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St. Rose’s High School is now expected to be handed over to the Ministry of Education in August.

“I just came from there (the construction site). I was told that it should be finished by mid-August,” Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand told the News Room during a telephone interview on Wednesday.

“I don’t know how they will finish all that they have to finish in two weeks but they promised to give it to us in two weeks,” she added.

Among the reasons cited by the contractor for the delay in construction is poor weather, Manickchand said.

“…My interest right now is to get it before September frankly,” she said.

The $515M contract for the construction of the St Rose’s High School, which was awarded to Shandong Dejian International, was signed in September 2021.

The initial deadline was 19 months with a defects period of one year. The project was therefore supposed to be completed in May 2023. But this was not done.

In June this year, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Alfred King told members of the media that the project has faced slight delays.

And to address the delay, King said a shift system has been put in place by the contractors.

The school is among several others which are currently being built and are expected to be ready for the next school term in September.

Team Mohamed’s fleet of Nissan GTRs (Photo: Team Mohamed’s)

These speed demons are no ordinary contenders – their GTRs are meticulously prepped by the renowned T1 Race Development in the United States and maintained by a team of seasoned Guyanese experts. This deadly combination of American engineering and Guyanese finesse has transformed Team Mohamed’s into an invincible force, feared and respected by all.

But as every racing fan knows, there’s nothing more thrilling than a fierce rivalry, and Team Mohamed’s has no shortage of adversaries vying for their throne.

One such rival, Team Daby, has stepped into the limelight with the recent acquisition of a Toyota Solara that once conquered the tracks in the United States with a stunning six-second performance.

Determined to etch their name in Guyana’s drag racing history, Team Daby has enlisted a skilled team to fine-tune and drive the Solara with a single-minded focus – breaking Team Mohamed’s record.

Sheldon Bissessar’s Rail Car (Photo: Ameer Sattaur)

However, the plot thickens even further with the entrance of Trinidadian Sheldon Bissessar into the fray. No stranger to high-stakes competition, Bissessar boasts an impressive racing resume, having competed in IHRA World Championships and shattered records.

Confident after rigorous testing and substantial upgrades to his rail car, he sets his sights on spoiling the Guyanese party and seizing victory at Tropical Shipping Drag Wars 2. Bissessar’s conviction is bolstered by the track’s exceptional grip and immaculate preparation at South Dakota, a perfect battleground for his daring quest.

As the countdown to the big event ticks away, the intensity of the rivalry between these racing giants is palpable. Team Mohamed’s, driven by the pursuit of excellence, relentlessly tests their cars during the off-season, ever determined to one-up their previous performances.

This unwavering commitment makes them an imposing obstacle for any challenger daring to take them on.

July 30 promises to be a day of reckoning as these formidable machines, fine-tuned to perfection, unleash their raw power on the tarmac. With all cars on the brink of breaking the six-second barrier, the stage is set for an electrifying display of speed, skill, and sheer willpower.

In the high-stakes world of drag racing, there are no guarantees. As the contenders line up at the starting line, spectators will witness a clash of titans, each fuelled by an insatiable hunger for victory. This is an event where dreams are made and records are shattered.

So, mark your calendars and buckle up for a breathtaking showdown at Tropical Shipping Drag Wars 2. The question remains, amidst the thundering engines and screeching tires, who will have what it takes to dethrone Team Mohamed’s and etch their name in the annals of Guyana drag racing history?

There’s only one way to find out – be there on July 30 and witness the heart-stopping action unfold before your eyes. Trust us; you want to take advantage of this! (GMR&SC)

The MVP will ride away with this spanking new bike

Co-Director of the tournament, John Ramsingh, thanked Assuria for the support, noting it was more than a noble gesture. He highlighted the support from corporate Guyana and President Dr. Irfaan Ali is paving the way for the tournament to blossom in years to come.

The tournament features 32 teams with representation from all regions except Region Nine.

Several active and former national players will feature for their teams over the two-day extravaganza.

Preliminary matches will be staged at the Police Sports Club, the Guyana Defence Force, Queen’s College Ground, YMCA, and Transport Sports Club, while the finals will be held at the Everest Cricket Ground on July 30.

The first-ever champions will pocket G$1M, while the losing finalist will collect G$300,000.

The two losing semi-finalists will walk away with G$100,000 each. There will also be prizes for outstanding individual performances.

Additionally, there will be a celebrity match before the championship game where the winning side will be rewarded G$200,000, which will be donated to a charity of their choice.

In what has turned out to be the perfect family-oriented event, the organisers have promised to set up a specially designated area, the Kids Zone.

The children will enjoy free rides in the child-friendly zone, including a bouncy castle.

In partnership with Banks DIH Limited, free ice cream, soda, snacks, and water for the young will be free.

Admission is free to all venues.

Fareeza@newsroom.gy

 

Technology giant, Huawei says it will work towards establishing a Research and Development Centre (or ICT college) in Guyana in addition to sending a team of technical engineers to provide support and assess the needs of the country’s private sector.

This was announced on Wednesday during President Dr. Irfaan Ali’s visit to the company’s Shanghai Research Centre.

The Head of State is leading a team of businessmen during a one-week visit to China and at the end of the meeting with Huawei, a working committee was formed with the ICT company, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is expected to be signed soon.

In his remarks, President Ali implored the need for Guyana to keep up with the rest of the world in terms of ICT development and urged Huawei to capitalize on this by using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

He believes a Huawei Research and Development Centre in Guyana can cater to the entire Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) region.

“A Huawei AI centre in Guyana that will cater to the entire LAC region and transform one of our faculties…into a Huawei Research and Development Centre and this will reposition your company in the region,” Dr. Ali said.

President Dr Irfaan Ali during the meeting with Huawei officials (Photo: Office of the President/July 26, 2023)

The Guyanese Head of State believes too that AI can help the hurricane-prone LAC region.

“A region that is hurricane prone – how can AI model hurricanes for more predictability?

“We can do it all from Guyana, we can have a centre in Guyana that helps the entire CARICOM region in terms of the predictability, modeling, impact analysis and flooding.”

According to the President, if necessary, Guyana can rebrand its Institute of Applied Science and Technology.

“I want my campus to say Huawei Research and Development Centre, where we can attract students from all over South America, the Caribbean and Latin America,” President Ali said.

He also urged the company to establish its AI work in Guyana’s dense forest. Meanwhile, Jeff Wang, Senior Vice President of Huawei, said the company is ready to work with the private sector and committed to establishing the ICT college.

President Dr Irfaan Ali during a tour of the Shanghai Research Centre (Photo: Office of the President/July 26, 2023)

Wang gave an overview of Huawei and its recent development and discussed latest trends in ICT.

He recommitted to Huawei’s stance that the company will be “in Guyana, for Guyana” by continuing its long-term investments into Guyana’s ICT market and fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities to local communities.

Wang also praised Guyana’s Information and Communication (ICT) Master Plan 2030 which was kicked off by President Ali last year, and expressed Huawei’s willingness to leverage its ICT expertise and experience to contribute to Guyana’s national strategy for digital transformation.

schedule.

With the new Span 9 already in place, contractors were Wednesday conducting finishing works on the span.

“Throughout the day yesterday (Tuesday), we did our final assembling into the position. We immediately started putting on the decks and the ramp and this morning around 6-6.30 we completed all the decks and the ramps,” General Manager of the DHB, Wayne Watson explained to the News Room on Wednesday.

He added, “So as of now the guys are putting on the hydraulic arms for the ramp and the Demerara Harbour Bridge staff, are installing all the electrical fittings and the hydraulic lines”.

Once this is completed, a retraction will be done. And once Span 9 is functioning as it should, the bridge will be deemed ready for reopening.

“When we reach to the point of testing once the span is in the right position, we have to put on some stops…to ensure that the bridge traverses forward and backward in the right distance and once that is in place the work has been completed,” Watson noted.

According to Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, authorities are optimistic that the much needed repair works on the DHB will be completed in keeping with the 72-hour schedule.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar inspecting ongoing works at the Demerara Harbour Bridge. (Picture: Deodat Indar FB page/July 26, 2023)

“…I think that we are on schedule, Indar said while adding, “we just got to make sure that we continue in this stead…we that we can finish this job…We are on track for the 72 hours”.

This is the first time a span is being replaced on the DHB, Indar said.

“It’s something that we have never done before…everything is on schedule. Multiple teams, multiple shifts…The work is progressing smoothly,” he noted.

The closure of the Demerara Harbour Bridge is the facilitate the replacement of the Span 9 which was damaged in September last year when the Panamanian flagged vessel, MV Tradewinds Passion, crashed into the bridge during a retraction period and rendered the bridge inoperable for several days.

But at the same time, other repair works amounting to millions of dollars is also being done simultaneously on other sections of the bridge.

“We are doing four section of the bridge and that is to ensure the structural integrity when we open back to the commuting public,” Watson told the News Room on Wednesday.

The closure is scheduled to end at 11:59 pm on July 27.