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Saturday Edition September 26, 2026 - Vol. 21 No. 38 Online: www.kaieteurnews.com Online Price $200 readership yesterday, 41,226

‘No more plundering, no more exploitation’ - UN Chief says resource wealth must benefit producing countries Pres. Ali defends MV Barima salvage process, says bids being re-evaluated

Linden town clerk

under fire for alleged self-appointment to CH&PA board

Traffic on the west-bound lane of the Demerara Bridge was brought to a standstill on Friday when a Canter suddenly burst into flames. The Guyana Fire Service quickly responded and brought the situation under control, before the fire was extinguished. No injuries were reported.

Finance Minister warns contractors of liquidated damages over project delays

Lindsayca bids US$493M for NGL facility as Chinese firm offers US$28M

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Saturday September 26, 2026

Finance Minister warns contractors of liquidated damages over project delays Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh on Friday made it clear that the government will enforce strict contract management to ensure contractors deliver projects on time and on budget and will institute liquidated damages against companies that fail to meet contractual obligations. He said, “the president and cabinet have taken a firm position as it relates to ensuring contractual compliance, that the contracts that we have with those who are providing goods and services are executed on time, in keeping with the specifications that are outlined in them and in keeping with the costs reflected in the contract and so stronger contract and project management are very much a priority for us and enforcement.” In keeping with this

stance, he said, “the cabinet is taking a firm position on the enforcement of liquidated damages in the event that you have time overruns.” Dr. Singh noted that majority of government projects are completed on time, lauding his cabinet colleagues for supervising these works. He however acknowledged that there are instances where projects exceed their estimated deadlines. As such, he explained, “The cabinet has taken a position that we must enforce and we will enforce the provisions as they relate to liquidated damages, to ensure that we have timely completion, unless, obviously, there are strong and compelling, extenuating or justifying circumstances.” He said the directive regarding the enforcement of

Ongoing construction activities at the Monkey Mountain Airstrip in Region Eight.

liquidated damages come directly from President Irfaan Ali who has instructed all ministers in his cabinet to

ensure the respective permanent secretaries enforce these measures in contracts, particularly in relation to timely completion. The announcement by the finance minister comes

on the heels of a comment by the Prime Minister, Mark Phillips that the administration has not yet determined whether the contractor executing the country’s largest financial project in history- the Wales

G a s - t o - E n e r g y development- will be slapped with penalties for failing to meet yet another deadline- by the end of 2026. Lindsayca Guyana Inc., the company that was Continued on page 8

Mottley backs CARICOM reparatory justice plan The wounds left by slavery remain raw, Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley told the United Nations on Thursday, as she called for honest engagement on reparatory justice. Mottley, addressing the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly, said Caribbean countries continue to carry the scars of the trafficking and enslavement of Africans and must pursue healing through reparatory justice. “We in Barbados accept the moral responsibility of removing the cross of slavery Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley with its horrific consequences,” Mottley said. Justice in July. “For the Caribbean, for Africa “We must effect healing through reparatory justice. For it is the right and for those countries concerned, the honest engagement must begin,” she said. thing to do.” She also thanked Ghanaian President Mottley noted that the UN General Assembly passed a resolution on March 25 John Mahama for coming to the table on the recognising the trafficking of enslaved issue. Mottley stressed that the call for Africans and the racialised chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime r e p a r a t i o n s d o e s n o t r e m o v e t h e responsibility of Caribbean countries to against humanity. She also pointed to Barbados’ history, address their own challenges. “We do not ask noting that the country passed its first slave f o r r e p a r a t i o n s w i t h o u t a c c e p t i n g code in 1661, while other countries later responsibility for our own self-repair, which followed with similar laws, including we have undertaken for decades,” she said. She linked the legacy of slavery to France’s Code Noir of 1685. “That Code Noir was only repealed this inequalities that remain within international year. And hence the wounds are still raw,” she power structures and the global financial system. Mottley said addressing those said. Mottley said CARICOM heads of inequalities is necessary if the world is g o v e r n m e n t a p p r o v e d t h e r e v i s e d serious about restoring trust and creating a CARICOM Ten-Point Plan for Reparatory more equal international system.

Saturday September 26, 2026

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‘No more plundering, no more exploitation’ - UN Chief says resource wealth must benefit producing countries

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nited Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres has called for an end to the exploitation of resource-rich developing countries, noting that nations that produce critical minerals must keep a much larger share of the wealth generated from their natural resources. Addressing the G77 and China on Friday during opening ceremony of the 50th annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77, Guterras called for a new approach to the global race for critical minerals, warning that the energy transition must not repeat the inequalities connected with the exploitation of natural resources in the past. “No more plundering. No more exploitation,” Guterres told the meeting of

foreign affairs ministers. He said producing countries and communities affected by mining must retain “a far greater share of the value created from their resources. According to the UN chief, the countries must be more than suppliers of raw materials to the global economy. “Developing countries must be leaders and beneficiaries of the clean e n e rg y r e v o l u t i o n , n o t spectators,” he affirmed. The message comes against the backdrop of growing international demand for minerals needed for batteries, electric vehicles, renewable energy systems and other technologies. For Guyana, the broader issue of how much value remains in the country from its natural resources is already part of the national

Lula holds thin lead over Flavio Bolsonaro ahead of Brazil election, Datafolha poll shows (Reuters) - Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has maintained a two-percentage-point lead Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, his main challenger, in a potential runoff ahead of October’s election, a Datafolha poll showed on Thursday. In a simulated runoff, Lula would receive 47% of the vote compared ‘with 45% for Bolsonaro. A previous Datafolha poll last week had Lula leading Bolsonaro by 46% to 44%. The Misinformation Monitor newsletter rounds up international misinformation narratives, with a “Real or Fake?” quiz in every edition. Sign up here. The result also represents a technical tie as it falls within the poll’s margin of error of 2 percentage points. In a first-round scenario, Lula leads with 40% of the vote, followed ‘Bolsonaro (36%), Augusto Cury (5%), Ronaldo Caiado (4%) and Renan Santos (3%). The previous poll showed the leftist president with 39% against the right-wing senator’s 36%. Senator Bolsonaro is the eldest ‘son of former President Jair Bolsonaro, who is serving a 27-year prison sentence for attempting to overturn his ‘2022 election defeat to Lula. If no candidate wins more than 50% of valid votes in ‘the first round, the two frontrunners advance to a runoff.

conversation. In May earlier this year, President Irfaan Ali launched “El Dorado Reimagined,” the country’s national gold and jewellery brand, with the aim of moving Guyana from a producer of raw gold to a creator of higher-value jewellery and luxury products. At the launch, the headof-state said Guyana had for years extracted and exported gold while jobs, skills and economic value associated with further stages of production remained outside the country. The initiative includes efforts to expand local refining, craftsmanship and manufacturing. The first major product under the initiative was a commemorative gold medallion made entirely in Guyana, from mining and refining to design and minting. “For decades, Guyana has done what so many resource-rich nations have done. We dug, we washed, we poured, and we waved goodbye,” the head-of-state said. He said with gold leaving the country, so do jobs, skills and billions of dollars in unrealised value. “Today, we are saying

United Nations SecretaryGeneral António Guterres not anymore,” Ali said, as he outlined the push to move Guyana from a nation focused on extraction to one that also creates higher-value products from its resources. Guterres, in his UN address, made a similar point in the context of critical minerals, saying producing countries must have a greater stake in the value created from their resources. He also warned that the clean-energy transition should not create a new version of the inequalities associated with earlier periods of resource exploitation. Guterres said the same principle must apply to the minerals that will drive the global transition away from

fossil fuels. He warned that the countries with the resources n e e d e d f o r t h e e n e rg y transition should not be left behind while wealth and manufacturing opportunities accumulate elsewhere. The secretary-general’s comments also come as the UN pushes for reforms to the international economic system, with developing countries demanding a greater voice in decisions affecting finance, trade, investment and access to technology. Earlier in his address, Guterres said developing countries are being “crushed by unsustainable debt” and locked out of affordable financing, while calling for

reforms to the international financial architecture. He said the clean-energy transition presents an opportunity to change that imbalance. “The sun belongs to no one. The wind cannot be embargoed. Innovation can come from everywhere,” Guterres said. He said renewable energy is now the cheapest source of new electricity in most of the world and represents a major opportunity for developing countries to achieve greater energy security and sustainable growth. But he warned that the benefits of the transition must be shared more fairly. “We must also ensure that the mining of critical minerals does not dig deeper into the inequities of the past,” Guterres said. The question of local value addition has also featured prominently in G u y a n a ’s g o l d s e c t o r, including calls for greater local refining and processing capacity.

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Kaieteur News Printed and Published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd. 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown, Guyana. Publisher: GLENN LALL - Tel: 624-6456 Editor-in-Chief: Nigel Williams Tel: 225-8465, 225-8491. Fax: 225-8473, 226-8210

EDITORIAL

Exxon’s Guyana boast There is something remarkably audacious about ExxonMobil holding up Guyana as a success story to persuade other resource-rich countries to do business with the company. At a recent Barclays Conference, Exxon’s Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Neil Hansen proudly pointed to Guyana as evidence of what the company can accomplish for resource owners. Exxon has recovered the astounding US$55 billion it invested in exploration and development of the Stabroek Block, and Hansen said the recovery occurred about two years earlier than the company had expected. Exxon is clearly pleased with the achievement. It should be. Recovering US$55 billion is an extraordinary corporate milestone. The company says the rapid recovery reflects the execution of its projects, the performance of its operations and its ability to run the floating production, storage and offloading vessels efficiently. But there is another side to this story that should not be lost amid Exxon’s self-congratulation. The company did not recover that US$55 billion under some ordinary commercial arrangement in which Guyana simply watched from the sidelines. The recovery was made possible by the extraordinarily favourable terms of the 2016 Production Sharing Agreement. Under that agreement, Exxon and its partners were permitted to take up to 75% of the oil produced each month to recover costs. The expenses accumulated in the so-called cost bank, with unrecovered costs carried forward until they were eventually cleared. That mechanism meant Guyana received only 12.5% of profit oil during the cost-recovery period. The remaining profit oil was divided between the contractors and Guyana, with the country receiving half. Now that Exxon says the US$55 billion cost bank has been completely cleared, Guyana’s profit share has risen dramatically to 39.8%. That contrast tells its own story. For years, Guyanese have complained that the 2016 PSA is heavily weighted in favour of the oil companies. The agreement has been the subject of sustained criticism precisely because of the extent of the benefits granted to the contractors, including the generous cost-recovery provisions. Yet Exxon now presents Guyana to the rest of the world almost as a corporate showroom—a place where it can demonstrate how quickly it can recover billions of dollars and then tell prospective resource owners that ExxonMobil is the “partner of choice.” Hansen went even further, suggesting that resource owners looking for a company capable of executing projects efficiently, recovering its investment quickly and allowing the resource owner to benefit more promptly should look to ExxonMobil. That is an impressive sales pitch. But there is an obvious irony. Guyana is being used to advertise Exxon’s success precisely because the company was operating under terms that many Guyanese regard as deeply disadvantageous to the country. Exxon has every right to celebrate its commercial success. Guyana should equally have the right to examine whether the country received a proportionate benefit during the period in which that success was being achieved. The company also says its Guyana experience demonstrates the advantages of direct negotiations, noting that countries are increasingly opting for one-on-one discussions with oil companies rather than open bidding processes. That claim deserves particular scrutiny. Guyana’s experience demonstrates not merely that Exxon can execute major projects and recover enormous sums of money quickly. It also demonstrates the long-term consequences of the contractual terms under which such investments are made.

The long line in Queens: What Guyanese diaspora turnout for Irfaan means DEAR EDITOR, Avisceral manifestation of geopolitical gravity unfolded on a sidewalk in Queens Village amongst the diaspora. The relentless autumn wind did nothing to deter the hundreds who stood tightly queued for over two hours, waiting for a fleeting chance to squeeze inside a packed community ballroom. They were not there for a standard diaspora campaign rally; they were waiting to hear their visiting President. The image on that cool, windy Thursday night of some 2,000 people waiting for over two hours on a long winding virtually stagnant line to get into a small ballroom in one of the heartland areas of the Guyanese diaspora, to “meet and greet” visiting President Irfaan Ali, says something about the message they wish to send to the president and about their renewed interest in and strong ties with their former homeland and about their president, his likability and popularity and also the issues they have and would like to be addressed. The most revealing aspect of the engagement was not the president inside speaking to the gathering. It was the line outside! I covered as a writer, rulers from Guyana, Trinidad and other

Caribbean states. I was at multiple events in which Irfaan Jagdeo, Ramotar, Jagan, Janet, Michael Manley, Basdeo Panday, Maurice Bishop, Kamla Persad Bissessar, ANR Robinson, Patrick Manning, Keith Rowley, Edward Seaga, Bruce Golding, PJ Patterson, Portia Simpson engaged their diasporas. Manley and Jagan pulled huge crowds. I never saw such a crowd and such long lines to meet and greet a ruler as that for Irfaan. It was by far the largest I observed in my near fifty years of reporting on such events for local community and international publications and in studying, researching and writing about overseas Guyanese. There has been a growing emotional relationship between Guyana and its diaspora ever since the country discovered and started producing oil by Exxon resulting in the fastest growing economy. It is not merely a story about the crowded small room and the long line of so many and the inconvenient, patiently waiting outside or of the logistical challenge of accommodating such a large audience in a room that could accommodate only 200, stretched to 250. It is a

picture of a community demonstrating, in very physical terms, that a distance of 2500 miles has not diminished their interest in the country they left behind. They wanted to meet their President as they did in many engagements over the decades. And this writer was at virtually every diaspora engagement going (as a writer or reporter or a protester or an organizer of a protest) going back to 1977. Recent visits by President Ali (and Jagdeo as well as Jagan and Janet) to New York (Queens) area have repeatedly drawn enthusiastic Guyanese audiences. In 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024, Irfaan met members of the diaspora in Queens and Brooklyn, where discussions touched on G u y a n a ’s p o l i t i c s , development, energy resources, education, healthcare, agriculture, and appealing to Guyanese abroad contributing to the country’s future. In 2025, at another Queens meet-andgreet at Russo on the Bay in Howard Beach drew hundreds in a packed banquet hall and enthusiastic applause. Irfaan knew how to work the crowd from experience and he did so magnificently and cheerfully. This reporter did

not get inside the Queens Village Hall to observe the engagement but was told about the warm reception inside and observed the enthusiasm of the crowd outside. Against the background of a large crowd waiting hours to meet Irfaan presented a striking picture against his earlier engagements. People do not stand in a line for that length of time simply because a politician happens to be in town. For many in the Guyanese diaspora, meeting the president represented an opportunity to connect personally with him and the homeland. They wanted to hear directly about what is happening in Guyana, as previous Presidents or Prime Ministers related during their visits. They always spoke the language that their bases wanted to hear. Some in the audience came to challenge the President on issues that they feel matter to them and their families and to other Guyanese and a couple did, I was told. Some came at the open public event to meet the leader of their country who they never met or to offer support or to experience the rare moment when the highest office in their country comes within Continued on page 6

Updating the software: Beyond Georgetown celebrations and backdam exploitation DEAR EDITOR, Shadow Natural Resources Minister Sharma Solomon hit a raw national nerve this week when he cautioned against celebrating Indigenous people in Georgetown while abandoning them at the backdam. His critique exposes a fundamental, hypocritical glitch in how Guyana manages its resources, its geography, and its first

peoples. Solomon’s observation that an Indigenous Toshao is forced to physically stand in front of heavy excavators at Chinese Landing or Ta s s a w i n i t o p r o t e c t ancestral lands is not an isolated governance failure. It is the direct consequence of running a US$21 billion 21st-century economy on an outdated, 18th-century colonial software operating system.

And Exxon is not finished. Hansen disclosed that the fifth FPSO is already in Guyana’s waters and that the company is looking at advancing a ninth FPSO. The company therefore intends to continue investing in Guyana, even after recovering its historic US$55 billion. That makes the terms governing future developments even more important. The lesson Guyana should draw from Exxon’s boast is not simply that the company can execute projects efficiently. It is that contractual terms matter enormously. Exxon may be celebrating the fact that it recovered US$55 billion faster than expected. Guyanese should remember what the country surrendered while that money was being recovered and ensure that future agreements do not repeat the same imbalance.

For months, I have argued in these pages that Guyana’s modern “hardware” our coastal highways, oil infrastructure, and glittering Georgetown hotels is being built on a corrupted cultural software. At the core of this operating system is an entrenched, paternalistic authority structure that treats citizens not as equal partners, but as subjects to be managed. Nowhere is this Massamentality more obvious than in our institutional posture toward Amerindian communities. On the international stage, Guyana rightly accepts accolades and carbon credit revenue for preserving its standing forests under the Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS). Yet, as Solomon rightly notes, the state turns around and treats the underground mineral wealth beneath those very forests as “somebody else’s

b u s i n e s s . ” We p r a i s e Indigenous communities as global guardians of nature when it suits our environmental marketing, but reduce them to physical obstacles when a mining permit or state-backed interest enters the hinterland. This double standard is rooted in our historic, uncritical devotion to a “coastal civilization.” As I have detailed in my writings on the necessity of a “Southern Turn” and the need to move “Beyond the Plantation,” our coastal political class remains trapped in a colonial extractivist mindset. The coast treats the interior merely as a resource frontier to be plundered for timber, gold, and minerals, rather than a living human landscape defined by ancient sovereignty, rich cultures, and sophisticated ecological wisdom. By marginalising Continued on page 5

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Too many fires DEAR EDITOR, I am increasingly concerned about the number of fire-related incidents being reported across Guyana in 2026. Homes, businesses and even electrical infrastructure have been affected by fires, raising important questions about whether enough is being done to prevent these incidents before they occur. While fires can happen for many different reasons, the frequency and consequences of these incidents should encourage us to take a closer look at fire prevention, electrical safety, building standards and public awareness One area that deserves greater attention is the condition of electrical systems in homes and businesses. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS), in

collaboration with the Government Electrical Inspectorate (GEI), advises homeowners to have a licensed electrician comprehensively review and inspect their home’s electrical system at least every five to ten years. I have also seen outdated ceramic rewirable fuse boards still being used, despite the significant fire and electrical-shock hazards they can present in modern homes because they lack many of the safety features found in newer electrical protection systems. Greater public awareness and enforcement surrounding electrical inspections could therefore play an important role in reducing preventable fires. We must also recognise the challenges faced by poorer households and communities. Some families

continue to rely on kerosene stoves and lanterns, which can become extremely dangerous when used improperly or placed too close to combustible materials. Poverty should never mean that a household has to live without basic firesafety education or access to safer alternatives. Government agencies, community organisations and the private sector could work together to provide targeted fire-prevention education and practical assistance to vulnerable households. Another concern is the close proximity of some buildings, particularly in densely populated communities. When structures are constructed too closely together, a fire that begins in one property can rapidly spread to

Updating the software: Beyond... From page 4 Indigenous voices when gold is discovered, we commit a double tragedy. First, we violate the fundamental rights of our First Peoples, subjecting their creeks to toxic mercury, degrading their fishing grounds, and forcing leaders to put their lives on the line for legal titles that should be inviolable. Second, we shut the door on the very knowledge systems needed to transform Guyana’s broader political and cultural life. To build a genuine “Orange Economy” or any truly creative, democratic public sphere we cannot rely on performative listening or top-down mandates from Georgetown. We must execute a profound, humble, and open engagement with our interior. We must learn from the relational

architecture and deep spirituality of our Indigenous communities, whose ways of thinking offer a completely different, sustainable template for human organization and resource stewardship. A government that truly listens would not force a Toshao to blockade an excavator to be heard. It would recognize that the dollar beneath the soil can never be worth more than the life and culture above it. It is time to update our national software: to respect Amerindian land sovereignty in practice, to audit overlapping mining boundaries honestly, and to embrace the interior not as an extractive backdam, but as the philosophical and moral core of Guyana’s sovereign future. Sincerely, Dr. Walter H. Persaud

neighbouring buildings, potentially leaving several families and businesses facing devastating losses. Proper building separation, safe electrical installations, accessible roads for emergency vehicles, fireresistant materials and effective enforcement of building and fire-safety requirements must therefore be treated as essential components of national development. We also cannot overlook children and the dangers associated with playing with fire. What may begin as innocent curiosity or a game can quickly become a tragedy. Parents, guardians, schools and communities have an important role to play in teaching children about the dangers of matches, lighters, candles and other sources of ignition. Fire-safety education should begin at an

early age and should be reinforced through schools and community programmes so that children understand that fire is not a toy. There is also the serious issue of suspected arson. Where authorities have reason to believe that a fire may have been deliberately started, such cases should be thoroughly investigated and appropriate action taken where evidence supports criminal charges. Deliberately setting a fire can endanger not only the intended property but also neighbouring families, emergency responders, businesses and entire communities. The public also deserves confidence that suspicious fires are properly investigated and that those responsible, where identified and proven, are held accountable. Guyana therefore needs to

continue strengthening its approach to fire prevention rather than focusing primarily on responding after a disaster has occurred. Regular electrical inspections, stronger enforcement of building and fire codes, public education, safer alternatives for vulnerable households, child-focused fire-safety programmes and thorough investigations of suspicious fires can all contribute to reducing the risks. As Guyana continues to develop and communities become increasingly populated, fire safety must remain part of our national development conversation. Prevention, preparedness and enforcement can save lives, protect livelihoods and reduce the enormous economic losses that follow major fires Sincerely, Mr. Blane R Bunbury

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The long line in Queens: What Guyanese diaspora turnout for Irfaan... From page 4 reach. And there were a few who came to protest (as they did outside the venue across the street under the protection of the New York police) and some protesters or opponents came inside the hall and voiced concerns. There is also something deeply Guyanese or Caribbean about such gatherings of leaders engaging diasporas. Politics often extends beyond ballot boxes and campaign platforms in Guyana. Diaspora engagements have

become social, cultural and personal platforms as well as opportunities to update the diaspora about what is happening at home. It must be noted that the president is not simply a constitutional figure in Guyana; he is more than that, an informant to the diaspora as are other officials, of policies of the government, its progress, development, and more. For members of any diaspora, the ruler (and other officials) is a living connection to their c o u n t r y, t h e i r f o r m e r community, their parents,

grandparents, villages, towns, childhood memories and relatives still living in Guyana. The extraordinary size of the crowd, the largest I observed at any engagement of a Caribbean ruler, reflects the diaspora’s interest in their homeland as well as Guyana’s changing place in the world, all because of oil and Exxon’s role in it. The country has undergone a dramatic economic transformation over the last seven years since the production of major offshore

oil reserves by Exxon. Thousands of jobs have been created over the last seven years. President Ali has made infrastructure, healthcare, education and economic development central themes of his administration, arguing that oil revenues should be translated into tangible improvements in people’s lives. He has given out three national cash grants in addition to various grants to targeted recipients (children, retirees, workers, and seniors).

I was there from 1977 observing attendance as the diaspora engaged political leaders (rulers and opposition). They were very small in the 1970s of dozens, increased to a few hundreds in the 1980s, and rapidly increasing in size during the 1990s and thereafter as more Guyanese settled in NY. No doubt, last Thursdays was the largest crowd, albeit of less than a seventh being able to get inside the hall. The President owes the diaspora another visit in a bigger hall. For Guyanese observing from abroad or at home, the transformation of their country carries a particular fascination. Many left a country that was economically very different, poor, backward, unpaved streets, little food, tensions, during the 1960s to 2020 from the Guyana being discussed today. They now see new roads, bridges, the longest (Dr. Jagdeo) bridge over a river in the Caribbean, highways, hospitals, housing projects, unlimited food, and other developments being promoted as evidence of a more prosperous future. Whether every government promise or the country’s real potential is ultimately fulfilled is a legitimate question, but the sheer interest in hearing about Guyana’s development direction is unmistakable. Yet the long wait to meet the President also raises another point: the demand to see a president is vastly greater than the capacity of the venue. When the crowd becomes several times larger than the room, the event has outgrown its physical setting. The lesson for o r g a n i z e r s i s straightforward: plan for a large crowd. A community that turns out in such numbers deserves a comfortable arrangement. But there is a more symbolic lesson as well. A crowd of this size should not be understood automatically as a political endorsement. People attend political gatherings for many different reasons. Some may be enthusiastic supporters. Some may be curious. Some may want to raise concerns. Others may simply want to see the president of their ancestral homeland. And a few came to protest on the other side of the hall. What it u n q u e s t i o n a b l y demonstrates is that Guyanese diaspora is paying attention to their former country or the homeland of their fore-parents; there were many born Americans there.

That matters because the diaspora has occupied a unique position in the country’s development. Guyanese abroad have contributed since the 1960s through remittances, investments, rehabilitation of homes, family support as well as funding of community projects including schools, professional expertise and cultural connections. They live outside the country, but their economic and emotional relationships with Guyana remain significant. President Ali himself has repeatedly emphasized the importance of maintaining those connections. At his 2025 Queens gathering, he thanked compatriots for continuing to support and keep Guyana in their hearts while building lives in New York and appealed to them to invest in their former homeland. What else do people waiting with hours passing and them standing shoulder t o s h o u l d e r, t a l k i n g , checking their phones, waiting for security and for a door to open to let them in? That line represents something larger than one political meeting. It is a snapshot of a diaspora that remains emotionally invested in the fortunes of Guyana and eager to engage with the people who govern it. The responsibility of the government now is to ensure that such enthusiasm is met with meaningful engagement — questions, answers, accountability and continued conversation after the ballroom empties. The organizers should have selected a hall that could at a minimum accommodate over 1,000. With such a large crowd willing to wait two hours just for the opportunity to see their president, the message from Queens is unmistakable: Guyana may be thousands of miles away, but for many Guyanese New Yorkers, it is never far from their minds. Planners should have anticipated that a populist President would have a large turnout. Long undulating line outside the venue to get in. Disappointed people left. T h e P r e s i d e n t accommodated those who waited on line to engage him, taking a pix with them which was posted on his Facebook page. There was a protest and the participants have every right to tell their story. Yours truly, Vishnu Bisram

Saturday September 26, 2026

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Linden town clerk under fire for alleged self-appointment to CH&PA board The Linden Mayor and Town Council is calling for an investigation into Town Clerk Lennox Gasper over a letter in which he allegedly represented himself as the council’s nominee to the Central Housing and Planning Authority (CH&PA) Planning Board. According to a statement issued by the council, the move was made without the approval of the municipality. The council said it was

addressing the public over “a serious matter” involving correspondence issued to the C H & PA r e g a r d i n g representation on its planning board. The council said it had t a k e n n o t e o f correspondence dated 14th August, 2026, in which Gasper informed the secretary of the CH&PA that the Linden Mayor and Town Council, at its statutory meeting on 5th August,

2026, had decided that he would serve as the council’s representative on the CH&PA Planning Board. However, the council said it has no knowledge of making such a decision at that meeting. The development has raised concerns within the council about the circumstances under which the correspondence was issued and whether it accurately represented an

official decision of the municipality. The council described the matter as serious and unprecedented, particularly since the correspondence to a statutory authority appears to attribute a decision to the elected council which, according to the council, was never made. The administration has since formally asked the Local Government Commission to place Gasper

Town Clerk of Linden Mayor and Town Council, Lennox Gasper on administrative leave pending a formal and independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the correspondence. The council stressed that decisions must be made through the proper process, accurately recorded and faithfully communicated. “No individual officer should represent to a statutory authority that the council has taken a decision

when the council has not done so,” the council said, adding that any further administrative or disciplinary action should follow the outcome of the investigation and applicable procedures. The statement also noted that each councillor has provided written endorsement in support of the recommendations submitted to the Local Government Commission.

Finance Minister warns... From page 2 initially awarded a US759 million contract by the GoG to deliver 300 megawatts (MW) of electricity by the end of 2024 has failed consistently to meet promised deadlines with the project now expected to deliver a fraction of power by the end of 2026. The delays have resulted in multimillion US-dollars losses for Guyana as the country’s rapid expansion continues to demand increased electricity supply. While the company pushes to meet another deadline, the GoG could not definitively say whether the contractor will face any penalties if it fails again to deliver power to the country by the end of the year. During a recent press conference, Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar said, “At the end of the year, myself and the Prime Minister have gotten the commitment from Lindsayca, the Gas-to-Energy (GTE) contractor that we will get one of the turbines that will generate 57MW of power.” As such, Kaieteur News questioned government officials to say whether Lindsayca could face penalities for failing to meet the yearend deadline. To this end, Prime Minister Mark Phillips explained, “We’re taking things one step at a time. We had a meeting with Lindsayca and we left the meeting with the assurance that they would reach the deadline for simple-cycle power in December 2026. Let’s give them an opportunity to deliver. When we reach that point we’ll determine the next step.” Kaieteur News reported that the two-year delay of the Wales GTE project is expected to cost the country approximately US$884M or more than the initial cost of the two gas plants currently under construction.

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Walk out! There are times when professional rivalry becomes a luxury and solidarity becomes a duty. Washington has just provided one. The Trump administration has barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, accusing them of publishing what President Donald Trump calls “fake news.” The three organisations have challenged the decision in court, arguing that their exclusion violates their constitutional rights. The White House television pool is an arrangement among the major U.S. television networks under which one network at a time is designated to provide the television coverage of presidential events that cannot accommodate all broadcasters. The network assigned to the pool supplies the live video and audio feed, which is then made available to the other networks and broadcasters, allowing the public to see and hear the president even when physical space is limited. The participating networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News and CNN — rotate this responsibility CNN was scheduled to perform its turn in the White House television pool. The other members of that pool — ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News — could simply have stepped into the breach. They did not. Instead, they collectively refused to replace CNN. The decision meant that the presidential television pool was suspended for events that CNN had been scheduled to cover. The networks declared that the public has a vital interest in receiving accurate and independent information about its government and that no administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting. Even Fox News, which is perceived in some quarters as being pro-Trump, stood with the other networks. That is what solidarity looks like. The American networks were effectively defending a principle. They were also saying that today it is CNN; tomorrow it could be us. The White House’s aversion to criticism is well known. Reporters have been publicly berated, dismissed and personally attacked

during presidential encounters, part of a broader and well-documented antagonism between the president and sections of the press. The answer from the American networks has decisive. The networks have signalled clearly that they will not be part of any scheme to help replace those who the White House has excluded. Guyana should pay attention. We have no shortage of experience with the political abuse of journalists. The Guyana Press Association has documented complaints of harassment, aggression, intimidation, verbal attacks, preferential access for favoured media and the sidelining of organisations regarded as unfriendly. It has specifically recorded incidents involving journalists being berated or insulted by politicians and concerns about attempts to create self-censorship within the profession. Journalists have been shouted at. They have been insulted. They have had their questions attacked rather than answered. Media houses have complained about selective access. The GPA has even warned of “creeping information control” and criticised what it called “pseudo press conferences” in which questioning is choreographed and follow-ups restricted. The sad reality however is that the Guyanese media has sometimes permitted itself to be divided by the very political forces whose conduct it ought to scrutinise. This column has repeatedly criticised the treatment of journalists at political press conferences and questioned why the media should allow itself to become the captive audience of partisan propaganda. It argued that in the recent past, sections of the press had become willing participants in weekly gatherings at Freedom House where matters of government were discussed by the governing party, effectively blurring the distinction between party and State. If government business is being discussed at a party headquarters, the media has a right

Dem Boys Seh...

Turn the Global Super League into the Guyana Super League Dem Boys Seh let we stop pretending. The Global Super League sound impressive, but a tournament does not become “global” simply because the word global is printed on the poster. If the world’s leading T20 teams are not coming, if the television audience is not massive, and if the tournament is never going to eclipse the Caribbean Premier League, then perhaps is time to stop trying to make it something it clearly is not. Dem Boys seh: turn it around. Instead of pouring money into a tournament chasing an international audience that apparently does not know it exists, reconceptualise it as a National Super League—a serious, properly organised Guyanese T20 competition designed to develop Guyanese cricket. Because Guyana got a bigger problem than the GSL’s balance sheet. We need players for now and de future. First-class cricket is limited. So where are local players going to get the competitive cricket they need? Right here. With the improved infrastructure across the country, there is no reason Georgetown and Berbice cannot be playing each other regularly in a proper national club

competition. Let clubs build teams. Let businesses sponsor them. Let players from Essequibo, Demerara, Berbice and Georgetown compete. Let selectors watch them. Let young talent emerge naturally instead of waiting for somebody to discover a 19-year-old by accident while buying a roti. Dem Boys seh the franchise holders of the GSL should invite corporate Guyana to come aboard and help build something sustainable. Call it the Guyana National Super League. Invite Guyanese disapora teams from New York, Toronto and London. Give it proper promotion, television coverage, wider sponsorship and prize money. The GSL will never conquer the world. But it can help Guyana conquer the decline of Guyanese cricket. Because the future of Guyanese cricket cannot depend on importing stars and hoping our youngsters learn by watching them. Stars can entertain. Leagues develop players. So leh we stop chasing the world and start building Guyana. Dem Boys seh that would be one global idea worth stealing. Talk half. Leff half.

to report it. But the media should also ask itself whether, by repeatedly treating partisan briefings as substitutes for official government press conferences, it is allowing politicians to determine the means through which government is questioned. Guyana’s media houses need to discover the courage of collective self-interest. They need not like one another. They need not endorse one another’s editorial positions. But there should be certain lines that no respectable press corps permits the political establishment to cross. An insult to one journalist is an insult to the profession. Exclusion of one media house is a warning to all media houses. Intimidation of one reporter is an invitation to intimidate another. Guyana’s media must learn that when one journalist is demeaned, the entire profession is diminished. If at a press conference, a

reporter is publicly insulted, humiliated or bullied for asking a legitimate question, the other journalists present should not sit silently, take notes and wait their turn. They should put down their notebooks, switch off their recorders and cameras and walk out together. No government official should be allowed to abuse one journalist while the rest remain in their seats hoping to get the next question. The message should be unmistakable: insult one of us, and you have lost all of us. That is professional solidarity. And sometimes the most powerful question a press corps can ask is the question it collectively refuses to hear. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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Saturday September 2026 Monday May 02,26, 2022

Pres. Ali defends MV Barima salvage process, says bids being re-evaluated

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President Ali addressing the Guyanese diaspora in New York on Thursday.

resident Irfaan Ali s a y s b i d s submitted for the salvage of the MV Barima are still being re-evaluated, as the government moves to select a company to recover the vessel. The president made the disclosure Thursday evening during a meeting with members of the Guyanese diaspora in New York. The MV Barima sank on 18th July while travelling from Georgetown to Port

Kaituma. The tragedy claimed 73 confirmed lives, while dozens of others remain missing. The vessel is still on the seabed off the Essequibo Coast. “The technical people are re-evaluating those bids so that the company can be selected to do the salvaging,” the president said. Three companies submitted bids for the salvage operation after nine firms submitted Expressions of Interest. The bidders are local companies BK International Inc. and Industrial Fabrications Inc. (InFab), along with Netherlands-

based KMS B.V. The bids opened earlier this month show BK International submitted the lowest offer at US$1.034 million, followed by InFab at US$1.895 million and KMS B.V. at US$2.035 million. The bids are now being evaluated before the government selects a contractor. Meanwhile, the Guyanese leader pushed back against any suggestion that the government is trying to avoid recovering the vessel or investigating the tragedy. “We are not hiding from salvaging; there is a process

and that process is ongoing. We are not hiding from investigation,” he said. The salvage operation is also expected to be important to the Commission of Inquiry established to investigate the circumstances surrounding the sinking and loss of life. The terms for the salvage require the contractor to preserve forensic evidence that could assist the commission. Ali said the government would not interfere with the work of the commission. “I am not going to interfere in the work of the COI,” he said.

CARICOM endorses new Action Plan on Health and Climate Change developed with PAHO/WHO support (PAHO) Ministers of Health of CARICOM Members and Associate Member States have endorsed the Caribbean Action Plan on Health and Climate Change (2026–2031), a new regional framework developed with the support of the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organisation (PAHO/WHO) to help countries strengthen resilient and sustainable health systems and protect communities from the growing health impacts of climate change. The endorsement took place during the 53rd Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development, Health (COHSODHealth), held at PAHO Headquarters in Washington, D.C., ahead of the 63rd PAHO Directing Council. Across the Caribbean, climate change and environmental hazards are increasingly affecting health through hurricanes, extreme

heat, flooding, droughts and shifting transmission patterns of vector-borne diseases. Hurricanes have damaged hospitals, health centers and outposts, disrupting essential health services, while changing environmental conditions continue to affect the spread of diseases such as dengue. Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in the Caribbean face particular vulnerabilities due to their geography, economic structures/and exposure to natural hazards. Protecting health systems from these threats is essential to maintaining access to health services and safeguarding health gains achieved across the region. Developed through a PAHO/WHO-led consultative process involving countries and partners across the Caribbean region, the new Action Plan sets out regional priorities for Continued on page 18

Kaieteur News

Saturday September 26, 2026

Allies unite behind Saudi Arabia as more Iranian flights restricted (Reuters) - Saudi, Turkish and Pakistani military chiefs were due to discuss support for Saudi Arabia as it faces mounting attacks from Ye m e n ’ s H o u t h i s , w h i l e restrictions on flights to and from Iran widened and a senior Iranian official threatened retaliation. The Iran-aligned Houthis have stepped up attacks on the Saudibacked government in Yemen and fired into Saudi Arabia, disrupting oil flows from the world’s largest crude exporter as the wider Middle East war enters its eighth month. With fighting escalating in Yemen, ceasefire efforts stalled and direct U.S-Iranian fire easing, Wa s h i n g t o n h a s s h i f t e d t o tightening economic pressure through secondary sanctions on foreign companies that do business with Iranian firms. Iranian airlines were barred from neighbouring countries including the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Iraq in response to new U.S. sanctions, marking the first major impact of the move. A prolonged flight ban could deepen Iran’s isolation and worsen an economic crisis already aggravated by a U.S. blockade of its seaports. Mohammad Mokhber, an adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, accused regional countries of “alignment with America” for

blocking flights. “If `Iran does not have the possibility to fly and receive airport services, then no country in the region will have this possibility either,” he said in a social media post. OIL EXPORTS SQUEEZED The war, triggered by U.SIsraeli strikes on Iran on 28 February, has killed thousands of people and disrupted trade and energy supplies across the region. While the fighting between the U.S. and Iran has been stop-start, Iranian allies have mobilised, with Hezbollah attacks triggering an Israeli invasion of Lebanon and the H o u t h i a d v a n c e i n Ye m e n prompting a new humanitarian crisis. Iran and its allies have significantly squeezed oil exports from Saudi Arabia, a U.S. ally. The Houthis have disrupted ship traffic at the mouth of the Red Sea, while Iran has limited tanker traffic at the Strait of Hormuz, once the route for about a fifth of global oil exports. The Houthis said on Thursday they had fired dozens of missiles and drones at Saudi targets, while Saudi authorities said they intercepted six ballistic missiles. Rashid al-Alimi, the Riyadhbased president of Yemen’s Saudibacked government, called on Yemenis on Friday to mobilise and

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Iran-aligned Houthi fighters move next to a destroyed vehicle following what the source described as an attack on Saudi-backed forces. HOUTHI MILITARY MEDIA/ Handout via REUTERS

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join the armed forces and offered an amnesty to Houthi fighters who leave the group. Amid the fighting, the Saudi, P a k i s t a n i Tu r k i s h f o r e i g n ‘ministers met on Thursday for discussions on support for the kingdom under a defence pact signed in August. Turkey’s defence ministry said Chief of General Staff General Selcuk Bayraktaroglu was travelling to Saudi Arabia on Friday to meet his Saudi and Pakistani counterparts. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said the pact, under which an attack against one country is considered an attack on all, could lead to intelligence, logistical or ammunition support. “More advanced military support could also be considered depending on the scale of the

threat,” Erdogan said in written responses to Newsweek. The diplomatic pressure has also extended to China, Iran’s biggest trading partner and a key buyer of its oil. U.S. Ambassador to ‘China David Perdue said on Friday that President Donald Trump had reiterated to Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House that any Chinese assistance to Iran would be unacceptable. “We made it very clear to them weeks ago that any help that they would give Iran, whether it be direct or indirect, whether it be intelligence or parts or military equipment, was totally unacceptable,” Perdue told CNBC. SHUTTLE DIPLOMACY IN NEW YORK In New York, ‘Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told

reporters on Thursday that Tehran had conveyed a proposal to the U.S. via intermediaries under which the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened if Tehran’s conditions were met. Oil prices were more than 2.5% lower on Friday as hopes for a U.SIran truce outweighed concerns that escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia could further disrupt supplies. U n d e r I r a n ’s p r o p o s a l , hostilities would end ‘on all fronts, including Lebanon, within seven days. The U.S. would lift its blockade on Iranian ports, release Iran’s frozen funds and waive its oil sanctions, he said. A senior Iranian official told Reuters on Friday that Tehran will show no flexibility over its nuclear programme even if the United States accepts its proposal.

Local content earnings near half billion-US $$$ in 6 months Oil and gas companies in the first six months of 2026 spent approximately US$466.2M to procure goods and services in the sectors prioritised for greater Guyanese participation. During the same period last year, it was reported that US$352 million was spent on the procurement of goods and services in these sectors. The mid-year report published by the Ministry of Finance noted that in addition to the increased spending, another 500 Guyanese businesses registered with the local content secretariat in the first half of the year. The document also explained that during the period, an online portal was launched to reduce the processing times for approval of new applications and renewals for local content certification. “The processing time for new applications from wholly-owned Guyanese companies and business partnerships is now within 15 working days and renewals are within 10 working days. For other firms, new applications are completed within 21 working days,

and renewals are processed within 15 working days,” the government stated. In a previous report, Kaieteur News highlighted that GoG revealed that it is reviewing an additional 20 areas for Guyanese to participate in the rapidly expanding oil and gas sector. If approved, this will cement opportunities in a total of 60 specified areas in the industry for citizens. The mid-year report states, “stakeholder engagements for the revision of its first schedule continued, resulting in an additional 20 areas identified for consideration, potentially for inclusion in the first schedule under goods and services.” The Local Content Act was passed in the National Assembly in December, 2021. It is intended to regulate the way companies operate in Guyana’s oil and gas sector; employ persons, buy services and the way that they procure goods. The first schedule of the act sets out 40 categories of work for Guyanese participation via the supply of goods and the provision

Finance Minister, Dr. Ashni Singh

of services which include: food supply, rental of office space, accommodation, insurance, accounting and legal services. Foreign companies wanting to operate within those areas are required to partner with local firms. However, the law stipulates that the Guyanese partner must have 51% or more beneficial ownership, among other benefits. According to the act, Guyanese must provide 90% of office space

rental; 90% of accommodation services (rental of houses and apartments;25% pipe welding onshore; 75% non-hazardous waste management; 90% janitorial and laundry services; 90% catering; 75% food supply; 100% immigration services and 100% local insurance services to name a few. The private sector here has called for increased local content targets in the schedule to shore up

more opportunities for Guyanese. President of ExxonMobil Guyana Limited (EMGL), Alistair Routledge said oil and gas companies spent more than US$3.6B in local companies since operations commenced in 2019. He said, “Collectively the industry has spent over US$3.6B in local companies. These are significant numbers and significant contributions, but in the theme of going beyond frontiers our ambition continues to be higher than that.” To this end, Routledge noted that a lot more is still to be done where partnering with local companies is concerned. “This is tremendous progress by any metric in any other country but we believe that there is a lot more we can do and so the collaboration as we continue to move forward and the discussions at the (2027 Guyana Energy) conference will be incredibly important to ensure that we can continue to do that,” the Country Manager added. Already, more than 2000 local vendors have been registered to benefit from local content opportunities.

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Saturday September 26, 2026

Lindsayca bids US$493M for NGL facility as Chinese firm offers US$28M Already unable to meet the deadline for Phase One of the Wales Gas-to-Energy (GTE) project, Lindsayca Guyana Inc., owned by Ve n e z u e l a n n a t i o n a l s h a s submitted two bids for a natural gas liquids (NGLs) storage and offloading facility and pipeline to support the GTE project. Bids published by the National P r o c u r e m e n t a n d Te n d e r Administration Board (NPTAB) indicate that the contractor submitted two financial proposals, competing alongside a Chinese firm that submitted a vastly lower bid. Lindsayca’s two bids were US$537,067,823 and US$493,409,267. Meanwhile, the third and final bid was from China CAM Engineering Co Ltd. The proposal from the Chinese was just about 6 per cent of Lindsayca’s lowest financial proposal to governmentUS$27,970,686. Sources involved in the GTE project told Kaieteur News that the September 17 tender for storage tanks was structured to favor the incumbent contractor and mask a widening cash shortfall at the ongoing Wales development. In fact, industry insiders said that the timeline heavily favored Lindsayca, a contractor currently struggling to meet baseline deadlines on the project’s primary phases. Sources explained, “While an initial 12 international consortiums originally expressed interest in the natural gas liquids (NGL) tank construction, the task force issued a sudden “flash-bid,” giving contenders less than a month to

Ongoing construction activities at the GTE project site, Wales, West Bank Demerara review full engineering specifications and clarifications before submitting proposals.” Given the short timeframe and complex engineering design—to which Lindsayca already had prior, unrestricted access as the existing GTE contractor—multiple sources claim that at least two of the competing companies submitted formal written requests seeking standard timeline extensions to prepare competitive bids. Those requests were rejected, according to individuals familiar with the correspondence. In what appears to be a push to award additional, higher-priced work to the delayed contractor exposes a stark contradiction in the administration’s public messaging regarding project cost overruns. In a recent press conference,

President Irfaan Ali denied that the government was negotiating a massive new payout to the contractor. Ali publicly insisted there was “no discussion” underway regarding granting additional funds to Lindsayca to complete the facility. However, financial analysts and internal sources suggest the task force is using the new storage tank contract as a strategic workaround. “By boxing out competitors who requested standard extensions, the government is positioned to award a new, premium-priced contract to Lindsayca effectively injecting the demanded capital through the backdoor of a separate procurement process without amending the original delayed contract,” a source close to government explained. The standoff places the

government at a familiar geopolitical and commercial crossroad. For the NGL storage tanks, the administration once again faces a stark binary: award the contract to a lower-cost Chinese firm with a track record of executing heavy civil infrastructure in Guyana, or select Lindsayca, an expensive contractor that has not only missed delivery targets but has already dragged the government before a Dispute Adjudication and Avoidance Board (DAAB) to fight for cost-overrun claims. The continued institutional backing of t h e Ve n e z u e l a n - A m e r i c a n contractor also raises questions. Delays on the GTE plant have forced Guyana to rely on rented, heavy-fuel Turkish powerships at an estimated cost of roughly GUY $126 million a day. With the

national grid still tethered to heavy fuel oil, consumers continue to face recurring blackouts and pump shortages whenever supply chains tighten. Further complicating the procurement process is the methodology used to justify the latest tank award. According to recent reports and internal documents, the GTE taskforce relied on the artificial intelligence programme Claude to assist in drafting project evaluations. The resulting documentation provided the technical rationalisation to recommend Lindsayca, despite its pricing coming in substantially higher than the competing Chinese offer. The decision to expand Lindsayca’s scope comes as the company seeks a massive capital injection. Sources said the company recently wrote to both the Guyanese government and the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown, to request more than $120 million in additional funds to complete its existing obligations. While officials have assured the public that the GTE facility will deliver power to the grid by D e c e m b e r, L i n d s a y c a h a s reportedly acknowledged internally and to the U.S. Embassy that a December delivery is unachievable. Sources said internal project schedules show that the earliest the facility might conduct isolated test fires is January, 2027. Meanwhile, delivery of stable power to the national grid is not anticipated until the second quarter of 2027 at the earliest. It was reported that 12 bids Continued on page 15

Saturday September 26, 2026

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Saturday September 26, 2026

Global Biodiversity Alliance Reg. 8 residents trained to jumps from 17 to 138 members maintain hinterland roads - President Ali tells UN The Guyana-led Global Biodiversity Alliance (GBA) has grown from 17 founding members to 138 in just over a year, President Irfaan Ali told the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. President Ali highlighted the growth of the Alliance while addressing the 81st Session of the General Assembly in New York, where he said Guyana had committed to providing global President Irfaan Ali addressing leadership on biodiversity. the 81st Session of the General “In July 2025, under Guyana’s Assembly in New York on Thursday. leadership, the Global Biodiversity Alliance was established as an inclusive platform,” he told the knowledge exchange. global meeting. He said that in just The president told the general assembly over one year, membership had expanded to 138, bringing together governments, that the alliance’s second conference, international organisations, including the scheduled for October 2026, will begin United Nations, development banks, mobilising the resources and partnerships Indigenous Peoples, local communities, needed to deliver on its ambitions. The second Global Biodiversity Alliance scientists, universities and the private sector. The latest figure represents an increase Conference and Financing Forum is from the 135 members reported on Tuesday, scheduled for October 30 and 31 in when US food security company Blumberg Georgetown and is expected to focus on Grain and Logistics became the latest attracting public and private investment for biodiversity protection and sustainable member publicly announced by the Alliance. The GBA was launched in Georgetown in development. The president also linked the alliance to July 2025 with the aim of strengthening international cooperation on biodiversity Guyana’s broader Low Carbon Development protection and expanding access to Strategy (LCDS), which he said is focused on turning forest stewardship and climate action conservation financing. The United Nations formally joined the into a model for sustainable development. Guyana has been seeking to position Alliance in May 2026 through a Declaration of Intent signed with Guyana. The agreement biodiversity conservation alongside climate provides for greater cooperation on action and development, with the country’s biodiversity conservation, sustainable extensive forest cover forming a central part development, climate resilience and of its international environmental diplomacy.

Iraqi airports halt Iranian flights after new U.S. aviation sanctions

An Airbus A320 aircraft operated by Iranian airline Qeshm Air. [File: Ahmad Al Rubaye/AFP] (AL-JAZEERA) Four Iraqi airports have suspended all flights to and from Iran days after the United States announced new aviation sanctions on any global companies doing business with Iranian airlines. It is the latest ramping up of sanctions since the U.S. launched Operation Economic Outcast in August in an effort to isolate Iran from the global economy. Iraqi state media said flights will no longer be operating from Baghdad, Najaf, Erbil and Sulaimaniyah airports. Iraq was one of the top destinations for Iranian airlines, especially after Iraqi airlines stopped flying

to Iran at the start of the U.SIsrael war on Iran in February. Passengers travelling between Iran and Iraq will now be forced to make a land journey of at least 12 hours, depending on the destination. Najaf airport Iraq’s state news agency reported the suspension at Najaf international airport earlier on Friday. Airport director Hussein Muhanna told the AFP news agency that “all flights were halted between Iran and Najaf airport following a directive from the prime minister ’s office to the governor” of Najaf. Iraq and neighbouring Iran are both Shia-majority

countries, and flights to and from Najaf carry Iraqi Shia Muslim pilgrims to Iran’s holy cities or Iranians visiting sacred sites in Iraq. In a post on X, the Iranian Consulate in Najaf responded to the suspension of flights to and from Iran, saying “Najaf international airport, the shrine of the first Imam of the Shia, and the capital of their last Imam, is closed to the largest Shia country in the world?!” An Iraqi employee of an Iranian airline at Najaf airport told AFP Iranian carriers usually operate at least 20 daily flights, but after the suspension, only four flights to other destinations remained Continued on page 15

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Mandalall Ramraj, visited the site where he interacted with trainees.

R

esidents from villages across Region Eight (Potaro-Siparuni) are being trained to operate heavyduty equipment. According to the Department of Public Information, the aim is for communities to rehabilitate and maintain their own roads, rather than await contractors from the coast. The first batch of trainees began the programme this week at the Ministry of Public Works’ stockpile site at Eccles, East Bank Demerara (EBD). They are learning to operate rollers, skid steers and other compaction equipment. Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Mandalall Ramraj, visited the site on Thursday and interacted with trainees from various Region Eight villages. Head of the ministry’s Special Projects Unit Colin Gittens said the government bought the equipment for R e g i o n E i g h t ’s r o a d rehabilitation and

maintenance programme. The training is the second phase of that investment. “Normally before, we used to have contractors going to the region and executing the rehabilitation and maintenance work, but the initiative of the government now is to have the villages work and execute their work by themselves,” Gittens explained. The villages were grouped into clusters, and trainees were selected from each cluster together with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC). Three batches will be trained. The first batch spent two days in the classroom and will spend Wednesday to Friday in practical sessions. After that, specialists from the Special Projects Unit will work with the trainees in their villages. They will put their training into practice and learn road maintenance and rehabilitation techniques. Gittens said the programme is part of the

government’s wider push to develop inland communities, “not only development in terms of infrastructure, but also development in terms of human resources.” He noted that bringing crews from the coast or Region Nine up into the mountains is slow and expensive. Using village residents and locally based equipment is expected to lower those costs. Trainee Fergal Bennett of Taruka Village said this is the first time residents have received training on heavyduty machines. He believes the skills will help link villages and improve access across the region. “We could execute our work by ourselves in our villages as we return to our communities, so that we could link our roads to other villages,” Bennett said. He thanked the government and the Ministry of Public Works for the programme and said he hopes all the trainees will return home with a new opportunity.

A resident during training

Saturday September 26, 2026

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Iraqi airports halt Iranian flights after new U.S. aviation... From page 14 scheduled on Friday. Several other regional countries, including the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, have either cancelled or restricted flights to Iran to enforce U.S. aviation sanctions. That is despite the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council warning neighbouring

nations against imposing a U.S. flight ban. Iranian airlines are now relying on a few reduced routes, including Turkiye, Russia, China and Armenia, to remain operational. “We cannot say that Iran is totally cut off from air traffic, but shrunk considerably,” said Al Jazeera’s Sinem Koseoglu,

Lindsayca bids... From page 12 were opened for the NGL storage and offloading facility and pipeline. These included: China National Machinery Import & Export Co. (JV) SINOPECNANJING Engineering and Construction Inc. (China); ISI ANDINA Corp S.A (Panama) (joint venture with) ESGCOL Guyana Inc.; Worley Inc. (Huston) joint venture with Viridian Energy Ltd (UK); Persaud Engineering and Hydraulic Services; BK International Inc.; Kent Huston Offshore Engineering LLC (joint venture with) Environmental Engineering Solutions Inc.; JEREH HENGRI Engineering and Technology Company Ltd (China); China Camc Engineering Company Limited; Kalpataru Projects International Limited (India); China Railway First Group Company Ltd. (joint venture with) China Petroleum Engineering and Construction; ALYA CONSTRUTORA S.A (Brasil); and Baywood Continental Limited (Nigeria). Kaieteur News reported that in its request for prequalification advertisement, the Office of the Prime Minister stated that the facilities are required by the GoG to enhance the capacity for safe storage, efficient operations, marine offloading capabilities and effective distribution and marketing of NGLS, both domestically and internationally. “The NGL storage and offloading project is planned for development within and /or near the Wales Industrial Zone approximately 25 km inland from the mouth of the Demerara River on the West Bank adjacent to the Phase I Power Plant currently under construction, and’ or on the East Bank of Demerara River at Garden of Eden. The Gas-to-Energy (GTE) Phase I project includes a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) fractionation plant to extract liquids (C3, C4, C5+) and provides limited storage,” the document explained. The document further detailed that the facility should be able to receive and store sufficient volume of NGLs to allow for no disruption in the phase I plant and to optimise batch offloading to marine vessels. “The production rate from phase I is anticipated to be approximately 4,200 bbls per day of NGLs. The facilities should be sufficiently flexible to accommodate, with modifications, additional future NGLs anticipated from potential future NGL production facilities,” the OPM stated.

reporting from Tehran. Reporting from Baghdad, Al Jazeera’s Jack Hewson said Iraq’s central government has made no statement about the flight suspensions, likely because

it “doesn’t want to antagonise” pro-Iranian factions in Iraq’s parliament. Explaining the country’s decision to comply with the U.S. move, Hewson said:

“Companies providing ground services, like refuelling, baggage, it appears, are not willing to risk secondary sanctions and being frozen out of the international US dollar

system.” “Iraq’s in a very difficult position,” Hewson added. “It’s tied to the U.S. but it’s also tied to Iran. And at times like these, it’s squeezed between the two.”

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Kaieteur News

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LEGAL LEGALNOTICE NOTICE 2026/107-FD-APN-DEM IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Application No107 BETWEEN: IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION BY DEOMATTIES WILLIAMS nee NANDRAM AND MILTON PERCIVAL WILLIAMS. Applicants and- ALVES D. FILHO Respondent TO: ALVES D. FILHO Address Unknown TAKE NOTICE that on the 30th day of April, 2026 an Application Relating to Child was filed against you by DEOMATTIES WILLIAMS nee NANDRAM AND MILTON PERCIVAL WILLIAMS, the Applicants in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 12th day of June, 2026 the Applicants were directed to effect service of their Application Relating to Child on you by publication of a Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana. AND

FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by a duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Application together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Application, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Application, you must file a Reply to Application Relating to Child in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the Second and final publication of this Notice through the https:// ejudiciary.supremecourt.gy. Your access code is pEsABq. TAKE NOTICE that the Application is fixed for Directions Hearing on Wednesday the 28th day of October, 2026 at 9:30 am before the Honourable Mr. Justice Nigel Niles, at the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown. IN DEFAULT of you filing a Notice of Intention to Defend and/or Answer the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Application. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 15th day of July, 2026.

LEGAL LEGALNOTICE NOTICE 2026/946-FD-PET-DEM IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY, DIVORCE AND MAT R I M O N I A L JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. 946 BETWEEN:(ARMSTRONG) EVADNEY ALETTA nee THOMAS Petitioner/Applicant -and(ARMSTRONG) BEVON DEXTER Respondent TO: BEVON DEXTER ARMSTRONG (Address unknown) TAKE NOTICE that on the 27th day of August 2026, Petition forDivorce was filed against you by EVADNEY ALETTA ARMSTRONG nee

THOMAS, the Petitioner/ Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 28th day of August, 2026, the Petitioner/ Applicant was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire, you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Application together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to respond to this Application, then upon receipt of the certified copy, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (forms are available at the Registry), and an Answer and/or CrossPetition via the online portal, ( h t t p s : / / ejudiciary.supremecourt.gy) within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. Your access code is aEGPAr. TAKE NOTICE that the matter is fixed for Directions Hearing on Wednesday the 18th day of November 2026 at 9:15 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Fidela Corbin Lincoln in person at the High Court, Court 8 or via Zoom. Meeting ID: 882 1097 6231 Passcode: Court12 IN DEFAULT OF your filing an Acknowledgment of service/Notice of Intention to Defend, and Answer, the Court may proceed in your absence and may make an Order it considers appropriate. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts, Georgetown, Demerara. The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 4th day of September 2026.

Saturday September 26, 2026 DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. 1276 BETWEEN: (ABRAMS) KENCIA ALLICIE nee GOMES Petitioner/Applicant -v- (ABRAMS) CLINT QUINCY JAMIE Respondent TO: CLINT QUINCY JAMIE ABRAMS (Last Known Address) Lot 9 Rainbow City, Mackenzie, Linden Guyana. TAKE NOTICE that on the 17th day of November, 2025, Petition for Divorce was filed against you by KENCIA ALLICIE ABRAMS nee GOMES, the Petitioner/ Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire, you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to respond to this Petition, then upon receipt of the certified copy, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (forms are available at the Registry), and Answer via the online portal, (https:// ejudiciary.supremecourt.gy) within 40 (forty) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. Your access code is 7XmK96. TAKE NOTICE that the matter is fixed for Directions Hearing on Friday the 16th day of October, 2026 at 10:45 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus via Zoom. Zoom ID: 986 289 5666 Passcode: Court1 IN DEFAULT OF your filing an Acknowledgment of service/Notice of Intention to Defend, and Answer, the Court may proceed in your absence and may make an Order it considers appropriate. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts, Georgetown, Demerara. The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 10th day of June, 2026.

Attorney’s Name Firm’s Name

LEGAL LEGALNOTICE NOTICE LEGAL LEGALNOTICE NOTICE 2025/1276-FD-PET-DEM IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE FAMILY,

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE REGULAR JURISDICTION 2024-HCB E R - C I V- S O C - 5 0 BETWEEN:PAULA

HOUSTON, the Administrator Ad Litem of the estate of JOYCELYN UZETTA JOSEPH also known as JOYCELYN JOSEPH, deceased, pursuant to Order of Court dated the 3rd day of February, 2023, represented Herein by her duly constituted Attorney Quacy Adrian Isaacs, of 61 A Nurseville, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Agreeable with Power of Attorney No. 750 of 2023 Berbice Claimant, andKIM MARIA VA N D E R H Y D E N Defendant NOTICE TO: KIM MARIA VANDERHYDEN 11-625 134 th Street, South Ozone Park, New York 11420, United States of America and Lot 3 Front Road Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Demerara. TAKE NOTICE that a Statement of Claim was filed by PAULA HOUSTON, the Administrator Ad Litem of the estate of JOYCELYN UZETTA JOSEPH also known as JOYCELYN JOSEPH, deceased, pursuant to Order of Court dated the 3 rd day of February, 2023, represented herein by her duly constituted Attorney Quacy Adrian Isaacs, of 61 A Nurseville, New Amsterdam, Berbice, Agreeable with Power of Attorney No. 750 of 2023 Berbice for an Order of the Court to recall Certificate of Title N0.2022/ 3271 dated the 18 th day of May,2022 in favor of the defendant based upon unilateral fraud upon the Land Registry as a legitimate conveyance from the estate of Joycelyn Joseph, deceased after being advertised in 2 (two) consecutive issues of the Guyana Kaieteur Newspaper. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an order made on the 28 th day of July, 2026, the Applicant was directed to effect service on that a Notice of this Application be published in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur Newspaper, calling upon any Opposer and/or interested party, AND that any Opposer and/or interested party do have 42 (forty-two) days leave after the date of the second and last publication to enter an appearance herein. AND that all persons having or claiming to have any right or title to the said property shall appear and establish their claim or otherwise show good cause as aforesaid before the second and last publication to enter an appearance herein. AND UPON APPLICATION in person or by letter to Mr. C. Ryan Crawford Attorney-atLaw, of Lot 7-9 Cheddi Jagan Street, New Amsterdam, Berbice AND TAKE FURTHER NOTICE that in default of such appearance

Saturday September 26, 2026 no application has been made to the High Court or appearance entered, the Court may proceed to hear the application andpronounce judgment notwithstanding your absence. Dated the 18th day of August, 2026.

LEGAL LEGALNOTICE NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE OFGUYANA (COMMERCIAL JURISDICTION) [Case No. partially obscured by stamp] BETWEEN: SHARMILLA SUKHRAM Applicant and PADMENIE HARIPAUL Respondent NOTICE: TO: PADMENIE HARIPAUL Lot 32 Dasrath street, Triumph East Coast Demerara Guyana TAKE NOTICE that a Fixed Date Application was filed on the 27th day of March, 2026, against you by SHARMILLA SUKHRAM, in the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara, where the Applicant asks for: a) The sum of $8,000,000.00 (Eight Million dollars) due, owing and payable to the Applicant, pursuant to Agreement of Sale and Purchase dated the 10th day of August, 2022 between the Estate of BADLEY SUKHRAM also known as SUKHRAM and the Respondent; b) Interest pursuant to the provisions of the Law Reform (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act Chap 6:02; c) Costs; d) such further or other Order(s) as the Court deems just. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 14th day of September, 2026, the Applicant is directed to effect service of this application on you by publication of a Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper, printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to defend this Application, you must forthwith, after the second and final publication, enter an Appearance thereto, and serve an Affidavit in Defence on LAW OFFICE OF ADRIAN THOMPSON & ASSOCIATES whose address for service and place of business is at 221 South Road,Lacytown, Georgetown, Guyana, Email: audreannathompson72@gmail.com, and file same to this cause in the Registry of the High Court at Georgetown via the High Court’s eLitigation online platform with the use of the authorisation code: tiC26W not later than 4 (four)

days before the date fixed for hearing of the application, and you or your Attorney-at-Law must appear at the hearing. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you fail to file an Affidavit in Defence and/ or if you fail to appear at the hearing, final judgment may be given against you notwithstanding your absence. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that the Fixed Date Application is adjourned to 2nd day of December 2026 at 09:00 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif. Dated this 15th day of September, 2026.

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Kaieteur News Suddie, Essequibo within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on the 20th November, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. before The Honourable Justice Zamilla Ally-Seepaul at the Suddie High Court, Essequibo Coast. IN DEFAULT of your filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend Answer and/or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. ZOOM MEETING INFO ID: 367 968 1848 PASSCODE: 6789123 Dated the 14th day of September, 2026.

October 2026 at 11:50 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Sherdel Isaacs-Marcus at Court 1a and via Microsoft Teams. Meeting ID: 223 309 036 590 794 Passcode: TN6aH9hV IN DEFAULT of your filing Form 10: a Reply to Application Relating to Child, the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting Custody. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated this 14th day of August, 2026.

documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certificated copy of the Petition, you must file a Form 4: Acknowledgment of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry) Answer and/ or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at New Amsterdam, Berbice within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that Directions hearing is hereby is fixed Monday the 26th day of October, 2026 at 10:30am via Zoom, before Honourable Justice Joy Persaud-Singh. Zoom ID: 638 801 9485 Passcode: 456 321 Dated the: 9th day of July, 2026. BY THE COURT.

LEGAL LEGALNOTICE NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF J U D I C A T U R E JURISDICTION: FAMILY COURT CASE NUMBER: 2026/21FD-PET-ESS PARTY’S NAME: NATASHANAZIMA CAMPBELL (nee HALEEM) PARTYTYPE: PETITIONER -and- PARTY’S NAME: CLINTON RICARDO CAMPBELL PARTY TYPE: RESPONDENT TO: JOHN CARLOS GOMEZ Last Known Address Wakapau, Lower Pomeroon River, Essequibo, Republic of Guyana TAKE NOTICE that on the 25th day of February, 2026, a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by NATASHA NAZIMA CAMPBELL nee HALEEM, the Petitioner in the Family Division of High Court in Suddie, Essequibo Coast, Guyana. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 11th day of September, 2026, the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive publications on two Saturdays in the Kaieteur News, a daily newspaper of wide circulation in Guyana to the Respondent. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the registry of Family Division of the High Court at Suddie, Essequibo where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), Answer and/ or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at

LEGAL NOTICE

LEGAL NOTICE 2025/334-FD-APN-DEM IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Application No. 334 BETWEEN:- (PATON) JOY ANN Applicant -2nd(THOMAS) JAMES Respondent TO: JAMES THOMAS Last Known Address Lot 12 Herstelling West, East Bank Demerara, Guyana. TAKE NOTICE that on the 3rd day of December, 2025 an Application Relating to Children was filed against you by JOY ANN PATON, the Applicant in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Application together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to defend this Application Relating to Children, upon receipt of the certified copy of the Application, you must file Form 10: a Reply to Application Relating to Child, a Statement of Arrangements for Child (Forms are available at the Registry) via the online portal, https:// ejudiciary.supremecourt.gy within 35 (thirty-five) days from the date of the final publication of this Notice. Your access code is yZK2pd. TAKE NOTICE that this Application is scheduled for Directions Hearing on Monday the 26th day of

LEGAL NOTICE 2026/119-FD-PET-BER IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE OF GUYANA JURISDICTION: FAMILY COURT CASE NUMBER: 2026/119-FD-PET-BER PARTY’S NAME: SHELLEY E L I Z A B E T H WEATHERSPOON nee KYTE PARTY TYPE: PETITIONERAnd PARTY’S NAME: LESLIE WEATHERSPOON PARTY TYPE: RESPONDENT NOTICE TO: LESLIE WEATHERSPOON Last Known Address: Lot 145 Lamaha Street, Kitty. TAKE NOTICE that on the 4th day of June, 2026, a Petition for Divorce and other Matrimonial causes with Affidavit in Support was filed against you by, SHELLEY E L I Z A B E T H WEATHERSPOON nee KYTE, the Petitioner, in the Family Division of the High Court in New Amsterdam, Berbice. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on 22nd day of April, 2026 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of her Petition together with related documents on you by the publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday editions of a daily printed newspaper, of general circulation in Guyana.AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of Family Division of the High Court at New Amsterdam, Berbice, where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related

MS.NANDINE RAMKUMAR ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Lot 1 R F Vreed-en-hoop West Coast, Demerara Tel No 6664153/656 3241 THE MANAGEMENTKAIETEUR NEWS 23rd day of September, 2026 RE: LETTER TO DO A GENERAL CALL FOR PERSONS Dear Sir/Madam, I, Ms Nandine Ramkumar, Attorney at Law, whose place of business is at the above address do hereby make an application to do a general call for two persons to come into my office. NAME OF CHAMBERS: THE LAW OFFICE OF NANDINE RAMKUMAR ADDRESS: Lot 1 R F Vreed en hoop West Coast, Demerara Region No 3 (Opposite the Vreed en hoop Primary School) CONTACT: 666-4153 / 656-3241 / 672 7040 E M A I L : vickramramkumar@yahoo.com THE PERSONS ARE AS FOLLOWS. LESLIE MACHADO THERESA KINGSTON That it was ordered that a Notice be published in a prominent and conspicuous location in the newspaper for two consecutive Saturdays. I thank you for your cooperation and time. All for your information and g u i d a n c e . Yo u r s Cooperatively, NANDINE RAMKUMAR.

LEGAL NOTICE IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE SUPREME COURT OF JUDICATURE DIVORCE AND MATRIMONIAL JURISDICTION FAMILY DIVISION Petition No. FD962 Between: (LAING) RAYBURN ORLANDSO Petitioner -and- (LAING) VIRLEY ANN nee

BARCELLOS Respondent TO: VIRLEY ANN LAING nee BARCELLOS (Address unknown) TAKE NOTICE that on the 1st day of September, 2026 a Petition for Divorce was filed against you by RAYBURN ORLANDSO LAING, the Petitioner in the Family Division of the High Court in Georgetown, Demerara. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that as part of an Order made on the 3rd day of September, 2026 the Petitioner was directed to effect service of his Petition on you by publication of this Notice in two (2) consecutive Saturday issues of the Kaieteur News, a newspaper printed, published and circulated in and around Guyana. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire you may appear or attend in person or by your duly authorized agent or Attorney-at-Law at the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara where you will be issued with a certified copy of the Petition together with related documents. AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that if you desire to Defend this Divorce, then upon receipt of the certified copy of the Petition, you must file an Acknowledgement of Service, Notice of Intention to Defend (Forms are available at the Registry), an Answer and/or Cross Petition in the Registry of the Family Division of the High Court at Georgetown, Demerara within 35 (thirtyfive) days from the date of the Second and final publication of this Notice. TAKE NOTICE that the divorce is fixed for Directions Hearing on Tuesday the 17th day of November, 2026 at 9:30 am before the Honourable Madam Justice Deborah Kumar-Chetty at the High Court at Georgetown via Teams. Meeting ID: 299 264 457 901 701 Passcode: FK9dM9rw IN DEFAULT of you filing an Acknowledgement of Service/Notice of Intention to Defend, an Answer and/ or Cross Petition the Court may proceed in your absence and may make any Order it considers appropriate, including granting the Divorce. The Registry of the Family Division of the High Court is located at the Law Courts [Georgetown, Demerara]. The office is open to the public between 8:00 am and 3:30 pm Mondays to Thursdays and 8:00 am to 2:30 pm on Fridays except on public holidays and on such other days as the Registry is closed. Dated the 3rd day of September, 2026.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday September 26, 2026

CARICOM endorses new Action Plan...

Ministers of Health from the Caribbean Community endorsed the regional framework during the 53rd Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development, Health (COHSOD-Health), in Washington, D.C. From page 10 strengthening health sector preparedness, resilience and sustainability while supporting countries in addressing current and future health challenges associated with environmental and climate-related risks. ”This new regional Action Plan reflects a shared c o m m i t m e n t t o strengthening health systems and protecting communities across the Caribbean from the health risks associated with climate and environmental threats,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director o f PA H O . “ C a r i b b e a n countries are demonstrating leadership on an issue that requires coordinated action across sectors. As implementation moves f o r w a r d , PA H O w i l l continue supporting Member States through technical cooperation and capacity-building to strengthen resilience and sustainability in the health sector.” ”This updated Plan reflects both the progress made across the Caribbean and the challenges that remain,” said Dr. Daniel Buss, Chief of PAHO’s Climate Change and E n v i r o n m e n t a l Determinants of Health Unit. “It places greater emphasis on strengthening health system resilience, improving access to financing, and ensuring that countries have the tools needed to protect populations most at risk from health threats associated with climate change.” The Plan is organized around four strategic lines of action: · Governance and leadership. Embedding health in national and regional climate decisionmaking, with sustained political engagement through CARICOM.

· C l i m a t e - re s i l i e n t health systems. Strengthening climateinformed disease surveillance, early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, and workforce preparedness. · Low-carbon health systems. Reducing the health sector’s own carbon footprint through renewable energy, efficient operations, sustainable procurement, and climate-smart waste management. · Resources and financing. Mobilizing domestic and international climate finance, including access to the Green Climate Fund, the Adaptation Fund, and other mechanisms, to sustain long-term implementation. The Action Plan is also recognized as a public health good under the PAHOCARICOM Joint Subregional Cooperation Strategy 2025–2029, reinforcing the shared commitment of CARICOM a n d PA H O / W H O t o strengthening health sector resilience across the Caribbean. The updated Plan builds on measurable gains achieved under its 20192023 predecessor. Caribbean countries developed Health National Adaptation Plans, trained more than 2,500 health professionals in climate change and health across 15 countries, expanded multi-hazard early warning systems to seven countries, and brought health facilities in seven countries up to PAHO’s SMART (Safe and Green) standards. These achievements helped lay the foundation for the next phase of regional action. The updated framework was shaped through regional consultations with Member States conducted between 2025 and 2026, including

virtual consultations, an inperson meeting in Bridgetown, Barbados, and successive rounds of technical review. It is anchored in the WHO Global Plan of Action on Climate Change and Health, the WHO Operational Framework for Climate-Resilient Health Systems, and PAHO’s Policy for Strengthening EquityOriented Health Sector Action on Climate Change and Health. Implementation will be country-led, with PAHO/WHO supporting Member States throughout the process. ” PA H O / W H O w i l l continue to provide technical cooperation directly to Ministries of Health and will work through partnerships with CARICOM, CARPHA, academia, civil society and the private sector to expand the reach of our support, while joining Member States in mobilizing the resources needed to implement this Plan,” said Leah-Mari Richards, Chief of the PAHO/WHO Subregional Program for the Caribbean. Ministries of Health are encouraged to lead implementation in collaboration with other line ministries responsible for climate change, environment, finance, disaster risk management, energy, water and sanitation, and agriculture. Countries are also encouraged to align national strategies and action plans with the region’s priorities. Pic saved as CARICOM Caption: Ministers of Health from the Caribbean Community endorsed the regional framework during the 53rd Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development, Health (COHSOD-Health), in Washington, D.C.

Saturday September 26, 2026

Kaieteur News

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Kaieteur News

Saturday September 26, 2026

Kaieteur News

Saturday ThursdaySeptember November26, 24,2026 2022

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Courts Pee Wee U11 Football Round II: schools resume battle for group points today The race for valuable group points resumes today w h e n t h e P e t r a O rg a n i s a t i o n ’s C o u r t s Optical Pee Wee Under-11 Football Tournament returns to the Ministry of Education ground on Carifesta Avenue, with 12 matches scheduled from midday. Following a lively opening round last weekend,

several primary schools have already shown signs of their groups stage ambitions, while others will be looking to make amends as the battle for places in the next round intensifies. St John the Baptist Primary made a massive return on opening day, cruising to a 6-0 victory over Queenstown Primary, while

West Ruimveldt Primary also opened its campaign with a decisive victory against St Aloysius Primary. Defending champions Leonora Primary began their title defence in composed fashion, securing a 3-0 win over Soesdyke Primary, while hinterland representatives Santa Rosa and Waramuri also kept their

Saturday September 26, 2026 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) You might have to play nurse today, Aries. A love partner could claim to feel unwell, and you might expend a lot of energy trying to make your friend feel better. Don't overdo it. TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) You're generally focused on the material world, Taurus, but something about the energy generated by today's planetary alignments causes you to look within. GEMINI (May 21–June 20) A group gathering could put you in contact with a number of people interested in doing a healing meditation for the planet. This sort of activity can work wonders to strengthen the bond among those performing it. CANCER (June 21–July 22) Happiness reigns in the home as everyone feels the energy changing, Cancer. It seems that the end of one cycle brings closure, and now you're free to start a new journey of rebirth. LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) Are you going to go away soon, Leo? If not, you may be planning a trip for another month, perhaps going for educational purposes, such as to attend a workshop. You might have agreed to some overseas business travel. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Instinct and determination drive you toward unconventional plans for making money. A finance counselor or other professional could be involved. You may see this as an opportunity to restore your ailing bank account.

LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) To d a y y o u m a y f e e l a passionate attraction for someone intelligent who perhaps makes a living in law, education, or publishing, Libra. SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) This could be a quiet day for you and your partner, Scorpio. You could spend some time reflecting on past achievements and future goals. It's important to get a clear picture about the past so you can draw conclusions and make workable plans. SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) All the positive energy generated by the celestial atmosphere seems to come together today as you experience a rush of sensual passion for a romantic partner, Sagittarius. CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) A call form someone you haven’t heard from in a while could generate mixed feelings, Capricorn. On the one hand, you're probably glad to resume contact with this person. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) Someone who's been ill and perhaps undergone surgery might phone you today, Aquarius. You could invite this person to join you for a little social gathering. Several people could be involved. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) With the planetary atmosphere today, your sensual nature is in full bloom. If there's a romantic partner nearby, that person should be on guard! There may be a lot of other people around, so a chance to be alone probably won't present itself until this evening.

qualification hopes alive with positive opening-round results. With 18 matches already completed, the pressure now increases as teams seek to strengthen their positions and finish among the leading sides in their respective groups. St John the Baptist will return to the field at noon, facing St Pius Primary, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Colaaco Primary in their opening match. At the same time, Tucville Primary will meet Potaro Primary, while Goed Fortuin Primary tackles Redeemer Primary. The second wave of matches begins at 1:00pm, with F.E. Pollard Primary and St Aloysius Primary both searching for their first points. Ann’s Grove Primary will face St Theresa Primary, while Colaaco and Queenstown will battle for valuable points in their group. After that, three more encounters are set for 2:00pm, with St Gabriel’s Primary taking on Soesdyke Primary, Leonora facing Belladrum Primary and Georgetown International Academy (GIA) Team 1

Paramakatoi make winning... From page 22 the lights. Neither side could convert its opportunities, resulting in a 0-0 draw. The football programme continued yesterday with Mainstay taking on Katako in the men’s division, while Santa Mission faced GT Canaimas. Paramakatoi also returned to action against Riverview. Meanwhile, in the women’s division, Pariuma faced Itabac, GT Canaimas met Katako, while Sebai battled Orealla. The 2026 Heritage Games, jointly organised by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport and the Ministry of Amerindian Affairs, continue to bring participants from communities across Guyana together in celebration of the c o u n t r y ’s I n d i g e n o u s heritage and culture. The event also reinforces the national motto, “One People, One Nation, One Destiny.” The champions will be crowned on September 27 at the Everest Cricket Club.

Crucial stage! Several schools will be hoping to secure maximum points today as Courts Pee Wee Football enters round II action. seeking a second win against St Steven’s Primary. The day’s programme concludes from 3:00pm, when Marian Academy faces Stella Maris Primary, West Ruimveldt meets GIA Team 2 and Genesis Academy tackles Plaisance Orphanage. Courts Optical remains the tournament’s title sponsor, with support from Sterling Products Limited (Igloo Ice Cream), Demerara

Mutual Life, MVP Sports, SkyTec Enterprise Inc. and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport. The tournament is being staged with the approval of the Ministry of Education. Wi t h e v e r y p o i n t becoming increasingly important, today’s action promises another competitive day as the schools continue their push for places in the knockout phase.

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Kaieteur News

Saturday September 26, 2026

Paramakatoi make winning start to Heritage Games 2026

Pariuma Women’s join winner’s column on Friday, taking down Itabac in game #2.

Paramakatoi Men’s team made a commanding start to the 2026 Heritage Games on Thursday evening, brushing aside Mahdia 5-2 in the opening men’s football encounter at the Everest Cricket Club. Guilherme Salle was the standout performer, completing a hat-trick as Paramakatoi overcame a spirited challenge from its Region Eight rivals to launch their campaign in emphatic fashion. Paramakatoi came out aggressively and were rewarded inside the opening seven minutes when Salle found the back of the net to

Paramakatoi stuns Mahdia 5-2. Here’s a looks Thursday’s goal scorers: Guilherme Salle, Elinadabe Silva and Germaine Kumar. give his side a deserved 1-0 advantage. The early pressure

continued, with Elinadabe Silva and Germaine Kumar adding goals in quick succession to stretch Paramakatoi’s lead to 3-1. M a d h i a , h o w e v e r, refused to fold. Andre Andrews pulled one back in the 31st minute before W. Ahrale struck in the 42nd to reduce the deficit to 3-2 and give Madhia renewed hope heading into the latter stages. But Salle had the final

say. The Paramakatoi forward completed his hattrick with two further goals in the second half, putting the result beyond doubt and securing a 5-2 victory for his team. L a t e r, t h e o p e n i n g women’s encounter between St Cuthbert Mission and Akawani ended without a goal, as both teams struggled to find a breakthrough under Continued on page 19

Georgetown and East... From page 25 Strikers lock horns with AJM/SVC in the late afternoon slot. Simultaneously, the Better Hope Community Centre Ground will see hosts Better Hope CC open against Team Dungeon at 09:30h, before Maverick All-Stars face VP XI at 11:30h, Team Upsetterz meet Fusion All-Stars at 13:30h, and Young Rivals Sports Club take on Team Corruption at 15:30h. Rounding out the opening day at the Lusignan Community Centre Ground, Dream XI All Stars tackle GLC All Stars in the 09:30h match, followed by Royal Raptors clashing with Housing Warriors at 11:30h, Team RAP taking on Stripling Warriors at 13:30h, and Hope Estate CC closing out the day against Avinash All-Stars at 15:30h. The tournament format leaves no margin for error, with the 16 winning teams moving rapidly into the Round of 16 on Sunday, September 27, where matches will be split between the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) and Lusignan across four time slots from 09:30h to 15:30h. The remaining eight teams will then converge at Lusignan on Saturday, October 3, for all four quarter-final showdowns, setting up the grand zonal climax on Sunday, October 4, at the Enmore Community Centre Ground. Enmore will host the semi-finals at 10:30h and 12:30h, followed by the zonal final at 15:30h. Tournament Director John Ramsingh emphasised the competitive calibre of the teams involved, noting that fans can expect a galaxy of stars on display throughout this final qualification leg. The GT/ECD zonal champion will pocket $500,000 and join Berbice winners Grillmaster Sip N Play All-Stars, East Bank/West Demerara champions Mahdia – Movements Family, and Essequibo title-holders Lusignan Bulls DTP II in the national grand finale. In addition to the team prizes—which feature $2 million for the overall national champion, $1 million for the runner-up, and $500,000 each for the losing semi-finalists—individual excellence will be heavily rewarded. The tournament’s Most Valuable Player will drive away with a brand-new motorbike and $150,000 in cash, while the top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker will each earn $100,000 and a television set. Admission remains free across all venues throughout the weekend, though organisers remind patrons that coolers will not be permitted for the quarter-finals and zonal finals.

Saturday September 26, 2026

Masters Cricket World Cup logistics coming along nicely, says Tournament Director Singh World Cup Masters Tournament Director Raj Singh

Preparation for a historic global cricketing spectacle has entered its final, fine-tuned execution phase as Guyana gets ready to host the International Masters Cricket (IMC) Over40s World Cup from October 17 to November 1. Tournament Director Raj Singh recently confirmed in an exclusive interview that planning has intensified after highlevel meetings with the Government of Guyana, the Guyana Police Force, and the Guyana Defence Force. The collaborative sessions successfully outlined a comprehensive security and logistical master plan to accommodate the incoming global stars. The tournament will feature 16 international teams competing in 72 matches across 10 premium venues. Fans will have the opportunity to see elite veteran talent at no cost, as general admission to all venues remains free. “It has been a lot of work getting everything in place, but we are on top of things so far,” Singh shared during an exclusive update. Regional grounds from Berbice to Essequibo are currently undergoing rigorous evaluations to ensure absolute readiness. Notable venues include the iconic Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) at Bourda and the newly opened Anna Regina Stadium. To guarantee seamless operations, the police force is establishing dedicated escort services to safely transport players from the airport to hotels and venues. While general admission is free, organizers are offering an upgraded experience at the Guyana National Stadium at Providence. Spectators seeking premium comfort and air conditioning can purchase season tickets for 10 to 12 luxury private booths, which are reportedly selling rapidly. For the global audience, fans can track the action via the o ff i c i a l Wo r l d C u p d i g i t a l h u b a t worldcup.winthemasters.org. The platform will host live streaming links, photographs, schedules, and official match results. Corporate backing continues to roll in for the massive sports tourism venture. JAGS Aviation has stepped up as the platinum sponsor, covering accommodation for the West Indies squads and domestic flights to transport 120 personnel to Essequibo. The Government of Guyana is funding the opening ceremonies, while brands like Reboot Energy Drink (Gold Sponsor), BM Soat Auto Sales (Silver Sponsor), and 519 Guyana have finalized lucrative partnerships. Off-pitch, Singh emphasized that the true beauty of structured Masters cricket lies in its promotion of a healthy lifestyle for former players. “This platform keeps people continuously active, promotes healthy living, and creates a win-win situation for families and the country,” Singh outlined. Singh noted that younger cricketers can learn valuable lessons from the dedication and fitness exhibited by the competitors, who continue to keep their bodies and minds healthy. With such competitions on the rise, the tournament director believes the Masters format will offer tremendous value to the cricket fraternity, showcasing the long-term impact of the sport through its past ambassadors. (Clifton Ross)

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Need for Speed Karting Championship...

Round two set for South Dakota Circuit on Nov. 15 November 14 and 15 will mark the second round of the highly anticipated Need for Speed Karting Championship, where drivers will get closer to the glory and cash prizes on offer. Round two shifts to the South Dakota circuit for a traditional racing venue and atmosphere, which is expected to feature more action for the classes on show. A spokesperson for the Jumbo Jet Events team, the organizers of the series, contended that they have been looking forward to putting on round two for fans. “The Jumbo Jet Events family has been putting in a lot of work ahead of round two of the Need for Speed Karting Championship. Fans and supporters of the Jumbo Jet family have become accustomed to a brand of sport that exceeds traditional standards and

round two will be no different.” Already, we have been in talks with several promoters to ensure a worldclass viewing area for the fans who are going to witness some of the best racing action.” Meanwhile, racers are competing for More than GYD$17 million in prize money, which will be up for grabs across several categories, a historic first in Karting locally. Round two will feature the LO206 Briggs & Stratton Light, Heavy, Junior and Cadet classes, along with Honda GX200, IAME 125cc, LO206 Rookie Over-35, LO206 Female, Supermoto Senior and Supermoto Junior divisions. The headline LO206 Briggs & Stratton Light class offers a GYD$4 million (USD$20,000) winner’s purse, making it one of the richest karting class prizes contested in Guyana.

Several other categories offer GYD$2 million (USD$10,000) to their winners, while prizes in the remaining divisions will range from GYD$1 million to GYD$1.5 million. Veteran racers will also be back in action with a Pro Drivers category for competitors aged 50 and over. The winner of that class will take home GYD$2 million (USD$10,000). Tyre regulations have also been established for the various categories. Most classes will compete on MG Red tires, while competitors in the IAME 125cc class will use MG Yellow tires. The race weekend gets underway on Saturday with Qualifying for all classes, while Sunday’s race day begins at 10:00 a.m. The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport supports the event along with Jumbo Jet, XCMG and Synotruck.

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Saturday September 26, 2026

West Indies players set for 25% pay cut as CWI announces financial restructuring Cricinfo - West Indies’ players are set to endure a pay cut, with Cricket West Indies (CWI) announcing a 25% reduction in retainer fees as part of a wide-ranging series of steps being undertaken in what the board h a s t e r m e d “ a c o m p r e h e n s i v e counterattack against all the challenges we face financially, developmentally and competitively”. While international players will remain on 12-month contracts, domestic players will now be on retainer contracts reduced to seven months. West Indies has been at the forefront of a global trend towards players rejecting central contracts in order to pursue careers as T20 franchise freelancers. CWI’s latest move seems likely to accelerate this trend. “We appreciate the spirit of cooperation of the West Indies Players’ Association

and the players who have demonstrated their understanding of the circumstances we all face,” CWI chief executive Chris Dehring said in a statement. “While not ideal, it is a necessary step towards financial stability.” Dehring also announced a restructuring of domestic tournaments in the Caribbean, with this year’s editions of the men’s Super50 tournament and the w o m e n ’s T 2 0 B l a z e suspended. CWI has cited operational costs as the primary reason behind that decision. “Our domestic tournaments as structured historically, where Cricket West Indies bears the entire cost of every national team and tournament - whether it is age-group, development or senior for both men and women - including salaries, match fees, airfares, hotels and event staging costs, are

simply unsustainable,” he said. “The high cost of domestic travel and accommodation absorbs too much of our scarce resources every year instead of being deployed for the direct benefit of our cricket. “Indeed, over eighty million US dollars has been spent by Cricket West Indies with domestic airlines over the past 15 years, without a reciprocating dollar of sponsorship from those beneficiaries. We must also deal with the immediate cash crunch brought about by years of bearing this burden and the crippling financial losses that emanate as a result.” Some of CWI’s financial pressures, Dehring said, also stemmed from the terms of an ICC loan to the board. “In July of this year the ICC approved a loan facility to Cricket West Indies totaling US$16 million to provide temporary relief to

our chronic cashflow challenge, available in 3 tranches over the next year,” the statement said. “As with any other lender, this loan comes with terms of repayment and conditions that will require Cricket West Indies to attain critical metrics in order to access those funds starting this month.” Wi t h t h e S u p e r 5 0 tournament suspended, a crucial step in the pipeline to the West Indies men’s ODI team has now been lost. West Indies missed out on qualification for the last ODI World Cup in 2023, and are due to take part in a qualifier, in February-March 2027, for next year’s edition. CWI has announced that it will focus on preparing the ODI players for the World Cup qualifiers by arranging a series of white-ball matches against a visiting England A team in November, followed by an ODI team camp.

The Super50 tournament was a crucial step in the pipeline to the West Indies men’s ODI team. (Cricket West Indies)

West Indies’ unique position in global cricket - as a composite team of independent nation-states is set to be put to test over the next two years, with individual nations set to send teams to the Pan American Games in Lima next year and to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles in 2028. The topfour finishers from the 202526 Super50 tournament have been announced as the qualifiers for the men’s event at the Pan American Games though that will be a T20 rather than 50-overs tournament - and the topfour finishers from the 202526 T20 Blaze will take part in the women’s event. In place of the suspended Super50 and T20 Blaze, CWI has announced qualification tournaments for the men’s and women’s events at the 2028 LA Olympics. The costs for these tournaments will be borne by the cricket boards of the individual nations. “These replacement tournaments will be by invitation to the 10 countries under the aegis of Cricket West Indies that qualify for Olympic participation,” Dehring said. “We are excited by these new

invitational tournaments, the dates for which are being finalized, as given the higher stakes and prestige, it’s an opportunity for individual countries to galvanize national resources to chase Olympic glory, with the responsibility and cost of participation falling on their respective national cricket & Olympic associations, private sectors, governments and people, hopefully fulfilling a desire to make a meaningfully contribution to their national team’s hunt for Olympic Glory. “The winners of those tournaments will qualify for the ICC Olympic Qualifying tournaments for a spot in Los Angeles in 2028.” Next year’s edition of the Wo m e n ’s S u p e r 5 0 , meanwhile, will be replaced by a Best vs Best development tournament. T h e We s t I n d i e s Championship, the four-day domestic tournament, will continue with the bilateralseries, 12-game format that was followed in 2025-26. Each team played just one bilateral series of three games with one opponent, with the top three teams on a composite table qualifying for the playoffs.

Sachia Vickery storms into South American Games semifinals Guyana’s Sachia Vickery is through to the women’s singles semifinals at the 2026 South American Games after defeating Chile’s Antonia Vegara 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 in a hardfought quarterfinal. The result marks an exciting start to Vickery’s journey representing Guyana as she pursues qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. A player with Grand Slam experience and a career-high world singles ranking of No. 73, Vickery brings proven quality and determination to Team Guyana.

Kaieteur News

Saturday September 26, 2026

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Kashif & Shanghai Tournament returns to Linden roots …tournament kickoff set for December 13 By Rawle Toney The Kashif & Shanghai Knockout Tournament is set to make a long-awaited return to Linden on December 13, rekindling one of Guyana’s most celebrated football traditions and bringing the competition back to the town that served as its home for many years. The tournament, which has been a major fixture on Guyana’s sporting calendar since its inception on Boxing Day in 1990, will be staged exclusively in Linden, with matches scheduled for the Bayroc National Stadium and the recently reconstructed Mackenzie Sports Club Ground. Kashif Muhammad, codirector of the tournament alongside Aubrey ‘Shanghai’ Major, confirmed the return during a visit to

both venues as preparations intensify for the revival of the popular knockout competition. The Mackenzie Sports Club Ground holds particular significance to the tournament’s history, having hosted the finals before the competition moved away from Linden to the Guyana National Stadium. The last final staged in the Mining Town was played in 2008, when Alpha United defeated Topp XX to capture the title. Muhammad said this year ’s tournament will feature only First Division clubs from across the country, with Elite League teams excluded from the competition. As a result, former champions Slingerz FC, Camptown and Fruta Conquerors will not

participate, as the organisers have opted to maintain the tournament as a First Division competition. More details surrounding the participating clubs, sponsorship arrangements, prize structure and other aspects of the tournament are expected to be unveiled at the official launch, scheduled for Saturday, October 3, in Linden. The return represents a significant moment for both Linden and the Kashif & Shanghai brand, which has built a rich history of producing competitive encounters and memorable finals. L i n d e n ’s To p p X X remains the tournament’s most successful club, having captured the coveted title five times. The club’s first triumph came in the 1994/95 season, when it defeated

Five more lifters going for glory at Fesupo on penultimate day of action

Kashif Muhammad and team at the Mackenzie Sports Club Ground.

fellow Linden side Milerock 2-1. Topp XX returned to the winner’s circle in 1996/97 with a 3-0 victory over Pele, before claiming consecutive titles in 1999/00 and 2000/01. T h e i r f o u r t h championship came after a 3-1 win over Conquerors, while the following year they overcame Camptown on penalties after a 1-1 draw. The Linden powerhouse captured its fifth and most recent title in 2005/06, defeating Alpha United 1-0. Milerock, another of

Linden’s historic football clubs, won the tournament three times, while Alpha United captured two championships. The competition’s roll of honour also includes Eagles United, Botafogo, Camptown, Beacon’s, Pele, Victoria Kings, Conquerors, Western Tigers, Buxton United and Slingerz FC, as well as Trinidad and Tobago clubs Doc’s Khelwalaas, Joe Public and Caledonia AIA. The tournament has also produced its share of dramatic finals, including the 1992/93 championship,

when Botafogo and Central Hikers shared the trophy after their final ended in a draw. The most recent edition on record was held in 2015, when Slingerz FC defeated Alpha United 2-0. Now, after years away from its traditional home, the Kashif & Shanghai tournament is returning to Linden, with the organisers banking on the town’s football heritage, renovated facilities and passionate supporters to provide the backdrop for a new chapter in the competition’s history.

Georgetown and East Coast Demerara zone set for high-stakes Lotto/Let’sBet T10 Tapeball Bjorn Williams

Joshua John

Omali Vancooten

It’s now down to the big lifters as the 2026 South American powerlifting Championships in Santiago, Chile eases into the second to last day of rivalry. Twelve of Guyana’s 17member team at this year’s championships, the largest team in many years, which included four females have already hit the platform with the last five on course to do so today, Saturday. Four of the five athletes will make their respective first international appearances representing the Golden Arrowhead. Both Omali Vancooten and Joshua John will be competing in the 93kg Open category against athletes from Chile, Argentina, B r a z i l , U r u g u a y, a n d Ecuador.

Sereste King

Tremel King

Campaigning in the 105kg Open Division would be Sereste King against lifters from Argentina, Chile, Brazil, Uruguay and Suriname, whose Anis AdeThomas is Guyanese and lifted for this nation before, but is now lifting for the Dutch nation. The other international

debutant is Tremel King who will join his countryman Bjorn Williams in the 105kg Masters 1 contest, this is anticipated to be a keen battle between the two lifters from Guyana who are both expected to be on the medal podium. An exciting day is in the making for the athletes and fans in Chile.

The battle for the fourth and final spot in the Lotto/Let’sBet One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast National Finals intensifies this weekend as 32 teams prepare to battle across four venues in the Georgetown and East Coast Demerara zones, starting today, September 26. With three regional champions already waiting in the wings, this final zonal leg promises high-octane tapeball action as local heavyweights clash for a pathway to the $2 million national purse at the Anna Regina National Stadium on October 11 Round-of-32 action bowls off across four g r o u n d s o n S a t u r d a y, featuring 16 knockout matches scheduled in four back-to-back time slots starting from 09:30h. At the Malteenoes Sports Club, M.O.P.W - Marvels meet Pure Entertainment in the morning opener, followed by Guyana Police Force Academy taking on Intruders at 11:30h,

Round-of-32 action bowls off across four grounds on Saturday, featuring 16 knockout matches scheduled in four back-to-back time slots starting from 09:30h.

GPL facing Phantom XI at 13:30h, and Kuru Kururu Top Strikers meeting Titans Rams at 15:30h. Over at Ogle Ground, Strikers take on FC ER Gladiators at 09:30h, Vipers All-Stars face Diamond Gunnerz at 11:30h, Parliament Rangers meet TG Titans at 13:30h, and Super Continued on page 22

West Indies players set for 25% pay cut as CWI announces financial restructuring West Indies’ international players are set for a 25% reduction in their retainer fees. (ICC/Getty Images)

Sachia Vickery storms into South American Games semifinals

The Need for Speed Karting championship round two set for South Dakota Circuit on November 15.

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Need for Speed Karting Championship

Round two set for South Dakota Circuit on November 15

Kashif & Shanghai Tournament …tournament kickoff returns to Linden roots set for December 13 Printed and published by National Media & Publishing Company Ltd., 24 Saffon Street, Charlestown, Georgetown. Tel: 225-8458, 225-8465, 225-8491 or Fax: 225-8473/226-8210.