21-year-old Palestinian dies in Israeli custody, dozens taken in West Bank raids -says“thiscourtisnotabouttoresurrectwhathasbeenputtorest”
U.S. war officials in Guyana amid heightened Venezuela tensions ...talks focused on border security, regional stability ...companieseyeCaricommarketwith 100,000tonnesannualproduction
ExxonMobil eyes US$25B windfall
down Mohameds’ bid to shift extradition case to High Court ...Guyanafieldstakecentrestagein
WIN Leader, Azruddin Mohamed and his lawyers walk outside the Georgetown Magistrates' Court following the ruling
Twin blackouts rock Demerara & Berbice
...GPL blames damaged cable, heavy machinery
In light of the two major
b l a c k o u t s G u y a n e s e experienced over the last 24 hours, the Guyana Power and Light is blaming a damaged cable for the first instance and heavy machinery moving too close to transmission lines for the second.
Hours later, on Wednesday at approximately 11:19 hrs., the 69kV line linking the Edinburgh and Vreeden-Hoop substations tripped while transmitting approximately 15 megawatts(MW)ofpower.
In a statement, GPLsaid customers in Demerara and Berbice experienced an interruption in electricity supply on Tuesday evening, following a heavy arching and short circuit at the 69kV transformer at the Kingston substation, where smoke was observed emanating from the transformer panel. It said a technical team was immediately dispatchedtoinvestigatetherootcause of the disturbance, which was reported tobeadamagedcable.
As a precautionary measure, the damaged cable was then isolated to allow the safe restoration of power Immediately restoration began in an incremental manner and continued until all the affected areas had power restoredsometimearound00:30hrs.on Wednesday
“The sudden loss of generation caused a cascading effect across the grid, resulting in service disruption to customers in Demerara and Berbice. Teams were instantly dispatched to determinethereasonforthedisruption. It was determined that the disruption was due to the movement of heavy machinery in close proximity to the transmissionlines.”
However, within 30 minutes of the outage, power was restored to some communities and full restoration followedina90minutesperiodafter
In this light, the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation said it continues to work with the Guyana Power and LightInc.tomaintainreliablesupplyof electricity
GPLsaid it has sufficient base load generation exceeding 250MW to reliably generate and exceed the
currentcapacitydemandof210MW
“However, there are instances where the disruption of services results from the operation of heavy-duty equipment including excavators, cranes, draglines, cement pump trucks in close proximity to the transmission lines, negatively impacting thousands of customers. Recently, we have seen an uptick of accidents where the reckless operation of trucks, cars and other motor vehicles resulted in the disruption of service to customers, when they come into contact with GPL'snetwork,”itsaid.
Further, “the ministry, therefore, strongly urges all road users and equipmentoperatorsandcontractorsto be conscious of the dangers of operating near GPL infrastructure and the resultant loss of service to customers.”
Working alongside GPL, the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation, has commissioned in excess of 30 emergency teams throughout the country to address emergencies that mayarise.
No new development with Corentyne Block …govt.positionremains
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat has revealed that government hasmetwithjointventure(JV) partners CGX Energy Inc. and Frontera Energy Corporation but maintained that the government's position that the JV's Petroleum Prospecting Licence (PPL) and Petroleum Agreement for that oil block hasended.
CGXhaddisclosedthaton N o v e m b e r 4 , 2 0 2 5 , government through its counsel communicated its willingness to participate in a final “Without Prejudice” meeting with the JVto discuss the dispute. The company had said that the government proposed to meet with the JV on November 25 or December 2, 2025. On the sideline of an event on Tuesday, when asked for an update and whether government has met with the oil companies, Minister Bharrat said, “We had an initial discussion. That processwillcontinue…soasis it the position remains the samesoassoonasthereisany
new development obviously, I will make an announcement like we always do there is nothingtohideaboutit.”
Despite government position that the JV future in theCorentyneBlockhascome to an end, CGX recently tapped a US$2.5 million loan from Frontera to fund its share of corporate working capital and other agreed-upon expenditures. According to CGX, it has already drawn down and received US$1.9 millionunderthefacility The US$2 5 million will be available in tranches on a non(Continuned on page 16)
Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat
Local insurers now cleared to cover Stabroek Block
...EPA says it means ‘everything will not go out of Guyana’
ExecutiveDirectorofthe Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Khemraj Parsram, on Sunday confirmed that local insurers are now authorised to cover Stabroek Block operations, meaningExxonMobilandits partners must secure oil spill insurance through Guyanese companies.
Under the revised oil and gas permits, only insurance companies holding Local Content Certificates can participate, opening the door forlocalfirmstoplayadirect role in insuring the country's l a r g e s t p e t r o l e u m operations.
Appearing on Sunday's Starting Point podcast, ParsramcreditedtheBankof Guyana (BoG) for driving the regulatory changes that made this possible. “In the early days, we didn't have legislation allowing local insurers to provide this level of financial assurance. So initially, it had to go international,” he explained. “Butthischangebuildslocal content.
It gives local insurers the ability to join and benefit from this.” He added that becausetheresourcesbelong to the Guyanese people, it is only fair that local companies gain meaningful participation.
However, Parsram stressed that while local involvement is important, the required level of financial assurance cannot be diluted Whether the coverage comes from local insurers, international ones, oracombinationofboth,the full liability threshold must always be met “Local content is important, and it allows local players to benefit. It means everything doesn't go out of Guyana,” hesaid.
The EPA director said that, the important thing is that the “amount of financial assurance is not watered down by having local players versus international players.”
It does not matter how it is done, even if it is a combination of international andlocalinsurersthelevelof liability must be met in any case. “…But the good thing is that local content is important, and it's allowing theplayers,thelocalplayers, to benefit from that as well.
Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Khemraj Parsram.
So,everythingdoesn'tgoout of Guyana, so to speak,” Parsramsaid.
Going on to speak on financial assurances on a wider scale he said that there is also insurance in the form of the parent company guarantee, and more importantlytheOilPollution Prevention Responsibility Act, was recently passed by thegovernment.
This Act he explained outlines all the regulatory measures that must be taken by the developer, to ensure that prevention of spills, and that there is preparedness to ensureresponsecapabilityas well as responsibility “…responsibility aspect is a liability, your financial assurance.
So, if there is whatever cost it is, it is on the developer In this case, the
Government of Guyana and the EPA will assist, because it'sourresponsibility,butthe cost for cleanup, response and all these other things is the responsibility of the developer in this case, or the operator,”henoted.
The permit requires after being issued, the oil c o m p a n y h a s t o operationalize its oil spill response plan at least twice, within three years of receivingthepermit.
This in turn stresses
a n d strengthening the readiness oftheoperators.
T h e E P A h e a d highlighted that anyone can be given a plan but the
manner in which they will ensure that the plan and the resources required for it are effective, adequate and can be leveraged in the event of
something happening is whatmatters.
“So that is why we're mandating as well, because it's not just ExxonMobil in
this case, or the operator that we require to respond, they may need, you know, other agencies, other partners, to comeintoplay.”
The Stabroek Block that local insurers can now insure.
Georgetown has long lived with a reputation it did not wantbutsteadilyearned:acapitalcitydrowninginitsown waste.
For decades, residents have grown accustomed to overflowing bins, clogged drains, roadside dumps, and the familiar stench that lingers after every missed collection cycle.GarbageinGeorgetownisnotjustasanitationissue,it is a mirror held up to the country's governance, its civic culture,anditsnationalpriorities.
President Irfaan Ali's recently unveiled Georgetown City Revival Plan arrives at a moment when the city desperately needs more than another announcement. The plan promises sweeping revitalisation: upgraded drainage, improvedwastemanagement,urbanbeautification,heritage restoration,greenspaces,andmodernisedwaterfronts.
It forms part of a national strategy meant to restore Georgetown'slong-fadedimageastheCaribbean's“Garden City.” On paper, it is ambitious, detailed, and forwardlooking.ButasGuyaneseknowalltoowell,plansareeasy, implementationistherealtest.
For years, Guyana's waste-management system has operated like a patchwork quilt with missing squares. Responsibilityforgarbagecollectionisscatteredamongthe city council, private contractors, neighbourhood councils, andcentralgovernmentagencies.
Coordination is weak, trucks are often broken or insufficient, and dumping sites are overwhelmed Meanwhile, rapid urbanisation and skyrocketing consumption have overwhelmed an already shaky system. The outcome is depressingly familiar: inconsistent collection, rampant illegal dumping, blocked canals, and streets where garbage becomes a fixture rather than an intrusion.
Yet the problem is not only structural, it is cultural. Georgetown has a discipline problem. Bottles tossed casuallyintotrenches,householdwastedumpedatcorners, market refuse left in piles after closing hours, these are everyday scenes, not accidents. The same voices raised in outrage about a dirty city often belong to individuals who treattheenvironmentassomeoneelse'sresponsibility This isahardtruth,butanunavoidableone:nourbanrevivalplan cansucceedunlesscitizensrecognisethatpublicspacesare notdumpinggrounds.
Still,itwouldbeunfair,evendishonest,topretendthat thepublicaloneisresponsible.Leadershipmatters,andfor toolongthemanagementofGeorgetownhasbeencrippled by political turf wars, weak enforcement, and chronic underinvestment. As President Ali bluntly stated, the “mismanagementandinefficiencythroughwhichthecityis managed can no longer be tolerated.” He is right, but this declaration now places the burden squarely on his governmenttoshowthatthistimewillbedifferent.
Billions of dollars have already flowed into drainage upgrades, road works, housing development, and infrastructure. These investments have improved many areas,butGeorgetown'ssanitationwoesremainstubbornly unchanged.Thenewplan,developedwithsupportfromthe King'sFoundation,seekstopushfurther:restoringhistoric buildings,modernisingtheStabroekwaterfront,enhancing green corridors, and upgrading the Lamaha Railway corridor into a cultural showcase. There are proposals for sustainable growth clusters, agro-linked urban zones, heritage protection, a modernised transport system, and significantly better waste-management systems aligned withtheLowCarbonDevelopmentStrategy(LCDS)2030. These are promising developments. But none of them will matter if the city's garbage problem continues to undermineeveryeffort.Beautificationwithoutsanitationis cosmetic. Heritage restoration surrounded by heaps of refuseispointless.Andamoderntransportsystemrunning throughacitywhosedrainsareblockedwithplasticbottles isanexpensivecontradiction.
Waste is more than an aesthetic issue. It is an environmental threat, an economic liability, and a public-
Human rights under threat in Guyana from obsession with wealth
DearEditor, International Human Rights Day 2025 is overshadowedbythreatsglobally and domestically To a surprisingdegreeprogressin humanrightslegislationand practice in Guyana has been prompted by international pressure rather than by domesticconviction.
This was evident with respect to issues such as children's rights, gay rights, death penalty, corporal punishment, trafficking in persons and women's rights. The incentive to improve human rights performance was normally financial with development assistance from Western countries being tied to human rights performance However, human rights leadership fromWesterndemocraciesis
generally failing as wealth displaces dignity, equality, andfairnessasthedominant globalvalue.
Guyanese need to ask ourselveswherethedynamic to sustain a human rights culture will come from in response to the failing Westernleadershipaswealth replaces equality, dignity, and fairness as a universal value Accumulation of wealth is becoming the only measure of a successful person, displacing criteria such as education, communityesteem,orpublic service, thereby widening inequalities and coarsening relations between people The price to be paid for displacing rights-based development in Guyana is unfair distribution of benefits such as jobs,
Corruptionattractsmedia attention only when it involves millions of dollars, while people are resigned to everyday forms of corruption such as bribes, harassment of women and vindictivetransfersofpublic servants.
While the society reacts with indignation at the abuse of women and children, it seems unable to see this and other forms of abuse as the logical consequence of the obsession with wealth and unrestrainedbehaviourinall walks of life. And how will the dynamism needed to correctthisstateofaffairsbe structured? With the
weakening of external pressure our ambivalence towards human rights principle stands exposed Civil society in particular is challenged to rehabilitate exploitative relations, not simply survive alongside them.Toomanyofusoppose the disordered features of society only to the point at whichtheopportunitytojoin the band-wagon becomes tooattractivetoresist.
Ultimately, given the global juxtapositioning, it is the degree to which human rights principles inform and protect everyday life and culture, rather than the number of ratification of treaties.
Regards Executive Committee, Guyana Human Rights Association
Stable electricity crucial if Guyana is to progress
DearEditor,
A s a p u b l i c communications analyst who has travelled across Guyana to understand the livedrealitiesofcitizens,one recurring concern remains constant:theneedforstable, accessible, and high-quality public utilities. While the Government of Guyana has introducedseveralinitiatives to strengthen service delivery,moremustbedone to ensure that consumers receive consistent service and that technicians operate at the highest professional and internationally recognizedstandards.
Guyana's electricity sectorliesattheheartofthis challenge.The rapid pace of national development demands a modern and reliable power system, yet existing structures reveal deep disparities Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL)
continues to manage generation and distribution along the coast but is hampered by aging infrastructure, technical losses, and rising demand. Power Producers and Distributors Inc (PPDI), which provides over 100 MW of capacity, faces increasing pressure as the national grid expands and expectationsgrow In the hinterland, energy insecurity is even more profound Communities served by the Hinterland Electrification Company Inc (HECI) and smaller regional entities from Lethem and Kwakwani to Linden—remain dependent onisolatedsystemspowered mainly by diesel. Limited funding, logistical challenges, and high operational costs contribute to inconsistent service and widen the development gap
between coastal and interior regions This fragmented structure weakens national cohesion and undermines equitable access to reliable electricity
Amidtheselongstanding c h a l l e n g e s , t h e Government's investment in r e n e w a b l e energy especially the rollout of new solar energy farms—is a welcomed and f o r w a r d - l o o k i n g development.Theseprojects have the potential to reduce fuel dependence, stabilize power supply, and expand cleaner, more affordable energy to both urban and r
However, their success
oversight, and a unified approach that integrates coastline and hinterland needs rather than treating themasseparatesystems.
A pressing, yet often overlooked, concern is the state of older electrical infrastructures within buildings. Many of these systems present serious safetyrisksandpotentialfire hazards In several communities, improper connections, overloaded circuits,andoutdatedwiring exacerbate these dangers Every citizen deserves accessnotonlytoelectricity but to safe and reliable service Modernizing infrastructure, enforcing proper standards, and increasing public awareness are essential steps in safeguarding lives and supporting the nation's development.
Guyana's energy sector now stands at a pivotal moment With greater financial capacity, emerging technologies,and (Continuedonpage6)
health hazard. Blocked drains contribute to severe flooding even in mild rainfall; polluted waterways damage fisheries and threaten residents' health. Investors and tourists may admire Georgetown's colonial architecture, but overflowing piles of garbagedrivethemawayjustasquickly.
PresidentAlisayseverystakeholdermusthelp“advancetherescueofGeorgetown.”Heiscorrect.Buttherescuewillfail unlesswastemanagementbecomesthebackbone nottheafterthoughtofthecapital'stransformation.Thegovernment'svisionforarestoredGeorgetowniscommendable. Now it must prove that this vision can withstand political cycles, bureaucratic inertia, and the familiar Guyanese habit of allowingplanstogatherdust.
Acleancityisnotaluxury Itisabasicprerequisitefordevelopment.Georgetowncannotbecomeoneoftheworld'sfinest cities until it stops being one of the dirtiest. The revival plan offers an opportunity, but only discipline, coordination, and sustainedpoliticalwillcanturnthatopportunityintoreality
Beyond the Fresh Paint: A Hostel of Horrors and
DearEditor,
In a stunning display of institutional hypocrisy, Guyana now benefits from over $400 million USD in
c a r b o n c r e d i t sales—revenue heralded by the President himself as a transformative national achievement.
The profound irony, however, lies in the brutal contradiction at its core: these funds exist solely becauseofthegenerationsof stewardship by Indigenous communities, who have preserved the biodiverse forests that generate these very certificates. Yet, the very people who laid this green gold foundation are systematically denied basic human dignity in state-run
hostels, suffering in overcrowded and squalid conditions.
This is the ultimate injustice:thestewardsofthe landarerelegatedtoneglect, while neo-colonial extractive interests, which
r a v a g e t h e s a m e environment, are celebrated
the Brutal Cost of Political Neglect
and welcomed with red carpets and preferential treatment.
Editor, the locked doors that barred Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed from theAmerindian Hostel onPrincessStreetonSunday morning was more than a political stunt; it was a metaphor
It symbolizes a government that would rather hide its failures than face its people, that prioritizes fresh paint on exteriors over dignity for human beings within.While the Minister of Amerindian Affairs tours with photo opportunities, eventually showsupwithoutaclueasto how to address the current status quo, when confronted withthefacts.
Alluding to design plans
awaiting presidential approval, while failing to committoofferingsolutions to alleviate the current deplorablesituation. This directly speaks to the minister's ability to effectively fulfill her
mandate Her immediate response exposes a stark reality,” that within the PPP, you are appointed not by qualifications but by connections ” As the people's representatives, it's imperative we expose the appalling reality festering behindthosecloseddoors:a state-funded institution that isnotarefuge,butachamber ofprofoundneglect.
Credible reports from within paint a picture of sheer inhumanity, of unimaginablescaleinthisoil rich economy flush with largesseandexcesses.
Thisisaplacewherethe most vulnerable are sent to suffer. Imagine a paralyzed, bedridden man, an amputee, and a stroke victim sharing an untidy, sweltering room. The hostel is described as extremely hot, with no fans orairconditioningforrelief. Thebedsareunfit,withthin mattresses, placed so close together that residents contractscabies.
Thewashroomsarenonfunctional,forcingpeopleto
A modern anti-poverty strategy for Guyana: Lessons from Brazil
DearEditor, Public concerns about persistent poverty, rising prices,andunevenaccessto services remain important, evenasGuyanacontinuesto undergo the fastest economic transformation in its history The Government hasbeeninvestingheavilyin housing, infrastructure, health, education, and hinterland development, but more can be done to ensure that every household feels the benefit of national progress.
Two of the most successful anti-poverty programmes of the last generation, Brazil's Bolsa Familia and Mexico's Oportunidades, offer
lessons that Guyana can adapt to our own reality
Both countries used targeted, data-driven programmes that provided support to poor families on the condition that children stayed in school and received regular health checks. These approaches did more than offer temporary relief; they built long-term human capital and broke intergenerationalpoverty
A Guyanese version shouldnotbeacopyofeither system but a multi-pronged modelblendingthestrengths of both. Brazil showed the powerofsimple,predictable income support for the poorest households. Mexico
fetch buckets of water to flush toilets, with no cleaning supplies in sight. Thefoodissubpar,thewater pressure unstable, and the buildingisinfestedwithrats. This is not care; it is statesanctionedsqualor
The government's sin is not merely one of omission, but of active, duplicitous complicity While the exteriorgetsacosmeticcoat of paint, the interior conditionsareallowedtorot inobscurity
This is the very definition of political theater investing in the optics of progress while denying the substance of humanity. Where are the government's own A m e r i n d i a n representatives? Their silence in the face of this atrocityreducestheirrolesto mere symbols, patronized tokens used to fulfill a politicalnarrativewhiletheir own people suffer Their failure to advocate is a betrayal.
Thisneglecthasahuman
and Mexico
demonstrated how strong educational and health requirements can improve school attendance, reduce childillness,andraisefuture earnings.
Together, they created a balanced approach that supported families today while preparing children for betterfutures.
Such a programme here would work through three coresteps.First,thecreation of a transparent national registry that identifies vulnerablefamiliesbasedon income, living conditions, and geographic needs Second, modest monthly support to the poorest householdstoeasepressure (Continuedonpage6)
cost too grave to ignore.We are reminded that this very hostel was the site of a profound tragedy, where a young Indigenous male was reported to have taken his own life. While the full circumstances ar
investigated, such an event in
h documenteddespairscreams ofasystemthathasfailedin its most basic duty of care.
Furthermore, this is not an isolated case. Reports from anotherAmerindianhostelin Region 1 describe a "dreadful state," raising alarming questions about a systemic pattern of abandonment.
The decision to deny the presumptive Leader of the Oppositionentryistherefore a damning admission of guilt.Whatistheretohideif
transparent?
This is a call to conscience. We demand the Minister of Amerindian Affairs address these catastrophic conditions immediately But we also issueawidercondemnation: the abuse of Guyana's first peoplemustend.Themeans todobetterarethere;whatis missing is the political will, replacedinsteadbyawillful blindness The world is watching.
Thepeoplearesuffering. The time for empty gestures isover.Wewillnotceaseour advocacy until every hostel door is open, every room is humane, and every Indigenous person in this country receives the respect and care that is their fundamental right. The line hasbeendrawn.
Yourstruly,
T h e a n s w e r i s everything: the evidence of broken promises, the proof of abused trust, and the visible suffering that contradicts every hollow slogan of "One Guyana." This action proves that the government fears scrutiny more than it values the welfare of its Indigenous citizens.
HemduttKumar
Water quality problem giving residents of Chesney/Kilcoy headache
DearEditor, Kindly allow me some space in your newspaper for thisletter
Iamwritingthis letter to highlight a problem that we the residents of Chesney / Kilcoy is experiencing with the poor quality of water, whichwearegettingfromthe GWI pump at # 4 Dam, ChesneySouth
After writing numerous letters to your newspaper highlighting the poor quality of water, we were getting from the GWI pump which was located in the Fyrish cemetery, the government listenedtoourcryandbuilta mini-watertreatmentplantat #4Dam,ChesneySouth Butloandbehold,sinceit
was commissioned about seven months ago, we continue to receive water withhighironcontent Ifyou fullabottleofwaterandleave it for twenty-four hours, you willseeabouthalfinchofrust atthebottomofthebottle I went to the GWI office at Chesney and informed them aboutthequalityofwaterand the rust content and they promised to flush the lines I willnotdenytheyflushedthe lines,becauseIdonotknow, but if they did, there is no
improvement in the quality of water On behalf of the residents of Chesney / Kilcoy,Iamappealingtothe CEO of GWI, Mr Shaik Baksh to look into this matterandgettheexpertsto rectify this problem. After all, a water treatment plant should give us pure, treated water
Hoping for a speedy response.
Thankyou.
Yoursfaithfully, ImtiazBacchus
Put people before rhetoric and ensure every Guyanese has a seat at the table of progress
DearEditor, In 2025, Guyana stands at a crossroads. The path before us is marred by inequality, corruption, and neglect of the very people whose labour builds this nation While the world hears grand speeches about p e o p l e - c e n t r e d development, sustainable development and carbon credits, the workers, farmers, and ordinary citizens,thebackboneofour economy, see little benefit from the wealth that flows past them. Our hinterland
communities remain deprived, our coastlands underserved, and our public institutions weakened, all whilethecorridorsofpower reward loyalty and profit
overjusticeandequity Trade unionists know thatrealdevelopmentcannot exist without the participation, protection, and empowerment of workingpeople.Sustainable development is not merely about roads, buildings, or economicreturns.Itisabout decent work, social justice, food security, health care, education, and the right of every Guyanese to live with dignity Under the Jagdeo/Ali regime, these principles are ignored, and the promise of inclusionary democracy enshrined in
unfulfilled.
If we are to build a Guyana that works for all,
not just a few, we must confront systemic failures, demand transparency, and insist on policies that put people before profit Sustainable development, equitable growth, and social j u s t i c e a r e n o t optional they are the lifebloodofanation,anditis theworkerswhowillensure thisvisionisrealised.
The Indigenous peoples who live in the hinterland, theverysourceofeconomic wealth derived from the rainforest, are not being denied their fair share of carboncreditrevenue.Yeton thecoastlands,thiswealthis not being invested to create infrastructurethatgenuinely enhances the wellbeing of the people and the
environment Instead, we continue to witness graft, c o r r u p t i o n , a n d discrimination in every s p h e r e w h e r e t h e government has influence. Race, political, and social discrimination have worsened.
This regime shows no respect for sustainable development, which must place both people and the environment at its core. For JagdeoandAli,development is about physical infrastructure and the enrichment of themselves and their cohorts, not about thenation'speople.
S u s t a i n a b l e development requires more than bricks and mortar It requires food security, new communities with modern sanitation, health policies that allocate resources to bothpreventiveandcurative care, a clean and safe environment,andprotection from prolonged flooding This model must be peoplecentered, guided by laws, conventions, and charters that protect every citizen's right and empower communities to decide the type of development that bestsuitstheirneeds.
For sustainable development to succeed, resources must strengthen institutions such as the judiciary, research bodies, and policing. The pillars of society must be reinforced,
A
and the justice system must recalibrate to ensure justice is impartial, universal, and unwavering. The executive must also demonstrate zero tolerance for corruption, graft,andnepotism.
The nation must remember that on 25 September 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development This must guide us, with adherence to the 17 Goals and 169 Targets, focused on People, Planet, Prosperity, Peace,andPartnership.
The17Goalsare:1)End poverty in all its forms; 2) End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition, and promote sustainable agriculture; 3) Ensure healthy lives and promotewell-beingforallat all ages; 4) Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and lifelong learning opportunities; 5) Achievegenderequalityand empower all women and girls; 6) Ensure availability andsustainablemanagement of water and sanitation; 7) Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy; 8) Promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment, and decent workforall;
9) Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable
industrialization, and foster innovation; 10) Reduce inequalitywithinandamong countries; 11) Make cities and human settlements inclusive,safe,resilient,and sustainable; 12) Ensure sustainable consumption andproductionpatterns;13) Takeurgentactiontocombat climate change; 14) Conserve and sustainably useoceans,seas,andmarine resources; 15) Protect, restore, and sustainably use terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests, combat desertification, and halt biodiversity loss; 16) Promote peaceful and inclusive societies, provide access to justice for all, and buildeffective,accountable, and inclusive institutions; and 17) Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development.
We must ask ourselves how much, if anything, the current regime is doing to implementtheseGoals.With only five years left until 2030, Guyana has yet to launch a coordinated and sustained programme to meetthesetargets. Nothingcanbeachieved when more than half of our population is systematically excluded from meaningful participation in governance and decision-making processesguaranteedunder
(Continuedonpage17)
modern anti-poverty strategy...
From page 5
from food prices, transportation, and living
education, vaccinations, health visits, and nutrition, ensuring that every child benefits from the country's developmenttrajectory
This would not replace the Government's ongoing efforts, rather, it would strengthen them The country's large investments in new schools, hospitals,
teacher training, and hinterland connectivity create the infrastructure needed for such a system to functioneffectively
A m o d e r n i s e d programme would simply ensure that these services reach the people who need them most, and that no child is left behind because of where they live or what their family earns With the resources now available to Guyana, we
haveanopportunitythatfew developing countries ever receive: the chance to pair rapid economic growth with deliberate, structured social uplift.
A combined BrazilMexico approach, carefully adapted to Guyana's realities, would help reduce poverty, protect families fromshocks,andensurethat our national prosperity becomessharedprosperity
Yours sincerely Dr.Walter H. Persaud
Stable electricity crucial if Guyana is...
Frompage4
unprecedented economic momentum, the country has a real opportunity to build a resilient and modern energy framework.
Strengthening GPL, PPDI, and hinterland
utilities while expanding solar, hydro, and gas-toenergy programmes will be essential in securing reliable electricity for all citizens.
Stable energy is more thanabasicservice;itisthe
foundation of national progress,equality,andlongtermopportunity
- Guyana fields take centre stage in global expansion
HOUSTON, Dec 9
(Reuters) - ExxonMobil is targeting US$25 billion in earnings growth from 2024 to2030andwillincreaseoil and gas production, the top U.S. oil producer said on Tuesday as it leans on profitable assets in Guyana andthePermianBasin.
Exxon also announced that Chief Financial Officer Kathy Mikells will retire effectiveFeb.1duetoanonlife-threatening health issue and will be succeeded by Neil Hansen, currently president of global business solutions The outlook represents a $5 billion
increase from its previous plan, although Exxon will not increase its annual project spending from prior guidance. Shares of Exxon were up 3% in morning trading.
Exxon said its updated corporate plan reflects its work to cut costs and increase profits even through periods of oil price volatility Itsupstreamfocus also includes growing its liquefied natural gas business.
Chief Executive Officer of ExxonMobil Corporation, Darren Woods
U.S. oilfield, where Exxon said it will grow production to2.5millionboepd,upfrom the previous goal of 2.3 million boepd Earnings from the upstream business isexpectedtogrowbymore than $14 billion through the endofthedecadefrom2024.
PROFITS
opportunities in the years ahead," Exxon CEO Darren Woods said in prepared remarks.
LOW-COSTPERMIAN OILWILLBOOST
“We are more profitable thanwewerefiveyearsago, and we expect that to continue as the advantages we've unlocked position us
Upstream production willreach5.5millionbarrels of oil equivalent per day by 2030, up from a previous forecast of 5 4 million boepd. That will be helped bythePermianBasin,thetop
Artificial intelligence is being used to direct drilling paths and Exxon said AI is allowing it to save money acrossoperations.
Cost of supply in the Permian is expected to be around $30 per barrel, Exxonsaid,down$5fromits previous expectation Capital expenditure will be
between $27 billion to $29 billion next year, and $28 billion to $32 billion from 2027 through 2030 as LNG projects develop further 00:13Sectors Up Close: By 2030, 'AI will account for 10% of power demand in Europe' Thevideoplayeris currentlyplayinganad.
Exxonsaiditalsotargets $35 billion in cash flow growthby2030versus2024, representing a $5 billion increase from its earlier outlook.Exxonincreasedits cost savings plan by $2 billion and now expects to reach $20 billion in reductionsby2030.
The books we bought
Therecomesatime in every small nations life when the whisper becomes a murmur Then the murmur becomes a shout In Guyana, that time seems to have arrived with the Presidents announcement that it has triangulated the recordsofthosewhodidthe mandatory written exam, who took the practical test, and who actually walked away with a brand-new drivers license. By some quiet miracle of arithmetic, thelinesdidnotallmeet.The triangles, it seems, have corners missing. And many Guyanese are displeased to learnthattheshapesoftheir
own stories have become somewhatirregular
The government has not said outright what the anomalies are, but it hardly takes a rocket scientist to figure out what is being implied. When an agency tells you that it has matched three sets of data and found them wanting, one does not need a degree in higher mathematics to suspect that certain licenses were issued irregularly
For years, the society has spoken in the offhand, folkloric way Guyanese do: “Man,paytherightpriceand you could get yuh book tomorrow.” Rumour in Guyana has the persistence
of a river; it may meander, but it is always heading somewhere.
What is now being suggested, quietly but unmistakably, is that the nations worst-kept secret had more than a grain of truth in it. It must have seemed a near-impossible feat for the authorities to have properly tested the thousands of new drivers emerging onto our roads each year, each one armed with a license, a sense of destiny, and occasionally a worrisomeconfidence.
Thenumbersneverquite matched the capacity of the testing grounds, nor the visible manpower. One
could not help wondering whether the practical examination had itself become a theoretical exercise.
So now the country is confronted with the possibility that thousands of drivers have “bought their books ” It is a phrase uniquely Guyanese, both humorous and tragic, suggestingatonceashortcut and a betrayal of the written word.Butforthosewhonow hold such books, there is little humor in the matter
Because the records, which tend to be mute witnesses, tell a less charitable story
question being asked with increasing agitation: Why didittakesolong?Guyanais not a large country News here behaves like smoke: it escapes every crevice, curls under every door, and eventuallyfindsitswayinto the most distant corner The talk of paying up to $140,000 for a drivers license circulated for years. Why no action was taken strainstheimagination.
But the truth is that for yearsnothinghappened.
themselvestodoso.Andyet, perhaps discipline begins at the beginningby ensuring thatnoonereceivesalicense who has not earned it, through sweat and practice rather than currency and convenience.
If Guyana is to restore order to its roads, perhaps it mustfirstrestoreordertothe processofcertification.
Bandits grab over $1M in cash, luxury items from Chinese businessman
Bandits grab over $1M in cash, luxury items from Chinese businessman
AChinese businessman was targetedbyfivemasked,armed men in a daring home invasion early Wednesday morning and made off with over $1 million in cash, luxury watches,andelectronics.
The victim, a 42-year-old businessman residing at Lot 2098 Providence Gardens, wasasleepintheupperflatofhistwo-storey home around 2:00 a.m. when the suspects entered through a lower flat bedroom window after cutting the security grill. Police said two of the men reportedly held handguns to the businessman’s head while theothersransackedbothflats.
Among the items stolen were: $1,000,000GYDincash;onesilverOmega watch valued at US$10,000; Black HP notebook ($300,000 GYD); two
cellphones:SamsungwithGTTSIM(#7441799)andHuaweiwithDigicelSIM(#6978808 Pro), valued at $460,000 GYD combined.
The assailants escaped in a silver car; the make, model, and registration remain unknown. No shots were fired, and the businessman was unharmed, police said. Police from Providence Station processed the scene and are reviewing nearby CCTV footage.The DVR system and the victim’s monitoring devices were also stolen Investigators noted no latent fingerprints were recovered. Statements could not be taken immediately due to a language barrier The case remains under active investigation.Authoritiesurgeanyonewith information about the suspects or the vehicletocontacttheProvidencePolice.
Season come again DEM BOYS SEH
“Price please!”
Is Christmas time, and de jewellery stores pon social media shining brighter than de fairy lights ponMainStreet.Everyday dem posting diamond rings so clean you could see yuh whole future in it… and gold chains so heavy dem could stabilise de dollar if deBankofGuyanaholdon to two. But is de comments sectionthatdoestellyoude realstory Becauseforevery “Lovely piece!” and “OMG!”, yuh gon see de inevitable question: “Price please?”Guyanesenational motto during Christmas time. Andafterdemjewellery store inbox de price, you could hear a pin drop Silence Not even one “Seen” comment. People doesdisappearfasterdande
internetduringblackout.
D e m b o y s s e h everybody want de big, shiny stone… until dem findoutthestonecostmore than de plot of land dem grandmother struggle 30 yearstopayoff.Isdeseason of goodwill, yes, but not of recklessspending.Plentyof we scrolling through de jewellerypostswithawarm heart and an empty pocket. We want de diamond, but we know very well is show string budget we operating with. Butdreamingfree,man. AndGuyaneseischampion dreamers. We does watch dem pieces and picture weself walking into a Christmas party, neck and fingers looking like dem sponsored by Dubai. In de daydream everything
perfectuntil reality tap yuh pondeshoulderlike,“Boss, check yuh wallet ” And when yuh open it, is two receipts, a bus fare, and a onehundreddollarthatlook tired.
Dem boys seh thats the thing about Christmas jewellery shopping: it does remind we that life sweet, but de price does always shock yuh back to sobriety Still, nothing wrong with admiring beautiful things, even if dem above yuh pay grade.Onedaymightcome when yuh savings catch up withyuhtaste.
Untilthen,wegonkeep scrolling, keep dreaming, and keep asking, “Price please?”even though, deep inside we know we aint readyfordeanswer!
Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
And the government, perhaps reluctantly but inevitably, must now follow thetaletoitsend.
F o r m a n y , t h e displeasure is personal. To lose a licenseespecially one paid for twice, once in cash andonceinnervesisnosmall inconvenience. Worse yet is the possibility of criminal prosecution.Onecanalmost hear the collective sigh rising from the households now wondering whether the envelope passed discreetly years ago is about to return with a notice to appear in court.
This brings us to the
The silence of the authorities stood in stark contrast to the noisy chatter ofthepopulation.Onecould almost believe that the records were asleep and have only now rubbed their eyesawake.
But here we are. The books have been examined, theanomaliesidentified,and the consequences are on their way Whether this corrective moment will make our roads safer is anothermatterentirely
For as any honest observerofGuyanesetraffic cantellyou,therealcrisisis not a lack of skill but a fundamental shortage of discipline.Ourdriversknow howtodrive;theysimplydo not always trouble
Alicenseshouldbemore than a small plastic card. It should be a symbol that one has passed not only a test, but a threshold of responsibility In this sense, revoking the illegitimate licenses is not only an administrative task. It is a moralone.
Whether it is enough is uncertain. But at least, for thefirsttimeinalongwhile, the books may begin to balance.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
H@RD TRUTHS
A secret society
It is now obvious that Guyana is a secret society Guyanese are living under aPPPGovt thatdelightsin its standard practice of well-guarded secrets, and a leadershipthatlovestheway of life built on more highlevel secrets. There are codesthatgovernexchanges (procurementcontracts).
A coded language with a group of star speakers. Rituals that a select set of well-connected men and women use to polish their law-abiding pretenses. The only things missing may
(may) be secret handshakes and passwords. Men in the top tiers of the PPP Govt. speak about democracy and honesty,buttheirlifestoryis aboutsecrecy Is there a country anywhere, where the results of a census are national security secrets? Guyana is. Are there leaders who operate as though they are running from dark deeds, and must deal, therefore, in secrets? Guyanahasthembytheton. Secrecy abounds, but they sti
transparency, honesty, duty to country, and similar farces.
Why does the national unemploymentratehaveto be a secret? Why does the poverty rate, with all the high-placed and highpricednumbersmenpresent in Guyana, have to be a secret, something about which the World Bank and like institutions have to lament?
If there are no official
crucial items and areas, then no one can evaluate,
calculate, and circulate what is authoritative, what exposes PPP governance as shabby and short of the mark Mainly rank deceivers. Largely coverup masters Not-so-secret operatorswithlotsofsecrets to paper over, bury deep, or keep safe and secure among themselves. If obtaining information comes to mind, then Guyanese are grasping howthePPPsecretsprogram functions.
How does the report on a helicopter crash that killed five Guyanese soldiers and wounded two otherscouldeverqualifyto be a secret to be held from the public? What kinds of secretsareembeddedinthat report that they have to be protected for two years and counting?
If a report on a fatal helicopter crash involving those who gave their lives for their fellows could be held as a secret to be spirited away in a Witness Protection Program, then what else falls into that category?
Perhaps, the fittest question is: what PPP Govt dealings are so pure, so lacking in the questionable, that they can be cleared for publishing? If a copter crash report is secret, then why not a dirty contract award for the same
secret treatment? If a corrupt contract award, then what prevents a revealing Guyana Police crime report fromseeingthelightofday?
Guyana's current biggest project is the US$2 billion Wales gas-toenergy undertaking. From day one, secrecy shrouded it.
It promises many good thingsforGuyanese,butits underpinnings still have to be hidden from them One determined leader insists that'stransparency,whilenot giving a hoot about how much that makes him look softinthehead.
Guyana's biggest prize, Guyana'sbiggestwinner,is oil Look left or look right andauditreportsabouttens of billions in Exxon's spendingareunderembargo, as though they are a part of some stiff US sanctions When Guyanese want to some faint idea about their true oil reserves, they are better off checking with Bloomberg, the New York Times, or the Wall Street Journal Their own leaders collaborate with the exploiters of the Guyanese people like drooling sycophants. IfthePPPGovt. is about lawful business, then it shouldn't have to be concerned about frank disclosure. Since it is so anxiousthatitmustconceals
much, then by process of subtraction, it must be embroiled in dirty business, whatever earns the tag of underhand endeavors and sinisternetworks.
Considering the barrels ofsecretsthatthePPPGovt. harbors, it must have constructed a hell of a huge warehouse to stock them. SecretssuchasthePPPGovt. hideawaywouldrequirea10storey warehouse that is surrounded by razor-wire, steel-reinforced, bunker bomb resistant, caninecontrolled,adsubjectto24/7 human and electronic oversight Keeping secrets secureisaterriblyexpensive business.
Thegoodpartisthatthe Guyanese people oil moneyispayingforit The people fear the PPP Govt so much that most of them shrinkfromaskingaboutthe need for all these secrets. For its part, the PPP Govt. fears how dishonorable and disgraceful it will come acrossbeforethenation,that itsecretsawaythetruthsthat Guyanese have a right to know More secrets are what'slikely
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the o p i n i o n s o f t h i s newspaper.)
Aniel King, 20 years old, o f M t S i n a i , N e w Amsterdam is currently hospitalised with burns about his body sustained from a devastating fire that destroyed his home completely on Tuesday afternoon.
The young man and his father,IsmaelKing,48,lived alone in the two-storey wooden and partial concrete propertyallhislife.
The father, a well-known greens vendor in New Amsterdam, related to this publicationontheeveningof the incident, that he had earlier that morning prepared his son's meal and subsequently went about his
business on Tuesday on Strand, New Amsterdam
His son, a teacher at the Canje Secondary School, stopped by at about after 12:00pm.
"He come by me bus this middayandIgavehe$1,500. I tell he to buy a food if he want, and he left, and I left selling,"Kingshared.
Sometwohourslater,the vendor received a call informing him that his house was on fire, to which he rushed home in less than threeminutes.
"When I come home, I see the whole place in flames. So I asked for my son, they said he deh somewhere across the road,
CEO of GAICO, Komal Singh and CEO of Sucro, Jonathan Taylor, sign the joint venture for the US$20 million sugar refinery
Deal sealed for US$20M white sugar refinery at Wales ...companieseyeCARICOMmarketwith100,000tonnesannualproduction
Guyana'sfirst-everwhitesugarrefinery,a US$20millionjointventurebetweenGAICO Construction and General Services Inc. and US-based Sucro Limited is set to position the countryasamajorsupplierofrefinedsugarto theCARICOMmarket.
The project, hailed as historic by Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, was formalised Tuesday evening during a signing ceremony at the Pegasus Suites and Corporate Centre in Georgetown.Therefinerywillbeconstructed at the former Wales Sugar Estate, Region Three, and is expected to come online in 2026 Once operational, the plant will produce 100,000 tonnes of refined sugar annually, with room for expansion, a significant shift in a region that imported 200,000 tonnes valued at US$180 million in 2024.
According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) press release, the Caribbean imports around 200,000 tonnes of refined sugar each year, totalling US$180 million in 2024.With the new plant projected to produce 100,000 tonnes per year and designed with scalability for future expansion, Guyana is poised to become a majorcontributortotheregion'srefinedsugar needs.
During the signing ceremony, Dr Singh said the project represents a major transformation of the sugar industry and a defining moment for Guyana's agroindustrialfuture.Heexplainedthattheproject aligns directly with Guyana's leadership role in advancing CARICOM food security, including the 25 by 2030 initiative championed by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. “We have always taken our regional obligations seriously… and our preferredaccesstotheCARICOMmarket makes this project even more significant,” MinisterSinghsaid.
Speaking on the centrality of sugar to the development of Guyana, Dr Singh reflected oncenturiesofeconomicandculturalhistory, noting that sugar cultivation shaped the earliest forms of economic activity in the colonies, entire communities grew out of the plantation system, and the industry brought generations of Guyanese ancestors to these shores He reminded that the PPP/C, throughout every period of governance, has remained unwavering in its commitment to protecting, modernising, and strengthening the industry, even through challenges such as the loss of the preferential European market and the devastation caused by the closure of estatesbetween2015and2020.
and he come over when I checkhe,hewasburnuplil," thedevastatedfathershared.
The teacher told his father that he was cooking, but had fallen asleep. The young man said too that the gas bottle exploded shortly a fter, and the ignition quickly caught on to the inner dwellings. The young man received burns to his feet, hands, and a portion of his back,hisfathertoldKaieteur News.
Atthecore of King's frustration was the slothfulness of the New Amsterdam Fire Service. He said if they had arrived on time, his home could have beensaved.
"The Fire Service is like
King inspecting the debris The destroyed residence
Magistrate shuts down Mohameds’ bid to shift extradition case to High Court -
says “this court is not about to resurrect what has been put to rest”
M a g i s t r a t e J u d y Latchman on Thursday delivered a decisive ruling: the extradition proceedings against businessman Nazir Mohamed and his son, Azruddin,willgoon. She dismissed the defence's attempt to halt the case by sending multiple constitutional questions to the High Court, ruling that the issues had already been settled by Guyana's Superior Courts.
The ruling was delivered a t t h e G e o rg e t o w n Magistrates' Court, where the Mohameds appeared with their attorneys, along with the prosecution team. The hearing, initially set for 09:00 hrs., was delayed until 11:00 hrs to allow the defence to present its final submissions Defence attorneys argued that the extradition should be halted until the court clarifies the F u g i t i v e O ff e n d e r s (Amendment) Act of 2009, which they claim does not clearly address the issue of re-extraditiontoathirdstate.
We Invest in Nationhood supporters outside the Georgetown Magistrates' Court
When the matter was eventually called, before a packed courtroom and with We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) supporters gathered outside, Magistrate Latchman dismissed the application,statingthatthere was “no need to resurrect what was already put to rest.” She emphasised that the core issues raised by the defence regarding the 2009 amendments had already been considered by higher courts and did not require furtherreview In outlining her reasons, Magistrate Latchman noted
that the defence alleged that several constitutional rights oftheMohamedswereunder threat, including personal liberty, the right to life, protection of the law, separation of powers, judicial independence, private and family life, freedom of expression, access to the court, freedom of movement, and equality before the law She also referenced the prosecution's relianceonadiplomaticnote thatprovidedassurancesthat the Mohameds would not be detained,tried,orprosecuted for any offence other than
those forming the basis of the extradition and would be allowed to return to Guyana. However, the Magistrate struck out the note, stating it was not “binding or concrete,” and adding that while diplomatic assurances may shift, treaty obligations are binding and must be performed in good faith. “It is the court's respectful view that the diplomatic vote is not set in stone, but a treaty arrangement is binding on the partisan and must be performed by the good faith in accordance with the convention of the law,” she said.
Azruddin Mohamed walking with his team of attorneys
Magistrate Latchman further highlighted the prosecution's argument that thedefence'sapplicationwas frivolous and vexatious, contrary to statutory and constitutional requirements, and amounted to an abuse of process.
In addressing the defence's concerns about reextradition, she relied on previous decisions, including Stephen King and Sobers v Director of Prisons and the 2017 High Court ruling in the Marvin “Troy” Thomascase.Sheconcluded that “the issues raised by the d e f e n c e h a v e b e e n adjudicated upon by the supreme courts in Guyana.” She also rejected the defence's reliance on the Barry Dataram case, noting thatitwasdecidedbeforethe 2009 amendments to the Fugitive Offenders Act and wasthereforenotapplicable. Instead, she referenced the Troy Thomas decision, which took the amended legislation into account and addressed the limits and discretion involved in extraditionarrangements.
In concluding her ruling, Magistrate Latchman stated that the court was bound by the principle of stare decisis and would not depart from decisions of the Superior Courts. She reiterated, “This courtisnotabouttoresurrect what has been put to rest.” Having examined all the issuesraised,shedetermined therewasnobasistoactivate
the referral provisions of the Constitution. She added that magistrates derive their authority from statute and arerequiredtocarryouttheir functions accordingly, meaning the extradition proceedings must continue at the magistrate level. “The sessions provide and if there w a s a b s o l u t e l y n o permission in the treaty or other arrangement or prohibiting extradition to a third state that is subject to the minister's exercise of his discretion, a person is still beingextraditedtoatreatyor a Commonwealth territory The appellant contends that by these measures, the legislature has attempted to amend the treaty,” the Magistrate said, quoting from the rulings in King and MarkWilliams.
“The court is cognizant that his role in these proceedings, akin to a magistrate executive functions for various inquiry in the circumstances this court will continue to exercise its functions accordingly Thematterwill
MagistrateLatchmanstated. Following the ruling, the Special Prosecutor, Terrence Williams expressed satisfaction, stating, that the ruling touched on all issues the defence raised “We're happy to move along the case. They have had their chance to raise their objections They raised (Continued on page 16)
U.S. war officials in Guyana amid heightened Venezuela tensions
U S Department of War officialsmadeahigh-profilevisitto Guyana this week, signaling Washington's renewed focus on the region amid escalating tensions withVenezuela.
SeniorAdvisor to the Secretary of War Patrick Weaver and Acting Assistant Secretary Joseph Humire (Americas Security Affairs) met with President IrfaanAli and Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Omar Khan to deepen a strategic partnership seen as critical to
safeguarding regional stability, the US Embassy here said in a press release.
According to a US Embassy press release, discussions focused on U S support for Guyana's territorial integr
collaboration to advance regional security and stability During the trip, Senior Advisor Weaver said, “close coordination with regional partners is critical to advancing regionalsecurity
The U.S.-Guyana partnership
...talks focused on border security, regional stability
Construction of Guyana Technical Training College fully completed
The construction of the Guyana Technical Training College (GTTC)campuswhichislocatedin Port Mourant, Region Six is now fullycompleted.
This was confirmed via a post on the President Irfaan Ali's Facebook page onWednesday The President shared that the facility is now fully prepared to welcome
with essential technical skills, strengthening Guyana's workforce and supporting the country's rapidly expanding oil and gas sector,”thepoststated.
Itwasreportedinthemediathat the investment in the college is about US$100 million. Back in February 2024, the first phase of the project was commissioned.
students in January “The campus features a state-of-the-art Facility Simulator (FacTor), practical workshops, lecture rooms, and administrativeoffices,amongother modern amenities. It is designed to deliverhands-on,industry-relevant training that will equip students
That phase included the Simulator Facility (FacTor), valued at cost of US$13 million. The initial phase focused on providing practical
, Instrumentation, Electrical, and Production areas, catering to batchesof25students.
dates back to 1966, and it's important that we strengthen our cooperation and help to support a
Guyana.”
The United States and Guyana enjoy a longstanding security partnership that focuses on promoting a safe, sovereign, and prosperous Guyana, countering
organizations, and advancing shared goals of peace and stability across the broader Caribbean and
South America, the release concluded. While the meetings
cooperation dating back to Guyana's independence in 1966, analysts note a sharper geopolitical subtext: the United States is actively strengthening alliances along its southern frontier in
increasingly assertive posture, which has included military drills, bordermobilizations,andanti-U.S. (Continued on page 15)
KaieteurNewsreportedthatthe decision to establish an oil and gas training college in Berbice was conceived over two years ago, through collaborative efforts involving ExxonMobil Guyana, SBM Offshore Guyana, Hess Corporation, and China National
Room (CCR), a marshalling cabinet, and a motor control center (MCC) cabinet, all powered by the latestDCS
The GTTCI facility, spanning
The Guyana Technical Training College (GTTC) in Port Mourant, Region Six.
President Ali and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of War Patrick Weaver display the letter of intent signed
President Irfaan Ali and his delegation meeting with the US officials
$4.2B in contracts awarded for widening of Heroes' Highway
T
h e M i n i s t r y o f
Housing – Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) will expend approximately $4.2 billion on widening the Heroes Highway, adding new lanes fromHaagsBoschtoMassy Road, East Bank Demerara (EBD).
Kaieteur News had reported that the project which is divided into five lots, went out to tender and in October six contractors submitted bids to the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board(NPTAB).
The tender process has since been completed and the contractors awarded the
project are as follow: Ivor
A l l e n – L o t 1 f o r
$650,499,465; Guyamerica Construction Inc. – Lot2 for $639,695,805; AIKA
GeneralConstruction–Lot3 for $801,327,744; BK International Inc. – Lot4 for $1,025,838,791; and S Jagmohan Construction –Lot5for$1,170,452,850.
This publication understands that the project will see the lanes from HaagsBoschtoMassyRoad on the Heroes Highway be widenfromfourlanestosix lanes.
The ministry in a traffic advisory on Wednesday, announced that works have commenced on the road-
widening project along the ea
carriageways of Heroes'
‘Rights in the digital age’
- Govt. declares education, connectivity, anti-corruption as new human rights pillars
Th e G u y a n a Government on
T u e s d a y signalled a major shift in how human rights are understood and protected, with Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh declaring that the government now views economic opportunity, digitalaccess,andfinancial integrity as modern human rights essential to national development. Speakingattheopening of the Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Expo at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Dr Singh said Guyana is moving beyond the traditional interpretation of rights by embedding education, healthcare, digital connectivity, clean governance, and anticorruption safeguards into the core of its development policy Minister Singh said thePPP/Cadministrationis deliveringoncommitments that directly improve citizens' lives, particularly in education, healthcare, housing, and access to publicservices.
According to a Department of Public Information (DPI) release, he stressed that economic and social rights, such as decent work, equal pay, quality healthcare, education, housing, and water, are fundamental human rights, which are reflected in the Universal
Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh
Declaration of Human Rights (1948). “The surest way to empower Guyanese citizens is through goodqualityeducationandgoodquality economic opportunities,” he said, h i g h l i g
investments in social sectorssince2020.
The minister pointed to massive increases in budgetary allocations, includinga231percentrise ineducationspendinganda 300percentincreaseinthe healthbudgetbetween2019 and 2025 These, he stressed, are deliberate decisions to expand access andensureequityacrossthe country, including hinterland communities now connected to the internetforthefirsttime.
MinisterSinghsaidthat even infrastructure such as solar electrification, internet connectivity, and hinterland tele-education programmes, though not
traditionally labelled as human-rights initiatives, are transformative investments that expand opportunity Turning to anti-corruptionreforms,the minister outlined progress made since the restoration of democracy in 1992, ranging from resuming auditedfinancialstatements
t o s t r e n g t h e n i n g constitutional bodies, parliamentary oversight, procurement laws, and the fiscal management framework.
He noted that Guyana's Natural Resource FundAct now ranks among global examples of best practice, with transparent reporting, parliamentary scrutiny, and strict penalties for noncompliance Dr. Singh warned that as Guyana's global economic presence expands, the integrity of its financial system must remain uncompromised “Nevertakeforgrantedthe soundness of our financial system. In the blink of an eye, a country can be isolated from the global economyifitssystemslack integrity,” he stated. “Our fiscal choices and governance reforms reflect o n e t h i n g – o u r commitment to a Guyana where every citizen has access to opportunity, and where public resources are m
, and responsibly,”headded.
Section of the Heroes Highway on the East Bank of Demerara.
Highway
“Atthistime,nochanges to the existing traffic arrangements are in effect. However, pedestrians and motorists are strongly urged to:
Exercise caution when traversing the construction
zone. Observe and obey all posteddirectionalandsafety signs. Follow the instructions of the Guyana Police Force, and other traffic controllers on site. Remain within the delineated/marked routes to ensure safe passage,” the
ministrystated.
Further, the ministry is advising the public that minor traffic delays may occur to facilitate the safe andcontrolledmovementof vehicles during ongoing works.
“The ministry regrets any inconvenience caused and thanks the public for their cooperation and understandingasweworkto improve the national road network,” the agency expressed.
The Heroes Highway, which links Mandela Avenue to Eccles and the new Demerara River crossing, is fast becoming one of the country's most expensive infrastructure arterieswiththisnewmultibillion-dollar investment adding to the growing price tag of Guyana's concrete transformation.
Chevron in talks withTrump administration onVenezuela
(OILPRICE.COM)
Chevron Corp. is currently engaged in talks with the Trumpadministration over its Venezuelan operations, with ChiefExecutiveOfficerMike Wirth emphasizing that its continued presence there is beneficial to U S interests, while Washington's military buildup in the Caribbean seeks to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President NicolásMaduro
Last week, Chevron flew its employees to its oil production sites in Venezuela, defying a warning by the U.S. F e d e r a l Av i a t i o n Administration regarding the dangers of air travel due to military satellite interference
The oil major has employed about 3,000 people in Venezuela, having operated in the Latin Americancountryformore thanacentury "Chevron's operations
in Venezuela continue in full compliance with laws and regulations applicable toitsbusiness,aswellasthe sanctions frameworks provided for by the U S government,"Chevronsaid
Back in August, C h e v r o n r e s u m e d shipmentsofVenezuelanoil to the U.S. after a 4-month hiatus, averaging just over 100,000bpd
Whereas the oil giant is the only American energy company that has been authorized to operate in Venezuela, it can only export half of the estimated 240,000
barrels of crude it producesperday.
T h e T r e a s u r y Department also banned paymentsinanycurrencyto Maduro's government
PDVSA,Venezuela's stateowned oil company and Chevron's key partner, controls the barrels delivered to comply with
Chevron produces and exports heavy crudes in Venezuela, primarily from the Orinoco Belt, upgrading extra-heavy crude into lighter, highervalue synthetic oil (like Hamaca)andalsohandling Boscan crude, sending these to U S refineries for processing
A potential shift in Venezuela's political trajectory adds another layer of uncertainty to Chevron's long-standing positioninthecountry.
Any transition away from Maduro could initially tighten global crude supply if instability disrupts output, before triggering a longer-term surge in volumes if a new government courts foreign investment and opens the sector to broader participation
U.S. war officials in Guyana amid...
Frompage14 rhetoric. On Tuesday, the Office of the President in a statement said the visiting officials were accompanied byAmericanAmbassadorto Guyana, HE Nicole Theriot and that during the meeting, both countries reaffirmed their strong security and military relationship based on a shared commitment to peace, sovereignty and security in the Western Hemisphere.
The two countries also signed a Statement of Intent to expand joint military cooperationwithfullrespect forthesovereigntyandlaws ofbothcountries.Ministerof Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hugh Todd; National Security Advisor, Captain Gerry Gouveia; Foreign Secretary, Robert Persaud; and Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan were alsopartofthemeeting.
US seized oil tanker illegally flying
... Guyana Govt. condemns illegal use of flag by non-registered vessels
Karaburigetsnew$35MHealthPost
The Ministry of Health has recently commissioned an upgraded $35 million health post at Karaburi Village,RegionOne.
A c c o r d i n g t o information provided by the ministrythefacilitywillalso deliver healthcare services to residents of Moruca and surrounding communitiesin RegionOne.Speakingatthe simple ceremony, Minister ofHealthDr FrankAnthony reaffirmed the government's commitmenttoensuringthat all Guyanese, regardless of geographic location, can access high-quality, modern healthcare.
Highlighting the new
investment his government hasmadeinRegionOne,he notedtheexpandedmaternal care services, improved emergencyfacilities,andthe introductionofdigitalX-ray technology
According to the minister, these upgrades ensure that families across the region, particularly expectant mothers, can receive essential medical servicesclosetohome.
“He also encouraged local youth to take advantage of government scholarships and training initiatives, stressing the importance of preparing the next gen
healthcare professionals,” theministryreported.
Speaking on healthcare inRegionOne,theRegional Health Officer (RHO), Dr Steven Cheefoon pointed out that there has been i m p r o v e m e n t s i n infrastructure, equipment, and staffing which were all strategicallyimplementedto enhance the delivery of patientcare.
Heemphasisedthatthese developments reflect the efforts of ensuring that patientsreceivetimely,safe, and modern care Dr Cheefoon also highlighted the importance of the new Moruca Regional Hospital,
Pres. Ali launches training programme to power Guyana's aviation boom
Guyana's aviation future entered a new era on Tuesday afternoon as President Dr Mohamed IrfaanAliofficiallylaunched the ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Plus (NGAP+) Programme at the Pegasus Corporate SuitesinGeorgetown.
The institution will train and certify Guyanese across allaviationfields,likepilots, engineers, air traffic controllers, ground crew, safetyinspectors,freightand logistics professionals. “Aspiring pilots will earn their wings right here in Guyana,” President Ali affirmed.
He added that as senior aviation professionals transition into regulatory roles, new space is opening upfastthatmustbefilledby a trained and disciplined workforce He told the gatheringofcadets,students, aviation pioneers and international partners that the initiative is a strategic national investment, designed to prepare Guyanese talent for an aviation boom already underway “We will need an entire new generation of professionals, and we must prepare them at a rapid
pace.”
The programme brings together the Guyana Civil AviationAuthority(GCAA), the International Air Cadets Training Limited of the United Kingdom, the Air Cadets of Guyana, and the University of Guyana. “We areclearinganewflightpath for our nation's future,”
PresidentAlideclared.“This is not an initiative by accident or chance. Each partner here has brought their expertise, their vision andtheircommitmenttothis criticalmission.”
President Ali said that both international and domestic air travel are expanding rapidly as Guyana undertakes massive development across all regions “Our skies are becoming busier each month,” he said, noting that more international carriers are charting routes to Guyana while domestic aviation continues to extend deeper into the interior “No region, no community will be left on the tarmac of progress. We will connect urban to rural and rural to hinterland, not just by road or river, but by the most powerful connector of all: theair.”
This connectivity, he
completed, the facility will
'We
said, is central to the government's philosophy of inclusive development. To support this expanding sector,PresidentAlioutlined a series of infrastructure investments already underway:anewterminalat Cheddi Jagan International Airport;upgradedmunicipal airports at Lethem and Rose Hall are being developed into regional gateways; expansion and rehabilitation of hinterland airstrips and runway extensions nationwide.
“We are ensuring our physical infrastructure has the altitude to match our economic ambition,” the Presidentsaid.Turningtothe young cadets and students, the first cohort of the programme, the president deliveredapowerfulcharge: “Consider yourselves as having earned an important and valuable opportunity In aviation,thereisnoroomfor 'almost' There is only 'correct' The future of aviationinGuyanaisnotjust bright,itisdazzling.” He encouraged them to embrace discipline and precision as they begin training for roles that will d e f i n e G u y a n a ' s connectivity for decades to come.(DPI)
The $35 million health post at Karaburi Village, Region One.
bring coastal-level medical standards to hinterland residents,offeringadvanced
unavailableintheregion.
found no fault in this year's elections' - PSC says
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) has concluded that it found no fault in the conduct of the 2025 General and Regional Elections, according to its Observer Mission Report presentedonWednesday
Chairman of the PSC, Gerald Gouveia Jr , announced the findings during a press conference at t h e c o m m i s s i o n ' s headquarters on Waterloo Street, Georgetown
Delivering the executive summary, Gouveia said the PSC observed that the elections were conducted peacefully,werecredible,and transpiredsmoothly
He reported that the commissionsawnoevidence of misuse of state resources, found no issues suggesting that the placement of voting booths compromised ballot secrecy, and observed no instances of voters being disenfranchised, issues that had been flagged by the European Union Election ObserverMission
“Theclaimscirculatingin thepublicdomainconcerning thevoters'list,ballotsecrecy, and undue influence were largelypoliticalrhetoric The PSC's observation found no evidence to support these claims,”hestated
The PSC also noted that theparticipationofWeInvest inNationhood(WIN)leader, Azruddin Mohamed, who is sanctioned by the United States, had “no particular bearing on the democratic rights of the individual concerned,”andthereforedid not influence the electoral process Gouveia added that “the 2025 general and regional elections showcased Guyana's democratic maturity and institutional resilience,” and
observation mission here in Guyana, we don't really comment on their observer report They have their own reporting
Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Gerald Gouveia Jr.,
he commended voters, GECOM, the joint services, political parties, both local and international observers, the media, and other stakeholders for contributing to a peaceful and transparent election
While the PSC deemed the elections credible, Gouveiaacknowledgedareas forimprovement
T h e s e i n c l u d e standardising voting booth layouts, improving physical accessibility at polling stations, refining GECOM's public communication strategy, and enhancing the digital publication of StatementsofPoll(SOPs)
He also encouraged national discussions on modernizing campaign financing and introducing governancereformstoreduce administrative gridlock withinGECOM
Responding to questions about the EU's observation regarding the alleged misuse of state resources, Gouveia said the PSC would not commentdirectlyontheEU's report, but reiterated that it found no evidence of such misuse affecting the election results
“Whilst we respect the EU's participation in their
However, what we have seenisthatwhilstthereisan opportunity for dialog, and the private sector would definitely want to be part of that dialog, we haven't seen any evidence of misuse of state resources that has a credible impact on the election'sresult,”hesaid
He emphasized the P S C ' s i n t e r e s t i n contributing to future dialogue on campaign financing t
ve international best practices Addressing concerns about ballotboxplacement,hesaid that while the PSC found no evidence that booth layout affected ballot secrecy, there is room for improvement through standardization so voters know what to expect when entering polling stations Gouveia also highlighted the need for improved accessibility for persons with disabilities, noting that although challenges existed, the PSC saw no evidence that voters were prevented from casting thei
o accessibilityissues
Hefurtherrecommended that GECOM engage stakeholders,includingstate media and private-sector representatives, in discussions aimed at enhancing transparency, improving communication, and ensuring the more efficient use of state resources
T h e P S C a l s o encouraged efforts to better accommodate migrant workers and ensure their participation in future elections
Put people before rhetoric and...
Frompage6
Article 13 of the Constitution, which enshrinesinclusionarydemocracy Hollow slogans of a “one Guyana” cannotsubstituteforgenuineinclusion.They arebuiltonexclusionandmaintainedbyit.If
weareseriousaboutthefutureofthisnation, we must demand a government that puts people before rhetoric, and ensures every Guyanesehasaseatatthetableofprogress.
Sincerely
LincolnLewis
President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali at the launch of the ICAO Next Generation of Aviation Professionals Plus (NGAP+) Programme
21-year-old Palestinian dies in Israeli custody, dozens taken in West Bank raids
(AL-JAZEERA) A young Palestinian man has died while being held in captivity by Israeli authorities, according to the Palestinian Authority, as Israeli military and settler violenceacrosstheoccupied West Bank reaches levels unseen in decades, and its genocidal war on Gaza continuesunabated.
Abdul Rahman alSabateen, 21, from Husan near Bethlehem, died at a Jerusalem medical facility onTuesdaynightafterbeing arrestedbyIsraelisoldiersin late June, the PA said in a statement.
His family reported seeing no signs of illness when they last visited him duringacourtappearanceon November25.
The death comes as Israeli forces arrested more than 100 Palestinians in dawn raids across the West Bank on Wednesday, the PalestinianPrisoners’Media Officesaid.
The sweeps targeted cities including Nablus, where approximately 30 people were detained, and Silwad, where another 24 were taken into custody Witnesses told the Wafa news agency that soldiers entered homes, confiscating
belongings and jewellery duringtheoperations.
Al-Sabateen’s death brings to at least 94 the number of Palestinians who havediedinIsraelidetention
since October 2023, according to Physicians for Human Rights – Israel, whichhasdocumentedwhat it describes as “systematic torture” in both military and prisonfacilities. Theorganisation’srecent report details cases involving beatings, medical neglect and deliberate starvation.
The United Nations human rights office has separatelyconfirmedatleast 75 deaths during the same period, saying that Israeli a u t h o r i t i e s h a v e “deliberately imposed conditions of detention that amount to torture or other formsofill-treatment”.
Israeli forces have killed morethan1,000Palestinians in the West Bank since the start of the war in Gaza, while settler attacks, often with the military’s backing, have surged dramatically andwithimpunity
M o r e t h a n 7 0 0
Palestinians have been injured by Israeli settlers so farthisyear,doublethetotal for all of 2024, according to UN data. October alone saw 264suchattacks,thehighest monthly figure since trackingbeganin2006.
The violence has coincidedwithanaggressive illegal settlement expansion drive.OnWednesday,Israeli authorities approved 764 new housing units in three West Bank settlements, a move Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich – who
openly rejects a two-state solution – described as a continuation of “the revolution”.
Far-right ministers in Israelhavebeenpushingfor the total annexation of the occupied territory, a move theUnitedStates,European, and Arab and Muslim nationsalloppose.
Wasel Abu Yousef, a member of the PLO Executive Committee, told Reutersthat“thesettlements are illegal” and run counter to “all the resolutions of internationallegitimacy”.
Smotrich announced approval for 764 new housingunitsonWednesday, part of what Israeli media describes as a 2.7 billionshekel ($836m) five-year plan to entrench Israeli controlovertheterritory.
Since late 2022, more than 51,000 settlement units havebeenauthorised.
Human Rights Watch reported last month that Israeli forces forcibly d i s p l a c e d 3 2 , 0 0 0 Palestinians from three refugee camps earlier this year, operations the organisationcharacterisedas war crimes and crimes againsthumanity
Omar Shakir, Human Rights Watch’s Israel and
Palestine director, called it the “second largest – after Gaza – displacement of Palestinians since 1967,” likening it to a second Nakba, when more than 700,000 Palestinians were displaced during Israel’s foundingin1948.
A psychologist working with Doctors Without Borders and speaking anonymously in Hebron described the mounting psychological toll on Palestinians on Wednesday, saying they are “preparing themselves for loss” rather thanplanningforthefuture.
The mental health worker said patients commonly express the thought: “They started in Gaza, then moved to the northoftheWestBank–now it’sjustamatteroftimeuntil it’sourturn.”
The Wafa news agency reported that around 190 settlers, accompanied by Israeli forces, forcefully entered the courtyard ofAlAqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem on Wednesday,partofapattern of increasingly frequent incursions in recent months, some of which far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir haspersonallyjoined.
US seized oil tanker flying Guyana Flag...
Frompage16 and5afterloadingabout1.1
million barrels of Venezuela’s Merey heavy crude, according to satellite i n f o a n a l y z e d b y TankerTrackers com and internal shipping data from Venezuelan state oil companyPDVSA.
Oil futures rose following news of the seizure After trading in negative territory, Brent crude futures rose 27 cents, or0.4%,tosettleat$62.21a barrel, while U S West Texas Intermediate crude futuresgained21cents,also 0.4%, to close at $58.46 per barrel.
Maduro on Wednesday
spoke at a march commemorating a military battle, without addressing reports of the tanker’s seizure.
IMPACTONOIL
Venezuela exported more than 900,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil last month, the third-highest monthly average so far this year, as PDVSA imported more naphtha to dilute its extra-heavyoiloutput. Even as Washington increased pressure on Maduro, the U.S. had not previously moved to interferewithoilflows. Venezuela has had to
deeply discount its crude to itsmainbuyerChina,dueto growing competition with sanctioned oil from Russia andIran.
“This is just yet another geopolitical/sanctions headwind hammering spot supply availability,” Rory Johnston, an analyst with CommodityContext,said.
“Seizing this tanker further inflames those prompt supply concerns but also doesn’t immediately change the situation fundamentallybecausethese barrelswerealreadygoingto be floating around for a while,”Johnstonsaid.
Chevron (CVX N),
opens new tab, which partners with PDVSA, said its operations in the country were normal and continuing withoutdisruption.
The U S oil major, responsible for all Venezuelancrudeexportsto theUnitedStates,lastmonth increased crude exports to theU.S.to150,000bpdfrom 128,000bpdinOctober
INCREASING PRESSUREON MADURO
Maduro has alleged that the U.S. military build-up is aimed at overthrowing him and gaining control of the OPEC nation’s vast oil reserves.
Since early September, the Trump administration hascarriedoutmorethan20 strikes against suspected drug vessels in the Caribbean and Pacific, killingmorethan80people.
Experts say the strikes maybeillegal.
There has been little or no proof made public that the boats are carrying drugs or that it was necessarytoblowthemout of the water rather than stopthem,seizetheircargo and question those on board.
Concerns about the attacks on the boats increased this month after
reportsthatthecommander overseeing one of the operations ordered a second strike that killed twosurvivors
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on Wednesday found that a broad swath of Americans oppose the U S military’s campaign of deadly strikes on the boats, including about one-fifth of Trump’s Republicans
In a sweeping strategy document published last week, Trump said his administration’s foreign policy focus would be on reassertingitsdominancein theWesternHemisphere
Israeli soldiers walk during a military operation in the town of Qalqiya, in the occupied West Bank, on December 4, 2025 [File: AFP]
BLUNT BLUNT
The helicopter crash
report and the press
Two years after the tragic 2023 Guyana Defence Force (GDF) helicopter crash that claimed the lives of five soldiers, the nation remains in the dark, because the government insists on treating the final report like contraband. We are told it is out of respect for families, or in the name of national security, those convenient phrases politicians deploy whenever they prefer silence to scrutiny.
But Guyanese are no closer to the truth today than they were the day the aircraft went down. Yet before the press beats its chest too loudly, it must confront its own failure. For two years, editors wailed about the sealed report while doing precious little to unseal he story themselves. There were survivors.
There were colleagues. There were people who saw and heard what happened in those final moments. Not one newsroom sent a reporter to knock on a door, make a call, or press a witness. What we face is not only a government that withholds, it is a media that no longer hunts.
The crash report remains hidden, yes. But the greater tragedy may be that our journalists never tried hard enough to find the truth buried elsewhere.
Kohli closes in on Rohit at the top of ODI batting rankings
ESPNcricinfo - Virat Kohli’s Player-of-the-Series performance against South Africahaspushedhimupto No. 2 among ODI batters in the latest update in the ICC rankings Kohli is only behind Rohit Sharma on the table.
Kohli climbed two placesfollowingtheseriesto displace Daryl Mitchell from the second spot after
tallying 302 runs at an average of 151 in the three matches against South Africa. That included backto-backhundredsinthefirst two matches before an unbeaten 65 in the third gameasIndiawontheseries 2-1.
Rohit, meanwhile, held ontothetopspotafteragood timeofithimself.Hestruck two half-centuries on his
wayto146runsintheseries at an average of 48.67, and has 781 rating points comparedtoKohli’s773.
Apart from Kohli and Rohit, India also had KL Rahul and Kuldeep Yadav gainingintheODIrankings. Rahul, who had stood in as captainagainstSouthAfrica, is up two places to No. 12 amongbattersafterscoresof 60 and 66* in the first two
ODIs. Kuldeep, whose nine wicketswerethemostinthe series, stepped up three places up to No. 3 among bowlers.
South Africa’s Dewald Brevis, meanwhile, entered the top ten among T20I batters, rising three places to No. 8 with his 22 in the first game against India.
There were also gains for Australia’s in-form quick Mitchell Starc, who hasstarredwithsuccessive Player-of-the-Match awards in the ongoing
Thursday December 11, 2025
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
You'll find that things are slipping nicely into place for you today, Aries Your persuasivemannerandgentle nudges are just enough to get peoplewhereyouwantthem.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
When faced with ten entrees onthemenu,itmightbehard for you to choose just one. Feelfreetoordertwoormore, Ta u r u s D o n ' t l e t indecisiveness slow you down.Atthesametime.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Your dreams won't come true unless you believe in and act onthem,Gemini.Nooneelse is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you need to take mattersintoyourownhands.
CANCER(June21–July22)
If people hassle you or give you a hard time about your appearance today, pay them nomind,Cancer Youhavethe righttoliveyourlifeanyway youwantto.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Reachforthepotofgoldatthe end of the rainbow, Leo. It's closerthanyouthink.Indeed, your dreams are completely within your reach, and there are huge forces at work helping you achieve your goals.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Today is your day to dream and dream big, Virgo. Think aboutwhatitisthatyouwant most out of life. Aim your arrow to the stars and pull back your bow as far as possible. There's no limit to howfaryoucango.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today, Libra.
opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm.Followthemusic.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Your mind may seem rather cloudy today, Scorpio, but don't let this hinder you. In fact, you'll find that you can use this feeling of fantasy to your advantage. Try to bring moremagicintoyourlife.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Today is an excellent day for you,oneinwhichyou'llfinda great deal of strength in your emotions, Sagittarius Trust that your instincts are serving youwell.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Things might get a bit confusing for you today, Capricorn. Don't feel like you needtomakesenseofitall.In fact, this task may be impossible. Just be yourself. Let your creative nature shine through.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Mixyourrealitywithabit of fantasy today, Aquarius. Allowyourfeettocomeoffthe ground for a little while. Give yourselfarest.Takesometime to meditate and clear your mindofyourdailyworries.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Let yourself go into high creative mode and drift into a whole other world, Pisces. Escape your present reality and explore your fantasies through any sort of artistic endeavor Dreamasbigasyour mindallows.
Queen’s College wins National...
Frompage24 welcomed unlimited participants from each institution.
The GCF congratulates allparticipatingschoolsand playersfortheirenthusiasm, d
Ashes series against England Starc gained threeplacestorisetoNo 3 among Test bowlers, with 852 rating points Both are career-high numbers for Starc, who has 18 wickets at an average of 14 in the seriessofar
Among Test batters, Joe Root continues to lead the table after a knock of 138* in Brisbane, his first Test century in Australia Root is followed by Kane Williamson and Steven Smith on the table, with both batters having gained one spot each While Williamson scored 52 in the first Test against West Indies in Christchurch, Smith has got 103 runs at an average of 51 50, including a best of 61, so farintheAshes
Basketball CoachBernard...
Frompage25 thrown more into the National spotlight with the migration of coaches Schubert Cappel, Hewley Henry, deceased, Mike and James Brusche, John Davidson, Theron Ceasar, Carl Agard & Neville
Alert Guyanese basketball has lost a true patriot of the game someone with so much institutional knowledge of thegameinGuyana.”
Among others there to show their final respects were former national players Eon ‘Watusi’ Andrews, Leon Somerset and his wifeAudrey, Mark Agard, Melroy Fitzalbert, Ewart Padmore, Nichola Jacobs, Avril Edmondson, Pauletta Chapman, YBG representative Leona Kyte, formerrefereeMikePrince and veteran table official DennisClarke.
, a n d sportsmanship. Under the Ministry of Education’s Priority Areas Programme, the Chess in Schools program has significantly benefited those who had no prior access to the sport. Chess, which compliments education, is growing rapidly as the turnout was significantly more than last year Theannualtournament is expected to grow to include other regions through the GCF’s expansion programme acrossthecountry
Gratitude is extended to Su
providing snacks for the schoolstudents.
heartfelt gratitude to Chief
Arbiter John Lee for expertly managing three tournaments concurrently App
eciatio
s also extended to the team of ChessCoachesandArbiters, including GCF President Anand Raghunauth, FM Anthony Drayton, CM Taffin Khan, WCM Jessica Callendar, and Keron Sandiford. The Federation further acknowledges the contributions of Assistant A
Archibald, FM Rawle Allicock, Jorrell Troyer and Joshua Gopaul. The GCF also expresses sincere thanks to the PriorityAreas Programme through the Ministry of Education’s Allied Arts Department for their continued support in p
ss Guyana, as well as to The Bishop’s High School for generously providing the venue.
Queen’s College wins National Inter-School
Chess Tournament
December 8th, 2025. The
, graciously provided by
Bishop’s High School, was packed to capacity with approximately 235 students, marking the largest ever chess competition held in Guyana.
The Queen’s College Open and Girls Teams took first place in both their respective categories, while fellow student Nicholas
Zhang copped the Championship prize in the IndividualCategory
Marian Academy Open Team placed second in the Open Team Category, while School of the Nations took home the third-place prize. The New Guyana School GirlsTeamplacedsecondin the Girls Team Category, while the Marian Academy GirlsTeamplacedthird.
In the Open Team Tournament 2025, Queen’s College students Alexander Zhang, Kyle Couchman, WCM Aditi Joshi, and CM Sachin Pitamber displayed their impressive skills when theyscoredaperfectscoreof 20 points. MarianAcademy, featuring Micaiah Enoe, Alek Ubaldo-Singh, Joseph Prendergast and Aiden Tinnie, finished with 13.5 points, and School of the Nations students Nathan Fraser, Gabriel Felix, Jeremiah Jacobs, and Landon Mohabir finished in thirdwith11.5points.
The Girls Team Tournament 2025 saw Queen’s College girls Ciel Clement, Kataleya Sam, Parnita Kishun and Saura Ruplall gaining 18.5 points, whileNewGuyanaSchool’s Christine Silva, Lusianna Farlot, Olivia Rajmangal and Divya Persaud finished with11.5points,andMarian Academy’s girls Angelina Yhap, Kristin Xavier, Tharisha Montes De Oca, and Bianca Jessimy secured 11points.
In the Individual Championship, Nicholas Zhang of Queen’s College emerged as the unbeaten overall champion, while his schoolmate Omar Shariff finishedinsecondplacewith a perfect five points. Third place went to Hemraj Persaud of The Bishops’ High School, also with an unbeaten performance, while Chelsea Harrison and Javier Davenand of Queen’s College claimed fourth and fifth places respectively,
both maintaining unbeaten recordsaswell.
Trophies were awarded tothetopthreeschoolsofthe Priority Areas Program in both the Open and Girls Categories.RichardIshmael Secondary took home the first-place prize in the Open Team Category, while the Georgetown School of ScienceandSt.JosephHigh School received second and third place, respectively In the Girls Category, Richard Ishmael Secondary also received the first-place trophy, while St Joseph received the second-place trophyandChristChurchthe third-placetrophy.
Medals were awarded to the top performer in each school in the Individual Category Mahir RajkumarQueen’s College, Vir Narine- Marian Academy, AdityaBishundial-Bishops’ High, Adiel HamiltonGeorgetown School of Science,RicardoThakur-St. Joseph High, Darrell Abrams- School of the Nations,GabrielleMohabir-
St Roses High, Chris Burgess- Richard Ishmael, Ishmiah La Cruz- St
S
ChristianTafores-St.John’s College,Careem M
Andrews- Christ Church Secondary, Raiden RuplallMae’s School, Akeela Nurse- East Ruimveldt Secondary, Aalim KhanQayyimAcademy,Elizabeth Isaacs-KingstonSecondary, and Queenstown Secondary -JesseFletcher
The national event brought together students from 18 schools across Guyana, representing both public and private institutions, competing across team and individual categories This year’s championship featured a five-round rapid tournament with a time control of 15 minutes per player Schools competedinOpenandGirls’ teamdivisions,eachfielding four-player teams, while the individualtournament
(Continuedonpage23)
students dominated the National Inter-School Chess
Tournament hosted by the Guyana Chess Federation (GCF
Queen’s College Open Team Receiving the 1st Place Prize from GCF President Anand Raghunauth.
Some of the former coaches, referees, officials and players at the funeral yesterday
Yesterdaytheremainsof re-migrantformerbasketball coach Bernard ‘Coach ‘Rasta Danny’Daniels, who passed away recently in Georgetown, were cremated afteraservicewasheldatthe Memorial Gardens and C r e m a t o r i u m i n Georgetown. Several former players and coaches showed uptogivetheirlastrespectsto acoachwhowasrespectedfor hisdedicationtothesport
There were stirring tributes given to Coach Danielswhoplayedavitalpart in coaching many basketball players to the national level, beforehehadmigratedtothe United States of America It must be noted that one of Daniels significant contributions came in 2012, when he was coach of the GuyanaSelectSeniorFemale team which captured the 12th Gillian Brazier basketball championship, whichwasplayedattheJSC SportsComplexinAntigua.
That Guyana female basketball team played unbeaten in the tournament andGuyana’sBernardDaniels wasnamedAll-StarCoach.
Vice President of the GuyanaBasketballFederation Rawle Toney had posted, “It was truly heartbreaking to learn of Coach Danny’s passing He was loved and respectedacrossthebasketball community, especially by the many players, male and female,heguidedonboththe Youth and Senior Men’s NationalTeams
He was my coach at the first Youth CARICOM Basketball Tournament, as well as at the IGG and several other tournaments beforehemigrated.
Anexceptionalcoach,his passion was always youth development Hehadaunique abilitytobringoutthebestin you, on the court and as a
person,alwayspushingyouto dorightandbebetter Ilastsaw Danny at the Women’s CBC Championship at the Sports Hallrecently Hesharedthathe had moved back to Guyana andwasfinallylivingthequiet lifehealwayswanted”
Head ofYouth Basketball Guyana (YBG) Chris Bowman when reached for a commenthadthistosay:“Like Julian Haynes just a few months ago, Bernard Daniels was part of a foundational or laying the generation of men who really served basketball very well as coaches and teachersandleadersformany years, and in many different roles Coach Daniels in particular exemplified a spirit of service and kindness and generosity He was a true teacher, he really as many would have stated, really brought out the best in youth and his players, even as he challenged them Just recentlymanyofussawhim at the Caribbean Basketball Female Championship and in my interaction with him, he was looking forward to re-engaging in youth development and he wanted to really get involved in workingwiththeyoungsters and getting us back to that place of discipline in terms of training and reputation. So, Bernard is going to be tremendously missed by all of us, the entire basketball community.”
Further Bowman added, “So we at YBG extend our deepappreciationtohimfor his years of service and our condolences to his family and friends and everyone whofeelsthisloss. It’s a pity that men like Bernard and Julian many others haven’t been given their roses while they were alivebecausetheyhadreally served well Our sport, perhapsreallyneedtospend
“Danny took over as coach of the Globetrotters basketball team after the migration of then coach brother Walker and built up
the youngest roster of talented players, the likes of Dr Lancelot Loncke, Remington Ram, Marcom Parris, Richard Vigilance &
Andre Lake just to name a few who all went on to play for junior and senior NationalTeams.Dannywas (Continuedonpage23)
sometimereflectinghowwe could honour these people who contributed so much to the game of basketball. God bless!” And former FIBA Referee and Technical Director of the Guyana
Amateur Basketball
Federation Cecil Chin, who is back home on holiday, spoke highly of Daniels noting, “Bernard Daniels was a basketball coach who believed in the young players.Hisattitudetowards t h e g a m e a n d i t s development was a marvel along with his colleague the late Phillip George The Junior National Teams were wellpreparedalongwiththe requisiteclubteams.
Bernard and I shared a quality related friendship apart from basketball. He was a good referee as well and very up to date with the rules and regulations. He wasrespectedandwellliked in the fraternity It is with every degree of sadness that Ibidfarewelltoafriendand colleague.RestInpeace,you servedandgaveofyourbest.
In our heavenly Father’s paradise, there is comfort earnedanddeserving.”
Former national player Robert Cadogan speaking from New Jersey where he now resides, offered condolences on behalf of those overseas-based players and officials, had much l to say to Daniels’ family
Cadogan said: “Danny, as he is familiarly known, was a patriotic and committed worker for Guyanese basketball, he served in almost every aspectofthegame,ascoach, administrator, referee or tableofficial.Hewasoneof themostreliablepeoplewho youcancallupontoassistif thereisabsenceofscheduled officials.” Hefurtherstated:
NZ in charge of second Windies test despite Tickner injury
W E L L I N G T O N , (Reuters) - New Zealand dismissed West Indies for 205 and reached 24 without loss in reply on the opening day of the second test on Wednesday,buttheiralready ravaged bowling stocks were further depleted by a freak injury at Basin Reserve.
Blair Tickner had marked his return to the test arena with four for 32 in a fine display of impact bowling when he dived to prevent the ball from crossing the boundary rope in the final session, injuring hisleftshoulderintheeffort.
The 32-year-old ended thefirstdayofhisfourthtest, and first for nearly three years, in hospital and lookingunlikelytoplayany meaningful further part in thematch.
The seamer had earlier teamed up with 30-year-old debutantMichaelRae(3-67) to put the tourists firmly on the ropes and prevent them from building on their great escape in the drawn series opener in Christchurch last week.
New Zealand chose to putWestIndiesintobatafter winning the toss and the Caribbean islanders made a decent start with John CampbellandBrandonKing puttingon66fortheopening wicket.
Tickner trapped King in front for 33, however, and then sent back Kavem Hodge for a duck in similar fashion to make the first inroads.
Rae, distinctive with a white headband wrapped around his bald head, then gotinontheactwhenhehad Campbellcaughtintheslips for 44 for his first test wicket.
Shai Hope was the next West Indies batter to get a start and made 48 before a Tickner bouncer had him in all sorts of trouble and he gloved the ball to Kane Williamsonintheslips.
Skipper Roston Chase made 29 before becoming Tickner’s fourth victim and the last seven West Indies wickets tumbled for the additionofonly52runs.
Devon Conway, who was 16 not out, and Tom Latham, unbeaten on seven, negotiated a few tricky moments as the ball moved aroundabitinthenineovers theyfacedbeforestumps.
The New Zealand openers will resume on Thursday looking to cut further into the 181-run deficit.
Scores: Stumps New Zealand 24 for no loss (Conway 16*, Latham 7*) trail West Indies 205 (Hope 48,Campbell44,Tickner432,Rae3-67)by181runs.
Blair Tickner had to be stretchered off after he hurt his shoulder. (Getty Images)
After a thrilling Schoolboy’s segment earlierintheday,theMen’s division of the 3rd Annual President’s National Futsal Championship blasted off instyleonTuesdayevening attheCliffAndersonSports Hall.AlbouystownBallers, Agricola Ballers, Foot Steppers and Beavers all secured emphatic openingnight victories, setting the tempoforwhatpromisesto be an exhilarating 2025 edition of the Kashif and Shanghai-organised tournament.
Gaza Squad, Real Sports, Mocha Red Force, Paradise Invaders and Show Stoppers were the first teams sent packing afterdisappointingopening results.
Beavers opened the night with a commanding 4–1 win over Gaza Squad.
Rodwin Jones put them ahead in the 8th minute, before Timothy Kennedy and Dexter Gomes pierced the Gaza defence with back-to-back strikes in the 18th and 20th minutes to make it 3–0.Tsekedi Sealy pulledonebackinthe22nd, but Gregory McKoy quickly restored Beavers’ cushion, sealing the 4–1 result.
Foot Steppers booked theirplaceinthenextround courtesy of a brilliant hattrickfromthelivelyAnthony Roberts, who struck in the 4th, 5th and 30th minutes during a 5–3 triumph over Real Sports. Omar Sam addedabraceinthe27thand 28th Real Sports’ replies camefromJohenniMendoza andEdgardoHerrera,butthe sidefellshortandexitedthe competition
Albouystown Ballers
Championship kicks
then overcame an early scare to defeat Mocha Red Force 4–2. Mocha struck first in the 8th minute through Ian Mars, but Albouystown responded
withDemaneCortfiringin a rapid double in the 16th and 17th. Deshaun Ellis levelled for Red Force in the 21st, only for Biloris Jabar to restore the
One Guyana/K&S/ President’s Futsal Championship
Maggie’s Catering Inc. steps up with timely support
Catering to the taste’s buds of thousands of Guyanese daily, popular catering establishment, Maggie’s Catering Inc., has comeonboardtosupportthe successfulstagingoftheOne
Guyana/
schoolboys and men’s d
o n s
Ms Ladonna Kissoon, Brand Manager of Maggie’s Catering Inc., on Tuesday handed ove
eir contribution to Co-Director of the Kashif & Shanghai O
coordinating this third edition in conjunction with the Ministry of Culture, YouthandSport,sharedthat Maggie’s Catering has seen the quality of the duo over the years in putting together
”However,whilstweseethe normal male and female tournaments being done again, we are extremely p
e introductionofaschoolboys tournament which has attracted20schools.Thiswe believe is great, as it offers about 300 players the opportunity to exhibit their skills.We wish them all and the tournament, success ” Major shared with Ms Kissoon that, unlike the senior tournament, the students will be playing usingtheround-robinformat in the first round which affords them more playing t i m e He conveyed the entities thanks to Ms. Kissoon and the owners of Maggie’s
C
Meanwhile, admission is absolutely free for the
schoolboys segment of the competition which will continue today, Thursday December 11, with four morematchesfrom12:00hrs at the CliffAnderson Sports H a l l
St. Joseph’s High will open against St. John’s College, followed by Charlestown playing West Minister from 12:40hrs. South Ruimveldt will then take center stage when they oppose VYC Academy from 13:15hrs with the final match featuring New Central High
tournament will see five (5) more teams walking the plank when night two play gets started from 20:00hrs tonight.
SpanyardwillfaceMake It Happen, followed by a clash between Port Kaituma and Timehri Warriors from 20:45hrs Ballers United will then challenge Victoria Eagles from 21:30hrs.
AlexanderVillagematch skills with Espanyol from 22:15hrs with the main attrac
CorinthiansandTigerBay
advantage two minutes later Cort capped a standout performance by completing his hat-trick in the 30th to put the match beyondreach.
Inthenight’sremaining fixtures, Kanaimas edged Paradise Invaders 2–1 behind a Brandon LaRose brace, while Agricola Ballers produced the evening’s biggest assault, dismantlingShowStoppers 10–1. Joel Magrel went on a scoring rampage, netting
Match 1
five times, with Randy Maynard adding a clinical hat-trick in the 20th, 24th and 25th minutes. Mark Glenman and Omar Lyken also found the net to complete the rout The
President’s Futsal Championship continues today at the same venue withmoreactionfromboth the Schoolboys and Men’s divisions Here’s a look at the official results of the Men’s Senior Divisional matches:
Beavers 4 Gaza Squad 1
Goal scorers: Rodwin Jones 8 Tsekedi Sealy 22
Timothy Kennedy 18
Dexa Gomez 20
Gregory McKoy 24
Match 2
Foot Steppers 5 Real Sport 3
Goal scorers: Anthony Roberts 4, 5, 30 Johenni Mendoza 10, 25
Omar Sam 27, 28 Edgardo Herrera 21
Match 3
Agricola Ballers 4 Mocha Red Force 2
Goal scorers:
Demane Cort 16, 17, 30
Jabar23
9,
21
Albouystown Ballers 10 Show Stoppers 1
scorers: Joel Magrel4, 8, 9, 26, 30 Marvin Josiah 28
Randy Maynard 20, 24, 25
Omar Lyken 18
Mark Glenman 23
Fixtures for Today (Thursday December 11) Schoolboys– Round Robin
1 St Joseph vs St John’s College12:00hrs 2 Charlestown vs West Minister12:40hrs
3 South Ruimveldt vs VYC Academy 13:15hrs 4 New Central High vs Bishop’s High13:40hrs
KO 1 Spaniard vs Make It Happen 20:00hrs 2 Port Kaituma vs Timehri Warriors 20:45hrs 3 Ballers United vs Victoria Eagles21:30hrs 4 Aexander Village vs Espanyol 22:15hrs 5 Corinthians vsiTger Bay 23:00hrs
Maggie’s Catering Inc., Brand Manager
Ms. Ladonna Kissoon hands over sponsorship to Aubrey ‘Shanghai’Major.
Albouystown Ballers’ends Show Stoppers show with 10-1 defeat.
NZ in charge of second Windies test despite Tickner injury
Queen’s College Girls Team Receiving the 1st Place Prize from GCF PresidentAnand Raghunauth.
