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Friday Edition October 30, 2026 - Vol. 28 No. 43 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $200 readership
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Govt. bypasses tender board to award powership fuel contract to BB Energy ...company faces corruption probes, links to Russian shadow fleet
King Charles arrives in Guyana for CoI slams ...welcomed with military honours as UK and historic State visit Guyana mark 60 years of diplomatic ties DPI report King Charles inspecting a Guard of Honour on his arrival at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport on Thursday
...declares lawyers’ remarks ‘Improper’
High Court orders release of mother of cop in surveillance video saga ...son remains in custody
King Charles’ visit puts spotlight on troubled British-backed hospital project ...VAMED questions fate of Georgetown facility as it prepares for int'l arbitration over millions in unpaid costs
Police tussle with protesters
...as citizens demand reparations, release of Mohamed at King Charles’ reception
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Friday October 30, 2026
Kaieteur News
PSC explores investment Chinese Embassy donates drones to boost Indigenous mangrove monitoring opportunities for proposed Berbice deep-water port
Representatives from the Indigenous communities of Imbotero and Smith Creek with Ambassador Yang Yang and other official
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epresentatives f r o m t h e Indigenous communities of Imbotero and Smith Creek on Thursday received DJI Mavic drones and accessories from the Chinese Embassy in Georgetown to strengthen community-led mangrove monitoring in the Barima-Mora Passage, Guyana's largest and most intact mangrove ecosystem. According to a press release from the Chinese Embassy, the equipment will enhance the monitoring capabilities of Indigenous youth trained as drone pilots, enabling them to collect higher-quality photographic and video data to support conservation efforts. The collaboration aims to strengthen local capacity for sustainable resource management and community-led conservation in the Barima-Mora Passage, a biodiverse coastal landscape in northwestern Guyana. The area is
Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Yang Yang and Anette Arjoon of the Guyana Marine Conservation Society
characterised by mangroves and estuaries and is home to Indigenous communities whose livelihoods and cultural heritage are closely connected to the natural environment. The newly acquired DJI Mavic 4 Pro drones offer enhanced camera
capabilities and up to one hour of flight time, improving the quality of images and video footage collected during monitoring activities. The handover ceremony featured discussions between the donor and the (Continued on page 3)
The Private Sector Commission (PSC) on Tuesday engaged investment advisory firm Cross Boundary Advisory on investment opportunities surrounding Guyana's proposed deep-water port in New Amsterdam, Berbice. The meeting was attended by PSC representatives and Cross Boundary Advisory representatives Jamie McInerney and Alfonso Pereira Calvo to discuss investment opportunities and infrastructure development, including the proposed port involving Bechtel and CGX/NNE, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Works. Discussions explored the port's potential demand profile, including cargo flows to Guyana and regional connections through Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados, as well as opportunities for capital raising and investment advisory support. PSC Chairman Capt. G e r a l d G o u v e i a J r. highlighted the strategic importance of the Road to Lethem and the role of improved connectivity, alongside deep-water port infrastructure, in expanding Guyana's access to regional markets. He underscored the potential to connect local production and logistics to the wider Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Private Sector Commission Chairman Capt. Gerald Gouveia Jr. and representatives of the Cross Boundary Advisory food market, valued at approximately US$1.5 billion. The discussions also examined land-use planning around the proposed port, including the potential for shore bases, data centres and other supporting infrastructure, as well as strategies to facilitate investment, address information asymmetries and ensure investors have access to the information needed to assess opportunities and make informed decisions. According to PSC, the engagement forms part of ongoing efforts to strengthen collaboration between the private sector and investment partners, advance strategic infrastructure development, and position Guyana to capitalise on emerging regional and international trade opportunities. The engagement on the deep water port investment
opportunities comes as President Irfaan Ali recently stated that despite American oil giant Chevron Corporation reportedly opting out of funding the preliminary studies for the proposed deepwater port, the feasibility study will be done and also disclosed that it is expected to be completed by December. President Ali had underscored that the deepwater port is critical for the building out of Guyana's economy, for diversification and competitiveness. “This port is extremely critical. So right now we have the Bechtel. They are completing the studies, the feasibility studies, the initial work on looking at different sites and so on, then we'll move into, of course, full design. But this will give us the initial study and the opportunity to move towards having investors and investment ready,” President Ali said.
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Friday October 30, 2026
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Govt. bypasses tender board to award powership fuel contract to BB Energy ...company faces corruption probes, links to Russian shadow fleet
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he Government of Guyana (GoG) has awarded lucrative fuel supply contracts to BB Energy, a company controlled by Lebanon's Bassatne family, to supply the two powerships currently helping to keep the country's electricity grid running, raising questions about transparency and public procurement. Industry and government sources told this newspaper that the Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) supply contracts were awarded without a public tender, effectively bypassing Guyana's National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB). Only recently, Guyana's Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed flagged
the continuous reliance on powerships by the GoG rather than permanent solutions to the country's electricity woes. In fact, he questioned whether government officials were benefitting from a “cutback” on the fuel supply deals for the powerships. The nation currently rents two vessels from Karpowership – a 36megawatt (MW) facility docked in the Berbice River and a 60MW vessel stationed in the Demerara River. This newspaper was reliably informed that the third powership is likely to provide 300MW of power to the grid using HFO. The vessel is likely to replace the existing two powerships leased to the GoG.
A look into the background of BB Energy however reveals a pattern of severe sovereign and supplychain controversies. The company was previously involved in a major corruption probe into the "tainted fuel" scandal documented by Daraj Media and L'Orient Today. In Lebanon, BB Energy was the
primary hidden subcontractor behind an Algerian state oil subsidiary's 15-year no-bid fuel monopoly for the state electricity utility. The arrangement led Lebanese Investigative Judge Nicolas Mansour to rule that it was in direct violation of public tendering laws.
M o r e r e c e n t l y, i n September 2026, an investigative report by The National revealed that Lebanese prosecutors expanded a criminal probe into forged-origin fuel imports after shipping records showed BB Energy delivered a 2025 fuel cargo aboard the tanker TM Hai Ha 568 sourced from Linxoil—an operational tentacle of the UK- and EUsanctioned 2Rivers Group (formerly Coral Energy) Russian "shadow fleet" network. The red flags do not stop in the Mediterranean. BB Energy has also been locked in high-stakes London Commercial Court litigation against the Republic of South Sudan over a US$100 million crude oil prepayment
default that governance watchdogs have criticized as an opaque, off-budget resource-backed loan, while an earlier Singapore High Court judgment recorded testimony that Bassatne executives instructed staff to omit fuel oil cargoes from schedules provided to PricewaterhouseCoopers auditors. Meanwhile, members of the controlling Bassatne family have repeatedly surfaced in the ICIJ Pandora Papers and Panama Papers offshore leaks, while its London trading arm has paid over 350,000 British pounds to sitting Conservative MP Sir John Hayes as a strategic adviser according to the UK Parliament Register of Members' Financial Interests.
U92 attracts strong investor interest in Guyana uranium project – CEO …says additional interest came from Europe, Asia, Australia at close of financing round Canada-based U92 Energy Inc. attracted strong investor interest in its latest financing round, which was oversubscribed, with additional interest from investors in Asia, Europe and Australia. This is according to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Chairman Adam Clode. During an interview with Triangle Investor, Clode said the company's most recent capital raise was oversubscribed 24 hours after being launched. “We did go out on a Wednesday by close of business on We d n e s d a y, w e w e r e oversubscribed,” he said. By Thursday morning, Clode added that the company was still receiving interest from investors in Europe, Asia and Australia as it prepared to close the financing round. The CEO also noted that the financing round also attracted institutional investors who saw potential value in the company's existing resource and exploration prospects. “It's an amazing starting point. It's a well understood geology, a fantastic team with a lot of experience and
they're just seeing this as let's get some additional drilling. Let's show the momentum and they believe that there's a lot of value to be had within our company,” Clode said. Further, he described Guyana as an attractive mining jurisdiction, pointing to its natural resource-driven economy and the potential for companies to develop mineral projects. U92 is seeking to build on a historical resource of 20.6 million pounds of uranium at its Kurupung uranium project located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni). The project area spans approximately 92.2 square kilometres. The company has already secured contracts for two drilling rigs, both of which are in-country for uranium exploration. U92 plans for a 5,000-metre drilling programme to test the potential for further resource growth. H o w e v e r, t h e r e i s currently a review by the Environmental Assessment Board (EAB) of a decision by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) which waived an
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for U92's exploration project. The review was triggered by appeals filed by seven organisations and over 50 citizens including former Executive Director of EPA Dr. Vincent Adams, against EPA's decision. As a result, the exploration work at the Kurupung property is stalled until the EAB rules. The company's exploration plans include additional targets that could help establish the extent of the uranium mineralisation. Moreover, Clode noted that the company's primary focus is Guyana but noted that the company would also consider other opportunities to expand its portfolio. He added that U92's focus was on the Americas, and that the company would consider suitable opportunities to expand its resource base, provided they did not distract from its Guyana project. “So for the right projects for sure we would look at adding to the company's kind of resource base and projects. We don't want to lose focus of Guyana and our key project here,” Clode
said. The company's next steps will depend on advancing its exploration programme, including drilling and infrastructure requirements. Clode indicated that upgrading the access road and securing working capital would also be necessary as the project progresses. U92 owns the Kurupung Uranium Project through its wholly owned subsidiary, LIA (Guyana) Inc. The company acquired the project early this year through the acquisition of LIA Industries Pte. Ltd., a Singaporean firm that owns LIA (Guyana). LIA Guyana holds exclusive rights to occupy and explore the property under two Prospecting Licences (PLs) issued by the Guyana Geology & Mines Commission (GGMC) on 19th April, 2024. The licences permit exploration for uranium, other radioactive minerals, and rare-earth elements for three years, ending 18th April, 2027, with an option to extend for up to two additional one-year periods through 18th April, 2029.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Executive Chairman of U92 Energy Corp. Adam Clode
Chinese Embassy donates... From page 2 young Indigenous recipients on the role of technology in mangrove monitoring. The discussions highlighted how traditional knowledge can be complemented by technological tools to generate evidence-based data for decision-making, particularly as communities respond to the challenges of climate change and the need for sustainable management of natural resources. The Embassy said the contribution represents an important step towards empowering Indigenous youth to take greater ownership of the ecosystems that sustain their livelihoods. The equipment, valued at GY$3,225,800, was funded by the Chinese Embassy in Guyana and is being implemented through the Guyana Marine Conservation Society (GMCS). The event concluded with a shared commitment to continued collaboration in support of community-based conservation and the sustainable management of Guyana's coastal ecosystems.
Kaieteur News
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Friday October 30, 2026
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456 Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Cuban embargo The US has increasingly assumed the role of a global bully, using its economic and political power to exert pressure on smaller, less powerful nations. Its sanctions against neighbouring Cuba have contributed to the hardships facing ordinary Cubans, raising serious questions about the humanitarian consequences of its policy. Given the distressing circumstances facing the Cuban people, we believe the US is playing an increasingly troubling role on the world stage. Once regarded as the world’s policeman, it is now at risk of being seen as a power that uses its influence to intimidate smaller nations. Its approach to Cuba raises questions about whether Washington would adopt the same hardline stance towards a country with comparable economic and military strength, such as China. Venezuela and its rich oilfields have fallen into the clutches of the US. Guyana is trapped in the US grip, helpless to do anything about its condition, save for some pawing of the air by its impotent leaders. Cuba is on the danger line, and for decades an object of constant unjustified pressure from a big bully of a neighbour. Worse still, not only has the US applied a lock on Cubans through heavy sanctions, it has also threatened to apply sanctions on any country that seeks to assist struggling Cubans by supplying them with oil and gas products. It is this particular action that has attracted the anger of 10 former heads of government from the CARICOM bloc. “Surely, such U.S. conduct is inhumane, and undoubtedly contrary to international law,” said the 10 former heads in an open letter. We go a step further and describe what the US is doing to Cubans as beastly. People do not do that to other people. A superpower should be the last country that engages in this kind of cheap and vulgar bullying. A superpower such as the US should think it is below its dignity to push others to go against a UN resolution calling for an end to the US sanctions. Using bribes and other inducements to defeat the UN resolution has to be the action of a superpower that has lost all self-respect, and is aware that its inhumane position is unjustified. Former Guyana head of state, Donald Ramotar is one of the 10 signatories to the open letter. He has been outspoken in his objections to what the US has dished out on Cubans. He has been particularly harsh on regional leaders, who have been largely silent when many have been killed on the high seas by the US, under the flimsiest of pretenses. We have to wonder what he thinks of his comrades in leadership positions in the PPPC Government, who have been under the knee of the US and like where they are. The greybeards in the region, 10 former heads of government, are appalled at how docile current leaders are in the face of intensifying US encroachments on national sovereignty. They may be celebrated as partnerships and special relationships, but at their core, there is one fact that cannot be denied. The region is being recolonized one country at a time. Guyana is gone, Trinidad is gone, and so is Venezuela and its world leading reservoirs of oil. After the long, hard, battles for freedom from former colonial masters, the US has now rushed in to take charge of the role previously held by Great Britain, France, and the Netherlands, among other European colonizers. The irony should not be lost on citizens of this region. For it was the US in the post-World War II era that had pushed its European allies, especially Great Britain, to free its subject countries and dominions from the yoke of colonialism. Now, from whatever perspective it is looked at, the US is in the forefront of the world’s colonizers. There is Cuba long squeezed and long prostrate, but even that is not satisfactory. The US seeks to walk all over a sovereign nation, and drags regional leaders along as silent and passive partners in its atrocities. Former President Ramotar is sure to have old friendships in the PPPC Government. This limits how hard he can go at its leaders for their abject submission in the face of US assaults on already overwhelmed Cubans. We have no such friendships and none of those limitations. The PPPC Government, with President Ali in charge, is too much of a puppy in the US hand, as it expands the recolonizing of this region.
GTUC challenges King Charles to address slavery reparations and injustices in Guyana DEAR EDITOR, The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) welcomes His Majesty King Charles III to Guyana but urges him to look beyond ceremonial engagements and confront two unfinished struggles: reparative justice for slavery and the erosion of democratic, economic and constitutional rights in Guyana today. The Congress calls on His Majesty to use this historic visit to press for meaningful action, not merely acknowledge past suffering while remaining silent on present-day injustices. The wrongs of history demand redress, and the injustices of the present demand accountability. Enslaved Africans were forcibly brought to Guyana in chains, treated as property and compelled to build the wealth of plantation owners and the British Empire through brutal, uncompensated labour. They endured violence, deprivation and inhumane working and living conditions while being denied their freedom and dignity. The United Nations has recognised transatlantic slave trade and slavery as the gravest crimes against humanity. Yet, following emancipation, the
British government compensated former slave owners while the formerly enslaved people whose labour created that wealth received no comparable compensation. The enslavers were compensated. The enslaved received nothing. That injustice cannot be settled through expressions of regret alone. The GTUC calls for a formal commitment to sustained reparations dialogue between the United Kingdom and representatives of affected communities, including trade unions and civil society. That process must examine practical measures to address slavery’s enduring consequences, including educational and economic inequalities, and establish a framework for meaningful redress. The Crown must recognise that the wealth created through unpaid labour came at an immense human cost. Historical responsibility must translate into action. But justice cannot be confined to the past. His Majesty arrives at a time when the GTUC is deeply concerned about democratic governance, political intimidation, the functioning of Parliament and the
exercise of state power. The Congress is alarmed by what it regards as an atmosphere of fear, the marginalisation of the opposition, the harassment of its constitutional leadership and the weakening of independent institutions and civil society. The GTUC therefore calls for specific, measurable commitments to uphold democratic freedoms, beginning with respect for the independence of Parliament, constitutional institutions and regional and local democratic authorities. Allegations of political interference, intimidation and misuse of state institutions must be subject to credible, independent scrutiny. The Congress supports the rule of law. Anyone accused of an offence must answer through lawful procedures. However, arrest and detention must never be used to intimidate political opponents or silence dissent. An accusation is not a conviction. Arrest is not a substitute for justice. The GTUC calls for due process to be respected in every investigation and prosecution, regardless of political affiliation. It also demands protection Continued on page 5
Ali’s calls for reparations ring hollow without oil renegotiation DEAR EDITOR, An article in The Sunday Telegraph states: “In Guyana, president Irfaan Ali has been a loud and leading voice in the slave-trade reparations campaign”. The article also reports that the Caribbean is calling for US$24 trillion in reparations f o r s l a v e r y. T h a t a m o u n t s t o approximately US$3.4 million per person across the English-speaking Caribbean states, with their combined population of roughly seven million. Britain currently has a public debt of approximately US$4 trillion, or about US$57,000 per person, based on a population of 70 million. The country faces financial difficulties, and many of its citizens worry about paying their heating bills this coming winter. Britain is therefore in no financial position to pay US$24 trillion to compensate for the wrongs of its past. On February 26, 2020, Guyanese Critic asked Irfaan Ali: “The oil contract [2016 Stabroek PSA]. Do you agree with the $55 billion signed away, um, Global Witness report, and will you revisit the oil contract?” Ali responded: “We have made it very clear that we can never agree. How can… how can… I don’t think any Guyanese agree with this. No Guyanese. Except the government that is defending it. We can… we… we have made it very clear that we have to go towards, we’re looking at these contracts, renegotiating these contracts, looking at, uh, contract management, and all of these things. Everything we have to re-look at, because we have to
ensure that our country does not get, uh, the wrong end of the stick.” The clip can be viewed https://www.oggn.org/2021/09/29/irfaa n-ali-said-that-all-oil-contracts-are-onthe-table-for-review-andrenegotiation/. Global Witness based its estimate of US$55 billion in forgone revenue on reserves of 7.9 billion barrels and an oil price of US$65 per barrel. The announced reserves now stand at 11 billion barrels, while oil futures prices are around US$115 per barrel, with spot prices approximately US$20 higher. The reserves estimate was last updated in April 2022, see https://www.oggn.org/2024/02/24/govt -must-update-total-offshore-oilreserve-figures/. An estimated 21 discoveries have been made since then, representing an increase of roughly 70% in the number of discoveries since the 11-billion-barrel figure was announced. An increase in discoveries does not necessarily translate into a proportional increase in recoverable reserves. Nevertheless, applying the reasoning behind the Global Witness estimate to higher reserves and prices suggests that Guyana could be giving up m o r e t h a n U S $ 1 0 0 billion—approximately US$100,000 per Guyanese citizen. One would therefore expect Ali to be redoubling his efforts to renegotiate the oil contract. Instead, he continues to falsely parrot “sanctity of contract” as a reason why it cannot be renegotiated, an argument challenged here
https://www.oggn.org/2026/10/06/does -sanctity-of-contract-also-apply-toexxon/. The gap between Ali’s earlier promises and his current position on renegotiation undermines confidence in his statements about reparations for slavery. He spoke of ensuring that Guyana did not get the “wrong end of the stick”, yet his approach to the oil contract appears inconsistent with that commitment. Given Britain’s economic strains, Ali should devote at least as much effort to renegotiating the oil contract as he does to advocating for reparations. At least US$3 billion worth of oil is now being extracted every month, and that figure is expected to rise in 2027. The financial stakes for Guyana are immediate and substantial. Furthermore, if Ali is serious about standing up for the Caribbean, he should push for a parent company guarantee to cover liabilities arising from an oil spill. A major spill could impose devastating costs on Guyana and neighbouring Caribbean countries. Instead, Ali appears to be siding with the oil companies rather than ensuring that Guyana and the wider Caribbean have adequate financial protection in the event of such a disaster. Sincerely, Darsh Khusial Mike Persaud Kenrick Hunte Alfred Bhulai On behalf of OGGN (www.oggn.org/about )
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The King Will See Our Roads and Bridges, He Will Not See Our Institutional Decay DEAR EDITOR, His Majesty King Charles III is in Guyana this week to mark sixty years of diplomatic relations between our country and the United Kingdom. He is welcome. Over his two days here he will travel new roads, pass new buildings and cross new bridges. The skyline of Georgetown is changing, and no honest critic would pretend otherwise. Notwithstanding, we remain well behind where a nation of our wealth ought to be and much of what he sees has come late, over budget and on loans Guyanese will be repaying for years. But what the King will not see is the thing that matters the most because roads and bridges while welcome, do not carry a State. Institutions do. Laws, systems and the bodies that enforce them are what maintain a bridge, inspect a ferry, staff a hospital, audit a contract and keep the lights on. Where those institutions are hollowed out, every structure built above them stands on borrowed time. Guyanese learned this the hard way in July. The MV Barima was not lost for want of a vessel. It was lost for want of a system to inspect it, to count its passengers and to come for them when it sank. Everything the King sees today will go the same way if the institutions beneath it are allowed to decay, and the truth is that those institutions, far from the route of any motorcade, are decaying now and fast. T h e K i n g ’s o w n programme makes the point better than I could. He has had an audience with President Ali at State House. He has met the National To s h a o s C o u n c i l a n d attended the Global Biodiversity Alliance conference, he meets British businesses and greets the public on the Kingston seawall. Nowhere on that programme is the Parliament Building. The British High Commission has described the visit as a celebration of the “modern and dynamic partnership” between our two countries, and it has pointed to trade now worth £2.2 billion a year. Yet the most valuable thing Britain and Guyana hold in common is not trade. It is the parliamentary tradition we share with every member of the Commonwealth. Granted, that inheritance is
not perfect but in Guyana today it is not even being allowed to function! The record is not in dispute. The results of the 2025 general elections were declared on 6 September 2025. The Thirteenth Parliament did not sit until 3 November 2025, fifty eight days later, and that sitting did not even elect a Leader of the Opposition. That did not happen until 26 January 2026. The National Assembly then did not sit from 14 February to 5 June 2026, a period of more than one hundred days, with no explanation from the PPP Government. A sitting date was announced only after I petitioned the Clerk of the National Assembly and the diplomatic missions of the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and the European Union publicly called for Parliament to reconvene. The British
Government therefore already knows what I am describing. Its own mission said so in May. Standing Order 80 requires the committees of the Assembly to be established at the commencement of each Parliament. Under the Speaker, Mr. Manzoor N a d i r, t h e y w e r e n o t constituted until 5 June 2026, seven months late. Constituting them did not end the obstruction. The Public Accounts Committee, which exists to examine the reports of the Auditor General, failed to meet on several attempts because Government members did not attend. Since the Government changed the quorum rule in 2022, the committee cannot proceed without two Government members present. The consequence is that public accounts have been
examined only up to 2018. Every dollar spent from 2019 to 2024, the very years in which oil revenue began to flow, remains unexamined by Parliament, and the Auditor General has now delivered the report for 2025 to add to the pile. Where the sectoral committees have met, they have been summoned to State House. It is reported that in September the President briefed the Sectoral Committee on Economic Services there, and the committee on Foreign Relations on the proceedings before the International Court of Justice and the Third Country National Agreement with the United States. A committee of the legislature that travels to the house of the Executive to be told what the Executive has decided and done is not exercising oversight, it is
attending an audience. The breakdown runs through every sector the Assembly is supposed to supervise. O n public finance, Budget 2026 is the largest in our history at G$1.558 trillion. The pattern beneath it is token provisions at the main estimates followed by large supplementary requests later in the year. Financial Paper No. 1 of 2026 sought G$54.9 billion, and more than two thirds of it went to gas to power, housing and public works. Capital revenue for 2025 was budgeted at G$330 billion and only G$168 billion arrived, yet the same assumption was rolled into 2026. The National Cash Grant, more than G$60 billion paid to over 600,000 recipients, has no stated registry and no stated safeguard against fraud, and we know that money decided
after scrutiny has passed is money that escapes scrutiny altogether. On maritime safety, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the MV Barima has been doing the work Parliament was never permitted to do, and what it has heard has shaken this country to its core. The Barima, an 87 year old ferry operated by the Transport and Harbours Department under the Ministry of Public Works, was certified to carry 125 persons. It sank with 179 aboard, and the true count was established only from closed circuit footage at the terminal, because the manifest was false. The Commission has heard that the vessel had no planned maintenance system and no operating manuals, that its chief engineer held no maritime certification for his post, and that mandatory Continued on page 6
GTUC challenges King Charles to address... From page 4 for freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, association and the right to organise without fear of retaliation. The Congress urges His Majesty to raise these concerns directly with President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and encourage demonstrable commitments to constitutional governance, independent institutions and the protection of citizens’ fundamental rights. The GTUC also demands action on the disparity between Guyana’s extraordinary economic growth and the financial hardship experienced by workers and their families. Economic growth is not shared prosperity when workers cannot afford a decent standard of living. The Congress calls for: A livable wage: A structured, timebound process involving government, employers and trade unions to establish wages that reflect the actual cost of living. Meaningful social dialogue: Regular, substantive engagement with recognised trade unions on wages, working conditions, labour policy and national economic priorities. Equitable distribution of national wealth: Greater transparency and
accountability in the management of oil revenues and other natural resources, with measurable benefits for workers and vulnerable communities. Protection of trade union rights: An end to intimidation, discrimination and marginalisation of workers and independent organisations exercising their lawful rights. Guyana’s oil wealth belongs to the nation. Its benefits must not be concentrated among political or private interests while ordinary citizens struggle to meet basic needs. Workers who create the nation’s wealth must receive a fair share of its rewards. The Congress further calls for respect for the separation of powers and the independence of constitutional institutions. Parliament must be able to scrutinise the executive, civil society must be free to hold the government accountable, and regional and local democratic bodies must be permitted to exercise their lawful responsibilities. Democracy requires more than elections. It requires accountability, independent institutions and the freedom to challenge those in power without fear. The GTUC also urges
His Majesty to seek greater attention to the rights of Indigenous peoples, particularly concerns surrounding Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS), resource management and decisions affecting Indigenous lands and livelihoods. The Congress calls for transparent implementation of development and environmental programmes, meaningful consultation with Indigenous communities, respect for their rights and access to effective remedies where those rights are violated. Economic or environmental objectives must not override the dignity, participation and lawful interests of Indigenous peoples. The GTUC asks His Majesty to ensure that these matters are not lost among diplomatic formalities. It calls on him to encourage the British government to support sustained engagement on reparative justice and to raise concerns about democratic governance and human rights through appropriate diplomatic channels. The Congress recognises that the King cannot direct Guyana’s domestic policies. Responsibility for governing Guyana rests with its elected
authorities. Nevertheless, a historic royal visit provides an opportunity to speak candidly about the standards of justice, accountability and human dignity to which all governments should be held. The GTUC’s demands are clear: a credible path to reparative justice; protection of constitutional and democratic rights; fair wages and meaningful union engagement; transparent management of national wealth; and respect for Indigenous peoples. The Congress seeks justice for the enslaved who were denied compensation and for present-day citizens whose rights and freedoms must be protected. Neither historical suffering nor present-day abuses should be dismissed for political convenience. His Majesty should leave Guyana having heard not only official speeches, but also the concerns of workers and citizens demanding accountability. Guyana’s wealth must serve its people. Its government must respect their rights. Its history must be confronted with honesty, and its injustices must be addressed through action. Regards, GTUC
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The King Will See Our Roads and Bridges, He Will Not... From page 5 safety drills were not conducted. It has heard that the Maritime Administration Department had never prepared a search and rescue plan for State ferries, and instead applied a plan written for a collision between a cruise ship and an oil tanker. It has heard that the national rescue centre could not receive satellite distress alerts directly and depended on the airport control tower to relay them, that MARAD had two operational vessels and had to rely on a private contractor, that no joint search and rescue exercise had been held in years, that no log was kept of the names or number of those pulled from the water, and that official rescue records relied on figures taken from media reports. It has heard testimony that the Minister of Public Works, Mr. Juan Edghill, urged rescuers not to release photographs that might create a stir in the media. More than seventy people died, and others were never found. Not one of these failures began on the night of 18 July. Each sat in plain view, in budgets, audits and inspection files, waiting for a Parliament that was not allowed to look. In aviation, the cover up persists. On 6 December 2023 a Guyana Defence Force helicopter went down in Region Seven, near our border with Venezuela. Five servicemen died. They were Retired Brigadier Gary Beaton, Colonel Michael Shahoud, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Charles, Lieutenant Colonel Sean Welcome and Warrant Officer Class II Jason Khan. Almost three years later the Government still refuses to publish the accident report. The Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Mr. Deodat Indar, says the flight was a military operation and the report is therefore private. That argument cannot bear its own weight. The aircraft was entered on Guyana’s civil aircraft register. The investigation was led by an investigator of the Guyana Civil Aviation
Authority under the Civil Aviation Act, not by a military board. Guyana has no separate military airspace. The United States, the United Kingdom and Canada, the very partners whose envoys sit in Georgetown, publish their military accident reports as a matter of course. Mr. Juan Edghill and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo both committed to releasing it. Instead the Minister has disclosed that the draft was circulated to six or seven agencies and changed significantly afterwards, and a confidential version has since leaked into the public domain. A report the public may read in leaked form but not in official form is not being protected for national security, it is being protected from accountability. The families of five officers deserve better, and so does every person who will fly in this country after them. On law and order, consider the Guyana Police Force. A serving woman inspector has reported that the Deputy Commissioner of Police who heads the Special Organised Crime Unit, Mr. Fizal Karimbaksh, raped her and threatened her with a firearm. He disputes the allegations and he is entitled to the presumption of innocence. She is entitled to a system that works. The Constitution vests disciplinary control over senior officers in the Police Service Commission, and there is no Police Service Commission. It lapsed in July and has not been reconstituted. The Minister of Home Affairs, Ms. Oneidge Walrond, has conceded as much in public. The accused, through his lawyer, has refused the Commissioner’s instruction to proceed on leave on the ground that only the Commission can direct him, and that Commission does not exist. This is what institutional decay looks like. It is not a crumbling building. It is a constitutional body left empty until the law itself cannot act. Set that beside the treatment of the Leader of the Opposition. Mr. Azruddin Mohamed is
under indictment in the United States and is the subject of extradition proceedings. Those proceedings must be allowed to run their course, with full respect for due process and the protection of the law. They do not require the State to arrest him again and again while they do. On the eve of the King’s visit he was arrested yet again. So the same State that says it cannot discipline a senior officer accused of rape, because the commission that should do so does not exist, finds every power it needs to act repeatedly against the leader of the main opposition party. The harassment of opposition political figures is not law enforcement. It is the selective application of the law, and selective law is the surest sign that institutions have stopped serving the public and started serving power. On health, the Government has commissioned six new regional hospitals and cannot staff them. Guyana has been losing nurses by the hundreds for years. The State now recruits nurses from Cuba and has authorised recruitment from Bangladesh, while the Ministry of Health trains replacements online. President Ali’s own answer is that in another few years salaries will be good enough to bring our nurses home. A hospital without nurses and doctors is a building. It is not a health system. On electricity, Guyanese now live with blackouts every single day, and the Government’s explanations move from one excuse to the next. In December 2025 the Ministry of Public Utilities assured the nation that GPL had more than 250 megawatts of reliable generation to meet and far exceed a demand of 210 megawatts. By August the Minister, Mr. Deodat Indar, was blaming an unusual peak and El Niño and asking citizens to use less electricity. In September the head of GPL blamed households for running air conditioners, fans and lights. We are now told that demand is outpacing the network because the country is building so rapidly, as though that were an achievement rather than a confession. Every house lot this Government allocates and every connection it approves is a number it already holds. And it did forecast. The Low Carbon Development Strategy 2030 estimated a peak load of 407 megawatts by 2025, and GPL itself projected more than 300. Peak demand reached about 257 megawatts this year. Demand has not outrun the Government’s projections. It has fallen well short of them, and the grid still cannot carry it. The Gas to Energy project that was to halve the cost of electricity was promised for 2024 and is still not delivering power. A Government that can plan a power programme for 407 megawatts and cannot plan the wires for 257 does not have a capacity problem, it has a competence problem, and that is what follows when loyalty, not expertise, becomes the qualification for office. On water, the Public Utilities Commission flagged iron, acidity and turbidity in the drinking water supplied to Regions Four, Seven and Ten. Guyana Water Incorporated, which answers to the same Minister, replied that these affect only the taste, colour and appearance of water and not its safety. Families who draw water the colour of clay from their taps have been told, in effect, that it is fine to drink. Dr. Vincent Adams, a former head of the Environmental Protection Agency, called that assurance misleading and dangerous. In the land of many waters, the State cannot deliver a clear glass of it. On elections, the Guyana Elections Commission had not held a single meeting by
August, almost a year after the 2025 general elections, and its composition still does not reflect the results of those elections. Each of these failures has a single remedy in a parliamentary democracy. A Member rises, asks a question, moves a motion, and the Minister responsible must answer in public. That remedy is precisely what has been withheld. When the Assembly does not sit, the families of the Barima victims have no forum. When the Public Accounts Committee cannot meet, the taxpayer has no auditor. When committees meet at State House, the people have no voice of their own. Finally, reparations. As a descendant of enslaved Africans, I say it is time to move beyond an apology, and that is a demand on both Governments. The British Government has advised the King against an apology, but Britain once found the answer readily enough. In 1833 it compensated the owners of the enslaved, paying millions of pounds to the planters of British Guiana alone, while the people they had owned received nothing. A Government that can make £3 billion in export finance available for projects in Guyana cannot plead that repair is beyond its means. Acknowledging the darkest days of our past is not the end of Britain’s obligation. It is the beginning of it. At the same time, Guyana’s case abroad will only be as strong as our conduct at home. President Ali has told British television that an apology is the next step. An apology is a sentence. Reparatory justice is a programme. If he is to carry Guyana’s case to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda in November, he should carry it with the authority of the National Assembly, through a motion that gives him a parliamentary mandate. And then he should come home to build what he asks others to fund. That means a national reparations policy laid before Parliament, a dedicated fund subject to audit, the resolution of the long standing land claims of African villages, sustained investment in the education, health and economic life of the communities that slavery and its aftermath left behind, and a national reparations body with the independence and resources to measure progress. A champion of reparative justice abroad must first be its champion at home, and that begins with respecting the rights of Afro-Guyanese in the policies of his own Government. So I welcome the King, not only for what his visit represents, but because once again our major roads are properly marked and our major drains are clean. Guyanese may be forgiven for hoping he visits more often. We will measure development by a harder standard than the view from a motorcade. A bridge delivered late tells you that a government can spend but it does not tell you that a government can be questioned. A State is measured by whether a ferry passenger is counted, whether a grieving family may read the report into a soldier’s death, whether a woman who accuses a senior officer has a commission to hear her, whether a new hospital has nurses, whether the lights stay on after dark, whether the water in the tap is clear, whether a family in an oil producing nation can afford fresh vegetables and a proper meal for its children, and whether the people’s representatives may sit. By that measure the decay in Guyana is not hidden. It is simply not on the itinerary. Yours faithfully, Amanza O.R. Walton Member of Parliament
Sunday October 30, 2026
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
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Friday October 30, 2026
High Court orders immediate release of Nikita Greene in Safe Camera System Breach; Ryan Greene remains in custody The High Court of the Supreme Court of Judicature has ordered the immediate release of Nikita Greene from police custody, while allowing law enforcement to keep her son, Ryan Greene, detained as investigations continue. The ruling, delivered on October 29, 2026, by Justice Christel Lambert-Meertins in the civil jurisdiction matter (Randy Greene v. The Commissioner of Police and The Attorney General of Guyana), comes amid a sprawling national security probe involving the alleged unauthorized extraction of data from the country's safe camera surveillance
network. Following the court's decision, Attorney General Anil Nandlall addressed reporters, characterizing the judicial outcome as fair while defending the continued detention of Ryan Greene. "I think the ruling was a fair one... The important thing is that the police would like to keep the gentleman in custody, as the investigations into his conduct are still ongoing." Nandlall stressed the gravity of the breach, warning that the national safe camera network captures the images of every citizen, from ordinary
Attorney, Darren Wade
Constable Ryan Greene
Attorney, Dr. Dexter Todd
residents to high-ranking officials: "Those images if they fall into the wrong hands can jeopardize the safety of
every single person in this country... The unauthorized downloading and disposal of images generated by that system can grind this
country to a halt... It can push us into a national emergency." He further implicated opposition leadership in the security compromise, "What is even more deplorable is that the leader of the opposition is the one implicated in breaching that system, paying a person to sell him images unauthorizedly extracted from that system to help him in a personal criminal cause that he has." Defense teams criticized the state's handling of the case, pointing to constitutional overreach. Attorney Darren Wade welcomed the release of Nikita Greene as the correct legal decision, arguing there was an absence of evidence against her and criticizing the Attorney General's (Continued on page 9)
Kaieteur News
Friday October 30, 2026
PAGE 09
The King comes to a colony that never quite became free The King’s official visit to Guyana is an occasion for ceremony, the polishing of old silver and the remembering of a history that we might otherwise prefer to leave undisturbed. There will be speeches about friendship, partnership and the enduring bonds between our two countries. The streets will be cleaned, the buildings spruced up, and the nation will be invited to admire itself through the eyes of a visiting monarch. But the King’s presence carries another meaning. It reminds us that Guyana was once a colony of Great Britain, governed from afar, its resources extracted for the benefit of others, its people expected to understand their place in an imperial arrangement they had no power to determine. We became independent in 1966. The Union Jack came down, our own flag went up, and the machinery of government passed into G u y a n e s e h a n d s . We acquired the symbols of sovereignty, the diplomatic formalities of nationhood and the right to speak in our own name. Yet there is a question that the royal visit ought to provoke. That question is: how much of the substance of economic independence have we actually secured? For the uncomfortable
truth is that Guyana may have exchanged one form of colonial dependence for another. The old imperial power has been joined by a succession of foreign states, investors and multinational corporations whose economic influence is expanding as rapidly as our new wealth. The difference between the old colonialism and the new is that the latter does not require a governor, a colonial secretary or a Union Jack flying above the courthouse. It requires contracts, concessions, licences and production sharing agreements. Consider our bauxite industry. After the departure of the Russians, Chinese interests have become the dominant player in the sector. In gold mining, Chinese, Australian and other foreign companies have become prominent. Our oil and natural gas resources are being developed by ExxonMobil, Hess and CNOOC, companies whose combined interests place the commanding heights of this new industry largely outside Guyanese ownership. The oil has changed everything, but perhaps not in the way we imagine. It has transformed our national accounts, enlarged the Government’s spending power and created the
intoxicating impression that we have arrived at the threshold of prosperity. Yet the production machinery, the technology, the expertise and much of the commercial decision-making remain in foreign hands. We own the territory and the sovereign rights over its resources; that does not mean we control the entire economic enterprise built upon them. Meanwhile, our largest financial institution is Trinidadian-owned. Trinidadian, Brazilian, Surinamese and Chinese businesses are multiplying throughout the commercial and services sectors. Chinese firms are securing major contracts for infrastructure, roads, bridges and other projects intended to prepare Guyana for its future. The United States, with its strategic and commercial interests in the hemisphere, is also looking closely at our mineral wealth. Other countries and corporations will undoubtedly follow wherever the opportunities justify the journey. The colonial economy was designed around extraction. We must be careful that the oil economy does not reproduce the same structure on a grander scale, with more sophisticated machinery and incomparably greater revenues. If our wealth leaves the country in profits,
Dem Boys Seh...
Guyana running on light and darkness Dem boys seh that in Guyana, you don’t have to wait for night to get darkness. Darkness does come during the day too. Is a twenty-four-hour service, except that nobody know when it coming and GPL don’t give no guarantee when it going. Every day now, some area coming offline. One day is Sophia, next day is East Bank, then Berbice, then East Coast. Before you could finish cussing GPL for one blackout, another area gone in darkness. Is like the electricity playing musical chairs, and every community waiting to find out who getting cut off next. GPL keep talking about feeders going offline. Dem boys want to know how much feeders this country got, and why so much of dem behaving like dem got a mind of dem own? One feeder trip, another feeder drop out, and another one apparently decide it ain’t working today. If the feeders were employees, half of dem woulda been fired long ago for absenteeism. And what is this thing about feeders going offline at all hours? Sometimes is morning, when people trying to get ready for
work. Sometimes is midday, when business trying to make money. Sometimes is night, when people trying to sleep in the heat. GPL seem to be practising equality: everybody must suffer! Dem boys wondering whether this is another way of saying loadshedding. Nobody saying loadshedding, but the light disappearing from one area and then another. If it walking like loadshedding, behaving like loadshedding and leaving people sweating like loadshedding, then wha else dem boys supposed to call it? Perhaps GPL inventing a new system called surprise shedding. You don’t know when your area coming off, how long it staying off, or whether the light coming back before your ice melt. Is like a lottery, except nobody winning. Dem boys got one suggestion. GPL should stop telling people which feeder gone offline and start telling people why. The public deserves more than technical explanations that sound like the light itself get confused. Talk half. Leff half.
payments and imported services while Guyanese businesses remain confined to the margins, then our prosperity will have a peculiar character: visible everywhere, but not entirely our own. The King’s visit will celebrate the relationship between Britain and Guyana as it exists today. It should also remind us that the end of colonial rule did not automatically end the economic habits colonialism created. We have inherited a country accustomed to looking outward for capital, expertise and commercial direction. The British once
came to Guyana as imperial masters. Today, multinationals come as investors, partners and developers. They do not need to govern us. They need only to control enough of the economic machinery to make their decisions indispensable to our future. The King will return home. The ceremonies will end, the streets will return to their ordinary condition, and the visiting delegations will depart. The companies, however, will remain, their contracts extending into the decades ahead. The question is whether Guyana will use this extraordinary moment to
become an owner of its own e c o n o m i c d e s t i n y, o r whether oil will make us a richer country in which the most consequential decisions about our wealth are still made elsewhere. We lowered the Union Jack and declared ourselves free. The harder task is to ensure that, beneath our own flag, we do not become a colony once more. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
High Court orders immediate release of... From page 8 courtroom presence "It is surprising that the attorney general came to the court and attempted to give evidence from the bar table, which is inappropriate... Why was this woman held? There's absolutely no reason whatsoever. But I suspect that they held her because they wanted to pressure her son into something." Co-counsel Dr. Dexter Todd echoed these concerns, describing the environment surrounding the detentions as deeply
troubling, "When you have an attorney general of a country... comes to a court of law and justifies why they should hold this woman in custody, I am telling you, we are in troubling times in Guyana." Dr. Todd added regarding the broader police procedure, “The police are not concerned about law and order and proper procedure. They just do what they want. This country is a full cowboy country, full cowboy country, and we're going to pull it back.”
Kaieteur News
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D TR
HAR
HK
BY G
LALL
Friday October 30, 2026
H@RD TRUTHS
BY GHK LALL
Jagdeo's PPP: PNC sensation, WIN, raw realities Pt I PPP General Secretary, Cde Bharrat Jagdeo, showed again that he is one step ahead of the crowd. A PPPPNC Xmas card. A neat package of joy. Has the potential to give hope, generate inspiration. Maybe even heal some longfestering national wounds. On the surface, what Dr. Jagdeo laid on the table has much to recommend it. Condition: If it is the real deal. The question for Guyanese is three-pronged: 1) window-dressing, powerbroking, or salvaging ops? Two of the latter: one to bailout the PPP, the second to take the PNC from life support. Relative to window-dressing and powerbroking, I interpret Jagdeo using the PNC as a foil to thwart Mr. Mohamed and WIN. (And to save the PPP and PNC in the
exercise). Speaking positively, with generous grains of hope embedded, a PPP-PNC Alliance dilutes, if only temporarily, what has been a bone-in-throat for Guyanese. The race factor. Dilutes not eradicates. For who in each side of that alliance will see, or will be whipped into a frenzy to stereotype, the other as a blood enemy? The people who make up the respective traditional bases. It will sure be an uneasy alliance, if were to gain some legs. But what choice does the PNC have? It is on the rocks. Its prospects look grim, and are grim. The chief local referee, America, is unhappy (but still accepting) of the status quo. A PPP status quo, with American interests being the main driver. Dr. Jagdeo extended his hand
and, irony of ironies, it has a disguised palm branch. An olive one. Frankly, it's a no-brainer for the PNC. A free ride on Jagdeo's coattails; plus, the circumventing and neutralizing of the Mohamed factor. Mr. Mohamed has made his inroads. He has made his presence and contributions felt at a grassroots level. But, unless there are radical shifts in his mindset, he is a one-wheel chariot (Pt II planned). Four years represent an eternity; the U.S. is determined to seize him and scan his head; and the people can be fickle. However, the helpful element is that the Guyanese people find themselves in the worst of places in the best of times (Pt III revealed). There's a gamechanger brewing, probably in waiting.
Dr. Jagdeo knows all too well of the PPP's atrocities with the people's patrimony. National development priorities, Dr. Singh's magnum opus, has left huge segments of what's national in tatters and hungrier. What he sells as development has left human development at the bottom. And, the priorities of this man of book learning are what has pushed Guyanese to rummage for food, as though this country has no abundance of natural resources. Most of all, the hungry man, the distressed mother, questions whether oil has been found. If so, then why so with their conditions? Now think of this. One year after a resounding electoral victory, another record budget, and another cash grant, I believe that an entity as canny as the PPP
would have conducted its own secret poll. What the people say? Where are they? How do they see the PPP? How does WIN feature? To repeat a prior assertion: Jagdeo does nothing for nothing. Or, anything that Politico Jagdeo does has something in it for him. He is not into charity or magnanimity. Callous one day, lavish 24 hours later. In sum, Jagdeo isn't happy with where the PPP is, and there is the PNC on the ropes, and poised to go down, then out. The video and audio that Politico Jagdeo presented is revealing. Seen and heard before, and this is the plot. Bharrat Jagdeo-whether in the role of president, vice president, or party general secretary-has assigned himself the role of the man
with the white hat on the white horse. The program titled an Evening with Robert Corbin was the stage where he acted out that role, displayed his goods. His inspiration, his vision: to avoid extinction. The environment must be that crushing, with warning indicators flashing. He extended a hand, with a threat palmed. The PNC just got an offer it can't refuse. Next up: danger man Azruddin Mohamed. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper
Kaieteur News
Friday October 30, 2026
King Charles’ visit puts spotlight on troubled British-backed hospital project ...VAMED questions fate of Georgetown facility as it prepares for int'l arbitration over millions in unpaid costs As King Charles III arrives in Guyana amid celebrations of renewed commercial ties between Britain and its former c o l o n y, q u e s t i o n s a r e mounting over the fate of a British-backed hospital project that has become embroiled in a multimillioneuro contractual dispute between the Government of Guyana and Austrian healthcare infrastructure p r o v i d e r VA M E D Engineering GmbH. A source close to VAMED has questioned whether the troubled Guyana Paediatric and Maternal Hospital project in Georgetown will feature in discussions between the British monarch and President Irfaan Ali, particularly as Guyana seeks to attract further investment under Britain's export-financing arrangements. The source pointed to the contrast between Britain's commitment to making billions of pounds in exportfinancing capacity available to Guyana and the difficulties surrounding one of the country's major projects supported by British export finance. In 2022, President Ali joined British and Austrian representatives at the sodturning ceremony for the Georgetown hospital, which was expected to strengthen the country's capacity to provide specialised maternal and paediatric healthcare. The project was awarded to Vienna-based VAMED under a €149 million Designand-Build Contract signed with the Ministry of Health on June 8, 2022. Its financing arrangement was supported by UK Export Finance and funded through UniCredit Bank Austria AG, with the Government of Guyana as the borrower. However, four years after the project was launched, the hospital remains incomplete, with the contractual relationship between the Government and VAMED deteriorating to the point where the company has announced plans to pursue international arbitration. The dispute has also raised questions about the management of the financing arrangement underpinning the project and the circumstances that led to payments being withheld. According to VAMED, the
export credit facility and associated guarantee expired in November 2025 after the Government failed to renew or extend the arrangement, despite repeated communications from UniCredit and UK Export Finance warning of the impending expiration. VAMED maintains that the lapse undermined a key payment-security mechanism for the project and contributed to the breakdown in the contractual relationship. The company says its last payment was received in May 2025 and that it has since continued to face outstanding claims for work undertaken under the hospital contracts. VA M E D i s s e e k i n g approximately €45.53 million across the Georgetown and New Amsterdam hospital projects, including at least €19.15 million in certified payments, alongside claims for variations, indexation, additional works and other contractual entitlements. The company's attorney, Nigel Hughes, has also said that the Government's own engineer estimated the amount o w e d t o VA M E D a t approximately €37.94 million. The source close to VAMED questioned why the financing arrangements were allowed to expire while the hospital project remained unfinished, particularly given the importance of the facility to Guyana's public healthcare system. The source also questioned the Government's decision to pursue termination of the contracts while substantial payment claims remained outstanding. On June 2, 2026, the Government issued notices of intention to terminate both VAMED contracts, including the separate €150 million agreement signed in July 2023 for the New Amsterdam Hospital Campus in Region Six. VAMED has rejected the termination notices, maintaining that the Government's failure to meet its payment obligations contributed directly to the reduction in construction activity. The company has also reported that construction equipment and materials have accumulated at the port, with dozens of containers awaiting clearance and attracting storage charges.
The Government, h o w e v e r, h a s s t r o n g l y disputed VAMED's account, (Continued on page 22)
PAGE 11
The Guyana Paediatric and Maternal Hospital
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N T B . U . L . L T B . N . U . N U T L N B . U . T . L N T U N B . N U . L U L LUNT. B . T . . T T N N B U B . U . L . L T B . B . . N . . . T U T L N N T U U L N L B U . B . . L . . . T B T . . N . N Answers needed T U L N LU B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . NT LUNT...B NT...BLU N U L B . . B . U . . T L . N T B . . U N . L N T B U N . . L . U T B L . . N B . . . T U . L N T B U . . L . UN T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . UN .BLUNT.. UNT...BL T...BLU . L N . T B U . . L B UN .BLUNT. . . L . T B . . N . T U . L N . T B U . . L N . LU ...BLUNT LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . . L N . T B BLU T...BLUN BLUNT... UNT...B . . L N . T B U . . B BL T...BLUN BLUNT. . . . T N U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T BB T...BLU U N L U B L . . . B . T . N . N T T U L U N L B U T...BLU U B . L . N . B T . . . N T U N N N L U U U B L . L . B T LUNT. UNT...B BL PAGE 12
Kaieteur News
The allegations surrounding the 12th October,2026 confrontation involving Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed and senior police ranks demand a thorough, independent investigation. CCTV footage released by Mohamed has raised questions about the police account, including the circumstances of the alleged shooting and the subsequent recovery of a firearm.
The Guyana Police Force must respond publicly to the allegations and explain what its investigation has established. Silence will only deepen public suspicion. Police officers are entrusted with protecting citizens, not abusing their authority. Equally, political office does not place anyone above the law. The footage, ballistic evidence, witness accounts and officers' conduct must be examined impartially. Justice must not only be done; it must be seen to be done. No one should escape accountability.
Friday October 30, 2026
Kaieteur News
Friday October 30, 2026
PAGE 13
PNCR accuses Corriverton Mayor of sidelining councillors ...mayor dismisses claims as 'totally false’ The People's National Congress Reform (PNCR), the largest party in the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) coalition, has accused the leadership of the Corriverton Town Council of sidelining elected councillors, neglecting critical municipal services and presiding over serious administrative deficiencies, allegations Mayor Imran Amin has rejected as “totally false”. In a statement to the media, the party said it was gravely concerned about the deteriorating state of governance, administration
and essential municipal services at the Corriverton Town Council. According to information the party claims to have received through its councillor, Anil Sugrim, the Council has reportedly failed to convene meetings for two consecutive months, while its committees have also ceased to function. These developments, the party said, raise concerns about accountability, transparency and the proper discharge of the Council's statutory responsibilities to the residents and businesses of Corriverton. “Of even greater concern
are reports that elected councillors, including members of the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), are being kept uninformed about the affairs and operations of the Council. The Mayor, Deputy Mayor, and Town Clerk are alleged to be exercising decision-making authority without adequate consultation with the wider Council. If substantiated, such practices would undermine the collective responsibility of elected representatives and the principles of democratic local government. The
PNCR/APNU is particularly concerned that the absence of effective oversight appears to be contributing to frustration and disengagement among councillors, including members of the PPP/C itself. Local government must not become the private preserve of a few individuals. The Council exists to serve the people of Corriverton, not the personal or political interests of those entrusted with its administration,” the party added. The PNCR/APNU also highlighted that the Council was reportedly operating
CoI slams DPI report Commissioners of the CoI into the capsizing and subsequent sinking of the MV Barima
...declares lawyers' remarks 'Improper' The Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) into the capsizing of the M/V Barima has issued a stern clarification distancing itself from a report published by the Department of Public Information (DPI), emphasising that no decision has been reached regarding the vessel's seaworthiness or safety certification requirement. The document, dated October 29, 2026, and signed by CoI Chairman Justice Godfrey P. Smith SC on behalf of the Commission, addresses an online report released by DPI on October 22, 2026. That DPI publication claimed that "Government-owned and operated ferries, including the MV Barima, do not require certificates of seaworthiness to operate, according to counsel for the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the vessels sinking". The state media report further attributed statements to attorneys Arudranauth Gosai and Teni Housty, alleging that under the Transport and
Harbours Act and its 1996 regulations, government ferries have been exempt from such certification since independence. According to the Commission, the state media report triggered concern, prompting a flurry of emails and submissions inquiring whether the published remarks represented the official stance of the panel or meant that the M/V Barima had been cleared of certification and safety standards. Setting the record straight, the Commissioners clarified that no determination has been made on whether the M/V Barima was required to possess safety certification or if it was seaworthy. The Commission stated that these matters remain live issues to be determined in due course following further evidence and a thorough review of relevant documentation. Furthermore, the Commission asserted that statements attributed to Counsel to the Commission do not reflect the views or position of the body
or any of its members. It noted that it was improper for Counsel to publicly opine on issues whose final determination remains active before the Commission and resides strictly within its Terms of Reference. The CoI into the capsizing of the M/V Barima was established by Presidential Order under the Commissions of Inquiry Act. Alongside Chairman Justice Godfrey P. Smith SC, the Commission comprises Dr. Andrzej Jasionowski, Captain Hamada Fouda, Nyree Dawn Alfonso, and Rear Admiral (Ret'd) Hayden Pritchard. As oral hearings take a brief hiatus until November 10th, Secretariat teams from the Commission of Inquiry will visit survivors directly within their respective communities to record witness statements in a supportive environment. Kaieteur News has confirmed with families from Port Kaituma, that they have been contacted by the Secretariat for such.
without several key departmental and supervisory personnel, including a market clerk, a constabulary sergeant to lead m u n i c i p a l s e c u r i t y, a municipal treasurer, a senior finance clerk, a superintendent of works and a works foreman. The party said these vacancies raised concerns about financial oversight, market management, public s a f e t y, i n f r a s t r u c t u r e maintenance and the effective supervision of municipal employees. It also noted reports of repeated changes or gaps in the Market Clerk position, which it said further highlighted the need for a stable and properly functioning administrative structure. It stressed that these were not minor administrative inconveniences, as they affected the Council's capacity to manage public resources, enforce municipal regulations, maintain infrastructure and provide services efficiently. The party said the Government and the Local Government Commission must explain what steps had been taken to address these deficiencies and why the critical positions remained unfilled. “Residents and businesses also have legitimate grounds for concern about the reported inadequacy of garbage collection, the lack of proper security arrangements at the municipal market, the need for cleaning and sanitizing the market, especially the fish and meat vending areas and the washrooms, and weaknesses in the supervision and deployment of the Council's workforce. The PNCR/APNU is concerned that municipal workers are being left to operate without the level of management, supervision and institutional support required to maintain acceptable standards of service delivery. Corriverton's residents deserve a clean, safe and properly managed town. Market vendors deserve adequate protection, and ratepayers deserve to see their contributions reflected in efficient and reliable municipal services,” the party stated. It added: “The apparent
breakdown in committee oversight, staffing and administrative coordination threatens the Council's ability to meet these basic obligations. The PNCR/APNU condemns any unlawful or irregular actions that may have occurred in the administration of the Corriverton Town Council. No Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Town Clerk or councillor is above the law, and no individual or small group should be permitted to usurp the lawful authority of the Council as a collective body.” The party called on the ministry responsible for local government to intervene urgently, within its lawful authority, to ensure that the Corriverton Town Council fulfilled its statutory obligations. It also called on the Local Government Commission to conduct an urgent assessment of the Council's administrative and staffing deficiencies, investigate the reported breakdown in meetings and committee operations, and determine whether the Council's decision-making procedures were consistent with applicable laws and regulations. Additionally, the party called on the Corriverton Town Council to resume its meetings without further d e l a y, r e a c t i v a t e i t s committees, ensure that all councillors received the information necessary to perform their duties, and restore transparent and accountable collective decision-making. It also urged the relevant authorities to address vacancies in critical departmental positions, strengthen financial controls, improve market security, restore effective supervision of municipal workers and ensure adequate garbage collection. The PNCR/APNU further called on the Council's leadership to respect the statutory roles of elected councillors and municipal officers, ensuring that decisions were made through lawful procedures rather than unilateral action. The party also called for a clear plan with defined timelines to restore the (Continued on page 22)
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Friday October 30, 2026 Minister Mustapha hands over a lease to one of the farmers during the MMA Open Day
113 farmers get land leases as Mustapha settles decades-old Rampoor dispute Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has moved to bring an end to a decades-old land dispute in Region Five (MahaicaBerbice), with 113 farmers from Rampoor and surrounding communities receiving agricultural land leases on Thursday. The leases were distributed during the Mahaica-Mahaicony-Abary Agricultural Development Authority's (MMA-ADA) Open Day at Onverwagt, We s t C o a s t B e r b i c e , marking a significant breakthrough for farmers who have spent decades seeking security of tenure and formal recognition of their right to occupy and cultivate the lands. In a press release the Agriculture Ministry said while speaking at the event, Minister Mustapha said the matter had remained unresolved for far too long, despite repeated concerns raised by farmers over the years. He explained that bringing closure to the issue required sustained engagement with the affected groups, careful consideration of their concerns and a commitment to finding a practical solution that would allow agricultural activities to continue without further conflict. The dispute dates back several decades, with farmers raising concerns over competing claims to agricultural lands, the allocation of leases and the use of lands for livestock grazing and crop cultivation. In 2019, the matter attracted national attention after a group of cattle
farmers from the Rampoor area approached the High Court, challenging efforts to remove them from approximately 1,360 acres of land they claimed to have occupied and developed for more than two decades. The farmers maintained that despite making repeated applications to regularise their occupancy, they had been unable to secure formal leases. In July 2021, Minister Mustapha, along with Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Hon. Anil Nandlall, S.C., intervened in the matter, meeting with farmers from Rampoor and Shieldstown at the MMA-ADA office in Region Five. During those engagements, the ministers proposed a compromise involving the surveying, division and zoning of the disputed lands to accommodate both livestock and crop production. Minister Mustapha subsequently instructed the MMA-ADA to undertake the necessary surveys to facilitate the allocation of lands and the eventual issuance of leases. During today's activity, Minister Mustapha also underscored the importance of the MMA-ADA to agricultural production and the livelihoods of thousands of families across Region Five, describing the scheme as one of Guyana's most important agricultural assets. "The MMA-ADA has long been recognised as one of the most important agricultural drainage and irrigation systems in Guyana. It is the heartbeat of
agricultural production in Region Five, supporting thousands of farming families and contributing significantly to our national food basket. When agriculture succeeds in the MMA, families prosper, communities grow, and Guyana becomes stronger," Minister Mustapha stated. He explained that the MMA scheme plays a critical role in supporting rice cultivation, livestock rearing and other agricultural activities, making its continued development and effective management essential to the Government's broader food security and agricultural diversification agenda. Minister Mustapha noted that the Government continues to invest in improving drainage and irrigation infrastructure, strengthening agricultural services and addressing operational challenges within the scheme to ensure that farmers can maximise production and improve their livelihoods. The Minister also encouraged the lease recipients to make productive use of their lands, reminding them that the leases contain a clause strictly prohibiting subletting. He explained that the practice of subletting agricultural lands continues to drive up production costs for many farmers across the country. Minister Mustapha stressed that the Ministry of Agriculture, in collaboration with the Ministry of Legal Affairs, will be taking steps to address this issue and ensure that the provisions of agricultural land leases are strictly enforced.
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Friday October 30, 2026
Scenes during the protest
Police tussle with protesters ...as citizens demand reparations, release of Mohamed at King Charles’ reception Protesters clashed with police on Thursday as citizens demand reparations from Britain for slavery and for the immediate release of Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed who has been detained by police over allegations that he bribed a policeman for surveillance footage . Demonstrators assembled at St. George's Cathedral at 3 PM on Thursday before marching close to State House where police had erected barricades toward them off as well as for the wider security for King Charles who attended a
reception there shortly after arriving in Guyana yesterday afternoon. The focal point of the afternoon's turmoil centered on an alleged physical altercation involving Hannah Muhammad, political director for the WIN party (and sister of Azruddin Mohamed). Eyewitnesses and live broadcasts captured chaotic scenes as multiple male police officers moved in to apprehend Mohamed, sparking immediate outrage among the assembled crowds. Demonstrators and opposition MPs at the scene condemned the
police response as a breach of standard operating procedures. Protesters alleged that male officers used excessive force, handling Hannah Mohamed roughly against fences and vehicles before female officers were eventually brought to the scene. The incident triggered furious chants from the crowd, who accused authorities of transforming the Guyana Police Force into a partisan political tool. Speaking to the gathered crowd and livestream viewers, opposition parliamentarians and local leaders (Continued on page 22)
Minister Kwame McCoy taking pictures of the press from his vehicle
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$49.6M parking lot planned for US$28M National Security Final Israeli election results Tower-68 contractors bid for Home Affairs project are almost in, Netanyahu hasn’t The construction of a parking lot at Guyana's new US$28.14 million National Security Tower at Brickdam is estimated to cost $49.625 million, with 68 contractors vying for the Ministry of Home Affairs project. This was revealed during a recent tender opening at the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board office. According to information published by NPTAB, a total of 68 contractors are vying for the Ministry of Home Affairs project. The National Security Tower which is under construction and nearing completion was built to replace the Brickdam Police Station which was destroyed by a fire in October 2021. Following the fire, President Irfaan Ali in January 2024, turned the sod for the construction of the new US$28,140,000 12-story Police headquarters. The Home Affairs ministry reported at the time that the construction of the new stateof-the-art building is expected to be completed in 30 months and upon completion it will house the operation of the Divisional Headquarters for '4 A' (Georgetown) and will feature central departments such as traffic, finance, the impact base, Criminal Investigation Department (CID), among others. In July this year, during a visit to the construction site, Senior Minister with the responsibility for finance, Dr. Ashni Singh announced that they have renamed the headquarters building as the National Security Tower. The Senior Finance Minister noted at the time that the modern edifice is slated to be opened by the end of 2026 and will serve as Guyana's Police Headquarters, replacing Eve Leary, with all services currently offered there available at the new location.
Below are the companies and their bids: Ministry of Home Affairs Construction of Parking Lot at National Security Tower, Brickdam.
Bidder De Putron General Construction Mohamed's Concrete Enterprise Inc. DS Construction Services and Supplies Navin and Son's Construction Empress General Service Travis Logistics & Construction NP Contracting & Transportation Services AEA Enterprise 2C's Landscaping Service and Maintenance C.A.J Construction Firm Khemraj Nauth Inc. Modern Engineering Supplies & Services Emeralds General Contracting & Distributors PMW Construction & General Services C& Triple Contracting Service J.S.B Investment Inc. Frame to Finish Construction AYN Construction & General Services Truck Smart Mason's Innovative Construction & General Supplies Avinash Contracting & Scrap Metal Inc. VNV Construction and Supply Inc. M.K Hanif Construction Service Mohamed Sayaid Enterprise Innovative Engineering Solution Lallchan's Construction & Graphics Service VAS Global L.Pool Civil Works Wong Genesis Enterprise B.M Property Investment Inc Andrect Engineering and Construction B.K. International Inc. Garnet Logistics & Contracting Saj Investments Roynell's Enterprise Dru's Construction Randolph Taylor Construction Kaizen Industries Aronco Services Inc. Harry Chowtie Enterprise D. Chowkai & Sons Construction 4A Engineering Enterprise Dynamic Pioneers Logistics and Oilfield Dowdatram Construction & Engineering Enterprise
Amount Tendered $48,850,000 $46,960,000 $42,480,000 $57,920,000 $47,400,000 $46,150,000 $44,690,000 $65,260,000 $79,035,000 $40,440,000 $41,325,000 $47,210,000 $44,780,000 $32,700,000 $73,350,000 $49,910,000 $48,765,000 $81,120,000 $60,590,000 $62,300,000 $91,865,000 $47,500,000 $48,680,000 $48,380,000 $44,090,000 $50,820,000 $39,690,000 $45,960,000 $97,940,000 $83,750,000 $47,375,000 $102,377,000 $45,012,700 $46,260,000 $42,650,000 $62,864,000 $57,500,000 $52,110,000 $76,465,600 $50,750,000 $71,810,000 $53,318,000 $80,750,000 $53,910,000
T&T TURNS BACK ONdecaCUBA des-old — Govt. votes with U.S. at UNGA to maintain embargo against Havana after 34 years of opposing it
(TRINIDAD GUARDIAN) Trinidad and Tobago’s historic decision to vote against a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution calling for an end to the United States’ economic embargo against Cuba has drawn strong condemnation from former government officials and raised concerns about the country’s foreign policy direction. The vote marks the first time in over three decades that T&T has
opposed the resolution, breaking its longstanding diplomatic position. In a significant departure from policy yesterday, T&T joined the U.S. and 15 other countries in opposing the resolution, which was eventually overwhelmingly adopted by the General Assembly. A total of 130 countries voted in favour, 17 voted against and 25 abstained. However, the results reflected a significant shift from last year, when 165 countries
supported the resolution, seven opposed it and 12 abstained. T&T was the only Caricom member state to vote against the resolution. Jamaica, Guyana and Haiti abstained, while Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St Lucia did not vote. Seven other Caricom member states supported the resolution. T&T’s vote drew sharp criticism from former prime minister Dr. Keith Rowley, who Continued on page 23
won – but he hasn’t lost either (CNN) In a political career that has spanned more than three decades, Benjamin Netanyahu has been written off too many times to count, only to prove the obituaries were penned prematurely. Israel’s election results this week appear to give the prime minister’s opponents a chance to end his run, but in the country’s ruthless political system, it’s no guarantee. By Wednesday night, most votes had been counted. But there is no clear winner for Israel’s top post, setting up weeks — possibly months — in which Netanyahu’s political survival remains on the line. With the vote counting nearing its conclusion, Netanyahu’s Likud party remains the largest party in the 120-seat parliament, known as the Knesset, with an estimated 26 seats. But his right-wing bloc has lost its majority, set to win only 53 seats, short of the 61-seat majority needed to govern. Netanyahu hasn’t won. But he hasn’t lost, either — at least not yet. Now, he has to stop his rivals from building their own government, and he may survive again. THE ARAB PARTIES On paper, the opposition holds roughly 67 seats, but that arithmetic is fractured by ideological, national and personal rivalries. Netanyahu’s main challenger, Gadi Eisenkot, won 21 seats, but the Jewish opposition parties total only 48, well short of victory. To reach 61, they would need the support of two Arab parties, Raam and the Joint List, which are projected to win a record 19 seats between them. Analysts say that record turnout by Arabs or Palestinian citizens of Israel was in part a backlash to four years of a far-right national security minister under whom crime in the Arab community soared, and members of the community have blamed the trend on negligent policing. They have also been affected by a rise in racism following 7th October and Israel’s war in Gaza — and have been highly critical of settler violence, all factors that could have mobilised them to vote. This is where the math gets complicated. Raam is an Islamist party that draws heavily from Israel’s Bedouin community. Its leader, Mansour Abbas, became the first Arab politician to join an Israeli government following the country’s 2021 election. The Joint List, projected to be the bigger Arab party, combines several smaller parties: the Communist Hadash, secularist Taal and nationalist Balad factions. On Wednesday, Yair Golan, leader of the left-wing Democrats party, called on his partners to count the Arab parties as part of the bloc, rejecting what he called Netanyahu’s “racist division between Jewish and Arab votes.” But two of Eisenkot’s right-wing allies, Naftali Bennett and Avigdor Liberman, have opposed any government that depends on the Arab parties. (They have not issued a statement on the
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu issue since polls closed.) The Joint List said Wednesday that it was ready for political cooperation and willing to do “do everything in its power to bring Netanyahu’s rule to an end.” What will Netanyahu do? A source close to Netanyahu said his main post-election goal is to delegitimize and therefore prevent the Jewish-Arab political cooperation that could send him home. “He is very concerned about a minority government,” the source said. Netanyahu even plans to pressure individual opposition lawmakers not to cooperate with the Arab parties. After campaigning against them throughout the election, Likud issued a statement Wednesday accusing the Arab parties of “stealing the election” through bribery, threats, violence and forgery, echoing election fraud claims from his closest ally, U.S. President Donald Trump. The Central Elections Committee said Wednesday it was examining the complaint, but the committee had already dismissed thousands of complaints from the different parties on election day. Netanyahu plans to “neutralize this possibility by all means,” the source told CNN, “including launching an attack on Iran or enlisting President Trump to intervene in Israeli politics on his behalf.” The opposition fears that Netanyahu could use a security crisis to stall or block a new government. Before the election, Netanyahu had pressed Trump to launch a joint attack on Iran, but Washington held off, partly because Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir warned it could disrupt the vote. An Israeli security source told CNN the operational plans are ready and awaiting Trump’s approval, possibly after the U.S. midterms. “There is no way to know what Netanyahu will do,” an opposition source told CNN. “We are aware that he may try to push for another escalation.” Another source said that Netanyahu “will do everything he can not to leave the prime minister ’s office, including domestic and external chaos.” Eisenkot, a former Israel Defense Forces chief of staff, called on Israel’s security chiefs Tuesday night to remember that “Netanyahu is a caretaker prime minister, without Continued on page 23
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(CNN) What could go wrong? For over a week, El Salvador has been quietly sending troops to Haiti, a project whose scale was only revealed publicly last night: More than 2,000 Salvadoran soldiers will be sent to the Caribbean nation, but their mission and mandate remain opaque. The deployment is a wildcard in Port-au-Prince, a city of densely-inhabited hills where battle lines constantly shift between dozens of gangs and anti-gang groups, including foreign forces, neighbourhood vigilantes, and mercenaries. Two thousand soldiers is a significant arrival here. That’s more than Haiti’s entire army, and about a quarter of the urban footprint of the Haitian National Police. It’s about equal to the current staffing of the multinational UNbacked Gang Suppression Force (GSF) and far outnumbers the private military contractors on the Haitian government’s
secretive “task force.” But how do they fit into Haiti’s fractured security landscape? Who is paying for it all? And what exactly is their mission? For now, the Salvadoran forces’ command structure has not been established, according to a source close to the matter. Little light was shed by parallel communiqués released Wednesday evening by El Salvador and Haiti, which described a call between President Nayib Bukele and interim Haitian leader Alix Didier Fils-Aimé about the overall security situation and status of four missing Salvadorans air technicians. The air technicians, catalyst for this deployment, disappeared earlier this month after an apparent gang ambush. They had been working with the GSF in a noncombat role, according to Salvadoran officials. In the immediate aftermath, 100 Salvadoran special forces were sent to Haiti to assist in
King Charles’ visit puts... From page 11 describing it as a misleading narrative that omits critical facts about the contractor’s performance. In its response, the Ministry of Health said it remained committed to completing both hospitals but had repeatedly raised concerns about delays, missed milestones, inadequate mobilisation of resources and contractual non-compliance. The Government maintains that payments are subject to the measurement and approval of works, contractual valuation procedures and other applicable provisions. It has also rejected the characterisation of the amounts claimed by VAMED as undisputed liabilities. According to the Ministry, the notices of intention to terminate were issued only after the contractor had been given numerous opportunities to address deficiencies identified by supervising engineers. The Government has said it will vigorously defend its position should the matter proceed to arbitration. VAMED, meanwhile, says it exhausted efforts to resolve the dispute through negotiations and will now pursue proceedings before the International Chamber of Commerce to recover outstanding sums, interest and other contractual entitlements, while challenging any wrongful calls on its performance bonds and guarantees. The unfolding dispute comes at a time when Guyana is seeking to deepen its commercial relationship with Britain. The British Government has made £3 billion in export-
financing capacity available to Guyana, with Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh encouraging businesses to take advantage of the facility. Meanwhile, the court recently lifted preservation orders against the State in the ongoing dispute involving VAMED Engineering GmbH. This was after Justice Renita Singh on August 6, 2026 had ordered the Ministry of Health to preserve the GPMH and NAHC sites, as well as 52 containers and equipment at the GPMH site, and prohibited the ministry from opening or interfering with them. VAMED was similarly ordered to preserve the containers and equipment, while its security personnel were permitted access to the GPMH site solely to secure the items. T he ministry was also ordered to preserve contractors’ documents, property, designs, plans and intellectual property. In its decision, the Full Court said the appeal concerned the validity of the five preservation orders made after the trial judge had refused VAMED’s applications for conservatory and restraining orders against the Ministry of Health. However, the Full Court in lifting the orders had questioned whether, having refused the substantive interim relief sought by VAMED on both jurisdictional and discretionary grounds, the trial judge could nevertheless make substantially similar orders by characterising them as measures to preserve property. VAMED has since filed an appeal against the Full Court’s ruling.
Gang Suppression Force (GSF) vehicles are seen in a traffic jam in downtown Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on October 24. Salvadoran soldiers have arrived in the Haitian capital to reinforce the GSF and search for four missing Salvadoran nationals. search and rescue operations — a precursor to the now expanded force. Ten days later, local sources say it is unlikely that the missing four can be recovered. If Salvadoran
forces cannot achieve that, they’ll likely seek other wins, perhaps joining one of several existing security forces for an extended push against the gangs in retaliation. A clue to their plans may eventually lie
with their physical location; at time of reporting, the Salvadorans were not staying at the main GSF base. Bukele has argued that he has unique bona fides to Continued on page 23
Police tussle with protesters From page 18 voiced intense outrage over the day’s events. WIN MP Dawn Hastings-Williams decried the state of national institutions, stating that the incident confirmed the country was in a profound state of crisis. “A young woman, a very vocal woman who is only asking for democracy, human rights, and justice to be observed in this country, was subjected to harassment,” Hastings-Williams told supporters. She emphasised that citizens retain a constitutional right to peaceful assembly and free speech, particularly during a highprofile state visit by King Charles, which she argued should have prompted a special sitting of the National Assembly to address national
concerns. MP Natasha Singh-Lewis similarly blasted the administration of President Irfaan Ali, condemning the police handling of Hannah as state-sponsored intimidation. “The incident that happened to Hannah today just confirmed that our country is in a very sad state,” Singh-Lewis stated, adding that citizens are being subjected to systemic political persecution. Another, MP Janelle Sweatnam said: “We welcome the King. We thank him for being here. But there are urgent matters that need to be dealt with.” She criticised the breakdown in communication between the government and the opposition, pointing out that public servants and officials are frequently forced
to resort to social media to air grievances regarding systemic issues, such as school violence and inadequate resources, due to a lack of cordial legislative engagement and the suspension of regular parliamentary sittings. Leola Narine, a local government commissioner and regional councillor from Linden, also addressed the demonstrators, sharing her own experiences with alleged political victimisation, including being demoted and transferred from her post as assistant REO for Region 10, and calling on public servants and citizens across the country to wake up and demand accountability. “Today could be me, tomorrow could be you,” Narine told those gathered.
PNCR accuses Corriverton Mayor... From page 13 Council’s administrative capacity and improve municipal service delivery, warning that Corriverton could not afford continued uncertainty, institutional paralysis or the neglect of its residents. “Local democracy is meaningful only when elected representatives are permitted to discharge their responsibilities, public institutions operate within the law, and residents receive the services to which they are entitled.” “The PNCR/APNU will not remain silent while concerns about the management of Corriverton go unanswered. We will continue to demand transparency, accountability, proper administration and respect for the law. We call on the Government and the Local Government Commission to act decisively and without political favouritism. Their responsibility is not to protect individuals or political interests, but to ensure that the people of Corriverton have a functioning, accountable and effective Town Council. The people of Corriverton deserve a Council that works for
them, not one paralysed by administrative failure and concentrated decision-making,” the party said. Contacted on the allegations Corriverton Mayor Imran Amin, denied the opposition party’s claims. During a telephone interview, Amin told this publication: “whatever has been peddled in the message and whatever is on social media and the wider platform is totally false. The council operates holistically. Too bad that the APNU councillor don’t be a part of anything that’s happening. He don’t attend meetings. He’s always up for criticism. I mean, constructive criticism is always welcome for development, but peddling lies is not tolerated, and as such, whatever he’s saying based on your message here, it’s totally fabricated…” Amin further stated that the Council held its statutory meetings monthly and that committee meetings were also conducted regularly and in detail. He alleged that the opposition councillor was frequently absent and questioned how the councillor could be included in decision-making for the township if he did not attend the meetings.
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Smart hives, drone show to take BUKELE ADDS A WILDCARD TO... centre stage at Honey Fest today ase ...more than 40 exhibitors to showcpin g honey industry, sustainable beekee The Ministry of Agriculture, through the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), will host the Third Annual Honey Fest today at the Ministry of Agriculture lawns, Regent and Vlissengen Roads, Georgetown, with smart hive demonstrations, a honey competition, live entertainment and a spectacular drone display among the highlights. The exhibition opens at 12:00 hrs, followed by the official programme at 16:00 hrs. Being held under the theme “Next Generation Hives: Growing Guyana Through Green Apiculture,”
the festival forms part of Agriculture Month activities and will highlight efforts to m o d e r n i s e G u y a n a ’s beekeeping industry through climate-friendly production methods and digital technology. The initiative aligns with Guyana’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 and national digitalisation objectives, with a focus on improving p r o d u c t i o n e ff i c i e n c y, strengthening climate resilience and expanding economic opportunities for local beekeepers. More than 40 participants from across Guyana are expected to showcase honey and other locally produced goods, giving visitors an opportunity to meet beekeepers, purchase local products and explore
apiculture as a business venture. Exhibits will feature developments in hive design, protective equipment, honey harvesting, colony management and queen rearing. Visitors will also learn about opportunities to develop value-added products from beeswax, pollen and propolis. The festival will further highlight climate-resilient beekeeping practices to help producers address challenges associated with excessive heat, prolonged drought and declining floral availability. A major attraction will be the demonstration of smart hives, which use remote
sensors to provide beekeepers with information about hive conditions through mobile devices. The technology allows beekeepers to monitor their colonies and make timely management decisions to protect colony health and improve honey production. It can also strengthen traceability and improve hive security, offering local producers an opportunity to explore how digital tools can transform their operations. The activities support the National Honey Production Expansion Programme, through which the Ministry of Agriculture, via GLDA, is working to strengthen technical capacity and broaden participation among women, young people and rural communities. Beyond generating
additional household income, beekeeping offers opportunities to support forest conservation and encourage the responsible use of natural resources. Under the programme, beekeepers receive training, extension services, modern equipment, access to queenrearing facilities and support to improve honey extraction, processing and handling. These interventions are intended to increase production, improve product consistency, strengthen domestic supply and prepare producers to access regional and international markets. Honey Fest will also provide opportunities for participants to connect with agencies offering technical assistance and business support in processing, packaging, branding and marketing. Ten Categories to Be Rewarded The annual Honey Competition and Awards will recognise excellence across 10 categories, celebrating product quality, innovation, presentation and achievements within the beekeeping industry. Aw a r d s w i l l b e presented for Best Innovative Product, Best Commercial Presentation, Best Presentation of Chunk Combs, Darkest Honey, Lightest Honey and Best Honey. Additional awards will recognise the beekeeper with the Highest Output Throughout the Year, Most Influential Beekeeper, New Entrant with Excellent and Persistent Performance, and Youngest Beekeeper. Youth participation will also feature prominently through an Inter-School Cooking Competition organised by GLDA in collaboration with the Ministry of Education. The participating institutions are Queen’s College, St. Joseph’s High School, Christ Church Secondary School, Buxton Practical Instruction Centre and Golden Grove Secondary School. The festival will conclude its programme of activities with live performances by prominent Guyanese artistes and a spectacular drone display after sunset, adding to a day of exhibitions, competitions and demonstrations celebrating the growth and future of Guyana’s honey industry.
From page 22 address Haiti’s crisis. His government’s own hardline crackdown on gangs back home did restore peace to what was once the most violent country in the Western Hemisphere — though critics highlight his use of mass incarceration and accusations of widespread abuses. In a message posted to X last week, he addressed the gangs in Haitian Creole: “There is still time to avoid this,” Bukele said. “Return our four countrymen to us alive and unharmed and everything will return to the way it was before the kidnapping.” Most residents of Port-au-Prince would
rather see dramatic change, after years of brutal gang violence that have driven over a million people from their homes. Just two hours from Florida’s coast, the city is terrorised by frequent gang kidnappings, rape and arson, all broadcast on social media. On Thursday, Haitians nationwide were reminded again of just how much insecurity has put civil life on pause, with the news that long-deferred presidential elections are postponed yet again until next year. But experts warn about the dangers of additional players on a crowded urban battlefield.
T&T TURNS BACK ON CUBA From page 21 accused the Government of sacrificing the country’s dignity and sovereignty in an attempt to “curry favour.” Responding to Guardian Media via WhatsApp yesterday, Rowley said, “This is a government that President Robinson pronounced upon in 2001, a group of people who wield power without moral or spiritual values. That being their record, we should never be surprised when they disregard these virtues and principles as they sell our dignity in the hope to curry favour instead of preserving our long-established governance through decency and sovereignty.” Rowley added, “This is so shameful! This is a government that is decisively disconnected from the
people they are supposed to represent and prefer instead to express their vile behaviour in lockstep with what is being roundly rejected by the wider world.” Former foreign and Caricom affairs minister Dr. Amery Browne also condemned the vote. “I categorically and completely condemn the vote cast today by Trinidad and Tobago against the annual UNGA Resolution which calls for an end to the embargo that has been imposed on Cuba. This disgraceful vote by the current UNC regime does not represent the views and ideals of the people of Trinidad and Tobago,” Browne said. Browne also accused the Government of surrendering its foreign policy
independence and warned that the decision further isolated T&T from its Caricom neighbours. Caricom Vote Antigua and Barbuda – not present Bahamas – in favour Barbados – in favour Belize – in favour Dominica – not present Grenada – in favour Guyana – abstain Haiti – abstain Jamaica – abstain Saint Kitts and Nevis – in favour Saint Lucia – not present Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – in favour Suriname – in favour Trinidad and Tobago – against T&T’s voting history: 1992: Abstained - First UN General Assembly vote on the resolution
Final Israeli election results are almost... From page 21 a mandate and without public confidence.” Speaking to supporters shortly after exit polls were published, Eisenkot declared that the public “has chosen change.” In his first reaction to the updated results since Tuesday night’s speech, Eisenkot said he remains committed to “bringing change to Israel.” WHAT COMES NEXT The numbers can still change. By Wednesday evening, the Central Elections Committee is expected to finish counting most ballots. Attention now turns to double-envelope ballots from home by soldiers, prisoners, hospital patients and staff, diplomats abroad and voters with disabilities. The committee estimates there are between 430,000 and 480,000 double envelopes, enough for over 10 seats. They are counted separately in a special verification process, with final results expected Thursday. Then the political maneuvering begins in earnest. The next step runs through President Isaac Herzog, whose post-election role is pivotal. His job here is to consult with all elected parties on the candidate they recommend as prime minister, before picking the one he believes is most likely to secure a 61-seat majority. This is not necessarily the leader of the largest party but the one with the most plausible path to a coalition. Eisenkot is likely to collect more recommendations than Netanyahu, since the Arab parties are expected to back him. Then the clock starts ticking. The chosen candidate has 28 days — and a possible 14-day extension — to negotiate with other parties over cabinet posts, budgets and
policies in order to form a government. If he fails, the mandate passes to another candidate for another four weeks. If he fails, too, the Knesset gets a short window to put forward an alternative candidate. If that fails, the country goes to automatic elections. Netanyahu, as caretaker prime minister, has a built-in advantage. If Eisenkot receives the mandate first — and fails — all he needs to do is wait for his time to pass. And if Israel finds itself headed for new elections, Netanyahu will remain caretaker for months. EISENKOT’S OPTIONS Eisenkot isn’t out of options entirely. Even without forming a government, the opposition could still leverage its parliamentary majority to replace the Knesset speaker and other key positions. That could limit Netanyahu’s ability to govern and even enable the opposition to advance legislation. But Eisenkot, a retired lieutenant general, isn’t on his preferred battlefield. Netanyahu’s coalition remains incredibly loyal, and he doesn’t have to worry in any real way about defections. The same cannot be said for Eisenkot. His diverse coalition is far less ideologically aligned, and even the tiniest step could splinter the bloc and send the country back to elections. For now, the focus is on Herzog, whose role is even more important given the current deadlock. With neither bloc holding a clear majority, he may try to push Netanyahu and Eisenkot to form a unity government. “We must do everything to avoid another round of elections,” Herzog said Wednesday. He called on party leaders to come to consultations with an “open mind.”
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Russia strikes Dnipro train station in central Ukraine, killing 14 residential building in the Poltava region. (CNN) A Russian drone struck the Footage from the Dnipro strike scene main railway station in the central shows several bodies strewn across the Ukrainian city of Dnipro as people waited platform. The head of the hospital where the to board a train on Thursday morning, wounded were taken told local media many killing 14 people. of the injured had suffered shrapnel wounds, Another 10 people were wounded in and four were having emergency surgery. the strike, the latest in a series of Russian The recent uptick in Russian attacks attacks on transport and energy coincides with a critical shortage of air infrastructure in Ukraine that have exacted defense missiles in Ukraine, where a heavy civilian toll. At least 19 people Moscow consistently denies targeting including two 15-year-old girls were killed civilians. across the country on Thursday, authorities FRESH STRIKES ON KYIV said. “These are deliberate strikes against On Thursday night, Russia launched an civilians, brazen in their cruelty, and the attack on Ukrainian capital Kyiv using Russians are carrying them out right as the ballistic missiles, the city’s mayor said, humanitarian operation in Oleshky is just hours after Zelensky warned that unfolding,” said Ukrainian President Moscow was preparing for fresh strikes on Volodymyr Zelensky in an X post the country. Thursday afternoon. Also on Thursday, an employee of Russia and Ukraine have since Tuesday Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant (ZNPP) in been observing a ceasefire in the southern Ukraine was killed by a drone, according region of Kherson brokered by first lady A paramedic and police officers carry a person injured at a railway station during a to the International Atomic Energy Melania Trump to allow urgently needed Russian drone strike on Dnipro Thursday. State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Reuters Agency, which condemned the attack. humanitarian aid into the RussianUkrainian carried out missile strikes occupied city of Oleshky. targeting two Russian fighter-bomber strike as “horrific” and called for more by the Biden administration following “Russia’s signals are clear – they want planes and an “Iskander” ballistic missile the war to continue,” the Ukrainian leader sanctions to deter further Russian attacks. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In response, Vladyslav Vlasiuk, launcher, Zelensky said in his nightly said, urging his international allies to apply U.S. President Donald Trump waived a slate of sanctions related to Russian fossil fuel Ukraine’s presidential commissioner for address. Moscow is yet to comment on the “appropriate pressure on the aggressor.” Addressing Zelensky, European sales earlier this month, angering Kyiv, sanctions policy, told CNN: “You cannot lift claim. Russia had made clear that the pause in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen which has long advocated for tougher sanctions and then expect the Russians to the fighting around Oleshky, where said she was “heartbroken” by the news of the sanctions on Russian energy exports. take any action. Constructive actions must thousands have been trapped by fighting “senseless and indiscriminate” Dnipro Russian state media reported on Wednesday come first, and then everything else.” without electricity or fresh food and water attack. “Together with our allies, we must do that Washington was in talks with the Thursday’s victims included two 15-year-old supplies, applied only to that region. Both everything in our power to mount pressure on Kremlin to lift sanctions on Russia’s girls killed in a Russian strike on the northern sides have adhered to the ceasefire multibillion-dollar sovereign wealth fund city of Chernihiv. Another three people were conditions, which will remain in place until the aggressor,” she posted on X Thursday. Earlier, Zelensky described the Dnipro almost five years after they were put in place killed by a Russian drone strike on a 10:59 p.m. local time on 1st November.
ECB’s Lagarde steps down, saying she can’t remain neutral on world events FRANKFURT, Oct 29 (Reuters) - European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said on Thursday she would step down early from her position in order to have the freedom to speak out on matters of importance beyond monetary policy. She will depart on 7th February, giving current European Union time to pick her successor before a French presidential election that polls show far-right candidate Marine Le Pen is favoured to win. Her term was due to expire in October 2027. Lagarde’s decision ends months of speculation about her future just as Europe enters a period of rising economic volatility and divisive electoral politics, particularly in her native France. The move was announced just before the ECB left interest rates unchanged but maintained expectations for another hike in December with a warning that high and rising energy costs were fuelling inflation risks. Asked why she was stepping down after previously saying she could
not leave the ECB with inflationary clouds on the horizon, Lagarde said the neutrality demanded by her role meant she could not speak out ‘on issues a ff e c t i n g E u r o p e a n d elsewhere. “I don’t think that I can remain neutral,” Lagarde told a press conference after the ECB’s policy decision. “I don’t think that I can be comfortable in that neutrality at the present time. And I’m interested in the truth, and I see the truth being very often damaged, contradicted by misrepresentation,” she said. Lagarde informed her ECB colleagues of her decision after their two-day policy meeting concluded. According to a source who was present, she became choked with emotion several times while reading a resignation message. She did not say at the press conference which matters she wished to speak out on, and did not respond to questions about whether she had deliberately left early to allow her successor to be picked before the French election next spring.
European Central Bank (ECB) President, Christine Lagarde FRANCE’S RIGHTWING PARTY LAMENTS MOVE French President Emmanuel Macron, who will help choose the next ECB chief, thanked Lagarde for her service at the central bank and called for a coordinated process of succession. “The transition in the leadership of the ECB must now be prepared in an orderly and balanced manner, in coordination with our European partners,” Macron said.
Representatives of Le Pen’s National Rally party were scathing. Jean-Philippe , charged ‘with drafting economic policy for Le Pen’s election manifesto, told Reuters Lagarde’s move showed contempt for the rule of law: “I saw this coming. Another insult in our direction – lamentable.” Le Pen has said she wants to discuss the ECB’s role and, if elected, would seek a central bank intervention to ease France’s interest rate burden.
M a r k u s F e r b e r, a German member of the European Parliament for the centre-right European People’s Party, also said Lagarde’s early exit sent “the wrong signal” given high inflation, nervous bond markets and looming elections. “If the impression arises that such a departure is timed around national elections, it damages trust in an institution that must stand above any `domestic political calculation,” said Ferber, who sits on the parliamentary committee that will confirm Lagarde’s successor. European Council President Antonio Costa said the process to find Lagarde’s successor would begin immediately. The appointment is likely to be part of a broader package of top ECB jobs involving the executive board seat of Isabel Schnabel, who will leave in early January, and chief economist Philip Lane, due to depart in May. COMPETENT CANDIDATES REASSURE MARKETS
The former central ‘bank governors of the Netherlands and Spain, Klaas Knot and Pablo Hernandez de Cos, are widely seen as frontrunners to replace Lagarde. “The rumoured successors are both very competent, well established central bankers, so for markets, it won’t matter too much,” Danske Bank economist Piet Haines Christiansen said. Financial markets showed little reaction, with some analysts saying the ECB had now built a reputation that outlived any ‘of its leaders. “The ECB is now quite well established, the market is familiar with the way it operates,” Goldman Sachs’ head of Fixed Income Macro Investing Simon Dangoor said. “Our view is that institutional behaviour is likely to outlast Lagarde, and be quite similar, whoever takes over.” Speculation that Lagarde would leave the ECB early had been mounting for months, with the World Economic Forum seen as a likely destination. The WEF declined to comment.
Sunday October 30, 2026
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Agriculture Ministry to integrate mangrove data into new Situation Room The Government is moving to strengthen its coastal protection and agricultural monitoring capabilities, with mangrove conservation data set to be integrated into a new Situation Room at the Ministry of Agriculture. Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha announced the initiative on Wednesday while delivering the feature address at the launch of the improved Guyana Mangrove Information System (GuyMIS), highlighting the importance of mangroves in protecting the country's coastline, agricultural lands and communities from erosion, flooding and climate change. According to a Ministry of Agriculture press release, developed with support from the Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI), the improved GuyMIS platform brings together critical information on mangrove ecosystems, providing researchers, technical officers, policymakers and other stakeholders with a centralised resource to monitor coastal changes, assess restoration activities and make informed decisions on mangrove management and conservation. Addressing the gathering, Minister Mustapha emphasised that mangroves are among Guyana's most valuable natural assets, providing essential protection against
coastal erosion, flooding and the increasing threats associated with climate change. "Mangroves are among the most remarkable natural assets our country possesses. They perform an extraordinary service to the nation. They help reduce wave energy, trap sediment, stabilise vulnerable sections of the coast, support biodiversity, and strengthen our resilience against the growing threats of climate change. They protect homes, livelihoods, drainage infrastructure, agricultural lands, and entire communities," the Minister stated. He explained that given Guyana's extensive lowlying coastal agricultural lands, protecting and restoring mangrove ecosystems is essential to safeguarding food production, supporting coastal communities and preserving critical infrastructure. "For the Ministry of Agriculture, mangrove restoration is therefore not simply an environmental activity. It is an investment in food security and economic resilience. It is an investment in farmers who depend on protected agricultural lands, in fisherfolk who rely on healthy ecosystems and in future generations whose prosperity will depend on the actions we take today," Minister Mustapha said. The Minister noted that
the introduction of the improved information system represents a significant advancement in how Guyana collects, manages and utilises environmental data to guide coastal protection and restoration efforts. He explained that the platform integrates information obtained through satellite imagery, drone surveys, scientific monitoring and field observations into a single accessible system, allowing stakeholders to better understand changing coastal conditions and evaluate the effectiveness of mangrove restoration programmes. "The new Mangrove Information System platform brings together information from satellite imagery, drone surveys, scientific monitoring, and field observations into a single accessible system. It provides researchers, technical officers, policymakers, students, and community stakeholders with a powerful tool to understand changing coastal conditions, evaluate restoration efforts, and support evidence-based decision-making," he stated. Minister Mustapha further disclosed that the Ministry of Agriculture is preparing to launch a new Situation Room in the coming weeks, representing another major advancement in the Government's drive towards digital transformation and data-
driven management of the agriculture sector. He explained that the facility will function as a centralised decision-support platform, integrating critical information from agricultural production, weather monitoring, drainage and irrigation systems, fisheries management and the performance of various agricultural programmes. "This commitment to digital transformation will soon reach another important milestone. In the coming weeks, the Ministry of Agriculture will launch its new Situation Room, a centralised decision-support platform that will integrate critical information from across the sector, including agricultural production, weather monitoring, drainage and irrigation systems, fisheries management and programme performance," the Minister announced. Minister Mustapha also revealed that the Guyana Mangrove Information System will be directly integrated into the Situation Room, allowing information on coastal conditions and
restoration activities to contribute to a broader national agricultural monitoring and decisionmaking framework. Through this integration, he explained, decisionmakers will be better equipped to track restoration sites, identify vulnerable coastal areas, assess environmental risks and coordinate responses to threats affecting agricultural lands and coastal communities. Meanwhile, Global Green Growth Institute (GGGI) Country Representative for the Eastern Caribbean and Guyana, Mr. Daniel Smith, welcomed the launch of the improved platform, noting that it addresses a longstanding challenge relating to the accessibility and coordination of mangrove-related information. "Guyana has never been short of mangrove data. The challenge has been bringing that information together and making it easily accessible. GMIS 2.0 now provides a national home for
mangrove change analysis, restoration and monitoring records, research, reports, photographs and videos. Coordination will determine the system's success. Agencies supporting forestry, sea defence, land a n d s u r v e y s , hydrometeorology, local authorities and universities each hold part of the picture. Each agency that contributes data strengthens the analysis available to all others," Mr. Smith stated. He further noted that access to reliable and comprehensive information will be particularly important in ensuring that limited resources are directed towards areas where coastal protection and mangrove restoration interventions are most urgently required. The improved Guyana Mangrove Information System is expected to strengthen coordination among relevant agencies, enhance the monitoring of mangrove ecosystems and provide a more c o m p r e h e n s i v e understanding of changes occurring along Guyana's coastline.
CARA, GNBS team up to raise standards in Guyana's food industry The newly established Catering and Restaurant Association of Guyana (CARA) is seeking to strengthen standards and improve business practices across the country's food service industry through collaboration with the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS). The two organisations met on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, at the GNBS headquarters in Sophia, Georgetown, to explore opportunities for cooperation, including training, industry sensitisation and the practical application of standards in catering and restaurant operations. CARA was represented by President Dr. Clinton Urling, Vice President Nirvana Mahase, Secretary Bibi Meligat, Treasurer Ramdeo Kumar and Executive Council Member Shane Samuels. Representing the GNBS were Executive Director Trevor Bassoo, Head of Business Development Al Fraser, and Head of the Standardisation Department Andrea Mendonca. In a press release the organisations said the meeting provided an opportunity for CARA to formally introduce the newly formed association, outline its objectives, and discuss areas of mutual interest with the GNBS. A key part of the discussion focused on helping food service businesses learn more about the training programmes already offered by GNBS and how these could be useful in their daily operations. The organisations also discussed holding information sessions to explain existing standards in practical terms, so that
businesses can better understand and apply them. CARA and GNBS also discussed sharing information with businesses about relevant standards and involving CARA in conversations about any new standards that may be needed as the sector grows. Both organisations acknowledged the importance of continued engagement and expressed their commitment to organising follow-up meetings, training sessions, and sensitisation activities tailored to the needs of the industry. The Catering and Restaurant Association of Guyana (CARA) is a newly established indus try as s ociation dedicated to representing, supporting, and advancing the interests of businesses operating within Guyana's catering, restaurant, and wider food service sectors. The association seeks to provide a unified voice for the industry through advocacy, professional development, training, industry collaboration, and the promotion of high operational and service standards. CARA is committed to fostering a more competitive, professional, and sustainable food service industry while strengthening partnerships with government agencies, regulatory institutions, and other stakeholders. Guided by its slogan, “Serving Guyana Together,” CARA aims to build a stronger, more inclusive, and bettersupported food service sector that contributes meaningfully to Guyana's economic development.
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Flying Stars Trifecta rolls into Mahaicony and Linden this weekend
Flying Stars Cycling Club will continue its annual Trifecta Memorial Series this weekend.
Friday October 30, 2026 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Av o i d a n y h e a v y - d u t y business today—you need to keep it all light and fluffy. If you can stick to pictures of kittens and chitchat about Hollywood divorces, you can get back to serious business soon. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You're outpacing your friends today, so make sure that you're leaving yourself some room to breathe when things start to get hairy later. You may need to slow down to let them catch up. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Your communication skills are heightened today—and yes, that is possible! You may find that even folks who don't speak your language can follow your drift, and it's easy to influence all comers.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) You need someone to bounce ideas off of today, and that could mean that you need to seek out an old friend or a new colleague who's willing to listen and learn. Make sure they participate too! SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) That little gamble could turn into a much bigger deal if you let it—but you need to try to just pass it by this time. Things are looking up for you, but only if you choose to play it safe. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) You need to take care of business today—and there's a lot of it! Make sure you clear away any nonessential meetings or appointments so you can focus on whatever is most important.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Try not to miss out when people are talking today—it's too easy for you to skip over the main point when you're zoning out or trying to figure out what they might really be feeling.
CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Take care of things today. You know that your energy is best spent on group projects or activities that help others as much as they help you, so make sure you've got something good to work on.
LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) You need to get with a group of friends today—or maybe colleagues, in order to celebrate your cohesion. You may be the only one who sees that it's necessary, but they'll come around soon.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) You and your romantic partner are heating things up in your communication today. If you're not seeing someone, check for signs of crushes around you and then act on them. This could be big!
VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Today could be fantastic or it could be terrible. If you start to dread each new task or meeting, just pull back and try to shake up your belief system. At least part of it is in your head!
PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) You, of all people, know what to do with change—and it's coming fast! You may find you're the best equipped to deal with the shake-up that is starting to ripple through your workplace or neighborhood.
The Flying Stars Cycling Club will continue its annual Trifecta Memorial Series this weekend, with competitive cycling action scheduled for Mahaicony on Saturday, October 31, and Linden on Sunday, November 1, as riders vie for honours across two circuits. The back-to-back events form part of the club’s annual initiative to celebrate cycling excellence while honouring the legacy of individuals who contributed to the development of the sport in Guyana. Saturday’s action will get underway at 7:00 am in Mahaicony, before the competition shifts to Linden on Sunday, where racing is scheduled to begin at 10:00 am.
Deputy Mayor’s Cup action shifts to Sunday The 12 remaining teams in the annual nine-a-side I n t e r Wa r d K n o c k o u t Football Tournament, the Deputy Mayor Cup, are gearing up for day-four action, with the tournament coordinator announcing a new date for this weekend’s matches. The penultimate day of play has been moved from Saturday, October 31, to Sunday, November 1, as the tournament approaches the selection of this year’s quarterfinalists. Action begins at 7:00 pm at the Plaisance ground, where west-side rivals Harmonie and Pouderoyen will meet in the opening match. At 7:30 pm, East Coast side Beterverwagting (BV) will face Belle West Stars in the second game. The third match will see an East Bank-East Coast showdown as Herstelling takes on Melanie. Golden Stars will then face Uitvlugt, followed by Mahaica against Den Amstel. Westside Alliance and Order and Discipline will close out the night. The tournament is scheduled to conclude at the Den Amstel ground on November 8 with a six-team final. Sunday’s winners will advance to the quarterfinals and continue their pursuit of the championship.
The two events are expected to attract some of the country’s leading cyclists, with competitors set to test their speed, endurance and tactical awareness in what promises to be an exciting weekend of racing. The Trifecta Memorial Series has become an important fixture on the local cycling c a l e n d a r, c o m b i n i n g competitive opportunities for riders with a commitment to preserving the history and contributions of the sport’s past personalities. The 2026 series honours the memories of Rudolph “Duckie” Singh, Aubrey Gordon and Mark Conway, recognising their contributions to the cycling fraternity. The initiative began as the Duckie Singh Memorial before expanding into a series of races celebrating other prominent figures in the sport. The club’s founder, Victor Rutherford, has emphasised the importance of maintaining the connection between generations of cyclists, ensuring that the contributions of former riders and
administrators are remembered while emerging talents are given opportunities to develop. The Trifecta also provides a platform for cyclists from different clubs to compete a g a i n s t o n e a n o t h e r, strengthening the local cycling community and encouraging greater participation in the sport. At the 2025 edition, United We Stand Cycling Club’s Briton John delivered a commanding performance to win the Elite Category 15-lap criterium race in Linden. Aaron Newton of KFC Evolution finished second, while Marcus Keiler of Kaieteur Attack placed third. The weekend’s races will continue that tradition of competitive action, with cyclists expected to battle for podium finishes and demonstrate their abilities across the two venues. The Flying Stars Cycling Club has also expressed gratitude to its sponsors, supporters, spectators and participating cyclists, whose continued involvement has helped sustain the annual event.
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Friday October 30, 2026
ague…
Warrican, Campbell put West Indies GDF, Police make strong in control against Bangladesh Le Women’s Division One
start to 2026/27 campaign The Guyana Police Force women signaled their intentions to challenge for the GFF Women's Elite League title.
Jomel Warrican picked up his fourth Test five-wicket haul (BCB)
The Guyana Defence Force Women made a pristine start to their title defence in the Guyana Football Federation’s Women’s Division One League on Wednesday evening, unleashing an 11- goal assault on Western Tigers Football Club. In the second game on the night, Abiocie Heywood opened the scoring for the defending champions in the 3rd minute, taking advantage of a lose, deflected ball off the Ann’s Grove keeper’s save to slot home her team’s first goal. Glendy Lewis extended the score two minutes later, tapping home an assist from Sandra Johnson. By the 18th, Johnson added her own name to the scoresheet with a closerange shot. Captain Glengie Lewis then sent two powerful shots in from the top of the box in the22nd and 23rd minutes to push GDF Women to a 5-0 lead at the half. In the second segment, Jalade Trim entertained with a hattrick in the 38th, 42nd and 52nd; the most impressive being the second goal which was sent in with a ‘back heel’. Glendy added another goal in the 36th while Zorina Alli registered a brace in the 50th and 56th minutes for GDF’s 11 goal
tally. Earlier that evening, the Guyana Police Force Women also had a dominant start to their campaign, getting past Ann’s Grove United FC 5-0. It was a slow first half for the law officers, who could only put a one goal difference between themselves and Ann’s Grove United FC in the first half. Capitalising on the build off a corner, Tiandi Smith tapped in Sasha James’ cross at the back post for the lead in the 16th minute. Janelle Edmondson came to the party in the second half, netting a hattrick in the 34th, 44th and 55th minutes while Marth Chance added the cherry on top with their fifth strike in the 46th minute. The Women’s Division One League will continue on Friday, October 30 at the GFF’s National Training Center at Providence. At 18:00hrs, River’s View FC will battle GDF Fc while at 20:00hrs, Monedderlust FC will match skills with Santos FC, who are yet to get their campaign going. Admission to the NTC for the Women’s tournament is set at $1000. The teams are, once again, competing for a $1M grand prize in the Women’s Division One League.
GDF women made a strong start to their GFF Women's Elite league title defence.
West Indies seized the initiative on the second day of their Test encounter against Bangladesh in Mirpur, despite a late batting collapse that kept the hosts in contention before rain and bad light forced an early close. After bowling Bangladesh out for 272, West Indies reached 134 for 4 at stumps, trailing by 138 runs, with Tagenarine Chanderpaul and Justin Greaves providing resistance in an unbroken fifth-wicket partnership.
However, Bangladesh’s bowlers struck at crucial moments to prevent the visitors from establishing complete control. Campbell and Chanderpaul added 61 runs for the second wicket, recovering from the early dismissal of Brandon King, who was caught behind by substitute wicketkeeper Jaker Ali off Hasan Mahmud. Campbell made the most of two reprieves, surviving dropped catches on 5 and 22, before
John Campbell reached a brisk fifty (AFP/Getty Images)
Left-arm spinner Jomel Warrican led the West Indies bowling attack with an impressive five-wicket haul, claiming 5 for 53, while debutant Joshua Bishop also played a crucial role in dismantling Bangladesh’s batting order. Warrican and Bishop combined to take seven wickets as Bangladesh suffered a dramatic collapse in the morning session, losing their final seven wickets for just 59 runs after resuming the day on 213 for 3. Bangladesh appeared well positioned to post a substantial first-innings total but lost their last five wickets for only 19 runs, eventually being dismissed for 272. Bishop initiated the collapse by dismissing Shadman Islam shortly after the opener had completed his third Test century. Towhid Hridoy followed shortly after, falling for a poor shot that allowed Bishop to hit the stumps. Warrican then bowled Mehidy Hasan Miraz, while Shamar Joseph accounted for Nayeem Hasan and Mahmud in quick succession. Warrican completed his fivewicket haul by removing Taijul Islam and Shoriful Islam off successive deliveries to bring the innings to an abrupt end. In reply, West Indies made a promising start through opener John Campbell, who anchored the innings with a determined half-century.
reaching his half-century and putting pressure on the Bangladesh attack with a series of confident drives. However, Mehidy eventually ended his innings shortly after the rain interruption in the final session. Campbell edged a delivery outside off stump, and Bangladesh captain Najmul Hossain Shanto produced an outstanding reflex catch at slip to provide the breakthrough. Taijul Islam then swung the momentum further in Bangladesh’s favour, claiming two wickets in the same over. Mominul Haque took a sharp, low catch at silly mid-off to dismiss Kavem Hodge before Amir Jangoo was caught at deep square-leg by Tanzid Hasan. West Indies suddenly slipped from 90 for 1 to 97 for 4, surrendering much of the advantage gained through Campbell’s innings. Chanderpaul, unbeaten on 43 with six boundaries, and Greaves, who was 15 not out from 22 deliveries, steadied the innings with a valuable 37-run partnership. With rain and deteriorating light bringing play to an early close at approximately 4:35 p.m. local time, West Indies retained a slender advantage heading into the third day, although Bangladesh’s late strikes ensured the contest remained finely balanced.
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Friday October 30, 2026
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GDF maintain perfect start as Slingerz keep pressure on Elite League leaders Guyana Defence Force (GDF) maintained their perfect start to the Guyana Football Federation (GFF) Elite League Season VIII, leading the standings with 18 points from six matches, while defending champions Slingerz Football Club remain hot on their heels following a strong start to their title defence. Following the latest standings of the country’s top football league, GDF sit atop the 10-team table with six wins from six matches, having scored 20 goals without conceding. Their goal difference of plus-20 highlights their dominance at both ends of the pitch and underlines their early credentials as title contenders. Slingerz, meanwhile, have won all five of their matches listed in the original standings, scoring 17 goals and conceding four for a goal difference of plus-13. Their subsequent 4–2 victory over Ann’s Grove United on October 24 lifted them to 15 points. However, the armybacked side retain first place on goal difference after
Action between GDF and Police FC in the GFF Elite League
edging Guyana Police Force FC 1–0 over the weekend, courtesy of Shamar Garfield Scott’s 76th-minute strike. We s t e r n Ti g e r s F C occupy third place with 12 points from five matches, having recorded four wins and one defeat. They boast the league’s highest goal tally with 21, while conceding just three for a
plus-18 goal difference. The West Ruimveldtbased side demonstrated their attacking quality with an emphatic 8–1 victory over Monedderlust earlier in the campaign, reinforcing their position among the leading contenders. Guyana Police Force FC sit fourth with nine points from six matches. Their
three wins and three defeats reflect an inconsistent run,
with their latest 1–0 loss to GDF following a 3–1 victory over Camptown. The battle for fifth place is tightly contested, with Santos FC, Den Amstel FC and Monedderlust FC all on six points. Den Amstel boosted their campaign with a thrilling 5–3 victory over Santos last Saturday. Cleavon Murray scored twice, while Calvin Richmond, Manuel Solomon and Kelon Nelson also found the net. Santos, despite a hat-trick from Tyrice Dennis, were left empty-handed in a result that further exposed their defensive vulnerabilities. Monedderlust responded to their heavy defeat against Western Tigers by beating Fruta Conquerors 2–0 on Sunday. Stephen Moore and Paul
McDonald scored to give their side a valuable three points and move them level with Santos and Den Amstel. Ann’s Grove sits eighth with four points from six matches, followed by Fruta Conquerors on three points from five outings. Camptown remain bottom with one point from five matches, having yet to register a victory. With the season progressing, GDF and Slingerz have established themselves as the early pacesetters, while Western Tigers remain firmly in contention. For the chasing pack, consistency will be essential to close the gap, while the teams in the lower half must turn performances into points to improve their positions in Guyana’s premier domestic football competition.
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Friday October 30, 2026
Paulsen’s all-round brilliance propels Trophy Stall backs ExxonMobil Futsal Australia into IMC Over-40s World Cup final Championship with first-place trophy Australia booked their place in the final of the International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over-40s World Cup after defeating defending champions South Africa by four wickets in Semi-Final two at Bourda yesterday. Led by captain Steve Paulsen’s outstanding all-round performance, Australia successfully chased down South Africa’s total of 234-for-9, reaching 235-for6 in 43.5 overs. The victory sets up an eagerly anticipated final against Pakistan on Saturday at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, where Australia will look to cap their campaign by claiming the Over-40s World Cup title. Batting first, South Africa posted a competitive 234 for 9 in their allotted 45 overs, with William Hantam leading the way with a composed 71 off 79 deliveries. Reinhardt Strydom provided valuable support with 39, while Brendon Reddy supplied late fireworks, smashing 50 off just 27 balls, including five sixes. H o w e v e r, P a u l s e n s p e a r h e a d e d Australia’s bowling effort, claiming an impressive five-wicket haul for 50 runs to restrict the defending champions to a total the Australians ultimately overhauled. Australia’s response was anchored by their captain, who delivered another decisive performance with the bat. Paulsen top-scored with 64 off 74 deliveries, guiding his side through a challenging run chase and ensuring
Australia captain, Steve Paulsen the pressure remained on South Africa. Ryan Broad provided a solid foundation at the top of the order with 48, while Steven Spoljaric played an important supporting role as Australia maintained their pursuit of the target. Spoljaric remained unbeaten on 36, helping Australia cross the finish line with seven balls to spare and six wickets down. South Africa fought hard to defend their total, with Strydom leading the bowling attack with three wickets for 50 runs. However, Australia’s batting depth and Paulsen’s leadership proved decisive as they completed the chase to eliminate the defending champions.
Trophy Stall has thrown its support behind the ExxonMobil Futsal Championship, donating the first-place trophy for the 16team competition, which kicks off today at Retrieve Hard Court. The donation was formalised yesterday during a brief presentation at Trophy Stall’s South Road location, where the company’s owner, Ramesh Sunich, handed over the trophy to tournament coordinator Andrew Major. The contribution underscores Trophy Stall’s continued support for local sporting initiatives, as teams prepare to compete for championship honours in what promises to be an exciting display of futsal. The tournament will begin with a round-robin group stage, featuring 16 teams divided into four groups. The top two teams from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, setting up the knockout phase of the competition. Opening night action
Trophy Stall owner Ramesh Sunich hands over the first-place trophy to ExxonMobil Futsal Championship coordinator Andrew Major. begins at 6:30 pm, with Code B a l l e r s f a c i n g Te a m Anunnaki in the opening fixture. The customary march past will follow the
Dindyal only Guyanese in Caribbean squad for Commonwealth Future Stars clash Guyana’s Mavendra Dindyal w i l l b e t h e c o u n t r y ’s l o n e representative in a 12-member Caribbean U23 squad that will face the Wider Commonwealth in a tenovers-a-side exhibition match on Sunday, November 1, at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua and Barbuda. The fixture forms part of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) cricket celebration, titled “One Commonwealth, One Team – A Commonwealth Cricket Celebration”, presented by Hamilton Reserve Bank. Dominica’s Stephan Pascal has been named captain of the Caribbean side, which brings together one emerging cricketer from each of 12 Caribbean Commonwealth nations. The players, aged between 18 and 22, will have an opportunity to showcase their talent on an international stage while celebrating the region’s shared passion for cricket. The event is being hosted by Cricket West Indies (CWI), in collaboration with the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and the Commonwealth Secretariat, with support from sponsors Trivandi, Khalili Foundation and the
Mavendra Dindyal
Sustainable Markets Initiative. Dindyal, 22, will represent Guyana in a squad featuring players from Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. Among the other members are Saint Lucia’s Tarrique Edward, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ethan Gibson and The Bahamas’ Antonio Harris, all 22, while Antigua and Barbuda’s Tanez Francis and
Barbados’ Shaquan Belle, both 18, are the youngest players selected. Adding further significance to the occasion, West Indies cricket legend Sir Vivian Richards will serve as the Caribbean team’s H o n o u r a r y M a n a g e r. H i s involvement is expected to provide inspiration and guidance to the r e g i o n ’s e m e r g i n g p l a y e r s , connecting the achievements of past generations with the aspirations of the next. The U23 contest will follow a special fixture involving Heads of
Government, placing the spotlight on the next generation of cricketing talent and reinforcing the celebration’s “Play for the Future” message. Beyond the action on the field, the initiative seeks to demonstrate how sport can unite communities, strengthen partnerships and create opportunities for young people across the Commonwealth. It also reflects the broader CHOGM 2026 theme, “Accelerating Partnerships and Investment for a Prosperous Commonwealth”, by using cricket as a platform to promote collaboration and youth development. The Wider Commonwealth Under-23 squad is expected to be announced ahead of the event. Caribbean U23 squad: Stephan Pascal (Captain Dominica), Shaquan Belle (Barbados), Mavendra Dindyal (Guyana), Tarrique Edward (Saint Lucia), Tanez Francis (Antigua and Barbuda), Ethan Gibson (St Vincent and the Grenadines), Antonio Harris (The Bahamas), Tayshaun Moses (Belize), Kirsten Murray (Grenada), Tamarie Redwood (Jamaica), Kunal Tilokani (St Kitts and Nevis), Abdul Toppin (Trinidad and Tobago). Honourary Manager: Sir Vivian Richards.
first match, before the e v e n i n g ’s r e m a i n i n g encounters get underway. Four additional matches are scheduled for tonight, with Rockstone taking on Silver Bullets at 8:40 p.m., followed by DC Ballers against Marine Ballers at 9:30 pm. Foundation Family will then face Galactic FC at 10:20 pm, while Hard Knocks and Team Attackers will bring the opening night to a close at 11:10 pm. The other teams competing in the tournament are YMCA, Spaniards, Bomberz, Mines, Salah Family and Good Fellas, completing a competitive field of 16 sides vying for the title. Following tonight’s opening fixtures, the competition will continue on October 31 and November 6, 7, 13 and 14, with the grand finale scheduled for November 21 at Retrieve Hard Court. With a place in the quarter-finals at stake for the leading teams in each group, the opening round will be crucial in establishing early momentum and laying the foundation for a successful championship campaign. The tournament is expected to provide an exciting platform for players and teams to showcase their skills, while the support from Trophy Stall adds to the competition’s preparations as the race for the title begins.
Friday October 30, 2026
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Kelvin Johnson: More than an athlete!
A tribute from Leslie Black A.A and family As I reflect on the life of Kelvin Johnson, who passed away suddenly, I find myself looking back to where it all began. I first saw Kelvin as a little barefooted boy, just 14 years old, running in a marathon behind Reona Cornette. After Reona finished ahead of him, I approached him and said, “Don’t be ashamed because you were beaten by a female.” I then asked him if he was interested in running, and his response was simply, “YES!” That one word marked the beginning of a journey that would shape both our lives. I became his coach, but our relationship soon grew into something much deeper. When Kelvin asked to live at my home, I discussed it with my wife, and together we welcomed him into our family. He became a son to us, and that bond remained until his final days. Kelvin went on to become one of Guyana’s outstanding junior athletes. Although he did not win a CARIFTA medal himself, his contribution to the success of other athletes became an important part of his legacy. He continued to assist, in every way he could, the athletes I coached, working alongside them as a training partner and helping them prepare for competition. He understood that athletics was not just about personal glory; it was also about supporting others and helping them reach their full potential. One of the athletes Kelvin brought to me was Cleveland Forde. He asked me to coach Cleveland and provide him with accommodation. Once again, my wife and I opened our home, and Kelvin worked alongside Cleveland as a training partner.
The late Kelvin Johnson
Their hard work formed part of the journey that saw Cleveland achieve three consecutive victories in the 5,000 metres at the CARIFTA Games and go on to become a South American and Caribbean champion. Kelvin also worked alongside Alika Morgan, supporting her development as a training partner throughout her remarkable career. Alika went on to win six CARIFTA medals, achieve success at the CARICOM and South American championships, and deliver outstanding performances in the United States. Her achievements also earned her junior and senior sports awards on several occasions. These accomplishments are part of Kelvin’s story, too. He may not have received the medals himself, but he gave his time, effort, and commitment to helping others succeed. As his coach, I recognised that Kelvin’s potential extended beyond running. I saw a young leader in him, someone who could make a difference in the lives of others. I therefore ensured that he attended a coaching programme and obtained a coaching certificate, knowing how difficult it could be for an athlete to access such training. I wanted him to have the qualifications and opportunities to continue contributing to the sport long after his competitive career. I also sent Kelvin to competitions in the United States, Canada, and various Caribbean countries. Trinidad became particularly special to him, a place he chose as a second home, where he continued to compete and perform with distinction. One of the proudest moments of my coaching journey came in 2013. I pushed Kelvin to realise his potential, and he delivered a historic performance by setting Guyana’s national men’s 10,000-metre record in 31 minutes 14.14 seconds. That record remains unbroken. I am truly grateful to have been part of that moment and
to have witnessed the young barefooted boy I first encountered grow into a record-holding national athlete. But there is something else I must acknowledge. Kelvin also played a significant role in my own journey as a coach. I give him full credit for the assistance and contribution he made towards my receiving the Golden Arrow of Achievement (A.A.) National Award in recognition of my service to athletes. His support was not limited to his own development; he helped strengthen the work we were doing for the wider sporting community. When I look back at Kelvin’s life, I see far more than an athlete’s career. I see a young boy who answered “YES” to an opportunity, a son who became part of our family, a training partner who helped others reach greatness, and a young leader whose influence extended beyond the track. Today, the pain of losing him is difficult to put into words. My wife and I did not simply lose someone we coached; we lost a son we loved and watched grow into a remarkable young man. I am grateful that I had the opportunity to guide him, to witness his achievements, and to share a part of his journey. Kelvin was always a person with a bright smile and one of the most respectful athletes I have ever come across. His humility, kindness, and the respect he showed to others
Leslie Black A.A made him truly special. To me and my family, he was never just an athlete I coached. He became part of our lives in a way that went far beyond sports. He will forever remain a son to me and a brother and uncle to our children. His passing leaves a void in our family that words cannot fully express, but the love and memories we shared will always remain in our hearts. Your race has ended, Kelvin, but the lives you touched and the legacy you leave behind will continue to run on. Rest in peace, my son. You will forever remain in our hearts.
Ninvalle saddened by passing of former national distance runner Kelvin Johnson
Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle has expressed deep sadness at the passing of former national distance runner Kelvin Johnson, whose sudden death has sent shockwaves through Guyana’s athletics community and the wider Caribbean sporting fraternity. On behalf of the National Sports Commission (NSC) and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, Ninvalle extended heartfelt condolences to Johnson’s family, friends, former teammates and the athletics fraternity. He described Johnson’s passing as a tremendous loss to the sport, particularly distance running, where he established himself as an accomplished athlete before continuing to contribute through coaching and the development of other runners. Ninvalle said he was familiar with
Johnson, having encountered him on several occasions while accompanying Guyanese teams to compete at various 10K road races across the Caribbean. Through those interactions, he witnessed Johnson’s dedication to the sport and his continued commitment to distance running, which earned him considerable respect in Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago, where he was based for a period. N i n v a l l e n o t e d t h a t J o h n s o n ’s contribution extended beyond his achievements on the track, highlighting his involvement in coaching and nurturing other distance runners as an important part of his legacy. Widely regarded as one of the Caribbean’s outstanding distance runners, Johnson consistently distinguished himself at major regional road-running competitions, securing podium finishes at events such as the CARICOM 10K, the TeleSur 10K in Suriname and the COURTS Guyana 10K. One of his most enduring achievements remains the national record of 31 minutes 14.14 seconds in the men’s 10,000 metres, which he established at the 2013 NAAA Sagicor General/NGC National Championships in Trinidad and Tobago. The record remains unbroken, underscoring the exceptional standard of his performance. Beyond his accomplishments as an athlete, Johnson was admired for his humility, pleasant demeanour and everpresent smile, qualities that endeared him to fellow competitors, coaches and members of the wider sporting community.
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Friday October 30, 2026
Hat-tricks headline action in Bisram Foundation T20 competition By Samuel Whyte Hat-tricks, impressive all-round performances and emphatic victories highlighted the fourth round of the Marcus Bisram Foundation (MBBF) T20 US$50,000 cricket competition, as teams continued their quest for a place in the knockout stages. The competition, being played under the theme “One Team, One Family, One Dream”, is sponsored by overseas-based Guyanese philanthropist Marcus Brian Bisram, with teams competing for lucrative prizes and individual honours. At the No. 70 Spartans Ground, the home team secured a commanding 141run victory over Yakusari Horizons, thanks largely to an outstanding all-round performance from Tameshwar Ramoutar. Batting first, No. 70 Spartans posted 180 for 9, with Raj Yacoob scoring 43 and Ramoutar contributing 35. Yakusari Horizons struggled in reply, collapsing for just 39 in 10 overs. Ramoutar spearheaded the bowling attack with remarkable figures of 5 for 8, while M. Deochand claimed two wickets. At the Line Path Ground, Crabwood Creek Sports Club (CWCSC) defeated Line Path Raptors by 59
Ryan Garnett bowling for Crabwood Creek Sports Club 5 for 8 runs. CWCSC scored 144 for 5, with D. Challitar topscoring with 46, before dismissing the Raptors for 85. Ryan Garnett delivered a devastating spell, taking 5 for 8, including a hat-trick. No. 72 All Stars also recorded a convincing
victory, defeating No. 72 Cut and Load at the No. 72 All Stars Ground. All Stars made 142 in 14 overs, with Gavin Chaterpal and Rajin Chaterpal scoring 36 each, while Ravi Chaterpal added 26. Cut and Load were bowled out for 56. Omeish Mathura claimed three wickets, while Randy Baichan took two. At the No. 68 Ground, Molson Creek Wolf Warriors were dismissed for 81, with Omar scoring 43. J. Francis led the 68 Turn Team bowling attack with four
wickets, while J. Hulosie, T. Persaud and B. Sookdeo claimed two apiece. The Turn Team reached 84 for 3 in 8.4 overs, with K. Persaud unbeaten on 34. Ravin Singh took two wickets for the Wolf Warriors. Crabwood Creek Bomb Squad produced another impressive run chase at the CWC Ground, defeating Skeldon Jaguars. The Jaguars scored 169, with A. Ally making 50, before Bomb Squad reached 170 in 18.3 overs. Luen David led the chase with 50, while G. Ragubeer contributed 47. At the No. 72 Cut and Load Ground, Grillmaster Avengers posted 193 for 5, powered by Trevon Sukhu’s 73. No. 72 Hong Kong were subsequently dismissed for 67, handing the Avengers a 126-run victory. Salim Khan claimed four wickets, including a hat-trick. At the Yakusari Cricket Ground, Skeldon Back Centre scored 80 in 18.3 overs, with Junior Blair making 28. Ramesh Ayana claimed four wickets for Ya k u s a r i C a r i b s , w h o reached 81 to secure victory in 16.4 overs. Blair also took four wickets for Skeldon Back Centre. No. 64 Fighting Marines defeated No. 71 Cricket Club by 26 runs at the No. 71 Ground. The Marines posted 139 for 9, with C. France scoring 34, before restricting their opponents to 113. At the No. 69 Red Rose Ground, the home team scored 163 for 7 before restricting Crabwood Creek All Family to 77 for 8, securing an 86-run victory. The competition features
Luen David 50 for Bomb Squad four zones, with the top two teams in each zone advancing to the quarterfinals. Organisers have also announced attractive incentives for outstanding teams and individual performers, with the
eventual champions set to receive more than US$1 million in cash, trophies and other incentives. Live streaming and commentary for the competition are being handled by Pixel Perfect Productions Group.
Mystic Marvels fall to Muslim Youth Organization despite fighting half-centuries
Salim Khan took four wickets including a hat-trick bowling for Grill Master Avengers
GYO Mystic Marvels suffered a 51run defeat against Muslim Youth Organization in a high-scoring T20 encounter, despite impressive halfcenturies from Lawrence Pellew and Reeaz Mohamed during their run chase. Tasked with chasing a formidable 259-run target, Mystic Marvels finished on 207 for 6 in their allotted 20 overs, unable to keep pace with the required scoring rate despite several encouraging individual performances. Pellew led the charge with an aggressive 56 off 33 deliveries, striking 12 fours to keep Mystic Marvels within reach of the target. Mohamed provided further resistance, remaining unbeaten on 58 from 27 balls, with 10 fours and
two sixes. Nickosi St. Hillaire contributed 31 off 25 deliveries, while Mark Mohabir added 25 from 17 balls. However, their efforts proved insufficient to overhaul Muslim Youth Organization’s imposing total. Earlier, Muslim Youth Organization dominated with the bat, posting an imposing 258 for 2 in 20 overs, courtesy of outstanding centuries from Dameon Cecil and Travis Kadir. Cecil delivered a destructive unbeaten 127 off 56 balls, while Kadir compiled a commanding 116 from 65 deliveries. Their prolific run-scoring laid the foundation for a formidable total, placing Mystic Marvels under immediate pressure before the chase
began. Despite showing determination with the bat, Mystic Marvels struggled to match the required run rate against an opposition that had set the contest on its terms with a powerful batting display. Kelvin Umroa was the standout bowler for Muslim Youth Organization, claiming three wickets for 35 runs to help restrict Mystic Marvels to 207 for 6 and secure a convincing victory. Although the result went against them, the half-centuries from Pellew and Mohamed, supported by contributions from St. Hillaire and Mohabir, offered positives for Mystic Marvels to build on as they prepare for their next assignment.
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Regional titles decided as ExxonMobil U18 Championships continue October 30–31 The ExxonMobil Under-18 Football Championships will continue on October 30 and 31, with fixtures scheduled across six districts as teams battle for regional honours and places in the next stage of the competition. The latest round of matches produced several district champions, including Vreed en Hoop Secondary and Dolphin Secondary, which secured both the boys’ and girls’ titles in their respective districts. Friendship Sezondary also claimed both East Bank Demerara representative spots, while Ann’s Grove Secondary captured the East Coast Demerara boys’ title and President’s College emerged as the girls’ champions. The action resumes on October 30 in Region One, where Hosororo Secondary will face Santa Rosa Secondary in the boys’ competition at 11:00 am in Moruca. Waramuri Secondary and North West Secondary will contest the girls’ match at 1:00 pm. In Region Six, Vryman’s Erven will meet New Amsterdam Secondary in the girls’ competition at 2:00 pm, followed by Tutorial Academy against New Amsterdam Secondary in the boys’ division at 3:30 p.m. Both matches will be played at All Saints. Region Ten’s girls’ competition will continue at Wisburg, where the winners from the preceding round will meet at 3:30 pm. At Queen’s College, Marian Academy will face Chase’s Academic Foundation in the Georgetown North girls’ competition at 3:30 pm. Chase’s boys will also be in action at the same venue and time against the w i n n e r o f t h e Q u e e n ’s College–New Campbellville Secondary encounter.
On October 31, Abram Zuil Secondary and Charity Secondary will meet in both divisions at Queenstown, Region Two. The girls’ match is scheduled for 1:30 pm, with the boys taking the field at 3:00 pm. Region Five’s programme will feature Mahaicony Secondary against Bygeval Secondary at No. 5. The girls’ encounter begins at 1:00 p.m., followed by the boys’ match at 3:00 pm. The upcoming fixtures follow an eventful round on October 23 and 24, which saw several teams deliver emphatic performances to secure district honours. In Region Three, Vreed en Hoop defeated DeWillem Secondary 3–0 in the boys’ final, with Sherwin Softleigh, Kareem Milton and Treyon McLean scoring one goal each. The school’s girls also secured v i c t o r y o v e r We s t m i n s t e r Secondary, benefiting from an own goal. Dolphin Secondary completed the double in Georgetown South. Omari Nascimento and David John scored twice each in the boys’ final, leading their school to a convincing 4–0 victory over The New Central High. Friendship Secondary dominated the East Bank boys’ competition, defeating Diamond Secondary 2–0 through goals from Micheal Correia and Demetri Younge before overwhelming Dora Secondary 6–0 to secure the district title. Jerome Johnson and Brandon Bruce scored twice each against Dora, while Delroy Williams and Correia added one goal apiece. Friendship’s girls also secured the district’s female representation, having been the only entrants. On the East Coast, Ann’s Grove Secondary claimed the boys’
ExxonMobil U18 Football Championships championship after defeating Hope Secondary 4–1 on penalties following a 1–1 draw. Kennard Haley scored for Ann’s Grove, while LeBron Semple found the net for Hope. President’s College delivered one of the most dominant performances of the round, crushing Annandale Secondary 10–0 in the East Coast girls’ final. Kimora Edwards led the scoring with four goals, while Reyanna Gounga added two. Nalini LaRose, Neisa Lewis, Esinam Kissoon and Selena Williams scored once each. In Region Two, Charity Secondary defeated Cottonfield Secondary 6–1, with Lorenzo Joseph netting a hat-trick. Janaldo Charles, Johnny Smith and Micah James added one goal each, while D’Aaron Romeo scored Cottonfield’s consolation. Abram Zuil Secondary also advanced with a 2–0 victory over Aurora Secondary, courtesy of goals from Justin Sewprashad and Marcanthony Obermuller.
Bygeval Secondary recorded a 3–1 win over No. 8 Secondary in the Region Five boys’ competition. Devonte Vaux, Jefferson Rodriguez and Kheim Henry scored for Bygeval, while Aaron Crandon replied for No. 8. Bygeval’s girls also prevailed, winning 2–1 on penalties after regulation time ended 2–2. Rayenna Duncan and Jakayla Ethard scored for Bygeval, while Rean Semple and Teonza Gordon netted for No. 8. In Region Six, New Amsterdam Secondary enjoyed success in both divisions against Canje Secondary. The girls advanced after a goalless match was decided on penalties, while the boys secured a commanding 5–0 victory. Vincent Newyear, Jonathan Daniels, Domonique Rodrigues, Mitchell Cameron and Naeem Liverpool scored one goal each. Tu t o r i a l A c a d e m y a l s o progressed through a penalty shootout, defeating Berbice Educational. Georgetown North produced
several impressive results. Chase’s Academic Foundation defeated New Campbellville Secondary 6–0 in the girls’ competition, with Leandra Henritto scoring a hat-trick and Thea Rodrigues contributing two goals. Marian Academy’s girls also impressed, beating Cummings Lodge Secondary 4–0. Ella Fernandes scored twice, while Ashley Walton and Skylar DeNobrega added one goal each. Chase’s boys registered a commanding 10–1 victory over Christ Church Secondary. Brendan Parks scored four goals, Akeel Young added two, while Brandon Kissoon, Nash Moe, Aaron Vasconcellos and Fabio Kowlessar scored once each. Lebron Halford s c o r e d C h r i s t C h u r c h ’s consolation. St. John’s College completed the Georgetown North boys’ results with a 6–0 win over New Campbellville Secondary. Shangi Welch and Dexter John scored twice each, while Josiah Nedd also found the net.
All-round Tucber Park steamrolls Cotton Tree to secure final berth
The outstanding Tucber Park CC trio: Leon Swamy, Gilbert Griffith and Quacy Mickle
By Samuel Whyte Tucber Park Cricket Club continued its impressive run in Berbice cricket, securing another place in a final with a commanding five-wicket victory over Cotton Tree Die Hard at the Cumberland Ground, East Canje, Berbice. Batting first, Cotton Tree Die Hard were dismissed for 182 in 33.1 overs, with Kevon Jawahir offering the main resistance through a fighting 90. Tucber Park’s bowling attack maintained consistent pressure throughout the innings, led by national Under-19 all-rounder Gilbert Griffith, whose left-arm spin accounted for three wickets. Joemal Lafleur and Quacy Mickle provided valuable support, claiming two wickets apiece.
In reply, Tucber Park made light work of the target, reaching 183 for 5 in just 27.3 overs to secure their place in the final. Leon Swamy led the chase with an unbeaten 42, while Griffith capped an outstanding all-round performance with an unbeaten 40. Mickle also made a valuable contribution with the bat, scoring 34 after his earlier efforts with the ball. For Cotton Tree Die Hard, W. Hassan claimed two wickets, but his efforts were insufficient to prevent Tucber Park from completing a comfortable victory. With this win, Tucber Park have booked their place in the final and will now await the outcome of the remaining contest to determine their opponents.
Dindyal only Guyanese in Caribbean squad for Commonwealth Future Stars clash
Mavendra Dindyal
The late Kelvin Johnson
Ninvalle saddened by passing of former national distance runner Kelvin Johnson
Paulsen’s all-round brilliance propels Australia into IMC Over-40s World Cup final s t r o Sp
Australia will contest the IMC Over40 World Cup final against Pakistan.
Regional titles decided as ExxonMobil U18 C/ships continue October 30–31
Action in the ExxonMobil U18 Football Championships
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