The Demerara Harbour Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Sunday, August 24 04:45h–06:15h and Monday, August 25 – 03:55h–05:25h.
The Berbice Bridge will be closed to vehicular traffic on:
Sunday, August 24 – 04:45h–6:15h and Monday, August 25 – 05:10h–06:40h.
Parika and Supenaam departure times –05:00h, 10:00h-12:00h, 16:00h, 18:30h daily
resident Irfaan Ali has underscored the need for Guyana to have strong leadership as the region faces rising military tensions between the United States (US) and Venezuela.
The US recently deployed three warships off the coast of Venezuela as part of its crackdown on drug cartels in the Latin American and Caribbean region. Washington has stated that designated narco-terrorist organisations like Venezuela’s Cartel de los Soles are using the region’s air and sea corridors to funnel drugs into the US, thus posing a direct threat to American lives and security.
According to international reports, an amphibious squadron consisting of three US Aegis-class guided missile destroyers carrying over 4500 service members could arrive off the Venezuelan coast by today.
Speaking at a public meeting on Friday evening organised by the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) at Bush Lot, West Coast Berbice, the incumbent president explained that the region will be facing a serious and major challenge over the coming days.
“As such, tomorrow requires of us to have strong, intelligent leadership to navigate what will be a complex situation in the coming days. We must be able to have leadership that is respected and trusted by our partners so that when we work with them, they know that they're working with people who they can trust and respect,” he posited.
Highlighting that this major geopolitical situation could destabilise the region and challenge Guyana’s sovereignty, Ali, who is seeking a second term in office at the September 1 General and Regional Elections, underscored the importance of having leadership that is experienced to make tough decisions.
“And these decisions… are not easy decisions. These decisions require experience. It requires international presence, and our sovereignty, our national security, our existence, our livelihood, and our country must be prepared to make and work in this new environment,” he stated, cautioning citizens that, “This is not the time to gamble with this country’s future, to gamble with this country’s sovereignty… You are seeing the reality of the complexity of the situation that confronts us.”
Only on Friday, the Guyana Government un-
derscored the need for strengthened co-operation at the regional and hemispheric levels to tackle the threats posed to regional security from transnational crime and narco-terrorism.
In a statement, the Government expressed grave concern over the threat to peace and security in the region by transnational organised crime and narco-terrorism, including criminal networks, such as the Cartel de los Soles from Venezuela, which has been designated as a terrorist organisation by some countries in the region.
According to the missive, “Such criminal networks have the capacity to overwhelm state institutions, undermine democracy, pervert the rule of law and threaten human dignity and development. The
Government of Guyana underscores the necessity for strengthened cooperation and concerted efforts at the national, regional, hemispheric and global levels to effectively combat this menace.”
To this end, the Guyana Government reaffirms its commitment to and support for a collaborative and integrated approach to tackle transnational organised crime by working with bilateral partners to dismantle criminal networks, safeguarding the region’s shared security.
These sentiments were reiterated by President Ali, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, during an engagement with reporters on Friday morning.
“As President, part of my duty is to ensure our sovereignty is maintained and
that we continue to live in peace here… We’ve always said we support this region being a zone of peace, and we understand the importance of our sovereignty, and we’ll do everything to protect our sovereignty,” Ali declared.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday shared the Guyana Government’s statement on the threats to regional security – something which Ali told supporters on Friday night demonstrates the confidence and trust that the US, one of Guyana’s strongest allies, has for the country and its current leadership.
“Guyana has shown the world, this People's Progressive Party/Civic Government has shown the world, that we are ready to provide global leadership and they can trust our leadership… We are respected. This Government doesn't hide from challenges and problems; we confront them. So, when you vote on September 1, understand the realities that our country is faced with, understand what the complexity of the environment that we have to operate in is, and understand that this is not a normal, simple decision. This decision has gained significantly more importance in the last 72 hours, because our very survival as a nation is at stake,” the incumbent leader noted.
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Even though the questions on the size of the Official Voters List (OLE) have been addressed time and again, after it was announced that the OLE for the upcoming Sept 1st elections is 757,690 electors, it remains an opposition issue with only one week to go. The assertion by the Carter Centre that they have not found any signs of “bloating” has not stopped the sniping. Only a few days ago, opposition-nominated Commissioner Vincent Alexander and the presidential candidate of the party that is trying to delay the holding of the election by another artifice in the courts have alleged the list is deliberately kept bloated so as to facilitate rigging by the incumbent party in Government.
The Commissioner was quoted as asserting, “…we have evidence of the fact that that list is deficient, and they are persons whose names are on the list who would have died years ago. Thousands of overseas dead are on the list.” Yet the single name of a “dead” person he alluded to, which had been cited in the media, has been conclusively proven to be false. He scoffed at GECOM’s position that any anomalies in the list can be rectified during the “claims and objections” (C&O) period before the list is declared to be “official”. He himself should be asked to present the “evidence” he claims he has in his possession.
During this year’s C&O period, Leader of the Opposition Aubrey Norton said his party would not proffer any objections. “Any actions now will help the PPP; by saying that, you will not be able to take off the thousands, and then they claim that they clean the list. We aren’t stupid…” Such postures work to fundamentally undermine our democratic system of governance and must be condemned.
The opposition’s claim is that for a country with a population of 786,000, the 757,690 voters who must be eighteen and over is out of whack. They disingenuously ignore a host of factors, the first being the population cited is from the 2012 census, and a fairer comparison can be drawn from the 2020 OLE, which contained 661,378 names. In addition to the natural increase in the population, there has been a huge influx of returning Guyanese from Venezuela who would have since registered.
Additionally, our law declares that once a Guyanese is on the National Register of Registrants (NRR) – from which the OLE is extracted – he or she cannot be removed merely because they are not resident in Guyana but only if they are deceased or declared mentally incompetent. As the Chief Justice ruled in 2019, “residency is not an additional qualifying requirement for registration pursuant to Article 159 (2) (c) of the Constitution of Guyana.” This decision was reaffirmed unanimously by the Court of Appeal the following year. This requirement, of course, can be inserted by suitably amending the Constitution, which would necessitate the Opposition voting along with the Government on such a measure. The Opposition, however, do not want to alienate overseas Guyanese who are their main funders and want to retain their full rights as Guyanese.
But in the Caribbean, Guyana is not unique in allowing citizens who are foreign residents the right to vote and consequently, along with high migration rates, has a high ratio of registered voters compared with their resident population. For Barbados and St Vincent the percentage is 89 per cent, and for St Lucia it is 95 per cent.
The Opposition studiously and disingenuously ignore the many safeguards that were built into the electoral system to prevent voters’ fraud after free and fair elections were returned following 28 years of PNC rigging. For instance, each party contesting elections can nominate “party scrutineers” at each polling booth to verify from the photograph on the National ID cards presented that a voter is who he or she claims to be because they have a separate photograph of the person available to them.
Sadly, the continued questioning of the OLE by the Opposition can only be understood as preparing the ground for questioning the legitimacy of the next PPP Government.
Farmers Market Day at the Lethem Market Tarmac, Region 9, was a hive of activity and showcased the best in local produce, crafts and agro-processing the region has to offer as it continues its drive in local food self-sufficiency
Dear Editor,
A once highly respected “Hindu Priest” and former GuySuCo “controversial executive” exposed himself as one who embodies the characteristics of Ravana – ten times over.
In a Stabroek News article dated August 22, 2025, WIN’s agriculture spokesperson, Vishnu Panday, reportedly blamed the PPP/C Government for the state of the sugar industry.
According to the article, Panday stated, “It was the PPP/C, from 1992 to 2015, that crippled the sugar industry. And I repeat, for 23 years the PPP presided over the industry’s decline. So, when these jackasses claim that APNU closed the industry, let them hear it loud and clear: it was the PPP that shut it down. And let it be known, a man named Panday said so.”
Citing Stabroek News, the article continued: Panday recalled that he “walked off the job at Skeldon in 2010 and went to work as a consultant for the Suriname Government’s sugar industry until former President Donald Ramotar begged me to return. I left again in 2021 and once more in 2024.”
Panday explained, “You know why? Because I can’t deal with these crooks and these scamps any longer.”
Oh, really?
Truth be told, Mr Panday’s outbursts hurled at the incumbent PPP/C Government, and I dare say unapologetically, constitute what I would describe as an erratic, paradoxically calamitous, seismically comical, inherently ingrained
dilemma of moral destitution – amounting to an irony within an irony.
A story has three sides: his side, their side, and the truth. The other side of the story is that he never walked off any job. I am informed by a former Chairman of GuySuCo that he was fired in 2010. Subsequently, it was the then President of GAWU, Komal Chand, who is now deceased (God bless his soul), that pleaded with President Ramotar to rehire him, out of compassion, which he did in 2015.
Word on the street is that he was [allegedly] fired from a prominent private sector company in the fishing industry, where he served as general manager as well.
In the case of Skeldon, his termination was invoked owing to his failure to deliver; thus, incompetence, insubordination, and allegations were levelled against him concerning his involvement in questionable transactions, which he denied.
Readers will recall that Dr Nanda Gopaul, Dr Randy Persaud, and the undersigned co-authored a detailed report on the Skeldon Sugar Factory, meticulously outlining the sequence of events and naming those directly responsible.
At the centre of that failure stands Mr Panday.
He was not a bystander; he was the executive with primary responsibility for the Skeldon Modernisation Project and, by extension, a central figure in the decline of GuySuCo and the eventual closure of the Enmore Estate.
The record is clear: as General Manager of Skeldon,
Mr Panday presided over the project from its inception to its inglorious collapse. To suggest otherwise is to rewrite history.
(For ease of reference, a summary of the detailed report on the Skeldon matter can be accessed here: https://guyanachronicle.com/2023/11/03/ booker-tate-apnuafc-were-responsible-for-the-dire-state-of-the-skeldon-project-sugar-industry/. And, former President Ramotar had also written an interesting letter that may be of interest as well: https:// guyanatimesgy.com/the-planwas-never-changed/.
The foregoing being established, having been exposed to his narration of the Ramayana at countless religious functions (many years ago), it is deeply perturbing to now witness the devolution of a once highly respected “Hindu priest”.
Today, he exhibits himself as one who embodies the characteristics of Ravana –magnified tenfold. And note my choice of words: I say his narration of the sacred texts rather than his spiritual teachings – for narration is all it ever was.
The Vishnu Panday whom I had known – or thought I did – was a man of great eloquence; he still is. He was also, in my regard, a human repository of an expansive vocabulary, combining in his articulation a mastery of complexly orientated, sophisticated literary utility within his linguistically innovative skills.
With that in mind, I am therefore taken aback by his unsophisticated and unusually finite vocabulary, as refe-
renced above – especially the term “jackass”. Quite unusual of him. Hence, my ‘devolution’ assertion is attributed to him, such that he is perhaps suffering from the law of diminishing returns within the context of an idiosyncratic personality perplexity syndrome.
The Hindi equivalent of ‘jackass’ is “gadha”, or in Sanskrit “gardhabhah”. In the Ramayana’s metaphorical philosophy, a gadha symbolises ignorance and foolishness. In this vein, it is worth emphasising that, according to the authoritative teachings of the Ramayana, “a guru who knows the scriptures but acts contrary to them is a hypocrite and unwise. Rama says that such a person is to be grieved for, because he loses both this world (honour and integrity) and the next (spiritual progress), and worse still, drags others into darkness.”
This teaching extracted directly from the Ramayana – a sacred text of which Mr Vishnu Panday is himself a masterful narrator – perfectly aligns with the observably diminishing unique behavioural traits he now displays.
In the final analysis, Mr Panday’s own words and record speak louder than his outbursts; his attempts to cast blame elsewhere collapse under the weight of history, leaving him not the accuser, but the accused. The tragedy is that a man once cloaked in eloquence and reverence now stands as a cautionary tale of hypocrisy, hubris, and decline.
Yours sincerely, Joel Bhagwandin
Dear Editor,
Today marks the penultimate Sunday before the “Silly Season” bids Guyana farewell until the next General Election, which will be constitutionally due in 2030. In Guyana, the silly season is referred to from the time election day is announced to the actual election date. The word “silly” is a descriptive word (adjective) and may be defined as “having or showing a lack of common sense or judgement”. The thesaurus has over 800 words as synonyms, including “foolish”, “absurd”, “ridiculous”, etc.
In the UK, the word “silly” may mean small and not important. Incidentally, the UK’s election period is referred to as “Purdah”. The word itself comes from the Persian word pardeh and is the root of parda, a HinduUrdu word meaning “curtain” or “veil”. The term refers to the social and religious practice of secluding women and keeping their bodies concealed, which is observed in some Muslim and Hindu communities in South Asia. In English, the
term “purdah” has extended to mean any period of seclusion or isolation, such as the pre-election period for candidates in politics. In the United States of America, “silly season” refers to the late summer months, generally in August and September, when news is scarce, leading media outlets to fill the void with trivial, light-hearted, or unusual stories instead of hard news. This period is also known as the “slow news season” or “cucumber season” in other countries, where a similar phenomenon of low news volume results in stories about record-breaking vegetables or other peculiar events.
But, in the US, the US president postponed time off from work and pushed on with his agenda as time ticked down on his second and final term. As per the “Telegraph Newspaper”, there is no silly season this year, according to David Urban, a former Trump campaign adviser and confidant. Some staffers have had to repeatedly postpone their own plans for a holi-
day or quietly make do with a snatched day off here or there. That kind of summertime ennui is a distant memory now that Donald Trump has returned to power. “He’s killed it off,” he said. “There is no downtime in this administration.”
Incidentally, President Ali promised more work and less time out for his administration in his next term in office. “The next Cabinet will not know what a holiday feels like… They have to be prepared to work 24/7.” This was further endorsed by the projected accomplishments to be realised, listed in the PPP/C’s election manifesto. Meanwhile, in his weekly broadcast on Thursday, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has forewarned that “various arms of Government, such as the judiciary and local authorities, will have to be more accountable for their performances in the years ahead.” He further stressed that, “They have to do a better job at doing the things they are equipped to do and are mandated to do.”
Parliament has had to
endure many “silly” incidents during the last two terms, from 2015 to 2020 and 2020 to 2025. During Granger’s stint, APNU/ AFC took the Treasury and this country to the cleaners when numerous political matters were erroneously referred to the courts and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). They were all frivolous, vexatious and considered an abuse of the court’s process. This country has had to pay dearly and costly for the APNU/AFC’s recklessness, carelessness and “don k dam” (don’t give a damn) attitude.
APNU/AFC exposed their absurd and anarchic silliness when the CCJ slammed the door on them for their claim that 33 is not the absolute majority of 65. The CCJ again debunked their atrocious and arrogant insistence that Granger’s controversial and unilateral appointment of James Patterson as GECOM Chairman was constitutionally correct. Again, the CCJ defied and made fun of the 2020 election matters presented and made a laugh-
Dear Editor,
I am appalled when I read an article in the Stabroek News dated 22nd August 2025, captioned, “Former GuySuCo executive blisters Govt over sugar”, in which Mr Vishnu Panday, a former Estate Manager and Agriculture Director, blamed the PPP/C Government for the current state of the sugar industry.
The WIN candidate claimed that “It was the PPP/C from 1992 to 2015 that crippled the sugar industry. And I repeat that it was the PPP, for 23 years, that crippled the industry. And like taking off a leg to survive, the APNU said we have to close some estates to survive.” I was utterly flabbergasted at this bold-faced lie and deceitful utterance by a man who until recently vehemently attacked the previous coalition Government for the destruction of the sugar industry.
Recently, he was at a meeting at Skeldon, and some private cane farmers stated that this man has no right to speak about sugar. They were unanimous that when he went to Skeldon Estate as the Estate Manager, the production and productivity began to decline year after year. In fact, in 2004, the tonnes of cane per hectare was 88.43, and thenceforth the decline was steady, and by 2012 it was a mere 52.72 tonnes per hectare.
Is this the legacy of a man who claims to be the most competent agriculture expert in the industry?
Panday spent more than twice the number of years
which he claimed that the PPP/C “crippled the industry” at the helm of the various estates: Wales, LBI, Skeldon and Enmore.
The question is: what do these estates have in common? They were all closed due to the opposite of the Midas touch from the great sugar expert. These estates received his “vardhan” (blessings), and they crumbled to the ground.
It is important to note that during all these decades of Panday’s involvement in the sugar industry, not once did he even mention that the PPP/C Government was the cause of the industry’s collapse. Now he has claimed and lauded that the APNU/ AFC did amputations to enable the industry to survive.
It is interesting to note that when these estates were “amputated”, he was given alternative employment with the Special Purpose Unit (SPU). He was the Board of Director with NICIL.
Perhaps he can inform the public what happened to the $30 billion syndicated bond which was supposed to support GuySuCo and its remaining estates: Uitvlugt, Blairmont and Albion. I know that he cannot do so because he was part of the squander machinery. The $30 billion could have kept all the estates open and restructured the industry. Perhaps Panday did not read the Coalition’s COI.
This man was with GuySuCo under the PPP/C Government up to 2015 and cannot name a couple of things which he achieved. He was with the Coalition, and again he achieved nothing.
Then lo and behold, he was given another opportunity under the PPP/C to right his wrongs from 2020 to 2024, and true to his nature, he failed again.
He was anointed as the Director of Agriculture under the PPP/C Government and given a free rein by the Minister of Agriculture to do as he sees fit to increase cane production and productivity – and what did he do? He came down like a tonne of bricks on all and sundry, spewing his inimitable arrogance in all directions.
During all these years as the Agriculture Director, all he could have offered was “back to basics”. This is laughable. Everyone knows the “basics” in GuySuCo. In these days of severe vagaries of the weather conditions, acute shortage of labour, decreasing TCH and changing dynamics, Panday had absolutely nothing to bring to the table except gloating and his knowledge garnered from years of failure and demotivating everyone he came in contact with.
He cannot apply anything to the changing dynamics of the sugar industry. He was simply a sailor who could sing with gusto, his failures masked as achievements.
It must be recalled that Panday had a clash with Sasenarine Singh and again resigned since he claimed that they have opposing views on the way forward. This was in February 2021, when he was appointed once again as the General Manager at Skeldon; this time to create an action plan to reopen the estate.
The fact of the matter is
that Panday felt that by virtue of his decades of “experience” in the sugar industry, he should have been the CEO and not Sasenarine, whom he claimed cannot manage a “dynamic industry” and is a “misfit”.
Time has proven that he was the “misfit” and that all he could do was babble “intelligently”.
During his short tenure at Skeldon, Panday failed to achieve any of his objectives in the action plan, and it was not about Sasenarine Singh. He wanted to operate autonomously since he “knows all about sugar”. He mistakenly believed that he should be at the helm of the industry to receive his crowning glory. Unfortunately, he was given every opportunity to prove himself, and he failed miserably.
Now he is espousing himself as the agriculture expert for the WIN Party, where he feels that as the one-eyed man he will be the “king”. However, he has failed to realise that he has nothing to prove to the Guyanese people that he is capable of bringing any progress to the agriculture sector. The sector is already in capable hands.
The WIN is just a party of disgruntled old men who believed quixotically that they had been given a “raw deal” and saw that party as the last stand.
I want to assure Panday that he has just squandered whatever little goodwill remained in his legacy, and he will surely face a future in ignominy.
Yours sincerely, Haseef Yusuf
ing stock of the APNU/AFC noxious and odorous defence. Shame had no name for their perpetual portrait of puerile preposterousness!
APNU/AFC did not learn any lesson from their mistakes and misguidance through the tutorship from their learnt counsels such as Williams, Hughes, Trotman, Janjat, Forde and Desir. Their illogic and idiotic intervention was advertised when 8 of their MPs were reprimanded for snatching and seizing the Speaker’s mace in Parliament, injuring and assaulting a member of the Parliament staff and using racist terms such as “slave…”
Those suspended without salary were Sherod Duncan, Christopher Jones, Ganesh Mahipaul, Viceroy Jordan, Annette Ferguson, Natasha Singh-Lewis, Maureen A Philadelphia, and Tabitha Sarrabo-Halley. Such vicious and vulgar vicissitude from the APNU/AFC Parliamentarians is both laughable and lamentable!
The constant walking out by the APNU/AFC Parliamentarians when it is time to pass budgets, projects, other litigative matters or actions in defence of the country underlines the unreasonable and un-
intelligent insanity of their thoughtless goofiness. Are the APNU, AFC and WIN chilled or in collusion with the mad Maduro? Being asinine towards the PPP/C is anticipated, but being acidic towards the nation’s interest is daffy and dotish! Ho-ho, and now we have the adventurous and avaricious Forward Guyana Movement (FGM), led by an acetous but audacious Amanza Walton-Desir, at a perilous and petrified last moment, attempting to join company with her once Minister of Justice and Legal Affairs in shooting herself in the foot by exposing an imposition of legal limitations. Oh, the fluttery and fruity foolishness of “five find outers” is not the same as that fancied by the author Enid Blyton.
This week will terminate the 2025 “Silly Season” period in Guyana. But reflecting on the lifestyle of parties, politicians, Parliamentarians and people, Guyanese will not be able to avoid saying “Don’t be silly” on some of their comments, compliments, commitments and comedies!
Yours sincerely, Jai Lall
Dear Editor, So day one of GRE 2025 is completed. From reports it seems the process was generally smooth with minor hiccups. Now on to day two.
It is surprising that one contesting presidential candidate on a visit to a polling station (Demerarawaves, Aug 22) did not seem to know that the Disciplined Forces ballots will be stamped by the presiding officer with a six-digit number just prior to the ballots being mixed with other ballots for counting (Sase Gunraj,
Commissioner, FB post on Action News, Aug 22). Why the DF’s ballots will be stamped afterwards is baffling.
The incident of the ballots on social media is regrettable, and every effort must be made that such a situation does not repeat itself. One would think the errant DF member would act in a more responsible manner. All in all, GECOM can take a bow on DFs voting activities.
Yours sincerely, Shamshun Mohamed
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2025
00:00 Sign Off 06:00 Cartoons 07:00 Evening News (RB) 08:00 Indian Movie - Dhak Dhak (2023) 10:30 CPL 2025 ABF vs SKNP
15:00 Indian Movie - Govinda Naam Mera (2022)
17:30 The Healing Touch
18:00 Week-in-Review
18:30 CPL 2025 SLK vs BR
23:00 CNN
Amouthful of water while swimming in a lake is unpleasant but nothing compared to the same situation during a swim in the ocean. A sudden mouthful of seawater leaves you gasping for a glass of water to wash the salty taste from your mouth. But have you ever stopped to consider why the sea is salty? In this article, we will dive into the realm of ocean salinity (salt concentration) and show that there is more to it than you may have thought. Where does the ocean’s salt come from? What is it made of, and how is salinity measured? Finally, why should the saltiness of the ocean interest us at all?
What is salt?
Salt is more than just the white crystals in the shaker at the dinner table that we add to food to make it tastier. Let us dig a little deeper. In the ocean, 97% of the salt is made up of ions (electrically charged atoms or molecules) such as sodium (Na+), chloride (Cl-), sulphate (SO24) and magnesium (Mg²+).
What is in a kilo (1,000g) of seawater?
Most of it is water (956.6 g). The remainder (just over 34 g) consists of a collection of salts. Chloride and sodium are the dominant salts, representing 86% of the total. Much of the remaining salt is sulphate, magnesium, calcium (Ca²+), and potassium (K+). The ocean receives most of its salt from a process called chemical rock weathering. The combination of water from rain, plus oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air, acts to react with and dissolve the minerals that rocks are made of.
You can see this process in places where rainwater has smoothed rock surfaces or on statues or stone building decorations that have lost their original shapes. Rocks and minerals contain a mixture of ions, which can be grouped into those with a negative charge (anions) and those with a positive charge (cations). Since opposite charges attract, water molecules surround the ions and isolate them from each other.
Water molecules consist of hydrogen and oxygen atoms (H2O). The hydrogen end of the water molecule has a slight positive charge, and the oxygen end has a slight negative charge. This makes water an excellent solvent, which means a substance that can dissolve ions.
Rivers ultimately flow out to the sea, taking the dissolved salts from rock weathering with them. When ocean water evaporates into the air, the salts are left behind. The evaporated water eventually falls as rain (or snow) over land. This process repeats and supplies more salt to the sea.
But this must only be part of the story; otherwise, the oceans would be gradually increasing in salinity, eventually becoming so salty that they could not dissolve any more salt. Seawater is salty, but not that salty! Salt is slowly removed from the ocean by several processes. Evaporation of water in shallow coastal lagoons can cause the salt concentrations to increase so much that it precipitates and collects on the seafloor. This is how sea salt can be harvested for use in our food. Sea spray can also slowly move salt from the ocean to land. The water in the spray evaporates and leaves the salt behind on land. Finally, saltwater seeping through cracks in the ocean floor near undersea volcanic ridges also slowly removes salt from the ocean.
The salinity and
temperature of seawater influence the density of seawater. The more salt that is dissolved in water, the denser it is: while 1 L of freshwater at 10°C weighs 1000 g, 1 L of seawater at the same temperature weighs 1026 g; the salt makes it “heavier” and denser. Differences in ocean temperature and salinity between depths and locations can influence ocean currents. If we want to understand how the oceans affect local weather, global climate, and the distribution of resources such as fish, we need to understand ocean circulation, and for that salinity plays a role.
Thermohaline Circulation
Winds drive ocean currents in the upper 100 metres of the ocean’s surface. However, ocean currents also flow
thousands of metres below the surface. These deepocean currents are driven by differences in the water’s density, which is controlled by temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline). This process is known as thermohaline circulation.
In the Earth's polar regions ocean water gets
surrounded by molecules of a liquid, such as salt ions in water.
Solvent: A liquid that can dissolve a solid or gas. Water is an excellent solvent.
Concentration: The amount of a substance in a volume of liquid or gas; e.g., 34 g of salt in 1 L of water
very cold, forming sea ice. As a consequence, the surrounding seawater gets saltier, because when sea ice forms, the salt is left behind. As the seawater gets saltier, its density increases, and it starts to sink. Surface water is pulled in to replace the sinking water, which in turn eventually becomes cold and salty enough to sink too.
These movements are what facilitate the ocean circulation, creating currents.
Glossary
Ion: An atom or molecule that has a charge because it has gained or lost electrons. Positively charged ions (Na+) are called cations; negatively charged ions (Cl) are called anions.
Dissolve: When individual molecules of a substance become
has a salt concentration of 34 g/L.
Evaporation: When water molecules are warmed up enough that they can move further away from each other, turning a liquid into a gas.
Salinity: Salt concentration; a measure of how salty seawater is.
Precipitate: When liquid molecules (such as water) can no longer keep molecules of a substance separate from each other and the substance becomes solid (e.g., salt crystals).
Density: The mass of a specific volume of gas, liquid or solid. The density of seawater is influenced by water, its temperature and the concentration of substances dissolved in it.
(Adapted from kids.frontiersin.org, oceanservice.noaa.gov, salinity.oceansciences.org)
– calls out “miscreant” over misinformation – sets out strict guidelines to prohibit use of cell-phones in Polling Stations on E-Day
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has assured that all election materials involved in Friday night’s accident along the East Coast Demerara (ECD) corridor have been safely escorted and are now secured at the GECOM headquarters in Georgetown. Following the close of polls on Friday when members of the Disciplined Forces cast their votes ahead of the September 1 General and Regional Elections, the ballot boxes were being transported in three minibuses under police escort when they became involved in a vehicular collision.
GECOM staff, party agents, and a police officer were also injured during the collision and transported to the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) for treatment. At the time, the three ballot boxes and other materials were being escorted from District Six (Region Six –East Berbice/Corentyne) by the police, with GECOM staff and political party agents in the vehicles.
The accident occurred at about 20:55h on the La
Bonne Intention (LBI) Public Road, ECD. According to a report from the Guyana Police Force (GPF), minibus BAB 6899 was proceeding west with ballot box #DF048 from Central Police Station in Berbice. Behind that were minibuses PXX 7898, which was carrying ballot box #DF047 from the same station, and minibus BAL2180, which containing ballot box #DF050 from Whim Police Station.
The minibuses were all travelling behind each other and were being escorted by GPF motorcar PAB 8212, when an unknown vehicle drove north-west out of the LBI Access Road into the pathway of the escort. This caused the police vehicle to apply its brakes, which in turn forced minibus BAB6899 to stop. As a result, minibus PXX7899 collided with the rear of BAB6899, and minibus BAL2180 subsequently collided with the rear of PXX7899. Shortly after, there were reports on social media that the ballot boxes were scattered after the collision – something that GECOM has since refuted. In a statement on Saturday,
the Elections Commission stated: “GECOM has noted a malicious social media post by someone who is obviously a miscreant, falsely informing that as a result of the accident, ballot boxes were scattered all over the place. This is exactly the kind of disinformation that the Commission has been relentlessly pleading must be avoided.”
Nevertheless, both the police and GECOM have assured that the ballot boxes and other materials were secured. “GECOM takes this opportunity to state that ALL election materials were safely retrieved, transported to GECOM Headquarters, and currently in secured custody,” the election body noted.
According to GECOM, the accident is being investigated by the Police Force.
Prohibiting cell-phones
Public Relations (PRO) Officer at the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), Yolanda Warde, had told the Guyana Times at the close of polls on Friday evening that the D-Day activities were “generally a smooth process,” barring a
few minor hiccups. During the course of Friday, there were photos being circulated of ballots cast by officers despite GECOM previously barring the use of cellphones in the polling stations. “We had put all our measures in place. We’ve sent out notices, advisories and people should know it’s an office. I’m not sure what will be the course of action the Commission will take but I’m sure it will be discussed,” the GECOM PRO indicated to this newspaper on Friday evening.
On Saturday, however, GECOM said, as a matter of policy, it has decided to introduce a comprehensive set of measures to prohibit the use of cell- phones and other recording devices in Polling Stations. According to a notice from GECOM, “This decisive action is aimed at preserving the secrecy of the ballot, particularly to address existing concerns about the potential for vote
selling that is directly linked to photographing of ballots.” The prohibition on cell phone use and the penalties for vote selling are rooted in the Representation of the People Act, Cap. 1:03.
Consequently, on election day, voters will be asked to turn off their cell phones before entering the Polling Station and reminded of the same while inside. Additionally, the Presiding Officer will keep the voter’s National ID Card until they have finished voting.
“If you attempt to take a photo of your ballot the GECOM Staff and Party Agents will raise an alarm. Any voter observed taking a photograph of his/her ballot paper will result in a formal note being made of the incident, and a report will be submitted to the Guyana Police Force for investigation,” the Commission noted.
Persons are reminded to ensure they pick up their phones from the desk/table and collect their ID card
“Provision will be made next to the voting compartment for you to place your phone and other items including handbags, before you use the voting compartment to vote. The Presiding Officer or other Polling Day Staff will instruct you to free your hands of all items by placing them next to the voting compartment before you vote,” GECOM said. Moreover, it was noted that the voting compartment will be positioned in a manner that allows for GECOM staff, and Party Agents as far as this is practicable, to observe if you are attempting to use your phone to take a photo of your ballot.
from the Presiding Officer, before leaving the Polling Station.
GECOM stressed, “It is important for you to understand that the selling of a vote is a serious offence which carries heavy penalties. Anyone found guilty of selling his/her vote will have to pay a fine of sixty-five thousand dollars ($65,000.00) and will be imprisoned for six (6) months.” The Elections Commission has urged voters to cooperate with these new measures, especially since they are necessary for upholding the integrity and transparency of the electoral process.
The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) has reported that the Disciplined Services voting, held on Friday ahead of Guyana’s September 1 General and Regional Elections, was conducted in a calm, transparent and professional manner.
In keeping with its constitutional mandate, the ERC deployed twenty accredited Local Observers across all ten Administrative Regions to monitor the special ballot. Members of the Guyana Police Force (GPF), Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Guyana Prison Service (GPS) were among those who cast their votes.
Led by its Chairman and Commissioners, the ERC’s observer teams visited polling stations at thirty-five locations nationwide.
TAs preparations continue for the national polls on September 1, the ERC announced that it will expand its deployment of observers across the country.
The body also urged all Guyanese to respect the constitutional rights of their fellow citizens, exercise tolerance and maintain peace during the election period.
Reaffirming its commitment to fairness and transparency, the ERC underscored that its role as a Local Observer Group is to safeguard integ-
“The ERC observed that polling day activities were carried out in an orderly, peaceful and transparent manner. Election officials demonstrated professionalism throughout as members of the Disciplined Services exercised their franchise without incident. The Commission commends the disciplined and cooperative approach of the Officers and recognises the efforts of electoral officials in ensuring efficiency, integrity and smooth conduct of the process,” an ERC release said.
rity in the electoral process – principles it described as “essential pillars for sustaining peace and harmony in society.” The Commission calls on all Guyanese to respect the constitutional rights of their fellow citizens, demonstrate tolerance and contribute to an atmosphere of peace and unity during this crucial period. The ERC reaffirms its commitment to its role as a Local Observer Group, dedicated to monitoring the electoral process to ensure fairness, transparency and integrity essential pillars for sustaining peace and harmony in society.
Some 10,481 ranks of the Disciplined Services – the GPF, GDF, and GPS cast their ballots on Friday. As is during any elections, members of the Disciplined Services are required to vote 10 days prior to the polling day so that they are available for posting at the various polling stations and other strategic locations as required by law without disenfranchising them.
Ranks who do not vote on D-Day will still have the opportunity to vote in their respective district as per normal on Election Day.
here’s the old philosophical conundrum that asks, “If a tree falls in the middle of a forest but there’s no one to hear it. Did the tree fall?” The point being that it’s people who give significance and meaning to events. So the question arises: “If the AFC launches its manifesto but no one gives a hoot, does the manifesto mean anything??” Sadly, your Eyewitness thinks it doesn’t!! But since he has to complete a column today, he can riff on the question as grist for his mill!!
So – as a firm believer in this age of soundbites that you CAN judge a book by its cover – he takes a peek at the cover of the AFC manifesto – as displayed by one of the dailies. It announces, “The AFC Plan for a better life: Putting food on the table, a roof over your head and money in your pocket.” Yep…as Ripley said, “Believe it or not”, that’s what the AFC sees as a better life in the 21st century!! Didn’t back in 1972 – fifty-three years ago – the PNC say the same thing but even better and punchier??
Their slogan was “Feed, house and clothe the nation”!!! How could the AFC forget “clothes”?? How the heck can you have “money in your pockets” when you’ve got no pockets?? Last time he looked, the only creatures he knows with pockets but no clothes are kangaroos and possums!! And we don’t have those here, thank you!! In most Guyanese circles, clothes don’t just maketh the man; they ARE the man – and woman. Folks would go hungry and live under trees – but we gotta have our clothes!!
This is Biblical, baby!! When Adam and Eve ran around in the Garden of Eden, they didn’t have no house or food or clothes – but when “the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.” Note they didn’t start off by building no house or planting no garden – they made CLOTHES for themselves!! And we know what happened when they thought of food and ate that apple, don’t we?? And the AFC forgets clothes for OUR good life!! How the heck will “Better come” if we’re running around nekked??
So what’s going on?? Your Eyewitness’ theory is that not seeing head nor hair of them – and no…while THEY weren’t seen, Nagamootoo and Ramjattan ain’t “head and hair”!! – the party had become the prophesied “Dead Meat”. So from whence manifested this “Manifesto”?? Retreating into the (very dim) recesses of his mind, he remembers (dimly) that even dead meat can exhibit a sudden twitch – called a “galvanic reflex”!!
The manifesto’s the AFC’s last twitch!!
…peace or piece??
You gotta HAND it to Pres Trump – even possibly the Nobel Peace Prize!! – The man can multitask!! Negotiating that elusive peace deal with Putin and Zelensky – well, actually the EU who’re bravely willing to fight to the last Ukrainian!! – bitch-slapping India’s Modi and Brazil’s Lula with tariffs, and dispatching a flotilla of warships to take out Mad Maduro, Trump might just wanna borrow that Captain America uniform from Marvel!!
When all is said and done, he’s displaying to the world what it is to act without ideological or historical blinders!! Putin and Europe?? Trump doesn’t have either the German Teutonic scorn for the Russian Slavs – coeval with the word “slave”! – or the Polish historical memory of a conquering Red Army!! The man is totally transactional – you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours – so his question includes asking what Putin and Russia can do for America!! The western Europeans, of course, are totally discomfited by this!!
And Mad Maduro might have just reached a dead (!) end!!
... professionalism
In this age of scrapeheads and skin-teeth, displays of professionalism are sorely needed before our country disappears into a cesspool of depravity!! The GDF Chief of Staff had to bitch-slap Sanction Man by reminding him that a courtesy handshake isn’t a political endorsement!
As our election campaign enters its final week, the flotilla of warships dispatched by US Pres Donald Trump will have reached its destination off Venezuela’s Caribbean waters. Three destroyers will be accompanied by 4,500 troops on amphibious vessels, surveillance planes and a submarine. This is the largest ever show of force the US has mustered against Venezuela’s Chavista Government.
The announced casus belli of the military operation, as announced by the US, is to confront drug trafficking organisations in Latin America, classified by the White House as “narcoterrorists”. In 2020, the US had classified the Cartel of the Suns as a criminal organisation, led by senior commanders of the Bolivarian Army, and on July 25 this year, the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) upped the ante. They announced they had “sanctioned the Cartel of the Suns as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. (It) is a Venezuelabased criminal group headed by Nicolas Maduro Moros and other high-ranking Venezuelan individuals in the Maduro regime that provides material support to foreign terrorist organisations threatening the peace and security of the United States, namely Tren de Aragua and the Sinaloa Cartel.” Ecuador, which is heavily affected by drug trafficking, also designated the Cartel of the Suns as a terrorist organisation. This labelling as a “terrorist group” triggers several international covenants that permit direct action to eliminate them.
On Aug 15, Secretary of State Marco Rubio had telegraphed that his Government’s impending action against the cartel (which also smuggles gold) was going to address the problem at its source – the Venezuelan Government of Nicolas Maduro: “Cartel of the Suns, the Cartel de los Soles, which is a criminal organisation that happens to masquerade as a Government. The Maduro regime is not a Government. It’s not a legitimate Government. We’ve never recognised them as such. They are a criminal enterprise that basically has taken control of a national territory, of a country, and who, by the way, are also threatening US oil companies that are operating lawfully in Guyana.”
Asked if the new operation might include the landing of troops on Venezuelan shores, White House press secretary Katerine Leavitt replied that the US was considering “using all its power” to stem the flow of drugs from Venezuela to the United States. Maduro responded by insisting he was “…launching a special plan to ensure coverage by more than 4.5 million prepared, activated, and armed militia members across the national territory.” This move might be directed more towards protecting Maduro from Venezuelans desiring to collect the US$50M bounty the US has on his head.
In Guyana we have witnessed an increased use of our national territory as a transhipment point for drugs to the US and Europe from Venezuela. The latest interdiction was on August 30, when 4.4 TONNES of cocaine, worth US$195 M, was seized in Reg 1. Following investigations, with US involvement, a senior police superintendent and three Guyanese were sanctioned by OFAC. The identification of the police officer is significant in that it signals the undermining of the state protective institutions that accompanied drug trafficking, which eventually corrupted the political directorate and civic institutions.
Apart from the Venezuelan threat to our oil, as identified by Rubio, there is, of course, their inexorable effort to annex our Essequibo through waging a hybrid warfare that would include drug and gold smuggling. So Guyana is a very interested party. The PPP Government has responded positively to the US initiatives, noting “with grave concern the threat to peace and security in the region posed by transnational organised crime and narco-terrorism, often involving criminal networks such as the Cartel de los Soles of Venezuela, designated as a terrorist organisation by some countries in the region. Such criminal networks have the capacity to overwhelm state institutions, undermine democracy, pervert the rule of law and threaten human dignity and development.” The other parties contesting the elections must declare their stance on the issue. The Maduro administration immediately accused Guyana of “being a pawn” of US corporate interests.
However, St Vincent’s Ralph Gonzalves, along with other OECS members of ALBA that receive concessionary oil debt relief from Venezuela, was part of an extraordinary meeting of the organisation, which, using an old trope, denounced, “The US military deployment in Caribbean waters, disguised as counterdrug operations, represents a threat to the peace and stability of the region and constitutes a flagrant violation of international law.” Guyana must have Caricom declare its position.
The Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) on Saturday, conducted comprehensive training sessions for its Local Electoral Observers in preparation for Guyana’s General and Regional Elections, scheduled for September 1.
The training is part of the Commission’s ongoing effort to ensure that electoral processes are conducted fairly, transparently and without ethnic intimidation or discrimination. The sessions, designed to equip observers with the knowledge and skills needed to monitor elections impartially, covered a range of topics, including electoral laws, observer roles and responsibilities, codes of conduct, and reporting procedures. Observers also received guidance on how to maintain neutrality and professionalism while on duty.
Training was held simultaneously at three locations: the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) in Greater Georgetown, New Amsterdam Town Hall in Berbice, and in Lethem, targeting observers from Regions Four, Five, Six, Nine and 10. Further sessions are scheduled for August 24 for observers from Regions Two, Three, and Seven. Speaking to observers at the ACCC on Saturday, ERC Chairman Shaikh Moeenul Hack emphasised the importance of professionalism and neutrali-
ty. “You are observers; it is expected of you to act professionally at all times. You are observing the elections on behalf of the Ethnic Relations Commission. At all times you must be neutral,” he said. Observers will be deployed to polling stations across all 10 administrative regions on Election Day. Their presence is a critical component of the ERC’s mandate to promote ethnic harmony, tolerance and peace in Guyana.
The training sessions were facilitated by the ERC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Commissioners and staff, who recently benefited from similar training provided by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM). According to ERC officials, more than 200 locally ac-
credited observers are expected to be deployed nationwide to monitor polling day activities. Chairman Hack added that the ERC’s participation in the elections not only ensures fair monitoring but also reinforces public confidence in the democratic process. “Our observers play a vital role in ensuring that the electoral process is conducted in a manner that is transparent and free from discrimination. Their work helps to foster peace and unity across all communities,” he said. With the General and Regional Elections just days away, the ERC continues to underscore its commitment to supporting a credible, transparent and peaceful electoral process through the training and deployment of its observers.
The University of Guyana (UG) has issued a response to a recent letter to the editor, in which a former student criticised lecturers at the university for misapplying the Turnitin similarity detection programme.
The alum argued that many students at UG have been unfairly accused of plagiarism due to a misunderstanding of Turnitin’s real purpose and its potential to mislead in the assessment of academic integrity. The letter writer claimed that “numerous lecturers” have misinterpreted the Turnitin Similarity Report, confusing textual similarity with actual plagiarism.
However, in its statement, UG responded that many of the claims in the letter are generalisations that misrepresent the institution’s policies and practices. The university stated that there are comprehensive safeguards in place to ensure academic integrity, which include robust academic policies, a variety of integrity tools, and ongoing training for both students and staff. These safeguards, according to the university, are outlined in the Plagiarism Policy and the AI Policy, which govern the conduct of both students and faculty.
UG stated that it regrets the fact that neither the author of the letter nor the publication reached out to the university for clarification before publishing the letter. The university urged anyone with concerns or complaints to directly contact the institution to resolve matters fairly and efficiently.
“It is regrettable that neither the letter writer nor the newspaper followed a fair
process by reaching out to the University before publishing such a problematic piece. While no system is 100 per cent accurate and can guarantee compliance by everyone, it is regrettable that the issue, which could have been a true individual breach of the University’s policies and practices, was amplified as a general problem,” the University said. UG emphasised that Turnitin is an integral part of the academic integrity framework and that the system is used globally to deter plagiarism. The university also
noted that Turnitin’s role is to identify textual matches but not to determine plagiarism outright. According to UG, a high Turnitin similarity score does not automatically equate to academic misconduct, as similarity can stem from proper citation or extensive use of direct quotes.
The university highlighted that training on Turnitin and other academic integrity tools is conducted regularly through the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CoETAL), the Learning Resources Centres
and the Education Online Support Services (EDOSS) Unit. Additionally, faculties hold orientations for students to ensure they understand the proper use of these tools, the UG release concluded. Turnitin is described online as a software that identifies the matched material by checking the electronically submitted documents against its database of academic publications, internet, and previously submitted documents. Turnitin provides a “similarity index,” which does not mean plagiarism.
A0.6-megawatt (MW) grid-forming solar photovoltaic (PV) farm was commissioned on Friday in Leguan, Essequibo IslandsWest Demerara (Region Three) by Prime Minister (PM) Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips, advancing Guyana’s renewable energy agenda.
“There is one thing we can all agree on today: Leguan, like every community across our country is proof of what real, transformative progress and holistic people-centred development looks like.
will be met at a reduced cost. This is a promise we made to the people of Guyana, and today we are delivering it here in Leguan.”
The facility was specifically designed to optimise efficiency, allowing Leguan to operate on solar power and battery storage for approximately 10 designated hours daily – significantly reducing reliance on diesel generators. With sufficient sunlight and battery capacity, the system has the potential to provide uninterrupted power around
“Our goal is simple. We are creating real benefits for every Guyanese by expanding clean and reliable energy across the country.” He stressed that energy access is not just about affordability, but also about unlocking economic potential for Leguan’s residents. “With reliable power, Leguan has no excuse now but to encourage more investments and economic activity. Cottage industries can expand. Tourism can be developed. The private sector, regional authorities, and the NDC (Neighbourhood
I wish to state unequivocally that this progress is a direct result of the vision, policies and initiatives that your Government, the PPP/C (People’s Progressive Party/ Civic) Administration, is putting into action,” the PM underscored during his feature address at the commissioning ceremony. PM Phillips also emphasised the importance of energy security for the people of Leguan. “Today, Leguan joins Wakenaam as one of the two islands in Guyana that has achieved energy security. This new facility means that you now have 24/7 electricity, no restrictions and the assurance that your energy needs
the clock. The PM linked the commissioning to Guyana’s broader energy strategy. He reiterated that energy security, climate security and food security are key pillars of the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS 2030) championed by President Irfaan Ali and his Administration.
TDemocratic Council) must now work together to make this happen. I look forward to the day when Leguan becomes a recognised tourist destination where Guyanese at home, in the diaspora and visitors from abroad can come and enjoy the island’s culture, cuisine and natural beauty.”
The Leguan Solar PV Farm features a 600-kilowatt-peak (kWp) solar array and a 1200 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery energy storage system. Valued at G$292.1 million, the project was implemented by the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) in partnership with Digiflic Controls India Private Limited. The farm is expected to reduce diesel fuel usage by approximately 1400 drums annually, contributing to long-term financial savings and lower carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
PM Phillips also highlighted the Government’s efforts to shield Guyanese from rising global fuel prices while investing in sustainable infrastructure.
“That’s a promise we made to the people of Guyana, that we will provide energy security, and we will do it in an efficient way. As a Government, we did not increase electricity rates, even when fuel prices went up by 64 per cent in 2023 and 2024. Instead, we found the resources to give GPL (Guyana Power and Light) to cushion those costs. This is the type of leadership we are committed to, delivering development in every community.”
This project marks Guyana’s third grid-forming solar farm. The first, a 0.65 MW facility, was commissioned in Mahdia in 2024. The second, a 750 kWp solar farm led by GPL, was commissioned in July 2025. Together with earlier projects in Lethem and Bartica, these facilities have already reduced diesel consumption by more than 12,500 drums.
ourism is one of the fastestgrowing industries worldwide and a significant source of income for many countries. It provides employment, revitalises local economies, and connects people across cultures. Yet, like other forms of development, tourism can also bring problems, including social displacement, loss of cultural heritage, economic dependence, and environmental degradation. For Guyana, the way forward is through sustainable tourism, with eco-lodges leading the charge.
What is Sustainable Tourism?
Sustainable tourism is defined as tourism that considers its current and future economic, social, and environmental impacts while addressing the needs of visitors, the industry, the environment, and host communities. Put simply, it is about creating opportunities today while safeguarding resources for tomorrow.
Water and wildlife are at the heart of sustainable tourism, but they are often taken for granted. If these resources are misused or overexploited, the very foundation of tourism collapses. For example, continuous hunting without allowing species to replenish could lead to extinction, while unmanaged water use risks leaving us without the clean water necessary for food, recreation, and tourism activities.
Guyana’s Commitment to Green Tourism
Guyana has already taken important steps in this direction. In January 2023, five eco-lodges – Atta Rainforest Lodge, Caiman House Ecolodge, Iwokrama River Lodge, Karanambu Ecolodge, and Rewa Eco-Lodge –were awarded the internationally recognised Good Travel Seal Green Destinations Certificate.
This endorsement, aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, reflects their commitment to responsible operations such as water conservation, wildlife protection, and sustainable management practices.
Tourism as an Economic and Cultural Asset
Tourism is also a key source of income. For many countries that rely heavily on it, revenues from tourists support jobs, local businesses, and foreign exchange earnings. In Guyana, tourism has the potential to support not only the economy but also community development, especially when tourists pay to access protected sites and experience cultural heritage.
Yet, if natural resources are lost, so too is this revenue. Visitors travel to enjoy pristine rivers, abundant wildlife, and rich culture. No one wants to vacation in a place where rivers are polluted, habitats are empty, or species are dying. Maintaining the beauty and health of the environment is therefore essential for Guyana’s future in global tourism.
Equally important is cultural exchange. Sustainable tourism allows visitors to experience the traditions, stories, and lifestyles of host communities, while locals, in turn, learn about the cultures of their guests. This exchange fosters pride, strengthens cultural identity, and enriches both sides.
For Guyana’s Indigenous communities, ecotourism has become a way to share their traditions while generating income and protecting their ancestral lands.
Support from Institutions and Agencies
The Environmental Protection Agency, working alongside the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce and the Guyana Tourism Authority, continues to support Amerindian communities in establishing and maintaining eco-lodges. Through training, licensing, and environmental authorisations under the Environmental Protection Act
Cap 20:05, these communities are equipped to operate ecolodges that meet both tourism and environmental standards.
The GTA’s Tourism Handbook further guides them in responsible management, ensuring facilities operate in harmony with nature while providing authentic cultural experiences.
Principles of Ecotourism
• Ecotourism is built on clear principles:
• Educating visitors about the importance of conservation
• Helping local communities understand the value of their heritage
• Encouraging environmental stewardship
• Generating revenue and jobs that give communities incentives to protect their environment
Importantly, ecotourism is not simply visiting a natural area; it is about contributing to the protection and long-term sustainability of that area.
EPA’s Role in Maintaining the Balance, Ensuring a Green Guyana.
EPA plays a vital role in ensuring this balance is maintained. Through its authorisation process, the agency requires eco-lodges to demonstrate environmental compliance, reduce waste, and carefully manage natural resources.
Impact assessments ensure that tourism activities do not harm sensitive habitats, while collaboration with other agencies promotes best practices that protect biodiversity and support community health. In this way, eco-lodges serve as living models of how tourism can directly complement environmental policy and community development goals.
As global travellers increasingly seek sustainable and immersive experiences, Guyana is well-positioned to shine. Its eco-lodges not only provide unique adventures but also create opportunities for communities, preserve cultural heritage, and safeguard biodiversity.
With careful planning, monitoring, and support, ecotourism in Guyana promises a future of shared prosperity, resilience, and pride. It represents a green frontier where protecting the environment and empowering people go hand in hand.
The sun may rise over Better Hope, East Coast Demerara, but for the Pereira family, the light has dimmed.
The sudden and tragic passing of 19-year-old jockey Kishawn Pereira has left loved ones bereft and an entire community mourning a promising young life cut short.
Orvin Sansair, Kishawn’s sibling, recalled the simple joys of their childhood, where they would swim together, play cricket, and dream of the future side by side. He shared these sentimental reflections during an interview with this publication.
“The basic thing that he used to do is, when he came home from school, he used to go and ride horses. I used to ask him if he was sure this was what he wanted, and he said yes.”
Kishawn’s passion for horse racing grew from those early days, evolving from a cautious beginner to a confident jockey, earning victories and respect along the way. “I see him winning races and winning races. I kept supporting him. Every race he rode, I would check it out, post it up, and support him in whichever way,” Sansair recalled.
The news of his death
came as a shocking blow. “Yesterday [Sunday] I got a call from a cousin who said, ‘Orvin, [did you hear] what happened to your brother?’ I said, ‘No’, because I was going out on the seawall for a time. I asked him to tell me about it. He said that my brother died. I was shocked. I said, ‘No, I can’t believe this’.”
Even their mother was unaware of the tragedy, and Sansair had to confirm the heart-breaking reality through multiple calls. “When I saw her, she started crying... I was really shocked. Really shocked,”
he said, tears welling up again.
Despite his youth, Kishawn had earned respect in the racing community for his dedication and kind heart. “He was kind. I loved him, brother. He never disrespected any of us or anyone else. If you ever needed something, he would give it to you – anything,” Sansair says, struggling to hold back tears.
Kishawn had left school before completing his CXC exams to pursue a career in horse racing. He devoted himself to training, feeding, and riding horses, turning a childhood passion into a livelihood. While the exact prize money from his victories may not have mattered to him, the love for the sport and the joy it brought him were clear to everyone who knew him.
The Pereira family now faces a future without their beloved Kishawn, a young man whose life, though short, was full of determination, kindness, and ambition. In quiet moments, memories of laughter, races, and shared childhood adventures serve as a bittersweet reminder of a life that touched so many.
Kishawn Pereira’s passing is a stark reminder of
life’s fragility, leaving a community and a family to grieve the loss of a spirited young man whose journey was tragically cut short.
Pereira was riding Blinding Light in the H Class race over seven furlongs when the horse reportedly slipped, throwing him to the ground, with another horse, American Traveller, at its heels.
American Traveller, ridden by jockey Bharrat Ramnarine, could not be pulled away in time, and Pereira’s fall proved fatal.
The incident occurred between the third- and fourth-furlong poles during the penultimate race of the day, which had nine horses at the start.
By the fifth furlong pole, three riders, including Pereira, had fallen, with Pereira’s fall bearing the tragic fate of being fatal.
Attorney General (AG)
Anil Nandlall, SC is confident that the High Court will dismiss the case filed by the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) party against the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) as the matter is set to be heard on Monday. FGM, led by former A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Amanza Walton-Desir, is accusing GECOM of excluding duly approved political parties from ballots in several hinterland regions ahead of the September 1 General and
Regional Elections.
The case has been fixed for hearing before acting Chief Justice, Navindra Singh, at 09:00h on Monday. However, AG Anil Nandlall believes that this case is frivolous and vexing. “The case has absolutely no merit. It has no likelihood of success and would amount to a colossal waste of the court’s time. And hopefully, at the end of the matter, the court would express its displeasure of its process being so abused,” he posited during a recent interview on the National Communications Network (NCN). In the fixed-date application filed by Attorney Dr Vivian Williams, FGM candidate Krystal Hadassah is seeking urgent constitutional relief under Part 56 of the Civil Procedure Rules. The party argues that GECOM’s ballot design violates Articles 59, 149, and 160 of the Constitution, as well as provisions of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA).
According to the affidavit, both FGM and the Assembly of Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) party, the latter founded by former People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) member, Simona Broomes, were approved by GECOM to contest the upcoming polls. However, their names were not found on the ballots in Regions Seven, Eight, and Nine, nor ALP in Regions One and Two. The parties claimed that they satisfied all legal requirements to contest nationally.
Hadassah, a resident of Region Nine, claims that the exclusion of the party from the regional ballot in that district violates citizens’ constitutional right to vote.
But the Attorney General argued that no right is absolute. “While you have a right to vote, it’s not an absolute right to vote. Every right has qualifications and restrictions. So, you have a right to vote but you must be registered. You have a right to vote for a political party of your choice, of course, but that party must be contesting the elections,” he contended.
Nandlall reminded of
similar legal proceedings filed by Christopher Ram and Vishnu Bandhu, both of whom in separate cases challenged the electoral system of Guyana, specifically the proportional representation system on the ground that it discriminates against persons. One argument was that there is no place for an individual to independently contest the elections since they are required to be part of a list that is pre-approved by GECOM, hence their right as a Guyanese to participate in the electoral process is taken away.
The other argument was that the law mandates political parties to contest a minimum number of seats (13 of 25 geographical seats) and minimum number of regions (six of the 10 regions) before they are allowed to enter the race, which interferes with their constitutional rights.
According to Nandlall, the court could not find in any violations of constitutional rights by the electoral laws in either case – and the same will apply to FGM’s legal challenge.
“So, this elector is from Region #9 and she claims that she would like to vote for this Forward [Guyana] Movement party, and when she looks at the ballot, the Forward [Guyana] Movement party is not on the ballot and she claims that her rights are infringed. How is her right infringed? She has decided that she will vote for a person or a party that is not contesting that election… I
always tell people that the law is extraordinarily simple and based upon common sense,” he stated.
The AG went on to say that the FGM’s case is a clear demonstration of a lack of understanding of the Guyana Constitution and the electoral machinery.
“I think this case is a clamour for attention and it’s a shameless stunt for publicity. Maybe the presidential candidate of this party will change her mind after the decision of the court but if it is that there is a desire to appeal that’s all right and everyone is entitled to pursue his or her rights to the very end,” the AG contended.
Meanwhile, the FGM court challenge is being seen as a last-minute bid to delay the upcoming elections – something which AG Nandlall reassured would not happen.
He declared, “I just want to assure the general public that the exercise of that right to appeal will not affect the September 1st elections. Those elections are going to go ahead.”
Citing the case’s flagrant lack of merit, Nandlall argued that the court should impose appropriate costs, especially since “…a tremendous amount of resources, time and energy have to be expended at this crucial time, days before the elections, with a hopeless legal challenge. And litigants, who invoke the processes of the court at such an unfortunate time and who would cause the use or rather wastage of such a massive amount of resources, should feel the wrath of the court. And the court has an obligation, in my view, to express its discontent with actions that are so patently frivolous and vexing.”
Only Thursday, General Secretary (GS) of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Dr Bharrat Jagdeo labelled the court challenge as “nonsensical.”
Educator Mischka
White, Principal of the School of the Nations and candidate on the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) List, says that while opposition party A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has highlighted education as a key pillar in its manifesto, many of its proposals mirror the groundwork already laid by the incumbent Government.
Among the APNU manifesto promises is the provisions of a $50,000 monthly stipend for each post-secondary school student. However, the PPP/C has promised to increase the ‘Because We Care’ cash grant for schoolchildren to $100,000 while introducing a new children’s transportation of $100,000, this means that every schoolchild will benefit from a minimum of $200,000 per year – a policy expected to inject $40 billion annually into households across Guyana.
Speaking on the Starting Point podcast, White noted that the strides made in the education sector over the last three and a half years set the foundation for what she describes as “true transformation.”
White pointed to the construction of 157 schools since 2020, with six to seven of those being primary institutions and the significant rise in teacher training. According to her, 98 per cent of teachers along the coast are now trained, while the hinterland boasts an 86 per cent rate.
“When you look at the manifesto for the PPP for 2025, and you look at the manifesto from 2020, most of the things that APNU is bringing in their manifesto is already in progress right now in Guyana”.
“So, access to education, it's easier now because there are more schools, particularly in the hinterland region. And that's the part where I am so excited about, because typically when we think of Guyana, everyone thinks of Georgetown and when you go beyond Georgetown, you think of the coast. But that's a very minor aspect as to Guyana. So, the attention
that is being placed to education and not only education, but everything in the hinterland regions, speaks about the equality in the education sector that the PPP Government is bringing. And you see them doing that now in terms of the schools, the trainings and resources that are available. So regardless of where you are in Guyana in this time, you have access to the same quality of education,” White said.
Further, White highlighted the PPP/C’s Guyana Digital School as a game-changer, offering multiple modes of online learning, from structured interactive classes to flexible self-paced modules with access to assessments and advanced resources for students eager to excel.
The digital school, soon to be launched, aims to provide every child in Guyana with free access to quality education from nursery to Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) level, aligning with both the local curriculum and international standards such as the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC).
A key goal of the digital school is to bridge the educational gap between students in urban centres and those in remote areas. White argued that the transformation of Guyana’s education system is central to the country’s overall development, particularly as the economy diversifies in the coming decade.
“The Guyana Digital School is making it even more exciting, because that platform gives you four avenues. The first avenue is you would like to have a structured interactive class. It's there for you. I can't make seven o'clock in the evening to do math, so I take option two, self-pace. I can do it at two in the morning. The house is quiet. That's when I work. You know, you have resources. You have the assessments. I want to go further in this subject. It is there for you. So, the programme that the PPP has planned is designed to take Guyana forward more than 10 years. And education is
critical to everything that we want for our economy, because we're speaking to the youth. And it's not just primary and secondary. It goes all the way down to nursery, very very important. The changes to the nursery curriculum will have children reading faster,” she added.
Since 2020, Government has injected almost $600 billion into Guyana’s education sector. In fact, under the PPP/C Govt has built and/ or is in the process of completing 44 secondary schools countrywide. Currently, forty-two secondary schools are being built nationwide, of which 24 are located in the hinterland regions. From September 2023 up to mid-2025, the Ministry of Education commissioned six new or significantly reconstructed secondary schools nationwide.
This is apart from the six new primary schools commissioned between 2020 and 2025, a period which saw over 25 primary schools being upgraded.
Over the past five years, under the administration of President Irfaan Ali, Guyana has recorded significant progress in the education sector. Key initiatives include the “Because We Care” cash grants and uniform allowances; tax relief for parents; nationwide school feeding and breakfast programmes; the expansion of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in education through smart classrooms; and the provision of free textbooks, calculators and examination materials for all students.
Additionally, the Government now covers the cost of Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) and CAPE fees; has expanded teacher training through the Cyril Potter College of Education (CPCE); introduced Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) programmes in secondary schools; established new Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) facilities; and launched the Guyana Online Academy of Learning (GOAL) scholarship programme. An Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enhanced digital school initiative is also slated for rollout in the near future. There is also community school bus support and planned transport grants for students. Over the past five years, the Because We Care Cash Grant and Uniform Allowance were reinstated and significantly expanded after being cut under the previous APNU-led Administration.
Additionally, from this year, parents can claim $10,000 monthly tax deduction per child – aggregating to $120,000 annually – deepening financial relief for approximately 205,000 families.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2025
…Bryan
Maxx says he went to collect money owed to US-sanctioned Azruddin Mohamed, ALP’s Simona Broomes …after station bail, threatens “Guyanese Critic” “walk with eyes behind his head”
We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) candidate Bryan Maxx and social media commentator, Mikhail Rodrigues, called “Guyanese Critic” were both placed on station bail on Saturday after they were involved in a heated confrontation which led to an alleged assault. Reports are that Maxx went to Rodrigues’ Queenstown, Georgetown home while he was doing a live broadcast of his morning show and said that he was sent by United States (US) sanc-
tioned Azruddin Mohamed to collect monies owed to him. According to the live broadcast by both parties, Maxx entered Rodrigues’ studio then demanded monies on behalf of Mohamed and former People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) member and coalition Government Minister, Simona Broomes who is now the leader for Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP) party.
A confrontation then ensued after Maxx refused to collect some money offered to him in the presence of a guest on the broadcast but instead began hurdling derogatory remarks about sexual acts involving the guest’s mother and also about Rodrigues’ mother. A heated exchange followed that led to a physical alter-
Just weeks after announcing plans to equip prisons with Artificial Intelligence-powered surveillance and body cameras for guards, the Guyana Prison Service (GPS) has officially launched body-worn cameras for its officers, marking a key step in modernising the prison system.
“The body-worn cameras will help monitor the activities within and around the prison facility, support operational efficiency and support investigation matters.
Prison officers are often required to manage difficult situations, and these new cameras will help make our job safer while reassuring staff, prisoners and the public that we will work with them to ensure that they have access to the appropriate service,” Director of Prisons Nicklon Elliot, who inaugurated the new devices at Lusignan Prison this week, said.
In instances where prison officers are required to manage difficult situations, the cameras are expected to make their work safer while
reassuring staff, prisoners, and the public that they are committed to providing professional and accountable service.
The body-worn cameras, which attach to the front of an officer’s uniform, remain on standby until activated, capturing high-quality digital recordings. Elliot confirmed that the technology will be rolled out to other prison locations in the coming days.
The new security initiative is the latest measure, building on the Government’s multi-billion-dollar investment to improve safety in prisons and protect frontline staff. It is also part of the Director of Prisons' pre-election muster, where staff and prison-
ers are briefed about their general conduct.
The launch builds on prior modernisation efforts, including AI-powered surveillance systems and modern scanners at all prison facilities to curb contraband and strengthen security. Officers have also received increased salaries, improved housing, mental health support, and other benefits as part of the push to build a professional and accountable workforce.
Elliot had emphasised that the initiative is part of a broader campaign to “change the mindset and culture for corrections”, ensuring that the GPS operates transparently while maintaining safety and discipline.
cation. Both men reported the matter to the police and were questioned.
Rodrigues was granted $50,000 bail, while Maxx was released on $25,000 bail. Both are scheduled to appear in court on Monday.
After their release from custody, Maxx then made another video saying that it was no real assault by Rodrigues but rather a “cheap shot” and that he was laughing it off. He then proceeded to threaten Rodrigues in the video telling him to walk “with eyes behind his head.” He also continued his derogatory remarks against Rodrigues. Only last week, Maxx was caught on camera threatening to kill a sitting Government Minister with
a machete in his hand.
In 2024, the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) had announced that it sanctioned Nazar Mohamed and his son, Azruddin Mohamed, as well as several of their companies.
According to a statement from OFAC, this is related to the evasion of taxes on gold exports, noting that between 2019 and 2023, Mohamed’s Enterprise omitted more than 10 thousand kilograms (kg) of gold from import and export declarations and avoided paying more than US$50 million in duty taxes to the Government of Guyana.
CARIFESTA XV officially opened in Barbados on Friday evening, bringing together artists, performers, and cultural delegations from across the Caribbean and beyond for the region’s premier celebration of arts and creativity.
The festival, which runs from August 22 to August 31, 2025, under the theme “Caribbean Roots… Global Excellence”, celebrates the vibrancy, innovation, and resilience of Caribbean culture while addressing global challenges such as sustainability, peacebuilding, and regional development.
The event has returned to Barbados for the third time, following a hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting the country’s enduring commitment to arts, culture, and regional integration.
Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Dr Carla Barnett, hailed CARIFESTA XV as a powerful showcase of Caribbean unity and creativity. She emphasised that the festival remains the region’s most significant platform for cultural expression, collaboration, and the development of the creative sector.
“Distinguished guests, the rich and inspiring theme for CARIFESTA XV, ‘Caribbean Roots, Global Excellence’, is an affirmation of a simple but powerful truth – our strength lies in understanding that, at its core, our history and our heritage are the source of our impact far beyond the shores of our region,” Dr Barnett said.
She highlighted that Caribbean artists and creative industries are widely respected internationally, giving the region a permanent and unique place in the global cultural landscape.
“The internationally acknowledged excellence in artistic expression and the creative industries has given Caribbean artistes a unique and indelible place in the global imagination.
In CARICOM, Heads of Government have recognised culture as a priority area for building economic and social resilience, strengthening regional spirit and identity, and engaging our youth.”
Dr Barnett also explained CARIFESTA’s pivotal role in the Caribbean’s creative economy, stating that the festival acts as a catalyst for creative industry growth, strategic partnerships, digital innovation, and professional development opportunities for artistes.
For the first time, CARIFESTA welcomed artistes from the African continent, who staged highly acclaimed plays as part of the festival’s programme. Delegations from Latin America were also present, reflecting the event’s growing role in fostering cross-continental cultural exchange.
“I am especially delighted to welcome to CARIFESTA, for the first time, artistes from the African continent who will stage highly acclaimed plays during this programme. I also welcome
our brothers and sisters from Latin America, who continue to support this premier regional festival,” Dr Barnett said.
She also praised the efforts of the festival organisers and participants, noting that their dedication ensures that CARIFESTA XV will stand as a lasting testament to the brilliance, boundless creativity, and resilience of Caribbean peoples.
The Guyana contingent made a grand entry, reminding audiences that Guyana has twice hosted CARIFESTA – first in 1972 and again in 2008 – contributing significantly to the festival’s rich history.
Heads of Government, Ministers of Culture, and officials from CARICOM member and associate states were welcomed by Dr Barnett, alongside cultural experts, entrepreneurs, and families from across the Caribbean and the diaspora.
As CARIFESTA XV continues over the next ten days, audiences can expect a full spectrum of Caribbean arts, including literature, visual arts, culinary arts, dance, theatre, drama, and storytelling, celebrating the region’s heritage while inspiring new generations of artists and cultural leaders.
Vice President (VP)
Bharrat Jagdeo has called on employers, particularly in the oil and gas sector, to ensure that offshore workers are granted adequate paid time off to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming general elections.
Speaking at his weekly press conference on Thursday, Jagdeo emphasised that while the Government cannot dictate the operations of the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), employers carry a responsibility to facilitate workers’ participation in the democratic process.
“Contrary to public belief, we can’t tell GECOM what to do. APNU makes it seem as though GECOM responds only to the PPP, but that’s simply not true. What we can do is encourage employers to play their part in ensuring workers get the chance to cast their ballots,” Jagdeo said.
He added: “I hope that
people will be given the time off, and with pay too, to vote. That’s my hope, because we are responsible.”
Guyana's oil and gas sector directly employs over 6000 Guyanese workers, representing nearly 70 per cent of the local workforce in the industry as of late 2024. This figure does not include thousands of Guyanese em-
ployed by local suppliers or the broader supply chain.
GECOM has confirmed 757,690 registered voters for the September 1 General and Regional Election, spread across 2790 polling stations, including 62 stations at private residences.
The VP’s remarks come amid concerns that offshore workers, often on rotation-
al shifts, may struggle to access polling stations on election day. In July, GECOM reminded all employers that it is mandatory by law to allow eligible employees time off to vote without loss of pay or penalty, under Section 81(1) of the Representation of the People Act (ROPA).
The law stipulates that: "Every employer shall permit every elector in his employ…to be absent from his work on election day for a reasonable time, in addition to the normal mid-day meal hour, for the purpose of voting… No employer should make any deduction from pay or other remuneration or impose any penalty by reason of absence during such period."
Failure to comply may result in serious legal consequences under Section 82 of ROPA.
GECOM also reminded employees to act responsibly by informing and coordinating with their employers in advance.
Afuel tanker truck bearing registration number GAJ 9707, owned by a 36-year-old businessman from Culvert City, Lethem, reportedly caught fire along the Mabura road en route to Lethem at about 05:15h on Saturday, the police reported.
At the time, the tanker was being driven by 38-year-old Vijay Persaud, in the company of 20-year-old porter Joseph Layne. They were travelling along the Mabura road from Georgetown, transporting 19,500 litres (L) of gasoline and 19,500L of diesel.
The driver related that he heard a loud explosion as if one of the truck tires had exploded. He said he immediately brought the truck to a stop and made checks, where he observed the left rear tire on fire.
He added that he used a fire extinguisher he had in the truck to try putting out the fire but this proved futile.
The fire continued to blaze, which eventually caused himself and porter to run to safety. The entire truck sub-
Acordon and search operation took place Friday afternoon in the Barnwell Boulevard, Mocha, and Barnwell North Mocha areas of East Bank Demerara, targeting wanted persons, narcotics, arms and ammunition, and stolen property. The exercise ran from 16:30h to 17:40h.
According to police reports, during the operation, officers discovered a 14-year-old female juvenile hiding with an 18-year-old male in a Barnwell North Mocha house. The male was placed into custody, while the female was escorted to the Children and Family Centre in Plum Park, Sophia. The Regional Division 4B Gender-Based Violence Unit was informed.
In addition, one black Hajue motorcycle (registration number CL 2373)
The
sequently became engulfed in flames. No one received any injuries.
The fire station was summoned at about 11:15h; the fire was put out by
12:30h, and the damaged truck was cordoned off to allow free flow of traffic.
The driver and porter are assisting police with the investigation.
was found abandoned in an incomplete building on Barnwell Boulevard. The building was photographed for evidence, and the motor-
cycle was removed and taken to the Farm/Herstelling Police Station. Authorities stated that operations like this are
Only persons to worry about US military activity in region are those engaged in or enabling criminal activity – T&T PM – supports US activities, pledges staunch support for Guyana in any Venezuelan act of aggression
In a social media post late Saturday, Trinidad & Tobago Prime Minister, Kamla Persad Bissessar, stated that the US Government's deployment of American military assets into the Caribbean region to destroy the terrorist drug cartels has the full support of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago.
The only persons who should be worried about the activity of the US military, she noted, are those engaged in or enabling criminal activity. Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear.
The Trinidad and Tobago government has not engaged and has no intention of engaging CARICOM on this matter; each member state can speak for themselves on this issue, the statement read, adding that
No requests have ever been made by the American Government for their military assets to access Trinidadian territory for any military action against the Venezuelan regime, the statement read:
“Trinidad and Tobago has always had good relations with the Venezuelan people and that will continue,” she stressed, “however, I want to make it very clear that if the Maduro regime launches any attack against the Guyanese people or invades Guyanese territory and a request is made by the American Government for access to Trinidadian territory to defend the people of Guyana, my government will unflinchingly provide them that access.”
Turning to the region, the PM pointed out that the US Government's “deployment of American military assets into the Caribbean region to destroy the terrorist drug cartels has the full support of the Government of Trinidad and Tobago. Due to drug, human and firearms trafficking, Caribbean countries, and in particular Trinidad and Tobago have experienced massive spikes in transnational crime, gang activity, murders, violence and financial crimes.
by exhibiting significant influence in political, legislative, media, banking, security and economic decisions, often rendering governments toothless to enact actual change to stop criminal activity.
Record murder rates, gang activity, drug addictions, violent crime and increasing poverty throughout the Caribbean and especially in our country certainly do not paint a peaceful existence. Therefore, it is shocking to hear some persons using referrals to the Caribbean region as a zone of peace to push negative commentary on the US military deployment against these terrorist cartels.”
“The only persons who should be worried about the activity of the US military are those engaged in or enabling criminal activity. Law abiding citizens have nothing to fear. Despite the misinformation being peddled, the US military is operating legally in international waters within the region and have not breached any nations sovereignty,” she outlined.
part of ongoing efforts to maintain public safety and reduce criminal activity in the region.
Most Caribbean countries and in particular Trinidad and Tobago have been dealing with out-ofcontrol crime for the last twenty years. Small island states like ours simply do not have the financial and military resources to take on the drug cartels.
Cartels have been enabled to embed themselves into the high echelons of Caribbean societies, there-
“The Trinidad and Tobago government has not engaged and has no intention of engaging CARICOM on this matter; each member state can speak for themselves on this issue. Trinidad and Tobago has been helplessly drowning in blood and violence for the last twenty years; Vice President Vance spoke the truth when he mentioned our high murder and crime rates. Therefore, no amount of Trump derangement syndrome tantrums and anti-American propaganda will prevent my government from welcoming assistance to combat the terrorist drug cartels.
Other CARICOM countries are free to make their decisions based on the best interests of their citizens.”
Two American citizens wanted on drug trafficking charges in the United States (US) were deported yesterday following a joint operation in the Southern Division of the twin-island of Trinidad & Tobago.
The 33-year-old man and 27-year-old woman had
been held on Tuesday at Arjoonsingh Drive, Palmiste, where they were living illegally.
Guardian Media understands that between 11:00h and 16:00h on Friday, they were escorted to Piarco International Airport and placed on a US-bound flight, where they were handed
over to American authorities.
The exercise was part of an ongoing initiative targeting international fugitives.
It involved officers of the Southern Division Task Force and Gang Unit, intelligence agencies, immigration personnel, and agents of the US Embassy (Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)
King’s Counsel (KC)
KD Knight has filed a lawsuit against Jamaica’s Minister of Health, Dr Christopher Tufton, accusing the Jamaica Labour Party (JLP) campaign chairman of defaming him at a recent political rally.
The claim, submitted by the law firm Knight, Junior and Samuels to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, alleges that on August 10, Tufton “falsely, recklessly, maliciously and/or without reasonable and probable cause, published and/or caused to be published a manipulated audio recording purportedly to be that of the claimant in which the following defamatory words were made.”
According to Knight, the audio falsely suggested he has no confidence in People’s National Party (PNP) President Mark Golding’s ability to lead Jamaica.
According to the filing, the alleged defamatory statements were “wholly false and malicious in that the claimant has never said those words in such a context and in such an order in any forum, either publicly or privately, and that the defendant having caused to be published defamatory statements at the JLP mass rally was reckless and careless without considering or caring whether it was true.”
Knight’s legal team contends that the public was deliberately misled into believing that his views aligned with claims suggesting Opposition Leader Mark Golding was not a fit and proper person to become Prime Minister.
The veteran attorney is seeking damages for defamation, including exemplary and aggravated damages, vindicatory damages, and
interest at commercial rates pursuant to the average weighted loan rates for commercial banks as published by the Bank of Jamaica, along with costs, attorney’s fees, and any other relief the Supreme Court deems appropriate.
Tufton has rejected Knight’s assertion that the recording played at the rally was fake, doctored, or altered.
“The tape is 100 per cent genuine. I understand Mr Knight’s embarrassment at the comment he made, but his claim that it was altered is blatantly false. If he wishes to pretend he never said it, that’s on him, but the facts are clear. His words are entirely consistent with sharp criticisms he has previously made of Mark Golding in the public domain,” Tufton said.
Jamaicans go to the polls September 3. (Source: CNW)
The three United States (US) warships deployed to the Caribbean are expected to arrive, and as they move in, Venezuelans living in Trinidad are hopeful that the deployment will lead to the removal of President Nicolás Maduro.
They are also wishing for new elections to be held, enabling them to return home peacefully.
Fearful for their safety, all of the Venezuelan nationals interviewed by Guardian Media declined to give their names because of fear of persecution. However, they admitted they have been praying for US intervention due to the struggles they faced in their homeland.
President of the La Romain Migrant Support Committee, Angie Ramnarine, said many Venezuelans are hopeful about the US presence but do
not want an outbreak of war.
Asked about concerns that Venezuela’s allies, including China and Russia, could intervene in support of Maduro, Ramnarine said Venezuelans in Trinidad were focused on survival.
She added that many Venezuelans in Trinidad remain concerned about the impact of the naval presence on trade and travel.
Ramnarine said many Venezuelans in Trinidad had long prayed for international involvement.
“The anti-Maduro political factions have always looked to the US for salvation,” she said. “In an ideal world, they want Venezuela back to a true democracy where votes matter. They want to rebuild their country after years of decline.”
But Ramnarine feared that, whatever the outcome, Trinidad would be affected.
“We are in a very difficult position,” she said. “Venezuela has been a neighbour for so long, and so has the United States. Diplomats are likely to remain neutral, but there is always the fear of backlash from Maduro.”
Guardian Media reached out to Venezuelan Ambassador to T&T Alvaro Sanchez Cordero for a response but did not receive one up to press time.
In a post on social media platforms, the Venezuelan Embassy wrote, “The world’s largest drug consumer threatens regional peace. Social movements and Governments remain on alert in the face of Washington’s plan to deploy US military forces in Latin American and Caribbean waters under the pretext of combating drug trafficking.”
(Excerpt from Trinidad & Tobago Guardian)
Rodrigo Chaves Robles has become the first sitting President in the history of Costa Rica to testify to a legislative committee as he faced charges of corruption and the possibility of a criminal trial.
The three-member committee held the hearing on Friday to consider whether or not to lift Chaves Robles’s immunity as President.
Doing so would pave the way for Chaves Robles to be prosecuted based on allegations he used Governmentrelated funds to give kickbacks to an ally.
Chaves Robles has denied any wrongdoing and accused his opponents of using the judiciary to oust his Government.
ies had “staged a ridiculous case to carry out a judicial coup d’état” and convince the public he was a “scoundrel”.
The committee must deliver a report following Chaves Robles’s testimony to the full Legislative Assembly, which will then vote on whether to strip him of his immunity from prosecution.
“What we are experiencing has historic consequences,” Chaves Robles said on Friday. “The entire country is witnessing a legal rigging by the attorney general and the criminal court.”
He told his supporters outside the Legislative Assembly that his adversar-
A conservative economist and former Minister of finance, Chaves Robles has been accused of forcing an associate to take money from a contract awarded by a development bank, the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, and use it to pay his former Presidential adviser, Federico Cruz. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
Representatives of the eight Amazonian member countries of ACTO
The Fifth Summit of Presidents of the States Parties to the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (ACTO) concluded on Friday with an agreement to study the creation of a Joint Task Force. This initiative would aim to coordinate the fight against forest fires and address crime in the region.
President Luis Arce, at the end of his participation in the conclave, addressed the issue in an interview with Bolivia TV: “With the experience of Bolivia, the experience of Brazil and other countries, we have also proposed the creation of a Joint Task Force of specialised forest firefighters,” he stated.
According to the President, the proposal was well received by his counterparts. “This has been accepted; President (Gustavo) Petro also proposed it. He said it’s Bolivia’s proposal, it’s been accepted, and work is underway,” he stated, according to the report reproduced by the state news agency ABI.
According to the report, the creation of this joint force comes amidst a context where South America is facing increasingly severe fire seasons. In Bolivia alone, the 2024 fires destroyed more than 12 million hectares of flora and
fauna. The incorporation of the Armed Forces, in addition to fighting fires, would also serve the purpose of combating crime linked to drug trafficking and other illicit activities in the region. The ACTO summit took place amid diplomatic tensions between Peru and Colombia. The meeting took place on Friday in Bogotá, with the leaders and representatives of the eight Amazonian member countries of this interGovernmental organisation: Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, and Suriname. (Excerpt from El deber)
“La Diva”, alleged leader of DR micro-trafficking and money laundering network, arrested
The Dominican Republic’s Public Ministry reported that it dismantled a micro-trafficking and money laundering network during an operation carried out this Saturday, during which it arrested the alleged leader of a criminal organisation dedicated to micro-trafficking and money laundering, as well as 15 other people
linked to the structure.
Soleny Amparo Rondón (La Diva) was arrested in the operation and is alleged to be the leader of the criminal network. She will be brought before the courts.
According to a statement from the Attorney General’s Office, a total of 47 prosecutors were deployed to carry out 37 raids, involving approximately 395 state secu-
rity agents.
Deputy Attorney General Wilson Camacho, Director General of Prosecution, explained that during the operation, prosecutors and officers seized drugs, firearms, cash, vehicles, electronic equipment, and documents related to the criminal activities of the targeted criminal organisation. (The New Daily)
After spending the morning taking in the breath-taking sights at Niagara Falls, a group of tourists boarded a bus to return to New York City, not knowing that about an hour later, their bus would be lying on its side in the ditch off the New York State Thruway.
The bus driver got distracted and lost control, officials said, overcorrecting and rolling over on the interstate, near the town of Pembroke, east of Buffalo, about 40 miles (64 kilometres/km) east of Niagara Falls.
Some of the 52 passengers were ejected; others were trapped, police said, as ground and air ambulances, state and local police and other first responders rushed to the crash to help.
Five people died, and dozens were hurt.
Many of the passengers, some from China and the Philippines, spoke little English, so along with the ambulances and the tow trucks, translators were brought in to help police sort
The tour bus involved in the crash was towed to the NYSP barracks for further investigation
out what happened.
The bus was driving at full speed and did not hit any other vehicles but lost control from the median onwards, New York State Police spokesperson James O’Callaghan said. The bus crashed just after 12:20h and was heavily damaged. Most passengers were not wearing seat belts, authorities said, and several were thrown from the bus, while some were stuck inside as first responders swarmed the scene to rescue
them.
The passengers ranged in age from 1 to 74 years old, and no children were killed, state police said, revising an earlier statement that said they believed there was one child fatality.
At least 47 people were taken to the hospitals, some by air, with a range of injuries from critical to minor, from head and internal injuries and broken bones, while others were deemed medically stable. (Excerpt from CNN)
Five persons have been hospitalised, with three in a life-threatening condition, after a suspected arson attack at a restaurant in east London.
Police, paramedics and firefighters were called to the fire on Woodford Avenue in Gants Hill, Ilford, at 21:00 BST on Friday.
Three women and two men were injured in the blaze and were taken to hospital, where they remain. A witness said he saw one of the men in the aftermath whose “whole body was burnt”.
Police, paramedics and firefighters were called to the fire at a restaurant on Woodford Avenue
United States (US) immigration officials said they intend to deport Kilmar Ábrego García to Uganda after he declined an offer to be deported to Costa Rica in exchange for remaining in jail and pleading guilty to human smuggling charges, according to a Saturday court filing.
The Costa Rica offer came late on Thursday, after it was clear that the Salvadorian national would probably be released from a Tennessee jail the following day.
Ábrego declined to extend his stay in jail and was released on Friday to await trial in Maryland with his family. Later that day, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) notified his attorneys that he would be deported to Uganda and should report to immigration authorities on Monday.
According to official documents posted online, the DHS told Ábrego’s attorneys on Friday afternoon that the “DHS may remove your client … to Uganda no earlier than 72 hours from now (absent weekends).”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement also directed Ábrego to report to its Baltimore office on Monday, according to records posted online.
Ábrego entered the US without permission in about 2011 as a teenager
after fleeing gang violence. He was subsequently afforded a federal protection order against deportation to El Salvador.
The 30-year-old was initially deported by federal immigration officials in March. Though the Trump administration admitted that Ábrego’s deportation was an “administrative error”, officials have repeatedly accused him of being affiliated with the MS13 gang, a claim Ábrego and his family vehemently deny.
During his detention at El Salvador’s so-called Terrorism Confinement Centre (Cecot), Ábrego was physically and psychologically tortured, according to court documents filed by his lawyers in July.
Following Ábrego’s wrongful deportation, the Trump administration faced widespread pressure
to return him to the US, including from a Supreme Court order that directed federal officials to “facilitate” his return.
In June, the Trump administration returned Ábrego from El Salvador, only to charge him with crimes related to human smuggling, which his lawyers have rejected as “preposterous”. His criminal trial is expected to begin in January.
Before his deportation, Ábrego had lived in Maryland for more than a decade, working in construction while being married to an American wife.
Separately, in a statement earlier this week, Uganda said that it agreed to a “temporary agreement” with the US to accept some asylum seekers who are deported from the country. (Excerpt from The Guardian)
One million stray dogs in India’s capital regain the right to roam after legal battle with nation’s top court
APart of the ground floor of the restaurant was damaged by the flames, which were extinguished by 22:30.
The five people who
The cause of the fire is being investigated by firefighters and the police. No arrests have been made, the Met Police said.
were hospitalised were rescued from the building by fire crews, with about nine others being able to get out of the building before the brigade arrived. (Excerpt from BBC News)
Nigeria has deported 102 foreign nationals, including 60 Chinese and 39 people from the Philippines, who were convicted of “cyber-terrorism and internet fraud”, according to the country’s anticorruption agency.
The announcement by Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Thursday comes as the country steps up a crackdown on online scam operations, which lured victims through online romances to hand over cash for fake
cryptocurrency investments.
EFCC spokesman Dele Oyewale later told the AFP news agency that another group of 39 Filipinos, 10 Chinese and two people from Kazakhstan had also been deported since August 15.
More deportations were also scheduled in the coming days, he added.
The anticorruption agency released pictures of Asian men wearing surgical face masks, lined up at airport check-in counters.
The deportees were
among 792 suspected cybercriminals arrested in a single operation in the affluent Victoria Island area of Lagos in December. At least 192 of those arrested were foreign nationals, of whom 148 were Chinese, the EFCC said.
Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, has a reputation for internet fraudsters known in local slang as “Yahoo Boys”, and the EFCC has busted several hideouts where young crime suspects learn online scamming skills. (Excerpt from Al Jazeera)
fter a review by a special three-judge bench of a Supreme Court order on August 12 that declared the home of stray dogs – the streets of New Delhi – was no longer theirs to roam, the court issued a stay, modifying its previous directive.
In its new ruling, it clarified that stray dogs picked up by authorities are to be sterilised and immunised and then released back to the same area. Only animals found to be rabid or overly aggressive are to be kept from the streets.
The Supreme Court had ordered that all stray dogs in the capital territory be rounded up and permanently locked in shelters within eight weeks, following alarming reports of dog attacks, including cases where children had been mauled to death.
The ruling applies to all of India, the court said, while also banning the public distribution of food to dogs and calling for the creation of designated areas for feeding.
While humane in principle, this approach has been challenging to implement effectively on a national scale.
The sheer number of dogs overwhelms the limited funding and veterinary infrastructure in the world’s most populous country, meaning sterilisation rates cannot keep pace with the dogs’ rapid breeding cycle.
As a result, an estimated 62 million stray dogs – a figure reported by the Press Trust of India – roam the nation’s streets, neighbour-
hoods, slums and villages. Many of these animals live in harmony with humans. But bites and fatal attacks have made people wary – along with the risk of infection.
Fears about dog attacks surged after the 2023 fatal mauling of a four-year-old boy in Hyderabad, an attack captured on CCTV that horrified the nation and sent shockwaves through media and political circles, sparking a frantic search for solutions. (Excerpt from CNN)
TAURUS (April 20May 20)
GEMINI (MAY 21June 20)
LEO (July 23Aug. 22)
VIRGO (Aug. 23Sept. 22) (March 21April 19)
LIBRA (Sept. 23Oct. 23)
Go where the action is and use your insight, discipline, and experience to bring about change or to engage in discussions that position you for greater opportunities. A unique approach will seal the deal and put you in a position of power. Use your intuition, creativity, and insight to launch something exciting. Partnerships are favoured. Opportunity knocks; receive the message and turn the information into something meaningful. It’s up to you to interpret and react as you see fit. You have plenty to gain through networking, job interviews, and marketing your skills and abilities. Don’t reveal personal information or secrets that may compromise your chances of advancement. Change requires hands-on help. Don’t expect things to fall into place without your nurturing. You’ll have to walk a fine line and be precise to make headway; however, once you get in the zone and feel comfortable with the results, you’ll find your passage forward. Trust your instincts, stamina, and charisma.
SCORPIO (Oct. 24Nov. 22)
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23Dec. 21)
CAPRICORN (June 21July 22)
(Jan. 20Feb. 19) (Dec. 22Jan. 19)
PISCES
(Feb. 20Mar. 20)
Know your boundaries, set rules, and rethink schedules. Let your emotions guide you when dealing with domestic issues, but not when it comes to financial matters. Use your voice to clarify your position, what you are willing to do, and what you expect in return. Stay informed about regulatory rulings that may affect your life.
A strong verbal interaction based on facts and figures will help you win any competition you encounter. Refuse to make changes that will jeopardize your financial position or lifestyle. Look for the best alternative and do the legwork to ensure you come in under budget. Excess and acting in haste are the enemy.
Look at the big picture before you start to redefine how you want to move forward. Consistency is critical if you want to maintain a good reputation. Try to fine-tune your health and fitness to suit your lifestyle. Develop the strength you need to engage in activities that motivate and facilitate a prosperous future.
Do what you’ve got to do undercover. In the solitude, you will discover you have talents you didn’t know you had. Refuse to let outside influences stifle your creativity or lure you down the wrong path. It’s up to you to follow your gut and to live the life that brings you joy.
Participation will turn into a fabulous learning experience. Embrace conversations with a positive attitude, listen, share, and, most of all, show gratitude and appreciation for what you discover and what others contribute. A change of perspective will encourage you to investigate and research your options. Love and personal growth are in the stars.
Distance yourself from situations before you let your emotions step in and take over. It’s essential to gather the facts and consider every possible outcome before engaging in talks or making assumptions. Direct your energy into honing your skills, improving your lifestyle, and exploring ways to increase your income. Avoid unnecessary purchases.
Keep the momentum flowing. If you limit what you can do, you’ll encounter regret. Pay attention to detail, especially when contracts, investments, or medical issues surface. Refuse to let anger set in if something beyond your control erupts. Work with whatever comes your way, and show your true potential. Romance is in the stars. Let your swagger lead the way, and your insight and intelligence take over. How you handle others, use your money, and present yourself, as well as what you can do, will lead to attractive offers and the chance to improve your lifestyle. Discipline and ingenuity are your passage forward. Enjoy the ride.
Distance yourself from anyone trying to change or push you in a questionable direction. Focus on your happiness and do something that brings you joy. Personal growth, pampering, and self-improvement are favoured, along with events that allow you to network or socialize. Use your imagination and let your creativity lead the way.
The West Indies
Women’s cricket team has just wrapped up an intensive high-performance training block at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, part of Cricket West Indies’ (CWI) ongo-
ing investment in developing the women’s game across the region.
The Antigua camp was structured in two phases to maximise training opportunities. The first group of players completed a two-week programme earlier this month, while the second group finished their training this past week under the guidance of Senior Women’s Head Coach
Shane Deitz, assistant Ryan Austin, and pathway coach Ulric Batson.
The sessions focused on all aspects of the modern game – refining techni-
cal skills, enhancing tactical awareness, boosting physical conditioning, and sharpening mental aptitude.
With major international fixtures approaching, the camp was a key component of CWI’s long-term strategy to elevate the women’s pro-
gramme to world-class standards.
This initiative runs alongside CWI’s broader development efforts, including a partnership with the Super Kings Academy in Chennai, India, where 15 promising players are cur-
rently training in a professional high-performance environment.
Coach Deitz explained the rationale behind the Antigua camp:
“We had a mixture of established players, new players and fringe players come to Antigua for the last 5 weeks. It’s been great to be able to focus on some fundamental technical work and some strength and conditioning work. We were also able to conduct fitness testing and have already seen some improvements in a short space of time.”
He added, “Hector
outhern Brave made it seven wins in a row in this year’s The Hundred women’s competition with a resounding victory over London Spirit at Lord’s, underscored by a superb partnership of 95 between Maia Bouchier and the stylish South African superstar, Laura Wolvaardt.
The result, achieved with six balls to spare, leaves the Spirit hanging on in their quest to break into the final top three. After an uneven performance with the bat –only Cordelia Griffith, Charli Knott and Georgia Redmayne managed double figures – followed by a luckless run in the field, they will have to win their final match against the Invincibles on Monday and hope that other results go
their way.
The Brave are a brilliantly well-drilled unit. In Lauren Bell they have one of the standout seamers of the tournament, who was excellent again here, removing Kira Chathli in her opening set and going for just 18 across her 20. Mady Villiers provided control and potency with her offbreaks, picking up three more wickets, and with the bat they rarely miss.
While Bouchier impressed, eventually holing out for 43 from 34 balls, Wolvaardt was irresistible. Coming together after the early dismissal of Danni Wyatt-Hodge, given out leg-before on review to a beauty from Issy Wong, Wolvaardt opened her account with a brace of boundaries driven down the ground
Martinez, our strength and conditioning coach, has been pushing the players, and they are responding very positively. The girls will head to the WCPL now, and after the end of that tournament, we will have a few intense months of training which will prepare us for a very important 2026.”
Looking ahead, the West Indies Women face a demanding 2025-26 calendar, highlighted by the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in England, a home series against Sri Lanka and Australia, and an away assignment in Ireland.
before a stunning cover drive took her into double figures.
A subsequent no-look slap off Wong that went for six over midwicket, carrying 74 metres, should have been the standout shot, but that honour fell to her extraordinary one-handed six over longon. That shot brought up her thousandth run in the history of The Hundred, Wolvaardt becoming just the fourth player to do so and the first overseas star. Her fifty came up off 31 balls, and she was still there at the death, ensuring that the mighty Brave continued their unbeaten streak.
They will now, irrespective of results elsewhere, be guaranteed to finish top of the group going into the knockouts later this week. Rock bottom last year, top this; it’s
been an extraordinary turnaround for the Brave.
Wolvaardt’s class was recognised with the Meerkat Match Hero award: “I’m so happy that we were able to get the win. It was a nice wicket to bat on, so we did well to restrict them to that total. On a good wicket we wanted to get ahead of the game early. We knew they had a load of world-class spinners in their attack, so we wanted to get off to a fast start. I really enjoy batting with Bouch; we rotated well, and we were both able to find the boundaries as well.
“Our bowlers have been absolutely amazing all tournament. The way that Belly and Tilly [Corteen-Coleman] have set the tone up front has been awesome.” (ESPNcricinfo)
Spurs came here last November and inflicted a 4-0 humbling of City in a scintillating performance, and they went home once more with all three points courtesy of a resolute defensive display.
They started slowly as Omar Marmoush latched on to Pedro Porro’s loose header and squeezed a shot narrowly wide of the far post before seeing a thunderous strike from range pushed away by Guglielmo Vicario.
The Egyptian was lively early on and forced another excellent save from the Spurs goalkeeper after being played through by Erling Haaland. With their first real threat of the game, Spurs took the lead courtesy of a lightning breakaway as Richarlison’s low cross was converted by Brennan Johnson.
The goal was initially ruled out for offside, but that was overturned following a review by the video assistant referee.
With seven minutes added on in the first half because of an injury to City left-back Rayan Ait-Nouri, Spurs doubled their lead through Joao Palhinha, who smashed in after a loose pass from goalkeeper James Trafford inside his own area.
It capped a difficult few minutes for the City keeper, who could have been dismissed for a collision on the edge of the box with Mohammed Kudus. Haaland should have pulled one back before the break but headed over from close range, and the home side were left frustrated in the second period as Tottenham made it two clean sheets from
two in the league so far this season.
Tottenham had experienced a bruising week because of a failed pursuit of winger Eberechi Eze, with the Crystal Palace player agreeing to terms with Spurs’ bitter rivals Arsenal instead.
The travelling supporters made their feelings known towards chairman Daniel Levy from the first whistle with loud chants of ‘We want Levy out’ echoing around the stadium, though they were replaced by ‘We love you, Tottenham’ by full-time.
The players who do wear the Spurs shirt responded with another tremendous showing at City’s ground, collecting their third victory in their last five visits.
Frank’s side beat Burnley convincingly in their opening game and rode their luck as
City missed opportunities, but they took full advantage when chances fell their way at the other end.
City were holding a high line and were made to pay as John Stones narrowly kept Richarlison onside, allowing the Brazilian to roll the ball across from the right, and Johnson made no mistake with his finish.
Spurs were pressing with precision and forced Trafford into an error, with the Englishman’s risky ball eventually dropping into the path of Palhinha to net his first goal since joining on loan from Bayern Munich.
They could have made it a more handsome scoreline in the second half, but Dominic Solanke saw his low drive pushed out by Trafford late on, and Wilson Odobert was also denied from the rebound.
City started the season with an eye-catching victo ry at Wolves but came back down to earth with a bump as they suffered defeat in their first home game of the cam paign.
Spurs are Guardiola’s bo gey side – the Spaniard has now lost a joint-high 10 games against them, the same num ber of defeats he has suffered as boss against Real Madrid and Liverpool.
They were made to pay for the gilt-edged chances missed by Marmoush and Haaland –the latter coming into the contest with an imperious record of scoring 48 Premier League goals in as many home games for the club.
A 2-0 half-time deficit proved too much for City to turn around, with Spurs defending resolutely and leaving Guardiola considering his
options. The goalkeeping situation will be at the forefront of his mind, as Trafford had a jittery game and was at fault for the second, as well as being fortunate not to be dismissed. With Ederson watching on from the bench after being heavily linked with a move to Galatasaray, Guardiola now has a decision to make with his number one. (BBC Sport)
The Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) third vice president, Dion Innis, and newly appointed general secretary, Pushpargha Chattopadhyay, paid a courtesy call on Indian High Commissioner to Guyana, Dr Amit Telang, on Friday.
During the engagement, discussions were held with
officials on forging a stronger partnership aimed at advancing football development in Guyana.
The meeting focused on forging stronger partnerships to advance football development in Guyana, exploring opportunities for support, and strengthening ties with the business com-
munity to contribute to the sport’s growth and professionalisation.
This engagement forms part of the GFF’s broader strategy to deepen international relationships and mobilise resources aimed at elevating football’s execution and overall impact nationwide.
scoring 0 and 3 respectively.
Captain Jerimiah Scott and Ronaldo Jeffrey formed a 32-run partnership before LaRose struck once again as he trapped both batters Leg Before Wicket (LBW) for 21 and 19, respectively.
As the Dave West Indian Inc 1st Division 50-overs tournament resumed at the Malteenoes Sports Club Ground on Saturday, Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) crushed Malteenoes with an outstanding bowling performance from Carlos LaRose.
Opting to bowl first in slightly overcast conditions, GCC made a breakthrough after a 14-run opening stand, when LaRose bowled Adrian Hinds for three. Both Collis Rimple and Shaquille Williams followed cheaply,
Captain Jerimiah Scott and Ronaldo Jeffrey steadied the innings with a 32run partnership, but LaRose struck again, trapping both batters leg before wicket (lbw) for 21 and 19.
From there, Malteenoes’ middle and lower order collapsed, as they were bundled out for just 76 in 25.4 overs.
LaRose finished with figures of 5 for 27, while Devon Lord provided support with 3 for 5.
It was an eventful evening at the Guyana Football Federation’s (GFF) National Training Centre (NTC) in Providence on Friday, when the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and Santos Football Club recorded contrasting victories in the Women’s Division One League.
GDF spearheaded what was an exciting resumption of the League after a week off, with an entertaining 24-0 drubbing of Den Amstel FC.
Niomie Williams opened the scoring in the 7th minute with a rocket from outside the box, and from there the floodgates opened, despite several good saves from Den Amstel’s goalkeeper.
Sandra Johnson (12th, 15th, 19th, 24th, 30th) and Glendy Lewis (10th, 11th, 19th, 26th) led the charge in the first half, supported by Akeelah Vancooten (24th, 33rd) and Glenglie Lewis (29th, 31st).
The onslaught continued in the second half with Aaliyna Christie (35th), Jalade Trim (37th, 54th, 55th), Nikita Wayne (43rd), Abioce Haywood (46th), Shenesa Cornelius (46th, 60th), Rosa Toss (50th) and Patsy Walker (56th) all adding their names to the scoresheets.
In the second match, Santos overcame Western Tigers FC 2-0. The game was evenly balanced until Aleena Baptiste broke the deadlock in the 11th minute with a precise finish into the corner of the Western’s net.
Santos held firm defen-
sively and doubled their lead through captain Tyneshia Thorne in the 59th minute to secure the victory.
The Women’s Division One League continues on Friday, August 29, with
another doubleheader at the NTC. At 18:00 hrs, Den Amstel FC will face Ann’s Grove FC, followed by Western Tigers against Fruta Conquerors FC at 19:30 hrs.
Needing a well below par run rate of 2.20 runs per over, GCC were in cruise control as Navindra Persaud and Martin Pestano-Bell batted sensibly and formed a 54-run opening stand. Chasing a target of 77 at just 2.20 runs per over, GCC were in cruise control. Openers Navindra Persaud and Martin Pestano-Bell added 54 for the first wicket before Delroy Browne dismissed Persaud for 22. Mavendra Dindyal then came in at number three and smashed 17 off just nine balls, while Pestano-Bell top scored with an unbeaten 35 from 38 deliveries.
GCC raced to the total in only 11.3 overs to seal a commanding nine-wicket victory.
Guyana’s National Under 14 Girls’ Football team was eliminated by French Guiana in a gruelling contest that ended on penalties as the two teams were playing at the Larry Gomes Stadium on Friday.
In their semi-final matchup in the CFU Challenge series, Head Coach Nichola Argyle opted for a starting 11 of Captain Sabana Simon, goalkeeper Shantelle Jobe, Thais Charles, Leandra Henrito, Teairra Martin, Kira Chor, Leah Rodrigues, Lehiana Benjamin, Darwina Boyal, Kaleigh Todd, and Sonia Simon.
Both teams were well drilled and organised defensively throughout the game. With a lot of tackles and interceptions, attackers from both sides struggled to make a major impact. With referee Rabia Blinker signalling the end of regulation, the teams geared up for a penalty shootout with a place in
the Tier II Finals at stake.
After a miss by Shemia King, French Guiana looked set to advance with successful conversions from Tifanny Dadoe, Manuella Mantez, Wendia Monteiro, and Maylise Ambroise.
However, Matanya Roberts went over the bar to give Guyana the advantage.
Henrito, Chor, Todd, and Benjamin of Guyana all scored goals to keep the match going. Charles and Sonia Simon converted their opportunities for Guyana, while Eve Desormeaux, Naylann Xavier, and Myrancia Apelombie remained composed to do the same for French Guiana.
However, when Matanya Roberts fired over the bar, Guyana gained the advantage. Henrito, Chor, Todd, and Benjamin all scored to keep the team alive. Charles and Sonia Simon also converted their penalties, while French Guiana responded through Eve Desormeaux,
In
and made a game-winning stop against
as they claimed victory.
Guiana 0 (7) – 0 (6) Guyana.
At 46, Imran Tahir is living his best life.
The Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) captain claimed 5-21 from four overs, including one maiden, against Antigua and Barbuda Falcons — his best bowling figures in T20 cricket.
After 436 matches and 554 wickets, Tahir continues
to focus on the basics: bowling the right line and length, and using his leg-spin variations effectively. Watching him in action was a treat.
He began his unforgettable night with a double-wicket maiden, dismissing experienced duo Shakib Al Hasan and Imad Wasim Tahir, a legend in his own right, felt proud when
he received the Player of the Match award from Sir Vivian Richards himself. Confident that a total of 170180 would secure victory, Tahir guided the Warriors, with Shai Hope, Shimron Hetmyer, and Romario Shepherd exceeding expectations to post 211.
“I feel really proud (on receiving the award from Sir
Viv Richards) and I’m gonna cherish that for a long time. We knew if we get to 170180, we will be in the game. Things went well for me and the team. In T20 cricket you have to be on it from ball one and I always try to give my best and thanks for the Guyanese supporters,” Tahir said.
example. He noted that the team gels well together and enjoy each other’s success.
Days after President Irfaan Ali announced plans to construct a 300-metre synthetic athletic track in Georgetown, along with world-class sporting facilities at the North Ruimveldt Secondary School, the Ministry of Education (MoE) on Saturday convened a consultation with key stakeholders. The session was led by Education Minister Priya Manickchand, who was joined by Guyana Olympic Association (GOA) President Godfrey Munroe and Nicholas Fraser, Head of the Unit of Allied Arts.
Attendees included representatives from the GOA, Athletics Association of Guyana (AAG), Guyana Defence Force (GDF), Guyana Police Force (GPF), the Guyana Football Federation, sports Journalists, teachers of North Ruimveldt Secondary, and several national athletes.
The initiative follows President Ali’s announcement at the recent commissioning of the rebuilt North Ruimveldt Secondary School, where he emphasised that educational progress must go hand-in-hand
with investments in sports, mentorship, and community engagement.
“In the vicinity of this school, there is a piece of land. We have decided to invest in a 300-metre athletic track, built to international standards, along with a FIFA-certified football field, basketball, volleyball and tennis courts,” the President said.
He stressed that the facility will benefit both students and the wider community, providing young people with opportunities to thrive through sport and positive mentorship.
“Every month, this facility will benefit from sixty voluntary hours of mentoring. We want to create a system
where men in the community step forward to mentor and guide our boys, complementing the natural leadership we already see among women.”
He added that the project forms part of a national strategy to foster well-rounded citizens through education, skills training, and healthy lifestyles. Teachers and physical education instructors, he said, will play a vital role in embedding sport into the curriculum in a structured way.
The President urged the community to embrace the project, describing it as an investment in strong families, safe spaces for youth, and a culture of discipline and teamwork.
Tahir continues to inspire his troops and lead by
“We stay together and we enjoy each other’s success and that is the team culture we have. Hopefully we carry on the same way we started. We gel in really well and it was pleasure watching our batters step up. As a team, we try our best and put our body on the line and that is
what I want as a captain, super proud of the boys especially with the fielding effort. I try to put the ball on line and length and obviously use my variations,” the veteran explained.
The Warriors will now travel to St Lucia to face the defending champions, St Lucia Kings, at the
Sammy Cricket Ground on Tuesday, August 26. SUNDAY, AUGUST 24, 2025
Fmr GHRA president calls for improvements in Guyana racing after fatal incident
In light of the recent tragedy at the Rising Sun Turf Club which claimed the life of 19-year-old jockey Kishawn Pereira, businessman and former president of the Guyana Horse Racing Authority (GHRA), Poonai Bhigrog, has called for urgent improvements in Guyana’s horse racing sector.
“We extend our sincere condolences to Kishawn Pereira and his family. I guess he is in a better place,” Bhigrog said at the wake, which was held at the Port Mourant Turf Club in honour of the young jockey.
“I asked that with the death of this young man, I hope we can have some changes in the racing arena. With the legislation passed a few months ago, now is the ideal time to start working on this legislation and put things in place. We all know there are challenges in the racing industry, and with the legislation, we can get better. Let this be the cause for us to improve and get better in the racing fraternity,” the businessman said. Pereira, a promising jockey from Better Hope,
East Coast Demerara, was riding Blinding Light in the H Class race over seven furlongs when the horse slipped and fell. He was thrown to the ground and fatally struck by another horse, American Traveller, which was trailing close behind.
Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh also attended the wake, where he conveyed condolences on behalf
of the government and people of Guyana, expressing his and the nation’s deepest sympathies for the loss.
“May his soul rest in eternal peace,” Dr. Singh stated. The tragedy occurred during the Guyana Cup, staged at the Rising Sun Turf Club. Nearly a week later, the organisers – the Jumbo Jet Thoroughbred Racing Committee – have yet to issue a statement.
Johnson Charles added 60 in the powerplay and stretched their partnership to 74 before Andre Russell struck to remove Seifert (35). Charles entertained the home crowd with three sixes and four fours in his 47, but his dismissal to Usman Tariq at 94-2 triggered a slowdown.
Requiring 29 off the final over, youngsters Ackeem Auguste and Delano Potgieter faced Russell, whose experience prevailed to see TKR home.
ed by Kieron Pollard’s explosive 65 and a disciplined bowling display, the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR) sealed an 18-run victory over the St Lucia Kings in match 10 of the 2025 Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground.
Set 184 for victory, the Kings got off to a strong start as openers Tim Seifert and
Earlier, St Lucia Kings won the toss and opted to bowl first. Oshane Thomas replaced an injured Alzarri Joseph while Andre Russell was in the TKR starting XI.Collin Munro continued his form this season, while Alex Hales (10) looked promising. Munro capitalised on the Kings’ ordinary fielding, but captain David Wiese removed Hales at 47-1 at 4.1 overs.
Keacy Carty (09) joined Munro, but Test skipper Roston Chase had the final say. Chase took out Carty, and the runs in the middle phase dried up. Munro’s luck ran out when he was removed by Tabriz Shamsi for 43.
duo revived the TKR innings. Pooran played a rare supporting role while Pollard dominated. He raced to a 22-ball fifty, taking down the Kings bowlers.
Pooran departed for a 30ball 34, an innings which had two sixes and one four. He featured in an 82-run stand with the former skipper, Pollard. At 160-4 from 17.2 overs, TKR were looking for a strong finish with Pollard motoring along.
CPL action continues today with Antigua and Barbuda Falcons meeting St Kitts and Nevis Patriots at 11:00h, followed by St Lucia Kings against Barbados Royals at 19:00h.
Thomas ended Pollard’s dominant knock of 65, which came off 29 balls. He struck six maximums and four fours. Pollard’s departure left two new batsmen at the crease at 169-5 with little time remaining in the innings. The penultimate over yielded only one run, and TKR lost momentum. McKenny Clarke took matters into his own hands, smashing two sixes as TKR ended on 183-7 from 20 overs.