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Rescue workers and residents search through the rubble in the aftermath of what Iranian officials said was an IsraeliU.S. strike on a girls’ elementary school in Minab, Iran.
Editor-in-Chief of Stabroek News, AnandPersaud,is contending that his removal from the panel of the BBC W o r l d Q u e s t i o n s programme set to be recorded in Georgetown today was the doing of the GovernmentofGuyana.
In a Facebook post on Monday, Persaud said the producers of the programme “caved” to pressure from the governmentandchangedthe panel for the show, which was originally announced last year but subsequently postponed.
“Good luck to the BBC World Questions panel tomorrow Can’t help but feel that the producers caved in to pressure from the Guyana Government after theoriginalpanelwasnamed for May 6th last year,” Persaudwrote.
BBC Correspondent JonnyDymondissettochair a panel of leading politicians, businesspeople and civil society activists taking questions from a public audience and debating Guyana’s political
and economic future. The initial panel included Minister of Parliamentary AffairsandGovernanceGail Teixeira; then Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton; activist and businesswoman, and Founder and Managing Director of Blossom IncorporatedandSisproInc., Ayodele Dalgety-Dean; and Persaud.
“The government protestedmypresenceonthe panel - an attack on the right of the BBC programme to make their own decision.
Thegovernmentthentriedto have a 5th person added to the panel - one of their private sector cronies. The government was apparently also disinclined to have the programme air just months before the general elections. The show was postponed justfourdaysbeforeitwasto berecorded,”Persaudsaid. He further stated that he was never informed by the BBC why he was removed from the panel. DalgetyDean will be the only returning panellist from the
previously announced lineup, the new names include Finance Minister Ashni Singh, Opposition MP Tabitha Sarabo-Halley and Private Sector Commission Secretary Clinton Urling The programme will be recorded before a live audience on Tuesday at the
Georgetown BBC World Questions: Guyana is expected to be broadcast on the BBC World Service on March14.
Guyana Times had reported that while the government welcomed the BBC’s interest in engaging with the Guyanese public a n d e x p l o r i n g t h e d e m o c r a t i c a n d developmental issues facing the country, it raised strong
compositionofthepanel.
A
newspaper, Minister within the Office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for Public Affairs, Kwame McCoy, had written to the series producer, Helen Towner, to register the
government’s objection over the selected panellists, whom he said did not reflect a fair or balanced crosssection of Guyanese perspectives.
McCoy p
Dalgety-Dean and Persaud, statingthattheyareknownto espouse positions that are overtly critical of the
/Ci
(PPP/C) government and who, despite not being formally aligned with the political opposition, have publicly demonstrated strong antigovernment sentiments. He added that their inclusion,
alongside the Opposition Leader, compounded the imbalance.
“The panel, as currently c o n s t i t u t e d , i s disproportionately skewed in favour of opposition and dissenting voices, while placing the Government at a numerical and ideological disadvantage. “We do not believe this reflects the BBC’sstatedcommitmentto fairness, impartiality, and balanced debate. Nor do we believe this adequately represents the diverse and nuanced perspectives of the Guyanese people,” the correspondencedetailed.
American oil major, Exxon Mobil Corporation has reported a tax payment to the Government of Guyana (GoG) in 2025 of more than US$1B, although the country didnotreceiveanysuchpayment.
In its 2025 Annual Report filed with the United States (US)
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company disclosed that it paid a total income tax of US$11.563B for its global operations.Exxonsaiditpaidsome US$1.1BtoGuyana.
In accordance with the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), ExxonMobil does not pay taxes to the GoG In fact, the sweetheart deal Exxon signed states in Article 15 1 that the Contractor (ExxonMobil Guyana Limited) as well as its affiliates shall not be subjected to tax, valueadded tax, excise tax, duty, fee, charge, or impost in respect of income derived from petroleum operations, property held or transactions except as specified undertheagreement.
Further, Article 15.4 states that the sum equivalent to the taxes owed by the company will be paid by the Minister responsible for Petroleum to the Commissioner General of the GRA. It should be noted that the contract also allows for the issuing of a receipt to ExxonMobil, indicating that it has met the local tax requirements to avoid the burden of double taxation.
This questionable arrangement recentlycameunderscrutinybythe U.S government as three senators wrote to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Exxon, Darren Woods about its tax practices in Guyana. Meanwhile, President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge when questioned by localreportersontheissuesaidthat the company did not apply for any tax credits in the US for its operationsinGuyana.
InOctober2025,hesaidthatthe companywasstillworkingwiththe Guyana RevenueAuthority (GRA) on the tax receipts that should be
issued in keeping with the terms Petroleum Agreement. According to him, “Exxon Mobil Corporation in its 23, 24 tax filings, there were no Guyanese tax credits that were included in either of those filings and you will recall that, prior to 2023, we were not making profits here in Guyana, so there were no tax credits from that. So, from this point up until this point, there have been no Guyana tax credits that havebeenusedbyExxon.”
Subsequently, Chartered
Attorney, Christopher Ram
statements to cover its tracks of what may be the most brazen accounting fiction in the country’s history I
y misleading statement provided by Routledge, Ram pointed out that the branch distributed some $674,454millionandstillendedthe year with more funds than at the beginning of 2024. Ram explained
that while the EMGL President is performing confusion tactics openly, the financial statements of the three partners expose glaring misinformation regarding profits earned by the Stabroek Block partnersinGuyana. In conclusion, the lawyer reasoned that the companies all reporttaxpayments,recognizeitas revenue and enjoy the credit. He however questioned the lack of evidenceforthetaxpaymentssince the contract clearly states that the minister must pay the GRA taxes
owed by the oil companies out of Guyana’s share of oil, following which the tax body will issue a receipt and “proper tax certificates intheContractor’sname”.
“Article 15 states that the tax m u s t b e p a i d f r o m t h e Government’s share of oil revenue. Where, then, is the evidence of that payment? The Natural Resource Fundshowsnodeduction,nodebit, no outflow. But no one – including theNRFinvestmentcommitteeand the auditors – seem to care a hoot,” thelawyerargued.
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
PresidentIrfaanAlihassignalledwhatappearstobea careful recalibration of Guyana’s position on Cuba. Speaking during an interview with Fox News on the sidelines of the Shield of theAmericas Summit in Doral, Florida, the Head of State acknowledged that the current situation in Cuba cannot remain unchanged.At the same time, he emphasised that any transformation must occur “graduallyandthroughdialogue.”
Thatformulationreflectsthedelicatediplomaticterrain Caribbean governments now find themselves navigating. Cuba’spoliticalandeconomiccircumstanceshavebeenthe subjectofintenseinternationaldebatefordecades.Yetfor countries within the Caribbean, the issue has never been purelyideological.Ithasalwaysbeenpractical,historical anddeeplyhuman.
Guyana’srelationshipwithCubastretchesbackto1972 whendiplomaticrelationswereformallyestablished.Since then, cooperation between the two countries has been extensive, particularly in education and health. For decades, Cuban medical professionals have served in Guyana, often in remote and riverine communities where shortagesofdoctorsandspecialistspersist.Theirpresence has been widely acknowledged as an important pillar of publichealthacrosstheregion.
Thishistoryofcooperationexplainswhydevelopments surrounding the Cuban medical programme have generated strong reactions locally and regionally Guyana recentlyterminateditslongstandingbilateralarrangement withtheCubanMedicalBrigadeandinsteadoptedtohire Cuban medical personnel directly under local labour arrangements. The government has insisted that the new systemcomplieswithnationallabourlawsandensuresthat the professionals are compensated in a manner similar to othermedicalstaff.
Yet the timing of the decision has inevitably drawn scrutiny The United States has increased pressure on countries participating in Cuban medical programmes, arguing that the arrangements may amount to forced labour Washington has warned that nations involved in such programmes could face visa restrictions or other repercussions.
Guyanahasmaintainedthatitsdecisionwasnotmade under pressure. Nevertheless, the broader geopolitical context cannot be ignored. Small states frequently find themselves balancing relationships with larger powers while also safeguarding long-standing regional partnerships.
President Ali’s remarks about Cuba’s future must therefore be understood within this wider diplomatic landscape.Inhiscomments,heacknowledgedthatleaders within the CARICOM have recently held discussions on Cuba’s situation and that United States Secretary of State MarcoRubiowasengagedinthoseconversations.
AccordingtothePresident,regionalleadersagreedthat “the status quo cannot remain unchanged.” But he was careful to emphasise that any transformation must occur through engagement rather than imposition. “There must be dialogue,” he said, adding that changes should lead to “better conditions for the people of Cuba… a society in which the rule of law, in which democracy, in which freedom is celebrated.” Those are reasonable aspirations. Few would argue against improvements in living standards, greater freedoms or stronger institutions anywhere in the world. However, the path toward such outcomes must be approached with sensitivity to history, sovereigntyandtherealitiesfacedbyordinaryCubans.
For decades, Caribbean nations have consistently called for the lifting of the United States economic embargoagainstCuba.Thatpositionhasbeengroundedin the belief that broad economic sanctions ultimately hurt ordinarycitizensfarmorethangovernments. Indeed, concerns about worsening conditions on the island have recently been raised by several former
At a Phagwah service, a worshipper, a regular reader of SN and KN, shockingly showed (like a columnist of another newspaper) no sadness that SN is closing becausehefeltthepaperhas not been balanced in its critiques of his government as compared with another government. That is not a fair criticism of SN, and it also does not apply to KN. Bothplayedimportantroles, asdidtheindependentmedia houses, in institutionalizing freepressinGuyana.
Cheddi and Janet Jagan would never have criticized SN because they knew the role SN (and independent commentators and activists like Ravi Dev, Baytoram Ramharack, Vassan Ramracha, myself, others) playedinthereturnofPPPto government. Regardless of which party was or is in government, SN has held them as well as politicians acrosstheaisleaccountable; KNalsoplayedasimilarrole although not as focused on investigative reporting. KN spoke out against skullduggery in 2020 It would be correct to say that SN and KN provided fair, balanced,accuratereporting, despite facing intense pressurefrompoliticiansand
powerful business entities that held the purse of advertisements. SN and KN did not yield to blackmail, unjustified attacks, and withdrawal of Ads. And unlike other papers, both printed criticisms of their paper
And it must never be forgotten that SN and KN have provided invaluable service to the country, Guyana. SN played a very critical role in the cancellation of the 1990 planned electoral rigging and the restoration of democracyinOctober1992, joining the PCD parties, GUARD,othercivicgroups, and those of us who fought unrelentingly from 1968 for free and fair elections. SN had not only combated authoritarianrule,ithasbeen serving (from 1986) as a vibrant watchdog that has exposed corruption and waste, abuse of power, helping to mobilize civic action, and providing platforms for opposition voices Despite facing intense repression, SN has used investigative journalism to hold all governments, politicians, andcontractorsaccountable. For nearly 40 years, SN has served as a platform to speak out against fraud
Caribbeanleaders.Inapublicstatement,formerheadsof government from across the region warned of what they described as a “deepening humanitarian crisis” in Cuba. Theycriticisedmeasuresthattheysayamounttoeconomic warfare and warned that such policies risk inflicting “unconscionablesuffering”ontheCubanpeople.
This context reinforces why dialogue remains the preferred approach for Caribbean states. Coercion rarely produces stable outcomes, and external pressure often strengthenstheveryforcesitseekstoweaken.Atthesame time,Caribbeangovernmentsmustalsoremainattentiveto legitimate concerns about governance, human rights and economic reform within Cuba. Supporting dialogue does not mean ignoring the aspirations of Cuban citizens for improvedlivingstandardsandgreateropportunity
The region’s challenge, therefore, is to maintain its long-standingprincipleswhilenavigatinganincreasingly complexinternationalenvironment.Caribbeanstateshave historically prized independence in foreign policy decision-making. Preserving that independence requires careful diplomacy and consistent adherence to regional values.
PresidentAli’sremarkssuggestanattempttostrikethat balance. By acknowledging the need for change while emphasising gradual reform and dialogue, he has articulated a position that resonates with the Caribbean’s traditional approach to sensitive international issues. Whether this balance can be maintained will depend on developmentsinthemonthsahead.Whatisclear,however, isthatGuyanaandthewiderCaribbeanmustensurethatits decisions continue to reflect both regional solidarity and thebroaderinterestsofitspeople.Inmatterssuchasthese, diplomacy is rarely simple. But measured voices and principled engagement remain the region’s most reliable tools.
(electoral and otherwise), waste (inefficient use of resources), and abuses of all kinds (politicians, governments, businesses, violations of laws and rules, etc.)andregardlessofwhich party in government.A first for Guyana, it published opinion polls (TRPI, NACTA) that were attacked by various parties and a discredited, opportunistic columnist who complained he was not consulted or interviewed. It was fearless journalismatitsbest.
SN and KN should be proud of contributions to Guyana. It is not forgotten that journalists face extreme risks, including harassment, legal retaliation, charges, lawsuits, physical harm, police raids when they expose misdeeds; KN faced several libel suits and SN itself was the subject of a policeraidfiveyearsagoand several lawsuits and an attack (remember the disgusting ‘Potugee’ mafia attack in 1989). I recall David deCaires showing me a terse letter (early 2000s) from a lawyer threatening a lawsuitonbehalfofthethen government. DeCaires told methathisresponsewasSN would defend a lawsuit in court rather than publish a retractionandapologyforan accurate report. The then governmentbackeddown.
I salute SN and KN and j o u r n a l i s t s w h o courageously expose wrong doingsinGuyanagoingback since November 1986. It is most unfortunate that SN is
shuttering at a time when mediaspaceisshrinkingnot only in Guyana but globally as well with the result that the public has less and less avenuetoventtheirviewson issues; on this note, there is no diaspora publication in USA when at one time we had half a dozen in NY Politicians, governments, businesses and others are less and less being held accountable globally Highlighting and reporting onwrongdoingsisessential to defending democratic values.Thus,theclosureofa media house signals a threat to democratic institutions regardless of the country whereitislocated.IurgeKN tostaythecourse.
The role of the media in examining (reporting, exposing) the policies and actions of authorities ( g o v e r n m e n t a n d opposition)andbusinessesis more critical than ever Independent media helps to protect democratic principlesbyuncoveringthe erosion of rights and abuses of power Political analysts say that a failure to expose misdeeds will allow wrong doings to go unchecked Anotheroutlettofillthegap caused by SN’s closure is needed to hold authority accountable A print newspaper is a major challenge as I discovered years ago when attempting todosoinNY I appeal to Guyanese (business, intellectuals, journalists,others)tostartan (Continuedonpage06)
DEAREDITOR
Americans must be extremely embarrassed by the un-statesmanlike glee withwhichPresidentTrump and those close to him exhibit their joy over the attackonIran. Huge numbers of nonAmerican civilians are either killed, injured or badly affected by the war and yet there is not a smidgen of remorse shown by President Trump and those around him. What is witnessed is like the jubilation after winning a football match. Surely, the non-American civilians deserve some of what is
given to the six American service personnel killed in thewar Whydothelivesof Non-Americans appear to be of no value compared to thatof Americans?
Isn’t President Trump and those close to him behavingshamefully?What are the examples President Trump and those close to him putting on show, expecting the world to supportandcopy?
Itwouldbeinterestingto hear directly from the parents of the killed
American service personnel.
Regards FaiyazAlli
Acrossthelongmarchof human history, power has too often gathered in the handsofthefew,shieldedby silence,guardedbyfear,and protected by systems that place authority above the dignity of the individual. The central achievement of modern democracy was to reversethatorder Itdeclared that the citizen is not the servant of power, but its master.
Thisideadidnotariseby accident. It was shaped by centuriesofpoliticalthought and struggle. The English philosopher John Locke argued that legitimate government exists only through the consent of the governed and that individuals possess natural rights that no authority may arbitrarily violate These ideas profoundly influenced the founders of the United States, including Thomas Jefferson, who wrote that governments derive their justpowersfromtheconsent of the governed and are established to secure the rightsofthepeople.
Among the nations that advanced these principles withthegreatestforcestands the United States.American democracyrestsuponabold and enduring proposition: that the rights of the individual, freedom of speech,freedomofthepress, the right to challenge authority, and the guarantee of due process, must remain paramount even when those rights inconvenience governments, embarrass institutions, or expose the powerful The French political thinker Alexis de
Tocqueville famously observed that the vitality of American democracy rested not merely in its laws but in the habits of a free society, where citizens possessed both the liberty and the confidence to question authority This tradition has producedapubliclifethatis often loud, contentious and turbulent. Scandals erupt. Institutions collide. Citizens argueopenlyinnewspapers, courts and public forums. Yetthisturbulenceisnotthe symptomofafailingsociety. It is the unmistakable sound of a free people examining themselves.
Considertheexposureof powerfulfiguresinvolvedin public scandal. The case of Jeffrey Epstein revealed disturbing institutional failures and attempts at concealment Yet it also demonstrated something deeper and more powerful: that journalists, victims, courtsandcitizensretainthe f r e e d o m t o f o r c e uncomfortable truths back into the light. In a society where individuals possess the right to question power, silence can never remain permanent.
Democracy of this kind doesnotpromiseperfection. Indeed, it guarantees struggle.Itpermitscriticism to flourish It allows wrongdoing to be exposed even when such exposure is embarrassing to the nation itself.Yetthisispreciselythe strength of the democratic experiment. A society that permits truth to challenge powerisasocietycapableof renewal.
Around the world today a different philosophy of
governance is also advancing. In many places greater emphasis is placed on centralized authority, political stability and the control of information. In discussions about global alignments such as the growing cooperation among nations within the BRICS framework, the contrast between governing philosophies becomes increasingly visible. Some systems place their ultimate faith in the strength of the state. Others, like the American tradition, place their faith in the liberty and agency of the individual citizen.
The question before the worldisthereforenotmerely geopolitical It is philosophical. Willsocietiesplacetheir trust in the authority of governments to maintain order?
Or will they place their trust in the freedom of citizens to pursue truth and holdpowertoaccount?
For countries such as Guyanaandmanynationsof the Caribbean, this question carries particular significance. Smaller states often navigate complex geopolitical currents while striving to build institutions that protect both stability andliberty Insuchcontexts, the principles that elevate the rights of the individual, protect freedom of expression, and encourage public accountability offer an especially powerful foundation for national development.
History offers a clear lesson.Whenindividuals
(Continuedonpage06)
DEAREDITOR, T h e r e c e n t “engagement” by Cataleya Petroleum Inc. in Karasabai is not an exercise in c o r p o r a t e s o c i a l responsibility; it is an act of administrative vandalism What we are witnessing is the clinical manufacturing ofaprocessdesignedtolook legal while being hollowed out of every meaningful protection afforded to the Indigenous peoples of this nation.TheNorthRupununi DistrictDevelopmentBoard (NRDDB) has sounded the alarm, but the silence from the Ministry of Natural ResourcesandtheEPAisthe mosttellingpartofthissaga.
TheAbsenceofthe Arbiter
By what authority does a private oil company enter a titledVillageto“unfoldplans” foronshoredrillingwithouta singlestateregulatorpresent? The absence of theAuthority HavingJurisdiction(AHJ)isa strategic abandonment of the North Rupununi Without the EPA to provide an independent impact assessment, and without the Ministry to act as a neutral arbiter, these meetings are nothing more than a highpressuresalespitchconducted inavacuum
Did the company act unilaterally? If so, why has the government not issued a Cease-and-Desist? If they acted with tacit approval, why were the people not given Official Notification by the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs as required by the spirit of the AmerindianAct2006?
The Legal CounterOffensive
The NRDDB is not
defenseless We must remind the “consultants” and their silent partners of the legal walls they are currently hitting:
1 Section 48 of the AmerindianAct: No “miner” or “petroleum operator” can bypass the Village General Meeting Consent is not a handshake with a single leader; it is a two-thirds majority vote of the entire village Anythinglessisalegal nullity
2 TheEscazúAgreement:
As a signatory, the Government of Guyana is mandatedtoprovideAccessto Justice in environmental matters By allowing a company to self-report their “consultation” success without state oversight, the governmentisinderelictionof thisinternationaltreaty
3 Constitutional Recourse: Under the precedentofThomasv EPA, Guyanese citizens have already proven they can challenge the state’s failure to protect their right to a healthy environment Onshoredrillinginadelicate wetland a proposed Ramsar Site—is a direct threat to the constitutional rights of the 8,000 residents theNRDDBrepresents.
Hard Questions for the
State Wemustask:
• How did this exploration “idea” move to the village level without a formal, public disclosure of the Takatu Block’s regulatorystatus?
• Is the Government allowing a “shadow process” to take place so theycanlaterclaimtheyare merely “responding to communityinterest”?
• Where is the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs? Their mandate is to protect the interests of Indigenous people, yet they appear to have outsourced this protection to the very company seeking to exploit theland.
Conclusion
The NRDDB’s “No-No” is a line in the sand It is a refusaltolettheRupununibe turned into a laboratory for onshoreexperimentswhilethe law is conveniently “swept under the radar” If the government continues to allow this unchecked coercion, they aren’t just letting a company drill for oil theyarelettingthemdrill through the heart of our democracy The Savannah is watching.
Respectfully
HemduttKumar
A 12-member jury was empaneled on Monday before Justice Deborah Kumar at the Berbice High Courtforthetrialof33-yearold Andrew Seegobin, also knownas‘Deportee’,whois accused of the 2023 murder of his friend Ramanand Mingo.
Seegobin, a construction worker of John’s, Port Mourant, Corentyne, is charged with the November 19, 2023 killing of 29-yearold Mingo, also a construction worker of Clifton Village, Corentyne. The two men were said to havebeenclosefriends.
Theaccusedwasinitially represented by attorney MursalineBacchus,whohas sincedied.AttorneySurihya Sabsookisnowrepresenting
Seegobin, while the state’s case is being led by ProsecutorMarisaEdwards. It is alleged that Mingo received a single fatal stab woundtothechestduringan altercation involving him, hisbrotherandSeegobinata shop located at John’s, Port Mourant. The injured man later succumbed to his injuriesthesameevening.
On Monday, the prosecution indicated that it intends to call 15 witnesses, including Mingo’s mother, theownersoftheshopwhere the incident occurred, relativesandpoliceofficers. Inheropeningaddressto the jury, Edwards said the evidence will show that a sharpinstrumentwasusedto inflict the fatal wound. She told the court that given the
location of the injury, the prosecution will seek to establish that the accused intendedtokillthevictim.
The first witness to testify was Parbattie RangasammyofJohn’s,Port Mourant, who operates a ‘Superbet’gamingoutletand beverage shop with her two sons. Rangasammy told the court she was familiar with both Mingo and his brother as they were regular customers.
She recalled that on the evening in question she had justreturnedfromtakingher grandson to the hospital when she observed an argument between the two brothers and Seegobin According to Rangasammy, the brothers appeared aggressive.
…15 witnesses expected to testify in Berbice High Court trial
Shesaidsheattemptedto de-escalatethesituationand asked the men to leave the premises but was pushed by Mingo’s brother and fell duringtheconfrontation.
Withinminutes,shesaid, Mingohadsustainedthestab wound to his chest Rangasammy also told the court that although there weresecuritycamerasatthe shop, they were not functioning at the time. She was unable to identify the accusedincourt.
The victim’s mother, Lilowtie Ramsammy of CliftonSettlement,alsotook the stand. She testified that around 10:30 p m on November 19, 2023 she received a call asking her to gotothePortMouran
(Continuedonpage17)
Five of the 10 bidders that responded to the prime minister’s request for proposals for the establishmentoftheGuyana Ammonia and Urea Plant (GAUP) at Wales, West BankDemerara,areChinese ownedcompanies. The companies have eitherformedconsortiumor bidalonefortheproject.
Based on the bids received by the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB)the10biddersare: CAMCE of China who
formed consortium with CNCEC, and ECEC; China RailwayFirstGroupCo.Ltd of China who formed consortium with SEDIN Engineering Co Ltd; Lindsayca Guyana Inc (Texas based company operating in Guyana); MontegoUpstreamServices
Ltd (of Nigeria) in consortium with Ideal Engineering Services Inc.; Northern EPC Alliance (NEA) in consortium with Lee Kieswetter Heavy Civil (LKHC), and Valor EPC; and Phoenix Welding &
Guyana). Additionally, Hualu Engineering & Technology Co Ltd (of China) in consortium with China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation; Morimatsu (of China) in consortiumwithArkadSpA, and CC7 Europe; Kalpataru Projects International Limited (of India); and China Wuhan Engineering Corporation Limited (of China)alsosubmittedbids. Back in October 2025, the government invited
Frompage04
on line publication to give voice to the public and to provide accurate news reporting as SN did for nearly40years. We need an avenue for people to express views on government, opposition, business,andNGOs
Andaswelooktowardpost March 15, let us give s u p p o r t ( a d s a n d subscriptions and purchase papers) to independent media houses enabling them to maintain a free press, a cornerstone of democracy
Yourssincerely, VishnuBisram
Frompage05
possess the freedom to speak, to investigate and to challengeauthority,thetruth acquires a force that no institution can permanently suppress. For democracy is notdefinedbytheabsenceof scandal. It is defined by the courage to confront it. The couragetoquestionpower The courage to expose wrongdoing. Thecouragetoinsistthat no person stands above the law And when citizens possess that courage, when free people refuse silence anddemandthetruth,liberty doesnotmerelysurvive.
Itadvances. Andwithitadvancesthe enduring promise that the rights of the individual remain the most powerful safeguard of justice that human civilization has yet devised.
Regards ArunSudeshRichard
Construction) proposals to design, engineer, construct (and then operate), an ammonia/ureaplant.”
The tender notice stated that the project will be developedthroughapublicprivate partnership model, where government seeks to manufacture300,000tonsof fertiliser per annum, commencingbetween20272028.
It will utilise gas from phase two of the Wales pipeline, according to the prime minister’s office Based on preliminary EPC proposals received to date, governmentpointedoutthat the project cost is not expected to exceed US$300 million The Guyana Ammonia and Urea Plant is to be built at Wales, West Bank Demerara, east of the GTE Combined Cycle Power Plant and NGL Facility. GAUP will also receive lean gas from GuyanaPowerandGasInc.
The Guyana Ammonia andUreaPlant(GAUP)isto bebuiltatWales,WestBank Demerara, east of the GTE Combined Cycle Power Plant and Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Facility
“GAUPwillreceiveleangas fromGuyanaPowerandGas
Inc. (GPGI), a fully owned Government of Guyana (GOG) company,” OPM stated.
GAUP, a company to be incorp
d, will manufacture and sell ammonia/urea (fertiliser) to the local and regional market. Government noted that project is specifically aimedatloweringthecostof fertiliser in Guyana and the broader region, including Northern Brazil and the Caribbean.
It was explained,
“GAUP will be a private company with financing
secured from the private sector GOG shall be responsible for (i) establishing GAUP (ii) structuring and securing financing, (iii) arranging all contracts and permits GAUPwill be structured on aProjectFinancebasis.” This publication reported that during a site visit of the GTE project in October 2025, President Irfaan Ali revealed that government was eyeing the locationforafertilizerplant, among other initiatives to utilize and monetize the country’sgasresources.
DateofTenderOpening:March05,2026 FileNumber:GastoEnergyForce (51/2026/02)-GuyanaAmmonia&Urea Plant(GAUP)CallforEPCProposals
NEW YORK, March 9 (Reuters) - Oil prices were up 10% on Monday after paring gains from a session high of over $119 a barrel, a peak since 2022, as Saudi Arabia and other OPEC members cut supplies due to disruptions from the expanding U.S.-Israeli war withIran.
Brent futures surged $9.60,or10.4%,to$102.29a barrel at 10:53 a.m. EDT (1453 GMT). .S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude jumped $9.21, or 10.1%, to $100.11.
The Reuters Power Up newsletter provides everythingyouneedtoknow about the global energy industry Signuphere.
In early trade, Brent soaredtoahighof$119 50a barrel, which if it held would be its biggest-ever absolute price jump in a single day WTI hit a high of $119 48
Since the U.S. and Israel bombedIranonFebruary28,
Brent has surged by as much as 65% and WTI 78% Monday’s prices compare with all-time highs of $147.50 a barrel for Brent and $147.27 for WTI in July 2008, according to LSEG data.
Oil prices got a boost from the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as Iran’s supreme leader, signaling that hardliners remain in charge in Tehran a week into its conflict with the U.S. and Israel.
Analysts said the market pared gains from session highs on factors including fears that soaring energy prices would cause inflation to skyrocket and lead to weaker economic growth, along with profit taking in a technically overbought market.
To combat rising inflation, central banks generally boost interest rates, lifting borrowing costs This can slow economicgrowthandreduce energy demand On the technical side, WTI was the most overbought on record andBrentwasthemostsince 1990.
SAUDI ARAMCO STARTS CUTTING PRODUCTION
SaudiAramco has begun cutting output at two of its oilfields, sources said Analysts said last week they
Front-month Brent futures wereontracktofinishwitha premiumof$24abarrelover contracts for delivery in six months.
This would top the alltime high of around $22 in March 2022 in the early weeks of the Russia-Ukraine war. This premium indicates a market structure known as backwardation, showing traders see intense current supplyshortages.
The war could leave consumers and businesses worldwide facing weeks or months of higher fuel prices even if it ends quickly, as suppliers grapple with damagedfacilities,disrupted logisticsandelevatedrisksto shipping.
In the U S , gasoline contracts surged to an intraday high of around $3.22 a gallon, their highest since2022.
“Alternativesarelimited, such as tapping strategic oil reserves, but in comparison to the potential magnitude of the supply disruption if the Strait stays closed longer, theyareadropintheocean,” said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo.
J a p a n s a i d t h e InternationalEnergyAgency (IEA)calledduringanonline meeting with the finance ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) nations on Monday, for member countries to coordinate a release of emergency oil reserves. France said the G7 countries have not made a decision yet and India said it has no plans to join the IEA initiative.
, including the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and Kuwait, to cut production soon as they run out of oil storage.
Saudi Aramco, which can divert some flows via the Red Sea port of Yanbu, has offered more than 4 million barrels of Saudi crude in rare tenders to counteract Hormuzbeingshut.
The war has virtually shut the Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly onefifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes.
AGreek-operated oil tanker, however, has sailed through the Strait with a cargo of Saudicrude.
DataanalyticsfirmKpler said that even if the Strait opens tomorrow, it would likely take six to seven weeks for exports to return full capacity from the Gulf.
U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer has called on PresidentTrump to release strategic petroleum reserves.
In natural gas markets, giant LNG exporter Qatar had already stopped production after attacks on key infrastructure. Refinery disruptions add to fuel supply cuts, with Bahrain’s BAPCO announcing a force majeure following a recent attack on its refinery complex.
SaudiArabia has already shut its biggest oil refinery. Elsewhere in the Middle East,TurkeysaidonMonday that NATO air defences shot down a second Iranian ballistic missile that had entereditsairspace.
Therearemornings in Georgetown when the light appearstoarrivereluctantly, as though the sun itself is unsure whether it wishes to brighten the day’s proceedings One wakes, stretches, and becomes
aware, without quite remembering how, that one has been entered into a trial. Therehasbeennosummons, no formal charge sheet, no politeletterinformingyouof thenatureoftheoffence.Yet thecaseexistsallthesame. This, it seems, is the conditionofbeingalive.
Franz Kafka understood the matter perfectly in The Trial His unfortunate protagonist, Josef K , awakes one morning to find himselfarrested.Heasksthe obviousquestion:whatisthe charge? The answer, delivered with the serene indifference of officialdom everywhere, is that the charge is not the point. The proceedings themselves are the point. The case exists;
therefore he must answer to it Life, I have long
suspected, works in preciselythismanner
None of us filled out the application form for existence There was no clerk at a celestial counter askingwhetherwepreferred the humid anxieties of the tropics or the grey coldness of northern Europe. No one consulted us on whether we wished to be born into comfort, confusion, or the particular bureaucratic absurdities of our respective homelands.Wedidnotaskto come into the world. We were simply deposited in it, like parcels delivered to the wrongaddress.
And yet from the moment of arrival the proceedingsbegin. The first judges are the parents. They peer into the crib as though inspecting an unfamiliar document, wondering whether it will turn out to be authentic or forged The child, still unaware of the charges, is
already expected to show signs of promise. It must smile at the appropriate moments, walk before the neighbours’ children, speak early, and display evidence of a future usefulness to society Bythetimethechild reaches school, the tribunal has expanded Teachers enterthecourtroomwithred pens, administering verdicts inink.“Average,”theywrite with the faint satisfaction of minor magistrates. The chargeisstillunclear,butthe judgementhasbegun.
Then come the wider courts of the world: employers, acquaintances, the silent jury of strangers. They examine your clothes, your accent, your successes and failures. They do not necessarily know what they are judging, but they judge nonetheless. One senses in their eyes the vague suspicion that something about you may not be entirelyinorder
JosefK.believed,atleast in the early chapters of
Twenty-nine-year-
old Herbert
Hartman was chopped to death at his Tuschen New Scheme, East Bank Essequibo residence, following an argument with afellowworkerataworksite inTuschen.
According to the police, the deceased and the suspect, a 23-year-old construction worker of Tuschen Housing Scheme, areknowntoeachother On Sunday, the men
were earlier at a worksite in the area where they were imbibing alcohol when an argument reportedly ensued betweenthem,duringwhich the suspect allegedly threatened the deceased beforeleavingthelocation.
It is alleged that the suspect later went to the deceased’s residence armed with a cutlass where an altercation occurred On Monday March 9, 2026 about06:00hrs,thedeceased was discovered lying
motionlessinapoolofblood athisresidencewithseveral chopwoundsabouthisbody Thebodywasescortedtothe DeKinderen Regional Hospital where it was examined and pronounced dead. It was subsequently taken to the Ezekiel Funeral Home for a post-mortem examination Police later contacted the suspect who was arrested and remains in policecustodyassistingwith investigations.
Langago,dempickney use to start fly kite lang beforeEaster Schooluseto go in recess fuh de Easter, one week before Good Friday and is den more children does start fly dem kite.
When school close fuh deEaster,demboysusedto deh in de ball park all day, flying kite. Looking fuh buss-awaykiteandmekkin demlocalkite.
Dem boys use to call it kaddy-ole-punchkite.Dem use to mek it with pointers and den paper it with exercise leaf And dem boys use to put on a
mountain loop and singing engineandflyitwithareel ah thread. Fuh tail, dem boys use to use old pieces ah cloth tie together De kaddy-ole-punch use to soarindeskyandnahbuss away
Dem boys nah bin had fuh wait fuh dem parents buy expensive kite fuh dem.Butnowadayspeople waiting fuh free kite from de guvament But dem Ministerssharingoutsheer cheap Chinese kite. Dem children nah want dem cheap kites. Dem want a proper kite like dem ones wah does sell pon de
Kafka’snovel,thatarational explanation would eventually emerge. Surely, he thought, if one persisted long enough, the machinery ofaccusationwouldproduce a coherent statement of the offence.
L i f e i s l e s s accommodating. You may spend years attempting to discover the charge. Some imagine it is failure: failure to acquire sufficient money, status, or respectability Others suspectitmaybemoral:that theyhavesomehowfailedto livewiththerequireddignity or virtue. There are those who assume the charge is political, social, historical, evencosmic.
But the charge never quiteclarifiesitself.
Instead, the proceedings continueinacuriousmixture of farce and solemnity People argue passionately about matters that will soon beforgotten.Committeesare formed Resolutions are passed. Careers rise and fall with the gravity of legal appeals, though the ultimate significance of these manoeuvres remains uncertain. Kafka recognised the comedy in this arrangement Josef K struggles with admirable determination to defend
himself.Heconsultslawyers whoseemtoknowlessabout the case than he does. He attends hearings that resemble theatre more than justice. At each stage he becomes more entangled in the process he hoped to escape.
Soitiswithus.
We construct elaborate explanations for our lives careers, ideologies, ambitions believing that these will somehow resolve the case. We imagine that if we accumulate enough achievements, enough certificates of approval, the mysteriouscourtwillquietly withdrawthecharges.
Butthecourtneverquite does.
Instead, it waits, patient and inscrutable, as the years proceed One gradually realisesthatthejudgementis not delivered in a single dramatic moment It emerges slowly, through time itself. The body grows tired.Friendsdisappear The world rearranges itself without asking your permission.
A n d t h e n o n e understands Kafka’s deeper joke.
Thetrialwasneverabout thecharge.
It was about the condition of standing in the
dock of existence of having been placed in a world whose rules were written long before your arrival.Youweresummoned without consultation, required to participate, and expectedtoconductyourself withdignityeventhoughthe proceedingswereneverfully explained.
We did not ask to come intothisworld.
Yet here we are, defendants in a case that beganbeforewecouldspeak and will conclude without our consent. The sensible response, one suspects, is neither despair nor protest but a certain amused resignation.Ifwemuststand accused,wemightaswelldo sowithstyle.
Afterall,inthisvastand curious courtroom called life, everyone is on trial and no one quite knowsthecharge.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
pavement.
Lang ago, when yuh buyakitepondepavement, itusetocomewithtailand balla. Nowadays, dem kite sellers gat a “no-strings” attach policy Yuh gat to pay fuh de tail and string separately
Whenyuhparentsbuya kitepondepavement,dem doesmeksuredatyuhputit up after Easter Monday Andtekitoutdefollowing year Butnowadaysdehgat some children dem want a new kite every year Is suh since we find oil.We think moneyflowinglikewater Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
In no particular order, Iran sent its missiles hurtling across the skies to Israel, Qatar, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, andtheStraitofHormuz.
The latter was expected as part of a broader, tightening strategy, but certainlynotatargetinSaudi Arabia, the birthplace of the Prophet. What is Iran’s war strategy, its wargame plan?
It seems that in Iran’s playbook, all is fair in war. This is not about wargames
or game plans, anymore; the paltry,irrelevantlanguageof sport. Thisistherealthing:a live war, a hot one, with buildings crumbling and bodies falling. War in all of that apparel in its modernity, capability,andferocity
NATO said that it stopped a missile on the way from Teheran to Turkey An Amazonsitehasbeenstruck. So, I asked the question again: what could be Iran’s war plan, its war strategy? I
hazard a guess, based on its response to coming under attack. Itsresponsehasbeen like a hand of cards that is spread in a broad semicircle. Ialsoseeacountry,whereits leadersbeenthrownfeetfirst into a pressure cooker under intense heat; and who react a
g discussedandlongfinalized. When they come hunting for the head of Iran, make all of them pay the costliest of prices. The friends and fellow believers, who turned their faces and backs, and openly abandoned, out of a combination that is part cowardice and part calculation. The enemies, who were always thirsting forIranianbloodandforever yappingatitsheels. It is said that a cornered animal will fight back with strength untold, and courage undiminished. There is no knowledge on how long its resistance will last; or how much damage its retaliatory efforts can inflict. Damage that serves as a stark
deterrent. And,ofcourse,its hidden weapon, one that is feared because it is unknown. Because it could be planted right in the bosom Sleeper cells, willing martyrs for what is a losing battle, but which could still appear, if only as part of a complex web of psychologicalwarfare.
From Iran, reports are over 2000 dead, and many more injured. Losses are borne with stoic resignation. In the US, less than a dozen casualties have been reported, and that is being watched like a hawk, almost in the manner of a monitoring machine in a hospital ICU Unit. The numbers rise and all kinds of squawking sounds emerge from the machines I shouldn’t have to relay the reactions of close ones standing around nervously To put differently, TV wars have their pleasing aspects. For a contrasting picture, there are body bags that no one has stomach for, ever
likes. In my estimation, Iran seems ready to take its blows. But it also seems ready to takedown as many as it can in a war that could encircle and drag in as many asitdecidestotarget. Going down will not be a one-sided affair
F r o m a n I r a n i a n perspective, my sense is that since the country believes that it is under the gun, and will have to absorb many blowsandlotsofpain. Thus, it must reciprocate and share its own pain on those within the arcs of its reach. Victory is sure to be out of its grasp; but a pyrrhic may be just as acceptable. A big country with likely a deep arsenal of weapons, and with some 92 millioncitizensshouldnever becountedout,notbeseenas a Sunday walk in the park. What is apparent is how much the mullahs and the contingency plans they refined over the years have the population under the tightest lockdown It explains why the internal
revolt expected (perhaps, prompted) by Iran’s enemies now look more like wishful thinking than having any good chance of coming into existence, actually making a difference.
How long Iran is able to hold-on and holdout is the question that many sift and wade through. How long willthealliesarrayedagainst it succeed in holding one head remains to be seen. Casualties are the greatest influencers of change When it is the other guy that is getting hammered, that’s justfine.
When the numbers and pressuresadduponthehome front, then a new language takes over. This, too, could b e p a r t o f I r a n ’ s comprehensivewarplan.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the a u t h o r a n d d o n o t necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) has raisedconcernsaboutwhatit describes as a steady erosion of transparency in Guyana, warningthatthetrendcomes at a time when the country’s oil sector is expanding rapidly and public spending is reaching unprecedented levels.
On Friday, Member of Parliament (MP) Sherod
D u n c a n p o i n t e d t o replacement of year-end
press conferences by the administration with mere s t a t e m e n t s o n t h e performance of respective ministries in December 2025.
Duncan reasoned, “All ofitistoavoidscrutiny.Now if you are doing all this work and you are putting people first wouldn’t you want to engage the public? Wouldn’t
youwanttoengagemembers of the media fraternity to tell of all this goodness that you aredoingoutthere?”
The MP believes that government is deliberately avoiding meaningful engagements with credible media houses like Kaieteur News as is evident in the shift from post cabinet briefings and now silence
What is left of the home, after the blaze.
Felicia Edwards, a mother of two, is now seeking the help of the public and the Government of Guyana, to have her home rebuilt after a fire, set by the father of her secondsonguttedthehousesomeweeksago.
Edwards reached out to this publication forhelp,sayingsheiscurrentlyhomelessand is seeking shelter at an undisclosed location, fearfulthatherexwillcomelookingforher.
The couple has been in a relationship for almost seven years and there have been instances of falling out but Edwards cannot recall her spouse ever threatening to burn their home down. She recalled that on Thursday February 19 she was on her way to work, when she received a call from a neighbourthatherchildfatherwasintheyard andhadsetthehouseonfire.
Rushing back home, by the time she arrivedtheFireServicewasalreadythereand the structure was gutted. She did not manage to save anything. In a video shown to this publicationbythevictimthatwascirculating on social media, the perpetrator was seen hurling rocks, and other materials at the home. Loud bangs were heard as the items connectedwiththezincsheets,therewasalso the sound of breaking glass as the windows shattered. At one point he entered the building and shattered the remaining windowsfromtheinside.
In another video the suspect was seen calmly walking away from the scene of the crime, pushing a wheel barrow with what appeared to be a shovel, a lawn mower and a few other items, while the house fiercely blazedbehindhim.
On the morning of the incident Edwards recalled, “We had an argument the morning before I leave for work, and he said he gun
call you and tell you.” Unfortunately, she did notreadtoomuchintoitandwentonherway Speaking on what the relationship was like she explained that there were frequent arguments and her partner was abusive but she stayed for the sake of her young child. “I don’t know what I will do now I really need help with getting a roof over me and the kids heads.”
A report was made to Diamond Police Station, but so far, an arrest has not been made.Thenowhomelessmothersaidthatshe went back to the station a few times and placed several calls to follow up. The only updateshehasbeengivensofaristhatheisin Essequibo and therefore out of their jurisdiction.
If anyone is interesting in making a donation they can make contact with Felicia Edwardson+592-625-2194.
from Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, who held regular press conferences on Thursdays.
Duncan pointed out the importance of such events as opposed to reporters being forced to question leaders on the sidelines of events which offer limited time for indepth questioning to leaders, tasked with overseeing billions of dollars in public expenditure.
In fact, he believes that the increase in public spending should have resulted in greater engagements with the public and media for the purpose of transparency
“The media barely getting some face time with government ministers who are handling billion-dollar portfolios All the more reason why we should have seen an acceleration, a proliferation of engagement with government ministers and the government with media houses through press conferences, through all of those engagements and we have seen a significant diminution of those engagementssadly,”Duncan argued.
Meanwhile, MP Ganesh Mahipaul concluded that the
(CNN) A woman has been arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly firing a gun toward singer Rihanna’s home in Los Angeles on Sunday afternoon,policesay.
The Los Angeles Police Department told CNN that the shooting incident happened at 1:20 p.m. PT on Sunday
Between five and seven shots were fired, hitting the outside gate to the house but not the house itself, according to the LAPD There were no injuries, although there were people inthehouseatthetimeofthe incident,policesaid.
A woman in her 30s was “located and taken into custody without further incident,”policeadded.
O n M o n d a y , a spokesperson for the LAPD said the suspect, Ivanna Lisette Ortiz, was charged with attempted murder She is being held on a $10.2 millionbail.
CNN has reached out
lackoftransparencycouldbe to cover up “crookish behaviour.” He reasoned,
“As long as you are a government official and you are prepared to face the media it means that you are honestinyourdealingsbutif you are going to run away from the media and escape media scrutiny means you areincrookishactivities.”
With billions being spent from the Natural Resource Fund or the country’s oil account, Mahipaul argued t h a t a r e s p o n s i b l e government would inform the nation of the specific projects being funded from that source, an act that the governmenthasfailedon.
Over the past five years, the national budget grew from just $383.1 billion in 2021 to a massive $1.558
trillion in 2026.The increase in expenditure is being fueled by growth in oil revenues that are flowing to the country through the Stabroek Block operations, spearheaded by American energy giant, ExxonMobil. At the same time, Guyana’s public debt has grown to facilitate the increased spending by government which continues to attract criticisms.
T h e b l a c k o u t o f informationhasbeenamajor concern for not only the media but other members of the public who took action last year against the C o m m i s s i o n e r o f Information, C
Ramson, SC for failing to fulfill his mandate in
reachescitizens.
One hundred and twenty women
from across Guyana received business starter packs on Sunday aimed at helping them launch or expand their entrepreneurial ventures
d u r i n g t h e c l o s i n g ceremony of the We Lift 6 Conference and Expo held
at the Arthur Chung ConferenceCentre.
According to the Department of Public Information (DPI), two
w o m e n f r o m e a c h administrative region were selected to benefit from the initiative after completing a
s e r i e s o f t r a i n i n g
p r o g r a m m e s T h e participants underwent training in areas such as social media marketing, graphic design, garment construction, child care, and elderly care. These courses were completed under the Women’s Innovation and Investment Network (WIIN) t
Institute.
Women who completed the garment construction p
d industrial sewing machines, while those trained in child care were provided with toys and learning materials to support early childhood services Participants who pursued training in social media marketing were equipped with laptop computers to assist with their digital business operations
In addition to the distribution of starter packs, several memoranda of understanding (MoUs) were signed with key partners to expand support services for womenentrepreneurs.
The agreements are intended to strengthen the support system available to women in business by providing access to training opportunities, mentorship,
of the women who received business starter packs.
and additional business developmentresources.
Minister of Human ServicesandSocialSecurity, Dr Vindhya Persaud, said the initiative is aimed at removing barriers that often prevent women from pursuing entrepreneurial ambitions.
“For me, it has always been about dismantling barriers, especially for
women who have potential that many times delay exploring it because of the many challenges they face,” theministerstated.
She explained that many w o m e n b e g i n t h e i r entrepreneurial journeys from their homes while b a l a n c i n g f a m i l y responsibilities and working to grow their businesses. Through initiatives such as
We Lift and WIIN, the government is creating pathways for women to transition from microenterprises into sustainable small and medium-scale businesses.
T h e W e L i f t 6 Conference and Expo opened on Friday and concluded on Sunday, bringing together women from across the country to
showcase their businesses. The event aimed to raise awareness of women-led enterprises while providing entrepreneurs with exposure a n d n e t w o r k i n g opportunities.
Among the participants was 20-year-old business owner Shalini Deokumar, who shared her experience withKaieteurNewson
Continued on page 16
MinisterofHealth,Frank Anthony, has clarified that it wastheGovernmentofCuba that ended its longstanding medical cooperation agreement with Guyana and not the President Irfaan Ali administration.
The minister made the
disclosure during an interview with News Source on Monday, explaining that after discussions between the two countries, Cuban authorities ultimately decided to withdraw their medical personnel from Guyana “We have been engaging the Cuban authorities and they chose to terminate or withdraw the Cuban doctors who were here.Sothat’sthefirstthingI want to make clear The Cubans have withdrawn their medical workers who were here,” Dr Anthony said.
According to the health minister, the withdrawal took place in February 2026, bringing an end to a medical partnership that had lasted for more than 48 years. In 2023, Guyana and Cuba had signed a new Medical Cooperation Agreement at theMinistryofHealthaimed at strengthening bilateral collaboration in the health sector The agreement was signed by Dr Anthony and Cuba’s Ambassador to Guyana, Jorge Francisco
SoberónLuis. Cuban medical missions have faced increased scrutiny from the United States in recent years
D u r i n g t h e f i r s t administration of Donald Trump (2017–2021), visa sanctions were imposed on Cuba’s global medical p r o g r a m m e , w h i c h Washington described as exploitative, alleging that Cuban doctors were underpaid and had limited freedoms.
However, in a previous interview on February 9, Dr Anthony had stated that Guyana had formally ended the bilateral arrangement, arguing that the agreement
was no longer necessary since Cuban doctors were now travelling to Guyana independently to seek employment. “There is no reason We have Cuban doctors that are coming to Guyana now, they come independently,soweemploy them. So there’s no need for theagreement,”Dr.Anthony said.
“Right now what we’re doing is that any doctor or nurse from Cuba who wants toworkinGuyana,oncethey have their qualifications and theycomehere,we’reableto employ them and they have the same terms and
conditions like any Guyanesedoctor,”headded.
The minister also
e x p l a i n e d t h a t t h e government is simply complying with the country’s labour laws. “This country has labour laws, and thoselawsallowpeopletobe employed and receive their salaries. We can’t break any rules that we have in our country. So we have been following those rules, which are consistent with what the US government has been asking,” he said. Following the withdrawal of the Cuban medical brigade, the Government of Guyana movedtodirectlyhireCuban medical personnel who wish to remain or work in the country
“Cuban doctors, nurses and technicians, if they want to come to Guyana, they can come, and once they are properly qualified and certified by our medical authorities here, such as the Medical Council and Nursing Council, then we will be able to offer them a job,” the Minister explained onMonday
He said a number of C u b a n h e a l t h c a r e professionals have already taken up employment within Guyana’s public health system, including some who were previously part of the Cuban medical brigade and chose to remain in the country
However, Dr Anthony said he could not provide an exact figure. “I don’t have the number, but quite a numberofpersons,andsome persons who were on the brigade also decided to stay back, so they are working with the Government of Guyana,”hesaid.Thehealth minister maintained that the withdrawal of the Cuban brigade has not negatively i m p a c t e d G u y a n a ’s healthcare system, noting that the Ministry of Health has been expanding its local trainingprogrammes.
“As you know, we have been expanding our healthcare system and we have also started to expand
Minister of Health, Dr. Frank Anthony
training.Alot of people who were on the brigade were nurses, and through our training programme we are compensating for those that w o u l d h a v e b e e n withdrawn,”hesaid.
Dr Anthony noted that the government launched a r e g i s t e r e d n u r s i n g programme three years ago, andbyJunethisyearcloseto 800 nurses are expected to graduate and enter the health system. Meanwhile, the minister revealed that the government is exploring the possibility of recruiting doctors from Trinidad and Tobago.
“ We a r e s t i l l i n discussions with Trinidad because we understood that they had about 400 doctors whoweren’tfindingjobsin Continued on page 16
The Ministry of Public
Works on Monday announced that the physical works on the New Wismar-Mackenzie Bridge in Linden, Region 10, are now 97% completeandremainsontracktobe fully operational by June, later this year
According to a release from the ministry,MinisterJuanEdghillwas provided an update on Friday duringatargetedassessmentvisitto the project site. The minister held a multi-stakeholder meeting which included technical staff from the ministry, contractors China Railway Construction (Caribbean) Company Ltd. and GuyCo Construction Inc., and the consultancyfirm,Politecnica.
During the visit, the minister and team conducted an onsite walkthrough of the 233-metre-long concrete bridge, where concrete placement is currently at 97%. The walkthrough also included an inspection of the secondary connectionsleadingtoandfromthe bridge,theministryinformed.
“Aproject debrief revealed that works on theWestern End (Wismar side) specifically the West Watooka Connector and Dacoura Haul Roads—are 33% complete. For these two main arteries, subgrade preparation, subbase, crusher run base, and curbing are 100% finished. The foundation works for the roundabout are also 100% complete, with curbing at 50%. Additionally, work on the Burnham Drive approach is
advancing, with subsurface works at38%,curbingat39%,andculvert works currently underway,” the ministryexplained.
Meanwhile, the eastern end of the bridge is 27% complete, accounting for foundation and retaining structures. At the time of the visit, 3,750 prefabricated vertical were installed and geotextiles laid, with the contractor currently placing white sand and crushed stone as part of the subsurface works, the ministry reported.
The ministry added that a new culvert at the Washer Pond Road approach at Noitgedacht has been successfully installed, and construction is underway for the retaining wall of the main embankment Excavation and geotextileinstallationarecomplete, with backfilling ongoing to prepare forfinalsurfacing.
“Theprojectremainsontrackto be fully operational by June 2026, pending the completion of the connector roads,” the ministry disclosed.
When finished, the toll-free crossing will feature two barrierseparated pedestrian walkways, modern lighting, and two new roundaboutsonboththeeasternand westernsidesofthebridge.
This publication had reported that in January 2024, the government and China Railway Construction Corporation Limited signedaUS$35millioncontractfor the construction of the new fourlaneMcKenzie/WismarBridge.
TheMinistryofHealth,through its Health Sciences Education Division, on Monday launched the Community Nutrition Technician Programme.
T h e p r o g r a m m e i s a collaborative initiative between the Ministry’s Family and Primary Health Care Services, Food Policy Division, and the Chronic Disease Unit.
According to information provided by the ministry, the first cohort consists of 20 students who willundergotraininginsixmonths.
They will be trained in four key m o d u l e s w h i c h i n c l u d e Foundations in Nutrition and Health, Nutrition Knowledge and Applications, Food Science and
Health Applications, and Practical AttachmentandFieldTraining.
The Health Ministry noted that the programme is designed to strengthen community-based nutrition services by equipping trainees with essential knowledge andpracticalskills.
“Key objectives of the programme include: Equipping
nts with techniques to conduct n
assessments. Providing practical experience in community nutrition outreach. Introducing modern data collection methods for effective nutrition tracking and monitoring,” theministryexplained.
Delivering remarks at the
encouraged the students to work closely with patients to ensure they adhere to proper nutritional guidance.
He also urged them to become ambassadors of the healthier society they are being trained to promote.
Additionally,heencouragedthe traineestocontinueadvancingtheir knowledge in nutrition by utilizing online learning opportunities such
In a pledge community impa Banks DIH Limited disbursed over 6.5 million dollars to 27 community groups on Friday, a press release by the companysaid.
Delivering special remarks at the event
was the Finance Director, Mr Deonarain Seepaul, who highlighted
that as the compa celebrates its 70th Year, this event has for 42 years been a fixture in their yearly commitment.
The donations were
executivestaffmembers.
“We are proud of our ongoing efforts to support a n d u p l i f t o u r communities, and we l o o k f o r w a r d t o
c o n t
n g t h i s important initiative in honorofthosewhogive selflessly in uplifting lives, supporting vulnerable groups and trengthening the social aspect of our society.” said mpany spokesperson, SonyaForrester
Andrew’s Kirk, The Scout AssociationofGuyana,Girls Guides Association, St John’s Ambulance Brigade, The Guyana Conference of Seventh-Day Adventist, Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA), Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA), Uncle Eddie’s Home, S a l v a t i o n A r m y ,
Gentlewomen’s Relief Association, St George’s Cathedral, St Joseph’s Mercy Hospital, Guyana Red Cross Society, Guyana Society for the Blind, Guyana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, St. Thomas Mores Conference Society of the St Vincent De Paul, St. Philip’s Parish Church, St. Vincent
De Paul Society, St G e o r g e ’ s F i n a n c e Committee, Dharm Shala, Guyana Sanathan Dharma Maha Saba, Shaheed’s Boys and Girls Orphanage, St. John’s Bosco Boy’s Orphanage, Ruimveldt Children’s Home and Care Centre, Our Lady of the Mount RC Church, and Our LadyoftheMountCharities.
arketi n g Director, Mr. Mohamed S.
H
S
c t o r, Rondwight Fields WMPB Director and Mrs. Kavorn Kyte-Williams, Company Secretary/General Counsel along with other senior
p r e s e n t e d t o t h e organisations by Clifford Reis, Chairman/Managing Director The event was also attended by Members of the Board; Mr Carlton Joao, M
Sister Jules Mathews from St. John’s Bosco Boy’s Orphanage expressed thanks on behalf of the recipients. This year’s ceremony was held in the Rotunda and the donations were disbursed to the following organizations: Missionaries of Charity, St.
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The government, through the Ministry of Housing, is urging land allottees to take possession of their house lots and begin construction as it accelerates the processing of agreements of sale and certificates of title across several housing schemes.
Minister of Housing Collin Croal explained that the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CHPA) will be conducting signing exercises over a two-and-a-half-month period ending in April. This, he said, is designed to ensure people who have been allocated house lots can complete their agreements of sale and begin processing their certificates of title more quickly.
“We are doing these additional days of signing be-
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cause, in addition to what the staff has to address during the week, they have the regular customer service, the regular housing services,” the housing minister explained in a video posted on Monday. Saturday’s (March 7) exercise focused on Lusignan Phase Two, where more than 250 people were invited to complete the signing process. Signing exercises have already begun for Lusignan Phase One, while a second batch of allottees for Lusignan Phase Two are expected to sign their agreements on March 14.
Meanwhile, the Good Hope Phase Two housing development also commenced its signing process last Thursday, with another round of signings scheduled for March 12. Minister Croal noted that the ministry is also facilitating the signing process in several other communities. In Berbice, persons who were allocated house lots in Number 75 and Number 76 Villages have already
started signing their sale agreements. These residents can continue the process at the CHPA regional office in New Amsterdam. “Once a month, the housing unit will also be conducting outreaches in Corriverton for persons who are at that end who are seeking the additional support services,” the minister revealed.
Further signing exercises are planned for Vriesland in Wales on the West Bank of Demerara, with dates scheduled for March 19 and March 24. During these sessions, residents will sign agree-
ments of sale and begin the processing of their certificates of title. Looking ahead to April, additional exercises will be conducted in Laurentia Catherina on April 11, 14, and 16, while Leonora West will also be added to the programme before the end of the month. Minister Croal noted that in total, eight new housing areas are expected to benefit from the accelerated signing process between March and the end of April.
“I also want to emphasise occupancy, as well as persons to take ownership of the land that has been identified,” he
encouraged.
The minister explained that individuals who may not yet know the exact location of their house lot can seek assistance from the ministry’s surveyors department, which can provide guidance and help them identify their property. The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration is committed to advancing home ownership, with 40,000 houses slated for construction over the next five years.
Between 2020 and 2025, more than 50,000 house lots were allocated. (DPI)
Two crew members are missing after a tanker barge transporting molasses sank early Monday morning approximately 9.5 nautical miles off Buxton on the East Coast of Demerara.
Missing are: 22-year-old Ravindra Bissoondyal better known as “Videsh” and his
fellow crew member, Gregory Singh, 52. Kaieteur News understand one of the men had contacted his mother before disappearing with sinking barge. His last words to her before going missing were, “I am on the barge and it is sinking,” Bissoondyal reportedly told his mother.
According to the Maritime Administration Department (MARAD), the TRADER III reportedly went down around 01:00hrs while transporting a cargo of molasses from Berbice to Georgetown. MARAD said it received a distress signal about the incident and immediately activated
emergency response operations to search for the missing crew members.
MARAD’s Emergency Operations Coordinator, Captain John Flores, is leading the search and rescue effort with support from the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) Coast Guard and the vessel’s owner.
From page 13 Trinidad.
That’s one of the things we are exploring. Some of them, once they are suitably qualified, then we would be able to accommodate them,” he said. The end of the Cuban medical brigade has also sparked criticism from some sections of society.
On March 5, 2026, a delegation of concerned
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Guyanese delivered a strongly worded letter to Irfaan Ali and Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd demanding an immediate reversal of the government’s decision to terminate the services of the Cuban Medical Brigade.
The letter, signed by more than 100 organisations and individuals, urged the administration to restore the
presence of Cuban doctors and resist what they described as mounting pressure from the United States to dismantle the longstanding scholarship programme that allows Guyanese students, particularly in medicine, to study in Cuba.
Their appeal followed a press release from the U.S. Embassy in Guyana quoting U.S. Secretary of State Marco
Rubio, who expressed appreciation for Guyana’s decision to end participation in what Washington described as the Cuban regime’s “medical mission forced labour scheme.” The signatories rejected that characterization as baseless and offensive, noting that successive Guyanese administrations have long praised the contributions of Cuban medical professionals.
From page 13 Monday. She said the expo provided valuable lessons that will help her strengthen her business.
“My experience at the expo was truly amazing. It served as a valuable learning opportunity for me as a small business owner.
Although I did not receive as many sales as I had hoped and planned for, the event taught me several important lessons,” Deokumar said.
Deokumar explained that she first started an online shopping business at the age
of 16 and later launched a venture producing and selling raw Batana hair oil in 2025.
She noted that the expo exposed her to new marketing strategies and ways to better present her products. “I learned new marketing strategies, including how to creatively display my products to attract customers, and most importantly, the value of patience in business. Since I was only confirmed and selected for my booth the day before the expo, many people were not aware that I would
be there until the day of the event, so my planning and promotion had to be done at the last minute. Despite this challenge, the experience helped me grow, gain more knowledge about presenting my products, and better prepare for future opportunities,” she explained.
Deokumar added that she is proud to be one of Guyana’s leading distributors of 100 percent raw Batana oil.
“I started my Batana business on November 26 with just one gallon of Batana oil. As the demand grew, I expanded
in December by purchasing two more gallons. By the end of January, the business had grown significantly and I was able to increase my stock to twelve gallons.
Continuing this growth, by the end of February I further expanded my product line by introducing one gallon each of Batana shampoo and conditioner,” she said.
She noted that the steady expansion of her business reflects dedication, consistency, and growing customer support.
University of
Guyana Senior Lecturer, Dr Mark Ram, has recently completed his PhD in Marine Ecology after undertaking a rigorous fouryear academic journey
pursuing a landmark research project which focused on understanding and improving mangrove restoration and coastal ecosystemrecovery
Dr Ram,whoisattached to the Department of Biology in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, began his doctoral studies in 2021 at James Cook University in Australia,UGsaidinapress release. Reflecting on the experience, he shared that the road to achieving his
doctorate required resilience, discipline and faithinthevalueofthework hewasundertaking.
“The journey toward earning my doctorate was challenging, but it was also rewarding.
Conducting long-term ecological research required extensive fieldwork in
c o a s t a l m a n g r o v e ecosystems, careful data collection and rigorous analysis.Balancingresearch with teaching and other professional responsibilities
also required strong
commitment and time management,” Dr. Ram explained.
As a lecturer at the University of Guyana, Dr Ram was not only pursuing advanced research overseas but also continuing his p r o f e s s i o n a l responsibilities The balancingacttestedhim,yet it also strengthened his resolve.
“Despite the challenges, the process was incredibly fulfilling, especially knowing that the research contributestoimprovingour understanding of mangrove restoration and coastal ecosystem recovery,” he said.
Dr Ram’s decision to pursue a PhD was driven by his passion for Guyana’s coastal ecosystems and a desire to give back through science.
“My inspiration to pursue a PhD came from an interest in coastal ecosystems and a desire to contribute meaningful scientific knowledge to conservation efforts in Guyana, ” he shared “Mangroves play a critical roleinprotectingcoastlines, supporting fisheries and maintainingbiodiversity,yet there has been limited longterm scientific evaluation of
restoration efforts in the country Achieving this milestoneisverymeaningful to me both personally and professionally,” Dr Ram added.
Dr Ram believes this achievement will also strengthen the University of Guyana’sacademicstanding and enrich the learning experience of his students.
“This accomplishment contributes to strengthening the research capacity of the University and enhancing the quality of teaching by integrating locally relevant scientific research into the classroom. It also helps to position the University as a contributor to global discussions on ecosystem restoration and climate resilience,” the young scholaradded.
Dr Ram noted that his researchfindingscaninform n a t i o n a l c o a s t a l management strategies and serve as a model for evaluating mangrove restoration efforts both r e g i o n a l l y a n d internationally
For his students, this means access to cuttingedge, locally grounded researchthatconnectstheory w i t h r e a l - w o r l d environmentalchallenges. Dr Ram was quick to
Frompage06
When she arrived, she said, her son was lying on a hospital bed with his eyes open but unresponsive Ramsammy told the court that she had last seen him earlier that day around 5:30 p.m.
She further testified that Seegobin was known to her because of his friendship withherlatesonandsaidshe was unaware of any prior conflict between the two men.
Also giving evidence
w a s C h a n d r a p a u l
Rangasammy, called ‘Metalist’, who lives with hismotherandbrotheratthe shoplocation.
He said he was also familiar with both the accused and the victim as customers.
Chandrapaul told the court that he had just
returnedaftertakinghisson to the hospital when he saw the two brothers arguing withSeegobin.
Hesaidhecouldnothear what the argument was about but observed tensions escalating.
Ashismotherattempted tointerveneandwaspushed, Chandrapaulsaidhebecame angered and ran inside the house to retrieve a cutlass.
As he returned outside, he heard Mingo complaining thathehadbeenstabbed.
He told the court that he didnotobserveanyweapon in the victim’s hand during thealtercation.
A vehicle later arrived andtransportedMingotothe PortMourantHospital.
Another witness, Amos RangasammyofJohn’s,Port Mourant, testified that Seegobin was already at the shop when the two brothers
acknowledge that the milestone was made possible through significant support.
His research was funded by the Government of Guyana, the World Wide Fund for Education for NatureFellowship,andthe Marine Conservation Action Fund of the New EnglandAquarium
He also credited the academic guidance of his supervisors and the institutional support of the University of Guyana, along with logistical assistance from the Mangrove Department of the National Agricultural Research and Extension Institute
“ I r e c e i v e d
tremendous support throughout my doctoral journey, from funding agencies to academic mentors, friends and colleagues at the University, it was truly a collectiveeffort,”heshared. Dr Ram’s research focused on evaluating the ecological outcomes of mangrove restorationinGuyana.Since 2010, the country has invested in restoring mangrove forests to protect coastlines, strengthen fisheries and enhance community livelihoods However, long-term scientific monitoring of these efforts has been limited.
ecosystems.
H
d
arrivedshortlyafter
He said he also tried to askthebrotherstoleavethe premisesastensionsrose.
Amos told the court that during the argument, Mingo’s brother began throwing bricks and bottles from outside the yard. Shortly after, he saw Mingo clutching his chest but did not see the exact moment when the stabbing occurred. According to his testimony, Mingo’s brother attempted to take himawayfromtheshopon an electricbikebeforeacar later transported him to the hospital.
He also told the defence that the victim did not state who had stabbed him. After hearing evidence from several key witnesses, Justice Kumar adjourned the trial until Tuesday.
Through extensive fieldwork along Guyana’s
, macrobenthicassemblages, fish communities and sediment characteristics to determine whether restored areas were recovering ecological functions similar tonaturalsystems. The research provides criticalscientificevidence to guide future restoration initiatives and strengthen G u y a n a ’s c l i m a t e resilience and coastal protectionstrategies
The University of
Guyana congratulates Dr. MarkRamonthesuccessful completion of his PhD and commends his dedication to advancing research, teaching and environmental stewardship for the benefit ofGuyanaandbeyond.
The University of Guyana, through its students, faculty and research institutes, has consistently produced pathbreaking research which continues to add to the existing body of knowledge invariousareasofacademic research To learn more about UG’s research, please v i s i t : https://researchandinnovatio n.uog.edu.gy/
(Reuters) - U S
President Donald Trump on Mondaypredictedthewarin the Middle East could be over soon, even as Iran’s hardliners staged a show of loyalty to new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei in a sign that it was not prepared to back down any timesoon.
The conflicting signals
sent markets on a rollercoaster, with oil prices surging and stock markets nosedivingbeforeswinging in the other direction after Trump’s comments and reports of a possible ease in sanctionsonenergy Khamenei, 56, a Shi’ite cleric with a power base among the security forces and their vast business empire, has been declared unacceptablebyTrump,who has demanded Iran’s unconditionalsurrender
Trump told NBC News that Iran’s leaders made a “big mistake” by elevating Khamenei,butpredictedthe warcouldbeoverbeforethe timeline of four to five weekshehadearlierlaidout. “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” he toldCBSNews.
Soon after, Trump described the war to Republican lawmakers as a “short-term excursion” and said it would continue until Iran is “totally and decisivelydefeated.”
“We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t wonenough,”hesaid.
Iranian state media showed large crowds in severalcitiesrallyingbehind the new leader, waving Iranian flags and holding portraits of his father Ali Khamenei, killed by an Israeli strike on the war’s firstday In Isfahan, state TV reportedthesoundofnearby explosions from apparent airstrikes as loyalists gathered in the historic Imam Square, chanting “GodistheGreatest”below a stage with portraits of Ali andMojtabaKhamenei. In a further sign of defiance,Iran’smilitarysaid it would step up its missile strikes.
POLITICALSYSTEM RALLIESBEHINDNEW LEADER
P o l i t i c i a n s a n d institutionsissuedpledgesof loyalty to the new supreme leader, whose wife, son and mother also died at the start of the U S -Israeli air onslaught according to Iranianstatemedia.
“We will obey the commander-in-chief until thelastdropofourblood,”a defence council statement said. Iranians reached by telephoneweredivided,with supporters of the authorities hailing the choice as a declaration of defiance and
opponents fearful it would dashtheirhopesforchange.
“Iamsohappythatheis ournewleader Itwasaslap in the face to our enemies that thought the system will collapse with the killing of his father Our late leader’s path will continue,” said university student Zahra Mirbagheri, 21, from Tehran.
Many Iranians had initially celebrated the elder Khamenei’s death, weeks after his security forces killed thousands of antigovernmentprotestersinthe worst domestic unrest since the era of Iran’s 1979 revolution. But there has sincebeenlittlesignofantigovernment activity, with activists fearful of taking to thestreetswhileIranisunder attack “The (elite Revolutionary) Guards and thesystemarestillpowerful. Theyhavetensofthousands of forces ready to fight to keep this regime in place. We, the people, have nothing,” said Babak, 34, a businessman in the central city of Arak who asked to keep his family name confidential.
Israel says its war aim is to overthrow Iran’s system ofclericalrule.U.S.officials mainly say Washington’s aim is to destroy Iran’s missile capabilities and nuclear programme, but Trump has said the war can
A picture of Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is displayed on a screen in Tehran, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Tehran, Iran, March 9, 2026. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via REUTERS
end only with a compliant Iraniangovernment.
Israel had said it would kill whoever succeeded the elder Khamenei unless Iran endeditshostilepolicies.
OIL
The war has effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas, leaving tankers unabletosailformorethana week and forcing producers to halt pumping as storage fills. Brent crude futures jumpedabout7%tosettleat their highest price since 2022 after soaring by as much as 29% during the session,asSaudiArabiaand other OPEC members cut supplies. But prices fell in post-settlementtrade.
Thepriceofgasolinehas particular political
resonance in the United States, where Trump’s Republicans hope to keep control of Congress in midterm elections in November Trump’s administration is considering a further easing of sanctions on Russian oil to tame oil prices, according to three sources familiar with the matter, which could complicate efforts to punish Moscow for its war in Ukraine Other options includeapossiblereleaseof oilfromstrategicreservesor restricting U S exports, sourcessaid.
Tehran was choked in black smoke after an oil refinery was hit, an escalationinstrikesonIran’s domestic energy supplies. World Health Organization
chief Tedros Ghebreyesus warned the fire risks contaminating food, water and air Turkey said on Monday NATO alliance air defences had shot down a ballistic missile that was fired from Iran and entered Turkishairspace,thesecond suchincidentofthewar Iran did not immediately commentonthereport.
Turkey,Iran’sneighbour withNATO’ssecond-largest army,hadwarnedTehranon Saturday against attacking again, but it has not suggested it wants to formally call on bloc members for further sprotection.
Israel’s military said it hadlaunchednewattacksin central Iran and struck the Lebanese capital Beirut, whereIsraelhasextendedits campaign after the Iranbacked militia Hezbollah firedacrosstheborder
U.S.-Israeli attacks have killed at least 1,332 Iranian civilians and wounded thousands, according to Iran’s U N ambassador Lebanon has reported more than400peoplekilledthere, with nearly 700,000 people fleeingtheirhomes.
In Israel, ambulance workers said one man died from shrapnel wounds at a construction site near Tel Aviv’s international airport, raising to 11 the death toll fromIranianstrikes.
Decree strips parties of legal status and assets, as opposition leader calls on Guineanstoresist ( A L - J A Z E E R A ) Guinea’s government has dissolved 40 political parties, including the country’s three main oppositiongroups,inamove critics say marks the final step towards a one-party state under President MamadyDoumbouya.
The Ministry of Territorial Administration and Decentralisation issued the decree late on Friday, citing the parties’ failure to meettheirlegalobligations. Beyond stripping them oftheirlegalstatus,theorder frozetheirassetsandbanned theuseoftheirnames,logos and emblems, with a government-appointed curator assigned to oversee
thetransferoftheirholdings.
T h e t h r e e m o s t prominent parties dissolved aretheUnionofDemocratic Forces of Guinea (UFDG), the Rally of the Guinean People (RPG) – the party of ousted former President Alpha Condé – and the UnionofRepublicanForces (UFR). All three had already
been suspended lastAugust, w e e k s b e f o r e a constitutional referendum that cleared the way for Doumbouya to stand in December’s presidential election.
UFDG leader Cellou Dalein Diallo, speaking from exile, accused Doumbouya of dismantling democratic life to entrench
hisgriponpower Inavideo posted to Facebook on Sunday, he said the dissolution was part of a deliberate drive to build a “party-state” and urged supporters to “rise as one” against a government that hadlasted“fartoolong”.
Hesaidthatdialogueand legal routes had been exhausted, while his party’s c o m m u n i c a t i o n s coordinator went further, describingthedecreeas“the final act of a true political farce” aimed at cementing single-partyrule.
IbrahimaDiallo,aleader in the pro-democracy National Front for the DefenceoftheConstitution, said the move had “formalised a dictatorship” andwarnedthatGuineawas sinking into “profound uncertainty”.
The crackdown is the latest in a sustained campaign against dissent under Doumbouya, who seizedpowerina2021coup b e f o r e w i n n i n g a presidential election in December, a vote from which all major opposition figureswerebarred.
Since taking power, his government has shut down media outlets, banned protests and arrested or driven into exile scores of opposition figures and civil societyactivists.
Several relatives of prominent dissidents have alsobeenabducted,andtwo well-known pro-democracy activists have been missing sinceJuly2024.
Waveofcoups
A wave of coups has brought military leaders to powerinAfrica,acrossabelt
stretching from the Atlantic through the Sahel region to the Red Sea since 2020, while an attempted coup in Beninfailedinlate2025.
Thedevelopmenthasled to what analysts have describedasa“coupbelt”.
Madagascar’s and Guinea-Bissau’s armies most recently removed civilian leaders in their respective countries from power in late 2025, underscoring growing discontent with elected governments.
Although often carried out with popular backing, the military takeovers have also seen civil liberties clawedback.
A2025 study found that while military takeovers have declined globally, the risk of coups in Africa remainscomparativelyhigh.
The complaints voiced by grassroots women at the forum on Saturday on oil and the cost of living should not be dismissed as mere activism. They reflect a reality many Guyanese feel daily: prices are rising while relief remains elusive.
As ExxonMobil reports soaring profits from operations in the Stabroek Block, ordinary citizens continue to grapple with expensive food, utilities and transportation. Pensioners living on modest stipends and single parents struggling to feed families feel the strain most acutely.
Ironically, even the company's own environmental assessments acknowledge that large-scale oil development can push up the cost of living. That warning now appears less theoretical. Oil wealth was meant to transform lives in Guyana. If prosperity is measured only in corporate profits while citizens tighten their belts, then the promise of the petroleum era risks becoming painfully hollow.
Georgetown Cricket Club(GCC)clinchedatense victory by a run versus a spirited Malteenoes Youth team, as action in the Eline Security Inc. Under-17 50Overtournament.
At Police Ground on Saturday, GCC batting first posted a decent 150-8 in 30 overs after contributions
fromTrilokNanan(46)who missed out on a possible half-centurywith5fours.
RivaldoPereira26(3x6) and Balasankar Narine 25 (3×4)chippedinonthetotal. Malteenoesbowlingwas
solid with Nathaniel
Ramkhelawan, 3-37, leading the pack, with help fromthein-formoff-spinner
Joshua Budhram (2-15), Dashawn Ramnauth (1-22), Kyle Gibson (1-19) and ShaneShivbarran(1-14).
MSC lads then fumbled the chase, falling to 150-10 in the 28th over, despite knocks from Nathaniel Ramkhelawan 31 (4x4), Shane Shivbarran 24 (2x6) (1x4), Joshua Budhram 21
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
You'll find that things are slipping nicely into place for you today, Aries Your persuasivemannerandgentle nudges are just enough to get peoplewhereyouwantthem.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
When faced with ten entrees onthemenu,itmightbehard for you to choose just one. Feelfreetoordertwoormore, Ta u r u s D o n ' t l e t indecisiveness slow you down.Atthesametime.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Your dreams won't come true unless you believe in and act onthem,Gemini.Nooneelse is going to do it for you. Unless you have a fairy godmother, you need to take mattersintoyourownhands.
CANCER(June21–July22)
If people hassle you or give you a hard time about your appearance today, pay them nomind,Cancer Youhavethe righttoliveyourlifeanyway youwantto.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Reachforthepotofgoldatthe end of the rainbow, Leo. It's closerthanyouthink.Indeed, your dreams are completely within your reach, and there are huge forces at work helping you achieve your goals.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Today is your day to dream and dream big, Virgo. Think aboutwhatitisthatyouwant most out of life. Aim your arrow to the stars and pull back your bow as far as possible. There's no limit to howfaryoucango.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
Expand your mind to its furthest reaches today, Libra.
ere's an incredible opportunity opening up for you in which you can make great strides in a creative realm.Followthemusic.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov 21)
Your mind may seem rather cloudy today, Scorpio, but don't let this hinder you. In fact, you'll find that you can use this feeling of fantasy to your advantage. Try to bring moremagicintoyourlife.
SAGIT(Nov 22–Dec.21)
Today is an excellent day for you,oneinwhichyou'llfinda great deal of strength in your emotions, Sagittarius Trust that your instincts are serving youwell.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Things might get a bit confusing for you today, Capricorn. Don't feel like you needtomakesenseofitall.In fact, this task may be impossible. Just be yourself. Let your creative nature shine through.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18)Mixyourrealitywithabit of fantasy today, Aquarius. Allowyourfeettocomeoffthe ground for a little while. Give yourselfarest.Takesometime to meditate and clear your mindofyourdailyworries.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
Let yourself go into high creative mode and drift into a whole other world, Pisces. Escape your present reality and explore your fantasies through any sort of artistic endeavor Dreamasbigasyour mindallows.
All-rounder Joshua Budhram had another good game this past weekend.
(3x4) and Julian Craig 20 (1x4).
TheduoofPereira,3-14, and Nanan, 2-19, alongside Ethan Roopnarine, 2-19, werethemainwicket-takers forGCC.
TheTucber Park Cricket Club (TPCC) ‘B’ team continuedtheirunbeatenrun when they defeatedtheir ‘A’ counterpartsby66runs.The game was their latest match in the ongoing BCB/ Lalsa Construction Inter Club Second Division Cricket CompetitioninBerbice.
Inthegameplayedatthe Berbice High School Ground,theTPCC‘B’batted first and posted 191-9 in their 25 overs Skipper Kwesi Mickle led with a brisk51,hegotsupportfrom TomaniCeaser30andKevin Kisten24.
Inreply,TPCC‘A’,were dismissed for 125 in 17.3 overs. Carley DeJonge top scoredwith38whileThierry Henry and Wayne DeJonge made21each.
Bowling for TPCC ‘B’, off-spinner Orlando Tanner pickedupfourwicketswhile Gilbert Griffith Jr snared three and Kwesi Mickle grabbedtwo.
TucberPark‘B’hasnow advancedtotheplayoffstage ofthecompetition. (Samuel Whyte)
Bowling for TPCC ‘A’, fast bowler Wayne DeJonge was the main destroyer with superb figures of 6/25 Garfield Benjamin and Jayhayden Rohlehr chipped inwithoneeach.
Cyclists braved stiff
winds and overcast conditions along the West Coast Demerara corridor on SundayastheannualCheddi JaganMemorialCycleRoad Race delivered an exciting dayofcompetition.
Riders across several divisions lined up for the event, tackling challenging conditions along the coastal roadway Competitorsinthe Elite, Juniors, Veterans Open and Category Four div
m
Schoonord to Bushy Park before returning to Schoonord for the finish, while the Veterans Over-50 andFemalecategoriesraced from Schoonord to Uitvlugt andback.
The Elite race produced one of the day’s most thrilling finishes Jamaul John surged in a powerful sprint to the finish line to secure victory, narrowly edging out Andre Greene, Ajani Cutting, and AlexanderLeunginatightly
contested finale Robin Persaud and Segun Hubbard rounded out the top six finishersafteralsocompleting the demanding course Robin Persaud returned to the podium in the Open Masters division, producing a clinical performancetotakefirstplace ahead of Hubbard and Alex Mendes
In the Junior category, Leung proved dominant, powering to another firstplace finish. Alex Newton crossed the line in second
placewhileKevonStephens securedthird Inotherresults, Roy Mangru captured the CategoryFourtitle,whileIan Jacksonrodetovictoryinthe Masters Over-50 division While in the Women’s race, Tandiea Noel claimed top honours with a strong ride Sprint prizes were also awarded during the event, with standout performances coming from Christopher Griffith, Leung, Cutting, MarcusKeiler,andJohn
Despite the challenging winds, the race once again showcasedtheresilienceand competitiveness of the local cycling fraternity, with riders delivering impressive performances across all categories.
Divya Persaud stormed the playing field to finish with top honours following theendoftheGuyanaChess Federation (GCF) Women’s D a y R a p i d C h e s s Tournament.
Theeventwashostedby the Gambit Group in collaboration with GCF’s Women in Chess and the SchooloftheNationswhich was to commemorate International Women’s Day attheSchooloftheNations.
Persaud finished in 1st place following some tough competition,2ndplacewent to Tharisha Montes De Oca while Angelina Yhap finished3rd,tocompletethe topthreelistofperformers.
CategoryPrizesalsosaw key performances by some of the top young prospects, led by 4th Place and Best U16playerLusiannaFarlot.
FifthspotandBestU-14 player Gabrielle Mohabir alongside 6th position
holder and Best U-12 performer, Amaya Sharma; who all earned additional spoils. Meanwhile, Medal Winners ranked from 7th10th place, being occupied by Shameera Dwarka, Anaya Lall, Maya Ali and M a d i s o n S p e n c e r respectively Following the tournament, prizes which included trophies and medalswerepresentedtothe winners by WCM Sasha Shariff.
The Albion Community
Center Cricket Club (ACCCC) demolished Rose HallTownYouthandSports Club ‘B’ by a massive 358 runsintheirrecentBCBU19 cricketmatch.Thegamewas played at the Port Mourant Ground,Corentyne.
TheACCCCassaultwas led by a magnificent 181 by Nathaniel Ramsammy whichincluded18foursand five sixes The Albion batsmen pulverized the bowling to score a massive 429for8offtheirallotted50 overs.
Also among the runs were Saaid Jumrathy 34, FeeazBaksh31notout,Arif Marimootoo 29, Rovin Lalbehari28,SahidGajnabi 21andDavePrettipaul20.
Bowling for Rose Hall Town ‘B’, there were two
Frompage27
Total342.5kg
1 69kg Women’s Open
Raw - Charlotte Charles, Squat 130.0kg, Benchpress 55.0kg, Deadlift 157.5kg, Total342.5kg
Males
193kgMen’sSb-JrRaw
- Aryan Bhagoo, Squat
175 0kg, Benchpress 90.0kg, Deadlift 180.0kg, Total445.0kg
1 66kg Men’s Junior
Raw-OmariKewley,Squat
137 5kg, Benchpress 77.5kg, Deadlift 175.0kg, Total390.0kg
1 74kg Men’s Junior
Raw - Shafeek Case, Squat
135.0kg, Benchpress 82.5kg, Deadlift 152.5kg, Total370.0kg
1 83kg Men’s Junior
Raw - Omar Satar, Squat
182 5kg, Benchpress 132.5kg, Deadlift 210.0kg, Total525.0kg
1 120+kg Men’s Junior
Raw - Premindra Paul, Squat 237.5kg, Benchpress 120.0kg, Deadlift 250.0kg, Total607.5kg
1 74kg Men’s Master 1
Raw - Bisram Sukhram, Squat 170.0kg, Benchpress 97.5kg, Deadlift 187.5kg, Total455.0kg
166kgMen’sOpenRaw - Joshua Hopkinson, Squat
130 0kg, Benchpress 90.0kg, Deadlift 157.5kg, Total377.5kg
266kgMen’sOpenRaw
-KhristianMcdonald,Squat
120 0kg, Benchpress 77.5kg, Deadlift 132.5kg,
Total330.0kg
174kgMen’sOpenRaw
- Bisram Sukhram, Squat
170 0kg, Benchpress 97.5kg, Deadlift 187.5kg, Total455.0kg
274kgMen’sOpenRaw
- Shafeek Case, Squat
135 0kg, Benchpress 82.5kg, Deadlift 152.5kg,
Total370.0kg
183kgMen’sOpenRaw
- Andrew Bailey, Squat
155 0kg, Benchpress 107.5kg, Deadlift 225.0kg, Total487.5kg
283kgMen’sOpenRaw
- Brandon Joseph, Squat
160.0kg, Benchpress 107.5kg, Deadlift 165.0kg, Total432.5kg
193kgMen’sOpenRaw
- Johathan Griffith, Squat
167 5kg, Benchpress 102.5kg, Deadlift 205.0kg, Total475.0kg
293kgMen’sOpenRaw
- Aryan Bhagoo, Squat
175 0kg, Benchpress 90.0kg, Deadlift 180.0kg, Total445.0k
1 120+kg Men’s Open
Raw - Premindra Paul, Squat 237.5kg, Benchpress 120.0kg, Deadlift 250.0kg, Total607.5kg
2 120+kg Men’s Open
Raw - Sheik Ariff, Squat
215 0kg, Benchpress 110.0kg, Deadlift 200.0kg, Total525.0kg
MaleGuests
66kgMen’sGuestLifter
Raw - Kadeem Bowen, Squat 172.5kg, Benchpress 107.5kg, Deadlift 207.5kg, Total487.5kg
BCB/Anil Lalsa 2nd Division tournament... Hetmyers, Ramdheol set up strong 71-run win for Rose
wickets each for A. Narine andA.Saul.
They in reply were bundledoutforameagre71 in17.3overs
Bowling for ACCCC, medium pacer Nicholas Leppsledthewaywiththree wickets while there were two apiece for Feeaz Baksh andJeremyGobin.
The ACCCC remains unbeaten with three convincingvictoriessofar
Rose Hall Canje Team ‘B’qualifiedforthefinalsof the Canje Zone Anil Lalsa 2nd Division tournament followinga71-runtrouncing oftheCanjeTitans,thanksto a string of half-centuries from a few of their key players.
Rose Hall Canje ‘B’ racked up an imposing 2616 in 30 overs after Richard Ramdeholl clobbered 68 off 60withsevenfours.
Former national youth batsman and club coach Seon Hetmyer, rolled back the clock with a classy 57 (3x4,1x6), while his son AdrianHetmyer,whoscored 83* to guide Rose Hall Canje to the U-17 BCB Quality Delivery Under-17 title,scoredabrisk58off24 ballswithtwofoursandfive sixes.
A blitz from Sasenarine Sukhu 20 who punched 20 off7(1x4,2x6)addedtothe team’sfinalscore.
Canje Titans in reply couldonlymuster190allout in 27 2 overs despite
Half-centurions (from L) Romario Ramdheol, Seon Hetmyer and Adrian Hetmyer
Part of Friday night’s action! Pouderoyen ‘B’holding Ann’s Grove to 3-0 defeat to advance to this weekend’s round-of-16.
Th e h i g h l y
a n t i c i p a t e d
Hamilton Green
Nine-a-Side Inter
Ward/Village Football Championship is set to conclude its Round of 16 phase this weekend with eight exciting matchups scheduled for Saturday and Sunday at the Plaisance Ground.
Following an actionpacked opening round, 16 teams have successfully advanced to this crucial stage of the tournament as they battle for a place in March 22 eight-team finals andashotatthe2026title.
Among the teams progressing are West Side Alliance, Zeelugt, Buxton Stars, Golden Stars, Mocha, Victoria, Plaisance, Mahaica, Pouderoyen ‘A’,
Beavers, Team Order and Discipline, Pouderoyen ‘B’, Black Pearl, Liliendaal, No. 1AllStarsandMelanie.
So far, the tournament has delivered thrilling football, featuring closely contestedmatchesandafew surprising upsets West Demerara teams have broughtplentyofintensityto the competition, while East Coast sides have also demonstrated their effectiveness in the fastpacednine-a-sideformat.As the competition enters its decisivestage,thestakesare now higher, with each team determined to secure a spot inthequarterfinals.
A recap of last Friday’s matches saw Black Pearl registering a comfortable 3–1 victory over Wash Bay B o y s , e n d i n g t h e
newcomers’campaign early in the championship In another encounter, Pouderoyen ‘A’ and Young Warriors battled to a 1–1 draw before Pouderoyen
- Black Pearl, Pouderoyen, Liliendaal, Mahaica to play forquarterfinal’s spots
edged ahead 2–1 on penalty kickstoadvance.
Liliendaal experienced a similar outcome in their clash against the University ofGuyana,progressingafter winning on penalties following a 1–1 stalemate. Meanwhile, Ann’s Grove suffered a 3–0 defeat to Pouderoyen‘B’,astheWest Side powerhouse kept a cleansheetagainsttheirEast Coastopponents.
MelanieandTeamOrder and Discipline also moved on to the next round after both recordingidentical2–1 v
B
n g respectively In one of the night’s biggest surprises,
EspanyolfelltotheMahaica side 3–1. Mocha also secured their place in the Roundof16afterreceivinga walkover
Action resumes on Saturday, March 14, with West Side Alliance facing Pouderoyen ‘A’ at 7:00 pm for the first quarterfinal berth Zeelugt will then battle Beavers in the second matchofthenight,followed by Team O
d DisciplinetakingonBuxton Stars Golden Stars will closeoutSaturday’sfixtures againstPouderoyen‘B’.
Sunday’s lineup promises equally exciting contests. Mocha will go up against Black Pearl in the opening match, while host
Plaisance face Liliendaal in the second encounter No. 1 AllStarswillthenclashwith Victoria before Melanie and Mahaica bring the Round of 16 action to a close to determine the final eight teams advancing in the tournament.
The championship is beingmadepossiblethrough the support of several corporate sponsors, including Toolsie Persaud Ltd, ENet, Gafoors, John Fernandes Ltd, Pegasus Hotel Guyana, Cummings Electrical Company Ltd, Correia and Correia and the Guyana Police Force Office of the Commissioner of Police,alongwithnumerous othersupporters.
3-1
A number of sponsors on board as over 50 horses entered so far for the
Anumber of sponsors have joined forces with the Kennard Memorial TurfClubandmoretocome for that entity’s Phagwah Horserace meet set for Sunday15thMarch.
Over 50 horses have already taken entry for the bigeventplannedforClub’s Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbicefacilities.
Among the sponsors so farareMetroStationaryand Office Supplies, Trophy Stall, Mrs. Chan Kennard and Family, New Building Society, Sylvie’s Variety Store, Torginol Paint and Annirude Ramcharitar amongothers.
Therearesevenraceson
the day’s programme with over $9M in cash, trophies and other incentives up for grabs. The Metro Stakes worth over $4M has been put forward by the Metro Stationary and Office Supplies for the feature event.Agrueling9furlongis the distance which will see thewinninghorseandstable taking home a hefty $2M and the prestigious Metro Cup.Othereventsontheday the F class race over 7 furlongs. TheHclassevent, over 7 furlongs. There is a race for Three years old Guyana bred maiden horses over6furlongs. A 7 furlong contest is scheduledforJclasshorses.
TheKclassandlowergallop isover6Furlongs.Thefinal eventwillbeamatchupforL class maiden horses over 6 furlongs.
The Trophy Stall, compliments of Managing Director Ramesh Sunich, will be providing incentives including trophies for champion Jockey and the runner up, top trainer and stables.
The event will be staged using the rules of the Kennard Memorial Turf Club.Interestedpersonscan contact the secretary of the club Ms Isabela Beaton on telephonenumber693-7812 forfurtherdetails.Racetime is 12:30hrs (Samuel Whyte)
Adrian Hetmyer
stroked an unbeaten halfcentury to help Rose Hall Canjepulloffa5wicketwin over Port Mourant and lift the BCB/Quality Delivery Under-17 Championships thispastSaturday
Taking first strike, Port Mourantposted194-8in37 overs after a composed knock of 74 off 85 balls
from Devendra Samaroo, whostrucksevenfours.
National youth all-
r o u n d e r R o m a r i o Ramdeholl bagged 3-34 with help from Michael Newland Jr, (2-14) who carriedthebowlingforRose HallCanje.
Rose Hall then eased themselvesto195-5in31 3 overs, led by a trifecta of
Hetmyerwhoscored83not out.
The national Youth batsman Hetmyer, who scoredatonlastyearinthe U17 finals, smacked 3x4’s, 3x6’s to help his team gun downareasonabletarget.
Ramdeh
l also returned with the bat to score a useful 25 with Lakeram Singh ending on 13notout
Thenewexecutiveofthe G u y a n a A
u r Powerlifting Federation (GAPLF) lifted off its 2026 season on a high with the hosting of the National Sports Commission and Fitness Express sponsored Novic
s and Juniors Championship at the Saint Stanisl
College Auditorium on Sunday last, when the world celebrated InternationalWomen’sDay There was one female lifter amongst the 14 lifters who competed, Ms Charlotte Charles who competed in the 69kg Women’s Master 1 Raw as well as the 69kg Women’s OpenRawclasseswhereshe
coppedgoldmedalsinboth.
Ruling the roost in the Novice Classic to take the Best Lifter trophy was AndrewBaileywhotookthe gold medal in the 83kg Men’s Open Raw division ahead of Brandon Joseph. Bailey started off the squat with a 5kg deficit to Joseph ashisbestwas155.0kgtohis opponents’160.0kg.
The two strongmen registeredequalscoresinthe benchpressof107.5kgbutit was in the deadlift that Baileystampedhisauthority withabestof225.0kgwhilst Jospeh could only manage, 165.0kg. Eighteen year-old OmarSatar,competinginthe 83kg Men’s Junior Raw
categorywasnamedthebest lifter as he totaled 525.0kg made up of a best Squat
182 5kg, Benchpress 132 5kg, and Deadlift 210.0kg.
Atotalofseven(7)gyms fielded athletes including Essequibo’s Hulk Fitness Gym and Roy’s Gym. Total Fitness of Berbice, Primal Fitness, Anub Barbell Company, Akbar Gym and ExodusGym.
Following are the full results:
Females
1 69kg Women’s Master
1 Raw - Charlotte Charles, Squat 130.0kg, Benchpress 55.0kg,Deadlift157.5kg, (Continuedonpage25)
Athletes and officials take a pic following the presentation of medals and trophies.
