K
‘Chinese firms Sunday Edition NEWS invest US$13 billion in Guyana’- Ambassador Yang AIETEUR
September 20, 2026
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Govt. negotiating with Turkish firm for another powership ...U.S. millions needed to provide fuel monthly 13 PAGE
Gold, two dredges seized in Puruni illegal mining crackdown PAGE
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One of the illegal dredge operations and some of the gold seized.
Missing: Van Dalen Lorenzo and Derryl Danillo
Surinamese men go missing in Guyana
Fire destroys houses at Farm and Vryheid's Lust Opposition vehicles parked at police station for 16 days . .Mohamed decries action as outrageous
APNU demands release of Berbice Bridge agreements ...as govt. announces $400 million acquisition
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Gold, two dredges seized in Puruni illegal mining crackdown The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has seized two water dredges and a quantity of gold during a crackdown on an illegal mining operation along the Puruni River. The operation was conducted on September 17 b y t h e G G M C ' s Enforcement Department, with support from the Guyana Police Force, as authorities stepped up enforcement against mining activities being conducted within the river's buffer zone.According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, three persons associated with the operation were escorted by police to Puruni Landing, where investigations are continuing. The latest seizure comes as authorities intensify efforts to curb mining operations that breach Guyana's mining laws and regulations. The ministry reminded miners and other stakeholders that they are required to comply with the
...three arrested by police country's mining laws and regulations. The ministry said the GGMC, working in collaboration with law enforcement agencies, will continue enforcement activities against illegal mining operations. Only last week, four nonnationals were arrested and a cache of mining equipment seized as authorities widen their crackdown on illegal mining operations in the Potaro Mining District. The Ministry of Natural Resources said that after an illegal mining operation in the Potaro Mining District had been dismantled, resulting in the detention of five non-nationals, an extended sweep of the area was conducted by the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission's (GGMC) Corps of Wardens. These officers discovered additional miners, including four more non-nationals, along with excavators and
trucks that had been concealed in the surrounding jungle. Dredges, generators, water pumps, metal detectors and other mining equipment were also seized. Some of the equipment found during an extended sweep of an illegal mining camp in the Potaro Mining District. The foreigners were detained by the Guyana Police Force (GPF). The Ministry said it will continue surveillance and en f o r c emen t a ctiv itie s across all mining districts through the GGMC in collaboration with law enforcement agencies. It noted that all non-nationals previously apprehended for involvement in illegal mining activities are being deported. In December last year, the GoG announced the rollout of a series of enhanced measures aimed at addressing reduced gold declarations. During a high-
level meeting held on December 10, Minister of Natural Resources Vickram Bharrat emphasised the Government of Guyana's commitment to ensuring that Guyana's mineral resources are managed responsibly, t r a n s p a r e n t l y, a n d i n accordance with the law. He reminded that since 2020, the Government has delivered unprecedented technical, financial and regulatory support to the sector and its stakeholders. The minister also noted that government has made significant enhancements to the sector's guiding regulations, as well as supporting compulsory training for miners. Following discussions, the meeting agreed on a series of enhanced enforcement measures to be rolled out immediately. Among them were tighter oversight of gold dealers and traders. The ministry vowed
Gold seized from the illegal operation. to intensify regulatory scrutiny of all licensed dealers, including stricter audits of purchasing records, verification of source declarations and routine compliance checks. Notably, dealers found facilitating undeclared transactions or failing to meet reporting obligations could face sanctions, including suspension or revocation of licences. The ministry also revealed plans to significantly scale-up field
monitoring and enforcement operations across mining districts to target unauthorised activities and ensure compliance with environmental, safety and production reporting requirements. Since then, a number of illegal mining camps have been discovered and destroyed. Those operations mostly involved non-nationals who are being deported according to official reports from government.
Mohamed warns Guyanese to brace for more blackouts as transmission projects lag Amid constant blackouts and delays in the construction of key transmission projects under the Guyana Power and Light (GPL), Opposition Leader Azruddin Mohamed has said Guyanese should cast doubt on the Government's promise of a brighter Christmas. Instead, he said, citizens should prepare for more outages as the holiday season approaches. Mohamed made the assertion in a video shared on his Facebook page on Friday. In his broadcast, the We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) founder lambasted the ruling People's Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) Government over delays in the muchhyped US$422 million (GYD$90 billion) transmission and substation project. The project was given a one-year completion timeline. However, during visits to the locations of the proposed substations along the East Coast of Demerara, Mohamed said the projects have fallen far behind
schedule, with little to no progress made at several sites.Describing the situation as “another expensive failure,” Mohamed noted that the project had been touted by the Government as the largest single investment in GPL's history. He recalled the Government's commitment to construct “five new substations at LBI, Enmore, Trafalgar, Williamsburg, and No. 53,” along with hundreds of kilometres of transmission lines. “Minister Indar promised that these works will be completed on time and would end blackouts on the East Coast,” Mohamed said. However, the Opposition Leader said his visit to all five substations proved otherwise. “The reality on the ground is an embarrassment. Three of the substations are still only at the foundation stage. At the other two, just a couple of piles have been driven into the ground. The PPP government could never get works completed on
time. When the works are not done, they will return to Parliament to demand even more money,” he asserted. Mohamed said the substations and transmission lines were intended to ease the chronic blackouts that have plagued communities along the East Coast. “Instead, the slow pace of the works guarantees that the blackouts will continue… This is not development. This is waste, delay, and another broken PPP promise. Minister Indar said he would hold people accountable. The Guyanese people are still waiting…” he emphasised. GPL had signed contracts valued at US$422.2 million for the extension of transmission lines with PowerChina and Kalpataru. At the contract-signing ceremony, officials said the investment would help facilitate the generation and distribution of power from the 300-megawatt (MW) Gas-to-Energy power plant. The ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Mark Phillips, who is performing
the functions of President, Minister within the Ministry of Public Works Deodat I n d a r, a n d G P L representatives. Indar had explained that the infrastructure projects were designed to ensure the efficient delivery of power, particularly from the Government's Gas-toEnergy project, which is slated to add an initial 300 MW to the national grid. The primary focus is on constructing the necessary transmission and distribution networks to reach various regions across the country.The contracts were awarded across three lots. Lots 1 and 3 were awarded to PowerChina for a total of US$256.7 million, while Lot 2 was awarded to Kalpataru for US$156.5 million. The projects include the construction of 155 kilometres of 230 kV double-circuit transmission lines and 167 kilometres of 69 kV double-circuit transmission lines. Five new substations are also to be built at LBI, Enmore, Trafalgar,
Williamsburg and East Berbice, with an upgrade planned for the existing substation in Kingston. The 230 kV line will connect the Guadalupe substation, which forms part of the Gas-to-Energy project, to a new substation a t Wi l l i a m s b u rg - E a s t Berbice. The 69 kV line will replace existing infrastructure along the railway embankment and link new substations in East Berbice. B o t h G P L a n d Government officials had urged PowerChina and Kalpataru to adhere to the one-year completion timeline. Prime Minister Phillips, in his address at the time, e m p h a s i s e d t h e Government's commitment to addressing Guyana's longstanding electricity challenges. He described the signing as a transformative project that goes beyond repairs and would establish a new transmission system using modern technology. He also pointed to shortterm measures, including the introduction of power
Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed
barges, which he said had resulted in adequate electricity supply exceeding current demand. According to the Prime Minister, the Gas-to-Energy project and the Amaila Falls hydropower project represent medium- to longterm solutions.He further expressed confidence that the investment would result in more communities having reliable and stable electricity. Over several decades, various loans and projects have been undertaken to improve Guyana's transmission system, but regular trips and shutdowns have continued.
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Kaieteur News
Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: DR. GLENN LALL - TEL: 624-6456 Editor-In-Chief: NIGEL WILLIAMS Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210
EDITORIAL
Oil dollars The PPP/C Government is having a great time with Guyana’s Natural Resource Fund. Like a man who just came into a huge inheritance, or who just won big at the lottery, it has been withdraw and spend, withdraw and spend. To top of this carnival treatment of the oil money that belongs to citizens, there has been no accounting for the billions withdrawn from the NRF. In 2025, the NRF received total deposits of US$2.509B.From that tempting sum, the government withdrew US$2.463B.The math is simple, 98% of last year’s oil earnings grabbed and splurged on what citizens are still waiting to know. This is the most illuminating (and angering) part of the PPP/C Government’s withdrawing and spending of the nation’s oil money. To date, it has not informed citizens on how one dollar of the withdrawn funds has been spent. The government’s contemptuous handout of “national development priorities” is not good enough, can never be found acceptable. National development priorities serve as the camouflage for skullduggeries that are still to come to the surface. Where cunning is concerned, there are few better than the PPP/C Government, and when money is involved, then shenanigans and skullduggeries are guaranteed to be a part of the frame. Today’s generation of citizens, and future generations, are staring at a grim picture. A double blow delivered to where the nation is vulnerable. Because, on the one hand, the government drained almost all the billions out of last year’s oil earnings then, on the other, it continued with irresponsible taking out of more billions in debt. Like a ravenous beast, the PPP/C Government seems to have an insatiable appetite. In the case of Guyana’s ruling political group, that appetite is for money. Billions pulled out from the NRF, and still that does not do much to ease the government’s money hunger, so there is borrowing of more billions from whoever would lend to Guyana. The majority of this generation of citizens started out in life close to an impoverished state. The majority of them will leave this earth in that same state of need, not having those needs fulfilled. At the current rate of PPP/C Government using the NRF in the manner of a personal piggybank, and reckless bingeing on loans, future generations of Guyanese are weighed down with dismal prospects. They are statistically rich on paper. Their reality is a debt burden that could prove hard to repay, should oil prices plunge. And, next to that potential crisis, would be the NRF that is rundown, with only negligible drops of oil dollars left. Not enough to cushion oil shocks. Not enough to be that pool from which the needs of future generations could be managed at a comfortable level. The PPP/C Government persists with the myth that it is doing what is in the best interests of all citizens. Since there is that claim, then come clean before those same citizens. Share the specifics on what and how the billions of American dollars withdrawn from the NRF have been spent. The government claims that it has been nothing less than honest in its handling of oil dollars. To reinforce that claim, it should be open, the easiest thing, to revealing to the public, the details of how oil dollars withdrawn have been spent. When a government finds it necessary to shelter behind a descriptive as broad and general as “national development priorities”, then the message that it sends is that it has not managed the people’s oil money with the highest degree of honesty and principle. Only those given to playing the trickster’s games, feel justified in selling “national development priorities” when more than 98% of the 2025 NRF receipts was withdrawn, and then went up in smoke, or in the pockets of numerous comrades with close attachment to the PPP/C Government. If only 9% of the NRF’s 2025 collections were withdrawn by the government, national development priorities” would still have been unacceptable. When it was more than 98% withdrawn, then what the PPP/C Government is selling is a coverup that exposes more than it hides. The government is very good with propaganda. It cannot be this poor with so many billions withdrawn.
Sunday September 20, 2026
Kaieteur M@ilbox Send your letters to Kaieteur News, 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown or email us kaieteurnews@yahoo.com
GOAL students must take responsibility for their success DEAR EDITOR, A s a p u b l i c communications analyst, I have been researching the experiences of students who have benefitted from the GOAL Scholarship Programme. Many recipients have expressed gratitude for the opportunity to pursue higher education through an international institution. As part of this research, I interviewed Ms. Emily Fernandes, an HR professional at One Communications, who is currently completing her BBA through the GOAL Programme at JAIN University. She described
her experience as positive and said the university has been accommodating and supportive throughout her studies. Ms. Fernandes explained that she had previously applied to UG but withdrew because she felt there was insufficient support during the application process. Her experience with JAIN University, she said, has been different. Students receive examination calendars well in advance, have opportunities to raise concerns during Teams sessions, and can receive reasonable consideration when genuine technical
difficulties occur. She also recalled experiencing an examination issue herself, but was able to log back in and continue. In her view, these systems demonstrate that students are being given opportunities to prepare and communicate when problems arise. However, Ms. Fernandes believes students must also accept responsibility for their education. If an examination is scheduled from 8 p.m. to midnight, students have a four-hour window in which to complete the assessment, and many students finish before the deadline. Since
the examination system is also used throughout the semester, students have an opportunity to become familiar with the process before major examinations. Genuine challenges such as power outages can occur, but students can also take reasonable precautions, including charging their devices, maintaining a data plan where possible, preparing materials in advance and avoiding lastminute preparation. There is also a need for students to take greater responsibility for their academic engagement. If Continued on page 5
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Kaieteur M@ilbox 37 Days and The deportee programme DEAR EDITOR, I am writing to express my disgust and disappointment concerning the recent arrival of nonGuyanese nationals who were deported from the United States into our country Friday 4th September, 2026. It marks a dark chapter for our nation’s sovereignty, transparency, independence and democracy. The government had no choice but to accept the controversial third country deportation programme formulated by the U.S. government. Despite President Irfaan Ali boasting about Guyana’s sovereignty and independence, his administration was allegedly bullied by the U.S. to accept
the first batch of four deported Cuban and two Afghan nationals who recently arrived in Guyana. Public assurances from Foreign Secretary Robert Persaud and President Irfaan Ali that the Cuban and Afghan nationals underwent a thorough and rigorous vetting process and were cleared of criminal records and were deported from the United States solely for visa violations were false. The President and the Foreign Secretary have explicitly denied that the six deportees were criminals. However, information has come to light that this might not be so. How can Guyanese trust this government, which is shrouded in secrecy, coverups and does not believe that
it is accountable to anyone. In fact, many senior public officials, including some ministers, believe that they are above the laws of the country. What is most egregious is the endless dishonesty, lack of accountability and the absence of transparency from the Ali government which has baffled the Guyanese people and caused them not to trust the government. Guyanese found out about the Cuban and Afghan arrivals only after they had already landed on our soil. The decision by the government to bypass public consultation and keep the citizens uninformed is unacceptable, disrespectful and arrogant and a clear violation of the rights of
every Guyanese citizen. The people have demanded clarity and the immediate end or suspension of the third country deportation agreement between the Donald Trump administration and the Irfaan Ali government. Many felt that they were misled and betrayed by President Ali. Guyanese, including some in the administration do not believe the President or Foreign Secretary and have demand an independent verification process of the backgrounds of all foreign nationals before they are brough to Guyana. Would the government heed the demands of the public? The answer is no. Regards, AubreyRetemyer
I have been blessed as a seeker of truth DEAR EDITOR, After over 50 years of attachment to a Christian Church, I have had the opportunity to read and study the Holy Koran divided into three volumes. I have also shown interest in a publication with 40 sayings of the Prophet on whom be peace.
My understanding of Islam has been improved and I regret the misconceptions I have had of Islam. I realised that in the hands of men there exist those that will dishonour religions but there are those that will honour religions. I consider my current faith as a believer in Christ,
my knowledge of the Hindu scriptures, my current uplifting experiences with the Koran and Hadith, and my focus on The Dhammapada, Buddhist writings, all valuable for my personal upliftment. While I stand on my religious persuasion, I cannot say that I have not
been blessed as a seeker after truth by other religious persuasions I am sharing my thoughts here to advise ourselves that we choose that which is good with understanding, not quick to condemn. Yours respectfully, Krishna Nand Prasad
GOAL students must take responsibility for... From page 4 students do not attend classes, review course material or pay attention to information provided throughout the semester, it should not automatically become the responsibility of the university when they are unprepared. Universities have responsibilities to their students, but students also have responsibilities to themselves. Academic success requires participation, preparation, communication and accountability. Another issue raised by Ms. Fernandes is the conduct of some students during academic sessions.
Irrelevant questions, disruptive comments, vulgar music and inappropriate behaviour can negatively affect the learning environment and may reflect poorly on Guyanese students participating in an international academic programme. Stronger student orientation and clearer expectations regarding professional and academic conduct could help address this issue. Students should understand that their behaviour in these settings contributes to how they are perceived by lecturers, classmates and international institutions. GOAL is providing
hundreds of Guyanese with an opportunity to access higher education that many may not otherwise have been able to afford. That opportunity should be recognised and appreciated, but appreciation should also be demonstrated through commitment and responsible behaviour. At the same time, universities and programme administrators should continue listening to legitimate student concerns and addressing genuine administrative, technical and accessibility challenges. The relationship should be one of shared responsibility rather than placing the entire burden on either the
institution or the student. Ultimately, not every problem is a university problem. Sometimes the solution is simply to prepare, communicate early, have a backup plan and take responsibility for our own success. As Guyanese students participating in international education, we have an opportunity not only to earn qualifications but also to demonstrate discipline, professionalism and respect. GOAL has opened the door; it is now up to students to walk through it with the commitment necessary to succeed. Sincerely, Blane R Bunbury
Counting
...Mahipaul Demands Answers on MV Barima Salvage Delay Opposition Member of Parliament Ganesh Mahipaul is demanding answers from President Irfaan Ali, Prime Minister Mark Phillips and the Government over what he described as 37 days of silence following the closure of tenders for the salvage of the sunken MV Barima. Mahipaul’s criticism comes as newly opened financial bids show that three companies are vying for the multimillion-dollar salvage operation, with local firm B.K.
Member of Parliament, Ganesh Mahipaul
International Inc. submitting the lowest offer. The Barima capsized off Castle Flats, Essequibo Coast, nearly two months ago, leaving families awaiting answers and recovery of the vessel. Mahipaul questioned why the Government has not publicly provided a clear timeline for the salvage operation since the August 14 deadline for Expressions of Interest. “WHERE IS THE URGENCY? Where is the urgency, President Irfaan Ali? Where is the urgency, Prime Minister Mark Phillips? Where is the urgency from the Minister responsible for Transport?” he asked. He accused the administration of making public Continued on page 6
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Sunday September 20, 2026
‘Dog on runway caused aircraft accident on Thursday’ ...Trans Guyana warns of recurring animal, human incursions at hinterland airports
A
black dog running onto the Mabaruma runway during the landing of a Trans Guyana Airways (TGA) aircraft on Thursday morning forced the pilot to take evasive action, sending the aircraft off the runway and triggering renewed concerns about safety at Guyana’s hinterland aerodromes. The Cessna Caravan, registered 8R-GCC, was landing at approximately 8:15 a.m. with 12 passengers aboard when, according to TGA, the pilot spotted an animal entering the aircraft’s path during the landing roll. The pilot reportedly applied the brakes aggressively, after which the aircraft skidded off the runway and came to rest sideways. No injuries were reported, although the passengers were taken for medical assessment. The aircraft, however, sustained significant damage and was rendered inoperable, according to TGA. The incident has also prompted TGA to renew its call for urgent action to address what it described as the recurring problem of animals and even people—gaining access to government-owned and operated hinterland airports. In a statement issued Friday, the airline said the incident represents a “considerable concern” because such incursions pose a continuing threat to commercial and private aircraft using the aerodromes. TGA said it had already raised the issue with the Director General of the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), including in correspondence dated September 9 and June 16, 2026. The airline said it was releasing those letters publicly in light of Thursday’s incident at Mabaruma. The airline is now calling for the matter to be urgently addressed, particularly as several hinterland airports are undergoing significant expansion and development. TGA said it remains available to work with the GCAA, other licensed aircraft operators and the Aviation Operators’ Association of Guyana (AOAG) to find a solution. Meanwhile, the GCAA has launched an investigation into the Mabaruma incident. The authority said preliminary information indicates that the aircraft experienced a runway excursion and that its Accident and Investigation Team was dispatched to the site to conduct a detailed assessment. The investigation will determine the circumstances surrounding the incident and the factors that led to the aircraft leaving the runway. One passenger who was onboard, Jason Chacon in a Facebook post said he is grateful that all the passengers made it out safe. “It was an experience that will surely change my life,” he said while adding that he felt very scared travelling on the river so before boarding the plane on
The aircraft after skidding off the runway.
A passenger leaving the ill-fated aircraft
Thursday morning, he prayed for a safe flight. “Thank you Father for hearing and allowing me to see a new day,” he wrote noting that that’s a major lesson he has learnt following the incident is to “pray every day”. The latest occurrence adds to a series of aviation incidents reported in Guyana this year. On February 26, two separate incidents involving Cessna 208 Caravan aircraft were reported at Mathews Ridge, Region One, within minutes of each other. The first, at about 07:55 hrs., involved Jags Aviation’s Cessna 208 Caravan, registration 8R-KAB. Preliminary findings indicated that the aircraft sustained a punctured left landing-gear tire while manoeuvring in the parking area. At approximately 08:15 hrs., an Air Services Limited (ASL) Cessna 208 Caravan, registration 8R-GCB, landed on the prepared surface but overran onto an unprepared surface, resulting in a punctured left landing-gear tire. No injuries or significant aircraft damage were reported in either incident. At the time, the GCAA issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) advising pilots to exercise heightened caution when approaching, landing and taking off from the Mathews Ridge runway, which was undergoing upgrades. The NOTAMs are made available to pilots during pre-flight preparations to alert them of potential operational hazards. On April 11, another incident
involving a Cessna 208, registration 8R-YAC, resulted in the death Air Services Limited (ASL) pilot Ryder Alberto Castillo, a Honduras national. Reports were that the aircraft departed Madhia at 08:10hrs with one person on board (Castillo) and was due to arrive at Imbaimadai at 08:40hrs”, but it
never did. “It failed to report arrival, prompting a flight progress check at 08:44hrs,” the GCAA had said while noting that “weather in the area included heavy rainfall and reduced visibility”. A search and Rescue operation was launched the same day involving several stakeholder including medical personnel and GDF special forces but due to rough and mountainous jungle terrain with dense vegetation, the rescues were only able to successfully access the crash site three days later. The Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Special Forces recovered the body of the pilot on April 13. Then, on May 31, a USregistered single-engine Cessna 182 Skylane, registration N9347G, belonging to Domestic Airlines, crashed at Aricheng. With another aircraft incident now under investigation, attention is again being drawn to the safety of G u y a n a ’s a v i a t i o n s e c t o r, particularly operations involving remote airstrips and challenging weather and runway conditions. An International Civil Aviation
Organisation (ICAO) safety audit back in 2024 stated that Guyana scored 66.36%, the GCAA had said. It noted back then that the ICAO audited Guyana from May 29, 2024, to June 11, 2024, under the Universal Safety Oversight Audit-Continuous Monitoring Approach (USOAP-CMA) Programme. The preliminary results revealed that Guyana achieved an overall score of 66.36% in the effective implementation of the ICAO standards. The GCAA had said that Guyana’s performance surpassed its 2007 ICAO audit, and the last four audits conducted by the ICAO within the South American region. “This is a commendable achievement for our nation”, the release said. The GCAA said that the “audit was robust and comprehensive and covered the Convention on International Civil Aviation and the safety-related provisions of its Annexes in the following eight (8) areas: legislation, organisation, personnel licensing, aircraft operations, airworthiness of aircraft, aircraft accident and incident investigation, air navigation services and aerodromes and ground aids”. With the exception of aircraft accidents and incident investigations, the GCAA said back then that each audit area was assessed using eight critical elements: primary aviation legislation; specific operating regulations; state system and functions; qualified technical personnel; technical guidance, tools and provision of safetycritical information; licensing, certification, authorisation and/or approval obligations; surveillance obligations; and resolution of safety issues.
37 Days and Counting From page 5 announcements while failing to provide tangible updates on the recovery of the vessel. “This is no longer simply a procurement issue. This has become a question of decency, urgency, humanity and respect for the victims and their families,” Mahipaul declared. He said the families of those affected have a right to know what is happening with the salvage operation and urged the Government to be transparent about any delays. “If there is a problem with the procurement process, tell us. If the evaluation is incomplete, tell us. If negotiations are taking place, tell us. If a contractor has been selected, tell us. If there are technical difficulties, tell us. But do not keep the country in the dark,” he said. Mahipaul also warned that delays could have implications for the preservation of evidence
needed for the ongoing investigation into the maritime disaster. “The dead deserve dignity. The families deserve answers. The evidence deserves to be preserved. A n d th e co u n tr y d es er v es accountability,” he said. His criticism comes against the backdrop of the opening of financial proposals for the salvage operation under Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) file reference 211/2026/34. The tender documents, opened on September 8, show that B.K. International Inc. submitted the lowest bid at $1.034 billion. The salvage contract is being offered on a “No Cure No Pay” basis, meaning the successful contractor would be paid only upon successfully recovering the vessel. B.K. International’s bid was accompanied by $15.6 million in bid security, backed by NAFICO.
Industrial Fabrication Inc., another local bidder, submitted a proposal of $1.895 billion, with $28.5 million in bid security backed by Premier. The third bidder, Netherlandsbased KMS B.V., submitted a proposal of US 136,691, backed by KBC Bank. The tender process began with MARAD advertising an Expression of Interest in state and private media and on digital platforms from August 2 to August 14, 2026. The financial bids were subsequently opened on September 8. Mahipaul is now pressing the administration to explain what has happened since the procurement process began and whether a contractor has been selected. “Thirty-seven days is enough,” he declared, calling for the Government to announce its decision and move ahead with the recovery operation.
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Every Man, Woman and Child Must Become Oil-Minded Column 201
Time for the Sanctity of Contract Circus to come to an end By Christopher Ram President Irfaan Ali recycles the argument so often that it is now official doctrine: the 2016 Stabroek Block Petroleum Agreement is a bad deal for Guyana, but “sanctity of contract” prevents renegotiation. In his recent Al Jazeera interview, Ali again asserted
the Agreement was bad and the companies benefitted more, yet continued to invoke sanctity as though that answered the issue. Ali knows no serious critic is suggesting Guyana should renege on the Agreement. Reneging means refusing to honour a contract; renegotiation means asking the other parties to agree to
different terms. If they agree, the amended agreement becomes the contract to be honoured. Ali's conflation of the two is not merely mistaken but disingenuous. It turns a lawful request for better terms into an accusation of contractual dishonour and smacks of evasion. Guyana cannot compel renegotiation or
impose an amendment unilaterally. But it can ask. The contractors may refuse. What remains difficult to explain is why the Ali Administration refuses to ask. The sanctity argument is debunked by facts Ali rarely acknowledges. The 1999 Petroleum Agreement was replaced by the 2016 Agreement, itself the product of a renegotiation of the contractual relationship. Exxon's own then Country Manager described the 2016 PSA as a renegotiation. The 2016 Agreement was later amended in 2019 over the treatment of the 2% royalty. ExxonMobil and its partners did not walk away. They accepted the new arrangement and continued investing. Did Ali not know about sanctity when, before taking office, he thunderously promised to “review and renegotiate” the petroleum contracts? Or is sanctity a principle he discovered only after assuming office? His earlier commitment is a matter of public record. In February 2020, he said everything was on the table for review and renegotiation.The President also repeatedly raised the prospect that the oil companies might leave if Guyana presses for better t e r m s . Ye t h i s o w n Administration previously argued, in resisting ringfencing, the circumstances change once investments are made. They will not walk. More importantly, the petroleum industry is replete with renegotiations - in Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Tr i n i d a d a n d To b a g o , Bolivia, Ecuador and Ghana, sometimes more than once. Some were difficult and some governments went far beyond anything being suggested for Guyana. In most cases the companies stayed. Where companies did leave, the circumstances commonly involved nationalisation, imposed terms or economics that became commercially unattractive. That is fundamentally different from a host government asking for consensual discussions. Stabroek is not marginal acreage. It is a developed and highly productive petroleum province with enormous discoveries, several producing projects, established infrastructure and billions of dollars already invested. The geological and commercial risks today are vastly different from those existing when the Agreement was
signed in 2016. Ali himself c o n c e d e s t h e b a rg a i n favoured the companies, yet behaves as though those transformed circumstances a r e i r r e l e v a n t . There is another point routinely obscured. Esso is the Operator, charged under Article 2.2 with conducting the day-to-day activities, but the Contractor comprises three parties. Those interests are held by Exxon, Chevron and CNOOC. The Agreement makes the distinction explicit and makes the obligations of the parties comprising the Contractor joint and several. Government should therefore write formally to each of the companies, setting out the Guyana proposes to discuss and request individual responses. There is no reason to assume beforehand that three separate companies, with different ownership, commercial interests and relationships with Guyana, must inevitably take the same position. In CNOOC's case, Guyana also retains a substantial diplomatic relationship with China. There would be nothing improper in Government using its relationship with the Chinese Embassy to communicate the seriousness with which Guyana approaches the matter and its desire for constructive engagement. Diplomacy cannot rewrite a commercial contract, but neither should a sovereign state neglect legitimate diplomatic channels where they may assist. The Government should also explain the legal basis of its position. The Attorney General is, under Article 112 of the Constitution, the principal legal adviser to the Government of Guyana. Yet the public defence of the Agreement has come principally from President Ali, Vice President Jagdeo and the Minister of Natural Resources. If “sanctity of contract” is being presented as a legal impediment to even seeking renegotiation, then Guyanese are entitled to know whether it is in fact the considered advice of the Attorney General. The Government retains constitutional and other legal experts from across the Caribbean for matters in which it considers specialist a d v i c e n e c e s s a r y. A l i recently spoke of obtaining experts on contract financing in an area where the Agreement gives Guyana limited direct control. Yet on
the fundamental legal question whether the State may formally seek consensual amendments to an agreement worth many billions of dollars to the country, no considered legal opinion has been placed before the public. If the Government is serious, it should stop speculating about what the companies might do, and proceed to establish. Put a formal written proposal to Exxon, Chevron and CNOOC separately, identifying the provisions Guyana wishes to revisit, and publish the responses. If all three refuse, the country will at least know that the companies have closed the door. Until then, every assertion that they would “walk away” is conjecture being used to justify inaction. Ali must stop the charade and come clean with the public. If his Administration has made a political decision that the 2016 Agreement will not be touched, let him say so plainly, and boldly accept responsibility for that decision. He should stop dressing a policy choice in the language of legal inevitability. That decision is not about one year or one budget. It is a decision to preserve for decades a bargain whose roots go back to 1999 and whose 2016 terms can govern the exploitation of Guyana's principal petroleum resource far into this century. It is a bargain under which Guyana receives only a 2% royalty, shares profit oil after cost recovery, has to contribute to decommissioning, and assumes the contractors' income-tax liability through the machinery of the Agreement. If Ali intends to leave those extraordinary concessions untouched for another generation and more, then that is his decision and he should man up to it. He cannot continue blaming “sanctity of contract” for a result his own Government chooses to preserve. If Guyanese are forced to live with the consequences of this Agreement into the latter part of the century, they are entitled to know this is not some unavoidable command of contract law. It is President Irfaan Ali's and the PPP/C's political choice.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
PAGE 09
A failure of planning The electricity crisis in Guyana has now reached the point where it can no longer be explained away as a series of unfortunate technical incidents, because GPL itself has acknowledged that surging demand is placing enormous pressure on the distribution network and causing feeders and transformers to overload. Peak demand has risen from 221 megawatts last year to about 257 megawatts this month, while GPL says that the network is struggling to carry the load, resulting in increasingly frequent outages and voltage fluctuations. The problem is not just reserve generating capacity, but also that the infrastructure required to deliver that electricity to consumers has not kept pace with the extraordinary expansion in demand. GPL says it has about 265.6 megawatts of installed capacity, but the reserve margin is now dangerously thin and the distribution system is being pushed beyond what it can comfortably handle. The warning signs have
been there for some time, and the government cannot reasonably claim that this development came as a surprise because officials were already acknowledging in June that demand was rising rapidly as new houses, businesses and other developments were connected to the grid. By August, peak demand had reached 242.64 megawatts, compared with about 125 megawatts in 2020, meaning that demand has virtually doubled in six years. That is an extraordinary increase, and it ought to have produced an equally extraordinary response from an administration. Instead, we find ourselves being told that consumers must conserve electricity while the network buckles under the weight of the country’s development. There is something profoundly wrong with this picture because the electricity crisis is occurring in a country that is earning billions of dollars from petroleum and spending heavily on roads, bridges, buildings, housing schemes and other projects.
If Guyana is wealthy enough to finance an enormous development programme, it should also be wealthy enough to ensure that the basic infrastructure needed to power that development is built ahead of demand. The electricity crisis is yet another example of the failure to plan properly for the consequences of Guyana’s rapid transformation. That failure must ultimately be laid at the feet of the government. What is particularly disturbing is the government’s instinct to turn to ordinary citizens and tell them to conserve electricity, as though the problem was created by households using too much power. Guyana Energy Agency figures show that government itself has already recognised the importance of demand management and has a plan that targets a 20 per cent reduction in electricity consumption by 2030, so the question is why government is not prepared to lead by example now. Most Guyanese are hardly wasting energy.
Dem Boys Seh...
People Tekkin’ On Earthquakes does shake buildings, but political earthquakes does shake people confidence, political careers and sometimes whole political parties. And if anybody want proof, just look at de aftershocks from de 2025 election, because some people still tekkin’ on like somebody owe dem a government. Dem Coal-a-Shun lose de 2020 election and spend five years explaining why dem really win, why dem did robbed, why de PPP didn’t deserve to be there and why everything happening in Guyana was somehow evidence that de people make de wrong choice. Then came 2025, and de people get another chance to correct de mistake—according to dem—and what dem do? Dem give de APNU an de AFC another political concussion. But this time de earthquake did come with a tsunami. APNU didn’t just lose de election; APNU lose de position as de main Opposition party. And de insult did not stop there, because de party that take away de Opposition position was not some old political giant with decades of history, a mountain of experience and a political machine stretching back to independence. Is a party that was formed only a few months before de election. Imagine spending years in Parliament, holding government, forming coalitions, giving speeches and telling everybody that you is de alternative government, only to wake up after election night and discover that a political newcomer that barely had time to print its letterhead is now sitting ahead of you. And while APNU was trying to digest
that, de AFC was left searching for something even more basic—a seat. Ten years ago, de Coal-a-Shun was running de government. Today, one half of de Coalition has been pushed down de Opposition ladder and de other half couldn’t even get a chair in Parliament. That is not an aftershock. That is a whole political demolition. But dem boys notice something interesting about political suffering. Some people does tek election defeat like a normal democratic event. Other people does tek it like a personal tragedy, and every time de government announce something, de trauma does return. New road? Trauma. New hospital? Trauma. New school? Trauma. New investment? Trauma. Economic growth? Somebody need fuh call de ambulance. If government build something, it is corruption. If government don’t build something, it is incompetence. If business growing, it is cronyism. If business closing, it is economic disaster. If foreign investors come, Guyana selling out. If investors don’t come, government scaring away investors. In other words, de Opposition supporters who still suffering from election aftershocks have discovered de perfect political condition: nothing can ever be right. De truth is that political parties, like buildings, does need maintenance. If you ignore de cracks long enough, one day you discover that de problem ain’t de earthquake—it is de foundation. And until dem understand that, de aftershocks likely to continue. Talk Half! Leff Half!
Electricity is expensive, and many households already limit their consumption because they cannot afford to use as much electricity as they would like. It is therefore somewhat galling to hear appeals for ordinary people to conserve when government is one of the country’s largest institutional consumers of electricity. Government should therefore consider an emergency measure that would demonstrate that conservation is everybody’s responsibility, beginning with itself. One option worth examining is a temporary four-day public-sector work week, or some other arrangement that would reduce the number of days government offices have to be fully powered, until the electricity network has been stabilised. Such a measure would n o t s o l v e G u y a n a ’s
electricity problem, and it should not be presented as a substitute for urgently upgrading the grid. But it could reduce government consumption and demonstrate that those who are asking citizens to sacrifice are prepared to sacrifice as well. If government offices consume roughly the same amount of electricity on each working day, eliminating one working day could theoretically reduce their office electricity demand by about 20 per cent, although the actual saving would be lower once essential operations, hospitals, security services and other continuous services are excluded. The more important point, however, is that government needs to get its priorities right, because there is something absurd about s e n i o r o ff i c i a l s b e i n g summoned to meetings to
discuss compliance with procurement procedures and the fight against corruption while a basic public service is failing almost daily. Procurement compliance and corruption must certainly be addressed, but an administration capable of mobilising the entire machinery of government should be equally capable of confronting the increasingly obvious failure to provide reliable electricity. The government should stop treating the electricity crisis as an inconvenience to be endured and recognise it as a serious failure of infrastructure planning. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Sunday September 20, 2026
Kaieteur News
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H@RD TRUTHS PPP Govt-sponsored noise nuisance UTHS
D TR
HAR
HK
BY G
LALL
There is a creature called government noise nuisance.A govt monster.Not VP Jagdeo at full blast.Nor Excellency Ali furiously boiling over. Follow the vibrations. Saturday, 12th Sept, 2026: 10:00 a.m. –14:00hrs M o n d a y, 1 4 t h S e p t , 2026:09:00 a.m. -12:00hrs Tuesday,15th Sept, 2026 –13:00hrs – 14:00hrs Wednesday, 16th Sept, 2026 –13:31hrs -16:13hrs
Guyanese thinking that those times drawn from memory are airline departure schedules have it wrong.They represent the grueling hours of GPLinduced blackouts. A rolling load shedding schedule. PPP Govt sponsored noise abuses, noise nuisances, noise terrors.In fairness, the government did warn that blackouts will now blanket Guyana, inflict blizzard conditions on coasts
and elsewhere. There's a silver lining. A big man in the PPP Govt rushed out from his airconditioned office (or airconditioned spa) to reassure Guyanese that blackouts will be banished during the Christmas Season. The astronauts in charge of light in Guyana cannot provide a li'l light today, but they can commit to a full supply three months hence.From Turkey to Qatar,
from America (Lindsayca) to Guyana, it looks like it's going to be a Jolly, Merry, Christmas. I knew the Qatar trip had its hidden gems, its payoffs.The question is to whom? Since I believe in ministerial proclamations, I push the envelope: how about a little snow alongside the flow of current? Fairy lights and snowflakes galore. Who needs America in December? While anticipating
BY GHK LALL
Christmas with barely concealed enthusiasm (and another cash grant [thanks to what the Persians did to oil prices]), I'm bracing for the next series of extended blackouts and the blasts of noise nuisances. Ever been in the company of not one, not two, not three, but more industrial sized generators all carrying on with their business at full throttle? Well, I have. Trust me, it's a symphony; a crescendo of rumbling, ricocheting thunder. No white noise, this kind. Makes me long, every now and then, for some of those real, rubdown, shove down, throwdown Jamaican dance hall gyrations at vibrating, pulsating volumes. More later, than n o w. I h o p e t h a t G P L electricity dependents get my drift. It's a two-fisted attack. One fist folded around a steel ball is the punch to the head: blackout and no light, no fan, no air conditioner.By grace, I bought my The second fist to the face is when the generators from government buildings start growling like sand trucks on some special type of diesel, and the poor dogs start howling. In one fell swoop, the government (thanks to the clever visions and kind considerations of the GPL) batters Guyanese with extended darkness, chronic noise nuisances, cruelty to animals, distress to students, and torments to workers. The PPP Govt must be complimented for finding new ways to pile more pressure on already struggling Guyanese. And this is the PPP Govt that says it cares.
A thought sneaked in sideways. What happens if I have a generator that had to be on frequently to combat GPL (govt-sponsored) b l a c k o u t s ? Wo u l d government officials gleefully call the Guyana Police Force SWAT team and the EPA on me? I have a solution.Apply to the Guyana Development Bank for a loan for a generator, then turn it on to test the waters.I can be ruction, occasionally.But there's more to that move.Testing the reception to my loan application (with KN or Demerara Waves article in hand).Gauge how the government reacts to my new generator and its noise output. When there must be coexistence with a government like the PPP of Ali and Jagdeo, then one expects anything. The issue that I now put before all Guyanese is simple: who's the biggest source of the loudest and continuous instances of noise nuisance in Guyana? The choices are straightforward: bars that bruise the senses; or government that batters into a coma. I'll take Simon and Garfunkel (Sounds of Silence) than Drs. Ali and Jagdeo in a month of Sundays. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.
T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N T B . U . L . L T B . N . U . N U T L N B . U . T . L N T U N B . N U . . L U L LUNT B . T . . T T N N B U B . U . L . L T B . B . . N . . . T T LU N N T U U L N L B U . B . . L . . . T B T . . N . N Economic growth must T U L N LU B U . . L N . T reach ordinary .Guyanese B U . . L N T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . N T B . . U N . L T U B L N . . B . U . . T L . N T B . . U N . L N T B U N . . L . U T B L . . N B . . . T U . L N T B U . . L . UN T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N B U U .BLUNT. . . L . T B . . N . T U . L N . T B U . UN .BLUNT.. UNT...BL T...BL . L N . T B U . . L LUN ...BLUNT. LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U BBL T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU . T . N . N T T U L U N L B U T...BLU U B . L . N . B T . . . N T U N N N L U U U B L . L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Sunday September 20, 2026
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Kaieteur News
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Sunday Monday September May 02,20, 2022 2026
Govt. still in talks with experts on financing of future Exxon projects - Pres. Ali President Irfaan Ali
T
he Government of Guyana (GoG) is still in talks with experts on how future projects in the Stabroek Block should be financed now that ExxonMobil has recovered the cost of seven sanctioned developments. This was revealed by President Irfaan Ali during a media conference on Monday in response to a question from this publication. P r ev io u s ly, A li to ld reporters that the GoG will seek advice from experts on financing arrangements for future Stabroek Block projects, as approving more under existing conditions could cause the country to receive less profit to allow more projects to be funded. In accordance with the terms of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Exxon can take up to 75% of
the oil produced in Guyana each month until all of the company's investments were repaid. The remaining 25% of oil each month is split between Guyana and the contractors, with the country receiving half of the “profit oil” or 12.5%. The country's profit share has now increased since the cost of all projects approved to date have been repaid; but this does not mean the cost bank is empty as operational, exploration and other expenses still exist. As such, 20% of production has been set aside in the new formula for costs. In the meantime, ExxonMobil is currently pursuing at least two new projects in the Stabroek Block- its eighth and ninthwhich will add more expenses to the cost bank. Without implementing new
systems like a ring-fencing provision, Guyana's profit share could again fall to a meager 12.5% to allow the operator to finance those multibillion-US-dollar projects. To this end, Ali was asked at a press conference in August to explain how new projects would be governed, whether Guyana would allow its share of profits to be invested into upcoming developments and if government would then seek a greater share of revenue as an investor. Presently, the President said talks are still ongoing with experts as Guyana engages other oil-producing states for lessons on the structure of agreements and how countries managed their growth and expansion. He said, “We are having a lot of conversations now. I myself, I was in Qatar as you
know on a state visit taking some expert education...on how they went through their period of growth and expansion and the type of agreements that were structured and one of the things that we must look at here and what I am hearing but of course this engagement is ongoing, is how do we maximise potential opportunities from this and I don't want to explore this, these are ongoing negotiations that will bring immediate and long-term benefit to the people of Guyana.” When asked how soon a decision will be made or announced in that regard, Ali hesitantly assured, “I can tell you that we are working very hard” as he shuffled to another question. Should the GoG implement a ring-fencing provision, the cost of new projects will only be recovered by Exxon when the specific operation comes online. This means that the project will pay for itself and ensure Guyana continues to receive a larger share of the pie. Stakeholders have called on government to ensure that the country's current 39.8% profit share does not slide again to a meager 12.5% to finance more projects. Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Saiku Andrews for instance highlighted the importance of the country receiving its rightful share of profits under the 2016 deal, arguing that no prudent businessman would allow its revenue to be continuously delayed. To this end, MP Andrews
urged, “It cannot work like that. No businessman that is prudent would allow that and I do not think that the government should allow it and the Guyanese people should not accept it.” Instead, he suggested that if Guyana's profit share would be reduced again to pay for more projects, then the country should in return receive a larger share of revenue since it would then become an investor. Additionally, the Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin Mohamed urged the GoG ring-fence future Exxon projects to guarantee the nation a fair share of its resources generated offshore. Mohamed told Kaieteur News, “Future Stabroek Block projects should not be approved automatically on the same economic terms. The basin has been substantially de-risked, production and profitability are established, and the oil company can finance new developments largely from earnings generated by Guyana's resources. This strengthens Guyana's negotiating position.” Additionally, Leader of the A Partnership for
National Unity (APNU), Aubrey Norton told reporters that Guyanese must get a bigger share from future projects as the country's profits will be reduced to finance the developments. Norton explained, “There are going to be new agreements now, and I think they should reflect the present state of affairs. We have paid off the initial investment and we should not now be tied to that old agreement in future investments.” The leader continued, “I am not one who is disposed t o u s u t i lis in g th e o ld mechanism moving forward. We should develop new modalities and mechanisms to move forward that allow us to benefit significantly. Now, it's not a case in 1999, when we started, and the government agreed to 1%, and then in 2016, we increased it to 2%. There were still risks. But there are now no risks of them not finding oil.” Meanwhile, Attorney Christopher Ram urged government to renegotiate the contract now that risks have been removed from the operations.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
PAGE 13
Govt. reportedly negotiating with Turkish firm for another power ship – sources ...US millions needed to provide fuel monthly
T
he Government of Guyana (GoG) has reportedly commenced talks with a Turkish power company for a large vessel to provide additional electricity to the national grid, as concerns grow over the startup of the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project by year-end, as promised by contractor Lindsayca. Multiple sources have confirmed that the administration is preparing to bypass national procurement laws to secure a third powership, which would be the largest ever rented by the country. The nation currently rents two vessels from Karpowership – a 36megawatt (MW) facility docked in the Berbice River and a 60MW vessel stationed in the Demerara River. This newspaper was reliably informed that the third powership is likely to provide 300MW of power to the grid using Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO). The vessel is likely to replace the existing two powerships leased to the GoG. Sources told Kaieteur News that the new powership is likely to be stationed at Wales, West Bank Demerara, where the GTE contractor continues to struggle to meet the fast-
Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar approaching December deadline to provide some 57MW to the grid. In the meantime, demand for electricity continues to grow as development in the country expands. To meet the projected demand for electricity and prepare for any further delays to the troubled GTE project, the GoG is now forced to turn to rented power generation, which will come at a massive cost to the national purse. It should be noted that about US$2 billion has already been invested in the power project at Wales, which is nowhere closer to delivering on the promise of cheaper and more reliable electricity.
Instead of holding those responsible accountable for these agonising delays, the administration is looking to tie the nation to yet another heavily polluting HFO powership at a time when fuel prices are skyrocketing and the country continues to rely on imports to meet the needs of domestic and commercial markets. Based on recent Platts spot indexes placing HFO at over US$500 per metric tonne, the fuel costs alone to cover a 300MW shortfall could run into the tens of millions of US dollars monthly. This decision would directly drain the national coffers and exacerbate the high cost of living that everyday-citizens are currently battling. F u r t h e r m o r e , transparency advocates and industry observers are q u e s t i o n i n g w h y, i f emergency generation is so desperately needed, the government is not attempting to lease gaspowered generators or powerships. Sources said, “Utilising gas-powered units would not only significantly reduce fuel expenses but also alleviate the severe strain on the local banking system that would require additional US dollars to purchase HFOs on the international market.”
Currently, businesses and families are forced to wait weeks to exchange their Guyanese dollars due to a tightly squeezed foreign currency market. Continuing to rely on expensive HFO imports only deepens this currency crisis, tying up crucial US dollars that should be circulating in the local economy. The real scandal Sources told this publication that the real scandal lies hidden behind the smoke of these powerships. It was explained that the push for more HFO generation is a direct attempt to cover up a frightening reality: Lindsayca's Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) conditioning plant is severely behind schedule. “It is simply not ready to
The largest powership currently supplying Guyana's national grid provides 60MW of power.
process the 50 million standard cubic feet per day (mmscfd) of gas expected in 2026 – the very gas that could easily run a much c h e a p e r, c l e a n e r g a s powered ship,” a government source indicated. N o t a b l y, t h e administration's refusal to follow standard procurement procedures for this third powership raises serious red flags. If it chooses to bypass the tender board, government would be doling out hundreds of millions of US dollars without the scrutiny of a national body tasked with ensuring that the state selects the most competitive bidder based not only on price but also experience. Guyanese deserve to know the exact details of
these fuel arrangements and the supplier involved in the HFO contracts. During a press conference, President Irfaan Ali revealed that there is currently no spinning reserve left on the grid, while a number of generators have exceeded their maintenance schedules or are approaching their maintenance timelines. Notably, the Head-ofState did not rule out the possibility of a third powership when questioned specifically on the matter. He said, “Whatever the situation demands now we have to have a holistic approach to this.” Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, did not respond to a request for comment on Saturday up to the time of this report.
$330M contract awarded for reconstruction of Kingston Secondary The National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB), on its website, announced that a $330,026,300 contract has been awarded for the reconstruction of Kingston Secondary School in Georgetown. The project, being executed through the Ministry of Education, was awarded to Profab Plus Welding/Fabrication & General Contracting Services, which was among 62 contractors that bid for the contract.The project was initially estimated to cost $371,377,630, according to the government engineer's estimate.The Ministry of Education has been constructing new schools across the country to ensure children have access to education. The ministry has also been rehabilitating and rebuilding nursery and primary schools to address overcrowding and provide improved learning environments for students and teachers. During the presentation of this year's Budget, Senior Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh, said that over the last five years, more than 100 new schools were constructed or rehabilitated countrywide. In 2026, a total of $24.3 billion was earmarked for the completion of more than 40 schools, including Falls Top and Kanapang Nursery Schools, Cracrana and Diamond No. 2 Primary Schools, and
Karaudarnau and Kwebanna Secondary Schools. Works are also expected to advance on student dormitories at Jawalla, North West, Port Kaituma, Santa Rosa and Waramadong, Singh disclosed. At a recent commissioning ceremony, Minister of Education, Sonia Parag said that with the commissioning of some 18 new secondary schools this year, the country is on track to achieving universal access to secondary education by the end of 2026.“With the completion of several secondary schools by the end of this year, we will be achieving universal access to secondary education. So that is a huge deal because we already have that in primary but secondary education, we will be able to achieve that,” Parag said. Meanwhile, the 2026 Mid-Year Report, recently released by the Ministry of Finance, revealed that of the $183.6 billion allocated to the education sector in 2026, $85.4 billion was spent during the first half of the year.The report further noted that of the $24.3 billion budgeted for school infrastructure, $6.1 billion was spent on construction, rehabilitation and maintenance countrywide, including the completion of 10 schools. Works were completed at Falls Top and Kanapang Nursery Schools, Karaudarnau Secondary School and Santa Rosa Dormitory, while work continues on more than 30 facilities countrywide.
The current Kingston Secondary School in Georgetown.
Kaieteur News
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Guyana's exports to China hit record US$501M – Phillips Guyana's exports to China hit US$501 million in 2025, the country's strongest trade performance with the Asian nation to date, Prime Minister Mark Phillips said Thursday night. Phillips made the disclosure as he highlighted the growing economic relationship between Guyana and China at a reception hosted by the Chinese Embassy at the Marriott Hotel to mark the 77th Anniversary of the Founding of the People's Republic of China. The Prime Minister said two-way trade between the two countries reached approximately US$1.8 billion last year, describing the export performance as Guyana's strongest trade performance with China to date. “Trade has become an increasingly crucial pillar of the partnership that exists between Guyana and China,” Phillips said. He noted that China also remains among Guyana's leading sources of imports and said the continued diversification of Guyana's economy provides scope for the two countries to expand their trading relationship in the coming years. Phillips' remarks came against the backdrop of rapidly expanding bilateral economic ties. Official Guyanese trade data tracks merchandise imports and exports through
Prime Minister Mark Phillips delivering remarks at the reception.
customs declarations, while recent reporting based on the Bureau of Statistics put Guyana's 2025 imports from China at about US$1.287 billion. The Prime Minister said the growth in trade was part of a broader relationship that had moved beyond diplomacy into practical c o o p e r a t i o n i n infrastructure, healthcare, agriculture, education, transportation and humanresource development. He pointed to the Bharrat Jagdeo Demerara River Bridge, constructed by China Railway Construction Corporation International, as a major example of that cooperation. According to Phillips, the bridge has strengthened connectivity between Regions Three and Four and is supporting the networks of an expanding Guyanese economy. Healthcare, he
said, provides another important example, citing the Guyana Six Regional Hospitals Project, through which Chinese enterprises have supported the development of modern healthcare facilities across the regions. “I would be amiss if I did not acknowledge and express gratitude for the Chinese medical teams that have served our Guyanese people over the years,” Phillips said. He also pointed to the recently established Guyana-China Friendship Park as another visible symbol of the relationship, while highlighting scholarships and training opportunities for Guyanese students and professionals in China. Beyond oil Phillips said Guyana is now at a pivotal point in its national development, with
the exploitation of its oil and gas resources creating “unprecedented opportunities.” However, he stressed that the country's ambitions e x t e n d b e y o n d hydrocarbons. “We are determined to use this period of opportunity to diversify our economy, strengthen food and energy security, m o d e r n i z e o u r infrastructure, develop our human capital, and pursue a low-development pathway that is sustainable, inclusive, and resilient to climate change,” he said. It is against that backdrop, Phillips said, that Guyana sees “enormous possibilities” for the next chapter of its relationship with China. He identified sustainable urban development, agriculture and the maritime sector as areas where cooperation could be
expanded. Phillips said China's experience in renewable energy, smart infrastructure, modern transportation and urban planning could complement Guyana's efforts to build cleaner, more efficient, connected and climate-resilient communities. Agriculture, he added, offers significant potential for collaboration, given Guyana's land, water and agricultural tradition and China's expertise in agricultural science, mechanisation, irrigation, food processing and agricultural technology. He also identified fisheries, aquaculture, marine science, environmental protection and sustainable ocean development as areas for deeper cooperation. “By deepening our cooperation in these areas, w e c a n i m p r o v e productivity, strengthen food security, expand valueadded production, and develop solutions suited to the realities of a changing climate,” Phillips said. A relationship spanning decades Phillips also used the occasion to reflect on the historical ties between the two countries. He noted that the first Chinese immigrants arrived in Guyana in 1853, with the Chinese community subsequently making significant contributions to
Guyana's social and cultural development. Guyana supported the restoration of the People's Republic of China's lawful seat at the United Nations in 1971, and in 1972 became the first English-speaking Caribbean country to establish diplomatic relations with China. This year marks the 54th anniversary of those diplomatic relations, while Guyana is celebrating 60 years of independence. Phillips said the relationship has remained grounded in mutual respect, solidarity, s o v e r e i g n t y, t e r r i t o r i a l integrity, international law and the principles of the United Nations Charter. He said Guyana and China have also maintained close communication within the United Nations, World Trade Organization, the Group of 77 and China, and other international organisations. As China celebrates its 77th anniversary, Phillips said Guyana is looking forward to working with Beijing to build a future that is “more prosperous, more resilient, more sustainable, and more inclusive.” “We have travelled a remarkable journey t o g e t h e r, ” t h e P r i m e Minister said, adding that while the two countries could take pride in their achievements, “our greatest opportunities may still lie ahead.”
El Niño raises growing health risks across the Americas ...PAHO says drought, food insecurity, dengue, wildfires affecting several countries El Niño continues to strengthen and could have significant public health impacts across the Americas in the coming months, according to the Pan American Health Organization's (PAHO) first regional Situation Report on the phenomenon. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates there is more than a 90% probability that El Niño will reach "very strong" intensity between late 2026 and early 2027. PAHO reports that impacts are already being seen in different parts of the region. Several countries are experiencing drought, food insecurity, wildfires, and flooding amid the strengthening El Niño, although not all of these events have been directly attributed to the phenomenon. To date, eight countries or territories have issued official emergency declarations or alerts related to El Niño-associated threats. "El Niño is not just a climate phenomenon. It can affect people's health in many ways, from food
insecurity and vector- and waterborne diseases to disruptions in health services," said Dr. Ciro Ugarte, Director of PAHO's Department of Health Emergencies. "With a greater than 90% likelihood of a very strong event, this is a risk, which countries should take seriously and prepare for now." The report highlights that more than 5.2 million people across the region are affected, exposed, or facing acute food insecurity, while several countries are already reporting health impacts linked to extreme weather events. Based on available information, PAHO's monitoring identified eight countries or territories experiencing active drought or water shortages, six facing wildfires with health impacts or risks, and five reporting damage from heavy rainfall or flooding. In Central America, one of the primary concerns is the Dry Corridor, particularly in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador, where
drought is affecting water a v a i l a b i l i t y, a g r i c u l t u r a l production, and food security. In Guatemala, nearly three million people face critical levels of food insecurity, while Honduras reports between 1.8 and 2.2 million people affected by acute food insecurity. In the Andean region, Colombia faces a complex situation marked by wildfires, heavy rainfall, and an active dengue outbreak, along with risks linked to malaria and yellow fever. Peru is experiencing one of the most severe situations in the region, with heavy rains, flooding, and landslides causing at least 70 deaths between December 2025 and August 2026 and affecting more than 600 health facilities. Brazil currently presents some of the most significant environmental warning signs, including declining water levels across the Amazon Basin and worsening air quality linked to wildfires. According to data cited by PAHO, 630 municipalities have recorded fine particulate matter levels above World Health
Organization (WHO) recommendations. As of the reporting period, no direct correlation with specific health outcomes had been established. In the Caribbean, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago are reporting drought conditions and risks associated with water scarcity, while countries in the Southern Cone are maintaining preparedness measures in anticipation of increased rainfall, flooding, and other extreme events in the months ahead. The report identifies a range of health risks, including the direct effects of extreme heat, vector- and water-borne diseases, deteriorating air quality, and disruptions to essential health services. It also warns that health facilities remain vulnerable to infrastructure damage, interruptions in water and power supplies, impacts on supply chains and vaccination programmes, and reduced access to health care. During previous El Niño
episodes, the region also faced major public health emergencies, including the reemergence of cholera in the 1990s, the Zika and chikungunya epidemics in 20152016, and record dengue transmission in 2023 and 2024. I n r e s p o n s e , PA H O i s supporting preparedness and response efforts across the region, including initiatives to strengthen the resilience of health services, improve disease surveillance, enhance water security, and support continuity of care for vulnerable communities. PAHO is urging countries to strengthen surveillance systems and early warning mechanisms, protect the continuity of essential health services, and ensure access to safe water, vaccination, medicines, and health care for the most vulnerable populations. The Organization also calls for the review and updating of hospital and health network contingency plans to reduce the potential health impacts of what could become one of the strongest El Niño events in recent years.
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Sunday September 20, 2026
‘Chinese firms invest US$13B in Guyana’— Ambassador Yang ...talks up people-to-people exchanges between the two nations Chinese companies have invested approximately US$13 billion in Guyana, Chinese Ambassador to Guyana Yang Yang disclosed on Thursday evening, as she highlighted the expanding economic and diplomatic ties between the two countries. Ambassador Yang made
the disclosure while addressing a reception at the Guyana Marriott Hotel to mark the 77th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. She said bilateral trade also recorded significant growth in 2025, reaching US$2.89 billion, more than
double the figure recorded in 2024. “China and Guyana have aligned our development priorities more closely, becoming good partners in each other's success,” Yang said.She pointed to several major Chinese-linked developments in Guyana as
A Chinese group performing at the ceremony evidence of the tangible results of the relationship, including the recently opened Bharrat J agdeo Demerara River Bridge and the Aurora Solar Farm. According to the Ambassador, the solar farm is expected to reduce diesel c o n s u m p t i o n b y approximately 18 million litres annually. She also highlighted the contribution of Bosai Minerals Group, which (Continued on page 46 )
Prime Minister Mark Phillips and Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd and Ambassador Yang Yang proposing a toast
WIN Member of Parliament and Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, Odessa Primus and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Yang Yang
President Irfaan Ali and Chinese Ambassador to Guyana, Yang Yang
Surinamese men go missing in Guyana Two Surinamese men, Van Dalen Lorenzo, 28 and Derryl Danillo, 29 have been reported missing in Guyana. The Guyana Police Force in a missing person's report said that they were last seen on August 28 exiting a white Toyota Vitz car in Clarasluis (Clara Sluice) Nickerie to board a boat to Guyana. Police said searches were conducted in Guyana and persons questioned but investigators found no leads about their whereabouts. If anyone has information that can help police in their search, they can call 911, 227-1611, 2682328, 268-2329, 226-3411, 225-8196, 227-1159 or the
Missing: Van Dalen Lorenzo and Derryl Danillo nearest police station. Kaieteur News received information that the men had arrived in Guyana safely and
entered a black stationwagon-type taxi. Since then, the men have not been seen or heard from.
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Sunday September 20, 2026
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Award-winning Guyanese author
Harold A. Bascom
launches Love and New Road and Other Stories on 26th September, 2026
A
gifted musician in New Jersey struggles to rekindle his life and purpose, while battling drug addiction and grief over his wife death.… A woman visits America and learns the truth about an overseas-based Guyanese man’s supposedly lavish lifestyle… Revenge in the form of innocent little hands comes for two child-killers... A man reminisces on first love and growing up poor and fatherless … Something malevolent torments a group of boys who explore the ruins of Jonestown… And then there’s the woman and her COVID mask… And the villager who stared through a window one night; then wished that he hadn’t… It’s all there, the humour, the sadness, the nostalgia and the horror in ‘Love and New Road and Other Stories’; a masterful collection of 11 short stories, by author, illustrator, and five-time Guyana Prizewinning playwright, Harold A. Bascom. Enhanced by the author’s distinctive black-and-white illustrations, the book,
The cover of Love & New Road and Other Stories
The latest illustrations by Harold Bascom for his collection of short stories (independently published on Amazon) displays Bascom’s vast imaginative range, from stories grounded in realism to those with more than a supernatural twist. The book holds stories that capture, teenage romance (‘Love and New Road’), comedy, as in (‘Gam’); a story about the masks we wear to impress (‘The Combackee’), and the horrors that may lie behind a real mask (‘Screaming Smooth’). Some, like the eerie (‘The Weathercock’ and ‘The Thermostat ’), are set in the USA, where the author now resides. Bascom reveals that he’s been working on and off on his collection for about sixteen years. “I’m a driven kind of writer,” he says. “I’d write short story after short story, play after play, and each was, for me, an exercise in bettering myself at expressing myself as a creative writer.” “But before last year, I never thought of putting them together as a first collection of fiction. To me, they were just pieces I wrote to
keep my literary skill tight.” But recently, the realisation hit him that the years were rapidly slipping by. He recalled, “I said to myself, ‘Harold A. Your time is coming to an end; you need to put together all of your literary work for posterity. It’s time to leave something behind. Time to put all of your Guyana Prize-winning and other plays together; time to put all of your short fiction together. Time to finish your autobiography.’ I’ll be seventy-five in November, so I began to think of legacy.” Bascom, who dedicates most of his waking hours to painting, illustrating, writing and reading voraciously, says many of his stories emerge from being a keen listener and observer—and is blessed with a vivid imagination. The author told this publication, “A lot of my short fiction also comes from stories I’ve heard, and a lot as well as a self-challenge. For instance, I wrote ‘The Vat’ because I wanted to challenge myself to write a Jonestown horror story.
‘The Sprinkler’ was influenced by me living in Hackensack, New Jersey, and seeing drugheads drifting past my home. Also, I once went to the Hackensack local library and met a gentle Guyanese artist who was somewhat mentally ‘off’. The thought hit me about how many creative people probably came over to the USA hoping to make it, but got mentally lost. So, I fused the idea of a failed Guyanese musician in the States and a character from the Hackensack drug scene, and The Sprinkler was born.” ‘The Comebackee’ was written after a female friend told me of an elderly man who returned to Guyana looking for someone to marry and how she was set up with him. “There are so many stories waiting to be massaged into very relevant Guyanese fiction.” Bascom deeply regrets that his mother, to whom he dedicated his collection, isn’t around to see how much her youngest, dreamy child has achieved. “When I dropped out of high school to be an artist, and began to self-study drawing and painting, my father lamented that I was lazy and should be ‘looking for a job.’ My mother told him to leave me alone—that I knew what I was doing. “And I truly did,” said Bascom. “At 19, I became the youngest Art Director in Guyana at the Chronicle, which was next to Guyana Stores back then. Later, I became the Chief Illustrator at the Ministry of Education. I illustrated locally produced supplementary readers like ‘Our First Village,’ “Balram’s New Home,’ ‘Cumfa Drums are calling,’ and ‘The Moco-MocoTree: Old Higue Story.’ … But by then my mother had died, and it was my father who was boasting of his ‘artist son’.”
Guyanese playwright and author, Harold A Bascom Bascom believes that residing overseas has given him a more “graphic, on-theground perspective” of the world. “But I’ve also found it to be more challenging to write some Guyanese story while living overseas, since there might be little details I might have forgotten. I remember I was writing a story set in Linden and couldn’t remember how long it took for boats to cross from Wismar to McKenzie, and I had to contact a friend in Linden. “But in terms of writing in general, no writer who calls himself or herself a writer should feel challenged writing anywhere.” Through his social media page, Bascom has given book lovers a peek into his collection through ‘video readings’ of excerpts from his twelve stories. He said, “My daughter, Damali, told me that it would be good to infuse the readings with AI images of scenes. I told her I just wanted to take people back to the good old days of listening to someone telling a story. I was adamant that the reading would work. And it has. From all reports, people love me reading excerpts to them. The responses have been gratifying.” And he plans to remain quite busy after his book is launched: “I am completing a new book from his Afro-Guyanese Odyssey play Continued on page 21
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Kaieteur News
Lexy Pulmyere is a proud 19-year-old indigenous representative from the beautiful village of Muritaro Region #10. Lexy is a medical laboratory technician who takes great pride in celebrating her cultural traditions. Beyond her passion for healthcare, Lexy enjoys swimming and cherishes opportunities to connect with her Arawak traditions. This week’s beauty holds a strong commitment to serving others and aspirations of making a meaningful difference in the lives of her people.
Lexy Pulmyere
Deeply rooted in her heritage,
Sunday September 20, 2026
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Crime thrives on weak justice, illegal guns and dirty money By Sir Ronald Sanders Crime in Latin America and the Caribbean is no longer only a matter for the police. It is weakening societies, draining economies and obstructing development. It is also testing public confidence in courts, governments and democratic institutions. The figures are alarming. The Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean reports that the region, with only about 9 per c e n t o f t h e w o r l d ’s population, accounts for almost one-third of all homicides. In 2021 alone, at least 89,100 people were killed with firearms. Behind every statistic is a human tragedy: a child without a parent, a mother mourning a son, a woman trapped with an abuser, or a family driven from its community. Fear changes how people live. Children are kept indoors. Businesses close early. Witnesses remain silent. Communities retreat behind bars and locked gates. Killings are not isolated acts. They are the visible result of a larger system involving illegal weapons, criminal finance, compromised institutions and persons who profit without approaching the scene. For women and children, institutional failure is especially dangerous. When complaints are disregarded, investigations are delayed and protective orders are not enforced, vulnerable persons are left within reach of their abusers. Impunity then becomes an invitation to repeat the offence. The criminal justice system is a chain. Police, prosecutors, courts, prisons and rehabilitation services are all links in it. When any link breaks, the entire system is weakened. Public impatience is now producing open confrontation between political leaders and the judiciary. In Costa Rica, where drug-related violence has risen sharply, President Laura Fernández has accused the judiciary of being infiltrated by o rg a n i s e d c r i m e . H e r Security Minister has said that only 38 per cent of homicides result in convictions. Judicial authorities have denied the allegations and warned that budget
reductions will further weaken their capacity. That dispute contains a lesson for the entire region. Courts cannot retain public confidence if criminal cases collapse, convictions are rare and allegations of corruption are not credibly investigated. But governments have to demand accountability while providing courts with resources and maintaining judicial independence, consistent with clear rules. In Antigua and Barbuda, Prime Minister Gaston Browne recently expressed strong concern about what he regarded as an unduly lenient judicial approach in a firearms case. His intervention reflected a wider public anxiety across the Caribbean: persons accused of serious firearms offences must be dealt with firmly and expeditiously, in accordance with law. Criminal justice systems must demonstrate that unlawful possession and trafficking will attract consequences capable of deterring others. That requires clear laws, competent police investigations, forensic services, effective prosecution and courts equipped to dispose of cases promptly. Every part of the system must function if public confidence is to be maintained. The 2023 Caribbean Firearms Study, jointly produced by CARICOM IMPACS and the Small Arms Survey, found that the Caribbean’s violent-death rate was almost three times the global average. Firearms were used in more than half of all homicides and, in some countries, in about 90 per cent. Technology must also become a much stronger part of the region’s defence. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, in its World Drug Report 2026, shows that land and maritime routes dominate the movement of illicit drugs by volume, depending on the substance. Caribbean seaports, airports and unofficial landing points are therefore front lines in the struggle against organised crime. Governments should invest in cargo scanners, container-tracking and surveillance systems, automatic number-plate recognition, canine units and advance passenger and cargo information. But machinery
must be supported by intelligence-led risk assessment, trained and vetted officers, secure port access and regional information-sharing. A scanner within a compromised system will detect only what criminals permit it to find. According to the InterAmerican Development Bank, the direct costs of crime and violence in Latin America and the Caribbean amounted to approximately 3.4 per cent of regional GDP in 2022. That was equivalent to 78 per cent of all public spending on education across the region. Businesses lose sales, governments spend scarce resources on policing, prisons and emergency health care, and families lose income when breadwinners are killed or disabled. Tourism and investment are not automatically destroyed by every increase in crime. But once international headlines, travel advisories and social media create an image of uncontrolled violence, tourists, airlines, insurers and investors reconsider their exposure. For small economies heavily dependent on tourism, the consequences could be unemployment, falling revenues and deeper poverty. The guns themselves also tell only part of the story. A young man in a poor community does not manufacture an assault rifle, import ammunition, arrange international drug shipments or launder large sums of money. Someone finances these operations. Someone supplies vehicles, safe houses, communications equipment and protection. Someone converts criminal proceeds into apparently legitimate wealth. Trinidad and Tobago’s Prime Minister, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, recently warned that the fight against crime must extend beyond street gangs to wealthy and influential persons suspected of facilitating organised criminal activity. She alleged that drug and firearms networks operate from affluent communities and that businesses and financial intermediaries may be involved in moving and laundering criminal proceeds. Haiti shows how gangs can become economic and territorial powers when criminal finance, political protection, illegal weapons
and institutional weakness converge. Ecuador shows how ports, prisons and local gangs can be absorbed into international cocaine networks. Trinidad and To b a g o s h o w s t h a t substantial national resources offer no immunity when firearms, narcotics, gangs and illicit finance reinforce one another. Governments cannot end this crisis by pursuing only the gunmen. Every major investigation involving gangs, drugs, firearms or contract killings should include a parallel financial investigation. Authorities must identify the beneficial owners of companies, scrutinise suspicious transactions, strengthen tax and customs enforcement, freeze criminal assets and cooperate across borders. At the same time, justice systems must be
strengthened. Police need training and forensic resources. Prosecutors require manageable caseloads. Witnesses must be protected. Courts must dispose of cases promptly and explain their decisions clearly. Judges must remain independent, but judicial independence cannot mean immunity from transparent standards of competence, integrity and accountability. Crime is not separate from development. A society cannot achieve sustainable development when citizens are afraid, businesses are burdened by security costs, young people are recruited by gangs and courts cannot deliver timely justice. The region must confront three connected failures: justice systems that do not deter offenders, illicit weapons that make crime more lethal, and financial
Sir Ronald Sanders systems that conceal the persons who organise and profit from it. The gunman must be caught. But so must those who procured the weapon, financed the shipment, laundered the proceeds and corrupted the institutions that should have stopped them. (The writer is Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States and the Organization of American States. He is also Chancellor of the University of Guyana and current Chair of the InterAmerican Council for Integral Development. The views expressed are his own.)
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Paris court awards Kim Kardashian 1 euro after her 2016 robbery S A I N T- E T I E N N E , France (AP) — A Paris court on Tuesday awarded 1 euro ($1.15) to Kim Kardashian for having been the victim of an armed robbery in the French capital in 2016, the amount of compensation she had asked for, according to a lawyer involved in the case. Kardashian has sought to move on since the court last year found eight people guilty for their roles in what the celebrity described as “the most terrifying experience of my life.” She and stylist Simone Harouche expressed gratitude to the French justice system in a joint statement. “The experience was deeply traumatic, and its impact has stayed with us. Today’s decision is not about the compensation, but about accountability and recognition,” the statement to The Associated Press read. “We are thankful to the Court and everyone who supported us throughout this process, and we hope to now move forward and continue to heal.” The court awarded a former receptionist at the Hôtel de Pourtalès 109,516 euros ($126,472), according to his lawyer. Kardashian had been staying at the hotel when the robbery gang targeted her. The receptionist said he had been traumatised by the 2 Oct, 2016, jewel heist during Fashion Week. He nd
had sought 550,000 euros ($634,868) in damages and interest. His lawyer, Mohand Ouidja, welcomed the decision as a victory. The lawyer read the court’s written decisions pertaining to Kardashian and the others aloud to the AP. The court awarded the hotel 50,000 euros ($57,741). It awarded 1 euro — the amount she had requested — to Harouche, Kardashian’s stylist who was present during the robbery. French lawyers who acted for Kardashian during the trial didn’t respond to text messages and phone calls this week from the AP. Two of the robbers, dressed as police, forced their way into her suite, bound Kardashian with zip ties and tape and made off with more than $6 million in jewellery, including a diamond ring she’d worn that night to a Givenchy show. Because of their ages, the robbers became known in France as “les papys braqueurs,” or the grandpa robbers. Six of them were in their 60s and 70s when they were tried for armed robbery, kidnapping, gang association and other charges. With time already served in pretrial detention, none of those found guilty went back to prison. None of them appealed the verdict. Kardashian said in a
Award-winning... From page 17 that he failed to have produced at the National Cultural Centre. He also plans to resume working on the manuscript of a horror novel, ‘Something Sucks: In Aldenville GA,’ inspired by a Guyanese Jumbie story and set in the USA. On his 2027 to-do list is the publication of a collection of his best plays, including his five Guyana Prize-winning ones. He says that he may complete his autobiography. LOVE & NEW ROAD and OTHER STORIES will be launched this month on 26th September, 2026, and will be available on Amazon on the same day. Harold A. Bascom can be contacted via his em ail addres s bascom56@gmail.com
statement issued after their conviction that she was “deeply grateful to the French authorities for pursuing justice in this case.” “The crime was the most terrifying experience of my life, leaving a lasting impact on me and my family,” the celebrity said. “While I’ll never forget what happened, I believe in the power of growth and accountability and pray for healing for all. I remain committed to advocating for justice and promoting a fair legal system.”
Kim Kardashian, center, arrives to testify regarding a robbery of millions of dollars in jewels from her Paris hotel room in 2016, in Paris on 13th May, 2025. (AP Photo/Aurelien Morissard, File)
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Advancing Education, Technology & Innovation in Guyana…
Building Guyana’s Future Through STEM: By Dr. Karen Abrams, MBA, AA
G
uyana has entered the 21st century with an extraordinary economic o p p o r t u n i t y. O i l h a s expanded the country’s financial possibilities and created expectations of new industries, better infrastructure, higher wages and improved living standards. Yet beneath all this optimism lies a fundamental question: who will have the skills to build, operate and eventually own this new Guyanese economy? Oil can make a country richer, but it cannot, by itself, make its people more capable. That distinction matters because Guyana is attempting to build a modern economy while carrying deep educational inequalities into the future. A child growing up with educated parents, reliable internet, private lessons and access to technology experiences a very different educational environment from a child in a remote community or low-income household. Our assessments repeatedly warn us that too many children who begin behind remain behind. This is especially dangerous for a country with Guyana’s small population. As jobs expand in e n g i n e e r i n g , e n e r g y, information technology, logistics, environmental monitoring, automation and advanced manufacturing, companies will require specialised skills. If enough Guyanese do not possess those skills, the positions will still be filled, but increasingly by imported professionals. Meanwhile, lower-skilled Guyanese may face greater competition from migrant labour for the jobs available at the bottom of the economy. Education must therefore be understood as economic infrastructure. Roads, bridges, ports and power plants matter, but so do educated people. Guyana cannot import its way into sustainable development forever. Guyanese must eventually be capable of designing systems, programming machines,
Education, Innovation and the Road Ahead
managing energy infrastructure, analysing data, building companies and solving the problems upon which the country’s future depends. What STEM Education Really Means STEM stands for S c i e n c e , Te c h n o l o g y, Engineering and Mathematics, but meaningful STEM education is broader than teaching four separate subjects. It allows students to combine knowledge and apply it to real problems. Imagine students designing an irrigation system during an El Niño drought. They must understand plants, soil and water. They use mathematics to calculate flow rates, engineering to design the system, electronics to measure soil moisture and programming to determine when irrigation should begin. Suddenly mathematics, science and coding have a purpose, and students begin to understand that knowledge is something human beings use to solve problems. STEMGuyana students are doing this today. This is also why robotics and coding matter. The objective is not to produce thousands of professional roboticists. Robotics teaches children to think, test, diagnose, collaborate and try again. A robot does not care whether a student believes the programme should work. It either works or it does not, and failure becomes information rather than humiliation. The evidence supports this approach. A 2024 metaanalysis of educational robotics in STEM found positive effects on students’ knowledge, skills and attitudes. A larger 2026 meta-analysis covering 58 studies and 5,806 learners also reported meaningful improvements in cognitive and emotional learning outcomes. More i m p o r t a n t l y, h a n d s - o n STEM education builds technical competence while encouraging persistence, confidence and problemsolving.
At STEMGuyana, we want children building with technology rather than merely consuming it. A student may begin with basic coding, progress to robotics and electronics, and eventually develop systems that monitor soil moisture, rainfall, flooding or water quality. Our children should be working on our region’s problems: agriculture during drought, drainage and flood monitoring, renewable energy, healthcare, etc. Preparing Children for an Uncertain Future Artificial intelligence has made this mission even more urgent. No one can confidently predict the labour market today’s children will enter. Some jobs will disappear, others will change, and new professions will emerge. The U.S. and China lead in developing innovations in artificial intelligence, which will affect jobs across the globe. China launched an “AI Plus Education” initiative, aiming to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into classrooms from an early stage as the country accelerates efforts to develop the technology and adapt its economy to an increasingly digital future. By 2030, China aims to establish a comprehensive AI education system that spans all levels of schooling and extends to the broader public, their Ministry of Education reported. Countries building the future understand that technological strength begins with education. Guyana must teach children how to learn, think and adapt. Information will become abundant, but young people will still need to ask intelligent questions, evaluate answers, communicate ideas, work with others and exercise sound judgement. Curiosity, creativity, leadership, ethics, collaboration, resilience and adaptability are sometimes called “soft skills.” There is nothing soft about them. In an uncertain technological future, they may be among the hardest abilities to replace.
Every Guyanese child does not need to become a programmer or engineer, but every child deserves meaningful exposure to s c i e n c e , t e c h n o l o g y, engineering, mathematics, coding and problem-solving. Why? because STEM exposure is no longer only preparation for technical careers. It develops the abilities every child will need to participate confidently in a society increasingly shaped by technology. A child who learns coding does not have to become a programmer, just as a child who studies Mathematics does not have to become a mathematician. Coding teaches logic, sequencing, persistence and how to break a difficult
problem into smaller parts. Engineering teaches children to design, test, fail, improve and try again. Science teaches them to question claims and examine evidence. Mathematics strengthens reasoning, while hands-on problem-solving teaches them how to apply knowledge in unfamiliar situations. These skills matter in agriculture, healthcare, business, construction, education, public service and everyday life. They also help young people understand the technologies and automated systems that will increasingly influence their employment, finances, privacy and access to opportunity. Guyana needs trained
teachers, functioning laboratories, community STEM clubs, ambitious competitions, private-sector mentors and technology that connects hinterland, rural, urban and vulnerable students to opportunities which are mainly concentrated on the coast. Most importantly, we must identify struggling children early and intervene before another assessment simply confirms that they have fallen further behind. The great challenge of Guyana’s oil era is not simply how much oil we produce or how much money enters the Natural Resource Fund. It is what kind of people we develop while the oil is flowing. Oil is finite. Human capability is renewable.
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Fans Push for Vybz Kartel and Mavado Gully/Gaza Reunion at Sting 2026 Dancehall mag — The last time Vybz Kartel and Mavado shared a Sting stage was 2008, and dancehall fans have not stopped talking about it since. That single night is still one of the most debated performances in the genre’s history, which tells you everything about how much weight it carries. With Sting 2026 approaching and December closing in, a growing wave of fans is pushing hard for the two deejays to bring the Gully Gaza rivalry back to the event that arguably made it famous. The argument is simple: if the reunion is happening anyway, Sting is the only stage that truly makes sense for it. Kartel and Mavado have already taken their reconciliation global,
Vybz Kartel and Mavado
performing together in the UK, Malta, and at Reggae Sumfest in Jamaica. Those shows proved the demand is real and that
audiences across the world are hungry to see them on the same stage again. But for a section of the f a n b a s e , t h o s e
performances, as well as the goodwill they generated, still feel like a warm-up to something bigger. Industry figure Foota
Hype has been vocal about it, making the case that Sting deserves Mavado and Vybz Kartel because the event gave both artists a platform that helped shape their careers in the first place. That point carries some weight when you consider the list of artists Sting helped elevate over the years, names like Ninja Man, Super Cat, Shabba Ranks, and Beenie Man all built serious credibility through the show. Promoter Isaiah Laing has already confirmed he is open to working with both artists following Kartel’s release from prison, which is not a small statement to make publicly. The uncertainty, though, is on the artists’ side, and no one has confirmed anything close to a deal being in place. That gap between promoter willingness and artist confirmation is where the conversation gets complicated. Laing putting himself out there publicly is a signal that the logistics are not the main obstacle, but what Kartel and
Mavado actually want to do with their reunion is still their call to make. There is also a broader question sitting underneath all of this, which is whether Sting itself makes a comeback at all. The event has not run consistently in recent years, and fans who grew up watching it in its prime are already nostalgic for what it represented in Jamaican culture. The prospect of a Kartel and Mavado appearance is, for many, tied directly to hopes that the event gets revived in a meaningful way. Sting was never just a concert. It was the place where rivalries got settled, careers got launched, and dancehall history got written in real time. The 2008 clash between these two still gets replayed and dissected by people who were not even old enough to watch it live. Whether the 2026 version of the event materialises, and whether Kartel and Mavado are part of it, remains genuinely open.
Kabaka Pyramid Revisits His Origins in ‘Rebel Music – The Lyrics Tape’ Interview
Kabaka Pyramid Dancehall Mag — Kabaka Pyramid did not start with the version of himself most people know today. Before the Grammy, before the melodies, before the fully formed reggae identity, there was a younger artist still figuring out how much of the rapper in him belonged on a reggae record. That tension is exactly what makes “Rebel Music – The Lyrics Tape” such an interesting project to sit with in 2026. It pulls the listener back to 2011, to the EP that first put Kabaka on the map, and asks what it means to revisit a moment when you were still becoming yourself. In a new interview with Munchy, Kabaka opened up about reconnecting with that early work and what it actually felt like to go back. He described a career arc that moved from being more comfortable rapping, to slowly introducing melodies, to eventually growing confident enough in his singing voice Continued on page 35
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Towards a better life with your psychologist:
Physical abuse is not discipline it’s a wound that Guyanese need to abandon During sessions a nineyear-old who began seeing me for behavioural problems said “Mommy had to get licks because she is not obeying daddy like me”. Many think, they would have turned out bad if it was not for licks. This is not true. Physical abuse is often judged by the evidence left on the body: the bruise, swollen face, belt mark, fractured bone or wound. Honesty requires us to look beyond the skin. A bruise disappears in days; the psychological meaning of being deliberately hurt by someone responsible for loving, protecting or educating you remain for decades. Physical abuse includes intentional physical acts that injure or risk injuring another person, corporal punishment involves physical force intended to cause pain or discomfort. From decades of research findings are poorer physical and mental health, behavioural difficulties, aggression and impaired socio-emotional development, without demonstrated positive developmental outcomes. We hit children to teach them not to hit, frighten them to teach respect, or humiliate them to build character, what exactly are we teaching? Mother, father or another caregiver becomes the child’s source of attachment, protection, emotional r e g u l a t i o n a n d belonging.When that same person becomes frightening, the child faces a psychological contradiction: “The person I need for safety is also the person from whom I need protection.” Fear is repressed. Anger displaced. Emotional detachment develops. Hypervigilance helps the child anticipate danger. Compliance becomes a survival strategy. A defense through which the vulnerable individual psychologically adopt characteristics of the threatening person. The unconscious lesson becomes: “It is safer to be the person holding the belt than the person receiving it.” This does not mean abused children inevitably become abusive adults. It means that without reflection, healthier relationships and p s y c h o l o g i c a l r e p a i r,
violence can become one template through which a n g e r, a u t h o r i t y a n d intimacy are understood. Painful relational experiences are unconsciously recreated later in life -repetition compulsion-not because the individual consciously wants suffering, but because unresolved psychological experiences. Childhood reappears in adulthood disguised as relationship choices. PHYSICAL ABUSE IN THE GUYANESE HOME Guyana has a longstanding cultural familiarity with phrases such as:”I got licks and I turned out alright.””Spare the rod and spoil the child.””You got to beat children for them to hear.”This is false belief. UNICEF’s 2014, Guyana analysis Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey data reported that 70% of children aged 1–14 had experienced violent methods of discipline, across ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic groups.That should challenge the belief that violence against children is simply a problem occurring in a few “bad families.” When a child is repeatedly hit by the person responsible for protection, the child may not conclude:”My parent has inadequate emotionalregulation skills.”Children t h i n k egocentrically.”Something is wrong with me.”These beliefs eventually form part of the child’s internal psychological world.The physical parent eventually becomes an internal critic.Twenty years later, nobody needs to beat the adult. The adult psychologically beat themselves:”I am stupid.””I always mess things up.””I don’t deserve better.””I am not good enough.”The
violence has moved from the outside world into the psyche. ANOTHER UNSAFE PLACE School should expand a child’s mind, not reinforce fear.Guyana’s publicly available MOE material has historically included corporal punishment within
school disciplinary procedures. At the same time, the Ministry has increasingly promoted alternatives.That transition matters psychologically. A frightened child may comply.But compliance is not the same as internalised discipline.Healthy discipline teaches: “I understand consequences.””I can regulate myself.””I can repair mistakes.””I can make better decisions.”Fear-based discipline teaches:”Do not get caught.” When mistakes carry the possibility of humiliation or physical pain, children stop asking questions. Others become anxious, aggressive, withdrawn, oppositional or avoidant.What adults identify as “bad behaviour” may sometimes be the behavioural language of
distress.Instead of only asking:”What is wrong with this child?”Traumainformed education By Dr. Telford Layne Jr. PsyD, MSc. Postgrad, BSc. also asks:”What has happened to this Clinical and Developmental child?” Psychologist - Psychoanalyst Childhood Unwrapping Gift -Clinic violence matters Shame becomes rage. Fear because children of abandonment becomes eventually become partners, spouses and parents. PAHO c o n t r o l . H u m i l i a t i o n 2024, WHO report estimates b e c o m e s indicate 31% of ever- retaliation.Powerlessness partnered Guyanese women b e c o m e s d o m i n a t i o n . and girls aged 15–49 have J e a l o u s y b e c o m e s experienced physical and/or s u r v e i l l a n c e . E m o t i o n a l sexual intimate-partner v u l n e r a b i l i t y b e c o m e s v i o l e n c e d u r i n g t h e i r aggression. THE ADULT CHILD lifetime, with about 10% C h i l d h o o d experiencing it during the experiences—including preceding year. A d u l t v i o l e n c e abuse and exposure to s o m e t i m e s r e p r e s e n t s violence—affect stressprimitive attempts to manage response systems, learning, Continued on page 34 unbearable internal feelings.
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Ask-the-Consul Installment 26-09
The Citizen Liaison Volunteer A call for Program in Guyana volunteers! Q: What is the Citizen Liaison Volunteer program? The Citizen Liaison Volunteer (CLV) program connects the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown with U.S. citizens living throughout Guyana. Volunteers serve as a trusted point of contact between American community members and our Consular Section, helping us share important safety information, gather local knowledge, and strengthen ties within the broader U.S. citizen community, from Georgetown to the more remote regions of the country. Q: Who can become
aCitizen Liaison Volunteer (CLV)? Any U.S. citizen residing in Guyana who is in good standing and willing to serve as a reliable point of contact is welcome to apply. This includes retirees, long-term residents, business owners, missionaries, and members of local American organizations. No specific background is required,just a willingness to help fellow citizens, wherever in Guyana you may live. Q: What do volunteers actually do? CLVs help in a variety of ways, including: · Sharing safety and security updates from the Embassy with Americans in
their area, particularly during flooding, severe weather, or other emergencies common to Guyana’s diverse regions. Ÿ Providing local insight to Embassy staff about conditions in areas such as the Lethem, Mabaruma, Mahdia, Linden, Essequibo, Berbice, Anna Regina and other interior regions. Ÿ Helping distribute general information about voting and other routine consular matters. Ÿ Assisting during crisis situations, such as helping the Embassy account for U.S.
citizens after flooding or other natural disasters. Vo l u n t e e r s a r e n o t expected to provide legal, medical, or consular advice.That remains the responsibility of Embassy officers. Instead, think of volunteers as a trusted communication bridge between the Embassy and Americans across Guyana. Q: Why does this program matter in Guyana? Guyana’s geography presents unique challenges, and many U.S. citizens may live far from Georgetown, in areas with limited infrastructure or c o m m u n i c a t i o n access.Volunteers extend our
reach into these communities, helping ensure that no American in Guyana feels forgotten or out of reach, especially during a crisis. Q: Is there a time commitment? The program is designed to be flexible. Most volunteers dedicate only a few hours every fewmonths, primarily during outreach campaigns or emergencies. We understand volunteers have busy lives, and we structure the program around your availability, not the other way around. Q: Will I receive training? Ye s . T h e C o n s u l a r Section provides orientation and periodic training to ensure volunteers understand their role, know how to share Embassy information accurately, and feel confident acting as a liaison. Q: Is there any cost or compensation involved? No. This is a volunteer program, there is no compensation, and it requires an agreement to protect the privacy of fellow citizens.Volunteers do this because they care about their community and want to help fellow citizens stay safe and informed. Q: How do I sign up? We would love to have you join our network of dedicated volunteers! If you’re interested in becoming a CLV, please e m a i l u s at:ACSGeorge@state.gov. In your email, please USE THIS SUBJECT LINE: E99 - CLV INTEREST In the body of your email, please include your full name, administrative region including specific location within Guyana, and a brief note about why you’d
like to volunteer. A member of our Consular Section will follow up with next steps. Q: I’m not a U.S. citizen, but I live in a remote part of Guyana. Can I still get involved? Yes! While this program is designed primarily to support U.S. citizens, we recognize that individuals in far-flung areas of Guyana, regardless of citizenship, often have valuable local knowledge and community connections. If you live in a remote region and are connected to a local U.S. citizen community, we welcome you to reach out and indicate your interest using the email address and instructions above. *** “Ask the Consul” is a monthly column from the U.S. Embassy answering questions about U.S. immigration law and other Consular topics. Detailed information about visas can b e v i e w e d a t https://gy.usembassy.gov/, https://ais.usvisa-info.com/, and https://travel.state.gov/. Information about American Citizen Services can be f o u n d a t https://gy.usembassy.gov/se rvices/. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prepare their own documents and avoid third-party advice. Consular processes change frequently, and non-U.S. government advisors often provide inadequate or inaccurate information. Please contact our Visa Information Service Center using the contact i n f o r m a t i o n a t https://ais.usvisai n f o . c o m / e n gy/niv/information/contact_ us if you have general visa questions.
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Govt. allows miner Dexter Chan to operate until November despite destruction of Suwai Creek - Jawalla Toshao expresses deep frustration following high-level meetings at NTC Conference By Khadidja Ba Tensions over unresolved land and mining disputes in Region Seven (Upper Mazaruni) continue to escalate as ToshaoVerron HenryWilliams of Jawalla Village revealed that the government has permitted outside miner, Dexter Chan to continue operations on titled Indigenous lands until November. Speaking in an exclusive interview with Kaieteur News, Toshao Henry-Williams voiced deep frustration over the decision, noting that while Suwai Creek has already been completely destroyed by heavy mining machinery, the homestead of local resident Moore James is now at immediate risk of devastation. The Toshao explained that she attended the annual National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference with high hopes of engaging directly with Minister of Natural Resources, Vickram Bharrat, to finalize a resolution regarding the illegal operations on Jawalla’s titled land. However, those expectations were quickly derailed. “We came to NTC with high hopes and expectations of going back with good news,” Toshao Henry-Williams said. “The main issue I was planning to raise was the same mining issue with Continued on page 30
Complete destruction by the miners of Jawalla
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Kaieteur News
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From losing a singing competition to buzzing stardom…
Rising Guyanese talent Misstic blows up the airwaves with hot new track,
“Disappear Jumbie”
“Believe yourself because if you don’t, no-one else will,” these are the words of Misstic ( Emily Melia Ally), a Guyanese singing sensation who has become a rising star following her viral hits, “Disappear Jumbie” and “Wikidy Boi”. Believing in herself has led Misstic to move from Karaoke song-competitions to a recording artiste whose songs now live rent-free in the heads of Guyanese, Caribbean people, and Latinos. “Disappear Jumbie” is banging in Haiti, New York and has now become a popular phrase among Guyanese from all ages and all walks of life. It is a mixture of Guyanese creole and the Trinidadian Rose riddim by the talented Berbician. Yes, Misstic hails from ‘Cow Dam’ New Amsterdam, Berbice, Region Six, a community which is considered to be ghetto like, according to the artiste. “Dem does say nothing good does come out from there”, Misstic said during an interview with the Afternoon Blaze on Kaieteur Radio while explaining that she will now use her
Misstic poses for a photo after her interview with the Afternoon Blaze on Kaieteur Radio
platform to give the community its flowers because it is often misrepresented.
“I am a proud Berbician”, she continued as she recounted her journey to stardom.
She noted that she has been around for a while first as a comedian and then as a karaoke singer from 2024, singing at restaurants and participating in Tik-Tok Karaoke competitions. However, she only started writing and recording her own songs after losing one of those Karaoke Competitions, turning her loss into success. Misstic said, “I was in a Tik Tok battle and I made it to the semi-finals and during the time I had a cold, so I didn’t make it to the finals” She continued “So I seh yuh know what, I get potential, I see it in me, I can’t get this voice to waste time and just sit down”. The rising star also recalled receiving encouragement from her supporters and fans. “…People were encouraging me don’t stop they was like go to the studio go to the studio and that is where it all started”, she told the Afternoon Blaze. Misstic’s first song is called “I am a Star”. “I am Star did not get much as yet like this one hay (disappear Jumbie) but it had a lil thing yeah but not so big so”, she recounted while noting that
Guyanese rising star,
Misstic
she did not give up. “A month after, I wrote Jumbie”, a hit that propelled Misstic into what can only be described as stardom. Disappear Jumbie, she said, was inspired by s o m e o n e e l s e ’s “situationship” with an ex. G P L’s B l a c k o u t reportedly attempted to distract her as she was putting to lyrics. “But I say not tonight, this song gotto done”, She told the afternoon Blaze as she recalled that the setback helped her place some emphasis on the word move when she was recording the song. Determined to not be a one hit wonder, Misstic has already released another song that is going viral, Wikidy Boi, reportedly inspired by a personal
experience. Misstic wants Guyana to know, “The cake in the oven baking and a hope they ready for it hot” -meaning that she is going to put her creativity to work not only create more hit but be an ambassador for Guyanese culture through music. Asked if it was always her dream to become an artiste, she responded “They use to say I crazy and I used to say one day, I am gonna be a billionaire”. “I think and I know that I born with a purpose and I get a voice and I am gonna use it” she added before advising the youths and her fans that they must believe in themselves and pursue their dreams. “People are going to make noise in your ears” she said, “but keep moving forward.”
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Khadesia Mary Walker is Miss Grand Guyana 2026 B
eyond the crown is a woman driven by purpose, ambition, and a passion for empowering others. Now representing Guyana as Miss Grand Guyana 2026, Khadesia Walker brings far more to the international stage than pageant experience. She is an entrepreneur, model, actress, advocate, and proud Guyanese-American whose journey reflects a commitment to excellence
both on and beyond the stage. Her resume speaks to a woman who has never been afraid to pursue the next challenge. Walker was 2nd Runner-Up at Miss Universe Guyana 2025, placed Top 20 at Miss World America, and previously held the titles of Miss New Haven USA and Miss West Haven USA. She also holds a B.S. in Economics from Penn State University. But the woman behind the crown is perhaps most
defined by her purpose. T h r o u g h #IAmAGirlBoss, Walker uses her voice and platform to champion confidence, leadership, ambition, and empowerment. Her message to young women is simple but powerful: know your worth, believe in your potential, and never be afraid to pursue the life you envision for yourself. That philosophy is at the heart of her journey to the international stage. As she prepares to carry
the Golden Arrowhead into global competition, Walker represents a modern Guyanese woman, accomplished, driven, multifaceted, and unapologetically ambitious. She is more than a pageant queen. She is a woman with a mission, a story still unfolding, and a platform built to inspire. And now, the world gets to know Khadesia Walker. (Credit Missosology Guyana)
Miss Grand Guyana 2026, Khadesia Walker
Govt. allows miner Dexter Chan to operate until...
Complete destruction by the miners of Jawalla From page 27 DexChem. But then the session was interrupted, ministers came and went, and VP [Vice President BharratJagdeo] came in, so the whole discussion changed. We didn’t get to speak with Minister Vickram directly because they told us we could meet him in a different setting.” THE “GOOD NEWS” DILEMMA According to the Toshao, state officials pulled the Jawalla delegation aside into a separate meeting away from the main conference, promising “good news” regarding the dispute. Present at the meeting was the Permanent Secretary and the Commissioner of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC). H o w e v e r, t h e p r o m i s e d resolution fell far short of the village council’s demands for an immediate cease-work order. Officials informed the Toshao that following a Cabinet outreach, an agreement was reached for Dexter
Chan to be removed from the area, but not until November. “I asked them why November?” Toshao HenryWilliams stated. “I would have been at ease if they said the mining permit is being revoked with effect from today. If it was immediate, I would have appreciated whatever the Minister instructed. But it wasn’t like that. I told them I’m still not satisfied.” Residents worry that allowing Chan to continue mining until November essentially gives him a grace period to extract resources while causing irreparable environmental damage. The delay coincides directly with an upcoming court hearing scheduled for November 7, leading community members to question whether state agencies are deliberately stalling until the court date. When pressed on why Chan was granted until November, state officials offered little explanation, stating only that there was “paperwork to sign up”, a process
the GGMC Commissioner reportedly appeared unaware of prior to the discussion. DISPUTED BOUNDARIES AND REJECTED MAPS The dispute is further compounded by state agencies refusing to recognize Jawalla’s verified village boundaries. The To s h a o r e v e a l e d t h a t representatives from the Guyana Lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC) rejected a boundary verification plan prepared for the village by a sworn surveyor, claiming Jawalla had failed to follow procedures under the Amerindian Act, such as notifying neighboring communities like Kakó and Kamarang. Toshao Henry-Williams firmly rejected these allegations, pointing out that local postal receipts prove that all relevant state bodies, including the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Guyana Energy Agency (GEA), GGMC, and the Amerindian Peoples Association (APA). as well as neighboring
villages, were formally notified. “They are saying we extended our land apart from what they have on their map,” she explained. “I told them, look at our grant title, we followed the grant title. The Commissioner himself recommended verification with a sworn surveyor, and that is exactly what we did. I don’t see any problem or why this plan is not being accepted.” CONCERNS OVER RELOCATION AND COMPENSATION Adding to the community’s anxiety are reports from community mines rangers that Chan has laid claim to additional concessions across the river in an area local residents call home. While government officials assured Jawalla that Chan would not be granted permission to mine within titled village boundaries, they indicated he might be given alternative claims elsewhere. For Jawalla residents, this
leaves critical questions regarding environmental remediation and financial compensation completely unanswered. “Compensation is one of my big worries,” the Toshao stressed. “I f h e mo v es o u t w ith o u t compensating the village or the affected residents, what happens then? Furthermore, our own residents who rely on small-scale, traditional mining or farming to feed their families are being made to feel like the system is complicated for them, while outside miners are given extra time.” Despite the government’s arrangement with the miner, Jawalla Village intends to press forward with its legal proceedings in November. “My residents told me that we still have to go ahead with the court,” Toshao Henry-Williams affirmed. “We are not happy with the extra time being given to Mr. Chan while our land and waters suffer.”
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GNBS PROMOTING STANDARDS EDUCATION IN CLASSROOMS AND BEYOND As September marks Education Month, observed under the theme, “From C l a s s r o o m s t o Communities, Education Transforms Lives,” the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS) continues to build on its efforts to bring standards and quality awareness into classrooms across the country, and to the wider populace Education plays an integral role in shaping school-aged children, and by extension, communities. GNBS has recognised the value of introducing young people to standards from an early age and has developed educational initiatives to
connect with this demographic. Through these educational initiatives, the Bureau engages primary and secondary school students in activities tailored to demonstrate how standards influence daily life, from the products we purchase to the services we use. At the Primary level, the biennial Standards in Academia Quiz Competition is hosted for pupils, while at the secondary level, lectures and the Impromptu Speech Competitions are held. Additionally, it has become customary for the Bureau to accommodate educational tours of its facilities and laboratories for both primary and secondary school
students. With the approval of the Ministry of Education (MOE), GNBS conducts interactive school lectures with secondary schools countrywide throughout the year. These sessions provide students and teachers with opportunities to learn more about the Bureau, its services and the importance of standards, quality and reliable measurements to national development. The lectures also encourage students to become more informed consumers and future professionals who appreciate the value of quality and compliance. GNBS also hosts school tours for students of primary,
secondary and tertiary levels throughout the year, giving them a closer look at the work conducted within its laboratories. Through these visits, students gain practical insight into the importance of testing, calibration, and verification activities that contribute to consumer protection and the improvement of quality in Guyana. Importantly, the Bureau believes that standards education should not be
limited to technical professionals or businesses. By exposing young people to the importance of standards, GNBS is helping to cultivate a generation of consumers, entrepreneurs, professionals and citizens who are more conscious of quality and its role in sustainable development. GNBS remains committed to working with schools and other stakeholders to ensure that the importance of standards
reaches communities across Guyana. By bringing standards into the classroom today, the GNBS, with the support of MOE, is helping to build a culture of quality that can positively influence the decisions, businesses and communities of tomorrow. For further information on GNBS educational outreaches, tours and more, contact the Bureau at 2190064–66 or via WhatsApp at 692-4627, or visit www.gnbsgy.org.
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26/09/14/10-year-old-killed-afterbeing-struck-by-14-year-oldmotorcyclist/
WEEK-IN-REVIEW SUNDAY Guyana earned US$778M from oil in August – Bank Of Guyana report Guyana has finally begun receiving an increased share of profits from the Stabroek Block as ExxonMobil has recovered its investments in the country. And according to a Bank of Guyana report the profits that flowed into the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) for August is pegged at US$778M using an exchange rate of $208 for one USD. The revenue for August included profit oil and a signing bonus payment. Further details on the amount of oil sold and information on the company that paid the signing bonus were not made available in that report but is likely to be published in the Bank’s quarterly NRF report. That document is not yet available. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/13/guyana-earned-us778mfrom-oil-in-august/ GPL promise enough power for Christmas Faced with an extraordinary growth in demand for electricity due to the prolonged dry season being experienced globally, the Guyana Power and Light Inc (GPL) has been racing to add more generators to the national grid and run additional transmission lines to supply power to customers. The increased usage of electricity has led to a series of trips in the Demerara Berbice Interconnected System (DBIS), leaving Guyanese without power for hours in some instances but GPL does not anticipate this to continue heading into the Christmas season. As explained by the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar who holds responsibility for GPL, the increased usage of power is due to the hot season. The scorching heat
TUESDAY GRA appeals nearly $800M tax ruling over Mohameds’ luxury vehicles
President Irfaan Ali has forced Guyanese to purchase air conditioning (AC) units for their homes, but the Christmas season is likely to bring cooler weather as the rains will step in, according to the minister. This means that although twinkling lights will illuminate houses across the country as per tradition, the cooler weather will prompt citizens to switch off their ACs, allowing GPL to supply enough power needed during the holidays. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/13/gpl-promise-enoughpower-for-christmas/ MONDAY Guyana “calls the shots” in US deportee deal – President Ali …says country is no ‘dumping ground’, deportees are vetted before entering President Irfaan Ali has defended Guyana’s human rights track record and sovereign authority following criticism over a newly finalised migration cooperation framework that saw the country accept its first cohort of third-country U.S. deportees. Speaking in an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday, President Ali rejected assertions that Guyana is compromising its human rights standing or acting as a dumping g r o u n d f o r Wa s h i n g t o n ’s
immigration backlogs. The defence follows the arrival on Friday, September 4th of an initial group of six non-citizen deportees, four originating from Cuba and two from Afghanistan, under a temporary, one-year A s s i s t e d Vo l u n t a r y R e t u r n arrangement managed alongside the International Organization for Migration (IOM). R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/14/guyana-calls-the-shotsin-us-deportee-deal-president-ali/ 10-year-old killed after being struck by 14-year-old motorcyclist …family demands justice A 10-year-old pupil of Ketley Primary School was killed on Saturday after she was struck by a motorcycle allegedly being ridden by a juvenile who was attempting to perform a wheelie along Independence Boulevard. The child, Gabriela Rodrigues, who resided at 17 James Street, was reportedly returning home from a
The Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) has appealed a High Court ruling that quashed nearly $800 million in taxes imposed on Hana Mohamed and Bibi Mohamed and blocked the attempted seizure of their luxury vehicles. The tax authority is asking the Court of Appeal to overturn Justice Gino Persaud’s July 2026 decision, which found that aspects of the GRA’s enforcement actions and long-standing conditions attached to remigrant concessions were unreasonable, unlawful and unsupported by statute. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/15/gra-appeals-nearly800m-tax-ruling-over-mohamedsluxury-vehicles/ GPL operating on razor-thin reserve …generators pushed beyond maintenance deadlines – Patterson Former Minister of Public Infrastructure David Patterson has warned that the Guyana Power and Light Incorporated (GPL) is operating with a razor-thin spinning reserve, leaving the national electricity grid vulnerable to failures and cascading outages. Patterson made the disclosure during a recent episode of Sourcesa NewsSource programme hosted Journalist, Svetlana Marshall. Patterson explained that a properly functioning power grid should maintain between 15% and 20% of its peak generating capacity as spinning reserve. WEDNESDAY Headteacher killed in Rose Hall hit-and-run
Bank Of Guyana
Gabriela Rodrigues, 10, of Ketley Primary School church missionary event when the motorcycle struck her. Witnesses told Kaieteur News that the juvenile rider was attempting to perform the stunt when he lost control of the motorcycle and slammed into Rodrigues. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20
The headteacher of Kildonan Primary School, Sonia Natasha Williams, was struck and killed in an alleged hit-and-run accident on Monday afternoon at Rose Hall, Corentyne. Williams, 51, a graduate headteacher of Kilcoy/Chesney Housing Scheme, Corentyne, was reportedly struck shortly after 3:21 p.m. on the Rose Hall Town Public Road while attempting to open the front passenger-side door of a car in which she was travelling. Police stated that the incident occurred about 3:21pm on Rose Hall Town Public Road, just after Williams had concluded a business transaction at an insurance c o m p a n y. P r e l i m i n a r y investigations disclosed that motorcar #PAK 5566, in which
Sonia Natasha Williams, Headteacher of Kildonan Primary School Williams was at the time of the incident, was parked on the southern side of the road. As she reportedly attempted to open the right-side front door, a white motorcar, which was proceeding west along the road, reportedly collided with Williams and the opened door. After slamming into the woman, the driver fled from the scene. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/16/headteacher-killed-inrose-hall-hit-and-run/ Opposition boycotts Pres. Ali ‘unstructured’ talks …demand genuine consultation Representatives of the opposition-led, We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) and A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parties refused to attend parliamentary sub- committee meetings held by President Irfaan Ali, citing lack of clarity on the agenda. According to a statement issued by President Ali’s Facebook page, the head of state met with members of the Parliamentary SubCommittee on Foreign Relations as part of efforts to further align the work of his government with the legislative arm. During the meeting at the office of the president, the head of state updated representatives of his government on the parliamentary sub-committee on key foreign policy matters, including the ICJ proceedings and the third country national agreement between Guyana and the United States of America. “All members of the committee were invited through the speaker of the national assembly to meet with the president on matters of national importance. However, up to the time of the meeting, the parliamentary opposition members had neither accepted nor declined the invitation to the speaker of the national assembly,” the statement outlined. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/16/opposition-boycottspres-ali-unstructured-talks/ Continued on page 33
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t e m p o r a r i l y, s h o u l d t h e government of Guyana give its approval. READ MORE: https:// kaieteurnewsonline.com/2026/09/ 19/fear-of-return-to-homecountries-diplomatic-hurdles-leadu-s-deportees-to-guyana-sources/
From page 32 THURSDAY ‘Guyana foreign currency burden deepens’ …as more of the country’s debt is owed in US dollars — Mid-Year Report Guyana’s foreign-currency debt has increased over the past year, with nearly 40 percent of the country’s public debt now owed in foreign currencies, leaving the Government more exposed to changes in exchange rates and the cost of servicing that debt. According to the Ministry of Finance’s 2026 Mid-Year Report, foreign-currency debt accounted for 38.6 percent of total PPG debt at the end of June 2026, up from 35.1 percent a year earlier. The corresponding share of domesticcurrency debt fell to 61.4 percent. The report identifies exchange-rate and interest-rate movements as the two major risks requiring close monitoring within Guyana’s debt portfolio. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/17/guyana-foreigncurrency-burden-deepens/ GuyOil and GPL fuel $149.7B public enterprise spending surge Public enterprises plunged into a $3.2 billion deficit at the end of the first half of 2026 as expenditure surged by 53.5 percent to $149.7 billion, outpacing receipts despite a similarly sharp 53.2 percent increase to $146.5 billion. The Ministry of Finance, in its mid-year report, attributed the spending explosion largely to Guyana Oil Company Limited (Guyoil), which faced higher fuel acquisition costs, and Guyana Power and Light Inc. (GPL), which spent more to meet rapidly rising electricity demand and expanded its transmission and distribution programme. The Government is projecting that the public enterprise sector will end the year with an even larger $17.1 billion deficit. According to the report, GPL expenditure grew due to the cost of generating adequate power to meet rapidly growing demand, along with a $24.7 billion growth in its capital programme over the same period in 2025 due to expanded transmission and distribution work. Total receipts increased by 53.2 percent, from $95.6 billion in the first half of 2025 to $146.5 billion in the first half of 2026, with the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) recording a $2.5 billion increase in contributions. Additionally, transfers from Central Government grew by $33.2 billion in the first half of last year to $53.6 billion. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/17/guyoil-and-gpl-fuel-1497b-public-enterprise-spendingsurge/
Guyana’s 2026 oil earnings forecast jumps from US$2.8B to US$6.5B
Guyana has since received six Cuban and Afghan nationals deported from the United States under a two-year arrangement with the administration of President Donald Trump.
FRIDAY US$7.7M for Guyana to take in U.S. deportees …money to fund resettlement, reintegration – U.S. official A U.S. official has confirmed with Kaieteur News that the United States Department of State provided US$7,740,215.00 to support the resettlement and integration of third-country nationals deported from the United States to Guyana. The payout, earmarked strictly for financial and technical support over a two-year period, is being handled directly by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) as the official implementer. Under IOM’s oversight, individuals will receive counselling and education on their options to return to their origin countries, with temporary basic necessities, including accommodation, food, clothing, and household items, provided to those opting for return. President Irfaan Ali firmly assured that “neither Guyana nor IOM will facilitate forced removal.” R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/18/us7-7m-for-guyana-totake-in-u-s-deportees/
reported by the Minister with responsibility for Finance, Dr. Ashni Singh during the presentation of this year’s national budget. Notably, government has already signaled its intent to push the country’s debt to a staggering US$10.3B before the end of 2026. R E A D M O R E : https://kaieteurnewsonline.com/20 26/09/18/govt-borrowed-almostus1b-in-first-six-months-of-2026/ SATURDAY Fear of return to home countries, diplomatic hurdles lead US deportees to Guyana - sources By Khadidja Bâ Well-placed sources have confirmed with Kaieteur News that Guyana’s decision to receive thirdcountry nationals deported from the United States, centers on two
primary factors; severe personal danger and insurmountable diplomatic barriers. According to these sources, many of the affected foreign nationals cite a well-founded fear of violence, retaliation, or systemic discrimination if forced to return to their home countries, making temporary resettlement in a third country like Guyana a viable alternative. Simultaneously, the United States lacks formal diplomatic relations or return agreements with several origin nations, such as Cuba, while other foreign governments flatly refuse to accept their own citizens, leaving these individuals in legal limbo with no direct route home. Under the newly finalised framework, third-country nationals who choose not to return to their countries of origin are given the option to remain in Guyana
At the beginning of this year, the Government of Guyana (GoG) anticipated earnings from the oil and gas sector to reach US$2.8 billion but a revised forecast shows a strong leap to US$6.5 billion The mid-year report published this week by the Ministry of Finance, pointed to the ongoing tension in the Middle East which has pushed oil prices up, helping the country to repay the investments by ExxonMobil in the Stabroek Block earlier than expected. This has resulted in more barrels of oil being directed to Guyana, increasing the country’s share of earnings significantly. Consequently, Guyana is poised to receive 84 oil lifts, instead of 40. The report states, “At the time of preparing Budget 2026, it was anticipated that government would have 40 of the 309 lifts of profit oil expected from the Stabroek Block. Most recent projections now indicate an estimated 326 lifts of profit oil from the Stabroek Block, with an estimated 84 lifts for government, following cost bank desaturation, and planned ramp-up of crude oil production from the One Guyana FPSO.” Each oil lift is equivalent to about one million barrels of oil. READ MORE: https:// kaieteurnewsonline.com/2026/09/ 19/guyanas-2026-oil-earningsforecast-jumps-from-us2-8b-tous6-5b/
Govt. borrowed almost US$1B in first six months of 2026 …as debt service expands by 30% – Mid-Year report The Government of Guyana (GoG) in the first half of 2026 increased the country’s debt by nearly US$1B, growing the nation’s total Public and Publicly Guaranteed (PPG) debt to US$8,573.1 million at the end of June 2026. It would be recalled that Guyana closed the year 2025 with a total debt burden of US$7.7B as
Guyana’s projected earnings from oil have more than doubled.
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Beyond the classroom...
Sunday September 20, 2026
US-based charity founded by GuyaneseAmerican hosts back-to-school initiative for children’s orphanage in Ghana Guyanese American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Onica Charles
Linzy Joy Nkrumah-Gentle, the Ghanaian Representative of ICO delivers the household items to Reverend John Azumah, and the children of Motherly Love Orphanage in Kwabenya, Accra-Ghana. The International Children’s outreach (ICO), a US-based non-profit founded by Guyanese American entrepreneur and philanthropist, Onica Charles on Saturday last, hosted a back to school initiative for children of the Motherly Love Orphanage in Kwabenya, Accra-Ghana.
The orphanage received much needed essential household and food supplies fully sponsored by ICO. ICO has hosted a number of similar initiatives in Guyana and other parts of the Caribbean. The organisation has a similar initiative planned for Guyana to mark its 20th anniversary, next
year. Linzy Joy NkrumahGentle, the Ghanaian Representative of ICO explained that the organisation focuses on supporting the children beyond the classroom and contributing to the environment that cares for them every day.
She noted that returning to school is about more than having books in a bag. It is also about having the everyday support, nourishment and care that allow a child to learn, grow and look forward to what comes next. “So today we are here to make an impactful move. That’s an outreach for the Motherly Love Orphanage. Back to school season usually is about giving out backpacks and stuff, but this time we decided to make a [switch] on it. We decided to find the homes that are
actually taking care of and feeding their children that are going to school by bringing in some beautiful items to service and furnish the household,” she said in a video shared by ICO. To make the initiative a success the Ghanian representative met with Reverend John Azumah, who manages the home. Upon receipt of the items, Reverend Azumah expressed his gratitude. He said “We appreciate the items… We want to say a very big thank you to you and to your team for
organising such a wonderful day with these beautiful items. The children are happy. I’m happy myself because our kitchen staff will be very happy now because everything they need is here.” In a release, ICO said the simple but meaningful intention behind the project is to help ease some of the home’s everyday needs while creating a moment that reminds the children that they are seen, valued and supported. “It is with this in mind that a special back-to-school outreach took place on the 1 2 t h S e p t e m b e r, 2 0 2 6 bringing together essential food supplies, toiletries, household necessities and more for the home,” the release outlined. According to the charity, “This project is ultimately not about how many boxes, bags or baskets are delivered. Rather, it is about the positive impact those items are intended to have on the lives behind them. Because when a child’s everyday needs are taken care of, there is more room for that child to focus on learning, experience the joy of childhood and dream about the future.”
Physical abuse is not discipline...
Representatives of the International Children’s outreach share a moment with Reverend John Azumah.
From page 25 decision-making, physical health and later relationship functioning. Physical maltreatment has also been associated with greater vulnerability to personality pathology. Strong evidence linking several forms of childhood adversity, including physical abuse, with borderline personality disorder risk. Additionally, depression, anxiety, PTSD symptoms, dissociation, emotional dysregulation, low self-worth, hostility, substance misuse, relationship instability, mistrust and difficulties managing anger. But these are risks—not destinies. PSYCHOLOGICAL STRENGTH Stopping physical punishment does not mean permissive parenting. Children require boundaries. They need rules. They need consequences. They need adults strong
enough to say no. The difference is that authority does not require violence. BREAK THE INHERITANCE Many parents disciplined children according to what they had been taught. They were beaten. Their parents were beaten. Their teachers beat students. Violence became culturally normal partly because it was repeatedly inherited. But psychological inheritance does not have to become psychological destiny. The goal, therefore, should not simply be to raise children who obey. Guyana needs children who can think. Children who can regulate emotion. Children who can resolve conflict. Children who possess self-worth.Children who can disagree respectfully. Children who know that love and pain are not synonyms.
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Sunday September 20, 2026
g tin s... s re re e t In eatu Cr - The newly identified cat species
Leopardus Tilcayo
Reuters — Scientists have identified a new tiger cat species in the cloud forest region of Bolivia, marking the first discovery of a living feline in over a century. The discovery could rewrite the evolutionary history of small South American cats and pose new challenges for their conservation. South American cats, wild felines smaller than housecats known as tigrillos, were considered to be one species. But a new analysis of genome samples and museum specimens reveals that they comprise five distinct species. One of the five species, named Leopardus tilcayo, was found in Yungas, the eastern slope of the Andes where the mountain range meets the Amazon basin in Bolivia. Measuring at 45-50cm long, with a tail of 10in, L tilcayo is smaller than an average housecat, according to a study detailing the discovery published in the journal Current Biology. The tiger cat weighs just 1.4-2kg. A subspecies, called Leopardus tigrinus antisuyo, was also found in the Yungas of Peru. Its name is inspired by a region of the Inca Empire where the feline is currently located. In spite of their similar appearances, tigrillos belong
A Leopardus tilcayo cat, a newly Identified species (Reuters)
National Geographic explorer Paola Nogales Ascarrunz led the study that identified Leopardus tilcayo as a new species. (Reuters)
to different evolutionary lineages. Researchers made the discovery after a scientist who was volunteering at the sanctuary noticed the cat looked unusual. It had been found in the forest by a local resident, who believed it was a domestic kitten, but it soon it became clear that it did not behave like a house cat. According to NBC News, the man had fed the animal noodles, rice and eggs, before realising it was wild and that he could not take care of it - so he brought it to the sanctuary. Scientists studied genomes collected from 38 felines in different countries across South America. The
genetic data of at least eight cats was obtained from their specimens preserved in museums. This allowed them to reconstruct with greater precision the evolutionary relationships between the different lineages. The major finding from the study was the recognition of Leopardus tilcayo as a separate species. Recognising that tiger cats do not correspond to a single species carries important consequences for their conservation, researchers say. The felines face increasing threats, including the loss and fragmentation of their habitats, as well as hunting and diseases
Kabaka Pyramid Revisits... From page 24 that it became a defining part of his sound. That shift did not happen overnight, and the original “Rebel Music” captures him right in the middle of it. What made the 2011 project stand out was how much it packed in. Reggae, hip-hop, dancehall, and soul were all in the mix, held together by a lyrical density that felt almost uncommon for the era. Kabaka was writing with real wit and precision, making observations about the world around him that landed more like poetry than standard verse. Fifteen years on, the question the interview keeps circling is what has actually changed and what has not. Some things are obvious. The Grammy win, the wider audience, the comfort with melody, the growth in
craft. But Kabaka’s core instinct, that drive to say something real and say it with sharpness, seems to have survived every phase of his evolution intact. T h e “ Ly r i c s Ta p e ” framing is a deliberate choice worth paying attention to. It signals that this is not just a nostalgia project or a reissue. It is a recontextualisation, a way of foregrounding the writing itself and asking listeners to hear those early songs as documents of a specific mind at a specific moment. That is a confident move for an artist who could easily have just coasted on his current reputation. For longtime followers of his career, this project offers something genuinely interesting, a chance to trace the line between who he was and who he became.
For newer listeners, it functions almost like an origin story told in real time, with the benefit of hindsight built into how it is being presented and discussed. Munchy’s conversation with him draws out the personal weight of all this too. Going back to the beginning of a career is not always comfortable, especially when that beginning captures you midtransition, still working things out in public. The fact that Kabaka seems to embrace rather than distance himself from that version of his artistry says something about where he is now. The interview was published on 15 September, 2026, and the conversation it has started among fans and critics about Kabaka’s lyrical legacy is still very much in motion. th
transmitted by domestic animals. Some of the newly
identified s pecies als o inhabit ecosystems that may be significantly affected by climate change. The populations of these cats suffer from low genetic diversity, meaning their ability to respond to environmental changes may be limited. In light of the latest findings, it is no longer enough to address the conservation of the tiny cats as if they are a single species,
researchers say. Each lineage requires focused studies on its distribution, genetic d i v e r s i t y, t h r e a t s , a n d conservation needs. “Altogether, our results clarify the evolutionary history of a complex radiation of wild cats, reveal novel taxa, and serve as a basis for conservation planning on behalf of these elusive wild cats,” they said in the study.
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Sunday September 20, 2026
The Missing Star Badge A quick flash of sunlight in the treehouse sends Emily and Jack chasing the missing star badge at last. But the badge is not waiting in the storage nook. It is high above them, hiding in plain sight. Emily was lining up the old acorn badges on the treehouse shelf when a bright dot bounced across the wall. She froze and looked at Jack. “Did you see that?” Jack looked up from the floor. “If you mean my amazing acorn tower, yes.” “Not that,” Emily said, pointing toward the wall. “The light.” A tiny gleam skipped over the table, touched the silver bell, and vanished. Jack stood up quickly. “Okay. That was real.” Emily hurried to the hidden nook behind the little treehouse door. Every old badge was there except the missing one. The empty space was shaped like a star. Jack leaned beside her and said, “Maybe the light has something to do with the missing badge.” Emily nodded. “If the original club left clues, they might have used sunlight too.” Just then, the bright dot flashed again. This time it landed near the window. Emily grabbed her notebook. “Outside. Now.” They climbed down and moved around the treehouse, stopping every few steps to look back
at the window. “Tilt your head,” Jack said. “No, the other way. Now you look like a puzzled duck.” Emily ignored him and kept staring through the branches. Suddenly, she stopped. “Wait.” A small flash winked from high in the old oak near the treehouse. Jack pointed toward it. “That tree.” Under the oak, the grass was full of twigs and moss. Emily looked up again. At first, all she could see were leaves. Then a robin suddenly zipped out from the branches, and something inside the nest flashed once more. Jack let out a low whistle. “A nest.” Emily stared at it. “A bird must have carried the badge there.” Jack nodded. “Because birds love shiny things. And because the old club probably did not plan for robins.” Emily gave him a quick look. “That is a very fair detective note.” The nest sat on a branch much too high for either of them to reach. Emily fetched the old step stool they had found by the creek. She climbed up and stretched as far as she could, but her fingers waved in empty air. “Not even close,” Jack said. They searched around the tree and found an old rake near the ferns. Jack held it up hopefully, but Emily shook her head. “Too poky. We cannot scare the bird or ruin the nest.” They both looked up at the branch again. Then Jack glanced back at the treehouse window. “What if we are solving the wrong part first?” Emily frowned. “What do you mean?” Jack pointed toward the treehouse. “The badge has already been sending the light into the treehouse. Maybe the light is the clue. Maybe we need to see where it lands.” Emily broke into a smile. “Jack, that is brilliant.” He put a hand on his chest. “Please write that down forever.” They hurried back into the treehouse and waited for the next flash. It came a minute later,
right across the hidden nook. Emily crouched low and watched carefully. “It is landing under the badge shelf.” Jack dropped beside her. “That board looks different.” He was right. One narrow strip of wood under the shelf had a tiny groove. Emily pressed it, but nothing happened. Then the flash returned and landed directly on the groove. Emily slipped her fingernail into it and tugged. A skinny wooden drawer slid out with a soft scrape. Inside was a round metal mirror no bigger than a cookie. Jack picked it up carefully. “A mirror?” Emily turned it over and noticed the acorn symbol on the back, along with a little star-shaped dent. She looked from the dent to the empty star space in the nook. “The missing badge still matters. This mirror needs it.” Suddenly, the mystery felt bigger than ever. But first, they still had to get the badge down. Emily thought for a moment before saying, “We need someone taller with the right tool.” Jack grinned. “Finally. A plan that does not involve me becoming a squirrel.” They ran to the park path and found Mr. Lopez, the groundskeeper, trimming low branches near the picnic tables. Emily explained that a shiny object was stuck in the nest, carefully leaving out the secret drawer part. Mr. Lopez followed them to the oak and looked up. “That does look like a badge.” He fetched a tall orchard pole with a soft basket on the end from his cart. “I use this for stuck balls and toy airplanes,” he explained. “A badge should be easy.” The robin had already flown to a nearby branch, so Mr. Lopez moved slowly and gently. He lifted only the shiny badge from the edge of the nest without disturbing anything else. It dropped into the basket with a tiny clink. Jack pumped both fists. “Yes!” Mr. Lopez handed the badge down to them. “Here you go, detectives.” Emily and Jack thanked him about six times before hurrying back to the treehouse. The badge was warm from the sun. It was wooden, shaped like a star, and painted with a faded silver edge. Emily and Jack hurried back up to the treehouse and slid the star badge into the empty space in the hidden nook. Click. Both children jumped. The round mirror in Emily's hand fit perfectly over the badge. She pressed them together. Click again. A second panel popped open behind the shelf. Inside was a rolled piece of thick paper tied with pale blue thread. Jack whispered, “No way.” Emily untied it and carefully unrolled it on the table. There was no big map this time. Instead, there was a drawing of a round clock face and one short line from the original club: “Find the clock before moonrise. If you are reading this, you are closer than we ever were.” Jack read the message twice. “A clock? In the woods?” Emily touched the old paper gently. “Maybe near the treehouse. Maybe by the roots. Maybe somewhere we have walked right past.” Jack looked at the badge, the mirror, and the note spread across the table. “The original club really loved making us work for this.” Emily tucked the note into her notebook. “Maybe they wanted the next club to learn the same thing they did.” “Which is?” Jack asked. Emily looked out at Whisper Woods. “Pay attention. Help first. And never ignore a weird flash in the window.” Jack gave a soft laugh. “That is a solid rule.” Emily slid the star badge back into its place, where it finally belonged. Then she looked toward the woods and said, “Tomorrow, we find the clock.”
e k a M o t How te a l P r e p a aP aft r C n i k p Pum What you need: two paper plates black paint orange paint tea light candle (battery operated) green pipe cleaner (you can omit it or switch it for green paper) – some tape to secure the pipe cleaner scissors glue pencil (or similar) Step by Step Tutorial Choose your plates. Use two small or large paper plates. Paint the inside black. Paint the food side of both plates black. Paint the backs orange. Let both plates dry completely. Stack the plates. Place the black side facing each other. Cut a straight opening at the bottom.
Draw the face. Use a pencil or marker to draw a pumpkin face on one plate. Cut out the face. Carefully cut out the eyes, nose, and mouth. For easier cutting, make a small starting hole with a pencil. Add the stem. Curl a green pipe cleaner and attach it to the top. You can also use green paper. Add glue. Apply glue around the edge of one plate. Do not glue along the opening. Join the plates. Place the second plate on top. Use clothespins to hold them together while the glue dries. Check the opening. Make sure the bottom opening is large enough for the tea light. Add the tea light. Push a battery-operated tea light through the opening. Secure it with tape if needed. Light it up! Turn on the tea light and enjoy your glowing pumpkin. Turn off the lights and enjoy the show!
TRAIN TRACKS by Krazydad Complete the railroad track that connects the entrance and exit pieces. The finished track can't fork nor cross itself. The digits show the number of track pieces in each row or column. There is a unique solution that can be found without guessing.
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
Develop practical steps to develop your Sense of Personal Competence SOLVING AND COPING SKILLS. In every instance of someone These are the stages by which working towards achieving a goal, you can develop this important sense of problems would arise. These would being able to achieve the things which involve those that have to do with the you plan to do so that you can be assured way the goal has to be reached, as well of success:as those which relate to the abilities of 1. FIND OUT THE OPTIONS the person who is working towards the AND ALTERNATIVES AT YOUR goal. DISPOSAL. Identify the skills you would need in When someone is faced with a your work, and then submit yourself to problem to be solved, or a goal to be the training to gain them and apply them achieved, the first thing that needs to be to the problems at hand. Also, you done is to identify what are the options would need to form positive attitudes or alternatives available to deal with the while tackling problems, so that you are problem or to achieve the goal. not easily discouraged when things In many cases, a young person seem to be going wrong. would not know what resources that can Many people react to the pressures help in this process are available. When which they experience while this is so, then one must not be too proud attempting to gain success at any or too reserved to ask someone to assist undertaking by taking to drugs, in this respect. w i thdrawing or denying, or avoiding 2 . D E V E L O P PROBLEMthe problem by giving up. When you live with full confidence that you are If at school, they would living your special purpose in life, you will have cut classes or drop out entirely. Others may get more chance of success while disturbed emotionally, or working towards your goals. even move to reacting with violence. Here again, a young
person should seek the support of competent persons to help to build selfconfidence. Encouragement during a period of frustration will keep them focused on their goals and acting positively towards their achievement. 3 . E VA L U A T E Y O U R PROGRESS PERIODICALLY. Self-evaluation and assessment of your progress is continually necessary to keep you on the right track. When this is done efficiently, then an effort can be made to adjust or correct any deviation from the right direction. 4 . S AT I S FA C T I O N W I L L COME FROM DOING YOUR BEST. Many times we will fall short of achieving exactly what we planned to do. This should not discourage us and prevent us from setting other goals to be accomplished. The fact that we have done our best at any undertaking is enough for us to accept the satisfaction which we deserve, and will go a long way towards our achieving success in future endeavours. We hope you work diligently to follow these guides, and so develop your unique purpose of your life.
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INVICTUS
by William Ernest Henley
Out of the night that covers me, Black as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whatever gods may be For my unconquerable soul. In the fell clutch of circumstance I have not winced nor cried aloud. Under the bludgeonings of chance My head is bloody, but unbowed. Beyond this place of wrath and tears Looms but the Horror of the shade, And yet the menace of the years Finds and shall find me unafraid. It matters not how strait the gate, How charged with punishments the scroll, I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.
Solutions to last week’s To solve the cryptogram, replace one letter for another in each of the encrypted words. Use the key table at the top of the page to keep track of the letter substitutions.
SUGURU
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Mind Your Business
“I Good” — The Psychology of Carrying Everything and Telling Nobody - Why the Strongest Person in the Family May Be the One Quietly Falling Apart By Dr. Eon Andre George, PhD, EdD
A
sk some people how they are doing and the answer arrives almost automatically:”I good.”Two words.The bills are behind. The relationship is struggling. Somebody in the family is sick. Work is exhausting. Sleep has become difficult. They have not felt like themselves for months.But still:”I good.” For many people, adulthood gradually
becomes the art of carrying things without allowing anybody to see how heavy they are. You go to work. You take care of the children. You send the money. You answer the phone. You solve everybody else’s problems. You show up at the funeral, wedding, birthday, church service, family gathering, or work meeting. And somewhere along the way, people become so accustomed to you being strong that they stop asking whether strength is costing you something.
An Identity There is nothing wrong with being strong. Resilience—the ability to adapt during adversity—is psychologically valuable. Families and communities have survived extraordinary hardship because people learned to endure, improvise, sacrifice, and continue moving.But there is a difference between resilience and emotional suppression.Resilience says: This is difficult, but I can work through it.Suppression says: I must pretend this is not affecting
me.That difference matters. Psychologist James Gross’s work on Emotion Regulation helps explain why. Emotion regulation refers to the ways people influence which emotions they experience, when they experience them, and how those emotions are expressed. One strategy is e x p r e s s i v e suppression—feeling an emotion but deliberately preventing others from seeing it. Sometimes suppression is useful. You may need to compose yourself temporarily at work or remain calm during an emergency.The problem comes when temporary emotional control becomes a permanent lifestyle. A person becomes skilled at looking fine without actually being fine. The One Everybody Calls Imagine a woman in her forties. She is the dependable one.When her mother needs something, she calls her. When a sibling is short on money, she finds a way. When somebody needs transportation, advice, help with a child, or somebody to organise a family matter, her telephone rings. She rarely complains because everybody says the same thing:”You know she strong.” Then one evening she sits alone in her car after work.She does not want to go inside. Nothing dramatic has happened that day. She is simply tired; not the kind of tired sleep fixes, but the kind that comes from feeling responsible for everybody while believing there is nobody available to carry you. The next morning she gets dressed. Someone asks, “Everything good?” “Big Man Don’t Cry” Gender adds another layer.Many boys grow up receiving direct and indirect l e s s o n s a b o u t masculinity:”Stop crying.””Take it like a man.””Big man don’t behave so.”The intention may be to create toughness. But the child can receive a different psychological lesson:Pain should be hidden.The emotion does not disappear because expression has been discouraged. Instead, sadness may emerge as irritability. Fear may become
Dr. Eon Andre George, PhD, EdD aggression. Rejection may become drinking, withdrawal, reckless behaviour, or anger. A man may therefore say he is not depressed because depression, in his mind, means lying in bed crying.Meanwhile, he has stopped enjoying things, s l e e p s p o o r l y, i s o l a t e s himself, drinks more, becomes easily irritated, and feels hopeless.The label is r e j e c t e d . T h e s u ff e r i n g remains. The Body Sometimes Speaks Emotional distress does not always announce itself as sadness.Sometimes it arrives t h r o u g h t h e body.Headaches.Muscle tension.Poor sleep.Fatigue. Difficulty concentrating. Changes in appetite. A racing heart.Persistent stomach discomfort. This does not mean physical symptoms should automatically be assumed to be psychological; medical problems require appropriate medical evaluation. But stress and emotional distress can influence physical functioning. The mind and body are not separate tenants who happen to occupy the same address. They constantly communicate. That is why chronic stress can become so exhausting. The person may appear to be sitting quietly while internally the body remains prepared for the next problem. Survival T h i s b e c o m e s particularly important when we consider the history of communities where survival demanded extraordinary emotional endurance. Poverty, migration, political i n s t a b i l i t y, f a m i l y separation, economic uncertainty, bereavement, and limited access to psychological services have taught generations of people to keep moving. You work. You pray. You manage. You don’t make your business everybody’s business. Those strategies helped people survive real hardship. But a survival strategy can
remain long after the original danger has passed.A person can become so accustomed to surviving that they no longer know how to live without anticipating the next crisis.Psychology sometimes describes this through hypervigilance—a heightened state of watching for possible threat. When people have repeatedly experienced instability or danger, being constantly prepared can feel safer than relaxing. Eventually, peace itself can feel unfamiliar. Ask for Help Perhaps we need to rethink what strength looks like. Strength can be going to work when life is difficult. But strength can also be admitting, “I am struggling.”Strength can be supporting your family. But it can also be telling your family, “I need support too.”Strength can be praying.It can also be speaking with a counselor, psychologist, physician, trusted friend, or another appropriate source of support. These are not opposites. Human beings were never designed to experience every burden alone. Context The person who says “I good” may actually be good.But sometimes those words are armor.Behind them may be grief, anxiety, depression, financial pressure, loneliness, exhaustion, family responsibility, or simply years of being the person everybody expects to cope. That is why we should occasionally ask twice. Not a g g r e s s i v e l y. N o t intrusively. Just sincerely, “No, really. How you doing?”And perhaps we should become brave enough, when someone asks us the same question, to occasionally give an answer longer than two words. Because being strong should not require becoming invisible. Sometimes the strongest thing a person can say is not “I good.” It is “I need somebody too.”
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Not Every Voyage Has an Ithaca… A daughter’s grief for those lost at sea in MV Barima Tragedy By Jasmine Cort Growing up, I had a strong interest in Greek Mythology; I found the tales humorous, some magical, and others insightful, with valuable lessons I could adapt in life. One of my favourites was the tale of Odysseus, King of Ithaca, fighting to get home after the Trojan War; a journey that should have taken two weeks took him 10 years. This tale was brought to screens all over the world, and I was thrilled to go see it. Saturday 18th July, 2026, I went to watch The Odyssey, a film whose visuals and cinematography showed storms rising and oceans becoming larger than scenery an ancient story about survival, about a man trying desperately to make his way home. A vivid retelling of Homer’s epic tale. All the while, I sat there engrossed; the waves of the Atlantic Ocean were swallowing the MV Barima and, with it, the lives of my
An old photo holds cherished childhood memories for Jasmine and her father memories of this night around what I know now, while also knowing that there is absolutely nothing I can do now that will change the outcome. Was watching this movie my omen? Was it telling me something was wrong outside the walls of movie town, miles into the Atlantic Ocean? It may mean nothing to most, but to me, who has a
Brothers Neil and Kenneth Cort engaged in a game of dominos perished at sea when the Barima sank offshore Guyana
epic hero, my father Neil Cort, and my uncle Kenrick Cort, along with scores of other souls. They were living a nightmare of a story; a story I will spend my whole life wishing had ended differently. There is a type of cruelty knowing this only in retrospect. My own personal Hades. I have rearranged my
father I would choose in every life, whose mortal body is still lost, the parallels of that night are inescapable. As I sat there watching a movie whose main theme was coming home, my own father was not coming home. WHEN POSEIDON WORE A HUMAN FACE I n H o m e r ’s s t o r y, Odysseus angers Poseidon, the Greek God of the sea, which makes his return to
Ithaca almost impossible. Years pass while storms come, ships are destroyed, men die, islands intervene. Still, Odysseus wants one thing: home. My father may have been only miles from shore and his family, but still, we could not bring him home. The sea was not the only obstacle that kept him from us. Our obstacles have names like maintenance schedules, safety regulations, procurement procedures, investigations, and commissions. To me, Poseidon wears human faces, sits behind desks, and, when something goes wrong, holds press conferences. I n 2 0 2 2 , t h e government’s own information service, DPI, described the MV Barima as 88 years old; it had been docked for emergency repairs and reported that its systems had been “heavily compromised.” An estimated 90 million GYD was allocated for repairs. On 18th July , a mere four years after this emergency repair, MV Barima went to sea. It did not return. Neither did my father. Neither did my uncle. Neither did over 100 others. And two months later, my family is still trying to complete a journey that began that Saturday afternoon at 3:00pm. The ancient Greeks believed Poseidon could raise the seas, redirect the winds, and decide whether a man reached shore. But today, when the forces directing a voyage are human when they involve
human decisions, human systems, human regulations, and human institutions then they must also be subject to human questions, r e s p o n s i b i l i t y, accountability, and justice. After the sinking, the Minister of Public Works publicly stated there had been no report suggesting the vessel was unseaworthy and that it was operating within its maintenance schedule. However, leaked records allegedly documented urgent defects and repair requests as recently as March 2026, 3 months before the disaster. Those accounts now sit side by side, and families like mine are left waiting for answers. THE GODS OF PAPER AND PROMISES “Tell me, State, what many promises can float while a ship remains below”. Governments have a language for tragedy. Investigations will be conducted. Lessons will be learned. Those responsible will be held accountable. No stone will be left unturned. Families will be supported. Those sentences float remarkably well; meanwhile, the boat remains underwater, approximately
Jasmine and her father, Neil Cort 13-15 meters deep. Weeks have passed. The wreck remained beneath the water. The government closed the expression of interest to salvage the vessel on 14th Aug, 2026, 27 days after its sinking. The wreck remained beneath the water. 25 days later, on 8th September, 2026, the bids were announced as “opened,” and the public, along with families, was made aware of the number of bidders and the cost in GYD of each bid. The wreck remained beneath the water. “I have not been briefed comprehensively on the bidding, where they are with it,” the President addressed reporters on 14th September,
A moment of grief for the Cort family
2026. More words, more procedures. More waiting. The wreck remains beneath the water, and perhaps inside it are people whose families are still waiting for them to make their journeys home. My father could be one of them. My uncle could be one of them. That’s the difference between bureaucratic language of institutions and grief. An institution can say “missing “; a daughter says, “My father has not come home.” Can the government guarantee the bodies of our loved ones by salvaging the vessel? No, but maybe we can Continued on page 46
Kaieteur News
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Sunday September 20, 2026
“Visual arts is dying in Guyana... I wish I never came back home.”
Master Sculptor Lionel Simon and his artwork
- Master sculptor, Lionel Simon
By Khadidja Ba Sitting in a quiet room surrounded by hand-carved mahogany, master sculptor Lionel Aubrey Simon speaks with a raw, aching honesty. Each line etched into his sculptures represents decades of passion, but today, his hands tell a heavier
story, one of exhaustion, systemic neglect, and the painful quiet of an art form slowly slipping away. Years ago, in Antigua, Simon lived a life steeped in dignity. His craft was respected, his talents sought after by high-ranking officials, including Prime
Minister Gaston Browne. Overseas, he was an artist with a livelihood, given direct access to raw materials and celebrated for his gifts. But driven by a deep love for his roots, he returned to Guyana during the pandemic. Instead of a welcome, he met a wall of indifference. TRAPPED BY A BROKEN SYSTEM Simon’s return home quickly turned into a fight against institutional dead ends. Seeking a Caribbean Single Market and Economy (CSME) Skills Certificate to work and travel, he was told he needed a Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ). “When I went to them, they said I probably could have gotten the CSME because I’m skilled... I didn’t have to get a qualification,” Simon shared in an interview with Kaieteur News. “But
when I went back with all the relevant documents... they said I’d have to get a CVQ. But nobody teaches it here in Guyana in my field. So how am I going to get my CVQ?” It is an agonizing catch22, a system demanding a certificate that no local institution actually teaches for visual artists, effectively trapping master creators in administrative limbo. SQUEEZED OUT OF A LIVELIHOOD The hardship stretches into every corner of a sculptor’s daily life. Simple tools of the trade, like specialized carving bits are non-existent in local shops, forcing artists to order abroad at costs they can barely afford. Sourcing wood legally involves suffocating red tape, while the market for their art has almost entirely collapsed. D e c a d e s a g o , Georgetown’s Main Street
Av e n u e h u m m e d w i t h energy, a vibrant strip where tourists and locals admired hand-carved heritage. Today, that culture is a distant memory. “Main Street was Main Street in the days, like about 4 to 5 years ago,” Simon recalled softly. Today, the few remaining sculptors are forced to leave their intricate creations on consignment in craft shops, waiting months on end for a sale while bills and family expenses pile up unanswered. “I’M GOING DOWN WITH A FIGHT” Across Guyana, the community of master sculptors has dwindled to a tragic few. Sickness, aging, and relentless economic pressure have taken their toll. Some have suffered debilitating strokes; others have been forced to abandon their chisels entirely to work as security guards just to put
food on the table. Yet, amid the grief, Simon’s spirit remains fiercely unyielding. “The artists right now in Guyana, they are suffering,” he said, his voice tightening. “Many of them have to go and do other stuff... But I maintain, me ain’t getting into any of that. I’m not going to let this art die like that. I’m going down with the fight.” Simon is pleading with the Ministry of Tourism, Industry, and Commerce, alongside cultural leaders, to see the human lives behind the craft before the art form vanishes completely. “Guyana needs to understand... this is affecting us as a people. It’s part of our culture,” Simon urged. “We have families, we have bills... all I need is for them to lift up the artists and the arts and crafts body, so that we can have a better life.”
Master Sculptor Lionel Simon’s artwork
Sunday September 20, 2026
Kaieteur News
ACADO
ACADO's multi-million-dollar facility at Rome
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opens multimil ion $$$ Rome distribution hub
…as DeAbreu family marks 35 years of growth ACADO Guyana Inc.formerly, DeSinco Trading on Friday commissioned its multimillion-dollar, state-of-theart distribution centre at Rome along the Heroes Highway. The 85,000-square-foot facility is being positioned as a major consumer goods distribution and marketing entity that supplies an array of trusted international and regional brands across food and beverage, home care, beauty, personal care, and pharmaceuticals. The enterprise was originally established in 1992 as DeSinco Trading by Frank DeAbreu and his wife, Deomattie. DeAbreu then a life insurance salesman, pooled his limited resources to pursue smallscale "suitcase trading"-importing items like cricket balls, Jamaican Ambi, and Lander products. Speaking at the ceremony, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Alicia DeAbreu recalled how her parents started the business in a small garage under their home, which quickly expanded directly into their family's living space. “My parents started the business with the intention of becoming a leading distributor in Guyana,” Alicia shared. “They started very small and humble, with very little financials... They made up for it in integrity and honesty, and these values were their biggest collateral, worth more than any land or
building.” Fourteen years ago, following a difficult personal turning point when her father suffered an accident, Alicia assumed responsibility as CEO, a moment that marked her own baptism by fire into executive leadership. Under her stewardship, the business continually scaled. In January 2015, the enterprise formed a strategic regional alliance by partnering with Caribbean Distribution Partners (CDP), a joint venture between Goddard Enterprises and Agostini Limited. Known for years as DeSinco Limited, the business eventually integrated and officially rebranded to ACADO Guyana in 2025. The newly commissioned Rome facility represents an 18month construction effort completed in September 2025. Built to international standards, the hub integrates eco-friendly waste management systems alongside a fully automated Warehouse Management System featuring First Expiry, First Out (FEFO) capabilities,a modern upgrade designed to streamline supply chains right across the country. Founder Frank DeAbreu, in reflecting on ACADO's 35-year journey, credited his family, employees, financial institutions, suppliers and business partners for supporting the company's growth. “It was about people. It was about
A section of the gathering at the commissioning ceremony
Mr. Franck DeAbreu cuts the ribbon to officially opens the new facility trust. It was about taking risks when you had little, giving your word and recognising people who believed in you,” Mr. DeAbreu said. Meanwhile, delivering the feature address at the launch, Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce Susan Rodrigues highlighted ACADO's journey from a small family-owned business established by the DeAbreu's in 1992 to a company with a national footprint and regional partnerships. “Today is an important day because we are not simply recognising the growth of a company. We are recognising more than three decades of enterprise,
resilience, partnership and confidence,” the Minister said. She reflected on Mr. DeAbreu's account of the company's humble beginnings and the risks, relationships and determination that shaped its growth, noting that these stories are important lessons for Guyana's younger generation. Minister Rodrigues noted the new facility comes at a time of significant economic expansion and emphasised that Guyana's transformation extends beyond the energy sector. “Economic transformation is not only about large infrastructure projects or the energy sector. It is also about building the productive
capacity of Guyanese businesses, strengthening our distribution and logistics networks, expanding manufacturing and services, creating jobs, and ensuring that businesses have the infrastructure and partnerships required to compete.” She also highlighted the importance of regional partnerships, pointing to ACADO's collaboration with the Agostini Group as an example of how Guyanese family-owned businesses can leverage regional expertise, networks and capabilities to expand their operations. Minister Rodrigues on behalf of H i s E x c e l l e n c y, P r e s i d e n t Mohamed Irfaan Ali and the Government of Guyana, commended ACADO for its investment in its workforce and its corporate social responsibility initiatives, while reaffirming Government's commitment to creating an environment in which businesses can invest, innovate, expand and create opportunities. She congratulated the DeAbreu family, the Agostini Group, ACADO's management and staff, and all partners involved in the company's development, wishing the company continued growth and success as it enters this new chapter.
Kaieteur News
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By Allyiah Allicock A s w e conti nue to highlight the remark a b l e stories of what inspired young people to become entrepreneurs, today we turn our attention to two aspiring lawyers, and best friends, Aaliyah Henry and Elektra Osborne, the dynamic duo behind 'Twisted Lemon'. Twisted Lemon, for those who may not be familiar with the brand, is a small business that provides refreshing drinks, lemonades or cocktails made with real fruits that provide an authentic flavour in every drink. The business was officially launched on 6th July, 2024 by 19year-olds Henry and Osborne who are second-year law students at
the University of Guyana. Speaking on their decision to open Twisted Lemon, the young women in a recent interview with Kaieteur News shared that during 2024, they were CAPE Law students, and the reality of the financial expenses associated with their chosen career path had set in. “Due to these circumstances, we had conversations about starting a business, though we weren't quite certain what to do. However, we came across a TikTok about a law student abroad using her lemonade business to fund her studies, and in that moment, we decided that's what we were going to do, but with our Guyanese twist to it,” the aspiring lawyers explained. T h e i r
A glimpse of the refreshing lemonades Twisted Lemon has to offer you.
Sunday September 20, 2026
Aspiring lawyers and the owners of Twisted Lemon, Aaliyah Henry and Elektra Osborne
business which has now been around for just little over two years has been making tremendous strides and have been grabbing the attention of many.From since their launch, the young women said that the support base has been absolutely wonderful. Whether it is from family or friends or even strangers, they noted that
everyone has shown tremendous support. “Many persons have even encouraged us to expand in one or another, which have motivated us to add new drinks to our menu and even to have more frequent pop-ups,” they added. Grateful for it all, they noted however, that their entrepreneurial journey have had its share of challenges just like any other small business out there. “Surprisingly, most of the challenges we've encountered have been in recent times. One of these challenges is finding a permanent location, and the search has been a great hassle because it seems like we keep looking, and we've not been able to find the ideal spot,” they disclosed. While still working through this, they noted that other than that, with the rise of their cocktail bars and drinks station, they finally have a drinks competition which has just motivated them to come out with creative ideas and new drinks. Continuing to build their way up, the young entrepreneurs related to this publication that their long-term goal with Twisted Lemon is to build a brand, make it a household name that has numerous locations. “While this might not be soon, we are working towards this goal every day,” they
expressed. Committed to putting in the work and achieving it all, our featured entrepreneurs are of the view that young entrepreneurs play a dual role in society; they act as both a buffer and a motivator. “As a buffer these individuals ease the quiet feeling that success is somehow out of reach, showing that it doesn't take connections and privileges to build a business. Moreover, as a motivator, they push other young individuals to actually develop and foster these ideas and dreams that they have rather than just sitting on an idea they had,” they explained. Meanwhile, when asked what advice they have for those who looking to start their own business, Henry and Osborne said “We would tell them not to be afraid; take that risk! I mean, you would not know until you try, and you try and learn rather than not try at all. We would also like them to know that a business has good days and bad days but just push through because in the end those challenges you faced can add to your success story.” For those looking to learn more about Twisted Lemon and what they have to offer feel free to contact them via Instagram, Facebook, or Tiktok at twistedlemon.gy.
Sunday September 20, 2026
Kaieteur News
Students turn waste into runway-worthy fashion at TVET Expo 2026
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reativity took centre stage on Wednesday as students from secondary schools across Guyana transformed discarded and recyclable materials into striking fashion pieces during the 'Trash to Fashion Show', one of the featured activities of the TVET Expo & Fair 2026. Held at the Arthur Chung Convention Centre under the theme “Recycle. Reinvent. Runway.”, the showcase challenged students to rethink the possibilities of materials that are often considered waste and demonstrate how creativity, technical skills and innovation can come together to create something new. The Trash to Fashion Show featured four categories: Casual Wear (Recycled Chic), Professional/Career Wear, Creative/Avant-Garde, and Cultural/Themed Wear. Students were tasked with designing and presenting outfits made using recycled, reused or discarded materials. The runway featured an impressive display of creativity, with students incorporating sustainability into fashion while showcasing their individual design concepts and stage presence. In the Casual/Recycled Chic category, Melina Moe of Friendship Secondary School captured first place with “Rise of the Golden Arrowhead,” while Quecia Joseph of New Central High School placed second with “Pages in Motion.” The Professional/Career Wear category was won by Shaddai Scipio of North Georgetown Secondary School with “Clock It.” In the Creative/Avant-Garde category, Destiny Hytmiah of Christ Church Secondary School secured first place with “Reclaim Royalty,” while Onella Lepps of Buxton Secondary School took second place with “The Delicious Fit.” North Georgetown Secondary School also dominated the Cultural/Themed Wear category, with Tyfeia Torrington taking first place for “Ofishka” and Atarah Hart securing second place with “Lokono (Beauty).” The showcase also featured guest participant Atiena Chester, who presented “Eco Alliance” in the Cultural category. Beyond the category awards, several students were recognised for outstanding elements of their designs. Melina Moe received the awards for Best Overall Design, Most Wearable Design and Best Stage Presence, while Destiny Hytmiah earned Most Creative Outfit, Best Use of Recycled Materials and Best Transformation. TVET continues to provide students with opportunities to move beyond theory and apply their skills through practical, creative and handson experiences. Through initiatives such as the Trash to Fashion Show, students are encouraged to see technical and vocational education not simply as classroom learning, but as a pathway for developing creativity, problem-solving, entrepreneurship and skills that can be applied in the world of work.
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Kaieteur News
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Opposition vehicles parked at police station for 16 days ...Mohamed decries action as outrageous O
pposition Leader A z r u d d i n Mohamed has condemned the continued impoundment of two vehicles assigned to the Office of the Leader of the Opposition, describing the situation as an “outrageous irony” and an act of political victimisation. According to Mohamed, the vehicles have been parked at the Leonora Police Station compound in Region Three since September 3, where they have remained exposed to the elements for more than two weeks.
Mohamed's criticism comes against the backdrop of recent statements by Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall, SC, on police procedures for minor traffic and ticketable offences. In recorded remarks, Nandlall said police officers should issue tickets for prescribed infractions rather than detaining motorists, confiscating documents or impounding vehicles. He also warned that officers who unlawfully detain individuals or motor vehicles could face civil
claims for false imprisonment, wrongful arrest and constitutional violations. “It is both ironic and outrageous to hear Attorney General Nandlall speak about police officers issuing tickets for ticketable offences instead of detaining people or their vehicles,” Mohamed said. “That principle apparently applies to every Guyanese, except the Opposition Leader and his office,” he added. Mohamed questioned whether other citizens across
the country are facing similar treatment, particularly those who have publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the government. “Guyanese must also question how many vehicles and motorcycles are currently being held in police stations across the country because the owners may have expressed dissatisfaction with the government,” he said. He argued that the treatment of vehicles assigned to a constitutional office raises wider concerns
about the protection of constitutional roles and the rights of ordinary citizens. Mohamed said attempts to obtain clarification on the legal basis for the impoundment have yielded no response. He said calls to the Commander of Police, Regional Division #3, seeking an update on the vehicles have reportedly gone unanswered. The Opposition Leader also compared the situation with the period when the PPP was in opposition, claiming that the former APNU+AFC
administration did not subject the party to similar treatment. Mohamed has called on international observers and m e m b e r s o f t h e diplomatic community to pay attention to political developments in Guyana, contending that the continued detention of the vehicles reflects what he described as a disregard for constitutional roles and due process. Despite the impounding of the vehicles, Mohamed said the Opposition's work would continue.
Fire destroys houses at Farm and Vryheid's Lust A fire on Saturday morning destroyed a house at Farm, Housing Scheme, East Bank Demerara (EBD). The owner and his family lived in the upper flat while the bottom flat was rented to tenants. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) said that when firefighters arrived at the scene, the building was engulfed in flames. It is believed that the fire might have started in the upper flat. Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish the fire and prevent it from spreading any further. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the blaze. Meanwhile on Friday night, firefighters responded to another fire which occurred just hours prior to the fire at Farm. That fire took place at 51 South Vryheid's Lust, East Coast Demerara. The occupants of the house were reportedly able to escape the burning building, a flat wooden structure. Firefighters were able to extinguish the flames but not before it destroyed a car and a motorcycle. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the fires.
The house at Farm that was destroyed by fire on Saturday
Scenes from the Vryheid's Lust fire
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
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APNU demands release of Berbice Bridge agreements — as govt. announces $400M acquisition
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he agreements governing the financing, ownership and eventual acquisition of the Berbice River Bridge should be made public, Member of Parliament for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Dr Terrence Campbell, said on Friday. Responding to questions from the media about the process and agreements under which the bridge was financed and subsequently sold back to the Government, as well as whether the National Insurance Scheme (NIS) recouped its investment, Campbell said the lack of publicly available agreements makes it difficult to determine what returns the NIS received. “We can’t even tell because the agreements made have not—the agreements signed, if any, have not been made public. The Berbice River Bridge was a massive heist by cronies of the PPP government,” he said. Campbell said he did not recall all the exact figures but noted that private investors reportedly contributed less than the NIS, while receiving common shares that carried voting rights. “The cronies put up X and they got what are called the common shares, the shares that are able to vote and so on, and the NIS put up more than X, the NIS was the
biggest investor,” he said. Campbell pointed out that although the NIS provided the majority of the financing for the bridge, it did not receive common shares. Instead, it received preference shares, leaving it without voting power or management control over the bridge. He said that arrangement was particularly concerning from a business perspective. Campbell acknowledged that he did not have sufficient information to determine the full financial details of the arrangement. “I know that the contract was coming to an end and I think my fellow MP Saiku Andrews has spoken on this before. It was coming to an end, so I do not know what the cash flows were, who and who have been repaid,” he said. However, Campbell said his main concern was whether the NIS received adequate returns on its investment. “But I will say, without the benefit of information, what has to be interrogated, I care little about the cronies, the crooked cronies, and some of them their ill-gotten gains have been so well laundered that nobody even looks at them anymore as being corrupt over the last 20, 25 years,” he said.
“But what I’m very concerned about is what are the returns to the NIS, if any, of the $400 million?” O n S e p t e m b e r 1 7 , Vi c e President Bharrat Jagdeo announced on his Facebook page that the Government of Guyana had acquired the Berbice River Bridge for $400 million—about five per cent of the original $8 billion construction cost. The acquisition had been signalled months earlier. In March, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill told the National Assembly that the Government was finalising negotiations for the full acquisition of the bridge. “…the Berbice Bridge and I don’t want to use this opportunity to make an announcement, I want to inform the House that the Government of Guyana is on its way to finalising all the I’s and crossing the T’s for the ownership of the Berbice River Bridge and based upon the figures I have been looking at, what it will be costing the Treasury for the acquisition of the bridge would be less than if we have to pay toll between now and next year, based upon the figures I’m looking at,” Edghill told the National Assembly. In October 2022, President Irfaan Ali had announced plans for a new Berbice River Bridge and said the Government was
The Berbice River Bridge discussing the possible acquisition of the existing bridge. “We are in the process of discussing with the Berbice Bridge Corporation, the possible acquisition of that bridge by the government,” Ali said at the time. The Government had also indicated that if the acquisition was not finalised by the time the new Demerara River Bridge became operational, the existing Berbice River Bridge crossing would become toll-free simultaneously. The current Berbice River Bridge was constructed between 2006 and 2008 at a cost of approximately $8 billion. Its financing included loans and equity contributions from several entities, including the state-run National
Insurance Scheme and private investors. According to the ownership structure of the Berbice Bridge Company Inc. (BBCI), National Industrial and Commercial Investments Ltd. (NICIL) holds 10 per cent, the NIS 20.2 per cent, Hand-in-Hand Fire Insurance 10 per cent, New GPC 20 per cent, Queens Atlantic Investment Inc. 20 per cent, and Secure International Finance Co. Limited 20 per cent. The disclosure of the agreements and the financial records surrounding the bridge could therefore provide greater clarity on the original investment structure, the returns to the NIS and the basis on which the Government acquired the asset for $400 million.
Antigua to resume talks with Woman dies during cellulite U.S. on TCN deal procedure in Curepe
Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, Sir Ronald Sanders, says discussions with the United States Government are expected to resume shortly, at Washington’s request, on the possible reception by Antigua and Barbuda of a limited number of third-country nationals (TCNs) removed from the United States. The talks form part of a broader US initiative involving a number of countries, including several CARICOM member states. Antigua and Barbuda will enter the renewed negotiations on the basis of a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives earlier this year, which established the principles and safeguards governing the country’s participation in any such arrangement. Among those safeguards is the preservation of Antigua and Barbuda’s sovereign authority to approve or reject every individual proposed for transfer on a case-bycase basis. The parliamentary framework rejects any automatic or open-ended programme and requires satisfactory legal, operational, financial and administrative arrangements before any transfer can take place. These include adequate provisions relating to identity and documentation, accommodation and support, legal status, security, funding, and responsibility for onward movement or return. The negotiations will be conducted under the oversight of Prime Minister Gaston Browne; Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Sir Steadroy Benjamin; and Minister of Foreign Affairs E.P. Chet Greene. According to Sanders, no final agreement
Antigua and Barbuda’s U.S. Ambassador, Sir Ronald Sanders has been reached with the United States, and no transfer of any TCN has been authorised under the proposed arrangements. He said the purpose of the renewed discussions is to determine whether terms can be agreed that are consistent with the parliamentary framework, Antigua and Barbuda’s laws, its international obligations and the national interest. The Government of Antigua and Barbuda, he said, continues to approach the discussions in a spirit of cooperation with the United States while ensuring that the country’s sovereignty, security, financial interests and limited absorptive capacity are protected, and that its legal and international obligations are respected. Consistent with its commitment to transparency, the government said the public will continue to be updated on the status of the negotiations and any material developments.
Mt. Hope Hospital yesterday Photo: JERMAIN CRUICKSHANK Trinidad express —A 45-year-old woman died at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex on Friday night after she reportedly became ill while preparing to undergo a cellulite procedure at a Curepe business. Police said Abigail Andrews went to an apartment on McClean Street, Curepe, around 5:57 p.m. to have the procedure done at a business called Living Lovelly. Around 6:58 p.m., while she was lying on a massage bed as preparations were being made, the business owner reportedly observed her body stiffen before she began shaking violently. Shortly afterwards, fluid was seen
coming from the woman’s mouth. Emergency services were contacted and medics arrived at about 7:22 p.m. The woman was given medical attention and taken to the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope. She was treated by a doctor but was pronounced dead at 7:56 p.m. A post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted at a later date to determine the cause of death. Cellulite treatments vary widely, ranging from non-invasive therapies such as acoustic wave treatment to minimally invasive procedures designed to release the fibrous bands beneath the skin.
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Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
‘Chinese firms invest US$13B in Guyana’
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From page 16 donated approximately US$3 million worth of powergeneration equipment, describing the contribution as evidence of the social responsibility of Chinese companies operating in Guyana. The Ambassador said China-Guyana cooperation has also focused on healthcare and the development of local skills. Following the opening of six regional hospitals, she said nine Guyanese doctors travelled to Jiangsu, China, this year for specialised training, while approximately 40 healthcare professionals participated in training in digital
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healthcare. She also pointed to the China-aided Guyana-China Friendship Park, which is now open to the public. “Cooperation is not just about building projects. It is also about building skills, sharing expertise and passing on experience,” Yang said. She noted that Chinese medical teams have been serving Guyana for 33 years, during which they have treated nearly 1.31 million patients and performed more than 70,000 surgeries. According to Yang, the central feature of ChinaGuyana cooperation has been ensuring that its benefits reach the people of both countries. The Ambassador also addressed growing people-topeople exchanges between the two nations, pointing to the recent tour of Guyana by the Hebei Acrobatic Troupe as part of activities marking Guyana’s 60th anniversary of independence. She also referenced the
popularity of the song I Am a Guyanese and Chinese, the Chinese Bridge language competition, the China Book Corner and a Dragon Boat Festival food and culture event at the University of Guyana. Yang said Chinese representatives also joined Guyanese in celebrating Holi, Diwali and Emancipation Day, describing these exchanges as important to strengthening relations between the peoples of the two countries. “Amity between peoples holds the key to sound stateto-state relations,” she said. The Ambassador said 2026 marks both the 60th anniversary of Guyana’s independence and the 54th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and Guyana. She congratulated the Government and people of Guyana on the Diamond Jubilee and said that, despite changes in the international landscape, China and Guyana had continued to stand by
each other. Turning to China’s own development, Yang identified long-term planning, innovation and shared progress as three major factors supporting the country’s economic development. She said China’s economy expanded by more than RMB36 trillion during the five years of its 14th Five-Year Plan, while its artificial intelligence industry surpassed RMB1.2 trillion over the past year. She also said China now produces more than 45,000 new energy vehicles daily, with Chinese electric vehicle brands such as BYD increasingly visible on Guyana’s roads. “China never seeks technological hegemony, nor do we believe in a winnertakes-all approach. We are always ready to share the benefits of innovation with the world,” Yang said. “To partner with China is to partner with opportunity,” she added. On global development, Yang said China’s Global De-
velopment Initiative, proposed five years ago, has mobilised more than US$23 billion in development funding, implemented over 1,800 livelihood projects and benefitted people in more than 120 countries. She said China and Guyana remained committed to multilateralism and to working collectively to address global challenges. As China prepares to celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival, Yang said the two countries’ relationship could be captured by a Chinese poem about the festival: “As the bright moon shines over the sea, we share this moment together though far apart.” “Though we are miles apart, our two peoples are always close at heart,” she said. Yang pledged that China would continue to be a “trustworthy friend and good partner” of Guyana and expressed hope that the friendship between the two countries would be carried forward from generation to generation.
A daughter’s grief for those lost at sea in... From page 39 find some peace in knowing that everything that could reasonably be done was done. THOSE WHO WAIT ON ITHACA “Tell me how one mourns someone the earth has never received”. The Odyssey is often described as a story of a man trying to get home, but it is also a story of people whose lives are indelibly changed because of his absence. Odysseus has Penelope, a wife, waiting for her husband. Telemachus, a child, is waiting for his father, searching for answers. For years they hoped and waited. There is a part of the Odyssey I have now come to understand differently. Homecomings are not only for those who are alive. Families of the dead pray for homecomings too. Our
family wants closure; we want something to bury, something upon which flowers can be placed. Something to stop our minds from imagining a husband and father’s mortal body beneath the water. Instead, we wait. We hope. We pray. We attend meetings, we hold protests, we fight. We try to live. Live while not knowing. A wife sleeps in a bed without the husband she shared it with for 34 years. A daughter moves through life in which almost anything can evoke a memory of her father. His voice and laugh seem so close in my head, yet every time I try to focus and listen, it gets further away. My favourite thing about my father was the unrelenting childlike faith he had in our Savior, Jesus Christ. That
faith is our faith, and it has given us strength. That faith keeps him in our prayers every night; somewhere within us lives a hope that a miracle can still happen and he returns to us living and breathing. This is what limbo does. Not knowing gives us hope, and that hope can be torture at times. HOMECOMING “Tell me home, what becomes of those who never reach you?” Odysseus was the only man in his crew who made it home to Ithaca alive. It was his duty to honor those who died. The MV Barima took its final voyage on 18th July, 2026, but somehow has taken us all with it. My father has a voyage. My uncle has a voyage. Families have a voyage. Guyana and its institu-
tions have a voyage. And I have my own. However, we won’t all arrive at the same Ithaca. Home means something different to each of us now. Whether living or dead, my father and uncle deserve to come home. The M.V. Barima, which has served the nation faithfully for over 88 years, deserves to come home not because steel needs mourning, but because in and around that wreck may lie answers. Answers that deserve to come home. Truth that deserves to come home. Accountability that deserves to come home. I would like to make my own way home too. Home from the person that grief has made me become. A home where I know what happened to my father and my uncle. In a perfect world, they would be alive; I would hear my father’s wonderful laugh and beautiful singing voice. I would see my uncle’s charming smile and watch as he plays dominoes, sharing love to the entire board. But reality has asked of something crueler of me. If I cannot have that miracle, I will settle for laying their mortal remains to rest with dignity. For three thousand years, we have told the story of a man who fought gods and monsters to return to his family. My father should not have needed an epic to come home. I love you, daddy. I would choose you to be my father in every lifetime. Come home.
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$3.3 billion contracts awarded to rebuild CJIA runway and Taxiway Charlie
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he rehabilitation and reconstruction of Taxiway Charlie and the main runway at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) will cost a combined $3.329 billion. The figure represents the total value of two contracts awarded through the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) for the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation. According to information published on the NPTAB website, Lot 1, covering the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Taxiway Charlie, was awarded to A&S General Contractors Inc. for $2.119 billion. Lot 2, covering works on the main runway, was awarded to R&N Construction Services for $1.210 billion. Taxiways are the roadways used by aircraft to move to and from runways, connecting them with aircraft ramps and parking areas. The runway, meanwhile, is the designated surface for aircraft landings and take-offs.
The projects form part of the $140 billion allocated to the ministry in this year's National Budget. Of that allocation, $3.656 billion was earmarked for the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Corporation for terminal works and the upgrading of airport facilities. When advertisements for the projects were issued in June, Kaieteur News contacted CJIA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ramesh Ghir for details on the planned works. According to information provided by the corporation, the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the main runway and Taxiway Charlie are necessary to address the “natural degradation” resulting from continuous aircraft operations and to ensure the airport's longterm safety and efficiency. “The sustained volume and weight of modern aircraft movements exert cumulative mechanical stress on airfield pavements. Over time, these repeated loading demands
The Cheddi Jagan International Airport at Timehri, East Bank Demerara.
naturally lead to structural fatigue a n d s u r f a c e w e a r, m a k i n g comprehensive intervention necessary,” CJIA explained. The corporation noted that the main runway has endured more than two decades of high-impact use since its last rehabilitation in 2005, while Taxiway Charlie has gone more than 35 years without major reconstruction. CJIA said proactively
reconstructing the critical infrastructure will help ensure that the airport can safely and reliably accommodate future increases in air traffic without operational disruption. The substantial cost of the Taxiway Charlie works marks a significant increase from an earlier estimate. In 2022, the Ministry of Public Works advertised a project to repair
Taxiway Charlie at an estimated cost of $15 million. Speaking to the Department of Public Information (DPI) in May 2022, Minister of Public Works Juan Edghill said Taxiway Charlie had deteriorated and was not part of the Chinese-funded airport contract. “[The] Taxiway Charlie has been in a state of disrepair that was not a part of the Chinese contract. The Cheddi Jagan International Airport is responsible for that as a corporation and that is the Taxiway Charlie that is being addressed. This is not the runway, this is taxiway,” Edghill said. He explained that the repairs were part of the broader modernisation of CJIA. “The maintenance of taxiways are normal things. It is just like a road where the aircraft has to use that to get to the runway,” he said, adding that the taxiway had experienced deterioration from equipment, oil spills, cracks and the weight of aircraft and machinery.
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Lawsuit says Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI and Google made illegal agreement on AI slowdown A new lawsuit claims Anthropic, OpenAI, SpaceXAI and Google made an illegal deal to slow the pace of their respective AI development. The lawsuit, which was filed Friday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, argues that the leading AI companies violated antitrust laws when they agreed to coordinate slowdown efforts, and that doing so would reduce the value consumers get for paid AI subscriptions. The coordination largely
took place on Sept. 12, the l a w s u i t a rg u e s , w h e n Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei published an essay urging for industrywide cooperation on decelerating advancements in favor of enhanced safety measures. That same day, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, SpaceXAI CEO Elon Musk and Google DeepMind’s co-founder and chair Demis Hassabis each publicly responded to Amodei’s proposals in agreement. But the lawsuit also alleges that the coordination began to take shape months
earlier. It points to a statement from July 2026 that high-ranking employees from several of the leading AI labs signed that acknowledged the “intense competitive pressure not to unilaterally slow” development. That statement called on the government to support a global effort to slow automated AI development. It is clear that an agreement among the chief rivals in AI that their progress “should be slower than competition would otherwise produce has an
Man executed in Iran on charges of spying for Israel Iran has carried out the death sentence against Hossein Paderan, who was accused of espionage and cooperation with the Israeli intelligence service Mossad. As 1news.az reports citing Iranian media, the sentence was carried out after his appeal was rejected and the verdict was upheld by Iran’s Supreme Court. According to Iran’s judiciary, Paderan was detained on charges of passing confidential and classified military information to Mossad. It is claimed that he gathered information about military facilities, personnel and some of their personal data, and passed it on to his handler.
According to the case files, Paderan also received funds in Euros for the information he provided. In his home, the judiciary stated, a notebook containing materials on
missile-related topics marked “top secret,” encrypted data storage devices, communication equipment, and photo and video equipment were discovered.
Santa Rosa, St. John the Baptist... From page 53 Genesis struggled to create clear opportunities. Santa Rosa returned to action later in the day and produced the biggest attacking display of the opening round, crushing Ann’s Grove Primary 9-0. Richards was again at the center of the action, scoring four goals, while Austin added a brace. Kaydon Hill, Derick Augustus and Cody DaSilva each contributed a goal to complete the emphatic victory and give Santa Rosa two wins from two matches. Marian Academy later opened its campaign with a convincing 3-0 victory over St Stephen’s Primary. Juan Diego scored in the 13th and 30th minutes before Nwora Lincoln completed the performance in the
32nd. With several schools already registering important points during the opening round, the Petra Organisation’s Courts Optical Pee Wee Under-11 Football Tournament now heads into another crucial weekend. Teams will return to action knowing that every point will become increasingly important as they battle for the top two positions in their respective groups and a place into the Round of 16. Courts Optical returns as the tournament’s title sponsor, with additional support coming from Sterling Products Limited, MVP Sports and Demerara Mutual, the tournament’s official insurance provider. The tournament is approved by the Ministry of Education.
anticompetitive effect on consumers,” the plaintiffs argue. Lawyers representing four named plaintiffs, who pay for subscriptions to ChatGPT, Claude, Grok or Gemini, are bringing the lawsuit on behalf of a proposed nationwide class of other paid subscribers to those services. The plaintiffs don’t object to the companies individually deciding to slow their own progress in favor of safety. They instead argue in the complaint that antitrust laws forbid them from taking the “shortcut” of agreeing to “substitute collective restraint for individual accountability.” A competitive market allows for responsibility and genuine progress, the lawsuit argues. “AI will quickly spin out of human control and could kill us all if we allow AI safety and protocol ... to be controlled by private selfserving agreements between the world’s most powerful ‘for profit’ technology companies,” said Nick Rowley, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs. Representatives for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google and SpaceXAI did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday. In his initial essay proposing the slowdown,
Amodei acknowledged potential antitrust challenges, writing that it would be helpful for the U.S. government to mediate “or at least enable” these cross-lab discussions. The government wouldn’t need to participate, he wrote, but it would need to “issue a narrow waiver for certain kinds of safety conversations.” In response, Altman said on social media that OpenAI welcomes the idea of a “federal framework that sets consistent safety requirements,” but said “we do not believe we need to wait for an antitrust exemption or legislation to begin the work of providing this confidence.” While the recent conversations about pacing development were spurred by increasing concerns about AI evading human control, several leaders in the AI space have long talked about developing a shared set of standards or otherwise coordinating to ensure safety efforts remain paramount. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit contend they are not against the AI companies asking Congress, the White House or any other agency to develop AI regulation, nor are they against the companies asking for an antitrust exemption. But achieving that kind
of collaboration with the federal government could be an uphill battle. President Donald Trump rejected the calls for regulation on social media. He has claimed that any efforts to limit the technology are part of a “conspiracy.” He called into question why the industry leaders would be calling for regulation that, he says, “if strongly implemented, will drive them into oblivion and bankruptcy.” Trump said Saturday on social media that he is forming an AI task force and will appoint an “AI czar,” but he provided scant detail. T h e T r u m p administration has been vocal about wanting American AI labs to outpace and excel against Chinese competition. While several Democratic leaders and candidates have called for sweeping action on AI regulation, Republicans have largely mirrored Trump’s position. Sen. Josh Hawley, a Republican from Missouri, said in a recent Senate hearing that “there is no world” in which he would agree to give “the most powerful companies in the history of the world” an exemption from antitrust laws to collaborate, arguing that they could collude together and stifle competition.
Tahir: People remind me that I’m... From page 53 two strikes away from surpassing Sunil Narine as the highest wicket-taker in the history of the CPL. Over the years, Tahir has represented almost 60 teams around the world, but in the CPL, he has remained loyal to Amazon Warriors. Having felt the love and support of the Amazon Warriors fans for eight seasons since 2019, Tahir now wants to give back to the people of Guyana. “It’s just amazing to see the whole country involved and right behind the team,” Tahir said. “Anywhere you go, any street in Guyana people talk about cricket. When they see and pay a lot of respect, that’s the only reason I get motivated when I see the kids come up to me and anybody working on the road to guys in the office. That gives a lot of courage to do well for the country, so being a captain I can pass the clear message to my team-mates as well. “Time to time, it can be tough. We’ve been on the road and it’s not easy being away from family and things like that. But at the end of the day, we’re here to do our job and we need to be as honest as we can with the Guyanese people and the brand we represent.”
Before taking charge of Amazon Warriors in 2023, Tahir had captained just once in T20 cricket, way back in 2006, when he was still playing in Pakistan, his country of birth. His appointment as CPL captain was a surprise to many, including him, but in his first season as captain, he led Amazon Warriors to their first title. He is hungry to add another CPL title to his cabinet. “I want to be honest. I can say it [captaincy] was a surprise,” Tahir said. “But on the other side, not really. I like challenges. There was a couple of points I had to present to the owner, and we were just talking about it. He just asked me what do you think if you want to go ahead and be captain. I probably had a 30-second break in between and said: ‘Sir, I really like challenges and if you give me an opportunity, I will give my 200% commitment to the team’. “That [captaincy] is the last thing I want to learn in cricket. It’s been tough. You need to be responsible about many things - not just cricket. It’s been a great journey for me, especially from a learning point of view. I hope I justify the role for the team - Guyana Amazon Warriors and the people of Guyana.”
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England crush Sri Lanka to top T20 world rankings (BBC Sport) - England steamrollered Sri Lanka in the third T20 to complete a 30 series clean sweep and return to number one in the world rankings. Watched by new Test coach Stephen Fleming, England once again outclassed the tourists to conclude a one-sided series played on the fringe of autumn. England’s pace bowlers were outstanding in
dismissing Sri Lanka for a paltry 124, then the home side chased the target in 9.4 overs. Jamie Overton conceded only 15 runs in his four overs, including taking a wicket. Sonny Baker ’s improvement continued with 2-17 and Jofra Archer recovered from an expensive start to return 2-23. England’s fielding was sharp, best demonstrated by Liam Dawson’s direct hit to
run out Eshan Malinga. The target was never likely to pose a challenge to an England batting line-up that remains powerful despite Phil Salt and Jacob Bethell being absent injured. Though opener Aneurin Donald was out for 13, Jos Buttler and Harry Brook strolled the pursuit with a second-wicket stand of 85. Brook was run out for 33, leaving Buttler to wrap it up with a six that left him
Sunday September 20, 2026 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Too much rigorous exercise over the past few days might have you feeling a little sore and tired, Aries. Your nerves may be on edge, and you could be more likely than usual to snap at those around you. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Spiritual breakthroughs may have you feeling a little d i s c o n c e r t e d , Ta u r u s . Clearing away deadwood, such as past traumas, might tell you a few things about yourself you'd rather not face. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A group meeting or conference of some kind could touch upon some pretty volatile issues, Gemini. People could disagree to the point that the meeting turns into a shouting match. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Is your significant other caught up in family problems and unable to spend time with you? Don't let your insecurity get the best of you. Your partner needs to deal with family now. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Matters involving communication seem to be fouled up, Leo. Messages may not get delivered, emails may not go through, and people might misinterpret your words. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your values could oppose those of a business or romantic partner today, Virgo. One of you may be overly pragmatic and the other too idealistic. One seems callous, while the other seems to be living in a dream world.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) If you've been having trouble reaching a romantic partner, Libra, it might be a good idea to stop trying. Your friend is having a rough day and might not make the best company. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) You may feel a bit restless and unsettled without really k n o w i n g w h y, S c o r p i o . Stresses on the job could churn up repressed resentment from the past that you need to release. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Too many people could be vying for your attention today, Sagittarius. All of them want advice or help. This could be flattering, and you'll probably want to help them, but it can also be unsettling and make it hard to focus. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) There could be trouble brewing in the workplace. Some of your colleagues neither like nor trust each other and find it impossible to work together. Adjustments are needed if everyone is going to work to the best of their abilities. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Squabbles may come up between you and a sibling or neighbor, Aquarius. Your ability to compromise is definitely called for here. If you aren't careful, this could turn into a battle of wills. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Money matters might cause you a few headaches, Pisces. You could be torn between the desire to put money aside for the future and the impulse to buy something that you've wanted for a long time.
Harry Brook and Jos Buttler took Sri Lanka apart in the powerplay. (Getty Images)
unbeaten on 61. The victory by eight wickets was concluded with 62 balls to spare - the most for England in a home T20 international. The success was England’s 23rd win in 26 completed T20s since Brook took charge in the summer of 2024. They have reclaimed their number one ranking from India. The pity for this group is a rare lengthy wait until the next global T20 tournament. The next men’s T20 World Cup is not until 2028, the same year T20 cricket makes its debut in the Olympics.
Courts Pee Wee Football gets... From page 59 competition gets underway. Courts Optical Manager Richard Simpson was equally upbeat about the t o u r n a m e n t ’s r e t u r n , pointing to the atmosphere surrounding the opening as an indication of the enthusiasm among the participating schools. After thirteen years of Pee Wee Football and 33 years of Unicomer in Guyana, Petra Under-11 football has been standing strong,”and Courts Optical will continue to support.” Minister Jacobs later interacted with the participating teams, offering words of encouragement before the schools turned their attention to the business at hand. After months of preparation, the wait is finally over. The trophies may be the ultimate target, but for the 32 schools, the journey begins with a football, a field and the opportunity to write their own Pee Wee story.
England are instead building towards a 50-over World Cup in southern Africa in the autumn of 2027.
Three one-day internationals against the Sri Lankans begin in Durham on Tuesday.
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Santa Rosa, St. John the Baptist shine as Courts Pee Wee kicks off ...Grant, Melville, Roy and Richards among individual standouts
Johnathan Melville puts Leonora Primary ahead with decisive hat-trick performance against Soesdyke Primary
Enforcements Kaydon Hill, Derick Augustus, Ethan Richards,Kenyano Austin and Cody Dasilva orchestrate Santa Rosa’s 9-0 demolition over Ann’s Grove Primary The 13th annual Courts Optical Pee Wee Under-11 Football Tournament got off to an entertaining start yesterday, with teams taking to the pitches at the Ministry of Education Sports Complex following a wellsupported opening ceremony and march past. St John the Baptist Primary emerged as the first winners of the tournament, but before a ball was kicked, the school had already secured silverware after capturing the March Past trophy. They then carried that momentum onto the field, demolishing Queenstown Primary 6-0 in their opening encounter. Elliana Grant stole the spotlight among her male counterparts, scoring the tournament’s first hat-trick as the Black and Orange outfit overwhelmed Queenstown’s warriors.
Girls continued to make their mark throughout the opening round, with Damari Carrington getting on the scoresheet for West Ruimveldt Primary in a 3-0 victory over St Aloysius Primary. Malachi Murry and Omar Morris also found the net during that encounter. Redeemer Primary and Agatash Primary battled to a goalless draw, but the stalemate was quickly forgotten as the day produced a series of exciting matchups. Santa Rosa Primary opened its campaign with a 3-0 victory over St Theresa Primary, with Ethan Richards, Keyano Austin and Brandon Atkinson each finding the back of
Tahir: People remind me that I’m one of the oldest guys in world cricket
‘Maybe the best one that... From page 56 spectacular turnaround after starting their first season in the CPL with three successive losses. And they have done it without their biggest star, Andre Russell, really coming into his own with the bat: an innings of 68 from 38 balls against Barbados Tridents has been only contribution of note, with 87 runs coming in his seven other innings. “I’m feeling good to see a franchise come back to Jamaica and we’re in the final,” Powell said. “At the start of the competition, we set out the three goals. To get into the playoffs as a new franchise. And when we get into the playoffs, see if we can squeeze into the final. We have achieved two of those. We’ll push for the next one. “It started out with us losing three games early in the competition, and in the middle of the competition, we found some form, some confidence, realised that we can play cricket as a bunch. We just wanted to squeeze into the playoffs because we know once you get a Jamaica team into the playoffs, they’re dangerous.”
the net. Georgetown International Academy (First Team) also enjoyed a winning start, with Caleb Tan scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Stella Maris Primary. GIA completed a double on the opening day when its 2nd team edged F.E. Pollard Primary 1-0, Langdon Paulson scoring the decisive goal in the 10th minute. Pakuri Primary’s Miles Roy emerged as another standout performer, scoring all three goals in his team’s 3-1 victory over Goed Fortuin Primary. Defending champions Leonora Primary also made a strong statement, with Johnathan
Melville returning to his goalscoring ways with a superb hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Soesdyke Primary. St Gabriel’s Primary snatched an opening victory, edging Belladrum Primary 1-0 through Simon Scott, as Belladrum were left to rue missed opportunities. Calaaco Primary and St Pius produced one of the more tightly contested encounters of the round, battling to a 1-1 draw. Zahir Critchlow scored for Calaaco, while Steve Fiedtkoureplied for St Pius. Waramuri Primary then secured a 2-0 victory over Genesis Academy, with Lamar Matthias scoring both goals in a match where Continued on page 51
Imran Tahir sets off on his celebratory run (CPLT20)
(Cricinfo) - Imran Tahir and his celebrations have acquired cult status in Guyana, but at 47 he knows that he’s only a “couple of bad games” away from inviting pressure. So far this season, he has defied age and that pressure, leading Guyana Amazon Warriors (GAW) first to the Global Super League (GSL) title and then more recently to the knockouts of CPL 2026. “Going around the different islands and meet different cultures and people, it’s been a great journey,” Tahir said in the lead-up to Amazon Warriors’ clash against Antigua & Barbuda Falcons in Qualifier 1. I’m grateful to our president Dr Irfaan Ali and Dr Ramroop [GAW owner]. It could be difficult sometimes playing
franchise cricket and things can go negative very quickly. Maybe a couple of bad games and people start questioning, especially a guy like me who is probably the oldest guy playing in world cricket right now. “I mean people don’t shy away reminding me about it but that gives me more motivation to work harder and come back strongly every year. But I’m just really grateful for the opportunity, thanks to the CPL. I’m just trying to do my best and make sure we as a team try to win this year. I feel like we truly deserve it.” On Sunday, when Tahir was in action against Barbados Tridents, he became the first overseas player to feature in 100 CPL games. He is now Continued on page 51
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Guyana Police Force Officers presents cricket gear to young cricketer Deputy Commissioner and Captain of the Police Officers cricket team, Ravindradat Budram, presents a cricket kit to 13 years old Kevin Dey and his mother next to him as other members of the Officers team share the moment.
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he Guyana Police Force (GPF) continues to assist members of the community in various ways. This time it is the members of the Guyana Police Force Officers’ cricket team that has shown their benevolence. The officers presented a
number of cricket gear, including a cricket bag, to 13-year-old cricketer Kevin Dey in support of his continued development in the sport. The presentation was done by Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ Ravindradat Budhram on behalf of the officers.
Budhram, apart from his administrative duties, is also the Chairman of the Guyana Police Force Cricket Club and Captain of the Officers Team. Kevin, an allrounder with the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC), attends the Diamond Secondary School. He received the kit in the presence of his mother
who is a member of the GPF. Budhram encouraged the young cricketer to remain disciplined and focused on both his education and cricket as he continues to develop his talent. He stated that the GPF will continue to assist young sportsmen and women in whatever way possible in an
effort for them to be able to fulfil their dreams. Kevin thanked the GPF Officers for their generosity and promised to do his best to make everybody proud. He said the cricket gear will go a far way in helping him fulfill his dreams. (Samuel Whyte)
Seven Seas and Vigorton support Archery C/ships to be hosted in Guyana Seven Seas and Vigorton, brands distributed by Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc., have partnered with Archery Guyana in support of the Inaugural Caribbean Archery Championships and 8th Caribbean Developmental Championship (CDC), set for October 22–25, 2026, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence. The sponsorship sees Seven Seas continuing a relationship with Archery Guyana that began in 2019, while Vigorton joins the organisation as a sponsor for the first time. The sponsorship handover took place at Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc.’s head office at Montrose, East Coast Demerara. President of Archery Guyana, Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, received the sponsorship from Neelam Dharmo, Manager of the Health + Beauty Division at Massy
Distribution (Guyana) Inc.; Dileya Deonarine, Brand Specialist for Seven Seas; and Danielle Barkoye, Brand Specialist for Vigorton. Seven Seas is a longstanding health and wellness brand known for its Omega-3 nutrition products, including cod liver oil, supplements and its JointCare range, developed to support health and active living. Vigorton is a nutritional supplement brand offering vitamin and mineral formulations designed to complement everyday nutrition and support general health and wellbeing. Seven Seas first partnered with Archery Guyana in 2019, with the relationship reflecting shared values including focus, discipline, precision and concentration. Its continued support, together with Vigorton’s involvement for the first time, comes as Archery Guyana prepares to welcome regional and
President of Archery Guyana, Mrs. Vidushi Persaud-McKinnon, received the sponsorship from Neelam Dharmo, Manager of the Health + Beauty Division at Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc.; Dileya Deonarine, Brand Specialist for Seven Seas; and Danielle Barkoye, Brand Specialist for Vigorton. international participants for one of the most significant events on its calendar. Guyana secured the hosting rights for the championships after competing against Jamaica. The event will bring archers, coaches, judges, officials and representatives from across the Caribbean and beyond, while giving Guyanese archers an opportunity to compete internationally on home soil.
Mrs. Persaud-McKinnon thanked Massy Distribution (Guyana) Inc., Seven Seas and Vigorton for their support. “We are grateful to Massy Distribution, Seven Seas and Vigorton for supporting Archery Guyana at such an important time. Seven Seas has been a valued partner over the years, and we are delighted to welcome Vigorton as a sponsor for the first time,” she said. “This support will assist us in
creating opportunities for our athletes while showcasing Guyana’s ability to successfully host international archery events. We look forward to welcoming the region to Guyana in October.” The Inaugural Caribbean Archery Championships and 8th Caribbean Developmental Championship will be held from October 22–25, 2026, at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
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Canada-based Guyanese, Captain Devindra Maharaj of ROTC Farook Hussain, blasts team positive of good outing at 135 not out to lead Apollo Red to CPSCL T20 championship IMC Over-40s World Cup in Guyana
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Farook Hussain Canada-based Guyanese and Captain, Farook Hussain, slammed a pugnacious, unbeaten 135 for Apollo Red who defeated Cambridge Jaguars by 40 runs in the 2026 Canadian Premier Softball Cricket League (CPSCL) T20 Platinum final on Saturday at the Andrew McCandless Park, Brampton, Ontario. The right-handed Hussain clobbered 16 sixes and 5 fours as his team rattled up a mammoth 236-4 at the expiration 20overs. Cambridge Jaguars, in response, were agonizingly left at 196-9 when the 20-overs ran out. Jaguars had won the toss and elected to bowl but the decision backfired on them. Batting at number 3, Hussain occupied the crease for 54 balls and shared multiple partnerships along the way to his pulsating and unforgettable knock. He and Jeetendra Beharry (21*) plastered the Jaguars’ bowling with a boundary-studded, 95-run 5th wicket stand. Hussain and former Guyana first-class skipper Damodar Daesrath also featured in an attractive, 75-run stand for the fourth-wicket. Daesrath, who also played for Canada at the International level, contributed 27. Opener Abdil Parasram was among the runs scoring 32. When Cambridge Jaguars batted, they struggled for momentum and reached a precarious 54-4. They lost Vijay Prashad (6) and Imran Ali (5), the two openers, quickly while Kristopher Karran (2) joined them. Captain Riaz Kadir stabilized things briefly with 22 before seasoned batter Hemnarine Chattergoon struck a steady halfcentury (51) only to prolong the inevitability. Salman Khan-Mustapha was the chief-wicket taker for Apollo Red by grabbing 3-38 across his four overs. He got good support from Lindon Persaud, Sharaz Ramcharran and Damion Cecil with two wickets apiece. Meanwhile, at the post-match presentation ceremony, Hussain was predictably chosen as the player-of-the-match for his batting brilliance. Chattergoon was the given the MVP trophy for Cambridge Jaguars, who were dethroned by the same team in 2025. President of the League Patrick Singh congratulated Apollo Red on winning the final. He thanked all four teams for their participation in 2026. The other two teams were: Mercenary and Amazon Masters. Singh also took the opportunity to express his gratitude to the sponsors including MMR Glass and Showers Inc. and Chats Vinyl Windows and Doors. The spectators were lauded for their attendance as they were treated with some batting entertainment particularly from Hussain.
aptain of the Rest of the Caribbean (ROTC) team Devindra Maharaj is very positive that his side will do well at the upcoming International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over-40s World Cup in Guyana next month. The 16-team, 45-over t o u r n a m e n t b o w l s o ff October 17 and will conclude October 31 at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence, East Bank Demerara with the grand finale. According to the batting a l l - r o u n d e r, t h e t e a m possesses several experienced and quality players and that has given him the confidence they can deliver at the big-dance. “I am confidence we will do good at the World Cup next month; we have a balanced and talented side to match our skills, we will start as under-dogs but I can assure that my team will make a big impression,” the Trinidadian Maharaj related. The teams have been divided into two groups, A&B. The ROTC is placed in Group A alongside, USA, Scotland, England, Pakistan, England, New Zealand and Rest of the World X1.
Devindra Maharaj, right, and Guyanese Ramnaresh Sarwan batting during a club game in Trinidad and Tobago.
They will open their campaign against Pakistan at Albion in Berbice. Group A comprises of reigning champions South Africa, Australia, West Indies, Wales, Canada, Namibia, Sri Lanka and Colombia. The 45-year-old Maharaj informed that few players in his side would have played p r e v i o u s Wo r l d C u p tournaments in Pakistan and still playing competitive cricket which brings
experience and maturity to the lineup. “Obviously, this is World Cup and every team aiming for success; we have got some really good players who had featured at various levels for their respective countries, who played firstclass cricket and that shows this team is ready to go out there and play competitive cricket,” Maharaj emphasized. In 2023, Maharaj represented West Indies
Masters (Over-40s) in Pakistan where they lost in the final to the hosts. Maharaj made headline there registering an impressive century (100*) against Hong Kong. Other teammates also struck hundreds including former West Indies batsman Narsingh Deonarine and Lawrence Farnum. Quizzed about their approach to the tournament, he responded: “I think it is about taking every game step by step; fitness is important and we have to stay fit and be consistent in both departments of our game, success is also about hardwork and once we play good cricket and execute all our plans, can come out victorious. Trevon Garraway, Navin Stewart, Vick Mahabeer, Ryan Nurse, Dary Balgobin are some of the guys in the team that played regional cricket. Two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals segment. The Over-40s World Cup previous tournament was held in Cape Town, South Africa two years and again it is being run by the IMC in collaboration with Cricket We s t I n d i e s M a s t e r s Association.
‘Even I don’t know what exactly happened’ - Rashid on being removed as captain
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ashid Khan says the Afghanistan Cricket Board did not inform him before removing him as T20I captain earlier this year. After Afghanistan couldn’t progress beyond the group stage in the 2026 T20 World Cup, Rashid was replaced at the helm by opening batter Ibrahim Zadran. “Even I don’t know what exactly happened at that time,” Rashid told Cricinfo in an interview facilitated by Red Bull. “I came to know [about the captaincy change] when the board announced it.” Despite a poor show at the 2026 T20 World Cup, Afghanistan had a positive record under Rashid, including reaching the 2024 T20 World Cup semifinals. In all, he captained the side in 48 T20Is, of which they won 26 and lost 22. Only Asghar Afghan had a better win-loss ratio as Afghanistan captain but his stint overlapped with a period
Rashid Khan was removed as Afghanistan T20I captain in March. (AFP/Getty Images)
when Afghanistan used to frequently play against lower-ranked teams. “Under my captaincy, we reached the T20 World Cup semi-finals, we beat West Indies, but sometimes things are not in your control,” Rashid said. “But I have moved on now. Whether I’m captain or not, I’m proud that I’m representing Afghanistan and I’m
trying to put to use whatever skills and capabilities I have. What I can control is to do well for Afghanistan and make them win.” The recent three-match series against India was Zadran’s first as fulltime captain. Afghanistan lost all three games. Rashid picked up 4 for 113 at an economy rate of 9.82.
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Sunday September 20, 2026
CPL awaits new champions as Kingsmen and Falcons look to make history (Cricinfo) - For only the third time in CPL history, a final will be played without Trinbago Knight Riders or their fiercest rivals, G u y a n a A m a z o n Wa r r i o r s , participating. After Nicholas Pooran’s TKR crashed out even before the playoffs, Imran Tahir’s Guyana Amazon Warriors were firm favourites to go back-to-back, having also clinched the GSL title last month. But this has turned out to be the season of surprises, with Jamaica Kingsmen and Antigua & Barbuda Falcons, the CPL’s two newest teams making the final at the expense of the traditional powerhouses. Kingsmen, featuring in their first CPL season, stopped Amazon Warriors in their tracks in Qualifier 2, with their captain Rovman Powell taking them home with an unbeaten 40 off 17 balls. At one point, Kingsmen were in danger of missing the playoffs, but ended up sneaking into it on net run-rate and St Lucia Kings missed out instead. Kingsmen managed only four wins in ten group-stage games, beating the two bottom-placed teams (TKR and St Kitts & Nevis
The Antigua & Barbuda Falcons and Jamaica Kingsmen have met only once this season. (CPLT20)
Patriots) twice, and they somehow entered the playoffs, which featured three other teams they had not beaten earlier this season. They suddenly caught fire in the knockouts, beating Barbados
Tridents in the Eliminator and then Amazon Warriors in Qualifier 2. Now only Moeen Ali’s Falcons stand between Kingsmen and a maiden CPL title. Like Kingsmen, Falcons are
also hunting for their first CPL title after finding themselves in the final for the first time. After jetting off to the Caribbean from the Hundred, Moeen hasn’t scored heaps of runs, but has brought the team together, showing that at 39, he can still add value to franchises as a leader. Along with Amazon Warriors, Falcons were the form team of the group stage, winning six of their nine completed games. Falcons also have the advantage coming into this final well rested: they have played just Qualifier 1 in 11 days leading up to the final. In the spotlight: Shadab Khan and Hunain Shah In a season that has seen a huge Pakistani contingent, Shadab Khan has led the way - both with ball and bat. He is the second-most valuable Player in CPL 2026, with Total Impact Points of 478.94; only Sunil Narine has chalked up more points. At one point, Shadab only had partial availability for the CPL because of his ETPL commitments, but after he ran into visa issues for Europe, he committed fully to Falcons and it has worked out wonderfully well for them. Hunain Shah, the brother of Naseem, has fronted up to bowl the
difficult overs for Kingsmen in what was a difficult league phase for them. He has been especially potent in the death overs, claiming a chat-topping eight wickets between overs 16 and 20 in this season. His lethal yorker has accounted for five of those wickets. Team news There’s no reason for both sides to tinker with their combinations unless there are injuries or illness. Antigua & Barbuda Falcons: 1 Rakheem Cornwall, 2 Evin Lewis, 3 Amir Jangoo (wk), 4 Hasan Nawaz, 5 Moeen Ali (capt), 6 Shadab Khan, 7 Fabian Allen, 8 Joshua James, 9 Shamar Springer, 10 Alzarri Joseph, 11 Sufyan Moqim Jamaica Kingsmen: 1 Maaz Sadaqat, 2 Kirk McKenzie, 3 Keacy Carty, 4 Saim Ayub, 5 Rovman Powell (capt), 6 Andre Russell, 7 Hassan Khan, 8 Romaine Morris (wk), 9 Keemo Paul, 10 Vitel Lawes, 11 Hunain Shah Pitch and conditions It remains to be seen whether a fresh pitch will be rolled out for the CPL final at the Kensington Oval in Barbados. There’s a forecast for some rain in Bridgetown on the day of the final.
‘Maybe the best one that I’ve played’ (Cricinfo) - Shimron Hetmyer smashed his second century of CPL 2026, but he ended up on the losing side in Qualifier 2 as Rovman Powell finished the game with his 40 not out from 17 balls and called it possibly his best knock in the CPL. Powell took Jamaica Kingsmen into the final and knocked out Guyana Amazon Warriors, finalists in each of the last three editions (and winners in 2023). Hetmyer’s innings might have become a bit of a footnote at the end of it, but Powell sharing the Player-of-theMatch award with him - “a really, really special player” - was some consolation. “It’s special, you know, a really, really special player to come off in a playoff game like this with his entire country on his back - the pressure you get for Guyana when he don’t score - and to turn around that from last a few nights ago and come and score a hundred is fantastic,” Powell, the Kingsmen captain, said of Hetmyer in the post-match presentation ceremony. “He’s a world-class player, and it’s just unfortunate that he came out on the losing end.” Hetmyer was equally gracious. “Hell of a guy to do something like that,” he said of Powell. “I think they played out [of] their skin today, and it’s really hard, but it
couldn’t have happened to a better person.” Turning to his own innings, Powell didn’t have to think much before calling it possibly the best he has played in this CPL. “I think, maybe it is the best one that I’ve played. It’s the most impactful, to be honest, and it’s good to get such an impactful innings in a playoff game that puts us in the final,” he said. “You know, I’ve always, as a captain, wanted to lead from the front. Tonight provided an opportunity for me to do that, and I’m just grateful that I was able to.” When the 18th over of the chase began, Powell was on 15 from eight balls and Kingsmen still needed 34 runs from three overs. First ball, Powell lashed out at Imran Tahir, the ageless Amazon Warriors captain, and the ball flew to Mavendra Dindyal at deep midwicket. The fielder was at the rope, he caught it, lost his balance, and tossed the ball to Khary Pierre, who collected it. Tahir was off on a celebratory sprint, but Dindyal was found to have stepped on the rope before releasing the ball. “Yeah, look, probably the catch,” Tahir said when asked about the turning point of the game. “I don’t want to put pressure on the youngster, you know, he tried his
- Powell pleased with match-winning CPL bash
Rovman Powell is congratulated by the Amazon Warriors players after the game (CPL T20) best. It’s always a difficult one. But in that situation, I think that catch was very valuable for our team. And it could have been a different story.” Powell also hit a four off that over, collecting 15 in total, and that left them with 19 to get from 12 balls, which they got to with two balls in hand. Though it often doesn’t matter in crunch moments
in T20s, Tahir started that over with a very favourable record against Powell: since the start of 2022 before this game, Tahir had got Powell out five times in ten T20 innings from 45 balls, conceding just 51 runs along the way. “I think when you’re batting to survive, your intent is different from when you’re batting to really score,” Powell said of the face-off.
“At that point, I felt as if I would have the better of him because I’m not looking to survive. The googly is a threat, and once I get close to the googly, I back myself to hit it for six.” ‘Once you get a Jamaica team into the playoffs, they’re dangerous’ For Kingsmen, it has been a Continued on page 55
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Sunday September 20, 2026
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Kamil Pooran earns maiden T20I call-up for Windies tour of India; Holder rested (Cricinfo) - West Indies have handed opening batter Kamil Pooran a maiden T20I call-up and rewarded Shimron Hetmyer with a place in the side for the white-ball tour of India which starts on September 27. Hetmyer, who is the second-highest scorer in CPL 2026, was allowed to skip the three-match ODI leg and will link up with the West Indies team in India for the five T20Is that follow. Jason Holder, who captained St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the CPL, has been “rested” altogether and features in neither squad. Holder hasn’t played any ODIs since July 2023 but was with West Indies on their most recent T20I assignment, against Sri Lanka in June. Pooran emerged as the standout new face of this CPL season, scoring 273 runs in eight innings at a strike rate of 159.64 for St Lucia Kings. A CWI release said his inclusion reflected a
...Hetmyer to miss ODI leg
Kamil Pooran (CPLT20)
“deliberate approach towards identifying and developing emerging talent ahead of the 2028
T20 World Cup”. Hetmyer recently featured in the last two ODIs of West Indies’
Raphinha nets second hat-trick in 4 days in Barca win
Raphinha joined Barcelona from Leeds United in July 2022. (Getty Images)
(BBC Sport) - Raphinha scored a second hat-trick in successive games as Barcelona claimed a comfortable victory over Sevilla that increased their lead at the top of La Liga. The in-form Brazilian produced a clinical display of finishing at the Ramon SanchezPizjuan Stadium to take his goal tally this season to 14 in all competitions. Raphinha also hit a treble in the 7-2 win over Racing Santander last Wednesday. Barcelona’s win moved them up to 21 points - six clear of both Real Madrid in second and third-
placed Real Betis, but having played a game more. Real visit city rivals Atletico Madrid on Sunday (15:15 BST), while Betis travel to Deportivo La Coruna (17:30). Sevilla opened the scoring in the 19th minute after a wellworked move culminated in Felix Correia’s cross to the near post where Youssouf Fofana nodded in. But Raphinha got Barca back on level terms three minutes later when he checked back inside and calmly struck the ball beyond Sevilla goalkeeper Odysseas
Vlachodimos. Teenager Lamine Yamal was instrumental in Raphinha’s second in the 52nd minute when he dribbled away from goal before he clipped a cross for the ex-Leeds man to head in. Yamal was the supplier again in the 69th minute when he slipped in Raphinha with an exquisite pass and the 29-year-old deftly chipped it over Vlachodimos. It sealed a seventh straight league win for Barca - their eighth in all competitions - while Sevilla remain in fifth place on 13 points.
Shimron Hetmyer (CPLT20)
home series against New Zealand series in July. He made a matchwinning 69 not out in the fifth ODI. The release stated that he “remains committed” but has been given an “extended recovery period post CPL” due to which he’s not in the ODI squad. Opener John Campbell returned to West Indies’ ODI squad after recovering from a hamstring injury. Middle-order batter Quentin Sampson is among the T20I prospects. Top-order batter Ackeem Auguste meanwhile has been ruled out of the tour, as he recovers from surgery that took place in August. Jewel Andrew, who last played for West Indies in September 2025, has been included in both sides, which will be led by Shai Hope.
“Playing against the top team in the world presents us with a chance to fine tune and improve our performances as an ODI team which has seen quality performances across the cycle”, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy said. “The series also creates a valuable platform to assess players who are stepping into important roles for this series with a long-term target of competing in the World Cup in 2027.” West Indies will play three ODIs and five T20Is from September 27 to October 18 across eight cities in India. The squad will leave home on September 21 before arriving in Thiruvananthapuram on September 23. The first two ODIs will mark the end of the automatic qualification period for the 2027 ICC men’s ODI World Cup. But West Indies will have to go through the qualification tournament early next year as even wins will not allow them to finish above their nearest challengers in the standings. West Indies ODI squad - Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, John Campbell, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Amir Jangoo, Alzarri Joseph, Shamar Joseph, Vitel Lawes, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Sherfane Rutherford, Jayden Seales. West Indies T20I squad - Shai Hope (capt), Jewel Andrew, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Akeal Hosein, Shamar Joseph, Gudakesh Motie, Keemo Paul, Kamil Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Quentin Sampson, Romario Shepherd, Shamar Springer.
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Sunday September 20, 2026
Over $5 Million for the taking in 3rd One Guyana Inter-Region Softball Cup Softball cricket players and fans are in for a treat as Guyana’s Biggest Open Softball Cricket Tournament is set to be Bigger and Better in the third edition of the “One Guyana Inter-Region Ten10 Softball Cricket Cup” which is slated for 15th October to 18th September 2026. Organised by RS Sports, the nationwide tournament returns bigger and better, with competition once again in both Male and Female categories, and over $5 million in cash and prizes up for grabs. The “One Guyana InterRegion Ten10 Softball Cricket Cup” tournament has established itself as a grassroots sporting competition that brings together players from different communities, backgrounds, and age groups, while giving local talent a chance to compete for the honour of representing their respective regions at the national level. One of the major developments for this year’s tournament is the organisers’ continued effort to expand participation into Guyana’s interior regions. According to the management of RS Sports, they are working to ensure that Amerindian brothers and sisters from Regions 1, 7, 8 and 9 have an opportunity to participate and showcase their softball cricket talents on the national stage. According to RS Sports, there is significant softball cricket talent in the interior that has not always had the opportunity to compete nationally. The organisation said it is committed to creating greater opportunities for those players and ensuring that teams from the interior can proudly represent their regions in this year ’s competition. The organisers said that the tournament is being played at the grassroots level, with preliminary and regional matches being hosted at various community grounds across Guyana, and will see local players competing against each other, with the successful regional winners advancing to the National Playoffs. “This tournament is not only about the cricket at the local level, but also the aim
growth of the One Guyana Inter-Region Ten10 Softball Cricket Cup cannot be achieved without strong partnerships. RS Sports is calling on Corporate Guyana, the public sector, private businesses, and national stakeholders to become partners in the development of softball cricket and community sport. The organisers said that this tournament provides sponsors with a unique opportunity to connect directly with communities across all ten administrative regions, promote healthy lifestyles, support youth and
of the tournament is to bring our villagers in one place and to create that unity which is needed amongst our people. Over the past two editions, the tournament has attracted spectators from all walks of life, turning community cricket grounds into places where families, friends and communities come together to enjoy the sport and support their local players. RS Sports believes that softball cricket at the grassroots level is an important stepping stone for players to develop their skills, gain exposure, and potentially progress into hardball cricket and higher levels of the sport. This year’s tournament is set to see the winner in the regional male category walking away with $100,000 and a trophy, while prizes will be awarded to the runnerup, best bowler, best batter, MVP, and player of the final. In the female category, the winner will take away $50,000 and a trophy, while other prizes will be awarded to the runner-up, best bowler, best batter, MVP, and player of the final. In the national playoffs, the Winner in the men’s category will take home $1.3 million and the winning t r o p h y ; t h e r u n n e r- u p $300,000 and trophy; the Player of the Tournament (MVP) $70,000 and trophy, along with other prizes: Player of the final $30,000 and trophy, Best bowling figure in an innings $20,000 and a trophy, Batsman with the highest individual score $20,000 and trophy. While in the women’s
playoffs, the winner will take home $500,000 and the winning trophy; the runnerup $200,000 and trophy; the Player of the Tournament (MVP) with $50,000 and trophy, along with other prizes; Player of the Final $30,000 and trophy; Best bowling figure in an innings $20,000 and trophy; Batsman with the highest individual score $20,000 and trophy. The tournament runs from 18th October to 15th November, 2026, and games will be played at various community grounds across the regions, while the national playoffs are set for 14th and 15th November. The organisers said that i t ’s a b o u t t a k i n g t h e tournament to the people, and the playoffs were held in Regions 5 and 6; this year, the playoffs will be played in Region 3. The National Playoffs are expected to feature a spectacular programme of cultural entertainment and family activities, making the event more than just a cricket competition. The organisers said the National Playoffs will once again be family-oriented, with a variety of side attractions and activities planned for spectators. RS Sports is inviting communities, businesses, cricket fans and families across Guyana to come out, support their regional teams and be part of what the organisers describe as a celebration of cricket, culture, community and One Guyana. According to the organisers, the continued
female participation, and contribute to a national sporting initiative that delivers measurable social and economic benefits. Supporting the tournament is not simply sponsoring cricket, it is investing in community development, national unity, and the continued growth of one of Guyana’s most popular grassroots sports. The 3rd One Guyana Inter-Region Ten10 Softball Cricket Cup is expected to generate significant national attention and attract extensive participation from players and supporters
throughout the country. Registration will commence in early October 2026, and the entrance fee is $20,000 per team. With millions of dollars in prizes, regional pride at stake, new opportunities for interior players, and a strong focus on community unity, the stage is set for another major chapter in Guyana’s grassroots softball cricket. “This is more than just a Tournament. It is A Celebration of Talent. It is A Celebration of Togetherness. A Celebration of Sports & It is A Celebration of One Guyana.”
Dottin to miss Zimbabwe tour, Matthews to only play ODIs
Deandra Dottin (left) will miss the entire tour while Hayley Matthews won’t play the T20Is. (ICC/Getty Images) (Cricinfo) - Deandra Dottin will miss West Indies’ tour of Zimbabwe as she has been granted personal leave, while captain Hayley Matthews will play the three ODIs before taking personal leave and missing the three T20Is. But West Indies will be boosted by the return of allrounder Chinelle Henry, who suffered an injury during the T20 World Cup in June. Henry missed West Indies’ tour of Ireland, but was back in action in the Hundred and the WCPL. She replaces Qiana Joseph, who has been dropped on form. Replacing Dottin in the squad is 17-yearold Eboni Brathwaite, who has two T20I caps and played in the WCPL. The rest of the squad is the same that took on Ireland in three ODIs in July. “They are a side we haven’t played much,
and, in their conditions, there will be some challenges,” head coach Shane Deitz said. “We have a young squad, so this is a great opportunity for some players to step up and take their opportunity at this level.” The series comprises three ODIs on September 24, 27 and 30 in Harare and three T20Is on October 3, 5 and 7 in Highfield. CWI didn’t specify who will lead the side in the T20I series. West Indies Women squad for Zimbabwe tour Hayley Matthews* (capt), Aaliyah Alleyne, Shemaine Campbelle, Jahzara Claxton, Eboni Brathwaite, Afy Fletcher, Jannillea Glasgow, Realeanna Grimmond, Shawnisha Hector, Zaida James, Chinelle Henry, Mandy Mangru, Ashmini Munisar, Karishma Ramharack, Stafanie Taylor
Kaieteur News
Sunday September 20, 2026
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Courts Pee Wee Football gets underway after well-supported March Past
Unicomer Guyana Inc. Managing Director, Gillian Matthews, presents St. John the Baptist Primary of Bartica with the March Past winning Trophy during the opening of 13th Pee Wee Football Tournament. The stage is already set, the jerseys are on and the excitement is increasing. With over 30 primary schools assembled at the Ministry of Education Sports Complex, the 13th Annual Courts Optical Pee We e U n d e r - 1 1 F o o t b a l l Tournament officially moved into gear yesterday with a colourful March Past, setting the tone for some of the rawest U11 action. The Petra Organisation once again rolled out the carpet for the annual U11 programme, with lead sponsor Courts Optical joined by a strong cast of corporate partners, including Sterling Products Limited, MVP Sports and Skytec Inc., whose support continues to
help sustain one of Guyana’s most anticipated youth football competitions. Among the dignitaries witnessing the opening ceremony was Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Steven Jacobs, along with Petra Organisation Co-Director Troy Mendonca, Sterling Products Public Relations Manager Youlandra McCammon, Demerara Mutual Sales and Marketing Coordinator Oceola van Doimen, Ministry of Education Allied Arts Unit Administrator Nicholas Fraser and Courts Optical Manager Richard Simpson. For Mendonca, whose
involvement with the competition stretches back to its formative years, the sight of another generation of young footballers taking their place on the field was a reminder of how much the tournament have grown. The colourful March Past provided the perfect curtain-raiser, with schools proudly displaying their colours and team spirit before turning their attention to the football battles ahead. St John the Baptist Primary stood out from the pack in striking orange and black, their bright kits drawing comparisons to the colours famously associated with the Netherlands. Their vibrant
Minister within the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports Steven Jacobs was part of the greeting party ahead of kickoff he is seen sharing a hand gesture with a few programme participants at MoE ground.
presentation ultimately earned them the 2026 March Past trophy. With the ceremonial duties completed, attention now shifts firmly to the football with eighteen matches schedule for first round action. Sterling Products, one of the t o u r n a m e n t ’s l o n g s t a n d i n g corporate supporters, used the occasion to reinforce its commitment to youth development. Public Relations Manager Yo u l a n d r a M c C a m m o n encouraged the young players to remain involved in sport, highlighting the values football can instill beyond the playing field. “Football is a game that sometimes can be very challenging but the rewards are enduring. It
helps to keep you focused, it creates a team player, just to mention,” she said. McCammon also reaffirmed Sterling Products’ commitment to supporting the development of young people, stressing the importance of investing in the generation that will shape the country’s future. Demerara Mutual Life, meanwhile, renewed its commitment to player welfare through its Group Personal Accident Protection Policy, providing coverage for participating teams. Sales and Marketing Coordinator Oceola van Doimen extended well wishes to the players, teachers and coaches as the Continued on page 52
Golfers gear up for highly anticipated SBM Offshore Guyana Golf Tournament Excitement is building among golfers as the Lusignan Golf Club prepares to host the highly anticipated SBM Offshore Guyana Golf Tournament on Sunday, September 20, with players looking forward to a competitive day on the lush greens and picturesque fairways of the club. The tournament promises an exciting day of golf, bringing together players to showcase their skills, enjoy the spirit of competition and experience the welcoming atmosphere of the Lusignan Golf Club. As the club continues its efforts to improve the course and enhance the overall golfing experience, the tournament provides another
opportunity for players to enjoy the game while supporting the continued development of golf in Guyana. The competition is scheduled to get underway at 8:00 a.m., with players set to compete in the Medal Play format. A number of prizes will be up for grabs, including awards for the first, second and third-place finishers, as well as the longest drive, best gross score and Nearest to the Pin. Beyond the competition, participants can also look forward to food and drinks, adding to what is expected to be an enjoyable day for golfers and supporters alike. Lusignan Golf Club
continues to provide a platform for golfers of varying abilities to participate in tournaments, improve their game and contribute to the growth of the sport locally. SBM Offshore Guyana is part of the global SBM Offshore group, a company specialising in floating production, storage and offloading vessels within the offshore oil and gas industry. The company continues to play a significant role in Guyana’s energy sector and has been supportive of community and sporting initiatives. Golfers are encouraged to register early and prepare for an exciting day on the fairways.
Lusignan Golf Club Captain Ayube Subhan (left), shares a handshake with Country General Manager of SBM Offshore Guyana, Martin Cheong, ahead of the upcoming SBM Offshore Golf Tournament.
Antigua & Barbuda captain Moeen Ali (left) and Jamaica Kingsmen captain Rovman Powell pose with the CPL trophy. (CPLT20)
Santa Rosa, St. John the Baptist shine as Courts Pee Wee kicks off
CPL awaits new champions as Kingsmen and Falcons look to make history ts r o p
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St. John the Baptist Primary appears to be the team to beat in this edition of the Courts Optical Pee Wee Football Tournament, after dispatching Essequibo’s Queenstown Primary 6-0 in tournament opener.
...Grant, Melville, Roy and Richards among individual standouts Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.