Zijin reports more Thursday Edition gold from Aurora than Guyana’s official declaration October 01, 2026 - Vol. 19 No. 40
Price $200
...figures differ by 626 troy ounces, valued at US$2.5M
Online readership
yesterday, 86,306
Chinese boy, 6, chopped to...male death Chinese at Parika national arrested Man killed during
Dead: Ifeng Cao
Regions One, Seven residents turn up heat over mining at Chinese Landing
fight with nephew Linden man gets 21 years for killing teacher
Shaka Phillips
Vigilance erupts again Residents in several villages across Regions One and Seven on Wednesday intensified their protest action against mining at Chinese Landing as well as other issues affecting them.
- parents rush to collect children from schools
Mothers cling to hope as search for missing Surinamese men enters fifth week
Mothers of the missing Surnamese men hope they are found alive and safe.
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Bandits cart of $1.3 million from Corentyne business A Corentyne business establishment was reportedly broken into and relieved of a large sum of cash over by bandits, police in Region Six have confirmed. Target Logistics Inc., a shipping and logistics company headquartered in Georgetown, reportedly had a sum of $1.3 million stolen from its Williamsburg Village, Corentyne, branch in Berbice. According to information gathered by this publication, the robbery is believed to have happened between Saturday and Monday. Police disclosed that the business was secured on Saturday afternoon after (Continue on page 3)
Thursday October 01, 2026
Kaieteur News Shaka Phillips
Target Logistics Inc., which reportedly was robbed of $1.3 million
Linden man gets 21 years for killing teacher Twenty-two-year-old Shaka Phillips was on Wednesday sentenced to 21 years after pleading to the murder of a Linden school teacher last year July. Phillips had killed 26year-old Jenel Pollydore of Lower Kara, Mackenzie, Linden. The sentence was handed down by Justice Priscilla Chandra-Hanif at the Demerara High Court. Pollydore, a nursery school teacher, was shot dead by Phillips during a wedding reception in Linden. The teacher had separated from Phillips because of abuse, she had obtained a restraining order against him, but her relatives said it was no use. They reportedly had to resort to changing their locks on the door to protect her from him. At around 21:30 hrs. on July 19, 2025 their worst fears came true at a wedding reception she was attending with her niece. The niece, Malika Pollydore
Murdered school teacher, Jenel Pollydore
recalled that her aunt was standing at the gate in front of the R&R Hotel when the suspect approached her. He reportedly asked why she was not answering the phone. An argument ensued between them. Things took a deadly turn when he pulled out a gun and shot at her. Pollydore ran for her life, running into the hotel by the pool area, but Phillips chased after her and fired two more shots before running away. Pollydore was hit and fell to the ground where she remained motionless. Two 9MM spent shells were also recovered from the scene. At the High Court the judge started with a 30-year sentence for Phillips. Two years were deducted for mitigating factors and another seven years for his early guilty plea, bringing the sentence down to 21 years. Time served in custody on remand is to be deducted from the 21 years as well.
Kaieteur News
Thursday October 01, 2026
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'No new oil deal as yet for Orinduik Block'
…Canadian company says ‘making good progress' in negotiating new PSA Canadian oil and gas company Eco (Atlantic) Oil & Gas says negotiations with the Ministry of Natural Resources for a new Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) for the offshore Orinduik Block are progressing well, despite the company's earlier expectation that a deal would be secured by September. The Orinduik prospecting licence expired on January 14, 2026, and Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat has made it clear that Eco Atlantic must apply for a new licence under the current PSA framework. According to Eco, for months, itself and partner Navitas Petroleum LP, an Israeli company have been in talks with the ministry to secure the new PSA. While Eco had expected the negotiations for the new PSA to be completed by September, Minister Bharrat on Wednesday confirmed that no new PSA has been issued to Eco Atlantic as of date. Meanwhile, in its latest statement, Eco Atlantic's President and Chief Executive Officer Gil Holzman, stated, “More broadly, we continue to make good progress towards completing the other strategic transactions announced earlier this year, including the acquisition of JHI, the farm down of our Namibian licences to BP.” Holzman disclosed that negotiations are also making good progress as it relates to a new PSA for the Orinduik acreage. “Each is progressing well and remains on track for finalisation as guided during 2026, further strengthening and advancing Eco's portfolio across the Atlantic Margin,” he added. The new PSA which was introduced by the current administration, features improved fiscal terms from the Stabroek and
Map showing location of Orinduik Block
previous Orinduik PSAs. The new PSA mandates a 10% royalty rate and a 10% corporate tax and it lowers the cost recovery ceiling from 75% to 65%. The PSA that previously signed for the Orinduik Block features a low royalty rate of 1% on crude oil produced and sold, a 75% cap on cost recovery and no corporate income tax. Similar to the Stabroek Block deal, the Minister of Natural Resources is required to pay the companies income tax from its share of profit oil. The Orinduik Block is situated in shallow water, 170 km offshore Guyana. Eco holds a 100%
Man killed during fight with nephew Police are investigating an alleged murder which occurred on Tuesday morning at 14 Miles, Arakaka, North West District, resulting in the death of Morvin George, a 41-year-old pork knocker of the said area. Preliminary investigations revealed that George and his 26year-old nephew were involved in an argument which escalated into a confrontation. During the incident, George sustained injuries about his body and subsequently became motionless.
The 26-year-old was subsequently apprehended and taken into police custody. George was examined at the scene by a doctor on duty and pronounced dead. His body was subsequently taken to the Matthews Ridge Hospital Mortuary, where it awaits a post-mortem examination. A cutlass and a piece of wood were recovered from the scene and lodged as evidence. The suspect remains in Police custody as investigations continue.
working interest in the 1,354 square kilometers (km2) Orinduik Block and an indirect working interest in the 4,800 km2 Canje Block, through JHI Associates. In 2019 two oil discoveries were made, Jethro-1 and Joe-1, both wells encountered high
quality reservoirs containing mobile heavy crude. Notwithstanding the expiration of the licence for that block, Eco had outlined that the provisions under the Petroleum Act allow it to retain rights to its Jethro-1 and Joe-1 discoveries while its appraisal
programme was under review. In relation to this, the company had shared that both the ministry and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) had received the relevant joint submissions in relation to the proposed appraisal work.
Bandits cart of $1.3 million from... From page 2 the day's operations were completed, and the earnings from sales were reportedly left inside the building. On Monday, the supervisor went to open up the facility for the day's business, but observed that three louvre panes were removed from a window and a portion of the steel grill pried open. Further observations would reveal a door also opened. A check was then made for a container in which monies were placed, but
same was discovered missing. The monies from the sales from last Saturday were not secured in a safe or other security measures, but was reportedly left on a counter. According to police investigating the matter, only the money was removed, despite several computers, brand-new cellular phones and other items of value being inside the building. The one-flat property is reinforced with multiple steel doors and further secured with two padlocks. It is also outfitted with
several CCTV camera around. Investigators canvassed the area for CCTV footage and identified several cameras, including cameras at the business. The footage obtained is expected to be reviewed as part of the investigation. The intruders supposedly entered the building through the window and exited through the western door. Multiple individuals have since been questioned, while statements are being taken. Investigations are ongoing.
Kaieteur News
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Thursday October 01, 2026
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
Sparrow and Guyanese reality News of the death of Slinger Francisco, well known as the Mighty Sparrow has shocked the Caribbean and farther afield. The Mighty Sparrow, died peacefully on Sunday, 27th September, 2026, at a hospital in New York. He was 91 years old. In an official public announcement, his daughter Karen Francisco, shared that the legendary musician succumbed to a brief illness while surrounded by his immediate family and loved ones in his final moments. “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Trinidad and Tobago’s Calypso icon, Slinger Francisco, known to the world as ‘The Mighty Sparrow’,” Karen Francisco stated. “He was an institution in the entertainment industry, well admired for his skill and finesse as a singer, songwriter and mentor; beloved by many. He was also a husband, father, grandfather, greatgrandfather, life partner and friend,” the daughter said. In her statement, she also revealed a deeply personal spiritual milestone from his final days, noting that “before his transition, he was able to make his election sure by giving his heart to the Most High, Jesus Christ where he was baptised in the Seventh-day Adventist faith.” The Mighty Sparrow has touched many with his full repertoire of songs. In one of his more popular ones “Jean and Dinah”, Sparrow spoke about the return of American soldiers to their homeland after World War II leaving behind a Port of Spain where local men were once again able to afford the attention of women who had become inaccessible during the boom. The song, masked in wit and innuendo, is really about power, opportunism, and abandonment. And in many ways, it speaks hauntingly to the Guyana we live in today. With our oil resources the foreigners, investors, diplomats are reshaping Guyana’s economy, institutions and even its psyche. We have diplomats during the last elections purporting to tell citizens who they must vote for and we have a government bartering our oil resources with ‘friendly’ countries. And like Jean and Dinah, our country’s resourceswhether oil, gold, bauxite or timber; our dignity and agency risk being treated as commodities, subject to the whims of those in power or those with the money. This situation has not been helped by the conduct of our leaders. As implied by Sparrow’s lyrics we have leaders who govern in a transactional way, where loyalty and dignity take a back seat to money. We now see some of our leaders jostling for control over the oil wealth with more urgency than they ever showed for fixing schools, roads, or hospitals or lifting citizens out of poverty. The Natural Resource Fund, is treated less like a trust fund and more like an ATM. Our government speaks about transparency, but is mere lip service. Look around, important contracts like the gas-to-energy project remain sealed or defended despite glaring inequities. Public consultations are rare and while billions flow offshore, ordinary Guyanese are still hustling, paying high fuel prices, scrambling for housing and watching inflation outpace their wages. The deeper metaphor lies in how leaders, like the women in Sparrow’s song, seem to be shifting allegiances, not to the people who elected them, but to the foreign interests that fund their pet projects, photo-ops, and even their election campaigns. But Jean and Dinah were not fools. They did what they had to do in a tough world. So too, Guyanese are not naive. They have seen promises come and go. They have learned how quickly power changes hands, and how slowly accountability follows. What Guyana needs now is leadership with memory and conscience, leaders who understand that wealth without justice is just another form of dependency and development without dignity is no development at all.
Karimbaksh must be relieved of operational command and placed on immediate leave pending investigation DEAR EDITOR, Personally, I thank the FEMALE Minister of Home Affairs, the Honorable Oneidge Walrond, for her immediate incisive and decisive intervention with her conscious awareness of the administrative, political and societal predicament that the female Police Officer encountered/ will encounter as her allegations are being investigated. The allegations against Deputy Commissioner of Police Fizal Karimbaksh are not merely disturbing, they are a test of whether Guyana’s institutions can hold the powerful accountable when the accused sits at the apex of the very force tasked with investigating him. Minister Walrond, this is also a testimonial of you- “talking the talk and walking the walk”- your cerebral willpower. However, I would caution against knee jerk reaction as this will, undeniably, undermine the investigative process and may prematurely skew the outcomejudicial or otherwise. A serving female Police Inspector has come forward with sworn allegations that Karimbaksh sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions, threatened her life repeatedly, and at one point pointed a firearm at her head. She says the abuse began in 2019 at his official quarters at Eve Leary, continued during an overseas training assignment in Argentina in 2023, and culminated in an armed confrontation outside the
Guyana Geology and Mines Commission in 2024. According to her statement, Karimbaksh told her he would “mark” a bullet with her name if she ever tried to leave him. These are not abstract accusations. They describe a pattern of coercive control allegedly exercised by a senior officer who heads the Special Organised Crime Unit and holds the rank of D e p u t y C o m m i s s i o n e r. T h e complainant says fear kept her silent for years. When she finally reported the matter to the Home Affairs Minister on September 20, she was transferred from her duty station within seventy-two hours. Editor, this is a watershed moment in Guyana. This is precisely the kind of case that cannot be left to the Guyana Police Force’s internal machinery. How can an institution investigate its own Deputy Commissioner for allegedly using his service weapon to terrorize a fellow officer? The conflict is structural, not merely personal. Other entities have rightly called for an independent investigation comprising regional and international investigators. Anything less will be seen pellucidly and reasonably as a whitewash. The historical context makes independent scrutiny even more urgent. In 2021, three female police recruits lodged sexual harassment complaints against Karimbaksh while he was Force Training Officer. An investigation
reportedly substantiated those complaints and recommended disciplinary charges, but the matter went nowhere. If that pattern repeats, the message to every woman within and without the Police Force will be unmistakable: rank shields the predator, and speaking out invites retaliation. Editor, I posit that two immediate a c t i o n s a r e e s s e n t i a l . F i r s t l y, Karimbaksh must be relieved of operational command and placed on immediate leave pending investigation. Secondly, and with equal urgency, his professional and personal firearms must be retrieved by the Guyana Police Force. A man accused of pointing a gun at a female officer’s head and of threatening to “mark a bullet” with her name should not have access to weapons while those allegations remain unresolved. This is not punishment; it is basic precaution. The women of the Guyana Police Force deserve to know that their safety/ promotion are not contingent on the rank of the man who threatens them. The proverbial “blue wall of silence” must not be invigorated but must be perforated. The public deserves to know that the law applies equally to those who enforce them. An independent probe and the immediate retrieval of Karimbaksh’s firearms are the minimum steps required to begin restoring that trust. Yours faithfully, Jonathan Subrian
Seizure of illegal sires DEAR EDITOR, As a Public Communications Analyst, I have been researching the issue of unauthorised emergency warning devices on private vehicles for some time, and I am pleased to see law enforcement taking stronger action against this practice. The September 28, 2026, Guyana Chronicle report, “Police seize more than $2M in illegal sirens,” highlights an issue that deserves considerably more public attention. According to Traffic Chief, Assistant Commissioner of Police Mahendra Singh, police, fire service vehicles and ambulances are the categories legally authorised to use sirens, gongs or bells. This is not simply a matter of motorists having additional equipment installed on their vehicles. Emergency warning devices carry a particular meaning on our roads. When a siren or emergency light is activated, motorists are expected to respond differently because they believe an authorised emergency vehicle is approaching or responding to an incident. Allowing unauthorised vehicles to imitate those signals can create confusion and potentially dangerous situations, particularly on congested roads. I am particularly encouraged by the Traffic Department’s use of technology and public reporting to identify
suspected offenders. The use of Safe City, Safe Country cameras, SRIS cameras and information submitted through the Road Watch application demonstrates how modern enforcement tools can assist the police in identifying vehicles that may otherwise be difficult to detect. Public cooperation is equally important, because responsible reporting can help authorities identify patterns of behaviour that threaten road safety However, enforcement should not focus only on removing the equipment from vehicles. There should also be consideration of how these devices are being sold, supplied and installed for unauthorised use. If restricted emergency equipment can be readily obtained and installed by private individuals or businesses, then there may be a wider regulatory issue that deserves examination. Dealers, installers and vehicle owners should understand the legal consequences associated with the misuse of equipment intended for emergency services. There is also an important principle of equality before the law. A vehicle should not receive emergency privileges simply because it is associated with a contractor, private security company, business executive or another organisation. If the law identifies the categories of vehicles authorised to use these devices,
those provisions should apply consistently. The public should be able to recognise that a siren or emergency light represents legitimate emergency authority rather than the personal status or influence of the vehicle’s occupant. Guyana’s roads already present motorists with enough challenges without introducing uncertainty over who is genuinely responding to an emergency. Unauthorised sirens and emergency lights can encourage motorists to react suddenly, potentially creating additional hazards for pedestrians and other road users. Genuine emergency services depend on the public recognising and responding appropriately to their signals, so protecting the integrity of those signals is a public-safety issue. I therefore welcome the Traffic Department’s recent seizures and hope this enforcement effort continues. At the same time, public education should accompany enforcement so that vehicle owners, businesses and equipment suppliers clearly understand what is permitted and what is prohibited. Emergency warning devices should retain their meaning and purpose. When a siren sounds on Guyana’s roads, the public should be confident that it belongs to a vehicle that is legally authorised to be responding to an emergency. Sincerely, Blane R Bunbury
Thursday October 01, 2026
Kaieteur News
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Need for transparent review of the ownership, management and present use of the LICHAS building DEAR EDITOR, As a concerned citizen of Linden, Region #10, and as a former student of McKenzie High School who completed my secondary education in July 1979, I feel compelled to express my deep concern and disappointment regarding the reported changes in the management and use of the building commonly known as the LICHAS Building. The building houses a section of McKenzie High School students on its upper flat and provides space on the lower flat for drama and other cultural activities. I believe the people of Linden, particularly former students, teachers, parents and retired bauxite workers, deserve clear answers concerning the present status and
management of this important facility. For those of us who attended McKenzie High School during that period, the auditorium at LICHAS was far more than simply a building. It was an important part of our school and community life. My understanding is that when the facility was originally constructed, commissioned and handed o v e r, i t s d a y - t o - d a y management and operation fell under the authority of the management of the Board of Governors and the Principal responsible for the administration of the school. That, to my recollection, remained the established arrangement when I completed my schooling in July 1979.
The auditorium created some of the most wonderful memories of my school days. It was a place where students were able to display their talents and where Lindeners could come together to enjoy cultural and artistic performances. I still remember with great fondness the beautiful performances by McKenzie High School dance troop with the likes of Clairlyn Bobb, Micheal Tello, Allison Fraser, Grace Yhap, the late Paul Crawford, Ewart Small and the Anglin brothers, under the coaching and guidance of the late Miss Holder. Boy, those were beautiful days. The facility also provided a stage for productions that brought
Govt. must prioritise the immediate everyday needs of all Guyanese over political self-preservation DEAR EDITOR, I am compelled to write this letter because of my genuine concern for the political direction of where the PPP government is taking the country and its citizens. I am no longer prepared to remain silent because since the Ali government took office six years ago, they have not been honest with the people. While the government frequently highlights unprecedented economic growth fueled by the oil boom, beneath the surface there has been alarming and troubling signs that the poverty rate has grown. Instead, of focusing on reducing poverty, President Ali and members of his cabinet have become powerdrunk, arrogant, egotistic, vindictive and selfish towards the people they were elected to serve and increasingly dictatorial in their execution of policy. Rather than addressing the daily economic and financial hardships of the populace with humility and constructive dialogue, the ruling elite tend to respond to valid criticism and public discontent with hostility, arrogance, personal attacks, and a posture of political untouchables. They have adopted an uncaring and insulting attitude toward the ordinary working-class
Guyanese. Most members of the cabinet do not respond to phone calls, texts or emails and those who do seem incapable of addressing the needs of the people often treating them as second-class citizens. They believe that God has bequeathed them with the right to rule over the people of Guyana. Public feedback, peaceful protests and legitimate grievances are regularly met with hostility and are dismissed, demonstrating a profound disconnect from the daily hardships facing the population. Furthermore, there is a deep and growing concern regarding the distribution of the country’s wealth. Access to the country’s natural resources, lucrative multi-million-and billion-dollar contracts and economic opportunities are restricted to a select few, family and friends of the President, his cabinet and staunch political supporters of the ruling party. This deep-rooted favoritism has sidelined the larger populace from the country’s economic development who are struggling to survive, while a privileged few benefits and prosper from the generosity of the ruling party. When citizens or civil society speak out against these inequities, they are victimized and discriminated against by the
government. The truth is governments should be judged based on their results and their treatment of all its people and not the privileged or favorites. However, the Ali regime has failed to treat all Guyanese as equals, instead, it has adopted an exclusionary approach that serves family members, friends and party supporters rather than the entire nation. This has led to systemic disparities and inequalities in the distribution of the country’s resources and the marginalisation of a large segment of society. They have not upheld the democratic spirit of treating a l l G u y a n e s e e q u a l l y, regardless of race or economic status or party affiliation. However, the hostility, arrogance and unchecked power displayed by the government during the last six years has not only threatened national stability but also denied opportunities and equal access to many of the country’s resources. It is time for the government to end its bigoted and discriminatory practices and arrogance and respect the rule of law and prioritise the immediate everyday needs of all Guyanese over political selfpreservation. Sincerely, Aubrey Reteymer
tremendous pride to Linden. One outstanding example was “The Green Bottle,” written and directed by Linden’s very own, Grace Chapman, another former student of McKenzie High School. That production demonstrated the extraordinary creative and artistic talent that existed within our community. These memories are important because they remind us that the LICHAS facility has historically served a much greater purpose than simply being a physical structure. It has been part of the educational, cultural and social development of Linden. It therefore pains me greatly to learn of what I understand to be a significant change in the manner in which the facility is now being managed. Based on information I have received, the management and control of the facility may now effectively rest with a single
individual who is involved in promoting drama and other cultural activities. If this information is accurate, then several serious questions must be answered. Who has legal and administrative responsibility for the LICHAS building today? Under whose authority was the management arrangement changed? When was that decision made, and by whom? Was the McKenzie High School Board, the PTA, the Regional Democratic Council, the Linden Mayor and Town Council, and the Ministry of Education consulted before such a change was made? And perhaps most importantly: On what basis would McKenzie High School students and the school administration now be required to rent a facility which, according to the historical arrangement
understood by many former students and residents, was intended to serve the school and the wider Linden community? I deliberately use the words “according to the historical arrangement” because these matters should be established through proper documentation. If there are deeds, agreements, resolutions, handover documents, or other legal instruments that changed the status or management of the building, then those documents should be made available to the relevant stakeholders and, where appropriate, the public. This matter should also be considered against the history of Linden and the sacrifices made by generations of bauxite workers. Many former workers contributed, directly or i n d i r e c t l y, t o t h e development of community facilities during the period Continued on page 6
President Ali has truly landed a ‘One Guyana’ DEAR EDITOR, ‘Cometh the Man Cometh the Hour.’ I refer here to Guyana’s President, Mohamed Irfan Ali, who starred at recent visit to the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York City. But my reason for this compressive (hopefully comprehensive too) missive has little to do with his duty-bound delivery, which was Grade A, but on what happened on the side, namely his ‘Meet and Greet’ that took place in New York City on the evening of September 24, 2026. It went way above the organisers’ expectation and preparation as it ‘magnetised’ a massive crowd from the Guyanese Diaspora. So why? How come? Editor, I posit that President Ali has confirmed that he has united Guyana, and hence his ‘One Guyana’ is most bona fide, and it is not just a mere pitch. I recall Mexico’s Vicente Fox, who in the 2000s, deemed every single Mexican migrant living in the United States as “national heroes.” He never ever referred to them as citizens who abandoned their homeland. In fact, the perceptive man wisely created the Institute for Mexicans Abroad (IME), so that they could have been provided with health, education, and legal services. He also established the Tres por Uno (Three-for-One) program, where municipal, state, and federal governments matched every dollar invested by his diaspora hometown associations to build infrastructure in Mexico. I think this is where, outside of his invigorated leadership, President Ali must be given his deserved accolades. He does not bully, beg nor bribe for patriotism, or party support. He has, instead, with his battery of same-minded astute ministers, rolled out an
unprecedented set of incentives, designed to bring a sense of belonging to the diaspora, who can equally be a part of the country’s rapid transformation. I think here of the many initiatives the PPP/C Government has launched, that many are still not attuned to and capitalising upon. 1-Facilitating individuals who are willing put their money into major national industrial projects with ‘guaranteed financial returns.’ 2-Establishing partnerships with Barbados, that cater for returning or overseas citizens to take equity stakes in critical longterm Caribbean infrastructure. 3-Accommodating members of the returning diaspora, so that they can buy into the newly developed, master-planned housing communities, featuring upgraded electricity, roads, and treated water. 4-Setting up of the Remigrant Scheme, where Guyanese, who officially want to relocate back home will qualify for significant tax breaks-duty-free concessions on importing personal effects, household goods, and personal vehicles, (thus) dramatically lowering the upfront cost of moving back to settle. I need not go on almost ad infinitum, except to say, that President Ali’s One Guyana motto has finally encapsulated the 1966 motto of “One People One Nation One destiny.” That New York Meet and Greet even converted some enemies, as his leadership charm, energy and guise have transcend geography, race, religion and rank. There is now a most pungent feeling of “equality of being” in terms of a national identity, and equal accessibility for opportunities. Regards, Raymond Anderson
Kaieteur News
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Thursday October 01, 2026
Mothers cling to hope as search for missing Surinamese men enters fifth week As the Suriname Major Crime Department joins the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to probe the disappearance of two men their mothers are clinging to the hope that they will be found alive and safe. The Surinamese men, 28-year-old Van Dalen Lorenzo and 29-year-old Derryl Danillo were last seen on 28th August- one month ago. According to a missing person’s report issued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the two were last seen on
28th August exiting a white Toyota Vitz in Clarasluis (Clara Sluice), Nickerie, Suriname, before boarding a boat bound for Guyana. Kaieteur News later received initial information that they had arrived in Guyana safely and entered a black station-wagon-type taxi. Since then, the men have not been seen or heard from. “I want to hear good news” Angela, the mother of missing Derryl Danillo told Kaieteur News on
Wednesday following recent developments in the investigation. “My heart is paining, I can’t sleep, Nothing I can’t do, I hope it is possible that I hear something about my son” she said tearfully. Relatives related that Derryl Danillo and Van Dalen Lorenzo fondly known as Ziggy are high school friends. According to Angela, her son Derryl is an entrepreneur and the only thing he told her on the day he went missing
Defence addresses missing evidence in police expert’s election fraud testimony The 2020 election fraud trial took a turn during the cross-examination of police handwriting expert Corporal Ameer Mohamed, as defense attorney Nigel Hughes explored the scientific foundation of the prosecution’s document analysis. Under questioning, Mohamed admitted under oath that his conclusion of “natural variation” used to explain structural discrepancies across signatures attributed to former minister Volda Lawrence and former election official Carol Joseph, was reached without a single piece of backing data regarding how, where, or under what conditions those documents were signed. When confronted with physical differences between older reference signatures (from 2010 and 2015) and the questioned 2020 Form 24 documents, including the sudden appearance of diagonal lines, shifted loops, and missing pen lifts, Mohamed repeatedly cited “natural variation.” To justify why a signature would undergo such dramatic structural shifts over time, the police expert offered a list of recognised handwriting variables: changes in the author’s mood, health, physical writing surface, position, or the writing instrument used. However, under systematic crossexamination by Hughes, Mohamed admitted that he had gathered no background information or forensic data on any of those factors for the documents in question, writing surfaces, mood or health of the author, writing instruments, writing position. “None of the variables that you have identified, do you have any information on any of those variables, correct?” Hughes asked. “That’s correct, sir,” Mohamed stated. “Your expertise, in the absence of information, in the absence of any evidence, your expertise is your explanation for why you say it was a natural variation, correct?” Hughes pressed. “Yes, sir, correct,” the witness replied. The admission laid bare a core defense argument, that the police handwriting report relied on subjective opinion rather than verifiable science. Earlier in his testimony, Mohamed was pressed on why glaring differences between the signatures were left out of his written report entirely. Hughes highlighted a 2010
signature of Volda Lawrence that showed a clear pen lift between the letters “V” and “O”, whereas the 2020 Form 24 sample showed continuous stroke connection. Similarly, an “E” formed in a 2010 signature appeared transformed into an “O” shape in 2020. Mohamed maintained these were not significant anomalies, describing them as unique characteristics within natural limits. Hughes later pointed to a horizontal line running above Lawrence’s 2015 passport application signature, a feature completely absent in 2010 that suddenly transformed into a steep diagonal line cutting straight through the text in 2020. Mohamed claimed the signatory had developed a “flare,” attributing the shift to a change in mood or circumstance on the day of signing. Yet, he confirmed that this striking difference was omitted from his formal report because he personally deemed it unimportant. The examination of comparative charts for co-defendant Carol Joseph revealed similar gaps. Hughes pointed out that a large elliptical loop present within the body of Joseph’s 2016 application signatures had migrated entirely outside and to the front of the signature on the 2020 document. Mohamed again attributed the relocation to “natural variation,” despite conceding he could point to no specific physical factor explaining why the mark moved. The technical methodology used at the police laboratories further crumbled under questioning. While Mohamed testified that he used a forensic comparator equipped with multi-spectrum lighting and 20x magnification, he clarified that the device generated no automated comparative data or diagnostic readouts, functioning merely as a visual zoom and lighting tool. When asked to produce the contemporaneous lab notes recorded during his examination, Mohamed was unable to provide them to the court or state where they were currently stored. He was similarly unable to identify the specific type of writing instrument used on the primary questioned Form 24 document. Closing his line of cross-examination, Hughes suggested to the court that the police expert’s findings amounted to an unverified hypothesis lacking basic forensic documentation, a charge Mohamed disputed as proceedings adjourned.
with Van Dalen Lorenzo is that they were heading to Nickerie and then Guyana. “I don’t know if he travelled to Guyana before this occasion. This is the first time I know of”, the worried woman added. On Tuesday Kaieteur News learnt that police had arrested the wife and brother of US-sanctioned Guyanese businessman Mark
Mothers of the missing Surnamese men, Van Dalen Lorenzo (right) and Derryl Danillo hope they are found alive and safe. Cromwell in connection with their disappearance. Derryl Danillo and Van Dalen Lorenzo were reportedly last seen in a car registered to the woman. Angela said she does not know if her son might be
acquainted with the persons detained and disclosed that Derryl Danillo didn’t say what the purpose for his trip to Guyana was before leaving. Investigations are ongoing.
Need for transparent review... From page 5 when Linden’s economic and social development was closely tied to the bauxite industry. If the historical records establish that workers contributed from their hardearned wages toward the construction or development of this particular facility, then it would be deeply troubling to those former workers and their families if a community facility associated with McKenzie High School could somehow be placed under an arrangement where the school itself must pay to use it. That is precisely why the history, ownership and management arrangements must be properly established. This is not simply about a building. It is about accountability, transparency, history and respect for the people who helped build Linden. I therefore respectfully call upon the following institutions to provide clarity to the people of Linden: T h e R e g i o n a l Democratic Council, Region #10; The Ministry of Education; Region #10 The Mayor and Town Council of Linden; The administration and governing body of McKenzie High School; and
The relevant PTA and other stakeholders associated with the facility. The people of Linden deserve to know what happened to the original management arrangement. If the historical records confirm that the facility was intended to remain under the management and control of McKenzie High School and its associated governing and parent bodies, then serious consideration should be given to restoring that arrangement. If, on the other hand, there was a legitimate and properly documented decision to change the management structure, then that decision should be explained publicly and the legal basis for it clearly identified. There should be no room for secrecy or ambiguity where a facility of such historical importance to McKenzie High School and the people of Linden is concerned. As a former student, I am not prepared to simply sit by and watch an important part of the history of McKenzie High School and Linden disappear without asking questions. The LICHAS auditorium was once a place where young people developed their talents, where teachers and students created lasting memories, and where the
wider Linden community gathered to celebrate music, dance, drama and culture. It should continue to serve those purposes. Our community must not allow important historical facilities to become disconnected from the institutions and people for whom they were originally intended without a proper public explanation. I therefore call on the authorities to conduct a transparent review of the ownership, management and present use of the LICHAS building, make the relevant historical and legal documents available to the appropriate stakeholders, and engage McKenzie High School, its PTA, former students and the wider Linden community on the way forward. If it is established that the facility was historically placed under the management and control of McKenzie High School and its governing/parent bodies, then I believe the matter of restoring that arrangement should be seriously considered. This is our history. This is our heritage. And the people of Linden have every right to ask what happened to it. Regards, Concerned citizen of Linden Former student of McKenzie High School
Thursday October 01, 2026
Kaieteur News
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Kaieteur News
PAGE 08
Thursday October 01, 2026
Govt. to go after criminals’ bank accounts, assets
...Nandlall says prosecutors being trained as Guyana shifts to 'follow the money' strategy Law enforcement agencies will intensify efforts to trace and seize bank accounts, property and other assets linked to criminal activities, Attorney General Anil Nandlall said on Tuesday. Nandlall said the new approach in law enforcement is to “follow the money” by targeting the assets and financial proceeds of criminals and their enterprises. He said the issue featured prominently at the recently concluded 27th INTERPOL Americas Regional Conference in Guyana and is also receiving attention from regional bodies including the Caribbean Financial Action Ta s k F o r c e ( C FAT F ) , CARICOM and the Regional Security System (RSS). The September 23-24 conference focused, among other issues, on illicit financial flows and the tracking, tracing and
recovery of criminal assets. The conference also adopted recommendations aimed at strengthening cooperation between law enforcement, financial intelligence units, asset recovery offices and judicial authorities. “That is the focus going forward, at the level of the Caribbean Court of Justice Academy of Law in the different conferences that they have hosted, that theme has also emerged as an important feature, for the criminal justice system to pursue and to prepare themselves for the new slant in all the AML CFT type legislations,” Nandlall said. “The new slants are in that direction. That is why our new AML CFT Act bill rather which we are currently working on places great emphasis on those remedial and procedural areas, forfeiture of assets and proceeds of crime,” he added. The attorney general said
Attorney General Anil Nandlall judges and magistrates must also become familiar with the changing approach, as the courts are expected to receive more applications for orders to freeze bank accounts, detain properties and ultimately confiscate assets believed to be linked to criminal activity. “...I have made the point that our magistrates and judges have to also be cognizant of this new
dimension, as there will now be repeated applications made to the courts across the judicial spectrum for freezing orders on bank accounts, as well as detention orders to detain properties and forfeiture orders to confiscate properties that are implicated in or considered to be the proceeds of crime and criminality,” he said. According to him, prosecutors are being trained to handle such cases, while legislation is being developed to strengthen the legal framework governing asset forfeiture and proceeds of crime. Nandlall said the effort will require coordination among the police, Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit (CANU), Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA), Financial
Intelligence Unit (FIU), Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) and Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), among other agencies. He said investigators must be equipped to conduct sophisticated financial, forensic and ballistic analysis, while the FIU must continue working with international counterparts to trace the movement of illicit funds. “Ballistics, forensic examinations of evidential materials, financial scrutiny and analysis of movements of money and voluminous financial records. The Financial Intelligence Unit must also collaborate with its counterparts across the globe and international agencies with which it has working relationships these must all coordinate,” Nandlall said. “The prosecutors have to be trained to present these types of evidence, and likewise, the courts have to be attuned to this new dispensation. I've argued that it must be recognised that these statutory provisions are suigeneris in nature. They are generally penal. They may be considered oppressive but that is the nature of the statutory framework which governs this new and emerging crime fighting dimension,” he
added. Nandlall said the approach is necessary as criminal organisations are increasingly using technology, sophisticated equipment and new financial systems to conceal and move their proceeds. He said law enforcement agencies must respond with a similar level of sophistication if they are to disrupt those networks. Reflecting on the INTERPOL conference, Nandlall said its timing was important as countries across the Americas are moving towards a more coordinated approach to tackling organised crime. INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza, in his address at the conference, highlighted the growing links between drug trafficking and illicit mining and said criminal organisations are diversifying their activities across multiple illegal markets. INTERPOL subsequently said the conference placed particular emphasis on targeting illicit financial flows and improving the tracing, freezing and recovery of criminal assets. The AG said the fight against organised crime therefore cannot be left to a single agency or jurisdiction..
Pres. Ali orders review of all aviation laws President Irfaan Ali has directed the Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) to review all of Guyana's aviation laws and regulations. The review will identify gaps and bring the country in line with the highest international standards as air traffic grows. The president announced the directive on Tuesday at the opening of the ICAO/EASA 3rd Global Regional Safety Oversight Organizations and Regional Accident and Investigation Organization Forum for Aviation Safety in Georgetown. “Whatever we need to do to work backwards to reach those standards, we must invest in doing it so that we are at that standard,” President Ali said at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC). He said the review comes as Guyana's aviation sector expands rapidly. International passenger traffic has grown by 410 per cent, from 205,000 to more than a million.International flights rose from 3,170 in 2020 to 8,891 in 2025. The president said more aircraft, passengers and operators bring greater complexity. He said that complexity demands trained inspectors, rigorous certification and
a culture in which compliance is nonnegotiable. “That transformation will remain incomplete unless it is matched by an equally determined strengthening of regulation, safety oversight and enforcement,” he said. President Ali also called for fair, consistent standards at airports across the region. He said passengers now face different transit security procedures from one airport to the next, which undermines confidence in the system and can make it seem discriminatory. “Regulators mean nothing if people don't see the effect of your work. If people can't feel the effect of your work, then they will judge you harshly,” he underscored. He urged the forum to form a regional team to help Caribbean airports close gaps identified in international safety audits, instead of each country working alone. “If one of our airports in the region does not meet the standard, it will affect all of us, because we're interconnected,” he said. The two-day conference is themed Optimising Resources through Coordination and Cooperation” and is the first global aviation event of its kind hosted in Guyana. Civil aviation authorities from about 60 countries are attending. (DPI)
Kaieteur News
Thursday October 01, 2026
PAGE 09
The things we fear the most I told the Guru about a Tik Tok video I had seen of a very wealthy man who had done something that, at first, seemed rather strange. He had spent much of his life building wealth. He had a comfortable home, good food, security and all the things that money can provide. Yet he had identified the thing he feared most. Poverty. So he decided not merely to think about poverty. He would instead deliberately experience, in a small way, the thing he feared. Every week, he would sleep on a hard floor. He would eat very simple meals, choosing some of the cheapest food available. He would strip away the comforts that had become normal to him and remind himself that he could live without them. I asked the Guru: “Isn’t that a strange thing to do? Why would a rich man voluntarily make himself uncomfortable?” The Guru smiled. “No,” he said. “It is not strange at all. He has understood that fear becomes larger when we keep it in our imagination.” “How so?” “Because the mind is a wonderful storyteller,” the Guru replied. “Give it an unknown danger and it will write the worst possible ending.” He paused. “Think about the things people fear. Flying. Public speaking. Failure. Losing a job. Growing old. Being alone. Illness. Rejection. Poverty. Death. Often, the fear is not caused only by the thing itself. It is caused by the picture we have created of
it.” “So what should we do?” “Get closer to the fear.” I looked at him. “Closer?” “ Ye s . C a r e f u l l y, deliberately and sensibly. If you are afraid of speaking in public, speak to three people. Then ten. Then a small group. If you fear being alone, spend some quiet time alone instead of constantly filling the silence with your phone, television or other people. If you fear failure, attempt something where failure is possible.” He leaned forward. “Fear grows in avoidance. Courage grows through contact.” I thought about the wealthy man. “So was he training himself to become poor?” “No,” said the Guru. “He was training himself not to be controlled by the fear of poverty.” The Guru explained that there is another benefit to deliberately experiencing a little discomfort. “We become prisoners of our comforts without realizing it. The more comforts we have, the more we can become afraid of losing them.” A soft bed becomes something we cannot imagine living without. A particular standard of food becomes an expectation. A certain lifestyle becomes a necessity. Then the thought of losing any of it becomes frightening. “The rich man,” the Guru said, “was reminding himself that his possessions were conveniences, not his identity.” “But surely,” I said, “there is a danger in deliberately making
ourselves uncomfortable?” “Of course. Courage is not foolishness. You do not overcome a fear of drowning by jumping into deep water without knowing how to swim. You learn to swim. You enter gradually. You increase your ability while reducing your fear.” Then the Guru said something I found even more important. “Do not confuse overcoming fear with eliminating fear.” “What’s the difference?” “You may always feel fear. Courage does not mean that fear disappears. Courage means that fear no longer gets to make every decision for you.” The Guru said there was another question we should ask whenever we are afraid: What exactly am I afraid of? Sometimes the answer is not obvious. A person may say he is afraid of losing his job. But perhaps what he really fears is losing his status. Another may say he fears growing old. Perhaps what he fears is becoming irrelevant. Someone may fear being alone. Perhaps what he fears is discovering that he does not know how to live comfortably with himself. Someone may fear poverty. Perhaps beneath that fear is the belief that without money he will have no dignity, no security or no worth. “Name the real fear,” the Guru said. “It is difficult to fight an enemy you have not identified.” Then he offered a simple exercise. “Every time you find yourself afraid, write down three things. First: What am I afraid will happen? Second: What is actually within my control?
Dem Boys Seh...
Dem fancy girl digging into dem closest for fashion It look like if dem shimmering dress full of glitters and sequins still in style or at least some people keeping it in style. Nuff party tekking place in de country. And dem bourgeois nah want go and buy de lastest fashion. So, plenty of dem digging into dem chest and bringing out dem shine dress wah dem bin wear a few years ago. And dem looking good in it especially since dem friends dem had de same idea. Years ago, dem used to have a comic book called Archie and one of de characters was a girl named Veronica and it was said that she never wore de same outfit twice, she was dat rich. Well now, with all dem camera and social media round, some bourgeois girls know dat dem can’t wear de same dress twice. People
gan remember dem did wear it before. But dah nah stop some of dem from digging into dem wardrobe and bringing out dem glittering gowns and dress and wearing it to party. Dem even tekking out picture with it. It mek dem boys remember de lady who, on her deathbed tell she husband, “Dearest Morton, when I’m gone, I want you to go on and live your life to the fullest and meet someone new. I want you to give her my jewellery, my wedding ring, and my Parisian dresses.” “I can’t do that,” says Morton. His wife insists, “Oh, but you must! You must!” He replies, “No, I really can’t – You’re a size 17 and she wears a size 10.” Talk half. Leff half.
Third: What small thing can I do today to become less afraid?” “Small thing?” “Always begin small. Fear is not usually conquered in one heroic act. It is weakened by a series of ordinary acts.” He gave an example. “If you fear poverty, learn to live occasionally with less. If you fear dependence, learn some practical skills. If you fear failure, deliberately attempt something difficult. If you fear rejection, allow yourself to hear ‘no’ without treating
it as a judgment on your worth.” Then he smiled. “And sometimes,” he said, “do something simply because it is uncomfortable.” “Why?” “Because you need to teach yourself an important lesson: I can be uncomfortable and still be all right.” Perhaps that is what the wealthy man in the video was really learning. He was not learning how to be poor. He was learning that he could sleep on a hard floor
and wake up the next morning. He could eat a cheap meal and discover that hunger did not destroy him. He could live for a while without his usual comforts and realize that his comforts were not the same thing as his life. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
Kaieteur News
PAGE 10 UTHS
D TR
HAR
HK
BY G
LALL
Thursday October 01, 2026
BY GHK LALL
H@RD TRUTHS
U.S. Ambassador digs a hole for herself Ye Gods! The Justice Gino Persaud “visa review” public kangaroo trial is leading to some unlikely places. In his trial by fire, even the mighty U.S. Ambassador to Guyana, Excellency Nicole D. Theriot, ended up with her own hair on fire. “We are not aware.” What to make of that bombshell straight out of Hollywood? Has nothing to do with measurements and appeal. Has everything to do with the sound and optics, the implications, of “we are not aware.” For the record, I think that Excellency Theriot has been given a dirty posting (PPP Govt); a dirty set of realities (faux democracy, sleazy environment, untrustworthy leadership, and ugly official banditry) in which to operate. She has done better in her position,
than many would have, given the same undesirable role. She has represented American interests well. The messages of the American Government faithfully and professionally broadcast. An ambassador on the subdued side; but one not to be tampered with, so sure she is of the weight she carries and the heat she packs. Though not overly effusive, it is the best that I can muster for Ambassador Theriot. This I believe does her work ethic justice, commends her navigation in the treacherous mud reefs of Guyana's politics. Unfortunately, I must now pull the plug on Excellency Theriot. Relative to the highest profile “visa review” of a Guyanese (at least of a sitting judge), there is media
output where the ambassador is reported coming up with blanks. From Village Voice on 24th September,2026 came an article titled, “U.S. Ambassador says Embassy was unaware of Justice Persaud's visa review” I quote: “On occasion we would submit that information, but in the case that I think you are talking about, we were not aware.” Dissecting that sentence, I assert the following. To begin with, “we would submit that information”, that's expected as part of normal ops when there are grounds for such a grave step. Second, “in the case that I think you are talking about”, there's only one public visa review matter currently, so that hedge troubles, makes no sense. Third, “we were not aware”
is unbelievable, given the Guyanese under the U.S. microscope and the history of his judicial ruling (one at least). I see that as a showstopper, a drop-dead inexplicability. Now I raise the bar on everyone, starting here. For her or her Embassy to be in the dark is for both to be blindsided by Washington. It was not overnight. It is not the American Way to leave one of their own hanging out to dry and emptyhanded. Especially, when she be called upon for an explanation, to fill in the gaps. This was exactly what happened. Without rubbing it in, it was not one of Excellency Theriot's finer moments. She was left stranded. She was made to
look less than authoritative, not in control of her territory. I want to use some tougher words, but think it's better for polish to rule today. For an American Ambassador to be left in this uncomfortable position gives rise to another harsher interpretation and assertion. It tables the issue of how much the ambassador and her embassy is trusted, when both are not in the loop. In some regard, there's an element of disrespect in there. I pen this amid the usual constraints of 'need-toknow' and the sensitivity and timing of certain matters relative to specific targets of the U.S. State Dept. I think that State has an obligation to clear the air soonest, if
The frozen fish and the parcels of suspected cocaine that were discovered.
Norton St. man charged over cocaine in fish O
nai Nassy, a 44-year-old miner of Norton Street, Lodge, Georgetown, was on Wednesday charged with possession of narcotics for the purpose of trafficking after police allegedly found in his car on Sunday 36 pounds of suspected cocaine concealed in frozen fish. Nassy appeared before Her Worship Magistrate Tomika Clarke at the Diamond Magistrate's Court where the charge was read to him. He pleaded not guilty and was remanded to prison until October 15, 2026.
On Tuesday Kaieteur News reported that police after police, acting on information, intercepted the motor vehicle, which Nassy was driving and discovered 36 pounds of suspected cocaine concealed in frozen fish. In a press statement, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) reported that the intelligence operation was conducted on Sunday September 27, 2026, at Richmondville, Providence, East Bank Demerara, when ranks intercepted a motor vehicle driven by the miner, who was the sole
occupant. A search of the vehicle was conducted, and ranks found two bags containing frozen fish in the trunk. An examination of the fish revealed several parcels containing a white powdery substance suspected to be cocaine concealed inside the fish. A total of 15 parcels containing the suspected cocaine were recovered from the frozen fish. The miner was arrested and taken to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) headquarters along with the suspected narcotics and motor vehicle.
Onai Nassy
only to give Excellency Theriot some much-needed cover. For my part, I regret that I am unable to cut U.S. Ambassador Theriot any slack in this Justice Gino Persaud visa review snafu and cluster circle. As an American of some mileage, she should be aware of the translation of snafu and cluster circle. They apply in b o t h G e o rg e t o w n a n d Washington. The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper
Kaieteur News
Thursday October 01, 2026
PAGE 11
Zijin reports more gold from Aurora than Guyana’s official declaration ...figures differ by 626 troy ounces, valued at US$2.5M
Z
ijin Mining Group Co. Ltd, a Chinese stateowned mining giant operating in Guyana through its wholly owned subsidiary AGM Inc., has reported a slightly higher gold production figure from the Aurora Gold Mine than the gold declaration figure reported by the Government of Guyana for the first half of 2026. In its recently published 2026 Interim Report on Zijin's global operations, the company said during the first half of 2026, AGM's revenue from the Guyana project reached US$334 million. The company also reported that gold production at the Aurora Gold Mine for the first half of the year was 2.2 tonnes, equivalent to 70,731 troy ounces. Zijin's figure for gold production at the Aurora Gold Mine in the first half of 2026 is slightly higher than the gold declaration figure published by the Ministry of Finance in its mid-year report.
Government reported that AGM Inc., Guyana's l o n e l a rg e - s c a l e g o l d producer declarations fell from 71,316 troy ounces in the first half of last year to 70,105 troy ounces in the same period of 2026. The difference of 626 troy ounces between Zijin's reported gold production figure and the government's gold declaration figure is valued at approximately US$2.57 million, based on a gold price of US$4,100 per troy ounce. AGM Inc., a whollyowned subsidiary of Zijin, operates the Aurora Gold Mine, which is located in Region Seven (CuyuniMazaruni). This publication recently reported that in Zijin's report, it was disclosed that during the reporting period, Zijin said geological exploration activities completed 11,000 metres of drilling at the Aurora Gold Mines.It further disclosed that production exploration activities at the Guyana project is focused on openpit mining, processing and
Aurora Gold Mine - 2023 photo refining operations and continued efforts to strengthen grade control and ore blending management with 10,000 metres of in-pit drilling completed. During the first half of 2026, Zijin reported that five underground drilling rigs operated steadily at the Aurora Gold Mine. As it relates to project operation and production Zijin stated, “The mine reduced costs and improved recovery rate
through measures such as pit backfilling, underground waste-rock backfilling, optimisation of blasting materials, gravity separation and carbon fines recovery.” It was also stated that the photovoltaic and power storage systems have commenced, reducing reliance on diesel generated power and effectively lowering production costs.` Zijin's foothold in Guyana's mining landscape
was solidified in August 2020 when they acquired the largest gold mines operation in the country from Canadian-owned AGM for a sum of US$238 million. The mine holds estimated reserves close to 184 tonnes of gold or approximately six million ounces of gold. AGM's mining and processing methods includes open-pit mining, underground mining, gravity separation
and cyanide leaching. In April, Zijin published its 2025 Annual Report on its global operation which revealed that its operating income from the Aurora Gold Mine last year was 3.68651 RMB billion (US$ 549.1 million). That report also stated that the Guyana mine produced approximately 4.5 tonnes of gold, representing an 11% increase from 4.1 tonnes in 2024.
Chinese boy, 6, chopped to death at Parika ...male Chinese national arrested A six-year-old Chinese boy was chopped to death at Parika, East Bank Essequibo Wednesday afternoon, police have confirmed. Dead is Ifeng Cao. In a statement police said the incident occurred Wednesday afternoon. Initial enquiries revealed that at about 15:45hrs, the child sustained a chop wound to his neck during an incident involving a male Chinese national. The child was taken to the De Kinderen Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival by a doctor. The male Chinese national was subsequently arrested and is presently in Police custody. Investigations are ongoing.
Dead: Ifeng Cao
The scene of the murder at Parika, East Bank
“Further information will be provided as it becomes available,” police said in a
Minister Persaud speaking with Ifeng's father on Thursday evening
statement. Minister of Human Services and Social Security, Hon. Dr. Vindhya Persaud, visited Cao's family on Thursday evening. While speaking with the family at the Ezekiel Funeral Home, Minister Persaud expressed her deepest condolences to his parents and family as they navigate this unimaginable loss. She assured them that the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security stands ready to provide the necessary support and assistance during this incredibly difficult time. Minister Persaud was accompanied by Director of the Childcare and Protection Agency, Levine Gouveia. The ministry extends heartfelt sympathy to Ifeng's family and loved ones.
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Thursday October 01, 2026
Kaieteur News
Regions One, Seven residents turn up heat over mining at Chinese Landing
Protestors in Kako By Khadidja Ba After decades of carrying their grievances in quiet resilience, some Indigenous communities of Guyana's interior have broken a long silence. In an unprecedented wave of coordinated, peaceful action, villages across Region One (Barima-Waini) and Region Seven (Cuyuni-Mazaruni) took to their titled lands and riverbanks in a display of collective resolve not seen in generations. From the dense forests of Chinese Landing and Ta s s a w i n i t o t h e r i v e r i n e settlements of Kangaruma, Phillipai, Kamarang, Warawatta, Kako, and Isseneru, residents stood united to demand an immediate end to systemic neglect, environmental destruction, and unconsulted resource extraction.
For decades, remote communities faced encroaching illegal mining, environmental threats, and safety failures largely in isolation. That isolation dissolved on Wednesday as communities separated by vast distances joined in a single, organised movement. In Kangaruma, Region Seven, the atmosphere was solemn as Toshao of Kangaruma Raphael Joseph stood alongside his village council and residents to voice the core issues driving the national mobilisation. "I stand firm today as a Toshao of Kangaruma Village, with my village council and my people, in a peaceful protest," the Toshao declared. "We are not making noise- we are making a cry for
Protestors in Isseneru
Protestors in Kako
Protestors in Kamarang
justice. We march for four wounds that have not healed: We remember our daughters of the Mahdia dorms fire, we demand justice for the MV Barima, we stand with Chinese Landing, and we say no to uranium on our traditional lands. We are peaceful, but we are firm. We are the guardians of these forests. For generations we protect them. We will not be silent while our children burn in locked dorms, drown in old boats, and lose their lands to mining." The wave of demonstrations highlighted a unified front against ongoing environmental degradation and unapproved industrial projects. In Phillipai, located in the Upper Mazaruni, demonstrators gathered along the waterways under the banner "Water is life to us—no contamination," urging an immediate halt to illegal mining activities threatening local rivers. Demonstrators insisted that the government strictly honor free, prior, and informed consent, demanding "Speak to us first" before any prospective uranium exploration or mining concessions are considered on traditional lands. Furthermore, Phillipai residents called for the protection of their 1959 boundaries, an end to new mining concessions, and full (Continued on page 13)
Kaieteur News
Thursday October 01, 2026
PAGE 13
Regions One, Seven residents turn up...
Chinese Landing protestor calling for an end to the illegal mining in Jawalla
Phillipai protestors
From page 12 support to "Free Chinese Landing Village." Joining the protest, residents of Isseneru mobilised to voice their own demands, calling specifically for the salvaging of the MV Barima, an end to mining encroachment on their lands, and an immediate halt to uranium exploration. Across Chinese Landing and Tassawini in Region One, residents led protests calling for urgent intervention against illegal mining in Jawalla, Isseneru, and their own communities. Protesters delivered a stark reminder to outside interests, asserting, "For you it's a backdam but it's our home." The sentiment was echoed in Kako, Region Seven, where demonstrators rallied under the principle "Our land is not a mining block," calling for a halt to illegal mining in Jawalla, Kako, and Chinese Landing, while
Kangaruma protestors out in their numbers
Protestor in Kangaruma calling for Pres. Ali to address Isseneru’s IACHR ruling
Students in Isseneru standing in unity
demanding that authorities formally recognise indigenous residents as the primary protectors of their territorial waterways. Beyond land and environmental rights, the coordinated movement addressed urgent infrastructure, safety, and economic crises affecting interior families. Demonstrators across all participating villages called for a faster process to salvage the sunken MV Barima vessel, demanding that authorities "float the boat now" and "free
Capt. Price and crew." Protesters also demanded direct financial relief from the government to help families cope with the skyrocketing cost of living in remote regions. In Kako, residents specifically called for immediate state intervention to subsidise high air travel costs, while in Kamarang and Warawatta, protesters demanded the urgent replacement of the decrepit DC Caesar Fox Secondary School in Waramadong with a modern facility for the region's youth. What marks this historic mobilisation is not merely the wide scope of demands, but the organised solidarity demonstrated across
administrative regions. From the Upper Mazaruni to Barima-Waini, residents emphasised accountability across every sector, asserting that every human life has equal value. By organising simultaneously across Region One and Region Seven, these communities have fundamentally reshaped the dialogue surrounding indigenous rights, resource extraction, and rural development in Guyana. The message from the guardians of the forest remains clear, firm, and collectively united, "Fix the system, it is broken.”
Kaieteur News
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Thursday October 01, 2026
'Farmers must reap greater rewards from their crop’ - Minister Mustapha Farmers must be allowed to reap the benefits of their crops, Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha said on Wednesday, as he called for greater rewards for those who produce the nation's food. Speaking at the opening ceremony for Agriculture Month 2026, Minister Mustapha said large quantities of food are being produced, but farmers, who work from early mornings to late nights, are not always receiving adequate returns for their efforts. “But sometimes they are not getting the kind of reward that they have to get, and the people who don't do anything are reaping the reward. We must now allow the farmers to get their benefit, get their reward. As we launch Agriculture Month 2026, let us reaffirm our commitment to building an agriculture sector that is innovative, resilient, competitive, and inclusive,” he said.
Mustapha said agriculture remains critical to feeding the nation, creating prosperity for producers, strengthening communities and reinforcing Guyana's role in regional food and nutrition security. “Our farmers are innovating by embracing s c i e n c e , t e c h n o l o g y, research, mechanisation, digital agriculture, and climate smart production. Six years ago, when we started out here as a team, I think the sector was in rapid decline. Guyana was the least country in the Caribbean in terms of agricultural development,” he said. Reflecting on the sector's development, the agriculture minister said Guyana had fallen behind in agriculture by 2020 despite traditionally playing a leading role in CARICOM on agricultural issues. He credited President Irfaan Ali with helping to reposition Guyana's
Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha
agriculture sector, pointing to a 2021 CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Belize, where, he said, Guyana renewed its commitment to leading efforts to improve food security across the Caribbean.Mustapha said the renewed focus has extended beyond Guyana, with CARICOM leaders committing to work together to reduce the region's food import bill by 25 per cent by 2030. He also pointed to the
increased use of technology in agriculture, including drones for monitoring and irrigation, as well as the Farmers App, which allows farmers across the country to communicate with the Ministry of Agriculture, raise concerns and receive answers to their questions.
“That is the innovation I am talking about. That is the way we are moving agriculture to ensure that we capture everyone, bring everyone into focus so that we can produce together. We nourish as we ensure safe, affordable, nutritious, and reliable supply of food while strengthening Guyana's food security and advancing our leadership in regional food security,” he said. Mustapha said Guyana has also made progress in reducing hunger and malnutrition. “According to the FAO, Guyana is one of the only four countries in Latin America and the Caribbean region which has a hunger and the nourishment prevalence below 2.5%.
That's a tremendous achievement for us as a country,” he said. He said the growth of the agriculture sector is creating more opportunities and jobs, increasing productivity, empowering women, attracting more young people into agriculture and strengthening rural communities. The minister also highlighted the Development Bank as one of the government's major initiatives for the sector, saying it will expand access to capital for food producers and agro-processors. He said the initiative could be a game-changer for agriculture by providing producers with greater access to the financing needed to expand their operations.
Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar, His Excellency Theodore N. Tsakiris, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic of Greece to Guyana and other officials at the event
Guyana, Greece sign Air Service Agreement to strengthen aviation connectivity Guyana and Greece are strengthening bilateral relations and expanding opportunities for air connectivity with the signing of an Air Service Agreement. The agreement was signed on Wednesday by the Minister of Public Utilities and Aviation, Deodat Indar and His Excellency Theodore N. Tsakiris, Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic of Greece to Guyana, on the margins of the Global Forum for Aviation Safety currently being held in Georgetown. The agreement establishes a framework for air transport cooperation between Guyana and Greece, providing a foundation for greater connectivity and future opportunities for airlines and the travelling public. For Guyana, the agreement comes at a time when the country's aviation sector is experiencing significant growth, with increasing passenger traffic and a growing number of international airlines serving the local market. The strengthened aviation relationship with Greece also creates potential opportunities to facilitate travel between Guyana and Europe, while
supporting the movement of people, business and tourism. As Guyana continues to position itself as a growing regional aviation hub, agreements of this nature are important to expanding the country's network of international air service relationships and creating pathways for new connections. The agreement also strengthens the broader diplomatic and economic relationship between Guyana and Greece, providing a framework for increased cooperation in an area critical to tourism, trade and international mobility. The signing took place as Guyana hosts the Global Forum for Aviation Safety, bringing together aviation regulators, safety experts and industry stakeholders from countries across the world to examine strategies for strengthening aviation safety and cooperation. Through the Air Service Agreement, Guyana and Greece are now laying the groundwork for deeper collaboration in civil aviation while opening new possibilities for connectivity between the two countries. (DPI)
Thursday October 01, 2026
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Vigilance erupts again Burning tyres blocked roads at Vigilance on Wednesday.
— parents rush to collect children from schools A second day of unrest at Vi g i l a n c e , E a s t C o a s t Demerara (ECD), on Wednesday sent anxious parents rushing to schools to collect their children amid reports of gunfire and burning roadblocks. Distressed parents contacted Kaieteur News to express growing alarm after being forced, for the second consecutive day to urgently remove their children from Buxton Primary and neighbouring schools. The renewed unrest saw burning tyres and other debris used to block sections of the ECD public road at Vigilance, while reports of gunshots sent residents scrambling for safety. Videos circulating online showed blazing tyres obstructing the roadway, as residents in the area were thrown into panic. The unrest reportedly stems from the arrest of the wife and brother of USsanctioned Mark “Demon”
Missing Surinamese men, Van Dalen Lorenzo and Derryl Danillo
Cromwell and an attempted search of his Vigilance home. The police action forms part of an investigation into the disappearance of two Surinamese men who are believed to have travelled to Guyana. The missing men have been identified as 28-yearold Van Dalen Lorenzo and 29-year-old Derryl Danillo. According to a missingperson report issued by the Guyana Police Force (GPF), the men were last seen on 28th August exiting a white
Toyota Vitz in Clarasluis (Clara Sluice), Nickerie, Suriname, before boarding a boat bound for Guyana. Police have reportedly linked the vehicle to Cromwell's wife, as it was registered in her name. Police subsequently attempted to execute a search warrant at Cromwell's home on Tuesday but were met with hostility. Angry residents then blocked roads with burning debris, while a sand truck (Continued on page 23 )
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T N U L B . . . T B N U T L N T B . U . L . L T B . N . U . N U T L N B . U . T . L N T U N B . N U . . L U L LUNT B . T . . T T N N B U B . U . L . L T B . B . . N . . . T T LU N N T U U L N L B U . B . . L . . . T B T . . N . N T U L N LU B Access to information U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U must mean access . . L N . T B U . . L N . N T B . . U N . L T U B L N . . B . U . . T L . N T B . . U N . L N T B U N . . L . U T B L . . N B . . . T U . L N T B U . . L . UN T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N B U U .BLUNT. . . L . T B . . N . T U . L N . T B U . UN .BLUNT.. UNT...BL T...BL . L N . T B U . . L LUN ...BLUNT. LUNT...B NT...BL T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U . . L N . T B U BBL T...BLUN BLUNT... ...BLU . T . N . N T T U L U N L B U T...BLU U B . L . N . B T . . . N T U N N N L U U U B L . L B T LUNT.. UNT...B BL B Thursday October 01, 2026
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Gunshots ring out during Vigilance unrest ...No arrests made as police turn to CCTV to identify suspects Gunshots rang out in the Vigilance-Buxton area on Tuesday shortly before a sand truck was set on fire, even as police intensified investigations into the unrest that erupted on Tuesday. The Guyana Police Force (GPF), in a statement issued hours after the incident, said it received information that several loud explosions, suspected to be gunshots, were heard in the area shortly before the truck was found burning. Police said the sand truck, which was along the Railway Embankment at Buxton, was found with extensive fire damage to its front cabin. The blaze was subsequently extinguished by the Guyana Fire Service. However, police said CCTV cameras have been identified in the surrounding area and footage will be reviewed as investigators seek to identify persons involved in the incidents. The development came amid a tense afternoon in Vigilance, where police and firefighters faced resistance from persons who had blocked access points with burning tyres, wood and other debris. According to police, at about 4:40 p.m., ranks were proceeding to a location in Vigilance in connection with an ongoing investigation when they encountered the roadblocks. The Guyana Fire Service was summoned, but persons at the scene allegedly hurled debris at firefighters while continuing to add combustible materials to the fires. Police said patrols remain in the area as investigations continue. The unrest stemmed from the arrest of the wife and brother of USsanctioned businessman Mark Cromwell, who has been linked to the investigation into the disappearance of two Surinamese nationals, Van Dalen Lorenzo, 28, and Derryl Danillo, 29. The two men reportedly travelled from Suriname to Guyana on August 28 and have not been seen or heard from since. Tu e s d a y ' s c o n f r o n t a t i o n reportedly intensified when police attempted to execute a search warrant at Cromwell's home and were allegedly prevented from doing so by persons at the scene. The latest police statement, however, adds a new dimension to the investigation, with suspected gunfire, the torching of a vehicle and the review of CCTV footage now forming part of the probe. Police have urged persons with information that could assist the investigation to come forward. Tuesday's mayhem mirrored a similar unrest back in 2023 when ranks of the Customs AntiNarcotics Unit carried out an operation in the village of Buxton during which they arrested a man connected with Cromwell. On February 1, 2023 residents of
Buxton blocked the public road and the Railway Embankment and torched a truck following the CANU operation in the area. The massive protest erupted between 10:00 and 11:00hrs and lasted until 15:00hrs after shots were reportedly fired by the CANU ranks while arresting a suspect identified as, Odearie Phillips, 25, of Vigilance, ECD. CANU had reportedly tried to intercept Phillips' car during an operation along the ECD but he reportedly evaded ranks at a road block set up at Buxton. The ranks suspected that he might have been carrying drugs and chased him into Buxton and were eventually able to arrest him with some $7M worth of
Residents set fiery roadblocks to ward off police on Tuesday.
The sand truck after it was set on fire
marijuana (23.2 Kilograms) after his car came to a halt in a trench. However, CANU had said that while arresting Phillips, its officers were forced to fire warning shots after Buxtonians became hostile and assaulted some of them for trying to apprehend him. “Members of the public became hostile, assaulted several officers and damaged several of the unit's vehicles in an attempt to free Phillips who was in lawful custody by pulling him out of CANU's vehicle, this resulted in several shots being discharged into the air”, CANU stated back then in a release. The Buxtonians on the other hand claimed that they became angry because the CANU ranks had endangered their lives by recklessly “shooting up”. Tuesday's skirmishes were also reminiscent of the escapee-led violence that enveloped the Buxton community between 2003-2011. Meanwhile, Cromwell has been fingered in a number of crimes at least one of which the police had issued a wanted bulletin for him. Back in October 2024 five months after the abduction of an expoliceman, the Guyana Police Force (GPF) had issued wanted bulletins for Cromwell also called 'Diamond/ Demon' and 28-year-old
Mark Cromwell called ‘Demon’ Kevral Hatton called, 'Smokey.' The abducted man was identified as Delon Alexander. Up to today he has not been found. Police reported then that the abduction occurred on May 7, 2024 on Church of God Road, Buxton, East Coast Demerara (ECD). Cromwell's last known address was given as Lot 40 Vigilance and Lot 10 Buxton, ECD. Cromwell was also charged that same year with assault and remanded to prison after he was caught on camera beating traffic rank, Constable Harlequin. He had
appeared at the Sparendaam Magistrates' Court before Magistrate Rushell Liverpool. In 2015 Cromwell was held in connection with the death of 68year-old security guard Michael Woolford. The guard was shot on September 9, 2015, while on duty at the Cummings Lodge Secondary School. He was not charged for the crime. It was alleged that on September 9, one man had chopped another in the vicinity of the Cummings Lodge Secondary, when a third man emerged from a car and fired several shots. A bullet struck Woolford, who was on duty at the school. Cromwell was the alleged shooter it was reported. In May of 2015, Cromwell who was dismissed from the force some time ago was again the subject of a wanted bulletin following the interception of a large arms cache at the Guyana National Industrial Corporation (GNIC) Wharf. The cache had included two AK 47 rifles, four .40 pistols, eleven 9mm. pistols, 15 extra magazines for the firearms, 489 various caliber rounds for the firearms and a body protection vest. Jamal Murphy, 21, of Lot 40 Vigilance South, East Coast Demerara, was charged in connection with the arms find. In June 2025, Cromwell was among several other Guyanese including Senior Superintendent Himnauth Sawh who were sanctioned by the United States Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) In a statement back then, the OFAC had updated its Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) list, naming the thirty-seven-year-old senior officer of Cane Grove, as well as businessman Paul Daby Jr., 40, also known as “Daby Ramsuchit”, “Paul”, “Rondell” and “Randell” of Georgetown; Cromwell and 50year-old Randolph Duncan for drug trafficking. OFAC stated at the time that for
decades, Guyana has been a transhipment point for the movement of drugs from South America to the United States and Europe. “Drug traffickers exploit the rivers and jungles of South America by transiting large quantities of cocaine, from Colombia and Venezuela, through the waters of Guyana and Suriname,” it was stated. OFAC outlined that Guyana's proximity to the Caribbean, as well as reported corruption along its ports and borders, allows maritime vessels, also known as narco-submarines, to transit through its waters undetected. It was stated that traffickers utilise these vessels to smuggle cocaine from the ports of Guyana and Suriname, across the Atlantic, to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean. OFAC said, too, that traffickers also coordinate the importation of cocaine loads from Colombia and Venezuela to Guyana via small aircraft, utilising illegal airstrips in Guyana as landing spots. “Cocaine has been discovered buried in underground bunkers located on airstrips and in jungle territory, with Guyana's BarimaWaini region as a prominent location. Cocaine is then flown, via aircraft, to the United States, Europe, and the Caribbean,” it was stated. Following a US$188 million drug bust on August 31st, this publication had reported that a senior police officer was allegedly connected with the cocaine bust at Matthew's Ridge, Region One. A Joint Services team, led by the CANU, on Saturday unearthed approximately 4.4 tons (4,400 kilos) of suspected cocaine, which has a current street value of US$188 million, at a nearby illegal airstrip at Matthew's Ridge. Neatly stashed, the cocaine was found buried in four hand-dug pits, each averaging five to six feet deep, and covered with tarpaulins, wood, and bushes.
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Election petition: PM, FM face crossexamination over Canadian citizenship (St Vincent Times) The High Court of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) has resumed hearings in a pivotal election petition testing the constitutional qualifications required for parliamentary office. The petitions—brought by electoral challengers including Luke Browne and Carlos Williams seek to disqualify Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and Minister Fitz Bramble (Dwight Bramble) on the grounds of their dual Canadian citizenship. The petitions—brought by electoral challengers including Luke Browne and Carlos Williams seek to disqualify Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday and
Minister Fitz Bramble (Dwight Bramble) on the grounds of their dual Canadian citizenship. At the center of the dispute is whether voluntarily acquiring foreign citizenship, taking a foreign oath of allegiance, and retaining a foreign passport trigger disqualification under Section 26(1)(a) of the SVG Constitution and Section 35 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA). The legal battle is occurring alongside political developments in Parliament, where the government has placed two Bills on the Order Paper proposing retroactive amendments to Section 26 and the RPA to explicitly
Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday
exempt Commonwealth citizens. Cross-Examination Highlights from Tuesday U n d e r c r o s s -
examination by Senior Counsel Stuart Young, Prime Minister Dr. Godwin Friday addressed his naturalisation, sworn allegiances, and
EU gives Saint Lucia till June 2028 to end CIP – or risk visa-free access (St Lucia Times) Saint Lucia and its Eastern Caribbean neighbours now have a clearer picture of what is at stake in their ongoing dispute with the European Union over Citizenship by Investment Programmes (CIP): they must phase the programmes out by June 2028 or risk losing visa-free access to the Schengen Area. For Saint Lucia, this presents a difficult choice. The CIP brings in revenue that Prime Minister Philip J. Pierre says benefits the country, while visa-free access allows Saint Lucians to travel to countries within the Schengen Area without first obtaining a visa. The issue has been building for years, with European authorities raising concerns about CIPs and the security implications of people acquiring citizenship from countries whose nationals enjoy visa-free access to Europe. Eastern Caribbean governments have responded by strengthening due diligence and moving towards greater regional regulation of their programmes. But following talks with European officials in New York last week, Pierre said it became clear that those changes had not shifted the EU’s fundamental position. The meeting brought Pierre and Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne together with European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner, Eastern Caribbean Central Bank Governor, Timothy Antoine, Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules and other officials. “The Europeans are adamant,”
Prime Minister of Saint Lucia, Philip J Pierre
Pierre said at Monday’s pre-cabinet press briefing. According to Pierre, one of the most significant takeaways was that there appears to be little room for negotiation on the central issue. “There were some people who thought that that could be negotiated. But the guy was clear. He said, once you have a programme, that’s it,” he said. That leaves Saint Lucia having to decide how far it is prepared to go to protect a programme the Government has repeatedly defended. In March, when questioned by St Lucia Times about the future of the programme, Pierre was unequivocal about his government’s position. “I will tell you that Saint Lucia has no intention of stopping the CIP programme. We will do all we can. I
want to be clear. We will do all we can to strengthen the programme,” the Prime Minister stated at the time. With the EU’s position now clearer, St Lucia Times asked Pierre on Monday whether he still stood by that declaration and, given the possibility of losing visa-free access, where Saint Lucia now stood. “The position is we’re going to protect the people of Saint Lucia…We’re going to protect our financial system,” Pierre responded, before again pointing to the value of CIP to the country. “But our programme benefits the people of Saint Lucia,” he said. Pierre said the CIP accounts for about 10 per cent of Saint Lucia’s revenue, making it important but not the Government’s main source of income. “It’s a programme that we would not like to lose because it has done quite a bit for our country. But we are going to try to protect it,” he said. For now, the government has not announced any intention to wind down the programme. The conversation with Europe is not over. A regional technical team is expected to hold further talks with European officials in October as the five Eastern Caribbean countries operating CIP programmes consider the way forward. Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Ernest Hilaire will represent Saint Lucia on the team. But Pierre acknowledged that room for those discussions has narrowed considerably. “So, it’s a very difficult proposition that we have,” he said. “But we’re going to work with them to see if we can come to a solution.”
legislative actions: Naturalisation & Oath: Dr. Friday confirmed that he voluntarily applied for and obtained Canadian citizenship through naturalisation as an adult in 1988. He acknowledged taking the Canadian Oath of Citizenship, swearing true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and agreeing to observe the laws of Canada. Passport Usage & Privileges: Dr. Friday admitted to obtaining and renewing a Canadian passport for travel convenience to Canada and the United States without visa requirements, as well as acknowledging that holding the passport affords him consular protection from the Canadian government abroad. Allegiance & Renunciation: While affirming that his “first allegiance is to SVG,” Dr. Friday agreed that taking the Canadian oath implied an allegiance to Canada. He admitted he has never renounced his Canadian citizenship, maintaining that dual citizenship does not legally disqualify him from sitting in Parliament. R e t r o a c t i v e Legislation: Dr. Friday acknowledged laying two Bills in Parliament in his name seeking to retroactively amend Section 26 of the Constitution to exclude Commonwealth c o u n t r i e s f r o m disqualification provisions. Senior Counsel Stuart
Young also cross-examined MP Dwight Bramble regarding his background, nomination, and passport retention: Acquisition of Citizenship: Bramble testified that he voluntarily acquired Canadian citizenship through naturalisation in 2017 after previously holding permanent resident status. S h o r t l y t h e r e a f t e r, h e obtained a Canadian passport. Return to Politics & Non-Renunciation: Bramble confirmed that two years after obtaining Canadian citizenship, he returned to SVG to contest the election for the New Democratic Party (NDP). He stated that he never sought to renounce his Canadian citizenship because he believed election regulations did not require him to do so. Travel Rationale & Formal Responses: Bramble explained that he holds his Canadian passport primarily to facilitate ease of travel into the United States. He verified signing a formal response on 10 November, 2025, to the Returning Officer for East Kingstown regarding objections to his nomination. Awareness of Parliamentary Bills: Bramble confirmed receiving and reviewing copies of the proposed Bills laid in Parliament aimed at amending Section 26 of the Constitution and Section 35 of the RPA. th
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Forest and landscape restoration is a cost-effective response to food security, biodiversity, climate, and other development challenges, according to a new report by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), which warns that scaling up action will require greater investment, inclusive governance and sustained political commitment. The flagship State of the World’s Forests (SOFO) 2026 report was published on Monday as part of FAO’s 28th Session of the Committee on Forestry (COFO 28) and its 10th World Forest Week. The 2026 edition examines how forest and landscape restoration can be expanded to deliver lasting benefits for people and the environment. Drawing on evidence and experiences from around the world, it identifies
four pathways for accelerating progress: empowering people and strengthening rights; implementing restoration at the landscape scale; mobilizing finance and business models that support restoration; and creating coherent policies, institutions and laws. “The State of the World’s Forests 2026 makes clear that forest and landscape restoration is more than an environmental priority – it is a strategic investment in resilient agrifood systems and rural development,” FAO DirectorGeneral QU Dongyu wrote in the report’s Foreword. “The window for action is narrowing, and delayed or poorly designed restoration will increase long-term costs, exacerbate inequalities and risk locking landscapes into unsustainable trajectories,” he added. Forests cover 4.14 billion hectares (about 32 per-
cent of the Earth’s land surface), store 714 gigatonnes of carbon and host up to 80 percent of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. They also underpin resilient agrifood systems, with nearly one-third of the global population depending on forests and trees for food security and livelihoods. However, an estimated 489 million hectares of forest were lost between 1990 and 2025 through deforestation, while more than 460 million hectares are degraded worldwide. In total, 1.56 billion hectares of land are degraded, driven by population growth, land-use change and rising demand for natural resources. At the same time, threats are intensifying. Every year, around 127 million hectares of forest are affected by fires, with further damage caused by insects, diseases and severe weather events. As de-
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(Reuters) - South Africa’s foreign affairs ministry called in U.S. Ambassador Leo Brent Bozell III on Tuesday for a third time over what it described as “undiplomatic conduct”, a government official told Reuters, but did not elaborate on what the conduct was. “We can confirm that we demarched Ambassador Bozell. The third demarche since he started his duties nine months ago,” a senior official at South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) told Reuters late on Tuesday. A demarche is a formal diplomatic protest from one ‘government to another. A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that Bozell went to DIRCO to discuss bilateral ties. “We are not interested in diplomatic manoeuvring, procedural delays or dialogue for dialogue’s sake,” the spokesperson added. Relations between the two countries have been strained by U.S. President Donald Trump’s repeated false claims that white South Africans face systemic persecution. White South Africans are, on average, wealthier and more likely to be employed than Black South Africans. The government policies criticised by Trump are intended to address inequalities that persist from the apartheid era. Bozell, a conservative ac-
U.S. Ambassador to South Africa Leo Brent Bozell III poses for a photograph with his wife Norma Petruccione Bozell. Jairus Mmutle/ GCIS/Handout via REUTERS/ File Photo tivist and writer who ‘in Pretoria as Trump’s envoy in February, was first called in within weeks of taking up the post over remarks that DIRCO said undermined South Africa’s judiciary and historical context. In recent interviews with local media, the ambassador has adopted a firmer and impatient tone, saying that Pretoria had not adequately addressed Washington’s ‘concerns and that further pressure could follow. Two weeks ago, the U.S. unveiled visa restrictions on some South Africans. South Africa has maintained a willingness to engage
in talks, but said its sovereignty must be respected and ‘that it would not compromise on domestic priorities such as addressing historical injustices. “The issues related to the bilateral relations between the two countries are a subject of ongoing discussions. There is commitment from both `sides to resolve the outstanding matters,” the DIRCO official said. The State Department spokesperson said: “The ball is now squarely in the government of South Africa’s court to outline the relationship it wants with the United States.”
mand for forest products rises and competing land uses increases pressure on natural resources, SOFO argues for the need to restore degraded forest and landscapes at scale, emphasizing that inaction carries a far greater economic burden than restoration. Worldwide, the annual impact of failing to restore degraded ecosystems is estimated at $878 billion to $6.3 trillion, equivalent to 2 to 8.3 percent of annual GDP, depending on the scope of valuation. Restoring more than 1 billion hectares of degraded land, on the other hand, could generate $1.8 trillion per year in benefits, including enhanced biodiversity, improved water regulation and healthier soils. The report notes that investing $2.6 trillion over 15 years in land degradation and drought mitigation could yield an eight-toone social return. Under favourable conditions, restoration can generate returns of up to $30 for every $1 invested. Restoration also creates jobs, revitalizes production systems and supports resilient growth. Benefits extend beyond income to improved well-being, stronger social cohesion and the preservation of cultural identity and knowledge systems. Scaling up solutions Progress is underway, with large-scale restoration increasingly recognized as crucial for achieving global targets on land degradation neutrality, climate change mitigation and adaptation, biodiversity conservation and ending hunger. According to the report, governments across 91 countries and areas have pledged more
than 190 million hectares for forest restoration. Examples of notable restoration projects among the 18 case studies analysed in the report include the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative, the Three North Programme of China, and the Trinational Atlantic Forest Pact across Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. However, progress remains insufficient, with only 206.5 million hectares of forests currently under restoration. The report points to four mutually reinforcing pathways to scale up highquality restoration: People must be at the centre, ensuring that their rights, knowledge and priorities shape restoration outcomes; Restoration must be planned and implemented at the landscape scale, balancing conservation, production and livelihoods through context-specific approaches; Financing must be aligned with the realities of restoration; public and private resources need to be mobilized to support longterm, high-quality outcomes; Coherent policy, law and institutional frameworks are crucial for enabling restoration at scale and ensuring its sustainability over time. “The remaining years to 2030 must be defined by high-quality implementation – scaling up forest and landscape restoration that is people-centred, sciencebased and supported by coherent policies. I am confident that through collective action and shared commitment we can restore degraded lands at scale and build a better future for all,” the FAO Director-General wrote.
Nearly 40% of disease... From page 19 fertility, migration and an increasing burden of chronic and disabling conditions. At the same time, important gaps in access and financial protection persist. Out-of-pocket spending accounts for nearly one-third of current health expenditure in the Region, highlighting the need to advance universal health coverage and protect people from financial hardship due to health costs. For PAHO, the findings reinforce the importance of building health systems centered on primary health care and ensuring that health investments are directed toward interventions that deliver the greatest impact. “We know what works. The evidence is clear, and the opportunity is significant,” Dr. Barbosa said. “The challenge is translating evidence into action amid fiscal pressures while delivering quality care at scale.” Through Health in the Americas 2026, PAHO provides countries with evidence and analytical tools to identify where the greatest health gains can be achieved, helping guide investment and strengthen delivery of priority services. Since 1954, Health in the Americas has been PAHO’s flagship assessment of health trends and its determinants in the Region, supporting countries in setting priorities and advancing progress toward a healthier and more equitable Americas.
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Brazil briefed French, German officials on alleged U.S., Russian election interference (Reuters) - A French and German delegation travelled this month to Brasilia, where intelligence officials briefed them on alleged U.S. and Russian interference before Brazil’s election, according to sources and documents seen by Reuters. Officials from Abin, B r a z i l ’s s p y a g e n c y, “confirmed the existence interference from the United States as well as Russia,” according to a report of the meetings compiled by an attendee. The alleged U.S. interference ranged “from lawfare to interference that is
openly acknowledged,” the Abin officials said, according to the report. They gave no details of the alleged Russian interference. The previously unreported visit underlines growing concern on both sides of the Atlantic over U.S. President Donald Trump’s efforts to support MAGA-aligned candidates. It also shows how potential targets of U.S. meddling are now comparing notes. The first round of Brazil’s election takes place on Sunday, with leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in a tight contest
‘against right-wing Senator Flavio Bolsonaro whose father, former President Jair Bolsonaro, is serving a prison term under house arrest for plotting a coup after the 2022 election. The spectre of U.S. interference to support Flavio Bolsonaro has loomed over the vote, with Lula saying he had warned Trump not to meddle. The U.S. State Department did not respond to a request for comment. It has previously denied seeking to interfere in Brazil’s elections. Abin and Russia’s embassy in Brazil
Guyana among 30 countries with quantified forest restoration commitments – FAO says in new state of the forest report
Guyana is among just 30 countries globally that have provided quantified restoration commitments in their national targets and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs). Guyana is among just 30 countries globally that have provided quantified restoration commitments in their national targets and National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans (NBSAPs), according to the Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) State of the World’s Forests 2026 report. The report, which examines global efforts to restore degraded forests and landscapes, lists Guyana alongside countries including Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Germany, Panama, South Africa and the United Kingdom as countries that provided an absolute figure for restoration in their national biodiversity plans. The FAO report said although additional countries had provided restoration commitments, only 30 supplied an absolute number in their national targets and NBSAPs. The commitments form part of a broader global push to restore degraded forests and landscapes amid growing concerns over deforestation, land degradation, biodiversity loss and climate change. Guyana also receives a specific mention in the report’s assessment of countries’ Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), with the FAO identifying mangrove conservation as one of the environmental cobenefits targeted through restoration-related commitments. The report groups Guyana with the Bahamas, Haiti, Saint Vincent and
the Grenadines, Samoa, São Tomé and Príncipe and Senegal among countries whose NDCs highlight mangrove conservation. The FAO report noted that restoration commitments are reported through several international frameworks, including national biodiversity strategies, NDCs, land degradation neutrality targets and the Bonn Challenge. It cautioned, however, that commitments reported under the various frameworks are not directly comparable because they can cover different ecosystems and are based on different reporting requirements and data availability. The report said 153 countries and areas responded in the 2025 Global Forest Resources Assessment as having forest restoration commitments, although not all provided quantitative estimates. Of those, 91 reported quantitative estimates. Globally, the FAO said restoration commitments reported through the different frameworks varied substantially, with the largest totals reported under land degradation neutrality and NDCs. The report describes forest and landscape restoration as a means of recovering ecological functionality while improving human well-being, and stresses that restoration involves more than simply planting trees, incorporating approaches such as natural regeneration, agroforestry and improved land management.
also did not respond to requests for comment. Moscow has previously denied interfering in other countries’ elections. TRUMP’S SUPPORT FOR RIGHT-WINGERS TESTS OLD NORMS T h e T r u m p a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ’s o v e r t support for right-wing candidates around the world represents a break with longstanding U.S. policies, and poses a challenge for incumbent governments over whether such support counts as foreign interference. Washington has openly supported ideologically aligned candidates across Europe and Latin America in recent months. The United States offered a bailout potentially worth $40 billion to boost Argentine President Javier Milei before his difficult midterm elections, while U . S . Vi c e J D Va n c e ‘travelled to Hungary to support former Prime Minister Viktor Orban in his failed reelection bid. Officials in France, where far-right candidate Marine Le Pen leads in opinion polls, have been vocal about rejecting any U.S. meddling in their domestic affairs. Privately, they say they view Brazil’s election as a potential early warning sign for France’s own presidential election next year. In Germany, where the far-right Alternative for Germany party came first in elections in two states last m o n t h , o ff i c i a l s h a v e
A combination image shows Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (left) at a ceremony at the Planalto Palace in Brasilia, Brazil, 8th August, 2026, and senator Flavio Bolsonaro (right), the Liberal Party (PL) candidate in Brazil’s presidential election, during an event announcing Alfredo Gaspar as Bolsonaro’s vice-presidential. regularly criticised the Trump administration’s support for the AfD. EU DELEGATION The French and German officials visited Brazil ‘from 9th-11th September as part of a European Union delegation to discuss implementation of the bloc’s Digital Services Act (DSA), which requires online platforms to do more to tackle illegal and harmful content. Washington has been critical of the DSA, which it says unfairly targets U.S. tech giants. The delegation’s aims in Brazil also included “preparing coordinated responses ahead of the 2026 elections,” `according to a document seen by Reuters. The French officials came from Viginum, a foreign disinformation detection agency, and media
and communications regulator Arcom. The German officials were from the Federal Network Agency, which regulates telecoms, energy, rail and postal services. Arcom confirmed one of its officials participated in the visit, as did Viginum. Germany’s Federal Network Agency ‘said “possible U.S. meddling in the elections in Germany was not discussed” at the meeting. A senior Brazilian cyber official who was present at the meeting, and who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the number of cyberattacks in Brazil had nearly doubled compared with 2025, while there had also been a sharp rise in hacks and phishing attempts of the president’s office, which the official said was clearly “election-related.”
Vigilance erupts again From page 16 along the Railway Embankment at Buxton was reportedly set on fire. When law enforcement officers attempted to extinguish some of the fires, which threatened nearby Guyana Power and Light (GPL) utility poles, they were reportedly met with hostility from persons gathered at the scene. Residents later extinguished some of the fires before relighting others at different locations. By press time on Wednesday, three separate fires had reportedly been lit, while some residents were seen using buckets of water to douse the flames. Police probe Tuesday unrest In a statement issued Wednesday morning, the GPF said it had launched an investigation into the roadway obstructions and other incidents. “At about 16:40hrs, Police ranks were proceeding to a location at Vigilance in connection with an ongoing investigation when they encountered several persons who had blocked access points in the
area with burning tyres, wood and other debris,” police stated. The Guyana Fire Service (GFS) was called in to extinguish the fires, but police said persons in the area threw debris at firefighters and continued adding combustible materials to the fires. During the incident, police also received a report that a sand truck along the Railway Embankment at Buxton had been set on fire. Ranks responded and found the vehicle with extensive fire damage to the front cabin. The blaze was subsequently extinguished by the GFS. “Police also received information that several loud explosions, suspected to be gunshots, were heard in the area shortly before the truck was observed on fire,” the police said. The latest unrest has heightened concerns among parents and residents, with calls growing for authorities to restore calm and ensure that children can safely return to school without further disruptions. Investigations are continuing.
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Thursday October 01, 2026
Passengers foil bid to crash Dubai-Tel Aviv flight, Israel says, after co-pilot-on-pilot stabbing (Reuters) - Passengers on a flydubai flight reached Israel safely on Wednesday after customers and crew foiled a co-pilot’s attempt to crash the aircraft, Israeli officials said, in a struggle that began when he stabbed the pilot and sent the jet plunging nearly 14,000 feet in less than 30 seconds. Passengers and crew entered the cockpit, overpowered the copilot and enabled a second pair of flydubai pilots were aboard the flight to land the jet safely in Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, Israeli officials said. More than 10 hours later, the passengers arrived at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport aboard a flydubai replacement aircraft, with several describing the episode as a miracle and recounting a frantic struggle to prevent a catastrophe. Israeli officials said the attacker’s motive aboard flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv remained under investigation. Israel and the United Arab Emirates, which includes Dubai, signed the Abraham Accords normalising relations in 2020. The incident sharpened concerns about global aviation security in a region scarred by years of conflict, prompting Israel to tighten checks on pilots flying into the country. “I just can say that it was a miracle. It was awful, crazy, and we thank God that we survived it, we didn’t think we will make it but thank God we are in Israel. We are back home. And `we are happy to
Travellers board a FlyDubai aircraft at Ben Gurion International Airport . REUTERS/Ammar Awad see everyone here,” passenger Lital Shachaf said. Israel’s ambulance service said a 51-year-old man was taken to an Israeli hospital to be treated for injuries to his upper body. The man was in a “mild condition,” it said. Describing the event as “a serious security incident,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Saudi authorities would interrogate the co-pilot. Flydubai said in a statement that the underlying reasons for the event remained unknown and warned against “premature speculation.” An Israeli official identified the copilot as an Omani national. There was no immediate comment from Oman. Israeli officials applauded the passengers, who they credited with avoiding a much more serious disaster. Netanyahu said there were
174 people on board the flight from Dubai, most of them Israeli nationals. ‘SOMETHING YOU DO WITHOUT THINKING’ A Netanyahu spokesperson told Reuters that the wounded captain, identified by the Israeli leader’s office as Smit Machchhar, an Indian national, was covered with blood on the floor when he managed to click the release to open the cockpit door. Passengers who entered found the co-pilot bashing at the plane’s control panel, the spokesperson said.”This is something you do without thinking, just running to save your daughter’s life, your family’s life,” said Asaf Rajuan, one of the passengers who helped restrain the attacker. He spoke with a forehead still bloodied from the struggle. Netanyahu’s office released a
video showing the prime minister at Ben Gurion Airport giving a hug to another passenger, Yaniv Hayun, who his said “broke into” `the cockpit. “I see you and I see a lion – a big hero,” Netanyahu told the man, who was still wearing the blood-stained shirt he had on during the flight. Flydubai operates daily return flights between Dubai and Tel Aviv, a route that is popular among Israeli nationals. The flight path normally uses airspace over Saudi Arabia and Jordan. It is not the first time a flight between Israel and the UAE has landed in Saudi Arabia. A flydubai flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv made an emergency landing in Riyadh in September 2025 due to a medical incident, Israeli media reported at the time. Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk airport, where the plane landed, said both pilots had been hospitalised after sustaining injuries. The incident heightened security fears in Israel weeks before Israelis vote in the first election since ‘the Hamas-led 7th October, 2023, attacks, with Israel’s security figuring prominently in the campaigning. Responding to the incident on X, far-right security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir wrote, “Terrorism is a devil with whom no agreement must be reached”. ISRAEL TO TIGHTEN CHECKS ON PILOTS FLYING TO ISRAEL
Israeli media published conflicting reports on the incident, with some outlets reporting that a pilot had tried to crash the passenger plane in an alleged suicide attempt. Some Israeli media outlets initially identified the pilots as Omani and Emirati nationals, while others said they were Russian and ‘Ukrainian. “Every pilot that is going to be flying into Israel, we are going to know the pilots’ identities, know who they are, and do some type of security check,” Doron Spielman, a Netanyahu spokesperson, told Reuters. Netanyahu met on Sunday with UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during a rare visit to the Gulf country. Israel and the UAE have forged close security, military and economic ties since establishing diplomatic ties. Israel provided the UAE earlier this year with Iron Dome ‘airdefence systems and Israeli personnel to operate them, helping defend against Iranian attacks launched after Israel and the U.S. began strikes on Iran. The UAE government had yet to comment on the flydubai incident, while the Dubai stateowned airline said an “altercation” occurred in the cockpit and the flight subsequently diverted to Tabuk, where it landed safely. The UAE’s aviation regulator, the GCAA, said the flight “experienced a security incident that was brought under control”.
Journalist among eight people killed by Israeli attacks on Gaza (AL-JAZEERA) At least eight Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip as Israel continues to violate a nearly year-old “ceasefire”. Palestinian journalist Muhammad Abdel Aziz al-Najjar was among those killed on Wednesday, Gaza’s Government Media Office said without providing the location or the circumstances of the attack. Al-Najjar was the 263rd journalist killed by Israel since October 2023, the office said. Separately, six people were killed on Wednesday by an Israeli drone attack on a passenger van in Tal al-Hawa, a neighbourhood in southwest Gaza City, according to witnesses and medical sources. The Palestine Red Crescent Society, a humanitarian group that runs ambulance and emergency services, said its crews took 13 wounded people to al-Quds Hospital. Medical sources told Al
Jazeera the injuries sustained by the victims of the attack were “critical”. “Doctors say it’s difficult to save the lives of the wounded because the health system is decimated by years of Israeli attacks and the blockade,” said Al Jazeera’s Hind Khoudary, reporting from Gaza City. “The number of dead in the strike could rise in the coming hours.” Earlier, the official Palestinian Wafa news agency reported an Israeli attack on a residential apartment near al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City killed at least one woman. Elsewhere, four Palestinians, including two children, were wounded when an Israeli drone hit a shelter for displaced people in southern Gaza, according to local sources cited by Wafa. Two other Palestinians were seriously wounded by Israeli forces southeast of Deir el-Balah in central Gaza, while Israeli tank fire
was also reported in southern Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Strip. The attacks came as the Ministry of Health in Gaza, which compiles casualty figures from hospitals across the territory, said in its latest daily update early on Wednesday that the bodies of at least nine people had arrived at hospitals during the last 24 hours. Eight people were killed and one woman died from earlier wounds, bringing the number of people killed since the IsraeliHamas October “ceasefire” to at least 1,431. At least 5,026 people have been wounded over the same period, including 31 in the past 24 hours, the ministry said. “There is supposed to be a ceasefire in Gaza, but the Israeli army’s violence is endless. Every day, Palestinians are killed, injured, and the humanitarian situation is deteriorating,” reported Khoudary, describing “terrifying” conditions
An Israeli strike targeted a vehicle in Tal al-Hawa, in southwest Gaza City [Khames Alrefi/Anadolu] for Gaza’s residents. “Everyone inside the strip is afraid to go to the supermarket, to take their children to school, and to live their everyday lives,” she added. Israel’s genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza has killed at least 74,032 people since October 2023, with another 175,142 wounded, according to health officials.
In August, an analysis by the United Nations Satellite Centre found that the number of destroyed structures across Gaza has increased by nine percent since the “ceasefire” took effect. About 82 percent of structures in Gaza, roughly 200,000 buildings, have been damaged, and about two-thirds of those have been destroyed since the start of the war, according to the UN.
Thursday October 01, 2026
Nearly 40% of disease burden in the Americas could be averted, PAHO report finds Nearly 40% of the total disease burden in the Americas could potentially be avoided through more effective prevention, timely diagnosis and treatment, and stronger health systems, according to the latest edition of Health in the Americas, presented by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) during its 63rd Directing Council. The report finds that people across the Region are living longer than ever, but not necessarily healthier lives. Life expectancy reached 77.1 years in 2023, exceeding prepandemic levels. Between 2000 and 2023, it increased by nearly four years, while healthy life expectancy increased by only around a year and a half. “The findings are compelling. Nearly 40% of the Region's total disease burden is potentially avertable,” said Dr. Jarbas Barbosa, Director of PAHO. “Much of this burden stems from cardiovascular diseases, diabetes and kidney diseases, maternal and neonatal disorders, violence and injuries, substance use disorders, and respiratory infections, including tuberculosis. Effective prevention and timely, quality care can prevent much of the i l l n e s s , d i s a b i l i t y, a n d premature death associated with these conditions.” The estimate of potentially avertable disease burden is based on health outcomes already achieved in countries within the region, showing that substantial additional health gains are possible with existing knowledge, technologies, and interventions. Chronic diseases are driving more health loss The analysis shows that the burden of disease across the Americas is increasingly shaped by chronic illnesses and disability. Cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, mental health conditions, and other chronic illnesses account for a growing share of health loss across the Region. Many of these conditions are linked to preventable or modifiable risk factors such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use, and environmental risks including air pollution. According to the report, countries with similar levels of resources often achieve very different health
outcomes. This suggests that health gains depend not only on how much countries spend on health, but also on how effectively resources are allocated and services are delivered. The challenge, the report finds, is not simply to identify effective interventions, but to ensure that proven solutions reach people at scale—through strong primary health care, well-designed health services and more strategic use of available resources. Five priorities to achieve greater health gains Health in the Americas 2026 identifies five areas where countries can focus action: Strengthen primary health care to ensure access to routine screening, diagnosis, treatment and follow-up for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and other major conditions, while addressing the biggest causes of ill health – high blood pressure and blood sugar, unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco and alcohol use, air pollution and other environmental risks. Prioritise and fund highimpact health services, translating evidence into affordable, implementable service packages backed by health workers, medicines, diagnostics and referral systems to ensure priority health services are available and delivered effectively. Target the greatest gaps using national data to identify where disease burden is highest and where improvements are most achievable, particularly among populations facing barriers related to income, geography, education and access to care. Act across sectors to address the wider drivers of health, including tobacco and alcohol use, food environments, physical activity, air pollution, road safety, violence, water and sanitation, climate-related risks and social protection. Strengthen accountability and collaborate across countries to implement priority actions, share practical solutions and learn from what works. Health systems face growing pressures The report comes as health systems across the Americas face a changing demographic and epidemiological landscape, including population aging, declining (Continued on page 22)
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Thursday October 01, 2026
Kaieteur News
Thursday ThursdayOctober November 01, 24, 2026 2022
Novak Djokovic has won six titles at the China Open between 2009 and 2015. (Getty Images)
Djokovic wins first match since Wimbledon in China
Thursday October 01, 2026 ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19) Don't take no for an answer today. There's a distinct advantage to holding true to your inner nature. Don't let others throw you off course with their views on how things should be done.
LIBRA (Sept. 23–Oct. 22) One quick phone call to a friend may turn into a long discussion about the meaning of life, Libra. Be conscious of the fact that there's a great deal of momentum building in your mind now.
TAURUS (Apr. 20–May 20) Be a pioneer thinker today, Taurus. There's a noble courage in your thoughts, so don't let this quality go to waste. You will be surprised at how cutting edge you can be when you put your mind to it.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23–Nov. 21) It could be that you feel a bit of pressure today to start or create something that you aren't quite ready for. There is hesitation on your part that indicates you should take it slowly and learn more of the facts before you jump into the fray.
GEMINI (May 21–June 20) Be aggressive and forceful when it comes to exerting your will, Gemini. Let others know that you won't be a pushover. Your opinions are extremely important, and they need to be heard by the people who matter the most.
SAGIT (Nov. 22–Dec. 21) Move forward with your plan of attack today, Sagittarius. There's an anxious rumble within you that's urging you to get going with a current plan. You have all the facts you need, so don't hesitate any longer.
CANCER (June 21–July 22) Today may be one of those days in which you come to a four-way stop and no one knows whose turn it is. Don't sit and wait for everyone else to go first, Cancer. If you know it's your turn, be bold and make your move LEO (July 23–Aug. 22) People would be foolish to challenge your thinking now. The power behind your words is volatile, and you may find yourself going to extremes in order to get your point across. VIRGO (Aug. 23–Sept. 22) Your old ways of thinking have carried you quite far, Virgo, but you may now find that it's time to seek a new platform for your ideas. Look for more adventurous ways to express yourself.
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CAPRI (Dec. 22–Jan. 19) Add spark to your life today. It could be that things are getting stale and boring. If so, consider the possibility that you simply aren't challenging yourself enough. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20–Feb. 18) People are apt to try to hit you square on the head with their ideas and thoughts today, Aquarius, so be ready for the onslaught of information that may come your way. PISCES (Feb. 19–Mar. 20) Anchor yourself in practical matters before you try to prove your point to others. There's a great deal of primal energy rising within you today and searching for some sort of outlet. Be aware of overextending yourself when it comes to issues of the mind.
BBC Sport - Novak Djokovic maintained his remarkable unbeaten record at the China Open as he beat Nuno Borges to secure his first win since reaching the Wimbledon semi-finals in July. The 39-year-old former world number one struggled in the second set but came through to win 6-3 7-6 (7-2) for his 30th consecutive victory in Beijing, albeit in his first appearance at the event since 2015. Djokovic revealed in August that he has been dealing with an underlying health condition that causes particular issues in hot, humid conditions for “the past couple of years” and was far from his best against
Portuguese Borges. During the second set he used his racquet to help stretch his back between games and needed a medical timeout to receive treatment to his right shoulder. But despite that Djokovic battled to victory in one hour and 50 minutes to set up a second-round match against wildcard Bu Yunchaokete of China. Playing in the tournament for the first time in 11 years, the Serb, a 24time Grand Slam champion, is bidding to win the China Open for a record-extending seventh time. Meanwhile, Great Britain’s Katie Boulter is through to the second round in the women’s draw with a
straight-set victory over Mai Hontama of Japan. Boulter, 30, claimed a 63 6-4 win and will now face Czech seventh seed Karolina Muchova in the next round.
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Alex Carey scored a calculated 74. (AFP/Getty Images)
Thursday October 01, 2026
Australia win rain-curtailed ODI against South Africa (Reuters) - Australia’s bowlers powered the tourists to a 45-run victory over South Africa under the DuckworthLewis-Stern method on Wednesday, helping them avoid a whitewash in the threematch one-day international series. With test Pat Cummins competing in his first ODI in 22 months and Mitchell Starc restored to the team, Australia fielded a formidable attack after losing the opening two matches. But it was Xavier Bartlett, who removed both openers and finished with 2-25 from five overs, and ‘Adam Zampa, who took 2-34 from six, who effectively stifled home hopes
of chasing down a challenging target at the JB Marks Oval after Australia were put in to bat and scored 322-9. Rain brought a premature end to proceedings with South Africa on 145-4 after 28 overs, 46 runs short of their revised target of 191. Ry a n R i c k e l t o n w a s unbeaten on 71 but running out of partners in a depleted batting line-up. South Africa ‘captain Temba Bavuma, David Miller and Marco Jansen and saw Tony de Zorzi hurt his hamstring while fielding, which meant he could not bat. The wet weather also delayed the start of play, but Australia saw off any advantage
South Africa ‘hoped to gain out of the wicket with a 78-run partnership off 53 balls for the opening wicket between skipper Mitchell Marsh (56) and Travis Head (24). The 20-year-old Oliver ‘Peake contributed 48, while Alex Carey top-scored with 74 to push Australia to an imposing total. South Africa won the first ODI in Durban by ‘67 runs and the second in Johannesburg by 32 runs. The two countries will now contest a three-test series starting in Durban next week. Scores: Australia 322 for 9 (Carey 74, Marsh 56, Bosch 460) beat South Africa 145 for 4 (Rickelton 71*, Bartlett 2-25, Zampa 2-34) by 45 runs (DLS).
Guyanese players earn three new chess titles at 2026... From page 33 secured a draw on Board one. In Round 4, the Open Team delivered a dominant 3.5–0.5 victory over Macau, China. Board 1 set the tone with a solid draw from C M P i t a m b e r, w h i l e K y l e Couchman, FM Anthony Drayton, and Keron Sandiford secured decisive wins on their respective boards. Guyana Open team faced tough opposition in Rounds 5 and 6, falling 1-3 to both Luxembourg and Wales. Against Luxembourg, Couchman and FM Drayton secured draws on Boards 2 and 3, while against Wales FM Drayton earned the sole win on Board 4. The team rebounded strongly in Round 7 with a 3-1 victory over Togo, with wins from CM Pitamber and Couchman, alongside draws by Khan and Sandiford on Boards 3 and 4. The team had a setback in Round 8, losing against Nigeria 0.5-3.5, with FM Drayton securing a draw on Board 3. Guyana Open team posted an impressive 3-1 win over Mali in Round 9, with victories from Couchman, Khan and Sandiford. In a closely fought Round 10, Guyana went down 1.5 to 2.5 to their Caribbean counterparts, Jamaica. Pitamber won on Board 1, and FM Drayton secured a draw on Board 3. In round 11, the team concluded the tournament on a high note by defeating Jersey 2.5 to 1.5 with wins from Couchman and Drayton and a draw from Pitamber. Competing on Board 1, CM Sachin Pitamber (1991) delivered a strong performance, scoring 4.5 points across 9 rounds. Pitamber earned victories over New Caledonia’s Nicholas Douyere
(1818), Togo’s Yakini Tchouka (2012), and Jamaica’s FM Joshua Christie (2216). He also secured impressive draws against higherrated opponents, including GM Andreas Kelires of Cyprus (2532), CM Tong Kuan Mak of Macau, China, and CM Jem Gurner of Jersey (2108). Making his Chess Olympiad debut on Boards 1 and 2, Kyle Couchman (2003) delivered an outstanding performance, earning the coveted Candidate Master title despite missing the opening round due to travel delays. Couchman secured 4.5 points across 10 games. His tournament highlights were victories over Macau China’s CM Seak Hin Leong (1914), Togo’s Kokou Ballebako (1820), Mali’s Oumar Keita (1892), and Jersey’s Paul Carpenter (1858), as well as a credible draw against Luxembourg’s FM Philippe Linster (2230). CM Taffin Khan (2005), playing on Boards 2 and 3, secured 2.5 points over 8 games. Khan secured wins against Macau, China’s De V R Joao Car Bartilotti (1545), and Mali’s Baba Moulaye Abdalla Maiga rated 1845, as well as a draw against Togo’s Lumen Paco Semeko (1744). FM Anthony Drayton (2003), playing on Boards 3 and 4 across 8 rounds, secured 4.5 points as one of the Open team’s most successful players. FM Anthony Drayton delivered a strong individual performance, securing wins over New Caledonia’s Titouan Bellier Pontais (1657), Wales’ CM Alex Bullen (2096), and Jersey’s Gary Clarke (1831). He also earned solid draws against higher-rated opponents,
including Luxembourg’s Christian J e i t z ( 2 1 5 5 ) , N i g e r i a ’s Bartholomew Okhipo (2246), and Jamaica’s FM Raheem Glaves (2127). Rounding out the Open team, Keron Sandiford (1874) scored 3.5 points across 9 rounds, earning him the prestigious Candidate Master title. Sandiford recorded victories against Christian Brotons of New Caledonia, David Sun (1591) of Macau, China, and Niare Youssouf of Mali (1729), while securing a draw in round 7 against Togo’s CM Mikhail Strovskiy, rated 1760. The Guyana Women’s Team posted a stable performance in the tournament, gaining valuable experience and insight along the way. In Round 1, the team lost 0-4 to Colombia. Boards 1 and 2 were forfeited because Kataleya Sam and Ciel Clement arrived late due to flight delays. In the second round, they lost 1-3 to a higher-rated Andorra team, with WCM Aditi Joshi winning on Board 1. In the third round, the team bounced back with a 3.5 -0.5 victory over their Caribbean counterparts, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with WCM Joshi, Clement, and WCM Shariff securing wins while Sam secured a draw. The team fell 0:4 in Round 4 against a higher-rated, more experienced Hong Kong, China team. Round 5 saw the team bounce back against Somalia, winning 3.5 to 0.5, with WCM Joshi, Clement and WCM Callender winning their games while WCM Shariff drew on Board 3. In Round 6, the Women’s Team put up a strong fight against a higher-rated team from Japan
before narrowly falling 1.5–2.5. Highlights included WCM Shariff’s impressive victory over Kanako Kinoshita (1783) and a valuable draw earned by WCM Callender. In Round 7, the team lost 1-3 to Laos, with WCM Shariff recording the team’s only win on Board 4. In Round 8, Guyana completed a 4:0 sweep of Mali by winning on all four boards. In a challenging ninth round, the team fell 0-4 to Guam. In Round 10, the team bounced back with a strong 3-1 victory against San Marino. In the final round, the team fell 1-3 to their Caribbean counterparts, The Bahamas, with WCM Shariff securing the team’s only win. WCM Aditi Joshi secured four wins in ten rounds on Board 1, defeating Andorra’s Andrea Henderson De La Fuente (rated 1982), St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Ronnia Durham Balcombe (rated 1601), Somalia’s Mohamed Ali Sabrin (rated 1519), and Mali’s Adama Diakite (rated 1673). Playing in her first Chess Olympiad, thirteen-year-old Kataleya Sam(1525) secured 3.5 points across 10 rounds on Boards 1 and 2, after missing the opening round due to flight delays. She recorded victories against Japan’s Kanako Kinoshita (1783), Mali’s Bintou Diallo (1575), and San Marino’s Mariane Biodri, along with a draw against Stacy Baptiste King from St Vincent and the Grenadines. Playing on Boards 2 and 3, Ciel Clement secured four wins from eight rounds of play after missing the opening round due to flight delays, earning the title of Woman
Candidate Master in the process. She won against Molissa Ashton of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Mohamed Ali Samiro (1504) of Somalia, Terena Diallo of Mali and Cristina Giannini of San Marino. Competing across Boards 3 and 4, WCM Sasha Shariff earned 3.5 points in seven rounds. She won against St. Vincent’s Kazene Pierre, Laos’s Bouavone Kessouvanh, and Bahamian WCM Daijah Johnson (1607), while holding Somalia’s Ali Jimale Mariya to a draw. Competing on Board 4, WCM Jessica Callender delivered a dependable performance, scoring 3.5 points over nine rounds. She claimed victories against Somalia’s Mohamed Ali Ramla, Mali’s Fatim Maiga, and San Marino’s Dorina Capicchioni (1447), while also securing an impressive draw against Japan’s higher-rated Ami Kato (1755). Official title certificates and recognitions are finalized and published in the subsequent FIDE (International Chess Federation) rating and title lists following administrative processing. Serbian Grandmaster Aleksa Strikovic served as captain for the Open Team, while Slovenian Grandmaster Georg Mohr captained the Women’s Team. The Guyana Chess Federation is proud of the achievements of our national players and extends its warmest wishes for their safe journey home. We express our sincere gratitude to Mrs. Tanya WarrenClement for her dedication as Head of Delegation, as well as to our valued sponsors: Enet and the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport for their unwavering support.
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Thursday October 01, 2026
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Results of the Marcus Bisram Foundation $50,000US T20 cricket competition for teams on the Upper Corentyne By Samuel Whyte
T
he Marcus B i s r a m Foundation (MBBF) $50,000US ( a p p r o x i m a t e l y G$11,600,000) T20 cricket competition bowled off on Sunday with a number of matches on the Upper Corentyne. Results of the matches were - At the Crabwood Creek Ground - No 72 Hong Kong made 183 in their overs to defeat Molson Creek Wolf Warrior 170 by 13 runs. At Skeldon Community Centre Ground - Skeldon Spartans won by walkover from Crabwood Creek All Family. At the 73 ground- No 73 Young Warrior 144 got the better of Crabwood Creek Bomb Squad who made 124 by 18 runs. In a match at the No 72 All Stars Ground - Yakusari Caribs made 89 with No 72 All Stars reaching 92 in 16.5 overs.
Founder President and CEO of the MBBF Businessman, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Marcus Bisram.
Over at the No 72 Cut N Load ground- No 72 Cut N load defeated No 69 Red
Rose by 52 runs. No 72 Cut N Load scored 144 runs. No 69 Red Rose replied with 92.
At the No 71 Ground. The No 71 Sport Club batted first and made 196. Line Path Raptors in reply reached 98 to lose by 98 runs. No 70 Spartan defeated No 69 Viking by 6 runs in their game at the No 70 Spartan ground after scoring 131 in 15.5 overs. No 69 Vi k i n g s r e p l i e d with125 in their 20 overs. The No 68 turn team won from No 43 Scorpion by walk over. No 64 Fighting Marines also won by walkover from No 48 Challenger. Skeldon Jaguars defeated Yakusari Horizon. The home team batted first and made 163 in their allotment of overs. Skeldon Jaguars replied with 166 in 19 overs. The MBBF T20 competition is being sponsored by United States based Guyanese
businessman, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist Marcus Brian Bisram. Bisram is also the President and Chief Executive Officer of the organization. The MBBF has been performing humanitarian service in different spheres throughout Guyana for a number of years. The cricket competition which is being played on a Round Robin basis is deemed the biggest in terms of sponsorship in Guyana.
Some 22 teams are slated to participate. The winning team is set to receive $1M and other amenities including medals and the beautiful MBBF trophy. The runner-up team will receive $500,000 and other incentives while the teams finishing third and fourth will also receive significant cash and other rewards. Other lucrative incentives will be presented to outstanding individual players. The sponsor will also take care of a number of other expenses including balls. The final is set for the end of November with Live broadcast and live streaming to be done by the ever reliable Pixel Perfect Productions Group. The competition is set to continue on Sunday with a number of matches.
Punish Man City this season, say other club chiefs BBC Sport - Manchester City’s punishment for breaching Premier League rules should be handed down before the end of this season, senior football figures have told BBC Sport. The Premier League said on Tuesday that City had been found guilty of all charges relating to breaches of its financial regulations between the 2009-10 and 2017-18 seasons. They included artificially inflating revenue by more than £900m through “sham” sponsorship deals. City have repeatedly denied guilt and signalled an intent to lodge an appeal by the end of this week. There have been fears that the process, which has taken three years since City were charged, could be drawn out for much longer. However, senior figures within football have told BBC Sport they see no reason why the case cannot be concluded by the end of this season. Speaking on condition of anonymity, one club official said: “It benefits everyone for this to be resolved as quickly as possible.” When asked if they believed it would be, they said: “Instinctively yes, but it has to be done right. “We can all see what the risks are if it’s not. But those risks have
Manchester City won eight trophies during the period for which they were investigated. (Getty Images)
been there throughout the process, as they’ve won the league multiple times during it.” Another source said the process “should” be resolved by the end of the season, and they hoped any appeal would be “compressed”. The final decision rests in the hands of the independent commission, with the Premier League board - and City - able to suggest a suitable punishment before the panel makes its decision. There is increasingly a desire to have the case resolved by the end of the season amid fears that allowing City to get to the end of the campaign without punishment
could lead to uncertainty and farce, particularly if they were to win the title. One section of the Premier League regulations says an appeal should conclude no more than 12 weeks after it is filed, and a decision should be made within 30 days of its end. Procedures can be hurried to meet certain deadlines, like the end of a league season. However, Ferran Soriano, the club’s chief executive, has suggested the case will run for a long time. Manchester City cannot make a further appeal to the Court of
Arbitration for Sport (Cas), but could potentially claim the process was not impartial at the High Court. T h e P r e m i e r L e a g u e ’s statement, formally announcing the guilty verdicts read on Monday, said it wants the process to be “concluded as soon as possible”. City sponsor Etihad considers legal action Meanwhile, City club sponsor Etihad Airways said it is considering legal action against the Premier League. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the United Arab Emirates-based airline said it “categorically rejects any finding,
conclusion or implication that suggests the airline has ever been involved in improper commercial arrangements”. It added: “The Premier League’s public communication of the commission’s findings, following a period of selective leaks and reporting, has further created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the redacted published findings.” Etihad, City’s main sponsor since 2009, also said it was given no opportunity to engage in a process that now reflects “adversely on the airline”. The statement added: “Etihad is deeply concerned by the way this matter has been communicated publicly. “The lack of clarity and transparency, together with the selective disclosure of information, has created damaging implications for Etihad despite the airline not being named in the published decision. “The Premier League must take responsibility for the consequences of the way in which these findings have been presented. “Etihad will seek the relevant legal counsel on the options and recourse available to protect its interests.” The Premier League declined to comment when contacted by BBC Sport.
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Al Sport and Tour promotions events...
GDF and Riddim Squad advance as GFDA U-13 League heads into knockout stage The Guyana Football Development Academy (GFDA) Inaugural Invitational Grassroots Under-13 Boys Football League moves into its knockout stage on Thursday, with teams set to battle for p l a c e s i n S u n d a y ’s championship final at the Parade Ground. Riddim Squad FC have emerged among the teams making their mark during the preliminary phase, recording victories over Melanie FC and Fruta Conquerors. Riddim Squad opened their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Melanie before edging Fruta Conquerors 32, setting up another important encounter against the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) in their bid to advance.
Several other closely contested matches have highlighted the early stages of the competition. Beacon FC and Black Pearl FC battled to a 3-3 draw, while Belle West and Fruta Conquerors played to a 1-1 stalemate. Herstelling Raiders and Eastveldt also shared the points following a 1-1 draw, while Pele FC and Black Pearl ended their encounter 1-1. Beacon FC, however, produced the biggest attacking display to date, hammering Eastveldt 10-0 in Match Seven to establish the tournament’s best goal difference at that stage. The knockout matches will determine the teams advancing to Sunday’s decisive stage, where the semi-finals, third-place
p l a y o ff a n d f i n a l a r e scheduled to be played from 1 p.m. at the Parade Ground. Masters action continues Running alongside the Under-13 competition is the Isun-Health Conscioussponsored “One Love” Masters Over-40 Football Competition, which has also produced competitive action. Linden Masters, GDF Masters and Masters One have advanced following victories, with the remaining knockout places to be decided during today’s action at the Plaisance ground. GDF will face Riddim Squad FC at 8 p.m., with a place in the GFDA U13 semi-finals at stake. That match will be followed at 9 p.m. by a clash between Beacon FC Masters
and East Coast Masters. The Masters competition is offering $200,000 and a trophy to the champion, while the runners-up will collect $100,000 and a trophy. The third- and fourthplace teams will receive $60,000 and $40,000, respectively, with trophies also attached to both positions. Individual awards will also be presented to the Most Valuable Player, leading goal scorer, best midfielder, best defender, best goalkeeper and best coach. The semi-finals, thirdplace playoff and final of the Masters competition are scheduled for Sunday, October 4, at the Parade Ground, with play beginning at 1 p.m.
Rana says MCYS/Pakistan MOU will help to further develop Guyanese cricketing talent With Guyana’s cricket set to receive a major shot in the arm following a newly signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) and the Lahore Qalandars of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), boss Sameen Rana said the move is geared specifically towards putting more Guyanese cricketers on the map. Qalandars, historically one of the most successful teams in the PSL history, having secured three championship titles in 2022/2023/2025, have now formed this MOU e s t a b l i s h i n g a comprehensive framework for cooperation in highperformance cricket, athlete and coach development, technical exchanges and international collaboration. Signed by Mr. Rana, Minister of Culture Youth and Sports, Charles Ramson Jr, Minister within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport Steven Jacobs, the move was done under a framework which will see the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) serving as the M i n i s t r y ’s p r i n c i p a l technical partner, providing local expertise and administrative support to
Lahore Qalandars boss Sameen Rana implement these new initiatives. Speaking in a video shared via the Ministry of Culture Youth and Sports’ official Facebook page on Thursday, Rana expressed his enthusiasm for the project. “It is a great honour and privilege for me to be here. I
believe it is truly a historic occasion because we have just signed a major memorandum of understanding with the Ministry for an exchange programme benefitting young Guyanese athletes,” Rana said. Reflecting on the driving force behind the partnership,
Rana noted that the raw energy of Guyana’s youth played a decisive role in sealing the agreement. “There is an immense energy and commitment to the youth of Guyana, proving they can really make a difference. As the Lahore Qalandars are a leading franchise in Pakistan and, I believe, globally for player development, we are honoured to participate in t h i s j o u r n e y, ” R a n a explained. “Basically, what we are looking to do through this programme is develop young Guyanese players, give them an opportunity to train in Pakistan and allow them to showcase their talent wherever the Qalandars have a footprint.” Rana emphasized that whether through the Pakistan Super League or other global franchises partnered with the Qalandars network, the agreement will grant Guyanese youth a platform to learn and display their skills on the world stage. “I am very excited and happy. I am incredibly thankful to His Excellency Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, as well as Honorable Ministers Charles Ramson and Steven Jacobs, for giving us this wonderful opportunity,” Rana concluded.
Thursday October 01, 2026
International umpire Zahid Bassarath joins panel as TV reviews introduced for Anna Regina showpiece
International umpire Zahid Bassarath. (Getty Images) International umpire Zahid Bassarath will join the officiating panel for the National Finals of the Lotto/Let’sBet One Guyana T10 Tapeball Blast on Sunday, October 11 at the Anna Regina National Stadium. The 43-year-old Trinidadian, who has stood in two ODIs, 28 T20Is, and 138 T20 matches, along with extensive regional experience, has donated his services for the showpiece event. He will be supported by seasoned Guyanese umpires Chandraban Rajnarine and Javed Persaud, along with Yogeshwar Lall. Organised by FL Sport, the final phase will feature TV reviews for line decisions, including run-outs and stumpings. Tournament Director John Ramsingh welcomed Bassarath’s involvement, highlighting the competition’s growing regional stature in its fifth year. “Having an umpire of Zahid’s quality adds tremendous value to the tournament as we conclude our fourth year,” Ramsingh said. “He and many mainstream cricket aficionados have been following the tournament’s growing popularity across the region and wanted to come on board to support its development.” Bassarath expressed his enthusiasm for contributing to the grassroots game in the region. “I am delighted to support grassroots cricket development in Guyana and contribute to a tournament that is doing so much to give a spotlight to talent,” Bassarath said. On Monday, October 12, Bassarath will hold an interactive session with active and aspiring umpires in Essequibo, aligning with the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport’s foundational push to revive the national school cricket programme. The blockbuster Oct. 11 finals day in Essequibo begins at 14:30h local time with the first semi-final between GrillMaster Sip N Play All-Stars and Mahdia (Movements Family), followed by the second semi-final at 16:30h featuring Lusignan Bulls DTP II against the Georgetown/East Coast Demerara zone champion, who will be crowned on Oct. 4. Following an exhibition match, the grand finale will bowl off at 19:30h. At stake is a top prize of GYD $2 million for the national champions, while the runners-up will pocket GYD $1 million and the losing semi-finalists take home GYD $500,000 each, adding to the GYD $500,000 already collected by the zone winners. Individual accolades sponsored by Regal Super Centre include a brand-new motorbike and GYD $150,000 for the Most Valuable Player, GYD $100,000 plus a television each for the top run-scorer and leading wicket-taker, GYD $75,000 for the Player of the Final, and GYD $50,000 each for the tournament’s Super Strike Rate and Best Economy Rate awards.
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Gill hits 223 not out as India chase down Windies’ record total BBC Sport - Shubman Gill scored a career-best 223 not out as India sensationally chased down West Indies’ record 405-7 with 39 balls to spare in the second one-day international in Guwahati. West Indies looked to be favourites at the interval having posted their highest ever total in the format, with John Campbell (101), Shai Hope (104) and Amir Jangoo (114) all hitting centuries. India captain Gill, however, was in sublime form - bringing up his century off just 62 balls and his 200 just 55 balls later. The elegant right-hander plundered eight sixes and 26 fours, putting on 255 for the first wicket with Rohit Sharma, who scored a century of his own. Rohit was trapped lbw for 101 and Virat Kohli fell for 29 but Ruturaj Gaikwad joined Gill to ensure India won in style and with remarkable ease. Earlier, centuries for Campbell, Hope and Jangoo meant the Windies recorded their highest team total in the format. It was only the sixth time in ODI history that a team has had three centurions in one innings. Campbell and Hope put on 110 in 79 balls for the second wicket, before a huge third-wicket
Amir Jangoo hit consecutive fifties. (Associated Press)
John Campbell’s century was the fifth-fastest for West Indies. (AFP/Getty Images)
partnership of 182 between Hope and Jangoo set the platform for a record total. Left-handed opener Campbell struck five sixes in his rapid century and took 22 off one Prasidh Krishna over. India bowlers Krishna and Naman Dhir picked up injuries while paceman Auqib Nabi had a
Omen Guyana beat Essequibo Marten by 9 wickets in T20 affair
debut to forget - conceding 84 runs, the fourth-most by an Indian winning his first ODI cap. We s t I n d i e s ’ b a t t i n g performance comes less than a week since news that their players must take a 25% pay cut as part of wider cost-saving measures. The two-time World Cup
winners are also facing a battle to qualify directing for next year’s competition, having been consigned to a qualifier in early 2027.
Golden Jaguars hunt backto-back wins in Puerto Rico …Guyana’s could seal Gold Cup berth against Dominica By Rawle Toney
Stephen Alick, right, and Emran Khan strike a pose after the game. Omen Guyana defeated Essequibo Marten by a comprehensive, ninewicket margin when the teams collided in a T20 match last Sunday at Reliance Sports Ground, Essequibo Coast, Region 2 (PomeroonSupenaam). Omen Guyana’s victory was orchestrated by an impressive, unbeaten 74 from Stephen Alick and a four-wicket haul from Emran Khan. Chasing 124 to win, Alick slammed seven delightful fours and two sixes while he got good contribution from Keon Franklin, who made 34 not out. Earlier, Shashie Ganpat top-scored for Essequibo Marten with 24. Khan ripped through the batting lineup as he finished with 4-6 from his maximum four overs after his team had won the toss and elected to bowl. Khan received excellent support from Carlos Reid who grabbed 3-24 (4). At the post-match presentation, Alick was chosen as the best-batter, while spinner Khan was easily nominated as the best-bowler and Ganpat the best-fielder. Stephen Alves took the best-catch of the match. All the awardees took home a trophy each.
Scores: India 406 for 2 (Gill 223*, Rohit 101) beat West Indies 405 for 7 (Jangoo 114, Hope 104, Campbell 101, Kuldeep 2-65) by eight wickets.
The Golden Jaguars will look to take another significant step towards a return to the Concacaf Gold Cup when they face Dominica in the first of two League B, Group A encounters in Puerto Rico in the Concacaf Nations League. Guyana will meet Dominica at 5:00 pm today at the Mayagüez Athletics Stadium in Mayagüez, before the two teams meet again at the same venue three days later, on Sunday. The double-header presents the Golden Jaguars with an opportunity to strengthen their position at the top of Group A and move closer to securing a place at the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup. Guyana has made an impressive start to the 2026/27 Concacaf Nations League campaign under new head coach Marco Bonofiglio, winning both of its opening matches without conceding a goal. The campaign began with a 1-0 victory over Puerto Rico at Wi n d s o r P a r k i n R o s e a u , Dominica, with Osaze De Rosario converting a second-half penalty to settle the contest. The Golden Jaguars then produced another clean-sheet performance, defeating the Cayman Islands 2-0. De Rosario
Osaze De Rosario has scored in each of the team games for the Golden Jaguars in League B of the Nations League. and Liam Gordon found the back of the net, with both goals coming from assists by Omari Glasgow. With six points from two matches, Guyana currently sits atop Group A in League B, while Puerto Rico has three points following its 2-0 victory over Dominica. Dominica and the Cayman Islands have one point each after playing to a goalless draw in the opening round of matches. The upcoming matches, therefore, carry considerable
importance for all four teams, but the Golden Jaguars enter the Mayagüez fixtures with the advantage of knowing that two victories would put them in an extremely strong position to finish as group winners. The 2026/27 Nations League is particularly significant because it serves as the qualification route for the 2027 Concacaf Gold Cup. The four League B group winners will qualify directly for the region’s premier men’s national-team tournament. G u y a n a ’s p u r s u i t o f qualification also carries historical significance. The Golden Jaguars made their Gold Cup debut in 2019, and a successful Nations League campaign would give the country another opportunity to compete on Concacaf’s biggest international stage. For Bonofiglio and his squad, however, the immediate task is Dominica. The Golden Jaguars have demonstrated defensive discipline in their opening two matches, while De Rosario has already emerged as a key contributor in front of goal. Glasgow’s creativity and the team’s ability to convert opportunities will again be important against a Dominica side looking for its first victory of the campaign.
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Thursday October 01, 2026
HearMeOut What does it take to
make the Golden Jaguars? By Rawle Toney
T
here is a question that has been circulating within Guyana’s football community for some time, and perhaps it is time we address it more directly, but constructively. What does a player have to do to earn an opportunity with the Golden Jaguars? This is not about demanding that every outstanding locally based player be selected for Guyana’s senior men’s national team. It is not about questioning the authority of the head coach or technical staff, nor is it about suggesting that players currently in the squad do not deserve their places. It is about something much simpler, the pathway. FINDING A PATHWAY Before proceeding, however, I think it is important to establish one point. This column is not, and should be interpreted about locally based players versus those from the diaspora. I do not subscribe to that
argument. International football is governed by established eligibility regulations, and FIFA determines who may represent a national association based on criteria including nationality, birth, descent, residence and other qualifying circumstances. If a player is eligible to represent Guyana and possesses the qualities required by the technical staff, he should be considered on footballing merit, rather than simply on where he plays his club football. At the same time, the growing pool of eligible overseas-based players makes the question of a domestic pathway even more relevant. So, what does the pathway from the GFF Elite League to the Golden Jaguars actually look like? Every coach will have his own football philosophy. Different technical staffs will have different tactical requirements, preferences and interpretations of what
an international player should bring to a team. That is part of football. But for the player competing week after week in Guyana, there should still be some understanding of what is required to get noticed, assessed and ultimately given an opportunity. Neron Barrow provides a useful example, not because this column is about one player, but because his career provides a compelling case study. Over the last two Elite League seasons, the 22-yearold Barrow has been among Guyana’s most prolific attacking players, while also developing into a more complete footballer. His domestic record has been remarkable. He scored 18 goals in 2024 before producing a league-leading 32-goal haul in 2025. In other words, he has scored 50 goals across two seasons in Guyana’s premier domestic competition. Those performances earned him an opportunity in Jamaica’s Premier League, where he was able to test and further develop his game in a more competitive environment. He subsequently returned to Guyana and played an important role in Slingerz FC’s 2026 CFU Club Shield campaign, scoring against SWA Sharks and Prison Service FC as the
club advanced to the quarterfinals. Barrow, therefore, is not simply an example of a player scoring goals against domestic opposition. His record represents sustained production, an overseas professional opportunity and exposure to regional competition. H o w e v e r, h i s opportunities at senior international level have remained limited. He made his Golden Jaguars debut against Montserrat in June 2025, when he played 16 minutes. But after? On the bench. The question, therefore, is not “why isn’t Barrow automatically in the starting XI?” That would be the wrong question. No player should be guaranteed a place in the Golden Jaguars simply because of his domestic statistics. The more pertinent question is “what more does a player like Barrow have to demonstrate to receive a meaningful opportunity?” And that question extends far beyond Barrow. There are other players in Guyana’s domestic game who perform consistently, win individual honours, produce goals and assists, and compete at the highest level available to them, but, they may still find the transition to international
football, or consistent national-team selection, difficult. This is where clarity becomes important, because if the considerations are tactical suitability, fitness, positional competition, defensive contribution, c o n s i s t e n c y , professionalism, discipline or international experience, those are all legitimate footballing factors. But players should understand that. They should have some sense of what the technical staff are looking for, how they are being assessed and what benchmarks they must reach to earn serious consideration. There are several examples across the Caribbean of national teams creating mechanisms to assess domestic players. Guyana does not necessarily have to replicate another country’s model, because every footballing environment is different. H o w e v e r, t h e r e i s something to be learned from the principle of creating a visible and credible mechanism through which domestic players can be properly assessed. That is particularly important because nationalteam exposure can provide a locally based player with opportunities to attract the attention of overseas clubs,
scouts and football markets. But before a player can benefit from that exposure, he must first have an opportunity to be seen. The national team should not be used as a favour to domestic players. Equally, domestic players should not assume that statistics alone guarantee international selection. There has to be a meeting point between performance, potential, tactical suitability, professionalism and opportunity. That is what this conversation should be about. So, what does it take to make the Golden Jaguars? Perhaps the answer is not simply scoring more goals. Perhaps it is about creating a transparent pathway in which players understand what the technical staff are looking for, know how they can be assessed, and know that sustained performance will at least earn them serious consideration. Neron Barrow is one example, but he should not be the entire conversation. The bigger issue is whether Guyana has a sufficiently clear pathway for the next Barrow, the next domestic standout, and the next player who finds himself asking the same question…What else do I have to do to get my chance?
Galaxy of stars on show from Friday at Prime Minister’s Softball Cup A galaxy of stars will be on show from Friday when the 9th edition of the 2026 Prime Minister’s Softball Cup bowls off in all three men’s categories. The T20 round-robin format will see the Legends (Over-50s), Masters (Over-40s) and All-Stars (Open) in action from 9:30 am. Things will continue with the preliminary round on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning before the top four teams from each division progresses to the semifinals Saturday afternoon. Then on Sunday, all roads lead to Police Sports Club ground, Eve Leary, Georgetown where the curtains coming down with all the championship fixtures. On Thursday, six ladies teams will be matching their skills in a group stage phase as well. In the afternoon, the three winners will be joined by one of the losing sides with the best
net-run-rate to feature in a semifinal segment. The two finalists will then come back Sunday at Eve Leary to contest the final. What had transpired in the last eight tournaments, reflected that softball players produced some impressive performances in each category. Softball fans can anticipate the same level of excitement. Troy Gobin, Mohan Harihar, Ravi Sahadeo, Uniss Yusuf, David Harper, Richard Driffield, Ricky Persaud, Chien Gittens, Sammy Kingston, Richard Latif, Patrick Rooplall, Keith Frazer, Mahendra Hardyal, Wayne Jones, Ricky Roopnarine, Kenny Dindyal, Sherwain Huberth, Anand Nazamurdin, Arnold Adams, Lakeram Latchman, Latchman Rohit, Sheldon Reid among others are the players expected to churn out outstanding performances during this historic softball showpiece.
Meanwhile, monetary prizes are up for grabs for both male and female categories along with individual awards. The winners in the legends will receive $800,000 and a trophy, while the runners-up taking home $200,000 and a trophy. For the Masters, the champion side collecting $500,000 and a trophy, while the second-place side is guaranteed $200,000 and a trophy. In the All-Stars category, the winners will pocket $800,000 and a trophy and the runners-up $200,000 and a trophy. The Georgetown Softball Cricket League Inc. is running off the tournament in collaboration with the Office of the Prime Minister. Prime Minister of Guyana, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips will deliver the first ball to mark the ceremonial opening of the extravaganza.
Richard Latif
Thursday October 01, 2026
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Guyanese players earn three new chess titles at 2026 Olympiad Team Guyana wrapped up its performance at the 46th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, following two weeks of intense competition. Across eleven gruelling rounds, the team delivered a strong effort, highlighted by three newly earned conditional chess titles. Kyle Couchman and Keron Sandiford both reached the requirements for the Candidate Master (CM) title, while Ciel Clement e a r n e d t h e Wo m a n Candidate Master (WCM) title, pending official FIDE confirmation. The Open Team (seed 137) placed 132nd out of 206 participating teams, beating its seeding by 5 places and ranked 4th of 23 Caribbean
teams, ahead of Suriname, Bahamas, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and Trinidad & Tobago. The Open team won all 5 matches against lower-seeded teams and lost all 6 against higherseeded teams. Standout individuals were CM Sachin Pitamber, who scored 4.5 points out of 9, with a Tournament Performance Rating (TPR) of 2150 and a +58.8 rating. Pitamber’s shining moment came after he drew with Grandmaster Kelires (2532) against Cyprus in Round 3. FIDE Master (FM) Anthony Drayton finished with 4.5 points out of 8, and a TPR of 2150, gaining 28 rating points. Kyle Couchman finished with 4.5 points out
of 9, gaining 5.6 points, while CM Taffin Khan gained 2.5 points out of 8 and Keron Sandiford gained 3.5 points out of 9 rounds. The Women’s team placed 152nd out of 189 participating teams, making for a stable performance. The Women’s team beat four lower-seeded teams convincingly (St Vincent & the Grenadines, Somalia, Mali, and San Marino) but lost to Laos (seed 166), the one match against a lower seed. Against higher seeds, it lost all six, including 0–4 defeats by Hong Kong and Guam and a 1–3 loss to Bahamas in the final round. The only close match was 1½–2½ against Japan.
From left: Keron Sandiford, Ciel Clement and Kyle Couchman
Summary of Rounds In Round 1, the Open Team suffered a 0-4 defeat to Slovenia, with Kyle Couchman unable to play
due to flight delays. The team bounced back in Round 2 with a 3:1 victory over New Caledonia, anchored by wins from CM Pitamber, FM
Drayton and Sandiford. In Round 3, Guyana fell 0.5 to 3.5 to a higher-rated Cyprus team, though CM Pitamber Continued on page 28
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill brought up successive 100-plus stands. (Associated Press)
Shai Hope had a muted celebration after bringing up his 20th ODI century. (BCCI)
Gill hits 223 not out as India chase down Windies’ record total s t r o Sp
Golden Jaguars hunt back-toback wins…Guyana’s in Puerto Rico could seal Gold Cup berth against Dominica
Guyana’s senior men’s football will face Dominica in back-to-back matches in Puerto Rico.
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