…butcompanycannotsaywhencountrywillreceivefull50%profit
ExxonMobil seeking approval for 8th and 9th oil projects ...tosubmitFDPandapplicationsoon
CANU seizes ganja-infused beverages at CJIA
Rupununi residents demand voice in mining land permit decision …saysproductsareillegal;warnsofhealthdangers
In a startling display on Thursday afternoon, Opposition Leader and U S -sanctioned businessman Azruddin Mohamed arrivedattheChambersofAttorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall with two wheelbarrows loaded with cash—anundisclosedmixofcoins and $20 and $100 bills to settle court-orderedcosts.
The dramatic scene unfolded less than 48 hours after a heated exchange between the Attorney GeneralandMohamed'slegalteam over $1 million in court costs stemming from cases lost by Mohamed and his father, Nazar Mohamed,inFebruary
The Mohameds were sanctioned after facing a federal indictment in Miami, United States,followingtheunsealingofa 25-page indictment on October 2, 2025. The indictment alleges a wide-ranging fraud and moneylaundering scheme involving gold exports, customs fraud, bribery, and the evasion of millions of dollars in taxes and royalties owed toGuyana.
In addition to initial $1million owed in court costs, the Court of AppealonTuesdayhandeddowna decision effectively ruling out any political bias in the State's
The wheelbarrows of cash and coin delivered to the AG's office on Thursday
facilitation of an extradition request by the United States for Azruddin and Nazar The court then awarded costs amounting to $1.5 million each to the various ministries involved in the case bringing the total court cost to $4 million.
AG Nandlall accepted the wheelbarrow cash
OnWednesday,counsel for the Mohameds, Siand Dhurjon inanemailtotheAGexplainedthe difficulty with paying the court costs since the bank accounts for the duo have been closed due to sanctions. In the email, Dhurjon explainedwhiletheMohamedsare
delighted that the government is eagertodobusinesswiththemand to accept their generous endowments once again, it should be noted that “such funds may or may not have their source in activitiesrelatedtothesaleofgold
(Continuedonpage10)
…but company cannot say when country will receive full 50% profit
ByDavinaBagot
By the end of 2026
Guyana will repay
ExxonMobil all expenses relating to the seven sanctioned projects but the company is uncertain whether the country will be able to enjoy its full 50% profits in accordance with the2016ProductionSharing Agreement(PSA).
This is according to President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), AlistairRoutledge.Duringa
media conference on Thursday at its Ogle Headquarters, East Coast Demerara the Country Manager disclosed that the situationinIranhasresulted inincreasedoilprices,which may work in favour of Guyana.
Oil prices, according to Routledgearenowhovering above U.S.$100 per barrel,
compared with the anticipated $60 per barrel at
thebeginningoftheyear He highlighted that the oil contractallowsupto75%of thegrossrevenuestobeused torecovercost.
To this end, he noted, “We were anticipating sometime next year in 2027 that we were going to get to the point where we had recoveredthosehistoriccost probably largely because of just increasing volumes of production that were generatinghigherandhigher revenues to offset the ongoing expenditures plus recover historic costs. What we are now seeing in this price environment is that willaccelerate.”
Routledgesaidthatwhile the company does not forecastoilprices,ifthecost perbarrelismaintainedthen the country can pay off all costs in the cost bank this year “Ifyoustayatthecurrent oil price then it will happen thisyearbasedonthelevelof
expenditures and the productionthatweanticipate so that's a significant acceleration. What that then meansisthatinsteadroughly the14andahalfpercentthat the country has been receivin
by way of revenues into the Natural Resource Fund from the Stabroek production and revenues, what will happen is that percentage will significantly increase,” he explained.
When it comes to Guyana's share of profits however, Routledge made it clear that Guyana's contractual50%profitshare isstilluncertain.
Accordingtohim,“What exactly that percentage is depends on oil price, dependsonvolume,depends onhowmuchmoneyisbeing spent in the months or two months leading in to any givenmonth.”
The 2016 PSA states at Article11thattheContractor
(ExxonMobil)shallbearand pay all costs incurred in carrying out petroleum operations and shall recover these costs on a monthly basisatarateof75%oftotal production.
Following the recovery of all costs, Article 11.4 provides “The balance of crude oil...shall be shared between the Government and the Contractor for each Field in the following proportions:Contractorfifty percent (50%) and Minister fiftypercent(50%).”
So far, ExxonMobil has expended U S $40B to develop the seven oil projects approved to date. Currently, U.S.$5B remains in the cost bank to be recoveredbythecompany
Shouldoilpricesdecline, theEMGLCountryManager notedthatthetimelinecould be pushed back to 2027. He however noted, “ given what's happening in the world, it looks like we may
be in a higher price environment for several weeks and that's all it may take to significantly reduce thatcostbank.”
In his earlier remarks, Routledge pointed to the company's plans to pursue twoadditionalprojectsinthe Stabroek Block- Longtail andHaimara-theeighthand ninth,respectively
To this end, Kaieteur News asked the company to explain how Guyana would still clear the cost bank this year Routledge however maintained that higher oil prices coupled with increased production will keepthecostbankdown.
Hesaid,“Rememberour
President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair Routledge addressing reporters during the press conference
production levels are going up so we are already somewhere around 900,000 barrels per day and then whenyoulayeronhigheroil price, the revenue stream is increasing significantly By thetimewegointonextyear and we start up the next project it will add another 250,000 barrels per day, so then you see again the production level is increasing so even if the oil prices come down, we are generating more revenue so all our forecast would indicate at any reasonable projection of oil price we will not go back into the modewherewearebuilding upacostbank.”
…Pres. Ali signals rethinking of strategy
Amid escalating oil prices occasioned by the ongoing Middle East conflict, President Irfaan Ali hassignaledthathisadministration will revive conversations surrounding the opening up of an oilrefinery
Oilandnaturalgaspriceswere volatileThursdayafterIranramped up strikes on energy infrastructure acrosstheMiddleEastandattacked one of the world's most important liquefied natural gas facilities in Qatar Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, rose 1.18% to settle at $108.65perbarrel,itshighestsettle so far during the Iran war and its highest closing level since July 2022. Brent during trading surged tohit$119perbarrelbeforeparing gains. WTI, the U.S. benchmark, edged lower by 0.19% to settle at $96.14perbarrel,paringgainsafter hitting$100perbarrelearlier TradersonThursdaymonitored
comments from U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Israel will work to help the United StatesreopentheStraitofHormuz, Netanyahu said.The United States could also remove sanctions on Iranian oil on tankers and may conduct another release from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to try and bring down oil prices, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saidThursdayinaninterviewwith FoxBusiness.
Meanwhile, speaking at the 136thAnnual General Meeting for the Georgetown Chamber of CommerceandIndustry(GCCI)on Thursday, President Ali told the audience that the current global situation had placed the spotlight on the policy decisions going forward.
He explained that one such strategy would be to increase the
as Middle
storage capacity, which would allowGuyanatohavebettercontrol over the differences in prices as well as the extreme shock on the market. “But now I believe we shouldreturntotheconversationof a refinery for national security, because this challenge has really openedupdiscussionsgloballyand reinforceswhattheU.S.policyfor theWesternHemispheremaybe?... That is, we have to in this
development of our resources, for the protection of the hemisphere, for the economic viability of the hemisphere,fortheenergyviability of the hemisphere,” the Guyanese headofstatesaid.
He went on the say that these arenolongerfar-fetchedcosts,but rather realities that must be embraced,andanimportantpartof suchisthatitshouldbeensuredthat
thehemisphereisasecureone,that is rule-based and the values for freedomanddemocracyareshared.
“We cannot continue to look beyond our hemisphere for solutions, when you have so much resources within the Western Hemisphere, that must be developedifwearetoreallysecure asustainablefutureforourselves.It isinthiscontextthatwemustview your annual general meeting. We cannot be unaware of this,” he added.
Atthe2025EnergyConference and Supply Chain Expo President Ali had announced that the GovernmentofGuyana(GoG)will soon partner with United Statedbased Curlew Midstream to refine andstorelocallyproducedoil.
Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo dating back since 2023 had underscored those ongoing discussionsforanoilrefinerywith
the Dominican Republic are far from finalised despite the signing o f a M e m o r a n d u m o f Understanding (MoU) between Guyana's President Ali and the President of the Dominican Republic, Luis Abinader The signing of the MOU had spurred deliberations about establishing an oil refinery in Guyana capable of refining approximately 50,000 barrels of oil daily Notably, the Dominican Republic is poised to hold a controlling stake of 51% in thiscollaborativeendeavour
At the just concluded Energy Conference, this newspaper reported that Government of Guyanahadbeenengagingwiththe government of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) to explore possible partnership for the restart of the twin-island'soilrefinerywhichwas closed in 2018. T&T's Energy (Continuedonpage6)
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The first report from the U.S. was that U.S.$500M of Venezuelanoilhasbeensold,andthemillionsdepositedina Qatari bank. It was hailed as a neutral venue. The next developmentwasthattheU.S.$500Mhasbeenhandedover to Venezuela for the benefit of the Venezuelan people, but under the direction of the U.S. The world watched at this unbelievablesituation,whereasuperpowerbreachesthenorms and restraints of international law, violates the sanctity of national sovereignty, and dictates to an independent country how to manage the money from its own national patrimony Thisisaprecedentthatdoesn’tbodewellfortheworld,asother powerful countries and could bully smaller nations in their spheresofinfluence,andremaketheworld Venezuelawasthe newprecedent,nowIranislinedup
When President Maduro was seized, drug boat bombings slowed Itisnowobviousthatthosebombingswereapretextfor the bigger intervention that resulted in the seizure of a sitting president,andtheinevitablefollow-upofransomdemandsin US$500Mofoilsold ItisthefirsttrancheinaUS$2Boildeal with Venezuelan officials, who were, for all intents and purposes,negotiatingwiththebarrelofagunpressedagainst their heads. Cooler heads seem to have triumphed in Washington, with the U.S.$500M handed over, but with humiliating conditions attached. Make way for Chevron andExxonMobil,andU.S.controloftheoil.
The terrible irony is that the world leader in emphasising human rights, democracy, and the law can be so callously dismissiveofwhatisclaimedtostandfor Acountry’streasureis coveted, then seized, and next sold, with sparse relief for distressed Venezuelans Some of their distress came from crippling sanctions, which in hindsight represented the softening up of a population, so that it could be controlled, ripped-off Observersnowabsorbtheoldwaysofimperialism, butwithadifference Thereisnopretenserelativetobrazen objectives, no excuses, no apologies, no letup But pushing ahead calculatingly with a program that is all about wresting controlofatinier,frailer,country’sriches Thishaslesstodo withideology,andsuppliesalltheevidenceofablatantrobbery premeditated,thenputinoperation Itislessofaleaderandhis approachestogovernance,andtheconsequencestohiscountry Itisabouttheambitionsofthosewhosettheirgreedyeyesonthe propertyofotherpeople,thenmovewithpowertograbitfor themselves
Right before the eyes of the world, U.S.$2B worth of Venezuelanoilwassewedupinadealcompletedunderduress, onethatisrawinitsunderpinningsandbruisesthesenses. How cansuchanarrangement,thatkindofone-sideddeal,everbe looked upon as an acceptable standard of honest commerce betweentwonations,amongdifferentcountriesoftheworld? What kind of precedent is set for other powerful countries in differentpartsoftheworld,thatalsohavetheirmindsfixedon takingtheirneighboursassetsbybruteforce? WilltheUS be seen, now ever accepted, as a trusted peacemaker, in such dangerouscircumstances,givenitsownexampleofhowthose whooperateoutsidethelawconducttheirraids?
The situation is relatively calm in Venezuela in the aftermathoftheU.S.’interventionandextractionbyforceof Maduro. Theconcernthatweatthispublicationhave,inthis countrythatneighboursVenezuela,ishowlongwillthatpeace hold? And should it collapse in disarray, what are the consequences for Guyana, which is sure to experience some rippleeffects? LikeTrinidad,Guyanahasbeenrewardedwith visa exception by the US Good behaviour, stooge-like postures,goalongwayintoday’sWashington Thepricethat Guyanese will have to pay is still being counted, with this country’soilalsolongsubjecttothosewhoholdthecontrolling handinanexploiter’smarket Thepeople’soilinheritanceis there,butitisnottheirstodecideonormuchsharingin. Yet that is broadcast universally as a viable partnership, when this country is being robbed blind. It’s clear that before Venezuela,therewasGuyana.
The term used to
describe Guyanese migrants (outside of Guyana) has undergone change from when they first settled overseas starting the 1950s (initially to England), 1970s to USA and Canada and 1980s to the Caribbean and South America. ‘Guyanese abroad’ and later ‘Overseas Guyanese’ or ‘Guyanese expatriates’ were or have beenusedtodescribeorrefer to them. The terms have undergone change from the 1950s/1960s to now – the diaspora.
(Migration to UK had slowed over the last twenty years and practically stopped. Migration to USA has eased since President Trump assumed his second term last year, closing the borders and limiting chain migration as well as tourist andstudentvisas).
Foreign citizenship and Guyanese national identity have transcended physical borders; foreigners with roots in Guyana still see themselves as Guyanese although they may not view themselves as overseas based or Guyanese abroad. SchoolchildrenborninUSA callthemselvesGuyaneseor Indians, Africans, etc., not dissimilar from Italians and Irish and other nationalities (born in USA) so calling themselves.
Initially, during the 1950s and 1960s, the term
for migrants was Guyanese abroad as they were expected to return. But they made their home in UK, USA (1970s) and Canada (also 1970s) and other countries; there are few countries where Guyanese have not settled Few Guyanese who traveled abroadasvisitorsorstudents returned ‘home’; there was always the talk of returning homeafterstudiesorearning ‘enough’ money, but they neverdidalthoughtheyhave maintained a link (house or business or other property) in the former homeland
Once they have acquired ‘status’ (residency and subsequently citizenship), chain migration began (1970s onwards to UK, USA,Canada,etc.).
‘Guyanese abroad’ became ‘overseas-based’ Guyanese – as though they would return one day as ‘parodied’by commentators and even a newspaper editorial (SN March 13); they are not coming back. Overthelastcoupledecades, ‘overseas-based’ has been transitioned into ‘Guyanese diaspora’,atermcoinedbya fewofusinNYsincethelate 1970s when we were engaged in struggle to restore democratic governance to Guyana Around the same time, VassanRamracha,Baytoram Ramharack, and myself coined ‘Little Guyana’ –14th Street Manhattan and
Richmond Hill where we descended on weekends and school holidays to engage Guyaneseontheirhomeland (from 1977 to 1992). Little Guyana became a reality a decade ago when a RichmondHillStreetwasso co-named.
Even the term ‘diaspora’ is misused by officials and others. Not every Guyanese or nationals of another country living ‘outside’ is considered as ‘diaspora’ Diaspora refers to people from an ethnic group (nationality) outside of the country who are actively involved in affairs of, continuous engagements a n d t r a n s n a t i o n a l interconnections with their former homeland If migrants have no interest in the former homeland, those personsarenotconsideredas diaspora. Most (but not all) of the descendants of Guyanese in NorthAmerica and elsewhere have maintained connections (religious, cultural, social, family, emotional) to their origin country and it will be correct to refer to them as diaspora.
It is not known exactly how many Guyanese migrated post-independence and how many returned (estimated less than 1%) to live in Guyana It is estimatedthatoveramillion Guyanese (migrants and t h e i r c h i l d r e n , grandchildren, etc. – into
their fourth generation) are in USAalone since the first wave post-1965 when migration was open to Guyanese Hundreds of thousandsmoredepartedfor UK (while Guyana was still a colony – 1950s onwards) andCanada(1970sonwards) and the Caribbean (1980s onwards) – English, French Dutch — almost all of the islands as well as French Guiana and Brazil. Surinam saw tens of thousands of Guyanese migrants (from 1970s) as did Venezuela (from 1980s); many Guyaneseweresuccessfulat making their way to Holland, and Guyanese Venezuelans have been remigratinghomeoverthelast decade Thousands of Guyanese who had once settled in UK, Canada, Venezuela, Suriname, and theCaribbeanhavemanaged to get to USA where they have made their new home. Several overseas Guyanese on scholarship or members ofsportsteamordelegations to conferences opted not to return especially during the 1980s and later when economic conditions were unbearable.
Guyanese used any means to escape the homeland back track, purchasing visas, business marriages, name change, using passports of others, etc. to get them to USA, CanadaandCaribbean
(Continuedonpage06)
When Cuba fell into nationwide darkness this week, the blackout illuminated something far more troubling than the failure of an ageing power grid.Itrevealedadeepmoral outage an erosion of empathy and duty within a regionthatonceprideditself on solidarity and shared humanity This catastrophe did not emerge from nowhere.Yearsofsanctions, externalpressure,dwindling fuel access, and structural neglect have conspired to make Cuba’s energy system a fragile lifeline. Yet, in a world quick to politicise suffering, the human toll is what must command our
attention. Hospitals,homes, communities millions of lives—wereplungedintothe voidthroughnofaultoftheir own.
But what should shake the Caribbean conscience most is not Havana’s darkness, but Georgetown’s silence.Guyana,whosenew o i l w e a l t h c o u l d meaningfully ease this humanitarianshock,remains conspicuously mute A country that once benefited from Cuba’s unflagging solidarity—its doctors, its e d u c a t o r s , i t s technicians—now hesitates to extend a hand when the tableshaveturned. Themoralfailurehereis not logistical; it is ethical.
emptiness disguised as progress. If Guyana’s rising influence in the hemisphere cannot translate into principled action, then all claims to moral authority collapseundertheweightof hypocrisy Cuba poses no threat to any of us. Its people have endureddeprivationwithout surrender, and offered their humanity unconditionally To leave them abandoned in theirdarkesthouristobetray theCaribbeancreedofunity that our forebears envisioned. History will not remember the technicalities of this blackout It will
rememberwhocaredenough to act—and who didn’t.The lightsmayreturntoHavana, buttheshameofsilencewill linger far longer unless conscienceprevails. We strongly believe that moral leadership is not measuredbyrhetoric,butby the courage to act when others hesitate. In moments such as these, the Caribbean is tested not in wealth or power, but in heart Guyana’s destiny as an emerging leader must be anchored in compassion, guided by solidarity, and proventhroughthechoicesit makes when its neighbour standsinneed.
Sincerely HemduttKumar
is in the forefront of an unfortunate, tragic crusade of recolonisation
,
I read with interest the letter written by Jamil Changlee titled “A regional strategic oil reserve should be catered for” published inMarch18,KaieteurNews.
It sounds good, it should make sense, but what the writer fails to recognise is that in spite of earlier credentials, this PPP government is in the forefront of an unfortunate, tragic crusade of recolonisation In other words, as in the days of indentureship
and slavery, the ordinary people have little to say in spite of our independence in 1966, we have a government that is not in control of our massive natural resources
Andaswenotedearlier,remindsusofthe puppy which appeared on our gramophone recordsyearsago,nomorethanhismaster’s voice.Mr Changlee,thinkaboutit,andpity usasanation.
Bestregards, NeilBacchus
Anopenpublicdebateon logic,relevanceandapplication ofrealpolitikandpragmatism couldproveuseful
,
In a letter to the editor recently published, the author claimed that ‘Cheddi
J a g a n u n d e r s t o o d realpolitik ’ The author justified his generalised claim on the ground that Dr. Jagan was ‘someone who understoodrealpolitikinthe contextofachangingglobal dispensation….’
Asregardsthe‘changing global dispensation’ the authorshouldhaveprovided his take on the nature and direction of the changes in the ‘global dispensation ’ Moreover, since the author seems to be an authority on Dr Jagan, it would not be unreasonable to ask the author whether Dr Jagan ‘understood realpolitik’ in the1960to1964period.
In the letter, there were other implicit suggestions and unwitting generalities unworthyofrespondingtoat thistime.
Putting suggestions and generalities aside for the time being, a fundamental question that should be asked is; how did we get to the point where it has become a legitimate questiontoaskhowandwhy ‘realpolitik’asaconceptand ‘pragmatism’ as a philosophical tradition became of recent, so often cited in respect to Guyana’s bodypolitic?
The answer to this question may be found in a public debate on: ‘logic, relevanceand applicationof realpolitik and pragmatism intoday’sworld’.Moreover, the fact that the concept and philosophical tradition respectively have begun popping up in everyday
political discourse, requires a public debate involving those who hold divergent viewsinthematter
Like every outstanding thinker and politician, Dr. Jagan’s ideological and political convictions have always been continues to be vigorously contested, speculative or otherwise.
More specifically, given present-day regional and global realities, an open and public discussion on the applicationand relevance of realpolitik and pragmatism, short of any ambiguity, may result in a deeper understanding of the full m e a n i n g a n d / o r interrelationship of the concept and philosophical traditionasamatterofpublic interest.
Thosewavingclaimsand counterclaimsof‘predictive knowledge’ about how
Cheddi Jagan would have respondedspecificallytothe current crisis obtaining in Cuba,andmoregenerally,to global developments should agree that an open public debateonsuchmattersisthe obvious thing to do as part andparcelofanewparagon of openness and to give meaning to ideological pluralism.
Clearly,thereisaneedto address whatever may be mechanistic, idealistic or speculative in writing about Cheddi Jagan’s legacy. However, at the same time,
romanticism; instead, one should be scientific and epistemic historically It is for these reasons that a public debate on the applicationofrealpolitikand pragmatisminthecontextof
(Continuedonpage06)
Guyana today stands at o n e o f t h e m o s t extraordinarymomentsinits history
Within the span of a decade, the country has moved from quiet economic potentialtobecomingoneof the fast
growing economiesintheworld.Vast offshoreoildiscoverieshave transformed Guyana almost overnight into a major energy producer The revenues now flowing into
opportunities that few generations of Guyanese could have imagined. But history offers an important lessonaboutnaturalresource wealth. Oil can build nations. It can also weaken them.
The difference lies not underground, but in institutions.
Countries that convert natural resource wealth into broad national prosperity tend to share several characteristics: transparent public finances, competent public administration, independent courts, active civilsociety,andapressthat is free to investigate and criticise Where those institutions are weak, resource wealth often leads instead to corruption, inequality, and political division.
Guyana today faces precisely this institutional test.
The recent closure of Stabroek News after four decades of publication therefore carries meaning beyond the loss of a single newspaper For many years,
StabroekNewsservedasone of Guyana’s most respected independent voices It helped bring public scrutiny to questions of governance, e c o n o m i c s , a n d accountability Like all newspapers, it sometimes provoked disagreement. But it also helped sustain the public debate that healthy democraciesrequire.
As an avid reader of the paper over many years, I oftenadmireditswillingness to tackle difficult questions. Its reporting and editorial pages contributed to a national conversation about development, governance, and the rule of law In a country undergoing rapid transformation, that kind of scrutinybecomesevenmore important. Guyana’s oil sector will bring immense revenues in the coming years. Decisions about how those revenues are managed how they are invested, how benefits are d i s t r i b u t e d , h o w environmental risks are managed will shape the country’s future for generations. Such decisions deserve the fullest public discussion possible Independent journalism is one of the institutions that makes that discussion possible.Thisisnotsimplya Guyanese issue. Across the world, countries that have managed natural resource wealth well—Norway is the m o s t f a m o u s example have done so within systems of strong democratic accountability Public debate, investigative reporting, and institutional transparency have played
centralrolesinensuringthat national wealth benefits the public. Guyana has every opportunitytofollowsucha path. The country possesses enormous strengths. It has a vibrantcivilsociety,talented public servants, a dynamic diaspora, and a democratic tradition that has grown stronger in recent decades. Itsleadershiptodayfacesthe difficult task of guiding a small country through an economic transformation that larger nations would findchallenging.
In this moment of rapid change, public debate becomes a national asset. Independent media help citizensunderstandcomplex policy choices. They ask difficult questions about contracts, revenues, environmental protection, andpublicinvestment.They provide a forum where competing ideas about Guyana’s future can be openlydiscussed.
No single newspaper carries that responsibility alone. Guyana continues to benefit from multiple media voices, both traditional and digital. Yet the closing of a long-standing publication such as Stabroek News is a reminderthattheinstitutions supporting democratic accountability require constantrenewal.Oilwealth can build roads, schools, hospitals, and modern infrastructure But the foundations of lasting prosperity remain institutional: good governance, transparency, and an informed citizenry AsGuyana’seconomic (Continuedonpage06)
TheGuyanaAgricultural and GeneralWorkers Union (GAWU) extends warmest greetings to all Guyanese, particularly our Muslim brothers and sisters, on the joyous occasion of Eid-ulFitr
Eid-ul-Fitr marks the culmination of the holy monthofRamadan,aperiod of deep spiritual reflection, sacrifice, and devotion
Throughoutthissacredtime, MuslimsacrossGuyanaand around the world would have observed fasting, prayed, and engaged in acts
of charity and compassion. These practices embody values that resonate universally discipline, humility, generosity, and a steadfast commitment to faith.
GAWU recognises the profound significance of Ramadan as a time not only of abstinence, but of renewal.
The observance encourages the cleansing of the soul, mind, and body, fosteringaheightenedsense of self-awareness, empathy, and social responsibility
Thedisciplinedemonstrated
during this period is a powerful reminder of the strength of faith and the enduring importance of spiritual grounding in our dailylives.
As we celebrate Eid-ulFitr, we also acknowledge the rich teachings of Islam, whichpromotepeace,unity, justice, and compassion Theseprinciplescontinueto inspire and guide i n d i v i d u a l s a n d communities, contributing meaningfully to the moral and social fabric of our nation. GAWU takes this opportunitytocommendthe
Muslimcommunityfortheir devotionandforthepositive example set during Ramadan.
We encourage all Guyanese to reflect on the values highlighted during this holy period and to continue fostering mutual respect, understanding, and nationalunity
May this Eid bring joy, peace, and prosperity to everyhome.
EidMubaraktoall! Regards GuyanaAgricultural andGeneralWorkers Union (GAWU)
Frompage05
transformation accelerates, those foundations will mattermorethanever
Thecountry’sfuturewillbe shaped not only by the resources beneath its waters, but by the strength oftheinstitutionsthatguide how those resources are used Among those institutions, a vigilant and independent press has always played an essential role
Regards
StevenE. Hendrix
Frompage05
Cheddi Jagan’s life work should an open forum for differing agendas and approaches out of which a coherent and agreeable understandingofwhatwould have been Dr Jagan’s position on Cuba, Russia’s ‘special operation’ in Ukraine and America’s and
Israel’s unprovoked attack on Iran would be better understood and perhaps help to bring about, at least, an agreement to disagree on ‘predictive knowledge’ on the eve of Dr Jagan’s 108th birth anniversary
Yoursfaithfully, ClementJ.Rohee
‘Oil crisis ignites refinery push in Guyana’...
Frompage3 Minister, Dr Roodal Moonilal who attended G u y a n a ’s E n e r g y Conference and Supply Chain Expo at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Georgetownlastweek. He was part of a panel discussion alongside Guyana’s Minister of Natural Resources, Vikram Bharrat and Suriname’s Minister of Oil, Gas, and Environment, Patrick Brunings.
In his discussion, Moonilal outlined Trinidad’s role for many decades in the region’s energy landscape He acknowledged missed opportunities in emerging energy destinations like Guyana, Suriname and others by the former Trinidadian administration and expressed regret that T&T with decades of experience in the hydrocarbon sector, has not conducted more business with Guyana, which discovered oil in 2015 and beganproductionfouryears later
“The time has come that we institute some type of forum where ministers of energy and their respective teams can meet more regularly to collaborate, to worktogetheroninvestment policies,strategies,sowedo not duplicate,” Minister Moonilalsaid.
Dr Moonilal further outlined advantages ofT&T as partner, noting the country’s existing gas infrastructure, which he notedcouldhelpGuyanaand Suriname. He said, “This will enable rapid monetisation of gas resources without the substantial investment required to build new plants.”
Additionally, he noted thatGuyanacouldplayakey part in the restart of the Pointe-a-Pierre Refinery
“We are indeed encouraged t o w o r k w i t h t h e Government of Guyana and other delegates and other entitiespresentatthisenergy conference to advance the reopening of the refinery in Pointe-a-Pierre, Trinidad andTobago,”hestated.Ifthe operationsrestart,hesaidthe facility will require petroleum from regional
However, the minister outlined that the Kamla P e r s a d - B i s s e s s a r administration has now mandated that Trinidad deepencollaborationwithits r e g i o n a l p a r t n e r s particularly, Guyana and Suriname.
partners. Notably, the oil refinery can process about 150,000barrelsofoildaily
Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat, speaking on the restart of the oil refinery, noted,“Sothatisanareathat we’ve already been engaging on with Trinidad andTobago.
Tolookatthepossibility of having that refinery restarted, to have investors playapartinthataswelltoo, who are working with us in Guyana that they too can workinTrinidadatthesame time.
And we’ve held s e v e r a l m e e t i n g s together, yesterday, and wehaveafewmoresetup today ” G u y a n a ’ s o i l production from the Stabroek Block which is operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is currently over 900,000 barrels per day from four developments Liza Phase One, Liza Phase Two,PayaraandYellowtail. The other projects: Uaru, Whiptail and Hammerhead have also received government approval but are not yet producing By the end of the decade, EMGL is expected to have eight projectonstream
Tankers sail in the Gulf, near the Strait of Hormuz, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran on March 11 [File: Stringer/Reuters]
Countries are looking for ways to contain record-high prices as the oil and gas crisis deepens.
Aljazeera - Several European nations and Japan haveissuedajointstatement sayingtheywouldtakesteps tostabiliseenergymarkets,a day after several strikes on energy facilities in the Gulf regionsentoilandgasprices soaring amid the United States-IsraelwaronIran.
The leaders of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan issued a joint statement on Thursday expressing their “readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the [Hormuz]Strait.”
They did not specify whatthoseeffortsmayentail but urged for “an immediate comprehensive moratorium on attacks on civilian infrastructure, including oil andgasinstallations”.
TheInternationalEnergy Agency (IEA) last week authorised a coordinated release of its members'
strategicpetroleumreserves, thelargestinitshistory,inan attempt to counter rising globalenergyprices.
“Wewilltakeothersteps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increase output,” the statementsaid.
Markets have been hammered since the start of thewaronFebruary28,with Tehran hitting sites across the Gulf and effectively closingtheStraitofHormuz, through which a fifth of globaloilandgasflows.
European leaders have rejected demands by United States President Donald Trump to help ensure freedomofnavigationinthe Gulf'skeyoilchokepointby deploying warships as part ofanavalcoalition.
Thursday's joint statement came ahead of a long-scheduled White House meeting between
Trump and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, aimed at burnishing the decades-old security and economic partnership between Washington and its closestEastAsianally
U.S. Treasury Secretary ScottBessentsaidbeforethe meetingonThursdaythathe would expect that Japan, which gets 95 percent of its crude oil supplies from the Gulf, would want to ensure itssuppliesaresafe.
Takaichi has sought to move Japan away from a pacifistconstitutionimposed by Washington after World WarII,butwiththeIranwar unpopular at home, she has sofarnotofferedtoassistin clearing the Strait of
In observance of World Kidney Day on Thursday, dialysispatientsutilisingthe AmeenaGafoorMedicaland Dialysis Centre in Parika, Region Three, received monetary donations to ease the burden of treatment, which costs $15,000 per sessionforatotalof$45,000 weekly Dialysis is a treatment for people whose kidneys are failing The kidneys fail to filter blood, and as a result, wastes and toxins build up in the bloodstream. During a programme at the De KinderenRegionalHospital, Regional Health Officer Dr. Fiaaz Hassan said some 655 patients have received dialysis countrywide as of December2025.
Dr Nandiashaw Ramsingh, attached to the Ministry of Health, told patients that early detection
Dr. Nandiashaw Ramsingh
is critical, with many patientsonlyseekingcareat stages three or four of chronic kidney disease. Dr Ramsingh highlighted the importance of medical interpretationofresultsafter testing, noting that basic tests alone are insufficient withou
evaluation.She emphasised th
surrounding medications likemetformin,highlighting hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and unhealthy lifestyles as leading contributors to kidney disease in Guyana. Patients were encouraged to rely on qualified professionals for advice, use their prescribed medication and take regular medicalcheck-ups.(DPI)
Hormuz.
The Japanese prime minister told parliament on Monday that Tokyo had received no official request from the US, but was checking the scope of possible action within the limitsofitsconstitution.
Soaringenergyprices
Major economies have been scrambling to cushion theimpactofsoaringenergy prices after the de facto closure of the Strait of HormuzbyIranianforces.
C o n c e r n s w e r e compounded on Wednesday when Iran hit the world's largest liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility, Qatar's Ras Laffan Industrial City, in retaliation for an Israeli attack on its South Pars gas field.
QatarEnergy reported “extensive damage” from Iranian missiles in Ras Laffan, which produces
about 20 percent of the world's LNG supply and plays a major role in balancing Asian and European markets' demand forthefuel.
The company's CEO, Saad al-Kaabi, said Iran's attacks damaged facilities that produce 17 percent of QatarEnergy's LNG exports andthatitwouldtakethreeto fiveyearstorepair
Qatar's Prime Minister M o h a m m e d b i n Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani said Iran's claims that it is targeting US bases are “unacceptable and unjustified”,astheattackon Ras Laffan shows that it is t a r g e t i n g e n e r g y infrastructurethatisvitalfor Qatarandtheentireworld.
Energy prices have soaredandstockssunkamid the region's protracted instability, reigniting fears over global supplies and
inflationaswellasthelikely damagetoeconomicgrowth.
European gas prices wereup25percentandBrent crude oil futures nearly 6 percent at $113 at 13:00 GMT on Thursday after briefly surging about 10 percent.
Europeangaspriceshave leapt by over 60 percent since the war began on February28.
James Meadway, codirector of the Verdant economic policy think tank, said this would not be “a temporaryblip”intheprices ofoilandgas.
“In addition to the Strait of Hormuz being blocked, we now have a severe disruption to the basic production of oil and gas,” MeadwaytoldAlJazeera.
“At this point, this looks like it will be a significant riseinthosepricesstretching offintothedistance.”
in consultation will struggle
Minister of Education Sonia Parag has called for deeper collaboration and careful, inclusive reform across the Caribbean education sector, warning that meaningful transformation cannot occur without broad stakeholderengagement.
Deliveringthefeatureaddressatthe2026 Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Ministerial Forum and closing of the Regional Education Conference, Minister Parag emphasised that while the region standsatacriticalturningpoint,changemust beapproachedthoughtfullyandcollectively
“Thequestionbeforeus,therefore,isnot whetherchangeiscoming.Itiswhetherweas aregionarepreparedtoshapeit,”shesaid.
The Minister highlighted that rapid technologicaladvancements,particularlythe rise of artificial intelligence (AI), are reshaping classrooms and redefining how students learn and interact with information. However, she cautioned against losing sight offoundationalskills.“Connectivitywithout competence is merely noise,” she stated, stressing that literacy and numeracy must remain central pillars of the education system.
Minister Parag also underscored the importanceofadaptingeducationsystemsto meet the needs of a new generation of learners, noting that traditional approaches are no longer sufficient in a fast-evolving digital world. Addressing the integration of
AI in education, she described both its opportunities and risks, urging regional leaders to adopt structured and ethical frameworks.
“AIisapowerfultool.Ithasthecapacity to support personalised learning, to provide immediate feedback, to assist teachers in lesson preparation and to make complex ideasmoreaccessibletostudentsatdifferent levelsofability,”sheemphasised,whilealso warning of challenges including misuse, academic dishonesty, and growing concerns arounddataprivacyandbullying.
Highlighting Guyana's efforts to bridge educational gaps, the Minister pointed to initiatives aimed at improving literacy and expanding access to learning opportunities, including community-based programmes andsecond-chanceeducationpathways.
She also introduced the Guyana Digital School initiative, a platform designed to deliver live, interactive classes aligned with the Caribbean Examinations Council framework, reaffirming that the programme will be accessible to the wider Caribbean community “The Digital School was not only established for Guyanese, it was also establishedforthewiderCARICOMregion,” she stated. Minister Parag concluded by urging regional leaders to ensure that discussions translate into action, with longtermbenefitsforfuturegenerationsacrossthe Caribbean.(DPI)
The happiest persons I know are never the wealthiest My happiest friends are simply the ones thataremorecontentedwith whattheyhave.
Itriedexplainingthistoa friend who saw me recently and began complaininghow I have a lovely home, a nice car,andafatbankbookwhile heisstillstrugglingtomake endsmeet.
I tried to explain to him that there were many things abouthislifethatheoughtto be proud off; that even the poorest man has enough to behappyifhewouldinstead of looking at what other people have, try to value whatheowns.
I came over as a lecturer and could not connect with myfriendwhoIhaveknown formanyyears. As I left him, I kept wondering how better I couldhavemademypointto him that he has everything thatshouldmakehimhappy except that he is looking in thewrongplaces. When I went home, I went straight to my email, andasusualtherewasafair amount of mail including quite a lot of the regular make-you-feel-good stuff which I often quickly highlight and trash. However, since I was troubled by my inability to get through to my friend, I decided to read some of
these emails which are circulated widely over the internet.
We hardly know the original author of these mails. A friend sends it to a friend who sends it to another friend and the chain continues until it reaches you. The mail in question came to me from our publisher It was entitled ‘HotChocolate’.
It says exactly what I wanted to say to my friend butcouldnotsayinthewayI wanted. I will repeat the message here in its entirety andasktheoriginalauthorto forgive me for not knowing hisorheridentity Idedicate it to my friend who felt
Frompage04countries, etc. In terms of ethnic distributionofmigrants,itis estimated that almost 60% wereIndians,30%Africans, andtheremaining10%from amongPortuguese,Chinese, Amerindians, and Mixed races.
From time to time, Guyanesereturnedhomefor brief stays to see relatives, friends,neighboursandorto rehabilitate their homes, take care legal issues relating to property, for funerals, marriages, business, etc. It will be correct to refer to them as overseas-based or even diaspora or Guyanese
abroad They have established roots, built families, own properties or business and vehicles in their new host or adopted homeland.
T h e y a r e n o t incentivised to return permanently to their former ‘homeland’ although they may be willing to provide various forms of support to Guyanaandlovedones. The government just a few years ago, before oil, depended on diaspora for r e m i t t a n c e s a n d entrepreneurial networks Over the last five years, the government has been engaging the diaspora for
economic, political, and social development. The diaspora can play important role in technology transfer, skillsharing,andenhancing diplomatic ties between Guyana and their host or adopted countries; a few of us in USA have been actively doing the latter Guyana has outreaches in America over the last few years to maintain links with diasporiccommunities. The hopealsoistoleveragetheir skills, knowledge, and investment, turning their emigration into an asset for theformerhomeland.
Yourstruly, Dr VishnuBisram
Is nuff people dem gat walking around de town. It seems dat de more well-off Guyana become de morebeggarswedoesget.
Dem now gat more cars pun we roads danpedestrians.
Andwecussingnuffahdemimmigrants butnoneofdemnahdehnastyandbegging pundestreets.
Yuh does frighten to walk pun dem pavement these days because nuff ah dem vagrantssmellingstinkandifyuhpasstoo close,demsmellcouldtektoyuh.
Butsomeahdembeggarsclean.Infact some ah dem gat dem own property And now dem hunting in packs. Dem gat good businessatdemjunctions.
It mek dem boys remember de time when dem had two immigrant beggars
unhappy about his not having the material pleasuresoflife.
Heregoes:
A group of graduates, well established in their careers, decided to go and visit their old university professor, now retired During the visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in theirworkandlives.
The professor went to thekitchenandreturnedwith alargemugofhotchocolate and an assortment of cups –porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some exquisite–tellinghisguests tohelpthemselvestothehot chocolate.
When they all had a cup ofhotchocolateinhand,the professor said: Notice that all the nice-looking, expensive cups were taken, leavingbehindtheplainand
cheapones. While it is normal to want only the best for yourselves,thatisthesource ofyourproblemsandstress.
That cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.
In most cases it is just moreexpensiveand,insome cases, even hides what we drink.Whatallofyoureally wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciouslywentforthebest cups.
And then you began eyeing each other’s cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and your position in societyarethecups.
Thecupsarejusttoolsto hold and contain life. The cupyouhavedoesnotdefine norchangethequalityoflife you have. Sometimes by
concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us God makes the hot chocolate; man chooses the cup.The happiest people do not have the best of everything.
They just make the best of everything they have
Live simply, Love generously Care deeply Speakkindly
And enjoy your hot chocolate!
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
begging in New York. Every day one ah dem does collect a mere $2 to $3 in coins. Deotheronedoesbringhomeasuitcasefull of$10bills.
So de poorer beggar ask de richer one how come he begging just as much but he notmakingasmuch.
De richer tun to he and say, “Look at yoursign,whatdoesitsay?”
Depoorbeggarsaid,“Itreads‘Ihaveno work,awifeandsixkidstosupport’.”
De rich beggar says, “No wonder you onlyget$2–$3perday.”
Depoorbeggarask,“Sowhatdoesyour signsay?”
De rich beggar reply, “It reads ‘I only need another $10 to move back to my country’.”
Talkhalf.Leffhalf
I thought that Leonora's noise nuisance pestilence was over Dealt with, done and gone To more manageable proportions Where everybody, from barkeeper to neighbour to villager operated with civility and care for others. In any place that Guyana's chronic noise menace raises itsdeafeningvoice,itwould beaproblem.
In Leonora, the birthplaceofHisExcellency President Ali, PhD, it's beyond a problem An abomination, it is. Could there be some in Leonora, the President's birthplace, playpen, and proving ground,outtoembarrassthe leader? Those who work diligentlytomakehimcome across as impotent and ineffective?
The noise menace in Leonora has gone on too long,beenallowedtotakeup unchallenged residence in the torturous hours of the unforgiving dark Bar ownershavetheirrights,but so, too, are citizens. For all who claim a bill of rights, I
remind of a missing component that is mandatory for a complete picture. Abillofrightsgoes inseparablyalongwithabill ofobligations.
There is a bill of obligations that applies to every Guyanese, from president to pauper, every foreigner who come here to catch their hand. There is a righttoplaymusic,arightto earn a lawful dollar, and a right to be a provider in the entertainment and having a goodtimebusiness. By the same token, neighbours have the right to peace and quiet, some serenity around their castle, no matter how low to the ground,orif10storieshigh. At 10 stories up, those residents are above the fray, the fun and frolic (their aftermaths).
Those closer to the riotousrevelriesaretheones saddled with punishing burdens. Something has to be done, and I mistakenly thought that Pres. Ali had intervened and settled that drunken bacchanalia in
Leonora for all times, deliveringsuchastandardas aleadershiplegacyforwhen h i s t i m e i s o v e r
Unsurprisingly,Iwaswrong. Hope in him misplaced again. Even the little that was expected too much to askofhim.
He has been that kind of President. Loud on some things. Lost in a haze on other things; too many to wastemoretrust.
Pursuant to a bill of obligations, the peddlers of noise menaces must be disciplined enough, and considerate enough, to muzzlethemusic.
They know how; they know when; and they know when is reasonable, healthy, civilised. Part of the giveand-take of life. So, why don't these purveyors of crippling noise crimes harnessthemselvesandtoea certainacceptableline? One question prompts another WhootherthanPres.Alihas immunityinthiscountry? I nominate the private sector
The PPP-protected private sector, to nail this. If its
members can be allowed to invade sensitive budget preparations, make their reach felt, then the PPPpowered private sector's smallfryalsoareawarethat murder can be gotten away, howeverexecuted. Literally isnotastretch.
The PPP group, government, would be terrified should the private sectordevelopcramps. The simple thought is too paralysing,whichiswhythe reality must never be allowedtocometopass.
Thus, the law-abiding in Leonoramustsuffer,pretend at no pain. May I remind fromPres.Alitotheentirety of the PPP Govt that Leonorans are not Cubans. Thatis,tobeused,thentobe sent flying far from the presence of majestic men,
whohaveno time for them, who h a v e g o t bigger fish to fry Think real-life Cub and their ugly fate at the hands ofAli's PPP To rub salt in the wounds of Leonora's residents,theirbelovedPres. Ali was right there over the weekend, and they should pay keen attention to where he went, and where he avoidedliketheplague.
Ihavetohandittothem; hishandlershaveahandleon where he gets applause and where he gets only problems. Likenoisecrimes in the latter instances. Like those who need his intervention. Like those who need his protection,
throughchannels,viaspecial arrangements. So, certain streets are avoided, as though in Caracas. 'As I walked out in theStreetsofLaredo…' Pres Aliisn'tthatadventurous;he isn't going near those mean streets. Leonora is left to invest in ear plugs. Sound proofing for those who can affordit.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Frompage2 in Dubai and or money savedthroughthemannerof importation of various luxuryandsportscars.”
He continued: “Whilst my clients are not opposed togivingyou$1,000,000,it was communicated to them prior that such payment could only be effected by manager's cheque. As you are aware, this poses a difficulty for my clients at thistime.”
The lawyer asked Nandlall to confirm that he or his office would be willingtoaccepttheOFACsanctioned money in cash and then arrangements can be made to effect payment.
Within minutes, AG Nandlallrepliedtotheemail describing its content as “irrelevant ” The AG cautioned that if the sum is paid by 4:00 pm on March 20,2026,stepswillbetaken to enforce the court order immediately
Afterdeliveringthecash and coins, the Opposition Leader spoke to reporters outsidetheAG'sCarmichael Street, Georgetown Chambers.
Heexplainedthathehad to break his “children's' piggy bank, “to pay the demand. He explained he just wanted to comply with thecourtorder
“As you are aware, I don't have bank accounts butthisissomeofthecashI had at hand at present. So that's why I brought this here today because tomorrow is my holiday Andhe[Nandlall]gaveusa
deadline of 4pm tomorrow but it's Eid...I will be busy celebrating with my family and friends and so on,” the businessmansaid.
He claimed that he was nevertheless surprised that theAG accepted the money although his party had campaigned heavily against having any transaction with theMohameds.
“They told everyone on thecampaigntrail'youcan't do business and you can't accept cash from the Mohamedorelseyouwould besanctionedandyourvisa revoked.'”
The businessman said AG accepted the$20 and $100 bills, there was some apprehension with wheelbarrow of coins to settlethedebt.
“He said that there is a legallimittohowmuchdebt or transaction can be done with the coins…So we will have to get up the cash and bring it back. We want to honour the court order and therulesofthecountry,”the businessmandisclosed.
Henotedthathispursuit oflegalrecourseisfarfrom over as his legal team is examiningtakingthecaseto the Caribbean Court of Justice(CCJ).
Meanwhile, speaking via a live Facebook broadcast Nandlall expounded on what he describedascrass,mockery and gross disrespect for the administrationofjusticeand theruleoflawbyMohamed.
The AG said that the court cost was due since 27 of February for case the
Mohamed's lost earlier that month. He said that given thedelayinpaymenthewas in the process of preparing enforcement procedure against the sanctioned duo. He noted while he can accept that the sums were paid to some extent, he could say it was paid in full sincethereisalegallimitto which coins can be used to settle lawful debts in Guyana.
He explained “Legal tender coins shall be accepted throughout Guyana in the settlement of any public and private debt ormonetaryobligationupto limitof$100forcoinstothe denomination of $1, $250 for the denomination for coinsinthedenominationof $5and$500forcoinsinthe denomination of $10 Unfortunately for Mr Mohamed, he will have to return the barrow of coins, he will have to take it away and I hope as he barrowed coming in, and that went live, that when he is barrowing coming out with thecoins,thatwillgoliveas well.”
The AG noted that staff athischambersareassigned to counted $20 and $100 bills to verify the amount covers the debt owed, they only accepted a limited amount of coins. “As I said earlier, Azruddin Mohamed's clown show backfired.You will see him andhisservantand/oragent will leave the Ministry of Legal Affairs with his barrow of coins,” Nandlall stated.
The tractor the child's father drove
The scene of the incident
A one-year-old baby was on Thursdaycrushedtodeathbyatractor his father operated at Canal No. 1, WestBankDemerara(WBD).
The child has been identified as TaleshBhudhram.
Kaieteur News understands that the child was in upper floor of the family's home when his father went intotheyardtooperatethetractor
The man was reportedly unaware that the child made his way into the yard.Thechild'sfatherwastakeninto policecustody. Investigationsareongoing.
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Wednesday commissioned two new police stations in Region Eight, one at Monkey Mountain Village and the otheratParamakatoi.
According to information provided by the ministry, the stations cost over $95 1 million and is part of the ongoing investment in strengthening security infrastructure and expanding access to essential public services in hinterland communities.
Theministryreportedthat the Paramakatoi Police Stationistheveryfirstpolice stationinthatcommunity
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, Minister of Home Affairs, Oneidge Walrond, said the commissioning reflect the Government's firm commitment to improving security, increasing police presence, and ensuring that citizens in hinterland areas benefitfromthesamelevelof
protection and service as thoseonthecoastland.
The Minister said that under the leadership of President Irfaan Ali, the Government continues to pursue a deliberate policy of equitab
national development, with strong emphasisonpublicsafetyand institutionalexpansionacross allregions.
She noted that the new stations will enhance law enforcement capacity, improve response times, and providegreaterreassuranceto r e s i d e n t s o f b o t h c o m m u n i t i e s a n d surroundingareas.
“The Minister further added that these investments a r e p a r t o f t h e administration's broader agenda to modernise the c o u n t r y ' s s e c u r i t y architecture, promote safer communities, and deliver meaningful development to the people of Region Eight and Guyana as a whole,” the ministrysaid.
The new police station commissioned in Monkey Mountain, Region Eight.
ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is accelerating the pace of project development in Guyana.Withsevenprojects currently under its belt, the company is aggressively pursuing licencing for its eighth and ninth projects in theStabroekBlock.
On Thursday, Country Manager Alistair Routledge revealed that Exxon is expected to submit a Field DevelopmentPlan(FDP)for the eighth project, Longtail beforetheendofthisweekto the Ministry of Natural Resources.
Inthemeantime,hesaid, “We just submitted the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) to the
EPA (Environmental ProtectionAgency) and you shouldseeanannouncement in some of the papers...we aregoingtobeginthe60day consultation process so sharing all of these studies with people across the country, giving people the opportunity to ask questions and to raise any concerns to ensure that those are then fedbackintotheEIAprocess and that when we do progress the project that it recognises all of those concerns...”
To this end, he announced that the first of the engagement session will take place in Mabaruma, RegionOneonApril13with another session planned for
TheWeInvestinNationhoodhasexpressconcernsoutrage over reports of sexual assault involving a male teacher and nineschoolgirlsatacityschool.
In a statement WIN led by businessman, Azruddin Mohamedsaid:“Theseaccusationsrepresentaviolationofthe trust placed in educators, who are charged with both the educationandwell-beingofchildren.”Thepartysaidwhilethe teacher has been placed on administrative leave, there are reports that efforts were made by said teacher to contact the students involved and threatened them, which could further traumatisethevictimsandhindertheinvestigation.
“WIN calls for a full, independent investigation by the Guyana Police Force and the Child Care and Protection Agency We further call for the involvement of the Board of Governors of the school. We also call for: counselling and support for all affected students; clear and timely communicationbetweentheauthoritiesandtheparentsanda review of child protection policies and reporting systems in schoolsisneededtostrengthensame.”
The party further states: “Our hearts are broken by such acts.We stand with the victims and their familiesand call on the Ministry of Education to act decisively and adopt these measures.OnWednesdaytheMinistryofEducationsaidithad moved swiftly to remove the teacher from the classroom followingtheseriousallegations.
The action, the ministry said was taken in keeping with establishedprocedures,asauthoritiesbeganengagingparents andactivatingchildprotectionmechanisms.Accordingtothe ministry the Welfare Department of the Department of Education met with one parent on Friday, 13 March 2026, a secondparentonMonday,16March2026,andathirdparent onTuesday,17March2026.Eachparentwasissuedareferral lettertotheChildProtectionAgency,consistentwithstandard operating procedures. Each affected student is to undergo a forensicinterviewtobeconductedbyBlossomInc,therelease added.Todate,onesuchinterviewhasbeencompleted.“The Ministry of Education wishes to state unequivocally that, contrary to certain misleading claims circulating on social media, there has been no delay in the investigative process,” thereleasestated.
Meanwhile,speakingtoKaieteurNewsasourcedisclosed thatthevictimsreportedlydiscussedtheirinteractionswiththe teacher which led to the matter being reported and the EducationMinistrywascalledin.Thesourcestatedthatnine schoolgirlsarereportedlyinvolved.
This publication learned that the accused teacher is a PhysicalEducation(PE)teacherandhasbeenemployedwith thesecondaryschoolforsomethreeyears.Guyanarecordedin excessof300sexualassaultcasesmonthlylastyear
April 28 at Umana Yana, in Georgetown As such he said, “At that point we will haveboththeenvironmental permitting process coming close towards the end of its process and the Field Development Plan and
advancing with the Ministry
Of Natural Resources and GGMC.”
Meanwhile, Exxon is simultaneously building a ninth project which aims to develop the gas resources in the Haimara discovery. He explained,“Forthoseofyou who were at the energy conferencebackinFebruary, we began to talk about what
could potentially be project number nine which will be anchored on the Haimara discovery in the south east partoftheStabroekBlock.”
Like Longtail, Haimara w
discoveries.“Wearegaining confidence that that project can meet the sort of investment hurdles that we
would expect that the governmentwouldexpectus to achieve and so we are maturing that,” Routledge toldreporters. To this end, the Country ManagerexpectsaFDPtobe producedfortheprojectand submitted to government in another 12 months The
(Continuedonpage18)
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Public servants will begin to receive their $100,000 cash grants by close of business today. On Thursday, President Irfaan Ali announced that central government employees will receive their cash grants before the end of the week.
The cash grant will be deposited into their bank accounts, the president said while speaking at the 136th General Meeting of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) at the Guyana Marriott Hotel in Kingston, Georgetown.
President Ali said the disbursement forms part of the government’s continued efforts to support citizens and maintain a strong consumer base within the economy.
He told members of the business community that the administration remains committed to easing financial pressures on households while strengthening economic activity.
reflects the government’s broader approach to ensuring economic growth translates into tangible benefits for citizens.
He noted that providing direct financial support to households is important, particularly as countries around the world continue to navigate economic challenges stemming from global disruptions.
Despite these external pressures, he emphasised that Guyana’s economic outlook remains positive and that the government will continue implementing measures that protect consumers while supporting national development.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance in a subsequent statement said that almost 50,000 central government employees will receive the cash grant over the next 24 hours.
vants,” the ministry said. Last week Senior Minister in the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance Dr. Ashni Singh announced the commencement of government’s promised initiative for every Guyanese citizen aged 18 years and older.
On Thursday, Dr. Singh during brief remarks following confirmation that deposits of the grant had begun, encouraged citizens to ensure that they open their bank accounts as this is the easiest and fastest way they can receive the cash grant without leaving their homes.
He added that the new online platform that will be launched will allow for the registration process and persons can simply access it, fill out the information required and once a simple verification process is completed, they should receive their cash grant.
present in Guyana to register.
The government has said that the cash grant will be paid out through the banking system noting that the transferal will be done swiftly, securely and efficiently.
“A central pillar of this initiative is to promote financial inclusion. This is why we are urging all Guyanese to utilise the formal banking system,” Minister Singh reiterated.
Government said it will be launching the digital online platform next week, through which the remainder of all eligible Guyanese citizens in Guyana can register to receive their grant.
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“We are equally committed to providing relief to consumers, because a strong consumer base is the foundation of a strong economy,” the president stated.
According to the head of state, the cash grant initiative
The ministry said that 48,858 central government employees comprising public servants, teachers and members of the disciplined services will receive the 2026 National Cash Grant.
“This amounts to almost $5 billion of additional disposable income being placed in the hands of these public ser-
To be eligible for the cash grant to be paid into bank accounts persons must be a Guyanese citizen aged 18 years and older as at February 28, 2026, have a valid national identification card or Guyana passport, have a bank account in their name at any local commercial bank and must be physically
“It can be recalled that in anticipation of the roll out of this cash grant, the Ministry of Finance together with the Central Bank collaborated with financial institutions to simplify the process of opening bank accounts as well as to facilitate the opening of these accounts online,” the ministry said.
Demerara Bank Limited, Guyana Bank for Trade and Industry Limited, Republic Bank and Scotiabank Guyana Incorporated have been facilitating the online opening of bank accounts.
From page 13 abiding entity that has followed the proper legal channels to assert its ownership rights.
“We regret that the execution of the law has been mischaracterised in the pub-
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lic domain, but we trust that the public will recognise this matter for what it is: the conclusion of a lengthy legal process to restore the rights of a property owner,” the Company stated.
It was reported that more than 50 families at Friendship were facing eviction, some removed on Tuesday after a court-ordered eviction saw their houses torn down and belongings dumped along the roadside.
The affected area, reportedly acres of farmland has been home to the families, many of whom have lived and farmed there for decades.
The eviction was carried out by court marshals, supported by armed ranks of the Guyana Police Force, who moved into the community early Tuesday.
They were met by angry and distressed residents as masked workmen began dismantling wooden homes
Images and videos from the scene showed furniture, appliances, and personal items strewn along the roadway, while entire structures were reduced to rubble. In some cases, residents were not even at home when their houses were demolished.
Upon receiving reports of the eviction, APNU’s Mem-
bers of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul and Nima Flu-Bess visited the area to assess the situation.
After visiting several homes which were affected, Mahipaul spoke with the residents during which he called for the government’s intervention.
He told residents that similar situations like these have occurred in other communities over the past couple of years.
Mahipaul noted that there is a need to review how business is done in Guyana especially when it comes to land and land allocation, “…because it is becoming a trend where people who claim to have money are having land and people who are occupying the lands for decades, they are not having the opportunity to get first preference to the land.”
Subsequently, via his Facebook page, Mahipaul in a statement disclosed that if the land is legitimately privately owned and the eviction of these families is being carried out by way of a court order, “then I respectfully urge the Government to intervene from a humanitarian standpoint.”
The APNU MP stated that immediate priority should be
the allocation of house lots to the affected citizens. He said that where families have already been allocated land but are unable to afford construction, support must be extended.
“The Men on Mission programme, which received a $900M allocation, can play a critical role in helping to build homes for these families,” he added.
“Sixty families, many with children and babies, are now being displaced after occupying the area for decades.
This is not just a legal matter; it is a human one. The emotional, financial, and social impact cannot be understated.
Compassion, urgency, and practical support must guide the response,” Mahipaul expressed.
On Wednesday, a day after the eviction exercise, several APNU members including Attorney-at-law, Dexter Todd visited the affected families. After engaging the families, Todd in a brief interview stated that the issue was not a political issue but rather a legal one.
He noted that they advice the residents on the next steps to take and that the APNU would mobilise its legal team to assist them.
The seized cans of suspected weed-infused beverages
The Customs Anti Narcotic Unit (CANU), through the Guyana Early Warning System (EWS), on Thursday said it seized 222 cans of suspected THCinfused beverages at the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA) THC–tetrahydrocannabinol – is the main psychoactive ingredientfoundincannabis plants.
The interception was madeonWednesday CANU in a statement said that the products were concealed inside storage tote bins among clothing, paper bags andotheritems.
“These beverages are believedtobecommercially manufactured cannabisinfused drinks originating from the United States and are designed to resemble ordinarysoftdrinks,making them especially attractive to youthanddifficulttodetect. The alert notes that this
reflects an evolving trafficking method involving low-odour, discreet, consumer-style cannabis products,” CANU said. CANU said while the products may be legal in some foreign countries, cannabis and cannabisderived products including THC-infused beverages, remain illegal in Guyana under the Narcotic Drugs
a n d P s y c h o t r o p i c Substances (Control) Act, Cap 10:10 “Any importation, possession, or distribution of these products may constitute a
criminal offence,” the agencysaid.
Further, CANU noted that the products may pose serious health and safety riskswhichincludeimpaired judgment and intoxication, anxiety, panic attacks, or hallucinations, risk of overdose,especiallythrough beverages, and increased danger to youth and firsttimeusers.
“Amajor concern is that the packaging resembles regular drinks, increasing the risk of accidental or intentional use by children and teens,” CANU said while urging the public to avoid purchasing or consuming suspicious imported drinks or edible products,paycloseattention to unfamiliar canned beverages with unusual branding, monitor products accessible to children and teenagers and report suspicious products or information to CANU immediately
CANU said the seizure confirms that cannabisinfused consumables are beingtraffickedintoGuyana through cargo systems, posing a growing threat to publichealthandsafety
P e r s o n s w i t h information on cannabisinfused consumables being trafficked are asked to call telephone numbers 592227-3503/592-226-0431or e m a i l e m a i l : guyana ews@canu govgy All reports will be treated withthestrictestconfidence.
State Dining Room at the White House on Mar 19, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo: AFP/Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
N/JERUSALEM, March
19 (Reuters) - U S
President Donald Trump saidonThursdayhehadtold Israelnottorepeatitsattacks on Iranian natural gas infrastructure as tit-for-tat strikes on energy plants sent energy prices spiralling, sharply escalating the U.S.IsraeliwaronIran.
Trump’s comment came as energy prices jumped on Thursday after Iran responded to an Israeli attack on a major gasfieldbyhittingQatar’s RasLaffanIndustrialCity, which processes around a fifthoftheworld’sliquefied natural gas, causing damage thatwilltakeyearstorepair.
Saudi Arabia’s main portontheRedSea,where it has been able to divert some exports to avoid Iran’s closure of the Gulf’s exit point, the StraitofHormuz,wasalso attacked
The strikes underscored Iran’s continued ability to exact a heavy price for the
U.S.-Israeli campaign, and the limits of air defences in protecting the Gulf’s most valuable and strategic energyassets.
Trump, politically vulnerable to rising fuel pricesamonghiscorevoters, has lashed out at allies who haverespondedcautiouslyto his demands that they help secure the Strait of Hormuz, theconduitforaroundafifth oftheworld’soil.
But he said he had told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to repeat the attack on energy infrastructure.
“I told him, ‘Don’t do that’, and he won’t do that,” he told reporters in the Oval Office, where he met Japanese Prime Minister SanaeTakaichi.
AU.S. official and three ‘other people familiar with the planning told Reuters that Trump was considering sending thousands more U.S. troops to the Middle East.Butathismeetingwith Takaichi,Trumpsaidhehad no plans to deploy ground forces.
“I’m not putting troops anywhere,”hesaid.
Netanyahu, in a press conference later on Thursday, said that Israel acted alone in the bombing ofIran’sSouthParsgasfield and confirmed that Trump asked Israel to hold off on such attacks. Iran is being “decimated” and no longer has the capacity to enrich uranium or make ballistic missiles after 20 days of U.S.-Israeliairattacks,buta revolution in the country wouldnotcomefromtheair andwouldrequirea“ground component,” he said, withoutelaborating.
As the Israeli leader spoke, Iran launched a new wave of missiles toward his country,accordingtoIsrael’s military and Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said.
With no end in sight almostthreeweeksintothe war, and the threat of a global“oilshock”growing by the day, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Japan issued a joint statement expressing “our readiness to contribute to appropriate efforts to ensure safe passage through the Strait”.
They also promised “other steps to stabilise energy markets, including working with certain producing nations to increaseoutput”
The statement offered no details and there was little indication of any immediate move, with German Chancellor
Frompage15 companyplanstosubmitan a p p l i c a t i o n f o r environmentalauthorisation to the EPA in the coming weeks.
Currently, four of the seven sanctioned projects are producing oil offshore Guyana Routledge said Exxonhada“strongstart”to 2026 with an impressive dailyproductionrecordedin January of 916,ooo barrels perday(bpd). Theotherprojectsunder developmentarelikelytobe
delivered ahead of schedule with the fifth Floating Production Storage and Offloading vessel (FPSO), Errea Wittu under construction in Singapore almostcomplete.“Allofthe moduleshavebeenliftedon to the topsides and now this wholeoperationtointegrate thepipeworkandthewiring andtoensurethateverything work together is ongoing. We anticipate that later this year the FPSO will sail to Guyana and before the end of the year we expect Uaru
Smoke and fire rise near the South Pars gas field following an attack, amid the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, in Bushehr Province, Iran, March 18, 2026, in this screengrab obtained from a social media video. Social Media/via REUTERS
Friedrich Merz reiterating that any contribution to securing the strait would come only after hostilities ended.
Theresistancebymajor U S allies to becoming involvedinthewarreflects scepticism over a conflict Europeanleadershavesaid has unclear objectives that they did not seek and over which they have little control
In particular, Israel’s bombingofIran’sSouthPars gas field, which Trump said the U.S. had not known about, suggested ‘gaps in coordination of strategy and war aims between the main protagonists.
Adding to the confusion around the attack, three Israeli officials said the operation had taken place in consultationwiththeUnited States,butwasunlikelytobe repeated.
to startup and that will be consistentwiththeprevious projects, all ahead of the original budget schedule and indeed ahead on budget too,” Routledge explained. ThesixthFPSO,Jaguar,also under construction in Singapore is making good progress and is expected to arrive next year for startup ofproductionbeforetheend of the year A seventh project, Hammerhead, approved in September 2025willcomeonstreamby 2029
Earlier, U S Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a briefing that U S objectives in the war, which has so far killed more than 2,000 people, mostly in Iran and Lebanon, were “unchanged,ontargetandon plan”.
But Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told the House intelligence committee that U S and Israeli goals differed: “...the Israeli government has been focused on disabling the Iranianleadership.
The president has stated that his objectives are to
destroy Iran’s ballistic missiles launching capability, their ballistic missile production capability,andtheirnavy.”
T h e T r u m p administration is requesting $200 billion of additional funding for the war, a U.S. official confirmed on Thursday, but faces stiff opposition in the U S Congress that must approve thefunds.
‘ANEWSTAGEINTHE WAR’
Iran’s military said strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure ‘had led to “a new stage in the war” in which it had attacked energy facilities linked to the United States
“If strikes (on Iran’s energy facilities) happen again, further attacks on y o u r e n e r g y infrastructure and that of your allies will not stop until it is completely destroyed,”Iranianmilitary spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaqari said, according to statemedia.
QatarEnergy’s CEO told Reuters the Iranian attacks had knocked out a sixth of Qatar’s LNG export capacity, worth $20 billion a year, and that repairs would take three tofiveyears.
Israeli media reported that an Iranian strike hit oil facilities in Israel’s port of Haifa, causing d a m a g e b u t n o casualties
Since Wednesday, Iranian attacks have also ‘forced the UAE to shut its Habshan gas facility and set off fires at two Kuwaiti oil refineries
Brent crude oil futures were up nearly 3% at $110 35 at 1700 GMT, having surged up to 10% before the joint statement European near-term ga
were up more than 15%, and have leapt by over 60% sincethewarbegan. Japanese and South Korean stocks fell around 3% while the panE u r o p e a n https://www reuters com /markets/quote/ STOXX index was down 2 3%, around its lowest in more than threemonths.OnWall Street, the Dow Jones IndustrialAveragewasdown about1%.
Fears of lasting inflatio
encouraged both ‘the European Central Bank and Bank of England to hold rates steady, and
pricinginhikesbyyear-end. The ECB now sees 2026 inflation at 2.6%, above the 1.9%predictedinDecember
At a summit in B
ussels, European Union leaders sought ways to offset higher
industries and consumers already struggling with the rising cost of living
Vice-Chairman of the South Rupununi
Democratic Council (SRDC), Toshao Nicholas Fredericks,hasissuedastrongcall for village leaders and residents across the Deep South Rupununi, Region Nine, to report all criminal activities through proper legal channels.
Fredericks made the appeal while delivering remarks at the close of the SRDC's Bi-Annual Meeting, held at the Shulinab Benab from March 12–13, 2026, the DPP chambers said in a press release.
He thanked the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)foritsoutreachandstressed the critical role Toshaos play in safeguarding their communities. “This engagement is both respectful and powerful. It equips our people with essential knowledge while promoting a culture of awareness, responsibility, and justice,” Fredericks said. “I commend the DPP'steamforstrengtheninglegal awarenessinourcommunities.”
Toshao Fredericks's comments were in response to DPP's Communications and Outreach Officer Liz Rahman's opening presentation, during which she explained that when a crime is committed, the Toshao has a responsibility to report it to the police, who will launch an investigation, a police file will be compiledandthenforwardedtothe DPP's Office for legal advice through the Guyana Police Force's LawEnforcementOffice.
Rahaman stressed on the Toshao'sresponsibilitytoreportall crimes to the police, "yes it is permissible for Toshoas to deal with the less serious offences like disorderly behaviour and simple larceny which maybe offences under the communities' rule, but you must, by law, report the more serious offences such as murders, sexualoffences,domesticviolence, causing death by dangerous driving, consumption of alcohol and smoking of illicit drugs by underage/school children and larceny etc, and all other criminal
offencestothepolice."
ShepleadedwiththeToshaosto take their responsibility seriously "because for you to not do so, you are doing a disservice to your people who have placed their trust and confidence in you as their Toshao to serve them; you must report all serious crimes to the police,thatistheonlywayyouand your villagers will get the justice youarelookingfor."
During a previous outreach in early February, some residents of Potarinau, Quiko, Shulinab, Meriwau and Parabara had informedtheDPP'sOfficethatthey werenotawareofhowtogoabout dealing with criminal matters, especially those in relation to gender-basedandsexualviolence.
Whenaskediftheywouldmake reportstothepolice,someresidents had informed that "we were not awarethattheToshaoscannotdeal with sexual offences and domestic violence."The DPPchambers said there have been allegations of Village Leaders "try to settle" matters of sexual offences
According to the DPP based on complaints and enquiries from residentsintheRegiononhowthe criminal justice system works, State Counsel Muntaz Ali highlightedthejudicialprocedures with which such cases are dealt within the criminal justice system and highlighted the role of The State at ensuring that justice is servedinthesecriminalmatters.
Touching specifically on SexualOffences,StateCounselAli explained the importance of credible and consistent evidence, due process, and the collective responsibilitytosupportthelegal proceedings in Court He explained the elements of Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence and the severity of penalties attached thereto. "Unlike other crimes in which witnesses maybe present, Sexual Offences are committed in private, so only the victimandperpetratorwouldknow what exactly took place, so the victim has to come to Court and give the evidences" State Counsel stressed.
Police Prosecutor Shyra Bruce who is seconded to the DPP's Office, gave an insightful and practicalpresentationonDomestic Violence (DV), with much emphasisonProtectionOrdersand Restraining Orders and how these can be obtained from the Magistrates' Courts, the DPP release stated. She detailed the proceduresforreportingincidences of DV, the different types of
A section of the audience at the meeting
relationships recognised under the law and how each is addressed withinthelegalframeworkoflegal andcommon-lawmarriages.
Toshao Fredericks noted that the DPP's Team in their presentations enabled participants to better understand the gravity of various criminal acts, the legal consequencesattachedtothemand the appropriate procedures for reporting such matters "Your
engagement has created a deeper awareness of the rights of individuals and the protections availableunderthelaw."
The SRDC Meeting was well attended by Toshaos and Senior Councilors from Sandcreek, Shulinab, Sawariwau, Katoonarib, Shea, Maruranau, Awarewanau, Aishalton, Karaudar, Achawib, Parabara, Bashizun, Meriwau, Quiko,KatuurandBaitoon.
MACORP's Training Manager Miguel Oviedo presents a certificate to one of TRISTAR Port Inc's Operators
MA C O R P o n Thursdayannounced its new partnership with Kalmar having been certified as the authorised dealer for the materialhandlingequipmentbrand inGuyana.
Through this partnership, MACORP will supply Kalmar equipment locally, backed by full support services including parts, maintenance,andoperatortraining.
“The goal is to ensure customers not only get the right machines,butalsothesupportthey need to keep them running efficiently
Kalmar is a strong and trusted name in the cargo handling sector, andwe'rehappytobringthattoour customers here in Guyana as we
continue to grow our offering,” MACORPsaid.
MACORP said the new partnership comes as it prepares to transitionintoitsnewmultimilliondollar facility at Covent Garden, East Bank Demerara (EBD) expanding its ability to serve customersacrossthecountry
“Thecompanyhasalreadyseen early momentum, with its first Kalmar reach stacker and forklift recently delivered to a customer The handover included certificates for the operators who were trained as part of the services provided by MACORPtoensuretheequipment isusedsafelyandeffectively.”
PresidentandGeneralManager German Consuegra stated, “We remain committed to supporting
Guyana's development by ensuring our customers have reliable access to the equipment and technical support they require. This initiative further demonstrates our capabilities and the breadth of our roleasatrustedpartner.” MACORP is the authorised Caterpillar dealer in Guyana, providing heavy equipment, energy, marine, and agricultural solutionsinsupportofthecountry's key industries for over 30 years. Throughout this period, the company has also partnered with leading international brands including SEM, a Caterpillar Brand,CaseIH,Towmotor,Carmix and most recently Kalmar, to meet the evolving demands of the Guyanesemarket.
The South Rupununi District Council (SRDC) has called for formal inclusion in all future mining-related agreements affectingtheSouthRupununi.
The position was outlined duringameetingheldonMarch15, 2026,hostedbytheSRDCandwas attended by key stakeholders including the Rupununi Miners Association (RMA), the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Forestry Commission, and the Regional DemocraticCouncil.
According to the SRDC, the engagement served as a platform for open dialogue, transparency, andsharedresponsibilityonissues
operationsintheregion.
It was further emphasised that the current operational framework and earlier agreements concerning mining activities were originally establishedbetweenstateagencies, companies,andotherstakeholders, prior to the involvement of the SRDC. The Council said it is a c t i v e l y c o n t r i b u t i n g recommendations to ensure that future agreements incorporate the voices and concerns of the communities.
SRDC stated that it must be included in any dialogue prior to any future agreements and will be part of any such agreements going forward.
affecting mining activities in the Marudi area and surrounding communities, as well as broader concerns such as infrastructure, environmental monitoring, and communitywelfare.Akeyoutcome ofthediscussionswastheCouncil's insistence that it be formally involvedinanyfuturenegotiations or agreements concerning mining
Moreover, environmental
prominently during the meeting, particularly in relation to tailings pond management and ongoing
Following site visits, SRDC noted improvements in environmental management systems but stressed theneedforcontinuedvigilance.To
strengthenoversight,itwasagreed that monitoring sites would be jointlyidentifiedbytheSRDCand the GGMC, with the Council also beinggrantedunrestrictedaccess.
In reinforcing its position on landuse,theCouncilhasalsomade it clear, “that only one designated areahasbeenapprovedformining, and there must be no expansion of
A mining operation in Marudi Mountain, Region Nine
miningorloggingactivitiesbeyond theestablishedconcession.”SRDC statement follows call by Opposition parties, A Partnership forNationalUnity(APNU)andWe Invest in Nationhood (WIN) requesting that the government of Guyana to disclose its intentions regarding the Marudi Mountain mining area in Region Nine particularly the expanding mining operationstherebyleasinglandsto aforeignentity
Moreover, on environmental monitoring, the Council further emphasised accountability and access, stating that “the SRDC musthaveunhinderedaccesstoall monitoringsites.”
SRDC said the meeting was viewed as productive and constructive, marking a meaningful step forward in
strengtheningcooperationbetween communities, miners, and regulatoryauthorities.“Atthesame time,allpartiesacknowledgedthat th
discussions are already planned to continuerefiningthemonitoringof activitiesinMarudi,”itwasstated
Further, the Council reiterated its resolute commitment to protecting the lands, environment, andrightsofthepeopleoftheSouth Rupununi “Development must proceed with responsibility, respect, and accountability As custodians of our lands and stewardsforfuturegenerations,we believe that true progress is only possible when economic activity, environmental protection, and community well-being move forwardtogether,”itwasstated.
R o z e l D i L e o n Investment Limited, the company which owns the parcelsoflandatFriendship, East Bank Demerara, where over 50 families were evicted from following a courtorder,clarifiedthatthe occupants were given more than 18 months notice to move and not “only seven days.”
Addressing public claims made regarding the enforcementofaHighCourt Order at Parcels 3413 and 3414, Friendship on March 17, 2026, the company in a statement on Wednesday saiditisthesoleandrightful owner of the property, holding title by virtue of CertificatesofTitle.
The company explained that it “lawfully purchased the Property from Elaine Adam's,whoowneditunder Certificate of Title No 09/966 dated March 23,
2009.Atthetimeofthesale, the Company was given vacant possession, and all persons occupying the land were given notice prior to and following the transaction.”
R o z e l D i L e o n Investment Limited stated thatdespitethis,in2023,the New Friendship Farmers Cooperative Land Society, on behalf of the occupants, filed legal proceedings against the company, Elaine Adam's, and the company's Principal,LeonRutherford. In that High Court Action,theSocietysoughtto have the Company's titles declared void based on allegations of fraud, the statement noted. However, on September 25, 2024, the CompanysharedthatJustice Peter Hugh dismissed the Society's application in its entirety, noting that the Court found no merit in the
allegations of fraud and granted the Company's application for an Order for VacantPossession.
“At that hearing, representatives of the Society and their Attorney were present in court when the Judge made the Order The Society subsequently gave an undertaking to vacate the Property by January 31, 2025.Acopy of the Order was formally served on the Society It is thereforeundeniablethatthe membersoftheSocietyhave been aware of the legal requirement to vacate since September 2024,” the Companydisclosed.
After the Society failed to honour its undertaking, theCompanysaiditwasleft with no choice but to seek enforcement of the Court's ruling.
OnAugust 29, 2025, the High Court issued a further
Order commanding the Marshals of the Supreme Court to enter upon the property,removeallpersons in occupation, and deliver vacant possession to Rozel Di Leon Investment Limited.“Theactioncarried outbytheMarshalonMarch 17, 2026, was a lawful execution of that binding Court Order,” the Company defended.
Given the facts, the Company in its statement deniedtheclaimsnowbeing circulated by the occupants asblatantlyuntrue.
“Specifically, we refute the assertions that: The occupants were given only sevendays'noticetovacate. The legal process has spanned over 18 months, with the Order to vacate being granted in September 2024,”theCompanysaid.
Further, the Company statedthattheclaimsthatits
P
Rutherford was retained by the occupants to conduct a survey of the property, is entirelyfalse.
“The Company has engaged in “bullyism.” The enforcement of a Supreme Court Order is the lawful execution of a judicial
characterised as bullying when due process has been followed, and the occupants were given substantial
months to comply,” the Companyargued.
- Scheduled for March 21-April 4; the event is aimed at
In response to the noticeabledeclineof rugby participation across the country in recent years, the Guyana Rugby Union(GRU)hasunveileda new initiative aimed at reigniting interest in the sport by introducing the EasterRugbyCamp.
Thecampisscheduledto take place at the National Park’s rugby field on March
21and28,andApril4.Each session will run from 10:30 hrs to 13:30 hrs, offering a structured and engaging environment for each participant.
Open to all, the event
invites any young individual, both male and female, interested in getting involvedinrugby Thecamp is designed to be inclusive
Participants will benefit from hands-on coaching focused on teaching the fundamentals of the game, improving technical skills, and building physical strengthandawareness.
A team of experienced coaches will be present throughout the sessions, working closely with attendees to ensure active participation and skill
development
The initiative also aims to foster a renewed sense of enthusiasm for rugby and encourage more able-body prospects to join the local rugbycommunity
To add to the overall experience, snacks and b
Additionally, secured parking will be available via the Thomas Lands entrance, ensuring a safe
Youcanexpecttorunalotof errands today, Aries, even though you would probably prefer to stay at home. You have obligations to fulfill for friends and family, and you can'tbeartoletthemdown.
You have energy to burn, Taurus, and you intendto use it. Ask friends to join you in the park. Or set up a roundrobin tennis match for the afternoon. Enjoy your day outdoors, but take care not to pushtoohard.
Todayyoucouldreceiveword of a promotion or exciting new challenge at work
Although this is something you'vewantedforalongtime, you may hesitate to accept immediately
Money and friendship rarely mix, Cancer Keep this in mindtodayifafriendhitsyou up for a loan.You'd be better off helping her strategize ways to earn more money
Much as you like to help the underdog.
This is unlike you, Leo, but today you're a lean, mean cleaning machine. You get it in your head that this is the day for putting your house in order, and you set about single-handedlydoingit.
You can't help but feel a bit frustrated today, Virgo.There are places to go, people to see, andyoucan'tseemtogetoutof thehouse Your responsibilities areathomenow,
andconvenientenvironment for both participants and parents/guardians.
The Guyana Rugby Union is optimistic that this initiative will serve as a stepping stone toward rebuilding the sport and
players F
information, interested persons can contact the G
guyanarugbyunion@outlo ok com or reach out to the following representatives; Ryan Gonsalves: 624-2020, Alwin Etwah: 642-0056, Carrin Carter: 662-4225 or AnisaCarter:672-7280.
The Easter Rugby Camp marks a proactive effort by the GRU to r
b y ’ s prominence and create fresh opportunities for youth engagement in Guyana
Ifyouoverindulgedlastnight, you're likely paying the price today If your head is screaming and your blood feels like molasses, you know thattoomuchofagoodthing.
Withoutadoubt,there'salotof work to be done around the house. With today's planetary configuration, you feel especially vested in making yourhomelookitsbest.
You probably aren't feeling your best today, Sagittarius. Nodoubtyourillnessisaresult of recent overindulgence.You can't blame anyone but yourself for your crashing headacheandqueasystomach.
There is such a thing as being too honest, Capricorn. You've experienced in the past how your determination to tell the wholetruthandnothingbutthe truth can cause hurt feelings. Today try to exercise a bit of tactanddiplomacy
Youwantnothingmorethanto be alone today For that to happen,Aquarius,youneedto turn off your phone, shut off the computer, and hang a "Do NotDisturb"signonthedoor Eventhen,
Don't be surprised if a lot of uninvited visitors show up today, Pisces. You could host an impromptu social event as neighbors stop by to bring news of changes in the area. Youhaveenergytospareright now,
(Reuters)-LionelMessi scored his 900th career goal onWednesdaytobecomethe second player to reach the mark in elite men’s football afterCristianoRonaldo.
The 38-year-old Argentine World Cup winner brought the milestone with a left-footed strike in Inter Miami’s 1-1 draw with Nashville SC in t h e C O N C A C A F ChampionsCup.
The 900th goal came 21 years after Messi scored his first in senior football for Barcelona as a 17-year-old in2005.
Inter manager Javier Mascherano said Messi’s tally‘was“insane”.
“I’vebeenluckyenough to see most, or many, of the goals he’s scored, much closer than you all, and that’s a privilege,” he added
“The number we’re talking about is insane, and that’s why Leo is a one of a kind ”
Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or eight times, reached the landmark in his 1,142nd appearance for club and country, nearly 100 games fewer than Ronaldo, who took 1,236 games to reach the milestoneinSeptember Portuguese ‘forward Ronaldo has now reached 965 goals and has targeted the 1,000-mark before he quitsthegame.
The majority of Messi’s goals came during his spell at Barcelona, where he scored 672 times. He added 32 at Paris St-Germain and 81 ‘for Inter Miami and scored 115 for Argentina, with whom he won the WorldCupin2022.
Messi’s teammates have
been able to depend on him atcrucialtimes‘with175of his goals coming in knockout matches, including35infinals. His 129 goals in
Europe’s Champions League is second only to
Ronaldo’s‘140 Messi’s milestone g o a l c a m e o n a bittersweet night for Miami, who exited the competition on away goals after the first leg of theirtieended0-0.
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - Every team in a FIFA women’s competitionwillberequired to have at least one female head or assistant coach, part ofsweepingnewregulations from soccer’s governing body aimed at boosting the number of women coaching atthehighestlevels.
The regulations, approved by the FIFA Council on Thursday, come into effect with this year’s U-17 and U-20 Women’s World Cups and the Women’s Champions Cup, and ‘significantly will include the Women’s World Cup next year in Brazil
The new regulations stipulate each team must
havetwofemalestaffonthe bench and will cover all FIFAwomen’stournaments, fromyouthtoseniorlevel.
“There are simply not enoughwomenincoaching today,” said FIFA’s Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis “We must do more to accelerate change by creating clearer pathways, expanding opportunities, and increasing the visibilityforwomenonour sidelines
“The new F IFA regulations, combined with targeted development programmes, mark an important investment in both the current and future generation of female coaches.”
Only 12 of the 32 head
‘at the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia were women, a proportion FIFA says does not reflect the rapid growth of the women’sgameglobally
England’s Sarina Wiegman was the only female coach remaining after the round of 16, and went on to guide the Lionesses to a runner-up finish.
F I FA’s M e m b e r Associations Survey in 2023 reported ‘that an average 5% of coaches in each of their member associations among both male and female teams werefemale Their 2024 “Setting the Pace” Benchmarking Report that surveyed 86
women’s leagues across the globe found that 22% of `head coaches were female FIFA said the new rules are part of a longterm strategy to ensure that representation of women in technical and leadership roles keeps pace with the rapid growth of the ‘women’s game
T h e g l o b a l o r g a n i s a t i o n h a s increased support for women’s coaching in recent years, including, among other initiatives, providing scholarships for females in the Women’s Super League 1 and 2 to obtain their UEFAProorAlicense
FIFA’s Chief Football Officer Jill Ellis speaks during the panel. (REUTERS/Jeenah Moon/File Photo)
Alvin Kallicharran (centre) presents on of his books to Deputy Commissioner ‘Administration’ Ravindradat Budhram his Office at Eve Leary, while Chairman of Cricket West Indies Masters Association, Mr. Raj Singh looks on.
Legendary West Indies and Guyana cricketer and two-time ICC World Cup winner, Alvin Kallicharran,
paid a courtesy call on Deputy Commissioner of Police ‘Administration’ Ravindradat Budhram on
Tuesday,March11,2026,at his Office at Eve Leary Accompanying the legend wastheChairmanofCricket
West Indies Masters Association,Mr RajSingh.
During the visit, Kallicharran presented Deputy Commissioner Budhram, who serves as Chairman of the Guyana Police Force Cricket Team andisapassionatesupporter of the sport, with an autographed copy of his book titled Colour Blind: Struggle, Sacrifice and Success of the Cricket Legend.
Kallicharran, is widely regarded as one of Guyana’s finest cricketing experts A stylish lefthanded batsman, he represented the West Indies cricket team with distinction during the 1970sand1980sandwasa member of the victorious
His commitment to sport and his willingness to support athletes has never been in question and forthesereasonsballweaversparticipatingin the East Bank Inter-Village Football Tournament are assured that the MVP will walkawaywithglee.
This is because Sports Express owner Jamie McDonald has once again demonstrated his goodwill by ensuring the tournament’sMVPwalkawaywith$100,000 as a token of appreciation for the player’s outstanding performance during the competition.
McDonald, a true sports enthusiast, very often throws his support behind any sports discipline and his recent act of generosity is another clear example of where his heart is forsportsandathletes.
Duringasimpleceremonyattheentity’s location on John and Sherriff Streets, Campbellville, McDonald handed over the chequetoSportsExtra’sFranklinWilson.
Wilson after receiving the cheque spoke of the enduring friendship between McDonald and himself, describing it as respectful and very often beneficial to both parties
”
m
supporter of sports and a very good friend and colleague and he expressed happiness that the tournament is being staged at this time and also encouraged the players and supporters to come out and witness the matches,” Wilson disclosed
The games will be played over the weekendsatvariousvenues.
squads at the 1975 Cricket World Cup and the 1979 Cricket World Cup Over the course of his international career, he played 66 Test matches andscored4,399runswith 12 centuries and around 9 dismissals in the 90s, earningrecognitionforhis elegant stroke play and resilience at the crease against all quality and type of bowling Kalli is always remembered for h
against Dennis Lillee whenhescored31runsoff 10 deliveries creaming him to all parts of the ground
The visit provided an o p p o r t u n i t y f o r discussions on cricket development and the continued promotion of the sport within the Guyana Police Force
D e p u t y Commissioner Budhram expressed appreciation for the gesture and noted
that the Force remains
particularly cricket, as part of its wider efforts to promote discipline, teamwork and healthy
highlighted the enduring
Kallicharran’s legacy on generations of cricketers in Guyana and across the Caribbean
The Georgetown leg of the 11th Annual Cheddi and Janet Jagan Memorial Boys’ and Girls’ Schools
Wi n d b a l l C r i c k e t Championships bowls off today at the National Gymnasium, marking the official start of what is widely regarded as the country’s largest Windball tournament.
A ceremonial opening was held yesterday at the Mandela Avenue facility, s i g n a l l i n g t h e commencement of this year’sedition.
Among those in attendance were Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle, Assistant Directors Mellisa Dow-Richardson and Franklin Wilson, along with tournament coordinator Alistair Munroe and several othersportsofficials.
To date, 75 schools have registered for the challenge, with participation expected from seven of the ten administrative regions
Following today’s
Georgetown opener, the tournament will move to Berbice on Tuesday, March 24,beforecontinuinginPort Mourant on March 28 (Jagan’sDeathanniversary).
Building on last year’s success, organisers have continued with the regional playoff format, with teams advancing to a national knockout stage en route to thechampionshipfinale.
Mun
e tournament’s continued growth, noting the wide geographic reach of participatingteams.
“It is an honour to witness teams coming from areas such as Charity, Skeldon, Bartica and Essequibo,” Munroe said.
“We started on a smaller scale, but as organisers, we alwaysaimedtoraisethebar Following last year’s success, we have expanded thetournament,andwiththe Government’s support, we are now reaching more regionsandschools.”
He added that the expansion represents a significant achievement, providi
Frompage27
drawagainstanotherseasonedyoungplayer, CMSachinPitamber
CM Pitamber, who concluded the weekendwithasolid3points,maintainedan impressive unbeaten streak, finishing the roundswithtwovictoriesandtwodraws. Couchman and Sandiford are on 2.5 points each, while Rolex Alexander and Jaden Taylor are on 2 points each. CM Ronuel Greenidge is on 1 point, while Alexander Zhang and Leslie Campbell are yettogetoffthemark.
In the Women’s Championship, WCM Joshimaintainedherimpressivemomentum, ending the weekend unbeaten with four points. Her superior gameplay left her opponentswithfewanswers,assheskilfully navigated each match to a decisive conclusion.
WCM Sasha Shariff finished the weekend unbeaten with 3.5 points. Her consistent play included a strategic thirdround draw with WCM Jessica Callender, continuingtheimpressiveformshedisplayed during the qualifiers In a resilient
performance,WCMCallenderison3points by playing unbeaten, also through the weekend, tallying two wins and two hardfoughtdraws.
CielClementis on 3 points,followedby AnayaLall,with2points.KataleyaSamand TreskoléArchibald concluded the weekend, each earning 1.5 points. Rounding out the table were Sana Sreebalakumar on 1 point, with Italy Ton-Chung on .5 points, and ParnitaKishunyettogetoffthemark.
Thecompetitioncontinuesthisweekend, and the stakes get higher as players battle each other for the chance to become the champion.
The federation expresses sincere gratitude to our sponsors Jumbo Jet Auto Sales and Diamond Fire and General Insurance. Allboardsforeachcategorywill belive-streamedonlichess.orgbyJohnLee, FIDEArbiter andTechnical Director for the GCF. Results and pairings will be published onChess-results.com.
Visitguyanachess.gytolearnmoreabout the GCF and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Tournament Coordinator, Alistair Munroe welcomes expansion of the Jagan’s Memorial Schools Windball Cricket Championships.
Director of Sports, Steve Ninvalle rolling back some years. Yesterday at the National Gymnasium he was pictured taking-a-crack at a delivery during the symbolic bowl off.
opportunities for boys and girlstocompete.
Meanwhile, Director of Sports Steve Ninvalle c
Government will fulfil its commitment to reward the champions.
“Last year, we indicated thataspecialprizeinthetune
of $400,000 would be awarded to the winning teams, and I am pleased to confirm that this promise will be honoured at the conclusion of this year’s tournament,” Ninvalle stated.
Eachwinningteaminthe boys’ and girls’ categories will receive the $400,000 prizeinkind.
Munroe, a long-standing figure in local Windball
tournament’s development, d
involvement in the first Windball competition in 1992, he has continued his effortstobuildingoneofthe largestWindballtournament todate.
For more than a decade, he has spearheaded the Cheddi and Janet Jagan Memorial tournament, which continues to receive supportfromtheMinistryof Culture, Youth and Sports and the National Sports Commission.
Matthew Nandu and his boys strolled to victory yesterday as the second Guyana Harpy Eagles preparatory match ended, as the champs continued their training and fine-tuning ahead of this year’s Regional 4-day Championships.
After making paltry scores of 129-10 in their 1stinningsandahorrid9210 in the 2nd innings thanks to Junior Sinclair bagging 5-11; the Tevin Imlach led XI were faced with little hope of walking away with anything less thanaloss
Nandu and his men were exceptional with the ball mostly, as their 1st innings 146 was led by Tagenarine Chanderpaul
were the other scorers for Nandu XI, after left-arm spinner Anthony Adams grabbed 4-32 from 15 1 overs.
Requiring 74 for victory, Nandu XI lost just three wickets before reaching their target in 26 overs.
Opener Kadir had another nice innings, scoring 22 with 3 fours while all-rounder Romario Ramdehollscoredabrisk40 off49balls(5x4),whichwas enough to see his team home.
The veteran Adams(115) who finished with 5 wickets in the match alongside fellow spinner Kevin Sinclair (1-27) and seamer Sylus Tyndall (1-8), were the wicket-takers for ImlachXI.©.Ross)
Defending National champions CM Taffin Khan and WCM Aditi Joshi are
cautious about their performance heading into thefinalroundsoftheJumbo Jet/DiamondFireInsurance
N a t i o n a l C h e s s
Championships this weekend at the David Rose SpecialSchool.
In invited comments by the finalists provided to the GCF, tournament leader and FIDE Master Anthony
D r a y t o n s a i d h i s performance relies heavily on self-discipline “My
biggest obstacle is myself maintaining
consistency, discipline, and clarity across every round. OnceIstayalignedmentally and strategically, the results takecareofthemselves.”
Candidate Master Taffin Khanwascircumspectabout theoutcomeaftermeetingall his opponents. When asked who or what stands in his way of securing the 2026 National Champion Title, Khan replied, “What’s stopping me from being champion again is everyone untilthelastgame.”
Strong contender Keron Sandifordcommented,“The only thing standing in my wayismyself.IknowIhave the ability to win the 2026 NationalChampionship.My dedication and my ability to
stay focused are what will determine if I come out on top.”
Woman Candidate Master Aditi Joshi was confident of her success in defending her Women’s Championtitle.Shehadthis to say, “I think I’m somewhat accustomed to playingunderthepressureof external factors and expectation, strong competition,andthedemands ofmyCSECexamsthatawait me I do believe I have the ability to play well against my talented opponents and what it takes to defend my title.Ihopetomakemanyin the chess world and beyond proud with my end results
aftertheseninematches.”
Winner of the Women’s qualifiers and the youngest contender Kataleya Sam, focusedmoreondeveloping her talent in this championship.Sheprovided the following comment. “At just 12 years old, I am the youngest player to qualify for this tournament, which I consider a significant personal achievement WhileIaspiretobecomethe 2026 National Champion, I
recognize that more experienced competitors present a strong challenge. Atthisstage,Iamfocusedon
gaining valuable experience and continuing to develop my skills, knowing that success will come with time.”
So far, four rounds have beenplayedintheJumboJet Auto Sales-sponsored National Open Chess Championships and the
Diamond Fire Insurancesponsored National W o m e n ’ s C h e s s Championships. The nineround Round Robin competitions got underway on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the David Rose Special School with two games per day starting from
9 am In the Open Championship, FM Drayton playedunbeatenthroughthe firstfourroundstoscore3.5 p o i n t s , s e c u r i n g comprehensive victories against Rolex Alexander, Jaden Taylor, and Keron Saniford. In the third round, he settled for a hard-fought
drawagainstNationalJunior ChampionKyleCouchman. T h e d e f e n d i n g champion, CMTaffin Khan, alsoendedtheweekendwith 3.5points.Healsoremained unbeaten, securing three impressive wins and a hardfought
(Continuedonpage26)
Dos Steve Ninvalle delivers promise, announcing $400,000 championship prize during yesterday’s opening ceremony at the National Gymnasium. Several schools attended the ceremony, sharing a moment with the kids were DoS andAssistant Directors Mellissa Dow-Richardson and Franklin Wilson.
