on stage seven, he was very close to breaking his historical record. I believe that a true champion should not end his career this way, so I asked Mark if in a few years he would regret that he didn’t try again, and in turn, suggested to reconsider his decision, to stay for another season, and still to try to win a stage in the Tour de France.

“It won’t be easy to better the record he shares with Eddy Merckx; it would be a historic achievement, but we have a chance, and we have to use it.” (BBC Sport)

For a fifth consecutive year, hard-hitting Guyanese batsman Shimron Hetmyer and his wife Nirvanie have extended their fruitful partnership with the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB). This week, a cheerful Hetmyer handed over $1.5M to President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster, as part of the BCB/ Hetmyer Trust Fund.

In its 5-year existence, the Trust Fund has been utilized to equip clubs with necessary cricket gear, fund tournaments, and even assist promising cricket talents in the Berbice area.

BCB President Foster made the announcement about the continuation of the Fund via his social media page on Tuesday. He also took the opportunity to share plans for the use of this year’s Fund. Foster wrote, “The couple had committed to assisting Berbice cricket as long as Foster remains as its President, as

they were very impressed with his leadership and vision. The funds would be used to donate balls to all second division teams in the county, and to host a second division tournament in New Amsterdam/Canje and a primary school tapeball cup in the same area.”

The BCB Boss has expressed best wishes to the couple, and has tendered his gratitude for the “continued investment in the development of the sport in the county, and wished them success”.

Just last week, Hetmyer, who has been a staple on the Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) team, lifted his first Caribbean Premier League (CPL) title with the team. The explosive left-handed batsman is expected to be in action today at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Ground, Bourda in the Guyana Cricket Board’s (GCB) Senior Intercounty Super50 tournament.

Australia have not lost a T20I series at home since 2017-18

The introduction of lights at the Providence facility would solve any venue woes, especially in the rainy season

The Light poles that will soon be installed at the GFF’s NTC