Kaieteur News

Gaza truce ‘exceeding’ expectations, US says,

‘Exxon

dodges question on billions recovered from Guyana’s oil’

Ex-MP Devin Sears nabbed in police drug bust

...310 kilos of ganja seized

sinks in Suriname after fishing boat despite Israeli violations

Four Guyanese feared dead

Students accused OutrageatC’VilleSecondary... of using AI to create fake porn video of teacher

‘Bring in the …claims“negativecashflow”butrefusestorevealcostrecoverytotal

...ex-goldboardchairurgesdeepdiveintosmugglingscandal …saysnosolidinfoonwrongdoingsurfacedduringhistenure

…acknowledgesUSEmbassyhadprovidedhimwithlistofnamesofsuspectedgoldsmugglers

...threesuspectsarrestedfor murderofWestRuimveldtwoman

Tacama farmer, Albert Sandy

Ex-MPDevin Sears

‘Exxon

dodges question on billions recovered from Guyana’s oil’

…claims“negativecashflow”butrefusestorevealcostrecoverytotal

ExxonMobil Guyana

PresidentAlistair Routledge has refused to disclose how muchmoneytheoilgianthas recoveredfromGuyana'soil revenues to date, despite repeated requests from the media.

When pressed by Kaieteur News for a cost recovery update during a press conference at Exxon's Ogle headquarters on October 13, Routledge said: “I don't have in front of me, the cumulative, figure we can follow up on some of those numbers. As I said, we're probably still around about US$6B on a negative cash flow As we look at the cumulativeexpendituresand thecumulativerevenuesthat we've seen from the StabroekBlock."

Prior to the event, the company's Public Relations department contacted media

personnel requesting information on topics they would like to have addressed.

Notably, this newspaper shared its interest in receiving a cost recovery update,amongothers.

Instead, Routledge said there was approximately US$6B in the cost bank still to be recovered, as at September2025.

He informed another reporter,“Yes.Itis,thatisthe net difference on a cumulative basis…up until aboutamonthago,whenit's the last time I saw the financials ” It would be important to point out that over the last month government granted the company approval for its seventh project, therefore adding more expenditure to the cost bank. It is unclear whether the US$6B referenced by Routledge

includes the cost of the new project.

Guyanese have been left in the dark regarding the utilisationofitsoilwealthby both Exxon and the government of Guyana (GoG). This is particularly the case since a whopping 75%isdeductedmonthlyby the oil company for expenses The remaining 25% is split between the GoG and Exxon as “profit oil” in keeping with the termsofthe2016Production SharingAgreement(PSA). Notably,thecontractalso provides for quarterly cost recovery statements to be suppliedtogovernmentfrom the operator The agreement stipulates that the statement must include: (a) recoverable contract costs carried forward from the previous calendar quarter, if any;(b)recoverablecontract costsforthecalendarquarter in question; (c) total recoverable contract costs; (d)quantityandvalueofcost oil taken and disposed of by the contractor for the calendarquarterinquestion; (e) contract costs recovered for the calendar quarter in question and (f) total cumulative amount of contract costs to be carried forward into the next calendarquarter

The cost recovery statementforeachquarteris required to be submitted no later than 30 days after the end of each quarter At the beginning of this year, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo told Reuters that some US$33.9Bwasrecoveredby the Stabroek Block partners as at the end of January, 2025. Since then there has been no update on the billions recovered by ExxonMobil, using

Guyana'soil.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr Vincent Adamspreviouslycalledfor the cost recovery statements

what's coming out for operations and what's comingoutforcapital”.

Even in the case of a house mortgage, he said, a schedule is provided with howthemoneyispaidoff.

prepared by Exxon, to be madepublicashepointedto the lack of transparency in the billions of US-dollars being recovered by the oil giant.

Hesaid,“Wedonotseea breakdown in those numbers. We are not even getting in the audit as to

Moreover,thenPresident of Transparency Institute Guyana Inc (TIGI), Frederick Collins had made it clear that Guyanese deserve to know what their resources are being used to fund and that government mustrememberthattheyare merelythemanagersandnot

the owners of the country's wealth.

“It is not just that we deservetoknowwhatouroil isbeingusedtopayforbutit is our resources and it is our business. All a government is,isacaretaker Theyarethe managers of our affairs, the Constitution says that,” Collinsurged.

The former TIGI

President added that while the People's Progressive Party (PPP) committed to greater transparency in the managementoftheoilsector in its 2020 Elections Manifesto,therehasbeenno evidenceofthistodate.

He said, “There is no g r e a t e r transparency…between the

President,ExxonMobil GuyanaLimited, Alistair Routledge

governmentandExxon,they seemtobeplayingagameof hide and seek with the people the constitution says very clearly that all thoseaffairsarethepeopleof Guyana affairs and all the government is doing is managing it for us. There is no reason why they should be keeping those things secret.”

PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.

Publisher:GLENNLALL-Tel:624-6456

Editor-in-Chief:NigelWilliams

Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Audit shams

Wearestrugglingtorecallwhenauditshavehadsomany mysteries surrounding them These are not audits of government agencies done by auditors operating under the authorityofaconstitutionallymandatedAuditGeneraloffice

Whenever and however, those got done, there was the experienceofdelayupondelayinsharingthefindingswith thepeoplewhosemonieswerebeingspent Theauditsunder scrutiny involve the most valuable component of Guyana's economy,andbyawidemargin,aswellashavingasitsmajor participants,operatorsintheboththeprivateandcommercial sectors There is America's ExxonMobil, Guyana's oil partner, and there are the auditors employed by the Government of Guyana, to be the people's watchdogs and sleuths

Three audits of ExxonMobil's expenses have been completedandthePPPCGovernmenthasbeentheessenceof stubbornnessinkeepingthenationinthedark Thesmallest onewasanauditofUS$16Bcoveredtheperiod1999-2017 and resulted in findings of US$214M still represents a mysteryastoitsfinalresolution TheUS$16Bauditwasnot onlythesmallest,butwasalsotheslipperiest,andisnowthe oldestthatisoutstanding TheUS$214Minfindingsplunged (or was pushed) to US$3M through some backdoor, slyly underhanded, arrangement, and for which a reliable junior whippingpostwasfound

A man took the blame, so that his seniors could claim cleanhands,pretendatignorance. Themaninchargeofthe oilsector,VicePresidentJagdeo,spokeofthemattergoingto binding arbitration. We have never heard or seen an arbitrationthathastakensolongtogetgoing,foramatterthat is as small as US$214M in overcharged and improper oil expenses Thesenseofknowledgeableobserversandothers whoareexpertinthefieldofauditingisthatoilauditsarepart of a show, and are a sham, to a considerable extent What couldbesaidofthisunknownarbitrationthatonlyaddstothe existing layers of darkness, and of itself being subjected to somebackandforth

In October 2023, two years ago, Vice President Jagdeo informedGuyanesethatthegovernmentwaspreparedtogo toarbitrationtogettheUS$214MExxonMobilauditfindings settled,andoffthetable Fivemonthslater(February2024), Jagdeo reported under questioning that the government had notyetmadeadecision Thisisthelevelofseriousnessthat the Government of Guyana manifests when US$214M, or over GY$42B, is at stake, and when there are droves of Guyanesewhoarewithoutfoodbasics Whattomakeofthe PPPCGovernment'suneasinessandhesitancywithanaudit reportthatisdisputed? WhoisthePPPCGovernmentreally for,theinterestsofExxonMobil,orthoseofGuyanese?

ThesecondauditwasforUS$72Binexpensescharged by ExxonMobil for 2018-2020, and which ended up questioningUS$651Moftheexpensesthecompanysaidthat itincurred Thequalityofthatsecondaudititselfcameinfor questioning, regarding its depth and substance, how far it went,andwhereitdidnotgo Thesecondauditfollowsinthe trailofthefirstone,ie,itisstillupintheair,withGuyanese wondering why there is the need for these delays, these shenanigans One question that refuses to be smothered is whose side is the PPPC Government on, who is its leaders fightingfor:Guyaneseadvantage,orthatwhichaccruestothe benefitofExxonMobil?

Thethirdauditcoveredfrom2021-2023,andatamassive US$196B was the biggest by far Reports are that it was completed in May 2025, with Guyanese not knowing anythingmore Howmanyfindingstherewere,andforhow manyAmericanmillions Whywouldanygovernment,any leader,thatinsiststhatthebestprinciplesareatwork,would conduct the nation's business in this murky, suspicious manner? Whatistheretobeworkedout,coveredup,keptout ofsight? Whenagovernmentdoesn'thavetheethicaldepth, confidence, to publish audit results to the people whose patrimonyisinvolved,whatcanbesaidofthatgovernment? Itisthatitisengaginginasham,andthatitisashambyitself

GECOM in the context of real politics in Guyana is not fit-for-purpose and should be reconstituted

DearEditor, It has long now been rumoured that GECOM`s Chairperson, Justice Retired Claudette Singh, SC, CCH wishestoseethebackofme. The apparent reason is my exposure of her ineptitude, incompetenceandbiasinthe conduct of the affairs of GECOM.

Her recent public response, to the letter of Commissioners Alexander, Corbin and Trotman, exemplifies both of the above: the desire to see the b a c k o f

a s a commissioner, and her ineptitude, incompetence andbias.

In her response to our letter,whichneverrequested that a meeting be called, but called her out for not complying with sections 96 and99oftheRepresentation of the People Act, she skirts/ignores our accusation, that is that she never publicly declared the results of the General and Regional elections; and neverpresentedtheresultsof the regional elections to the Commission as the law requires. I dare her to refute thatfact.

Here contention that the Commission is not properly constitutedcannotjustifyher clear dereliction of duty In any circumstance, the Commission's life could not

have come to an end before the results were declared. She failed to present the requisite report for the regional elections to the Commission, and to make public declarations as stipulatedbylawwhenthere was no contention about the Commission not being duly constituted.

On the specific issue of the life of the Commission, shehastakenuntoherselfto interpret, and actualise her interpretation of, the Constitution, without even thecourtesyofinformingthe affectedCommissioners.

Whencalledtoboardfor her dereliction, she makes that declaration: the Commission is not duly constituted, and belatedly shared the gazetted results with the Commissioners, whoshehadunilaterallyand implicitly ousted with them andthepublicbeingunaware ofherautocraticaction.

Never before has the Constitution been interpretedinsuchamanner, not even under her watch, a la2020.Ihaveservedfor18 years under different regimes as an opposition nominee and/or Presidential appointee without the issue of my term of office being subjected to the new configuration of the Parliament and/or the change of the office bearers,

to wit the leader of the opposition.Thisissimilarto theappointmentofSupreme Court Judges in the US.The basis being that once those Judges are appointed, they are insulated from political pressures They cannot ordinarilyberemovedbythe p

appointment. They are free to act without having to 'look-over their shoulders'. Notably, commissioners are notdejurerepresentativesof theirnominators.

I n v i e w o f t h e aforementioned dichotomy and context, a judicial interpretation, or explicit legislative intervention, is requi

Claudette's jurisdictional usurpation.

Let's presume that the HonourableJusticeiscorrect in her interpretation of Article 161(3)(b) of the Const

“

ree members to be appointed by the President acting in accordance with the advice of the Leader of the Opposition tendered after meaningful consultation with the non-governmental political parties represented in the National Assembly.”

How is 161(2): “The ChairpersonoftheElections Commission shall be appointed by the President fromalistofsixpersons,not

unacceptable to the

President, submitted by the Leader of the Opposition a f t e r m e a n i n g f u l consultation with the nongovernmental political parties represented in the National Assembly” to be interpreted?

How different is the chairperson`s appointment tothatofthenomineesofthe Leader of the Opposition?

WhyhasClaudette,basedon h e r o w n e r u d i t e interpretation o

he Constitution, remained in office while casting the opposition nominees to the curb?

With regard to the composition of GECOM, I maintain my original and publicpositionthatGECOM inthecontextofrealpolitics in Guyana is not fit-forpurpose and should be reconstituted to be patently un-bias/ non-partisan and professional.

All of the observer missions, over the years, have come to the same conclusion, albeit in differentwords. Hopefully, those who claim to represent change will not simply pursue changing six for a half a dozenorevenworseasixfor anine.

Yourstruly VincentAlexander GECOMCommissioner

PPP policies have had tangible impacts on households

DearEditor,

Mr Lincoln Lewis has become a familiar antigovernment polemicist who trades in half-truths, cherrypicks facts, and exaggerates for effect. His latest letter continues that pattern and ignores the record since August 2020. To respond responsibly, we must examine the data from 2020 to2024.

The data show strong, broad-based growth accompanied by easing inflation.TheIMFdescribes Guyana's economy as transformed, with worldleading GDP growth and double-digitnon-oilgrowth, alongside low single-digit inflation (about 2–3% in 2023–2024) and rising reserves and Natural Resource Fund balances These conditions protect purchasing power and finance social investment. World Bank indicators corroborate that CPI inflation was about 2.9% in

2024, well below regional spikes, benefiting poor households. Debt remains low and sustainable, preserving room for social and infrastructure spending accordingtotheIMF Poverty, as measured by the World Bank, shows the latestpre-oilfigureat48.4% in 2019 (at $5.50/day, 2011 prices).Since2020,apolicy mix tax relief, cash transfers, wage and pension hikes, and infrastructure investment targets the channels through which poverty declines. The evidence indicates movement in the right direction, inflation has eased, take-home resources haverisen,andopportunities haveexpanded. PPP policies have had tangible impacts on households. Tax relief has lowered everyday bills through VAT removals on electricityandwaterandcuts on medical supplies, construction inputs, and

agricultural inputs, reducing utility and goods costs

Excisetaxesongasolineand dieselwerereducedto0%in 2022tocushionpriceshocks and support transport and food prices. Targeted cash transfers, notably the reinstatement and annual uplift of the “Because We Care” school-child grant (now about $55,000 per child including a uniform allowance), inject billions intolow-andmiddle-income households each year, with additional one-off and sectoralsupportduringcostof-livingspikes.

Wagesandpensionshave grown substantially Publicservicepayrisessince2021, the 2024 retroactive increase, and 2025 adjustmentsliftthousandsof breadwinners Old-age

p e n s i o n s n e a r l y doubled—from 2020 levels to $36,000 per month in 2024 and $41,000 in 2025, along with higher NIS pensions, directly supporting poverty reductionamongseniors. Housing and assetbuilding have progressed as well More than 50,000 house lots were allocated (2020–2025), with a strong emphasis on low-income beneficiaries. Subsidies for steel and cement reduce construction costs, turning rentintoequityandlowering povertyrisks.

I n f r a s t r u c t u r e investments further reduce the cost-of-living by improvingtransport,energy, and logistics. The Ogle–Eccles four-lane highway (commissioned in 2025)cutstraveltimesonthe East Coast and East Bank, unlocking land for housing and agriculture and easing congestion The Gas-toEnergyprojectisexpectedto halveelectricitytariffswhen fully online, providing structural relief for households and MSMEs Theseimprovementslower (Continuedonpage5)

A people who cares little about the struggles, successes, and failures of their predecessors are the easy victims of the tactics and methods employed today

DearEditor, Recent events in the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, that have varied from traditional paths, require a much deeper and profound analysis if we are tounderstandthemindsetof this and previous generations Additionally, this understanding is a prerequisiteforustomakea reality of our national motto andeverypatriotwillbepart of the journey, to be one people,andonenation,with onedestiny

This motto assumes that for each of six races to be mouldedintoone,theymust first and foremost know and interpret their own history

Unlesseachandeveryoneof us, be you Amerindian, African, East Indian, Chinese, Portuguese or European can be proud of who we are, and where we came from and the circumstancesthatplacedus on this plot of earth, we knowasGuyana,thereisno way that our motto can be translatedintoactuality

I begin my advocacy by reminding us of an uncomfortable statement, butthetruth,madebynoless a statesman, one of our leading personalities in the struggle for independence, Dr. Cheddi Jagan who observedthatAfroGuyanese were at the bottom of the ladder Dr Jagan meant no harm, did not intend to insult,nordenigratetheAfro Guyanese, but he was speaking the truth a few

decades ago. The condition of the average Afro Guyanese has not changed much since Dr Jagan's observation.

I believe that one of the main contributary factors to this,istheexperiencesofthe continent of Africa, and therefore the plight of African descendants in Guyana. They were tricked, beaten and dehumanised as no other group has been in recent history Without a deep understanding of that history,theywillnotpossess the grit, the gravitas and groundings to move up the ladder, they will remain blissfully at the bottom, consumed by materialism and nothing else. Many of my generation must take responsibility for this sorry stateofaffairs,wemustnow not lamentbut set out in our villages, communities, our placesofworship,andwhere ever two and three are gathered to openly discuss the way forward. This is a herculean task which must beundertaken.

I remember being told thisSummerLegion;theold man was sitting on the bank of the river, a stranger came up and said to him; “my friend I've heard about the grandeur of the great Summer Empire, a great civilisation, my friend, what happened to them”, the old man pulled on his pipe, and stood up, and said to the stranger; “you're right there wasagreatcivilisationhere, but they lost their history,

andsotheydied.”Profound, powerful, and relevant today

Chancellor Williams in his fascinating book; The Destruction of Black Civilisation, noted; that a great black civilization declined because of internal weaknesses and external factors like imperialism, not because it was inherently inferior

He posited that the loss of history, specifically the "stolen legacies" of African achievements, played a key role in the decline of Black civilization His work focusedonshiftingthestudy ofAfricanhistoryawayfrom European and Arab narratives to centre on the accomplishments and struggles of Africans themselves Profound, powerfulandrelevanttoday

Also noteworthy are remarks by professor Ali Mazrui in his lecture on the 150th Anniversary of Emancipation titled; “From the Mandingo to the Mandelas”, after dealing withmartyrdomheobserves as follows; “the Jews have managed to turn their suffering under the Nazis into a religious doctrine, as well as a political resource. But Blacks have neither sacralised their suffering into a sacred doctrine nor exploited it as a political fund.” Profound, powerful and relevant today The questionis:why?

By a strange twist, that disabilityisreflectedamong

PPP policies have had tangible impacts...

Frompage4 daily costs, widen market access, and raise real incomes, especially outside Georgetown.

Historically, Mr Lewis

s u p p o r t e d a n

APNU+AFC/PNC-led administrationthatendedthe “Because We Care” grant and imposed VAT on essentials.

The PPP/C reversed those measures in 2020 to ease household burdens

This contrast is not rhetoric but a matter of documented fiscalpolicy No serious economist arguesthatpovertyvanishes overnight. The test is whether poverty is being reduced, prices contained, take-home resources rising, and opportunitiesexpanding.On all these fronts since 2020, inflation has fallen, wages and pensions have risen, school-child grants have

themillionsoffreedAfrican slaves spread over the Americas, the Caribbean, and elsewhere, and this unhappy condition requires immediate attention and action if the descendants of manumittedAfricansarenot to experience a new form of enslavement, they say mental slavery is as bad as physicalslavery

Those of us who were apart of the struggle for Independence in the postWorld War II era must recognise that this emancipation struggle will beanevengreaterchallenge than the struggle for emancipation in 1838 and Independencein1966.

In today's Guyana, our leaders who claim to speak

for, and on behalf of, the descendantsoffreedAfrican slaves must bear some responsibilityfornotsharing knowledge, and our history withthisgeneration.Whatis now evident is we have a generation; the majority consumed with materialism.

A people who cares little about the struggles, successes, and failure of their predecessors are the easy victims of the tactics and methods employed today,similartothoseofthe imperialists and colonial masters.

The task is monumental since we face the narrative, twisted teachings and writings of many centuries where blacks were persuaded that they must

of inferiority

Aspects of the Holy Bible rewritten at the instance of King James, notes in the Old Testament, Songs of Solomon, where KingSolomonisreportedas saying in his address to the flock that; “I am black, but comely, O ye daughters of Jerusalem” note the words “black but comely” as against“blackandcomely”.

Dear Editor, this is a seriousmatterandthisletter candonomorethanbegina conversationthatcanleadus to the eutopia of becoming one people, part of a nation withonedestiny

Let the conversation begin.

Sincerely

ElderHamiltonGreen

The China we never knew

DearEditor,

To appreciate GuyanaChina relations we need to situate that relationship in a historical and contemporary context.

At school, we learnt that the first Chinese labourers were brought to British Guiana by the British in 1853toreplaceAfricanslave labour on the sugarcane plantations.

That project proved an abysmal failure Instead, Chinese immigrants took to grocery, restaurant and laundry businesses and succeeded. Since then, the Chinese have been accepted as an integral part of Guyanesesociety

been reinstated and expanded,essentialtaxrelief has been provided, housing and infrastructure have grown, and daily costs have fallen.

The evidence points to material, sustained progress u n d e r t h e P P P / C government—a core issue Mr Lewisrefusestoengage.

Respectfully, Dr.

Tilokie Arnold Depoo Economist

The entrepreneurial spiritoftheChinesebecame part and parcel of the Guyanese way of life. Both freed slave and indentured i m m i g r a n t s e e i n g opportunities inherent in entrepreneurship took it up as a means of eking out a living. The entrepreneurial spirit soon spread throughout the country amongst other immigrant communities.

T h e n c a m e t h e proliferation of political parties in the colony

beginning from the 1950's, their articulation of anticolonial policies and proindependence demands, reflecting various philosophical and ideological outlooks at a time when the Chinese only five years earlier had defeated Japanese expansionists and Hitlerite fascismandin1949declared theestablishmentofPeople's RepublicofChina.

The PRC led by the communist party, was confronted from the early days with the stereotyping by western elites and media houses as 'communist China w i t h a dictatorial/authoritarian regime.'

Sixty-five years ago, the dietthatwasfedtoGuyanese by the anti-communists of that era was one of deep suspicion and rejection of 'Red or communist China' thatcouldnotbetrusted.

Itwaseasyinthosedays to get away with such nonsense because of the virulent anti-communist propaganda that prevailed worldwide, the limited media coverage of China's achievements as well as the lack of political and

ideological awareness of people living under conditionsofcolonialrule.

The mischaracterization ofChinabecametheweapon of choice for ruling elites who, at the domestic level, fought against the political forces and individuals who chose to openly champion andspeakoutinfavourofthe Chinesemodelforsocialand economicadvancement.

Visits to China by progressive political organizations and leaders s e e k i n g a b e t t e r understanding and appreciation of China's socialist path resulted in them being targeted and branded back home as 'communistagents.'

As time rolled on, and withthecreativeapplication ofMarxismasaguide,nota dogma, the Chinese communists in 1979 declared China as 'One Country, Two Systems ' Three years later, its leaders declared in favour of 'Building Socialism with ChineseCharacteristics.'

In1972,Guyanawasthe first country in the Englishspeaking Caribbean to establishdiplomatic (Continuedonpage6)

Govt. to roll out ankle monitors to track domestic violence offenders

As p a r t o f national efforts

t o c o m b a t domestic violence, the Government of Guyana is moving to introduce ankle monitoring systems for individuals who violate restraining orders, marking a bold step toward protecting victims and preventingrepeatabuse

Minister of Home

Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, in a recent interview, said the new initiative forms partofasuiteofinnovative securitymeasuresaimedat strengthening public safety, accountability, and trust in law enforcement, the Department of Public Information (DPI) reported on Tuesday “We have a mandate as a government from the people to deliver to them a safe and secure country People want to feel secureandhavethatstandard oflivingwheretheycanwalk down the street with their children and not have to worry,” Minister Oneidge Walrondisquotedassaying.

The ankle monitoring bracelet will allow authorities to track the movements of offenders in realtime Automatedalerts will be triggered if the offender enters a restricted zone or comes near the victim, enabling law

Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond

enforcement to respond swiftly before harm occurs

Walrond said the measure reflects the government's proactive approach to breaking the cycle of domestic violence and enhancing victim protection throughtechnology Thesystemaimstokeep victims safe and enable quick actions to prevent furtherviolence

During the interview, Minister Walrond also highlightedthatamongher priorities in her newly appointed role is to ensure that the citizens of Guyana feel safe through the implementation of these initiatives. “We have a mandate as a government from the people to deliver to them a safe and secure country People want to feel secureandhavethatstandard

oflivingwherethey'reableto walk down the street with theirchildrenandnothaveto worry”,sheexplained.

Minister Walrond noted that the Safe City Initiative uses facial recognition, vehicle tracking, and license plate recognition to aid in investigations This resultedinafasterresponse from authorities in ongoing investigations and was designed to make communities safer, playing a crucial part in crime prevention. She highlighted the importance of an alert app that works like a panic button. This app helps

An ankle monitoring bracelet is being attached to allow tracking

people in danger contact security and get emergency help.

Minister Walrond noted thatalthoughthesestrategies willbeimplemented,thereis still a need to build trust

between citizens and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to have transparency and accountability in every step “Peoplewanttofeelthatthere isapoliceforcethatIcantrust and that cares and that will

respondtome,”shesaid.

The Ministry of Home Affairs prioritises the juvenile justice system, supporting rehabilitation and reintegration These systems help young people rebuild their lives MinisterWalrond emphasised that addressing the root causes of crime in communities, along with supportsystemsandsafecity programmes, is essential for national safety This approach shows the government's commitment to using innovative strategies to ensure the safety and security of all Guyanese.

The ongoing attempt to justify discrimination and exclusion, targeting certain groups while privileging others, must come to an end

DearEditor, I respond to the letter carried, “Lewis' accusation thatthePPP/Cgovernmentis indifferent to worker suffering cannot withstand scrutiny” by Dr. Walter H. Persaud (SN, 20th October, 2025), and let me state clearly that the writer who sought to respond to me has failed miserably to address thecoreconcernraisedinmy correspondence.

I am left to wonder

whether the authenticity of the concerns I raised about the high cost of living, the needfora“livingwage,”and the Jagdeo/Ali regime's refusal to confront these burning issues has offended him. Inthisoil-richeconomy, the world's fastest-growing and richest, more than half the population lives in poverty.

Wages and salaries cannot keep pace with marketpricesfornecessities, and he has the audacity to pen this reckless letter that my concerns cannot withstand scrutiny, when every man, woman, and childwhoarenotamongthe privileged few know that timesarerough.

People are catching hell andareforceddailytomake toughdecisions—whetherto forgoamealtopaytheirlight or water bill. These ought to becauseforconcernstoany caring person, privileged or not. Shame on Persaud for seeking to dismiss the

seriousness of the situation and the urgency with which these matters must be addressed.

Lestheforgets,thepeople IspeakforareGuyanese,no less deserving of justice, dignity, and equal treatment than those in government who are hell-bent on dividing this country into two societies one of privilege and the other of oppression.Truetoform,the writer resorted to the customary political playbook of attack, d e f l e c t i o n , a n d demonisation. But let it be known, the people are not fooled.

Let me remind him and the government he seeks to defend that the Constitution of Guyana enshrines the followingrights:

1 Freedom of expression(Article146)

2 Freedom of association(Article147)

3 Protection from discrimination on the basis

of association, race, etc (Article149)

4 Participation in decision-making and management processes that affect one's well-being (Articles13and149C)

On the strength of these constitutional protections, I have consistently and unapologetically voiced the concerns of workers - past, present,andfuture.

This is the message Persaudmusttakebacktohis masters Let them understand, too, that this ongoing attempt to justify discrimination and

exclusion, targeting

certain groups while privileging others, must come to an end. And let them be assured, as long as there is breath in my body, I shall carry out my civic and trade union duty to speak my mind None will escape accountability; I willnotbesilenced

Regards

Lincoln Lewis

The China we never knew...

Frompage5 relationswiththePRCandto recognise China's 'One China' foreign policy based on peace, equality and mutual respect amongst nations.

The relationship was buttressed by emphasizing '

and by extending developmental cooperation projects with countries in the Global South Chinese financed projects were viewed as encroachmentsontheWest's s

be challenged by 'outsider

nations.'AsChinaovercame

development, old attitudes and policies of hostility towards China premised on anti-communism gave way to a more enlightened approach to China by developing countries driven bytheirownselfinterests.

Sixty-fiveyearslater,the same communist China that was once shunned and ignored in favour of the industrialized North has been welcomed to Guyana.

Major development projects within the meaning of the BeltandRoadInitiativehave been undertaken including the Bharrat Jagdeo DemeraraRiverBridge. Moreover, Chinese business enterprises have mushroomed around the country much to the convenience of the Guyanesepeople. History has a way of teaching us many lessons one of them being; to focus on the big picture and what unites us rather than what dividesus.

Yoursfaithfully, ClementJ.Rohees

FinanceministerhailslaunchofWorldTradeCentreGeorgetown

as

timely, visionary milestone

Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh, has praised the establishment of the World Trade Centre Georgetown (WTCG) as a “timely and visionary step” in Guyana's ongoing transformation and globaleconomicrise

Delivering the feature address at the official launch

held in Kingston, Georgetown,onTuesday,Dr Singh said the initiative comes at a pivotal moment whenGuyanaisexperiencing unprecedented economic

growth and expanding its footprint in global trade He extended congratulations to Komal Samaroo, Chairman of the Demerara Distillers Limited (DDL) Group, and his team for their leadership in bringing the prestigious World Trade Centres Association (WTCA) brand toGuyana

“President Ali attaches tremendous importance to this initiative. Georgetown andGuyanaarenowjoining the family of great cities

around the world that host WorldTradeCentres.Thisis indeedahistoricmilestone,”

Dr Ashni Singh is quotedin a Department of Public Information press release as saying Dr Singh lauded DDL's foresightinpursuingWTCA membership and licensing, describing the move as “a reflection of the company's long-standing commitment to global competitiveness.” Referencing discussions at the recent IMF–World Bank meetings in Washington, DC, Dr Singh noted that smallstateslikeGuyanaface inherent challenges such as limiteddomesticmarketsand distance from major trade partners However, he said the Ali Administration has aggressively implemented strategies to expand the country's economic space through stronger regional integration

Minister Singh and representatives of the World Trade Centre Guyana, Panama and Denver U.S.A

WTCGeorgetown Citingthe International Monetary Fund's (IMF) World Economic Outlook, he noted that Guyana continues to record the highest growth rate in the Western Hemisphere, averaging nearly 40% annually since 2021 an achievement

“without precedent worldwide.”

“From day one, PresidentAli restored to the top of the policy agenda the importanceofimprovingour physical connectivity with our neighbours,” Dr Singh said, according to the DPI, highlightingprojectssuchas the Linden–Lethem road to Brazil and the Corentyne RiverBridgetoSuriname

He envisioned a future wheregoodsmovefreelyand efficiently across the region, allowing a producer in Guyana to “load up a lorry and take goods directly to SurinameorBrazil”

Dr Singh added that Guyana's rapid economic expansion provides a strong foundationforthesuccessof

“Theestablishmentofthe World Trade Centre Georgetown comes at preciselytherightmomentin our country's economic history,”hesaid “Weseeitas havingtremendouspotential, particularly in relation to the growthandglobalintegration of the Guyanese private sector.”

PrivateSectorPoised toCapitalise

Captain Gerry Gouveia Jr, Chairman of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), echoedDr Singh'soptimism, stressing the private sector's readiness to partner with government in advancing national development “The opportunities in Guyana are endless.

Andwhenpeoplesaywe want to be the Dubai of the Caribbean, I say no—we wanttobetheGuyanaofthe Caribbean, because we're going to do more than they did,”Gouveiadeclared

The World Trade Centre Georgetown is the first of its kind in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and was officially commissioned in June 2025

The World Trade Centres Association (WTCA) connects more than 300 World Trade Centres in nearly 100 countries, fostering trade and investmentopportunitiesfor businesses, property developers, and economic agencies.WTCGeorgetown spans approximately 37,500 square feet across a modern seven-storey building in central Georgetown The facility offers flexible office s p a c e s , I C T a n d cybersecurity infrastructure, conference facilities, and trade mission support, servingasahubforregional and international business engagement.

The neo-liberal Marxists of Freedom House

Youhavetohandittothe People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC). Only they could achieve what Karl Marx could never dreamof:agovernmentthat preaches neoliberalism by dayandpracticestotalitarian informationcontrolbynight. It’s like a vegan who secretly runs a steakhouse. The party’s constitution has been scrubbed clean of Marxism-Leninism, but the spirit of the Politburo still lingers like garlic on your breath. You may think it’s gone, but everyone else can smell it. These days, the PPPC boasts of being probusiness, pro-growth, proinvestment, and pro-

anything that comes with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and foreign financing

They’re the kind of

capitalists who quote Adam Smith at breakfast, but still have Lenin whispering sweetnothingsintheirearby lunch You can see the confusion The party’s ideology has moved from the “workers of the world unite” to “capitalists of the world, unite and enjoy our taxholidays.”

Butwhenitcomestothe free flow of information, well, let’s just say the PPPC prefersthatinformationflow through a tap it can control, preferably with a lock and a guard The government’s

idea of freedom of expression is that everyone is free to express the government’sopinion.

Take, for instance, the caseofthatfellowwhoused to deliver weekly commentaries on a private TV newscast decades ago. His sin? He spoke his mind. His punishment? The PPPC didwhatanyself-respecting democratic government would never do, it went straight for the jugular: the sponsor of the newscast on which the commentaries were aired A major department store was politely encouraged (read: pressured with the subtlety of a sledgehammer) to pull

Four Guyanese nationals feared dead after fishing boat sinks in Suriname

PARAMARIBO, Suriname (CMC) –RescueteamsinSurinamearecontinuingthe search for four Guyanese nationals, now feared dead, after a fishing boat sank in the Saramacca River near Lareco on Saturday evening.

TheSaramaccaRiverisregardedasakey waterwayfortheMarooncommunitieswho live along its banks and who use it for transportationandtrade.Thepolicesaidthat they had received a report early Monday morning that the crew were floating on ice cubes.Theysaidthatthecallerhadindicated thatpeopleintheareahadusedtheirboatsto searchforthefourpeople,withoutsuccess.

The National Army Marine Corps, and the Groningen police were also deployed in the search. The wife of the boat owner reported that her husband and three crew membersweremissing.Shedidnotprovide the names of the crew members.According

to her, her husband departed from the mooring at Huwelijkszorg on Friday evening,October17,inarecentlypurchased and renovated fishing boat, heading for Paramaribo, for a mandatory seaworthiness inspectionbytheMaritimeAuthorityandthe Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality(LVV).

She said that on Saturday morning, her husband,identifiedonlyasRL,calledherto say the boat was taking in water and they were floating on ice. The call was abruptly cutoff.

Later that evening, he called again and asked her to quickly write down the coordinates because “he wouldn’t make it.”

According to authorities, the location she gave turned out to be more than 100 kilometres offshore, in the direction of the Atlantic Ocean. The police public relations departmentsaidthatthesearchiscontinuing.

DEM BOYS SEH

Life in Guyana is one big gamble

Dem boys seh the government worried ‘bout deeffectsofgamblinginde country Butlehwetellyuh something:lifeinGuyanais one big gamble Every morning when yuh put on yuh clothes and step out de house, yuh basically spinning de roulette wheel of fate. Yuh don’t know if yuhgonreachhomeintime fuh dinner or end up in de hospital or worse, on Facebook wid people typing,“Gonetoosoon.”De roads turn into racetracks. Every corner gat a Formula One driver who believe traffic lights and pedestrian crossings is just decorative suggestions.

Dem boys seh one youngladydehinsheyard,

minding she own business, chattingwithshesister,and next thing yuh know, bam—gunshot. Just so. In this place, yuh don’t even have to leave home fuh gamblewithyuhlife. Electricity? Big gamble OneminuteyuhwatchingTV, next minute blackout Internet? Another gamble especially if yuh trying fuh do something important If rain fall, yuh whole neighbourhood turn into a water park no need fuhatriptoSplashmin’s Go hospital, and that’s another bet.Yuh never sure whether yuh gon get better or come out worse. Some people does say when yuh go in, carry yuh own medication, because de

its advertisements. Nothing says “we support a free press” like threatening to bankruptit.

ThePPPChasalongand colourful history of using state advertisements as both carrot and cudgel. When Stabroek News stood in the way of ‘a new kid on the block’ the government yankeditsadsfasterinorder to put the newspaper out of business and pave the way forthenewcomer Itcameas no surprise that when the new newspaper was launched, one rumoured to be more congenial to the government’s sensitivities, lowandbehold,theadfaucet flowed once again Coincidence? Only if you believe Santa Claus doubles asaprocurementofficer

K a i e t e u r N e w s , meanwhile, received not a single government ad in its firstdecadeofexistence.Ten years! In Guyanese politics, that’s longer than most campaignpromiseslast.The reason?Itspublisherrefused to fire an editor the PPPC found inconvenient. When the government later pulled ads again, the publisher didn’t grovel. He simply raised the price of the paper by $20. The PPPC, one suspects, was deeply o f f e n d e d b y t h i s entrepreneurialdefiance.It’s one thing to silence dissent; it’s another to have your censorship turned into a businessopportunity Party officials, bless theircandor,haveevengone on record calling for a boycott of the Kaieteur News. Apparently, it’s not enoughtodisagreewithyour critics You have to economically annihilate them.Somewhere,Orwellis takingnotesforthesequelto

1984: 2025 — The Guyana Edition.Notsolongago,the threat of withholding state advertisements against this newspaper was resurrected. Itwasmadeclearthataslong as the publisher formed a political party, the paper automatically become a political newspaper and ads wouldbelimited.

Butlet’snotgetstuckon the advertisements. That’s merely the symptom. The disease is the PPPC’s obsession with control. It’s not enough to dominate the media; it wants to suffocate dissent, to mould the national mind into one uniform, smiling face that says: “Yes, Comrade sorry, Minister” In their zeal, they’re not out to imitate Cheddi Jagan anymore; they’re out to outdoBurnham.

This is not about ideologyanymore.It’sabout instinct that deep, unshakable need to supervise thought, to ensure that no one strays from the official hymn sheet. The PPPC’s relationship with free expression is like a controlling spouse who swears they “trust” you but still checks your phone every night. And yet, paradoxically, the same party will proudly tell the world it has modernized, liberalized,anddigitizedthe economy They’ve embraced capitalism, all right — just not the part where people get to speak freely about it. It’s as if they’ve installed Wi-Fi in every village but blocked Google, YouTube, and anything remotely resembling a critical thought.

In today’s Guyana, information doesn’t flow It

trickles, and only when the right valve is turned. The tragedy here isn’t just political; it’s existential. A societythatcan’tcriticizeits rulers eventually forgets howtothinkforitself.That’s hownationsgrowcompliant — not through fear, but through fatigue. When the people stop expecting honesty, governments stop botheringtofakeit.

So,theGuyanesepeople face a choice, and it’s not between socialism and capitalism anymore It’s betweenfreeexpressionand managed obedience Between a country that argues with itself and one that parrots the party line. Between the risk of chaos and the certainty of control. Freedomofspeechismessy, inconvenient, and often unprofitable. But without it, a

a government applauding its own echoes. If the PPPC truly wants to prove it has evolved beyond its MarxistLeninist shadow, it should startbylooseningitsgripon information. Until then, it will remain the world’s

economy run by Marxist instincts And that, dear reader,isthemostterrifying political experiment of all. Becauseit’sworking.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the

o

a

o not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

doctor might tell yuh, “We freshouttadat.”

Andyet,degovernment busy wringing its hands over casino and betting shop But let’s face it, Guyana itself is de biggest casino of all. Every day people betting on survival, on jobs, on justice, on electricity, and sometimes just on making it home alive.

So yes, gambling might be a scourge. But so too is lifeinthiscountry Deodds stacked high, de risks plenty, and de winnings? Stillpending.

Dem boys seh in dis land, yuh don’t need a slot machine to lose, just live longenough. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.

H@RD TRUTHS

The more things change

I think that today I will startoutinascripturalnode, with the Book of Ecclesiastesfavored. There isnothingnewunderthesun. Whathasbeenwillbeagain, andwhathasbeendonewill bedoneagain.

Thesecularequivalentis history repeats itself. In the middle of gathering storms of war, Guyana's President Irfaan Ali went to his full height and hit the highest note. “We will not yield an inch of territory ”

Magnificent, I say, more in awe at the splendor of the spectacle, than any comfortingreality Andthen what was nagging unfolded itselfinarush-heardbefore, absorbed before with Venezuela before providing the backdrop of ill-will due totheillnessofitsleadership clique. I walked back in

time to over 50 years ago, and can still hear one LFS Burnham: “not a blade of grass.”

Twist it or turn it, and what was a symphony back then has returned in the symmetry of “not yield an inch of territory.” If it wasn't a symphony, the late, great, Dave Martins made “not a blade of grass” into bothchamberandgrassroots music.

Without a doubt, the leaders of the PPP try their best to pretend at not being Burnham. But the harder they try to be the antiBurnham, the more they succeedinbeinginseparable from Burnham. The more that the PPP works at being unlikethePNC,themoreitis worsethantheworstthatthe PNC had to offer How aboutgoldsmugglingforthe

latest, and how once sacred friendshipsofthePPPandits leadershiparepawnedoffon others! Guess who is the beneficiary of that beautiful friendship? Burnham'sPNC had control of the Guyana Police Force, but hasn't the PPPofJagdeoandAlidoneit one better, and then several lapsmore?

There is control, then there is total control. In the years of this millennium (minus four and a half), the PPP of Dr Bharrat Jagdeo first, then the other doctor, Irfaan Ali, took the Guyana Police Force and did more thanremakeitintothemold within their minds. They made the national police machinery into a flunkey of Freedom House Will somebodyanswerthatdamn phone, it could be a big one from the party calling, and

den aall ah wee deh in big truble! Whoever has stars see stripes. And who has stripes find themselves naked and scarred, and lashed to the masthead Whoever had a nice comfy arrangementwiththefamily suddenly find themselves posted to some remote and barren community Burnham still has the edge? Okay,thentrythisonetosee whichisthebetterfit. Back in the day, some green clothes people wreakedhavoconthestreets of GT against those deemed to be menacing political opponents. In recent days, someredclothespeopletook it out on some blue clothes people in one community after the other, and with the police finding itself trapped in the unhappy mode of unseeing, unhearing, and unknowing bystander Things got so spirited that even some PPP women droppedallpretenseandgot down and dirty Next, Burnham took over the media, and wielded it into a

weapon to beat up and beat downGuyanese,whileusing it to do a superb job of beating around the bush on the real issues. Ah tell peeple, dis BG palatiks nah easee.

So,wherearewe? Take themedia,takesocialmedia, t a k e t h e p o l i c e paraphernalia, take the phobiaandmaniaofthePPP on the streets and in the villages of Guyana, and where is Burnham in that picture? How does he compare? Can he even begin to compare?

Psychological terror Now the compass comes full circle There are those headhunters in Caracas, Venezuela. Asanaside,look athow thatmanhas slurred, insulted, and degraded Guyana's number one citizen, and not one of his social media superstars dare open their mouths in response, such is their gutless, spineless, and bloodlessstate.

But ask them to try their handonacitizenthatdoesn't

haveatraceoftheircriminal taint,andtheyareabundleof courage, energy If there was one feature that Burnhampersonified,itwas that he walked tall, fought hisbattlesfrontally Noneof these skulking, crawling, tricksters attacking from behindbushes. Meanwhile, Maduro is busy digging out the eye (figuratively) of Guyana's president, and the bold badmen of the PPP bark at hisback. ThePPPofJagdeo and Ali say that Burnham was a big badman, the bogeymanthatusetofrikken women and children. So, whoisthebiggerbadmanof all in Guyana's history? Burnham or Barry? The otherfellowisaniceguy,but merelyanemptysuit.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)

Ex-MP Devin Sears nabbed in police drug bust

...310 kilos of ganja seized

Former Alliance For Change, Member of Parliament, Devin Sears and anothermanwereonMonday morning nabbed with a quantity of ganja during a police stop and search operation at Bamia, Region 10.

In a statement police said that at about 20:41hrs on Mondayapoliceteamwason mobile patrol duties in the vicinity of the Old Bamia Police Checkpoint in Linden when they arrested Sears and Albert Sandy, a 69-year-old

farmer of Tacama, Upper Berbice River who were found to be in possession of 310.71 kilograms of Cannabis.

According to the police, while on patrol duties, the ranks were conducting random 'stop and search', whentheystoppedadarkblue Toyota Hiace minibus, bearing registration number BAJ4486,propertyofRegion #10 Tourism Committee Inc. The vehicle was driven by Sears, a 39-year-old educator (Continuedonpage16)

Minerremandedfor possessionofnarcotics

A 43-year-old gold miner of Perserverance Housing Scheme, Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD) was on Tuesdayremandedtoprisononapossessionofnarcoticscharge. Theaccused,ColinHubertCoddette,appearedattheLethem Magistrates' Court before Magistrate O Chandan where the chargeswerereadtohim.

He pleaded not guilty to two charges of possession of narcoticsforthepurposeoftraffickingcontrarytosection5(1) (a) (i) of the Narcotics Drug and Psychotropic Substances (Control)ActChapter10:10.CoddettewasarrestedonOctober 19.ThematterhasbeenadjournedtoNovember27,2025.

Colin Hubert Coddette

Tacamafarmer, Albert Sandy Ex-MP Devin Sears

The ganja that was seized by police

‘Bring in the Feds’

…acknowledgesUSEmbassyhadprovidedhimwithlistofnamesofsuspectedgoldsmugglers ...ex-goldboardchairurgesdeepdiveintosmugglingscandal …saysnosolidinfoonwrongdoingsurfacedduringhistenure

ByRenaySambach

Former Chair of the GuyanaGoldBoard(GGB), Gabriel “GHK” Lall, is urging the Government of Guyana to bring in the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to participate in the fullfledged probe that Vice PresidentBharratJagdeohas called for into those who may have aided and abetted the Mohameds in allegedly smuggling gold out of Guyana.

In June 2024, Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed, along with their businesses, were sanctioned by the United States Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) for alleged gold smuggling While much attentionhasbeenplacedon the Mohameds, Vice President Jagdeo had stated that the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and the Guyana Police Force (GPF) must expand their current p r o b e b e y o n d t h e businessmen.

During his last press conference, Jagdeo had singledoutLall,whoserved as GGB Chair from March 2017 to February 2020, stating that an investigation should be conducted into

him and other public servantsandofficials.

Responding at his own press conference on

Tuesday, Lall first outlined that the Mohameds were indicted on several charges including gold smuggling, wire fraud, money laundering, and tax evasion.

He pointed out that no other nameswerementionedinthe indictment document that was unsealed earlier this month “Somehow, accusations have been levelled against me… GHK Lall, that I helped the Mohameds to smuggle gold,”hesaid.

Lall responded to Jagdeo's call for an investigation stating, “I absolutely agree with that… I absolutely agree with the full-fledged thorough investigation of what went on with this gold smuggling business, and all the related charges.”

Lall noted that the fact thathisnamewassingledout among all the government officialsprejudiceshisrights and amounts to political persecution Further, he noted that the investigation will be a test of whether the GPFconductsaprobethatis professionalorpolitical.Lall addedthatheisconfidentthe heads of the various state investigative bodies would want to get to the bottom of the allegations and identify theplayersinthewebofgold smuggling.

Explaining the gold exportprocess,Lallsaidthat inlegitimateexports,dealers are required to declare their gold to the gold board, pay the relevant royalties and taxes, and have their shipments inspected and sealed by officials from the GGB, GRA Customs and CANU before export However, he noted that smugglers seek to avoid payingtaxesandroyaltiesby operating outside of this officialprocess.

He outlined that U.S. authorities have alleged that the boxes and seals used in legitimate exports that pass through the Guyana Gold

He continued, “I absolutely welcome an investigationofmyselfbutI wouldnotstopattheGuyana Police Force, I would also encourage the government for us to have the best in a thorough and credible investigation by inviting the FBI of America to participate in that investigation.”

Board,werebeingreusedby gold smugglers operating between Miami and Dubai. He explained that the seals are secure, each bearing a uniquenumber.“Sotheway thatIunderstand…oncethey are open they shouldn't be useable again… once it's openitshouldbebrokenand therefore for them to be reusedtheboxesandsealsas alleged,ittakesalotofskills to do that, it takes a lot of cooperation to do that,” he explained.

Rumoursofsmuggling

Further,theformerGGB Chair said that during his tenure, there were rumours of gold being smuggled but no concrete evidence. “We heardaboutsmugglingfrom differentsources,weheardit word of mouth in the yard, we heard about it from operations conducted by the government, and one whisper is that there is smugglinggoingonbutasto the specifics of persons, groups that were possibly engagedinthat,therewasn't much more coming to us aboutthat,”Lallsaid.

He added, “Intuitively wehadasensethatthisisnot allofthegold.”Lallsaidthat while the gold board has a duty to report gold smuggling to the police, there was not sufficient evidence to pinpoint those involved.

“Were the names of the Mohameds or any other put on the table during my time in relation to gold smuggling. What I can tell you is that there were suspicion of different players major players

i n v o l v e d i n g o l d smuggling… so directly to your question the answer is no,”Lallsaid.

Moreover, Lall also disclosed that during his tenurehewascalledintothe United States Embassy, where he was showed a folder that contained names of 40 suspected criminals of gold smuggling, drugs, money laundering and other crimes.

“Theybroughtoutafile, twice the size of this, it had about 40 names and pictures…” Lall said. He addedthatthe40individuals were all Guyanese, “remember I'm new to this place at the time, so I didn't recognisedanyofthem.”

The former chair noted that he had shared the information with then Minister of Natural Resources, Raphael Trotman.

The Mohameds were indicted in a U.S. federal court in Miami, Florida on 11 charges of wire and mail fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering and the i m p o r t a t i o n o f a Lamborghini luxury car- all stemming from accusations of massive tax fraud committed against Guyana.

Theindictment,unsealedon October2,2025,accusesthe Mohameds of orchestrating an elaborate fraud and money-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions in taxes and royalties owed to Guyana.

The case, captioned United States of America v Nazar Mohamed & AzruddinMohamed,isfiled intheU.S.DistrictCourtfor the Southern District of Florida under case number 2 5 - C R - 2 0 4 4 1 (WILLIAMS/LETT) Amongthestatutescitedare: conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1349),wirefraud(18U.S.C. § 1343), mail fraud (18 U.S.C. § 1341), conspiracy tocommitmoneylaundering (18 U.S.C. § 1956(h)), and relatedforfeiturestatutes(18 U.S.C.§§981,982).

At the heart of the US Government's case, lies several core allegations,

among them gold export fraudandcustomssealreuse.

The indictment seen by this newspaper charges that Mohamed's Enterprise, the Guyana-based gold wholesaling and export company controlled 90% by Nazarand10%byAzruddin, isallegedtohavesoldgoldto buyers in Miami and Dubai, while circumventing Guyana's revenue and regulatory system The indictment claims that the defendants would reuse official Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) and Guyana Gold Board (GGB) customs seals and export declarations, originally applied legally on one shipment on subsequent shipments for which they had not paid taxes or royalties. This, prosecutors say, created the false impression that proper paymentshadbeenmade.

Additionally, the duo is alsoaccusedofbribingstate officials to facilitate their alleged corrupt acts. The indictmentsetsforththatthe Mohameds paid bribes to Guyanese government officials, including customs agents to allow the acceptance of duplicate paperwork and reused seals. Through this mechanism, the scheme allegedly enabledtheevasionofduties and royalties that should have gone to Guyana's coffers.

According to the court papers from 2017 through June 11, 2024, the indictment alleges the defendantscausedexportsof at least 10,000 kilograms of gold to pass through Miami without payment of the proper dues to Guyana, amounting to a loss of approximately US$50 million to the Guyanese government.

The indictment further charges the Mohameds with conspiring to transport, transmit, and transfer funds derived from their criminal scheme, including through international wire transfers, with the intent to promote the underlying illegal activity The scheme is said to have used U S and foreignfinancialinstitutions tomoveillicitproceeds.

Former Chair of the Guyana Gold Board (GGB), Gabriel Lall (GHK Lall)

OutrageatC’Ville

Students accused of using AI

Secondary... to create fake porn video of teacher

Students of the New Campbellville Secondary Schoolhavebeenaccusedof making and circulating a fakepornographicvideoofa female teacher, a matter the MinistryofEducationsaidit isaddressing.

Reports are that at least two students used artificial intelligence (AI) to create thefakevideousingtheface of the female teacher which wasthencirculatedonsocial media The matter was reported to the Ministry of Education.

…MoE addressing matter

Additionally,itisalleged that over the weekend, the students threw squibs at the teacher's house. The actions are believed to be in retaliationtothedisciplinary actiontakenagainstthem.

K a i e t e u r N e w s understandsthattheteachers

at the school are frustrated and have expressed much concernaboutthebehaviour ofthestudents.

President of the Guyana

NAMILCO to invest G$10B in state-of-the-art processing mill

The National Milling Company of Guyana on Tuesday announced that it has invested approximately G$10B to significantly enhance local production capabilities and capacity within Guyana's flourmillingindustry

According to a press release, the investment will fund the construction of a new state-of-the-art processing mill, expanded wheat storage facilities, and an enhancedwharftosupportbothdomesticand growing export demand The project reinforces the company's long-term commitment to advancing Guyana's agriindustrial development and supporting regionalfoodsecurityinitiatives.

“Thisexpansionrepresentsmorethanan investment in infrastructure, it's an investment in people, skills, and the sustainable future of Guyana's food industry,” said Mr Jack Bresky, CEO & President of Seaboard Overseas Trading Group.

“We are proud to partner with the Government of Guyana as we align with President Ali's vision for regional food security and increased value-added production.”

The company, which is owned and managed by Seaboard Corporation, a diversified global agribusiness and transportation company said that the new processing mill is expected to boost local production capabilities, and create

significantemploymentopportunitiesacross technical,operational,andlogisticalsectors.

“Theprojectwillalsoincorporatemodern technologies and training programs to develop local expertise in advanced milling operations,”thepressreleasesaid.

Additionally, NAMILCO is actively engaging the Government of Guyana to explore oppor

commercialization of local cassava flour production. This initiative aims to diversify Guyana's flour offerings, promote agricultural innovation, and further strengthen the country's self-sufficiency in foodproduction.

Further,Seaboardwillalsobeconducting due diligence related to the potential entry into integrated pork production and processing, as well as liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution opportunities, in a bid to diversify and demonstrate its long-term confidenceinthelocaleconomy

“Theseexploratoryinitiativesunderscore the company's holistic approach to valuechain development across food production andenergyinfrastructure—twokeyenablers ofsustainablenationalgrowth.”

The company said Tuesday's announcement follows the successful commissioning of its mixing plant in 2023 which marked a major step toward valueaddedfoodproductioninGuyana.

“Ourcontinuedinvestmentdemonstrates (Continuedonpage16)

Teachers' Union (GTU), Coretta McDonald has called for the immediate interventionbytheministry During a visit to the school, McDonaldtoldreportersthat what has transpired “has gonepastthelimit”.

“Now this here has gone pastthelimit.Letmesaythat I often say children must be children. At this school, we have recognised that the discipline is not there, and thatissimplybecausethere's a teacher shortage, not because the teachers wanted to not be in school, but there's severe teacher shortage, there's shortage of furniture and a whole lot of breakdowns in terms of the discipline between the school and the welfare department,”sheexplained.

Describing the situation as “disgusting”, the GTU Presidentsaid,“Theteachers have decided, look, we are not going to do anything until there is some sort of

serious intervention and so I was called here,”shesaid.

AccordingtoMcDonald, she contacted the Principal Education Officer for Georgetown, and informed him of what is happening at thisschool.

“The parents and the students are at the department,Ithinkthey'reat Welfare, and maybe they're going to deal with it at that level,”sheinformed.

The GTU President has expressedmuchconcernthat the teacher's character is beingtarnishedandcalledon subjectminister,SoniaParag totakeefficientandeffective actions to address the situation.

“Youneedtocomehere. You need to bring other persons here who are efficientandeffectivetodeal withthesechildrenhere,our teachers are prepared to work, but they cannot work whenthey'reuncomfortable.

They can't work when their morale is being thrown out of the window They can't w o r k , ” M c D o n a l d emphasised.

Further, McDonald said the GTU stands resolutely with the teachers and will continue to represent their interests.

“…Wewillnotsitidlyby and allow teachers to be frustrated or continue to be frustrated, because the labour laws speaks to this… howschoolsaresupposedto operate. It spells everything out,”shesaidaddingthatthe GTU will not tolerate a lax approachtothesituation.

“It is not going to happen, ” the union representativedeclared.

When contacted on Tuesday, Public Relations Officer at the Ministry of Education Rehana Ahamad would only say that the matterisbeingaddressed.

PresidentoftheGuyana Teachers'Union, Coretta McDonald

The New Campbellville Secondary School

President Irfaan Ali met with executives of the National Milling Company of Guyana (NAMILCO) at State House on Tuesday.

Global deforestation slows but forests

still under pressure

...tropics lose ground as primary forests shrink

R o m e / B a l i –

Deforestation has slowed in all of the world's regions in thelastdecade,accordingto the Global Forest Resources Assessment 2025 (FRA 2025) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of theUnitedNations(FAO).

Released every five years,the2025editionofthe report was published today during the Global Forest Observations Initiative (GFOI) Plenary in Bali, Indonesia.

Thelatestdatashowthat forests cover 4.14 billion hectares–aboutone-thirdof the planet's land area, or roughly 0 5 hectares per person, with nearly half locatedinthetropics.

In addition to slowing deforestation rates, FRA 2025 highlights further positivenewsfortheworld's forests,whichincludesmore than half of forests now covered by long-term managementplans,andonefifth of forests now being within legally established

protected areas. Since 1990, protected forests have expanded by 251 million hectares, reaching 813 millionhectaresglobally

However, the report notes that forest ecosystems worldwide continue to face challenges, with the current rate of deforestation at 10.9 millionhectaresperyearstill too high — though this marks a significant drop from 17.6 million hectares annuallyin1990–2000.

The annual rate of net forestlosshasfallensharply from10.7millionhectaresin the 1990s to 4.12 million hectares in 2015–2025, reflecting gradual progress towardsustainability FAO's data show that naturally regenerating forests, which make up 92 percent of all forests, now total 3.83 billion hectares, thoughtheydeclinedby324 million hectares since 1990.

Africa and South America recorded the steepest declines,whileEuropesawa modest increase Primary

forests,covering1.18billion hectares, continue to shrink, buttherateoflosshashalved compared with the early 2000s Planted forests, meanwhile, account for 8 percent of the world's total, or 312 million hectares, and have expanded in every regionsince1990,thoughat aslowerpacerecently

T

growingstockisestimatedat 630 billion cubic metres, with forest carbon stocks now

714 gigatonnes — a sign that forests continue to play a vitalroleincarbonstorage.

Intermsofmanagement, 55 percent of forests (2.13 billion hectares) are now

u n d e r a p p

v e d management plans, up 365 million hectares since 1990, while 71 percent remain publicly owned and 24 percent privately owned FRA 2025 also tracks increasing disturbances: firesaffectanaverageof261 million hectares annually, nearly half of which are

forested, while insects, diseases, and extreme weather damaged about 41 million hectares in 2020, especially in temperate and borealregions.

Thereporthighlightsthat 1 20 billion hectares are managed primarily for production, 616 million hectares for multiple uses, and hundreds of millions more for biodiversity conservation, soil and water protection, and social services—underscoringthe

Forests cover 4.14 billion hectares – about one-third of the planet's land area

competing, roles forests play FAO Director-General QU Dongyu, writing in the Foreword to FRA 2025, emphasized that these findings are essential for informed global policy: “

evaluations of forest

condition, management and uses…supportingdecisions,

policies and investments related to forests and the ecosystem services they provide.”

While progress is evident,thereportwarnsthat continued deforestation and degradation — especially in tropical regions remain majorthreatstobiodiversity, climate stability, and livelihoods.

Themessageisclear:the world is moving in the right direction, but not fast enough.

Tropical Storm Melissa expected to become hurricane in Caribbean

(CNN)Tropical Storm Melissa has formed in the Caribbean Sea, proving this year's Atlantic hurricane season won't be wrappingupquietly

The storm could slam the northern Caribbean with pouring rain and strong winds as it strengthens over extremely warm water this week. Melissa's worst impacts could center on Hispaniola, where significant flooding and dangerous mudslides are possible for parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti throughtheweekend.

Melissa was churning about 300 miles south of Haiti with maximum sustained winds of 50 mph as of Tuesday afternoon, according to the National HurricaneCenter.

The storm is expected to hit hurricane status by Saturday, accordingtothecenter,butit'sstill tough to pin down exactly how strongitwillbecomefromthere.

A hurricane watch has been issued for parts of Haiti and a tropicalstormwatchisineffectfor Jamaica.There's a low, but nonzero chance Melissa directly impacts the mainland United States, though details are still coming into focus. Puerto Rico is much more likely to experience someofthestorm'srain.

Here'swhatweknowsofar.

Melissa's exact track is still trickytopindown,buttherearetwo main scenarios forecasters have been monitoring for days.The one looking most likely at this point could spell disaster for parts of Hispaniola; the other could eventually take Melissa close to CentralAmerica.

Both involve Melissa first loitering out over the Caribbean Sea for multiple days this week, churning up seas and bringing nastyweathertoislandswithinthe storm'sreach.

From there, Melissa could take aturntothenorthbylateweekand potentially move close to Hispaniola through the weekend, strengthening into a Category 1 hurricane by Saturday morning. This is the scenario the hurricane center's track for the system reflects.Melissa is the 13th named stormoftheseasonbutisthefirstto churn in the Caribbean Sea. The lack of storms allowed the Caribbeantobecomesoextremely warmthatitswaterisnowbasically rocketfuelforstorms.

IfMelissatapsintothatenergy,

it could explode in strength –something that's happening more often as the world warms due to fossil fuel pollution. Just this year, threeofthefourAtlantichurricanes to date underwent extremely rapid intensification:Erin,Gabrielleand Humberto Melissa could bring more than a foot of rain to parts of Hispaniola.It'sstillunclearexactly what parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti would be subjecttotheheaviestrain,butthe combination of torrential rain and mountainous terrain is a recipe for dangerous flash flooding and

mudslides.

Melissa could also deliver a considerable amount of rain to Jamaica and Puerto Rico in this scenario, with flash flooding and mudslidespossible.

Alternately, there's still a chance that Melissa misses its window to take a northward turn and instead just creeps west over theCaribbeanuntilitnearsCentral America — potentially Nicaragua orHonduras—nextweek.Itcould make landfall there or take a very late turn to the north and head for Cuba The northern Caribbean wouldlikelystillreceiveafewdays of wet and windy weather in this scenario, but rainfall totals would be lower, as would the flood risk, withMelissamovingsteadilywest.

So…willithittheUS?

It's unlikely — though not entirelyimpossible—Melissawill deliver a direct hit to the mainland US. At this time, the storm's most likelyimpacttotheUScouldbein theformofsomeroughsurfandrip currents along the East Coast next week.

Florida could be in play if Melissaremainsaweakerstormfor longerandtakesaturntothenorth later than currently expected. In that case, Cuba and parts of the Bahamas could also be hit with Melissa'swindandrain.

One forecast model shows Melissa dumping a dangerous amount of rain over portions of the Caribbean through the weekend. (CNN Weather)

Smart cameras crack the case

Ranks of the

Guyana Police

Force (GPF) havemademajorprogressin the investigation into the alleged murder of Faynel Brewster,whichoccurredon Sunday,October19,2025,at We s t R u i m v e l d t , Georgetown.

In a press release, police said that CCTV footage obtained by investigators revealed that prior to the fatal incident, the victim's brother was pursued by two men on a black Honda XR motorcycle.

T h e s u s p e c t s ' movements were traced before and after the attack using the Government's Smart City Surveillance Cameras, which provided criticalleadsinthecase.

Following intensive investigative work, a police operation led by senior officers was carried out at Morcourt Square, East La Penitence, resulting in the arrest of two male suspects, ages 25 and 29: one an operator from Herstelling, East Bank Demerara, and a farmer from Buxton, East CoastDemeraraalongwitha 25-year-old female vendor

from the same area

According to the police, during a search of the premises, ranks discovered 50 live rounds of 9mm ammunition and a black Honda XR motorcycle believed to have been used in the commission of the crime.Theitemswereseized andlodgedasevidence.

Allthreesuspectsremain in police custody, assisting with ongoing investigations as ranks continue to pursue additional leads The Guyana Police Force has assuredthepublicthatevery effortisbeingmadetobring thoseresponsibletojustice.

Brewster, 24 was shot deadonSundaybytwobiker bandits who were trying to rob her brother outside of their home in West Ruimveldt, Georgetown. At

...three suspects arrested for murder of West Ruimveldt woman …cops seized ammo and suspects bike

the time of the attack, the woman was in the yard speaking to her boyfriend, KarlSmart. Policereported that while her brother, Moses Brewster, 31 was fighting off the bandits, she exited the yard to see what was happening. Two shots went off and Faynel fell to theground.

Thebanditsfledontheir bike and Brewster was rushed to the Georgetown PublicHospitalCorporation where she was pronounced dead on arrival. One of the bullets, according to police, struck her in the upper right armandtheotherenteredher left lower chest It is believed that the bandits might have trailed her brother, Moses from the Kitty Seawall to rob him of his brand-new Honda XR motorcycle.

He was liming at the seawall with the bike which still had the trade-plates on. Moses also had two gold chains around his neck. At around 22:45hrs, he reportedly left for home. Moses arrived safely at his house and had dismounted his bike to push it into the yard when the two bandits on a black Honda XR motorcyclepulledupfroma northerndirection.

The rider reportedly had on a ski mask while the pillion rider had none. One of them held Moses at gunpointanddemandedthat hehandoverhisgoldchains and the bike Moses, however, refused and chose tofightthemoff.

The deceased's mother, during an interview with anothermediaentitysaidshe cannot come to grips with herdaughter'sdeath.“Ithink it's time that something needs to be done to these young people who coming fuhdopeoplethingfortheir ownthing.”

Brewster's sister recounted that she, along with Faynel and Faynel's boyfriend were together in

Faynel Brewster

the yard when her brother pulled up on his bike. She saidthatanotherbikepulled up behind at the same time and one of the men dressed in a white jersey, snatched herbrotherfrombehind.“He snatch he by he chain here andhepulloutagunandme brotherpushheoffandwhen

mebrotherruninside,hefire the gun. When he fire the gun,theshotketchmesister and then he bend down and pick up the bag and then he fireofftheothershotagain”, she told Big Smith News Watch.

Moses recalled that he left the seawall around 22:42hrs, and did not see anyone following him. It was when he was almost home when he noticed the bandits. “He come off the motorcycle,hiswordwasto me don't run and go nowhere. So, me ain't run andgonowhere,causeIdon waitingfuhhecomecloseto seehowIcouldgettoattack he because if I run I ain't wantheshoot”,hesaid.The brother then recounted scuffling with the men until

themanfiredtheshotandhe pulled to the side. At the time, he didn't know his sister had been hit. Moses saidthathetriedchasingthe banditsbuttheyvanished.

Meanwhile, the A

Partnership for National Unity (APNU) condemned the tragic killing “This heart-wrenching act of violence has once again shaken our nation and broughtimmensegrieftoyet another Guyanese family,” the APNU stated After extending condolences to the dead woman's relatives, the APNU urged the authorities to conduct a full

investigation to ensure that thoseresponsibleareswiftly broughtbeforethelaw.

“This latest tragedy

underscores the growing

hat continues to plague our communities” the coalition stated before calling on the government to take stronger and more decisive action to tackle the surge in criminal activity across the country According to APNU/PNCR “It is time for meaningful measurestobeimplemented to get illegal guns off our streets, strengthen law enforcement, and restore public safety and trust”, continued the parties'. The party further stated that the PNCR/APNU remains committed to working toward a safer Guyana

, especially women and children, can live without fear.

Govt. to spend $412 million to upgrade water supply systems at schools in Regions 2&3

TheMinistryofEducation is preparing to spend approximately$412millionto rehabilitate/ construct water supplysystemsatanumberof schools located in Regions TwoandThree

This was revealed at the recent reading of bids at the National Procurement and

Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)

TheRegionTwoprojectis dividedfromLots13to16and is estimated to cost

$183,069,920 In Region Three, the project is divided from Lots 17 to 21 and is estimated to cost

$229,676,150

Below are the companies and their bids:

Rehabilitation/ConstructionofWater SupplySystematSchoolsinRegionThree.

Bidder Amount Tendered

Tony's Construction

F Khan Enterprise

S&S Enterprise

FRS Investment Inc

N&A Construction

Ramesh Barker Construction

K P Enterprise & General MerchandiseEngineer’s Estimate

$32,912,220

$32,543,370

$32,390,270

Lot17 $33,778,085

Lot18 $33,778,085

Lot19 $33,778,085

Lot20 $33,778,085

Lot21 $33,778,085

Lot17 $47,924,690

Lot18 $49,234,790Lot19

$47,924,690

Lot20 $49,234,790

Lot21 $49,234,790

Lot17 $42,690,340

Lot18–

Lot19–

Lot20 $42,690,340

Lot21 $42,690,340

Lot17 $45,704,230

Lot18 $46,034,230

Lot19 $45,924,230 Lot20 $45,484,230 Lot21 $46,529,230

MinistryofEducation

Rehabilitation/ConstructionofWater SupplySystematSchoolsinRegionTwo.

Bidder

K&JPersaudContractingServiceAAVRagoobeerGeneralConstruction &Unarmed SecurityServices

HKCMachineries

A Mohamed Investments & General Supplies

Engineer’ sEstimate

AmountTendered

Lot13$42,450,100

Lot14$48,505,050

Lot15$50,023,050

Lot16$49,385,050

$43,692,330

Lot13$46,785,200

Lot14$46,697,200

Lot15$46,675,200

Lot16$46,895,200

Lot13$45,154,230

Lot14$46,474,230

Lot15$45,528,230

Lot16$45,913,230

RehabilitationofElectricalInfrastructure toSmithMemorialPrimarySchool.

UN security seat at risk

– reports say Trinidad and Tobago may have lost Caricom support

(Trinidad Newsday) FORMER minister of foreign affairs Dr Amery Brownehasslammedthegovernmentfor isolatingTrinidadandTobago(TT)from therestoftheregion,asregionalreports haveindicatedthatTT'snominationfor a position on the United Nations' Security Council for the period 20272028 may be in jeopardy after its decisiontosupporttheUnitedStatesin military action that have left 32 people dead.

The Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) reported that some regional leaders were not happy with the TT's position Asaresult,theendorsementby Caricom to represent the region in the UN Security Council (UNSC) has reportedlybeencalledintoquestion.

TheCMCreportwentfurthertosay that TT might have also rendered itself ineligible to represent Caricom given Prime Minister Kamla PersadBissessar's statements that the US military should “kill all traffickers violently.”

Browne said, during his tenure as minister of foreign and Caricom affairs, TT earned the unanimous endorsement of Caricom countries and was close to getting similar endorsements from the Group of Latin America and the Caribbean (Grulac), but those efforts may now all be for naught given what theformerministerdescribedasPersadBissessar's “isolationist and exceptionalistposture.

“Our peers within the region were convincedthatwiththeirsupport,ifand whenTTwouldbeelectedtotheUNSC, wewouldrepresentthesovereign, clear voice of small-island developing states that depend on the UN Charter and

internationallawforourveryexistence.

“(However) the nations of Caricom and Grulac have been stunned by the belligerent manner with which the government of Kamla Persad-Bissessar has isolated TT from the rest of the region.

"The statements and declarations of thePrimeMinisterandherministershave takenthisnationfromthestatusofawellrespected non-aligned state to what is now widely viewed as a satellite state whichhasfarmedoutitsforeignpolicy and its voice on the global stage,” he said. HesaidhejoinedwithOpposition Leader Pennelope Beckles and colleagues on several occasions, cautioning the Prime Minister of the graveharmthegovernmentwasdoingto the country's standing, reputation, regard and prospects for success internationallythroughitsstatements.

“We literally warned her that her statements and positions would have implications for TT's upcoming candidatureforanon-permanentseaton theUNSC.”

He described the current situation betweenTTandtherestoftheregionasa “very sad circumstance” to all who worked toward TT's diplomacy and internationalrelations.

“AsoneofthefoundersofCaricom, we have always regarded the regional familyasthebestforumforthecollective advancementofpeacefuldiplomacy,for the distillation and sharing of pertinent evidence, details and information and thereductionoftensions.

“The UNC has now tarnished our reputation of being regional leaders in consensus building toward the peaceful settlement of disputes and avoidance of

conflict, in advocacy for the United Nations Charter, in the uplifting and maintenance of Caricom solidarity and in the universal application of internationallaw,”hesaid.

Browne highlighted the importance of maintaining respectful relations with allofTT'sneighboursasoneofthemost importantattributesofitsforeignpolicy

“Wehavetraditionallyleveragedour diplomacy to ensure such excellent relationsevenwhentherespectivestates had disputes and tensions between themselves,”Brownesaid.

“We worked extremely closely with theUS,ourlargesttradingpartnerandat the same time did not sacrifice our exemplary relations with China, the European Union, India, the nations of Africa, Venezuela, Colombia, the UK, Canadaetc.

“This enviable legacy has been earned by the hard-working diplomats and staff that have represented the externalfaceofournation,underpinned by a strong foundation laid by our first prime minister and relied upon and enhanced by successive prime ministers. This is the mark of a nation that,upuntilnow,haspunchedaboveits weightclass,withasovereignvoiceand principlesthatmustnotbesacrificedon thealtarofconvenience.”

According to the CMC report, the Guyana-based Caricom Secretariat said regional leaders met to discuss several issues including the security build-up and military action in parts of the Caribbean.

Inastatementpostedonsocialmedia on October 18, Caricom heads of state reiterated the group's position of maintainingpeaceintheregion

Gaza truce ‘exceeding’ expectations, US says, despite Israeli violations

(AL-JAZEERA) - US

envoySteveWitkoffsaysthe Gaza ceasefire is “exceeding” expectations despitedeadlyIsraeliattacks across the Palestinian territory with 13 bodies received by hospitals over thepastday

Pressure on Israel increasesforittoreopenthe vital Rafah border crossing to allow desperately needed humanitarian aid at scale into the starving Strip as it agreed to 11 days ago in the truce.

Trump claims Middle East countries offered to fightHamasinGaza

United States President Donald Trump has suggested that several countriesintheMiddleEast have offered to send forces to Gaza to fight Hamas, renewing his threats to the Palestinian group amid the fragile ceasefire in the

territory “Numerous of our NOW GREAT ALLIES in the Middle East, and areas surrounding the Middle East, have explicitly and strongly, with great enthusiasm, informed me thattheywouldwelcomethe opportunity, at my request, to go into GAZA with a heavy force and ‘straighten our Hamas’ if Hamas continues to act badly, in violation of their agreement with us,” Trump wrote on TruthSocialonTuesday Trump did not specify which countries offered to go into Gaza, but he did single out Indonesia for its assistanceintheregion.

“Iwouldliketothankthe great and powerful country of Indonesia, and its wonderful leader, for all of the help they have shown andgiventotheMiddleEast, and to the USA,” Trump said.

Jakarta and other governmentshaveofferedto sendpeacekeepingtroopsto restoresecurityandstability in Gaza, but no country has said that it would be willing toclashdirectlywithHamas.

“The love and spirit for theMiddleEasthasnotbeen seen like this in a thousand years! It is a beautiful thing to behold! I told these countries, and Israel, ‘NOT YET!’Thereisstillhopethat Hamaswilldowhatisright,” theUSpresidentsaid.

“Iftheydonot,anendto Hamas will be FAST, FURIOUS,&BRUTAL!”

Israel has killed nearly 100 Palestinians since the ceasefire took effect on October10.

Trump often issues similarthreatstoHamas.But itisnotclearwhattheUSor any other force can do to strong-arm the Palestinian groupthatIsraelhasnot.

Over the past two years, Israel has killed most of Hamas’s political and military leaders, while also killing more than 68,000 other Palestinians, levelling Gaza to the ground, and imposing famine on the territory in a campaign that leading rights groups and UnitedNationsinvestigators sayisagenocide.

Shakyceasefire

Trump had been hailing the ceasefire, which his administration helped broker, as a historic turning point to bring peace to the region.

Butfromtheoutsetofthe truce,Israelhasbeenkilling Palestinians it claims were approaching areas under control of the Israeli military, which are not clearlymarked.

Moreover, Israel has continued to restrict aid to Gaza despite commitments inthedealtoallowasurgein humanitarian assistance to theterritory

According to the Gaza Government Media Office, Israel has only allowed the

entry of 986 aid trucks into theenclavesincethestartof the ceasefire, a fraction of theexpected6,600trucks,at arateof600daily On Sunday, the agreementwaspushedtothe brinkwhenIsraellauncheda waveofairstrikesthatkilled dozens of Palestinians and fully suspended the entry of aid to Gaza after two Israeli soldiers were killed in Rafah.

IsraelblamedHamasfor killing the troops, but the Palestiniangroupdeniedany involvement, underscoring that the incident took place in an area under Israeli control.

Some US media outlets reported that the Israeli soldiers were killed after they drove over an unexplodedordnance.

Besides the day-to-day issues threatening the truce, question marks continue to hang over the long-term future of Gaza, including how the territory will be governed.

Trump has stressed that Hamas must disarm, but the

Palestiniangrouphaslinked giving up its weapons to the establishment of a Palestinianstate.

On Sunday, Trump told Fox News that there is no hard timeline for Hamas disarmament.

Later that day, his vice president, JD Vance, who is currently visiting Israel, suggested that an international force needs to deploytoGazaandestablish “security infrastructure” beforeHamasdisarms.

Vance optimistic about ceasefire

Speaking to reporters in Israel later on Tuesday, Vance expressed optimism about the future of the ceasefire, saying that the bursts of violence were not unexpected.

“Wearedoingverywell. We’re in a very good place. We’regoingtohavetokeep workingonit,butIthinkwe have the team to do exactly that,”hesaid.

Vance reiterated that Hamas must disarm, but he acknowledged that the processwilltaketime.

Palestinian children gather to receive food portions from a charity kitchen in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza [Eyad Baba/AFP]

Palestinian children gather to receive food portions from a charity kitchen in Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza [Eyad Baba/AFP]

BLUNT BLUNT

End the political games in Region 10

It has now been more than a week since the Regional Democratic Council (RDC)election in Region 10 was stalled, and yet, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dwight John continues to drag his feet in reconvening the meeting to complete the lawful election of a Chairman and Vice Chairman.

This delay is not only unjustified, it is unlawful. The Local Democratic Organs Act clearly sets out the procedure for breaking a tie through second and third rounds of voting. Even Attorney General Anil Nandlall and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo have publicly acknowledged that the elections are not over. So why the hesitation?

Why should the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party be forced to go to court to compel an official to perform his basic legal duty?

Is the business of Region 10 not important enough to warrant urgency? Residents deserve functioning leadership not political chess games. If, as Jagdeo insists, his party has no interest in the region's leadership, then he should ensure that the REO stops obstructing the process and allows democracy to prevail. The people of Region 10 deserve governance, not gridlock. Enough of the political delay—reconvene the RDC now.

Kapp-powered South Africa knock Pakistan out in wet Colombo

ESPNcricinfo - At 35, Marizanne Kapp shows no signs of slowing down. Her unbeaten68off43ballsthat helpedpowerSouthAfrica’s highestWorldCuptotalwas justtheappetisertothemain course, a menacing opening burst that brought her 3 for 20 to knock Pakistan out of the Women’s World Cup. This set up a dominant 150 run-win(viaDLS)onarainy

Colombo night, where the groundstaff miraculously delivered a result that didn’t seem possible at different stages.

SouthAfricasealedtheir fifth win in a row that propelled them to the top of the points table, with one game still to play against Australia in Indore It marked a sensational turnaround from an

inauspicious start against England in Guwahati, three weeksago,wheretheywere shot out for 69 in a tenwicketpounding. With semi-final matchups determined by groupstage standings, South Africa, who had already confirmed their spot, would’ve felt frustrated about sharing points had the gamebeenwashedout.Such

a result would’ve left them third on the table, behind AustraliaandEnglanddueto an inferior net run-rate Eventually,theymanagedto getin20oversinthesecond inningstoconstituteagame.

Sent in to bat, South Africa posted a mammoth 312for9afterthematchwas reduced to 40-overs-a-side with 140 minutes lost to the wet weather in the first innings. Chasing a DLSadjusted target of 306, Pakistan were undone by Kapp’s incredible new-ball burstthatlefttheirfeebletop order in tatters at 35 for 4 in 10 overs before the rain

Wednesday October 22, 2025

ARIES(Mar 21–Apr 19)

Tension may arise today, Aries.It'spossiblethatyou're either too dreamy or too practical to deal effectively with the issue. It's important to strike a balance The toughest part will be finding otherswhoagreewithyou.

TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)

Yesterday's trajectory may runintotroubletoday,Taurus. Your intrinsically dreamy nature is dragging down the action you initiated This conflict could create tension that will be difficult to resolve.

GEMINI(May21–June20)

Try to align your mind with youremotionstoday,Gemini. It's possible that a powerful yet subtle force is slowly pullingyouofftrack.

CANCER(June21–July22)

An emotional issue could be rubbing you the wrong way, Cancer Your impulse is to escape. Try to do so in a healthy manner Go see a movie or read a book. Don't fall prey to the temptation to indulgeinalcoholorfood.

LEO(July23–Aug.22)

Yourartisticsidewantstotake to the airwaves in some way, Leo Perhaps you should considerbuildingawebsiteor becomingacommentatorona localradioshow

VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)

It may be apparent that what was so light and active yesterday is running into a few roadblocks today, Virgo. You're suddenly heading into a brick wall with some of the projects you've been working on.

LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)

There may be dreaminess about your emotions today, Scorpio,whichcouldkeepyou from focusing on the task at hand. The aspects dictate that people may be stubborn and confused-andyou'relikelyto beoneofthem.

SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)

Little voices whisper in your ear and ask you to take flight and join them in the clouds, Sagittarius There's tension between what your heart and mind tell you. They're pulling you in very different directions.

SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)

Recentspiritualbreakthroughs might have you feeling both exhilarated and downcast, Scorpio. Your sensitive side tells you that this is a definite step forward on your spiritual path.

CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)

Something or someone may prod you to take action today, Capricorn. It may be best if you beat them to it and motivateyourself.Breakaway fromtheherdandgowherever youwanttogo.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20–Feb 18) You might experience a great deal of emotional confusion,Aquarius.There'sa debatebrewinginsideyou,and you're having a hard time deciding whether to be practicalormorefanciful.

PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)

It will be a challenge to keep youremotionsonanevenkeel today,Pisces.Conflictmaybe brewing and you might fear it could get out of hand Everythingwillworkout.

11dotsbeforegettingoffthe mark with a slog sweep for sixoffleft-armspinnerSadia Iqbal. That helped trigger an onslaughtasLuusraisedher fifty,her17thinODIs,witha reverse sweep off Iqbal While she fell soon after, Wolvaardt continued to pile on the runs, bringing up her own half-century off just 42 ballsinthe18thover

Shewentinsideoutover extra cover when the spinnerslookedtoattackthe stumps by going leg-side of the ball. And when they attempted to bowl outside leg, she was able to pepper the gaps between long-on anddeepmidwicket.

Pakistan’stargetwasmerely academic; 234 off 20 overs. South Africa’s spinners tucked into the wickets; Pakistanfinishedwith83for 7.

Much of the drama from the second innings came before the lengthy rain interval in Pakistan’s chase. After Muneeba Ali toeended a slog to mid-on off Ayabonga Khaka, Kapp made a statement with the ball. Omaima Sohail was pinned plumb in front by a nip-backer, while Sidra Amin andAliya Riyaz were out nicking to devious out swingers Kapp’s figures read5-0-20-3atthatpointto go with her unbeaten halfcentury, one of three in the SouthAfricaninnings.

Laura Wolvaardt, the captain, had top scored with 90; her 118-run secondwicket stand off 92 balls with Sune Luus setting the game up before Kapp and Nadine de Klerk applied the finishing touches against an attack that looked nowhere near as threatening on a stickyColombopitch.

De Klerk came in to bat with four overs remaining, and muscled 41 off 16 balls from No. 8 as South Africa walloped 72 off the last five overs. South Africa hit 11 sixes in all, the most a team has hit in a single innings in allWorldCups;deKlerkand Kapp alone muscled seven betweenthem.

After Tazmin Brits baggedathirdstraightduck, Wolvaardt seemed in fine nick from get-go, negating any early movement the seamers may have got by stepping out to take the attack to the bowlers. Luus was a bit rusty, playing out

hot on the heels of Luus’ dismissal, but that brought more misery for them as Kapp joined forces with Wolvaardt in raising a 64runstandatbetterthanaruna-ball.

Wolvaardtwasinsightof ahundredwhensheranpast a sharp-turning ball from Sandhu to be stumped in what was a double-wicket over that left South Africa 212 for 5 in 32 overs. Kapp then shifted gears in de Klerk’s company to inflict carnage on a hapless Pakistanattack.

Pakistan briefly found some respite when they had Annerie Dercksen run out

Sports:SouthAfrica312 for9in40overs(Wolvaardt 90, Kapp 68, Sandhu 3-45) beat Pakistan 83 for 7 in 20 overs (Nawaz 22*, Kapp 320) by 150 runs via DLS method.

Curran’s maiden ton puts Zimbabwe Zimbab on top against Afghanistan Afghanis

(Reuters) - Zimbabwe’s Ben Curran scored his maiden test century to help his side to a 198-run lead

over Afghanistan on the seconddayoftheone-offtest in Harare, with the visitors 34-1 in their second innings

atthecloseonTuesday

The 29-year-old Curran, brother of England players Sam and Tom Curran, made

121 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 359 in response to Afghanistan’s 127 all out at the Harare

SportsClub.

Curran, whose father Kevin also played for Zimbabwe,featuredina99r

h Sikandar Raza for the fifth wicket before Raza was caughtfor65.

Zimbabwe resumed on 130-2overnightwithCurran on 52 and he reached his century off 217 balls before beingtrappedlbw

Seamer Ziaur Rahman took 7-97 on test debut for Afghanistan,thesecondbest figures for his country in tests behind Rashid Khan’s 7-66, also against Zimbabwe.

Scores: Afghanistan 127 & 34 for 1 (Ibrahim 25*, Ngarava 1-9) trail Zimbabwe359(Curran121, Raza65,Ziaur7-97)by198 runs.

Ben Curran notched up a gritty ton in 217 balls. (Zimbabwe Cricket)

Host Lusignan

Sports Club d e f e a t e d

Golden Grove by eight wickets last Sunday when theEastCoastCricketBoard NavinConstruction50overs tournamentcontinued.

Golden Grove batted first after winning the toss andtalliedup131alloutoff 28.4 overs, while the home team responded with 135 in the16thover

Opener Stephen Alick led the way for Lusignan Sports Club with an aggressive, unbeaten 61 which contained two sixes and ten fours during his 36ballshowatthecrease.

His fellow opening partner Shazam Ali hit 54

notout.Alistruckninefours while occupying the crease for46deliveries.

The pair put together an enterprising, 102-run firstwicketstand.

Former Guyana youth player Krishna Deosaran also featured for Lusignan Sports Club and was on 7 whenvictorywasachieved.

TerrenceKingpickedup twowicketsfor16runsfrom three decent overs, bowling forGoldenGrove.

When Golden Grove batted, S Mangal, topscored with 29 as seamer Navendra Persaud grabbed 6-38 from his maximum 8

overs and Rajindra Naikbaransupportedwith213(06).

Ziaur Rahman picked up a five-for on Test debut. (Zimbabwe Cricket)

Briton John cops 15-Lap

Elite Race title in Linden

Jon

incentives won by the top finishers were handed out after the various races were completed.

Looking ahead, the third promotion in this year’s Trifecta Memorial races is set for Saturday in Georgetown starting at 2.30pm, outside the Guyana Defence Force,

BaseonVlissingen

d performance win lap Memorial around Circuit Stars attracted G showcasing competition categories.

a overcame take B Although lead, found through powerful main and relentless made just p peloton.

s unable c comfortably while second, third.

collected p dominant day Alex KFC

o Alex

Leung of Continental CC who got second, ahead of Kaieteur

were in honour of cycling legends Hasley Parris, George ‘Speedy’ Binning,

‘Doc’ Anderson, Barry MasseyJr,Michael‘Brother Mike’ Simpson and Samuel Barker Prizes and cash

Ayangana

Road.

United We Stand champion cyclist, Briton John. (file photo)

Hope conquers Dhaka as West Indies prevail in Super Over

ESPNcricinfo - West Indies prevailed over Bangladesh in the Super Over, beating the home side in Dhaka by one run.Akeal

Hosein delivered an imperfect final over in extra time,defendingtenruns,but hekeptBangladeshincheck withseveraldotsmixedwith wides and no-balls Saif Hassan, Soumya Sarkar and Najmul Hossain Shanto couldn’t do the job for Bangladesh, and so, the seriesisnow1-1.

West Indies had earlier scoredtenrunsintheirSuper Over, with captain Shai Hopegettingaboundaryoff thelastball,afterMustafizur Rahman had removed Sherfane Rutherford with hissecondball.

This was Bangladesh’s first tie in 814 men’s internationalmatches.

HopecarriedWestIndies in regulation time, getting the only half-century of the game. West Indies needed fiverunsoffthe50thoverto

completeachaseof214.Saif Hassanbowledtwodotballs before conceding a single. Hope got on strike and even thoughheonlyhadHoseinat the other end - the No. 10 batter playing his first game on tour - he chose to take anothersingle.

Saif punished Hope for that, bowling Hosein between his legs Khary Pierre, the last man in, needed to get three off the final ball, but his top edge spun towards square leg.

Wicketkeeper Nurul Hasan ran for the catch, but he droppedthechance.Healso couldn’t pass the ball on in timetoMustafizur,whowas stood by the stumps, as Pierre and Hope completed tworuns,tyingthematch.

West Indies became the firstteamtobowlspinforall 50 overs of an ODI. The visitors overhauled a record that had stood since 2004, when Sri Lanka plied Australia with 44 overs of slow bowling. Bangladesh topped that tally up with 42 overs from their own spinners, pushing the match aggregateto92oversofspin - another record in this format.

WhenWestIndies’chase began, Nasum Ahmed removed Brandon King in thefirstover AlickAthanaze and Keacy Carty batted solidly during the powerplay, with Athanaze hittingMehidyHasanMiraz over covers, followed by a straightdriveoffNasum.He also struck two more fours, before Rishad Hossain trapped him lbw Athanze missed with a sweep after connecting with one earlier intheover

Carty was Rishad’s next victim when he missed his

reverse sweep, and the ball snuck through and hit his back leg. Debutant Ackeem Auguste swept Tanvir Islam straight to Rishad at square leg, falling for 17. Sherfane Rutherford was given out lbwnext,inthe27thover,as West Indies lost half their sidewith103ontheboard.

Gudakesh Motie and Hope tried to keep West Indies afloat, but they were separated six overs later Rishadstruckwithafullball that Motie went after with a wild slog, falling for 15. RostonChase,battingatNo. 8, followed soon after, caughtbehindoffNasum.

From 133 for 7, Hope added 44 runs for the eighth wicket with Justin Greaves. The latter got run out trying to take a quick single, with Mehidyeffectingadirecthit to get the crucial wicket. Hope handled most of the strike but Hosein struck a six, to take West Indies closer Needingjust14off12 balls, it looked unlikely that they would let the game go intoaSuperOver

Earlier, Bangladesh struggled to get going for most of their innings after decidingtobatfirst.Saifwas dismissed after hitting a six, while Towhid Hridoy and

Shantogotouttopoorshots. Hridoy top-edged a slog, while Shanto got caught at short midwicket, unable to timeAthanaze’slonghop. Sarkar played some gorgeous shots in between a lotofdotballs.

He made 45 off 89 balls with three fours and a six, beforeholingoutinthedeep inthe31stover.Bangladesh were103for5,andlookedin danger,untilNurulslammed asixandtwofoursforhis23, leaving Rishad to do the finishing. He struck three fours and as many sixes in his unbeaten 14-ball 39, all ofwhichcameinthelast2.1 overs of the Bangladesh innings.

Athanaze was West Indies’ best bowler with figures of 2 for 14 from his tenovers,whileHosein,who flew into Dhaka on the day before the match, also picked up two wickets Motie took 3 for 65, his figures spoiled by Rishad’s lastburstofboundaries.

Scores: West Indies 213 for 9 (Hope 53, Carty 35, Rishad 3-42) tied with Bangladesh 213 for 7 (Sarkar 45, Rishad 39*, M o t i e 3 - 6 5 ) West Indies won the Super Over

Rishad Hossain came good with the bat again. (AFP/Getty Images)

Gudakesh Motie celebrates with his team-mate after dismissing Towhid Hridoy. (AFP/Getty Images)

ZoneCALZURIofGeorgetownwinsSeventh-dayAdventists

–YouthMinistriesAshtonAlleyneMemorialAthletics

BySamuelWhyte

T h e a t h l e t i c s championship which is the culminating event of the Youth Congress 2025, was held in Berbice this year, at the Albion Community Center Ground, Corentyne Berbice, on Sunday 19th October

Named the Ashton Alleyne Memorial Athletics

Championship, the competition was hosted by the Youth Ministries Department of the Guyana Conference of Seventh-day Adventists.

The Youth Congress, which is held annually brings together young people from all ten administrative regions of Guyana for a weekend of worship,leadershiptraining, and fellowship under the theme“BacktotheAltar.”

The athletics event

featured track and field events among eight (8)

c

nes representingchurchdistricts ac

he Guyana Conference.

The day’s activity was very competitive with the

teamwork in some events.

The uniforms were splendid andverycreative.

In the end it was Zone CALZURI, representing Georgetownthatemergedas the overall champion with 590points.

PlacingsecondwasZone

WEBPEC -West Berbice Mahaicony, Upper East Coast churches, placed second with 557 points CominginthirdwasBerbice Conquerors from East Berbicewith443points.

Other zones represented included Up All Stars with

279. Salcius came in next with 270, followed by Palbvestzwith245andbring up the rear was Becun with 119.

The March Past competition which is a big part of the Adventist activities was splendid and very competitive. This was wonbyCalzurirepresenting the Georgetown District with 24 as they took the double. Following closely for second place with 23 pointswasWebpectheWest Berbice Mahaicony, Upper EastCoastareaswithUpAll Stars (East Bank, Timehri, Linden,Kwakwani)copping the third position with 19 points.

Theeventwasgracedby the presence of Minister within the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSport,the HonourableStephenJacobs, who commended the

Championship2025

Seventh-day Adventist Church for its commitment to youth empowerment and communityengagement.

Minister Jacobs noted that the championship exceeded his expectations, and applauded the Church’s efforts in fostering discipline,unity,andhealthy

living among young people.

He stated that the government has made a commitment to supporting churches and religious organizations in their youth a n d c o m m u n i t y developmentinitiatives.

The Ashton Alleyne Memorial Athletics

Championship is held annuallyinhonourofAshton Alleyne, a dedicated youth leader whose legacy of service and excellence continues to inspire generations of Adventist youths The activity continuestobeakeyeventin theChurch’syouthcalendar

Eventual winners CALZURI representing Georgetown district and other teams at the march past.

Rhobyn and Rhondell Alleyne daughters of the late Ashton Alleyne, take a photo opt with top athletes after they received their prizes.

Minister within the Ministry of Youth Sports and Culture Stephen Jacobs and other officials at the champ.

Hope conquers Dhaka as West Indies prevail

in Super Over Sports

Briton John cops 15-Lap Elite

Race title in Linden

Kapp-poweredSouthAfrica knockPakistanoutinwetColombo Curran’s maiden ton puts Zimbabwe on top against Afghanistan

Briton John (at center) winner of the Elite 15 lap race in Linden.