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20 homes bulldozed at Circuitville
Residents of Circuitville along the Linden Soesdyke Highway met with Opposition LeaderAzruddin Mohamed on Sunday after 20 homes were flattened by a bulldozer. Residents claimed their homes were destroyed although they were promised regularisation.
Chartered accountant and prominent attorney, Christopher Ram has raised serious questions about the independence and qualification of Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma,whohehasaccused of going blank at a time when public spending has exploded, leaving billions unaudited.
In his Sunday column, published by Stabroek News,Ramrevealedthatthe AG has reportedly applied for a two-year expansion to his tenure As such, he reminded that his appointment, many years ago,couldbestbedescribed as “accidental” following the absence of an Alliance For Change (AFC) member from the Public Accounts Committee(PAC)ontheday of confirmation. Moreover, the lawyer noted that the office of auditor general
c a r r i e s t h e s a m e constitutional status and security of tenure as the chancellor of the judiciary andthechiefjustice.
Heexplained,“Approval andanyextensionsrestwith the executive president. At the same time, President Irfaan Ali has retained the portfolio of finance and is therefore constitutionally theMinisterofFinance,with Dr Ashni Singh serving as
sen
o
m
with responsibility for finance within the office of the president. It is difficult to find a word that adequately captures this anomaly without offending editorial modesty.”
R a m s a i d t h e appointment of the AG is made on the advice of the PublicServiceCommission, asafeguardthatisillusory,as the commission itself is appointedbyandeffectively controlled by the president and is chaired by a close associate of the governing party
Tothisend,theadvocate argued, “Such a framework is structurally incapable of producing independence Whatever autonomy exists mustcomeentirelyfromthe personal courage, professional standing and institutionalassertivenessof the individual appointed. When those qualities are absent-ordiscouraged-the officebecomesanextension of executive convenience ratherthanacheckuponit.”
He therefore explained that the request for an extension must be understood within this context-“notasaquestionof continuity, but as a measure of how thoroughly independence has been eroded.”
Police are investigating
reports of suspected Trafficking in Persons (TIP) activities following a joint exercise conducted between 22:15hrs on Saturday February 7, 2026 and 00:03hrsonSundayFebruary 8,2026,atabuildinglocated on Charlotte and Albert Streets,Georgetown.
The exercise was carried
out by ranks of the Trafficking in Persons Unit, Criminal Investigation Department Headquarters, along with personnel from theMinistryofHomeAffairs and the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security (C-TIPUnit).
Accordingtopolicepress
release, acting on information received, the
Ram said, “Mr Sharma is not a professionally qualified accountant and does not meet the statutory requirements ordinarily associated with the office.
More troubling than qualification, however, is performance.
During a period marked by explosive growth in public expenditure, the p r o l i f e r a t i o n o f discretionary funds and persistently weak financial systems, the auditor general has shown zero appetite to challenge, interrogate or even issue timely and meaningfulwarnings.”
T h e c h a r t e r e d accountantpointedoutthata review of the 2020 - 2025 estimates under the Ali administration shows an annual expansion of discretionarypaymentssuch as the 40-hour part-time employment programme, cost-of-living buffers, community policing stipends and contract employment arrangements with this year's budget introducing the house repairsprogramme.
Ram was adamant that each of these programmes warrant extensive audits,
rigorous beneficiary verification, reconciliation testing and post-payment forensic review, however he
said none has received that levelofscrutiny Assuch,he chided theAG for contently observing rather than objecting to the political controlofpublicfunds.
Ministerialfailure
The finance minister did not escape Ram's blistering r e v i e w o f p u b l i c expenditure. He said Dr Singh has failed to modernise or implement systemscapableoftracking, controlling and reporting suchspending.
As such, he contended, “This is precisely the environment in which an auditor general should be demanding additional resources, specialist staff and forensic capacity Instead, the response has beeninstitutionalquiet.”
While reports are delivered on time, he believes that audit quality, thematic analysis and systemic challenge are all absent.
In fact, he noted that the handling of the 2024 AG reportillustratesthepointas it was delivered around September30,2025butless than two months later, an “updated” report was delivered on a flash drive, w i t h o u t e r r a t a , r e c o n c i l i a t i o n o r explanation.
Billionsunaudited
team visited the building, where seventy-seven Cuban nationals,includingmenand women, were contacted and screened for indicators of TraffickinginPersons.
Several individuals reportedthattheytravelledto Guy
arrangements and that their travel documents were being retainedpendingrepayment.
Theseclaimsareforming p
individualswerehandedover to the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security for further assessment and assistance The premises were searched; however, nothingillegalwasfound.No arres
s were made Investigationsareongoing.
Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall SC, announced Friday that construction of thenewregionallawschoolinGuyana willcommencethisyear,asfundshave beenallocatedinthe2026budget.
The new Council of Legal Education (CLE) Law School, will be the fourth such institution under the CLE.
officeasthedefactoauditor general. According to Ram, “That arrangement is incompatible with any serious conception of independence. It would be unacceptable if formalised; it is scarcely less objectionable because it is informal.”
More alarming, the newspaper columnist flaggedtheconsistentfailure of the AG to conduct and present annual audits of tax concessions granted under the Income Tax (In Aid of Industry) Act, despite clear statutoryrequirements.
As such, Ram stated, “Billions of dollars in foregone revenue remain effectivelyunaudited. This is not a marginal omission;itgoestotheheart of fiscal accountability and ministerialresponsibility.”
On the other hand, he noted that while the finance minister presides over billions in spending, his spouse exercises effective authority within the audit
In the meantime, he said Mr Sharma's request will likely be granted by default and not merit, owing to the absence of succession planning. “The alternative would be the formal appointment of the current de facto Auditor General, whoisalsothespouseofthe defactoMinisterofFinance. That situation is only marginally better than formal appointment,” Ram noted.
He pointed out, “This is not a justification for extension.Itisanadmission of deliberate, inexcusable a n d u n a
e gove
nce failure. Succession planning in a constitutional office is not optional; it is a duty Its neglect has produced a false and manufactured choice: retain an Auditor General who has failed to assert the office in the public interest, orformaliseanarrangement that would extinguish even the appearance of audit independence.”
Guyana. “So far, we have already cleared, identified and cleared eight acres of land at Campus of UG and in this budget, we have the first capital injection.Andduringtheyear2026we will begin the construction of a law school in Guyana,” he said during his contributiontothe2026budgetdebate.
The school will be constructed on the campus of the University of
He said the school will attract studentsfromacrosstheCaribbean,and willprovidecheapandaccessiblelegal educationtolocals.
“This is not only an academic institution, but it is an economic venture, because people of the Caribbean will come here. They will have to live; they will have to find accommodation. They will have to board, lodge and eat and guide these will benefit from those investments,” Nandlallexplained.
Currently, the Caribbean has three law schools under the CLE: the Hugh (Continuedonpage6)
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The controversy that erupted in the NationalAssembly last Friday evening over Opposition Leader Azurddin Mohamed’suseofapreparedtextduringhismaidenBudget Debatespeechhasexposedanuncomfortabletruth:Guyana may be clinging to a parliamentary rule that belongs to anotherera.
Members of the governing PPP/C raised repeated objections as Mohamed delivered his address, arguing that hewas“reading”hisspeechinviolationofStandingOrders, whichpermitmemberstorefertonotesandquotationsbut forbidthereadingofspeechesverbatim.
The result was a distracting procedural wrangle that shifted attention away from the substance of a national budget debate and toward an increasingly archaic interpretation of parliamentary decorum. At issue is not merely one speech or one Speaker’s ruling. It is whether Guyana’s NationalAssembly should continue to enforce a rule that few modern democracies still treat as sacrosanct, andwhetherthatrulegenuinelyservesthepublicinterest.
Theprohibitionagainstreadingspeecheshasitsrootsin a classical Westminster ideal: that parliamentary debate should be spontaneous, responsive, and conversational. Legislatorswereexpectedtomastertheirarguments,engage opponentsdirectly,andpersuadethroughoratoryratherthan recitation.Intheory,thiselevatedthequalityofdebate.
In practice, it often does the opposite. Today’s governance environment is infinitely more complex than thatofthe19thcentury Nationalbudgetsspanhundredsof pages,involveintricatefiscalprojections,andtouchnearly every aspect of public life Expecting legislators, particularlythosewithlimitedinstitutionalresearchsupport to speak “off the head” on such matters is not a test of intelligence or leadership. It is a recipe for imprecision, misstatement,andavoidableerror
There is a simple reality that cannot be wished away: a carefully prepared speech, even if read in part, is far more likely to be accurate, coherent, and accountable than an improvised one. Facts can be checked. Figures can be verified. Arguments can be structured. When a member misspeaks in Parliament, the error does not disappear into thin air; it enters the public record, shapes perception, and maymisinformtheverycitizensParliamentexiststoserve.
International practice reflects this reality In the UK HouseofCommons,fromwhichGuyanainheritedmuchof itsparliamentarytradition,readingspeechesisdiscouraged intheorybutwidelytoleratedinpractice,particularlyduring major debates. In the United States House of Representatives, there is no restriction at all: members routinelyreadpreparedtexts,useteleprompters,andsubmit writtenremarksthatneverreachthefloor.Theemphasishas shifted from theatrical delivery to clarity, consistency, and record-keeping.
Bycontrast,Guyanaappearsincreasinglyisolatedinits strictenforcementofabanthatevenWestminsteritselfhas softened. If Guyana is now among a small and shrinking group of countries that “hold fast” to this rule, that fact shouldpromptreflection,notpride.
Friday’s objections to Mohamed’s maiden Budget speech are especially troubling in this context. A first contribution to a budget debate is a significant parliamentary moment It is reasonable indeed responsible—for a leader of the opposition to rely on a preparedtextwhenoutliningpositionsonnationalfinances, oversight mechanisms, social indicators, and sectoral performance. The insistence that such a speech must be largely extemporaneous elevates form over substance and risks turning Parliament into a stage for procedural pointscoringratherthanseriousdeliberation.
None of this is an argument for lifeless, monotone recitations. Parliamentary speech should still be engaging, responsive, and respectful of the House. Members should not bury their heads in papers for an hour and disengage
DEAREDITOR,
I write to express my strongsupportforthemotion tabled by APNU to remove the House Sp
aker’s restrictions on media access to Parliament. This move is not only timely but essential for safeguarding democratic principlesinGuyana.
Parliament is the people’s institution, funded entirely by the public purse. As such, Guyanese citizens have an inherent right to witness and scrutinise the pro
Restrictingmediaaccesstoa select few undermines transparency, limits public awareness, and erodes the foundations of accountable governance.
Editor, free speech and a freepressarecornerstonesof any vibrant democracy By limitingwhichmediahouses can cover parliamentary sessions, the current
restrictions effectively silence diverse voices and deny the public the right to choose how they receive information.
In a nation with a pluralityofperspectivesand media outlets, such constraints are not only regressive but also antithetical to the spirit of democraticengagement.
Themotiontorestorefull mediaaccessisacrucialstep toward reinforcing transparency and public trust It ensures that all Guyanese,regardlessoftheir preferred media source, can stay informed about the debates and decisions that shapetheirnation’sfuture.
Editor, I commend APNUMP’sSherodDuncan and Saiku Andrews for tablingthismotion.Asimple majority of the 65 seat NationalAssemblyisneeded for this motion to pass. The combined opposition holds
29 seats and would need assistance from the 36 seats majority held by the prevailinggovernmentside.
Question is: Will membersonthegovernment side exercise magnanimity and possess the intestinal fortitude to vote for this motion to pass? Who will have the elan, the moxie or the chutzpah to ensure that democracy remains congruent?
Editor,thisisalitmustest of either the continued muzzling of members of the Fourth Estate or allowing democracy and free speech toflourish.
Universally, the Fourth Estate, THE PRESS, is considered as the 4th arm of the government of the day after Legislative, Executive & Judicial- to ensure accountability, transparency and an informed citizenry The members of the Fourth Estateserveacriticalrolein
a d e m o c r a c y b y investigating, reporting and scrutinising action and commitment of power holders and power brokers, in an effort to stymie corruption and also to promotepublicdiscourse.
Editor,inGuyana,thisis a pivotal avowal for all members of the National Assembly to support this motion in the interest of democracy, accountability, andthefundamentalrightsof the people of Guyana who pays the salary and perks of allinourNationalAssembly. For championing this vital democratic issue this bill should receive bi-partisan support as taxpayers and the public are duly hostaged should the motion fail to receive the required votes fromthecurrentgovernment members in the National Assembly
Yourssincerely, JonathanSubrianEsq.
I listened with keen interest to Prime Minister Mark Phillips’s contribution to the Budget 2026 debate. While national budgets are meant to outline fiscal priorities and policy direction, they should also reflectrestraint,balance,and respect for historical truth.
Regrettably, I left the Prime Minister’s presentation deeplydisappointed.
Ratherthanconfininghis remarkstocurrenteconomic stewardship and measurable outcomes, the Prime Ministeronceagainresorted to a distorted portrayal of Guyana’s past, implicitly casting the era of the late Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham as one defined solely by political favouritism and exclusion. Such characterisations, repeated without context or scholarlybalance,dolittleto a d v a n c e p u b l i c understanding and instead
be anchored in the present
serve a familiar political narrative.
Itisnowfortyyearssince LFS Burnham passed. One wouldhaveexpected,bythis point in our national evolution,amorematureand restrained engagement with history
ItistimeforthePeople’s Progressive Party/Civic to allow his soul to rest in eternal peace, rather than continually resurrecting his name as a political convenience whenever accountability for present governanceisrequired.
The persistent failure of the PPP/C to meaningfully accountforitsownactionsis increasingly evident. Issues of transparency, oversight, a n d i n s t i t u t i o n a l accountability are too often concealed behind layers of political messaging and sustained propaganda Instead of confronting legitimate public concerns, historical misrepresentation
entirely from debate. But these are matters of practice and guidance, not rigid prohibition. What Guyana needs is modernization, not doctrinal purity Standing Orders should be reviewed to reflect contemporary legislative realities, allowing members to read prepared speeches while encouraging good delivery and active engagement. The measure of a parliamentarian should be the quality of ideas advanced,notwhethertheireyesglancedowntoooften.
If Parliament is to be a place where national policy is
is deployed as a shield. This approach undermines democratic maturity and erodespublictrust.
I was a young girl when Forbes Burnham died. My assessment of his leadership is therefore not shaped by lived political allegiance, nostalgia, or inherited loyalties.
Nor do I permit propaganda, past or present, tooccupymymind.Iread.I study I educate myself on who Forbes Burnham was, whatheattemptedtodo,and the geopolitical and economic constraints under whichhegoverned.
The historical record is neither singular nor simplistic Burnham’s tenure, like that of many post-colonial leaders, i n c l u d e d s e r i o u s shortcomings; economic difficulties, governance challenges, and democratic concerns Yet it also encompassed foundational
contributions to nationbuilding; free education, public infrastructure expansion, national selfassertion, and the deliberate effort to craft a Guyanese identity in the early postindependence period To reduce this legacy to a recurring political caricature isintellectuallydishonest.
A responsible Budget debateshouldbeanchoredin the present: transparency in the management of public resources, accountability in decision-making,respectfor institutions, and tangible outcomes for citizens Continual reliance on historical distortion cannot substitute for these obligations.
Guyana deserves leadership that engages its historyhonestly,governsthe present transparently, and plans for the future responsibly
Respectfully, AnnetteFerguson
debated seriously and responsibly, it must create space for accuracy over theatrics. The public is far better served by a leader who reads a well-prepared speech than by one who stumblesthroughcomplexissuesinthenameofanoutdated ideal.
Friday’sepisodeshouldthereforebemorethanafootnote in parliamentary proceedings. It should be the catalyst for reform. Guyana’s democracy deserves rules that serve the people—nottraditionsthatdistractfromthem.
To vote or not to vote, that is Budget 2026 question
DEAREDITOR,
The cultural reading of thefamousNationalBudget and the traditional debate finished last Friday, allowing the 13th Guyana Parliament to reach its two thirdscompletionmark,and, now awaiting the final third part for the customary
consideration of the estimates of Guyana’s National Budget 2026 to commence, before it is put to the House for the inevitablepassage
Enjoying a 36 majority seats, without any problem,
t h e e l a t e d P P P / C Government foresees no challenge and anticipates no surprise in getting the trillion-dollarbudgetpassed. Asapractice,theOpposition (a combination this year) is ceremoniously expected to walk out before the vote is calledfortheayesandnays! Ascleanasawhistle,thereis no Charrandas type furor in thisthirdSittingtocreateany uproarorupset!
LiketheWestIndieswin intheirprimarygameinthis year’s Male World Cup T20 Cricket Series, many young and talented Members of Parliament are drawing first blood. Getting into the Big
League is no easy feat and one has to be prepared to lockhornswiththeseasoned players.
There are many budding flowers like baby face 14year-old Sooryavanshi, playing his record-breaking roleintheU19Cricket2026 WorldCup.
The conventional address of the adjective “Honourable,” was fully exhausted and applied in all its merits and demerits, to demarcate respect or dishonor in its real sense.
Shakespeare utilised Mark Anthony’s speech in “Julius Ceasar”todisplaythisirony or sincerity and praise or sarcasm.
The statement, “Yet Brutus is an honourable man,” is phrased as a pause for effect, to influence an oppositeappeal.
The Honourable Dr Hinds’sloyaltytotheAPNU (PNC) and his duty to the IDPADA-G, befriended his cause to succumb to the concept of narrowing the catchy word “People,” to refer to a prejudiced interpretation. In the same vein, the Honourable Dr Campbell drew parallel when he revealed his true
color by reflecting in the mirror of intolerable discrimination.
One cannot help but to pun with the play “Julius Caesar.”WPAjoining hands with the PNC, was long configured when Caesar remarked, “Et tu Brute?”
One of Dr Walter Rodney’s famous quote sounds a warning, “ [A]ll white people are enemies until proved otherwise, and this appliestoblackintellectuals, all of us are enemies of the people until we prove otherwise.”
Brutus justifies staining his hands with Caesar’s blood by explaining, “Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I love Rome more.” As portrayed in the Budget’s debate, the golden field of opportunity presents a propitious moment for the WINPartytocapitaliseona porous PNC “scattered” displacement, to take advantage and traverse on the backs of those mentored byaBurnham’sideology
On his maiden voyage, the Honourable Azruddin Mohamed, treaded uncharteredwaters,whenhe swamwiththesharkstowet his feet as the Leader of the
Opposition(LOO).Itwillbe remembered that the late Gordon Todd, a past President for the CCWU, was also taken for a PNC helicopter ride against his will to the middle of the Ocean and asked if he wanted to swim with the sharks!
Without his playboy’s sunshades to reveal eyes mirroring a tale of error and terror, the Honourable MP ventured into a maze of explosive revelations which sentshockwavesthroughout Guyana.
Guyanese overheard unspoken anecdotes, way abovetheheadofatsunami wave, leaving unfiltered imagination to take a walk in the park with their heart in the hand, wanting to know what more will be divulged!
The Honourable Gail Teixeira, a veteran of exemplified diplomacy, dignity and décor, displaced adoyendominancetodevote her time in commandeering theHousetoarapidattention as she cooly, calmly and calculatedly cajoled members with political, parliamentary and personal coaxing.
Many citizens are understandablyfrustratedby the fierce criticisms and sharp rhetoric currently displayedinParliament.
The common sentiment is that our representatives should“sticktotheBudget” and abandon the vitriol However, this perspective overlooks the fact that Parliament is an institution of ritual performance, much likeournationalcelebrations orreligiousceremonies.
As Michel Foucault famously explored in his workon“Governmentality,” political order is maintained through the “conduct of conduct.”
Thismeansthattherules of the institution shape how power is exercised. If we
lookacrosstheglobe,wesee that violent conflict is often the result of people being unabletonavigateortalkout their disagreements because these political institutions havebrokendown.
I n G u y a n a , o u r parliamentary debate serves a s a “ s t r u c t u r e d engagement” governed by rules, norms, and a Speaker who maintains formal autonomy from the political fray
Thekeytounderstanding these sessions is that they represent a ritualised substitute for what may otherwise be physical confrontations. As long as the talking continues, no matter how bitter it becomes, fighting is notseenasnecessary When
the talking stops, the real danger begins. In this sense, parliamentary debate functions as a necessary proxy for violence, providing a psychological and social release for sectionalconflicts.
Democracy is inherently messybecauseitrequiresus to talk out our differences.
When we hear Senior Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh,MinisterDr Vindhya Persaud, or Minister Priya Manickchand engaging in heated exchanges with Opposition figures like APNU’sTerrenceCampbell, we are witnessing a conversation.
It may be an unfriendly conversation, but as Pierre Bourdieumightsuggest,itis a “symbolic struggle” that
validates the institution itself.
In the context of Guyana, where racial tensions are a sensitive reality, it is vital to protect this space for discussion. If we do not allow these arguments to happen in an environment governed by rules, they may inevitably move to the streets where rulesarehardertoenforce.
Physical conflict begins wheretheconversationends.
Therefore,weshouldsee these debates not as a distractionfromgovernance, but as the very mechanism that preserves our social peace.
Soletthemtalk!
Sincerely,
Dr RandyPersaud
Dr WalterH.Persaud
N o w o n d e r h e r presentation remained undisturbed, unquestionable and undefeated, especially when accompanied with the uncomfortable historical facts and accentuated with inconvenienttruth!
While sentiments, sorrowsandsadnessdosend shock waves of appeal to play on emotions to create commotions, it is well advised to look beyond the curve for any cloaked dagger
AstheHonourablePrime Minister advised, when you come to the national assembly as cream of the crop and not as a back bencher, it is worthy to read widely, research wisely and rememberwillingly
B u d g e t 2 0 2 6 , undoubtedly, has a room for each and every Guyanese, irrespectiveofrace,religion, belief,caste,creed,sex,age,
politicalaffiliation,location, status, affluence or influence It may not i m m e d i a t e l y a n d appropriately satisfy the needs, wants, desires, dreams, or wishes of a personal or collective choice, but the Government willbemandatedtofulfilthe promises with dignity, sincerityandloyaltybytruly putting people first in order tomaintaina“OneGuyana” and to sustain peace, progress and prosperity for the country and Guyanese, holistically
Guyanese should remain all for one and one for all, regardless if you vote or don’t vote for the passing of Budget2026,inparticularas we await the ICJ decision later this year, over our Guyana/ Venezuela border issue.
Yoursrespectfully, JaiLall.
Let us therefore raise our voices and speak up and not be guilty of silence
DEAREDITOR,
FormerpresidentDonaldRamotar’slettertitled“Dangers Facing Humanity”, is a matter to be neither trivialised nor ignored,hecallsupontheUSandallsaneandsensiblepeople to support the proposal to extend the Strategic Arms LimitationTalks(SALT)treatyforanotheryear
Those of us who were already in public life, recall the anxiousmomentsandfearsweallexperienceduringOctober 1962,itwasreferredtoastheCubanmissilecrisis.Ofcourse, history generated by theWest only refer to missiles in Cuba, andnotthoseinTurkey
ThankGod,thetwoKs,KhrushchevandKennedy,came to their senses and found a modus vivendi.Today, sixty-four years later there are enough weapons available to leaders, some not known for their wisdom and moral sense, that can easily fulfil the Biblical prediction ofArmageddon. For me, and I hope many others, I don’t want to be around for Armageddon, but rather to live to enjoy the bounty and goodnessofnature.Letusthereforeraiseourvoicesandspeak upandnotbeguiltyofsilence.
Sincerely,
ElderHamiltonGreen
Ihaveseenthecirculatingpostsuggesting that instead of giving 203,000 students a $20,000 transportation grant, roughly $4 billion annually, we should buy buses and boats and run a National School TransportationSystem.
Onpaper,thatsoundsefficient.Inreality, it’sincomplete.
Let’sdealwithwhat’smissing.
Buyingbusesistheeasypart.Operatinga national fleet is an entirely different enterprise.You don’t just purchase vehicles; you create a permanent state-run transport companyinsideaMinistry Thatmeans:
Ÿ Afulladministrativeunit
Ÿ Drivers, relief drivers, supervisors, dispatchers
Ÿ A mechanical division with certified technicians
Ÿ Partsprocurementsystems
Ÿ Fuelcontracts
Ÿ Insurance,licensing,inspections
Ÿ Depots,security,andstoragefacilities
Andthat’sbeforethefirstchildstepsonto abus.
Heavy-duty buses and boats require constant maintenance. Tyres alone for large buses are costly Engines, transmissions, cooling systems, none of these run on optimism.(Iknowathingortwoaboutmotor vehicles) If maintenance slips even slightly, downtimeincreases.
Once downtime increases, reliability drops. When reliability drops, parents are stranded. Now add labour realities. Public operations depend on people showing up everysingleday Sick leave. Vacation leave. Industrial action Absenteeism Overtime claims Pensionliabilities.Thesearestructuralcosts, notone-offpurchases.
Thencomestheeconomicrippleeffect.
Themajorityofminibusoperatorsdepend heavily on schoolchildren for steady daily income. If the State absorbs that passenger base,whathappens?
You risk industrial action from the minibusassociations.
Yousqueezeprivateoperatorsoutoftheir moststablerevenuestream.Yousendasignal to the wider private sector that the State is prepared to enter and dominate service
markets.
Thathasconsequences.
Entrepreneurs think twice when government becomes competitor instead of regulator and partner Investment climate confidence matters, especially in a growing economy like ours. And let’s talk basic economics.Ifprivateoperatorslosevolume, theywillincreasefaresonremainingroutesto survive. Reduced passenger base plus fixed operating costs equals higher prices. That’s notpolitics,that’smicroeconomics.
We’ve seen versions of this before. The Five Bs initiative under the previous administration introduced buses with good intentions. But without a deeply structured institutional framework for maintenance, scheduling, accountability and long-term financing,consistencybecamethechallenge. Vehiclesalonedonotequalsystems.
Now contrast that with the current approach.
The $4+ billion is not disappearing into bureaucracy It is flowing directly into households and circulating immediately within the economy It strengthens families’ purchasing power while simultaneously sustaining the existing private transport ecosystem, a sector that supports thousands ofoperatorsdaily.
That’snotaccidental.That’scalibrated.
Is $20,000 going to cover every transportation expense? Of course not. But public policy is about targeted support, not total substitution of private responsibility Thegrantcushionsfamilieswhilepreserving marketstabilityandavoidingthecreationofa massive recurrent expenditure line that will expandeverysingleyear The$$savedgoes towardstheirhomemortgageorreinvestment orsavingsorcomfort.
Smart governance isn’t just about doing something big. It’s about doing something sustainable.
Sometimes the flashy proposal wins applause.
But steady, fiscally responsible support keepsthesystemfunctioning.
Anyway…backtoTimeAttackPrepsfor Guyana Motor Racing and Sports Club
tomorrow
Sincerely, Dr JoshKanhai
The recent commissioning of a PVC plastic all-weather basketball court in Campbellville by the Ministry of Public Works was presented as a fulfilled promise andavictoryfor community spirit. Minister Bishop Juan Edghill stated the government’s goal was to deliver a “world-class replacement,” prioritisingcommunitysatisfactionovercost, andeven committed to sponsoring a three-year tournament.
As a resident closely familiar with the area’s history and needs, I feel compelled to provide crucial context that reveals this project as fundamentally misdirected—and ultimately, disruptive to the very community it claims to serve. Campbellville already had functional recreational spaces. In 1999, with SIMAPsupport, the Community Center was rehabilitated, and a basketball court constructed north of Campbell Avenue. Another court existed near the American SchoolinPrashadNagar
These facilities were located within 150 meters of each and served distinct communities. The newly constructed court sits on the playfield 150 meters south of the existingSIMAPcourt.
This green area identified as Plot BB on the survey map was never intended for basketball. In 2023, this same plot saw an unsolicitedandfailedattemptbytheMinistry of Youth and Sport to create a small-goal footballpitch—aprojectthatcauseddrainage issues and was never used. Community objectionstothatprojectwereignored.Now, historyrepeatsitself.
The fundamental flaw is a profound mismatch between the project and the community’s fabric. The immediate area surrounding the new court is predominantly home to senior citizens, pensioners, and young children under 13 years of age. We have residents in their 90s living within 50 feetofthecourt.
The promised “community spirit” has materialised as nightly noise, loud use of profanity, increased traffic, and public nuisance from non-resident players who
commutein,oftenplayingpast10PM.Thisis not revitalisation; it is an imposition that destroysthequiet,safeenvironmentessential for children’s study, elderly rest, and family relaxation.
Minister Edghill’s declaration that “cost was secondary” is alarming. Responsible stewardshipofpublicfundsrequiresprimary consideration of need and impact. A proper project proposal would have included a historyofusage,demographicanalysis,anda social/environmental impact assessment. Any such review would have flagged this projectasunsuitable.
Whyinstalllightsherewhenthecourtthat was in Prashad Nagar never had them?Why imposeahigh-activitytournamentvenueona tranquil,agedneighbourhood?Thisfeelsless likedevelopmentandmorelikedisrespect.
To address the above issues, we propose the following solutions that align with the community’sactualcharacterandneeds:
1.Relocatetheall-weathercourttoamore appropriate, centralised sports facility like the National Gymnasium tarmac or the NationalPark.
2. Remove or radically redesign the central pavilion, which obstructs the clear, 360-degree view of the field essential for childsafetyandparentaloversight.
3.Fencetheentireplayfield,aswasdone, yearsago,underthePresident’sYouthChoice Initiativeprogramme,anddevelopitasatrue communityasset.Createanoutdoorgym andachildren’scenterthatcanbeusedto support the Campbellville and Redeemer Lutheran schools’ physical education programs.
4. Rehabilitate and extend the existing Community Center to host technical, vocational,andadulteducationprograms.
These measures would provide lasting, m
s that
espect Campbellville’sdemographicsandhistory
The government speaks of love for the peopleandputtingcostsecond.Weaskthem to prove it by listening, correcting this error, and investing in what our community truly needs peace, safety, and thoughtful development.
Sincerely,
ConcernedResidentofCampbellville
Frompage3 Wooding Law School in Trinidad and TobagoandtheNormanManleyLawSchool inJamaica,bothestablishedin1973,aswell as the Eugene Dupuch Law School in The Bahamas, which opened in 1998. The new Guyana Law School will join this network, serving as the Caribbean’s fourth regional lawinstitution.
Theeight-acredevelopmentwillnotonly host the law school itself, but will also feature other facilities related to legal educationandtrainingwithintheregion.
Land clearing reportedly began in midSeptember, transforming the heavily vegetated site into a construction-ready space.
Guyana has long advocated for its own lawschooltobetteraccommodatelocallaw graduates, many of whom face challenges accessing the existing institutions due to limitedplacementquotasandthehighcosts of studying abroad Currently, Guyana
receives just 25 placements annually at the Hugh Wooding Law School. The establishmentofalocalinstitutionwillallow students to complete their Legal Education Certificates (LEC) without leaving the country
On September 7, President Irfaan Ali announcedthatworkwillbeginimmediately to establish Guyana’s very own law school withapprovalwasgrantedbytheCouncilof LegalEducation. Ali told the gathering on the lawns of State house of mostly party supporters that hisgovernmentwillbeabletocommencethe work “…based on the recent approval granted by the Council for Legal Education…”
He said with the establishment of the school, hundreds of persons will be able to becomequalifiedasattorneys“rightherein the country and they will be having the full rightstopracticeinCARICOMcountriesas well.”
MN a t u r a l
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Vickram Bharrat on Friday told miners in Puruni,
Region Seven that conditions have aligned to make this “one of the best times”tobeinvolvedingold mining,pointingtohighgold prices and a slate of other incentives outlined in Budget2026.
Speaking during a meeting with miners, Minister Bharrat said the
government remains committed to supporting the sector, which he noted plays a critical role in national development.“Andthisisin k e e p i n g w i t h o u r commitment that we will continue to incentivise the miningsectorinourcountry, becauseminingisimportant.
Mining contributes significantly to the development of our country and you have a government, andyouhaveapresidentthat supports the mining sector,”
theministerstated. B h a r r a t underscored the government's decision to maintain a zero percent excise tax on petroleum products, noting that fuel remains a major input cost acrossallproductivesectors, includingmining.
“What is significant to note,mybrothersandsisters, is that this country, our country, is one of the few countries in the world that there is no tax on fuel. Absolutely no tax on fuel…
Our president and our government have decided thatwearenotgoingtoplace any tax on fuel so that our people can enjoy the benefit oftax-freefuel,”hesaid.
Bharrat added that with gold prices recently exceeding US$5,000 per ounce and fuel prices at historic lows, miners are positioned to benefit throughout 2026. “Now is probably one of the best times to be in the mining industry,mainlybecausethe gold price today is over US
$4900 an ounce, a few days ago, it was over US$5,000 perounce,whileatthesame time, fuel price is at an alltime low…while we hope that the gold price will remainverystable.So,itisa very good time to be in mining,”theministersaid.
I n a d d i t i o n t o
maintaining a zero percent excisetax,thisyear'sbudget outlines the government's plan to remove duties and taxes onAll-Terrain Vehicle (ATVs), tax relief on outboard engines, and reductionintaxesondoublecabpickups.
Minister Bharrat also a d d r e s s e d r e c e n t enforcementactivitiesinthe sector,stressingthattheyare intended to improve complianceratherthanforce minersoutofoperations.He a l s o e n c o u r a g e d environmentally responsible andlawfulminingpractices.
“It is designed to help you to become compliant. It isdesignedtoensurethatthe operation is legal It is designedtoensurethatwhen
youmakeyourgold,yousell it to the Guyana Gold Board,”henoted.
Moreover, the minister noted that miners should look at other ways to improve their recovery rate, otherthanusingmercury
He urged, “this is something that you should reallyworkon,becausewith the reduction of mercury in our mining sector, it's to protect the environment, to protectyourhealthandyour recovery rate increases, especially at a time when gold price is so high, I want to encourage you to look at different technologies of extractingyourgoldordoing your wash down, as you would commonly call it, so that we can increase your recovery rate and your venture will become far moreprofitable.”
MinisterBharratstressed that government wants to work with miners to ensure that their operation is fully legal and that the gold producedissoldtotheGCB orlegitimatebuyer
This publication had reported that after years of decline, Guyana's gold sector recorded a nominal increase in 2024, with declarations rising by 1,954 ouncesfrom432,113ounces in 2023 to 434,067 ounces.
In2025,declarationsroseby 50,254 ounces to reach 484,321 ounces. Last year, declarations from licensed golddealersdeclinedby21.5 percent in 2025 to 121,883 ounces.
However, declarations
from the country's lone large-scale producer, Zijin Mining Group Co Ltd, operating through its subsidiary Aurora Gold Mine (AGM), increased by 15 5 percent to 167,005 ounces and declarations to theGuyanaGoldBoardalso rose by 45 6 percent to 195,432 ounces. For 2026, the government has projecting declarations of 510,450 ounces as mining activityacceleratesacrossall operatorcategories.
Police in Regional Division 4 'A' are investigating an armedattackona45-year-oldmechanicathisDurbanStreet residenceonSaturdaynight.
Accordingtoapolicepressreleaseinitialreportsarethat, the victim was in his yard, where he also runs a mechanic workshop, when two men on a red-and-black KTM motorcyclearrived.Onereportedlydismounted,brandished ahandgun,andattemptedtosnatchachain.
A scuffle followed, during which several rounds were fired toward the victim. The mechanic managed to retreat indoors, where a friend armed with a knife intervened, reportedlyinjuringoneofthesuspectsbeforetheyfledonthe motorcycle. No injuries were reported among the victims. Police recovered two suspected 9mm spent shells and one projectile at the scene. CCTV footage is under review, and effortstolocatethesuspectsareongoing,policestated.
The recent spectacle in t h e N a t i o n a l
Assembly where a Minister of Government recited the punctuality record of a teacher who also happens to sit on the Opposition benches was not atriumphoftransparency It wasaconfession.Notofthe teacher’slateness,butofthe State’s alarming intimacy with details it has no ethical businessparading.
Let us begin with a distinctionthatanyfirst-year student of public administration should grasp without difficulty A Minister may properly demand aggregated data: attendance rates by region, chronic absenteeism trends, system
ons between staffing shortages and instructional quality
These are the figures that illuminate policy choices and justify budget lines Theytellussomethingabout institutions They tell us nothing about individuals. And that is precisely the point.
What a Minister should not possess, and certainly should not brandish in debate, is the individual attendance log of a single teacher,completewithdates, minutes late, and a prosecutorialtone.Thatkind ofinformationbelongstothe employer-employee relationship, governed by rules of confidentiality, disciplinary procedure, and proportionality When it
migrates upward into the handsofapoliticalprincipal, something has gone badly wrong.
TheMinister’sdefenders would have us believe that t h i s w a s m e r e l y accountability The word is irresistibletothosewhoenjoy powerandareeagertospeak But accountability, properly understood, flows upward, not downward Ministers accounttoParliamentandthe public for policy outcomes; civil servants and teachers account through established administrative processes When a Minister has access topersonalrecordsmeantfor senior civil servants and senior education officers , there must be concern Ministers should not have suchaccess.
The real question, therefore, is not whether parliamentary privilege protects what was said. Of course it does. Privilege has always served as the velvet rope behind which indiscretions may dance without fear of legal consequence The more pressing question is this: howdidtheMinistercometo knowtheseparticularsinthe first place? Who retrieved the file? At whose instruction? For what stated purpose? And why did no one along that chain of custody pause long enough tosay,“Thisisimproper”?
These are not idle curiosities. They go to the heart of ethical government. Ministers sit atop vast
administrative pyramids precisely because they are expectednottomeddleinthe granularaffairsofindividual employees. That restraint is not a courtesy; it is a safeguard. Without it, every public servant becomes a potential footnote in a ministerial speech, every personnel file a political prop.
In any well-ordered s
, the distinction is clear and deliberate: a Minister exists to set direction, not to manage detail. The Minister definespolicygoals,secures resources, answers to Parliament,andisjudgedby outcomes—what the system delivers, not how many minutes an individual employee arrives late on a given morning. The senior public servant, by contrast, operatesintheengineroom, translating policy into practice, supervising staff, e
cing ru
s, and handlingoperationalmatters such as attendance, discipline, and performance in accordance with establishedprocedures. Itwillnotdotoarguethat thesubjectinquestionisalso a Member of Parliament. Dual roles do not nullify basic protections. A teacher doesnotforfeitemployment confidentialitybycontesting an election or sitting in the National Assembly, any more than a doctor forfeits patient ethics by entering politics If anything, the
Dem boys seh, when yuh hear dis line, yuh know confidence reach new heights. Exams happen? Not me. Curry cook? Perfect.Phonecharged?Definitelyme.Me? I never fail, Baby Everything fall in place, everything work out, and me? Me pure undefeated.
Dem boys seh this is the way people living now Everything move smooth, everythinghappenthewayitsupposed,and ego still shine bright. Man reach work on time?Strategy
Woman remember everybody birthday? Memory top class. Man handle money? Perfectly Everything fall right—and the cherrypontop?
“Honourable Baby.” Say it once, and respect follow Everybody hush, everybody nodlikeyoudeliveringasermon.
And oh, how dem boys laugh. Life becomeonelongwinningseason.Youmake friends? Keep them close You grab opportunity? Opportunity grab you back. Mirror? The mirror always agree, always smiling. Confidence strong, energy strong, lifesweet.
Dem boys seh, this mindset powerful.
overlap demands greater caution, not less, lest the machinery of the State be repurposed to settle arguments that should be fought with ideas. Imagine the uproar that would take place if a doctor on one side oftheHousedecidestomake publicthemedicalhistoryof another member of the House who just happens to behispatient.
ThisiswheretheGuyana Teachers’ Union earns its keep In protesting the disclosure,theGTUwasnot shielding indiscipline or defending tardiness. It was defending a principle older thananybudgetdebate.That principle is that workers are not fair game for political sport. The Minister assures us that no confidential information was breached. That is a comforting assertion, much like saying no windows were broken while standing amid the glass. Confidentiality is not defined by whether a
documentbearsaredstamp; it is defined by reasonable expectation Teachers reasonably expect that their attendance records will be u s e d t o m a n a g e performance, not to score debating points in Parliament When that expectation is violated, trust evaporates.
If the education system suffers from punctuality problems, produce the numbers that matter: percentages, averages, trends over time Argue
policy from general evidence The unsettling lesson of this episode is not about one late teacher It is aboutagovernmentgrowing comfortable with knowing too much, and saying it too loudly The GTU is right to soundthealarm.Todayitisa
Tomorrow it could be a nurse’s sick leave, a clerk’s performance appraisal, a public servant’s medical absence Power, once it
acquires a taste for the personal, rarely develops restraintonitsown.
I n m a n y o t h e r jurisdictions, this sort of indiscretion would have detonated a small political scandal—editorials written in anger, questions tabled in legislatures, ethics committees convened with urgency, public protests Here, it barely registers as a raised eyebrow before the news cycle moves on. That contrastshouldtroubleus.It suggests not a higher toleranceforrobustdebate,a quiet acclimatisation to conduct that once would haveshocked.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Everybody believe it. Success everywhere, energy high, everything excellent, and everything moving smooth. House shine, food sweet, clothes crisp. You moving throughlifelikecaptainofcalmsea,andthe windalwaysblowtherightway Honourable Baby,remember?
Still, you must give respect.To stand in themiddleofallyourachievementsandsay,
“Ineverfail,Baby,”takeseriousconfidence. Confidence full of pride, victory full of charm,successfullofstyle.Peoplewalking like champions, like life waving flags of celebrationbehindthem.
Intheend,demboyssehdis:Successisa teacher,andconfidenceisthemaster When youneverfail,youneverstopgrowing.
And when you keep growing, you just repeatthesamething—louder,prouder,and alwayscallingsomebodyHonourableBaby Is like carnival in your own head, every day undefeated, every day unstoppable, everydayshining…andBaby,that’stheway life sweet. And so say it again and again. Make it your personal motto, “I never fail Baby HonourableBaby.” Talkhalf.Leff
Guyana's 2026 budget is amountainousmassofgreen mossednumbers. Frankly,it is a One Guyana budget, for the people specially identified as belonging, invited under that tent. PPP insiders. Privatesector Brownnosers, soupdrinkers, bootlickers Assorted hustlers and robbers They are not mutually exclusive, but populate the One Guyana Lodge What do the numbers say when fleshed out, from the perspective of theimpoverished? Hard-up, dry-up, and beaten up Guyanese. In the kindest consideration, the budget numbe
s s i b l e , unconquerable, tales to share. Theyareghastly The Brits love to say that about horrorsituations.
One trillion and a half
dollars have so many zeros that they make the eyes glaze, head spin. Think of this:alltheirlives,Guyanese counted in pennies and shillings. Nowtheythrillto talk in trillions in recent years. Some Guyanese are; most Guyanese have had nothing to be thrilled about in their budgets, with this record one for 2026 included. Here is a first startling number: 76,000 pensioners (or 96,000) receive fractions of a cent permonthoneachmillionin the budget When the additional nine zeros of a trillion are incorporated to form part of the divisor, the resultissoinvisiblethatthey needaspaceagemicroscope todetect. Thefewcentsare part of a decimal that has so many zeros at its beginning that the mind does somersaults Cents in fractions and decimals for
people, many of whom live only on old age pension income,outofatrillion-anda-half-dollar budget and the PPP says that's care and consideration in action. I hear about gas tank subsidies For citizens without cars, they are exposed to the exploitations of public transportation pirates After all the budgetary provisions, the small man and woman still don'thavebuyingpower,but that's a budget for the masses.
I urge extending the budget deduction into schools Eighty-five thousand dollars total this yearfor206,000children. If there are two parents in that household that's a total of 618,000 Guyanese collecting that $85,000 for a year from a budget that is $1,558,000,000,000,000 Cancelthethreezeroesfrom
$85,000andtheresultis$85 for a year for every three Guyanese (two adults, one child) from $1.558 billion. ThePPPGovtspokespeople saythisisHowWeCare. If thisisthecashinhandreality for618,000Guyanesewitha childand76,000(or96,000) older Guyanese, then the budget provisions for public servantsandteachersshould stand in that same cash category I'm already well over700,000Guyanese,and thisistheirhorrorstoryfrom this year's budget. Take the budget provisions individually,ortakethemall together,includinginvisible, likely phantom, subsidies, and Guyanese still don't know what it is to be living like proud, prosperous citizens in a rich oil producing nation. One of the richest per head, as they aretold. Theyprobablyare, except that their own governmentleadsthelineof exploiters that fools them, rips them off, keeps them in beggary, and leaves them chronicallydependent.
After all the subsidies,plusthis year's supposedly sweet “pro poor” budget (sociologist
and poor people Messiah,MinisterJuan Edghill), and a budget g l i s t e n i n g w i t h “transformational progress”
(Guyana's caregiving
Mother Teresa, Minister VindyaPersaud),thesearing question is: why Guyanese on the far side of the PPP Govt'sgenerositycannotbuy basicfoodsupplies? Ifthey can't buy food basics, then buying clothes becomes a challengebestpostponedfor later Andwhentheycannot obtainvitalmedicines,more often the case, from Pres. Ali's world-class healthcare system,thenitisfrightening for them to consider how theywillgetthoselifesaving chemicals. There are the contradictions that brutalise what Drs. Edghill, Persaud, andAli put on the table and persist with the farce that they are good for Guyanese.
Real money for working class Guyanese has led to a 5-year war between PPP Govt troops and Guyanese they deem guerillas (maybe gorillas). Budget numbers say so. Budget pennies for the poor in Guyana support thisassertion.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Edghill's “pro poor” budget somehow makes the rich richer,andthepoorlessfood sufficient and less garment c l a d P e r s a u d ' s “transformational progress” transformspoorGuyaneseto zombies, and sends the rich soaringintothestratosphere. And, Mr Ali's world-class healthcare system is what foreigners call last in class. A dunce of profound proportions.
Mahaica-Berbice(RegionFive),whichis sustainedlargelybyitsagriculturalactivities, continuestonoteamarkeddominanceinthe sector
Rice farming, cash crop farming, smallscale fishery, livestock, and sugar cane harvesting have long since been essential to the livelihood of the over 50,000 residents there.
In a recent media engagement, Regional Chairman Recardo Phillips shared that the sectoranditstraditionalactivitieshaveseena steady rise in performance, as a direct result of strategic and consistent investment made byagencieswithinthesector
"Across Region Five, our successes are dependent on inter-agency collaboration, because farming, especially rice farmingwhich is our main farming activity executed in Region Five- we have to get strong interagencysupport,"Phillipstoldreporters.
These sector agencies include the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute (NAREI), Mahaica Mahaicony Abary - Agricultural Development Authority (MMA-ADA), the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA),theGuyanaLivestockDevelopment Authority (GLDA), the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), and the Guyana Rice Development Board (GRDB), all of which,accordingtoPhillips,arecreditedfor the positives for the region with regard to agriculture.
These, while holding their individual responsibilities, would yet coordinate to assistwithservicedelivery
Region Five Regional Chairman, Recardo Phillips
For example, the NDIA is backed by MMA-ADA with respect to drainage and irrigation operation there, while the GRDB offerstechnicalsupportandadvice.
RiceFarming
The chairman disclosed that 82,675 hectaresofriceweresownintheregion,from whichtherewasaharvestof82,412hectares. An average yield stands at 6.6 tons per hectare.GovernmentthroughtheMinistryof Agriculturehasrecentlyextendedsupportvia an intervention of $300 per bag of paddy to rice farmers. The aggregate number of farmerstoreceivechequesis1,618.Todate, 1,513 farmers have received theirs. This represents an overall $480M investment to ricefarmersinRegionFive.
Additionally, 148,177 bags of fertiliser from a $973.3 million intervention were (Continuedonpage16)
La w y e r s
representing
O p p o s i t i o n
Leader,AzruddinMohamed and his father Nazar have taken one of their legal challenges in the ongoing extradition proceedings to the Court of Appeal, following its dismissal by Acting Chief Magistrate NavindraSingh.
The appeal arises out of High Court proceedings involving a judicial review challenging the Minister of Home Affairs' Authority to Proceed (ATP) in the extraditioncase,aswellasa constitutional challenge to sections of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Actof2009.
On February 4, 2026, Justice Singh ruled against the judicial review application, which alleged bias on the part of the Government and, in particular,MinisterofHome Affairs Oneidge Walrond. Therulingwasdeliveredvia email to both the defence and prosecution, according to Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs
Anil Nandlall, SC, in a statement posted on his Facebookpage.
Nandlall explained that JusticeSinghfoundnobasis for the allegation of bias, ruling that the Minister, in issuing the Authority to P r o c e e d , w a s n o t performing a quasi-judicial function but rather executing a statutory and executivedutyconferredby Parliament under the Fugitive Offenders Act. As such,thequestionofbiasdid not arise. “In that ruling he dismissed the actions or the
proceedings filed by the Mohamedsinwhichtheyare claiming the bias. He ruled that a case for bias has not beenmadeoutandcannotbe madeout thattheministeris not performing the type of functionwhensheisissuing thatauthority, butissimply discharging a simple executive function and a statutory dictate which parliamenthasinvested her with by virtue of the Fugitive Offenders Act and that the questions does not arise,”heexplained.
Justice Singh also awarded costs of $500,000 each to the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Attorney General, and Principal Magistrate Judy Latchman. Theconstitutionalchallenge to sections of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment) Act of 2009 is scheduled to be heard on February 16, 2026.
However, in an invited comment on Sunday, lead attorney for the Mohameds, Roysdale Forde, SC, told Kaieteur News that the defence has already filed an
appeal against Justice Singh'srulingtotheCourtof Appeal. Earlier, on January 15, the Mohameds' legal team,comprisingForde,SC, SiandDhurjon,andDamien Da Silva, filed both the constitutional motion challenging the 2009 amendmentsandthejudicial review application alleging bias by the Minister of HomeAffairs.
During the High Court proceedings, the defence argued that the extradition process was tainted by politicalbias,particularlyin light of Azruddin Mohamed's entry into politicsinearly2025andhis alleged rivalry with the governing People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) The defence contended that this political context influenced the Minister's decision to authorisetheextraditionand therefore sought to have the Authority to Proceed quashed.
The prosecution, however, maintained that the Minister acted fully in
accordancewiththelawand that no bias influenced the decision to authorise extradition In advancing submissions,attorneyForde focused on Section 8(3)(b) of the Fugitive Offenders (Amendment)Act 2009. He argued that Guyana's extradition arrangement with the United States is deficientbecauseitdoesnot explicitly guarantee that an extradited person cannot be re-extradited to a third country without Guyana's priorconsent.
Forde further contended that Section 8(3)(b) prohibits extradition to the United States unless adequatesafeguardsexistto prevent re-extradition without the approval of the GovernmentofGuyana.
Nazar and Azruddin Mohamed are facing a federalindictmentinMiami, Florida, following the unsealing of a 25-page indictment on October 2, 2025 The indictment alleges that the pair orchestrated a wide-ranging fraudandmoney-laundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties owed to Guyana.
Following a formal request from the United States, Minister Walrond signed the Authority to Proceed, allowing the extradition matter to move forward before the Magistrates' Court If sufficient evidence is established, the magistrate may order the Mohameds' extraditiontofacechargesin theUnitedStates.
Police in Regional Division #10 uncovered suspected firearms,ammunition,and4.536kilogramsofcannabisduring a raid at a Central Amelia's Ward residence early Sunday morning.In a statement police said acting on information received,ranksconductedasearchonamotorlorryparkedin the yard at the residence, during which a haversack was discovered behind the driver's seat containing several parcels ofleaves,seedsandstemssuspectedtobecannabis.
Further checks led to the discovery of three 9mm pistols and nine .32 rounds of ammunition concealed among the suspected cannabis.A42-year-old businesswoman of Central Amelia'sWardwasarrestedandplacedintocustody.
Furtherinvestigationalsoledtothearrestofa36-year-old male driver of Bamia, Soesdyke-Linden Highway, at his residence.Thesuspectedcannabiswasweighedinthepresence of the suspects and amounted to 4.536 kilograms. The suspectedfirearms,ammunitionandnarcoticswerethereafter lodgedpendinginvestigation.Bothsuspectsremainincustody asinvestigationscontinue.
The guns and ammunition found by police
Government has set aside some $10.7 billion in this year's budget to finance the controversial Gas-to-Energy (GTE)project.
This year's allocation comprises both local and foreign financing, according to budget documents laid in theNationalAssembly
According to the fiscal plan, $8.1 billion will be supplied through loan financingbytheUnitedStates Export Import Bank (EXIM) while $2.6 billion will come fromthenationaltreasury
The 2026 Budget states that $258 billion has already been spent so far on the gas
project, which, when completed, is expected to reduce the cost of electricity by50percent.
After missing several deadlines, government anticipates that the GTE projectwillfinallybereadyby the end of 2026. The project comprises a Natural Gas Liquids(NGL)facility,a300megawatt power plant and pipeline to transport the gas from the Liza Fields in the Stabroek Block to the Wales Development site,West Bank Demerara.
In addition to the gas plants, the project involves consultancy and other costs, including the upgrade of the transmission and distribution network, new substations and a control center Government also spent millions to compensate citizens for their land that was acquired to facilitate the gas pipeline which is pegged at another US$1 billion. Additionally, the two gas plants are expected to cost another US$759 million. Due to the
contractorsoughttheservices of an international arbitrator, whichwasquietlysettled.Itis unclear whether the country was required to pay costs relatingtothedispute.
Therisingcostandlackof transparencyintheprojecthas beenthesubjectofdebateover the years with government failingtoproduceafeasibility study to justify the country's single largest investment to date.
In addition to 300MW of electricity, the project will also produce cooking gas at a
government says will aid in
Exxon completed the pipeline component of the project more than a year ago and is currently awaiting the other two elements to completeconstruction.
Police in Regional Division # 7 are investigating the murder of John José Marciano, a 55-year-old gold miner of One Mile, Wismar, Linden, which occurred early Saturdaymorning.
Police in a press release said that the murder occurred about 03:45hrs at 14 Miles Issano, Middle Mazaruni River Enquiries disclosed that Maciano was at his mining camp at 14 Miles Issano when an incident reportedlyoccurredduringthe earlymorninghours.
He was subsequently discovered in a slouching position on the ground within the mining camp with multiple chop wounds about hisbody. Acutlasswasrecoveredin closeproximitytothebody.A 35-year-old female cook of Ann's Grove, East Coast Demerara, is presently in police custody assisting with t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n Additionally, acting on information received, a 19year-old gold miner of Tapakuma, Essequibo Coast, wasarrestedbypoliceinAnna Regina,Region#2onSunday February 8, 2026 about 07:45hrs in connection with theallegedmurder Heispresentlyincustody p
e r investigations. Investigations areongoing.
More than 20 homes belongingtoresidentsof Circuitville, located along the Linden–Soesdyke Highway, were bulldozed on Sunday in an area reportedly earmarked for sand-mining operations.
Theaffectedresidents,manyof whom have been living in the area for several years, said they were occupying a land within a sand pit and were previously assured by government representatives that the community would be regularised.Accordingtoresidents, they were repeatedly promised house lots and were required to complete multiple registration forms as part of the regularisation process.
Following the demolition,
residents are now appealing to the Government to engage them urgently and provide a solution, including possible relocation, as many families have been left without shelter During a live broadcast on the Team Mohameds Facebook page on Sunday afternoon, Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed visited the community and met with residents who expressed distress over the destructionoftheirhomes.Several residents said they are now uncertain where they and their childrenwillsleep.
Residents reported that they raised concerns about the removal of their homes with the community'sToshao,butweretold thatshewasnotresponsibleforthe decision. They further stated that
Ahigh-speed pursuit through the streets of Georgetown ended with the seizure of more than eight kilograms of cocaine, following an operation by the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit(CANU)onSaturday
According to press release CANU said officers acting on intelligence
intercepted two vehicles nearDavidStreet,Kitty The driverofawhiteVolkswagen (PAL 4117) fled at high speed,collidingwithseveral CANU vehicles during the chase. While pursuing the suspect along Sheriff Street toward Rupert Craig Highway, officers spotted a brown cardboard box being t h r o w n f r o m t h e
they do not know the owner of the sand pit or who authorised the demolition.
“It's like you're living in Circuitville but divided into four different countries, because there may be a meeting going on in the back and we wouldn't know anythingaboutit,sowedon'tknow whatisgoingonhere”oneresident said.
While more than 50 families reportedly reside in the area, residents said approximately 20 homes have so far been destroyed, allegedly by the owner of the sand pit who is currently conducting sand-mining operations. However, residentssaidtheyremainunaware of who granted approval for the homestobebulldozed.
Residents also told Mohamed that forms were distributed on severaloccasionsforthemtoapply
for house lots, and that they were as
al contributions for surveys intended toregularisethearea.Accordingto residents, no surveys were ever conducted.“Ihavebeenlivinghere about10yearsnow,andIdonefill up forms five times now and nothingtillnow
Youpaya$5,000andtheygive youaslipandthat'sforthesurvey, more than one time we paid,” anotherresidentstated.
Additionally, residents claimed that Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister, Kwame McCoy,hadvisitedthecommunity on several occasions and had assuredthemthattheareawouldbe regularised However, when contacted, Minister McCoy reportedly said he was unaware of the demolition activities taking placeinthearea.
Volkswagen.
The Volkswagen was eventually stopped at the intersectionofSheriffStreet and Rupert Craig Highway
The driver, identified as Shaquille Gordon, was the lone occupant. A search of the discarded box, conductedinthepresenceof the suspects, revealed seven
brick-like parcels suspected tobecocaine.
Asecondvehicle,awhite Pitbullminibus(BAB6337) driven by Ravindranauth
Persaud, was also intercepted.
Both men were arrested and escorted to CANU Headquarters Testing confirmed the seizure to be
kilograms (18.135 pounds) ofcocaine.
C
investigations are ongoing
s commitmenttointelligenceled operations aimed at
Attorney General and Minister of Legal
Affairs, Anil
Nandlall, SC, said the government will expand the electronic, paperless litigation system currently used in the higher courts to Magistrates'Courtsthisyear
He also disclosed plans to publish and update Guyana's national law reports covering the period 2008to2022.
Nandlall made the announcements during his contribution to the national budget debate on Friday, at the Arthur Chung ConferenceCentre.
According to the attorney general, the expansion of the electronic litigationsystemwillreduce delays, improve record management, and enhance efficiencyacrossthejudicial system. He noted that the government continues to invest in the judiciary through infrastructural development, staffing, and technological upgrades to better manage growing caseloads.
“In 2024, we opened courts,magistrates'courtsat
Port Kaituma, Mahaica... In 2026 we have many more courts that will be are under construction and will be open. We also invest in the judiciary in ensuring that they have personnel as well as the institutional capability, technological capability, to manage their caseload Today, I am pleased to announce that at almost every level of the judiciary excepting the magistrate's court for the time being, the high court, the full court, the court of appeal and the CCJ, the entire litigation process is now electronic and paperless, and we are working to bring that to the magistrate's court as well,” Nandlallstated.
In October 2024, the SupremeCourtofJudicature launcheditse-litigationweb portal for the high court and the court of appeal. The system replaced the traditional paper-based filing process for all new casesfiledafter3:00p.m.on October 4, 2024, and facilitates electronic filing andcasemanagementacross all registries, including the family court and the land court.
Thee-litigationplatform is powered by software developedbyCrimsonLogic Inc , a Singapore-based company with extensive experienceindigitaljudicial solutions worldwide The portal provides 24/7 access across devices, including
computers.
Key features of the system include electronic f i l i n g , a u t o m a t e d notifications, case and workflowmanagement,trial bundle creation, reporting and analytics tools, and a dedicated portal for judicial officers. Both attorneys and litigants can access the platform, promoting greater efficiency and transparency incasemanagement.
Nandlall noted that this digitaltransformationaligns with the judiciary's mandate toupholdtheruleoflawand
improve access to justice by ensuring fair, timely, and
processes.
Theattorneygeneralalso announced that the Ministry ofLegalAffairswillcompile v
of contentious legal matters to support future legal review andclarification.
Additionally,herevealed plans to publish and update Guyana's law reports from 2008 to 2022, emphasising that access to decided cases isessentialforlegalresearch and the proper development of jurisprudence He explained that modern case
law reporting allows judges and attorneys to efficiently reference precedents, both locally and across comparable Commonwealth jurisdictions.
Guyana, he noted, has a long-standing tradition of law reporting dating back to the mid-19th century, but gaps exist in more recent years.“In2012Ilaunched10 reports from 1977 to 2007, and just after the budget estimates are completed, we are going to launch, along withtherevisionlawreports from 2008 to 2022, law reportsofGuyana,”Nandlall said.
CanadianminingfirmMakoMiningsays it has completed an extensive suite of engineering, environmental and social studiesatitsEagleMountainGoldProjectin Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni), positioning the company to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to Guyana's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in thefirstquarterof2026.
Accordingtothecompany'slatestupdate, the 2025 work programme focused on generating baseline data to support the EIA and confirm mine design parameters Activities included geotechnical drilling, hydrology and hydrogeology studies, environmental geochemistry, cultural heritage and community surveys, as well as noise, air quality and biodiversity assessments Siting studies were also conducted as part of the mine planning process.
Mako said work carried out during the fourth quarter of 2025 concentrated on advancing social baseline studies. Between October 3, 4 and 7, the company, together withEnvironmentalResourcesManagement Ltd. (ERM), its lead consultant for the EIA process, held a series of stakeholder and community engagement meetings in communities within the project's area of influence.Theseengagementswereobserved bytheEPA.
The company noted that feedback from the meetings helped shape the terms of reference for the EIAand informed both the assessment of potential impacts and the proposed mitigation measures. The filing of
theEnvironmentalImpactAssessment,Mako said, will represent a major milestone in advancing the Eagle Mountain project after yearsofdatacollectionandtechnicalstudies.
Makoholdsa100percentinterestinthe preliminary economic assessment (PEA)stage Eagle Mountain Project, located in the
Mahdia district, roughly 200 km southsouthwestofGeorgetown.Thecompanysays the site is currently undergoing engineering, environmental, and mine permitting activities, as it prepares for a full-scale developmentphase.
The company acquired the project through its 2024 takeover of Goldsource Mines Inc., inheriting a resource base of nearly1.2millionouncesofgold(indicated) and 582,000 ounces (inferred). The 5,050hectare property includes the 4,784-hectare Eagle Mountain project and the 252-hectare Kilroy medium-scale mining licence, with two known gold deposits, Eagle Mountain and Salbora, along with several additional explorationtargets.
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Globalfoodpricesfellfor the fifth month in a row in January, driven by lower international quotations for dairy, sugar, and meat, the UnitedNations’FoodandAgricultureOrganisation(FAO) reported Friday The FAO FoodPriceIndex,whichtracks the cost of a basket of internationally traded commodities,averaged123.9pointsin January—down 0.4% from December and 0.6% below last year
The FAO Cereal Price Indexincreasedslightlyby0.2 percent from December, despite marginal declines of worldwheatandmaizeprices. Ample wheat stocks offset weather-related concerns affecting dormant crops in the Russian Federation and the United States of America, whilecomfortableglobalmaize supplies offset adverse weatherconditionsinArgentina and Brazil and strong ethanoldemandintheUnited States. By contrast, the FAO
All-Rice Price Index rose by 1.8 percent from December, reflecting firmer demand for fragrantricevarieties.
The FAO Vegetable Oil Price Indexincreasedby2.1 percent in January World palmoilpricesroseamidseasonal production slowdowns in Southeast Asia and firm global import demand, while world soy oil prices reboundedontighteningexport availabilitiesinSouthAmerica and expectations of robust biofueldemandintheUnited States. Global sunflower oil prices also increased, driven by supply tightness in the BlackSearegion.Bycontrast, international quotations for rapeseed oil edged lower reflecting ample availability in the European Union in the wakeoflargerecentimports.
The FAOMeatPriceIndex declined by 0.4 percent from December, driven by lower pig meat quotations amid ample global supplies and subdued international
demand.Globalpoultrymeat quotations rose, mainly reflecting higher prices in Brazil underpinned by strong international demand, while prices for ovine and bovine meats were broadly stable, with the latter buoyed by increased shipments from Brazil to China, which offset the rapid exhaustion of the United States’ tariff-free quota.
TheFAODairyPriceIndex fell by 5.0 percent from December, driven largely by lower prices for cheese and butter amid ample availabilities. Meanwhile, world skim milk powder prices firmed, supportedbyrenewedimport demand from the Near East, North Africa and parts of Asia.
TheFAOSugarPriceIndexdeclinedby1.0percentin January, reflecting expectations of increased supplies in the current season, underpinned by a significant production rebound in India,
From page 10 distributedtofarmersbythe GRDB.As a rice producing stronghold, the regional chairman stated that the basic aim is to support rice farmers. “We’ve seen the rise in operational costs of the farmers, and we intend to curb this increase.... we willsubsidisecertainaspects ofricefarming.”
Further support measures to boost rice production in the region were the distribution of 353 bags of seed paddy totalling $1.7 million, and chemicals for paddy bug infestation. These measures, concentrated on the rice industry alone, accounts for $1.8 billion,Phillipsreleased.
MMA-ADAandNDIA
The region benefited
from the maintenance of 900 miles of channels, and the construction of two new sluices and pump structures inMahaica,allundertakenby the MMA-ADA and NDIA, which also conducted maintenance to major drainage networkthere.
There are also plans to makeavailablemorelandsfor farmers.
“600milesofaccessdams werealsomaintained,andthis is to enhance accessibility to rice lands so that the operationalcoststofarmerswillbe lower.”
Placing major emphasis on the works of the sectoral agencies, the chairman highlightedtoothatmaindrainage canals were cleaned and excavated,and675acresofland were opened up for farmers.
These interventions under NDIAcost$1.4B.
GLDA Phillips also noted that some 844 households benefited from the black giant initiative, while 1000 ducklings were donated to farmers. A total of 118 benefitted from the Barbados black belly sheep project, and 54 sheep and goat farmers were given five acres each.
Hailing these as positives, the chairman posited that the sectoral and general advancements in the region is without dispute.
“The developments we have seen are tangible, and I’m sure that every resident ofRegionFiveisfeelingthe positive benefit,” he emphasised.
favourableprospectsinThailand, and an overall positive productionoutlookinBrazil. Globalcerealstocks-to-use ratiooncourseforhighest level since 2001
FAO also released its latest forecast for global cereal production in 2025, projecting total output at 3 023 million tonnes, with record harvests for wheat, coarse grains and rice. The upward revisionreflectshigher-thanpreviously-anticipatedwheat yields in Argentina, Canada and the European Union, alongsideexpectationsofexpanded maize plantings and higheryieldsinChinaandthe United States of America. Globalriceoutputisalsoforecast to rise, with gains led by India, Bangladesh, Brazil, China and Indonesia.
The new Cereal Supply and Demand Brief also assesses 2026 crop prospects across the northern hemisphere. Winter wheat plantingsinIndiaareforecast to reach a record level due to high domestic prices and favourable weather conditions, while plantings in the United States will likely decline due to low prices and drier-than-normalconditions inkeyproducingareas.Inthe southern hemisphere, coarse grainharvestingwillbeginin the second quarter of 2026, withfavourableconditionsin Argentina, Brazil and South Africa.
Worldcerealutilisationin 2025/26isnowforecasttoincreaseby2.2percentfromthe previous year. Based on the updated supply and demand forecasts,globalcerealstocks are predicted to expand by 7.8 percent to a record high, with inventories of all major cereals increasing, including rice. The global cereal stocks-to-use ratio is anticipated to rise to 31.8 percent, its highest level since 2001. World trade in cereals duringthe2025/26marketing year(July/June)isforecastto grow by 3.6 percent from the preceding 12 months.
The Agricultural Market InformationSystem(AMIS), hosted by FAO, also published its monthly Market MonitoronFriday.Inaddition totheregularmarketupdates, the report examines the relative stability of international markets for the major food crops, noting the resilience and flexibility demonstrated in recent periods.However, it cautionsthatthislargelyreflects a favourable confluence of ampleharvests,well-functioning supply chains, and adequate fertiliser availability, and stresses that it would be misguided to infer that global food commodity markets are now structurally less vulnerable to shocks.
P r e s i d e n t M a s o u d
Pezeshkianhascalledonthe United States to respect his country as the two nations look ahead to another round of nuclear negotiations next week following mediated discussionsinOman.
“Our reasoning on the nuclear issue is based on rights stipulated in the NonProliferation Treaty,” he wrote in a post on X on Sunday “The Iranian nation has always responded to respect with respect, but cannot withstand the languageofforce”.
Pezeshkiandescribedthe indirect talks held in Oman onFridayasa“stepforward” and said his administration favoursdialogue.
Iranian officials are highlightingsovereigntyand independence and are signalling eagerness for nuclear-only negotiations, while rejecting a military build-upintheregionbythe US.
Speaking at a forum hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran,
the country’s chief diplomat AbbasAraghchi pointed out thattheIslamicRepublichas alway
overthrowing US-backed Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlaviina1979revolution.
“Before the revolution, the people did not believe their establishment to have
independence,” Araghchi said.
Themessagingcomesas the anniversary of the revolution approaches on Wednesday, when stateorganised demonstrations havebeenplannedacrossthe country. Iranian authorities have in previous years
ballistic missiles, during the rallies.
Araghchisaid during the event in the capital that Iran is unwilling to forego nuclear enrichment for civilianuseevenifitleadsto more military attacks by the US and Israel, “because no one has the right to tell us whatwemusthaveandmust nothave”.
However, the diplomat addedthathetoldUSenvoys Steve Witkoff and Jared KushnerinMuscatonFriday that “there is no way but negotiations”.HesaidChina and Russia have also been informed of the content of thetalks.
“Being afraid is lethal poison in this situation,”
Araghchi said about
Washington amassing what USPresidentDonaldTrump has called a “beautiful armada”nearIran’swaters.
‘Pushtheregionback years’
Iran’s top military commander on Sunday issuedanewwarningthatthe entire region will be engulfedinconflictifIranis attacked.
“While being prepared, wegenuinelyhavenodesire to see the outbreak of a regional war,” Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi told a gathering of air force and air defence commandersandpersonnel.
(Reuters) - Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’scoalitionsweptto a historicelection win on Sunday, paving the way for promised tax cuts that have spooked financial markets andmilitaryspendingaimed atcounteringChina.
The conservative Takaichi, Japan’s first femaleleaderwhosayssheis inspired by Britain’s “Iron Lady” Margaret Thatcher, was projected to deliver as manyas328ofthe465seats in parliament’s lower house for her Liberal Democratic Party
The LDP alone sailed pastthe233seatsneededfor a majority less than two hours after polls closed, on track for one of its best ever electionresults.
With her coalition partner,theJapanInnovation Party, known as Ishin,
Takaichi now has a supermajority of two-thirds
of seats, easing her
legislativeagendaasshecan override the upper chamber, whichshedoesnotcontrol.
“This election involved major policy shifts particularly a major shift in economic and fiscal policy, as well as strengthening security policy,” Takaichi saidinatelevisioninterview astheresultsrolledin.
“These are policies that have drawn a great deal of opposition If we have received the public’s support, then we truly must tackle these issues with all ourstrength.”
Takaichi, 64, called the rare winter snap election to capitalise on her buoyant personal approval ratings since she was elevated to leadthelong-rulingLDPlate lastyear
Voters have been drawn to her straight-talking, hardworking image, but her
nationalistic leanings and emphasis on security have strained ties with Japan’s powerful neighbour China, while her promises of tax cuts have rattled financial markets.
Residents trudged through snow to cast their ballots with record snowfall insomepartssnarlingtraffic and requiring some polling stationstocloseearly Itwas only the third postwar election held in February, with elections typically calledduringmildermonths.
Outside a polling station inthetownofUonumainthe moun
Kazushige Cho, 54, braved below-freezingtemperatures and deep snow to cast his vote for Takaichi’s Liberal DemocraticParty
“It feels like she’s creatingasenseofdirectionlike the whole country is pullingtogetherandmoving forward,”Chosaid.
But Takaichi’s election promise to suspend an 8% sales tax on food to help households cope with rising prices has rattled investors concerned about how the nationwiththeheaviestdebt burden among advanced economies will fund the plan.
Takaichi said on Sunday she would speed up considerationofthesalestax cut while focusing on fiscal sustainability
“Her plans for the cut in the consumption tax leave open big question marks aboutfundingandhowshe’s goingtogoaboutmakingthe arithmetic add up,” said Chris Scicluna, head of research at Daiwa Capital MarketsEuropeinLondon.
BACKED BY TRUMP, BASHED BY CHINA
The head of Japan’s top business lobby Keidanren, Yoshinobu Tsutsui, welcomed Takaichi’s win as restoring political stability.
According to Mousavi, Iran “has the necessary powerandpreparednessfora long-termwarwiththeUS”.
But many average Iranians are left in limbo without much hope that the talkswiththeUSwillleadto results, including for the country’s heavily declining economy
“I was 20 when the first negotiations with the West over Iran’s nuclear programme were held about 23 years ago,” Saman, who works at a small private investment firm in Tehran, toldAlJazeera.
“Our best years are behindus.Butit’sevenmore sadtothinkthatsomeofthe youth who were born at the startofthenegotiationswere killed on the streets during the protests last month with manyhopesanddreams.”
“Eventhoughaggressors will be the target of the flames of regional war, this will push back the a d v a n c e m e n t a n d developmentoftheregionby years, and its repercussions will be borne by the warmongers in the US and the Zionist regime,” he said inreferencetoIsrael.
Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). (REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon/Pool)
“Japan’seconomyisnowata critical juncture for achieving sustainable and stronggrowth,”hesaid.
The LDP, which has ruled for almost all of Japan’s postwar history, had lostcontrolofbothhousesin elections over the past 15 months under Takaichi’s predecessor,ShigeruIshiba.
Takaichi has managed to turn around the party’s fortunes by striking a chord withyoungervoters. She has even sparked a
“sanakatsu” craze, roughly translatedas“Sanae-mania”. Her handbag and the pink pen she scribbles notes with in parliament have been in highdemand.
U.S. President Donald Trump last week gave Takaichi his “total endorsement” and said he would host her at the White Housenextmonth.
China will also be parsingtheresult.
Weeksaftertaking
Continued on page 18
By Alicia Nicholls
e are barely into the second month of 2026, and already it feels as though the world has shifted beneath our feet. The pace ofglobalchange,orevenupheaval, has driven many to tune out the news altogether Yet here in the Caribbeanweshouldnotlookaway fromwhatisunfoldinginoneofour neighbouringislandstates,Cuba.
For decades, Cuba has been more than a steadfast friend to the anglophone Caribbean It has granted scholarships to our students to study medicine and other disciplines at its universities. It has provided health care to our citizens,sentdoctorsandnursesto assist us during the COVID-19 pandemic, sent soldiers to fight in anti-colonial struggles, and stood withcountlesscountriesgloballyin momentsofcrisis.
Following the Cuban Revolutionof1959andsince1962, Cuba has been under a
comprehensive US trade and economic embargo. Over time, these sanctions have been tightened, loosened and tightened again. They extend beyond USCuba bilateral trade, with the US seeking to apply it extra jurisdictionally to third countries and companies that do business with the island by leveraging its control of the global financial system as the world’s reserve currency For a small island nation of roughly 11 million people and some 110,000 square kilometers, thishasmeantdecadesofrestricted accesstomanygoods,servicesand investment.
While no government is without fault and there have been some governance challenges and restrictionsonpoliticalfreedoms,it is impossible to ignore the structuralpressureexertedbymore than a half a century of economic isolation imposed by the world’s mostpowerfulcountry
Despite its economic and political challenges, Cuba has
achievedsocialoutcomesthatrival far wealthier nations Its life expectancyisonparwiththatofthe US,whileitschildmortalityrateis lower than the US’ and many countries with significantly higher GDP per capita These achievements reflect sustained investmentinuniversalhealthcare and education, policy choices in keeping with its socialist ideology which prioritises the social developmentofitspeople.
Today, however, Cuba faces an acute humanitarian crisis On January 29, 2026, the US branded Cuba an “unusual and extraordinarythreat”toitsnational securityandforeignpolicyandhas taken measures to further restrict the island’s access to essential supplies. Regular oil shipments from Venezuela have ceased following the US’ invasion and removal of President Nicolas Maduro from that country Other countries, such as Mexico, which had been supplying oil have been met with US threats of economic
A man fixes a bicycle as Cubans brace for fuel scarcity measures after U.S. tightens oil supply blockade, in Havana, Cuba, February 6, 2026. REUTERS/Norlys Perez
(Reuters) - Cuba detailed a wide-ranging plan on Friday to protectessentialservicesandration fuel as the communist-run government dug in its heels in defiance of a U.S. effort to cut off oilsupplytotheCaribbeanIsland.
The rationing measures are the first to be announced since PresidentDonaldTrumpthreatened to slap tariffs on the U.S.-bound products of any country exporting fuel to Cuba and suggested hard times ahead for Cubans already suffering severe shortages of food, fuelandmedicine.
Government ministers said the measures would guarantee fuel supply for key sectors, including agricultural production, education, water supply, healthcare and defense.
Commerce Minister Oscar Perez-Olivastruckadefianttoneas he laid out details of the governmentplan.
“This is an opportunity and a challengethatwehavenodoubtwe willovercome,”Perez-Olivatolda television news program. “We are notgoingtocollapse.”
The government will supply fuel to the tourism and export sectors, including for the production of Cuba’s worldfamouscigars,toensuretheforeign exchange necessary to fund other basic programs, Perez-Oliva said, adding, “If we don’t have income, then we will not overcome this situation.”
Domestic and international air travel will not be immediately affected by the fuel rationing, although drivers will see cutbacks at the pump until supply normalises,hesaid.
The government said it would protect ports and ensure fuel for domestic transportation in a bid to protect the island nation’s import andexportsectors.
retaliation,includingtariffs. This escalation in US aggression is particularly concerning because in a world which still depends on fossil fuels, oil is not a luxury It powers ventilators in intensive care units servingsickpatientsandpremature babies. It runs water systems and electric grids. It keeps lights on in homes. When fuel stops flowing, daily life begins to unravel. The result is widespread blackouts, queuingatgasstations,rationingof basicnecessities,risingprices,and mounting strain on hospitals and households, prompting Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel to repeatedly condemn this latest escalation in US aggression, while maintaining Cuba’s openness to constructive dialogue United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has warned of the humanitarian implications of this escalated US action. Starving Cubaofoilistoliterallystarvethe Cubanpeople.
Whatisperhapsmosttroubling is the global silence, despite some perfunctory statements of solidarity made. Powerful nations have, thus far, stood by as Cubans endure growing shortages and hardship for daring to choose a governance model that does not accord with capitalist interests and for seeking to navigate an asymmetric international system on its own terms. It is, therefore, both unsurprising, but also deeply disappointing, that Caribbean countries, which were among the first to establish diplomatic ties withCubaandeachyearcallforthe endoftheunjustUSembargo,have been largely silent on these latest aggressions. It could very well be that regional leaders are quietly behindthescenesusingdiplomatic channels to engage the US governmentandlegislatorsonthis. But we also know that Caribbean governmentshavereportedlyfaced threats, such as tariffs, visa restrictions and economic retaliation, and some being allegedly forced to stop sending theirstudentstoCuba.
your own citizens on whom you depend for electoral support from immediateharm.
After all, if the more powerful countrieslackthemoralcourageto stand up to the world’s most powerfulcountry,whoarewetodo otherwise,right?Butsincewhendo we in the Caribbean determine our own morality by the actions of the mostpowerful?Ifthelargernations lack the courage to act, does that absolve us of our responsibility to come together and advocate for Cubalikewehavedoneinthepast?
Solidarity with the Cuban peopleisnotoptional,itisamoral imperative. Just like the ongoing genocide in Gaza, history will record and judge how the world responded in this moment. We as citizens are not powerless. We can push our governments to act. We can write, we can sign petitions, and we can organise to urge our leaderstoengagebilaterally,andto advocate in regional and internationalfora.
As individual governments we are limited, but by acting as a collective, we can advocate on behalf of Cuba, and for an end to thisescalationandfortheendofan embargo which has not only failed initspurposebuthasonlyservedto make the Cuban people stronger andmoreresilient.
Cubahasbeenafriendtousand tomanyaroundtheworld.Itisour time, as a region and as a global community, to step up and be a friend to Cuba when it matters the most.
Moral courage is neither easy, nor convenient, but necessary.The questionbeforeusiswhetherwhen this juncture in history is remembered,willwebeabletosay we raised our voices in solidarity with our hermanos y hermanas cubanos (Cuban brothers and sisters), or do we choose the ‘safety’ of silence Whatever happens,IhopeandpraythatCuba vencerá(Cubawillovercome).
Perez-Oliva also announced an ambitious plan to plant 200,000 hectares (500,000 acres) of rice to guarantee“animportantpartofour demand,” but acknowledged fuel shortfallswouldpushthecountryto depend more on renewable energy for irrigation needs and animalpowerfortillingfields.
Education Minister Naima Ariatne, appearing on the same program , said infant-care centers and primary schools would remain open and in person, but secondary schools and higher education would implement a hybrid system that would require more “flexibility”andvarybyinstitution andregion.“Asapriority,wewant to leave (open) our primary schools,”Ariatnesaid.
Top officials said health care would also be prioritised, with special emphasis on emergency services, maternity wards and cancerprograms.
Forsmallstates,thecalculation is stark, either speak out and face victimisationorbesilentandshield
(AliciaNicholls,B.Sc.,M.Sc., LL.B.isaninternationaltrade specialistandthefounderof CaribbeanTrade&Law DevelopmentBlog: www.caribbeantradelaw.com.)
Frompage17 office, Takaichi touched off the biggestdisputewithBeijinginover adecadebypubliclyoutlininghow Tokyo might respond to a Chinese attack on Taiwan, the democratic islandclaimedbyChina.
China responded with several countermeasures, including urging itscitizensnottotraveltoJapan.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te was one of the first foreign leaders tocongratulateTakaichi,sayinghe hoped her victory would “bring a more prosperous and secure future for Japan and its partners in the region”.
Takaichi’s strong mandate couldaccelerateherplanstobolster
Japan’s defences, further angering Beijing, which has cast her as attempting to revive its militaristic past.
Japan’s Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi told TV stations on Sunday evening that he wanted to push ahead with policies to strengthen Japan’s defence while pursuingdialoguewithChina.
“Beijing will not welcome Takaichi’s victory,” said David Boling,principalattheAsiaGroup, a firm that advises companies on geopoliticalrisk.
“China now faces the reality that she is firmly in place — and that its efforts to isolate her completelyfailed.”
In a crass and alarming display of political opportunism, Minister of Education
Sonia Parag has weaponised her office, exploiting confidential attendance records to attack MP Gordon Barker, who is a teacher in the [public education system].
What is shocking is not just the breach itself—bordering on the illegal, but her audacity in attempting to justify it as “accountability.”
Ordinary Guyanese should take heed; if a minister can casually expose the private life of a teacher-turned-MP, any citizen's personal affairs could be next. Barker's “offences”, tending to his newborn and young children, highlight the callousness of Parag's political theatre. Her actions erode trust, compromise parliamentary integrity, and insult the teaching profession she purports to champion.
This is not transparency; it is intimidation cloaked in authority. Until ministers respect privacy and do not abuse their authority, no citizen, teacher, or public servant can feel secure from politically motivated intrusion.
Frompage24
Pressure mounted but Bam never took his foot off the pedal to put the pressure back on England and propel Nepal to a position where theyneeded10runsfromthe lastoverfromSamCurran.
Curran bowled with ice in his veins, conceding only fourrunsinfivedeliveriesto setupalast-ballthrillerwith Bam at the striker’s end lookingtosealafamouswin forhisteamwithasix.
Curran fired a low full toss, denying any elevation
toBam,whocouldonlyhitit tothedeepcoverforasingle.
“It wasn’t easy at all but thankfully we got over the line,” a visibly relieved EnglandcaptainBrooksaid.
“I thought we were in a goodpositiontodefendthat.
I didn’t think it would go as close as that. Hats off to the Nepalese team, they played extremelywell.”
Bam remained unbeaten on 39 as Nepal finished on 180-6.
After electing to bat at the Wankhede Stadium,
England slumped to 57-3 in the seventh over to find themselves in a spot of bother
Bethell had no problem adjustingtothenatureofthe track, where other batters foundshot-makingdifficult.
Bethell and Brook combined in a 71-run partnership during their 45ball collaboration to rebuild theirinnings.
Will Jacks provided the late surge for England with an unbeaten 39 off 18 balls, which proved crucial in the
end.Thebattersmashedfour sixes, including three in the final over from Karan Chhetri.
Bhurtel led Nepal’s chargewhentheyreturnedto begin their chase and, after his departure, Airee and skipperPaudelkeptNepalin the hunt with a stand of 82 from54balls.
“Disappointmentisthere but at the same time, I’m very proud of the team,” Paudel said. “We had belief whenwecameinthisWorld Cup.Wedidn’tcomehereto participate, we wanted to compete and we had that belief in the group that we canbeatanyofthesidesifwe play our best brand of cricket.
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Success and good fortune might be in the wind for you today, Aries. Whatever it is willprobablyhaveyoufeeling especiallyelatedandsatisfied withyouraccomplishments.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Successes have been coming your way continually for a while, Taurus. The downside is that excessive celebrating andoverindulginginfoodand drink could have you feeling physicallyoutofsortstoday
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Upheavalswithinagroupwith which you're affiliated, perhaps professionally, might cause you to alter your goals slightly. In the long run, this could well prove to be a positivedevelopment.
CANCER(June21–July22)
A number of people in interestingfields,suchaslaw, education, or writing and publishing, could cross your pathtoday Thiscouldinvolve your job, or perhaps these people attend a social event thatyouhostinyourhome.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
A chance to take a long journey, perhaps to a distant stateorforeigncountry,could suddenly present itself to you today, Leo. This trip is apt to be far more significant than a simplevacation.
VIRGO(Aug 23–Sept 22)
Some traumas, phobias, or hang-ups from the past that have been limiting you in some way could suddenly come to the surface today, Virgo.Youmightgetthemost insight by analyzing your dreams.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Romantic novels and movies might have caused you to feel especially passionate and sensual. Today you long to schedule a romantic evening alonewithalovepartner
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Although you may have been feeling somewhat out of sorts forthepastfewdays,Scorpio, today you could feel as if you just got a new lease on life. You’re in excellent physical, mental,andemotionalshape.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Today you're likely to be longing for a little break from your daily routine, and for an evening alone with a love partner You're feeling sensual and passionate, but you also have new opportunities that haverecentlycomeup.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Some welcome visitors from farawaycouldcometoseeyou today and cause temporary chaos in your home. You'll be glad to see them, however, as they'll have some great news and fascinating information to passontoyouandyourfamily
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
News could come your way, perhaps through local magazines or newspapers, about possible renovations occurring in your community These changes could be rather controversial.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
If you've been striving for success in the field of writing, speaking, or publishing, you have the chance for a real breakthrough today A large sum of money might come yourway.
- Mayor Wainwright Mc Intosh is Patron
Founder and Coach of the Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) of Berbice, Randolph Roberts, was reelected President when the club held its election of office bearers recentlyinNewAmsterdam. EducatorandMayorofNew Amsterdam,WayneWright Mc Intosh, was voted in as the New Patron taking over from long serving Patron, former MayorandbusinessmanErrolAlphonso.
OthersontheexecutivesarefirstVicePresidentLinden Dowridge, businessman Jamal King takes over as Second VicePresident. BrandonBraithwaiteistheSecretary,while RandolphRobertswillremaintheTreasurer
There are four committee members namely Franco Crawford,FizalAlly,PearlArokiumandBalramNarine.
“I thought today we played our best brand of cricket ” Tournament cohosts Sri Lanka beat Ireland by 20 runs in a Group B contestinColombo.
Put in to bat, Sri Lanka posted163-6andreturnedto bowloutIrelandfor143with their spin duo of Maheesh Theekshana and Wanindu Hasaranga claiming three wicketsapiece.
Scores: England 184 for 7 (Bethell 55, Brook 53, Jacks 39*) beat Nepal 180 for 6 (Airee 44, Bam 39*, Paudel 39, Dawson 2-21) by fourruns.
UG
Frompage24 the47thminutetoextendthe leadto3–0.KevinDavidand Seaton Rogers then capitalized on defensive lapses, scoring in the 55th a n d 6 0 t h m i n u t e s respectively, pushing the scorelineto5–0.
After some eighty minutes, Texila managed a consolation goal in the 81st minute through Madu Chukwudera after Kevin David was shown a yellow card moments earlier However, GTI closed
strongly, with David completing his brace in the 89th minute and Elijah De Souza adding another in the 85th to cap off a dominant 7–1victory
The tournament is
sponsored by Modec (Guyana),withsupportfrom Demerara Mutual Group, MACORP, Powerade, the Ministry of Education, and the National Sports
Commission Action continuestomorrowatScotts Ground in Berbice with another exciting doubleheader
Robertsthankedthemembersfortheirsupportoverthe past year and looked forward to even more support during thecomingyear
Hecongratulatedallthemembersforajobwelldoneand had special words of commendation for the cyclists who participatedintheclub’sactivitieslastyearwhilewishinga betteryearin2026. HethankedsponsorsincludingMayor WainwrightMcIntosh,RetiredAssistantCommissionerof PoliceIanAmsterdam,A.AllyandSons,RajandDaughters Motor Cycle Establishment, The Benjamin Family and Franco Crawford among others. He also thanked the Guyana Police Force for their assistance and cooperation overtheyears.
The club’s first event for the year is the annual Mashramani Cycle road race around the town of New Amsterdam. (SamuelWhyte)
After seven intense roundsofchessonSaturday, February 7th, 2026, at the School of the Nations, Abel Fernandez Ciria emerged as the new National U14 Open Rapid Chess Champion, while Kataleya Sam was crowned the National U14
Girls Rapid Chess Championfor2026.
T h e U - 1 4
Championships were proudlysponsoredbyJade’s Wok, Pinnacle Business Services,andCubsinAction
International The tournamentattracted40boys and 34 girls vying for a top place in the championships, thelargestnumbercontested inthiscategory
L e v e r a g i n g h i s experience as a former U12
Champion, Fernandez Ciria demonstrated tactical maturity throughout the tournament His prowess was on full display as he finishedwithanimpressive6 points; his lone defeat came only in the final round against the reigning U12 Open Chess Champion, Aiden Tinnie. Alek UbaldoSingh also finished with 6 points, securing second place after the tie-break criteria His skills and understanding of the game were evident throughout the tournament, with his only defeat coming against Abel Fernandez.
Aiden Tinnie secured third place with 5.5 points. Tinnie’sperformancefurther cements his reputation as a
promising young talent
Finishing fourth on a tiebreaker with 5.5 points was Jeremy Cole As a former U12 Champion, his performance underscored his mental fortitude and his ability to compete at the highest level of the U14 category VirNarinefinished fifthwith5points.Heisone oftheyoungtalentsrisingin GuyaneseChess.
In the Girls’ Category, Sam drew upon her years of competitive experience, talent, and skill in her determined quest for the title,whichshesecuredwith a dominant 6 points, suffering her only setback against Divya Persaud in a hardfoughtsixthround.
Rebha Lachhman finished on 6 points but finishedinsecondplacedue to tiebreak regulations. Lachhman played with a level head and sharp technical skills, with her only loss occurring against Saminthethirdround.
Finishing in third place with5points,DivyaPersaud demonstrated her tactical prowessbysecuringaseries of dominant victories. She suffered losses in rounds three and seven against Chelsea Harrison and
Lachhman,respectively
Securing 5 points for a fourth-place finish, Amaya Sharma displayed tactical brilliance despite falling in rounds four and six. Due to tiebreaker points, Sana Sreebalakumar took fifth place with five points. She showcased remarkable resilience and skill throughouttheevent,despite stumblinginroundstwoand seven.
S p e c i a l p r i z e s recognized outstanding young talent in the U12 and U10categories.CurrentU12 Open Champion Aiden Tinnie and Girls’Champion Divya Persaud secured the topU12honours.IntheU10 division, Landon Mohabir and Malia Thompson claimed the Open and Girls’ prizes, respectively.
Rounding out the youth awards, Pranav Suman took home the Best U8 prize, while Roshan Ali was recognized as the youngest playerintheOpensection.
C e r t i f i c a t e s o f participationandprizeswere presented to the players duringasimpleprize-giving ceremony by Mr and Mrs. Lucknauth, proprietors of Jade’s Wok and Pinnacle BusinessServices.
Thanks to the Chief Arbiter, John Lee, and the assistant arbiters, FM Anthony Drayton, Kim Shing Chong, Marcia Lee, Ethan Lee, Jessica Callender, Kishan Puran, Matthew Singh, Oluwadare Oyeyipo and Nathan Williams, who ensured that every move was played in strict accordance with international rules and regulations through their diligentsupervisionandhard work.
The Guyana Chess Federation (GCF) expresses its sincere gratitude to our sponsors Jade’s Wok, Pinnacle Business Services, and Cubs in Action International for their unwavering support and commitment to sponsorship and the development of chesswithinGuyana.
Wealsowishtothankthe School of the Nations, a steadfast partner that continues to provide a premier venue for the federation’s tournament for severalyears.
Formoreinformationon the Guyana Chess Federation or on how to become a member, visit our official website at guyanachess.gy
ByRawleToney
President IrfaanAli took centre stage
on Saturday
evening as Linden
celebrated the long-awaited opening of the Bayroc NationalStadium,thetown’s first-ever track and field facility and a major step
forward for sports developmentinGuyana.
Before an overflowing crowd of enthusiastic residents from the mining community, the Head of State delivered a passionate keynote address that framed the new stadium as part of a broader national vision to transform sport from a pastime into a structured pathwayforopportunityand nationalpride.
The modern facility
came alive with a competitive night of track and field events and an entertaining football clash
between Linden and Georgetown, but it was President Ali’s remarks that provided the defining narrativeoftheoccasion.
His speech, punctuated by loud cheers, underscored
h i s G o v e r n m e n t ’s commitment to investing in communities like Linden,
President Irfaan Ali during his address at the opening of the Bayroc National Stadium in Linden.
longknownfortheirsporting excellence.
“I am happy, that we’re able to deliver once again, andoncemoreforthepeople of Linden and the people of Region 10,” President Ali said.
The President reminded the gathering that sport has received unprecedented financial backing under his administration.
He noted that during his first term, the sector benefited from its largest budgetary allocation in history, totalling more than $20billionoverthepastfive years, with a proposed $6
billion allocation set for 2026.
For President Ali, the Bayroc National Stadium represents a symbol of a nationwide movement to m o d e r n i s e s p o r t s infrastructureandcreatereal opportunities for young people.
“Thecaravanhasleftthe station, and will soon be making stops across our country,” PresidentAli said, highlighting plans to commissionsimilarfacilities in Berbice and Essequibo as the Government expands its sportsdevelopmentagenda.
According to President
Frompage25
noted.“Somehorsesjustneedthatpreprace tocomefullyaliveagain.”
Despite finishing third, the Slingers campwasrelievedandencouraged,pleased above all to have their champion return safelyandcompetitively
Dataman’s journey to Sunday’s victory was no less dramatic. In the tight-knit Guyanese racing community where horsemen know each other’s barns almost likefamily,itwasnosecretthatDatamanhad endured a non-threatening setback that brieflyinterruptedhistrainingschedule.
Trainer Mr Roberts candidly admitted after the race that Dataman was never intendedtorun.
“Tobehonest,hewasn’tsupposedtobe there,” Roberts said. “He missed some training days, and we were leaning toward scratchinghim.”
However, once the long-awaited return of Olympic Kremlin was confirmed, Dataman’s owners made the call to run, confident it was safe and in the spirit of competition.
“We felt it was the right thing to do,” Roberts added. “The horse was sound. He was checked before and after the race, and the most important thing is that everyone camehomesafe.”
Thatdecisionpaidoffspectacularly
What followed was one of the most thrilling finishes Guyanese racing has seen inyears.Threehorseschargedacrosstheline together, with Olympic Kremlin refusing to yield from start to finish and Dataman diggingdeeptopreservehisunbeatenstatus.
Theclocktolditsownstory,ablistering 1:34,atimerarelyseenlocallyandonethat sentfansintoafrenzy
In defeat, Slingers Racing Stable owner JavedAlishowednothingbutconfidence.
“That was not our best Olympic Kremlin,”Alisaid.“He’sfitternowthanhe was going into that race, and the signs we sawafterhecamehometellusthere’smuch moretocome.”
Ali made it clear that his stable is ready andeagerforanothershowdown.
“Wewanttherematch,andwewantitas soonaspossible.Thenexttime,Guyanawill seeanOlympicKremlinlikeneverbefore.”
With Dataman unbeaten and Olympic Kremlin hungry for redemption, fans can already sense that the next chapter in this rivalrymaybeevenmoreexplosive.
In a country where racing is as much family as competition, Sunday’s clash reminded everyone why Guyana’s turf continues to captivate. If this was only the openingact,therematchpromisestobeone forthehistorybooksandthefanswillnotbe disappointed.
Ali,“Itisajourneydrivenby planning…and investments, improvisations. Each stop represents more than a structure It represents opportunities for athletes, prideforcommunities,anda clear signal, that sport in Guyanaismovingforward.”
The Bayroc National Stadium, President Ali said, “…isoneofthosestops.Itis a landmark along a route on how we develop talent host competition, and invest in our people. We have set out on this journey, with a clear understanding, that sport cannot grow on wishful thinking. It must be built, planned and supported. The commission of the Bayroc National Stadium, represents that commitment inatangibleform.”
While the project was first initiated in 2017 under former President David Granger, construction had stalledforseveralyears.
When the former
President’s party was replaced by President Ali’s Government, there were no stands, no lights, no ground, andnotrack,withthefacility practicallybeinganidea.
Its completion under the current administration was presented as evidence of renewed momentum in national development and a deliberatepushtoensurethat sport plays a central role in communityupliftment.
Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Charles Ramson Jr and Minister within the Ministry Steven Jacobs also addressed the
gathering, echoing the President’ssentiments.
Both highlighted
Linden’s rich legacy of producing top-tier athletes and expressed confidence that the new stadium will help the community further extend its dominance, particularly in track and field.
Saturday’s opening was therefore not only a celebrationofanewfacility, President Ali stressed, but a cleardeclarationofintent.
President Ali anchored on his message, that the Bayroc National Stadium was positioned as a cornerstone in a wider strategy to build talent, host major competition, and invest meaningfully in the peopleofGuyana.
The University of Guyana (Turkeyen Campus) and Government Technical Institute (GTI) became the first teams to register victories in Petra’s inaugural Modec Tertiary Education Football Tournament, following a pair of lop-sided encounters yesterday at the Queen’sCollegeground.
Aftertheceremonialkickoffby Joao Sores, Technical Manager of
Modec Guyana, the competition got underway with an entertaining double-header that drew a modest butappreciativecrowd.
UGTurkeyensetthetoneearly in the opening match, cruising to a commanding 5–0 victory over the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC).KeronSpenceropenedthe scoring in the 10th minute, giving Turkeyen an ideal start. Ronaldo Sobersdoubledtheadvantagesoon
after, converting from close range following a sharp pass inside the six-yard box. Three minutes later, RomeoBradfordstruckagainfrom close range to hand UG a comfortable 3–0 lead at the h
maintained their dominance in the secondhalf,tighteningdefensively and limiting GITC to few glaring opportunities. Deandre Anderson then extended the lead in the 55th
UG defence was unmatched against GITC, closing with a 5-0 win.
minute, while Jaleei Alcindor added the fifth (goal) in the 75th minutetosealanemphaticopening winintheirawayfixture.
The second match delivered even more excitement as GTI dismantled Texila American University7–1inaclinicaldisplay of attacking football Texila showed early resistance during the
MUMBAI, (Reuters) -
Two-time champions England survived a major scare before labouring to a four-run victory against a plucky Nepal in a Group C last-ball thriller at the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday
A mismatch looked on the cards after fifties by captain Harry Brook (53) and Jacob Bethell (55) fired England to 184-7, which appeared beyond themodestbattingresourcesof Nepal,atier-twomemberofthe InternationalCricketCouncil.
Rohit Paudel and his teammates,however,refusedto throwinthetowelandputupa spirited chase only to fall agonisingly short of a famous victory
KushalBhurtel(29),Paudel (39) and Dipendra SinghAiree (44) kept them in the hunt before Lokesh Bam spread panicintheEnglandcampwith hislatebattingblitz.
England’s spin trump card
opening 20 minutes, but Akeem Smith eventually broke the deadlockinthe24thminutetogive GTI the initial lead. Alton Fraser quickly followed up with a wellplacedstriketomakeit2–0.
GTI picked up where they left off after halftime, with Emmanuel Lewisfiringhomeaboldeffortin Continued on page 21
England’s Jacob Bethell in action. (REUTERS/ Francis Mascarenhas)
Adil Rashid was taken out of the attack after three expensive and wicketless overs while Bam hit speedster JofraArcher for back-to-back sixes,showingscantregardforreputation.
Continued on page 21
Horseracing fans across Guyana are still buzzing after an unforgettable showdowntwoSundaysago, when Dataman once again stamped his authority on the localracingscene,defeating the previously unbeaten Olympic Kremlin, the reigning Horse of the Year for2024,inaheart-stopping finish at Port Mourant Turf Club.
With that victory, Dataman now stands alone as the only unbeaten championcurrentlyracingin
Guyana, holding an
extraordinary three consecutive major victories; the Guyana Cup, the President’sCup,andnowthe BanksClassic.Hiswinshave come at both major venues, with one triumph at Rising Sun Turf Club and two at Port Mourant, further cementinghisreputationasa horse that delivers wherever helinesup.
In the immediate aftermath of the race, Slingers Racing Stable,
ownersofOlympicKremlin, wastednotimeincallingfor a rematch of champions, igniting what many are already calling one of the greatest rivalries in modern Guyaneseracing.
Sunday’s clash carried deep layers of history and emotion. Olympic Kremlin, undefeated prior to the Guyana Cup, returnedto the competition following his dramatic scratch at Rising Sun,wherehelosthisriderat the gates when he was to represent his title. With no major injury sustained, his connections elected to give the champion time to regroup and come back stronger, a decision that led to the much-anticipated reappearance.
Known throughout Guyana as the ultimate closer, Olympic Kremlin surprised many by adopting a much sharper early pace, staying prominently involved from the opening strides rather than launching his trademark late charge. The change caught even his
owncampoffguard.
Aftertherace,thetrainer and rider acknowledged that the performance likely reflected a horse still sharpeninghisedge.
“Heshowedspeedwe’ve never asked him to show before,”oneconnection
Continued on page 23
