Guyana Times - Monday, January 5 , 2026

Back to school: Education Minister offers P11 words of encouragement to students for new term Nationwide coverage from the best news team in Guyana guyanatimesgy.com

Issue No. 6325

THE BEACON OF TRUTH MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

PRICE $100 VAT INCLUDED

2nd Gas-to-Energy project to create new wave of generational wealth – President Ali

WHAT'S INSIDE:

See story on page 2

2 arrested after P9 Police find over 8 lbs of ganja at WCB

P9 Number 75 Hospital Christmas baby dies

GNSC announces historic $1.5B in revenues for 2024 calendar year P14

The Guyana Police Force’s community relations department on Sunday repainted two road crossings at the busy Camp Street corridor in time for today’s reopening of schools (Radio Eve Leary photo)

“All flights back to normal” – GCAA Head after disruptions caused by US strikes in Venezuela

Page 3

18-year-old on P8 remand for stabbing miner to death

– says extra flights in place for affected int’l passengers; domestic flights not affected Page Fire destroys former Page 11 Christmas 10 New Amsterdam Labour, Village vendors Human Services building record $182M

Lethem, Toka farmers benefit from 1st mango shipment P15

in revenue – Tourism Ministry

Venezuelan national dies in Essequibo Coast accident

Page 10

...as more than 2000 lbs sold under Government-led initiative

2 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2nd gas-to-energy project to create new wave of generational wealth – President Ali A

s the Guyana Government continues to pursue an aggressive energy agenda, President Dr Irfaan Ali says that the second Gas-to-Energy (GtE) project that is earmarked for Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne) will be the catalyst to drive a new wave of generational wealth in a bold, innovative way.

The Guyanese leader has been pushing the development of a second gas project in Berbice to support large-scale industrial growth with power plants, a data centre and an alumina plant, among other heavy industries – an initiative that will be separate from the highly anticipated GtE project at Wales, West Bank Demerara in Region Three (Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara).

During an interview with a group of local female journalists and high school students last week, President Ali pointed out that the second GtE project will create wealth while simultaneously positioning Guyanese as industry leaders.

President Dr Irfaan Ali

“We will have Gas-toEnergy Two in Berbice, creating the new wave of generational wealth and revenue stream, whether it’s a fertiliser plant, glass factory, data centres, energy powerhouse, or the LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas), all of that – creating an infrastructure and logistics hub that would drive opportunities.”

“We don’t want everybody to [just] own a sand truck. We want to get these families…the women, to come together. Let’s sit with you and tell you what type of trucks will be needed to move the gas to Roraima [in Northern

Brazil] so you guys can invest in those trucks and you can own the transport and logistics arms of the business. That is what we want.

That is the type of wealth creation. Incentivising the entire system geared towards wealth creation – not in a shy way, in a bold, innovative way,” the Head of State declared.

The Guyana Government has already selected United States energy firm Fulcrum LNG Inc to work in a tripartite arrangement with ExxonMobil, which is operating the oil-rich Stabroek Block offshore, to develop the Berbice gas project.

During the interview,

Works ongoing at the Gas-to-Energy Project site at Wales, West Bank Demerara

President Ali underscored the importance of sustainable investments in the energy sector given the volatile global environment. He said that his Administration’s energy agenda has been carefully designed against the upside and downside of the oil and gas market.

Sustainable investments

He went on to point to the Middle East, where the focus has been shifted now on leveraging their petro-

leum potential for energy and energy-related investments like hyperscale data centres that will power the next generation of jobs.

“It’s about investment in technology and AI [artificial intelligence]. It’s about converting their petroleum into petroleum-based products for home construction, for drainage, and for steel production. It’s an investment in innovation, research and development, because it’s not the raw product. It’s converting a

lot of that excess demand into new forms of production, into energy that drives new industries and new forms of wealth creation.

And we have to be part of that model.”

“Otherwise, we would find ourselves oil- and gasrich but not rich from an economic standpoint long into the future. That is why sustainable, resilient investments are key in the model that we are building.

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3 “All flights back to normal” – GCAA Head after disruptions caused

by US strikes in Venezuela NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

BRIDGE OPENING

BRIDGE OPENINGS

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, January 5 – 05:55h–07:25h and Tuesday, January 6 – 06:35h–08:05h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

Parika and Supenaam departure times – 05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily.

– says extra flights in place for affected int’l passengers; domestic flights not affected

WEATHER TODAY Sunny skies will be briefly interrupted by light midday showers before clearing up again, and clear skies are expected at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 29 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North Easterly to Easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.91 metres.

High Tide: 18:03h reaching a maximum height of 2.70 metres.

Low Tide: 11:36h reaching a minimum height of 0.66 metre.

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F

ollowing the disruptions to several flights around the region on Saturday after the United States (US) conducted a “large-scale” attack in Caracas to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, flight operations in Guyana have returned to normalcy. This is according to the Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field. “All flights are back to normal.

As of [Sunday], all flights will be coming in,” Field told the Guyana Times on Sunday.

According to the GCAA Head, approximately three flights were affected.

These flights were operated by JetBlue Airways and United Airlines – both to and from the US – as well as KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, which flies to Amsterdam in the Netherlands with a connection in the Caribbean.

While these flights were cancelled, Field explained that some flights operated

by American Airlines merely experienced extended delays. Nevertheless, the Director General assured that systems have been put in place for those passengers affected by Saturday’s flight disruptions. “Extra flights will be put on for the passengers who were disrupted [on Saturday]. I can’t say how many at the moment… But I know that one or two airlines have put on extra flights to accommodate [affected] passengers,” Field stated.

Domestic flights not affected

COMMODITIES Indicators

GCAA Director General, Lt. Col. (Ret’d) Egbert Field

All the affected flights were scheduled to either land at or take off from the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) in Timehri, and according to the GCAA Head, there were no disruptions to domestic flights that largely operate from the Eugene F. Correia International Airport at

Ogle, East Coast Demerara (ECD). “But all flights are operative, and we are back to normal operation as of today (Sunday). And there were no disruptions with the domestic operation,” the Director General noted.

In the wee hours of Saturday, the United States (US) military conducted several strikes in neighbouring Venezuela as part of a daring operation that saw them capturing Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, from their home on a military base in downtown Caracas and transporting them to New York to face indictments on multiple criminal charges, including “narco-terrorism”.

Due to the US military operation, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had implemented airspace restrictions for

US-operated airlines in the region, affecting many Caribbean destinations, including Guyana.

FAA restrictions lifted

JetBlue had listed Georgetown among the 15 destinations that were impacted by the FAA mandated international airspace restrictions, which has since been lifted as of Sunday.

“We will waive change/cancel fees and fare differences for customers travelling Saturday, January 3, through Sunday, January 4, 2026,” JetBlue said in its advisory. Similarly, United has offered to waive the change fees and fare differences for passengers rescheduling their flights between January 6 and 13, 2026.

Meanwhile, KLM had cancelled five flights, both

outbound and return, affecting a total of 2,600 passengers travelling to and from Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire, St Maarten, Port of Spain, Georgetown and Bridgetown. On the other hand, Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL), the region’s premier carrier, said there were no disruptions to its services on Saturday and that operations continued as per schedule. The Donald Trump Administration’s early morning operation saw US troops removing the Venezuelan dictator and his wife from their home on a military base in downtown Caracas. Senior US military officials say the aerial attacks disabled Venezuela’s air defence systems, thus providing cover for US helicopters heading towards the compound.

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MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

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Whither Venezuela?

W

e still do not have all the details of what transpired in the wee hours of Saturday morning when a US Delta Force unit, under the cover of a widespread attack involving some 150 aircraft that bombed military locations in Caracas as well and three other states in Venezuela, renditioned its President, Nicolás Maduro.

Initial reports and videos showed that the US F-35 fighter jets were able to evade Venezuela’s radar defences and destroy their anti-aircraft batteries, as well as their clearly outclassed Russian Su-30 fighter jets that were on the ground.

Here in Guyana, which had been the object of Maduro’s revanchist steps to “annex” Essequibo, the government quickly offered its perspective: Over social media, President Irfaan Ali announced, “The Government of Guyana continues to monitor the developments in Venezuela following the capture of Nicolás Maduro by the USA in Venezuela. Stability, respect for law, and democratic transition are critical to the future of Venezuela and the broader Americas. In this regard, Guyana supports efforts that uphold democratic norms and ensure that the region remains a Zone of Peace. The Government of Guyana welcomes the leadership of the President of the US in reaffirming shared commitments to freedom, democracy, and regional security. We look forward to constructive engagement in Venezuela’s next chapter in the interest of all Venezuelans.”

Guyana had faced the brunt of Maduro’s violation of international law in refusing to accept the UN’s International Court of Justice (ICJ) declaration that it had the jurisdiction via the Geneva Agreement to assess the arguments of both Venezuela and Guyana in the former’s border controversy over the validity of the 1899 Arbitral Award. He further violated international law in disobeying the ICJ to conduct a referendum on sovereignty over Essequibo and then sending a gunboat into our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to threaten an oil rig operating there.

His violation of international law continued as Sindicatos, under the jurisdiction of his provincial administration, were allowed to continue his hybrid war against us kinetically, with unimpeded movement to attack our GDF troops.

Finally, against all international norms, Maduro followed up his country’s 1966 seizure of our half of Ankoko Island by constructing a bridge that facilitated the construction of an airstrip allowing the launching of airstrikes against our country. Against that background, our government should not get bogged down in parsing the nuances of international law that may or may not have justified the US action.

As has been pointed out by commentators from all sections of Guyana’s society, including opposition politicians, our focus must be to deal with the strong possibility of a new wave of refugees pouring across our border, as they have done over the past decade after Maduro’s inept rule destroyed Venezuela’s economy. While we may hope for an orderly transition to a stable government backed by the US – which has declared it will “run” the country in the interim – that will revive the economy, there are a welter of challenges suggesting this will be problematic. One arises from the Venezuelan Supreme Court ordering Maduro’s Vice President Delcy Rodriguez to “assume and exercise, as acting President, all the powers, duties, and faculties inherent to the office of President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in order to guarantee administrative continuity and the comprehensive defence of the nation.”

While President Trump claimed the US was speaking with Rodriguez and she was willing to work with them, she has strongly condemned the US invasion and called for Maduro to be released. Most tellingly, Rodriguez also said that Venezuela “will never again be a colony of any empire.”

If she were to remain at the head of a government staffed, nurtured and maintained by Maduro through the prime criterion of personal loyalty, it is quite likely that the US programme to have its oil corporations exploit Venezuela’s 300 billion barrels of oil might run into hurdles.

From our interests, Rodriguez is bad news since she has been a hardliner on their claim on Essequibo.

The Bear Dance Festival (Festivalul Ursului / Jocul Ursului) takes place in December across north eastern Romania, but the most famous festival is held in the town of Comănesti on New Year’s Eve. Dancers mimic the movements of the animal in an elaborate performance meant to ward off evil spirits and bring prosperity in the coming year

Delcy Rodríguez strikes defiant tone but must walk tightrope as Venezuela’s interim leader

By Rory Carroll

I

n her first speech as Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez lambasted the US and pledged fealty to Nicolás Maduro. But the Trump Administration has made a cold calculation: she will bow to Washington.

Rodríguez is a political veteran who served as Maduro’s Vice President and Oil Minister, and defended the regime against accusations of terrorism, drug-running and election-stealing – yet for now she is Donald Trump’s favoured option to lead Venezuela. “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again,” Trump said.

The US President has not ruled out deploying ground troops but appears to want to “run” Venezuela through Rodríguez, who finds herself in charge of a regime shocked and demoralised by the abduction of Maduro yet still in power.

The 56-year-old former labour lawyer struck a defiant tone in her televised speech on Saturday night.

She condemned the abduction of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and demanded their return.

“What is being done to Venezuela is an atrocity that violates international law. History and justice will make the extremists who promoted this armed aggression pay,” she said. “There is only one President in Venezuela, and his name is Nicolás Maduro.”

In a crisis that blends political theatre, military

power and economic calculation, the defiance may have been to some extent performative – a sop to the Bolivarian revolution’s humiliated loyalists, especially those in the armed forces, while Rodríguez consolidates her position.

To stay in power – assuming that is her goal – she must accommodate US demands while shoring up an authoritarian regime that is despised by many Venezuelans. One wrong step could trigger an internal putsch, a street uprising or another blast of US firepower.

Pete Hegseth, the US defence secretary, elaborated on Trump’s declaration that the US would run the South American country. “It means we set the terms. President Trump sets the terms,” he said.

“It means the drugs stop flowing; it means the oil that was taken from us is returned, ultimately, and that criminals are not sent to the United States.”

That implied a puppet ruler of a vassal state, but Rodríguez has some room to manoeuvre. Where Venezuelan opposition figures see an apparatchik of Maduro’s dictatorship, the Trump Administration sees a potential business partner.

A senior official told the New York Times, “I’m not claiming that she’s the permanent solution to the country’s problems, but she’s certainly someone we think we can work with at a much more professional level than we were able to do with [Maduro].”

The English-speaking technocrat impressed

Trump’s team with her management of Venezuela’s oil industry, and intermediaries convinced the administration that she would protect and champion future American energy investments in the country, the paper reported.

For Trump that was enough to ditch an alternative candidate to replace Maduro: María Corina Machado. The opposition leader mobilised Edmundo González’s winning Presidential campaign last year – Maduro ignored the result – and won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Machado dedicated that prize to Trump as she courted the US leader and supported the Pentagon’s military build-up in the Caribbean – but on Saturday Trump said she lacked support and that it would be “very tough” for her to lead Venezuela.

Millions of Venezuelans revere Machado, but she is unacceptable to the military hierarchy that props up the regime, said one informed source in Caracas.

The result, for now, is that leadership of a revolution launched by Hugo Chávez in 1999 and taken up by Maduro in 2013 now falls to a softly spoken woman with a reputation as a flinty pragmatist.

When she was a child, her father, a Marxist activist, died during interrogation

by Venezuelan authorities over his role in the kidnap of a US citizen. That US forces then kidnapped her boss is an irony doubtless not lost on Rodríguez.

A student leader, she studied law in Caracas and

Paris and joined Chávez’s Government in 2003, following the path of her brother, Jorge Rodríguez, a psychiatrist who served as Vice President and is currently head of the national assembly.

Under Maduro she was promoted to senior posts, including Foreign Minister, and became Vice President in 2018. Her bright outfits stood out on podiums filled with military uniforms, but no one doubted her commitment, and her portfolio expanded to include the economy and oil.

Unlike many of Maduro’s inner circle, Rodríguez has not been indicted for drug trafficking or other charges in the US. Trump’s team hopes it has found a market-friendly technocrat who can steer the regime while taking direction from Washington.

For Rodríguez, a vertiginous tightrope awaits.

Venezuela’s opposition leaders, despite being sidelined by Trump, sense opportunity. “Today we are prepared to assert our mandate and seize power,” said Machado. Having tasted military success, Trump seems hungry for more chances to use force.

What is left of the Bolivarian revolution – a socialist experiment that morphed into quasi-capitalism – still needs rhetorical justification. Rodríguez said Venezuela “will never again be anyone’s colony – neither of old empires, nor of new empires, nor of empires in decline.” (The Guardian) Rory Carroll is the Guardian’s Ireland correspondent.

guyanatimesgy.com

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

5

You can send your letters with pictures to: Guyana Times, Queens Atlantic Investment Estate, Industrial Site, Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Guyana or letters@guyanatimesgy.com

A Guyanese view on Maduro’s capture and the Essequibo controversy Dear Editor, As a Guyanese national living in the United States, I must say that the reported news of Nicolás Maduro’s capture is one that I welcome with cautious optimism. As someone who has followed and been affected by the Venezuelan situation over the years, as well as the related pronouncements against Guyana, I view this as a move that is long overdue and one that will hopefully bring the accountability that is required in these kinds of situations, and not to mention, the end of a certain kind of impunity with which Maduro operated for so long.

This is not to say that we should not have due process and standards of evidence to which the Venezuelan Government and United

States officials must hold themselves. Of course these are important, and one must wait to see the next steps and decisions that are to be made.

On a personal level, Maduro has been problematic not just because of the situation in his own country, but for Guyana and the region as a whole over the last few years. In particular, it has become a matter of some importance in the run-up to the March 2 elections in Guyana, where Maduro has been vocal on a number of occasions, even as recently as last week, in asserting that the Essequibo is Venezuelan territory. For Guyanese, this is not just a matter of a jarring or discomforting comment but a baseless and wilfully inflammatory statement against

the entire country. The idea that another state could actually claim or even desire to lay claim to Guyana’s territory is not only incorrect but also an assault on the order and stability that small states require in international relations.

The Essequibo is Guyana, through our history, through the administrative structure, and through the life experiences of the people who live there and for whom it is home. When a neighbouring country speaks as if the Essequibo is part of its sovereign territory, this is not a matter of abstract theory or a meaningless provocation.

It makes people in Guyana nervous, it fosters animosity, and it creates dangerous openings for miscalculation.

Repeated statements of this nature have also been

an example of a broader trend in recent years, where a head of state attempts to use nationalist sentiment and territorial claim-making as a way to shore up political legitimacy at home at the cost of regional stability. This is true not just for Maduro and Venezuela, but for other countries as well.

Territorial assertions and nationalistic sentiments, once stoked, are difficult to contain and have a way of inflaming passions and leaving less space for calm, lawful settlement of controversy. For Guyana, this goes beyond words. It is a matter of the rule of law and the mutual respect for settled borders. It is a matter of the principle that territorial controversy must be settled peacefully and through recognised legal mechanisms.

It is therefore impossible to hear Maduro’s continued claims on the Essequibo as anything other than a false and inflammatory statement and a failure of legal sensibility and judgement.

Guyana has long held the position that this is a matter that must be settled through due process. It is that process and that due process that makes Guyana and small countries more secure from threats of larger, more militarised neighbours or of leaders with an appetite for nationalism and threat-making. When this is ignored or mocked, the entire region becomes less safe.

It is therefore understandable, if not a little satisfying to Guyanese who have been following the situation in the region, that a leader whose words and pol-

icies have been a source of persistent threat and destabilisation should face some form of accountability at this point. On the other hand, no state should be written off, and no person should be denied their legal rights. It is important that accountability is given and taken in the right way, and that will require some transparency of process.

In the end, my hope is that developments like this one will pave the way to a future in which talk is replaced by responsible governance and respect for the sovereignty of other nations.

Guyana has earned the right to live in peace without a periodic renewal of threats to its territorial integrity.

Yours sincerely, Philip Inshanally

From poseur to President to prisoner, Nicolás Maduro Dear Editor, From poseur to President to prisoner, Nicolas Maduro, former leader of Venezuela, was finally tracked down in Caracas, captured, and taken away to the United States of America to be tried in a court of law for narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy and weapons charges.

In a signature moment in the still of the night, the US Delta Force swarmed the Venezuelan space, swooped in low over the South American water and secured the fortress on land, which Maduro and his wife were using as their secret hideout. On a dark Saturday morning at 02:01h, the US Army carried out a sting operation only where eagles dare to capture the most dangerous man in the Western Hemisphere, who had a US$50 million bounty on his head.

The Bolivian State, a country plagued with unemployment, food shortages, military rulership, mass migration, organised crime, drug and narcotics production and ruled by a dictator who recently rigged the election to maintain power, Maduro has been accused of being a “kingpin of a vast criminal network” trafficking drugs in the US that is responsible for thousands of deaths.

Venezuela is currently claiming two-thirds of Guyana’s lands and is embroiled in a border issue, awaiting the final decision by the International

Court of Justice (ICJ).

This country has also illegally occupied part of the Ankoko Island and claimed the rights to the county of Essequibo.

The Venezuelan Government has accused Trinidad and Tobago of facilitating lethal kinetic US boat strikes in the Caribbean that have killed many suspected drug traffickers, alleging that the contentious US operations had murdered its citizens, as Caracas moved to abruptly terminate energy agreements with the twin state.

In the heat of the turmoil, the Guyana Government has summoned its military agencies and assured the Guyanese public that the country is safe and secure. Trinidad has also confirmed that there is no need for any alarm in their country. Prime Minister Kamla Persaud-Bissessar has distanced the twin island presence and participation from any of the US military aggression or invasion.

Venezuela itself has “rejected, repudiated, and denounced before the international community the extremely serious military aggression perpetrated by the current Government of the United States of America against Venezuelan territory and people,” the Government said.

As the world is waking up to the news to greet the third day of the new year, many are flabbergasted, shocked and tense.

Others are rejoicing and accept this turn of events as good news, especially those Venezuelans who had to flee the country and seek refuge in other parts of the world, including Guyana, Trinidad and the US. Meanwhile, France, Spain, Brazil, Russia, China and the European Commission were among those who said Donald Trump had broken international rules after US troops carried out the operation on Saturday morning. The move came amid six months of escalating tensions between Washington and the South American country.

Many Americans themselves are at “loggerheads” with President Donald Trump, including Congress members from both sides of the House. It was reported that the UN secretary general, António Guterres, said the action by the US sets a “dangerous precedent”. The Cuban President, Miguel Díaz-Canel, described the attacks as “state terrorism against the Venezuelan people”.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio reported that Maduro “acted like a wild man” who loved to “play around”. But Rubio emphasised that when President Trump says he will do something, he means it, and the world should listen and not ignore him. Putting America first and taking care of American interests is his priority.

President Trump means business, and he is known to “wheel and deal”. The US

has pursued many terrorists and “got their man”, including Ben Laden, Sadam Hussain and Manuel Noriega, and destroyed suspected nuclear sites. They have asserted themselves as the most powerful nation and are not afraid of any insurgents.

Back home, the US Government was persuasive in restoring democracy back to the Guyanese people, both in 1992 and 2020.

The then PNC and AFC Government felt the US wrath with their sanctions and “step aside” order.

No wonder the mission was accomplished after a “discreet, precise and coordinated” operation which involved “guts, grits, gallantry and glory”, according to the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, General Dan Caine. It was meticulously planned to maximise the element of surprise and minimise any damages or injuries.

The US will “run” the country as it is currently and, if necessary, “with boots on the ground.” The country and people remain in a tense calm as they await Maduro and his wife’s appearances in an NYC court tomorrow to answer drug and weapon charges.

With this “sort of a sanction” on Maduro and his wife, all eyes are focused closer home on Mohamed’s sanctions. Awaiting extradition orders, this issue will intensify with an ulterior vested interest. The PPP/C Government enjoys a close working relationship with

the US Government and has a reputation for “doing what is right”.

President Trump wants to surround the US with good neighbours, to secure American interests and to summon energy supply in the Western Hemisphere, South America and the Caribbean. Will Maduro’s seizure as a fugitive being brought to justice affect the relationship with CARICOM? There remain more

questions, queries and quotations rather than answers, affirmations and assertions in the Maduro saga and the US drama. As the world turns, diplomats, dignitaries, heads of state and international agencies all sit on a time bomb, attempting to anticipate the next move in this geopolitical move.

Yours sincerely, Jai Lall

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

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MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

Foundation ◄

Page

Probability Distribution cont’d Completing a probability distribution with more than one missing value

A bag only contains white, red and black counters. The probability of selecting a black counter is 0.3. It is known that there are the same number of white counters as red counters.

Produce a table showing the probability distribution for the counters and find the expected frequency of red counters if there are known to be 60 counters in total in the bag.

Remember that probabilities are not all the same but still sum to 1.

You have been given the probability of selecting a black counter and if the number of white counters is the same as the number of red counters, their probabilities will be the same.

P(white or red) = 1 − 0.3 = 0.7

P(white) = P(red), therefore each must be 0.35 This gives us the probability distribution for the counters.

If there are 60 counters in the bag, use the formula: Expected frequency = Probability of event × number of trials Number of red counters 0.35 × 60 = 21.

There are 21 red counters in the bag.

The table shows the probabilities for the spinner landing on blue and green. The probability of the spinner landing on red is twice the probability of it landing on yellow.

Find the probability of the spinner landing on red or green.

You also know the ratio of P(red):P(yellow) = 2:1 P(red or yellow) = 1 − 0.25 − 0.39 = 0.36 Share 0.36 in the ratio 2:1 0.36 ÷ 3 = 0.12 This gives P(red) = 0.24 and P(yellow) = 0.12 You could have also formed an equation.

Let P(red) = 2x and P(yellow) = x 2x + x = 0.36 3x = 0.36 x = 0.12 Now you can use the completed probability distribution.

P(red or green) = P(red) + P(green) = 0.24 + 0.39 = 0.63

A 4-sided spinner can land on blue, green, red or yellow.

Materials

•Two jars of warm water •Two jars of cool water •2 plastic trays •Red and blue food colouring •Droppers •Thermometer •Clear plastic clipboard 1. Place a jar of cool water and a jar of warm water onto one of your plastic trays. Add a few drops of blue food colouring to the cold water and drops of red to the warm water.

Notice how the red colouring

By Carl Sandburg

You have been given the probabilities of the spinner landing on blue and green.

Completing a probability distribution using a ratio or equation

Instructions

guyanatimesgy.com

spreads more quickly in the warm water – this effect is called a “convection current”, where the heat in this liquid causes it to mix around more rapidly.

2. Give each jar a stir to finish mixing the colours through. Place the plastic clipboard on top of the jar of warm water, and hold tight to flip the jar over.

With the board still in place underneath the second jar, place it on top of the first jar and ensure the openings of both jars are aligned.

Carefully remove the clipboard from between the jars.

Notice how the warm red water sits on top of the cold blue water – while the colours may mix a little, the two colours should stay the same for a while.

3. Let’s see what happens when we swap the jars around. Repeat step 1 with your remaining jars of water and tray.

This time, flip the jar of cold water on top of the warm water. Notice how the dense, cold water mixes completely with the hot water in just a few seconds!

(Adapted from scitech.org)

I shall foot it Down the roadway in the dusk, Where shapes of hunger wander And the fugitives of pain go by.

I shall foot it In the silence of the morning, See the night slur into dawn, Hear the slow great winds arise Where tall trees flank the way And shoulder toward the sky.

The broken boulders by the road Shall not commemorate my ruin.

Regret shall be the gravel under foot.

I shall watch for Slim birds swift of wing That go where wind and ranks of thunder Drive the wild processionals of rain.

The dust of the travelled road Shall touch my hands and face.

[Source: Poetry (March 1914)]

Write a story beginning with the line “This isn’t what I signed up for.”

WORD SEARCH

NEWS

7

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

2nd Gas-to-Energy project to create...

That is why the incentives are geared towards making Guyana a powerhouse in food production, a powerhouse in environmental services, a powerhouse in climate services, an industrial hub for the Caribbean and Latin America, an agro-processing hub for the Caribbean and Latin America, a powerhouse in ecotourism, and a powerhouse in the orange economy. It is using this phase to power this generational wealth opportunity and to expand the pillars of the economy at a rapid pace,” the Guyanese leader had asserted.

Meanwhile, Berbice is being placed at the centre of Guyana’s next phase of

energy expansion as the country braces for a fivefold increase in national electricity demand by 2030.

Only last November, President Ali had disclosed that the second pipeline, bringing the natural gas from offshore oil fields, would be routed through Berbice before the end of the decade.

“Before the end of 2030, the second gas line must be brought to shore,” he had said while addressing the Fifth UK Trade Mission in Georgetown.

“And that will be linked to the port and the whole infrastructure that will be built out in Berbice. And for that to happen, we will

have to break every single record in the world. It will be the fastest actualisation of a gas line of that magnitude from conceptualisation to delivery. And we intend to break that record and make it happen.”

Ali told UK investors then that a robust, diversified economy cannot emerge without “cheap, reliable, clean energy”, and the gas-to-energy platform, now set to include a separate Berbice line, is the bedrock on which the country’s industrial ambitions will be built.

The Berbice gas line will form part of a massive national energy buildout that includes the Amaila Falls Hydropower Project,

large-scale solar farms, mini-grids, and upgraded transmission and control systems that are linked to the much-anticipated Wales project.

Wales 2026 completion

The US$759 million GtE project in Wales consists of a 300-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant and an NGL facility that will utilise the rich natural gas that will be piped from the Liza Field in the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana.

When completed, the project will see the cost of electricity slashed by half and ensure a reliable power supply.

According to the Head of State during last week’s interview, “We are hoping by the last quarter in 2026, the Gas-toEnergy project will be in a position to deliver.”

With the aim of reaching the extended project deadline, the contractor, US-based Lindsayca, has already moved into round-the-clock opera-

tions.

The Guyana Government had secured a US$527 million loan from the US ExportImport (EXIM) Bank to partially finance the project and has also set aside some G$51 billion in the 2025 Budget to advance works on the project.

At the time of the contract award, however, Lindsayca was in a consortium with another US-based company, CH4.

The two companies have since split due to internal disputes, resulting in Lindsayca Guyana taking full control of the project.

But Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo said last month that the Government has had “good engagements” with the company following the change of ownership on fast-tracking the works in order to have the project completed this year.

This power plant and NGL facility are just Phase One of the GtE Project. The second phase will see another 300 MW

FROM PAGE 2

power plant and NGL facility constructed at the same Wales site, utilising the excess rich gas from offshore.

The Government had issued a request for proposals (RFP) to qualified firms to design, finance, and operate Phase Two of the project, under a 20- to 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).

According to VP Jagdeo, the response has been good, and those proposals are currently under examination.

Phase Two of the GtE Project will play a major role in the Guyana Government’s industrialisation vision for the country. It will be used to power the Wales Development Zone (WDZ) – an industrial and manufacturing hub that will be built on approximately 1400 acres of land where plans are afoot to construct a fertiliser plant, data centres, agro-processing industries, and light manufacturing facilities.

“All flights back to normal”...

FROM PAGE 3

Maduro and his wife were detained while attempting to go into hiding.

They were flown out to the US warship, USS Iwo Jima, off the Venezuelan coast and transported to New York to face prosecution by the Justice Department.

According to international reports, Maduro and other Venezuelan officials were indicted in 2020 on “narco-terrorism” conspiracy charges; however, the Justice Department released a new indictment on Saturday of Maduro and his wife that painted the regime as a “corrupt, illegitimate Government” fuelled by a drug trafficking operation that flooded the US with cocaine. Based on reports coming out of the US, the captured Venezuelan leader will appear in Manhattan Federal Court on Monday for arraignment on a four-count indictment that will charge him with allegedly leading a 25-year narco-terrorism conspiracy.

President assures security

Following the US strikes in neighbouring Venezuela, President Dr

Irfaan Ali had assured Guyanese that the country’s security mechanisms are fully mobilised and the Government is closely monitoring developments in the Spanish-speaking nation. The Guyanese leader had met with the Defence Board, the National Security Architecture, regional commanders, and other senior security officials early Saturday morning at State House in Georgetown to discuss the situation in Venezuela.

“The priority is the safety and security of our country,” President Ali had declared in a social media post on Saturday. Similar assurances were given by the Chief of Defence Staff of the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Brigadier Omar Khan. The Army Chief told the Guyana Times on Saturday evening that the GDF remains vigilant in light of the developments in bordering Venezuela with heightened leadership engagements that were led by Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips and other senior army officials. “Our troops remain

alert, confident and motivated,” Brigadier Khan indicated.

Meanwhile, President Ali has welcomed President Trump’s subsequent announcement on Saturday that the US will run Venezuela until a proper transition can take place. In a second statement late Saturday evening, the Guyanese leader said, “The Government of Guyana welcomes the leadership of the President of the United States in reaffirming shared commitments to freedom, democracy and regional security.

We look forward to constructive engagement in Venezuela’s next chapter in the interest of all Venezuelans.” According to the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces in Guyana, his Government continues to monitor the developments in Caracas, adding that “stability, respect for law and democratic transition are critical to the future of Venezuela and the broader Americas.

In this regard, Guyana supports efforts that uphold democratic norms and ensure that the region remains a Zone of Peace.”

8 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

18-year-old on remand for stabbing miner to death 1

8-year-old Trevon Williams was remanded to prison on Friday for the fatal stabbing of a gold miner during an altercation last week.

The incident occurred at about 02:30h on Monday, December 29, 2025, at Caumeru, Wakapoa Village, Lower Pomeroon River in Region Two, resulting in the death of 25-year-old Nicholas Fredericks, also of Wakapoa Village.

Based on reports received, the two men, both gold miners, are from the same village and are known to each other.

On December 29, there was an altercation between the suspect and the deceased stemming from a previous row between relatives at a function held in the village.

Accused: Trevon Williams

The altercation escalated, during which Williams used a pair of scissors to stab Fredericks at least four times – twice to his upper left-side chest, once to his lower right-side abdomen, and once to his left-side ear.

Williams was subsequently arrested and confessed to committing the crime. He was then slapped with the offence of murder contrary to common law of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, Chapter 8:01.

He appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate Court on Friday and was not required to enter a plea when the murder charge was read to him by Magistrate Ravindra Mohabir and was subsequently remanded to prison.

Williams will return to court on January 12.

The day after…

T

…the rendition

he dust hasn’t really settled over Caracas after those Delta Force fellas plucked Mad Maduro from his highly guarded redoubt and flew him to face the music in the US. He didn’t look so big and bad now, did he??!! But details are slowly emerging that should give us an idea of what should be doin’ if the Yanks wanna render a political type they’ve also sanctioned for breaking their laws!! Right now, they’ve been asking rather nicely for Sanction Man – even throwing in some legal “please, pretty please” – but as with Mad Maduro, their patience might wear thin!!

Don’t forget they’d skirted our local legal hurdles with (Jolly) Roger by herding him to Suriname, from where he was renditioned via T&T to NY by US Federal Marshalls!!

One detail that should be of interest is the US had “turned” a member of Mad Maduro’s inner circle and was aware of every move the dictator made – in real time!!

In addition to the incentive of the US$50 million bounty – 15.2 BILLION Bolivars that would take a MILLION years for an average Venzie to earn!! – there woulda been some kinda arrangement for the squealer to enjoy his reward in America!! Sanction Man should take a very close look at the hangers-on around him – ain’t gonna take much to scrape off one of those scrapes!!

At the international level, some have expressed their concerns about international law and the need for peace, but they should realise that the golden rule of political realism adumbrated by Thucydides 2500 years ago is now openly embraced by Trump. To wit, “The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must”!! That’s always been the position of strong states – with the weaker states trying to raise “moral questions” of what’s “right and just”. To which strong states retort – “Might is right!!”

It’s always been the case – just that Trump ain’t hypocritically couching his MAGA actions as defending “democracy” or whatever high-sounding rhetoric is the spirit of the moment!! Like Churchill “defending democracy against fascism” in WWII – while condemning TEN MILLION BENGALIS to death by starvation by ordering food to be shipped to Britain!! – and Hitler gets tarred and feathered for gassing six million Jews!!

So what’s the lesson for Pressie and his security honchos after Mad Maduro’s rendition?? Get with political realism’s programme!! Because America got the resources, President Trump can speak loudly and carry a big stick.

With Venezuela’s 300 billion barrels of oil, far outweighing our 15 billion, let’s not get too big for our britches but follow the Roosevelt Corollary – “Speak softly by carry a big stick”!!

And facilitate that extradition – requested at this point!

– by the US!! …in Venezuela While your Eyewitness gotta congratulate the US for carrying out their “extraction” of Mad Maduro with such precision – their challenges have just begun!! President Trump says they’ll “run” Venezuela during a transition to a more acceptable regime!! Meanwhile, the Venezuelan Supreme Court late Saturday ordered VP Delcy Rodriguez to serve as acting president. The “transition”, then, can take one of two paths: Delcy decides to go along with the Yanks and remains, or a new election is arranged to give legitimacy to a new Government. Surprisingly, President Trump has nixed Maria Machado’s chances of becoming the Opposition leader who might step up – by claiming she ain’t popular in Venezuela!! Really?? This wouldn’t only come as a surprise to Venezuelans in and out of the country but would help delegitimise any new Government!! From where your Eyewitness sits – as a red-blooded Guyanese patriot!! – Machado’s the best of a bad lot of Venezuelan politicians – all of whom see Essequibo as theirs.

At least Machado has voiced support for the ICJ process!! …taking precautions Following Mad Maduro’s departure, Venezuela’s western and southern neighbours – Colombia and Brazil – rushed troops to their border to deal with an anticipated new wave of Venezuelan refugees. Shouldn’t we – the eastern neighbour – follow suit with our GDF??

The views expressed in this column are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Guyana Times’ editorial policy and stance

Readers are invited to send their comments by email to eye@guyanatimesgy.com

NEWS

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MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Number 75 Hospital Christmas baby dies A

baby boy born on Christmas Day at the Number 75 Village Hospital, Corentyne, has died, deepening the tragedy faced by his young family.

The infant, born to 19-year-old Felicia Narine of Kingston, Corriverton, Region Six (East Berbice– Corentyne), died on December 28, just three days after his birth.

When Guyana Times visited Narine on Christmas Day in the maternity ward, her baby was not by her side. At the time, she explained that the infant had been transferred to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) after being born with the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck

Felicia Narine on Christmas Day after the birth of her son

twice, a condition known as a nuchal cord.

Despite the complication, Narine said the pregnancy itself had been un-

eventful and expressed gratitude for the care she received during labour.

“The doctors and nurses treated me well,” she told this publication on Christmas Day. The loss comes amid profound personal tragedy for the young mother, who lost her own mother just three months earlier. The mother was brutally chopped to death by her partner, who later took his own life, in a case that sent shockwaves through the Corentyne.

Speaking on Sunday, the infant’s great-grandmother, Rosina Ali, said relatives were informed prior to the baby’s death that there was swelling to the child’s brain.

Ali further disclosed

that a post-mortem examination revealed swelling and a blood clot in the brain, intestine, and another clot in the lungs.

Meanwhile, a source close to the family has suggested that the infant’s con-

dition may have resulted from handling during delivery. However, this claim has not been substantiated.

Health officials have so far remained mum on the matter, and no official statement has been issued re-

garding the circumstances surrounding the infant’s death.

The family are now left grappling with grief, seeking answers as they mourn the loss of a life that lasted only days.

Mainstay access road project at final phase

2 arrested after Police find over 8 lbs of ganja at WCB P

olice in Regional Division Five (Mahaica-Berbice) have arrested two males after a large quantity of marijuana was found along the West Coast Berbice public road.

The discovery was made Saturday, January 3, at around 15:45h during a mobile patrol along the Naarstigheid Public Road, WCB. During the patrol, ranks stopped two men who were on a motorcycle heading in the direction of Georgetown.

A search was conducted on a haversack worn by the pillion rider, during which nine parcels containing leaves, seeds and stems suspected to be cannabis were found.

Both the pillion rider, a 23-year-old of Stanleytown, New Amsterdam, Region Six (East BerbiceCorentyne), and the driver of the motorcycle, a 31-yearold of Savannah Park, New Amsterdam, were arrested and taken into custody.

The two suspects, along with the suspected cannabis, were escorted to the

The upgraded Mainstay, Region Two access road

C

onstruction of the $187 million Mainstay access road along the Essequibo Coast in Region Two has entered its final phase, according to the Ministry of Public Works.

The Department of Public Information (DPI) reported that the Ministry said road markings on the upgraded one-kilometre stretch will be completed shortly.

The works include reinforced concrete curbs, an additional 80 metres of pavement, a three-lane entrance, guard rails, improved shoulders and new signage.

When completed, the crit-

The narcotics found in the haversack of one of the suspects

Fort Wellington Police Station, where the narcotics were weighed in their presence and amounted to 3.70 kilograms (8.157 pounds).

The suspected cannabis was subsequently lodged.

Both suspects remain in custody as investigations continue.

ical access road is expected to boost tourism, particularly for visitors to the Lake Mainstay Resort. It will improve connectivity for more than 2500 residents from Mainstay/Whyaka, Lima Sands and Tapakuma.

The upgraded roadway will also provide improved access to the Mainstay Airstrip, strengthening emergency response capabilities for these surrounding communities.

Additionally, the government has invested $139 million to transform two main timber bridges leading to Mainstay into concrete struc-

tures. Meanwhile, the community of Lima Sands is undergoing similar major road rehabilitation at a cost of $438.7 million.

The project has created meaningful employment for local residents, in line with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration’s efforts to promote community empowerment. The works are intended to improve transportation infrastructure in rural areas, particularly where residents have long faced difficulties due to severe potholes and deteriorated road conditions.

10 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Fire destroys former New Amsterdam Labour, Human Services building

The aftermath of the fire, which preliminary investigations suggest was caused by an electrical fault

The three-storey building was already engulfed in flames by the time the fire department arrived

A

fire on Saturday evening destroyed a three-storey wooden and concrete building along Princess Elizabeth Road, New Amsterdam, which previously housed the Ministries of Labour and Human Services and Social Security.

The structure has been vacant since late last year after the relocation of both agencies. Plans were reportedly afoot for reconstruction, although authorities had certified the building as unsafe more than three years ago.

Divisional Fire Officer Clive McDonald said the Guyana Fire Service received the fire call at approximately 21:16h, and two fire units were immediately dispatched from the New Amsterdam Fire Station. Firefighters arrived within five minutes of

the call.

However, McDonald explained that based on the intensity of the blaze upon arrival, as well as videos circulating on social media, it is estimated that the building had already been burning for about 15 minutes before the alarm was raised.

“Upon arrival, the entire structure was engulfed in flames. Crews immediately went into action to suppress the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby buildings,” McDonald said.

The building, which was once two floors and later expanded, was located along a major traffic corridor linking New Amsterdam to the Corentyne, East Canje, and other coastal communities.

The heavily trafficked roadway attracted scores of onlookers as the blaze unfold-

ed, prompting ranks of the Guyana Police Force to cordon off the area and manage crowd control while firefighting operations continued.

McDonald confirmed that an electrical fault has been identified as the preliminary cause of the fire, which originated on the western side of the structure. Nothing was salvaged.

Firefighting efforts were described as challenging due to the size of the blaze and the building’s wooden upper floors, which collapsed as flames intensified. Two large-capacity fire tenders were deployed, while additional stations were placed on alert due to the building’s status as a government facility.

Despite the scale of the fire, firefighters were able to prevent it from spread-

ing to neighbouring structures, including nearby residences and a church.

No injuries were reported, and no one was inside the building at the time of

the fire.

Investigations are continuing.

Venezuelan national dies in Essequibo Coast accident

The truck lies on its side in a rice field after toppling on the Queenstown Access Road

A

Venezuelan national was killed on Sunday after the motor lorry he was travelling in toppled along the roadway at Queenstown on the Essequibo Coast and pinned him down. The dead man has been identified as 27-year-old Isaias Rojas of Annandale, Essequibo Coast, in Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam).

The accident occurred at about 10:46h on the Queenstown Access Road.

At the time of the accident, Rojas and another Venezuelan national were in the tray of motor lorry GAJ 7403 along with the driver and another male occupant in the front seat.

The driver told the Police that it was raining as he was proceeding east along the Queenstown Access Road, and while crossing over a wooden bridge, he lost control of the vehicle.

According to the driver, the rear of the motor lorry slipped off and resulted in the vehicle toppling into a nearby rice field on the southern side of the road. As a result, Rojas was pinned under the motor lorry, which ended up on its right side with the bottom facing north. The motor lorry was subsequently removed from the rice field, and Rojas was picked up in an unconscious state.

He was rushed to the

Suddie Public Hospital, where he was examined by doctors on duty and was pronounced dead at around 13:30h. His body was escorted to the Suddie Public Hospital Mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination (PME).

Meanwhile, the driver of the motor lorry, a 34-yearold resident of Hoff en Aurich, Essequibo Coast, has since been arrested and taken to the Anna Regina Police Station, where he was placed into custody to assist with investigations.

A breathalyser test was conducted on the driver and revealed a reading of five micrograms.

NEWS

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MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Back to school: Education Minister offers words of encouragement to students for new term A

s schools reopen Monday across the nation, Minister of Education Sonia Parang delivered a message of encouragement in a video message posted Sunday on the ministry’s Facebook page, where she welcomed students, teachers and parents into the second term of the 2025–2026 academic year.

Speaking ahead of the start of the Easter term, the Minister extended New Year greetings to families and urged all students to refocus their minds so that they are active for the new term. Special emphasis was placed on the students who will be sitting the National Grade Six

Assessment (NGSA) and the Caribbean Secondary Examinations Council (CSEC) Examinations.

Minister Parang noted that this upcoming term is especially important for these exam students as they will sit their final mock examinations followed by their final examinations.

Students were encouraged to remain committed, to focus and to have the motivation needed to succeed.

“These two terms will be extremely important for you all. Focus is necessary, and drive and motivation are necessary; ensuring that you put in the effort to make it in this final lap is so important.”

Other students, includ-

Education Minister Sonia Parang

ing those returning to nursery and primary school, were also encouraged to embrace the new term, enjoy learning, build friendships and have fun. The official emphasised that education remains the key to success and thus urged students to attend school regularly and to put their best foot forward.

Teachers were praised for their vital role in shaping the minds of the nation’s future and were called on to enter the term with enthusiasm and dedication.

“To our teachers, I encourage you to head out there with all the zest and zeal that you possibly can for the new term, because you are the shapers of our

great minds, which are our children, the future of our country.”

The Minister also acknowledged the dedication and sacrifices parents make to support the educational journey of their children. From daily preparations for school to ensuring they are fully equipped to experience an engaging day of learning. She noted that parents’ involvement in their children’s education plays a crucial role in students’ development.

Minister Parang concluded by wishing all students, teachers and parents a successful Easter term and announced plans to visit schools on Monday.

Christmas Village vendors record $182M in revenue – Tourism Ministry

A

post-event revenue survey conducted among vendors participating in the One Guyana Christmas Village has revealed significant revenue performance throughout the holiday season – something which the Tourism Industry and Commerce Ministry says underscores the initiative’s role in expanding market access and income-earning opportunities for small businesses. In a statement issued by the Ministry on Sunday, it noted that the survey assessed the revenue performance of 100 vendors who operated at the Christmas Village over a 25-day period. Using a

sample size of 41 vendors, self-reported daily earnings were analysed to determine average performance levels and revenue ranges. The findings indicate that vendors earning at the lower end of the scale, approximately GY$55,000 daily, generated aggregate revenues of GY$1.37 million over the vending period. Meanwhile, vendors reporting average daily earnings of GY$250,000 recorded aggregate revenues of GY$6.25 million over the same timeframe.

Collectively, vendor revenues are estimated to have exceeded GY$182 million over the duration of the event. Overall, the results

point to consistently strong sales across the majority of vendors, reflecting notable consumer engagement and sustained economic activity during the holiday season. The data highlights the Christmas Village as a viable and impactful platform for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), including artisans, food vendors, and creative entrepreneurs.

The Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce notes that the positive outcomes align directly with the Government of Guyana’s broader agenda of fostering inclusive economic growth by creating structured marketplac-

es, expanding access to new consumers and supporting small business development. Initiatives such as the Christmas Village are designed to reduce barriers to entry, stimulate entrepreneurship and provide tangible income opportu-

to the Christmas Village experience.

Further analysis will guide enhancements in vendor placement, marketing support and operational logistics to ensure even greater participation, profitability and sustainability in

shared that they were satisfied with their participation. One vendor noted that he found the event successful despite the intermittent rainy weather, while another noted that it was better for him this year than last year. Another noted

nities, particularly during peak commercial periods.

While the survey provides a clear picture of vendor performance, the Ministry emphasises that the findings are based on a representative sample and will be used to inform future planning, targeted vendor support initiatives and continuous improvements

future editions of the event.

The Ministry, in its statement, said that it remains committed to working closely with stakeholders to deliver initiatives that stimulate local enterprise, drive economic growth and create sustainable platforms where local businesses of all sizes can thrive. Speaking on the event, several vendors

that she was kept very busy, mainly at weekends, while another stated that he was pleased that everything sold out at his booth. On the final night of the 2025 Christmas Village, Tourism, Industry and Commerce Minister Susan Rodrigues joined patrons to express her appreciation for the overwhelming support during the season.

12 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Region 2 Police Youth Group hosts children’s party T

he Dartmouth/Westbury Police Youth Group in Regional Police Division Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) on Saturday hosted a party for children in the community.

Held at the Dartmouth Community

Centre, the event saw approximately 55 children, including teenagers, from the Dartmouth/Westbury area in attendance.

During the party, which ran from 16:00h to around 21:20h, attendees were provided

with a variety of food and beverages and participated in what was described as “a joyful and entertaining event”.

The activity was organised and conducted by the Dartmouth/Westbury Police

Youth Group Leaders, Woman Special Corporal 15192 Dover-Benn, Woman Special Constable 17699 Johnson and Constable 26559 Boston, along with civilian leader Davancie.

Education Ministry’s Literacy Dept to launch writing camp initiative E

ducation Minister Sonia Parag met Saturday with some talented young authors to kickstart a permanent, year-round writing camp that the Ministry describes as a game-changing ini-

tiative. Hosted by the Ministry’s Literacy Department, the Ministry noted that it isn’t just a workshop; it’s a movement to turn students into published voices and pave the way for improved literacy and litera-

ture performances across all school levels, countrywide. “It will help you be better writers, and it will also inspire other children to write more and to write better,” Minister Parag told the young writers and their par-

ents in attendance.

The programme will soon begin with 30 young writers, using interactive activities to transform how our students see the power of the pen, the Ministry stated.

Minister Parag engaging with the young writers and their parents

Some of the young authors, with Education Minister Sonia Parag, hold their published books

Parents and their children at the meeting Saturday

The Ministry speaks with one of the young authors at the engagement

13

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Housing Minister conducts community engagements in Mabaruma

Serving brunch to senior citizens from Amerindian villages in central Mabaruma

O

Minister Croal with representatives of the Mabaruma Municipality and the Matarkai NDC

n Sunday, Minister of Housing Collin Croal met with representatives of the Mabaruma Municipality and the Matarkai Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) in Region One to engage in discussions aimed at strengthening service delivery and improving operational efficiency for the benefit of residents.

The engagement comes after he attended a church service and celebrated the elders of the community, whose wisdom and contributions continue to strengthen

their communities.

Among those in attendance at the meeting were Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley, ViceChairman Paul Pierre, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Sewchand, Assistant REO Jason Ramjohn, Mayor of Mabaruma Trevi Leung, Deputy Mayor Leanne Persaud, and Chairman of the Matarkai NDC Keith Parker.

Minister Croal, along with regional officials, had previously served brunch to senior citizens from Amerindian villages in cen-

Citizens Brunch at the St

Minister of Housing Collin Croal speaking at the church service

tral Mabaruma, Region One, during the annual Senior

Joseph

Roman

Catholic

Church.

In addition, the Minister earlier joined worshippers at the St Joseph Roman Catholic Church in Mabaruma, Region One, for the observance of the Feast of the Epiphany, alongside the church’s Annual Senior Citizens Service and Brunch.

The Feast of the Epiphany – observed on January 6 or the closest Sunday – commemorates the revelation of Jesus Christ and signifies the conclusion of the Christmas season for members of the Catholic faith.

Addressing the gath-

ering, the Minister underscored the importance of honouring and celebrating the elderly, recognising them as custodians of wisdom, culture and community values. He also reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to continuing the rollout of initiatives aimed at improving the well-being, dignity and quality of life of senior citizens.

Also in attendance are Regional Chairman Brentnol Ashley, Vice-Chairman Paul Pierre, Mayor of Mabaruma Trevi Leung, Deputy Mayor Leanne Persaud, and Regional Education Officer Annansha Peters.

US must restore law and order to Venezuela before elections – Trump – says opposition leader could only win with his support

P

resident Trump said Venezuela must be restored to “law and order” and economic discipline before any talk of elections, following the dramatic US operation that ended with the arrest of leader Nicolás Maduro.

Speaking to The Post on Sunday, Trump brushed aside questions about backing opposition figures – including leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado – saying none currently command the support needed to lead the country.

“I don’t think she’s got the support of the people that she has to have,” Trump said. “That’s all.”

He also said he was not concerned about the situation in Venezuela drawing the US into a protracted quagmire – as it did in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pressed on whether he would support Machado if she won an election, Trump was noncommittal – arguing that Venezuela’s collapse makes elections a secondary concern.

“We should run the country properly,” Trump said.

About Machado, he said, “She could only win an election if I did support her. But I like her very much.”

“We should run the country with law and order.

We should run the coun-

President Trump spoke to The Post on Sunday about his strike on Venezuela

try where we can take advantage of the economics of what they have – which is valuable oil and other valuable things.”

He added, “She could only win an election if I did support her. But I like her very much.”

The president stressed that Venezuela’s economy is on the brink following decades of plunder and mismanagement by the socialists.

“The country is ready to be – it’s literally become a third-world country ready to fail,” he said.

Rather than rushing into elections, Trump said the priority should be stabilis-

ing a nation on the brink – and that it would be a winwin situation for both the US and Venezuela.

“We should run the country with law and order.

We should run the country where we can take advantage of the economics of what they have – which is valuable oil and other valuable things.”

Trump also took a victory lap over the US military operation, describing it as a textbook mission executed with precision and restraint.

“It was a great victory.

We took care of business.

We had nobody killed, just a couple of guys wounded. We lost no helicopters or jets or

planes,” he said. “We had a complete and total victory – that’s the way it should be.”

Emphasising the danger and great risk of such operations, Trump heralded the mission as a “complete and total victory”.

“You know, you go into these things, and you don’t know if 50 people are going to die or not. And we lost nobody,” he said. “Some people were wounded – helicopter pilots got wounded; a couple of them were hit.”

“They kept that chopper flying. I mean, they were bleeding badly. They were very brave,” he added.

Trump said the operation reminded him of past

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who was captured by the US, are set to appear in court on Monday

decisive moments during his presidency, including the takedowns of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani in his first term, as well as the destruction of Iran’s nuclear programme in June – missions that have defined his approach to national security.

Asked about rumours that Maduro’s de facto successor, Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodriguez, is arming supporters and

resisting Trump, the president was unfazed – projecting calm and confidence.

“I don’t get concerned about things,” he said.

As for Venezuela’s political future, Trump made clear it will come – but only after the country is stabilised.

“Maybe [Machado] should run. Maybe somebody else should run,” Trump said. “But first, we have to run the country right.” (New York Post)

14 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GNSC announces historic $1.5B in revenues for 2024 calendar year M

anagement of the Guyana National Shipping Corporation (GNSC) on Saturday revealed that the company recorded approximately $1.5 billion in revenues for the 2024 calendar year.

This announcement was made at the company’s Staff Social, in the presence of staff and Minister of Public Works, Bishop Juan Edghill.

The management said that the sum re-

corded is the first ever in the 49 years of the company’s existence, which was credited to the operations of the terminal.

Speaking on the milestone, Minister Edghill lauded the achievement, emphasising that while the shipping market is becoming increasingly competitive in the private sector, none can match the operation scale and service provided by the company.

According to its website, the GNSC ren-

ders maritime transportation services to all sectors of the economy, where its major role in the shipping industry is the provision of related quality services to shipowners, operators, and other customers, locally and internationally.

The Guyana National Shipping Corporation was formerly a member of the Booker Group of Companies, trading under the name Booker Shipping Transport and

Wharves Limited.

In 1951, the name was changed to Bookers Shipping (Demerara) Limited.

On May 26, 1976, when the Guyana Government acquired the holdings of Booker McConnell & Co Ltd in Guyana, the entity was renamed Guyana National Shipping Corporation Ltd, under which it has traded successfully for the last 30 years.

Scenes from the gathering at the now historic event

NEWS

15

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

Lethem, Toka farmers benefit from 1st mango shipment ...as more than 2000 lbs sold under Government-led initiative

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armers in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo) are generating income for their harvest after they successfully sold more than 2000 pounds (lbs) of mangoes to a local agro-processor in the early days of January 2026.

This is the first shipment under a new initiative led by the Government to strengthen food security while creating income opportunities for farmers in the hinterland.

A total of 2070 lbs of mangoes were sourced directly from Lethem and Toka village farmers, fulfilling a commitment made

by President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali. Regional Chairwoman Vania Albert told the Department of Public Information (DPI) that as production expands, additional shipments will be made.

Additionally, effort is already being taken to co-

ordinate future deliveries.

Albert noted that plans are in place to include other villages across the region so that more families can benefit from the initiative.

“Once they are producing these fruits, mangoes, they will be benefiting directly,” she assured.

“This will at least help our farmers in terms of their livelihoods and then help them to earn income when the day comes,” she said.

The Governmentled initiative addresses a long-standing challenge faced by farmers in the hinterland, where produce often goes to waste due to limited and unreliable access to markets for perishable produce during peak seasons.

President Ali stated that the Government, via the Ministry of Agriculture, will help farmers find markets so they can earn an income to support their

The first shipment of mangoes from the region

families by increasing agricultural production.

The Agriculture Ministry is already working with the Region Nine Regional Democratic Council and agro-processor to coordinate another shipment to ensure steady and reliable supplies throughout the mango season.

In July of 2025, during an engagement with South Rupununi communities in Aishalton Village, President Ali announced that the Government plans to create a National Food Hub in Region Nine (Upper Takutu-Upper Essequibo), unlocking the region’s immense agricultural potential.

Region Nine is poised for massive development as the Government moves to further advance its agricultural sector through similar initiatives such as agro-processing, cold storage and transportation to access markets.

Rubio explains how US might “run” Venezuela after Maduro’s capture U

nited States (US) Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday appeared to backtrack on President Donald Trump’s claim that the US will “run” Venezuela after US forces on Saturday captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and hauled him to the US. Asked for details on how the US plans to run Venezuela, Rubio said the US would use leverage gained from its oil blockade on the country and regional military build-up to achieve its policy aims. He did not say the US would directly govern Venezuela.

The US in recent months has seized tankers associated with the country and moved military ships and warplanes into the Caribbean. “What’s going to happen here is we have a quarantine on their oil; that means their economy will not be able to move forward until the conditions that are in the national interest of the United States and the in-

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks as US President Donald Trump stands behind him during a press conference following a US strike on Venezuela where President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured, from Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida, US, January 3, 2026

terests of the Venezuelan people are met, and that’s what we intend to do,” Rubio said on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos”.

“That leverage remains, that leverage is ongoing, and we expect that it’s going to lead to results here,” Rubio said. Trump

said on Saturday the US would “run the country until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition.”

The comments sparked a firestorm of criticism from Trump’s adversaries and some allies, who warned against a nation-building exercise in

Venezuela. “We have learnt through the years when America tries to do regime change and nation building in this way, the American people pay the price in both blood and dollars,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, said on ABC on Sunday.

Venezuelan Vice President

(VP) Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as president following Maduro’s capture.

Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, arrived in New York on Saturday night to face charges related to drug trafficking. Rubio’s comments suggest that the US will take a softer approach with Venezuela than Trump’s initial suggestion of ruling the country with a “group”. Though Rubio said Trump still may take further military action to achieve US goals.

Asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about further military action in Venezuela, Rubio said Trump “retains all his optionality.” Rubio also extrapolated on the US’s aims with Venezuela’s oil reserves. Trump on Saturday said the US is “going to have our very large United States oil companies – the biggest anywhere in the world – go in, spend billions of dollars, and fix the badly broken infrastructure, the oil infrastructure.”

Venezuela sits on the largest proven oil reserves in the world.

“Ultimately, this is not about securing the oil fields; this is about ensuring that no sanctioned oil can come in and out until they make changes to the governance of that entire industry,” Rubio said on ABC. “The way to address it to the benefit of the Venezuelan people is to get private companies that are not from Iran or somewhere else to go in and invest in the equipment.” Rubio said he has not spoken to specific US oil companies about the prospect of starting business in Venezuela.

Currently, only Chevron operates in the country.

“We’re pretty certain that there will be dramatic interest from Western companies,” Rubio said. Rubio said Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and Energy Secretary Chris Wright will be “taking an assessment and speaking to some of these companies.”

(Source: CNBC)

16 NEWS

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

GNBS records major achievements in 2025; unveils expanded vision for 2026

A micropipette being calibrated by the GNBS Industrial Metrology and Testing Dept

T

he Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) said that it has concluded a successful 2025 with notable achievements across its certification, compliance, standardisation, metrology and business development programmes, while positioning itself for major expansion in 2026.

In a press release the bureau reflected on its 2025 activities, noting that it had certified 30 companies, which include six new laboratories certified under the GNBS Laboratory Certification Programme to ensure reliable medical and non-medical testing services.

The certified companies also included 15 Made in Guyana-certified businesses, allowing them to use the GNBS-approved mark on their locally manufactured products. Meanwhile, two new gold jewellers and one bed and breakfast provider were certified by GNBS under the Product Certification

and Bed and Breakfast Programmes, respectively, it added.

Additionally, in 2025, for the first time, six companies were awarded the new GYS 901 certification, which helps businesses to improve the quality of their management systems. The programme is based on the National Standard GYS 901:2024 – Requirements for a Quality Management System for Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs).

In the area of training, the release highlighted that a total of 949 stakeholders from the public and private sectors were trained by the GNBS on the application of standards to improve their companies and businesses.

The Business Development Department, through its Technical Assistance programme, also assisted 38 companies in improving their operations to meet the requirements of national and international standards.

For Standards Development, as the National Standards Body (NSB), GNBS continued to develop standards for the various sectors. 13 New Work Item Proposals were approved by the National Standards Council (NSC) to develop standards aimed at improving consumer products, cooking appliances, foods and jewellery.

This amount is expected to increase in 2026 with the implementation of the National Standardisation Strategy (NSS), which was completed in 2025. The NSS is a strategic roadmap through which the GNBS will be developing or adopting standards to support trade facilitation, environmental stewardship, and technological advancement.

In the areas of measurement calibration and testing, the demand for these services increased during 2025. The GNBS Industrial Metrology and Testing (IMT) Department completed over 2500 calibrations and 1204 tests, supporting accuracy and reliability across sectors such as manufacturing, construction, and energy.

The owners of three businesses certified under the GYS 901 certification programme. (L-R) GNBS ED Trevor Bassoo, Minister of Tourism Industry and Commerce Hon Susan Rodrigues, proprietors of Qualitest Training School, Maliyah’s Kitchen and Evolve Business Solutions and Prime Minister Brig. Mark Phillips

711 verifications of pre-packaged goods were conducted countrywide this year.

Meanwhile, a total of 1663 vendors and retailers were sensitised on the use of metric units. The Bureau also verified 43 speed cameras in Regions Three and Four, and successfully witnessed 233 crude oil lifts.

Community engagement

President’s Award from the Guyana Manufacturing and Services Association (GMSA) for its contribution to strengthening local manufacturing capacity and advancing excellence across industries.

Educational outreaches continued through 19 school engagements, reaching 1244 secondary and tertiary students, who were educated on

Consumer protection

To protect consumers from substandard products, under its Product Compliance Programme, GNBS continued to play a key role in monitoring several products, imported and locally manufactured.

The Product Compliance Department significantly expanded its monitoring activities, conducting 9541 inspections, covering 24,936,460 products during 2025. This ensured that several categories of products entering and circulating in the local market were meeting established labelling and quality requirements.

In legal metrology, to ensure measurement accuracy in trade and law enforcement, 38,367 verifications of measuring instruments and

The breathalyser is being verified by the GNBS

GNBS hosted its fifth National Quality Awards (NQA) in 2025, attracting over 100 participants, the largest turnout to date, and establishing it as the biggest event of its kind in the CARICOM Region. Thirtyfive local companies were awarded. Meanwhile, the GNBS also received the

GNBS functions, career opportunities, the importance of the International System of Units (metric system) and more.

Beyond the delivery of its services, GNBS remained committed to community engagement. Through its “Like and Share” social media competition, three par-

ticipants were awarded cash and other prizes. The Bureau also hosted a Christmas tree light-up, welcoming children from the Joshua House Children’s Centre, employees’ families, and guests for an evening of gifts, treats, and holiday cheer.

2026 initiatives

The Bureau will pursue continued growth through the expansion of its services to support emerging technologies and industries. Planned initiatives include the verification of electric vehicle charging stations, further strengthening of the Made in Guyana Certification Programme, implementation of the National Standardisation Strategy, and the introduction of new calibration and testing services.

Through these efforts, the GNBS will reaffirm its commitment to quality, safety, transparency, and national development, ensuring that Guyana’s products, services, and systems continue to meet recognised standards at home and abroad.

For more information on GNBS services and initiatives, visit www.gnbsgy. org, follow GNBS on social media, call 219-0062–66, or WhatsApp 692-4627.

The end of Christmas depends on which tradition you follow

O

nce Christmas Day and Twixmas (the period of time between Christmas and New Year) have passed, many of us turn our attention to tidying the house and packing away the festive decor – from the tree itself to wreaths, lights and garlands. But when should you actually take your Christmas tree down?

There’s often confusion (and plenty of debate) about the correct timing, yet you shouldn’t be tempted to dismantle everything too soon.

Tradition says your decorations should stay up a little longer than you might ex-

pect.

Twelfth Night

Christian tradition dating back to the fourth century marks Twelfth Night – the end of Christmas and the eve of the Epiphany – as the moment to take down your Christmas tree and pack away festive decorations. That means you can enjoy the twinkling lights a little longer, as Twelfth Night falls on either Monday 5 or Tuesday 6 January 2026, depending on which tradition you follow. However, there is a warning attached: leaving decorations up beyond

this point is said to bring bad luck. After Advent – the four-week period leading up to Christmas that marks preparation for the birth of Jesus – Christmas itself traditionally begins on Christmas Day and lasts for 12 days, finishing on the evening of January 5, known as Twelfth Night.

Epiphany, celebrated on January 6, marks the visit of the Magi – the Three Kings or Wise Men – to baby Jesus in Bethlehem, bearing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. The Church of England observes Twelfth Night on January 5, with the season of Epiphany

running from January 6 to February 2. However, some traditions count the 12 days after Christmas Day, making January 6 the Twelfth Night instead – which is where much of the confusion comes from.

“Twelfth Night is the night before Epiphany and is the night, tradition says, when Christmas decorations should be taken down,” said a Church of England spokesperson. “Epiphany, on the other hand, is the day when the Church, theologically, marks the arrival of the wise men to give their gifts to the baby Jesus: the day when some will add the

wise men to their nativity scenes.”

New Year’s Eve

Another, perhaps lesser-known, tradition suggests taking your Christmas tree down on New Year’s Eve (December 31) – and crucially, before midnight.

For the superstitious, keeping decorations up beyond this point is thought to invite bad luck in the year ahead, making it a firm cutoff for those keen to start January with a clean slate.

Candlemas

Candlemas is a long-standing tradition of

the Roman Catholic Church and, in mediaeval England, marked the official end of the Christmas season.

Observed on February 2 each year – exactly 40 days after Christmas – Candlemas commemorates the presentation of Jesus at the Temple and the purification of the Virgin Mary. The name comes from the blessing of the Church’s candles for the year, a ritual that symbolised light returning to the world. Traditionally, Christmas decorations were kept up until the evening before Candlemas, making it the very latest date to finally pack everything away.

FEATURE

17

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026 | GUYANATIMESGY.COM

HEALTH TIPS

Preventive Health Check-Ups Can Save Your Life ly.

The most dangerous part is that many of these diseases are silent in their early stages. A person can feel perfectly fine while their blood pressure damages the heart, diabetes slowly destroys the kidneys, or cancer grows unnoticed.

When symptoms finally appear, the disease is often already advanced.

Dr Tariq Jagnarine Fam Med, Endocrinology/ Diabetes

I

n Guyana, many people only go to the doctor when they are already very sick. We wait until the pain becomes unbearable, until we collapse, until we cannot walk, see properly, or breathe comfortably. By that time, the illness is no longer small; it is serious, complicated, and sometimes life-threatening. Preventive health check-ups are visits to a health facility when you feel well, not when you are sick. Their purpose is simple: to find problems early, before they cause permanent damage to your body, your income, or your family’s well-being.

Yet, preventive care is still not a routine habit for many Guyanese.

Why This Matters in Guyana

Guyana is facing two major health challenges at the same time: 1. Infectious diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis, dengue, malaria, and hepatitis still affect many communities.

2. Chronic non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and cancer, are rising rapid-

What Doctors See Every Day

Across Guyana, doctors and nurses see the same heartbreaking situations repeatedly: • People arriving with a stroke, never knowing they had high blood pressure.

• People are losing toes, feet, or legs because diabetes was discovered too late.

• People diagnosed with HIV very late, already severely ill.

• People finding out they have advanced cancer when treatment options are limited.

• Families suddenly facing dialysis, disability, or death.

Many of these outcomes could have been prevented or delayed through early check-ups.

Key Facts Everyone Should Know • About 1 in 3 adults in Guyana has high blood pressure • Many people with diabetes do not know they have it.

• Heart disease and stroke are among the leading causes of death.

• Late diagnosis contributes significantly to deaths from HIV and cancer.

• Chronic illness costs a family’s money, productivity, and independence These are not rare events; they are everyday

realities.

Why People Avoid Preventive Care

Common reasons include: • “I feel fine, so I don’t need to check.”

• Fear of hearing bad news • No time because of work or family • Thinking clinics are only for sick people.

• Men feel routine care makes them look weak.

• Belief that starting medication means lifelong illness.

The truth is this:

👉 Finding a problem early gives you control. Finding it late takes control away.

Who Should Get Regular Check-Ups?

Everyone should.

But especially:

• Adults 30 years and older • Anyone with a family history of diabetes, pressure, heart disease, or cancer • Overweight individuals • Smokers and regular alcohol users • Physically inactive People • Men, who often delay seeking care.

• Women planning pregnancy or already pregnant.

• People living with HIV. • Anyone who has not seen a doctor in over a year.

Why Waiting for Symptoms Is Dangerous

Many serious diseases do not cause early symptoms, including: • High blood pressure • Early diabetes • High cholesterol • Early kidney disease • Cervical, breast, and prostate cancer Waiting for pain or discomfort often means waiting too long.

Your Personal Health Check-Up Guide THE HEALTH CHECKLIST: What Every Adult Should Check Each Year

If you have not checked most of these in the past year, it is time to visit a health facility. ✔ Blood Pressure High blood pressure causes stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure, and often has no warning signs. ✔ Blood Sugar (Diabetes Test) Early diabetes damages the eyes, kidneys, and nerves silently. ✔ Weight and Waist Size Excess body weight increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and joint

problems. ✔ HIV and STI Testing (Voluntary & Confidential) Early testing protects you and your partner and allows early treatment. ✔ Cholesterol (When Recommended) High cholesterol silently blocks blood vessels and leads to heart disease. ✔ Cancer Screening (Based on Age and Sex) • Women: Cervical and breast screening • Men: Prostate screening (as advised) ✔ Lifestyle Review • Diet and physical activity • Alcohol and smoking • Sleep and stress • Sexual health If you can’t remember your last check, assume it’s overdue. ✅ Do’s of Preventive Health Care • DO get a routine check-up at least once a year.

• DO check blood pressure and blood sugar regularly.

• DO be honest with your healthcare provider; they are there to help, not judge.

• DO take medications exactly as prescribed.

• DO return for test results and follow-up visits.

• DO encourage your family and friends to get checked.

• DO keep a simple record of your health results. ❌ Don’t of Preventive Health Care • DON’T wait until pain or collapse forces you to seek care.

• DON’T stop medication because you “feel better.”

• DON’T ignore abnormal test results.

• DON’T rely on advice from friends or social media instead of professionals.

• DON’T fear testing, early knowledge saves lives.

• DON’T think preventive care is only for the elderly.

Treatment Is Easier When Problems Are Found Early

Early care often means: • Lifestyle changes • One or two medications • Monitoring instead of hospitalization • Staying active, working, and independent Late care often means: • Hospital admission • Surgery or dialysis • Disability • Loss of income • Dependence on others

What Happens If Preventive Care Is Ignored?

Possible complications include: • Stroke and paralysis • Heart attack and sudden death • Kidney failure requiring dialysis.

• Blindness • Amputation • Advanced cancer • Premature death These outcomes are often preventable.

A Special Message to Men

Strength is not avoiding the doctor. Strength is staying alive and healthy for your family. Real men check their health.

You do not need to be sick to see a doctor. You do not need pain to prove something is wrong. Preventive health care saves lives, money, and families. Check early. Act early. Live longer.

18

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

guyanatimesgy.com

Regional

Caribbean airspace curbs lifted Venezuela’s interim Government united behind Maduro after US capture after US attack on Venezuela – Large part of President’s security team killed in US action - Venezuela defence minister

A

top Venezuelan official declared on Sunday that the country’s Government would stay unified be-hind President Nicolas Maduro, whose capture by the United States has sparked deep uncertainty about what is next for the oil-rich South American nation.

Maduro is in a New York detention centre awaiting a Monday court appearance on drug charges, after US President Donald Trump ordered his removal from Venezuela and said the US would take control of the country. But in Caracas, top officials in Maduro’s Government, who have called the detentions of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, a kidnapping, were still in charge.

“Here, the unity of the revolutionary force is more than guaranteed, and here there is only one Presi-dent, whose name is Nicolas Maduro Moros. Let no one fall for the enemy’s provocations,” Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said in an audio shared by the ruling PSUV socialist party on Sunday as he urged calm.

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez – who also serves as oil minister – has taken over as interim leader with the blessing of Venezuela’s top court, though she has said Maduro remains President.

Because of her connections with the private sector and deep knowledge of oil, the

Fire at Fuerte Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, is seen from a distance after a series of ex-plosions in Caracas on January 3, 2026

Vice President Delcy Rodriguez

country’s top source of revenue, Rodriguez has long been considered the most pragmatic member of Maduro’s inner circle. But she has publicly contradicted Trump’s claim she is willing to work with the United States.

Trump said Rodriguez may pay a bigger price than Maduro “if she doesn’t do

what’s right,” according to an interview with The Atlantic magazine on Sunday.

The US President defended his decision to take Maduro by force, telling the magazine, “You know, re-building there and regime change, or anything you want to call it, is better than what you have right now. Can’t get any worse.”

Meanwhile, also on Sunday morning, Venezuelan Defence Minister General Vladimir Padrino said in a televised statement that a large part of captured President Nicolas Maduro’s security team was killed in the US raid that led to the leader’s Saturday capture.

Padrino did not give an exact figure of casualties but backed the declaration of Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as interim President and said the armed forces have been activated across the country to guarantee sovereignty.

(Source: Reuters)

Bahamas jails American ATM fraudster for 3 years

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n American visitor who stole just over $100,000 from Bahamas bank machines in transactions span-ning eight days last summer has been sentenced to three years behind bars.

Derek Telles, 38, of California, pleaded guilty in the Supreme Court in October to stealing $100,070 – along with possessing the proceeds of crime, converting criminal property and transferring criminal property.

The court heard yesterday that $72,000 remained unaccounted for from his scheme, while $15,009 was recovered by the Police and $10,000 was transferred off the island by the accused.

Telles spent $3007 on several luxury items during the spree.

Puisne Judge Juan Wolffe said Telles showed no remorse for his actions, noting that he had informed the court that the stolen funds would be covered by insurance.

Justice Wolffe said, “It seemed as if the defendant justified his conduct, particularly in attempting to con-

vince the court that he did not cause any damage to Bermuda.”

He highlighted that Telles embarked on fraud within hours of landing on the island on May 27, 2025 – continuing until June 5.

Justice Wolffe said Telles appeared “organised and focused in this nefarious activity”.

The court heard that the defendant was uncooperative with the Police after he was apprehended – re-fusing to provide information about an unknown person who had dropped off a suitcase at the office of Bruce Swan, his lawyer.

A search of the luggage revealed about $12,000 in cash, along with luxury bags, perfumes, an iPhone and an Apple Watch, among other items.

Justice Wolffe sentenced Mr Telles to three years’ imprisonment for theft and two years for each of his other offences, with the sentences to run concurrently and time in custody taken into account.

Justice Wolffe also ordered that Telles divulge to author-

ities, within 30 days, whether he sent any addi-tional stolen monies out of Bermuda and, if so, by what means.

He said he had considered the defendant’s early guilty plea, along with his lack of prior convictions in Bermuda, but could offer no sympathy on the impact to Telles’s family from his incarceration abroad.

He added, “The defendant should have thought about his family when he got on a plane from Califor-nia to travel all the way to Bermuda to commit the offences.”

He said the defendant’s wife had informed the court she was facing financial hardship.

However, Justice Wolffe noted that the defendant had spent stolen money on several luxury items.

“These are not items that convey that his family had financial hardship,” he said.

During the trial, the court heard that images of a suspect were recovered from cameras at HSBC auto-mated teller machines. (Source: The Royal Gazette)

Passengers sleep on the floor after flights were delayed and cancelled at Rafael Hernandez Internation-al Airport in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, when the airspace was closed due to US strikes on Venezuela

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he United States advised airlines on Saturday that its Caribbean airspace curbs would expire at midnight ET (05:00h GMT) and flights could resume as schedules are quickly updated, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said.

The comments on X followed the cancellation of hundreds of flights by major airlines after the US attack on Venezuela and the capture of its President, Nicolas Maduro.

Key carriers United Airlines, American Airlines, Spirit and Delta were readying to resume flights to the Caribbean by Sunday.

In a statement, United said a flight to San Juan in Puerto Rico was planned for Saturday night, adding, “We expect to operate most scheduled flights to the region for Sunday.”

Delta Air Lines expects to fly its normal Caribbean schedule on Sunday, it said in a statement, but ad-justed to reposition resources.

American Airlines said in a statement that it was preparing for the Eastern Caribbean airspace to reopen Sunday and had added more than 3700 extra seats to and from the region on top of resuming sched-uled service.

It said it was operat-

ing extra flights and deploying larger aircraft, including widebodies, to “add as much lift as possible” to help customers affected by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) mandated closure.

Spirit Airlines said in an emailed statement that it had resumed flights to and from the Caribbean on January 4, following the expiration of the FAA’s airspace closure directive.

Even after the removal of curbs, however, airlines will need several days to restore normal operations, said airline analyst Robert Mann, adding, “They have a day’s worth of passengers, basically,” already stranded in the Caribbean.

American Airlines, Delta, United, Frontier Airlines, Spirit Airlines and JetBlue Airways began cancel-ling flights, in line with FAA airspace closures in the Caribbean.

JetBlue cancelled 215 flights, an airline spokesperson said. The company said on Sunday it would resume normal operations.

In a notice to airmen, the FAA said it closed the airspace to US carriers “due to safety-of-flight risks as-sociated with ongoing military activity.”

In other security notices for non-US air carriers, the agency warned them away

from Venezuelan air-space.

It cautioned British operators against “potential risk from anti-aircraft weaponry and heightened mili-tary activity” if flying within 160 km of Venezuelan airspace.

The FAA declined further comment.

Several European and South American airlines also cancelled flights.

The curbs would be lifted “when appropriate”, Duffy had said in a post on X. American military activity near Venezuela led to a near mid-air crash in November between a JetBlue airliner and a US aerial refuelling tanker, media said.

Several carriers waived change fees and fare differences for customers affected by the closures if they postponed travel.

Air Canada said its Caribbean and South American operations were normal, under guidance from Transport Canada, and it was monitoring the situation, adding, “We will update as required if the situa-tion changes.”

Commercial air traffic over Venezuelan airspace appeared to stop after Saturday’s attack, records on the tracker FlightRadar24 showed.

(Source: Reuters)

Trinidad teen drowns trying to save friend in distress

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beach outing at Clifton Hill, Trinidad, turned tragic after teenager Emmanuel Williams drowned while trying to save a friend in distress.

Police said Williams, 18, of Cochrane Village, Guapo, had gone to the beach on Friday with friends aged 17, 18, and 23.

The youngest of the group told Police that around 13:25h, they were diving

off rocks at the beach when he got into difficulty in the water.

Williams, his two friends, and other beachgoers came to his aid and managed to pull him out.

However, Williams did not resurface. With assistance from a freelance diver, his body was found around 17:30h near some rocks about 20 feet into the sea.

He was brought to shore but remained unrespon-

sive.

He was taken to the Point Fortin Hospital, where attempts by medical staff to resuscitate him were un-successful.

Williams was pronounced dead around 18:45h. Two other friends were treated at the hospi-tal; one was discharged, while the other was transferred to the San Fernando General Hospital for fur-ther care. (Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

guyanatimesgy.com

19

Around the World

Kim Jong-un’s daughter visits state OILNEWS OIL NEWS mausoleum, fuelling speculation she will be next North Korean ruler Oil trades sideways despite political turmoil in Venezuela T

O

il prices inched up on Monday as investors weighed whether political upheaval in OPEC member Venezuela would disrupt shipments after US President Donald Trump seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a wellsupplied market.

Brent crude futures rose 17 cents to US$60.92 a barrel by 00:24 GMT, paring earlier losses, while US West Texas Intermediate crude was at US$57.43 a barrel, up 11 cents.

The United States snatched Maduro from Caracas at the weekend. Trump said Washington would take control of the oilproducing nation and that the US embargo on all Venezuelan oil remained in full effect.

The US strike on Venezuela to extract the country’s President inflicted no damage on the country’s oil production and refining industry, two sources with knowledge of operations at state oil company PDVSA said at the weekend.

In a global market with a plentiful oil supply, analysts said any further disruption to Venezuela’s exports would have little immediate impact on prices.

“We see ambiguous but modest risks to oil prices in the short run from Venezuela depending on how US sanctions policy evolves,” Goldman Sachs analysts led by Daan Struyven said in a January 4 note, keeping its 2026 oil price forecasts unchanged. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Left-wing militants claim responsibility for arson attack on Berlin power grid

A man uses a torch in his apartment during the blackout in Steglitz-Zehlendorf, southern Berlin, on Sunday

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erman left-wing militants protesting over the climate crisis and AI have claimed responsibility for an arson attack that cut power to tens of thousands of households in Berlin.

The fire that broke out on a bridge across the Teltow Canal in the southwest of the capital early on Saturday could deprive up to 35,000 homes and 1900 businesses of electricity – and in many cases heat – until January 8, the grid company Stromnetz Berlin said.

As state security authorities opened an investigation into the cause of the blaze near the Lichterfelde heat and power station that damaged several high-voltage cables, the Vulkangruppe (Volcano Group) said it had deliberately targeted some of the city’s wealthiest districts.

In a 2500-word pamphlet seen by the Guardian, which a Police spokesperson called “credible”, the group said it had aimed to “cut the juice to the ruling class”.

It condemned a “greed for energy” produced by high-emission fossil fuels, calling the attack “action in the public interest” and an “act of

self-defence and international solidarity with all those who protect the earth and life”.

In the message, which included details about the fire, Vulkangruppe said that datacentres used for AI were exacerbating the problem of climate-damaging energy consumption while creating dangers to society.

“We are contributing to our own surveillance, and it is comprehensive. The tech corporations are in the hands of men with power which we give them,” the group said.

“One day we will simply sit before bright screens or dead machines while dying ourselves of thirst and hunger.”

(Excerpt from The Guardian)

he daughter of North Korean ruler Kim Jong-un, Kim Ju-ae, who is likely being prepared as his successor, has accompanied her parents on her first public visit to the Kumsusan mausoleum to pay respects to former leaders, ahead of an event that could see her succession formalised.

Photos from state news agency KCNA showed Kim Jong-un accompanied by his wife, Ri Sol-ju, and senior officials on the visit on January 1, with Ju-ae between her parents in the main hall of the Kumsusan Palace of the Sun. The North Korean

Kim Jong-un with his daughter Kim Ju-ae and his wife Ri Sol-ju during a performance celebrating the new year

leader visits Kumsusan to honour his grandfather, state founder Kim Il-sung, and his father, Kim Jong-

il, on key dates and anniversaries.

Kim Ju-ae has been

making increasingly prominent appearances in state media over the past three years, fuelling speculation by analysts and South Korea’s intelligence agency that she is in line to be the country’s fourth-generation dictator.

Cheong Seong-chang, Vice President at the Sejong Institute think tank, viewed Ju-ae’s first public visit to the Kumsusan palace as a calculated move from her father, ahead of the upcoming ruling party congress at which her succession might be formalised. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Police identify all 40 victims of Swiss bar fire

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he bodies of the 40 victims of a bar fire in the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana have been identified by Police.

The victims range in age from 14 to 39 years old, with 15 aged under 18. The youngest were a Swiss girl and a French boy, both 14.

The group includes people of Swiss, Italian, Romanian, Turkish, Portuguese, French, and Belgian nationalities, as well as citizens of the UK, France, and Israel.

Among them is 16-yearold Swiss national Arthur Brodard, his mother said.

A criminal investigation into the people who ran Le

A national day of mourning has been announced in Switzerland for January 9

Constellation bar is under way, while victims’ families are enduring an agonising wait for information about loved ones who are still considered missing.

Police said no further de-

tails will be released about the victims they had identified out of respect for their relatives.

However, Arthur Brodard’s mother took to

Facebook on Saturday night to announce that he “has left to party in paradise”.

“We can start our mourning, knowing that he is in peace and in the light,” she said as she appeared visibly upset in a video message.

While Arthur was still presumed missing and information on his whereabouts was scarce, Ms BrodardSitre told local newspaper Le Temps that she had been “living a nightmare”.

Some of his friends had been found with burns covering nearly half their bodies, she told the newspaper.

“There are no words – they went through hell.” (Excerpt from BBC News)

US strike on Venezuela to embolden China’s territorial claims, analysts say

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he US attack on Venezuela will embolden China to strengthen its territorial claims over areas such as Taiwan and parts of the South China Sea but will not hasten any potential invasion of Taiwan, analysts said.

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s considerations about Taiwan and his timeline are separate from the situation in Latin America, influenced more by China’s domestic situation than by US actions, they said.

Still, analysts said, President Donald Trump’s audacious attack on Saturday, capturing Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, hands China an unexpected opportunity that Beijing will likely use in the near term to amplify criticism of Washington and bolster its own standing on the international stage.

Further out, Beijing could leverage Trump’s move to defend its stance against the US on territorial issues, including Taiwan, Tibet and islands in the East and South China

Seas.

“It’s really creating a lot of openings and cheap ammunition for the Chinese to push back against the US in the future,” said William Yang, an analyst at International Crisis Group, a Brusselsbased NGO. Wang Ting-yu, a senior lawmaker from Taiwan’s ruling party who sits on the parliament’s foreign affairs and defence committee, rejected the idea that China might follow the US example and strike Taiwan.

“China has never lacked hostility toward Taiwan, but it genuinely lacks the feasible means,” Wang posted on Facebook. “China is not the United States, and Taiwan is certainly not Venezuela. If China could actually pull it off, it would have done so long ago!”

Still, the situation amplifies risks for Taiwan and could press Taipei to seek more favour from the Trump administration, some observers said. (Excerpt from Reuters)

Greek flights restart after radio loss grinds airport operations to a halt

I

ncoming and outgoing flights were temporarily suspended in airports across Greece after airspace radio frequencies were lost due to a technical problem that has confounded authorities.

Thousands of travellers were seen stranded at airports for several hours on Sunday as air traffic was

crippled and communications were cut off.

Authorities said the disruption began just before 09:00h local time (07:00h GMT), when most aviation radio frequencies were hit by massive interference, forcing a precautionary shutdown of Greek airspace.

Greece’s civil aviation authority said an indeterminate

“noise” impacted radio channels, but the cause was not clear.

“The ‘noise’ observed in the frequencies was in the form of continuous, involuntary emission,” it said in a statement.

Panagiotis Psarros, chair of the Association of Greek Air Traffic Controllers, said all frequencies were sudden-

ly lost, so there was no way to communicate with aircraft in the sky.

He also blamed old systems, saying the ageing infrastructure should have been replaced many years ago.

The authorities were only able to service flyovers for hours before limited services were restored by Sunday afternoon through backup fre-

quencies. Air traffic has been resuming progressively and is now fully restored, they said.

Christos Dimas, Greece’s infrastructure and transport minister, said the incident did not compromise flight safety.

The association called the scale of Sunday’s incident “unprecedented and unacceptable”. (Al Jazeera)

20

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

guyanatimesgy.com

DAILY HOROSCOPES

ARCHIE

(March 21-April 19)

Make wise choices. Social settings that give you space to regroup and reset your options. Close encounters will be taxing and leave you vulnerable.

Give yourself some breathing room and rethink your strategy. Time alone will help you adjust to the changes you encounter today. Simple adjustments can make a world of difference.

(April 20-May 20)

Check your emotions at the door and proceed with confidence. Don’t let what others do or say fuel the fire when common sense is all you need to come out on top. Use your intelligence, experience, and physical attributes to create opportunities and to make things happen. Self-improvement is favored.

Become the master of your destiny.

(May 21-June 20)

Adjust whatever isn’t working for you.

Distance yourself from anyone applying pressure.

Concentrate on how functional your surroundings are. Pave the way to peace of mind, comfort, and the protection of what’s important to you. Listen carefully, but don’t buy into someone else’s dream.

Research, set boundaries on shared expenses, and joint ventures. Put personal gain first.

(June 21-July 22)

Look at the big picture, ask questions, and only change what’s feasible. Follow the rules and regulations and pay attention to the fine print.

Create opportunities by doing your homework and taking advantage of grants, promo codes, and sales.

Your hard work will pay off and keep you moving in a positive direction. Partnerships require definitive boundaries.

PICKLES

PEANUTS

(July 23-Aug. 22)

CALVIN AND HOBBES (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)

(Sept. 23-Oct. 23)

SUDOKU

SOLUTION FOR LAST PUBLISHED PUZZLE

Refuse to let anyone talk you into something you don’t need. Trust your instincts and avoid overkill. Research what’s doable financially, physically, and emotionally before you sign up for something to please someone else. You don’t need change, you need stability, comfort, and peace of mind. Only take on people and projects that further your agenda.

Pay attention to what’s happening around you. A change someone makes will influence your position.

Be ready to make your move without hesitation.

Networking, meetings, and interviews will pan out well for you. Contracts and negotiations can lead to higher income or to doing something that makes you happy. Partnership opportunities, love, and romance are favored.

Bide your time, invest in making your life run smoothly. Rearrange your schedule and surroundings to ensure efficiency and comfort.

Don’t take on too much, or you will fall short.

Pace yourself and concentrate on what means the most to you. Choose your journey for the right reason and surround yourself with those who share your beliefs.

(Oct. 24-Nov. 22)

Travel, educate, communicate, and socialize with people who can offer something in return.

Working alongside like-minded people will spark your imagination and encourage you to diversify.

It’s time to take what you can do on the road. An unexpected encounter will turn out better than anticipated. Personal and professional opportunities are apparent and will offer personal growth.

(Nov. 23-Dec. 21)

Observe, learn, take notes. Temptation is overpowering, and excess, indulgence, and poor choices are likely if you don’t have discipline.

Overspending on items to make your life more comfortable or convenient will lead to debt and worry. Put a cap on spending, making commitments, and relying on unstable situations. Pace yourself; time is on your side.

(Dec. 22-Jan. 19)

Consider how to get the most out of whatever situation you encounter. Speak up, offer suggestions, and work with others to ensure your needs are acceptable and your relationships don’t suffer.

Compromise and incentives will lead to positive change and a better understanding of what’s possible.

Personal, self, and partnership improvements are favored.

(Jan. 20-Feb. 19)

(Feb. 20-March 20)

Channel your energy into activities that help to dissipate emotional and domestic difficulties. A change of scenery will offer a different perspective on life, love, and how to achieve happiness, laying a foundation for what’s to follow. Anger is not the answer, but rational thinking and behavior will help you achieve what you set out to do.

Stay on track. Don’t mince words. Discipline is an asset that can help you redeem a situation that goes wrong or is misconstrued. If you can bridge the gap between negative and positive opinions, you will maintain balance and a winning combination that can bring people together. Work your magic and you’ll gain respect.

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

21

shine before afternoon gloom ends play early

Joe Root plays a trademark dab (Getty Image)

L

ittle over an hour into the Ashes finale at SCG, another truncated Test appeared to be in motion and looked set to punctuate a whirlwind series that has left a rather hollow feeling for many. But England recovered from 57 for 3 as batting became easier on a surface that offered seam movement with the new ball.

Joe Root and Harry Brook combined for an unbroken 154-run stand – the second-highest partnership of the series for either side – to ensure England reached stumps in a decent position after just 45 overs were bowled due to rain and lightning.

The measured batting of Root and Brook, combined with Sydney’s annual sketchy weather, means, surely, that this match will last considerably longer than the two-day Tests in Perth and Melbourne.

With so much pressure on Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) curator Adam Lewis, having grimly watched his

counterpart Matt Page face a public grilling after the Boxing Day Test, he left just 5mm of grass on the pitch – half the length of the maligned furry Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) surface.

Lewis appears set to escape scrutiny, with the spotlight likely to shine on Australia’s selectors after deciding not to select offspinner Todd Murphy. With seam-bowling all-rounder Beau Webster replacing quick Jhye Richardson, Australia stepped on the SCG field without a specialist spinner for the first time since 1888.

The ground’s characteristics have changed notably in recent seasons, moving away from its spin-friendly traditions. But by the afternoon, with Root and Brook in complete control, skipper Steven Smith probably wished he could deploy Murphy, with Australia’s attack lacking variety.

The trio of frontline quicks each picked up a wicket, but all-rounder Cameron Green, whose place in the team was under major scrutiny, struggled to hit the right length and finished with 0 for 57 from eight overs.

Brook was mostly circumspect by his standards but did counter-attack when Green resorted to a shortball tactic, while Root played in trademark style by scoring heavily behind square on the off side.

England, of course, will have hoped their two lead batters could have mustered such a partnership earlier in the series, but the tourists have started their quest for

Scott Boland celebrates a wicket (Getty Image)

Rain and bad light stopped play at the SCG (Getty Image)

a second consecutive consolation victory brightly.

Amid sunny and humid morning conditions, a relief with grim weather on the radar, skipper Ben Stokes elected to bat after the coin again fell in his favour. It was perhaps another curious decision given his penchant for bowling first before this tour, which had been the catalyst for England’s victory at the MCG.

MCG. He hit Starc for consecutive boundaries to roll to 27 in 23 balls as he and Zak Crawley appeared on the way towards a blossoming partnership that had never previously reached the eighth over in the series.

But Starc finally found the right length, and Duckett could not help himself, tamely prodding to a flying Alex Carey. Having impressed in his Ashes debut at

Joe Root and Harry Brook leave the field as bad light stops play (Getty Image)

His mood would have soured after England’s top order struggled with the seam movement on a greentinged surface, losing 3 for 18 by the middle of the first session.

Before the collapse, opener Ben Duckett had feasted on unusually ragged bowling from nemesis Mitchell Starc, who he whacked for five boundaries in less than four overs.

After a hapless series on the field and some embarrassing shenanigans off it, Duckett appeared to be carrying over the momentum from his invaluable second-innings cameo at the

the MCG, Jacob Bethell was once again calm and watchful against occasional rampant seam movement from Scott Boland.

Bethell did not open his account until his 15th ball when he cut Starc through backward point for a boundary, but it was respite amid familiar woe for England’s batters.

After swatting a short ball to the fence, Crawley’s latest teaser ended when he fell lbw to a full delivery from Michael Neser before Bethell nicked off to Boland, who had moved over the wicket.

At this juncture, there were fears of another fran-

tic innings with Cricket Australia’s hierarchy no doubt watching on nervously. But Root and Brook batted sensibly to ensure England stabilised by lunch.

While he removed the monkey on his back after his brilliant tonne in Brisbane, Root’s troubles in Australia have mostly remained this series. But this was a golden opportunity to settle in for the long haul despite him almost nicking off on the first delivery.

He nailed his next attempt at his trademark cover drive to get him going, while Brook’s first boundary was unsurprisingly less orthodox after top-edging Boland over the slips.

But Brook was then uncharacteristically restrained in a notable contrast to his madcap 41 in the first innings at the MCG. Australia’s attack tried to bait him by settling into a length outside off stump, but Brook mostly kept his aggressive instincts in check.

He had his eyes set on a belated conversion, having made starts in each of his first innings this series, and found himself in a nice groove with Root, who after lunch reached 40 for just the

aaa

Harry Brook reached 50 for the second time in the series (Getty Image)

second time in the series.

Australia lacked inspiration on a slowing surface, and they resorted to a short-ball tactic in the hope that Brook would lose his patience. It almost went to plan when Brook on 45 topedged Starc into a gap on the leg side before he regrouped to whack Webster for a boundary to bring up a 63-ball half-century.

It followed Root’s half-century off 65 balls as the pair appeared set to bat through the session until the thick clouds started to close in on the ground. Play was halted due to bad light before the weather deteriorated – although it did eventually clear up, but stumps was instead called.

England opted against selecting Shoaib Bashir, meaning their first-choice spinner of recent years did not feature in the entire series. Seamer Matthew Potts is making his series debut after replacing Gus Atkinson, who was ruled out with a hamstring injury picked up in the fourth Test.

(ESPNcricinfo)

SCOREBOARD

England 1st Innings Zak Crawley lbw b Neser 16 Ben Duckett c †Carey b Starc 27 Jacob Bethell c †Carey b Boland 10 Joe Root not out 72 Harry Brook not out 78 Extras (b 1, lb 5, nb 1, w 1) 8 Total 45 Ov (RR: 4.68) 211/3 Yet to bat: Ben Stokes (c), Jamie

Smith †, Will Jacks, Brydon Carse, Matthew Potts, Josh Tongue Fall of wickets: 1-35 (Ben Duckett, 6.5 ov), 2-51 (Zak Crawley, 11.4 ov), 3-57 (Jacob Bethell, 12.6 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Mitchell Starc 12-1-53-1 Michael Neser 10-0-36-1 Scott Boland 13-0-48-1 Cameron Green 8-0-57-0 Beau Webster 2-0-11-0

22

GUYANATIMESGY.COM

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

Wilson hails Woodley as Western Tigers end finals drought with Super 16 glory W

estern Tigers player/coach Daniel Wilson described the club’s Super 16 championship victory as deeply personal, as the Tigers finally broke their finals curse with a dramatic 1-0 win over Slingerz Football Clube (FC) at the National Training Centre in Providence, East Bank Demerara (EBD).

The New Year’s Day triumph, secured by an 89th-minute strike from veteran Kevon Woodley, marked Western Tigers’ first Super 16 title after falling short in their previous two final appearances.

“This title means a lot to me as a player mostly because it’s the third year we came out in the finals, and we didn’t come out successful,” Wilson said following the match. “So this one means a lot to me.”

Wilson, who balances responsibilities both on the field and on the touchline, credited his team’s tactical discipline and physical commitment for neutralising a Slingerz FC side that entered the final unbeaten and heavily favoured.

“As dominant as they were in the league, I think they have weaknesses. Most teams have weaknesses,” Wilson explained. “So we decided to be stronger in our one-on-one battles and try to stifle them in the middle of the park.”

That approach paid div-

phy finally secured, the Tigers now look ahead with renewed confidence, having proven that belief, discipline, and experience can overcome even the strongest opposition.

Western Tigers player/coach Daniel Wilson

Afghanistan to host WI in 3-match series ahead of T20 World Cup Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan

Kevon Woodley

idends, as Western Tigers frustrated Slingerz for long periods, limiting their clearcut chances and maintaining defensive shape until Woodley produced the decisive moment late in regulation time.

Wilson also reserved high praise for Woodley, who capped a stellar tournament by winning both the Most Valuable Player and Top Goal Scorer awards.

“Yes, he deserves it,” Wilson said of the 39-yearold Trinidad and Tobago striker. “As somebody who comes in year in, year out – this was his second final with Western Tigers. For a 39-year-old showing he can

still do it against the younger ones, he deserved it.”

Woodley’s leadership and experience proved invaluable throughout the competition, guiding the Tigers to the title and a top prize of $2 million, while runners-up Slingerz FC earned $1 million.

For Wilson and Western Tigers, the victory represented more than silverware – it was redemption after years of near misses and a statement of growth for the club.

With the Super 16 troSeries schedule: First T20I - January 19, UAE Second T20I - January 21, UAE Third T20I - January 22, UAE

T

he Afghanistan Cricket Board will host the West Indies for a three-match T20I series in the United Arab Emirates between January 19 and 22, 2026, as both teams continue their buildup to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. The three fixtures will be played in the UAE, with the series set to provide crucial practice for both sides for the tournament in India and Sri Lanka.

Both sides had sealed automatic qualification among the 20 teams at the showpiece event, among the top seven teams from the previous edition of the competition in 2024.

While the West Indies will arrive at the tourna-

ment as the only team to have won it twice (2012 and 2016) alongside India, Afghanistan claimed their first-ever top-four finish in 2024, as they reached the semi-finals.

ACB CEO Naseeb Khan said the series presents an important opportunity for Afghanistan to fine-tune their preparations for the global event set to be hosted in February-March.

“Competing against the West Indies on the brink of a global event presents an excellent opportunity for our team to finalise their lineup and enhance their preparations for the upcoming mega event in India and Sri Lanka,” Khan said.

Echoing similar sentiments, Cricket West Indies (CWI) Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe highlighted the importance of the series in sharpening their squad ahead of the marquee event.

P

resident of Cricket West Indies (CWI), Dr Kishore Shallow, in his New Year’s message, acknowledged that the team’s performances have not consistently met the high standards, demands, or expectations of the West Indians while adding that improvement is not optional but rather imperative.

“We are committed to strengthening our structures, supporting our players, and fostering a renewed culture of accountability, resilience, and winning intent. Progress may not always be linear, but the determination to improve remains unwavering,” the CWI President stated.

However, he noted that in 2025, they have navigated a challenging financial period while acknowledging that the reality has not disappeared overnight and

that the year ahead will require continued prudence and responsible management.

“These are not easy choices, but they are necessary ones, taken in the longterm interest of West Indies cricket and its sustainability. We are committed to protecting the future of this sport and doing the necessary work to ensure such.”

On this note, he is confident that their relationships with leaders across CARICOM remain strong, adding that while there may be differences of perspective from time to time, they have continued to operate as a committed and respectful team, united by a shared belief in the value of West Indies cricket as a regional institution and a source of Caribbean pride.

Dialogue, collaboration, and mutual respect, he not-

ed, will continue to guide those relationships.

“West Indies cricket has always been bigger than any one era, any one team, or any one individual. It is a shared inheritance, carried forward by generations who believe in its power to unite, to inspire, and to uplift. We remain one West Indies family, bound by history and driven by hope.”

Nevertheless, reflecting on 2025, the CWI head related that the past year was a test in ways both seen and unseen.

“It was a year marked by loss, challenge, and sacrifice. Some who began the journey with us did not complete it, and many across our Caribbean family mourned loved ones of their own. These moments remind us that cricket, while deeply important, exists within the wider human

“Facing strong opposition in subcontinental conditions will help us sharpen our combinations and approach, and it also gives our players a chance to build confidence on surfaces similar to those we’ll encounter in India and Sri Lanka,” Bascombe said.

The West Indies are yet to name their squad for the T20 World Cup, as several players, including Shamar Joseph and Alzarri Joseph, await medical clearance to play.

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experience that binds us all.”

Despite this, he stated that the love for the game, and for what it represents to our people, remained steadfast.

“It is this enduring passion that continues to rally us, even in times of difficulty, and it is the foundation upon which our future is being shaped.”

“On behalf of the Vice President and Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer and Secretariat, and the Captains and teams, I extend my sincere thanks to the people of the region and the diaspora for your continued support, your pa-

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tience, and your faith. As we move forward, we do so with renewed resolve, determined effort, and confidence that better days lie ahead,” the CWI President stated.

Further, he expressed the hope that 2026 may bring progress on and off the field, a strengthened sense of belief, and shared success for West Indies cricket.

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23

Stat wins underwhelming New Year’s Stakes

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ith the absence of top horses Dataman and Olympic Kremlin, Master Z racing horse Stat claimed the top spot in the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred New Year’s Stakes at Rising Sun Turf Club, West Coast Berbice, on Sunday.

Piloted by former champion jockey Colin Ross, Stat defeated One Sharp Cookie, with Companheiro Leal finishing second and third, respectively, in a one-mile race.

Three horses competed in the feature race, which saw the top horse winning a cash prize of GY$2 million, sponsored by Banks DIH. Earlier in the day, Republicans started off the year with a bang in the L Class Open Non-winner of 2025 event open to Guyana-bred horses. It was a comfortable win for the Republican by more than three lengths. Miss

Only three horses ran in the feature event, with both Olympic Kremlin and Dataman scratched without timely notice to fans

Simram ran second while she’s a Monica ran third, followed by Citation.

Three D Movie pulled away easily in the second race, which was the K Class and Lower event. Heartland settled for second on the outside, while Donald Trump and Enemy Maker fought hard to secure third and fourth spots, respectively.

In the I3 & Lower open to three-year-old horses, Irish Eyes took the top spot. Ruff Time finished second, while Top Gun came third. Firebird ran in fourth position.

Under different ownership, we saw a new and improved Here Comes Heidi in Race 4 H2 and Lower Open for four-year-old West Indian-bred horses. Mulan was impressive but had to settle for second, while Just Exhale and Angry Birds rounded out the top four in that order.

Barbra showed her class in the F Class and four-yearold imported maidens in Guyana, which were also open to first-time starters of Brazilian-bred horses imported on or before September 2025. It was a dead heat for second with Frantic and Night Beacon.

In the three-year-old Guyana Derby, it was a clash of the titans. Summer Time emerged as the victor, while Monica Time came second. All My Time ran third, and Torpedo Jet ran fourth.

The three-year-old imported derby saw Moonlight Dancer winning, followed by Rock My World, Pharo Empress, and Adios Baby.

The next race day will be on February 1 at Port Mourant Turf Club. A win in that event will see horses secure their spot in the 2026 edition of the Guyana Cup.

National Aquatic Centre closed to facilitate inspections

T

he National Aquatic Centre at Liliendaal, Greater Georgetown, will be closed from today, Monday, January 5, 2026, to facilitate a series of important technical inspections aimed at preserving the facility’s international standards.

According to the Director of Sport, Steve Ninvalle, the temporary shutdown is necessary to allow the NSC to carry out detailed forensic checks on the Olympic-size 50-metre pool, which has been in operation for nearly 15 years.

“The National Aquatic Centre has served our athletes

and the wider sporting community well since its opening, and with 15 years now behind us, it is critical that we conduct thorough assessments to ensure everything remains in place to keep the pool in optimum condition and aligned with international requirements,” Ninvalle stated.

The National Aquatic Centre was officially opened in November 2011 and commissioned by then-President Bharrat Jagdeo. Since then, it has been a central hub for swimming, training, and competitive events at both the national and regional levels.

Ninvalle further explained that the inspections at the Aquatic Centre are part of a broader initiative by the National Sports Commission (NSC).

“Similar checks will be conducted at all facilities under the Commission’s care to ensure they meet the standards being demanded by the respective international governing bodies for sport,” he said.

The NSC has assured stakeholders that the facility will reopen promptly following the completion of the inspections.

T

MONDAY, JANUARY 5, 2026

Sport is no longer our game, it’s our business

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Stat wins underwhelming New Year’s Stakes National Aquatic Centre closed to facilitate inspections

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