Guyana Times - Monday, November 10, 2025

BRIDGE OPENING

The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on: Monday, November 10 –08:10h–09:40h and Tuesday, November 11 – 09:10h–10:40h.

FERRY SCHEDULE

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

WEATHER TODAY

Light to thundery showers are expected during the day, with sunny conditions in the mid-afternoon hours. Thundery showers and cloudy skies are expected at night. Temperatures are expected to range between 23 degrees Celsius and 30 degrees Celsius.

Winds: East North-Easterly to Easterly between 2.68 metres and 4.92 metres.

High Tide: 07:45h and 19:58h reaching maximum heights of 2.29 metres and 2.37 metres.

Low Tide: 13:29h reaching a minimum height of 0.99 metre.

Remembrance Day 2025

Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Dr Irfaan Ali, on Sunday paid homage to the men and women in uniform who made the ultimate sacrifice and gave their lives in service, while impressing the need to salute the active serving members of the Joint Services. He made his remarks during the National Remembrance Day wreath-laying ceremony, held early Sunday morning at the War Monument (Cenotaph) in Georgetown, to pay tribute to the fallen heroes of World War I and World War II.

The Guyanese leader, along with heads of the Joint Services, Government Ministers, veterans, serving members of the Armed Forces and other special invitees, braved the morning rains to participate in the ceremony. During brief remarks at the ceremony, President Ali said the occasion serves as a reminder of the sacrifice of the gallant men and women, who made a supreme sacrifice and gave their lives in the cause of peace and freedom. He also recognised those

our borders and also to keep this peace for generations to come,” the Head of State noted.

President Ali further went on to salute all leaders who embrace democracy, justice, liberty and who together, combine their efforts for a world that is free from the scourge of every disruption of peace – whether that be transnational crime, terrorism, or any other form of act or action that put peace at risk. He added, “We call upon every leader to resolve, to come together, to defeat terror, to defeat op-

on Sunday, a contribution from the State of $1.5 million to Veterans Legion.

The cheque was received by GVL President, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret’d) George Gomes, who welcomed the monetary support, noting that it goes a long way for not just the institution but assisting the surviving veterans as well as the widows of those who are no longer here. Currently, there are four surviving veterans of World War II in Guyana: Victor Brush, Donald Grant, James Samuels and Franklyn

Guyanese who fought for national freedom. “We recall with eternal gratitude those who have made similar personal sacrifices in the continuing struggle for human dignity, liberty, equity and social justice. We remember the Guyanese men and women who struggled for national independence and who have given their lives in the service to our nation,” he stated.

In the same breath, the Commander-in-Chief also recognised the sacrifices of the men and women who are actively serving the country. “We also salute our current serving men and women who stand guard at our borders, who leave their homes with a dignity and pride not of war but of peace; peaceful existence of our nation, peaceful existence of our people and the sovereignty and security of our nation. We thank them. We salute them. We are encouraged by their example to strengthen our resolve to preserve the peace within

pression, to defeat injustice, to defeat criminality and to protect our next generation and allow them to grow in a world of honour, freedom and dignity. We rededicate ourselves to the quest for peace for the nation and for the happiness and prosperity of our people.”

Support for veterans

The wreath-laying ceremony was followed by the annual Remembrance Day event held at the Guyana Veterans Legion (GVL) headquarters on Carifesta Avenue. There, Minister of Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Gail Teixeira, who is serving as the Prime Minister (PM), reiterated the Guyana Government’s continuous commitment to support the Legion. Currently, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF), with support from the Government, is rehabilitating sections of the GVL’s building to the tune of some $13 million. In addition, Teixeira announced

Courtman – all of whom are 99-years old. According to Gomes, Remembrance Day observances have historical importances in Guyana. To this end, he pointed out that there must be a special effort to ensure that these

observances are never watered down, nor that the great sacrifices of the fallen heroes and those who are still here be forgotten. “We must never forget them. It is our responsibility to ensure that future generations are taught about the significance and importance of these annual observances, and to inculcate in them, the need to maintain the tradition,” the GVL President stated. Similar sentiments were shared by Minister Teixeira, who committed to lobbying her Government to set aside special timings in the school curriculum to educate Guyanese children about Remembrance Day observances and the history behind it.

The Governance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister further also echoed the need for Guyana to recognise and to remember those who have died and sacrificed in saving the world from war. She pointed out that those Guyanese who went to serve in the world wars not only did so with honour but in trying circumstances, even facing discrimination abroad. “I do believe that the sacrifice that was made by our men who went to serve in World War I and II is quite mind-boggling because they went way beyond what were the parameters that were allowed in our country and even abroad, and even what was acceptable in the Commonwealth and the British Empire. And I think we have a responsibility to remember those men, majority men but women as well,” Teixeira noted. Meanwhile, the GDF’s Chief-of-Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan, along with representatives from the British and Canadian High Commissions in Georgetown also delivered brief remarks during Sunday’s Remembrance Day observances at the Guyana Veterans Legion building.

Editor: Tusika Martin

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Scenarios for US Venezuelan operation

The leftist writer Vijay Prashad presented “Five Scenarios for US Intervention” in Venezuela. It offers us a perspective on recent developments that might plausibly represent that of the Maduro regime.

Scenario no 1: the Brother Sam option. In 1964, the US deployed several warships off the coast of Brazil. Their presence emboldened General Humberto de Alencar Castelo Branco, chief of the Army General Staff, and his allies to stage a coup that ushered in a 21-year dictatorship. But Venezuela is a different terrain. In his first term, [Hugo] Chávez strengthened political education in the military academies and anchored officer training in defence of the 1999 Constitution. A Castelo Branco figure is, therefore, unlikely.

Scenario no 2: the Panama option. In 1989, the US bombed Panama City and sent in special operations troops to capture Manuel Noriega, Panama’s military leader, and bring him to a US prison while US-backed politicians took over the country. Such an operation would be harder to replicate in Venezuela: its military is far stronger, trained for protracted, asymmetric conflicts, and the country boasts sophisticated air defence systems (notably the Russian S-300VM and Buk-M2E surfaceto-air systems). Any US air campaign would face sustained defence, making the prospect of downed aircraft – a major loss of face – one Washington is unlikely to risk.

Scenario no 3: the Iraq option. A ‘Shock and Awe’ bombing campaign against Caracas and other cities to rattle the population and demoralise the state and military, followed by attempts to assassinate senior Venezuelan leadership and seize key infrastructure. After such an assault, Nobel Peace Prize winner [MarÍa Corina] Machado would likely declare herself ready to take charge and align Venezuela closely with the US. The inadequacy of this manoeuvre is that the Bolivarian leadership runs deep: the roots of the defence of the Bolivarian project run through working-class barrios, and the military would not be immediately demoralised –unlike in Iraq. As the Interior Minister of Venezuela, Diosdado Cabello, recently noted, ‘Anyone who wants to can remember Vietnam… when a small but united people with an iron will were able to teach US imperialism a lesson’.

Scenario no 4: the Gulf of Tonkin option. In 1964, the US escalated its military engagement in the Vietnam War after an incident framed as an unprovoked attack on US destroyers off the country’s coast. The US claims it is now conducting naval and air ‘training exercises’ near Venezuelan territorial waters and airspace. On October 26, the Venezuelan government said it had received information about a covert CIA plan to stage a false-flag attack on US vessels near Trinidad and Tobago to elicit a US response. Venezuelan authorities warned of US manoeuvres and said they will not give in to provocations or intimidation.

Scenario no 5: the Qasem Soleimani option. In January 2020, a US drone strike ordered by Trump killed Major General Qasem Soleimani, head of Iran’s Quds Force. Soleimani was one of Iran’s most senior officials and was responsible for its regional defence strategy across Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and Afghanistan. In an interview on 60 Minutes, former US Chargé d’Affaires for Venezuela James Story said, ‘The assets are there to do everything up to and including decapitation of [the] government’ – a plain statement of intent to assassinate the President. After the death of President Hugo Chávez in 2013, US officials predicted that the project would collapse. Twelve years have now passed, and Venezuela continues along the path set forth under Chávez, advancing its communal model whose resilience rests not only on the revolution’s collective leadership but also on strong popular organisation.

China and Russia are unlikely to permit a strike on Venezuela without pressing for immediate UN Security Council resolutions, and both routinely operate in the Caribbean, including joint exercises with Cuba and global missions such as China’s Mission Harmony 2025.

We hope that none of these scenarios come to pass and that the United States takes its military options off the table. But hope alone is not enough – we must work to expand the camp of peace.”

The President is groped in broad daylight, and Mexican women cry: MeToo, MeToo, MeToo

By Mona Eltahawy

“Machismo in Mexico is so […...] up not even the President is safe,” said Caterina Camastra, a professor and feminist, when I talked to her in Morelia, a city west of the Mexican capital this week. Succinct and to the point, it is a sentiment shared by many women in Mexico after watching the now viral video of a drunk man groping the country’s first female President, Claudia Sheinbaum, as she walked from the National Palace to the Education Ministry on Monday. Sheinbaum, who has pressed charges against the man, said much the same at her daily press briefing on Wednesday: “If they do this to the President, what happens to all the other women in the country?”

Sheinbaum’s unprecedented position has made this a teaching moment in a country where women have long complained that sexual harassment and assault on streets and public transport were too often normalised and not taken seriously. The leftist Sheinbaum’s political opponents on the right have done just that by claiming her sexual assault was staged to distract from the assassination of a local mayor, Carlos Manzo, an outspoken critic of organ-

ised crime who had called on the Government to do more to protect him and others. Most women here, on the other hand, know that sexual violence does not have to be set up – half of them have experienced it at some point in their lives. Sheinbaum, like her predecessor and mentor, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, is known for wading into crowds, shaking hands, chatting with people and posing for selfies. She was doing just that when she was groped. “It’s a fragile balance between being safe and being close to the people,” said Ishtar Cardona, a sociologist who specialises in cultural studies at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, when she and I met at her Mexico City home for tea, both feeling enraged. And for a female President it’s a reminder that you often can’t win.

If Sheinbaum abandoned the closeness to people that her party prides itself on, she would be accused of being scared and not fit for office. Maintaining the tradition as a woman who was so brazenly assaulted, she is open to accusations of being reckless. Already, her opponents are saying that she deserved it, both Camastra and Cardona told me. As Cardona explained to me: “For people that are raised in a very traditional way in which a patriarchal

structure is normalised, a woman (like Sheinbaum), who is a scientist, a leftist, represents all that macho men, patriarchal status quo men, in Mexico, hate.” She told me of an incident three years ago when a student approached her in the melee of people congratulating her after she gave a keynote speech and tried to grope her. President or professor, neither woman’s position or power protected her from patriarchal men.

Sexual assault is not unique to Mexico, of course. Talking to Mexican women about what happened to their President burst open a cupboard of stored memories and a sharing of war stories. When Cardona told me that she urges her women students not to freeze when they’re groped, I told her of how I froze at the age of 15 when I was sexually assaulted twice during the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, including by a Saudi Policeman. (I started using the hashtag #MosqueMeToo in 2018, which went viral at the time, and to which many Muslim women still share their experiences with sexual assault in sacred sites.) And when she told me of punching her fair share of gropers in the street, I told her how at the age of 50 I beat up a man who groped me in a dance club in Montreal, Canada. (I started #IBeatMyAssaulter,

which also went viral, and encouraged women around the world to share stories.)

Perhaps this is the moment when the dam breaks for Mexican women. “We have been breaking the taboo for about 10 years now, but it’s very tough,” says Cardona. “Many women are ashamed, but now we can talk with more freedom, more freely about this.” She always talks to her students, men and women, about the precautions she takes when she leaves home, she tells me. “I think about how to dress to try not to be grabbed by the ass or have some man tell me something gross. And I ask my male students: ‘Have you ever thought about that?’ Never.” Once they have seen it happen to their President, in broad daylight, in footage beamed across the world, will Mexican men think differently about it now?

“I tell my students you have to embrace the anger!” Cardona told me.

I told her I know that man who groped me in a club will always remember the woman who beat him up. (The Guardian)

Mona Eltahawy writes the Feminist Giant newsletter. She is the author of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls and Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution

A member of the Mounted Branch takes part in Remembrance Day activities in Georgetown, Sunday, November 9, 2025 (Guyana Police Force photo)

We intend to continue our calls

for transparency, accountability

Dear Editor,

We, residents of Subryanville, note Mayor of Georgetown Alfred Mentore's response to Citizen Jamela Ali's letter in which she explained the betrayal of public trust by the Mayor and City Council in granting permission for construction on Farnum Playground.

We regret that Mayor Mentore has not used his response to provide the copies of the documents which the M&CC used to make their decision to grant permission for the construction on Farnum

Playground. We have been asking the M&CC for these documents since we learned that they did not intend to stop the occupation of Farnum Playground.

We are surprised that the Mayor thinks that the population of Subryanville and surrounding areas has a shortage of educational facilities. There is no public record of residents asking the Ministry of Education to build additional schools to serve Subryanville and nearby communities. The Mayor's surprising reference to 'densely populated' in our experience is only

around the traffic congestion and associated problems caused by the presence of the school, which has reportedly 2000 students.

We regret the silence of the Ministry of Education which is the custodian of the right to education for Guyana's children. We are shocked that the Mayor believes that 'superior education' means an education which is grounded on local governance which is not transparent, which is not accountable and which betrays public trust. We agree with Citizen Jamela

Ali that " A true and valuable lesson in child welfare is teaching respect for the rule of law, public integrity and environmental responsibility – not disregard for laws, justifying unlawful conduct or the art of circumventing laws. " and we expect the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders in education in Guyana to affirm these values and to reject the values espoused by the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown in the matter of Farnum Playground. We intend to continue our calls for transparency and accountability.

Azruddin's delusion: Dismantling election lies in 2025

Dear Editor,

The US-indicted Member of Parliament, Azruddin Mohamed, on the day he was sworn into Parliament, made grave accusations of electoral fraud, claiming that his WIN party won the 2025 General Elections.

The presumptive Leader of the Opposition told the press: “We won this elections. The PPP, it’s a rigged government. We won the elections.” He went on to say, “That is why they are so scared. They are so scared of this movement because they know the true numbers.” He added, “We didn’t get 109,000 votes. We won the elections.” The sole basis for such a claim? He said that GECOM’s website was briefly down. Similar claims were repeated by his sister and party spokesperson, Hana Mohamed.

What makes this worse than the Coalition’s 2020 election lies is the availability of SOPs on GECOM’s website following the close of poll, as per recent electoral reforms. By Election Night, persons would’ve already begun crunching numbers as the SOPs began uploading. Mr. Mohamed knows this all too well. One of his own MP’s, Duarte Hetsberger,

was an aide to disgraced former Chief Elections Officer, Keith Lowenfield. His parliamentary lineup also comprises former Granger Cabinet officials, whose 2020 rigging attempt led to these very reforms.

Further, both Azruddin and his sister Hana uploaded several SOPs to their respective Facebook pages on Election Night. This is compounded by their Agents signing off on every SOP , without objection, at the Place of Poll. And while WIN’s requests for recounts in Regions 4 & 5 were rejected due to procedural irregularities, their representatives participated in the APNU initiated recounts and signed off on those Statements of Recount. This took place without objection. Had there been any exception, the public would’ve more than heard.

Why wait two months after the Elections to produce these outlandish claims? Why wasn’t an Election Petition filed within GECOM’s 28-day legal window following the results declaration? Why wait until that period expired to now allege electoral fraud?

Mr. Mohamed and his father are indicted in the U.S.

Court system with extradition proceedings currently underway. We now know that the extradition request was signed by Secretary Rubio himself. Against this backdrop, these unhinged falsehoods can only be seen as an attempt to provoke chaos. This was underscored by the call from Azruddin’s sister and fellow WIN candidate, Hadiyyah Mohamed, for Guyana to have a Nepalstyle uprising on October 15th – just nine days after the indictment.

VP Jagdeo contends that

Azruddin’s election lies are “evidence of lunacy.” I concur: But the lunacy isn’t just in claiming he won; it’s in thinking that he can peddle such untruths without pushback.

Franklin D. Roosevelt put it best: “Repetition does not transform a lie into a truth.” It would do Azruddin, his sisters and the rest of WIN better were they to finally embrace this basic reality.

Yours sincerely, Nikhil Sankar

Yours sincerely,

Eva Rawana-Scott

Paul Validum

Oncar Ramroop

Amrita Singh

Ruth Luckhoo

Shelly Qualander

Ronald Luckhoo

Shad Fernandes

Johnette Gonsalves

Ryaad Bacchus

Robert Fernandes

Clair Pestano

Dominic Fernandes

Ingrid Clarke

Debra Nunes

Luana Fernandes

Paul Nunes

Jonathan Fernandes

Saskia Wijngaarde

René Edwards

Kelly Mekdeci

Patrick de Groot

Stuart Gonsalves

Vidyaratha Kissoon

Stop the griping,

Mr Mayor

Dear Editor, City Mayor is lamenting and griping about the lack of consultation and involvement of City Hall in government's drainage system overhaul initiative, as part of the city's beautification programme. But there are two representatives from City Hall on the recently established task force assembled by the President –the City Engineer and Solid Waste Director. Are we to understand these two persons do not have the blessings of the wider City Hall in representing its interests in this endeavour? Stop the griping Mr Mayor! Stop giving lip service support to initiatives for the city being rolled out

by Central Government and give tangible and meaningful support.

The city is in a mess on all fronts and while it is acknowledged local authority rests with City Hall, let's face it, over the years residents have not seen or benefitted from any tangible initiative rolled out or undertaken under your mayorship.

The time is now for meaningful collaboration not wasted lamentations. City Hall is ably represented on the task force. Consultations with residents in the various wards are set to begin, so the initiative is set in motion.

Yours sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed

Foundation

Changing from customary units to metric units

Use the chart below to help you convert customary units to metric units. The values may not be exact in all cases but approximations. Milk and fruit juices sometimes include labels that express their liquid volume in fluid ounces.

1 fluid ounce = 29.574 millilitres. ‘

Length Liquid volume Weight

1 inch = 2.54 centimetres 1 cup = 0.237 litre 1 ounce = 28.35 grams

1 foot = 0.305 metre 1 pint = 0.473 litre 1 pound = 0.454 kilogram

1 yard = 0.914 metre 1 quart = 0.946 litre 1 ton = 1000 kilograms

1 mile = 1.609 kilometres 1 gallon = 3.785 litres

Example:

6 yards = how many millimetres?

Step 1: Find yards on the chart above: 1 yard = 0.914 metre

Step 2: Multiply 6 x 0.914 = 5.484m.

By John O’Donohue

Step 3: Multiply the number of metres x 1000 to find millimetres: 5.484 x 1000 = 5484

So 6 yards = 5484mm

Exercises: Calculate

1) 12ft = ______m

2) 0.25gal = ____ _l

3) 100lb = ______kg

4) 50yd = _____m

5) 240oz = ____ g

6) 500m = _________ km

Supplies

12″ helium-grade balloons (I used gold)

Assortment of feathers

Baker’s twine, string, or curling ribbon

Googly eyes

Beak and waddle cut from construction paper or card stock

Glue gun

Scotch tape

NB: Adult help required

Instructions

Step 1. Inflate balloons

Inflate your balloon with helium –have your local party store inflate them. Expect the balloons to stay afloat for 4-6 hours.

Step 2: Tape string to balloon

Tape a piece of baker’s twine or string to the middle of the balloon with two pieces of scotch tape. This will be-

come the underside of the turkey.

Step 3: Glue on eyes and beak

Freehand cut a small beak and waddle from paper and affix them to the bottom of the balloon (where it is tied) with a small dab of hot glue (use with adult supervision). Don’t worry – hot glue won’t pop the balloon! Use it on low setting just in case. Add two googly eyes just above the beak.

Step 4: Add feathers

Add feathers to the backside of the balloon with a small dab of hot glue on the tip. Make sure you place the feathers high enough so that they peek out nicely from the balloon. Keep adding feathers until you think it is full enough or the balloon starts to get weighed down (about 6 or so). (designimprovised.com)

Every time you leave home, Another road takes you Into a world you were never in.

New strangers on other paths await.

New places that have never seen you Will startle a little at your entry. Old places that know you well Will pretend nothing Changed since your last visit.

When you travel, you find yourself Alone in a different way, More attentive now To the self you bring along, Your more subtle eye watching You abroad; and how what meets you Touches that part of the heart That lies low at home:

How you unexpectedly attune To the timbre in some voice, Opening in conversation You want to take in To where your longing Has pressed hard enough Inward, on some unsaid dark, To create a crystal of insight You could not have known You needed To illuminate Your way. TO BE CONTINUED

Centre a short story around someone trying to change a prophecy.

Guyana lobbies for more countries to join Global Biodiversity Alliance

...as President seeks to build int'l coalition to protect declining biodiversity

As world leaders gather in neighbouring Brazil for the United Nations (UN) Conference of Parties (COP30), President Dr Irfaan Ali used the opportunity to lobby several countries to join the Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA).

The Guyanese Head of State was recently in Belém, Brazil for the World Leaders Summit held last week, ahead of this week’s COP30 negotiations. While there, President Ali engaged leaders from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Germany, Ireland and Norway on signing onto the Alliance. The GBA is a new platform crafted by Dr Ali that seeks to elevate biodiversity on global agendas. Stemming from the inaugural GBA Summit held in Georgetown in July of this year, the GBA Secretariat would be set up in Guyana and will work with key stakeholders to advance its priorities, which includes the designation of new protected areas, and securing the necessary funding and resources for managing them effectively. To date, 14 countries have joined the Alliance as founding members, and agreed on a concrete action plan. The first meeting of the founding members will be hosted in 2026, and according to President Ali, he intends to significantly increase the Alliance’s membership by next year’s summit. He

made this statement on the sidelines of COP30, during an appearance alongside regional leaders, on a panel discussion that focused on the theme, ‘Guyana pathway to climate change resilience: Scaling low-carbon leadership and conserving biodiversity.’

There, the Guyanese leader explained that the GBA aims to build an international coalition with every stakeholder given a seat at the table. “In the last two days, we have spent a lot of time talking to different leaders and organisations on the Global Biodiversity Alliance. And I am convinced that by the time we get to the second summit in Guyana, we want to have at least 60 countries signing on. We are pushing hard at this. We want everyone, every voice to be part of this,” Ali declared. Currently, with more than 70 per cent

of the world’s biodiversity already lost, the Guyanese leader impressed on the importance of putting this ecosystem on the COP agenda. In fact, as negotiations commence today in Belém, he urged stakeholders to push for the work of the GBA to be included in the outcome document as part of the strategy going forward.

Steep decline in biodiversity

“According to the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) Living Climate Report of 2024, there has been a catastrophic 73 per cent decline in biodiversity…over the last 50 years. Freshwater populations have suffered the heaviest decline, falling by 85 per cent; followed by terrestrial, 69 per cent; and marine population, 56 per cent. “

“95 per cent of biodiversity loss was recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean

(LAC) and we know that the Caribbean is exposed to the greatest climate events and destruction, and we have 95 per cent biodiversity loss in Latin America and the Caribbean,” he pointed out. Citing climate change as among the most evident threats to biodiversity, particularly in LAC, President Ali stated that biodiversity is linked to medicine, to health, to science, to food security and to indigenous culture, indigenous rights and community development.

“It is the most cross-cutting theme in the climate discussion. But we have not had biodiversity on the front burner,” he contended, adding that “We are looking at the future. We are looking at how Guyana can and must contribute to the sur-

vival of our planet. So, the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) 2030 took biodiversity as a central theme.” In pushing this agenda globally, the Guyanese Head of State explained that it was important to raise awareness, build solidarity among all the stakeholders in understanding the importance of biodiversity, and highlight the critical role everyone has to play in conservation efforts instead of calling for financing at the initial stages.

But according to President Ali, he is now ready and willing to make the investment necessary to have a global Centre of Excellence for biodiversity in Guyana.

In fact, Guyana is already working with United States (US)-based Yale University

to establish this centre and to build a global mechanism through which the facility would be the hub for research, development, policy making, education, marketing, developing financing models. “We want the centre to really be the core of everything we must achieve in the biodiversity equation,” he asserted.

Landmark collaboration agreement

The Guyana Government signed the landmark collaboration agreement with the Yale Centre for Biodiversity and Global Change during the GBA summit earlier this year in Georgetown. Under this agreement, Yale— through Map of Life, their global biodiversity intelligence platform — will work with Guyana to support the GBA and help design a world-class International Centre of Excellence for Biodiversity Research here. The university will also build a national biodiversity information system, with maps, dashboards, and data layers; and guide the application of cutting-edge biodiversity science to decision-making processes. The Yale Centre for Biodiversity and Global Change is a research centre at Yale University dedicated to studying and understanding the patterns, drivers, and consequences of biodiversity change on a global scale.

Govt working toward implementing standardised market model – Local Govt Minister

...says model ensures cleanliness, order, functional infrastructure for

local markets

Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, on Sunday conducted a walk-through of the Plaisance Market in response to concerns raised by vendors and residents of the community. During the visit, the Minister interacted directly with stallholders, listened to their concerns and challenges, and assured them that concrete steps will be taken to address the is-

sues identified.

Minister Manickchand highlighted the Ministry’s ongoing work to enhance markets across Guyana, noting that there are approximately 30 public markets nationwide.

She explained that the Ministry is working toward implementing a standardised market model that ensures essential elements such as cleanliness and sanitation, orderly and clear walkways, proper waste

management, and functional infrastructure including reliable roofing, lighting, water access, and washroom facilities. The model also prioritises a strong security presence, fire safety measures, timely repairs and maintenance, respectful and constructive vendor–council relations, support for small business development, and the establishment of a welcoming atmosphere that encourages community engagement and growth.

She was accompanied by Josh Kanhai, Deputy Permanent Secretary for Administration; Fazal Wahab, Chief Engineer; Clemsford Belgrave, Regional Chairman of DemeraraMahaica; Donald Gajraj, Regional Executive Officer of Demerara-Mahaica; Rashmie Chatan, Assistant Regional Executive Officer of Demerara-Mahaica; Cherlyn Herod, Market Clerk; Erwin Allen, Councillor; and Cohan Ismane, Market Ranger.

Their presence formed part of a collaborative effort to assess the current conditions and determine the necessary interventions to improve the market’s overall environment and operations.

Minister Manickchand noted that the market should be a place where culture thrives, where families and relationships grow, and where the spirit of community remains a central part of who we are as a people.

The Minister reaffirmed

the Government’s commitment to ensuring that public markets remain vibrant economic and social spaces that support livelihoods and community well-being. She stated that the concerns raised in Plaisance will be followed up with actionable measures and continued engagement, emphasising that every vendor and consumer deserves a safe, clean, and dignified marketplace experience that reflects the values and identity of the Guyanese people.

President Dr Irfaan Ali met with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil, during which they discussed strengthening bilateral cooperation and Germany’s support for the Global Biodiversity Alliance

President Dr Irfaan Ali during a panel discussion on the sidelines of COP30 in Belém, Brazil

Scenes from the walkabout at Plaisance Market

Firearm, ammo, narcotics found during Aramu Backdam Police operation

APolice operation conducted Sunday, November 9, 2025, at Aramu Backdam, Cuyuni River, Region Seven, has led to the discovery of a firearm, ammunition and a quantity of suspected narcotics. Acting on intelligence, law enforcement officers carried out a search at the business premises of a 33-year-old businessman of Queenstown, Georgetown, and his 37-year-old reputed wife of Aramu Landing. During the operation, police found a 12-gauge shotgun with its serial number filed off, an air pistol, and six 12-gauge live cartridges.

The search continued at another building within the

The ammunition, firearm and narcotics that were found by Police

same compound, occupied by a 38-year-old gold miner of West Watooka Hilltop, Linden, and his 27-year-old reputed wife, also of Aramu Landing. In that building, the police discovered quantities of suspected cannabis, along with substances believed to be cocaine and amphetamine.

The suspected narcotics were weighed in the presence of the suspects before being seized, sealed, and lodged as

exhibits. All four individuals were arrested and taken into custody. The Guyana Police Force (GPF) said the operation forms part of its continued efforts to clamp down on illegal firearms and narcotics in the interior regions. The four suspects remain in police custody as investigations continue.

This discovery came not long after a miner was nabbed with 68.6 grams of marijuana at the Itaballi

checkpoint in Region Seven. According to police, when arrested, the man reportedly told police that it was his smoking weed he was walking with, and denied being a seller. The accused was identified as 32-year-old Gladston Burnett of Sophia, Greater Georgetown. Burnett was travelling to Puruni Landing when the ranks at the checkpoint searched the car in which he was travelling. Police said Burnett was acting nervously, so they searched him and found a black plastic bag in his possession. Inside the bag, they found the marijuana concealed in an “oats pack”. Burnett was taken into custody and later charged.

Reaction… …to extradition

If you want to know how off-base foreign newspapers can be when reporting news about countries in the “Third World” – “Global South”?? – you just had to glance at last Saturday’s “Guardian” headline - “Guyana in turmoil after opposition leader arrested and faces US extradition”!! “Turmoil”?? Really!! They didn’t say where this “turmoil” – which in the dictionary means “confusion · disturbance · riot · strife · trouble · tumult · turbulence · unrest · violence” – was taking place!!

Couldn’t be in the streets of Georgetown or any other street of Guyana, could it?? We – who live here in Mudland – woulda known it because we woulda felt it!! The last bit of turmoil connected to Sanction Man which your Eyewitness can think of was when he funded the scrapeheads’ burning and looting in GT following Adriana’s autopsy! Could it have been in Sanction Man’s mind –which is a blank slate to most folks after his monosyllabic answers?? But could be harbouring psychic storms behind those dark glasses!

Now the Guardian’s considered one of the most influential and credible newspapers in Britain – so the question is, where’d they get this “tension” wracking our poor country from?? They quoted a Peter Wickham – who they described as a “political scientist and director of a polling company in the Caribbean”!! The last time your Eyewitness heard about a local poll by this Bajan fella was back in 2019 for a private individual associated with the PNC!!

Now while the Guardian claimed they hadn’t spoken to Sanction Man or his lawyers – they did say the latter had told the local media their boss was facing “political persecution” from the Government!! This, of course, is the line peddled by Sanction Man’s sister Hana Hanalalla – behind whose skirts he frequently hides. She claims the extradition request – signed by no other than Marco Rubio, US Secretary of State and Security Adviser to Pres Trump – is the work of that Svengali of Guyana – VP Jagdeo!! What influence!! Maybe Jagdeo’s also behind the US massive Caribbean naval build-up??

Anyhow, seems that most folks figure Sanction Man’s time’s running out for his extradition and the Yanks already got his orange jumpsuit ready!! One local journalist wondered who’s gonna take his place as leader of WIN. Interestingly, three names were proposed – sister Hana Hanalalla; General Secretary and comedian – not necessarily in that order! – Odessa Primus and rolling stone Tabitha Sarabo-Halley – formerly of WPA, APNU, Guyana Nation Builders Movement and now WIN!! However, Hanalalla is a foreign citizen and as such, not an MP!! But it’s conceivable she could do a Norton and become WIN’s leader while outside??

As General Secretary, Odessa Primus should be primus inter pares (first among equals) – but the keys to the safe?? Nah!!

… to GuySuCo

Well, the rainy season’s fast approaching – and so, the end of the sugar industry’s “big crop”. Trouble is, the crop ain’t so big – and looks like – once again – the beleaguered GuySuCo’s gonna be a faaar way from reaching its (modest) target of 80,000 tonnes or even its even more modest revised target of 70,000 tonnes. Ahhh…how the mighty – once with 370,000 tons – has fallen!! But a month ago the Minister of Agri – who returned to the portfolio – said there was a light at the end of the tunnel, which stretches back to the PNC disregarding its own CoI and shuttering half the grinding factories.

And the CoI’s recommendation?? Refurbish the operations and privatise!! Well, after inheriting the rump industry in 2020, the PPP’s been refurbishing –and according to the Agri Min, a prospective buyer has expressed interest!! So, all your Eyewitness can say is –let’s get it on!!

As Kenny Rogers advised, “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em!!”

…to a giant’s passing

Today, everyone knows about the importance of our DNA – in medicine, crime fighting, genealogy and ethics!! Well, one of the individuals who unlocked its structure: James Watson, just passed at 97. RIP!!

Professor Clement Sankat is on a mission to train Guyanese for oil, related industries

– says country breaking new ground in technical training

As Guyana’s oil-fuelled economy surges toward transformation, one of the nation’s most urgent priorities is ensuring that its people are equipped to share in that prosperity. For Professor Clement Sankat, Principal of the Guyana Technical Training College Incorporated (GTTCI), that mission, building the country’s human capital, lies at the heart of sustainable national development.

He shared his vision during a recent podcast episode of ‘Starting Point’.

“Guyana is on a path of developing its young people to fill the gaps and the needs,” Professor Sankat said. “It’s one thing to have oil, it’s another to have trained Guyanese to operate in that industry.”

A Berbician by birth and a regional educator by expe-

rience, Professor Sankat returned home at the invitation of President Dr. Irfaan Ali and Vice President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. He explained that it was a deliberate call to action, a recognition that Guyana needed seasoned leadership to design the nation’s training systems in line with its developmental ambitions.

“They said, ‘Clem, why don’t you return home?’ And they asked me to develop a paper which laid the basis for the creation of this Guyana Technical Training College,” he recalled. “I am extremely grateful to have this opportunity in my life to give something back to the country of my birth.”

Sankat’s return was not just symbolic; it was strategic. With decades of experience as a professor and former principal of the University of the West

Indies (UWI) St. Augustine campus, and later as President of the University of Belize, he brings an institutional builder’s vision, the kind of experience necessary to translate oil wealth into educational strength.

“I have gone seven decades now, and I’m still building institutions from scratch,” he reflected. “We are breaking new ground here in technical training.”

At the heart of GTTCI’s work is the conviction that the country’s development cannot depend on resource extraction alone, it must rest on a strong base of skilled and capable citizens.

“We’re not only building technical skills. We are building people skills,” Sankat said. “We have to be careful we do not produce an oversupply of graduates who do not come out with real skills for the world of

work.”

The college’s programs, he explained, are designed to international standards, ensuring that graduates can compete both locally and abroad. “The oil and gas programs have already been accredited globally,” he noted. “Our graduates can not only work in Guyana, but they will have a global passport to success.”

Professor Sankat views human capital development as the most critical investment for Guyana’s future, the key link between natural resources and real, shared progress.

“It’s not enough to have oil and gas; we need trained Guyanese to operate, manage, and expand these industries,” he emphasised. “We are training for the world of work, not just for a certificate.”

This approach aligns with the government’s broader development vision — transforming oil revenue into educational opportunity, infrastructure, and institutional growth.

For Sankat, GTTCI’s role is central to that transformation, producing the welders, engineers, and technicians who will power Guyana’s new economy.

GTTCI, based in Port Mourant, Berbice, was intentionally placed outside of Georgetown to help stim-

ulate regional growth.

“The government decided that the oil and gas training institute and the Hospitality and Tourism Institute will be based in Port Morant, Berbice, so as to bring development to the ancient county,” Sankat explained. “We are hoping that in this rural Guyana, we will develop a college town… with that comes a lot of prosperity for the people of the community.”

Professor Clement Sankat

PM Phillips attends 4th CELAC-EU summit in Colombia

Prime Minister (PM), Brigadier (Retired)

Mark Phillips, is currently in Santa Marta, Colombia, attending the Fourth European Union – Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (EU CELAC) Summit. The high level meeting, is being co chaired by the President of the European Council, António Costa, and the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, in his capacity as CELAC Pro Tempore President. This year’s summit, which runs from November 9 to 10, reaffirms the depth and vitality of the partnership between the EU, LAC, and provides a platform for dialogue on strengthening cooperation and addressing shared glob-

al challenges. Discussions throughout the conference will focus on key areas, including the defence of multilateralism, trade and investment, the green and digital transitions, peace, security, and prosperity, as well as the fight against organised crime, corruption, and human trafficking. The EU and LAC have a long-standing partnership built on common values and a shared commitment to democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law.

The EU's strategic partnership with the LAC region dates back to 1999, when the first bi-regional EU-LAC summit was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Building upon the momentum of the 2023 EU-CELAC summit,

where leaders committed to organising summits every two years, this upcoming meeting aims to further enhance cooperation on global challenges, such as global governance, international security and climate change. Leaders will also explore new avenues for collaboration to promote peace, security and prosperity in both regions and discuss priorities such as trade and investment, the green and digital transitions, and the joint fight against organised crime, corruption and drug and human trafficking.

The EU-LAC relations involve one of the world’s densest trade networks, with a total bilateral trade in goods and service of €395 billion in 2022-2023 (+45 per

cent since 2013). The EU is the third largest trading partner of the LAC region, while LAC countries are the EU’s fifth largest trade partner. In the last decade alone, the EU’s trade in goods with

CELAC has grown by over 52 per cent and trade in service has almost doubled. Moreover, the EU is the leading source of investment in the region, providing over €741 billion of Foreign

Direct Investment (FDI) in 2022. The EU-LAC partnership is further supported by the Global Gateway investment agenda, focused on green and digital transition projects in the LAC region.

Tuschen man pleads guilty to amputee murder during robbery

Collin Jackman, known as “Junior,” last week pleaded guilty before Chief Justice (ag) Navindra Singh to the brutal 2021 murder of 59-year-old Keith Richard Hohenkirk, an amputee shopkeeper, during a robbery fuelled by drugs and greed.

The 24-year-old Jackman was represented at the High Court in Demerara by Attorney-atLaw Madan Kissoon, while the State’s case was presented by Counsel Geneva Wills, Christopher Belfield, and Simran Gajraj. He is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19. According to the case presented by the prosecution, Jackman and Hohenkirk were familiar with each other: both resided in the Tuschen, East Bank Essequibo (EBE) community. However, a week before the fatal attack, Jackman conspired with several others to rob the shopkeeper. Their plan involved drugging the victim using a narcotic substance known as “molly.”

On October 23, 2021, the group allegedly mixed the drug into a bottle of Banko wine and took it to Hohenkirk’s home. Later that evening, they invaded the house, bound the el-

derly man’s hands, gagged him with a piece of sheet and scotch tape, and ransacked the premises. During the ordeal, Jackman struck Hohenkirk repeatedly to the face and head before making off with snacks, beverages, and cash from the victim’s home and shop. Not content, Jackman and one of his accomplices reportedly returned later to collect the wine bottle, only to find Hohenkirk cold and unresponsive. Despite this, they continued looting the shop before fleeing the scene.

The following morning, police discovered Hohenkirk’s body lying on his back, his hands and mouth bound,

and the room in chaos. He was pronounced dead at the Leonora Cottage Hospital. Jackman was arrested on October 26, 2021, and in a caution statement admitted to his role in the robbery and assault. A post-mortem conducted by Government Pathologist Dr Nehaul Singh found that Hohenkirk sustained blunt trauma to the head and compression injuries to the neck. The cause of death was listed as subdural haematoma due to blunt trauma to the neck. Jackman now awaits sentencing for the crime that shocked the quiet Tuschen community.

Collin Jackman Deceased: Keith Richard Hohenkirk

Prime Minister, Brigadier (Retired) Mark Phillips, is attending the EU-CELAC Summit 2025 in Colombia

6-year-old bombing victim Soraya Bourne laid to rest amid heart-wrenching sorrow

– Minister Walrond joins mourners in final farewell

Six-year-old Soraya Bourne, whose life was tragically taken in the October 26 terrorist bombing at the Mobil Gas Station on Regent and King Streets, was laid to rest on Sunday, surrounded by tearful relatives, friends, and members of the wider community.

Dressed in shades of pink, her favourite colour, mourners gathered to say farewell to the little girl whose death has left a nation heartbroken. Her lilac casket, adorned with pink flowers and bearing her photographs, stood as a tender reminder of her short but radiant life.

Many of those in attendance were classmates and teachers from her school, who joined family members in singing hymns and sharing memories of her cheerful spirit. It was an emotional farewell, as even those who did not know Soraya personally came to offer comfort and support to her grieving family.

Among the mourners was Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, who attended the funeral to pay her respects on behalf of the Government of Guyana.

In a statement shared on her official page, the Minister reflected on the

loss of young Soraya, saying she did so “not only as a Minister of Government, but as a mother and a citizen of this beloved country.”

“Soraya’s life, so full of promise and light, was extinguished in a manner that shook the very soul of our nation,” the Minister said. “Her innocence, her joy, her future — all were stolen in a moment of senseless violence. On behalf of H.E. President Mohamed Irfaan Ali, the Government of Guyana, and the Ministry of Home Affairs, I extend our deepest and most heartfelt condolences to Soraya’s parents, family, and loved ones. We mourn with you. We share in your grief. And we stand with you in this moment of unimaginable

sorrow. May Soraya’s beautiful soul rest in eternal peace”, she said.

Soraya was among four occupants in a vehicle that was parked near the Mobil Gas Station when a massive explosion ripped through the area shortly after 19:30h on October 26. The blast, which investigators lat-

er determined was a deliberate act, claimed Soraya’s life and left her eightyear-old brother, Rashad Lord, eleven-year-old cousin, Sediya McClintock, and 77-year-old grandmother, Yvonne Jones, severely injured.

Following an intensive investigation, the Guyana

Police Force has since charged seven persons — four Venezuelans and three Guyanese — with terrorism in connection with the deadly attack.

The prime suspect, 33-year-old Venezuelan national Daniel Alexander Ramirez Poedemo, reportedly confessed to bringing the explosive device from Venezuela and detonating it at the station. He was captured at Vergenoegen, East Bank Essequibo, after a public tip-off, and investigators later retrieved images of the bomb from his mobile phone.

Authorities have confirmed that Poedemo is a member of a Venezuelan criminal organisation known as “Organisation R.” Police have stated that the case will be pursued under the Anti-Terrorism provisions of the Criminal Law (Offences) Act, with the death penalty being sought for those convicted.

President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali met with the victims’ families shortly after the tragedy, assuring them of the Government’s full support and promising swift justice for those responsible.

Home Affairs Minister Oneidge Walrond offers her sympathies to the family at the funeral on Sunday

One of the tributes paid to Soraya Bourne during her funeral

Guyana pays tribute on Remembrance

As President Dr Irfaan Ali led tributes in Georgetown, hundreds more gathered across Guyana on Remembrance Day (Poppy Day), to safeguard freedom and peace. Here are scenes of the day from several regions in Guyana that commemorated the occasion (Photo

A Anna Regina Bartica

ALethem

AMahdia

ANew Amsterdam

Georgetown

Remembrance Day 2025

Sunday, November 9, 2025, to pay their respects to the brave men and women who died during the World Wars of the 20th century

(Photo credit: GDF, GPF, President Dr Irfaan Ali Facebook, Office of the President and the Regional Democratic Council of Regions 2, 6, 7, 9)

Agri Minister orders action on series of long-standing Black Bush Polder issues

– as canal maintenance, land disputes and chemical spraying come under focus

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha on Saturday met with residents and farmers of Mibicuri and Yakusari, Black Bush Polder, Region Six (East Berbice-Corentyne) where he addressed a series of long-standing issues ranging from poor canal maintenance and pesticide misuse to land disputes between cattle and rice farmers.

The meeting, held as part of the Minister’s ongoing outreach efforts across Region Six, saw candid discussions between farmers and officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Guyana Livestock Development Authority (GLDA), and the Water Users Association (WUA).

One of the main grievances raised by residents was the inadequate cleaning of drainage and irrigation canals in Mibicuri. Farmers complained that contracted works were either poorly executed or left undone altogether, affecting water flow to farmlands. In response, Minister Mustapha instructed that delinquent contractors be removed and replaced by local farmers’ groups willing to do the work themselves.

“Who are not doing the work, let us terminate the

contract and give it to the people who are in the area. If the contractors are working, we will not take them out. But if they’re not doing the work, then those living and farming in the community should benefit from the job,” Mustapha said.

The Minister further directed regional officials to establish a system to monitor maintenance contracts closely and ensure that payments are made only after works are properly completed. Another major concern raised was the spraying of canals with harmful chemicals. Residents alleged that some contractors were using insecticides and other toxic substances, posing environmental and health risks.

Minister Mustapha emphasised that such practices are unacceptable and instructed the WUA to issue formal warnings to those responsible. He also ordered the Pesticides and Toxic Chemicals Control Board (PTCCB) to visit the community and conduct an investigation.

“People are collecting contracts and not doing the work properly, and in some cases, using dangerous sprays. That cannot continue… We have to examine these canals before paying anyone and ensure no pesti-

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha (centre); Member of Parliament Zamal Hussain (left) and

Region Six Chairman-elect Junior Bassant during the meeting port markets,” he explained, while adding, “We must control what is being sprayed around people’s homes.”

cides are used in ways that endanger people or the environment.” He added that the Pesticides Board and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will jointly monitor chemical use in farming areas, especially where rice cultivation occurs near residential zones. Mustapha noted that some rice farmers have been using highly potent chemicals that can affect export quality and environmental safety. “We are already looking at restricting certain chemicals used on rice because the residue levels can affect ex-

BBC Director General and News CEO resign over Trump documentary edit

The BBC's director general Tim Davie and head of news Deborah Turness have resigned after criticism that a Panorama documentary misled viewers by editing a speech by Donald Trump.

Davie, in the job for five years, had faced increasing pressure over a series of controversies and accusations of bias that have dogged the public broadcaster.

The Telegraph published details of a leaked internal BBC memo on Monday that suggested the Panorama programme edited two parts of the US president's speech together so he appeared to explicitly encourage the Capitol Hill riot of January 2021.

UK political leaders expressed hope the resignations would lead to change, while Trump welcomed the decision.

It is unprecedented for both the director general and the head of BBC News to resign on the same day.

Announcing the move on Sunday evening, Davie said: "Like all public organisations, the BBC is not perfect, and we must always be open, transparent and accountable.

"While not being the only reason, the current debate around BBC News has understandably contributed to my decision.

"Overall the BBC is delivering well, but there have been some mistakes made

and as director general I have to take ultimate responsibility."

Turness said in a statement on Sunday night that the Panorama controversy had "reached a stage where it is causing damage to the BBC", adding: "The buck stops with me."

She said: "In public life leaders need to be fully accountable, and that is why I am stepping down. While mistakes have been made, I want to be absolutely clear recent allegations that BBC News is institutionally biased are wrong."

Turness has been CEO of News and Current Affairs for the past three years.

(Excerpt from BBC News)

Cattle pastures and land use disputes

Cattle farmers also used the meeting to highlight the lack of designated pastures in the Cookrite Savannah area, noting that although the area was earmarked for livestock rearing, portions of the land are now being cultivated for rice. Minister Mustapha acknowledged the issue and ordered an immediate occupational sur-

vey to determine who holds leases for rice cultivation and livestock rearing in the Savannah.

“Cookrite Savannah was intended for rice and cattle,” he reminded residents.

“We will work with the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), the Rice Producers Association (RPA) and the GLDA to determine who is using the land and for what purpose. Once the survey is completed, we will ensure the area functions as it was meant to, supporting both livestock and agriculture, but with proper management.”

The Minister also stated that he will advocate for communal pastures to be created, allowing multiple farmers to graze their cattle rather than having individual plots.

Meanwhile, during a separate meeting at Yakusari, residents complained about animals destroying their cash crops. Minister Mustapha ordered that the animal pound in the area be reopened immediately, and directed the Head of the GLDA to meet with animal owners to resolve the issue. That meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday.

Saturday’s engagement formed part of the Ministry of Agriculture’s ongoing efforts to strengthen accountability among contractors, promote safer farming practices, and ensure that farmers directly benefit from Government interventions.

Minister Mustapha reaffirmed his commitment to addressing farmers’ challenges at the community level and said that all concerns raised will be followed up with concrete action.

“We cannot just come and talk. We have to fix the problems, whether it’s canal cleaning, chemicals, or cattle, we’ll deal with it, and we’ll do it together,” he assured residents.

GPHC seeks relatives of Albouystown man as hospital continues outreach to reconnect, identify patients

Tony

The Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) is appealing to the public for assistance in locating the relatives of 42-yearold Tony Ramotar, who is currently a patient at the institution. According to the hospital, Ramotar was last known to be living in Albouystown, Georgetown, but all efforts to contact his family members have so far proven unsuccessful. The GPHC said it is eager to reunite Ramotar with his relatives and is asking anyone with information about his next of kin to contact the Social Work Department at telephone

number 506-6496.

In recent months, the GPHC has been using its social media platforms to appeal to the public for help in identifying or reconnecting patients with their families. The initiative has become more visible during the course of this year as the hospital continues to care for several individuals who were either brought in by strangers following accidents or left at the facility with little to no information about their identity or family contacts. Just a few weeks ago, the hospital made a similar appeal for relatives of Christopher Murray, a

57-year-old man who was reportedly residing in the Tiger Bay area before his admission. Murray was medically discharged, but according to the hospital, he remained at the hospital because no relatives or guardians had come forward to collect him. That appeal was posted around October 23 on the hospital’s official Facebook page. Additionally, earlier this year, the hospital sought to identify another male patient who had been brought in by someone following an alleged accident, but for whom no family information was available.

The GPHC’s social work team has been working to locate relatives and provide continued support for such patients, ensuring that no one under their care is left without the opportunity to be reunited with family or guardians. The hospital has expressed appreciation to members of the public who continue to respond to these calls, noting that community cooperation plays a vital role in helping vulnerable patients reconnect with their loved ones.

Ramotar

BBC's head of news Deborah Turness and Director General Tim Davie

Mustapha urges rice farmers to cut production costs; Govt addressing land rental prices

…rice cultivation to expand through Hope-like canals

Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha has urged rice farmers to take a proactive approach to reducing operational costs, even as the Government continues to address challenges and make major investments in the industry to strengthen productivity and resilience. The Minister made the call during a meeting with rice farmers along the Corentyne Coast, Region Six (East Berbice–Corentyne), on Saturday, where he discussed measures being implemented to ease farmers’ financial burdens while improving

yers, and I am preparing a paper for Cabinet with recommendations to correct this situation,” Mustapha explained.

He disclosed that the laws governing the rice assessment system already provide a formula for determining fair rental value; traditionally, one bag of paddy per acre, which he intends to enforce to prevent exploitation. “All who are living overseas and renting out state land for free money will have to face the law. We will ensure that no one overcharges farmers for Government lands,” Mustapha asserted.

ly to farmers,” he recalled. He said these interventions form part of a broader effort involving the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB) and extension officers, aimed at identifying additional ways to reduce costs while promoting efficient farming practices.

Hope-like canals to open new farmlands Minister Mustapha also pointed to the ongoing construction of two “Hope-like” canals in Region Six as another major development that will help lower costs and improve access to new farmlands. The project,

the sector’s long-term sustainability. Mustapha highlighted that one of the most pressing challenges affecting rice farmers is the high cost of land rental, with some persons exploiting state leases by subletting agricultural lands at inflated rates. He said this practice has significantly increased production expenses, and the Government is now taking steps to address it. “Over the last few years, we’ve seen land rental become one of the most expensive factors in production. Some persons who were given leases to do agriculture are now renting those lands and charging premium prices. I have already spoken to the Attorney General (AG) and our law-

Direct support to farmers

Mustapha reminded farmers that the Government has been playing a major role in reducing production costs through several initiatives. These include removing taxes and duties on agricultural machinery and inputs, providing fertiliser support, and more recently, offering $300 per bag of paddy as a direct subsidy to cushion the impact of falling world market prices. “We’ve increased fertiliser assistance from half a bag to a full bag per acre, and some farmers have collected over 200 or 300 bags. We’ve also taken off duties, reduced import fees and are giving fertiliser and price support direct-

modelled after the Hope Canal on the East Coast Demerara (ECD), is designed to drain excess water and protect thousands of acres of farmland from flooding – a persistent challenge in the region. The canals to be built between Whim and Letter Kenny and at Bengal Village are part of a wider national effort to improve drainage and irrigation. Once completed, the Region Six canals are expected to benefit over 188,000 acres of agricultural land and reduce flood risks by up to 70 per cent. “We’re doing the Hope-like canals right here in Region Six, and almost a hundred acres of new land will become available for cultivation. We have to en-

sure that small farmers get those lands, especially those who are now forced to rent. That will help them cut costs and be more independent,” Mustapha said.

The Agriculture Minister’s call for farmers to modernise and reduce costs mirrors similar appeals made recently by the Guyana Rice Producers Association (GRPA). Its President, Lekha Rambrich, has repeatedly urged rice farmers to scale back high operational expenses, particularly excessive land rentals, and to embrace mechanisation and new technologies to offset rising labour costs. “We

ing, fertilising and sowing in his own operations, an example of how innovation can improve efficiency and reduce expenses in

can’t say when rice prices will go back up, but farmers need to stop renting lands at those high costs and focus on bringing down their cost of production,” Rambrich said in a recent interview. “Mechanisation isn’t just the future, it’s the only way to survive in this business. Labour is too expensive, so we have to mechanise.” Rambrich himself has introduced drone technology for spray-

the long term. Meanwhile, the Government has also been supporting this transition by investing in research, new rice varieties, and subsidised inputs. Nearly $2 billion has already been spent on fertiliser assistance this year, while plans are being advanced to establish a price stabilisation fund and construct modern storage facilities to minimise post-harvest losses and stabilise farmer income.

Government’s commitment

The Minister emphasised that the Government remains committed to supporting farmers across the rice industry, while encouraging them to modernise operations and adopt practices that can further reduce expenses. “Farmers can’t keep doing what they did 10 or 15 years ago and expect different results. We have to keep improving. Government is doing its part, but farmers must also work with us to bring down costs and increase profitability,” Mustapha advised. He added that with ongoing investments in infrastructure, input support and fairer land access, the outlook for rice production in Region Six remains strong despite current market challenges. “This Government has never turned its back on rice farmers. We’re helping to keep the industry viable, and with the new drainage canals, direct payments, and support systems, we are putting farmers in a better position to succeed,” the Agriculture Minister affirmed.

Professor Clement Sankat is...

The idea is not just to decentralise education, but to spark community-level economic activity, from housing and services to transport and small business development, all anchored by the growing student and staff population.

Having led tertiary institutions in Trinidad and Tobago, Sankat brings a regional perspective on how education can underpin an energy-based economy.

“Trinidad and Tobago built petroleum engineering, geology, and geophysics programs,” he said. “That is exactly what I would like to see happening in Guyana.”

He noted that while Guyana’s oil industry is new, the lessons from its Caribbean neighbour can guide how the country develops its own human cap-

ital.

“I’m doing my part with respect to the technical training — just as Trinidad did decades ago,” he said.

Looking ahead, Professor Sankat sees the need to extend training into related sectors, particularly petrochemicals and food manufacturing. “The next phase of GTTC’s training will go beyond FPSOs; we must prepare technicians for a petrochemical industry,” he said. “Training in chemical processing technologies can support not only refinery operations but also food processing across the board.”

For him, Guyana’s future is not only about oil extraction but about building industries around it, creating jobs, manufacturing capacity, and long-term economic resilience.

“It’s no point waiting… take that decision now, start the training now,” he urged. “Those who are educated at universities ought to become good critical thinkers and problem solvers,” he said. “We need to ensure our educational programs meet the needs of the society… that there’s quality built into what we do.”

As he continues to guide the development of GTTCI, Sankat remains grounded in his life’s purpose, nation-building through education. “We are breaking new ground here,” he reaffirmed, his voice steady with conviction.

“Guyana’s future will be shaped by the skills of its people — and that is the human capital we are here to build.”

Minister Zulfikar Mustapha speaking to rice farmers on Saturday

RPA President Lekha Rambrich

By Dr Tariq Jagnarine

Fam meDicine, enDocrinology/DiaBeTes

A Hidden Threat

Hypertension – commonly called high blood pressure – is one of the leading causes of death worldwide, yet it often goes unnoticed until serious damage is done. Because it shows few or no symptoms, it has earned the nickname “the silent killer” .

Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that more than 1.2 billion adults have hypertension, with two-thirds living in low- and middle-income countries. In the Caribbean, hypertension affects nearly one in every four adults, contributing significantly to strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure.

In Guyana, hypertension ranks among the top

HEALTH TIPS HYPERTENSION: THE SILENT KILLER AMONG US

five causes of hospital admissions and premature death –making early detection and lifestyle management urgent public-health priorities.

What is hypertension?

Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the

heart pumps. Hypertension occurs when this pressure remains consistently higher than normal, forcing the heart to work harder and damaging blood vessels over time.

Normal blood pressure is below 120/80 mmHg

Hypertension is diagnosed when readings are 140/90 mmHg or higher

St Lucian national on multiple charges denied bail again

Nineteen-year-old St Lucian national, Condoleezza Henry, was denied bail again, four months after she was remanded to prison.

Henry in July, was slapped with multiple charges, including robbery under arms, attempted murder, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.

A housekeeper and mother of a nine-month-old baby, she had appeared unrepresented before acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty in July at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court, where she denied all but one of the allegations.

She pleaded not guilty to possession of a firearm without a licence and guilty with an explanation to possession of ammunition without a licence, telling the court the weapon belonged to her child’s father and had been left at their home.

Henry, who resides at the Guyhoc Squatting Area, was also charged with robbery under arms and attempted murder, stemming from a June 20 incident at Princess Street, Lodge. It is alleged that she, along with others and armed with a knife, robbed 69-year-old Claudius Fraser, Operations Manager at Calibre Security Services, of a .32 revolver worth $165,300 and $495,000, to-

talling $660,300. She pleaded not guilty to both charges.

The court heard that during the robbery, Henry and her accomplices used Fraser’s stolen revolver to shoot him in the chest.

Although Fraser was discharged from the hospital, the prosecutor revealed that a bullet remains lodged in his chest, and he is scheduled to undergo surgery on Wednesday.

The charges followed a cordon and search operation conducted by police between 15:30h and 16:30h on July 6 at the Guyhoc Squatting

Area, where ranks searched several homes for stolen items, firearms, narcotics, and wanted persons. Based on intelligence received, they searched the home shared by Henry and 29-year-old Kristoff Nicholson, who remains on the run, and recovered a .32 revolver, one live round, and a spent shell hidden in a speaker box.

After being arrested and taken to the East La Penitence Police Station, Henry was charged and later brought before the court. The prosecution strongly objected to bail on the grounds of public safety, the nature and seriousness of the offences, and the ongoing medical condition of the virtual complainant.

Despite her explanation, Magistrate McGusty denied bail and remanded Henry to prison. When she reappeared at the Georgetown Magistrate’s Court before Acting Chief Magistrate Faith McGusty last week, Henry’s attorney in his renewed bail application told the court that his client had no previous antecedents or convictions and no knowledge of the firearms and ammunition.

Nevertheless, Magistrate McGusty denied bail again and set the adjourned date to November 19.

on two or more separate occasions.

Types of Hypertension

1. Primary (Essential) Hypertension – develops gradually over years, often linked to genetics, stress, or lifestyle.

2. Secondary Hypertension – caused by underlying conditions such as kidney disease, hormonal disorders, or medication side effects.

3. Gestational Hypertension – high blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy and can lead to pre-eclampsia if untreated.

Common Risk Factors

• Family history of hypertension

Overweight or obesity

Excessive salt or fatty-food intake

Smoking and alcohol consumption

Physical inactivity

Chronic stress

• Age above 40 years

Underlying diseases such as diabetes or kidney disease

Signs and symptoms

Hypertension often has no early warning signs, but severe or prolonged elevation can cause:

Persistent headaches or dizziness

Blurred vision

• Chest pain or shortness of breath

• Irregular heartbeat

• Fatigue or nosebleeds (in advanced stages)

Because symptoms appear late, regular screening is vital – even when you feel healthy.

Diagnosis

Diagnosis is simple and painless:

• Blood-pressure measurement using a digital or manual sphygmomanometer.

Multiple readings taken on different days confirm diagnosis.

Additional tests –cholesterol, blood sugar, kidney function, ECG – help identify complications or related diseases.

Complications of uncontrolled hypertension

Unchecked high blood pressure can quietly damage every major organ system:

• Heart disease and heart failure

Stroke and brain haemorrhage

Kidney failure

• Loss of vision (hypertensive retinopathy)

Peripheral artery disease leading to poor circulation

• Cognitive decline and memory loss

Treatment and Management

1. Lifestyle Modification

Reduce salt intake to less than 5 grams per day (about one teaspoon).

• Eat a hearthealthy diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains (DASH diet).

Exercise at least 30 minutes, five days per week—walking, cycling, swimming.

• Maintain a healthy weight: even a small loss lowers blood pressure.

Quit smoking and limit alcohol

Manage stress through relaxation, deep breathing, or meditation.

2. Medication

When lifestyle changes aren’t enough, doctors may prescribe antihypertensive drugs such as:

• Diuretics (help remove excess salt/water)

ACE inhibitors or ARBs (relax blood vessels)

Beta-blockers (reduce heart workload)

Calcium-channel blockers (improve blood flow)

Always take medication exactly as prescribed –stopping suddenly can be dangerous

4. Regular Monitoring

Check blood pressure at least once every three months, or more often if advised.

Home monitors are affordable and useful for tracking daily trends.

Home and Natural Support

Some natural practices can complement medical

treatment: Garlic and beetroot juice*** may help reduce blood pressure naturally.

• Green tea, hibiscus (sorrel) , and omega3-rich foods (fish, flaxseed) support heart health. Stay hydrated and avoid excess caffeine.

(Always consult a healthcare provider before using herbal remedies.)

Prevention: every step counts

• Eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

• Limit salt and processed foods.

• Be physically active daily.

• Avoid tobacco and excessive alcohol.

• Maintain a healthy weight and manage stress.

• Get your blood pressure checked regularly.

Prognosis: a manageable condition

With early detection and consistent management, people with hypertension can live long, healthy lives.

• Controlled blood pressure drastically lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.

Lifestyle improvements benefit the entire family – when one person eats and moves healthier, others follow.

Hypertension is not inevitable – it’s manageable and preventable when we take action early.

Key facts

One in three adults in the Caribbean has hypertension. About half are unaware of their condition. Reducing salt and increasing physical activity can prevent up to 30 per cent of new cases.

• Early treatment can reduce stroke risk by 40 per cent and heart failure by 50 per cent

Check it. Control it. Live longer. Make blood-pressure screening part of your routine, just like brushing your teeth or drinking water. This simple step can save your heart – and your life.

Condoleezza Henry

UN: 1.5 million Jamaicans affected by Hurricane Melissa

Around 1.5 million Jamaicans have been impacted by Hurricane Melissa — the worst climate disaster in the nation’s history — according to the top UN development official in the Caribbean.

Kishan Khoday, Resident Representative for the UN Development Programme (UNDP), told reporters at UN Headquarters in New York that initial damage assessments point to losses equal to 30 percent of Jamaica’s Gross Domestic Product, “a figure that’s expected to rise.”

UNDP estimates that nearly five million metric tonnes of debris were generated across western Jamaica

after the Category 5 storm made landfall last week — roughly 500,000 standard truckloads.

Authorities have confirmed 32 deaths so far, while nearly 36,000 people urgently require food assistance and more than 100,000 homes have been affected, said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq. At least 30 communities remain cut off, and electricity, telecommunications, and even radio signals are still severely disrupted in several parishes.

More than 60 organizations have joined the 16-member UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team (UNDAC), operating under

the direction of Jamaican authorities. UNDP has allocated an initial $400,000 to support assessments and early recovery work, while the World Food Programme (WFP) is airlifting food from Barbados to assist more than 6,000 households for up to a week.

In neighboring Cuba, which also sustained major damage along with Haiti, about 120,000 people remain in shelters amid flooding and landslides. The UN reports that 29 communities there remain isolated, with over 45,000 homes, nearly 500 health facilities, and some 1,500 educational centers damaged. (Excerpt from CNW)

Bahamas nurse suspended over viral video

Aveteran nurse at Princess Margaret Hospital (PMH) in the Bahamas has been suspended for two weeks after releasing a video on social media passionately pleading with Prime Minister Philip Davis to address what she described as major issues at the facility, including leaky roofs, medical supply shortages and rodent infestation.

But while the Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) defended its decision to suspend her, Minister of Health and Wellness Dr. Michael Darville disagreed with the action taken.

In the video, Pearl Williams, who has been a nurse for 44 years, appealed to Davis to deliver long-awaited change at PMH.

Williams, who spent her career at PMH, except for the 15 months she worked at Sandilands Rehabilitation

Centre, told The Nassau Guardian she was shocked by the suspension, but wished not to comment further as the Nurses Union is looking into the matter.

The PHA confirmed Williams’ suspension.

“The Public Hospitals Authority (PHA) confirms that an employee has been suspended pending the outcome of an internal investigation, following the circulation of a video on social media,” the authority said.

Darville’s statement on the matter came not long after the one released by the PHA.

“While I have not yet been fully briefed on all the details, I wish to state clearly that I do not agree with the decision to suspend the nurse at this stage,” he said.

Darville said he has requested a full briefing on the matter.

Former Minister of

Health Dr. Duane Sands condemned the suspension.

“She was calm, she was respectful, she was articulate, professional and passionate, but she spoke the truth. Nothing she said hadn’t already been said in the public domain.

He said, “Every single thing she said was true, and yet she was victimized, she was suspended.”

Muriel Lightbourne, president of the Bahamas Nurses Union (BNU), said the union is working to ensure that Williams’ rights are protected.

“We in the union will ensure that her rights are not breached and will indeed represent her in this matter,” Lightbourne told The Guardian.

There are now questions surrounding whether the suspension breaches the law.

(Excerpt from The Bahamas Guardian)

US shutdown disrupts flights to Antigua and Barbuda

The U.S. government shutdown is disrupting regional air travel, with two flights bound for Antigua and Barbuda among thousands cancelled across the United States. An American Airlines service from Miami and a JetBlue flight from New York’s JFK Airport were grounded on Saturday, stranding passen-

gers and forcing last-minute changes for hotels and resorts on the twin-island nation.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has ordered airlines to scale back operations at 40 major airports as air traffic controllers and other staff work without pay. More than 1,000 flights were cancelled and 5,000 delayed nationwide.

Analysts warn that flight reductions could reach 10% by mid-November, potentially disrupting the start of the Caribbean’s winter tourism season.

Antiguan tourism officials say they are monitoring developments and offering flexible rebooking options to affected visitors. (Antigua News Room)

DR seizes 200 packages of suspected cocaine

The Dominica Republic (DR) National Drug Control Directorate (DNCD), with the support of the Public Ministry and state intelligence agencies, seized 200 packages of cocaine during an inspection operation at the Caucedo Multimodal Port.

The report indicates that the stash was found inside a container after a verification process that lasted more than 12 hours in the empty container area. During the inspection, agents located a return container to the port that held six bundles with the 200 packages, wrapped in adhesive tape and bear-

ing various logos.

The Public Prosecutor's Office and the DNCD are continuing their investigations and are analyzing the possible involvement of several people in the case.

“This is an investigation that is just beginning and, as the process progresses, we will provide information without affecting the course of the investigations,” the DNCD said in a statement.

Authorities emphasized that this seizure is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen operational capacity and strike at criminal networks attempting to use Dominican territory as a

transit point for drug trafficking.

The 200 seized packages were sent under chain of custody to the National Institute of Forensic Sciences (INACIF), where the exact type and weight of the shipment will be determined.

According to official figures, the DNCD, with the support of the Government and international cooperation, has confiscated more than 41.9 tons of drugs so far this year, consolidating the Dominican Republic's leadership in the fight against drug trafficking in the region.

(Listin Diario)

BVI Governor appoints former Gibraltar Police Chief as interim Acting Commissioner

British Virgin Islands (BVI) Governor Daniel Pruce has announced plans to appoint Richard Ullger, former Commissioner of Police in Gibraltar, as Interim Acting Commissioner of Police, following his decision to remove Acting Commissioner Jacqueline Vanterpool from the top post.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Governor Pruce confirmed that Vanterpool will return to her substantive role as Deputy Commissioner on November 18, after serving more than a year as Acting Commissioner of the Royal Virgin Islands Police Force

(RVIPF). He said the move was made in line with the Virgin Islands Constitution and the Police Act, after consultation with the Police Service Commission (PoSC).

Governor Pruce praised Vanterpool’s leadership during what he described as a “demanding and often pressurised” time and thanked the senior team and wider police force for their continued service.

The Governor also announced that Richard Ullger has been recommended to serve as Interim Acting Commissioner. Ullger, who led the Royal Gibraltar Police for five years, also has experience as Acting

Commissioner in both the Falkland Islands and St. Helena, and brings “extensive senior policing experience in the context of the UK’s Overseas Territories.”

Reaffirming his constitutional duty to safeguard the territory, the Governor stated, “As I committed upon being sworn in as Governor in January 2024, I am duty-bound by the Constitution to ensure the safety and security of the Virgin Islands. This is a responsibility I take with utmost seriousness.”

The recruitment process for a permanent Commissioner of Police remains ongoing. (Excerpt from CNW)

Bermuda Health Minister warns of rodent-borne bacterial infection

Arise in cases of a potentially severe bacterial infection transmitted by animals has been highlighted by Kim Wilson, Bermuda’s Minister of Health.

MPs heard Friday in the House of Assembly that the Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit had recorded three cases of leptospirosis in humans in Bermuda this year, compared with only one in the previous ten years, recorded in 2023.

She added that no link has been found between the three confirmed cases in Bermuda

— who have all received appropriate medical care — and their exposure to the infection.

Wilson believed some of the challenges resulted from trash not being properly secured, or not being put out on designated days.

“We are encouraging the public to take their own responsibilities so that we can arrest this particular bacterial disease,” she said.

The ministry, she added, would continue to educate the community about safe waste management, com-

municate with veterinarians and healthcare providers and raise awareness about preventive practices.

According to Wilson, the Department of Health “has not confirmed any direct link to between the trash collection schedule and any increase in leptospirosis cases in Bermuda”.

She assured the public that the ESU was well equipped to monitor “certain types of bacterial diseases and public health matters that come within our community”. (Source: Royal Gazette)

Two staff of the World Food Programme assess the logistical challenges of getting aid to isolated communities in Jamaica (United Nations Photo)

DNCD spokesman Carlos Devers speaks about the drug seizure in Caucedo

South Korea rescuers recover 3rd body after power plant collapse, media reports say

South Korean rescue officials pulled a third body from the rubble after the collapse of a large structure at a power station, media reports said on Sunday.

Four people remained buried with the authorities unable to locate two of them, the reports said, after Thursday's collapse of the decommissioned heating facility as workers were taking down parts of the massive steel structure to prepare for demolition.

The fire authorities did not immediately respond to a text message seeking comment.

Footage from the scene in Ulsan on South Korea's southeastern coast showed the structure mangled and toppled over, surrounded by similar structures.

People walk near a large structure which collapsed and where multiple people are believed to be trapped, at the Korea EastWest Power's Ulsan Power Plant headquarters, in Ulsan, South Korea, November 6, 2025

Rescuers have deployed heat sensors, remote scopes and search dogs to assist the rescue operation and locate the other trapped workers, though their efforts have been hampered by the risk of a further collapse of the structure.

(Excerpt from Reuters)

Super Typhoon Fung-wong slams into Philippines, 2 dead

Typhoon Fung-wong started battering the Philippines' north-eastern coast before landfall on Sunday

Super Typhoon FungWong made landfall in the Philippines on Sunday with two fatalities reported and one million people evacuated ahead of one of the nation's most powerful storms this year.

The storm crossed over the north of the archipelago's most populous island Luzon, weather bureau PAGASA said, with torrential rain, sustained winds of 185 kph

(115 mph) and gusts of up to 230 kph (140 mph).

It was the 21st storm this year to hit a nation only just recovering from Typhoon Kalmaegi, which left 224 dead in the Philippines and five in Vietnam.

Luzon and another island Eastern Visayas bore the brunt of the storm's early onslaught, with one person drowned and another trapped under debris, au-

thorities said.

The storm was expected to weaken as it moves inland.

Fung-Wong is expected to head north of the Philippines and reach coastal waters on Monday morning while remaining a typhoon, PAGASA said, before heading out to sea and weakening as it reaches west Taiwan on Thursday. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Thousands of US flights cancelled, delayed as Government shutdown continues

More than 1,530 flights were cancelled in the United States, while thousands more were delayed on Saturday after authorities ordered airports to reduce air traffic because of the ongoing government shutdown.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said there were air traffic control staffing issues affecting 42 airport towers and other centres and delaying flights in at least 12 major US cities, including Atlanta, Newark, San Francisco, Chicago and New York.

The FAA had instructed airlines to cut 4 percent of daily flights starting on Friday at 40 major airports because of air traffic control safety concerns.

The shutdown, which has reached a record 39 days, has led to shortages of air traffic controllers who, like other federal employees, have not been paid for weeks.

Reductions in flights are mandated to rise to 6 percent on Tuesday and hit 10 percent by November 14.

The cuts, which be-

US border patrol chief reprimanded for lying, claims shots were fired at immigration officers in Chicago

Aborder patrol chief claimed on Saturday that his agents came under fire in Chicago while conducting immigration enforcement operations, just two days after a federal judge said that he had lied to her about having been struck by a rock during a previous confrontation with protesters in the city.

Gregory Bovino, the border patrol chief and frequent Fox News guest who has become the face of the Trump administration’s mass deportation efforts, said on social media that his agents had been “shot at”, and subjected to “vehicular assaults, physical assaults, impeding, violent mobs, vehicular blockades”, for a number of hours.

In a written statement, the Department of Homeland Security said that border patrol agents were “conducting immigration enforcement operations near 26th Street and Kedzie Avenue in Chicago, Illinois, when an unknown male driving a black Jeep fired shots at agents and fled the scene”.

The agency said that the “Chicago Police Department was called for assistance

and cleared the scene. The shooter and vehicle remain at large, and this is a dynamic situation.”

Chicago police said they responded but found no signs of anyone having been struck by gunfire where the alleged shooting took place.

“There are no reports of anyone struck by gunfire,” the Chicago police said in a statement.

According to the police, one officer was in good condition after being struck by a vehicle during the operation, and the driver was ticketed.

No video evidence has yet surfaced of the alleged shooting, but social media clips and news photographs did show heavily armed agents in camouflage, including Bovino, confronting protesters, deploying tear gas and detaining people in the city’s Little Village neighborhood.

On Thursday, a US district judge in Chicago, Sara Ellis, said that Bovino had lied about an incident in late October in which he had been caught on video throwing a gas canister at protesters in the same neighborhood without warning, in violation of her earlier temporary restraining order limiting the use of force.

“Mr Bovino and the Department of Homeland Security claimed that he had been hit by a rock in the head before throwing the tear gas, but video evidence disproves this. And he ultimately admitted he was not hit until after he threw the tear gas,” Ellis said on Thursday, according to ABC News.

Bovino has previously faced scrutiny for making false and misleading statements. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Israel receives body of soldier killed in 2014 in Gaza

Israel has received the body of Lt Hadar Goldin, a soldier killed in an ambush by Hamas in 2014 and whose body has been held in Gaza since then.

The Israeli military said Lt Goldin, who was 23 when he died, was formally identified and will now be buried. He left behind parents, a sister, two brothers, and a fiancée.

Hamas's armed wing had said on Sunday that it would hand over Lt Goldin's body as part of a ceasefire deal.

Hamas has now returned

all 20 living hostages, and 24 out of 28 deceased hostages under the first phase of the deal.

Lt Goldin, from Kfar

Saba, is the only deceased hostage whose remains were being held in Gaza before the Hamas-led 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which sparked the latest war. He was killed in combat on 1 August 2014, not long after the start of a ceasefire in that year's war between Israel and Hamas. He was among a group of Israeli soldiers patrolling an agricultural area near Rafah in southern Gaza when they were attacked by a group of Hamas fighters. (Excerpt from BBC News)

3 dead, 15 hurt after rough seas pull people into the ocean in Spain’s

Tenerife

gan on Friday morning, include about 700 flights from the four largest carriers: American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Southwest Airlines and United Airlines.

Earlier this week, FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said 20 to 40 percent of controllers had not been showing up for work over the previous days.

He added on Friday that the US airport system was seeing “signs of stress” and the cuts to air traffic were being made “proactively” to ensure safety standards.

(Excerpt from Al Jazeera)

Three people have died and at least 15 were injured in separate incidents linked to rough seas battering the Spanish island of Tenerife pulling several people into the ocean, emergency services said.

A rescue helicopter airlifted a man who had fallen into the water at a beach in La Guancha, a municipality in the north of the island, but he was pronounced dead on arrival at hospital.

A local newspaper, El Día, said the man was a 43-year-old Spaniard who was fishing at the site at the time of the accident and “fell

from a considerable height”.

A man was found floating at El Cabezo beach in the south. Lifeguards and medical staff tried to resuscitate him but he died at the scene. His identity has not been disclosed.

A woman had a fatal heart attack when a giant wave swept 10 people into the sea in the northern city of Puerto de la Cruz. El Día reported that the woman was a 79-year-old Dutch citizen.

Emergency services said on social media that several people fell into the water after a sudden tidal surge.

An unexpectedly high wave crashed into a pier, dragging people into the ocean. Three people were seriously injured and treated in hospital.

The local broadcaster La Radio Canaria shared footage on X that it said showed the moment the wave swept several people from the Puerto de la Cruz pier.

At least five people were injured at Roque de las Bodega beach in the north-eastern corner of the island when a strong wave towed them into the sea. El Día said all were French tourists. (Excerpt from The Guardian)

Gregory Bovino in Chicago on October 28, 2025

IDF soldier Hadar Goldin was killed in Gaza in 2014

With change comes opportunity; a chance to switch positions, earn more, have an investment pay off or achieve financial gains. Now is not the time to neglect meaningful relationships.

Take a deep breath and relax. Refuse to let the little things get to you. It’s essential to keep your thoughts to yourself if you want to keep the peace. Consider how you can reduce your overhead.

Talk is cheap, but it can provide you with a good sense of what’s doable and what isn’t. Follow your heart, your instincts and your passion, and you’ll find your happy place.

Be straightforward and display your talents. Stand up for yourself and renegotiate old deals, and you’ll come out on top. Do your best not to put yourself in physical jeopardy.

Pay attention, be mindful and nurture your home, your loved ones and yourself. Make positive changes and learn as you proceed.

Listen carefully, find common ground and do your best to make adjustments that meet demands. Life is too short to let trivial matters ruin your day or your relationships with others.

Keep situations in perspective. Getting a change of scenery, meeting a group with whom you share much in common or learning something new can help you rethink what’s best for you.

Try not to exhaust yourself or spend too much time on matters you cannot control. Look around you, and you’ll recognize opportunities that will help you move forward.

Review your expenses and initiate changes that will reduce your overhead. Do your best to ease stress and to transition to a path that encourages you to put yourself first.

Look for opportunities that encourage you to use your skills and charm to draw others to see and things your way. Acting on your plans and utilizing your physical attributes and abilities will spark interest.

Emotions will surface. Make personal adjustments that increase your happiness. Understanding and compassion are necessary, and words and actions will count for much.

Slow down and take your time; let the dust settle and your temper dissipate. Snap decisions and heated conversations will lead to chaos if you let them. Discipline and patience will be called for.

ARCHIE

Connor Esterhuizen showcased his impressive game against spin in a bludgeoning 52 not out that helped South Africa A beat fading light to chase down 417 with five wickets in hand against India A at the Board of Control for Cricket in India's Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru. This was the highest fourth-innings chase in a First-Class game in India since 2016, and the sixth-highest ever in the country.

Esterhuizen's innings comprised eight fours and a six, as he helped South Africa A convert a tricky chase in the final hour into a cruise. His unbroken sixth-wicket partnership with Tiaan van Vuuren was worth 65 off just 52 balls.

While Esterhuizen delivered the knockout blow to India A, the chase was set up by Lesego Senokwane and Jordan Hermann. The openers put on 156, much of it during the course of a wicketless morning ses-

sion where they took the attack to Prasidh Krishna, Mohammed Siraj, and Akash Deep.

Even Kuldeep Yadav wasn't spared, but it also helped South Africa A that he was far from his best on a surface that didn't aid spin as much as he would have hoped for. With the surface showing no signs of breaking down, Kuldeep hardly found turn and was easily picked off as Senokwane and Hermann didn't allow him to settle. When he went full, he was imperiously driven. When he bowled shorter, the turn was so slow that it gave batters enough time to play him comfortably off the back foot.

Hermann did the early running when he hammered an off-colour Deep for four boundaries – an offdrive, two cover drives, and a square drive behind point. He soon got to his half-century, off 73 deliveries. India A's frustration stemmed from the edges not carrying. The lateral movement

that was there on the first

whom he welcomed with a superb slog sweep. Hermann was equally punishing, using the paddle sweep as Dubey struggled to vary his pace – he was guilty of bowling too quickly.

Hermann had a slice of luck on 66 when a rip-roaring bouncer that rushed him

its.

Having bagged a firstball duck in the first innings, Bavuma was more sedate and copybook in his approach; Hamza was a bit more enterprising and looked to take the bowlers on from the get-go to make a push for the target.

two days and a bit also went missing.

Senokwane soon followed suit, albeit sedately, getting to his half-century off 113 deliveries. Having played cautiously against the fast bowlers, he was severe on left-arm spinner Harsh

for pace lobbed off the glove only to land behind Rishabh Pant as he ran backwards. But even half-chances like those were far and few in between.

Prasidh provided the breakthrough when Hermann smashed a full toss back towards the bowler. Fortunately for India A, it got stuck in Prasidh's hand and Hermann had to walk back for 91. The wicket briefly fired India A's seamers, Siraj, in particular, as he delivered a telling spell in the afternoon, beating Senokwane a handful of times and then exchanging some words with him.

All that seemed to have affected Senokwane as he was lulled into a sweep that he missed and was lbw to Dubey on 77. This brought Zubayr Hamza and Temba Bavuma to the crease – the only two batters from this squad to feature in the Test squad – and they added 107 for the third wicket to bring the target in the double dig-

India A 2nd Innings

Abhimanyu Easwaran lbw b Cele 0

KL Rahul b Cele 27

Sai Sudharsan lbw b van Vuuren 23

Devdutt Padikkal c Senokwane

b Cele 24

Kuldeep Yadav c Bavuma

b Subrayen 16

Rishabh Pant (c) † c † Esterhuizen

b Simmonds 65

Dhruv Jurel not out 127

Harsh Dubey c Simmonds

b Moreki 84

Extras: (b 8, lb 5, nb 1, w 2) 16

Total: 89.2 Ov (RR: 4.27) 382/7d

Did not bat: Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna

Fall of wickets: 1-5 (Abhimanyu Easwaran, 1.1 ov), 2-40 (Sai Sudharsan, 12.1 ov), 3-78

(Devdutt Padikkal, 22.2 ov), 4-84 (KL Rahul, 26.2 ov), 4-108\* (Rishabh Pant, retired not out), 5-116 (Kuldeep Yadav, 38.5 ov), 6-300 (Harsh Dubey, 80.3 ov), 7-382 (Rishabh Pant, 89.2 ov)

Bowling O-M-R-W

Tshepo Moreki 21-3-69-1

Okuhle Cele 14-3-46-3

Tiaan van Vuuren 17-2-82-1

Prenelan Subrayen 22-2-76-1

Kyle Simmonds 14.2-1-89-1

In between, India A had a scare when Siraj hurt himself trying to stop the ball at mid-off and immediately rushed off the field for treatment. Pant too didn't keep for two sessions with Dhruv Jurel taking over the gloves. It was established much later that the decision to take Pant off the field was keeping in mind the workload he has had over the past two games – with both bat and gloves.

Hamza fell when he got an inside edge onto the stumps off Prasidh, and Bavuma fell soon after. India A had an opening with the visitors needing 89 when Marques Ackerman was bounced out by Siraj, only for replays to confirm the bowler had overstepped. Ackerman was eventually caught behind for 24 to bring Esterhuizen to the crease. The mood of the game changed considerably thereafter as he took the attack to Kuldeep and Dubey to seal victory in fading light. (ESPNcricinfo)

Dubey,

Zubayr Hamza starred with 77

KL Rahul remained unbeaten at stumps

Prasidh Krishna celebrates a wicket

Temba Bavuma made a crucial fifty

Sodhi, Duffy 3-fors trump late SpringerShepherd blitz in thriller

The series that keeps on giving. After two humdingers in Auckland, the third T20 International (T20I) between West Indies and New Zealand in Nelson was shaping up to be a more one-sided contest, with the visitors having slipped to 88 for 8 in 12.3 overs, chasing 178, staring at a comprehensive defeat. Surely game over, right?

Shamar Springer and Romario Shepherd, however, had other ideas. In a stunning rearguard action, the duo added 78 runs for the ninth wicket off just 39 balls to keep West Indies' chase alive. From 90 off 45, they brought the equation down to 13 off seven. But New Zealand, just as they did in the second T20I, held their composure in the end.

Jacob Duffy pulled off a stunning return catch off the final ball of the 19th over to send back Springer. And with 12 needed of the final over, Kyle Jamieson stepped up for the second game running to dismiss Romario Shepherd. New Zealand won the third T20I by nine runs to go 2-1 up in the fivematch series.

Electing to bat, New Zealand recorded 177 for 9 in their 20 overs on the back of Devon Conway's 56 off 34 balls and Daryl Mitchell's 24-ball 41. The final score was threatening to be a lot more, but three run-outs and Matthew Forde and Jason Holder's two-fors denied New Zealand a late charge.

Ish Sodhi's 3 for 34 and Duffy's two-wicket open-

ing over had West Indies on the mat, before the visitors threatened to pull off the improbable again. In the end, they fell short… again.

Shepherd and Springer spring a surprise

The game was done, the writing was surely on the wall, but Shepherd and Springer proved otherwise. When the duo got together, West Indies were in all sorts at 88 for 8 in the 13th over. Springer slog-swept Sodhi over deep midwicket first ball. Shepherd soon joined him, smashing Duffy for six over fine leg and then slicing him over point. At the time, a comprehensive New Zealand win felt just two mis-hits away, but these mis-hits never came.

Both Springer and Shepherd found the boundaries regularly. Springer muscled Mitchell Santner over long-on, and then walloped Jamieson for backto-back fours. By the time the 18th over from James Neesham was taken for 19, West Indies believed. With 24 needed of 12, it was their game to lose, especially when Duffy was sent out of the stadium for a 103-metre six over long-on by Shepherd.

But Duffy, who had struck two telling blows earlier, dove low to his left and plucked out a stunner as Springer fell for a superb 20ball 39. Jamieson, who had defended 16 in the previous match, was now tasked with defending 12 in Nelson. He went the hard-length way, rattling Shepherd with the extra bounce. With the equa-

West Indies

(T: 178 runs from 20 ovs)

Amir Jangoo b Duffy 5 Alick Athanaze c †Hay b Sodhi 31 Shai Hope (c)† c Robinson b Duffy 1 Ackeem Auguste run out (Santner/Sodhi) 24

Sherfane Rutherford c Sodhi b Bracewell 2 Rovman Powell b Sodhi 2 Jason Holder c Robinson b Santner 3

Romario Shepherd c Mitchell b Jamieson 49

Matthew Forde lbw b Sodhi 4

Shamar Springer c \& b Duffy 39

Akeal Hosein not out 1

Extras: (b 1, lb 1, w 5) 7

tion down to ten off two, Jamieson bowled a shin-high full toss that was miscued to only as far as Mitchell at long-off, as a third-straight last-over finish went New Zealand's way.

West Indies slip and tumble

Much before the Shepherd-Springer mayhem, West Indies looked in complete disarray. Jamieson conceded three fours in his opening over, but as Duffy had all series, he kept at it. He bowled Amir Jangoo, chopping back onto his stumps first ball. Three balls later, he had Shai Hope caught at deep backward square leg. At the other end, however, Jamieson continued to bleed runs and also put down Alick Athanaze, as West Indies breezed past 50 in 6.3 overs.

Sodhi's introduction flipped the script. He had Athanaze caught behind

with a long-hop, while Michael Bracewell sent back Sherfane Rutherford. Sodhi then found Rovman Powell swinging for the hills, but Powell missed instead and saw his stumps in a mess. By the time Sodhi trapped Forde lbw for 4, West Indies had lost 6 for 35 in less than six overs.

Forde shines, others disappoint Earlier, Conway – managing to avoid his series nemesis Forde in the opening over – got into his groove, pumping Akeal Hosein over deep midwicket for a huge six. Forde himself was tight with his lines and conceded just 14 in his three overs in the power play. This spell included getting rid of Tim Robinson, who was looking to turn the fast bowler around the corner, but popped a straightforward return catch instead.

However, West Indies

bled runs at the other end. Hosein's two overs went for 21, while Shepherd conceded 11 runs, as New Zealand reached 47 for 1 after six overs.

A failed Athanaze experiment and Conway's fifty Athanaze, more in the side for his top-order batting, had never bowled in any of his 11 T20Is before this game. The decision to introduce him right after the power play was surprising.

Bowling with his cap on, Conway first pulled a short ball through midwicket, before lifting Athanaze inside-out over covers, on a delivery that also turned out to be a frontfoot no-ball. While Conway couldn't make use of the freehit, Rachin Ravindra ended the over lofting Athanaze straight down the ground as New Zealand collected 16 runs in the seventh, giving their innings much-needed impetus.

By this time, Conway had gotten a hang of the Nelson surface and brought out his repertoire of shots. He scooped Springer over short fine leg, before thrashing him past point to move into the 40s. He reached his 12th T20I fifty by mowing Hosein over cow corner, while Ravindra at the other end also got going nicely. He struck back-to-back fours against Holder, as New Zealand racked up 49 runs in the four overs after the power play.

The New Zealand slide

At 96 for 2 after 10, New Zealand had their eyes set on 200, but poor running and effective West Indies bowling held them back. Ravindra's sprightly knock was cut short by Shepherd, whose slower offcutter stopped on the surface and caught Ravindra's leading edge to extra cover.

Conway was then un-

done by some Athanaze brilliance: Mitchell squeezed a fuller-length Springer delivery to the left of deep midwicket and called for two right away. Conway responded, but Athanaze sprinted to his left and fired a direct throw at the non-striker's end to find the opener well short.

With the run rate slowing down, Mitchell took Hosein downtown for two sixes and a four in the 15th over before Bracewell was run out. Forde made a mess of Neesham's stumps with a quick and full ball, while Santner sliced a low Springer full toss outside off to deep point.

When Holder removed Mitchell and Mitchell Hay in the 19th over, New Zealand had slid from 144 for 3 to 169 for 8 in 21 balls. The hosts managed only 35 runs in the last five overs, losing six wickets to fall well short of what they would have wanted at the halfway stage of their innings. In the end, it was just enough. (ESPNcricinfo)

Hosein

Matthew Forde

4-0-50-0

4-0-20-2

Romario Shepherd 3-0-23-1

Alick Athanaze 1-0-16-0

Jason Holder 4-0-31-2

Shamar Springer 4-0-36-1

Total: 19.5 Ov (RR: 8.47) 168 Fall of wickets: 1-13 (Amir Jangoo, 1.1 ov), 2-15 (Shai Hope, 1.5 ov), 3-53 (Alick Athanaze, 6.4 ov), 4-60 (Sherfane Rutherford, 7.6 ov), 5-68 (Rovman Powell, 8.5 ov), 6-68 (Ackeem Auguste, 8.6 ov), 7-83 (Jason Holder, 11.3 ov), 8-88 (Matthew Forde, 12.3 ov), 9-166 (Shamar Springer, 18.6 ov), 10168 (Romario Shepherd, 19.5 ov) Bowling O-M-R-W Kyle Jamieson 3.5-0-35-1

Matthew Forde picked up 2 for 20 in his four overs

Ish Sodhi took three wickets to dominate the middle overs of the chase

Shamar Springer gave West Indies hope at the death

Defending champion

YMCA A, Stabroek, and Young Gunners romped to lopsided wins when the ExxonMobil Guyana Futsal commenced at the Retrieve Hardcourt on Friday evening.

YMCA A crushed HH Ballers 10-2. Kevin Gittens, Jonah Simon, Jamal Bentick, Ryan Noel, and Jermaine Padmore scored two goals each. For the losers, Jaden Nelson and Omalli Webb scored one goal apiece. Similarly, Stabroek mauled Fearless 19-4. Bevney Marks led the rout with eight goals, while Shaka Lewis tallied a helmet trick. Adding respective doubles were Akeem Caesar and

It will be six nights of blistering indoor football action as the highly-anticipated second edition of the Bent Street/VP “Champion of Champions” Futsal Championships officially launched yesterday.

Promising higher stakes, better structure, and greater inclusivity, this year’s tournament is set to cement its status as one of the premier futsal events.

The action will unfold across two of the nation’s most prestigious sporting arenas, the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall and the National Gymnasium, ensuring high-octane excitement for fans and participants alike.

Quillan Andries, while Mark Jhalu, Anthony Layne, and Brandon Solomon scored one goal apiece.

For the losers, Barack John recorded a double, while Tashawn Sandiford and Ricardo Sampson scored one goal apiece.

Likewise, Young Gunners blew away Westside Ballers 10-1. Dwayne James and Tyrese Lewis recorded respective helmet tricks, while Devonte Tappin and Omarion Ramsammy scored one goal apiece. For the losers, Marlon James scored a consolation goal.

Meanwhile, Hardball Management overcame a three-goal deficit to draw 3-3 with Bombers.

Dequain Samuels bagged a double, while Shamiah Samuels netted once for Bombers. On the other side, Kareem Mervin recorded a brace, while Shaquille Mars netted once.

The event continues on Wednesday at the same location. Utilising an initial group stage format, 16 teams will be divided into four groups, with the resulting top two finishers progressing to the quarterfinal segment.

Group A comprises Hard-knocks, Hardball Management, Bomberz, and YMCA B, while Spaniards, YMCA A, HH Ballers, and Figgy FC make up Group B. Meanwhile, Group C consists of Young Gunners,

The eventual second-, third-, and fourth-place finishers will pocket $750,000, $350,000, and $200,000, respectively, and the corresponding accolade.

On the individual level, the resulting Most Valuable Player will receive a motorcycle. It was also announced that a $300,000 economic grant will be awarded to a player or fan to aid their ongoing academic development. Each team must put forward a candidate for the aforesaid scholarship.

The main tournament will feature a massive field of 32 top teams, battling through a rigorous straight elimination format. Only the most skilled, disciplined, and resilient teams will survive the initial rounds to vie for the coveted grand prize of $1,000,000. The second-, third-, and fourth-place teams will receive $500,000, $300,000, and $200,000 apiece and a trophy. In addition to the team prizes, several individual awards will also be presented. Building on the successes of the inaugural staging, the second edition is expanding its developmental footprint. This year will feature dedicated women’s and youth segments, allowing emerging talent a chance to com-

pete on the national stage. These segments will commence at the intense semi-final round. The winner of the women’s division will pocket $150,000, while the victor of the youth section will pocket $100,000. Both second-place finishers

will receive $50,000.

Speaking at the launch, tournament coordinator Troy Lambert emphasised the strategic importance of growing the competition.

“Our goal this year is twofold,” Lambert stated. “We are committed not only to expanding the Bent Street brand across the sporting landscape, but also to solidifying and developing the futsal format across the nation. By integrating youth and women’s segments, we are ensuring a feeder system that guarantees the sport’s longevity and competitiveness.”

Lambert further stated that a critical element in the tournament’s success is the unwavering dedication demonstrated by the Vice President (VP), Bharrat Jagdeo.

He noted that the VP’s commitment to grassroots sports was instrumental in bringing this mega-event to fruition, fulfilling a key promise made to the community to provide avenues for competitive sporting engagement, which ensures that athletes have a robust platform to showcase their talent.

Prior to the commencement of the event, Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth, and Sport, Steven Jacobs conducted the ceremonial kick-off in the presence of other officials, including Linden Assistant

Silver Bullets, Foundation Family, and Westside Ballers, while Group D will feature DC Ballers, Salah Family, Stabroek, and Fearless.

Chief tournament coordinator Troy Lambert (left) poses with the championship trophy alongside assistant coordinator Daniel Wilson following the launch of the Bent Street/ VP “Champion of Champions” Futsal Championships

Mayor Dominique Blair, Upper Demerara Football Association's (UDFA) President Wainwright Bethune, and ExxonMobil Guyana Community Relations Advisor Ryan Hoppie.

A look at the on-court action

A snippet from the ExxonMobil Futsal opening in Linden

It was a classy affair for the nation's top athletes on Saturday evening at the Pegasus Suites and Conference Centre as the National Sports Commission (NSC) hosted heir National Sports Awards for the year 2024.

Among the group of highly-talented Guyanese athletes, football's Omari Glasgow rose to the summit, being crowned the Sportsman of the Year 2024.

Glasgow had a stellar 2024, achieving a number of ‘firsts’ in Guyana’s football history.

The then 20-yearold started the year in a high, receiving both the CONCACAF highest goal scorer and best young player awards for the 2023-

Glasgow stands out as NSC hosts National Sports Awards

Becoming the first footballer to achieve the awards, Glasgow described the achievement as an amazing feeling.

Olympic Association.

2024 CONCACAF Nations League; the first time a Guyanese has won either award.

Then, Glasgow got his first taste of the USA’s Major League Soccer (MLS), making his debut for Chicago Fire’s first team in May, after signing a short-term agreement.

Glasgow made a handful of appearances for Chicago Fire before being officially signed to the first team in December 2024, a contract that would extend to 2026.

Days prior to his 22nd birthday in November of that year, Glasgow also became the Golden Jaguars’ all- time highest goal scorer with 19 goals in 27 appearances. Glasgow netted six international goals, including two braces in 2024.

"It's an amazing feeling, you know. But I wouldn't say the work was just from 2024, it was from the start of my career to now. To be able to achieve this shows that anyone could do what they dream of once they work hard for it. So, it's a great feeling," Glasgow shared.

Bodybuilding's Nicholas Albert was Glasgow's runner-up.

In the distaff, world-renowned squash player Nicolette Fernandes was hailed as the Sportswoman of the Year. Fernandes, who had yet another exceptional year in 2024, demonstrated her enduring class and competitive fire by achieving an undefeated run to win gold in the Women's 40 and over category at the World Squash Federation Masters tournament in the Netherlands.

This victory adds to her previous success in the Women's 35 and over category, confirming her status as a multiple World Masters champion and showcasing her continued dominance on the international stage.

David Fernandes, President of the Guyana Squash Association, spoke to her remarkable longevity, stating that her "achievements are unbelievable". Fernandes's influence extends well beyond the glass court. In 2024, she took on a significant administrative role, being appointed Chair of the Women in Sport Commission by the Guyana

Crucially, she has also been instrumental in nurturing the next generation of talent, working closely with the Guyana Squash Association to develop upand-coming players.

now college-mate at LSU, Athaleyha Hinckson picked up the Junior Sportswoman of the Year award, grabbing Guyana's first gold in the U17 100m at the CARIFTA Games, which she followed up with a South American

Her dual impact –achieving world-level athletic success while actively shaping the future of sport in an administrative and coaching capacity – makes her a truly-deserving recipient of the 2024 award.

Meanwhile, fellow squash player Ashley Khalil was named as Fernandes' runner-up.

In the junior awards, Malachi Austin carted off the Junior Sportsman of the Year accolade after bagging CARIFTA gold in 2024. His clubmate and

U20 gold in the same year.

In addition, this publication's Jemima Holmes was hailed as the Sport Journalist of the Year for Print media.

Bodybuilding's Rosanna Fung also found herself among the awardees on Saturday evening, being recognised for her recent World Championship win in Dubai, which is a first for a female Guyanese athlete.

Full list of awardees: Sportsman of the Year –

Omari Glasgow (Squash)

Runner-up – Nicholas Albert (Squash)

Sportswoman of the Year – Nicolette Fernandes (Squash)

Runner-up – Ashley Khalil (Squash)

Junior Sportsman of the Year – Malachi Austin (Athletics)

Runner-up – Kaidon Persaud (Athletics)

Junior Sportswoman of the Year – Athaleyha Hinckson (Athletics)

Runner-up – Tianna Springer (Athletics)

Sportsman of the Year (Persons With Disabilities) – Gibran Safaraz (Table Tennis)

Sportswoman of the Year (Persons With Disabilities) – Abigail Jairam (Chess) Coach of the Year –Ryan Hercules (Cricket) Team of the Year –Squash Senior Team Association of the Year – Guyana Basketball Federation (GBF)

Male Sports Official of the Year – Vidish Sookram (Bodybuilding)

Female Sports Official of the Year – Aileen BowmanJoseph (Netball)

Sport Journalist of the Year (Print) – Jemima Holmes (Guyana Times)

Sport Journalist of the Year (Non- Print) – Avenash Ramzan (Newsroom)

Sport Journalist of the Year (Broadcast) – Eric Collymore (NCN)

Corporate Sponsor of the Year (Small) – Trophy

Stall Corporate Sponsor of the Year (Medium) – MVP

Sports Corporate Sponsor of the Year (Large) – ENet

Ashley Khalili leads a group from the Guyana Squash Association, receiving the accolade for Team of the Year

GBF's Rawle Toney and Jermaine Slater receive the award for Association of the Year

A look at the awardees at Saturday evening's National Sports Awards

Omari Glasgow receives the Sportsman of the Year award from Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr