US – The United States plans to designate Kenya as the first key non-NATO ally in sub-Saharan Africa during a visit to Washington, DC by Kenyan President Willam Ruto.
According to the White House, Biden will inform Congress that he will designate Kenya with the largely symbolic title.
Currently, 18 countries are designated as non-NATO allies, including Israel, Brazil and the Philippines.

The label will reflect Kenya’s rise from a regional partner that has long cooperated with US counterterrorism operations on the continent to a major global influence.
Kenya will become the first sub-Saharan African country to receive the status.
The designation comes during Ruto’s visit to the US, which began last Wednesday. It is part of a three-day state visit that includes bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden yesterday.
The Kenyan leader’s trip is the sixth state visit hosted by the Biden administration and the first for an African president since 2008.
But the meeting dubbed the Nairobi-Washington Vision comes amid Biden’s appeals to African nations that the US can be a better partner than China, as Beijing deepens its investment in the continent, often with high-interest loans.
In the past year, Africa’s political landscape has been upended by a spate of military coups, wars and shaky elections that have given US rivals China and Russia more significant influence.
However, Biden and Ruto want creditor nations to reduce financing barriers for developing countries that high debt burdens have constrained.
“Together we will call to the international community to come together around these elements to support high-ambition countries with high-ambition financial support,” the White House said in a fact sheet detailing the effort.
Biden and Ruto are also expected to announce on Thursday new US-backed investments in green energy and health manufacturing, along with a plan to cut Kenya’s high debt load, most of which is owed to China, a senior administrative official told the Reuters news agency.
The US will also announce $250 million in new investments in Kenya through the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) including $180m for a major affordable housing project, bringing the US financing agency’s portfolio in Kenya to more than $1billion.
Biden has said he plans to visit the African continent in February 2025 should he win a second term. (Al Jazeera)…[+]

JINAN – Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, stressed that only through hard work can the people’s well-being be improved during an inspection tour in the city of Rizhao in east China’s Shandong Province yesterday afternoon.
During a visit to a coastal greenway, Xi inspected the restored ecosystem of the coastline and had a cordial conversation with local residents and tourists who were relaxing and exercising by the seaside. Happy lives come from hard work, Xi said: “We must make solid efforts and work hard to realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and make people’s lives better and better.” (Xinhua)…[+]

Consumers on the Demerara-Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS) can expect relief from frequent blackouts, as Kesh Nandlall, Head of the Executive Management Committee of the Guyana Power & Light (GPL), announced that the company is currently meeting electricity demand.
Nandlall made this announcement during his appearance before the Parliamentary Sectoral Committee on Economic Services yesterday.
In his presentation, Nandlall highlighted that from 2019 to 2023, there has been a 24% increase in demand, compared to a 14.9% increase between 2015 and 2018. He noted that this surge has placed significant pressure on GPL’s system.
According to GPL’s statistics, DBIS peak demand in 2022 was 153.3 megawatts (MW) and by the end of 2023, it grew to 186 MW. This year, the demand is expected to reach 232 MW. The gross generation for GPL is projected to increase at an annual average rate of 20% from 2024 to 2028, with DBIS gross generation forecast to grow at an annual average of 21% during the same period, and peak demand by 18%.
Nandlall explained that DBIS’ current available capacity is 209.4 MW. This includes contributions from the powership adding 36 MW, the Columbia power plant with 20.8 MW (a full capacity is 28.9 MW), the Wartsila plant commissioned in 2021 adding 46.5 MW, and four Caterpillar sets added in 2023 providing approximately 5 MW.
“In that period of time, we have increased generation by 116 MW…” Nandlall said.
He also noted that this capacity does not include 12.4 MW (5.5 MW + 6.9 MW) from two engines at Kingstown, Georgetown, which are currently down or 15.2 MW lost from other engines due to maintenance issues.
Nandlall disclosed that as of May 7, 2024, the peak demand was 183.2 MW – which is the highest for the year so far. To this end, he noted that GPL requires a spinning reserve of 27.71 MW. “This is one and a half times the largest operating set we have. Currently, that is the 18 MW which is one of the engines on the powership,” he said.
Nandlall continued: “To meet the current peak demand 183.2 MW plus the 27.71 MW spinning reserve comfortably, we need 210.91 MW which we are comfortable with at the current time.”
Nandlall also outlined GPL’s plans for the rest of the year to maintain and add capacity.
“By the end of May, the Columbia plant will commission which will add an additional 8.1 MW available generations, by the end of May also we would have completed one of the units at Kingstown which will add 6.9 MW, this will add up to which 224.4MW available generation,” the GPL executive said.
He also disclosed that by the end of July another engine will be operational adding 5.5 MW, bringing the total availability capacity to 229.9 MW.
Moreover, Nandlall said: “By the end of December, all maintenance issues should be caught up with as we have to incrementally bring down these sets to maintain them and we should have 245.1 MW.”
Regarding the powership, Nandlall mentioned a T-Connection from the ship docked in the Berbice River to the 69KV transmission line, which poses some risks of load-shedding. However, he said GPL is working on minimising these risks through infrastructure improvements and regular maintenance.

“We are going to continue to increase our power generation. Available generation should be 265 MW. We are going to add another 30 MW to the grid and we are working to source that at this point,” Nandlall added. To this end, he noted that there should be an excess available capacity of 5.2 MW. In closing, Nandlall assured that GPL’s plans for the rest of the year are in place to meet the capacity demands of its customers. The Committee was chaired by Opposition Member of Parliament (MP), Shurwayne Holder. In attendance were other MP’s like Juretha Fernandes, Alistair Charlie, Juan Edghill, Hemraj Rajkumar and Dineshwar N. Jaiprashad. Also present were Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Head of the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), Mahender Sharma. (Kaieteur News)…[+]

The Guyana Prison Service (GPS) received a speedboat and an engine yesterday to enhance its travel duties and strengthen security within the riverine areas, especially along the Mazaruni River in Region Seven.
The donations which cost some $8 million form part of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)-funded Support for the Criminal Justice System (SCJS) programme, which seeks to address the problem of overcrowding in prisons.
During the handing-over ceremony at the Parika Police Station, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Legal Affairs, Adele Clarke noted that the GPS is one of the agencies receiving support from the legal affairs ministry to improve the justice system.
“We are delighted to partner with the Prison Service to make life a bit easier for both the prisoners and the prison officers. This will put the agency in a better position to address the needs of the inmates. It will add to the fleet of your transportation provisions that you can provide for persons within the prisons,” Clarke stated.
The Permanent Secretary added that the SCJS was formed to improve how justice is accessed and delivered to persons accused of a crime.
Additionally, Director of Prisons, Nicklon Elliot said the items will strengthen the operations of the Prison Service.
“This will help particularly in the Mazaruni area because there, the form of transportation has to do with traveling on the waterways. The donation of this speedboat will definitely enhance our response capability at the Mazaruni Prison,” the director stressed.
He added that the boat would help to lessen the traveling time and increase the punctuality and attendance of prisoners who have to attend courts.
Prisoners will now be in a better position to seek timely and appropriate medical attention at hospitals and clinics outside the prison facility.
It will also boost regular patrols conducted by prison officers.
There will also be adequate security arrangements as it pertains to the movement of inmates to different locations. (DPI)…[+]

Michael Sallons, chairman of the Workers’ Organization at the Public Works Ministry, is furious over attempts by the current administration to silence the nation’s unions. He explained that the government hastily decides to take legal action against unions that  want to protect the rights of their union members. “Workers are even being intimidated which is why they are afraid to go on strike. Without unity the problems within the union movement will never be solved,” said Sallons who claimed that the Council of Labor Federations in Suriname (Ravaksur) is also responsible for the problems because it surrenders to much to the government. “The government is also spreading fear by making changes to the Personnel Act such as the No Work, No Pay rule. But even the verdict of the judge can be swept aside by rallying a thousand people in the streets. The people are being discouraged and are losing faith in the unions but that is the fault of the old union chairman who have betrayed them,” said Sallons. Sallons also criticized the judges for always ruling in favor of the government and ordering unions to end their strike and return to the negotiating table. He pointed out that the only way for people to be victorious is to not let others to intimidate them and to let their voices be heard when they are summoned by their unions….[+]

The Ogem Workers’ Organization Suriname (OWOS) has apparently found a legal loophole to dodge the ruling of the judge. Last week the judge ordered the workers of the Energy Company Suriname (EBS) to end the strike and to get back to work. If they failed to comply, the union would have to pay a fine of thousands of Surinamese dollars. Last Wednesday Union Chairman Marciano Hellings explained that the union members can’t be accused of being on strike because they are attending union meetings to discuss company affairs. “The ruling of the judge does not say anything about the union and the union members being banned from holding union meetings,” said Hellings who added that there will be union meetings on a regular basis and even on weekends. The union members strongly disagree with the decision of the CEO of the EBS, Leo Brunswijk,to fire the union chairman. They also expressed grave concern over the fact that their rights are not being taken serious by management. Hellings made it clear that he has already taken steps to fight management’s decision.…[+]

US – Former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has said she plans to vote for Donald Trump, her former opponent and boss, in the 2024 US presidential election.
Ms Haley, who once served as Mr Trump’s United Nations ambassador, was the last of his major rivals to drop out of the party primary contest, in early March.
At the time, she did not endorse him but urged him to earn the votes of the millions who had supported her.
Yesterday, in her first public remarks since leaving the race, she said Mr Trump “has not been perfect”, but that President Joe Biden “has been a catastrophe”.
Anti-Trump Republican voters largely coalesced behind Ms Haley’s presidential bid earlier this year, and her dormant candidacy is still picking up support more than two months after she left the race.
She won more than 20% of the vote in at least two state primary elections over the past fortnight.
The Biden campaign is seeking to woo these Haley Republicans, a mix of moderate and college-educated independent voters who could help swing the election toward the Democrat. Mr Biden argues that Mr Trump has repeatedly “made it clear he doesn’t want” voters who supported her.
Mr Trump, who has mocked his ex-cabinet member as a “bird brain”, was angered by her prolonged primary challenge and recently shot down rumours that she was under consideration to be his vice-presidential running mate.
Speaking yesterday before a gathering at the conservative Hudson Institute think-tank in Washington DC, Ms Haley maintained the criticisms of both parties she made in her campaign.
But she reserved her strongest words for the incumbent.
Mr Biden, she said, oversaw a “debacle” in Afghanistan, “did nothing to deter the invasion” of Ukraine and, most recently, “threw Israel to the wolves”.
“As a voter, I put my priorities on a president who’s going to have the backs of our allies and hold our enemies to account, who would secure the border, who would support capitalism and freedom, who understands we need less debt not more debt,” she said.
“Trump has not been perfect on these policies but Biden has been a catastrophe. So I will be voting for Trump.”
But the former South Carolina governor did not call on her supporters to do the same.
“I stand by what I said in my suspension speech,” she told the audience.
“Trump would be smart to reach out to the millions of people who voted for me and continue to support me, and not assume that they’re just going to be with him, and I genuinely hope he does that.”
The former president has not reached out in any capacity, she noted.
Speculation is now likely to grow over whether Ms Haley will formally mend ties with Mr Trump and endorse him.
Wednesday’s remarks will also raise the spectre of a Trump-Haley Republican ticket in November, a move that would be met with fierce disapproval among some Trump backers.
Republican campaign strategist John Connors told the BBC that Ms Haley is “clearly sending a signal” to Mr Trump.
“This could be a signal from Haley to start talks to entertain a deal with Trump to join his ticket and get another look for VP,” he said.
“It’s worth a look because it would open up more fund-raising avenues from major donors, who are sitting on the sidelines right now, and also pull more college-educated female voters and never-Trump voters back into the fold.”
Mr Connors added: “Trump-Haley – it would be a tough ticket to beat.” (CNN)…[+]