Gold & Mining Enforcement: Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat says Guyana’s gold declarations hit the half-year target for the first time in about nine years, reaching ~233,000 ounces (about 25,000 more than last year), with declarations now close to 240,000 despite unfavourable weather, crediting tougher compliance actions including non-renewals and blacklisting of low-declaration non-nationals. Oil Block Deadline: Bharrat also set an end-of-July “absolute cut-off date” for Ghanaian Cybele Energy to pay the US$17M signing bonus for the S7 offshore block; default interest has pushed the owed amount to above US$20M, with possible suspension or cancellation if missed. Housing Backlog Push: Housing Minister Collin Croal says the government is on track to clear house-lot backlog in all regions within two years except Region Four (50,000+ applicants), while Regions One to Three have clearer timelines. Youth Jobs & Skills: Chief Statistician Errol La Cruez reported youth unemployment falling sharply (31.9% in Q3 2021 to 12.1% in Q4 2024) and the Labour Ministry will host a National Youth Skills Forum and Skills Search Expo on July 15 to link training with employer needs. Regional Connectivity: Caribbean Airlines launched limited-time discounted one-way Barbados–Guyana fares for select September dates. Population Milestone: Guyana’s population estimate surpassed one million, reaching 1,025,334 by end-2025, reinforcing the need for investment in services for a young population. CARICOM/Policy: CARICOM Reparations Commission heads to the UK this week to build support for reparatory justice, including a UK Parliament presentation.