40 years …citesGuyanaas majorcontributor
Multi-billionHeroes’Highway crumblingtwoyears aftercommissioning
Sectionsofthemulti-billion-dollarHeroesHighwayhavebeen cordonedpendingrepairslessthantwoyearsafteritscommissioning.
...saysbudgetignoresthepeople
EPA issues ‘very unhealthy’ air quality warning as Saharan dust blankets coast Guyana, T&T energy talks spark push to reopen refinery
5 6 th HAPPY
Suriname’s Minister of Oil, Gas and Environment, Patrick Loys Brunings, says his government is prepared to establish a technical team with Guyana to examine President Dr Irfaan Ali’s proposal to partner on Guyana’s planned second gas-to-energy(GTE)project which will be located in Berbice,RegionSix.
Speakingonthesidelines of the Guyana Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo 2026, last week
attheGuyanaMarriottHotel in Georgetown, Brunings said,“Firstofall,Ithinkit’s very necessary that we installatechnicalteam…So, wearereadytoinstallateam very soon, within a month. So that this joint technical team can look at all these opportunities.”
He explained that the team would assess potential gasreservesonbothsidesof the border, including volumes and technical specifications, before
monetised.
“So, we are ready to install a team very soon, within a month, so that this jointtechnicalteamcanlook at all these opportunities. Wherecanwefindgas,how canwecombine,eventually, the gas occurrences on both sides of the border, what are the volumes we’re talking about, pressures, things like so a little bit technical,” he said.
The minister added that otherkeyareastheteamwill have to investigate is to, “Look, okay, where do we bringthisgas...howcanboth countries maximise this opportunity, especially from Suriname side, we have to see, can we take can we offtake this gas, and what willweuseitfor?”
He added that the arrangement will be formalised through a M e m o r a n d u m o f Understanding (MOU),
which officials are currently drafting. Brunings stated, “So full commitment from our side, and we make want to make use of this, the opportunities that are laying outthere.”
The Surinamese minister’s comment come daysafterPresidentAliatthe opening of the energy conference made the call to collaboratewithSuriname.
President Ali told the attendees that discussions are underway for a joint initiative that could see gas from both countries being used for a larger-scale projectinBerbice.
Hesaid,“Andonthepath of integration for Berbice gasprojectwewanttodothis withourfriendsinSuriname and we are hoping that our friends in Suriname can makeadecisiontojoinusby bringing their gas with our gassothatwecanmovefrom
a medium size project to a larger scale project for both of our countries and the region.”
The government had signalled its plans for a secondGTEproject,evenas the first project at Wales West Bank Demerara is still to be completed. President Alihadstatedthatbeforethe end of the decade, a second GTEpipelineroutedthrough Berbice would be constructed.
The Guyanese head-ofstate stressed that the proposed partnership with Suriname is time-sensitive, with investors awaiting clarity
“Wearehopingthatvery quickly we can have some decisions, because our investors are waiting on those decisions and those decisionsarecriticalforyour future and our future,” he said.
…TriniMinisterpositions countryaskeyenergypartner
The Government of Guyana has been engaging with the government of Trinidad and Tobago (T&T)
to explore possible partnership for the restart of thetwin-island’soilrefinery whichwasclosedin2018.
T&T’s Energy Minister,
Dr Roodal Moonilal attended Guyana’s Energy Conference and Supply Chain Expo at the Guyana
Marriott Hotel in Georgetown last week. 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,Surinameandothers by the former Trinidadian administrationandexpressed regretthatT&Twithdecades
of experience in the hydrocarbon sector, has not conducted more business
with Guyana, which discovered oil in 2015 and began production four years later
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.
“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 of T&T as partner, noting the country’s existing gas
infrastructure, which he notedcouldhelpGuyanaand Suriname. He said, “This w ill
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. If the operations restart, he said the facility will require petroleum from regional partners. Notably, the oil refinery can process about 150,000 barrels of oil daily
Meanwhile, Minister Bharrat, speaking on the restart of the oil refinery, noted,“Sothatisanareathat we’vealreadybeenengaging onwithTrinidadandTobago. To look at the possibility of havingthatrefineryrestarted, tohaveinvestorsplayapartin that as well too, who are working with us in Guyana that they too can work in Trinidad at the same time And we’ve held several meetings together, yesterday, andwehaveafewmoresetup today”
Guyana’s oil production from the Stabroek Block which is operated by ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL) is currently over 900,000 barrels per day from four developments—LizaPhase One,LizaPhaseTwo,Payara and Yellowtail. The other projects:Uaru,Whiptailand Hammerhead have also received government approval but are not yet producing.Bytheendofthe decade, EMGL is expected to have eight project onstream.
PrintedandPublishedbyNationalMedia& PublishingCompanyLtd. 24SaffonStreet, Charlestown,Georgetown,Guyana.
Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
The Wales Gas-to-Energy (GtE) could do so much for Guyanese. Be easier on the pockets, enhance their confidence, help them to trust leaders. Trust based on decisionsmake,promisesgiven,anddateskept. ForUS$2 billion, probably more, citizens are entitled to some consideration,therespectowedtothosewhofootthatbillin onewayoranother Theyhavehadnoneofthat,otherthan brief, by-the-way, updates that very casually inform the nation of new issues.TheGtEhasbeenatragedy:timelost, millions wasted and sure to be contested sharply LINDSAYCA’s soil stabilisation exercise swallowed 14 unbudgetedmonths,andacostofUS$100M Adelayed,but rare,instanceoftransparency,withsilencebrokenmomentarily forthebadnewstobeshared Butwhataboutaccountabilityfor thatUS$100Mthathastobepaidbysomebody LINDSAYCA willfighttothebitterend,sothatchargeisnotmarkedagainstits name Delaysandmillions,andallthatGuyanesehaveforthis US$2Bsecretenterpriseistheoccasional,can’t-helptrickleof news,andabuseforthoseboldenoughtoaskwhat’shappening What’s actually going on with this project that floats somewhere between patchwork and guesswork? The one winner so far is Exxon which is owed US$1B for its completedpipeline. LikeeverythingittouchesinGuyana, or decides that there is money to make, it gets the PPPC Government to tag along with head nodding in complete agreement, as though it is some ventriloquist’s gadget. Foreigners flocking to the annual Guyana Energy Conferences are updated first, with Guyanese knowing afterwards. The latest is of 68% completion, 228MWof new energywhenlaunchedandnot300MW(aslongtouted),andnow with2027(notlate2026)enteringthisUS$2Bmystery Thefirst duedatewasDecember2024,thenlatein2026,butnow2027is thenewnews Thefinalcostisstillunknown,butweatthispaper takethisposition:itwillbemorethanUS$2B
Guyanese were promised cheap and reliable supply of electricity,twoyearsago,nowextendedtothree Awonderful developmentifitactuallyhappens Whenwillthatdaybe,after thedelaysthathaveplaguedthisprojectwrappedinsecrecyand zeroaccountabilitytoGuyanese?
EveryconcernedGuyanesetaxpayerneedstostop,look,and listen TheyhavebeenpromisedthestarswiththeWalesGtE project Theyarestillwaitingforatouchofstardusttolightup theirliveswithsomeconsistency Whatstartedoutasthefevered brainchild of a man, who has since dropped out of sight, now lurches along to some uncertain conclusion Winston Brassington,giventheheavyjobofProjectConsultant,givesafair accountofhimself Butthereisnotmuchmorethathecando, other than being the messenger with more bad news, another delay Thelastpieceofnewsthathesharedwasasdisappointing as those that came before The Wales GtE is not expected to deliver its full load of 300MWuntil 2027, with outsider being amongthefirsttoknow Whenin2027,ifinthatyear,isanother puzzle. For US$2BM, Guyanese are due more frankness from their leaders. President Irfaan Ali, who can be so energeticwhentheoccasionisfavourable,hasbeenmostly withdrawn amid the hang-ups surrounding this US$2B project. Though still youthful, he now limps along like a dodderer twice his age, when Guyanese want to know the fullest details behind this project, and its steady holdups. Webelievethatthereismuchmorethanthegovernmentand itspeoplearetellingcitizens.
Wewouldsupportthisproject,onceitprovestruetoits promises,withconditionsattachedtooursupport. Citizens must be informed, progress reports shared, and negatives disclosed. When the opposite dominates, then differences are bound to occur, with separation following. TheWales GtE project had to be transparent from the inception, with thepublic,thepromisedbeneficiaries,informedofitsbases, issues. Noneofthishappened,withGuyaneseinsulted. To report one delay, then others, then a partial delivery of the 300MW of energy raises questions about how much the PPPCGovernmentknowsaboutwhatithastakenon.
, T
ative Republic of Guyana is celeb
g the 56th anniversary since she declared herself as a sovereignnationonthe23rd February, 1970. From the captive days of slavery-ship to the deceived days of indentureship, this country,
colonialism to imperialism, has metamorphosed from independence to republican status.
With a colorful history, thislandofmanywatershas traversed a passageway for
experience: dictatorship and democracy, socialism and capitalism, richness and p
a
extravagance and moral decline, law and order and l a w l e s s n e s s a n d disorderliness, justice and injustice, transparency and corruption, free and fair election and election rigging, development and destruction.
The British Monarchy
wasreplacedbyaGuyanese President who became the head of state in 1970. As a free country, this meant that Guyana enjoyed the autonomy of making her own decisions to run the country without answering toanyforeignpower
T h i s m o v e , unfortunately, generated the early downfall of a young nationthatwasabouttosink into a dictatorial abyss for the next 28 years. Under the tyranny of a PNC Government led first by Forbes Burnham to be followed by Desmond Hoyt until 1992, Guyana saw the gains left by Dr Cheddi JaganfromthePPPin1964, watered down wastefully to abankruptnation.
Thisfinalstepwastaken after gaining independence from England on the 26th May, 1966 with Forbes Burnham from the PNC Party becoming the first Prime Minister The GuyaneseSirDavidRosein 1966replacedtheBritishSir Richard Luyt as the Governor General and was
the representative of Queen Elizabeth11.
The dark forces of England coupled with the devious work of the USA, attributed to Cheddi Jagan beingthrownoutofpowerto be banned for 28 years. Burnham was on the parole oftheCIAtoensurethatthe Communist PPPwas denied rulership of British Guiana. ButitwasthehelpoftheUS Governmentwhohelpedthe PPPtoregainpower,bothin 1992and2020.
Afteratragicaccidentin 1969, Sir David Rose was killed and was replaced by GuyaneseSirEdwardVictor Luckoowhoservedasacting Governor General until Arthur Chung, a Chinese from Windsor-Forest in Region 3 became Guyana’s firstPresident.Region3was againblessedwithDr Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s 10th President.
Known before as British Guiana, a British colony in the West Indies, Dr Cheddi JaganwasthefirstGuyanese to challenge the British for rulership of this country At
theonsetofthefirstelection, he was elected as the first Chief Minister in 1953 but with restricted powers. He was elected as the first Premierandservedfrom5th September 1961 to 12th December 1964 as leader of the PPP Dr Jagan did not return to power again until 1992whenhewasappointed as Guyana’s first democratically elected President. No wonder he is referred to as the “Father of theNation.”
After being disgraced as the second poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere ahead of Haiti with the blessings of the PNC, it was thanks to the PPP government,moresoformer PresidentDr BharatJagdeo, whorescuedthisnationuntil 2015 from the jaws of economic death to a prosperous nation once again, without any oil revenue.
This country has a bloody path of betrayal whichmanifestedduringthe courseofpre-independence
(Continuedonpage06)
,
An article headlined ‘If US Secretary Rubio attends CARICOM Summit – let It mark a reset not a reckoning’waspublishedon February 19,2026 on the Caribbean News Global (CNG)website.Itsauthoris Ambassador Ronald Sanders.
In his article, the author soughttosetthetoneforthe much-anticipated meeting between Caricom Heads of State and Government (COHOG) and the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in St. Kitts and Nevis thisweek.
The meeting will take placeagainstthebackdropof a mix of uncertainty and tenacity as regards US foreign policy towards the collective and individual endeavours of Caricom memberstates.Indeed,these areconvulsive‘timesthattry men’ssouls.’
Ambassador Sanders’ article is replete with referencestopartnership,its role and place in respect to Caricom/US relations Essentially,acasewasmade in favour of partnership that should be neither over nor underestimated.
According to Sanders; ‘The Caribbean does not
seek confrontation with the United States. Nor does it seek dependency What it seeks — and has always sought is partnership rootedinmutualrespectand mutualbenefit.Agreed.
Sanders went on to say; ‘The United States and the Caribbean have cooperated forgenerations—intrade,in security, in disaster response, and in shared democratic values That record is solid. The meeting in St Kitts offers the chance to strengthen their cooperationforanewera.’It is as if every new US presidentbringsanewera.
A question is; is there anything new here? More than thirty-two years ago President Clinton convened the first Summit of the Americas(SOA)whenmuch talk about partnership filled the air within the walls and hallsoftheBiltmoreHotelin Miami.
It was all said before. Talk about partnership between the US and CARICOMhasbeenaround for decades or more to the extent that there has been monologues on the subject. What has been in short supply is the twin challenge of recognising differences and reconciliation Small
wonder why, in a larger context,thetenthSOAtobe held last December in the Dominican Republic was scuppered.
That being said, it is importanttostressthatwhat is needed at this time is a reinvigorated Caricom/US partnership, based on openmindednesses and acceptance of each other’s differences as well as a willingness to learn, not teach It is hoped that adaptation based on belief, f a i r n e s s , m u t u a l understanding and obligationswouldpositively inform the outcome of the exchangeofviews.
An even greater challenge for participants at theStKittsCOHOGwillbe to judiciously navigate their assessments of US foreign policyatthistime,andnotto be bashful to call for tolerance and understanding in key and critical areas of cooperation vital for each memberstate.
Guyana should not shy away from seeking reaffirmation of its vital territorial and security interests.
In the circumstances, attention should be paid to Mr Rubio’s remarks at the Security Conference in
Munich, Germany, on February 14, 2026 Of interest was the reassurance offered to European leaders that “the U S remains committed to partnership” and that “We belong together.” And while Rubio admitted that ‘ we Americans may sometimes comeoffasalittledirectand urgent in our counsel,” he warned that “President Trump demands seriousness and reciprocity from our friends …reason being “we caredeeply.”
Were Rubio’s remarks applied to a Caribbean context,Caricomleadersare forewarnedthatthey‘should be pragmatic, forwardlooking, and prepared for empathetic and candid engagement; that ‘The m o m e n t c a l l s f o r statesmanship.’ Yes, to statesmanship, upholding principles and application of balance in pursuit of a viable and reinvigorated Caricom/US partnership but not at the expense of the lofty objectives enshrined in the Revised Treaty of Chaguramas.
Yoursfaithfully, ClementJ.Rohee FormerMinisterof ForeignAffairs
EAREDITOR,
“InarecentGOINVEST
release, CEO Peter Ramsaroop disclosed that global agroprocessing giant DelMontehassubmittedan expression of interest in Guyana—an exciting and potentially gamechanging
development for our emerging agroindustrial sector As we weigh this opportunity, there are several substantive points that should guide our nationalapproach.”
Guyana stands at a rare momentinitshistory Weare being courted not just as a p r o d u c e r o f r a w commodities, but as a potential agroindustrial hub for CARICOM and beyond.
The vision is compelling:
modern storage and processing plants, farmtomarket roads, upgraded ports, reliable markets for farmers, and branded Guyanese products on supermarket shelves across the hemisphere. In that context, the interest of majorglobalplayerslikeDel Monte will understandably looklikeaglitteringprize.
Yetpreciselybecausethe upside is real, we cannot afford to be naïve about the risks The story of Del Monte and similar agribusiness giants in Latin America and elsewhere is not just one of capital and markets; it is also one of labour disputes, land
conflicts, onesided contracts, and communities leftexposedwhencorporate strategies or balance sheets change. If we only stare at the gold ceiling, we may miss the fault lines running underneath.
The first point policymakers must hold in view is that global agribusiness is structurally designed to concentrate valueatthetopofthechain. A company like Del Monte brings scale, logistics, and marketingmuscle,butitalso
bringsbargainingpowerthat can overwhelm small states and fragmented producer groups Without strong regulatory frameworks and shrewd negotiating, the result can be a model where farmers and workers absorb
the risk, while the multinational extracts the rent. For a country trying to liftruralincomesandwiden ownership, that would be a tragicmisstep.
Land is the second fault line. Experiences in other regions show how quickly largescale plantations and longterm leases can slide into“landgrabs”iftitlesare unclear, Indigenous and hinterland communities are not properly consulted, or agreementsarenegotiatedin the shadows Guyana’s hinterland remains one of our most sensitive and contested spaces, not just in environmental terms but in culturalandsocialones.Any deal that hands over vast tracts of land for decades, without transparent scrutiny andfree,priorandinformed consent, risks planting the seeds of future conflict and resentment.
Labour is a third area where the shine can fade.
Allegations in other countrieshaveincludedpoor working conditions, hostility to unions, and the use of precarious contracts that reduce workers to “permanent temporary” status. If Guyana is serious about making women and youth central to agricultural transformation, as the Government has repeatedly promised, then we cannot build that future on a labour model that keeps workers disposable and voiceless. A cheaplabour strategy may boost export volumes, but it will not deliver dignified livelihoods or social stability
More recently, the financial fragility of some Del Monte operations has
exposed another risk: dependency
When a multinational restructures, files for bankruptcyinonearmofits business, or shifts its sourcingstrategy,thepainis often felt far from the boardroom by farmers whoplantedtospecification, borrowed against longterm contracts,andsuddenlyfind themselves with no buyer andnoleverage.Forasmall economylikeGuyana,tying toomuchofouragricultural future to a single corporate offtakerwouldbereckless.
None of this is an argument for slamming the door on Del Monte or any othermajorinvestor Onthe contrary,ifGuyanawantsto move from raw exports to trueagroindustrialscale,we willalmostcertainlyneedto work with some of the very firmswhosehistoriesgiveus pause. The point is not to reject them, but to outgrow the old “banana republic” script by setting our own terms—andenforcingthem. What might that look likeinpractice?
It would mean, first, insisting that land agreements are transparent, timebound, and subject to parliamentary and public scrutiny, especially where Indigenous or communal lands are concerned It would mean making free, priorandinformedconsenta nonnegotiable principle, not a tickbox exercise. It would mean embedding strong labour protections living wages, safe conditions, and
f r e e d o m o f association directly into investment agreements, backed by independent monitoring and real sanctionsforbreaches.
It would also mean treating contract farming as a development tool, not a trap. Farmers should not be reduced to pricetakers with all the risk and none of the security Clear pricing
formulas, takeorpay obligations, reasonable notice periods, and performance guarantees can help ensure that when corporate strategies shift, local producers are not left stranded with debts and rotting crops. In a similar vein,Guyanashouldtie fiscal incentives to measurable commitments on local valueaddition, technology transfer, and capacitybuilding, so that more of the value chain remainsinnationalhands.
Finally, the Government must approach any negotiation with Del Monte and any other agroindustrial giant with the confidence that this is Guyana’sproject,nottheirs.
Thenationalobjectiveis to build a diversified, climatesmart,inclusivefood system that serves our people first, and then the region and the world Multinationalscanbeuseful partners in that journey if they are carefully regulated, minority anchors in locally groundedventures,andheld tostandardsthatreflectour
(Continuedonpage06)
DEAREDITOR, Reference is drawn to editorial (Jan 23) and letter (Feb 13) questioning Guyana’sclose,relationship with Washington and expending over US$1M annually on an American lobbyist firm to lobby the USA government for favorable policies towards Guyana.Idisagreewithboth arguments.
It has been my consist position since 1977 when I first arrived in USA to pursue tertiary education that Guyana should have very warm, friendly relations with Washington. Since 1965, Guyanese have been flocking to USA, perhaps totaling over a million They have been sending tens of millions in American dollars plus millions more in materials annually to Guyana and since the 1970s, accounting for some 20% of our annual b u d g e t a n d G D P
Washington was also generous in giving assistance to and supporting loans for Guyana Close relationship with USA benefited Guyana’s economy, our people, and the diaspora. When Guyana s
y
om Washington,asitdidduring
the period from 1976 thru 1992, the country suffered. The economy collapsed Washington also served as a bulwark against Venezuela aggression Guyana was protected from a close linkagewithUSA.
Lobbying Washington has also served Guyana’s interests Governance in USA is that of lobbying a writer like me know from our studies in political science Various interest groups seek to lobby Washington and various state capitals and cities Politicians pay heed to lobbyists. And lobbyists are paidbigbucksbyclientslike Guyana, India, etc. Myself andagroupofactivistssince 1977 endlessly sought to convince other USA based activists affiliated with politicalpartiesinGuyanato lobby American politicians to win them over in support of our struggle for restoration of democracy and holding free and fair elections in Guyana. The position of communists was theywouldratherliveunder an authoritarian communist dictatorshipthanlobbywhat they described as “the imperialists of Washington toinstitutionalise
(Continuedonpage09)
DEARE
, Please permit me to shareabitofinformationon the festival of Maha Shivratri(greatnightofLord Shiva)whichwascelebrated onSunday,February15thby Hindus across the globe. In Guyana, President Dr Mohamed Irfan Ali joined Hindus in the celebration at the Cove and John Ashram, anorganisationwhichunder the name British Guiana Sevashram Sangha, and the secondary school Hindu Collegewerefoundedinthe mid-1950s by Swami Purnanandaji,aHindumonk fromIndia.
Swami Purnanandaji was a disciple of Acharya S r i m a t S w a m i Pranavanandaji Maharaj, founder of the Bharat Sevashram Sangha, “a spiritual brotherhood of Hindu monks and volunteer workers founded in 1917”,
committedtoprovidingfood and social and medical services to the needy; and promotingeducationandthe Hinduculture.
Intheearly1950sSwami Purnanandaji came to the Caribbean to help in promoting education and Hinduism.
He founded ashrams in Trinidad and Guyana, then British Guiana, and remained in Guyana for several yea
e departing to es-tablish a branch of the Sangha in the UK.
Prior to the arrival of Swami Purnanandaji, Maha Shivratri was not celebrated or, at least not widely, in Guyana.
SwamiPurnanandajiand the Cove and John Ashram gave prominence to this festival which now ranks in importance and popularity alongsideRamnavami(birth
of Lord Rama) and
Janmashtami (birth of Lord Krishna) This is not surprising as Lord Shiva is the key deity that is venerated at the Ashram in the daily Aarti ceremony (waving of lamp fuelled by ghee or camphor before the deity).
I recall in 1962 when I was a student at the Hindu College and lived in the dormitory of the Ashram, Lord Shiva was the only deity whose picture was on thealtarnexttothepictureof A c h a r y a S r i m a t Pranavanandaji Maharaj in theAshram’smandir(Hindu temple).
OvertheyearstheHindu College has made great contribution to primary and secondaryeducationandthe Ashram has played a major roleinpromotingHin-duism inthecountry
ItisfittingthatPresident
Ali chose to celebrate Maha Shivratri at the Cove and JohnAshram.
The significance of Maha Shivratri is reflected in this statement from an internet post: “According to various Hindu Scriptures, Maha Shivratri is the night whenLordShivaperformed the Tandava Nritya, the primordial creation, preservation, and destruction dance. It is also believedtobethenightwhen ShivaandParvatimarried”.
In my view, of the three major world religions, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism,Hinduismhasthe greatest degree of compatibility with science. In fact, world-renowned scientists such as Albert Einstein, famous for developing the theory of relativity, and Robert Oppenheimer, “father of the atomic bomb” had a keen
interestinHinduism.
Atlonglast,Hinduism and ancient India’s c o n t r i b u t i o n t o astronomy, mathematics, medicine, science and technology are now g r a d u a l l y b
n g recognised worldwide William Dalrymple’s latest book “The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World” and his YouTube lectures are recent additions to the increasing body of knowledgeinthisregard
In the remainder of this piece, I wish to focus on interpretation of the Tandava, Shiva’s cosmic dance The late renowned Americanastronomerand planetary scientist Carl Sagan stated “The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself
undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths It is the only religion in which the time scales (cycles of creation and destruction span billions of years)correspondtothoseof modern scientific cosmology”.
More specifically, Fritjof Capra, anAustrian physi-cist and writer, is famous for his book The Tao of Physics (1975), in which he explores the parallels between modern physics and Eastern philosophies, noting “In Hinduism, Shiva the Cosmic Dancer, is perhaps the most perfect personification of the dynamic universe” He has written “Hundreds of years ago, Indian artists created
(Continuedonpage22)
Frompage05 constitutional values and development goals.
Theworstoutcomewouldbetorushinto a deal dazzled by the promise of quick acreageandexporttonnage,onlytowakeup in a decade with exhausted soils, disenfranchisedcommunities,andaheavily foreigncontrolledsector
Thebestoutcomeisstillwithinreach:to useglobalcapitalandexpertisetoaccelerate Guyana’s own vision, while safeguarding land,labour,andlongtermsovereigntyover
ouragroindustrialfuture.
As the government enters any room with Del Monte or its peers, it should walkinwitheyeswideopen
Thegoldceilingisreal butsoarethe cracksbeneathit
The task now is to ensure that, in building this new agroindustrial house, Guyanachoosesfoundationsthatwillnot crumble the moment the global winds change
Regards, HemduttKumar
Frompage04 and post republicanism. In 1953,ChedditookForbesto India and met with Prime Minister Nehru to gain support for the struggle of independence for then British Guiana. Nehru told Cheddi, “You have a snake amongyou.”
It was Jessie Burnham, Forbes’ elder sister who warned,“Bewaremybrother Forbes.” His Motto was, “the personal ends of power justify ANY means used to achieve them ” Burnham split from Jagan and gave birth to the PNC party in 1957. Fingers pointed to BurnhamandthePNCasthe intellectual architect for WPA founder/leader, Dr Wa l t e r R o d n e y ’ s assassination on 13th June 1980. A woman vendor at Bourda market once moaned and mourned, “Burnham mek Satan cry!” Father Bernard Darke, a British photographer, was
brutally murdered on 14th July 1979 by members of theHouseofIsraelwhichwas ledbyRabbi Washington, an organisation closely aligned to Burnham, being the dangerous and destructive arm of the PNC to carry out theirdirtywork.
Of course, Burnham chose this date as a primary reminder of the Berbice Slave Rebellion which commenced on 23rd February 1763 at Magdalenenberg Miss Guyana 1967, Shakira Baksh-Caine, a resident from Region 3 and 2ndrunnerupatthe1967Miss World Contest, was born on 23rdFebruary1947
After working hard to put the “People’s”First” party back in power for a 2nd term, all Guyanese deserve to celebrate M a s h r a m a n i Congratulations Guyana on this 56 Republic anniversary
On 24th October 1979, then Education Minister VincentTeekah was killed The sudden death of one time Information Minister, Shirley Field-Ridley, remains a mystery The hurried removal of Dr Oswaldene Walker and GDF Sgt Gregory Smith from Guyana, is an open secret with guilt labelled on the PNC.AsGuyanacelebrates the 56th anniversary, we cannot forget: the 7 lives lost on 26th February 2006 at the Eccles-Agricola Massacre; 11 lives lost on 26th January 2008 at the LusignanMassacreandthe12 lives lost on 17th February 2008 at the Bartica Massacre! Guyanese are remindedoftheGreatFire ofGeorgetownwhichtook place on 23rd February, 1945, decimating 23 buildings and damaging severalothers.
Yoursrespectfully, JaiLall.
United States oil major, Exxon Mobil Corporation in 2025 hit its highest daily production in more than 40 years, with Guyana’s operations in the company’s forefront of major contributors
Inits2025annualreport, the corporation reported strong growth in production numbers with majority of current output coming from GuyanaandthePermian
The company said “ExxonMobil has a strong pipeline of development projects,includingcontinued growth in Guyana and the Permian Basin, as well as L N G e x p a n s i o n opportunities in Qatar, Mozambique, Papua New Guinea, and the United States. In 2025, Upstream production averaged 4.7 million oil-equivalent barrels per day (Moebd),
our highest production in over40years.”
Moreover, with future development projects and drillingactivitiesexpectedto bring more production online,Exxonexpectsfurther growth over the next several years In highlighting Guyana’s significance to the corporation, Exxon told shareholders, “Currently about two thirds of the corporation’s global production come from Permian, Guyana, and LNG resources This proportion is generallyexpectedtogrow.”
Exxon’s current investment plans will increase oil production from the Americas with Guyana’s crude taking the lead as a
lowercostandhigherquality
The annual report
providedaglowingupdateon theperformanceofGuyana’s assets The document states, “LizaDestiny,LizaUnityand Prosperity floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessels continued to produce above investment basis capacity in 2025.”
Meanwhile, a fourth FPSO which commenced production activities in August 2025 progressed to ramp up throughout the fourth quarter, achieving an average gross production of 240,000barrelsperday(bpd)
“The combined gross production from the four operating vessels exceeded 870kbd(thousandbarrelsper
day) in the fourth quarter of 2025 Withstart-upofafourth vessel, Guyana achieved record annual production in 2025of715kbd,”theannual reportadded.
Meanwhile, Exxon
informed shareholders that Uaru, and Whiptail, the fifth andsixthdevelopmentsinthe StabroekBlock,respectively, are progressing on schedule and will each add approximately250kbd
In September last year, Exxon also made a final investment decision for the s
receiving the required regulatory approvals from the government of Guyana.
That development is anticipatedtocomeonlinein
President of ExxonMobil Guyana, Alistair
Routledge
2 0 2 9 , p u s h i n g
ExxonMobil’s total FPSO fleet in Georgetown to eight bytheendof2030.
Basedonfiguresreported by government in the 2026 budget, Guyana produced a totalof260millionbarrelsof oilin2025
During that period, the country received 32 million barrels while ExxonMobil andpartnersgotastaggering 228 million barrels Consequently, the Natural Resource Fund (NRF) in 2025receivedUS$21billion in profit oil, comprising US$400.1millionfromLiza Destiny, US$767.7 million from Liza Unity, US$824 millionfromProsperity,and US$133.6 million from One Guyana.
The oil account also
obtained $3307 million in royalty payments during the yearfromtheoperatorofthe StabroekBlock
Additionally, the petroleum receipts for the year included a US$15M signing bonus from a new Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) signed on November 11, 2025 with a consortium for the shallowwaterBlockS4
Under the 2016
Production Sharing Agreement (PSA), Guyana receives 125 per cent of profits ExxonMobil is allowedtotake75percentof theoilproducedeverymonth tocoveritsexpensesandalso enjoys a 125 per cent profit share
Inadditiontoits12.5per cent profits, Guyana also receives 2 per cent of gross productionasroyalty
E’bo construction worker fined $180K for traffic offences
Dwayne Stoby, a 38-year-old construction worker of Riverstown, Essequibo Coast was on Friday slapped with severaltrafficoffencesandwasfinedatotalof$180,000.
Stoby appeared at the Anna Regina Magistrate’s Court beforeMagistrateRavindraMohabir
He was charged with the offences of unlicenced driver, uninsuredmotorvehicle,obscuredidentificationmark(rear) and unlicensed motor vehicle, all contrary to the Motor VehicleandRoadTrafficAct,Chapter51:02. He admitted to the charges and was fined $10,000 for unlicenced motor vehicle, in default two weeks’ imprisonment, $100,000 for obscured identification mark (rear), in default three months’ imprisonment, $30,000 for unlicenceddriver,indefaultthreemonths’imprisonmentand $40,000foruninsuredmotorvehicle,indefaultthreemonths’ imprisonment.
Forapoliticalparty that erupts in i n d i g n a t i o n whenever the failures and excessesofForbesBurnham are dragged into the limelight, the People’s National Congress (PNC) has a rather selective memory Forty years after his death, the PNC still bristlesatthenotionthathis nameshouldbeinvokedasa shorthand for economic collapse, electoral rigging, authoritarian rule, and the racial polarisation that continues to haunt this nation. Yet, remarkably, the same party now expects Guyanese to don their rosetinted glasses and genuflect atthealtarofBurnham’ssocalled “achievements,” demanding recognition for theinstitutionstheyclaimhe built This hypocritical dance denounce the criticisms but demand the
praise—reveals a party still desperatelytryingtocuratea legacy that the facts simply cannotsupport.
Just recently, the PNCR heraldedForbesBurnhamas the visionary founder of the National Insurance Scheme, attempting to add another trophy to his depleted cabinetofaccomplishments. But if the full, unvarnished truthistobetold,Burnham’s role was not that of a visionarycreator The conception of a comprehensive social security system in this country was not a sudden stroke of genius in the late 1960s; it was a seed planted by the first People’s Progressive Party government of 1953. It was that government, led by CheddiJagan,whichsought technicalassistancefromthe InternationalLabour Office, leading to the Richardson
Studyin1954.TheNISthat finallyemergedin1969was not a Burnham original; it wasthemereculminationof a “legacy project” birthed almost twenty years earlier by the very party the PNC worked to oust. The then colonial government’s first step was to seek technical assistance from the International Labour Office (ILO). Under that initiative initiated in 1954, Professor Henry Richardson proposed the establishment of a National Provident Fund, a systemofforcedsavingsthat wouldprovideworkerswith a lump-sum payment upon retirement. This model was c h o s e n b a s e d o n Richardson’s assessment that the local wage levels were insufficient to fund a more robust, pension-based social security system, though his report was ultimately set aside for
Frompage05 democracy in our homely So,thecountrysuffereduntil communism collapsed in 1990, paving the way for return of capitalism and democracy in Guyana
W h e n c o m m u n i s m collapsed, the left wing parties of Guyana and their support groups in USA began to lobby Washington for the return of democracy inthehomeland.
s themselves lobbied and or encouraged their supporters in America to lobby Washington, democracy would have been restored longbefore1992.
I also think lobbying Washington has helped us in our border controversy withVenezuela President Trump has removed from office Nicolas Maduro who has
been threatening to seize two thirds of our
territory Lobbyists are not cheap Democracy is also not cheap; it is better than under authoritarian rule
Won’twewouldbebetteroff paying American lobbyists toliveinademocracy Ordo some prefer to live under a left-wingdictatorship?
Yourstruly, VishnuBisram
Dem boys seh sometimes the solution staring we in we face. But we too busy watchingtrafficjamtoseeit.
Every morning is the same ole story From Parika to Georgetown From Diamond to town. From Schoonord to the city From Parfaite Harmony to Vreed-enHoop. From Mahaica to Georgetown. Is long line, short temper and plenty horn blowing. People leaving home before cock crow and still reaching wuk late.And dem boyssehifyoulistencareful,youcouldhear enginescrying.
Now everybody talking bout light rail. Fancy Modern. Nice for picture and manifesto.Butdemboyssehbeforewestart layingdownsteel,whynotputdownsome big rubber tyre pon the road? Bring in articulated buses — the long, bendy ones weusedtocalltandembusesintheolddays. Yes, dem same ones that fold in the middle like a hinge door The ones that couldswallow150,180,even200peoplein one trip. Imagine one bus leaving Parika park-and-ride and heading straight to Georgetown. Imagine people parking secure at Schoonord near de bridge, hopping on a big bus and gliding over the
futureconsideration.
Following a period of review,thePPPgovernment wiselyrequestedafollow-up study in 1962, resulting in the Boye Study Actuary Sven Boye critically examinedtheprovidentfund proposalandadvisedagainst it,arguingthatthelump-sum benefits would be inadequate for long-term worker protection and instead recommended the introduction of a National Pension Scheme. This recommendation gained traction, and by 1965, the PNC-UF government commissioned the MacCabe Study to develop a concrete implementation plan Mr Niall MacCabe’s report proposed a comprehensive, three-branch social security system covering employment injury, old-age pensions, and sickness with maternity This proposal was favourably received, marking the definitive steo towards establishing the National InsuranceScheme
Followingthefavourable reception of the MacCabe study, the government enlistedsomeonetodraftthe enablinglegislation In1968, an ILO official oversaw the final implementation phase, incorporating key amendments based on the Wo r k i n g P a r t y ’ s recommendations and this culminated in 1969 with the passage in the National Assembly of the National Insurance and Social Security Act. By the time Guyana established its scheme in September 1969,
the region was already progressing toward formal socialsecuritysystems,with two other CARICOM nationshavingimplemented similar programmes Jamaica led the way as the first in the region, establishing its National Insurance Scheme on 4th April 1966, approximately four years after gaining independence from Britain. Barbados followed shortly after, launching its scheme on5thJune1967,aboutone year after its own independence.
The question therefore that the PNC should ask is why it took the coalition government, formed in 1964,solongtoestablishthe scheme, following the lead established by both Jamaica andBarbados.
But the record must also show that the NIS was established under Burnham’s PNC Credit must be given to him for doing that. But by the same token,accountmustbetaken of the economic misery of the time that created future strainsfortheNIS.
Burnham died in 1985. TheannualreportoftheNIS for that year presented a rosypictureofasolventand well-funded National Insurance Scheme
However,aforensicanalysis revealsthattheSchemewas already exhibiting the classicsymptomsofasocial securitysystemunderstress: a stagnant contributor base, over-reliance on investment
returns, mounting administrativebacklogs,and
growing future liabilities that were not yet fully funded by current contributions.
In 1982, the number of contributors saw a massive reduction because of retrenchment Economic conditions such as high unemploymentanddeclining formal employment in key sectors reduced contribution inflowsatatimewhenbenefit obligations were rigid, weakening the revenue base ofthescheme
While the PNCR is understandably unlikely to cast a critical eye over the record of Forbes Burnham, history cannot be left to partisan applause or selective memory. The National Insurance Scheme did not operate in an economic vacuum, and its financial performance during the 1980s must be assessedontheevidence,not on selective narratives. The public should examine the NIS record under Burnham in its totality, weigh the documented strengths and weaknesses,andresistbeing blinded by political propaganda that substitutes sentimentforscrutiny
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
bridgeinsteadofaddingconvoysofcarsto thedailycrawl.ImagineDiamondresidents leaving vehicle in a secure parking lot and reaching town without blood pressure rising.
Dem boys remember the tandem buses longtimeago.Itdidnotcatchonthen.But that was then. Back then traffic wasn’t this nightmare.Backtheneverybodydidn’tfeel like they must own a car to survive.Today the road full to the brim. Today people beggingforrelief.
One articulated bus could remove dozens and dozens of cars from the road. Fewer cars mean less chaos Less undertaking.Lessthird-lanemadness.Less fender-benderthatblockhalftheEastBank forthreehours.
Dem boys seh government ain’t got to choose one thing. Study the light rail, yes. But at the same time, actively look at bringing back the big bendy buses. Create proper park-and-ride hubs. Make it safe. Makeitreliable.Makeitfrequent. Because right now, the only thing moving fast in this country is people patience. Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
I see the colorful floats with sounds thundering through oversized speakers on flatbed trucks during the day Iheartherevelriesdeep intothedarknightformanya night. Amid the blare of music,thevoiceshavemore of an American and Jamaican tint, than native rooted. It is MASH 2026. Guyana’s rollicking version of carnival, and not the
American TV hit show M*A*S*H.
It’sashowhereallright. But who among Guyanese have hit the right buttons, struck a shower of gold?
And,whoonthisgrandestof national holidays have been hit for six, given a six for a nine,andhitdownbyatruck alloveragain?
The people who used to make hay with MASH is a
Burnhamholiday(nohuman c o m p l e x i t i e s [ o r complexions]) are now the biggest celebrants. To keep the color scheme bright and b
y convertedtotheMASHflag waving and chanting and c
d in incentivising some of Burnham’s children to join inthefestivities.
Whoever cannot be so
engaged is coerced from the usual public buildings into the tramping, resonating streets. Amomentofcharity emerged; stuck motorists cursing excluded. Under their breath and behind tinted windows, naturally Doesn’t pay to draw undue attention, and get on the wrongsideofthemasters,in thisdemocracy Iamallforthosehavinga goodtime,butwhatofthose Guyanese shoved out of the gleaming, gyrating MASH pictures? Thosewhoseethe energy, the rush of movement, and the impressive heights of the modernGuyanaskyline?
From flat houses and two-floorstoeightandmore inlessthanfiveyearsissome achievement. But what of thosewhostareattheheights and then look down, and down, only to be forced to stare at an abandoned pot, a lonely plate, and a forlorn family?
A partner tired and told that that’s all there is; children thinned to the texture of thread, all clad in porous apparel, as though theyareexhibitsforanudist colony Toaddcausticsoda tothestubbornandgnawing acids in the stomach, they watchinnumbdisbelief(and simmeringrage)asministers and their spawns of family and friends live like oil barons that would make the
playboy Gettys and other Epstein file candidates look like rank amateurs.
In 2026, this is one part oftheportraitofasectionof GuyanathatisinfullMASH mode, while not too far out of sight, there are the many villages and remote corners of Guyanese being mashed into the flattest bakes imaginable.
From capital city to the vast, empty stretches of Guyana,thisisMASH2026 live and in color There is red and blue, with white dominant. Greenandyellow have since taken early retirement or have been retired. No Guyanese should have any difficulty interpreting my own color codingofOneGuyana. It is as black and white, as that, with the black on its lastlegs,afadedpresencein an era of energy, prosperity, andthecelebratory
Aball with a highball or two, anyone? How about a huge land concession, as compensation for missing out on the liquid fun? It is that sacred time on the calendar that originated in that sand-soaked, sun scorcheddesert,isn’tit?
Five years ago, the excitingstorywasofabouta quartermillionbucketsofthe good stuff Guyanese were asked to be patient More MASH up the road, more
coming Fiveyearslater,and thebigger,betterstoryisofa million casks of unblended light,sweet,pumpedupfrom beneaththesea
Yet, in 2026, it is the same stale narratives Tighten belts. Charity cash can’t be continuous. Old models to be refined; new o n e s d e v e l o p e d Meanwhile, those who had theirhandsinthecashboxgo on drawing down and drawingout.
But the outsiders and outcasts in Guyana are now fed a line of bull by master bull-s ers, about changed environment and the need to recalibrate Those having the power carry on at faster and richer rates, but telling the Guyanese people pushed to the margins to recalibrate theirexpectations.
This is a mere snapshot of MASH 2026. It is those MASHING and those who getmashedunderthefeetof the mashers. Oil Guyana. One Guyana. O beautiful Guyana. How dilapidated and defeated great parts of Guyanalook!
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
In his first public appearance following his electoral defeat at the September 1, 2025 polls, leader of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Aubrey Norton led histeamofAPartnershipfor National Unity (APNU) parliamentarians to the Stabroek Market Square, where they commenced what the coalition has dubbed its “street parliament.”
Theinitiativewasadirect effort to take the national budget debate to the people, allowing coalition members tocriticisethisyear’s$1558 trillion budget, which they said has failed to address the everyday struggles of Guyanesecitizens
Norton expressed confidenceinthecoalition’s MPs, who he said dissected the government’s spending plan in the recently concludedbudgetdebate.
The party leader was particularly critical of the budget’s allocation to infrastructure,arguingthatit fails to benefit the people. “When you allocate all of thatmoneytoinfrastructure, 20 per cent will go to corruption. If we had saved that 40 per cent, you could have gotten your cash transfers and transportation to take your children to school,”hesaid.
He emphasised the need for a reallocation of resources, urging the
government to prioritise the needsofordinaryGuyanese.
“Thebudgetshouldhave included a minimum 25 per cent salary increase for public servants. You claim there’s no money, but you have $900 million for ‘Men on Mission ’ Meanwhile, funds are allocated to areas thatdon’trequiretheamount they’rebeinggiven,”Norton continued “This budget shows no place for the people.”
Turning his focus to the upcoming local government elections,Nortonvowedthat APNU would work tirelesslytosecurecontrolof the municipalities in Georgetown, Linden, and New Amsterdam “It’s critical that we beat them in these towns. If they take control, they’ll control the land,andyouwillbefurther marginalised,”hewarned.
The 2026 budget, Guyana’s largest ever, was passed on February 13 after five days of debates and another five days of committee reviews. Titled “Putting People First,” the budget was the first p r e s e n t e d b y t h e administration since its reelectionin2025. It includes provisions such as a $5,000 increase in old age pensions, an additional $3,000 for public assistance recipients, and a $100,000 cash grant for all adults aged 18 and over Other initiatives focus on
promotinghomeandvehicle
ownership, business startups, and economic diversification.
APNU MPs, along with other party members, highlightedthatmanyofthe budget allocations do not adequately address critical issues affecting the public. This “street parliament” is justthebeginningofaseries of similar gatherings the party plans to hold in communities across the country
Several ministries received large allocations, with the Ministry of Public Works leading with $227.2 billion, followed by the Ministry of Housing at $159 4 billion, and the Ministry of Public Utilities and Aviation at $140 1 billion Other significant allocations include the Ministry of Health ($135 billion),MinistryofFinance ($116.9 billion), Ministry of Education ($100.2 billion), and the Office of the Prime Minister($111.4billion).
Additional allocations include the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security ($78 billion), Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development ($36 7 billion), and Ministry of Agriculture ($67.6 billion), amongothers.
Despite the significant figures, opposition parties like APNU remain vocal in questioning whether these
The Environmental Protection Agency Guyana (EPA) on Sunday issued a public health advisory warning that air quality across Guyana’s low coastal plain has reached “very unhealthy” levels, posing potential health risks to residents, especially children, the elderly, and persons with underlyingmedicalconditions.
Theagency,initsadvisory,reportedthat airqualitybegandeterioratingonthenightof February 21, when conditions first entered the “unhealthy” range. As of Sunday, air quality in Georgetown remains in the “very unhealthy”category,withsimilarconditions recordedintheWhim,Corentyne,Berbice.
MonitoringstationsinEcclesandCentral Georgetown have detected PM2.5 levels significantly exceeding the air quality guidelines established by the World Health Organisation(WHO),theEPAreported.
PM2.5 refers to fine particulate matter that can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of respiratory distress, aggravated asthma, cardiovascular complications, and
allocations will genuinely benefit the everyday Guyanese.
Norton’s address followed those of APNU Parliamentary Lead Dr. Terrence Campbell, MPs Sherod Duncan, Nima FlueBessandGaneshMahipaul.
APNU Leader, Aubrey Norton
otherserioushealtheffects.
The EPA attributed the spike in particulatelevelstoSaharandusttransported acrosstheAtlanticviatheSaharanAirLayer — a mass of dry, dusty air originating in North Africa — combined with elevated humidity
A visible haze has settled over coastal communities, and authorities warn that the conditions are expected to persist until the eveningofWednesday,February25.
Residents are being strongly urged to limit outdoor activities, particularly those in vulnerable groups.The EPAis also advising the use of masks when outside for extended periods and encouraging individuals to seek medical attention if they experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, persistentcoughing,throatirritation,orchest discomfort.
The agency said it will continue to monitorairqualitylevelsandissueupdatesas necessary, while encouraging citizens to check real-time air quality readings on its website.
(St Lucia Times) Fear is spreading across Saint Lucia’sfishingcommunities following the United States dronestrikeonavessel,with fisherfolk saying the situation is threatening their safety, freedom and livelihoods. And they are calling for authorities to press for the removal of US military operations from Caribbeanwaters.
The Donald Trump administration confirmed thatthemilitaryconducteda “lethal kinetic strike” last Friday, targeting individuals suspectedofdrugtrafficking andresultinginthedeathsof so-called“narcoterrorists.
Although there has been no confirmation of reports that two Saint Lucian fishermenwereamongthose killed in the strike that occurred in the waters of neighbouring Grenadine Island Bequia, fishermen told St Lucia Times the
strike’s proximity to home hasleftthemanxious.
Mathaius “MJ” , a fishermanbasedinthesouth oftheisland,didnothidehis anger when speaking to St Lucia Times about the situation.
“What Trump doing is wickedness,” he said. “We have plenty fishermen out there Fish is what we dependon.Wehaveloansto pay, children to feed. Now menafraidtogoout.”
MJ explained that fishermen typically leave port around 3 a.m. to reach fishing grounds early, a practice that outsiders may misinterpret.
“We go out in the early morning to reach the FAD [fish aggregating device which is used to attract pelagic fish] before the fish move,” he said. “That is normal for us. But now I can’tevengowhereIhaveto go….Idon’tfeelsafe.”
MJ said the impact is already visible at the Vieux Fort Fisheries Complex. He noted that activity there has fallendramatically
“That place always full of life,” MJ said. “But this morningonlytwoboatswent out.Menafraid.Theirwives tellingthemdon’tgofar.”
Fishing has long been central to Saint Lucian life. From the island’s earliest inhabitants,theArawaksand Caribs, to modern generations, the sea has provided food, income, and cultural continuity Fishing has evolved into a pillar of rural life and coastal economies. But fisherfolk say that legacy now feels underthreat.
Veteran fisherman JosephDalsansaystheissue cutsdeeperthaneconomics.
“Thisishowweputfood on the table,” he said. “My grandfather did it, his grandfather did it before
vesselspecificationssuchas engine size and horsepower are governed by the
him.Why kill people on the spot? If you suspect a boat, board it, search it, arrest the people if they are criminals. Letjusticetakeitscourse.”
Dalsan believes the strikes send the wrong message to Caribbean communities.
“America does not kill their own like that,” he added. “They have bigger problemstodealwith.”
T h e G o o d w i l l Fishermen’s Cooperative Society says it understands the fear gripping the sector and urges fishermen to remain compliant with regulations so their rights canbedefendedifnecessary Operations Manager Kaygianna Toussaint said
DepartmentofFisheriesand mustfollowlegalguidelines.
“Thequantityandpower ofenginesonavesselarenot random choices,” she explained.
“They fall under regulations Fishers must ensure their operations are legal and above board so there is evidence to support themifanythinghappens.” She also encouraged fishermen to remain within territorialwaterswheretheir activitiescanbeverified.
“If they operate within thelaw,thereisaframework to defend them,” Toussaint said.
Still, many fishermen feel that compliance alone will not protect them from aerial strikes that leave little
opportunity for verification orresponse.
Questions remain about the identities of those killed in recent US operations Yesterday, the Royal Saint Lucia Police Force confirmed it is investigating the disappearance of Ricky Joseph, a Saint Lucian man whose family believes may have been caught in one of thestrikes.
Assistant Commissioner ofPoliceLukeDefreitassaid they are looking into whether there is any connection between the remains of a charred fishing vessel recovered off the coast of Micoud on Wednesday, and the disappearance of Joseph who “may have been a passengeraboardthisvessel, whetherasacrewmemberor aworker”.
(CMC)TheOfficeofthePrimeMinister, (OPM) on Friday has announced that Dr Andrew Holness will accept the full salary and emoluments attached to the office, retroactivetoSeptemberlastyear
That means Holness will now earn a salary of $28.5 million (One Jamaica dollar=US$0.008cents)–thisisupfromthe currentsalaryofjustover$9million.
In a statement, the OPM said that following “careful review and internal consultations,” it was agreed that the Prime Minister should accept the compensation structurepreviouslysetforthepost.
InMay2023,Holnessdeclinedtoaccept the adjusted compensation package followingfiercepublicbacklashagainstthe salary increases granted to the political directorate.
At the time, the Prime Minister noted that“anotherprimeministerinthefutureora new mandate may give an opportunity to reconsidertheprimeminister’ssalary.”
Friday’sreleasefromOPMnotedthatthe decision to accept the full salary was taken lastyearafterthenewadministrationwasin place. However, its implementation was
delayed due to the impact of Hurricane Melissa. Parliament has since been advised toeffectthechangeretroactivetoSeptember 2025.
OPM added that adjustments are to follow for the pensions of former prime ministers and their surviving spouses
Former prime ministers are paid a pension equaltothesittingheadofgovernment. The change will benefit former Prime Ministers PJ Patterson, Bruce Golding and PortiaSimpsonMiller
The Supreme Court of Judicature of Guyana has beenformallyacceptedasan Implementing Member of theInternationalConsortium for Court Excellence (ICCE).
Inarecentstatement,the court remarked that the achievement represents a significant milestone in the judiciary’s commitment to strengthening governance, institutional performance, andthedeliveryofjustice.
Guyana was accepted on February 12, 2026 and joins the Caribbean Court of Justice,theSupremeFederal Court of Brazil and the Judiciary of Jamaica as regional members of the ICCE.
The ICCE is an international network of courts and organisations dedicated to promoting excellence in judicial administration through the International Framework for Court Excellence (IFCE), a globally recognised quality management framework designed to assist courts in achieving continuous improvement across seven core areas of performance: leadershipandmanagement,
strategy and policy
development, court processesandinfrastructure, court user engagement, accessibility of services, resource management, and publictrustandconfidence.
Acting Chancellor, JusticeRoxaneGeorgenoted that this milestone affirms the judiciary’s commitment
to accountability, tr an s p ar en cy, an d continuous improvement The chancellor emphasised that the achievement of excellence is an ongoing responsibility requiring
sustained effort and collaboration by all judicial officers and staff across all levelsofthecourts.
T h e j u d i c i a r y ’s acceptance follows an extensive internal process thatbeganinDecember2024 with preparation for the judiciary-wide selfassessment under the IFCE. It was also disclosed that between 22 July and 11 August 2025, judicial
officersandstaffparticipated in structured surveys designed to evaluate institutional performance against international standards.
“ I t r e v e a
fundament
y sound judiciary, with the capacity to become consistently excellent. As a result, the judiciary analysed the data from the surveys and conducted a structured review of institutional systems and operations to determine areas that require focused attention,” the court said.
It was outlined that severalareaswereidentified and categorised for implementation in the short, medium, and long term These areas are being advanced in alignment with thejudiciary’sStrategicPlan 2024 – 2031 to ensure coherence, sustainability, and measurable progress undertheIFCE.
The court noted that as o n e o f t h e t h r e e constitutional arms of the state, the judiciary plays a criticalroleinupholdingthe rule of law Its acceptance into the ICCE reinforces the judiciary’s resolve to meet internationally recognised standardsofcourtexcellence so as to respond effectively to Guyana’s evolving social andeconomiclandscape.
The Supreme Court of Judicature, comprising the Court of Appeal, the High Court, and the Magistrates’ Courts The court said it remains committed to strengthening the capacity of its leadership and human resources, advancing innovation by utilising technology, enhancing infrastructure,andexpanding high quality service delivery in order to ensure trust and confidence in and access to justicethroughoutGuyana
For more information on the Judiciary of Guyana Strategic Plan 2024–2031: PursuingServiceExcellence through Investments in H u m a n R e s o u r c e s Management Systems and Technology, visit the c Consortium ourt’s website athttps://supremecourt.gy
Ambulance and residents outside the shop where Ramotar was stabbed
A quiet Sunday evening atLaParfaitHarmonie,West Bank Demerara, turned deadlywhenafatheroffour was allegedly stabbed to death by a man said to be of unsoundmind.
DeadisIndaeRamotar,a welder in his late 60s and resident of FirstAvenue, La Parfait Harmonie. The fatal
attack occurred around 19:30 hrs near a shop in the community
According to a family friend, Ramotar had left his hometopurchaseanitemata nearby store when he was confronted by the suspect, who had been standing acrosstheroad.
The suspect allegedly
approached Ramotar and declared, “I want blood,” before suddenly launching a violentattack.
Ramotar was reportedly stabbedmultipletimestothe abdomenwithaknifeinside the shop. Eyewitnesses said the attacker then calmly exited the premises and began walking along the
The victim’s body covered on the ground
roadway as if nothing had occurred.
Persons at the shop gave chase,reportedlyrestraining thesuspectuntilranksofthe Guyana Police Force arrived.
“People are saying since yesterday the man was walking around saying he wanted to kill someone,” a
relativetoldthispublication, raising questions about whether warning signs were ignored.
An ambulance was summoned to the scene, but Ramotar was examined and pronounceddead.
The suspect remains in police custody as investigations continue. It is
unclear whether he will undergo a psychiatric evaluation as part of the probe.
The killing has left residents shaken, with some expressing concern about community safety and the handling of individuals believed to be mentally unstable.
President Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali on Saturday announced a bold push to ensure all bottled water consumed locally is produced in Guyana within the next year, as he outlinedatransformativevisionfor thecountry’swatersector.
Speakingatthecommissioning of the Five Miles Water Treatment Plant in Bartica, the head of state saidGuyana,knownasthe“landof many waters,” must move decisively to optimise its freshwater wealth and reduce dependence on imported bottled water
“You can’t be such a resourcerich country in fresh water and be importingbottledwater,”President Alistated.“TheMinistryofPublic UtilitiesandAviationmustsetaside
a target of ensuring that all our water consumed locally is produced locally in the next 12 months.”
The president explained that achieving this goal will require closecollaborationwiththeprivate sectorandafocusoneconomiesof scale. Rather than having multiple entitiesduplicatinginvestments,he suggestedstandardisingproduction systems, such as shared plastic bottle manufacturing, to reduce operational costs and increase competitiveness.
According to Guyana Water Incorporated(GWI),locallytreated and bottled water can be produced and sold for approximately $100 per bottle or less when operational costsareefficientlymanaged.
“We have to look at all the verticalssothatwecanbringdown the cost of water,” he emphasised. “A country known as the land of many waters must have the cheapest water available to its peopleanditsvisitors.”
Beyond bottled water, President Ali underscored that water must now be viewed as an economic commodity Citing global studies that predict increasing water scarcity in the coming decades, he said Guyana must implement Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) principlestooptimiseitstotalwater assets.
The head of state said the new ministryforwatermustgo“beyond the norm,” focusing not just on
access to treated water but also on creating value, diversifying the economy, and boosting national competitiveness.
“This is about building a
measurable way,” he said. “Clean water is empowerment Clean water is nation-building in its purestform.”(DPI)
Four persons were left nursing serious injuries following an accident along the Buxton Public Road, East Coast Demerara, in theearlyhoursofSunday morning.
Despite the severity of the crash, no fatalities
w e r e r e c o r d e d . Divisional Commander
a n d A s s i s t a n t
Commissioner Khali Pareshram confirmed to Kaieteur News that the accidentwasnotdeadly
Preliminary reports indicatethatthedriverof motor vehicle PAN 141 allegedlylostcontroland collided with another vehicle travelling in the oppositedirection.
An eyewitness recalled the frightening moment of impact “I see the girl in the white car come out the lane and when she come out the lane, the other car was coming and knock she She went in the wronglane,”thewitness said
The driver of the second vehicle, a vendor whowastravellingalong the western lane to the market to ply his trade, saidhetriedtoavoidthecollisionbutfailed. “The car coming straight and I try to dodge and
At least two sections of the four-lane highway been cordoned off to facilitate repairs.
Sections of the Heroes Highway along the East Bank of Demerara are crumbling, owing to theuseofsubstandardmaterialsby the private contractor, Opposition Leader, Azruddin Mohamed has said.
The businessman turned politiciansharedavideoofhisvisit to at least two different sections of the four-lane thoroughfare which appearedtohavebeenexcavatedto undergorepairs.
In remarks, Mohamed told his followers, “I’m on the Heroes Highway,theconcussionhighway, and as you can see, look what is going on here presently This
highwaywasrecentlybuilt-tensof billions of dollars and this shouldn’t have happened in such a shortperiodoftimeandIwantyou to be the judge. Let’s look at the materials used to build this highway.”
HepointedtothesizeofBritish Reinforced Concrete (BRC) used to construct the structure, which measuredjustaboutaquarterofhis indexfingerinwidth.Thegrid-like mesh is used to increase strength and durability, improving the overall structural integrity of concrete.
Giventhesubstandardmaterial, the opposition leader argued that
billionsintaxpayers’dollarswillbe flushed, as remaining portions of theHighwayislikelytofollowsuit shortly
“This entire highway will crumbleandfallapartoncethishas beenusedthroughoutthehighway You don’t use this type of BRC whenbuildingthesehighways,”he said.
The leader of the opposition accused the administration of turning a blind eye to the state and quality of infrastructure projects being built across the country, as the same materials continue to be used to fatten the pockets of contractors.
Mohamed moved to another portion of the highway, just about 300metersfromasectionthatwas cordoned off to facilitate repairs. This time, workers were present at the location while an unbothered Mohamed continued to highlight the condition of the road. He insisted, “It will crumble and fall apart using things like this, look at the size. Once this is right through the concussion highway, this will continue happening so more money will be spent. More of taxpayers’dollars.”
Back in December 2023, President IrfaanAli commissioned the $13.3 billion or US$65 million four-laneroad.
Thehighwayservesasacrucial link, connecting villages along the East Bank from Diamond to Georgetown It was named in honour of the five fallen soldiers
whodiedinahelicoptercrash,only daysbefore.
Guyanese and those in the political opposition have long blasted the government for its disproportionate investment in infrastructurewhilemajorityofthe population continues to live in poverty.
In this year’s $1.558 trillion budget, the Ministry of Public Works have been allocated the largest chunk of resources, with a total of $227.2 billion for its work programme.
In an invited comment, an independent source with engineering background told Kaieteur News that the failures being observed along the highway will continue throughout the structure.
Accordingtothesource,“There was no geotechnical studies conductedbeforehand-meaningall they did was dig, sand-filled and poured concrete…the problem is nottheconcretebutmorethanpoor subsurfacepreparation.”
The source said using billions more to “try” to correct the road throughresurfacingwillsimplynot work but is purely a “waste of money”.Hewarned,“Wenowhave to pay billions to correct it and unlesswedigandstartagain,itwill beliketheEastBankroad-always needingrepairs.”
Efforts to contact Minister of Housing and Water, Collin Croal wereunsuccessful.Theprojectwas
beingmanagedbythatinstitution.
In 2021, the contract was awarded to 12 contractors, GuyAmerica Construction Inc, V DalipEnterprise,(JV)ColinTalbot ContractingServicesandEronLall Civil Engineering Works, S Jagmohan Construction and General Supplies Inc., H. Nauth and Sons, JS Guyana Inc., (JV) VALs Construction and AJM Enterprise, China Railway First Group Company Ltd., Aronco Services Inc., Ivor Allen, (JV) Puran Brothers Disposal Inc. and Khemraj Nauth Contracting Services.
The contractors had 18 months tofinishtheprojectwhichincluded the construction of some 30 reinforced concrete bridges, two roundabouts, and a total of 9.4 kilometres of reinforced concrete road.
Earlier this month, Kaieteur News reported that the Central Housing & Planning Authority (CH&PA) received 19 proposals fromlocalandoverseascontractors for the execution of asphaltic overlay works on the Heroes Highway
The announcement of resurfacing the road came shortly after criticisms from United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following a visit to Guyana in March2025,Rubiomadereference to the bumpy nature of one of the roadshewasdrivenon,notingthat “wealmosthadconcussions.”
Job opening: Truck Driver, AC Technicians, Excavator and Skid Steer Operators. To apply send application via WhatsApp: 689-1111/ 608-2114.
Head cook/chef wanted.Send Application via Whatsapp to 637-1465 or Call same number.
Snackette assistant wanted.Send application via Whatsapp to 637-1465 or call same number.
Armed & Unarmed Security personnel with Military and previous experience would be an asset. Contact : 603-5140.
Live-in caregiver wanted. Kind, dependable support for eldery in Georgetown. Experience preferred. Call: 600-5515
Wanted drivers and porters to work in warehouse,experience is an asset.Attractive salary: Tel:673-7373.
Driver wanted- valid lorry license required-contact number 226-9768, 2277528, 710-0561.
Excavator Operator wanted-contact number 226-9768, 227-7528, 7100561.
1 male project supervisor (Road Construction Field),ages 35-50 years,must have managerial experience atleast 5 to 8 years.Email CV to rbinvestmentinc@gmail.com
Roller Operator,excavator operator,call between 9am and 5pm on 613-0855.
One kitchen assistant.Must know various duties in the kitchen. Contact: 660-4904/ 223-5031 between the hours of 10am-3pm.
Wanted wholesaler country wide for PEEVA washing powder conatct 673-6736/ 655-4303.
MAI INVESTMENT INC
.Lot 1 Public Road
Ruimveldt,wanted salesman/ Van Driver.Please contact 638-0850 or 6527444
One mature truck driver 2239677,648-1391,698-5800.
Wanted one Maid. For more information please Call: 680-1282.
LAND FOR SALE
50 acres land for sale,15 million Pomeroon 661-2828.
Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hiring factory workers.Tel# 226-2621.
Vacancy at Dyna's Embroidery & Screenprints: We are hiring a driver for minibus (must have a valid driver's license) Tel# 2262621.
One clerk for TSI Eccles office English 1, Maths 2 call 615-9132 or email application to techserigy@gmail.com
Driver must be able to assist in workshop at Eccles, age 23-50, Car/ Van licence Call 615-9132.
Maid for East Bank area call 615-9132.
Tiler to lay small numbers of tiles call -615-9132
V/Hoop front lot building and land next to KFC . Lot 8 New Road,W.C.D.Investment for businesses Tel#227-4377.
V/Hoop Empty, lot 1 New Road,public road,W.C.D.1 Acre rental investments for prime businesses Tel#2274377.
Prime commercial spots on Regent st. and La-Penitence public road contact Ray's Realty 627-9685.
Visa Application:U.S.A, Canada & UK:Graphics design, advertisements, wedding arch rentals.Tel:626-7040.
Have a land from housing and cannot locate it?,No worry contact 6736736.Land clearing & Construction services also.
1 Honda CRV, includes TV, music system, alarm, reverse camera, spoiler, low mileage, PTT Series (first owner). Call: 649-0956.
Professional main tutor available online or face to face (Flexible hours),all grades. Contact Sir.Stanley 673-6736.
From page 06 visual images of dancing Shivas in a beautiful series of bronzes. In our time, physicists have used the most advanced technology to portray the patterns of the cosmic dance. The metaphor of the cosmic dance thus unifies ancient mythology, religious art and modern physics.” More recently he has stated “…For the modern physicists, then, Shiva’s dance is the dance of subatomic matter.”
In June 2004, CERN, the European Organisation for Nuclear Research located in Geneva Switzer-land unveiled an unusual new landmark, a 2m tall statue of the Hindu deity Lord Shiva in the cosmic dance pose.
At CERN, scientists and engineers, using the world’s largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles, are probing the fundamental structure of the uni-
verse. In July 2012 researchers at CERN discovered the Higgs boson particle, often referred to as the “God particle”. The Shiva statue was a gift from India to celebrate its association with CERN, which started in the 1960’s and remains strong today.
It is reported “This deity was chosen by the Indian government because of a metaphor that was drawn between the cosmic dance of the Nataraj (Shiva) and the
modern study of the ‘cosmic dance’ of subatomic particles”.
A note on the CERN’ website (home.cern) states “In the Hindu religion, Lord Shiva practiced Nataraj dance which symbolises Shakti, or life force. India is one of CERN’s associate member states.... The Shiva statue is only one of the many statues and art pieces at CERN”.
Regards Harry Hergash
Fully equipped restaurant Bizz,5 Mil La Grange W.B.D 661-2828.
Fiat 110-90,290 Massey,Lavarda 132 , John Deere 7300 , Fiatagri L413.
T RUCK TIRES 295 / 75R22.5 $40K EACH. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL / WHATSAPP:+592-6883201.
FOR SALE
(Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said on Friday that toppled Venezuelan
President Nicolas Maduro should face trial in his own country,notoverseas.
Maduro was captured from Caracasby U.S. forces earlierthisyearandtakento New York, where he is accused of overseeing a cocaine-trafficking network with international drug cartels.
“Whatmattersnow,isto re-establish democracy in Venezuela, that’s the most important thing. And I believethatifMadurohasto betried,hehastobetriedin his country, not abroad,” Lula said in an interview with India Today TV during his visit to the country’s AI summit.
Brazil cannot accept the capture of one head of state by another, he added, according to an English
translation provided by the Indianbroadcaster.
TALKSWITHTRUMP
L
Braziliancitizensaccusedof crimes and living in the UnitedStatesshouldbetried in Brazil, saying he intends topresentawrittenproposal ontheissuetoU.S.President DonaldTrump.
Lulaalsosaidhewantsto negotiate issues related to organised crime, drug trafficking and rare earth mineralswithTrump,whom he has said he is likely to meet in Washington next month.
Brazil, which borders Venezuelatothesouth,isan influential diplomatic actor inSouthAmerica.
Lula’s relations with Trump have improved since last year, when the U.S. leader-imposed tariffs on Brazilian goods over Brazil’s treatment of farright former President Jair
Bolsonaro, who has been jailed for plotting a coup after losing the 2022 election.
Brazil must diversify its commercial ties and reduce dependence on major powers such as the United States and China, Lula added, arguing that emerging economies should strengthen their own trade relationships.
“Weneedtogetto30-40 billion dollars of trade (with India) because of the size of our countries and the economy,”hesaid.
Lula added that he had advocated for Brazil and Indiatoconducttradeintheir own currencies rather than settling transactions in U.S. dollars.
“It’snotafantasy,it’snot something that you can do
overnight,butit’ssomething thatwehavetostarttothink over,” he said, calling for further discussions and coordination.
T h e B r a z i l i a n president pushed back on speculation that the BRICSgroupofcountries, of which Brazil and India are part, plans to create a commoncurrency
“There is no debate within BRICS about creating a new currency, the BRICS currency.” he said.
Trump claimed last year that the BRICS group was set up to hurt the United States and the U S dollar’sroleastheworld’s r e s e r v e c u r r e n c y, threatening to impose steeper tariffs on imports fromthegrouptocurbthat allegedeffort
People search for victims after an overnight Pakistani air raid in a residential area in the Girdi Kas village of Bihsud district, Nangarhar province, Afghanistan, on February 22, 2026 [Aimal Zahir/AFP]
( A L - J A Z E E R A )
Pakistan’s military early on Sunday carried out air raids in Afghanistan, targeting what it called “camps and hideouts” belonging to armedgroupsbehindaspate ofrecentattacks,includinga deadly suicide bombing at a ShiaMosqueinIslamabad.
Pakistan’s Ministry of I n f o r m a t i o n a n d Broadcasting said in a statement on X on Sunday that the country’s military conducted “intelligencebased, selective operations” against seven camps and hideouts belonging to the Pakistan Taliban, also knownbytheacronymTTP, anditsaffiliates.
The ISIL (ISIS) affiliate in Khorasan Province, or ISKP, which claimed responsibility for a suicide attack in the capital earlier thismonth,wasalsotargeted intheoperation,theministry said.
The Pakistani ministry said it had “conclusive evidence”thatrecentattacks in Islamabad, as well as in the northwestern Bajaur and Bannu districts, were perpetratedbyfightersatthe “behestoftheirAfghanistan-
based leadership and handlers”.
The Afghan Ministry of Defence condemned the attacks that “hit a religious school and residential homes” in the border provinces of Nangarhar and Paktika,“resultingindozens of deaths and injuries, including women and children”.
The Defence Ministry condemned the attacks as “a breach of international law and the principles of good neighbourliness”, and promisedtorespond.
“We hold the Pakistani military responsible for targeting civilians and religious sites We will respond to these attacks in due course with a measured andappropriateresponse,”it said.
Reportingfromthescene of an attack in Nangarhar’s Bihsud district, Al Jazeera’s NaserShadidsaidatleast17 people were confirmed killed and six others are missing, feared trapped under the rubble of an attackedhouse.
“A religious centre was also hit in this area, according to Afghanistan’s
authorities, and there are an unknown number of casualties there as well,” he said.
T h e r e w a s n o informat
y casualtiesinPaktikayet.
The attacks threaten a fragileceasefirebetweenthe South Asian neighbours, negotiated following deadly border clashes that killed dozens of soldiers, civilians and suspected fighters in Octoberlastyear
Pakistan said it has r e p e a t e d l y u r g e d Afghanistan’s Taliban governmenttotakeactionto prevent armed groups from using Afghan territory to launch attacks, but that Kabul has failed to “undertake any substantive action”.
Pakistan “has always strivedtomaintainpeaceand stability in the region”, it added,butsaidthesafetyand securityofPakistanicitizens remaineditstoppriority
“ThePakistaniscontinue to insist that these are intelligence-based operations against camps located inside Afghanistan and hideouts of theTTPand its affiliate groups. It has
warned the Afghan authorities on several occasions that they gave their commitment in the DohaagreementthatAfghan soil will not be used by any other country,” Al Jazeera’s Kamal Hyder said, referring to the 2020 agreement the Taliban signed with the United States in the Qatari capital.
ThePakistaniairraidson Afghanistan came hours after a suicide bomber attackedasecurityconvoyin the Bannu district of the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province,
killing two soldiers, one of themalieutenantcolonel.
On Monday, a suicide bomber, backed by armed m e n , r a m m e d a n explosives-laden vehicle into the wall of a security post in the nearby Bajaur, killing 11 soldiers and a child Authorities later said the attacker was an Afghan national.
On February 6, another suicide bomber detonated his explosives during noon prayers at the Khadija Tul Kubra mosque in Islamabad’s
Tarlai Kalan area, killing at least 31 worshippers andwounding170others.
The ISKP had claimed responsibility for the Islamabadattack
While bombings are rareintheheavilyguarded capital, it was the second suchattackonKhadijaTul Kubra in three months, raising fears of a return to violence in Pakistan’s majorurbancentres
Atthetime,thePakistani military said the “planning, training, and indoctrination for the attack took place in Afghanistan”.
LIVIGNO, Italy, (Reuters) - China’s Eileen Gu successfully defended herwomen’shalfpipecrown at the Winter Games on Sunday with a high-flying run that made her the most decoratedOlympicfreestyle skier of all time with six medals.
Gu’s compatriot Li Fanghui won silver and the
bronzewenttoZoeAtkinof Britain.
After a disappointing opening round, Gu nailed her second and third runs to top the standings with a scoreof94.75andaddagold to the silver medals she had woninLivignoinbigairand slopestyle.
She put on a stunning show in the sun-splashed
Italian Alps, soaring four metres above the 7.2-metre halfpipe and executing flawlessflipsandspins.
The 22-year-old, who won two golds and a silver onhomesnowattheBeijing Olympics four years ago, moved out of a tie with Canada’s Mikael Kingsbury at the top of the all-time freeskiOlympicmedaltable.
Forthemedalceremony, Gu put a shiny gold bow on her high ponytail to match the gold hardware hanging fromherneck.
She said she had been skiing with the bow in her pocket for the entire Milano Cortina Games. Gu blew kissestothelargecontingent ofChinesefanswhocheered and waved flags bearing her likeness.
ARIES(Mar.21–Apr.19)
Youshouldenjoytheintense energy of today, Aries. The mud is finally beginning to clearaway Exposethetruthin every issue and get ready for the gremlins that may be unearthed.
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
Todaymarksthebeginningof a new cycle for you, Taurus. Collect and consolidate your recent ideas and focus them outwardly The time is right foryoutoact.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Take a cold shower to jumpstart yourself today, Gemini. It'sfineifyoulazearoundabit in the morning, but by evening, you should be working at full capacity. You will be called into action whetheryouwanttobeornot.
CANCER(June21–July22)
Today may start out sluggish foryou,Cancer,butbytheend of the day the energy will move fast and furious. Your thoughts will be buzzing around your head like bees aroundahive.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Enjoythecalmmorning,Leo, because things are going to getcrazierandmoreenergetic as the day goes on. Emotions willrunhigh,andpeoplewill be more opinionated than usual.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
You will experience an intense amount of energy today,Virgo.Yourdreamstate willbemoreactivethanusual, and you will find that people aredrawntoyoulikemothsto light.
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
It's time to get up and get moving, Libra You have tremendous ideas and vision forthefuture.Youhaveallthe informationyouneed.Nowall youhavetodoisact.Stepupto the plate and hit one over the fence.
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)
Theearlypartofthedaymight find you sluggish and indecisive, Scorpio, but later youshouldbepsychedupand ready to go. Today marks the beginning of a new period in which you should set your ideasinmotion.
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)
Today's energies will get progressively more intense as the day goes on In the morning, you may be in an easygoing, dreamy state, Sagittarius.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
For the past several weeks you've felt like you've been dragging your heels, Capricorn Decisions may have been hard to make and people may have seemed wishy-washy.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) The morning might find you sitting like a stick in the mud, Aquarius. People might begettingdownonyoufornot contributing, but tell them to bepatient.Youwillberaringto gobynightfall.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar 20)
Things are moving your way, Pisces.As the day progresses, you will find that the energy intensifies.Conflictsmayarise nearsundown,butdon'tworry aboutittoomuch.
“I’m so tired but I’m so happy,”shesaid.“Ifeellike I’vebeengiving110percent of myself every single day It’s like a marathon distance but a sprint pace because I can’tslackanyday.”
Gu was the only woman to compete in the three freestyle skiing disciplines of big air, slopestyle and halfpipe.
Doingallthreemeantshe had to miss some of the halfpipe training at the Olympics and said it was a gamble to commit to so manyevents.
“I took a big risk in trustingmyselfandI’mglad thatIdid,”addedGu.
Li nailed her second run to move into second place and improved her score to 93.00 on her third attempt withonlyAtkinlefttogo.
Britain’s world champion Atkin, like Gu
USclaimlongawaitedmen’s...
Frompage34 wrist shot The U S squandered a prime chance toavoidovertimewhenSam Bennett, a last-minute replacement on the Canadian roster, got sent to the penalty box for four minutes after whacking Hughes across the mouth in thethirdperiod.
However, the fans’ desperate screams did nothing to inspire another goal as the clock wound down.
Four days after his older brother,Quinn,deliveredthe kill-shot in the Americans’ quarter-finalwin,itwasJack Hughes’turntoshineandhe proudly flashed his battledented smile as he wrapped himself in the American flag.
Finland, gold medallists four years ago, took bronze on Saturday with a 6-1
opens new t
Slovakia.
born in the U S but representing the country of oneofherparents,putdown her best run of the day to round out the final but only managed a 92.50 and had to settleforbronze. The final was originally scheduled to take place on Saturday but was postponed becauseofheavysnowfallin Livigno.
Shepherd could return
as Sammy says ‘everybody is available’
ESPNcricinfo -
RomarioShepherd,whohas been on the sidelines for the pastweek,isachancetoplay for West Indies in their first Super Eight game against Zimbabwe today, Monday The pitch used for the India vs USAgame in Mumbai in the group stage will be used again.
Shepherd,31,lendsalot of power to the West Indies batting line-up, some of which he showcased at training on Saturday With strapping running from his right knee all the way down to his calf, he was still launching balls up over the roof of the Wankhede Stadium.Team-matessitting andwatchingjustbehindthe nets where he was batting welcomedhimbackafterhis hitwithfanfare,whichmade Shepherd shadow bat the shotthatclearedthegrounda front-foot swat over longon.
“He practised well yesterday,” West Indies coach Daren Sammy said. “Bowled quite well, you know, hit the ball very, very cleanly The good thing for us is that everybody is available for selection Going into the Super Eight, that’swhatyouwant.SoI’m glad to know and happy to knowthatallmysoldiersare readytogoouttowar.”
Shepherdwasamongthe
first at the nets on Sunday too, bowling off his usual run-up with little to no discomfort.
Hetookafive-foragainst Scotland, including a hattrick, earlier in the tournament but hasn’t playedsinceFebruary11.
Sammy was able to step into the shoes of the opposition waiting for his team. “Zimbabwe missing outthelast[T20]WorldCup, you know,” he said. “They are led well Sikandar [Raza], very confident, he leads by example And
they’ve got six fans in the stands who sound like one million. So there are a lot of thingsthatgoforthem.AndI could understand from that standpoint where nobody givesyouachance-howyou could use that as inspiration.”
West Indies have played four T20Is against Zimbabwe and won three of them. The one they lost happened 16 years ago, almost to the day, when the visitors to Port-of-Spain wereabletodefendatotalof 105.
Sammy was there that day, along with Ravi Rampaul, who is the team’s bowlingcoachnow
Sammy offered his thoughts on teams entering the Super Eight with pre-appointed seedings but also said “that’snotmything”.
“I guess if you take the logistics that come into it, trying to give the fans who probably travel anopportunitytoplanahead. Ideally, I think the big thing for most people is they say, oh, West Indies came out of the group. Oh, Zimbabwe cameoutofthegroup.
T h a t m e a n s somebody they seeded there did not come out Zimbabwe did what they had to do
“Ifwewerenotseededor so,andIsawlikethisperson is going to play there, that gives me motivation. And I’m pretty sure Zimbabwe, looking at that group there, gave them motivation and inspiration to come out and playthewaytheyplay.”
BBC Sport - Carlos AlcarazthrashedArthurFils inside 50 minutes to maintain his unbeaten start to 2026 and win the Qatar OpeninDoha.
SpanishtopseedAlcaraz was ruthless from start to finish,convertingfiveoutof seven break points, as he blewFrance’sFilsawayina 6-26-1victory
The win - the shortest of Alcaraz’s career in completedmatches-washis 12th of the season as he followed up last month’s Australian Open triumph withhis26thcareertitle.
“Icamethisyearhungry for more,” saidAlcaraz, 22, who lost in the quarter-final oftheQatarOpenlastyear
“It’sbeenareallystrong start to the year It wasn’t easy, I had to be strong mentally with my team. I’m justplayinggreattennisand I’m really happy about this week. This trophy means a lottome.”
Victoryagainstunseeded Filscomesjust20daysafter Alcaraz became the youngest man in history to complete the Career Grand SlaminMelbourne.
The seven-time Grand Slam-winner set the tone from the start as he broke Fils’serve in the first game
before speeding through the firstsetinonly28minutes.
Alcaraz’s dominance continuedintothesecondset andadoublebreaktogo3-0 up prompted Fils’ frustrations to boil over as the Frenchman smashed his racquet.
Fils got on the board in his next service game, inducing cheers from the crowd, but it proved to be a consolation as Alcaraz’s dominanceintheralliessaw him go on to secure the second set in only 24 minutes.
Alcarazfired18winners during the course of the match, compared to Fils’ three, and didn’t concede a singlebreakpoint.
The victory in 50 minutes eclipses last year’s shortest final, when Norway’s Casper Ruud beat UgoHumbert,ofFrance,6-2 6-3 in 68 minutes at the NordicOpeninStockholm.
World number 40 Fils, who missed around eight monthslastyearwithaback injury,sawthefunnysideas hepaidtributetoAlcaraz.
“You played very good, you’reahellofachampion, it’sajoke,”hesaid.
“Congrats to your team and to you, you did an unbelievablejob.”
The Flying Ace Cycle Club (FACC) of New Amsterdam, Berbice has once again organised a feature cycle road race around the town of New Amsterdaminobservanceof Mashramani.
The event, which is sponsored by a number of business entities and individuals in Berbice, will beheldonMashramaniDay, today Monday 23rd February
Theraceisforcyclistsin Regions Five and Six East Berbice/ Corentyne and
Mahaica/Berbice. The race is set to pedal off at 09:00hrs from Republic Road and Charles Place. The riders will then turnleftintoVryheidStreet, left into Main Street, proceed along Main Street, turnleftatTacamaTurninto RepublicRoadforsixlapsa totalof30miles.
Allthetopcyclistsinthe twoRegionsareexpectedto be on show There are several prizes at stake including cash, trophies and otherincentives.
The first three finishers
will be rewarded along with the top three veterans, first two juniors and first two beginners.
There are also six sprint pointprizesupforgrabs. Founder President and coach of the FACC, Randolph Roberts, will be coordinating the event. He will be assisted by former National cyclist and RemigrantFrancoCrawford. Thecyclistsareexpected to be sent on their way by Patron and Mayor of New Amsterdam Wainwright McIntosh. (SamuelWhyte)
Coco Gauff walks during the match. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
Coco Gauff walks during the match. (Robert Prange/Getty Images)
BBC Sport - Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina upset world number four Coco Gauff to set up a final against Jessica Pegula at the Dubai Tennis Championships.
American Pegula was the first to win her semifinal, fighting back from a disastrous opening set and early break of serve in the second set to defeat
compatriot Amanda
Anisimova1-66-46-3. Gauff, 21, had a chance to make it an all-American final on Saturday, but
Svitolina recorded a 6-4 6-7 (13-15) 6-4 in an epic encounter that lasted three hoursandthreeminutes.
The 31-year-old
Svitolina had four match points in the second-set tiebreak and could not take them, but still managed to
winthedecider
It means she is back in the final of the event for the first time since claiming back-to-back Dubai titles in 2017and2018.
“I was playing like there isnotomorrow,justtryingto putalltheeffortin,”shesaid.
Inthemen’sQatarOpen, world number one Carlos Alcaraz maintained his perfectstartto2026witha7-
Elina Svitolina reached the semi-finals of the earlier this year
6 (7-3) 6-4 victory over Russia’s Andrey Rublev to moveintothefinal.
The 22-year-old Spaniard has already won the Australian Open this year to become the youngestmantocompletea careerGrandSlam-andthis washis11thvictoryoutof11 in2026.
“I know what I am able to do every time I step on
the court, what I am capableofdoing,”Alcaraz said
He will play France’s Arthur Fils in the final, afterhebeatJakubMensik of the Czech Republicwho knocked out world number two Jannik Sinner onThursday-6-4,7-6(7-4).
Meanwhile, sevent i m e G r a n d S l a m champion Venus Williams
has
ded a wildcard entry into Indian Wells, the tournament announcedonFriday
The 45-year-old American will compete in both the singles and doubles
“It’sgreattobeheading back to Indian Wells and returning home to California,” said Williams inastatement
KANDY, Sri Lanka, (Reuters) - Will Jacks impressed with bat and ball to rescue England from a poorstartandhelpthemtoa 51-run victory over Sri Lanka in a low-scoring Super Eight match at the Twenty20 World Cup on Sunday Tournament co-hosts Sri Lanka appeared to be well set after restricting England to a below-par 146-9 in the Group 2 match at the Pallekele International CricketStadium.
Jacks, who made 21 useful runs down the order, returned to claim 3-22 as England bowled out Sri Lankafor95inside17overs toprevail.
“It encourages me to get into the game and perform better,” player of the match Jackssaid.
“Bowling in the powerplayissomethingI’ve done a lot of. So it’s not foreigntome.”
Sri Lanka captain Dasun Shanakaelectedtofieldafter winning the toss and had
England’s
reasons to feel vindicated as England slumped to 68-4 at the halfway mark of their innings.
Jos Buttler’s 14-ball struggle ended when he was trapped lbw for seven after attempting a reverse shot against spinner Dunith Wellalageonlytomissaball thatrappedhimonthepad.
Spinner Maheesh
Theekshana dismissed the in-form Jacob Bethell for three and Tom Banton perished in his pursuit of a risky single, beaten by
Shanaka’sdirectthrowfrom mid-off. Harry Brook made 14 before Wellalage dismissed him lbw, a decisiontheEnglandcaptain challenged but could not overturn.
Phil Salt (62) raced to a 36-ballfiftybutholedoutin the 15th over to give Wellalagehisthirdwicketof the match. Jacks added late runsbutEnglandfellshortof the150-mark.
They needed a lionhearted bowling effort and produced one to reduce Sri
AHMEDABAD, India, (Reuters) - South Africa
bulldozed defending champions India by 76 runs on Sunday in their Super EightGroupOneclashinthe Twenty20 World Cup, underlining their title credentials and sending a strongsignaltotheirrivals.
Choosing to bat in a rematch of the 2024 World Cup final, South Africa surged to a commanding 1877followingaremarkable recovery from a precarious 20-3.
In reply, tournament cohostsIndia’stimidtop-order faltered swiftly, and their innings never quite escaped the grip of scoreboard pressure.
They were bundled out for 111 in 18 5 overs, slipping to their first defeat oftheWorldCup.
“Weplayedagainstthem
a lot as well,” David Miller, whosebreezy63earnedhim player-of-the-match award, saidoftheIndianbowlers.
“So it was just matching the intensity, if not raising the intensity, against their bowlers, and putting them underthepump.
“Theyaregoodbowlers, but they do bowl bad balls. Soit’smakingsureyou’rein thatpositiontodothat.”
Earlier, India quickly took the sting out of South Africa’stop-orderfollowing Aiden Markram’s decision to bat first at the Narendra ModiStadium.
Jasprit Bumrah bowled Quinton de Kock, while
Arshdeep Singh had Markram snared at mid-off to leave South Africa without any of their openers insidethreeovers.
Bumrah’s control (315) shoneagainwhenhe,witha
deft change of pace, deceived Ryan Rickelton, who chipped tamely to ShivamDubeatmidoff.
From there, a blistering 97run partnership between Miller and Dewald Brevis (45)notonlyhaltedtheslide butalsoturnedtheheatback onIndia.
Brevis missed a welldeservedfiftybutMiller powered to his in just 26 balls.
S p i n n e r Va r u n Chakravarthy removed Miller in the 16th over, but Tristan Stubbs provided the last flourish with an unbeaten44off24ballsthat includedthreesixes.
India’s chase began in nearidentical fashion to South Africa’s innings, but withoutthesamerescueact.
With three left-handers in India’s top three, offspinnerMarkrambeganwith
Lanka to 22-4 inside five overs Jacks dismissed Kusal Mendis and Pavan
R a t h n a y a k e o f f successive deliveries after Jofra Archer had sent back Sri Lanka’s inform opener Pathum Nissanka.
Archer removed Kamil Mishara and Sri Lanka slumped to 34-5 after Wellalage became Jacks’thirdvictim
summed up Sri Lanka’s batting S
a defiant 30 but Jacks relayed a catch in the deep to remove the Sri
a l England’svictory Scores: England 146 for 9 (Salt 62, Wellalage 3-26) beat Sri Lanka 95 (Shanaka 30,Jacks3-22)by51runs.
The hosts could never really recover and several frontline batters fell to softdismissals Dushan Hemantha’s b
the new ball and the ploy soonpaidoff.
Markram dismissed the in-form Ishan Kishan in the first over and Marco Jansen dismissed number three TilakVarmainthesecond.
Opener Abhishek
Sharma (15) avoided a fourth successive duck but neither he nor Washington Sundar (11) could provide the stability that India neededatthatstage.
I n d i a c a p t a i n
Suryakumar Yadav (18) departed in the 10th over, leavingIndiareelingat51-5 andthechasedriftingfurther fromreachwitheachpassing delivery
Keshav Maharaj then effectively extinguished India’s fading hopes in one tellingburst.
The leftarm spinner dismissed Hardik Pandya (18), Rinku Singh and Arshdeep Singh in the eventful 15th over, breaking
thebackofthelowermiddle order and clearing the path forSouthAfrica’svictory Dube’sgallant42merely lent some respectability to India’smarginofdefeat. Marco Jansen dismissed Dube and Bumrah with successive deliveries to finishwithfiguresof4-22.
Scores:SouthAfrica187 for 7 (Miller 63, Brevis 45, Bumrah3-15)beatIndia111 (Dube 42, Jansen 4-22, Maharaj3-24)by76runs.
Hosted through the combined efforts of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, the National Sports Commission (NSC), the Guyana Olympic Association (GOA), and the Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana(EFG),theworkshop brought administrators, c o a c h e s , m e d i c a l professionals and advocates into one room with a shared mission: ensuring that athletes living with epilepsy are understood, supported and empowered Archery GuyanaonFebruary20,2026 proudly participated in this landmark ‘Epilepsy in Sport AwarenessandManagement’ workshop
Representing Archery Guyana at the workshop were Messrs Courtlee Rodrigues and Nolan Gray, who engaged in the interactivesessionsaimedat strengthening knowledge and response protocols surrounding epilepsy in sportingenvironments.
Theinitiativemarkedthe first workshop of its kind in Guyana addressing the intersection of epilepsy and sport, aligning with the NSC’s developmental agenda and broader efforts by the Ministry of Culture, YouthandSportstoadvance inclusive participation acrossalldisciplines.
Speaking at the workshop, Vidushi Persaud-
McKinnoninhercapacityas Secretary General of the G u y a n a O l y m p i c Association emphasised the broader responsibility of sportingbodies:“Sportmust go beyond medals and podiums and embrace dignity, education, safety, and inclusion. Inclusion is notsimplyapolicy—itisa daily practice reflected in howwecoach,organise,and protectourathletes.”
She further highlighted theimportanceofawareness and preparedness within federations: “With proper awareness, appropriate response protocols, and supportive coaching environments, athletes living with epilepsy can safely and confidently participate in sport No athlete should be limited by misun
stigma ” Mrs PersaudMcKinnon also extended specialrecognitiontoRawle Toney,asbeinginstrumental in bringing this initiative to life and ensuring the message reached every corner of the sporting community
The programme opened with a call to action for greater awareness and stronger systems within sportchairedbyDr Thomas Singh.
Kudos are particularly extended to Director of Sport, Mr Steve Ninvalle,
for creating the opportunity for national federations to benefit from this landmark initiative. In describing the workshop as historic, the firstformalalliancebetween
Epilepsy Foundation, he affirmedthat“we’removing in the right direction,” signaling a progressive shift
collaboration and athletecentered development in G
g landscape.
The medical segment of theworkshopdeliveredboth depth and clarity Dr Mallika Mootoo, MD, Pediatrician, provided critical insight into epilepsy in young athletes, dispelling
mythswhilereinforcingthat,
management, children with epilepsy can safely and confidently participate in sport.
TheEpilepsyFoundation of Guyana shared lived realities, advocacy efforts, andtheurgentneedtobreak stigmathrougheducation.
Neurologists Dr Alex Persaud, MD, and Dr Jarrel Watson, MD, delivered an engaging and practical
recognition, emergency response protocols, and management strategies
environments Participants left equipped with clear guidance on what to do and what not to do when
respondingtoseizuresonthe fieldofplay
Archery Guyana views thisengagementaspartofits ongoing commitment to athlete-centered governance andsafesportpractices.The federation recognises that inclusive sport strengthens not only individual athletes,
but the integrity and resilience of the sporting communityasawhole.
ArcheryGuyanaremains dedicatedtoensuringthatits programmes reflect global best practices in safety, education, and accessibility, reinforcingthatarchery,like allsport,mustbeopentoall.
MILAN, (Reuters) -
The United States ended a nearly half-century wait for Olympic men’s ice hockey gold with a 2-1 overtime victory against Canada in a thrilling final on Sunday, withJackHughesdelivering theirthirdtitleandfirstsince 1980withthewinningshot.
Hughes left it allincluding at least one of his
teeth - out on the ice in a nerve-jangling triumph exactly46yearstothedayof the iconic U.S. “Miracle on Ice” victory over the Soviet Union en route to gold in LakePlacid.
It came down to threeon-three play where Hughes collected a pass from Zach Werenski and fired into the net one minute and 41
seconds into the extra period, flashing a bloody, chipped grin after receiving ahighsticktothefaceinthe thirdperiod.
The goal resulted in gloves, helmets and sticks flying over the ice as his teammates ran to smother thecountry’shero.
Matt Boldy had put the U.S. ahead after six minutes
with the Americans’ first shot of the game before Canada levelled through Cale Makar to set up a nailbitingfinalperiodafterU.S. goalie Connor Hellebuyck made 40 saves over the 60 minutes.
Canada were forced to play without their captain Sidney Crosby, 38, a living legend in his country who scored the overtime goal against the U.S. to secure gold on home ice at Vancouver2010.Crosbyleft the quarter-final injured in a sad finish with wondering if itcouldbehislastGames.
“Youwanttobeoutthere and you want to find every way possible but not at the expense of what needs to be done,”saidCrosby “It’sjust unfortunatewecouldn’tfind away.”
ItisthefirsttimetheU.S. have won the men’s and women’s tournaments in a single Games, with the
American women beating Canada in their own
Thursday
The games were played against the backdrop of political tensions between the U.S. and Canada, with President Donald Trump having repeatedly threatened to make Canada the 51st state through “economicforce.”
Trump congratulated the men’s team on social media moments after the final buzzer, while the White House X account posted an image of an American bald eaglesteppingontheneckof aCanadiangoose.
Billed as the showpiece match the ice hockey world wanted to see following the returnofNHLplayerstothe Games after a 12-year absence,theNorthAmerican rivalsdidnotdisappoint.
Fans at the Santagiulia
arena poured out duelling chants of “USA!” and “Canada!” as the players tradedblows.
It took until the sixth minute for the U.S. to get their first shot off, but they madeitcount.
Boldy juggled the puck on his stick on his way past twoCanadiandefendersand slippedabackhanderbeyond thegoalie.
The U S had not concededonapowerplayall tournament but with two players in the penalty box that impressive statistic cameunderthreat.
TheAmericansheldfirm during five-on-three play midway through the second period.
Canada,however,finally foundawaypastHellebuyck in goal with less than two minutestothefinalinterval.
Devon Toews’ pass found Makar in acres of space and the Canadian defenceman madenomistakewithhis
(Continuedonpage29)
A , (Reuters) - Barcelona returnedtothetopofLaLiga with a straightforward 3-0 victory over relegationthreatened Levante on Sunday as Marc Bernal, Frenkie De Jong and substitute Fermin Lopez struckatCampNou.
Last season’s champions moved to 61 points from 25 games, one ahead of Real Madrid after their rivals’ defeat by Osasuna on Saturday
Barca had slipped to secondfollowinglastweek’s 2-1 loss to Girona but on Sunday they ensured Real’s setback did not go to waste and rarely looked troubled by a Levante side second frombottomon18points.
Levante threatened inside the opening minute but Carlos Alvarez’s effort was weak and comfortably gathered by keeper Joan Garcia.
one-on-onesave.
DeJongdoubledthelead inthe32ndminute,ghosting in unmarked to turn in Joao Cancelo’scrossfromtheleft.
Barcelona dominated possessionafterhalftimebut initially lacked a clinical edge Lewandowski and Raphinha both missed
presentable chances, and LevantegoalkeeperMathew Ryan denied Jules Kounde withafinesave.
Lopezeventuallyputthe result beyond doubt in the 81st minute, drilling a leftfootedshotfromtheedgeof the box in off the post to complete an efficient
Barcelona responded swiftly In the fourth minute EricGarciasurgeddownthe left and drilled a low cross intothebox,where18-yearold Bernal slid in to finish fromcloserange.
“I believe we have managed to control the match effectively and have done very well in every level,” Bernal told Movistar Plus.
“I’mveryhappywiththe three points and for helping theteamwithagoal.It’strue that they had a chance early but my goal helped us to settle down and gain confidence.”
Robert Lewandowski squandered a rebound soon after, while Levante almost equalisedinthe14thminute when Ivan Romero released JonAnder Olasagasti on the counter-attack, only for Garcia to produce a sharp
afternoon’s work from Barcelona rather than a spectacularone.
Ryan ensured the scoreline did not get worse for Levante in added time, producing back-to-back saves to deny Raphinha’s header and then Lopez from point-blankrange.
